Have you ever joined a blogging group that sounded like the perfect fit only to begin to wonder if you made a huge mistake? I am in the midst of that dilemma right now, and I only have a few days to make a decision.
The group started with such promise. It sounded like a great fit for my blog and I was so excited to partner with more experienced/ successful bloggers. I thought pairing with them would certainly give my blog a boost.
It seemed a bit disorganized from the start by my standards, but I am so painfully anal about things like this that it could just be me. I like to have things planned well in advance and make sure everyone is up to date with any new developments. Plus, it was a brand new venture so it was sure to have some hiccups in the beginning.
This month, the topic was just announced a week ago and we are supposed to post in a week. Not leaving me much time to order a copy of the book to be transferred from another library, read it and review it. Or spend money I don't really have to buy a book I am not sure I want.
There is no set date for posting every month, it is put to a vote every month. So one month it is the 2nd Thursday the next the third Monday.
The books, which are also put to a vote, are not only dated but not always relevant to my mostly American audience. It isn't that I am a Gluten Free blogger and we are reviewing 65 ways to use wheat, but some of the books are a tad esoteric to me.
And the passive aggressive nature of the leader is starting to grate on me. It took 5 days of us asking what the next book was going to be for her to get around to starting a questionnaire. When I questioned why we were reviewing a book 6 years old when the author had a new book coming out this month she seemed offended. But, I could have been in a grouchy mood and just misinterpreted what she wrote.
It has only been a few months, but I really haven't noticed any increase in my readership. And I am the only one in the group that promotes the group and the posts by my fellow bloggers on social media. They just post their own and move on to their next post. Am I wrong in thinking we should cross market each other's posts?
I feel like I am putting more time and money into this than I am getting out of it.
Sheesh, do I sound like a woman in a dysfunctional romance? Maybe I am too picky, Maybe, if I just try a little harder he will come around? Maybe, maybe maybe, UGH!
I knew what I needed to do before I wrote this. I think my resources are better spent elsewhere. I could be making a huge mistake and this group will start making blogging history with hundreds of thousands of readers that I will miss out on. But I am not really willing to waste any more time and effort on something that just doesn't feel right to me.
Ultimately, I have to do what I think is right for me and my blog. And sadly, this group isn't it.
Have you ever broken up with a blogging group? How long did you give it before you knew it wasn't right for you? Did you try to fix it? Did you announce you were leaving or just walk away?
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