Why Book Blogging is a Good Fit For Shy People

I'm a shy person and have been my whole life - I was that kid who never spoke up in class unless my grade depended on it; I am forever on the outside of a group; and making small talk terrifies me.  I don't like to draw attention to myself because of what other people might think of me, and I often feel uncomfortable and awkward at parties.  So when I thought about maybe starting a book blog, I really went back and forth on it for a long time.  Why did I want to do it?  Could I really put myself and my thoughts out there for people to read and even judge?  But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that blogging (and book blogging in particular) is actually a pretty good hobby for a shy person.

Choose your own level of involvement
Like with any hobby, you can choose how much time you want to spend on it and how involved you want to get.  If posting a review or some recommendations once a week is what you want to do, then go for it!  If you're worried about comments or interacting with readers on your blog, you could disable or moderate comments.  And if keeping up with all the different forms of social media is overwhelming, just stick to the ones you feel comfortable with.

Be anonymous - or not
A book blog is perfect for someone who wants to share one aspect of their life without getting too personal.  If you're worried about talking about yourself, don't be. Yes, lots of bloggers share things about their personal lives, but that's a choice that you can make.  If you want to just talk about books, then only talk about books!  It's up to you what to share with your readers.  There is room for everyone and all types of blogs. 

Time to gather your thoughts
The biggest problem I have when I'm in a group of people is thinking of something to say - by the time I've thought of a witty remark, they've moved on to the next topic.  But while blogging, I can spend as much time as I want on each post, deciding what I want to say and how to say it.

Connect with others who share your interests
One of the best things for me is finding a common interest with someone (whether it's books or Real Housewives) and once we start talking, I find I have a lot to say!  By starting your own book blog, you're joining a whole community of enthusiastic readers who can't wait to share some booktalk with you.  Reading is often a solitary activity, but it really enhances the experience when you can discuss what you love or don't love about certain books or share recommendations for new reads.

Take steps towards becoming more outgoing
I've surprised myself at how much I've come out of my shell while blogging for the past year.  At first, I thought the blog would mostly just be for me to put down my thoughts about books and hiking (it was simultaneously scary and nice to think that other people might read it, too).  As people started visiting and even commenting, it helped boost my confidence and made me want to interact more with other bloggers.  It was hard at first, but I think I'm getting better at it every day.  I have a feeling there are a lot of bloggers out there who consider themselves shy in their real life, but are totally outgoing when it comes to blogging and books.

Do you consider yourself shy or outgoing?  If you're shy IRL, do you find that blogging helps you?