Brin Discusses:
Book Blogging vs BookTube vs Bookstagram
There has been a lot of unrest and rumblings in the bookish blogosphere as of late. As new(ish) platforms such as BookTube and Bookstagram are gathering speed, it seems as though ye olde fashioned print blogs have been falling a little out of fashion.
Out with the Old; In with the New
Now, don’t get me wrong, I happen to love Bookstagram personally; I adore taking pictures of my books and joining in the community there. I am not as familiar with BookTube but I do follow a fair few BookTubers and it looks like a lot of fun (although it must be hard work – I mean, I can knock out a post in half an hour when the mood takes me – I can just imagine how much is involved in shooting and editing even the shortest of BookTube vids).
I don’t tend to feel as though I belong to the BookTube community though since nothing on this great, green globe would ever convince me to step in front of a camera (can I just say how much I admire those that do? – mucho kudos!) and it doesn’t feel quite the same being strictly a commenter and not being actively engaged.
The Good ‘Ole Days
It does make me feel a little sad that book blogging has shifted in the last couple of years. There are so many people who I followed way back in the day who have giving up blogging altogether and although there are plenty of newer bloggers, I don’t feel as connected as I used to.
A lot of that is down to me though – I have really gotten lax with posting – I rarely post more than once a week (and that’s if I’m having a good week!) and as for engaging with people on my own blog? Well, to be frank (and a little crude, sorry in advance!!), I’ve sucked the big one on that front.
I’m not entirely sure what’s wrong but I do think that some of the problem comes down to the fact that blogging just doesn’t feel like it used to for me. I was pretty much a latecomer to the ‘golden years’ of book blogging (for want of a better term) but I do remember how energised and positive everyone seemed to be. There was far less drama and most folks just wanted to discuss and get excited about books.
ARCs were still coveted but there seemed to be less angst about it all. Yeah, it sucked if you didn’t get approved for the book you really wanted to read but I don’t remember many people getting worked up when others were lucky enough (or connected enough) to snag a copy. I mean, I’m not perfect, sometimes the green-eyed monster would come over me for a minute or two, but then I would just shrug my shoulders because there were plenty of other great books out there ripe for the picking.
Where to Now?
I have seen a little bit of drama recently that BookTubers and Bookstagrammers are the ones who now tend to get approved for ARCs (especially print ARCs) but as I never really ever got print ARCs (UK blogger here!) I haven’t really noticed much of a difference personally. It even kinda makes sense in a way because both of these platforms can be considered a more immediate medium but I do feel a tiny bit left behind… that I am sitting here in my quaint little corner watching the blogger world almost pass me by.
What sucks the most is that I have no idea what to do about it.
I find myself questioning whether I want to continue blogging at all. I haven’t quite made my mind up yet. Is it maybe just that I’ve fallen out of love with blogging? I’m not sure yet. I’ve come a long way so it seems a shame to back out now. So I guess, for the moment at least, I’ll stick around. Who knows, maybe I’ll get my mojo back someday.
**Okay, this post turned into something completely different from what it started out as! If you made it this far – thanks for sticking around!!**
You have quite literally taken the words, sentiments, thoughts, feels, simply everything out of my mouth, soul, mind, and very existence Brin ha ha! It seems as though we share somewhat of the same journey in that I too arrived late into the book blogging scene. It was fun while it lasted, but I cannot help but feel as though the fad has dwindled down. Needless to say, I too have been contemplating deleting my blog altogether, but seeing how I oversee a couple of annual reading challenges, I may just keep it around for those that one reason. It’s a complicated matter XD
Sorry to hear you are going though the same downward spiral with blogging though I am kinda glad I am not the only one feeling like this lol. 🙂 It just feels like the shine has come off the whole thing for me. I’m still unsure about leaving altogether – I will definitely need to put in some serious thought in about it all.
I totally know how you feel but I would really miss your blog – you were one of the first blogs I followed and I still check in regularly. <3
I was thinking of doing a discussion post about this. The fact is, I don’t even have the time to read these days (no kidding), so you beat me to it, and to tell you the truth, I’m glad I don’t have to write this post myself anymore LOL. Lazy? Nah, just tired.
I hear you. While I never got an ARC copy myself and never will (what with being a small blog based in Italy), it sucks that we bloggers are now considered “quaint”. As far as subscribers go, I’ve been stalling for…oh, ages. Of course, like in your case, I don’t post much (*euphemism*), which may be one of the reasons why people are not inclined to follow me (a couple have even left lately). But I’m not fooling myself – other platforms have indeed taken over. Now, I don’t follow booktubers because it’s much easier for me to read than to listen to a foreign language, no matter that I’m virtually well-versed in it. And I don’t care for pictures featuring books with captions – heck, I don’t even care if they have a pretty cover or not to begin with. But I see that many people are drawn to that kind of things, What am I going to do about that? Stick with my blog. Because I would miss it so much. Because I still think words matter. Because I started it to give a spotlight to books that weren’t getting the attention I thought they deserved, and back then they were all bought books (I’ve gotten a few digital copies from small presses/indie writers since then), so it doesn’t make a difference if no one will ever be inclined to send me physical copies. Because I’ve met a handful of nice authors along the way, and established great relationships with them. Because I still rely on other people’s reviews in order to make up my mind about a book. And I hope to be still here ten years from now, or maybe all life long, and I hope you’ll be still here too :).
You’ve hit the nail right on the head, that’s totally how I feel right now – weary and a bit tired of blogging. 🙁
Getting ARCs has never been the main draw for me – like you, I like to focus on less well-known books and I’m such a mood reader it’s actually really hard to try and stick to any kind of schedule which is pretty essential for ARCs. Don’t get me wrong – it is nice to get them but I really feel guilty if I don’t feel like reading them right away and I think I would feel a lot worse with print ARCs.
I would really miss my blog – that’s the one thing that stops me from packing it in. I love having a space to vent my thoughts and share my excitement about new releases. I’m hoping that this ‘blogging fatigue’ is just a phase and will pass (sooner rather than later).
I totally know what you mean about reading reviews – I don’t use BookTube or Bookstagram to make my mind up about books – I always seek out other bloggers reviews and I still prefer reading rather than watching videos. I do like Bookstagram but I definitely don’t go there for reviews. 😉
Hopefully we are both still here in years to come – I know I would miss you and your blog A LOT if you left. 🙂
Thanks!
I don’t know that I’ll ever switch over to vlogging- the idea of having to edit a video? I have even less time and energy for that shiz, and who the heck wants to hear all the ums, likes, and random jokes that I was too lazy to edit out? But I do agree, the book blogging community isn’t as tight as it once was. I came in a little late in the game too, but I got to enjoy a few really good years. Now I mostly continue to blog because… hmm, I just can’t imagine not. But I’ve changed it to suit my needs. I also do a lot on Litsy (which honestly is like Instagram and Goodreads had a baby), and it feels so much like the early days of book blogging- it’s only for readers, the community is still growing, and I get to take pics of my books and share them with like minded nerds.
I hope you find your blogging mojo again, but if not, I hope you find Litsy (seriously, everyone, get on Litsy!) 🙂
Yeah, I know what you mean. I’m glad I got to enjoy a few good years myself. Hopefully things will pick up again. 🙂
I actually signed up for Litsy ages ago but never really visited much – I will definitely have to check it out again!
I don’t mind posting on instagram sometimes, but I don’t have that perfect eye for detail that some do and make such pretty post so mine feels lame. I will probably not get in front of a camera and I am not a huge fan of booktube cause I can read a post in a few minutes but it takes some of those tubers 20 minutes to spit out what they want to say about a book and I get bored. I guess I will just stick to being old fashioned and write on my blog. 🙂
I feel the same. Some people can really create stunning looking photos. Their attention to detail is just crazy good. I really don’t have that knack at all. I’m getting better but I just don’t have the patience I think lol. 😉
Yeah, BookTubers takes too long to get to the good stuff for me too. I’m an impatient person and I read really fast so can get through a lost more posts on blogs than watching videos. To each their own; I can see why some people love it but I guess I’m just old fashioned too – I much prefer the written word. 😀
Interesting post. I hate cameras, so nothing could force me to become a BookTuber. I also don’t understand the appeal of looking at photos of books. I care more about what’s in the book than what’s on the cover. I guess that leaves blogging for me. I’m still enjoying blogging, even though a lot of people are abandoning their blogs for other platforms.
I have noticed the shift in the book blogging realm too. There seem to be a lot of people gravitating toward Bookstagram and BookTube, but I do not think that print book blogging is going to die. I mean, there is only so much you can say with an Instagram post. There are a lot of bookstagrammers that I love, but if readers want a lot of information on a book or topic then a print blog would be better. Instagram is a good way for a book to capture reader’s attention with the pretty covers and everything, but discussions will still be relevant on standard book blogs.
I think the same thing goes for Booktube. I am not personally a huge fan of Booktube, mostly because I do not have 15 minutes to devote to every review. It takes a lot longer to watch a review than to read one on a normal blog. Don’t get me wrong, I still love to see the animation and emotion of booktubers, but I don’t have the time to dedicate to watch a bunch of videos in a row.
Even though there might be a decrease of views or comments for standard book bloggers right now, the decline is not indictating the eminent death of this kind of blogging. Maybe we have to change as a community to make more visuals to go with our posts (like interactive features, pictures, and graphics). Change is coming, but not the end of book blogging as we know it.
[…] Not done too many of these this year but I do rather like the one I wrote about Blogging vs Bookstagram and Booktube (link here). […]