I belong to a book blogger’s group where we share ideas and rants and support. It’s a good place to learn when you’re new as well as being a supportive community, which can be rare online.
One blogger mentioned that they had 30,000. I presumed followers and checked out their blog, where they had 600 followers so I presumed that the number must be views, which led me to checking my own. I had the most startling revelation. I have nearly as many views right now as I did all of last year.
Mind you, I know I’ve been having a rough streak for the past year mentally (hopefully you all haven’t noticed), but some days it’s been harder to show up and follow through, and I think that the stats show that. I’ve been trying this year. Heh. That makes me think of the alternative meaning….difficult, annoying, and hopefully I’ve not been that.
But, stats? What’s it all mean, jelly bean? Now, honestly, I have been comparing my blog to those of other book bloggers so that I could see how I could improve. Whether I was providing you all with some yummy books to read, some intelligent books to read, and whether I was doing a fair job on reviewing the books I’ve been given. Frankly, I believe that I’ve toned down my pugnacity, if that’s the appropriate word. Considering that I’ve hit a wall as far as getting my own novel off the ground, I sometimes feel that I can’t pummel writers who’ve managed to get a beginning, middle, and ending, and publish it, whether it’s self-published or traditional, even if their books suck. It’s all in the follow through.
Do you look at your stats? Do you care about your stats? What’s it mean to have a lot of likes on a post? The most views (over 2034 in one day) I ever had on a post was early on when I did a review of a James Lee Burke novel, was fortunate to have the author (James Lee Burke!!!!) read my review, which sent a lot of people my way. As a beginning book blogger, I was over the moon. Unless I write something stupendous or achieve some stupid greatness, emphasis on stupid, I doubt I’ll ever get that many views on a post in a day. Or maybe not.
Stats can be a slippery slope if that’s all you’re going for because you might write things (like posts about stats, hehe, kidding) just to get views.
I’m not naive or idealistic enough to presume that follows, likes, and views, don’t matter. It all matters when you’re a blogger or else you’re just spreading hot air in an empty room. And, we all don’t want an empty room. Or a lot of hot air. Nor a big head. I’ll stop there before I get any of these…especially the empty room.
Congrats on the stats! Size matters. 😉
lol
I don’t think size matters until you monetize your blog and until (most importantly) you can talk up your books, which have already been somehow magically reviewed, so the visitors will click and buy. Otherwise, what difference does it make?
heh. I monetized my blog in 2017 and just watch the cents multiply. At some point in time, I will get $100 after I’ve spent around $200. And book affiliates? People are scared of book affiliates despite the fact it costs them nothing. I may have to put out a Styrofoam cup. 😉 Of course, you may be talking about my own personal books….well…
Bwahaha!
Being a number cruncher, stats interest me, but for blogging are not the be all and end all. Sure I got little depressed when they take a dive, but I am getting more feedback and comments now which is more personal, so the actual viewing figures are nice but secondary.
Yes. I think it’s wonderful to find that grouping of like-minded people with whom we converse and miss when they’re gone for a few days…weeks. 🙂
Unless you’ve monetised your blog stats are, I think, an interesting diversion. What matters most to me is the interaction with fellow bloggers – it’s good to know my words aren’t just drifting away into the ether!
Yes! That’s how I felt a bit when I first started…that I was making posts in the darkness of space. heh.
It really depends on what your goal in blogging is as to whether or not stats matter. As others have said, if you are trying to monetize, then they can be critical. If you are trying to build a future audience for the book you are working on, again, this is important to an extent (those numbers need to be from the right audience for your book and not just numbers). But if you are blogging because you love to write about books (or any other topic), do those numbers really make a huge difference? For me, it is always going to be quality over quantity and is one of the reasons I’m not a fan of the whole “follow me” game. I do enjoy looking at stats from a purely entertainment standpoint, but I like having the small community of bloggers that I interact so much more, even though they are only a teeny tiny percentage of those stats. Granted lower stat numbers make it a whole lot more difficult if you are looking at getting attention to something specific.
I like and agree with what you’ve said. I like the community here and I like talking to people who love writing and books. As I mentioned in another comment, my blog is monetized but it’s obvious that unless I can live on $3 a month, it’s best not to quit my day job. 🙂 I do have to admit that when I read someone going on about their stats, I do have that momentary…oh, should I be doing this better, kind of thing. It passes until the next time. I don’t think book bloggers make money.
Not unless you somehow become famous doing so, but even then, most of the people that can make enough to live on are doing something in addition to just the book blogging. I look at it from the standpoint that if you love what you are doing and you can make a little extra along the line to give you money for a little fun (a book or two or something) then it is all icing at that point.
True. I don’t overlook the fact that I have early free access to books provided I continue to give reviews. That is a definite perk.
If you look at it from that point of view, you are getting paid. Just in books.