Time To Talk! To Comment or Not To Comment? And why the heck do you Comment anyway?

Posted August 8, 2013 by Asheley in Uncategorized / 64 Comments

I have some super great summer coffee mugs, but
for some reason I just keep sticking with this precious
animal mug for this feature. I kind of love him.

I have this great friend that is also a blogger and we’ve had the “comment discussion” on many occasions. I’ve always been more on the OHHHH, DON’T LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, THEY DON’T MEAN ANYTHING! LET’S JUST BLOG BECAUSE WE LOVE IT! side of things where my friend loves comments in order to engage with blog readers, which is awesome. Comments mean something  really big to my pal. And I totally get that, but I always tried to be reassuring if the comments didn’t come on a particular post or whatever. PLUS, I always loved to engage with readers by way of Twitter or email or gchat or text or comments or other ways – not only by comments. 

I personally consider comments, in part, a means to initiate conversation about books. Comments often became discussion starters – discussion moving elsewhere after a comment was left on my blog. I loved that and still do. 

At that time, I was getting comments on my blog posts. Not a ton like a lot of my blogging friends because my blog is still what I consider small. I still consider myself a relatively newer blogger. But still, I wasn’t really concerned about how many comments I received or about stats or the numbers behind my blog. No big deal. 

But you know what, you guys? Comments have been disappearing from my blog over time recently until they’re now almost gone. I’ve still been telling myself the same thing I’ve always said: NUMBERS DON’T MATTER NUMBERS DON’T MATTER NUMBERS DON’T MATTER. But it was actually pointed out to me by someone several times recently that my comments are way down. 

Thanks, person

The truth is, I’m finding that I now have days like

WHY DOESN’T ANYONE WANT TO TALK TO ME ON MY BLOG? 
WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY??
Because I really want to talk about this book! 

And I hate it. I really can’t stand this about myself. I don’t like that I have started to wonder where everyone is. I know that some of my main squeezes in terms of commenting pals have either stopped blogging or…well, a lot of people have actually stopped blogging. So, there go a big handful of them. 
But what’s up with the rest of the commenters? 
Why not stop by and say hi?

So I did what I vowed that I would probably never do and I started watching my numbers. (I hate this about myself, I’ll just admit that right now. I never wanted to do this. But that’s just ME – I don’t judge anyone that does that, okay? 
We all blog for different reasons.) 

What I noticed is this: 
My numbers/views have gone up by leaps and bounds but nobody sticks around to say hi or talk to me about the book I’m writing on. What’s up with that? And further, my followers have actually increased. People are coming to the blog and more people are coming to the blog. That’s not me bragging, y’all, that’s me scratching my head and tilting my head to the side and saying 
WHAT? HUH? WHY NOT SAY HI EVERYONE!?

So I did some more research and found that I need to be open-ended and ask questions and engage my readers and be personal and blah blah blah. And to a degree, I feel like I already do that. You guys, if I like a book YOU FREAKIN KNOW IT. I am almost absurd with the way I let you know it. And I ask questions at the end of my posts, but perhaps I’m asking the wrong ones? Is that what it is? 

I read another article that said that being controversial would certainly lead to interaction on my blog – but I don’t want to be controversial. I just want to talk to people about books – have you read it, did you like it, did you hate it, who was your favorite character, did you like/hate the love triangle in this book, do you think this one is a good fit for you, do you like the cover, is it on your wishlist/to-read list, things like that…THAT’S WHAT I WANT. 

THAT’S WHAT I WANT. BECAUSE I LOVE BOOKS AND I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THEM WITH OTHER PEOPLE. 

THAT’S THE ENTIRE REASON I BLOG. 

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Okay, to add a different side or view to this whole commenting thing, I know that it’s important for me to comment on other blogs. And you know what, COMMENTING ON BLOGS JUST HAPPENS TO BE SOMETHING THAT I ACTUALLY LOVE TO DO. I love to see what everyone is reading and I like to talk to you about it. If you know me at all, and if I know about your blog (if you have one), I can’t usually visit every day – my comments usually come in clumps, meaning: 

I am a comment-bomber. I usually start with the most recent post and work backwards, commenting on like a week at the time – and friends, I tend to (not always but often) write novel-length comments. And I ramble – it’s basically my middle name. But that’s personal to me and it lets other bloggers know that I actually read/watched what you put out there. And I think that some of you (most of you?) like it. I hope so, anyway. I’ve always felt I could never expect people to visit my blog unless I visited theirs. (I realize that there are blogs that I haven’t visited, so if you have a blog that I should check out, please let me know about it. I’m finding out that not all of my old reader made the transition when Google Reader went away PLUS there are great blogs out there that I just am not aware of. Leave me a link and I’ll try to visit!) 

Often, I get comments about how much people love it when I go to their blogs because I leave a lot of comments. Honestly, friends, the same applies to me. It just does. I want to talk about books too. 

Also, I love it when people reply to the comments that I leave. I know that not everyone can, so there’s that. And I know that even though I try to respond to all of my comments, sometimes it takes me a couple of days to respond and some fall thru the cracks, so there’s that. But the way bloggers feel when they see comments on their blogs? ALL BLOGGERS FEEL THAT WAY. Even if they don’t admit it, even if it isn’t the most important thing to them about blogging. That’s just the way it is.

A while back, fellow blogger and friend Hannah from So Obsessed With wrote this amazing post about commenting. After reading this post, I thought DUDE HANNAH, WHAT AN AWESOME POST! But then I read the comments, and I have to admit that I got a little bit insecure because I actually learned the commenting habits of some of my fellow bloggers – some that I made a point to visit nearly every day. GUYS GUYS GUYS I was busting my butt to come read content and write what I consider were great comments and then I learned about the habits of others and I was like WHAAAA…..

I’ve had to get over that business and grow up and put my big girl panties back on. It’s true. I’m just being honest, here. 

Blog commenting: If we let it, it can get the best of us. How silly. 

*****************************************************

Everyone has their own style of commenting. 
  • Some people never comment, and so be it. I will likely never know that you visited my blog. But thank you for stopping by, seriously. 
  • Some people only comment back every now and then, when they get a chance, and that’s totally okay – particularly since it’s summer! I myself have found it difficult to maintain my own commenting regimen during this time. But trust me when I say, I want to be reading my favorite blogs and when things settle back down, I will be!
  • Some people read blogs maybe when they click a link on twitter that looks interesting, but they engage in commenting usually mainly on twitter or email – rarely on the blog. Hey, at least there is book conversation going on and I know you read what I worked hard on, so that’s fantastic. Thank you so much. 
  • Some people try to leave a comment on every post just to let the blogger know they were there. Bless you people, and you know who you are. This is hard sometimes. I know because I have a few blogs that I comment on in this way. 
  • Some people couldn’t care less about reading other blogs, much less commenting on them – they’re just putting out their own content and boo on everyone else. No, I’m being serious, I’ve actually seen conversations about this. 
  • Some people are comment-bombers, like me. WORD. 

***This post isn’t meant to cut anyone down or criticize anyone. It’s more of an observation of the commenting numbers on my own blog lately, and when I write about things, I sometimes feel better once it’s off my chest. Other blogs look like they’re the same. It’s cool, though. I have changed my reading style – changing what types of books I’m blogging on by adding adult titles and new adult titles and a few cover reveals and features that I’m excited about. I don’t know. But my YA titles aren’t really getting any comments either. It’s confusing, the decrease in comments but the increase in numbers. Has anyone else experienced this?
BLOGGERS: 
Where do you fall in all of this? Do you find that your comments have dropped a bit? Do you care? Do you watch your numbers? 
EVERYONE:
I’m really curious about commenting style and habits – What makes you actually let a blogger know you stopped by? Why do you leave a comment? Why don’t you leave a comment? Are comments important to you?
 
Asheley

About Asheley

Asheley is a Southern girl. She loves Carolina blue skies, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and NC craft beer. She loves all things history but prefers books over everything.

You can find her somewhere in North Carolina, daydreaming about the ocean.

Find Asheley on Litsy @intothehallofbooks!

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64 responses to “Time To Talk! To Comment or Not To Comment? And why the heck do you Comment anyway?

  1. First order of business: You always leave the best comments!!

    Secondly, my comments have been down too. I wonder if that's something that is happening to people widespread bc Twitter is always the convo place it seems. I know in the summer my comments are ALWAYS down.

    So my thoughts on commenting:

    I used to be SO good at commenting. SO GOOD. I loved doing it and talking with people but this year I've struggled for two reasons:

    1. Sometimes I get overwhelmed. I read and appreciate (in a very genuine way) every comment but sometimes when I get a decent number of comments I find that I could literally spend all day responding to comments and then visiting the other blogs. But then I get all insecure because I see people say "oh i hate when people don't come visit my blog if I visit theirs" but then I see people say "it looks like you self centered when you don't respond back to comments on your blog." which is curious because rarely do people ever comment BACK when I respond. So I get all stressed out about which one is the priority because as much as I would LOVE to do both and spread the blogger love…I don't have a full day to devote doing that 🙁 And so then I get overwhelmed and insecure that everyone secretly hates me.

    2. This year has been a weird year for me. I've had the sads a lot and have a post coming up about how it effects me with blogging. So I just honestly haven't had the energy to comment which is really shitty I know. But I just go to do it and then I'm like ok…I'm going to binge watch a new show instead. SIGH.

    Anywho, that's my goal for the rest of the year is to get back to being the good commenter that I used to be. I think I need to make a new system and figure out what is most important to me. I can't please everyone I know so someone is still going to think I've committed commenting crimes of some sort but whatever. I can only do so much 🙁 I just don't know HOW to keep up with it all honestly. I want to show appreciation to everyone who comments but it's not feasible to do ALL of the tings everyone wants on some of the posts that get more comments. I leave genuine comments so if I get 76 comments on a post that will take me a REALLY long time to respond thoughtfully to them and then go visit their blog and read and make thoughtful comment.

    SIGH. It's been a stressor. I'd love to talk to you more about it because you do a great job!!

    • Oh my gosh I love you Jamie. This may sound weird, but I'm kind of glad to know it isn't just my comments that are down? Don't take that wrong. I know you must struggle with those posts that get like 80 comments and stuff because it's overwhelming for me (because I like to read the comments other people read, I'm weird) so there's no way I could respond to that many either. I don't know what is the best way for you to do it, honestly, because you're right it would take you literally all day just to respond to comments and that isn't even counting visiting – sometimes on TTT days it takes me forever and I want to pull my hair out!

      Seriously, though, reading other blogs and commenting on them, all candidly and randomly and rambly, it just makes me feel better and reduces my own stress and makes me feel a little closer to my blogging buddies and reading friends. So I want to keep doing it.

      I always try to check back for replies. Again, I'm weird. So very weird.

      Those haters, though, they've GOT to go. Don't pay them any attention. And THANK YOU for stopping by today. xoxoxo

  2. I try so hard not to pay attention to my stats and the number of comments, but its hard not to notice that they've gone down. It is quite discouraging. I am new to your blog, I found my way over via twitter, but I love your candor and I will be back.

    • Hi Teresa! So nice to meet you!!
      I agree, it's so very discouraging. I've tried not to be discouraged and normally I'm pretty good at that, but lately, I guess I've let it get me down. WHY WHY WHY??? It's so unlike me!!

      Thanks so much for stopping by today and I hope you do come back and we can talk about books and stuff!! That would be great! (:

  3. Hi Sweet Asheley!

    Commenting lately has been like my kryptonite. I WANT TO DO IT. I want to read all the blogs, but I seriously don't know how to balance my time lately. As I type this comment, I have a little monkey hanging onto my leg, trying to push all the keys with me on the keyboard. I feel like I'm having such a hard time managing everything — being a blogger, being a good replier to comments, keeping up with twitter, being a mom, being pregnant with less energy, and owning my own business. It's a lot. I'm trying really hard to find some balance or feel less guilty about being on my computer when the little babe is playing by herself, but man… it's like this huge question mark to me.

    Also, I feel like it's valid to admit that E and I have also noticed this trend on our blog. Our comments have certainly gone down as well and sometimes we're like WHAT IS GOING ON? But, as Jamie said, maybe this is totally a summer thing? I'm not really sure at all.

    I feel like I really had a system before my life changed in March and now I'm struggling to find a rhythm again. Please, please know that my randomness is not at all a reflection of how I feel about you — I absolutely adore you and appreciate you so very much.

    I don't know if any of this made sense, but hopefully so. xoxoxo

    • Oh goodness gracious, Magan, you're precious. I know you're so slammed right now and you're a perfect example of how life can kind of change things up a bit when you're a blogger. Perhaps it is a summer thing if you gals are noticing it too.

      And it IS hard to find a balance. And I'm so silly for letting it bother me for these past few days. I usually don't! So maybe getting it out of my system by writing about it will help me screw my head back on straight and just let it go. Also you and Jamie are already both confirming that is almost certainly a trend going on right now.

      You're busy but I LOVE how your life is changing and you are wonderful. I'm so thankful that I know you in this way that I do. Thanks for stopping by. xoxo

  4. Like Jamie said, I think the time of year plays a factor in all this. Summer is a time when people break out of their normal routines, even if its just for a few days. I know for myself, it's the opposite for me. Summertime is my "down time". Without the added work load of classes on top of my job, I get to read so much more which constitutes to more blog posts and interaction for me.

    Asheley, I wouldn't take it personally if your comments are down. This is something I have to remind myself of too. Keep doing what you're doing and don't change your style to fit the needs of others. You run a fantastic blog (and yes, you have even gotten me to buy books based on your reviews!).

    I've felt a huge disconnect from twitter. I often feel like I am tweeting to the black hole lol. Seriously. I think a lot of people are lurkers though (me being one at times!), so they don't always speak up, but they are reading what you have to say.

    • Thanks Ginger. That's so encouraging, what you're saying here. I feel really silly about being concerned at all about the comment-thing, but I knew that writing it down and putting it out there would relieve some of that.

      Thanks so much for stopping by and for reading when you get the chance!

  5. Hey, so I am fairly new to book blogging, but I follow your blog and read most of your posts. But I have also never commented. Why you might ask? I've been balled out or made fun of previously when commenting (not on this blog, but on the internet in general). Although blogs are totally different, and in my brief experience with book blogs, people are really nice and understanding, in general, the internet is full of people I swear are looking for a fight. So I am still a bit reluctant to comment. But I am getting better!

    As far as my own blog, it does bother me when no one comments. Mostly because I suddenly feel insecure about what I said. Which is silly. I just like books, read alot and was following blogs so I decided to start one myself. I'm very new and have very few followers or even views on my blog, so few to no comments is expected. I guess it comes down to remembering why you blog and ignoring all the rest.

    • Hi Tiffany! So nice to meet you!!

      It's not acceptable for people to make fun of you for commenting – that's not cool at all. I think that for the most part the book blogging community tends to be fairly nice and we just love to talk about books, so hopefully you won't run into that sort of problem on book blogs. I understand that it takes a while to feel comfortable enough to leave comments, though – I was the same way.

      The feeling insecure thing – YES! I've felt weirdly insecure about what I'm saying lately because I'm used to people wanting to respond and talk back-and-forth a little bit and lately that is in decline. But the commenters above you are making a great point about it being summertime and also saying that the comments are down on their own blogs, so I'm feeling better about it. Still, I feel the same insecurity suddenly and this is relatively new to me because I've never worried about comments and numbers before.

      I hope you're having a really great time with your blog and that it grows and you love what you're doing enough to stick around. The followers will come, it takes a while, but they come. Thanks so much for stopping by. (:

  6. +JMJ+

    When I first started blogging about books, I noticed that book bloggers were not very chatty. I had come from a blogosphere where everyone seemed to have something to say, and it was a bit of a culture shock to end up in another where no one seemed to have anything to say! It puzzled me a bit: I felt that I was writing about interesting things and couldn't understand why people weren't commenting–especially when I did my share of visiting other folks' blogs and leaving them meaningful comments. It was even more off-putting when I'd ask a direct question and not get a reply. (Sometimes I kept checking back for weeks. Nothing.)

    At the time, I was also part of an online forum for book bloggers, and I started a thread to share my observations. A lot of people said that they didn't reply to comments because their experience was that no one came back to read the replies anyway. There were a few who preferred to answer by e-mailing the commenters rather than extending the discussion in the combox–so if someone didn't leave contact details, there would really be no reply. There didn't seem to be a social norm that all book bloggers recognised. (The norm I had started with, and still practice, is reciprocating all the comments I get. In my old blogosphere, it was also a way to remind someone that he had been to your blog, so he could check back for any replies you had given there. Efficient, aye?)

    One particularly memorable reply from that forum thread was: "It sounds like you're leaving comments only because you want to obligate the other bloggers to leave you comments, too. Did you consider that others don't want to blog by your rules?" Ouch. =(

    Honestly, I've had more success sustaining discussion with the religious bloggers and mommy bloggers I had met in that old blogosphere. And my chattiest new friends are the movie bloggers (because I feature a mix of books and movies). I think there are a whole web of reasons for this, including movies being more accessible than books and my lack of interest in new book releases and the usual memes. I do see that it's a little presumptuous of me to have such indulgent "positioning" on my blog and to make my personality the big draw; but the last time I asked my readers what they thought of my sloppy "branding," they reassured me that they liked my blog the way it was.

    And right after that, comment numbers dropped. =P

    • It's such a shame that you felt the book community didn't have very much to say. Normally the bookish people that I've interacted with have been very chatty, which is – I think – part of the reason I have been feeling so unusually insecure about comments. It seems that the core group that I tend to speak with about books usually have so much to say, so I guess I am very fortunate that I just happen to have a chatty group of bookish friends.

      I have noticed that different types of blogs are very different about comments, which is very interesting. Some never receive comments, some receive nearly 100, some receive a few here and there. I had just begun to notice mine trending downward and was so surprised that it even bothered me when it never did before.

      Thank you so much for stopping by and for offering me these insights about these other types of blogs and stuff. I do always *try* to respond to people and my hope is that they eventually make it back so they know that I saw and read their comment and perhaps some communication can happen, if it hasn't already off of the blog by way of email or twitter or some other form.

      People are fickle, I suppose, sometimes. I'm hoping that in this case, it's just summertime and the resulting busy times. (:

    • +JMJ+

      You're welcome, Asheley! =)

      It's true that sometimes the time of year is just not conducive to comments, or that people have personal stuff going on that means they have to cut back on commenting. For instance, two of my favourite commenters happen to be pregnant at the moment and suffering from morning sickness! They've got a lot more to worry about than my posts!

      I also agree that if you find a good core group of friends, it can really make a difference. A few years ago, I was part of a core group which included several book bloggers who all shared one blog, and their regular visitors. It was a nice, friendly time, with everyone dropping by everyone else's blogs. Then the group blog kind of died down and everyone else forgot about each other. =( I recently contacted the blogger I was closest to, and she said that while she missed book blogging, it was too time-intensive and she had moved on to Instagram and Pinterest. *shrug* I guess that's the way of the Internet.

  7. DUDE, ASHELEY, WHAT AN AWESOME POST!

    Sorry, I couldn't resist yelling that, even though I totally don't know you. But. Ahem. Now to being all normal and stuff, if I can manage it.

    You sound like a very similar commenter to myself. Sometimes I'm on top of things, but often I fall behind and end up comment bombing. I have noticed that I tend to get slightly more comments if I comment more regularly, rather than in a bomb, because some people comment back when you comment, and if you comment in bulk they'll still do one post. It's fine; people do their thing and I do mine, and totally do not EXPECT that you have to comment on my blog for me to come to yours. It's for fun and shouldn't be about obligation.

    Other things that generally, but not always, boost comments are discussion posts and memes/features. Reviewing older books or exceedingly ranty reviews also tend to get a lot of attention. If I post an ARC review, even if people look at it, they generally don't say much because they can only skim or have nothing to say since they haven't read the book. I, for one, don't generally comment on reviews for books I have any plans of reading.

    I try not to let the whole thing get me down, but I do check my stats every couple of weeks (they totally dropped the last time I'd looked – which I think is people being busy with family over the summer and me having not been present online much). Being happy with what I've got and where I am is a constant struggle, but I'm mostly winning. I do still get sad when I post reviews of adult fiction and no. one. cares. That's one reason: if you mostly interact with bloggers who do YA or romance or whatever, when you step out of the box, you probably won't get many comments, since no one has anything to say. I, for example, have trouble commenting on most new adult reviews, because I'm just not into the sort of heroes that populate most of them and I'm not going to go on someone's blog and go "that guy you called 'smokin' sounds like a pompous dickhat."

    So. Things. I don't think there's really a way around that, but to stick it out and maybe to make more blogger friends.

    • I LIKE YELLING!! Allcaps are fun!

      YES, the adult fiction thing. THAT is sad. The adult that read YA are awesome, but I'd love to see them mix more adult fiction in – perhaps some Alex Award winners or just ANY adult fiction. Also I LOVE New Adult, and I love that I am able to move around within the category enough that I've read not only the angsty males that some people don't want to read but the opposite too – kind of like with YA contemps. I think I read a good mix of all types of books, so I know that some will get more comments than others, but usually it just really doesn't bother me. Lately, I have to be honest and admit that it does – which is why I went public with it. I have super great blogger friends but I think they're probably all in the same boat I am in that they're trying to find a great balance and work the commenting on other blogs in with the reading and summertime, etc. Hopefully things will resume a normal pace around the fall/when school starts back up.

      Thanks so much for stopping by today! (:

  8. I love leaving long and rambly comments on blog posts! Unfortunately, my blog has gotten an influx of commentors lately and I've been finding it very hard to reciprocate the love. So what I do is follow all of them in Feedly, and whenever I see a post that catches my eye I read and comment. Sadly this means I tend to mainly stick to discussion posts or reviews for books I have already read, which means I do eliminate most posts from my feed each day (like your reviews). It's definitely nothing person (I honestly don't even look at who wrote the post when marking them as read), it's just my strategy for commenting when I follow so many blogs and have so little time. Every time you do this feature (yay discussions!), I'll pry be around, but otherwise I sort of click through everything without thinking! There are times when I have an extra moment and do go through my posts to reciprocate the love, and during then I'll read a review I'd usually wouldn't read (I did that for your Along for the Ride review), but those moments are getting fewer and fewer lately. I guess all I'm trying to say is I'm sorry! I'm definitely a blogger who secretly desires to comment on every person's blog who comments on mine, but am struggling to keep up with it all.

    I honestly have no idea what makes a person comment or not, outside of my own workings. I do think you write great reviews and interesting discussions though, from the posts I have read! Really though, if there's anytime you just want an extra comment and need the love, tweet me a link. I know you are great at commenting on my blog and sometimes I know yours gets lost in the mix, so I will gladly stop by, read, and comment.

    This long rambly comment is just going in circles, isn't it? Bleh. I just feel bad but want you to know you're amazing ><

    • Hi Asti!! I noticed your blog has been really busy lately with your feature! So fun. I think having a strategy for commenting is a great idea – I don't have a great strategy, I think I try to visit everyone at least a little bit, which is why I end up visiting everyone every few days – because I just can't every day. And that's okay, really. There's no need to apologize, I'm just curious about what makes readers respond or just pass thru, that sort of thing.

      I LOVE long rambly comments because those are the type that I leave. You're kind of after my own heart right now. (:

  9. I love these discussion posts, Ash!!
    Ok, I too have noticed that my comments have been down a bit–I have chalked some of it up to being summertime and everyone is busy, busy. I know that I am anyway.

    Here's my problem lately: I just don't visit as many blogs as I used to, and I think that has probably affected my comment numbers. I have a handful of blogs that I will ALWAYS visit, if not daily then at least every other day. But when I first started blogging I used to be really good about visiting so many more blogs, especially those that I followed on my reader, even if I didn't read them religiously or anything. I reached out and I think that enabled me to not only make more people aware of my blog (and gain more readers/followers) but also make more friends in the blogging community–all POSITIVES.

    But I have found that checking out more of the blogs in my reader on a daily basis, commenting as well as keeping up with my own blog, writing reviews, responding to comments, as well as reading (the whole reason I started blogging in the first place) has become overwhelming. I just haven't been able to devote as much time to those things as I used to. It's funny, when I first started blogging and I was still learning the ropes, figuring out short cuts and formatting and all that, my reading took a hit. Right now, I am reading more than ever! It seems like it is still just really hard to find balance all the way around.

    I have a handful of blogger friends, as I am sure you do, that are always good about stopping by and commenting. Some every single day, every post– and I am in AWE that they can commit to that schedule. But I also have a handful of commenters that routinely drop by to say hi, if not every day or every post/ more often than not, I call them the "new faces"–and those are the bloggers/ readers that I really want to try to focus on when school starts back up in a couple of weeks and I get more free time. I don't know if I will be able to jump back in to that same commenting/ visiting pattern that I was in last year when I was blogging, but I definitely want to go and hang out more with those new faces that make time to stop by and read my super rambly, lengthy posts. I want them to know that YES, I have noticed you and hope to get to know you and your blog better.

    So, don't feel alone, Ash! I've experienced a dip as well. And don't feel bad that it's affected you–I think you're right–it most likely affects all of us, it does me, anyway:)

    • You know that post of Hannah's that I linked to earlier – it really sort of changed how I commented (not counting the busy nature of summertime) because I learned a lot about people – I hate that it had to be that way, but it was hard to keep up the pace that I was maintaining, and like you, I wasn't able to read as much as I'm reading now. So a few blogs had to go, the ones that I commented on every day and I never heard from in any way – comment, Twitter, nothing, that sort of thing. Nothing personal, but sometimes you just have to spring clean, ya know? And I do that about every few months, just clean out and root out the ones that I've acquired in various ways that I just don't get any interaction from, because ultimately what I want is to talk to other people about books. There needs to be communications. It's true that I haven't been able to as much during the summer, but that is my entire goal with the whole thing.

      I've NEVER let it bother me before ever ever. So when it began to – when it was brought to my attention a few times, that's when it started – and then that's when I noticed it myself. And then I got a little insecure, which I'm sure happens to everyone? But you know me, when I feel it, I have to write it, so that is where this blog post came from. I'll probably be back to not worrying about it soon – I hope – but for now, I've been all shrunk down like HELLO IS ANYONE OUT THERE and I just hate that about myself because that's not who I am where my reading life is concerned. Ugh.

  10. I'm a total number watcher. Only because I, too, am a fairly new blogger when it comes to book blogging, so numbers are a big deal and I get super excited when I finally get a comment on a book which winds up either everybody favorites or their worst – actually… nobody seems to comment if they didn't like the book.
    I wish they would. I have been seeing an increase in visitors which is good it means that somewhere along the lines I'm doing something right. I would however love to have people comment. Comments are good!
    I vary in my ways of "talking" to people. I don't get Twitter conversations. I don't get emails. So my comments are the only way people talk to me and I really only have one or two avid readers and the rest are just one-time visitors 🙁
    – Kry

  11. Hi Kry! So nice to meet you!!

    For me, my commenting and communications really began to increase when I became active on Twitter. More than just posting a link to my blog post, but actually talking to people. Sometimes I would tweet someone and not get a response several times, and then I would unfollow and not try again with that person, but most of the time, the book blogging community (that I've found) WANTS to talk about books, so they usually chime right in and talk. That's where I built my relationships and that's where I think the beginnings of my blog followers probably came from, because my conversations started there and then they read my blog posts, that sort of thing.

    It's really hard when your blog is fairly new because you never really know where to jump in. Do you have a twitter handle? I looked at your blog but I didn't see one – I'd love to talk books with you there – that's where I am mostly. I also noticed that you love audiobooks, and I also love them. Lots to talk about. (:

    Thanks so much for stopping by today. I understand why you're watching your numbers, particularly if your blog is newer. (:

  12. I was told once that certain numbers don't mean a lot to the publishers and "powers that be" in the book world.

    They look at comments. Basically they want to see if ppl are caring about what you have to say.
    To them more comments means ppl are reading your posts, and the more ppl that read and comment, means more potential books sales, more ppl knowing about the book about to be released, etc.

    Of course having a ton of Unique Visits is good too.
    Certain numbers are important.
    A lot of GFC followers? Not so. Anyone having a giveaway can get a ton of GFC followers. Do they return and interact is the question. GFC is closing down soon so that's a moot point.

    When I went to hosted WordPress at the end of the first 2 weeks I saw I had 20 new email subscribers! To me that was like 2 million. lolz
    20 ppl get notice of my new posts when they are posted.
    To me that was cool. They WANTED to be informed of my posts. They did not HAVE to sign up to win a book or gift card or whatever.

    It's a toss up. Comments can be beautiful. They validate what you created, make you feel good and proud. Unless it's a comment for "Counterfeit MiuMiu Purses" lolz!

    This was a cool thoughtful post btw.

    "THX" lolz!

    • +JMJ+

      Hi, Bella! Fancy seeing you here! 😉

      Looking at comments to gauge the popularity and influence of a blog makes sense to me. They show that people have read the posts and think they're worth responding to. So when our comments are down, of course we automatically think that our writing is dropping in quality! LOL!

      But as Asheley mentioned in her reply to me, there's the factor of your core group. Are they people who just read and never comment? (I have at least two of those! The only reason I know of their existence is that they told me when my blog wasn't showing up properly on their readers.) Or are you lucky to have a core group that love to talk? There is an element of luck in falling in with the right people. We might have really great posts that that group would discuss the heck out of, but because we haven't found them, our comboxes are full of crickets instead! =P

    • Hi Bella! I think you're right about the number being important to some of the pubs – I've had some of the pubs ask about my GFC count and some ask me about my unique visits or whatever, and honestly, I don't even really know what all of those exact terms means when they get very specific like that…because I've never really (before now) paid that much attention to the numbers, except GFC which is right there in my face on the sidebar! But some of the pubs aren't that way and for that I am grateful. I guess they're all different just like in everything else, and for me that meant finding my niche within the group of publishers that I worked one-on-one *most comfortably* with, and also continuing to utilize my own books and of course my library. There is also truth to the followers/giveaways thing with regard to comments, but that is a whole other issue that I could write a novel on.

      As far as what Enbrethiliel mentions, I love how she did a better job summarizing the "core group" thing than I ever could have! THIS: –> "We might have really great posts that that group would discuss the heck out of, but because we haven't found them, our comboxes are full of crickets instead!" So true!

  13. I do agree that commenting has fallen a bit on my blog, too. On most of my posts, I usually get 10-15 comments (obvs sometimes more, sometimes less) and they're from the same core of bloggers. We tend to comment back and forth amongst each other, which is cool. I try not to worry about numbers (though that's pretty difficult sometimes!).

    • That's typically how I have been, not usually caring about the numbers becuase at least I would have a few comments and could discuss my thoughts with at least a few people – sometimes more, sometimes less – but always somebody. I guess summertime has everyone out and about or maybe people are reading more books and fewer blogs, or other reasons. I do feel much better knowing that other people are noticing the same things, though! Thanks for stopping by!

  14. I try not to think about numbers because that's effing depressing. I used to be v good at commenting and TRY to return visits to everyone who comments on my blog but it's become harder lately esp bc I've been in such a slump & etc. I've seen comments go down on my blog too and I think it's a factor of that (maybe?) + summer, IDK. I comment when I go through my feed on posts I find interesting!

    • I think to everything you just said, Elena – YES. I could just copy and paste your comment and it could've almost been exactly my feelings in this blog post! I'm just coming up out of a slump (thankfully) and hoping that soon the visiting blogs/commenting back and forth between everyone will pick back up a bit because I just genuinely love the conversation a ton. (:

  15. I totally suck at leaving comments lately. I've been using Bloglovin to follow book blogs, and for some reason, a lot of times when I type up a comment (super long and rambly, usually, cuz that's totally my style too!) and then click "publish"…my comment gets eaten. Then I get frustrated and just stop commenting. But I'm always always reading.

    I love clicking the "like" button via bloglovin' (do bloggers see that when someone likes their post? I hope so, cuz I do it a lot!). I also tweet-share the posts I really like – often discussion posts or reviews for books I loved.

    I really need to start commenting more. I love book-talking in the comments, especially because I don't get much chance to talk books with my in-person buddies; either they don't read much or the ones who do read live far away. This makes me very, very sad.

    Still loving your posts, Asheley, so keep up the stellar work. 🙂

    • I've never seen anyone "like" anything I've written?? So IDK if anyone else has or not but I haven't! Tweet-sharing is so nice, I love that. I too have been a bit slack on visiting blogs and commenting more lately than I used to be (so hard with summertime and some weird things I've had going on around here) but I'm working on moving my schedule around and picking it back up in tiny teeny little chunks – meaning, I'm experimenting with different ways that I can fit it in and still actually find time to READ and BLOG and stuff. Ha! I used to be super-good about commenting and I plan to be great about it once again. (:

      I agree talking books in comments is great – I don't have any IRL people that read like I do either, so it's on the internet in various ways that I do all of my book talk. THAT is how I noticed that my comments were down initially, I wasn't talking about books as much.

  16. I love this honest post, Asheley! I definitely count comments as a sign of visitors, but I know that many people visit and read quickly and move on. I also love to get feedback and start discussions on books through comments. BUT I've recently been having trouble fitting in reading, writing reviews, visiting other blogs AND responding to my comments. I'm a big believer that I don't want to say anything unless it's meaningful, so I spend a lot of time on commenting when I do it. Unfortunately, my commenting back on people who visit me has dropped off a bit. Though I've been doing it a lot via email these days, b/c that is easier for me (so many people are no-reply comment bloggers. grrr).

    What I've personally noticed about commenting, is that most people who comment on my blog are people whose blogs I also comment on. It's a big give and take. So while I usually get 9 – 10 good comments on posts, it’s often from the same set of people. I've worked hard to get to that number and it requires daily or weekly work to visit their blogs. Now I LOVE visiting other blogs and commenting, but I also have a lot of trouble time managing and getting to every ones that I want to see. That's why I've started to comment bomb like you do once or twice a week. Maybe because I still feel like I'm new at this, I still feel like I'm figuring out how to manage everything. I do visit blogs and some people have tons of comments on every post, and I just don't know if I could manage to reply back to that many people or I would never read. I'm being honest here, maybe it sounds bad. But I just cannot figure out how to do more than I am! But I'd rather have a core group of meaningful interactive commenters than a bunch of people who say one or two words under my posts. As many people have mentioned you are one of my favorite commenters!

    Likewise, If I don't get any give and take from another blogger (either they've responded to my comments on their blog or visited my blog), I honestly don't bother with commenting. It just seems like they don't care about me, or care that people are visiting. I'm with you in loving that this blogging world is interactive. I probably will not even read their blog, unless they have an interesting opinion that I want to read.

    However, I do wish that I didn't feel so much pressure to do it all every week. I LOVE blog visiting, but sometimes it's hard to maintain all the commenting all the time. Honestly, I feel like if I don't keep up with everyone's blogs no one will visit mine. But I do see that over time, bigger bloggers have made such a following that it doesn't matter – I mean it does, but some of the pressure goes away. I'm just not at that point yet.

    Anyway, You've made me think for sure, and I'm going to continue to comment bomb your posts!

    • I wish people weren't no-reply – I like the email method too! And yes to trying to fit everything in, particularly during the summertime. I've had a particularly weird summer so I've struggled with everything – forget maintaining, everything I normally do has just DROPPED, but I'm coming back to the party slowly and thankfully because I just love this blogging thing and it is so therapeutic for me which sounds really weird but just go with it!

      I think what you're saying is that you have a core group, which is what I've been seeing a few of the commenters mention above. I've also had a core group that used to be a fairly good size but one by one, a lot of them have stopped blogging which has decreased the number therefore decreasing the amount of discussing books I've been able to do – not all of them have kept up with actually discussing books when they stopped blogging, sadly. While I understand this – life changes, people have babies, etc – it kind of breaks my heart because I feel like part of my world changes too. I know, DRAMATIC. But still, that's a snippet of book discussion that kind of disappears, and I love it so.

      As far as the comment-bombing goes, I think (I think?) a lot of people like to get bombed but it's tough to be the one doing it all the time because the amount of blogs I get to visit drops because I'm spendign more time on each blog. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily, but I feel bad about the others that don't get visited on that day or during that week. So I'm still also trying to tweak out a good method that works for me. I want to be able to read at the rate that I'm reading now and to blog at a good rate too. I'm not sure if I'm making any sense at all.

      It's interesting that I've noticed that my most viewed posts are new adult (and discussion) but the new adult posts get the fewest (or NO) comments. ???

      I just detest the fact that I let it get to me to begin with – I never have in three years – and I want to not care about the numbers again. Hopefully discussing it with everyone will take away all of these feelings that I have so I can just read and write down my thoughts again – if people want to talk about them then YAY, I WIN.

  17. Hi! First I have to say that you are always such a thoughtful and enthusiastic commenter and it always makes me so happy to see one pop up from you.

    I know M has said it but I have noticed on both blogs that visits are different because of the summer. I guess when school starts up again people will be more inclined to type?

    For me, I comment when I have something good to say. As a blogger myself, I already appreciate what the writer is doing and I try to show my appreciation in different ways. It doesn't always have to be a comment and I don't want to write something JUST to write something.

    You're right too because Magan is a perfect example about how we have to be flexible with maintaining our real life and online "responsibilities" and I am always amazed at how much she juggles (even if she thinks she's not doing the best job which is basically a load of crap. haha). Like today… I didn't read any blogs until today and I try really hard to remember what people are reading or read or writing about. BUT IT'S TOUGH. Esp. dabbing into two blog worlds.

    I don't think a comment should have to be justification that we are doing a good job. It's so easy to take it that way… I do it myself but maybe we have to realign our expectations and our successes?

    You are a dear dear lady!

    • I love your blog. I could crawl into it and take a nap, I just love spending time there. That's weird, but I'm not a creeper I promise.

      I think commenting when you have something good to say is perfect. And I always appreciate that you have stopped by and said something and I know that when you haven't, you've still either read what I've written or considered it. I appreciate that so much.

      And yes, Magan. Perfect example. Lately there have been quite a few from my "core group" (seems to be the term of the day around here on this post) that have had big life changes and that has contributed a bit to the decrease some too as well as summertime.

      I also agree that comments don't have to be justification that we're doing a good job. I just got really surprised that I even cared at because it's SO UNLIKE ME, so I had to write it down. And I am feeling better about it – the more everyone is sharing their habits and thoughts, the better I feel.

      Two blogging worlds makes me want to eat a lot of junk food and take a nap immediately after – I don't even know how you manage that. But it would be fun doing Disney!

      xoxo

  18. Great post and comment thread, Asheley. I normally don't comment much because I just don't have time. Those blogs I get by email, I read every day and comment occasionally, (like this one), but it takes so long to write a decent comment and even longer to reply to any comments we get on the blog. I just keep reminding myself that we started the blog for reasons other than getting comments, so I don't stress about it too much.

    Even though I don't comment on yours much, I do love it though. Keep up the good work.

    • We started for reasons other than comments, that's right. Good thing to remind myself to keep perspective. I shouldn't have let it get to me this time because it never has before. Thanks so much for stopping by! I appreciate your words. (:

  19. Oh, Ash! You are the best commenter in the world! I love getting your comments and I wish I could comment as much as you do. 🙁

    For me, when I comment on a blog, I have a seriously hard time remembering to go back and see if I get a response. So the discussion usually ends there…and I feel super bad!

    I particularly love commenting on discussion posts…obviously. Since I'm commenting.

    I always feel so lame commenting on book reviews because I don't always know what else to say besides "great review, I want to read this.'

    Right now it is particularly hard for me to comment because I don't have internet anymore. I have to use the WiFi at work or at my friends house on my days off, which are rare.

    I really like chatting via Twitter and email the most! Maybe we should just start doing that so that we know we are both loved! Lol.

    • I need to be able to stop by your blog more often, Ash! Whenever I do, I RAMBLE. That's basically it. But I know it's cool and YAY FOR THAT.

      I don't usually go back to check for a response until I go back to comment again. Since I don't get to comment daily, sometimes it's a while before I can check for the response! EEK.

      I love Twitter too! I think I love it the most there because it's quick and easy and for some reason it feels to me like it's real time even if I don't get to respond right away.

      Hopefully after the summer, I can get back into a groove of being a better commenter and come bomb your blog. xo

  20. Darn day job so I didn't see this post until just now – but I wanted to say that as much as I love comments – it's just 1 of the indicators of interaction. If your other numbers are up etc, then don't worry about it. Some people like to comment, some people like to read and not comment. Some people prefer Twitter etc. I wouldn't worry about it at all.

    And personally, I might not get to everyone who comments on my blog immediately, but I do get to their bogs and comment eventually.

    Tanya Patrice
    Girlxoxo.com

    • You're right in everything you've said here, Tanya, including how you do make it a point to stop by when you can – I love that about you. And I love your blog. It's still one of the coolest and my favorites out there. Thanks so much for stopping by!

  21. I'm like you I love comments and I love to comment. I'm happy to talk about books anytime, anywhere, any place. However with reviews, I often only comment if I love the sound of it or if I have already read it. But with discussion posts, I always chip in. I find on my blog the discussion type posts are the ones with the most comments and I think that is partially why I like doing those so much. The other thing that stops me commenting is captcha, its too frustrating!

    BookishTrish @ Between the Lines

    • I'm thinking that you're kind of in line with what a lot of other people are saying about commenting more on discussion posts! It really never occurred to me that much to comment on one more than the other – I've always been pretty much equal opportunity as far as comments go, but I'm beginning to understand why people are different than I am in that regard!

      I agree about the captcha! I always am paranoid that mine has somehow turned itself on and I'm not aware of it – that happened to me once and I didn't know it until a blogger friend told me! So frustrating!

      Thanks for stopping by!

  22. Recently, my blog has actually increased in the number of comments! I think that's because I've started to actually bother going to other people's blogs and interacting. And of course I do watch my numbers- everyone likes comments!- but I don't find myself minding as much if there aren't as many comments compared to pageviews. I mean, sometimes it's pretty hard to come up with a meaningful comment for a review, for example.

    And I guess that's the reason that I sometimes don't leave comments on some blogposts. It's simply because I don't really know what to write, and I don't want to write some flimsy comment like "great review!" because it doesn't even show that I've read the post and makes me seem a bit more like a spammer. Although I suppose comments are pretty important, so at times I feel like I should try to think of some kind of comment regardless, I usually just don't have the time :/

    And as you can clearly see from my comment here, you are not alone in rambly comments 😉

    • So cool that your commenting has increased! That's against the latest summertime trend based on the comments that are being left on this discussion post, so you're doing something super good – keep it up if comments are important to you! My pageviews are pretty great, I think, and I think that after having everyone stop by and offer these opinions and thoughts and validating that a lot of them are having the same issues, I'm beginning to feel much better about it. It was silly of me to even worry to begin with – so unlike me, so unlike me.

      I love rambly comments! And I'm a rambler. And so it goes! Thanks for stopping by! (:

    • I think it's because we had so few comments before lol. So even though the commenting has increased, we don't get that many compared to other blogs. But we definitely appreciate each and every comment!
      I'm going to stop now before the comment gets rambly again 😛

  23. I've noticed that my comments have dropped. In all fairness, I'm not posting as much as I used to. But I still have a number of views each day, and the number of people following my blog hasn't really dropped. I'm not sure why people aren't commenting anymore. I used to get a few comments on each book review. Now I'm lucky if I get any at all.

    • THAT'S exactly what I was talking about!! It seems like it is happening to most bloggers, or at least most book bloggers, and everyone seems to be attributing it to summertime based on the above comments. Hopefully things will pick back up once the fall kicks in and people are spending more time inside? I enjoy discussing books and kind of want to get back to it!

  24. I just discovered your blog (thanks to Asti from A bookish heart, because she included your discussion link in her latest posts), but I always love commenting. I spend a lot of time hopping from blog to blog to leave meaningful comments. I always find it rewarding when someone comments no my blog and I want to return that feeling 🙂 I'm sorry that you see your amount of comments drop (despite the whole numbers don't matter) I can understand that you miss the comments, because I love them as well. Your blog is now part of my Bloglovin' list, so you might see me commenting now and then 😉

    Mel@thedailyprophecy.

    • Oh Asti's blog is wonderful! I love it! And it was so great of her to include my post in her recent blog post!

      Thanks for stopping by! I feel the same way you do about loving comments and wanting to return the favor – I try! I feel the sads when there are few to no comments, which is why I wrote this. I feel a lot better knowing it isn't just me that is noticing a change in their numbers. Hopefully things will level back out pretty soon with the change in the seasons.

      So nice to meet you, Mel!

  25. I don't worry about comment numbers much at all. However, I'm currently getting more comments that I used to on my blog and enjoying that a lot, so by comparison posts where I get fewer comments might make me share your feelings. For me, I think two things have helped get more comments – commenting on other blogs and keeping track of book things I think about to make discussion posts later. But it seems like you're already writing discussions on interesting topics and commenting a lot, so I don't know that I have any novel advice for you. Good luck getting more comments and with being happy to ignore your numbers again!

    • I like what you mention about keeping track of things that might make good discussion posts later – that's a great idea. If I do a discussion post, it's usually something that I've thought about on a whim or decided to write on a whim (like this one) but I can see how that might be helpful!

      Thanks so much for stopping by and giving me that great idea! (:

  26. I am far more likely to comment on reviews of books I've read, Waiting on Wednesdays posts (I comment on A TON EVERY WEEK!), and interesting discussion posts like this one 🙂 It can be hard to find the time which is why sometimes I'm up to a week late but I figure better late than never. I found that I've been getting more comments now as I comment more as well as more comments on Monday and Tuesday in general (everyone getting back on their computers after a weekend off? I don't know-I have more time to comment on weekends.)

    • I don't typically have a preference about books I've read or not – I kind of post on both but I almost always overlook the WoW posts because they tend to overwhelm me AND it seems that at least with the blogs that I read, lots of people are waiting on the same books! So I find myself saying the same things. Ha!

  27. I generally try to comment on every post I leave. If it's something that I can't really relate too then it's usually a small comment like "thanks for sharing" but if it is something I can relate too I try to make the comment more personal.

    I too try not to watch the numbers because then my mind starts playing tricks on me and I start comparing myself to other bloggers and…all it does it make me feel bad. I just remind myself that I write for me, I want to talk about books too so I understand that desire for some discussion. But you have a really great blog here (I've looked through a lot of your stuff even though this is my first time here and your writing is really superb)and don't let the numbers get you down. Hope you have a good day! 🙂

    • I too have a handful of blogs that I try and comment on every post because I want the blogger to know that I was there, even if the comment isn't a long novel-length comment like some of mine tend to be.

      I can't believe that I let myself get caught up in the numbers game – I don't like it and I'm glad that I'm kind of getting over it. It's a bit of a monster, I think, that I was getting on the computer and checking to see how my blog was doing, etc. That's not why I started blogging and that's not what I want my habit to be! I just want to talk about books with people, ya know?!

      Thanks so much for stopping by!

  28. I am super late to this post, but I liked it and wanted to comment =) I like commenting on blogs and usually I try to comment on some as I see them then go through my BL/feedly/wordpress lists once a week and comment on posts that are interesting or reviews where I have something to say. I like commenting on blogs and seeing what other people think of books I like or in discussions. I like receiving comments too, but I don't comment on other blogs to get them, sometimes I feel weird about what I've posted recently and if it "deserves" comments, like if a review isn't that great or something. But on the other hand, if I comment on someone's blog a lot and feel like I like them and interact with them some on twitter and they never comment on my blog, it kind of discourages me from commenting on their blog. Usually if a post is really interesting, I'll comment anyway. But I do understand that sometimes you don't have anything to say on certain posts, I have that problem sometimes. Plus, if it's a books I don't like and someone did like it, I never want to be negative.

    This is really rambling, but I agree with so much of what you said. Comments are nice! Connecting with people about books is the main reason I started blogging!

    • I like pretty much everything you say here, I mean I agree with you! I used to feel like if I didn't like a book very much – if I said so, I was being negative but I'm just becoming comfortable enough lately where I feel like I can say so without coming across in a negative way, especially if it is a blogger that I have a rapport with. I think that builds a great discussion, and sometimes it also gives the blogger a differing perspective, something they may not have noticed when they were reading, ya know? I NEVER mind when someone didn't like a book that I liked as long as they're nice in their comment.

      I love rambly comments, I leave them too! Thanks so much for stopping by. I started blogging for the exact reason – making a connection about books and talking about them, discussing them, etc. (:

  29. Well, shoot! It looks like you received a whole bunch of comments on this post at least! That's something to smile about. So, I'm a blogger and I'll try and answer a few of your questions. Yes, my comments are down. I only received a few on a good day. My blog is pretty small in the grand scheme of things. I do look at my numbers, my followers etc. I attribute the falloff to a couple different things: 1.) No more GCF 2.) YA blogs come and go – so many of my best commenters are not blogging anymore or blog was less frequently and finally 3. So many blogs make it difficult to comment: i.e. discuss or passwords required. When I'm on my iphone I can look at posts. Its not always easy to comment with an iPhone.

    So in general, I leave a comment when the post is interesting to me. I don't visit blogs whose content or books don't fit my style. I have a difficult time commenting when bloggers use discuss or require passwords, especially when I'm using my Iphone. My favorite blogs to return to time and time again are blogs where the author will either come and make a comment on my blog OR reply to the comment I have made. I don't like to make really meaningful comments and then no one even acknowledges them. It feels sort of pointless to me.

    • Hi Gina! I'm really shocked at the amount of feedback I've gotten on this post! I never expected this many people to respond!

      I'm hearing and seeing from so many others that their comments are down as well, and I suppose the popular idea is that everyone is chalking it up to summertime? I hope so – I miss everyone stopping by and talking the books or even just saying hi!

      Some of my best and most frequent commenters have stopped blogging as well, which kind of breaks my heart but I understand that life changes and all of that, ya know? And I suspect that the whole thing with Google Reader shutting down has something to do with it as well, you're right! I hadn't thought of that. OH YES, the difficulty on some blogs kind of drives me a little mad sometimes, so I hope that my blog is very commenter-friendly.

      I agree that making meaningful comments that go unacknowledged is disheartening and feels pointless. Thanks so much for stopping by. You make some fantastic points and it makes me feel so much better! (:

  30. I am kind of like your friend..I don't care about the numbers but comments and responding to comments are my thing. So if someone stops by and comments, I respond and then if they have a blog I hope on over to theirs and comment back. This has slowly lead to daily peeps commenting and chatting daily on my blog. Summer always sees a drop in comments and yep twitter and facebook suck up some of them too! wonderful post!

    • Thank you! I don't know why I let it get me down – I get we all get a little bit insecure sometimes – it was the first time for me but I'm sure it won't be the last. I'm (weirdly) happy to see that everyone else is feeling the "number blues" this summer as well and hopefully everything will pick up for everyone as the seasons change? I just want to talk to people about all the books again! Or at least have great discussions like this one on this blog or on other ones!

  31. I love all the people who mentioned being "late" to comment on this post because THEY DON'T GOT NOTHING ON ME! Haha 🙂

    Anywayyyyyy…. Okay, so obviously read this post when you first published it, and I hear you on every.single.thing that you're saying! I noticed my comments were down this summer, too. Honestly, I attributed some of that to posting more adult book reviews since those tend to still get pageviews but not a ton of interaction for me. But it's been interesting reading through all the comments on this post because it actually seems like it's been a pretty common thing this summer! I do know that last summer was when I just stopped blogging for six months because everything felt too overwhelming. I wonder if there's something about the sunshine-y months that makes people less likely to comment? I'm sure things like traveling, kids being out of school, the weather being lovely, etc., certainly lead to less time spent indoors reading and commenting on blog posts.

    I'm so glad you wrote this because in some ways I feel like it's a nice little follow up to some of the things I wrote in mine. I focused a lot more on the pressure I feel to leave comments so I love that you really focused some more on being on the receiving end of comments.

    I'll be honest – the feedback I got on my post kinda bummed me out. I know that's probably horrible to say, but it's true! I felt like I realized just how many expectations people have when it comes to commenting and it made me feel like there's no way I'll ever "win" at commenting. I feel like some people expect you to be able to do it all (read books, write reviews, blog, be active on social media, read blog posts, write comments, respond to comments, etc.) and it makes me feel LIKE I AM GOING CRAZY. Individually, I really love all those things. Added all up in a to do list? OMG makes me feel like tearing out my hair.

    I was HORRIBLE at commenting this summer, including being terrible about responding to comments in a timely manner. Mine was partly because of things going on at work and just coming home and wanting nothing to do with the Internet haha! But, like you, I love to comment bomb! My biggest struggle has been that I love reading posts when they're published but I don't immediately leave a comment. Take this post for example! I read it within an hour of when you published it, but I just kept it saved in Bloglovin until I had "time" to comment. I totally had time prior to this but I ended up with so many of your posts saved to comment on that I was legit intimidated by all the things I wanted to say. But, either way, I'm here now! SO YAY! 🙂

    Do you feel like things have picked up this fall? As I've been commenting on your posts in September/August, I do feel like I saw a pretty good numbers of comments but I'm not sure if that's just my perception.

    I'm like you where I'm all NUMBERS DON'T MATTER YO and I JUST WANT TO READ, WRITE AND DISCUSS but there's nothing like a blogging/reading slump combined with a drop in stats or comments to just make you feel kinda frustrated with the whole thing. I'm so glad, however, that this is the first time you've really felt this way AND I hope it's the last time you do 🙂

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