Life and Blogging

This post has been a long time coming, and it’s not directed at any one person at all. 

I am a person, not just a blogger.

I have a life, one that doesn’t revolve around my blog.

I am a mother (to a dog), a daughter and a sister first.  Always and forever.

And then, I am a blogger.

I spend my nights, not sleeping but reading books for authors who have asked.  I spend my days writing up reviews for the books that I have read.  I run on 4 hours of a sleep on a good day if I’m lucky, but you don’t hear me complaining.  And why do I do this?  Because I like helping people.  I love helping the people that have spent hours of their lives writing the stories that are in their head down for us to enjoy.

I don’t do it to be ridiculed or cussed at.  I don’t do it to be told that my opinion doesn’t matter, because if it didn’t matter why did you ask for it to start with?  I don’t do it to be told that my “real life” is less important and that I should be tied to my computer all day ensuring that posts are live on time.

I didn’t sign up to be sitting in a hospital with my niece, and getting emails from authors because my review didn’t go live at a certain time.  I didn’t sign up for when I have doctor appointments to get messages because people are upset that my appointments take priority.

I started my blog to help promote authors who asked for it, not just demand that I do it.  The ones who send a message ASKING if I would help to promote their books, not just send a message saying “Share this” and when I don’t, they get upset with me. 

When I started blogging not so long ago, it was fun!  It was great to be able to see everyone’s opinions on everything, and see how different people react to books.  When did it turn into a popularity contest?  When did it get to the point that blogs are talking about other blogs behind their backs because they posted something that someone doesn’t agree with?

I write reviews, and yes my reviews are short and to the point.  I don’t sugar coat things, like a friend of mine told me (which I do completely agree with).  I say things flat out and am completely honest.  If you have an issue with that, then don’t read my reviews.  It’s that easy.  I didn’t sign up to get messages saying that my review was written wrong, because it’s my review, not yours.  I say things a certain way, always have and always will.  That isn’t going to change.

Despite it all, the drama and the popularity contests, I do love what I do.  But people do need to remember, that bloggers?  We are people to and we have lives outside of our computers.  Yes, the authors put hours of their lives, their blood, sweat and tears into their books.  But bloggers?  We do the exact same thing.   

Despite what people might think, it isn’t that easy running a blog.  And we do it all for free, ok that might not be right we do it for the cost of an eBook that the author sends us.  That’s it.  Even after we spend our time doing all of this; reading the book, writing the review and setting up the blog post, most times we don’t even get as much as a Thank You.

As a blogger, when I get a book from an author I can’t stop telling them thank you for the chance to read their book.  Yet, after we read it, we are lucky if the author even says those words to us.

Don’t get me wrong, there are tons of great authors out there that will take the time to talk to a reader or blogger.  But like many other things, the bad always stands out from the good. 

I didn’t write up this post to point fingers at anyone.  I didn’t do this to say that I hate blogging.  I did it because I have been thinking about this for quite some time, and as the time goes on it feels as though bloggers are getting the short end of the stick.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks this, but I do know that I will be the one to stand out and finally get it out there.

So just remember, next time a blogger says that they will try to have something up for you at a certain time, they might be having something serious going on with them.  And we can’t always get to a computer just to send an email, or a Facebook message.   

Sometimes, Real Life is a real thing and it does happen.