School, work, family, and friends- we all have them, to some varying degree. Let's face it: as little as it can seem like it at times, there exists a life outside of our computer and away from our blogs. Not only is there nothing wrong with that as a blogger, if anything our passions and commitments make us stronger as writers because our experiences give us more to pull inspiration from. For example, my Literary Lolita series is based entirely off of books I'm studying in school as an English major, and almost all of my daily outfits are coordinates I put together for a day in the city with my friends. However, as a blogger, one will often encounter the problem of budgeting their time, and while this is true for all of one's commitments, as a blogger it seems to be even more pivotal. It's so important for us to take the time out to write, to brainstorm, to create truly inspired pieces for our adoring public while also being a source of catharsis and relaxation for the blogger. But when you're taking five classes and working two jobs and still have friends and dates and family (who has two thumbs and all of the above? This guy!), it can get hectic, to say the least, and often your blog will be the last thing on your mind. There's one little trick that can make this whole blogging thing that much easier, and that is a magical thing called scheduled posting.

And it isn't only you who benefits. Having a blog schedule makes blog-reading easier. Say your readers regularly read a large amount of blogs: I'd say most people have a handful they check often, some have over thirty on their blogroll or RSS feed, while some have over a hundred bookmarked that they look at only rarely. All of these readers' relationships with blogs is made possible by schedules. The blogs that they check every day are often updated every day; those which are read only through an RSS feed may update two or three times a week; and those which are checked only a handful of times a month probably update as many times sporadically. How often do you update? How many of your casual readers could you upgrade into devoted followers if you only changed your blogging schedule?

Scheduling posts doesn't only make blog-reading easier. It's also a great way for you to keep track of your blog. If you have a busy lifestyle and only find yourself able to sit down and write once or twice a month, you have two options: only post once or twice a month, or on these days, sit down and crank out three or four articles at once and schedule them to post for you throughout the week. It's a choice with one determines for oneself, based upon what one can realistically accomplish.

More importantly, though:

If you're having trouble meeting the needs of your blog, though, it may be time to reevaluate, and now I'm not just talking about scheduling but in general. If you're no longer happy, engaged, or interested in your blog, something's gotta give or this ennui is going to show, either in your own satisfaction with your work or that of your readers. While I'm not telling you to stop blogging completely, it's important to have a creative outlet that you can keep up with. It may be time to decide what of your needs your blog is meeting and on which it's falling flat. For example, I consider Miss Lumpy to be a blog where I discuss in-depth ideas on fashion and lifestyle, and that's what it always has been and always will be. However, when I started college, I realized that, even though it certainly went into philosophy, it was lacking a certain depth that I craved. One thing I was really loving about my English classes was the literature I was studying and how I related that in my mind with all of the above topics, so I started a blog series based on that (which is still being updated often despite already being a few years old). That being said, this blog is still not feeding my needs as a writer, an artist, and a person, so I have come to the conclusion that it is time to reevaluate.

As my personal aesthetic turns further from lolita and I begin to branch out in my sartorial desires, not to mention my interests outside of fashion, I am finding the current state of this blog to be less and less satisfying to write. If you've noticed a lack of lolita-based philosophy articles in the past few months, that would be why. That's why, as a new school year begins and I continue growing and evolving into a higher version of myself, I have decided that it's time not to grow away from this blog, but to start including other sides of myself. There is so much about myself that I find personally satisfying - my intellect, my personal relationships, my experiences and hopes and dreams - which I'm yearning to discuss with all of you and encourage all of you to share as well. I've done this a few times in the past, and it's been something I've wanted to do more of ever since. Consider this a warning, then, and I apologize from deviating so much from my original topic of keeping of with your blog (consider this the section of "making your blog keep up with you"), that things are going to change around here; I'll probably start leaning away from the strictly lolita side of things and include more of my life than I normally would. I'm taking a creative writing course this semester, as well as some really interesting history courses, so don't be surprised if you see more than a few related posts on those subjects!

In the end, the important thing to remember is that, as a blogger, you blog for yourself. You may have thousands of adoring fans or you may have a private blog open only to your dearest friends, but either way, in the end your blog needs to be about yourself and what satisfies you as a writer and a person in need of creative expression. Otherwise, what's the point?

Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)

~Walt Whitman

You see it all the time with celebrities. A star swears off pink, and then, two seasons later, is strutting her stuff on the red carpet in a fuchsia Gaultier gown. The style-watchers lose their minds over it- what a hypocrite! How awful! She said she'd never, ever, ever wear pink, but what, it's okay because it's Gaultier?! That girl is a walking contradiction!

Oh no! Stop the presses- someone in the public eye exposed herself as human! Of course, as bloggers, we're no where near the level of, say, Paris Hilton or Rihanna, but when you put your life in the public eye, there are some sacrifices you're expected to make for the prices of ~fame~. That sacrifice is your privacy, your time and effort, and plenty others (your bank account, if you're a fashion blogger...); however, your sense of self and personal fulfillment shouldn't be one of those. You may have sung the praises of your current lifestyle til the cows came home, but if one day you wake up and realize that that lifestyle isn't personally fulfilling to you, you are not contractually obliged to continue doing it. No matter what. Maybe you've been prattling on about raw foodism for a year, but you realize one day that you just aren't feeling good enough to justify the effort. Does that mean that everything you've been talking about for the past year is wrong, or less important, or any less correct? No. It just means that something that worked for you for a while stopped. Or you might have just broken up with "prince charming," after spending all these months or years writing post after post about your eternal love. It always sucks to realize that something you've not only spent time on but also staked your reputation as a blogger on is just not working for you, but the sooner you realize this, the easier it'll be to cut your losses and admit your mistake- especially if you learn something from it. Yes, then you need to confront your readership about it (otherwise, what's the point in stopping?), but this will be better than continuing to live a lie, or having someone else figure out our double-life and rat you out. Remember, though- your readers trust you, and no matter how embarrassed or hurt you are, it's not permissible for you to lie to them. Pretending the past doesn't exist is shady, and could discredit you in peoples' minds, but to flat-out say that it's never happened, or to harass people when they make the same mistakes you did, is, in my opinion, the real mistake here. Especially for LoliBloggers- you may not believe in ~The Sisterhood~, but everyone has to admit that hypocrisy does nothing for this little community we've built ourselves.

The thing to remember is that everyone's human, and this goes for blog-readers as well as blog-writers. Yeah, okay- maybe that blogger is saying something differently than she did a few years ago, and maybe that's a grave offense in your book. It's not okay that she made you feel that way, but I promise, it's more than likely that she didn't do it on purpose. Sometimes people just change their opinions, beliefs, or priorities, and some things might get lost in the shuffle; so when that vegetarian blogger you love so much posts a picture on Facebook eating a big ol' cheeseburger, remember that you're not the one she's trying to make happy with her life. You're just along for the ride.

 

I'm not going to lie- blogging is not easy. Sure, some people have a knack for it, like anything, but for most of us, it's practically a full-time job. There's a lot more to it than just typing up an article, though of course that's largely the most important. However, any good blogger needs to have an arsenal of other skills that they're constantly honing for their blog, such as planning, marketing, keeping deadlines, sometimes graphic design, as well as people skills and a whole barrel of other traits. So why would anyone bother? In my opinion, anyone would benefit from writing a blog, but lolitas specifically. Here are just a few reasons why, as a lolita, you should consider making the leap into Loli Blogger:

1. Catalog your lolita experience. This is the best part of blogging, for me. When I went through my older articles recently, I remembered things that had once seemed such an intrinsic part of lolita but had since slipped by the wayside. It's the same with outfit photos - it's so interesting to look back and pictures from my sweet lolita days and realize how much my style has changed, even if my wardrobe hasn't necessarily!
2. Build up a knowledge base for newer lolis. This is such an amazing way to pay it forward. When we first started out, all of us needed inspiration and knowledge and even just someone to keep us updated on current events. I'm currently looking for new ways to write for both seasoned lolitas and newbies- Back in MY day, blogging was nowhere near as big as it is today, so it would make me really happy to give new girls the resource I was looking for when I first started.
3. Create an identity. This may not be the biggest selling point for some girls, but I feel like those lolitas who really break the mold (brolis, or highly pierced lolitas, or those with tattoos) do such a wonderful service by having their own blog. The lolita community tends to be so monotone that any break from the norm can be a welcome relief. It's also so interesting to me to see how something we think is so in-the-box can be interpreted in such creative ways by other people. Sure, that's what websites like daily_lolita are for, but I feel like blogging does a much better job of getting rid of anonymity and creating a recognizable identity within the lolita sphere.
4. Make friends! This is such a huge reason for me! I've met so many lovely people through my blog and other peoples'. Any time I get a new follower, I click on their profile and check out their blog if they have one- yes, every time! I always get so sad if they don't have one, because I love discovering new blogs and bloggers all the time.
5. Give back to the community. I've been alluding to this one throughout this post, and that's because it's probably the top reason I think lolitas should start blogging. From the first millisecond we find interest in lolita, we begin compiling a mental database of all the knowledge we will need throughout our careers as lolitas, a database which is hopefully always expanding. This information is also filtered through our own experiences, so even though everyone knows that the hime cut is a classic lolita hairstyle, you can still create an interesting article based on your own experiences with a topic usually considered so common-place, and to me, that's the true joy of both reading and writing lolita blogs.

In this edition of Operation LoliBlog, I want to talk about the little gadgets, gizmos, and knick-knacks that are designed to make your blogging experience better for you and your readers: Widgets.

Of course, old-timers unlike myself can bemoan the bloated state of the blogosphere til the cows come home, but even they must realize that there's always one good outcome of a hobby breaking out from the underground and going global. That is, of course, the fact that as soon as something gets big, there's someone who wants to profit from it, and the people we are focusing on and acknowledging the hard work of are those lovely souls who design things that make our jobs easier - usually at no cost to the end user, either! Widgets, also called plug-ins, are small programs designed by professional web developers to make your blog run more smoothly, either by helping you connect with your readers or making it easier for them to access the information already on your blog. Some of them are even internal for your own use to increase the usability of your blog or your own edification about it, and your readers never even know they're there.

For example, after providing useful content and creating a name or "brand" for yourself (more on the latter another time), the most important thing for a you as a blogger to do with your blog is keep track of statistics. This will tell you, at the very least, how many people you are reaching, and on a more advanced level, what sites they're coming from, what keywords they're searching to find you, and even where they are, sometimes down to the country, province, and even city. I always really enjoyed how the Wordpress internal stats were set up even though they aren't terribly in-depth, so if you're reading this from WP, congrats- you're probably all set. A few months ago, Blogger also set up its own version, a sort of dumbed-down Google Analytics, too- for the casual, curious blogger, this is probably plenty. However, for anyone who considers themselves "serious" in any manner, it is my recommendation that you install Google Analytics. The statistics you get from this site are incredibly in-depth, and it's customizable in that it can work for any level of seriousness- you could easily just keep track of your hits, but you can also make use of much more involved options like setting goals and comparing two different time periods. Why should you care? Because you can use this information for things like your own personal promotional needs (knowing what websites your readers are coming from means that you should promote there more or on similar websites), and also as leverage for companies who may want to advertise on your blog in the future. If the promise of future money isn't a good enough incentive to track your stats, I don't know what is!

So, besides this, what are other goodies we can make use of in our blogging careers? Here are a few more of my favorites:

• LinkWithin: Scroll down to the bottom of this post. You see those "You might also like..." links right above the comments section? LinkWithin creates links with thumbnails to other articles on your blog that relate to the each one individually. This is a great way for you to up your bounce rate, which is created by people clicking around between pages/entries on your blog.
• Google Friend Connect and/or FeedBurner: Both of these are methods of creating yourself an RSS feed. Friend Connect is through Google and therefore Blogger, so it's already installed for all of us over here, and unfortunately because it's owned by Google, like Google Analytics, it can't be added to Wordpress blogs. That's why we have FeedBurner! FeedBurner creates an RSS feed for your blog or website; this means that anyone who wants to can follow your blog in this way instead. To be honest, I had no idea what RSS was or why it mattered until I read about it in Blogging In Style, where it was put to me this way: If you read 100 blogs and want to keep up-to-date on them, do you really want to check them individually every single day? Of course not! RSS feeds create a webpage that links to the recent posts of all of the blogs you're subscribed to, that way you don't have to go 100 different websites every time unless you know you're interested in the content. It's not really going to do that much to you as a blogger (though I do feel like Friend Connect builds a bit of a community feeling for me, and I love reading my followers' blogs!), but your readers will definitely appreciate it.
• Twitterfeed: I just started using this, and it's great! I know a bunch of other Blogger-users have been struggling for ages to link Blogger with websites like Twitter and Facebook, so that they would update with a link to your most recent article as soon as you post it. That way, all of your friends on Facebook or followers on Twitter who may not subscribe to your blog know to run and check it right away, and you don't have to lift a perfectly-manicured finger. Effortless promotion? Yes please! This is especially helpful for gals like me, who type up their entries in advance and then schedule them to post at a later time/date.
• Facebook Like Button: I don't actually use this baby because  Her Lumpiness doesn't have a Facebook Fan Page (though I do have one for my business), but you can see it on sites like F*** Yeah Lolita and Ramble Rori.This feature connects your Facebook Fan Page to your blog, usually either with a small graphic saying "Become a fan on Facebook!" or a full Facebook widget box saying how many people are already fans, a small description, if any of your friends are, etc. If you do have a fan page, this little guy is a must!

 These are the widgets that, to me, either seem or have proved to be the most helpful. Not interested in any of these? Good news- this is only the tip of the iceberg. I'm barely skimming the surface, and more importantly, more are being created all the time. A great site for finding more widgets is, aptly, Blogger Widgets, but remember- the more Javascript you have on your page, the longer it will take to load, so be sure to pick and choose carefully! If they're slowing down your site, you'll lose viewers and it doesn't matter how cool or helpful they are if no one cares to look at them!

As I've said before, one of the things I'm most excited about with the Operation: LoliBlog series is that it gives me an excuse to reach out to bloggers who inspire me and selfishly gain inspiration from them. This week, I was happy to have the opportunity to "sit down" with Violet LeBeaux and pick her brain to gather some valuable information for LoliBloggers on blogging about cute stuff full time. Violet's blog, Tales of an Ingénue, is a smorgasbord of cute stocked with craft tutorials, nail art, and event snaps, all spiced with a pinch of hime gyaru. But I'll let her tell you the rest! Here is our interview~


Lumpy: Tell us a little about yourself. What’s your name? Where are you from? What do you blog?

Violet: Hi! I’m Violet, I live in Melbourne Australia and I run a blog called “Tales of an Ingénue”. I write about crafty diy projects, over the top nail art and sometimes Hime Gyaru fashion. I’ve been running this blog for around 2 years and before that I was on Livejournal for around 5. Before my current fashion interests, I wore Lolita for quite a long time.

L: What are some of your biggest inspirations, as far as other bloggers, websites, etc. go?

V: There are so many fantastic bloggers out there and I think if I listed every one that inspired me you would be here all day! Off the top of my head I love Trashtastika from The Fashionate Traveller (http://www.thefashionatetraveller.com/) for her sense of style, Mitsu of Universal Doll (http://www.universal-doll.com/) for her wealth of information and Candice of Super Kawaii Mama (http://www.superkawaiimama.com.au/) for her general awesomeness.
 
L: What’s the idea behind your blog? How did you come up with this idea, what made you want to start blogging about it?
V: My blog really started as a way for me to catalogue my crafting and socialize a bit more. At the time I was stuck at home a lot due to an illness so I needed something to occupy my time. After stumbling across a couple of other people’s blogs such as Brooke from Getcha Nails Did (www.getchanailsdid.blogspot.com) I thought this would be the perfect way to keep myself entertained! In the beginning people would comment and ask questions about the crafts or my clothing and hair so I started making tutorials. I enjoyed making the tutorials so much that I kept going… now I have 60+ tutorials in the library!

L: You’re a full-time blogger, and you also run your own graphic design company, Blue Crane Design. What can you say about working for yourself? What would you say is the most difficult part of being self-employed?

V: Separating work and personal life is the most difficult part! I work full time with my partner James in our graphic design company and on top of that I spend many hours a day taking care of the blog related business. So it can be hard to find time to just shut off the computer and relax. While most people clock off from work and go home my work is always there staring at me. When I shut the computer off I just tend to feel a little bad for not replying to comments quicker or for not making more tutorials XD Time management is a very good skill to learn.

I wouldn’t change it though, I work best when left to my own devices and I think that my progress is a testament to that. There are plenty of awesome things about being self employed (like being able to schedule time to go shopping during the week!) which make it worth it. I do miss the certainty of having a set paycheck but this is the life I love so I’m happy to sacrifice some things to keep doing it!

L: What type of work did you do before you started blogging?

V: Before the blog and before Blue Crane, I worked doing freelance graphic design with James. Previous to that I had worked in finance, administration and retail along side of selling my artwork.

L: You say in your book that relationships often become strained when one begins blogging full-time. How would you say that blogging has affected your life, for better or for worse? What kind of opportunities has it opened up for you, and has blogging had any unexpected outcomes?

V: Blogging is very time consuming whether you consider it a hobby or a career. There are only 24 hours in a day and when you work full time (especially self employment) and blog as well there are only so many hours left for relaxing and spending time with your significant other. I know if you were to ask James he would tell you I work too much. Personally I have a tough time taking time off because I’m not good at relaxing! That said, while I would like more free time to relax, blogging has brought me so many fantastic opportunities that I could never give it up!

Blogging has allowed me to meet so many wonderful people that I now consider friends. It allowed me to visit Singapore last year for the Asia Pacific Blogger Awards. It has brought me to up route my life and move to a whole new city recently and I love it! Through blogging I’m able to try so many new products and experiences I could never have been able to hope without it. Most importantly though, blogging has made me part of a really wonderful community of fantastic people. I’ve met some of my best friends through blogging and it’s wonderful to know that no matter where I visit in the world I’ll have a great bunch of people to hang out with!

L: Tell me a little about your pen name. How did you come up with it? Do you recommend using a pen name – do you think it’s something newbie bloggers should consider?

V: Pen names are a funny thing, mine came from when I was briefly in a band playing keyboard and my real name wasn’t cool enough for the Victorian theme hahaha! I’m totally not going to tell you I came up with the name though because it’s slightly embarrassing… yes more embarrassing than playing keyboard in a Victorian themed band!

The name just kind of stuck… Now almost all of my friends and business colleagues call me Violet and the only people that use my legal name are family and James! It suits because I never particularly liked my real name. I don’t think it’s really given me any anonymity though. I don’t think the internet ever allows for real anonymity anymore so I’ve never hidden the fact that Violet isn’t my legal name. People tend to assume though and it’s always a little awkward when I have to give out my real name to have packages sent or something like that. A few people have said that it “ruins the magic” but oh well such is life!

I think a pen name is a great way for new bloggers to find their voice. Having a pen name can allow you to write more freely but I would advise new bloggers to make sure that they don’t stray far from their natural voice especially if they ever plan to meet anyone from their online world in person!

L: Is there any advice you wish someone had given you when you first started blogging?

V: Believe in yourself because very few others will. Also don’t expect anyone else to have the foggiest clue what you’re doing. When I started my current blog no one here knew what the word meant. Even now that it’s gained in popularity people usually still don’t get it… or ask me questions like “You write about what?? Why would anyone want to read that?” If you know that blogging is a good use of your time go for it and don’t look back!

L: One of the most important parts of blogging, besides content, is the way a blogger “carries” herself online- of course, I’m talking about branding and marketing. Do you have any tips you’d like to share on promoting yourself and your image?

V: Branding is so important. This is the graphic designer in me talking but get a well designed site. If you can’t afford to pay someone to build you one then get learning some code and some Photoshop skills and DIY. In terms of promotions don’t be too pushy. Being assertive and being annoying are two very different things and you will find that if you stray into the annoying you will lose potential audience members very quickly. In my blog I have always found it easier to make friends rather than try to find readers but that is something that differs depending on your style and the type of blog you’re trying to write. Be clear about your intentions with the blog and make sure readers can know what to expect from you.

Don’t be afraid of branding but don’t go too overboard with it either. Subtly is the key ^_^

L: Lastly, if you could sit down with any one person for tea, be it another blogger or a celebrity, who would it be and why?

V: Technically I’m cheating by saying three but I would love to have tea with yourself, Caro from FYeah Lolita and Victoria from Lolita Charm! I think that would be the cutest tea party ever!



Thank you so much, Violet, for such an enlightening interview! And if you ever find yourself stateside, let me know and I will make that tea party happen! ♥♥♥

For this series, I've been making a point to connect with other bloggers that inspire me. I'm such a brain-picker; I'm that girl who opens up hypothetical philosophical discussions at lunch with my friends because I love hearing differing opinions, just for funsies. This series has been a lovely excuse so far to get out there and talk blogging with some of the people I'm most inspired by. I'm happy to say that the line-up I'm gathering is, well... maybe not "star studded," but very exciting to me as all of the people I'll be working with are very inspirational to me as bloggers, whether they have 500 followers or just a few. I'm focusing on gathering unique voices with many viewpoints behind them and putting them all together into a concise collection for all of you fellow LoliBloggers!

One of the lovely ladies I've been corresponding with it the ever-charming Violet LeBeaux of "Violet LeBeaux: Tales of an Ingenue." When I approached her about being interviewed as someone who subsists almost entirely on her blogging income (though she runs a graphic design business as well), she informed me that I had perfect timing, because she was going to be releasing her e-book on blogging in just a few days! She sent me an advance "copy" of the e-book Blogging in Style with Violet for review, and review I have!

One of my first impressions of the book was how accessible it is. Despite the fact that she's dealing with information that's taken her over six years to gather, all of the content is very easy to understand and put forward in a similar tone as her blog is: like she's chatting with friends. It's a very endearing style, and it made me enjoy reading the book all the more. It doesn't hurt how cute it is! Every page is a lovely, angelic pink with a lace border and tons of hand-drawn illustrations and different colors; it's very visually-appealing and one can tell immediately how much work Violet has put into it. It deals largely with beginning and starting your own blog, but despite that, even as a seasoned blogger I found new information that was very helpful and options and opinions that I hadn't considered before. Since Violet uses a Wordpress-based blogging platform, some of the information is more WP-geared and can be difficult to translate to blogger; that being said, on the post important parts (such as posting) Violet has made an effort to include information for us Blogger gals too.

Topics include:
♥How to start blogging
♥Discussions of blogging platforms
♥Cute-ifying with HTML as well as advice on headers and graphics
♥Introduction to posting and blog photography
♥Ways to find traffic
♥How to make money on your blog
♥Glossary of common blogging terms and terms discussed
....and lots more!

Bang for your buck

So, is it worth the money? If you're a beginning blogger who is very serious about learning more, yes. If you're a less-experienced blogger, I recommend it as well. In fact, even if you know what you're doing, I really recommend purchasing this book anyway because you can never know anything and you can always learn more. I read this book thinking I'd get a few tips, maybe some website recommendations, but nowhere near the amount of information I actually gained from it. Things like information about monetization, information on getting traffic, and some great information on HTML and blog design were some of my favorite sections. And, like I said above, it's 76 full-color pages of comprehensive information on blogging. It's interesting, funny, and a much better read than, say, Blogging for Dummies would be.

As far as cons go, all I can really comment on are a few typos and some broken URLs. I was unhappy that a few of the links I was interested in wouldn't connect, but at the same time, it was really not damaging to my reading experience; Violet always has a few different websites listed for these topic, probably for this reason exactly, and it's likely that the failure to load could have been an internal problem with bandwidth, etc. Even still, I haven't failed to realize that, were I reading a paper copy of a book on blogging, I wouldn't have any links to click at all, so this is a definite improvement!

As I've said, I really recommend this book for people of all skill levels. Like everything, it has its glitches, but for the most part, it is definitely worth the meager price tag, and I recommend anyone with any interest in blogging (especially those who blog about cute things, like us LoliBloggers!) pick up and peruse one. It was just released this past Thursday for general consumption; to purchase, check out to her store!

The blogosphere is HUGE. This shouldn't surprise anyone - there are hundreds of thousands of blogs registered to Blogger alone, and this is just one hosting site in the entire world wide web- and then, add in all of the self-hosted blogs out there, too. A great way to differentiate yourself from this huge, blind mass is to become a niche blogger, that is to say, someone who blogs toward a certain demographic- photographers, food enthusiasts, or, in our case, lolitas. However, of course even these niches are largely filled (though there's always room for more!), and even within your demographic it can be difficult for small blogs to weave their way through the elephant-sized-footfalls of the titan-bloggers. Here, I'd like to discuss this phenomenon: the little fish trying to find her way through the ocean of lolita blogs.

There's much I can (and will!) say about this topic, but for now, I'll start off with the biggest and most difficult part of building your blog: differentiation. You're a small blog with under a hundred followers: how can you possibly compete with the big dogs for content or followers? With some blogs coming in at over 1,000 followers (we're looking at you, Lolita Charm!), it may seem overwhelming and impossible to take on these giants.

As a new or small blogger, there are a few things you have to remember when it comes to generating content. First of all, the lolita blogosphere is not static. What do I mean by that? Well, first of all, consider this: say you're a celebrity blogger who focuses on the goings-on of sitcom stars. You can talk about what they've already done and/or how it's affecting what they're doing now, but you'll eventually run out of the past and begin sitting around waiting for something to happen between Lieghton Meester and Blake Lively. On the other hand, lolita and fashion in general isn't like that. It's personal. If the brands have been churning out the same unstimulating rinse-and-repeat pieces all season, you can still produce content by talking about your own personal activities: the dress you bought for a steal on Mbok, say, or the most recent event you attended. That leads me to my next point: lolita blogging is a people-watcher's paradise. If you can't talk about yourself, talk about other people! And I don't mean gossip, I mean things like, what have the Finnish lolitas been doing lately? Did your best friend wear a coordinate that is just to-die-for that you can't bear not to talk about? The content that loli-bloggers blog is self-made or community-made. That means you're lucky: you'll never run out of it, because there's constantly something in the works. If it's not being churned out by your own mind, it's your job as a blogger to get into the mind of whoever's thinking it up, and say it before they do- or at least report on it as soon after they say it as possible.

But what if you can't? One of the topics I was asked to write about for this series was from a blgoger who feels like as soon as she finds something to talk about, someone else swoops in and says it first. I know exactly how this feels, and it's frustrating to no end, and something I run into a lot. However, here's my opinion on it: is the person who wrote about it you? Of course they aren't, but I'm not being facetious. Say, when Angelic Pretty came out with Jelly Jewelry, you wanted to do an article announcing it, and just when you sit down to write it, bam: The scans are already plastered all over one of the Big-Wig Blogs. You'll probably feel let-down, like you missed your shot. However, instead of giving up, look into why you wanted to write about it. If you just wanted to be the one to spread the news, well... maybe you're out of luck. But more likely, you wanted to write about it because you felt a personal connection to it- maybe you had a wacky aunt growing up who always brought a neon Jell-O mold to every family gathering. Your opinions, memories, and what has affected you throughout your life are yours only, and that means that even if you write on the same topic as someone else, nine times out of ten it'll be different and personal. If you add a touch of yourself to everything you write, not only will you be guaranteeing creative content, but you'll be working your way towards something else that is very important to any blogger, and that is branding. Not sure what branding is? Wait and see, because that's another topic I'm very excited to talk about!

Fellow Loli-Bloggers: What do you do to make sure you're creating 100% unique, interesting content?

Extras:

Why Blog If Your Niche Is Already Stuffed To The Gills?

I've always felt that the best way to learn something you love is to teach it. Okay, so that's a philosophy I stole from one of my favorite authors, Paulo Coehlo, but the point is, whenever I find something that I really love and want to learn more fully, I've found that the best way to open myself up to knowledge about it is to teach it. The best thing about creative enterprises is that they're every-changing, forever evolving, just like the people behind them, and blogging is no different; just when I think I've figured everything out, I find myself faced with a new challenge.

That's why I'm starting my new series on lolita blogging, which I affectionately term "Operation LoliBlog." This ongoing series will cover more than just lolita blogging but also branding, marketing, and other genres of fashion and aesthetic blogging. I have a handful articles planned already, such as a review of different blogging tools and a few interviews in the works, but what I really need to know is:

What do you want to know?

I know what I find compelling and what I want to learn more about, but I'm not creating content JUST for myself! So, is there anyone you want me to interview or any topics you want me to cover? This series is for all of you out there as well as myself, so please, let me know in a comment or e-mail with the button in the sidebar what you would like to learn more about!

I look forward to hearing from everyone~~


note- I'm tentatively returning from my hiatus. I may have to retreat back into my cave come midterms and finals, but I've been so inspired lately that I just can't stay away any longer! Posts will only be once a week until I get up to steam again, but I have some lovely goodies planned, more than just this!

HK laptop image by pensivenga on flickr

You've seen them on the news. You've clicked links to them & you've probably read them with or without knowing. Even celebrities and corporations use them! I am referring, of course, to blogs. Wordpress alone currently counts over 170,000 bloggers, and blog surfing tool Technorati indexes more than 1.5 million blogs for its searches.
So what is it? The word "blog" stands for "weblog," a website usually maintained solely by a group or individual that logs commentaries on topics spanning politics to fashion to food. If you can think of a subject, you can probably find a blog on it- and lolita is no different. But what's the point?
Well, a lolita blog has a few different uses: A personal blog, where the blogger catalogs their outfits in photographs or descriptions (especially helpful as inspiration when you're rummaging through the closet trying to figure out how to coordinate that skirt!), talks about meet-ups they've attended, etc.; or, as a niche blog, like mine, where I discuss lolita as a whole, not just my personal experiences with it. Both are important and helpful for different reasons- the first is helpful to both the reader and the writer, acting as inspiration and a way for the reader to feel closer to someone that they normally wouldn't get the chance to, and the niche blog is helpful for obvious reasons- it enlightens the reader and allows the writer to broaden his or her view on the subjest they're writing about. These are the two main types of lolita blog that I've found, aside from brand blogs. However, I've also noticed three subcategories:

• The Lolita Blog: Example, Lolita Charm. This is a blog 100% about lolita. Victoria Suzanne posts in-depth analyses of the subculture & fashion itself, photos of herself in lolita, and tips and how-tos based solely on lolita fashion and lifestyle.
• The blog for lolitas: Example, Miss Lumpy- mine! This is a blog that is based on not just the fashion & lifestyle, but the lolita herself. Therefor, articles about brands & outfits are posted, along with those about music, recipes, and other things that may interest a lolita as a person, not just as a follower of lolita fashion.
• The blog by a lolita: This is a blog on a different topic (critiquing films, for example, or a craft or baking blog) that is still related to lolitas as people, but also is inclusive of other target markets.

Obviously, this isn't a rule (ALL LOLITA BLOGGERS SUBMIT OR DIE!!!), just a trend that I've noticed. I've seen this in other subcultures/niche blog cultures, too - vegan bloggers, blogs for vegans, blogs by vegans, etc - that follow the same criterea I've written above, so even if you're interested in a blog on a different subject it may help you to just make a mental note of the things I mentioned above.
Now, about blogging itself: a really amazing resource for blogging on any topic is ProBlogger. The writer is very, very knowledgable and has great tips on how to get more comments, generate more traffic, & make money from your blog, as well as beginner's tips that honestly are helpful at any stage of your blog's life. Really, anything I can say as far as blogging tips would just be repeating his advice &he says it better anyway! So go check it out, definitely.
A few notes for once you've created you blog:

• Post often. If you can, everyday is great - if not, at least 1 - 3 times a week, especially when you're new.
• Use tags! Especially if you're on wordpress - a huge amount of my views have been people within wordpress searching "lolita," "fashion," and "daily outfit."
• Promotion. Very important. Personally I comment on other lolita blogs, crosspost my daily outfits here and on daily_lolita with a link to the post here, and promote on my journal and other websites, but I know Victoira Suzanne has had an immense amount of luck promoting on egl. Another good tool is Twitter, &don't forget the value of word-of-mouth!
• Make sure you have a niche, & there is a need for you in that niche. Honestly, unless you have a unique knowledge on your subject, who needs ANOTHER technology or food or _______ blog? Luckily the lolita blogosphere is still relatively small, so anyone who wants to get into loli-blogging, do it now! Vix & I both expect a boom in our mini-blogosphere- you heard it here first! Jump on the train before it becomes a bandwagon
• Make sure you have enough to talk about! Sure, you could run a blog cataloging candy prints in lolita's biggest brands, but what if next season is all about flowers, or rabbits, or...? It's good to be focused, but make sure you have a broad enough topic that it'll keep you & your readers intersted.

My favorite lolita blogs are on the sidebar to the right, but that's just the beginning. Searching "lolita" on Wordpress is a really good way to find more if you're interseted in seeing other examples. I hope this has helped anyone who's interested in joining the league of loli-bloggers, &if you already have a lolita blog, please post it in the comments! I'd love to check it out - always in search of new blogs!