So Many Blogs, So Little Time

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I have been reading numerous blogs for years and years now. Only recently have I gotten back into reading mainly book blogs. It seems that I am constantly adding new blogs to my Google Reader. Also, I know how much I love getting comments so I try to comment regularly on the blogs I follow. After all, we want to know that someone is reading the stuff that we are spending time writing, right?

Unfortunately, I do not have enough time in the day to comment as much as I would like to. That got me thinking about how to manage it all. How to keep on the balls in the air, so to speak. 

Here are a few things that I have learned:

There is a "mark all as read" button for a reason. Sometimes I just need to start fresh, without reading every single post from every single blog.

Block out specific time to read blogs. Taking a 15 to 20 minute chunk of time where I just read blogs and/or comment on them keeps me from sitting down in front of the laptop and wasting the whole day. Not that I have done that. Ever.

Read only the best. Only read those blogs that YOU find are consistently entertaining for you. Reading tastes change and some blogs you start out reading might not be as relevant to you months down the road. Don't be afraid to stop following them if they aren't posting information you find entertaining or in line with your reading tastes. You can always find them again. I am sometimes bad about reading the most popular blogs out there instead of finding those blogs that really give me something to think about or new to me books that not every.single.blogger is talking about. Plus my reason for blogging is to connect with other bookish people. A huge blogger is less likely to comment back on my blog than a smaller one is.

Or have a separate folder for those that are the best of the best and read those first. Afraid that you will NEVER find that blog again if you delete it? Just set up another folder for those blogs that you don't want to lose but might not want to keep track of on a daily basis.

Wish you could comment more? The Next Button is your new best friend! Using the Next Button takes you to the actual webpage for each blog you follow so it is easier to comment. Keep hitting Next until you've read all the blogs you have time for right then. Much easier to leave a comment when you are on their actual page. And you are much more likely to leave a comment if you are on their actual page. Click here to see how to install the button.

Dude! It isn't rocket science and you are not curing cancer. All joking aside, remember why it is you are following blogs in the first place and give yourself a break. You can't read every single post or comment on every single post of every single blog so don't act like you can. Do what you can, when you can and have fun!

  

How do you deal with all the posts stacking up in your reader? How do you comment? Often? Not at all? Do you stop commenting if they don't comment on yours? Got any tips on managing it all? Please share!