Hi there! We’d like to ask a question: where else do you hang out online?
We know you’re here (hiya and thanks for stopping by!) or you’re reading this via our SBTB Daily newsletter (hi!).
Maybe you are part of our Facebook group, or follow us on Twitter? We also have a Goodreads group, and an Instagram account. Or maybe you aren’t involved with us there, but you hang out in those locations?
If you don’t mind our being nebby, we’d like to ask you where else you like to hang out. We aren’t going to do anything with this data except make sure we’re talking to you where you are. I’m mostly curious where you like to be online in addition to this community.
Thank you in advance for participating!
Mostly I am right here. Although I follow Twitter from time to time and Facebook for other things, I follow you via this blog which I usually check once or twice every day or two. I also read Dear Author, but that seems to be getting more moribund with each passing day. I wish I had read it back in the pre-lawsuit heyday. I check out Frolic from time
to time. It’s a little relentlessly hip, but I like many of the women they get to write for them. I read Love in Panels as well, although not religiously. Good reads is a little too intense, an overwhelm of unsorted information. If I wanted to engage with it more, it would possibly be good, but I prefer your more curated approach. Is it time for the squee? I love this website, guys. I love the variety, the humour and the fact that you take romance very, very, seriously. I love the politics and the silliness. I am not that keen on the paranormal/sci-fi strain, but I tell myself it is broadening! I’m looking forward to the comments, I know there are “places” I haven’t discovered yet. Thanks.
There’s a Facebook group???
I’ve never been a Facebook user, and the last few months I’ve stopped using both Twitter and Reddit too – I spent so much time there, and even though I found some good book recommendations and funny clips, it also made me feel angry, sad and awful. If I want news I go to a regular, local news site (even though I’ve limited my use too- no news after 6pm!)
I also only use Instagram to follow a few book sites (SBTB of course! ), creators and local shops for news, nothing more.
All in all I think this strategy has been great for improving my mental health.
Honestly, I only regularly follow two blogs: smart bitches and now smell this (perfume fandom blog – recommended for those of you who feel like graduating from scented candles :P). I used to do my media fandoming on tumblr and AO3, but now that tumblr’s going to hell in a handcart, I’m trying to exchange it for old-school fandom hangouts like dreamwidth, and the next generation (federated social media, like hubzilla). I get my news from the guardian.
I’ve quit Facebok, Twitter, and most “free” online news (I listen to the radio for news instead). I’m still on Instagram, but I’m thinking of taking a break from that (although I love your rec days!) Periodic breaks from it make me feel refreshed and focused, but it does still have some value for me. I check in here every day and Jenny Crusie’s site, Argh Ink most days. I also check in at a few other romance review websites, but I don’t really participate like I do here.
I’m not on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I read a number of book blogs, not all of them romance-centric, but in addition to SBTB, the romance sites I visit most are All About Romance, Dear Author, and Smexy. I do flit around to some other romance sites because I tend to enjoy “darker” romances (MC, crime/mafia, dub-con, etc.) and there are sites that focus on those (Edgy, for example), but those aren’t places I’ll visit every day. I have news aggregator app and I select news from predominantly left-leaning places (I know what they say about confirmation bias, but I don’t need Red State or National Review to filter my news for me). I also listen to NPR and the BBC World Service.
Checking this site, right here, is part of my morning routine. Whilst I do see things on FB, I’d rather just get it from the source.
I’ll definitely skew your survey results since I’m not a social media user. I regularly follow only 3 book websites (including SBTB and DA). I’m on Goodreads and Pinterest, but purposely don’t interact with anyone. I don’t comment or chat anywhere except the aforementioned book sites. I keep my social media/internet presence as limited as possible.
My lack of interest is only partly due to privacy issues; it’s also because I just can’t muster the time and energy. It’s bad enough when a friend sends me pictures of her niece’s baby without having to like them on FB, too. And all the political crap. I just can’t get invested in the outrage coming from all sides. Seriously, I don’t know how other people do it and stay sane. No FOMO here; I’ll just stay in my cave and y’all have fun without me!
Litsy. Definitely Litsy. Instagram like with books. Tiny and so much fun.
Im everywhere I want to be. I enjoy social media as a user and as an author and I refuse to be chased off of it by the usual suspects. I use my block and mute filters heavily and I also have a “list” of people on fb and twitter that I stick to. These are safe, non crazy people talking about things I care about. Im less of a patron of blogs. Sadly I almost never visit this site or other blogs unless an article interests me. I don’t read the romances that are talked about the most here. The few romances by people of color that are discussed aren’t really my cup of tea either.
I used to be on Tumblr, but recently it’s imploded and I deleted my account. I’m on Reddit mainly for the knitting community, memes, and book suggestions. I recently started a Dreamwidth account, and so far I’m enjoying being there.
I keep a presence on Facebook but mostly check on weekends. I don’t use Messenger (privacy reasons). I use Twitter as a read-only platform (time reasons.) I use Instagram because I like to post and view pretty stuff – I don’t follow personalities or use it for video.
I use LinkedIn more than I used to – tech, economic, industry trends and news.
For conversation, I belong to 3 separate groups (2 are on Slack) that are small and/or invitation-only.
And I have blogs I check every few days, this being one of those!
Twitter sucked me in, primarily because none of my friends are there, and it has been easier to deal with my own post-2016 outrage than mine AND theirs. Some say selfish, I say self-care. Also @dog_feelings and @dog_rates make life joyous.
Books, though? Here, DA, Rosario’s Reading Journal. And my Amazon wish lists daily. Oh, and the library digital stacks.
Here! On this website
I follow you here. I do not use (never have) any of the six above though I might end up on Goodreads or Reddit from clicking something.
As regards other romance sites ~ I read Dear Author, BookBinge, Joyfully Jay, Smexy Books, and Word Wenches. I also participate at Romance Book Lovers. Otherwise I spend way too much time at the Well Trained Mind forums (for homeschoolers).
Ravelry, because it’s the nicest “social media” site in the world.
I’m on FB and goodreads. I don’t use FB to meet new people, just to connect with people I already know. I use my cleo persona on Goodreads to connect with my reader friends that I made here and on DR and other blogs over the years and to make a few new ones.
I mostly go to well moderated blogs with strong communities for my online interaction – here, Autostraddle, Ask A Manager and less frequently Captain Awkward.
As a depressive I stay off social media entirely because I cannot deal (although I accidentally ended up on Pinterest which has proven entertaining and useful and I don’t have to talk to anybody.) The only sites I check daily are this one (o/ hi!), Seekerville which is still the best for the craft of writing, Tor.com and io9 which both have the most interesting stuff, DeviantArt where I have a page and a lot of friends, and a large assortment of online comics. I also have friends I follow on Livejournal but don’t have a membership so I can’t comment, and I’m slowly filtering back into AO3.
Here
Jenny Crusie’s site at Arghink
AO3
Facebook
Cakewrecks
in no particular order.
I use Goodreads to keep track of my reading, but none of the other sites, and SBTB is the only blog I visit regularly. I browse Imgur’s frontpage to decompress, and I’m on parfumo.de (a community for perfume lovers – my other vice besides romance novels! there’s an english version too, if you’re curious).
Recently I’ve joined BookBub for the sales/freebie alerts.
I drop by Goodreads sometimes, especially when I’m looking for books for some of the Book Riot Read Harder challenges. I’m not on social media, though (even though it seems like everyone is starting up FB Communities). I pretty much check SBTB daily, along with WaPo and NYT, Book Riot and some publisher blogs. I follow a few FIRE blogs for inspiration and follow links to cooking, healthy living and knitting blogs.
I read SBTB every day. Spend one of my work breaks on FB. Very occasionally follow an email alert to Twitter or Goodreads. I receive email newsletters from a ton of authors that I hardly ever look at. I really need some advice about paring my email down!
I was never on Facebook and seems like I was right. Instagram, ehh, not interested in pics if your lunch or whatever. I do Twitter but only follow a limited number of legit accounts. Love Goodreads.
I’m mainly on Dreamwidth and also the new Pillowfort. I read this blog through RSS, along with a variety of other sites and feeds, so Dreamwidth allows me to get most things into one place. The fact that the site is also an RSS reader is an enormous benefit that apparently most users overlook.
I visit AO3 for content but one can subscribe to any of their tags through RSS as well, so I get two fandom feeds at DW and then go there to download and later to leave feedback.
I’m not much of a social media fan, I don’t have a Facebook or Twitter account. We got our first computer in 1996-and I used to love to read what were then called “online diaries” or as we now know them-blogs. I loved that glimpse into other people’s lives, what they were doing with their days. I really miss those!
I do occasionally check out the instagram of some bloggers I love. I do still have some places I visit regularly besides SBTB-Swistle, Love and Hisses, The Sheila Variations, and Julia’s Bookbag.
None of the above. Only this and Ravelry. Everything else I’ve seen seems so stressful.
I said tumblr (i will be so sad when that hellsite finally dies) and Instagram but really I’m only ever on Ravelry.
I check this site everyday (and have for almost all of the years you’ve been posting) and read all the comments and occasionally post a comment. I don’t listen to the podcasts but wait to read the transcript (partially hearing issues, partially I just prefer reading to listening). I do check the Facebook pages for a few authors but don’t log in or comment (if an author requires a login, then I don’t visit that page, even for a contest entry). Never did a Twitter account and though I do have a Pinterest login, I only go there if an author newsletter specifically mentions something they posted that I’m interested in. I look at Goodreads only once in a while though I think I have a login there, too. For authors I already know and like, I don’t read reviews until after I’ve read the book (same with movies) and mostly only on this site, since my opinions are so frequently different than everybody else’s. I will admit, however, that I have read reviews on this site for books/authors I wasn’t planning on reading, but then did because of your comments.
Just not a very “social” person, never have been and unlikely to start now.
I use feedly, an aggregator, to follow a bunch of blogs, including SBTB. (Also Frock Flicks, The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor, and others.)
Other than Facebook, I spend most time on AO3. (Since “other” wasn’t an option…)
For me, my main internet sources for info are:
1) Subscribe to favourite blogs and authors. I get emailed updates daily or weekly, straight from the source.
2) YouTube. Just for fun, and I’ve been learning about technology, lots of “How To” stuff, and enjoy the odd book Vlog.
3) FB. Minimally now, I mostly talk books in private groups.
3) Goodreads: mostly for my own record keeping and to follow book reviews from trusted book friends.
4) News from approved news sources, I don’t get any news from social media. Either from news apps or news threads via Google, of which I discredit anything owned by Fox News or their affiliates.
This is fascinating! After reading these responses I feel I’m online quite a lot. (shame face)
– In terms of Romance blogs, it’s really been whittled down to SBTB. DA was my holy grail for a long time, but we know what happened there.
– I connect socially mainly through Instagram and get my global connections/information through Twitter. Pinterest for fashion/recipes, although I go to Molly Yeh’s site independently because she’s just so charming!
– Like Cleo above I like the well-moderated advice sites like Ask A Manager and Captain Awkward– but I also lurk in the wild west of message boards on BabyCenter (DWIL, Bargain Hunters, All in the Family etc) or JustNoMIL on Reddit.
– I’m a skincare girl so I frequent Intothegloss quite a bit and also the r/skincareaddiction on Reddit. Youtube as well for tutorials and overall conversation around makeup.
– Jezebel for female centered news & Laineygossip for celebrity gossip and critique.
I think (hope) that’s mainly it!
I look at the SBTB website daily. I keep up with favorite authors through their email newsletters.
I avoid most social media to keep a professional presence for my job, but I am really active on LinkedIn. I get inundated with Twitter, Instagram, etc. “highlights” on my employer’s website and that’s all I need to see. I have a Facebook account to keep up with family and friends, my favorite animal rescues, and my community, including the local library.
For books I go to SBTB and to my local library page. And then if I find anything intriguing I will go to Goodreads and use the you may also like tool. For recipes I go to Food Network and epicurious. And lately I have been spending a lot of time on Our Walrus, a music site where you type in the name of groups that you like and they will give recommendations. Of course I always check the kindle daily deals because my enormous TBR pile cannot crush me in digital format. And then if I am really procrastinating (usually avoiding the dreaded dishes) I go to facade for a free tarot reading.
This is so interesting. I also use Feedly to aggregate blog content and I follow a bunch although I don’t read them all regularly. Some are travel blogs that I follow for work. Some are “mom” blogs or home-related like Young House Love, etc. And lots are for books. SBTB is the one I make sure to check daily if possible, but I also follow All About Romance, Dear Author, Book Riot, and a few others. Facebook is my main source of social media interaction. Just recently I joined the Old School Romance Book Club (OSRBC) and the Wicked Wallflowers Club FB groups and both of those are active and really fun. But also there are Facebook groups for my kids’ school classes and our neighborhood so I use it to keep up with news there. I try never to read the news/comments on FB because that is guaranteed to make me feel very stabby, but it’s hard to avoid it. I’m on Goodreads but that is only for tracking my reading, I don’t interact with people there really at all. And I have Twitter but have never posted anything because for some reason it scares me. I just don’t fully understand retweeting, subtweeting, and all that and I’m afraid I’ll do it embarrassingly wrong.
I use Feedly to follow the blog. I look at pretty much everything you post. I’m not active on anything except a few right leaning conversation sites. I listen to lots of podcasts but generally skim the transcript for the SBTB podcast do thank you for that. Cover Snark is my favorite feature.
I’m spoiler-friendly and always looking for romances that will appeal to my dated tastes, so I can easily lose a weekend hopping through Goodreads’ reviews and listopia. It involves wading through a lot of trash to get the treasure, but that’s how all my friends described fanfic back in the day, so…*shrug*
It was a post here about the SBTB Goodreads discussion group that got me to register at Goodreads, so I finally started logging books, but I don’t participate in the discussion group because the activity is mainly around reading challenges, with a few recommendations posts mixed in. I think I was looking for something more discursive, like the comment threads here on the blog, only instigated by readers instead of moderators. Sort of a freewheeling SBTB annex.
Other than SBTB and Goodreads, I check AAR regularly for the “steals and deals” updates, and usually end up reading a couple of reviews or checking out a particularly active comment thread.
12/28/2018
I wanted to add – I think there’s a bunch of people on Smart Bitches Trashy Books that are also on Metafilter, because I often see people there reference this site when talking about anything romance-y.
@DiscoDollyDeb. Same here! I do not have a facebook account, or do twitter or Reddit or anything else for that matter. I visit HERE, Dear Author, All About Romance and occasionally Book Binge. I review every book I read on Goodreads (even if my sisters are the only one’s who read them) and did 167 reviews in 2018.
I have a FB but rarely check it, don’t do the rest. Might pop in to GR for work. I find you in my email daily and love it.
I’m always reading book reviews as I’m a librarian, however I only subscribe to SBTB.