Updated 12/28/09
Have you ever held the door open for some that had their hands full? Do you apologize when you accidently bump into someone in the hallway? If you answered yes, then I’ll ask you why? Is it because it’s the “right” thing to do, the “polite” thing to do? Let’s talk about etiquette.
etiquette >noun: the code of polite behavior in a society.
It seems as though these days blogs are everywhere. It’s almost impossible not to stumble upon one while you are surfing the Internet. And is it just my imagination, or are there a ton of book blogs out there!? But how many blogger’s are aware of blog etiquette? I personally think that “blog etiquette” is subjective. Not every blog is the same, and not every blogger is the same for that matter. So, I’m sure that everyone has their own ideas about what is wrong and what is write right. Here’s what I think:
(Instead of addressing all blogs in general, I’ll be referring to book blogs only.)
Be careful with your content. Even though your book blog is “your” blog, be mindful about posting too much personal information. Your audience is looking for a specific topic, in our case the topic is books. On the other hand it’s nice to know a little bit about the person doing the reviews, just don’t go overboard.
Don’t steal someone’s content. Don’t copy and paste someone’s review and post it as your own! I hope everyone knows that this is wrong. Also be aware that content isn’t just limited to reviews. Remember people work very hard on their entire blog, not just their reviews. For instance it takes me hours to compile my New Reads list, it would be offensive to me if someone copied it and published it as their own.
Be creative! With a blog being specific to a topic it’s hard not to have the same or similar content as other book blogs. Take an idea and make your own twist on it. For example, author interviews… I have Author Tales, Liv’s Book Reviews has Bit’s N’ Pieces, The Book Muncher has Who’s RAD. They are the same idea but we’ve all taken it and made it our own.
Unfortunately, once an idea is out there it isn’t necessarily exclusive to you, anymore. Which brings me to my next point.
Give credit where credit is due. If you get an idea from another blogger give them the credit they deserve. Be sure to mention where the idea originated and link to that place. Maybe you’ve heard the saying “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” and while it is flattering, it’s also frustrating when you get the shaft. And don’t just steal another bloggers feature! It’s one thing if you email and ask, and they accept. But don’t just decide you like something and start posting it with the same name. Even if you do link to the other person. When in doubt ask.
With your reviews, don’t be afraid to have an opinion.You don’t have to like a book just because Reviewer 1 or Reviewer 2 thought it was great, it’s YOUR opinion, use it! Most importantly remember that people are always going to have different opinions and to be respectful of those said opinions. Not everyone has to think the way that you do, be respectful of that.
Give someone a heads up! I always appreciate it when people let me know if I’ve made a mistake. I’d rather have someone mention to me when I need to make a correction, rather than realize it later when it’s been up for months and I feel like an idiot. I do proof read, spell check twice and re-read many times, but I’m human and I make mistakes probably more so than the next person. On the same topic be sure to check the spelling and grammar in your posts, because it’s a reflection on your credibility….. whether we like it or not.
But what about the other end of blogging? The Blog reader.
Let’s talk about comments.
Try to post a comment that is relative to the blog post. If it doesn’t pertain to the post, maybe it would be better to email the blog owner (unless of course you can’t find an email address) or leave a comment in a c-box, if there is one. (I use to have a c-box, but deleted it after a slew of spam)
If you have your own blog don’t blatantly promote yourself on someone else’s. You’re only shedding a negative light on yourself. Don’t get me wrong, I love to support other book blogs and other bookish people just remember to be courteous and mindful to others. Don’t leave four or five links with every comment! If you have a Blogger ID that should suffice. It gives you the option to list your “websites”!
If you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all. If you don’t like it then move on. And be careful what you say, you can’t convey tone when you are leaving a comment, something that you meant in a joking nature may not be taken that way. Don’t be rude and childish either. I’ve had my share of rude anonymous comments. Take my advice and just delete them, they aren’t worth your time and effort to convey a response.
As a blog owner, if you have comments on a post, try to leave a comment back! It’s just a nice way of letting your commenters know you appreciate their effort! (I really need to work on this part!)
Really it all boils down to being respectful and responsible. But like I said this matter is subjective, don’t take what I’ve posted here as rule or regulation, they are merely suggestions and observations on my part. I don’t do everything I’ve mentioned above every single time like I should, but I’m going to try to improve that.
You should also be sure to check out a post that Adele of Persnikity Snark recently did: “A Guide to YA Blogging” which was a collation of recommendations from bloggers, authors, and publicists.
No related posts.
hmmm…I agree with most of what you have said, except for the point that do not include personal things in the post. I don’t really mind reading about the personal lives, it’s interesting. If someone doesn’t like it they can skip that part or skip the post altogether.
Also, i think a little grammer problem is okay (because I make a lot of grammatical mistakes unintentionally
).
Not all of us have English as the first language. I try and correct the mistakes i can identify. I think the same rule applies here. Skip if you do not want to read. We always have a choice.
But i agree with the rest of your points. Copying someone else’s content is a sin.
Love the picture.
I try my best to be mindful of my comments and content. I proof-read, edit, proof-read, edit until I think it’s worthy enough or until I get tired. But once it’s out there and I find something wrong, I correct.
I agree with all your points, especially when you said we’re all human and we makes mistakes. It’s true! I also with the “too much personal information” point. Reading about too much of a reviewer’s life isn’t always interesting.
It’s great that you’ve brought book blog etiquette into topic. New reviewers can find this useful and evade those bad choices! And my doubts and blog morals have been confirmed. Hah-hah, how powerful do I feel?
Thank you!
Well said, Kristi! I am new to the book blogging community, but I try to be mindful of what I say and practice proper etiquette.
Your post was very informative and brought several things to my attention that I hadn’t thought of.
Thanks for another great post!
This is a great post! My favorite thing you said is for bloggers to comment back to their comments. I read several blogs, and my favorites are always when I see the author or blogger acknowledging my comment. It makes me feel good and I find myself going back and reading everyone’s comments. So for me, that’s a must.
Excellent post – good info to remember for all of us. I read a number of blogs and sometimes have to remind myself to actually post comments so the writers know they have readers.
thanks all!!
i’m really bad about commenting back on my posts! but i’m going to work on it!
Thanks for this post! As a new blogger, it’s nice to have advice from someone who has been blogging for a while. I, for one, an a little intimidated by this all, but I find it fun to do. Thanks for the sage wisdom and the awesome posts.
Great post, Kristi!!
I really enjoyed reading it. It’s definitely an interesting topic.
I think people should try to keep their blog to one main topic. I started to get bored when a blog bounces from books to music to movies…
Great and important post by the way!
What a great post! Blog ettiguete is so important.
Jessica
thanks for the shoutout. i totally agree with it all.
tho sometimes i am way too lazy/busy to post replies (bad me, i know!)
I always reply to my reader’s comments. I love when they comment, it just makes my day 10x better. That’s why I comment them back.
Thanks for this post!
Great post. You had some good advice–especially the blogger commenting back. I suck at that. I never comment back but I will start doing that.
Thanks for the little shout out!
I pretty much agree with everything although sometimes I slack off on posting comment replies.
I always try my best my best to be as polite as possible on someone’s blog, and my own, too. The thing I always have a hard time with is asking someone to do a link exchange, especially when it’s bigger, successful blog. I’ve been sitting here for five minutes trying to word this one, lol.
Great post, you bring up great points and I totally agree, stealing is very very bad!
Great post. Particularly with the Readers end. I find that any of our posts related to Twilight need to be monitored. It gets down right mean sometimes and there’s no reason for it. Its a BOOK. There’s not excuse for treating other PEOPLE nasty over a friggin BOOK!
Thanks for the tips! I completely agree with what you say!
Thanks for posting this up – this is such a good guide. This is a must-read, definitely, for all blogreaders.
Especially the commenting part…that is SO right! Is it okay if I link this post to my blog…with credit to you, of course?
loving all the feedback! thanks everyone! and anon go for it!
I’m a little late, but I LOVE this post, I haven’t seen one like it ever. Thanks for the great tips.
-May
Hi!!!
Great post, really interesting, I have my own blog, and this stuff is completely usefull for me…I was wondering If I can put you in my blog list, because I really liked your blog… is awesome.
=)
http://entrelibelulas.blogspot.com/
I completely agree with this post!
thanks for your blog advies posts, great stuff.
thanks for your blog advies posts, great stuff.
This was a really helpful post, especially for someone who is super new in the book blogging world. Thanks!
This was a really helpful post, especially for someone who is super new in the book blogging world. Thanks!
I think it's a great idea to post this, especially for new bloggers who aren't really sure what is expected when you create a book blog.
These tips are really helpful and I agree with all of them.
Thank you!
I've been blogging for a little bit now, but I still have a hard time getting followers and putting my blog out there. This really helped! Thank you so much, and I will be sure to remember the different aspects of book blogging etiquette. Thanks again!