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very cute

Thanks! :)

c'est vraiment mignon !!

love this! especially your choice of background color :)

I know exactly what you mean! I meet people online and when we meet in person it's like we've been friends forever and that connection continues in real life. It does make me a bit sad that I don't get to hang out with these people all the time and only at conferences, but it makes those conferences all that much sweeter and more fun. And I love that we can continue that connection throughout the year.

I'm sort of nervous for ALA Chicago for this very reason--I know so many amazing people that I haven't met yet--how will I possibly have time to hang out with everyone?! I'm so thankful every day for my amazing network.

I totally know what you mean...how can we find that time. I wonder if we should plan to find each other after, like Caldecott Newbery banquet. Skip the receiving lines and go for the drinks! I'm gonna be listening to speeches for free and now that I'm not on ALSC board I am free of obligations. Might be fun but requires being up at night!!!

Marge, I am indeed one of those (semi-)Twitter lurkers...mostly because I don't yet know exactly what I'm doing! But the more I put out there, the more confident I feel, and I just had to say that I take such strength and energy from all of you!

Thanks for the shout out! Can't wait for tonight!!

Sad I missed it! I'm behind in my blog reading and just now saw the update. I hope you guys do another one!

What fun! I will look for these. Twitter needs more nature poetry, and I am glad you are planting the seeds! Happy Poetry Month and spring too! xo, a.

<br />What a great idea, Andi! Off to see what you&#39;re tweeting!

We also have a giveaway this week: Enter at Pen and Ink to win a copy of Sariah Wilson’s The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back. I love this quirky YA story. I think you will too. http://thepenandinkblog.blogspot.com/

Dear Alicia,
How charming and how it makes me think of Easter and spring!
Hope all is well with you?
We have been really busy with our grandchildren.
Greetings from New York!

Utterly adorable, Alicia. Love that lil' duckie as with your other characters too.

You know, I'd be so honoured if you;d now and then contribute to the Creative Tuesday co-op's themes. I think your work woudl inspire a lot of us out there.

I love your style, Alicia, and this duckie is adorable. Glad i got turned on to your blog. Awesome.

You'd be a fun contributor to the creative Tuesdays co-op should you ever care to consider it too. :)

oh so cute !!

I just found your Website today, and I must say you are now my favorite illustrator. The illustration of the two fish kissing.... oh my! I fell in love! Amazing illustrations!

Marge, shall I add this to last week's roundup??

Ugh, this scares me. I love the blog world because it created the opportunity to share meaningful ideas with each other. I have a Twitter account, though I've never tweeted anything, and it seems that Twitter fills a very different role: information sharing, humor, and snippets of inspiration, but it's never produced anything to make me think.
And it's scary that as authors we're almost expected to spend so much of our time keeping up with these instant-gratification types of social media. Um...when are we supposed to write??
All right, I'll stop being all antediluvian here...but I do hope blogs survive. :)

I do see blogger fatigue and people disappearing on their own blogs and stop following. But I think it's a mistake. I agree with Faith that you can share more meaningfully.

I have a lot of friends on Facebook who post a lot and I don't have time to get to all the things being said. In fact, if I want to be sure not to miss my daughter's posts, I go to her page because they get lost in the chatter.

I'm not on Twitter yet, but I think it'll be the same. And if I follow hundreds of people, I can't read their tweets everyday. So I think there's a good chance I'll miss important info. Plus you can't say much on these forums. I can scroll down my blog roll quickly and find the important news I want to read. And share more on my blog. I think blogs are the best way to share our good news and promote our books when we get published. But that's just my humble opinion.

Blogging isn't dead just because because faster-paced online alternatives for sharing have emerged, just like physical paper books aren't dead just because ebooks have come into being. How and where people choose to spend their online time depends on personal preference, and on how/what/why they want to interact or share.

I agree with all this, yet I continue to blog. I love having a place to work through ideas, share thoughts, and maybe bring about discussion...whether people are reading or not.

For months I've felt blogging is on the decline (I think we actually talked about this after Kate's launch, no?). People are posting less often, and followers don't seem to stop in as much as they used to. I think other social media outlets are growing, and I also think people are running out of things to say. Let's be honest; how many new blog posts are left at this point? I'd like to see blogging come back, perhaps with some new trends to make things more interesting again. I know for me, my blog has become more like a web page. I post when I have something to say, but overall, it just serves as a place for people to get info. on myself and my work.

Yes, we did, Paul. I don't think I mentioned the Shelf Awareness article at the time, but we talked about fewer comments on blogs and we definitely mentioned Twitter that night.

I'm certainly posting less often than I did when I started blogging, so I agree with most of what you're saying.

But I don't think people are running out of things to say! People can always find things to talk about. For me, there will always be books to review. I've never been one of those bloggers who posts helpful writing advice, because I feel like a newbie compared to some (even though I've been writing seriously since 2007). But with the publishing industry changing rapidly, there's plenty of discussion left.

I'm intrigued by your idea of new trends in blogging. What sort of new trends would you hope to see?

Yay for you, Caroline! And I enjoy your blog. Your posts are thoughtful (and usually quite short!). I'll continue to blog too. But definitely less often. And I may aim for shorter posts to snag those people with shorter attention spans.

Blogger fatigue is a great term for it, Natalie. I can't keep up with Facebook posts either, since I only go on once a week. Getting lost in the chatter is the main problem, isn't it?

I still find Twitter hard to handle. Good luck with it when you do join. It can be confusing. Facebook is more user-friendly.

But don't you think people are having trouble keeping up with their blogrolls? I keep following more and more people and then realizing I don't have time to read all those posts. I need to write, read, and sleep too!

Hi Faith! I love the blogging world too. I've "met" all these wonderful people through blogging, not through Twitter. And I use facebook more for my family and friends outside the writing world.

That's a good point about Twitter's role and that it doesn't make you think. One helpful thing about Twitter, though, is #kidlitchat and #YAlitchat (etc), which are weekly discussion groups, although I admit I rarely have time to go on there. And I rarely tweet.

I realize there's one fallacy about starting this discussion on my blog: of course only active bloggers are going to respond!

Excellent point, Kim! I hope paper books will still be around for a while. I'll be the last person to buy a Kindle or Nook.

And I hope blogging isn't dead, because I intend to keep blogging! Hope you do too.

I've been reading about the decline of blogging for some time now. We continue to post 3 times/week on our TeachingAuthors blog, but I have to agree that the comments are less common--even when we're hosting giveaways, like today. I, too, am curious about Paul's comments related to "new trends in blogging."

I think what works and what's current changes. And I think that's okay. Blogging does take a lot of time, as does visiting and commenting on blogs. Each social media platform has a different strong point, and keeping current with what that strong point is, is important. Especially if you're trying to reach a certain audience--because kids and teens usually aren't reading blogs.

Welcome, Carmela! Thanks for stopping by. I'll have to check out your blog next.

It's hard to get people to comment when they're pulled in so many directions at once. I certainly don't have time to visit on a regular basis every one of the hundreds of blogs I follow. And of my 199 followers, I'd say only about 20 are regulars.

Hi Barbara! Yes, blogging certainly does take up time, more so from visiting and commenting on other blogs. That's why I usually reserve a chunk of time on Mondays and visit as many blogs as I can in that time period. It's unusual, these days, for me to post (or visit) on a Friday.

That's an important point about audience. Very few kids read blogs. But I don't think they're on Twitter either.

Kids/teens will visit a blog, depending on what they're looking for. I agree, they don't seem to be regular readers of blogs for the sake of reading blogs. Any regular readers I have are adults, as far as I can tell. But, if you have posted content that kids/teens can use to help them with a school assignment or project, they'll find you via a web search, and they will visit. I have quite a number of kids/teens who visit my blog and sometimes even comment. The majority come to the book reviews and author spotlights, presumably due to a book or author-related assignment.

I have an e-reader, and I also have more than my fair share of paper books. I tend to buy more paper books than ebooks. But I enjoy each form, buying what suits me best at the time. I guess you could say I am an equal opportunity bibliophile.

And absolutely I'll keep blogging, no matter where the trends go. If people visit, I am pleased - especially when I get comments from people (both kids and adults) who say the information helped them. But if they don't visit, that's OK, too, because I truly enjoy what I do. But I only post about once a month now, so that I have time for the other things I want or need to do, too. And my blog roll is very small, on purpose, so that I have time to read them.

Kim, I applaud you for keeping your blogroll small on purpose. I think that was my original goal...

And posting once a month is certainly something we could all do. Group blogs are another idea!

I know quite a few people who own e-readers and still prefer paper books. Although that might change in another generation.

That's great that you've created content kids will find via web searches. I do book reviews, but very few kids have ever commented on them. Too many of us post book reviews, I suspect. But your author spotlights would help kids with reports to write. And your little-known holidays feature must attract a lot of pageviews.

I prefer to read blogs and don't spend as much time reading facebook or twitter. I do participate in them- but twitter is too short for me and I don't enjoy the newer timeline on facebook. I like to read blogs and find out a bit more information. I definitely prefer to read posts that are on one subject or that are a bit shorter. Sometimes posts that are a couple of pages long are too hard for me to comment on because there is just so much to say. :) Without a doubt I comment more on blogs than I do on twitter of fb. Maybe I am behind the times! Interesting post!

Hi DMS (is this Jess?), I hear you about shorter posts. And I don't think you're behind the times at all.

I think you can't read a full article on Facebook or Twitter. I think FB and Twitter are good to post links to send people to the articles on blogs.

I have been thinking about this a lot lately, Joanne. I like blogging and I enjoy reading blogs-- but like many other commenters I have had to pull back on both. I try to visit and read the posts of people who frequent my blog and comment. I think I struggle with having a web presence that is unique. But I wouldn't trade it for the friendships that have developed from blogging (including yours!).

This is true, Erik. Good thinking. My blogger account is set up to automatically send these posts to my FB account. But not many people seem to click on that link to come back here!

Hi Kat! I'm not the only one who's posted about this recently, either. And that's so true -- we all hope to have a unique web presence but it's tough with so many blogs out there. Yours seems to be pretty unusual and striking.

I can't keep up with as many blogs as I would like to. And I agree that the friendships (like yours!) that have blossomed from blogging are worth all the struggles. How else would we have found each other?

Joanne...not wanting to sound negative or contrary...but the authors who stops blogging (and I know a few), just don't get it and probably never did. I'm not saying how I approached blogging wouldn't change if I ever did become published, but I would never quit. :)

All very interesting! I think each has its own merits, depending on what you're looking for. But with ways to connect them all, I don't think blogging will ever end. Loved the post and reading through the comments! :)

You definitely struck a nerve with this one! For me, April will mark a full four years of blogging, and I've gone through stages of blogger fatigue. Right now, I've become a lot happier with blogging simply by lessening the pressure on myself to produce content 2-3 times/week. By aiming to post once per week, it's prevented me from falling into the "filler" content trap and to increase the quality and variety of what I post. Basically, I'm letting inspiration dictate my content, which makes it fun again!

As a reader, I find myself reading a much more limited list of blogs with a greater variety of content, and they're split between funny, brief tumblrs and more lengthy, informative traditional blogs. I don't think longform blogging/articles are dying anytime soon, and I do feel there's a symbiotic relationship with twitter/facebook/tumblr, because that's how people discover and share this content.

I hope Facebook NEVER buys out Twitter. I am seriously annoyed with them trying to take over the social media world. >:(
I did notice some authors leaving their blogs for tumblr and others and that made me sad because it means I have to seriously think about tumblr now too.
I still love my blog and will continue using it.
Talking about blogs, aside from author interviews I tend to shy from posting or reading very long ones. lol

Very good post Joanne. :)

~Akoss

Hi Don! That's a valid point and I'm glad you brought it up. (I'm also glad you would never quit!) I've noticed many author blogs changing when the authors got published. Maybe they post less often or they change the purpose or direction of the blog, but the ones I love continue to post about anything and everything, instead of just advertising their book.

Thanks, Jennifer! I wasn't sure how people would react when I first posted this. Glad you're positive about the future of blogging.

Wow, Donna! Congrats on the upcoming four-year anniversary! It'll be four years for me in August (and, uh, I have a lot fewer followers than you - but you also have a group blog). Once a week is a fine goal. That's about all I've been managing. So glad it's become fun again for you.

Thanks for stopping by. :)

Why, thank you, Akoss! Yeah, facebook does seem like a greedy corporation at times.

So glad you're going to continue to use your blog. And I like your blog too! :)

Thanks for your honesty. I feel guilty if I skim over someone's long post. And I'm going to try to keep my own posts short from now on.

I wish I had time to read every blog I've ever discovered, but keeping up with blogs that post daily is really hard for me. I try to avoid social media much of the week, so I can get some writing done!

Blogging does take up a lot of time and I find people seem to comment less and less. Since I've been writing more, I don't post half as much as I used to, I just don't have the time. But, I will continue to do it.

Hi Janet! Yes, this seems to be what's happening everywhere. I've been writing more too, and therefore posting less frequently, which also means visiting less frequently. But I still make an effort.

Glad you'll continue to blog!