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I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what I want to get out of my blog in the coming year. I know I’d like to continue growing, both in number of followers and follower engagement. I think I’d like to do more actually tracking my stats and seeing what’s working. I’d also like to get really good at one social media platform other than twitter and I’d like to explore the possibility of making money from my blog in a way that wouldn’t annoy anyone reading it. So, with those goals in mind, I’d like to do more reading about blogging to see what I can learn. I’m sure I’m not the only one thinking about how to improve my blog in the new year, so I’d also like to invite all of you to join me for a Blogging Better reading challenge.
Like Andi of Estella’s Revenge (hosting the #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks reading challenge), I’m all about you do you kinds of challenges, so the rules you follow for this challenge will be your own. Here’s my plan:
- Read at least one book about blogging each month
- Implement at least one suggestion from each book, unless I think a book has no useful advice
- Do a post each month reporting my progress
- And… that’s it! Keeping it simple.
Here are some of the books I’d like to read:
- Don’t Fall Down the Rabbit Hole Blogger’s Playbook
- Blog Events by Amanda Shofner
- ProBlogger by Darren Rowse, creator of the blog of the same name
- The Art of Social Media by Guy Kawasaki
- How to Blog for Profit without Selling Your Soul by Ruth Soukup
Books I’ve already read that might inspire your list include:
If you’re interested in joining in, drop a link to your sign-up post here:
[inlinkz_linkup id=591742]
Charlene @ Bookish Whimsy
This is such a great idea! I feel like I’m not very into reading a whole book about blogging, but I hope that you will impart much advice and wisdom (and you’ll be able to make the advice in the books you read work for a book blogger) so I’m very excited for this challenge, and reading your posts about it. Good luck with this!
DoingDewey
Haha, hopefully I won’t be bored of reading books about blogging by the time I’m done! And I have noticed that most of the book blogging books seem to be by and/or intended for lifestyle bloggers, so I hope I’ll be able to find advice that works for me too 🙂
Priscilla
I didn’t know Darren Rowse wrote a book! The kind people at WordPress also wrote one and it’s free! I have it sitting on my virtual shelves. 🙂
DoingDewey
Thanks for mentioning the WordPress one! I’ll have to check that out. I’ve got a few blogging books on my shelves already, but not enough to get me through the year.
Pat @ Posting For Now
I enjoy reading about blogging. I don’t think I could keep up with a book/month though. Thanks for sharing your list. I will plan on checking them out and visiting your blog next year!
DoingDewey
We’ll see how I can do! I’m starting with the ones I already own and I’m trying to read them early in the month, to keep me on top of this challenge 🙂
Laurie C
I think I just need to focus more on posting more often with wider variety this year, but I’m looking forward to seeing your updates on what you’re learning from this challenge and what changes you’ll be making!
DoingDewey
I’d like to post more often after too, especially after I finish my PhD. Good luck with your posting goals! 🙂
Allison @ The Book Wheel
I had no idea Problogger had its own book! I’ll definitely have to check that one out – the site is pretty handy.
DoingDewey
I like it too!
Jennine G
Very cool challenge. I already know what I’d like to do with my blog – go self hosted. I have the plan and a tech person all lined up, now it’s a matter of when. But this year holds two possibilities: doctorate school and moving, both costly. So we’ll see. Good luck!
DoingDewey
That’s awesome! I recently switched to self-hosted and am glad I did. I can see where it might have to wait on your big life changes though! I’m excited to hear more about your grad school and moving plans as you figure them out 🙂 Good luck to you too!
Naomi
I just barely have time to keep up with my blog as it is. But I’m hoping that by reading your posts about blog improvement, I will get some new ideas for myself. 🙂
Sounds like it’s going to be interesting!
DoingDewey
I get what you mean! I love blogging and feel as though I never enough time to do all of the things I’d like to do with it.
Marisa @ The Daily Dosage
I have similar blogging goals for next year and look forward to seeing your posts. Some of those books look interesting too! Thanks!
DoingDewey
Great! Hopefully I’ll learn some useful things to share 🙂
Andi
THIS! “I’d like to explore the possibility of making money from my blog in a way that wouldn’t annoy anyone reading it.” You actually inspired me to sign up for blog-to-business and I’m finding that it gets me thinking new ways. Love it!
DoingDewey
I’m so glad! I really liked the blog-to-business course too 🙂
Kerry M
Like Andi said, I love the idea of learning how to monetize without being annoying to readers–I’m not sure what that would look like, but I’d love to look at that for 2016. Not sure a book on blogging is my speed, but I may tailor this with some online resources and try to check in monthly on what’s working and what’s not.
DoingDewey
That sounds great! I’m excited about people doing this challenge however they want. I may even update the description or change it at my monthly to clearly include general blogging improvement discussion each month, even for bloggers who don’t want to read a bunch of blogging books. Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂
Rory
I would love to do something like this in the upcoming year. I know I need to learn more about ANY social platform, and I’d like to learn the ins and outs of blogging better.
DoingDewey
Great! I need to get back into reading some more books for this challenges this month since I didn’t do anything in February. Sorry I missed your comment until now! I just noticed I still had one that needed to be approved and found it that way 🙂
Rachel
Wow. One blogging book a month. You’re serious about this!
DoingDewey
Haha, I just hope I can keep up with it! Blogging books can be pretty quick reads though, so that should help 🙂
Sarah's Book Shelves
I’d love to join in this challenge in some way – just need to figure out what my parameters will be! I’d also like to find creative ways to monetize in the coming year without “selling my soul”.
DoingDewey
Great! Hopefully we’ll come up with some useful ideas to share 🙂
Julianne @ Outlandish Lit
Ooooh, this is a really good idea! I know there’s no way I’d be able to read one book about blogging a month, but I’ll try maybe… 1 every 3 months? Looking forward to hearing more about what you learn!
DoingDewey
Sounds great! I look forward to hearing about the books you pick up 🙂
Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories
I love this idea, I have a ton of blogging books and resources I need to read. Blog Design for Dummies is the longest and I’d really like to update my design!
DoingDewey
That sounds like a book I could learn a lot from too! I’m going to start with books I own too 🙂
SDCB Steph
I haven’t read many books on blogging, but would like to try more. I love this idea! I look forward to seeing what new things will be happening on your blog during this process. Happy 2016!
DoingDewey
Thanks Steph! I’m excited to give this a try 🙂
LuAnn Braley
I’m spreading out my challenge sign-up. For some reason there seem to be quite a number of them! *lol* My sign-up for this challenge goes live tomorrow and I will be back with the link for the link-up.
DoingDewey
Awesome! I’m excited to check out the challenges you’re joining in on 🙂 I always do mine as a single post, since I’m often doing too many to do one post each!
emma at Words And Peace
along these lines, I just joined the wordpress blogging University!
DoingDewey
That sounds interesting! I’ll have to check that out 🙂
Geoff W
Looks like a great idea for the year. I occasionally think about these things, but I still think of mine as a book journal for myself with commentary.
DoingDewey
I appreciate that my blog serves as a book journal, but that’s definitely secondary for me. I primarily think of it as a way to interact with people and it’s something I do really focus on improving, especially getting more people involved in events in commenting 🙂
Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories
Which blog to business course did you take?
DoingDewey
It was a free course offered by Kristy Ellington, http://www.kristyellington.com/blogtobusiness/. I think the version she has posted is free if you sign up for her e-mail list and is a polished version of what she originally shared.
Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories
Oh great, thanks for the info! Well, I signed up in my blog post but I can’t add my link to the linkup. Anyway I’m shooting for reading 6 blogging books, I’m thinking one every 2 months though some I have are super short and sweet. Thanks for hosting, I look forward to working on my blog productively!