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January 4, 2023 by Betsy Bird 15 Comments

2023 Arrived and a Blog Is Still Here: What Does the Future Hold?

January 4, 2023 by Betsy Bird   15 comments

The timeline works as follows:

  • 2005 – Blogging is new and hip and cool. I start a children’s literature blog and promptly name it after a 1989 Century Buick car part (there were reasons).
  • 2006 – School Library Journal starts collecting a roster of children’s literature blogs and scoops up A Fuse #8 Production.
  • 2011 or so (the internet isn’t sure about this one) blogging is declared dead.

I mean, I was as shocked as you are to learn it. But apparently I’ve been participating in a dead format far beyond its intended lifespan. You’ve all heard the stories of the little Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, that lived far past their “warranty dates.” Perhaps the same thing holds true for children’s literature blogs?

With a new year dawning it’s understandable that I might wax nostalgic about the early days. I remember the year I organized a conference of kidlit bloggers in New York City at the main location of New York Public Library. I remember the book awards we created (the Cybils, which are still going strong) and all the people who were involved in the community.

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In 2022 my friend Jules Danielson finally hung up her hat on the remarkable and long established Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. But look around here at SLJ and you’ll see that the blogs are still going strong. We’ve just had to change a bit over the years. Travis Jonker is still creating 100 Scope Notes, but he also makes books and podcasts on the side. Group blogs like Good Comics for Kids continue at a rapid clip. Speaking of group blogs, sites like Nerdy Bookclub and We Need Diverse Books are always being updated. And, of course, the prediction blogs like Heavy Medal or Calling Caldecott that try to ascertain what might win the children’s literature awards given out by the American Library Association aren’t flagging.

Let’s also discuss how the rise in blogging led to a lot of people discovering opinions and voices they never would have found otherwise. From Debbie Reese’s work at American Indians in Children’s Literature, started in 2005 to Edith Campbell’s, also started in 2005 (it was a good year) they’ve been blogging ever since. See the comments of this post for more links from Debbie.

In the wider world, blogging has given way to the subscription model Substack, a paid service. But here at A Fuse #8 Production, the content is still free to see (with the occasional strategically placed ad on the side, of course). Not that my content today looks much like what I did back when I was starting in 2005. These days you’ll find more interviews and cover reveals. I don’t do “Fusenews” posts or “Video Sunday” round-ups, partly because newsletters like Publishers Weekly’s Children’s Bookshelf does them so well, and partly I haven’t the time. I introduced the idea of doing 31 Days, 31 Lists of my favorite books from the year about 5 years ago, and that’s turned out particularly well. And, as ever, the reviews are my staple. I love writing them.

Recently I worried that since I wasn’t writing original posts quite as often, perhaps I was just phoning it in. But I’ve come to recognize that when blogs started to disappear, they left a significant gap in the marketplace. When a publisher wants to get the word out about a book, what do they do? They can pay for advertising, but if you’re a small publisher you just don’t have a ton of money to do so, and if you’re a large publisher you’ll only be able to highlight a few titles from your upcoming season. Publishers used to take books on “blog tours” which, let’s be frank, were never all that impressive. Now they’ve discovered that there just aren’t that many places to promote their wares.

Blogging that does carry on survives because it fills in where publications cannot. I can host a guest piece from a Ukrainian author one day, and then talk with a new author about difficult topics the next. Where else can this happen? On the pages of Publishers Weekly online or SLJ, sure, but where else? It turns out, thanks to the decrease in blogging, my site fills a need.

I don’t fool myself that blogging will ever return to where it once was in the marketplace. But as we enter into 2023, let’s make one of those new year’s resolutions I keep hearing everyone talking about. I vow the following:

  • That I will work hard to highlight books and voices that might get ignored by the other publications.
  • That I will try to make myself do a review a week (remember when I used to do one a day? Ugh!)
  • That I will not feel bad if I conduct a Q&A or cover reveal or guest post here as long as these pieces aren’t mindless filler.
  • That I will keep on blogging for as long as I find it fun. And right now? It’s still one of the most enjoyable things I do.

Happy new year, everyone!

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About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

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About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kathy Ryan says

    January 4, 2023 at 8:37 am

    Thanks so much for continuing to blog. Your comments and analysis are both amusing and informative —- certainly not dead yet.

    Reply
  2. Melissa Stewart says

    January 4, 2023 at 8:39 am

    Thank you for your steadfast devotion to this blog over so many years, Betsy. It’s an incredibly valuable resource.

    Reply
  3. Susan says

    January 4, 2023 at 9:06 am

    Agree on your blog being an incredibly valuable resource! Thank you for writing it so well!

    Reply
    • Betsy Bird says

      January 4, 2023 at 9:41 am

      Enormously kind of you all to say! I wasn’t fishing for compliments with this piece (though I’ll take them gladly) but seriously wondering about where the act of blogging stands in this current day and age where social media has supplanted much of the connection we used to find early on. It’s interesting to me.

      Reply
  4. Carol Hinz says

    January 4, 2023 at 10:28 am

    Congratulations and Happy New Year, Betsy! I am so grateful that Fuse #8 keeps chugging along–both as an editor at one of those smaller publishers and as a parent looking for great new books!

    Reply
  5. DEBBIE REESE says

    January 4, 2023 at 10:54 am

    I started my blog, American Indians in Children’s Literature (https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/), in 2005. Edith Campbell started hers then, too (https://edicottonquilt.com/), and we’re still blogging.

    We do fill a huge gap in what’s out there in mainstream spaces.

    I started my blog when email listservs devoted to children’s literature were starting their downfall. I miss two, in particular: child_lit and CCBC’s list (that one is archived).

    There was a time when got lots of comments but I think commenting moved to twitter and facebook rather than right on the blog. There are ways to have those appear on the blog but I don’t have the time/knowledge to set that up.

    The need to keep going at AICL is there. I analyze books to show teachers/librarians what works and what does not on terms of depictions of Native people. I advocate for Native writers and their books, but I do it with care. Not everything works.

    And gosh–the continued use of old classics that have misrepresentations of Native people–that use galvanizes me. The ignorance is massive and I know my blog has helped people shift their thinking.

    And new issues are arising. For example, people who claim to be Native when they are not is a big one right now in Native circles. I’ve created a resource page about that (https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/p/native-or-not-resource-list.html). It is especially crucial that I use my visibility to help people understand that particular issue. US Census shows an explosion in the number of people who claim to be Native. Scholars who study census etc are suggesting that a lot of people are being duped by DNA tests that tell they they are Native. Those tests are meaningless, people! Don’t use those results to make a claim to being Native.

    People reading Betsy’s blog (and comments to this post) should read Edi’s blog, especially her work on the use of monkeys in children’s lit: https://edicottonquilt.com/2022/12/28/for-parents-and-educators-monkeys-and-anti-blackness/

    I am glad blogs exist. They provide insights unavailable in other places.

    Reply
    • Betsy Bird says

      January 4, 2023 at 2:38 pm

      Thank you, Debbie. I’m going to update the post and include your site and Edi’s. You make such great points. Where else could this conversation even happen these days? You do vital work and the blog is the beating heart.

      Reply
  6. Santiago says

    January 4, 2023 at 4:20 pm

    Happy New Year, Betsy, and thanks for all you do — the reviews, the interviews, and especially the year-end wrap-ups (so much to catch up on)!

    Reply
  7. Judy Weymouth says

    January 5, 2023 at 10:27 am

    Your plans for A Fuse#8 going into 2023 are great to hear. There was a time when my routine included checking more than 20 blogs several times each week to see what was news in the world of children’s literature. That list has decreased over the last few years as bloggers lost interest or turned to other forms of communication.

    I respect and know change is normal and one day Fuse#8 may end. I’m very happy to know that will not be soon.

    I never took time to tell you how much I enjoyed listening to Long Road to the Circus. Audible makes my long commutes in rural Maine so enjoyable and your wonderful creation brought hours of listening joy.

    Reply
  8. Jenny says

    January 5, 2023 at 1:40 pm

    I’ve never commented, but I discovered your blog way back when I started my career in children’s librarianship around 2013. I still check in, and love your 31 Days yearly recap. I’ll keep reading your blog if you keep writing it! Thanks!

    Reply
  9. Lisa says

    January 6, 2023 at 3:44 pm

    Betsy…what you offer on this blog is truly from your heart. You literally lift childrens’ literature and promote true quality. I think what I love most is that I can count on your reviews 100%. Never fails. If you say a book is hysterical, I’m there. If you say this is a board book every baby needs, I gift it. If you sing the praises of a little known book, I’m in. As a second grade teacher, my classes thank you for all the endless recommendations. You are a gem!

    Reply
    • Betsy Bird says

      January 8, 2023 at 11:45 am

      Awww. Thanks, Lisa! Incredibly kind of you to say!

      Reply
  10. Sara says

    January 8, 2023 at 2:49 pm

    Thanks for keeping up your blog, Betsy. It is one of my go-to resources. I sure would miss it – and you! – if it went away.

    Reply
  11. Jennifer McGreevy says

    January 23, 2023 at 11:20 am

    Thank you for writing this helpful blog. Great reviews!

    Reply
  12. Sue Heavenrich says

    January 24, 2023 at 2:42 pm

    I’m so glad you’ll continue to blog. I hadn’t realized blogs were supposed to be (dead, passe, paloezoic – choose one) as I’ve continued to blog along. Like you, I enjoy doing it. I love to share hands-on nature activities and my reviews of STEAM books on my blog, Archimedes Notebook (https://archimedesnotebook.blogspot.com/)

    Reply

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