This Week’s Topic: Identity Crisis!
We Live and Breathe books was started as a YA book blog, and I have stayed true to this vision by featuring predominately YA books. Lately though, I have been pondering my blogging identity.
Fact: I have more of less been a life long romance reader.
My teens were spent reading one contemporary romance after another. Once I started pleasure reading again, I read many of my daughter's YA books, but I still filled many of my days with contemporary romances. Even now, most of the books I read are romances or contain romance.
Fact: I love romance!
Romances have always fulfilled my reading needs. I like books on the lighter side, and I ALWAYS want an HEA. These things are present in most romances. I like knowing what I am getting, and I seldom am unsatisfied when I finish a romance novel.
Aside from my enjoyment of romances, I have also found I get more EW and NG approvals for romances. You would think, since I have a YA blog, I would have better luck with YA books, but that is not the case. If you look at my list of denied requests, they are all YA books. Maybe it's because I have a small blog or that I am an adult YA reader, but for whatever reason, I am not as lucky with YA books, even when they are not hugely hyped debuts.
So, why not change to a romance blog?
For one thing, I genuinely like reading YA books. I would miss reading them all the time. It's really easy for me to work my adult romances into my TBRs, because I read a lot of books, and adding them wouldn't detract from the number of reviews I have for the blog. I know I have the luxury, and feel like I kind of have the best of both world.
So, why not just feature whatever books I want on the blog?
I like having a well defined focus for my blog. I specifically want it to be a book blog, but I also think I need to narrow it down more. My TTT, CWW, and reviews almost always feature YA books. Every once in a while, I will feature MG or adult books, but my central focus is YA. However, because my followers are almost all adult readers, I do feel as though I could diversify age wise, and it would be ok.
Now the questions!
- Have you ever had a blog identity crisis?
- Do you think it's important to define your blog in terms of age or genre?
- What about focusing on a genre, but going across age groups?
Now it's your turn!
Have you ever had a blog identity crisis?
Let us know in the comments!
I think in the beginning of my blog I wasn't sure what I wanted to be blogwise necessarily. I think I found my way eventually. I don't have a focus really but tend towards YA, Women's Fiction, Memoirs and sometimes something else. I am not sure it matters to me to have a strict focus and more to focus on what I am reading at the time.
ReplyDeleteMost of the readers I interact with here seem to have blogs where the only focus is really books, and I read across ages enough to find something to interest me
DeleteMy identity crisis is always: too many interests. I could talk about cooking. Writing. Fitness. Films. Book-wise I don't really have a focus. I mostly post about fantasy, but when I read a good book I like of a different genre, I'll talk about it :) It's your blog! Have fun with it!
ReplyDeleteSo, more lifestyle , which is cool, because I bet you can connect with a lot of different people. I am too tired and boring to have that many interests but I did when I was younger 😄
DeleteI've never had an identity crisis for the blog. I set mine up with the purpose of promoting Indie reads in my favourite genres and reviewing my favourite genres and I still do that. I mostly feature horror, apocalypse and urban fantasy but there is also SF, fantasy, thriller and historical mainly Tudor) that appear semi-regularly. I mostly read adult books but feature YA when I find ones I want to read. I'm comfy just doing my thing, reading and reviewing what I feel like and not worrying about defining the blog in a certain way. That's just me! Chilled out Chuckles!
ReplyDeleteI do follow a range of blogs, some that feature genres I read less in ie fantasy, YA and SF. That way I can see the new releases being talked about and old favourites being reviewed in case I find something I want to try. I wouldn't follow a blog that was tightly focused on a genre I never read though as I'd have nothing to say in discussions and the comments!
There are some blogs I follow just because I like the blogger. So blog focus is not that important to me either
DeleteI'm having an identify crisis as well since I started reading a lot more romance over the summer.
ReplyDeleteIf I were to start blogging when I was in HS, my blog would primarily be Historical Romances. So my reading moods definitely change over the years. I think I'm finally just gonna review what I like, since most of us are adults anyway. Plus blogs are a way to expand your boundaries!
I'll probably still focus a lot on YA on my blog because that's the category I know the most about. But all of that can change!
I still love YA. I am just salty that I am not getting a lot of approvals, and the wait at the library is always so long for every YA book. I have a focus on YA, and if I omitted age group, it would be contemporary romance. I feel like doing that across age groups could be tricky, but that's what I would love to do.
DeleteMy blog wasn't going to be only about books when I started it which is why my blog has such a dumb name. I pretty quickly found that books were the only thing that I really felt like talking about and should changed the name then. I am a very eclectic reader so I will feature all kinds of books on my blog. I like mixing things up and I think my blog reflects that.
ReplyDeleteI read across age ranges, but I still have kept my focus on YA. I am comfortable going off age range, every once in a while, because I know all the readers I interact with here are adults.
DeleteMy blog started as a diary-type blog, so I guess I had an identity crisis when I discovered that I’m boring and don’t have anything to write in a diary. Then it became a book blog. I’ve never focused on a certain genre of book. I just read and review whatever I want. That’s probably not a good strategy for getting followers, but I’m happy with what I read.
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I think you're hilarious, and I probably will never read any of books you do, but your writing makes me laugh and I live reading your blog.
DeleteI've never thought about my blog "identity". My blog is a hobby so I've always been of the mindset that I'd post whatever I feel like on it and that's that. From the beginning, I never made an age distinction for the books I reviewed so I don't think it was clear to anyone who was following my blog (heck, I'm still confused about the age group I like reading years later). Though I did make sure to title my blog in a way that was "dark" and reminiscent of creatures of the night so anyone following would, at the very least, expect paranormal titles (even though I read more paranormal romance and urban fantasy).
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of a genre focus vs an age focus. I read contemporaries and contemporary romances almost exclusively.
DeleteWhen I first started blogging I only read YA books and very little adult books, but this time around I decided to read what I most wanted to read. I read the occasional YA book, but mostly adults books frm several different genres. It has opened a whole new world of books for me and I am happy I made the change.
ReplyDeleteI always associate your blog with adult lit. I still read what I want, I just don't tend to feature my non YA reads
DeleteThat’s a tough one. I say just read and review what you want. I like romance when it’s not the only thing the story has going but whatever you reviewed I’d stick around and read it.
ReplyDeleteI inhale romances, and I follow a billion romance blogs. I feel pretty comfortable with mixing in more age groups here, and awwww. You're so sweet! XOXO
DeleteI've never had a niche for any of my blogs but that didn't bother me much. I think when you pinpoint to a certain focus, you're stuck to that so how can you change and grow except to start a new blog? perhaps you can do ya + romance? why choose? I just think it's your blog, you can do whatever you like.
ReplyDeletehave a lovely day.
I considered romance across all ages, but then I think contemporary. I am very conflicted
DeleteI have no problem with you blogging about both romance and YA. Do what you feel comfortable with discussing. ❤️
ReplyDeleteI love all stories from all genres. I’m a big fan of YA. At the same time I belong to two adult book clubs. I also love manga and the idea of art and dialogue tell8ng a story. My writing partner love mysteries for the puzzle and UF. Thanks for voicing your thoughts. ��
It seems like there are a lot if blogs with the central focus being just books. Maybe I will start slowly with a TTT or CWWW
DeleteI totally understand what you're going through! I'm a mostly YA blog too, but I've been reading a few more adult books lately. I'm definitely having to go more out of my way to make sure I don't review too many adult books in a row. I think it's good to define what your blog is, no matter if that means a genre or age group, just because it helps other bloggers know what to expect when they get there. Great discussion!
ReplyDeleteI definitely lean more this way. I guess I just like things defined. I can't fight my nature!
DeleteI'm constantly having a blog identity crisis, so I just blog about what interests me that day :)
ReplyDeleteI am the type of person who needs a little bit of focus, otherwise, I accomplish nothing.
DeleteThis is a tough one! I can see both sides: when I first started blogging, I wondered if I should focus on a specific genre or whatever, but for me it's hard to narrow down. I think it can be good to focus on just one genre, because it makes your blog more identifiable and thematic. But, tastes can change over the years, too! I figure if I talk about a lot of different genres, I'm hitting that many more potential readers - something for everyone. Maybe try incorporating romance posts a little at a time and see how people react to it?
ReplyDeleteTastes definitely change, and trends change even if your tastes don't. I recently saw a blogger lamenting the lack of good YA dystopians these days and other hoping vampires make a comeback. Something for everyone is always a good thing too. I think this may be more of a case of it's me, who needs a focus, not my followers.
DeleteI think a blog is defined by what you enjoy, whether it's YA or romance, or whatever you like. Blogging is how I find out about different books and genres I wouldn't normally look at. I think it's about what makes you happy. I sometimes feel weird I tend to stay in the thriller genre, but I am also finding myself interested in non-fiction too.
ReplyDeleteI sort of like when I can see what genre a blogger favors, because I will then rely on them for recs in that genre. I am not a big fantasy reader, and I forgive a lot of things in a fantasy book, that hardcore fantasy readers won't. Like, I would trust you when you say a thriller was thrilling, because it's your thing. You know?
DeleteI chose my blog name with a purpose - I wanted to shine some light on those YA books that fly under the radar and don't deserve it! That been said, I throw in an adult book here and there (no contemporary/romance though, though I review the occasional contemporary YA if it doesn't revolve around romance. I'm your opposite LOL), and I sometimes (rarely) write a post about favourite TV series. I have a mixed audience (so to speak - I'm so small!), from people in their early twenties to same age peers. I'm a firm believer that one can always take what they need from a blog - for example, even if I don't read the same books you do, you always write great discussion posts! The only thing I tend to avoid are hugely lifestyle-based blogs, because I'm not interested.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, thank you. You're very sweet. And I am a lot like you. Carrying on....I follow tons of blogs (really only book blogs), where the blogger doesn't read the books I read (or would read), but I like the blogger and will stop in to see what they are talking about. I love that you spotlight those little books, which are wonderful and need more love and attention. I don't do that exclusively, but I feature a lot of debuts.
DeleteI guess it depends on what your goal is with your blog. If it's just to have fun and talk about what you love and interact with the community, then I say blog about whatever you want. But if your goal is to make the blog more professional, maybe monetize, etc., then it's probably better to have a niche by choosing a specific genre or age. But then, some of the most popular bloggers I know of review a wide range of things, so who even knows?
ReplyDeleteMoney is the last thing I think about. My following is way too small. This is just a hobby, but, you know, it's nice to have people following me.
DeleteOh, Sam, this is a great topic! Your discussion posts are always the best. But when I first started off blogging, I tackled any books that I read which did include romance. After time, I did start to exclusively focus on YA. Lately, I've been really getting in MG. It always feels a little weird when I'm reading a MG or adult book because I'm like am I cheating???? I think focus wise if a good amount is still focused on YA and you still include the others, it's still includes? Your audience - me included - I think is ready for whatever journey you take it on, and it could be good to see things you might not see when you see other things. Wonderful topic, Sam! :)
ReplyDeleteYou're too sweet, and this totally made me smile. Now I am worried my books feel cheated on. >_<
DeleteI sort of just love all things contemporary. I did that MG binge last week, and am embarking on an adult binge this week. I feel like the name of this blog should be "The Moody Contemporary Reader" these days. Maybe that is what my focus is, because I really don't read too often outside of contemporaries.
This is such an interesting topic. I have such eclectic reading tastes that I don't think there's any way I could possibly narrow my blog down. If you still want to be primarily focused on YA, maybe you could add in a feature where once a week, month, or whenever you spotlight some non-YA books that you've read. Whatever you choose, I'm here for it!
ReplyDeleteYou do have REALLY carried tastes. The most surprising from you was when I saw you reading The Kiss Quotient, because I don't remember seeing any hard core romances before. Women't lit, yes, but not full-on romance. So, you definitely win the eclectic reader award from me. I keep bandying around ideas of spotlights. I will pop in editions of my Nutshells, and will probably keep doing that sort of thing, because I really do read across age groups, and I have read some wonderful books.
DeleteI sure have! Mostly when I started to post stuff about The 100. Because I know that most of my regular readers do not care about it (even though what is everyone doing with their lives!? Hah). But... Idk, I just stopped caring about what everyone else thought, and did what made me happy. Don't get me wrong- I get very few pageviews those days and such, but... meh, it makes me happy, and that is what is most important to me. And on the other days, I try to do more stuff that readers will be interested in! I used to think it wasn't "on brand", until I decided that I was making "whatever the hell we want" my new brand, and here we are 😂 LOVE this topic, you have such thought provoking discussions, friend!
ReplyDeleteI have never watched The 100, but I wholeheartedly admire your passion for it, and I love your enthusiasm for it. Obviously, I have nothing to contribute to your discussions, but the fact that you got another blogger to watch the show says something about your salesmanship. This is a hobby, and it should be fun, but I still want some people to come around. Though, it seems like people who come here wouldn't mind a little change.
DeleteI agree with most of the above--you should blog about whatever makes you happy to write about! I have always gone with the "any books" approach, but what I struggle with is when I want to write about teaching. There are plenty of teaching blogs, but I don't want to have a teaching blog--I just want to have a book blog that sometimes is a teaching blog! Is that so much to ask?
ReplyDeleteI have seen a lot of bloggers, who are also teachers, and they do a weekly thing about teaching. I used to be part of that world, so I am still interested in supporting them. I am sure there are tons of parents, who would be interested in your thoughts too.
DeleteInteresting. I think of my blog as somewhat varied, even though in reality it's probably mostly YA and thrillers/ scifi/ some fantasy. A few years ago I was reading Victorian-era stories and stuff like that, then I got into a bunch of YA, this year there have been quite a few thrillers. I seem to be flowing through different interests or genres, and a lot of that has to do with blogging- I've discovered I like certain kinds of books after discovering them on blogs. So yeah my blog identity has definitely been something I've thought about a lot.
ReplyDeleteI kinda want to keep it eclectic if I can, for that reason. Because who knows what I'll be reading next year??
You are very eclectic, especially with the type of posts you do. Your features span many genres and type of media with the artwork, movies, and music you feature. I think I like associating bloggers with something. If I am looking for a YA fantasy, Shannon is probably one of the first bloggers I would think of. Contemporary romance - Nick, Zee, Tanya, Sam. Women's lit - Suzanne, Angela, Janea. Maybe that's just how I am.
DeletePersonally, I think everything really depends on what your goal is with your blog. If you blog mostly for your own pleasure, then it's definitely okay to blog about everything you want. ♥ But some bloggers do blog for the purpose of reaching a certain audience and making connections, and if you're that kind of blogger, then I think you should have a niche. Personally, I mostly read YA, so that's my niche, but I occasionally post about random happenings as well. I want to build connections AND also blog about all of my random thoughts. At some point, my blog identity went into crisis mode when I didn't think I would read at all again. But I got back into it, and I'm back to having a niche. xD
ReplyDeleteI definitely blog for pleasure, but I think a lot of my pleasure is a result of the connections I have made. I feel like as an older YA reader, I will never reach the actual "YA market", but I love connecting with my peers, as I think we bring a similar generational perspective to what we read.
DeleteThis is a really great post! When I originally started blogging, I was reading fantasy. High fantasy got me into reading, then a course I did at uni introduced me to Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. Time has gone by and I would probably have issues with them now, but tat kind of fantasy - set it our own world - urban fantasy, really appealed to me, and I started reading lot of urban fantasy, both adult and YA. So I started blogging to talk about those blogs, because I could no longer discuss my books with my Dad; we both loved high fantasy, so would read each others books and discuss them. But with urban fantasy I had no-one to talk to.
ReplyDeleteBut then I started broadening out when it came to YA, reading more contemporary. The blog readers I had were fantasy fans, would I lose my readers if I started reading YA of other genres? I started a separate blog for YA. But after a year or so it just became too much, and I amalgamated them both. I think I probably did lose some readers, but I blog for me, and this was easier and more enjoyable for me. So now I'm a fantasy and YA book blogger. Most people don't seem to have a problem.
I do think blogging should be something you enjoy; it's your blog, and you should do what works for you. :)
Good point. I also really only blog for the joy of getting to talk about books, and (hopefully) talking about them with other readers. I feel like the upside of having more variety is attracting different readers, because there seem to be a lot of mixers out there. P.S. I think it's awesome you and your dad talked about books. I used to discuss books with my daughter, but then she went to college, and now lives half way across the country. *sad face*
DeleteI've definitely had an identity crisis with my blog too. I talk about a wide range of genres of books, and I've always been OK with that, but in the last year or so I've talked a lot more about writing and just general lifestyle stuff on my blog as well. And I never know if that's good, because I'm appealing to more people, or bad, because I'm maybe alienating the people who are just there for the book posts, because I'm definitely a book blogger at heart. I still don't really know, but I've been trying to just go with the philosophy of just posting whatever I want on my blog!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! :)
I can see the upside to both - wide range and narrow range. You would think featuring a lot of different things would attract a lot of different people, but then I worry that people looking for something more specific won't stop by, even if that is part of my wide range. I feel pretty good about mixing it up a little after the response to this post, though.
DeleteI get this! I think I mostly focused on YA when I first started featuring books on the blog. I've always been a bit of a mix though - I don't JUST focus on books. So yeah, I think I have it a bit easier when it comes to talking about whatever types of books I want. For you though, I'd totally be okay with YA AND Romance books. I don't mind what genres or age groups a blogger focuses on. Whatever makes them happy.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
I feel like you are more lifestyle, which would be silly for me because I don't do anything but read XD
DeleteWhen I first started, I tried to mix my genres, but in reality, my favorites are contemporaries. So, I stuck with contemporaries in YA, while I still read outside of YA. I may start featuring more outside of YA though, because all of you seem open to it.
I totally get this!! My blog used to be primarily a romance blog until I started reading and reviewing a lot of YA! So I added the "& YA" part of my blog name but not in my domain since I already bought it way before I decided to mix YA and my adult romance.. LOL
ReplyDeleteI think it's okay! BTW your blog name and URL is more generalized so you can definitely review YA and romance!
I definitely don't feel pinned in my the blog name, which I commend my co-bloggers for picking back when they were in their teens. I just tried to stay true to their vision for the blog, but I have their blessing to do what I want. I was just curious how other people felt about age/genre choice to see if mixing it up were a good or bad idea.
DeleteI essentially read everything! I read across genres and age groups so I've never really defined my blog as being anything other than a book blog because I talk about all kinds of books. I review both adult and young adult books and feature books from those categories as well as middle grade and children's.
ReplyDeleteI am starting to feel like most people are ok with mixing it up, which makes me happy, because I would love to feature more of the books I read outside of YA.
DeleteThis is a great topic! I honestly have struggled with this a bit myself lately as I've been enjoying more adult novels, but at the end of the day my love of reading is so based in YA still (and that's often the genre of books that I pull from when I do recommendation posts, discussions, top ten tuesdays, etc.) that I feel like I produce enough "YA content" to still brand myself as a YA book blogger
ReplyDeleteAnd maybe that is the question I should ask myself. I do think I have enough YA focused content. My CWW, TTT are usually YA.
DeleteMy blog was never meant to be a book blog. It was supposed to be a place I could word vomit about whatever I enjoyed - books, music, tv, rants - more of a diary/journal...I don't think I even knew about book blogs at the time.
ReplyDeleteOver the years it became a book review blog, and mostly YA, but then I started reading other genres. I've worried about it but if I don't blog about what I enjoy I don't have fun with it and I burn out so I guess I've come full circle and I blog about whatever I want again lol
Karen @ For What It's Worth
That's awesome that your blog has evolved and changed with you. It totally makes sense. The other WLABBers did a blogoversary post, and Noor and Amrutha talked about how their reading tastes have changed since this blog started. I am sure, if they had the time, their posts would reflect those changes
DeleteI guess I had moments of doubt of what should my book blog be really about. When I was starting I was never aware that book blogs should have a niche genre or age groups. So when I attended a book blogging forum prescribing this, I got confused of what to do because my book reviews are a mishmash of genre, YA and adult books. But later on I got over my confusion and said to myself that my reading preferences will surely change over time so I decided to not care about having a focus on what books I would review. I also like to thing that I am an omnivore reader. Recently, I mostly consume YA contemporary and YA/Adult mystery. Maybe in the future I'd review a true crime or a memoir? Nothing is set in stone with regards to my blog. More stress-free for me that way. :)
ReplyDeleteJennilyn @ Rurouni Jenni Reads
I totally agree with not boxing myself in, and I think I am embracing switching it up. I read a lot in general, and will dabble in different genres and age groups all the time. I am considering maybe keeping the focus within features, but mixing it up more on the blog.
DeleteI actually started out reviewing more YA/fantasy reads (and I still do from time to time) but I think as I've progressed with blogging I learnt to read and review what I want. Romance is my jam, yes I still read YA and fantasy and review it but I am more for reading what I want. I went through a reading and blogging slump and found it was because I wasn't reading and reviewing what I liked. I do think having a good blogging identity is important to have a more successful blogs but I think sometimes it can restrict you too much. I've always been the philosophy of blogging in a way which makes me happy so if you want to talk about more romance go for it and it you don't then don't. The good thing with blogging is you can figure it out as you go and some readers may appreciate seeing something different now and then, I know I liked seeing romance reads featured on YA book blogs because it opened my eyes to all these books I was missing out on and maybe folks will feel the same if you mention them from time to time. Always good to show folks something different, right?
ReplyDeleteI read very eclectically so I don't limit the books I blog about at all. In fact, I get bored with book blogs where the people limit themselves to just one genre.
ReplyDeleteI read mostly contemporary and mostly in the YA age range. I guess my variety comes via age range, but I will read a mystery/thriller or SFF book every once in a while.
DeleteI've definitely had a blogging identity crisis. It's actually what made my blog what it is today. I started out as just a general YA blogger. I reviewed anything YA. And I'll still write reviews for just about anything I read typically. But I spent months thinking about what I wanted to do and I tailored my blog off what I found I enjoyed and read the most. I read fantasy and sci-fi more than anything. I still typically read mostly YA, but I wanted room to step out of that, so I turned my focus towards the genre pairing of sci-fi/fantasy. I don't review contemporary books anymore on it, and that's totally fine because I don't really like writing reviews for contemporary novels. I hardly ever read anything that can't somehow fit into the the sci-fi/fantasy - even the historical fiction I tend to read can easily settle into the blog because it tends to feel like sci-fi/fantasy. I am so happy with the change I made. If you feel like your blog isn't quite right, I say make the change you feel would make you like it more!
ReplyDeleteI am the opposite of you. I rarely read anything but contemporaries. I do like a genre focus, because I think a lot of people read across age groups, and would love to see SFF books for all ages.
Deletewonderful post! I can relate so much to this post. I read so much romance, but I will also throw a few YA books in my TBR a month. I was thinking of only doing a romance blog but my love for YA wont let me.
ReplyDeleteI have been getting more romance approvals than YA, so you know what, I am going to feature those books on the blog too. It seems like most of my followers are mixers, it's just my mixing comes via age ranges vs. genre.
DeleteI used to blog about a broader range of books, but nowadays I focus almost solely on YA and MG. And now that I'm writing MG, I sort of feel obliged to take down reviews of the "spicier" books on my blog. Of course, that's a very specific issue that only applies to me because of my writing.
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I can totally understand that. I reflected on who actually follows this blog, and my followers appear to all be well into their adult years, but, you know, if I was writing MGs, I probably wouldn't want adult romances being part of my image.
Delete