One year of blogging and looking into the rear-view mirror.

Last week I began this post series about what blogging brought in my life.

Twelve months after I can definitely that I am a changed person.

Last Saturday was about trying Photoshop as it seemed such a dare to me but this week I want to speak about connecting with people. Post HERE.

Today will be about connecting with other bloggers.

Why is it bold you say?

Well I was not really a shy person before beginning to blog but I would say I was more hesitant to connect with people I had never met.

You have to understand that I’m not twenty years old anymore (I wish) and that I was born in a world without computer (or they were only for some companies and very geeky rich people) without smartphone and without any social media but the TV and radio.

No I’m not THAT old but well…

It means that when I spoke with people it was face to face.

I was able to judge the other reaction based on his body language and adjust my speech or clarify things if it seemed that my message was unclear or perceived as blunt.

I MET the people and if I had to organize something we would gather in the same room and plan together. Organizing on the phone happened of course but usually you had met the person beforehand.

When I began blogging I was on Goodreads and Facebook. That’s it.

Blogging means that you have to let other people know that you exist.

You can’t flap your hands histerically shouting “Hey! I’m here!”. People won’t see you.

What do you have to do if you want to have some reactions to your posts? You have to look after other bloggers passionate by the same topic! You have to take the first step. YOU have to act first even if you never have met this person and don’t know how she/he will react to your comment.

But that’s not enough. Or it can be if you want to write posts solo and just chat about them with others or chat about their posts.

I wanted more as I soon discovered that bloggers cooperated and wrote collaborative posts. Or hosted guest posts on their blogs. Or launched blog hop. Or organized challenges. Or created groups to help newbies *hint hint Evelina*.

I took a leap of faith and began interacting with other bloggers that would soon become blog buddies!

We decided to create a common page on Facebook.

To communicate efficiently one asked that we chat on Whatsap. Whatsap? What was that? Again something totally new! Soon I downloaded the app and became a pro*** nearly 😀 

Then one asked to organize a giveaway hop on Instagram.

Instagram? A giveaway hop?

Never afraid to ask questions to the teacher (I was the only one raising my hand even if the other didn’t understand. They just were afraid to seem dumb while I wanted to understand …) I may have seemed perfect for the role of “Dumb and Dumber” to my blogger buddies more than once. They say what does not kill you makes you stronger well that’s true for ridicule. I’m still alive and kicking even after my “blogger 101 questions”.

I’m just lucky that I could not see the eye roll and face palm.

Now one year later I was the organizer between our latest “Best of 2017” blog hop giveaway (add some shoulder patting here) and I’m busy organizing the next month event on All About Love.

I’ve opened an Instagram account, a Twitter account I’ve met several very good friends online some I will get to meet next month at RARE London and I never hesitate now to ask dumb questions, ask if I can participate in some fun event or offer to organize some book blog related event.

What never happened twelve months ago is now in the past. I chat online with people I have never met *yes mom I swear I never send nude pic and I’m always extra careful* and I’m so happy I took the plunge as I would have missed on all the fun!

Now you tell me does blogging made you bolder? Changed something about your communicating skills?

Thanks for reading and come back next week about communicating and interviewing authors.

Happy Sunday!

Sophie