Let's Talk: Finding Co-Bloggers

 

Finding Co-Bloggers!

Are you looking for a co-blogger but you aren't quite sure how to go about doing so? Amber and I have been friends for a long time outside of the internet realm, and we knew from the get-go that we wanted to go into this as partners and split the workload to make everything easier. However, some of you may have gone into the blogging world solo (which is totally fine!), only now you're second-guessing that decision. Some people are weary about sharing their pride and joy (aka their blog) with others, but some are willing to branch out and start forming a team. I'm here to explain how to do that today!

First, ask yourself some questions.

Are you not posting as often as you would like to be? Most bloggers aim for 4-5 posts a week. Are you reaching that? Do you wish you could do one post every single day?

Are you having trouble keeping up with all of your ARCs? No matter what you do, do you keep falling behind in your reading?

Do you struggle with scheduling? Are you constantly forgetting tour dates, drowning in tours to tackle and things to do, and accidentally skipping posts and/or double posting because you aren't staying organized?

Do you struggle with making decisions? Are you not sure if a certain design or meme fits your blog? Are you having a hard time picking design and blog-related things for your website? 

Do you constantly feel stressed? As a blogger, you're going to be a little bit stressed. That comes with the territory. But are you always reaching a constant high level of stress regarding the blog and getting very, very overwhelmed? 

If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, you should probably consider getting a co-blogger.

But wait! I'm worried that getting a co-blogger will mean that I'll have to give up a part of my blog to somebody.

Just because you're getting a co-blogger doesn't mean that you're "giving" your blog to anybody. Co-bloggers are excellent with sharing the workload, especially if you're friends! Amber and I operate at double the efficiency that some of our blogging friends do - because like the saying goes, two heads are always better than one! We both have equal say on everything regarding the blog - our social media, what tours we sign up for, the blog design and memes and systems, etc. Neither one of us vetoes the other on anything - we find a compromise.

One important thing to stress about taking on a co-blogger is that you are ***co***-bloggers. It may have been a blog that solely belonged to you at one point, but if you accept a co-blogger you need to be willing to compromise on some decisions. The co-blogger you take on won't be taking your blog away from you - but if they have one idea about something to do and you have the complete opposite idea, you have to meet in the middle. That's the only way it's going to work.

Okay, I'm starting to consider this...but what are the benefits of getting a co-blogger?

There are tons of benefits of getting a co-blogger! Here are just a few that we experience at The Book Bratz each and every day:

You operate at double the efficiency. Since both Amber and I are quick readers, we are both reading and finishing books rapidly. With two people working to get reading and reviews done, it means that we schedule reviews and book up posting spots on The Book Bratz twice as fast as our single-blogger friends.

Our ARC pile is never too daunting. Going back to the double the efficiency thing - with two people being able to tackle the growing ARC pile we have, it doesn't grow as quickly. (Although science has proved that ARC piles never go away. We could have 43067346 bloggers working here and nothing would ever make it completely vanish.) It's also a plus because Amber is more into fantasy and sci-fi while I like romance and contemporary, so I tackle those books while she tackles her favorite genres, too. Basically, you don't get stuck reading a genre you can't stand because the other person may like it and do those ones instead.

Each of you have considerable strengths to help out with. Amber is a wizard at doing our blog designing, so even though we both have equal say in the blog design, she's the one that actually executes adding it all in because I am horrible at HTML coding stuff. I'm also super organized so while Amber does blog design, I do a lot of scheduling and organization. We each have specific traits and talents that benefit the blog. If this blog just belonged to Amber, it would be beautifully designed but very cluttered. If this blog just belonged to me, it would be horribly designed but very organized. So pooling our talents is super beneficial and helps you get the best of both worlds. 

Making decisions is actually easier. You would think that being the only one making decisions would be simpler, but in fact, it can be worse. If I'm struggling over whether or not to do something on the blog, Amber is always helping lend a second opinion, and I constantly do the same for her. We help keep everything in the blog running smoothly and actually keep one another in check. When you have an idea, generally you'll be prone to liking it because it's yours. You sometimes need another person to help you see the cracks and work out the kinks to make it as perfect as it can be.

You get a huge sense of teamwork. Amber and I are the unstoppable blogging duo. That's basically it. We're a tag team filled with funny ideas, hard work, and wonderful teamwork. We compliment each other in all the best ways on The Book Bratz and I couldn't imagine ever having another blogging teammate that wasn't her.

I've decided that I definitely want to go through with getting a co-blogger. Now, how do I do that?

There's no right or wrong way to get a co-blogger, but here's what I recommend!

1. Look at the friends you have outside of the internet realm. Do you have any close friends outside of the blogging world that loves books also? Are they trustworthy? Try looking for someone you know well first - knowing Amber and seeing her every day outside of the internet is easier on conversations and planning - a lot more can be done talking verbally and explaining things in person instead of over a phone or email.

2. If you can't think of a good one, create an "advertisement" on your blog. Put up a post explaining what you're looking for. Do you need someone to be on the blog maybe once or twice a week to fill in days when you can't? Do you want someone to help more with scheduling and a post here and there? Someone to help you tackle your ARCs? Someone to enlist full-time (such as how Amber and I work)? Explain it all. 

3. Create a GoogleDocs form and attach it to your post as an "application." Keep the advertisement open until you reach about 5 or 6 applicants and then close it down.

4. Interview all of the applicants. Reach out to everyone that applied and arrange a time to have a PRIVATE (aka not over Twitter for everyone to see) DM or Google Hangouts conversation for each individual. Get to know everyone who applied. Ask them questions such as: Why do you want to co-blog with me? What are some of your blogging strengths? Are you a fast reader? Tech and HTML-savvy? Are you organized? How often do you blog - if you owned a previous blog? Why are you leaving it to co-blog with me? How reliable are you? Ask whatever feels right. 

5. Choose the best fit. After talking to a whole slew of potential co-bloggers, pick someone who feels right for you - somebody that you would trust with your blog's password and information. Reach out to them and let them know - and begin the co-blogging journey together!

We asked you guys what your main tips are regarding getting a co-blogger:

@thebookbratz establish guidelines and expectations ahead of time. It's a big step so don't jump into it without a lot of consideration.

— brittanysbookrambles (@bbookrambles) August 26, 2015

I hope that this post was helpful to all of you guys - and if you're considering the idea of getting a co-blogger, I strongly recommend it! Find someone that you just click with and form a team. It's super beneficial and can help your blog become greater and more efficient than ever. :-)

Do you have anything to add? Comment down below with your thoughts on finding a co-blogger! Do you have a different method of finding one that I didn't mention? Are you opposed to getting a co-blogger - and if so, why? Did this post help you out? Tell me whatever you would like! :-)