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You ever find yourself in a blogging slump, because everything has become a little more chaotic and unorganized than you intended for it to be or you've fallen behind on the upkeep of your blog? I hate it when this happens, because it usually puts me in a mood where I just don't feel like blogging, the minute that I realize I'm behind and I haven't really gotten myself together and as organized as I usually like to be. It's mostly the little things that I don't always like doing, such as updating my Review Archive, getting my Pinterest in order, or making sure I go back and clean up older blog posts. These are things that need to be done on a regular basis, I know this but it just isn't something that I enjoy doing. Sometimes even sitting and trying to brainstorm new ideas for new blog posts that aren't the same thing over and over like a meme or an intro post for a challenge, seems a bit frustrating for me especially when my brain isn't wanting to come up with anything.
This, is pretty much when I know it's about the time that I start to take the proper steps to actually get myself organized and I have a handful of "go to" places and blogs that I like to visit in order to help me prepare to take this challenge on (because, yes!) it is a challenge for me. There's just so many helpful hints and tips out there, some really awesome tutorials and that's kind of why I wanted to put this post together for you. I wanted to share some of the things that I do and some of the things that I utilize whenever I'm trying to get myself organized on the blog in general and not just for the start of the New Year because let's face it, blog maintenance and organization is a year round thing. This is basically all through out the year for me.
Google Docs is an amazing tool to utilize when blogging!
- There are some pretty awesome templates that you can use to help you write out your book reviews, if you're looking for idea's on how to set one up for yourself where all you have to do is plug-in your information, the book synopsis, some buy links, and your thoughts on the book. It's just really all about how you want your reviews to look and what information you want to include in them, really. This just gives me you a few idea's on where to start and a basic template that you can kind of tweak to make it your own.
- You can browse the Spreadsheets section and find all kinds of templates for keeping track of what you're reading, blog schedule template, various reading logs, bookshelf templates, etc. I really like tweaking one of the various reading logs to help me in keeping track of my TBR pile, my ARC/eGalley's that I need to read and review, and also the books that I've read so far. It's just an easy way for me to stay organized, plus for those who don't have Excel or who might not know how to use it, this is a great alternative. Debby @ Snuggly Oranges shared a few of her useful spreadsheets in this post, which I think is an incredible source of inspiration for getting organized.
- The Google Calendar is another fantastic tool to implement when blogging and Debby @ Snuggly Oranges talks about it a little more in depth in this post. (To see more of her how-to's just visit her blog here.)
Other resources that will help you get organized.
Brianna @ The Book Vixen also has some wonderful tutorials and helpful resources that will lend itself well to helping you stay organized and on task with your blog. One of my favorite helpful posts that she has, is in the form of teaching you how to use Pocket to save time. Rachel @ Parajunkee's View has a wealth of awesome useful tips and tutorials as well featured in her 31 Day Book Blogger Challenge and her Book Blogging 101, along with a few others. And if you hop on over to visit Ashley @ Nosegraze, she has a lot of blogging tips to share too. If you're the type of person who likes to challenge yourself, then maybe you would be interested in The Book Blogger's Challenge hosted by Brittany @ The Book Addict's Guide.
These are just a few of the things that help me, when I'm trying to get myself organized. If you have any helpful tips, tricks, or resources that you want to share please leave them in the comments!
