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June 8, 2012

ArmchairBEA: The Future of Blogging

It's the last day of ArmchairBEA. Are you tired? Last year was the first time I blogged for 5 days straight and I tried to visit 20 or so blogs a day. This year was better because I've been regularly blogging 5 days a week and I haven't visited as many blogs. I will try to get caught up on reading blogs this weekend.

English: New gates
English: New gates (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Today's topic is The Future of Blogging. I'm going to go with broader terms rather than my blog specifically. While I have a lot of things I would like to see for my blog, as mostly a hobby I don't want to set too firm of goals (I hate missing goals). So here is what I see for the future of blogging.

For those who have snooped around my blog, you'll notice I review self and indie published books often. There is a lot of talk around the publishing world of what they will mean to the industry. Often, the subject of gatekeepers comes up. Who will tell us what is good to read and what isn't worth our time? Prior to the self-published age, editors and large publishing firms decided what we would get to read and occasionally you would glimpse a title from an small or independent press. Truth be told, what was determined good enough for publication wasn't necessarily stellar work, but what would sell the best. For years, major publishers feed the masses and expected us readers to follow the elite few like lemmings.

Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not hating on major publishers. I love them. Honestly, I don't care how a book winds up in my hands, just that it does. Which gets me back to my point.

In the previous era, large quantities of quality books never made it to market, because the "gatekeepers" didn't see a large enough market for them. Publishing is an expensive business. However, with rise of the digital age and ease at which anyone can publish their work no longer am I only being exposed to a smidgen of the literary offerings. However, I will tell you that not all that makes it to print is worth reading. But is that really my call?

In a way, I think bloggers will become the new gatekeepers. Unlike our predecessors we won't be determining what gets published, but helping to decide what gets read. I see readers turning to bloggers to determine which books they should spend their money on and which ones they should pass. Like readers in the past have found critics/legacy media reviewers who shared similar tastes, readers will find bloggers who they trust and will actually be able to interact with. I'm not saying the careers of critics/legacy media reviews are over. No, I still think they have a place, but the multitude of books that will be available to the reader will necessitate more voices. 

I think the future of blogging is bright. We need to step up our game and take our responsibility seriously.

(This post is getting too long and I'm distracted my the twitter party. I think I will do a part 2 next week).

Day 1 - Introductions
Day 2 - Giveaways! 
Day 3 - Networking ... In Real Life
Day 4 - Beyond the Blog
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15 comments:

  1. An interesting post. I have to admit that I shy away from self-published/indie books now because I've not had great experineces with them and you have to hunt through a lot to find the gems.

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    1. I can usually tell from the quality of the review pitch if the self/indie book will be worth the read. There is a lot of great stuff out there. Check through my reviews and you might also discover more gems.

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  2. "In a way, I think bloggers will become the new gatekeepers. Unlike our predecessors we won't be determining what gets published, but helping to decide what gets read. I see readers turning to bloggers to determine which books they should spend their money on and which ones they should pass. Like readers in the past have found critics/legacy media reviewers who shared similar tastes, readers will find bloggers who they trust and will actually be able to interact with."

    This would be so wonderful! I can see this happening as well!

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    1. I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks that. With how large sites like Goodreads are it is bound to happen.

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  3. Your sum up was great! It feels good to have it opening up this way. Being able to blog/read/review about books has been a dream of mine for many years and in the last couple it has come true. :)

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    1. Yeah. I think a lot of people have thought "wouldn't it be great to review books" and now they can and get recognition. I think there will come a time when book blogging may even become a paying gig for the more professional blogger.

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  4. It's great to see what other people think about the blogging world. This is a perfect ending to a great AC BEA week.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by. I this was my favorite topic of the week.

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  5. wow nice to have meet you and find out more about your thoughts on blogging and reviewing.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by. I love meeting new people and love that armchairBEA gives bloggers a reason and opportunity to visit new blogs.

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  6. I think you are totally right! And it's going to be interesting to see how it all goes down.

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    1. Yes, it will be interesting to see where things lead. It's definitely an exciting time to be in the book business.

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  7. So glad you posted on my blog (Book Keeping). Armchair BEA was overwhelming but fun. I had trouble finding 'like' bloggers but I love your philosophy and choices. Thanks for finding me!!!

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  8. I support self-published/indie books and I have had a relatively great experience with them. I don't know why some bloggers choose not to support them.

    My Armchair BEA: Sharing My Tips post.

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  9. I think you have a great point about bloggers helping promote good books outside of traditional marketing/publishing.

    http://www.ManOfLaBook.com

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