Let’s Talk Bookish: Book Blogging Friendships

Last Updated on May 13, 2022 by ThoughtsStained

I’m back this Friday participating in another Let’s Talk Bookish post! It was created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and co-hosted with Dani @ The Literary Lion. However, in April of 2022, Aria @ Book Nook Bits took over! For this week, our topic is: Book Blogging Friendships, suggested by Rachel @ A Bookworm in Paradise.

Let’s discuss!

Book Blogging Friendships

Here’s this week’s prompts: Is blogging a good platform for making friends? Do only new bloggers make friends with one another? Does blogging allow for connecting with people of different ages and different backgrounds? How easy or hard has it been for you to make friends through blogging?

So, let’s dive a bit into the joys of book blogging friendships, how to cultivate them and my own experiences.

My Experience

As you may know, I’ve been blogging for a long time (since July 2012). I’m practically a relic. Yet, I didn’t get fully involved into book blogging and the community until a few years ago. Finding that community was a game changer to me. I no longer felt like I was shouting into the void. Connections were made and genuine friendships were formed. Having those friendships has made blogging so much more rewarding.

Now, it wasn’t always that way. And I also think there is no expiration date. I think there is always a chance to connect and, if you haven’t found your people in this huge community, you haven’t failed. If you feel jealous of the friend groups you feel you don’t have, that’s normal (just don’t be toxic about it, yeah?). It’s okay that making friends takes time.

And, if you’ve never been interested trying to get to know other bloggers, here’s a few reasons why I think you should.

The Joys

The joys of having book blogging friendships is prolly pretty obvious, but it’s also rewarding. While I think being a blogger can have many different motivations and purposes, I think it’s a safe bet to say we all want to be heard. Having friends who cheer on your posts by reading them, liking them, commenting on them and sharing them is so refreshing (says someone who went 4+ years without getting any traction or engagement at all). Feeling seen is so rewarding. Forming genuine connections that turn into friendships beyond just supporting one another’s blog is something I honestly didn’t think would happen to me. But I’m so glad it did.

How to Make Friends

So now you might be thinking, “Well, that just sounds glorious. How the hell do I make book blogging friendships?” As someone who is introverted and shy and struggles to make new friends as an adult in real life, this was something I struggled with a lot. Especially because of imposter syndrome. I’d see these bloggers with high follower counts, gorgeous blogs, amazing content and would just sit back and think: “Why on earth would they ever think to be friends with me?”

If this rings a bell, here’s a few ways to combat that:

1. Blog Hop: Obvious? Yes. But just as important. You always increase your chances of forming more connections and friendships by making sure you’re engaged in the community by reading other blogs. It doesn’t need to be a high stress affair (since it’s easy to feel guilt when you’re behind or don’t blog hop for a while). But, if you’re wanting to get more engaged and form connections, this is one way to do it.
2. Comment on Blogs (Genuinely): Imma just let a previous discussion speak on all of my thoughts on this.
3. Swallow that fear and take a risk: This is prolly the scariest piece of advice. But, after getting to know a blogger through finding their blog, commenting on their posts and engaging in their content, you might want them to be a friend. Sometimes, this happens organically! But, if it doesn’t, it’s okay to reach out and just ask someone. It can be as bold as, “Hey, I think you’re awesome. Wanna be friends?” Or, it can be a little more subtle: “I love your blog and your latest review. Could I DM you about it?” Just don’t be creepy, pushy or an ass.

In Sum

In short, I love that book blogging friendships exist. Many of my friends don’t read IRL, so having an outlet to talk about books, writing and publishing is so important to me. Connecting genuinely with others was a perk I didn’t realize when I first started, but now, it’s one of my most treasured aspects of being a book blogger. Plus, the feeling of getting to cheer on a blogger who I’ve become close to and celebrate their wins, blog and achievements? Unparalleled.

What about you? What tips do you have on making new friends as a book blogger? Any tips that I missed (which I’m sure there are plenty)? Any friendships you’ve made through blogging you want to shout about (I love stories like this)? Let me know in the comments and thanks for reading!