Thoughtful Thursday Discussion Post #02: Blogging Goals for 2013

This year is all about organization, scheduling, and time management for me. Last year, I felt like I spent so much time running behind, that it was incredibly hard to catch up when I started trying. I think, what it was, is that I tried to take on a little bit more than I could handle. At one point, it felt like it had gotten to where blogging had started to feel more like a chore, than something that I actually enjoyed doing. I'll tell the truth, I got a little lazy and tired and then sort of fell into this blogger's slump. This year, it's definitely going to be different. I'm going back to what I originally planned to do when I first started the blog in the first place, which is blogging about the books that I love to read, reading what I want to, and just having as much fun as I can with it.

There are definitely some good changes that I'd like to implement on the blog, a couple that I've already started doing now. It's important to me that this blog run smoothly, continuing to grow and evolve into a better book blog as these new changes and goals are implemented. I want you guys to feel like you are getting the very best from me and not something that I was thrown together at the last minute, because I am running behind. This is why I have been working diligently at making sure that I have most of my posts written ahead and scheduled ahead of time, by at least a month. So far, it's been working out pretty good and things have been running a little bit more smoothly on the blog, of course, I realize there are going to probably be a few little hiccups here and there, but overall I'm going to do my best to see that it doesn't happen quite as frequently as it did last year.

I would like for 2013 to be a better year all around for the blog, than last year was.

Blogger Goals for 2013

• Blogging Goals for 2013
  
  • I need to manage my blogging time better, as well as making sure my posts are scheduled ahead of time. Ideally, I'd like to have the bulk of my posts (reviews, discussion, features, meme's, or tour posts, etc.) posted at least a month in advance, which allow me more time to devote to reading and coming up with more creative content for the blog.
  • Keeping up with my lists (updating them regularly!) and using my blogging planner more. This will help keep me more organized and up-to-date on what's coming up, what's happening currently, and what I need to be focusing on.
    
  • Reviews. I am going to definitely try hard to keep on top of these, make sure that they're written not long after I've read the book, and to keep them scheduled in ahead of time in advance. Most of them I just posted to Goodreads last year instead of posting them to the blog, this year it's going to be different.
    
  • Cut back on the blog tours that I choose to participate in. I still have a few that I have made comittments to last year that will be going up on the blog, but from here on out, I'm going to start being a little more selective when it comes to the tours that I participate in. Don't get me wrong, I love being a part of them and sharing the book love, but it felt like towards the end of last year they had become more promotional fillers and I didn't like that feeling. I'm also cutting back on the cover reveals that I'm part of, as well. I don't mind helping an author out and getting them some well needed exposure for their books, but sometimes it gets to be a little much when you see the same thing over and over on so many other blogs. I'll only be doing them for the books that I'm just truly excited about.
    
  • Culling back Netgalley. I really need to take a week or maybe two and make sure that I get the majority of the e-galley's requested from there read and reviewed. It may be sometime in March or something, that I actually schedule this for and there will be just a couple of weeks devoted to Negalley and the reviews that I need to get caught up on.
    
  • Accepting and asking for book review requests. I have started being a little more selective in the ARC's that I request and the book reviews that I accept, this year. This is so that I can get back to reading a little bit more for my own enjoyment and hopefully, try to clear some of the books that have been sitting on my shelf un-read for the past year or so.
    
  • Updating. Set aside a day or some time during the week or every other week, to make sure that I keep my , Goodreads, and Review Archive up-to-date with the reviews I've written for the year so that I don't get behind on them.
    
  • Maintain blogger communication. I definitely want to start commenting and interacting more with fellow bloggers, than I did last year. I am definitely going to set aside time during the week, quite possibly on Sunday's, to do this.
    
  • Making sure to stay relevant, current, and up-to-date with all of my social media platforms and use them to the best of my ability, to get my blog a little more out there.
    
• Reading Goals for 2013
  
  • Reading Challenges. I like participating in these, because I think they're fun and a good way to read books. Last year, I think I picked slightly too many to participate in, so this year I've been a little more selective in my choices. I have my own Personal Reading Challenge for 2013 that I've created using google docs. I'm also participating in the Seriously Series Reading Challenge for 2013 and Dystopia Reading Challenge for 2013. I will be setting aside some time in the next week or two, to write up these posts, and schedule them to be posted on the blog.
    
  • Review Books/ARC's/E-Galley's. These, of course, will come first but I am going to be picky about the one's accepted and requested. I love reviewing books and sharing my honest opinions on them, but I also would like to have a little more time to devote to books that I just really would like to read or be able to clear a few off my bookshelf to make room for new ones.
    
  • My bookshelves. I would actually like to read some of the books that have been sitting on my shelves for a while now. Some were gifted, won, or bought because I really wanted to read them and I get the chance to read them last year, because I was so busy with blog tours, review books, etc. This year, I determined to knock some of them out and the Series Reading Challenge will definitely help me out with that.
    
  • The Kindle Fire. I would really like to read more of the books that I have on that, as well. So, between the physical and the e-shelves, I'm definitely going to have plenty to do.
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I think that's it for my blogging/reading goals for this year. I am going to try really hard to stick to them and make sure that I keep to my list, stay as organized as I possibly can, utilize all of the tools available to me (blogger planner, google docs, calendar's, etc.), and manage my time much better than I did last year.
  
  
  
  
  "Have any new blogging or reading goals for 2013? What are they?"
  
  
  
  
  Leave a link below in the comments and I'll definitely check out your posts.