Monday, June 11, 2007

2nd Blogiversary!

Today is my two year Blogiversary! I totally missed my first blogiversary, so I was determined I wasn't going to miss it this time. I made my first post on June 11, 2005. I never introduced myself or anything, I just jumped right in and posted a wrapup of BEA 2005 as my first post.

I really didn't get the whole blog thing at first, and when I started this blog, I had comments turned off. Why would I want anyone commenting on my posts, I wondered. After all, what if someone criticized me? Eventually, from reading other blogs, I began to understand that blogging is really about community (at least here in the Kidlitosphere) and commenting is an integral part of the blog experience. So eventually I turned comments on, and Michele was the first person to comment on one of my posts. (And in 2 years, not one person has ever said anything negative!)

Wands and Worlds was actually around for a while before I started the blog. My son and I started it together as a book review and directory site, since we both love fantasy and science fiction. But after a while, I realized that while the original site worked well as a directory for finding books, there wasn't really any way for people to find out about new reviews that we posted. We tried doing a newsletter for a while, but it was a lot of work and never really worked out the way we wanted it to. So I started blogging as a way to post more news-related items.

Eventually, the blog grew into something more: a personal expression, a place to post my special reviews, and a part of a community. I've since started another blog, whose sole purpose is news announcements: new books, forthcoming books, and new reviews on the main site. Most of those posts are automatically generated from the programs we use to administer the main site. So this blog is a place for me to express myself and be part of the community, and that one is strictly for updates.

13 comments:

ZG said...

Happy,Happy Anniversary!
I started mine in response to the first 48 Hour Book Challenge, so it's been about a year for me now.... time flies when you're among friends!

ZG

Unknown said...

Thanks, ZG! You're right it does fly. It certainly doesn't seem like 2 years!

Unknown said...

Oh, and happy Blogiversary to you, too!

Michele said...

A belated Happy Blogiversary Sheila ! Can't believe I was one of the first to comment on your Blog. Is it me, or do I sound a bit prissy in that comment ? I was very new to Blogging myself at that point...

Unknown said...

Ahhhh, back when we were young and naive.... Just kidding. I don't think you sounded prissy; I thought it was rather amusing. And I was just thrilled to have someone comment!

Michele said...

That's OK then ! I confessed I worried that my often irreverent sense of humour would be frowned on by Bloggers - I had the idea that Blogging was a very serious business (from the very small number of serious blogs I read before I began). These days, of course, I don't care, I'm just myself !

Laini Taylor said...

Hi Sheila! Thanks for the great review -- so glad you enjoyed it! It was a thrill to stumble upon in JacketFlap! And happy blogiversary. I recently had my first. I didn't get it about blogging at first either -- and now, it's a world I can't imagine not having. Funny!

Unknown said...

Michele: Goodness! It's a good thing that blogging doesn't have to be a serious business! I enjoy your "irreverent sense of humor!"

Laini: Thanks for the blogiversary good wishes. I loved your book. My son is reading it now.

Michele said...

Thanks Sheila !

Anonymous said...

Congratulations, Sheila! Happy anniversary.

Unknown said...

Thanks, Jen!

Camille said...

Happy Anniversary Sheila!

Unknown said...

Thanks, Camille!