Blogging with R & N: Co-Blogging

Blogging with R & N is a new feature over here at Say It with Books where I'll be talking with you guys about my experience as a blogger. Rachel will be occasionally joining me and together we'll share the best and the worst of the blogosphere.

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I've been seeing a lot of bloggers going on  hiatus, worrying about blogging slumps and  freaking out about that never-ending review books pile. A lot of them seem to be taking on co-bloggers to help manage the workload. So today I'm hoping my experience of taking on a co-blogger will help people decide if co-blogging is for them or not.

When I started this blog back in November I did a lot of research to make sure that blogging was something for me but I had no idea it would be so consuming. It started out as something that I did just cause I was bored but now it's practically a routine. If I'm not reading, I'm blogging and when I'm not reading/blogging I'm thinking of blogging/reading. Yep. It's a vicious cycle. 

I made the decision to switch from blogging solo to co-blogging back in March. 

So why did I make switch?

Way to many review requests, way too many social networks, way to many books to read, way too many mails to respond, way too may blogs tours  and so little time.

I was  starting to look a little like this.....

So now that I made the switch am I glad I did it? Hell Yes.

But of course it's not all sunshine and rainbows because  if so then everybody would be co-blogging right?

So what I can do for you is give you a breakdown of the pros and cons. Maybe it'll make the decision easier for you to make. Or maybe it'll make you think twice.

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1. You can FINALLY have a life that is not consumed by blogging.

One of my worst nightmares is that if I go offline for the weekend my blog will disappear into the deep dark place where all abandoned blogs go to die (did I mention that I was dramatic? Oh well, add that to the list).

Pre-Rachel I couldn't take a mid-month break because I was having a reading/blogging slump. But post-Rachel I can actually do that without freaking out that my blog's going to crawl into a well and die.

I don't have to whip out 3-4 posts a week now. I can read books at my own pace and review them when I feel comfortable because I know I have someone that I can rely on to keep the blog alive when I'm not feeling up for it.

Knowing that someone's has your back and will cover for you when you decide to take a spur of the moment hiatus is an amazing feeling. 

2. “Two heads are better than one.”

Whether it's promoting blog posts or coming up with new ideas it's always better to have a helping hand. Both Rachel and I have our own social media networks so it's twice the number of tweets, twice the number of pins, twice the number of connections on Goodreads and twice the number of Facebook shares! End result=Double the exposure. And I have the stats to prove this, after I took on a co-blogger I could clearly see a spike in the blog traffic.

Shared responsibilities is definitely a perk too. Now I don't have to juggle all the bazillion tasks involved in blogging single-handed-ly! 

3. “Many ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind than the one where they sprang up.” 

Both Rachel and I have our shared loves but in some ways we are completely different. This shows clearly in our posts-our reviews have distinct tones. I feel that having two voices on the blog adds depth and insight. 

The monthly chat reviews that we host is a an example of this-Both Rachel and I read the same book and share our thoughts in the form of conversation.

Collaboration and creativity are related. Seriously, Google it. Having two voices gives us the chance to brainstorm and come up with ideas that we normally would not have thought of. 

4. You get to meet your book soul mate. Well, at least virtually.

And you get also fangirl over ...non-book-ish stuff like this. Ahem. No judging. ;)

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But like all things co-blogging has it's downsides too.

1. Too many cooks spoil the broth.

I think this is pretty self-explanatory-sometimes too many voices can become one huge mess. Everyone has an opinion and there's gonna be some disagreement at some point. I feel that differences in opinions can be worked out but of course that all depends on whom you pick to be your co-blogger.

2. Losing control.

This was  is my biggest fear.  When I started out Say It with Books was a YA only blog.  Although I do read NA books I have kept it away from the blog because I wanted younger readers to be comfortable on the blog. But after Rachel became a part of the team we have been doing NA books too. And to be honest, I'm not entirely comfortable with the change.

But we have sorta worked things out so now NA books are now allowed as long as the covers/content is not too racy. 

I'm still in charge(Rach hasn't begun her rebellion yet) so yeah for all those control freaks like me out there, don't worry! ;)

Yep. Rach you've been warned.

3. MINE.

The previous point goes hand in hand with this.

I tend to get a little territorial. 

Okay fine. I tend go all psycho chick when people touch my stuff. So sue me.

This is where things get a little ugly. I hate it when things don't go the way I want to so when I see something like incorrect formatting I tend to get a little ummm....vocal and then 10 minutes later I'm apologizing for being harsh. 

Thank god for patient co-bloggers like Rachel who put up with my mood swings! So yes, if you're absolutely OCD-ish co-blogging is probably not the right choice for you.

4. Trust Issues

Conflicts are messy so I try my best to avoid drama across the blogosphere. Anyway sometime back there was this whole issue about a blogger who allegedly was involved in plagiarism and the co-blogger(who was completely innocent)  was dragged into this mess. It wasn't pretty.

So it's definitely better to keep these things in mind when you pick your co-blogger because you especially if it's someone you don't know personally.

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I think I've covered pretty much everything but feel free to let me know if I've missed anything in the comments.

At the end of the day, remember do whatever feels right for you. 

So what do you think? 

Have you ever been a co-blogger or taken up co-blogger?

What's your stance on collaborative blogging? Do you think you could do it?

Do you think Say It with Books is doing it right?

Need More Help? Check out these related posts:

• Co-blogging vs. Going It Alone
• Discussion: 3 Pros and 3 Cons of being a Coblogger
• 7 Things to Look For in a Co-Blogger

Hugs,

Nuzaifa :)

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