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The So-Called Blogging Rules: Similar Posts

Book Blogging Rules

I haven’t posted since last Thursday. It hasn’t been out of a lack of wanting to. Really, it’s been a matter of A) having no time and B) having no post idea thrill me.

Honestly, I’ve used this time to really look at the blogging world. Particularly book blogging, considering that’s what I do. And, you know? It depresses me just a bit. There are all these visible and invisible rules. Some of which are just stupid.

New (and old) bloggers must learn from their peers

This is actually smart, but what actually appears to happen?

Bloggers copy other bloggers. Maybe not intentionally, but I see a lot of similar posts that pop up out there in the world. Especially with newer bloggers. (not accusing anyone. I have seen many similar posts to mine, so if this is an accusation, I’m also accusing myself)

Don’t believe me? Just take a look at a weekly retrospect or Around the Blogosphere thing. Some can be found at: Dudette Reads, Tea Between Books, Books for Birds, and many other blogs. With any close observation of any of these, it’s pretty obvious that the same topics keep getting brought up.

And that’s okay. Each blogger is allowed to put their own spin on something. But sometimes don’t you think it’s time to retire it? I mean, doesn’t there come a time when one post has been done a tad too many times? At least for awhile?

But the true sad thing for me is that young bloggers think they have to. Why?

I Have No Idea

Because it can be so hard to come up with a fresh, new topic! I only started doing discussion posts back in December. It’s frustrating. I have to keep a list on my iPod of what ideas I have and sometimes the day before I write one, someone else does it. Other times? I write it and post it only to find out that five other bloggers had the same idea this week. In many ways, this makes book blogging depressing to me. Sometimes it feels like there is only so much that can be discussed.

It’s not something to get discouraged over, though. There are still so many possibilities and solutions out there. How I know? There are some pretty awesome, unique bloggers out there. Take Notebook Sisters, for example. On first glance, they might seem like a regular book/writing blog, but check out all that sisterly humor and love. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but they do something different. Another different blogger would be the wildly popular Nose Graze. And I don’t blame her fans. The blog gives tips on blogging, Q&A’s, discussion topics I don’t always see elsewhere, AND those necessary book reviews. Not to mention she helps so many bloggers out with their designs and hosting. She’s even created a forum for book bloggers. There are many other bloggers I could include here as well.

I’m not sure that I’m a fully unique blogger. I only started doing discussion posts a few months ago, and honestly? I don’t see what separates me from other bloggers yet. It’s something that I’m working on and hope to improve over the next few months.

Do you ever feel like you aren’t unique in the blogosphere? What are your thoughts and opinions? Let me know in the comments below!

44 Comments


  1. // Reply

    I always feel that i am not original in any of the post I write. I don’t feel unique at all, I hate it.
    I dislike when bloggers just copy the whole idea that another blogger has done and doesn’t change anything about it. But then again maybe sometimes a blogger thinks of an Idea and doesn’t realise another blogger has already something very similar.
    Great Post ๐Ÿ™‚


    1. // Reply

      Sometimes I think that’s the case and it scares me half to death that I’ll get accused of plagiarism someday when maybe I didn’t even know they had a similar post on the topic. It’s just really hard, you know?


      1. // Reply

        yes for sure! I just feel so i can not think of a word. But I think it’s original then Bam oh no it’s not and I feel someones people look down on you for it.

        I want to be original and unique but sometimes it’s so hard


        1. // Reply

          It really is. . . All I can figure? Experiment and, yes, really do learn from other bloggers. Especially bloggers of other topics. Sometimes they have ideas that can be integrated into other forms of blogging. It’s hard, but I know it’s possible to make it unique. I think being yourself is the most important part, though.


  2. // Reply

    I always feel that i am not original in any of the post I write. I don’t feel unique at all, I hate it.
    I dislike when bloggers just copy the whole idea that another blogger has done and doesn’t change anything about it. But then again maybe sometimes a blogger thinks of an Idea and doesn’t realise another blogger has already something very similar.
    Great Post ๐Ÿ™‚


    1. // Reply

      Sometimes I think that’s the case and it scares me half to death that I’ll get accused of plagiarism someday when maybe I didn’t even know they had a similar post on the topic. It’s just really hard, you know?


      1. // Reply

        yes for sure! I just feel so i can not think of a word. But I think it’s original then Bam oh no it’s not and I feel someones people look down on you for it.

        I want to be original and unique but sometimes it’s so hard


        1. // Reply

          It really is. . . All I can figure? Experiment and, yes, really do learn from other bloggers. Especially bloggers of other topics. Sometimes they have ideas that can be integrated into other forms of blogging. It’s hard, but I know it’s possible to make it unique. I think being yourself is the most important part, though.


  3. // Reply

    I can really understand your point on discussion posts, completely. I personally will sometimes just have a simple to say about a subject, and other times I’ll have a whole posts worth, but because I’m always ahead, my posts are never around at the same time, so I guess I’m pretty lucky in that way, but I think it happens a lot. Like, one person will mention something about commenting and then the whole blogging community starts their own rants over commenting and not commenting. Sometimes I will make a post about a subject that I’ve seen elsewhere, and sometimes I won’t, and a lot of the time, I get my inspiration from you because you have such good topics, but I can see the annoyance, I feel it too. This is great though Kelsey! ๐Ÿ˜€


    1. // Reply

      It’s just frustrating that it feels like I can’t come up with anything that hasn’t already been done. Like, I don’t mind if people get ideas from me or anyone else, but my eyes kind of get wide when I see fifty posts on the same topic in one week. It’s probably nothing but similar thinking, but it’s still weird. I would just like to find some stuff that’s untouched or nearly untouched sometimes.


  4. // Reply

    I can really understand your point on discussion posts, completely. I personally will sometimes just have a simple to say about a subject, and other times I’ll have a whole posts worth, but because I’m always ahead, my posts are never around at the same time, so I guess I’m pretty lucky in that way, but I think it happens a lot. Like, one person will mention something about commenting and then the whole blogging community starts their own rants over commenting and not commenting. Sometimes I will make a post about a subject that I’ve seen elsewhere, and sometimes I won’t, and a lot of the time, I get my inspiration from you because you have such good topics, but I can see the annoyance, I feel it too. This is great though Kelsey! ๐Ÿ˜€


    1. // Reply

      It’s just frustrating that it feels like I can’t come up with anything that hasn’t already been done. Like, I don’t mind if people get ideas from me or anyone else, but my eyes kind of get wide when I see fifty posts on the same topic in one week. It’s probably nothing but similar thinking, but it’s still weird. I would just like to find some stuff that’s untouched or nearly untouched sometimes.


  5. // Reply

    Love this! Thanks for putting this together and sharing! Iโ€™m so excited to dive in and read all these articles. Thanks!


    1. // Reply

      Well, this is the first post in my series, so it might be a bit, but I’ll be sure to come back through and update a list at the bottom of this post for easy access. Glad you like it!


  6. // Reply

    Love this! Thanks for putting this together and sharing! Iโ€™m so excited to dive in and read all these articles. Thanks!


    1. // Reply

      Well, this is the first post in my series, so it might be a bit, but I’ll be sure to come back through and update a list at the bottom of this post for easy access. Glad you like it!


  7. // Reply

    I definitely feel this way a lot. It’s hard to come up with wholly original content and to really make yourself stand out amongst all the other bloggers out there. I just try to be myself and put my personality into every post I write. That way, even if it is similar to another blogger or a similar topic, it still feels fresh because it’s me.


    1. // Reply

      It really is. And that’s such a great point. I was feeling rather discouraged last week, but we each do make it unique by just being ourselves.


  8. // Reply

    I definitely feel this way a lot. It’s hard to come up with wholly original content and to really make yourself stand out amongst all the other bloggers out there. I just try to be myself and put my personality into every post I write. That way, even if it is similar to another blogger or a similar topic, it still feels fresh because it’s me.


    1. // Reply

      It really is. And that’s such a great point. I was feeling rather discouraged last week, but we each do make it unique by just being ourselves.


  9. // Reply

    I get what you are saying, but there really are only so many things you can talk about when it comes to books or YA books. It’s pretty inevitable that everyone is going to discuss really similar topics on their blogs at some point. Not saying originality can’t be done… it just becomes hard when there are so many book review blogs…. we’re all going to review books and talk about bookish stuff.

    I got irritated once when someone started doing this cover opinion thing that I do… called it almost the exact same thing, and did the post in a really similar way as I do. When I come up with an idea I always google first to make sure I’m not stealing someone elses name and idea (even on accident). It’s always best to link back if it’s a question. I guess the most original thing we all do is have our own unique opinions on a topic… even if the topic isn’t the freshest thing out there. Great discussion idea though ๐Ÿ™‚


    1. // Reply

      You know, that’s a really great idea to Google things beforehand.

      I know that it’s near impossible to do something new, but sometimes I’d really like to. Or, at least, something that hasn’t been done much. I feel like “just another (blank)” whenever I do something that’s been done a lot.


  10. // Reply

    I get what you are saying, but there really are only so many things you can talk about when it comes to books or YA books. It’s pretty inevitable that everyone is going to discuss really similar topics on their blogs at some point. Not saying originality can’t be done… it just becomes hard when there are so many book review blogs…. we’re all going to review books and talk about bookish stuff.

    I got irritated once when someone started doing this cover opinion thing that I do… called it almost the exact same thing, and did the post in a really similar way as I do. When I come up with an idea I always google first to make sure I’m not stealing someone elses name and idea (even on accident). It’s always best to link back if it’s a question. I guess the most original thing we all do is have our own unique opinions on a topic… even if the topic isn’t the freshest thing out there. Great discussion idea though ๐Ÿ™‚


    1. // Reply

      You know, that’s a really great idea to Google things beforehand.

      I know that it’s near impossible to do something new, but sometimes I’d really like to. Or, at least, something that hasn’t been done much. I feel like “just another (blank)” whenever I do something that’s been done a lot.


  11. // Reply

    I feel like this all the time! Quite often though I try and come up with new ideas to keep the blog fresh but I find there are similar ones on other blogs and I’d hate to step on toes ๐Ÿ™


  12. // Reply

    I feel like this all the time! Quite often though I try and come up with new ideas to keep the blog fresh but I find there are similar ones on other blogs and I’d hate to step on toes ๐Ÿ™


  13. // Reply

    I totally sympathise with what you’re saying here, it can get frustrating when you want to stand out realising that so many book bloggers out there are alike. However, to a certain extent I do believe as that old saying goes that you ‘can’t reinvent the wheel’. It’s always possible to put your own stamp on something, your own voice, twist, beliefs etc. but at the end of the day it’s almost impossible these days for anything to be original. Just take a look at books for example, most cover the same story over and over again adding or swapping slight details with a different voice, but we as readers know that those slight details can make all the difference and despite this we never tire of reading. I like to think of blogging a little like that. While we may cover the same topics we are unique and (hopefully) entertaining in our own little ways. ๐Ÿ™‚

    One thing that does really get on my nerves though is meme’s, with a few exceptions (quotes and I think that one that runs on Thursdays) I don’t like them very much because they’re so formulaic and I find them boring.

    Happy reading and great thought provoking post!


    1. // Reply

      This comment is beautiful. You’re completely right. That is how we are with books and why would it be that different with other sorts of writing? Thank you so much for this comment.


  14. // Reply

    I totally sympathise with what you’re saying here, it can get frustrating when you want to stand out realising that so many book bloggers out there are alike. However, to a certain extent I do believe as that old saying goes that you ‘can’t reinvent the wheel’. It’s always possible to put your own stamp on something, your own voice, twist, beliefs etc. but at the end of the day it’s almost impossible these days for anything to be original. Just take a look at books for example, most cover the same story over and over again adding or swapping slight details with a different voice, but we as readers know that those slight details can make all the difference and despite this we never tire of reading. I like to think of blogging a little like that. While we may cover the same topics we are unique and (hopefully) entertaining in our own little ways. ๐Ÿ™‚

    One thing that does really get on my nerves though is meme’s, with a few exceptions (quotes and I think that one that runs on Thursdays) I don’t like them very much because they’re so formulaic and I find them boring.

    Happy reading and great thought provoking post!


    1. // Reply

      This comment is beautiful. You’re completely right. That is how we are with books and why would it be that different with other sorts of writing? Thank you so much for this comment.


  15. // Reply

    I sometimes see other bloggers claiming that someone stole their idea, but in fact, it was usually someone else’s idea before that. Or great minds think alike. I agree with Becky, even if your idea ends up being similar to someone else’s, you can usually put your unique spin on it and make it your own.
    Like Michelle, I try to Google when I have a new idea, but there are SO many blogs that sometimes that doesn’t even work — you end up with a similar idea with a different name.
    Great post!
    Jen @ YA Romantics


    1. // Reply

      Yeah, I don’t think bloggers intentionally steal ideas all that often. There have been times where I’ll be planning to write a post on some topic, and then I go on Bloglovin’ to find out that something just did my idea. It’s a little disappointing, but also revealing at the same time.


  16. // Reply

    I sometimes see other bloggers claiming that someone stole their idea, but in fact, it was usually someone else’s idea before that. Or great minds think alike. I agree with Becky, even if your idea ends up being similar to someone else’s, you can usually put your unique spin on it and make it your own.
    Like Michelle, I try to Google when I have a new idea, but there are SO many blogs that sometimes that doesn’t even work — you end up with a similar idea with a different name.
    Great post!
    Jen @ YA Romantics


    1. // Reply

      Yeah, I don’t think bloggers intentionally steal ideas all that often. There have been times where I’ll be planning to write a post on some topic, and then I go on Bloglovin’ to find out that something just did my idea. It’s a little disappointing, but also revealing at the same time.


  17. // Reply

    *blushes insanely* Oh. my. gosh. I feel so special right now. (Consequently, I also love Nose Graze! FABULOUS BLOG.) I think every blog has a lot to learn…about the middle of last year, I wanted to be a “real book blogger” so I started doing some random memes and visiting more blogs. Bleh. It’s a learning curve, the WHOLE time. Now I only do memes that I actually like and I TRY to visit/follow/comment consistently. But it is hard to be original, eh? I SO STRUGGLE WITH THAT. One thing that I like to do is pick a topic out of a book I’m reading. That way, I know it’s not going to be the foremost topic on everyone’s minds. Like, for instance, I want to do a post on fantasy names/worlds because I was just reading Throne of Glass and was pretty impressed on the names (they weren’t like El’theianquiekiow of Ji’jkdsj’iiolo…that kind of thing. GAH). And for the record I love your blog and it’s SO witty and one of my favourites to read. ๐Ÿ™‚


    1. // Reply

      I have no idea what to say in response to that last sentence besides thank you (so, um, thank you).

      Yeah, I know what you mean. I’d been blogging awhile, but it was September of last year that I decided to actually get serious about book blogging. It’s definitely a constant learning curve. I still don’t have a clue what I’m doing half of the time.

      That’s really smart! I’m not going to steal what you do, but you are a genius blogger. (and names like Elโ€™theianquiekiow of Jiโ€™jkdsjโ€™iiolo are the worst. Once, I read a book with a character named something like Tsagaglalal. I’m still not entirely sure how to pronounce that).


  18. // Reply

    *blushes insanely* Oh. my. gosh. I feel so special right now. (Consequently, I also love Nose Graze! FABULOUS BLOG.) I think every blog has a lot to learn…about the middle of last year, I wanted to be a “real book blogger” so I started doing some random memes and visiting more blogs. Bleh. It’s a learning curve, the WHOLE time. Now I only do memes that I actually like and I TRY to visit/follow/comment consistently. But it is hard to be original, eh? I SO STRUGGLE WITH THAT. One thing that I like to do is pick a topic out of a book I’m reading. That way, I know it’s not going to be the foremost topic on everyone’s minds. Like, for instance, I want to do a post on fantasy names/worlds because I was just reading Throne of Glass and was pretty impressed on the names (they weren’t like El’theianquiekiow of Ji’jkdsj’iiolo…that kind of thing. GAH). And for the record I love your blog and it’s SO witty and one of my favourites to read. ๐Ÿ™‚


    1. // Reply

      I have no idea what to say in response to that last sentence besides thank you (so, um, thank you).

      Yeah, I know what you mean. I’d been blogging awhile, but it was September of last year that I decided to actually get serious about book blogging. It’s definitely a constant learning curve. I still don’t have a clue what I’m doing half of the time.

      That’s really smart! I’m not going to steal what you do, but you are a genius blogger. (and names like Elโ€™theianquiekiow of Jiโ€™jkdsjโ€™iiolo are the worst. Once, I read a book with a character named something like Tsagaglalal. I’m still not entirely sure how to pronounce that).


  19. // Reply

    I think we all bring something unique in the blogosphere by being yourself ๐Ÿ™‚ Everyone is a different character and even if you talk about the same topic, it’s never the same post! Everyone uses their own words and ways to describe their opinion ๐Ÿ™‚ And sometimes there are blogs who find THE thing to make themselves stand out even more, like Nose Graze with her fantastic design tips. You might find something like that too and if not, you’re still original by being true to yourself ๐Ÿ™‚


    1. // Reply

      That’s really true. I was just feeling really discouraged about blogging when I wrote this last week. I think I’m coming out of it and feeling more confident again, but thank you so much for you comment. I know it’s taken me days to get the time to respond, but I was able to read them in my email when they were posted and they really helped so much.


  20. // Reply

    I think we all bring something unique in the blogosphere by being yourself ๐Ÿ™‚ Everyone is a different character and even if you talk about the same topic, it’s never the same post! Everyone uses their own words and ways to describe their opinion ๐Ÿ™‚ And sometimes there are blogs who find THE thing to make themselves stand out even more, like Nose Graze with her fantastic design tips. You might find something like that too and if not, you’re still original by being true to yourself ๐Ÿ™‚


    1. // Reply

      That’s really true. I was just feeling really discouraged about blogging when I wrote this last week. I think I’m coming out of it and feeling more confident again, but thank you so much for you comment. I know it’s taken me days to get the time to respond, but I was able to read them in my email when they were posted and they really helped so much.

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