Welcome to the first in my brand new series, all about meeting the Bloggers behind some of my favourite Blogs, in which I am going to be getting to know some of my favourite bloggers a little better and sharing their stories with you! Giving you a real insight into the humans behind the blogs, sometimes its so easy to forget that there are real people behind the sites you know and love. Hopefully you will find some new creators, inspiring content and new fave blogs.
Hi! Lovely to have you and thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions. I love your blog, I love your messages and your content and that’s why I am so glad you agreed to this.
Your Name: Jodie Moone
Your Blog: www.pagesofthemoone.com
Your Niche: Books, Mental Health, Writing
How long have you been blogging:
Three years, but one year (message to Rachael: omg it has actually been a year now) with Pages
So, for anyone who’s not read your blog before, tell us what your blogs is all about:
It’s a culmination of books and book reviews, posts about looking after your mental wellbeing and lifestyle tips, as well as writing tips. They bleed into one another because I have anxiety, I’m writing a book and I love to read.
What made you want to start blogging? What’s your inspiration!?
I genuinely love writing, and I wanted to share some of my thoughts on books outside of a certain site and bothering my friends. I used to be prominent in the fanfiction space, so I wanted to leave Tumblr when I left a certain fandom, my first blog was born. I wanted to create a space I could be in control of.
Do you blog full time or do you have another job too?
I’m a part-time blogger, part-time freelance content writer, and part-time NHS administrator for cancer services. I like to be busy, can you tell?
Have you managed to monetise yet? If you have, how so!
Yes, and no. I’ve managed to work with my first client very recently, and I use affiliate links for books. But, I’m taking the journey slow. Dipping my toe in here and there.
Do you have any other creative paths – youtube, insta, podcasts, etc…
I co-host/co-run a podcast called The Island Library (www.theislandlibrary.com) which discusses a different book each week, and we ask ourselves ‘If we were stranded on a desert island, would this come with us?’. Like the fun get-to-know-you questions where you can only pick three, we allow ourselves ten but we can throw books out if another beats it. I also have a bookstagram at pagesofthemoone, and I’m also finalising edits on a YA novel I’m hoping to query. So busy, busy.
What’s been your proudest moment since you started blogging?
Opening a Twitter account for my blog and interacting. I’m terrified of upsetting people or doing the wrong thing. For how outspoken I can be and seemingly confident, socialising with new people scares me and submerging into the blogging world was something I wasn’t sure I’d fit in with. Everyone seemed like they knew one another so well, and I was just there like ‘Hey, be my pal but I don’t know how to talk to anyone’. So when I made the jump, I was super proud of myself. Also, when I made £2 from affiliate links, that is a close second.
And what’s been your lowest point?
There was this one day, and there was a sea of things happening in my personal life, but I thought I made a breakthrough with reaching out to people. (As you can see above, that’s super difficult for me). I interacted on a platform, shared the love and tried desperately to just feel a part of a community, and the following day, loads of those people who’d originally followed, unfollowed. I try not to focus on numbers because it’s just damaging to my safe space, but it felt really sad that they’d followed purely to unfollow, and I never interacted in that thread again. Which, is a shame because I think there are plenty of lovely people, but I don’t chase numbers. Those that’ll come will come, but it was hard to swallow, and it took quite a few weeks for me to see it wasn’t me, personally, but that they had a different vision than connecting.
What’s your favourite part of blogging? And what’s your least favourite part!?
My favourite HAS to be taking book photos. It is literally my favourite thing. Or just being opinionated I think.
The worst is probably feeling like a failure when you haven’t posted for one week. As well as, not having a clue if you’re doing the right or wrong thing at one time. I don’t think people appreciate how hard blogging and writing is.
What’s your creative process?
(mine is write, procrastinate, cry, snack, repeat…)
If it’s book-related:
Blanket, candle, chocolate, read, review, photos, post.
If it’s general blogging or writing:
Write, weep, edit, sob, edit again, have a breakdown, delete and start again
What’s your ultimate goal???
It would be fun to work with some publishing houses on new releases and more clients in the future. I don’t want to set myself too high of a goal, as I just want to make people smile. But, really my goal is to always remain myself, honest and happy. It can be so easy to let a passion and enjoyment turn into something you resent, so I hope to not do that. Wherever the wind takes me, it’ll take me.
What’s your best piece of advice for someone who’s just starting a blog or thinking of starting one?
Don’t be anyone but you. A thousand people may have discussed your subject, but they aren’t you and if they’re anything like me, they LOVE reading many peoples opinions on things.
What’s been the biggest surprise since you started your blogging career?
That it led to me writing for other people. Having a space where I could write about how hard it was to get out of bed when I was depressed, has led to working with clients and freelancing, and that’s been so exciting. It’s also led to me meeting fellow fiction writers and feeling a part of the writing community. Blogging has brought me so much joy, and maybe the biggest surprise was how much it has.
Leave a Reply