{"id":1005,"date":"2014-05-28T19:36:25","date_gmt":"2014-05-29T01:36:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.intlwota.com\/happydisco\/?p=1005"},"modified":"2014-05-28T19:36:25","modified_gmt":"2014-05-29T01:36:25","slug":"help-a-blogger-out-survey-courtesy-of-magi-kat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mescallado.com\/happydisco\/index.php\/2014\/05\/28\/help-a-blogger-out-survey-courtesy-of-magi-kat\/","title":{"rendered":"Help a Blogger Out Survey – Courtesy of Magi-Kat"},"content":{"rendered":"

When checking out posts via Idolminded, I found this survey posted by Magic-Kat on ‘Magic-Kat Presents “Morning Meteora.<\/a>“‘ Lately I’ve been reflecting a lot on myself and, by extension on Happy Disco. So, as such, I thought this survey would be a great way to nail down some of my thoughts, as well as sharing my personal insights with my readers. So, I hope this isn’t too much of an exercise in navel-gazing, and I hope you actually enjoy it!<\/p>\n

Goals<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Why do you blog?<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I started blogging in 2010 because I had so many thoughts about idol music that I had to get it out somewhere. I overthink things and I’m an opinionated person. Happy Disco has become my outlet for idol music blogging and thoughts. Writing for Happy Disco, Idolminded and Pure Idol Heart is a singular pleasure, and one that I’m grateful for.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Here’s a bit of an anecdote, one that has motivated me to continue blogging. Last week I wrote a review of Team Syachihoko’s newest single, “Ii Kurashi.” As a Team Syachihoko fan, I was happy to write the review for myself. However, after posting it I noticed a giant spike in my site metrics. Seeing that most of the reviews were referred from twitter, I did a small investigation. Not only were a few Syachihoko fans tweeting about it, but Yoshida Tetsuto, the songwriter of Ii Kurashi, tweeted about it. I introduced myself to him, and mentioned that I loved the song, and he thanked me for it. All the while I was completely floored that any of this happened.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
That said, I don’t need praise or comments (though I would gladly take both). Just writing Happy Disco makes me, well, happy. I’m incredibly proud of my blog, and pleased as punch whenever someone mentions it.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
What long-term goals do you hope to accomplish, if any at all?<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Not (necessarily) Happy Disco related, but I would like to become a paid, published writer. I don’t even expect that this would become a job for me, but I’d like to take my writing further. I can’t see myself stopping blogging about idols, though. Not unless I stop liking idols. And to be honest, I can’t see that happening<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I’d also like to expand Happy Disco. I keep toying with the idea of a podcast, but I’m not sure how to make that happen. If anyone reading this does podcasts or would want to be a cohost, contact me on twitter or Facebook and we’ll talk.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Where does your blog fail to meet your goals?<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I am disappointed I haven’t been as good at sticking to my blogging schedule. I have been trying to figure out getting back on track, but I wish I had been better at sticking to the schedule I’ve laid out. Stupid life and job getting in the way.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
If you do have goals, what will accomplishing them do for yourself?<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u00a0Mostly I want to be satisfied with myself as a writer, improve my craft, and possibly become a talented enough writer\/blogger to have that either supplement my income or even become a career path. Writing for fun is much more important to me than writing for money; if I was writing for just money, frankly I wouldn’t be an idol blogger.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
What do you want to gain out of blogging? A creative outlet? Praise from others? Personal satisfaction? Money?<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Personal satisfaction and a creative outlet are the big two, but I wouldn’t say no to others. Running Happy Disco is mainly based off of getting personal satisfaction and an outlet for my thoughts and writing, but I do enjoy praise and I would enjoy some money if it came my way.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Do you feel that your blog should meet a requirement for amount of entries? Do you feel any particular entry should be a certain length?<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
My goals were to reach three entries a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) but that has been very difficult lately, given my personal life. I try at least to reach one blog post a week, even when I’m at my busiest and most procrastinate-y.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Length… if you read Happy Disco on a regular basis you know I tend to be long-winded. Actually, I’d prefer to start shortening up my posts. I like being able to write and discuss things in depth, but sometimes it’s better to be concise. That said, I do like writing long posts, and generally my posts end up at 600+ words.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
For any particular entry, what motivates you to start and finish blog posts?<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I have three types of posts I post. Reviews (which I aim to put out near Monday), Idol Thoughts and either lists or TIFriday. For reviews, I generally write based off of whatever I find interesting. For example, when I covered AKB’s Suzukake Nanchara single, I had a lot to say about the PVs, and my opinions on idol PVs. I also tend to review stuff I like because I want to promote the things I enjoy. So\u00a0that’s why you see me write\u00a0piles and piles of Team Syachihoko reviews and posts; I want you all to become Syachi fans.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Idol Thoughts are based\u00a0off of either current events or something I’ve just been thinking about lately. I\u00a0keep wondering if I’ll\u00a0run out of ideas, but I generally have too much stuff to write about.<\/div>\n
\nLists… I’m not sure how much I like writing lists, to be honest. It’s fun to do some rankings; ranking my top idols, ranking\u00a0Team Syachihoko songs. But it’s really\u00a0a\u00a0replacement for my Tokyo Idol\u00a0Festival posts. I love writing about TIF because I’ve discovered a lot of idol music through\u00a0covering the festival yearly.\u00a0I became a big Rhymeberry fan because of TIF. I’m\u00a0really getting into\u00a0i*Ris now because of TIF. My first experience with Team Syachihoko was with TIF.\u00a0It’s a wonderful opportunity to explore the more indie side of\u00a0the idol world.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Do you actively consider long term goals for each individual post?<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Not really. I just want to write the best post I can, but I don’t overthink my posts much. I should probably edit them more.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Subject Material:<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
What do you blog about?<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Idols. I cover Stardust, 48 Groups, Hello!Project, and all kinds of indies. I generally cover stuff I’m interested in, so my subject varies as much as I do. I do reviews, profiles and general interest pieces. I mostly focus on opinion pieces over just news.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Would you be keep a blog even if it wasn\u2019t about the subjects you tend to cover?<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Anyone remember Happy Media? No? OK, me neither. (Happy Media is my non-Jpop blog that desperately needs to be updated).’<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Do you write about the material to promote it to others?<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
At times, yeah; I try to be honest about what I’m reviewing, and generally critical. I’m happy when writing about stuff that I’m not super into. Ultimately, I want to write about something that I find interesting, rather than just good or bad. However, if I really like something, I’ll want to share it with people, and Happy Disco is a great place for that.<\/div>\n

<\/h1>\n

Readership:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

How much do you care about readership?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A bit? I want people reading my blog. But, to be honest, I don’t care that much. I’m happy whenever someone gives me feedback, and I’m gratified whenever I do have a solid readership, but it’s not something that will make or break Happy Disco.<\/p>\n

Does it satisfy you to know people are reading, even if they don\u2019t comment?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I prefer comments. I mean, everyone does, but I’d like to get more comments. That said, I’m terrible about leaving comments. I’m the absolute worst person about that. So I just hope that people enjoy Happy Disco, even if they aren’t commenting.<\/p>\n

What effect does receiving a comment have on you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Something like “Oh my god, they actually care enough to comment?” Something like that.<\/p>\n

Do you write with a particular audience in mind or an unspecified general audience? Why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not really; this is much more of a personal activity for me. However, I try to be honest and fair in my reviews of things, just so that I don’t unnecessarily anger someone or frustrate them. I want someone to read Happy Disco and know what to expect; that they can look at a review and think “Oh, I agree with Serenyty about X Y Z and disagree about A B C, I’ll probably like this.” I<\/p>\n

So there’s no real audience I’m aiming for, I’m just aiming to be a great blogger.<\/p>\n

If you write for a particular audience, is it Idolminded? If yes, why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is gratifying to see myself covered on Idolminded; it’s part of why I love contributing when I can. Hey Ray! =D<\/p>\n

Community: (The Idolminded section)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

If Idolminded didn\u2019t exist, would you blog?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Probably; I’d still be on my Blogspot domain, though. I love being on the Intlwota domain, you have no idea.<\/p>\n

When IM covers an entry of yours, are you encouraged to blog more or less?<\/strong><\/p>\n

More; I know that more people read my stuff when it’s posted on Idolminded. I don’t want to let down any of my readers.<\/p>\n

When IM does not cover an entry, are you encouraged to blog more or less?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Generally all of my entries are covered, but back when my blog was a new thing and new to Intl Wota, I was encouraged to blog MORE, because I wanted to impress everyone at Intl Wota. Oh man, thinking back to the early days of Happy Disco, memories…<\/p>\n

How often do you read other blogs?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Daily. I check Idolminded daily, and I check my favorite blogs on a very regular basis (New School Kaidan, Selective Hearing, Okay! Musume Time, Tokyo Girls Update, the posts I don’t do for Pure Idol Heart, etc).<\/p>\n

How often do you comment on other blogs?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rarely. I am a terrible human.<\/p>\n

If another blog covers a topic that you wanted or wished to cover, do you still blog about that specific topic? Why or why not?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yep. I write mostly on a personal level, writing my opinion, not news. And there’s always room for more opinion pieces, I figure.<\/p>\n

Commitment:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

How serious is your attitude towards blogging? Do you consider it just as something to do for fun?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kind of a mixture, I guess; I take Happy Disco seriously enough in that it’s something I’m passionate about and something that I care about, but it’s not life or death to me. I write it mostly for fun, but I’d like to get more into writing as a career potentially. But at the same time it’s not my job now, it’s fun, and I treat it as such.<\/p>\n

How often do you blog? How often would you like to blog?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Right now it’s about once or twice a week, even though my goal is three times a week. I’d like to get three times a week. I’d LIKE to do something every day, between Happy Disco, Idolminded, Pure Idol Heart and Happy Media, but that’s not something I can do right now.<\/p>\n

What priorities do you or have you put aside in order to blog? Why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I blog in the afternoon, usually. I’m tired from work and just want to rest and play video games. I have to force myself to blog sometimes. But I love it.<\/p>\n

Do you see yourself blogging in 6 months? Why or why not?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes. At this point I have to blog. I can’t not blog. Plus, the five year anniversary of Happy Disco will be here in about 8 months (!!!!!) so I have to make that!<\/p>\n

Personal:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Would you say you blog for yourself?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It’s not for fame or fortune, that’s for sure. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

What is your feeling after posting an entry? Is it relative to the time and effort you put in an entry?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I’m tired but happy. Proud of myself, really. It’s probably not relative to time and effort, to be honest.<\/p>\n

What needs does blogging fulfill?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My creative needs; it’s an outlet for my thoughts and opinions. I have a lot of thoughts and opinions. Therefore blogging has become a really important safety valve; otherwise I’d just be ranting about stuff to people who didn’t really care. Now I’m ranting to the internet, and people probably still don’t care.<\/p>\n

Do you consider yourself a writer?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think so; I certainly write enough.<\/p>\n

Do you consider yourself good at writing? Good at blogging?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Maybe? Here’s the thing; I’m self-critical. I’m not really happy with the things I post. Yet, I look back at old Happy Disco posts and feel really happy about how far I’ve come. People tell me I’m a skilled writer, so I guess I’ll choose to believe them.<\/p>\n

And I am not good at blogging, no. I don’t quite have the discipline to put Happy Disco on the strict schedule I want it to be on.<\/p>\n

How much of your personal life do you share on your blog? If none, why do you leave this out?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If it’s pertinent I’ll bring it up. I don’t want to share personal details, but I’ll share how much something affected me. I share bits and pieces. Idols are my focus here, not me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When checking out posts via Idolminded, I found this survey posted by Magic-Kat on ‘Magic-Kat Presents “Morning Meteora.“‘ Lately I’ve been reflecting a lot on myself and, by extension on Happy Disco. So, as such, I thought this survey would … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-idol-thoughts"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mescallado.com\/happydisco\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mescallado.com\/happydisco\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mescallado.com\/happydisco\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mescallado.com\/happydisco\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mescallado.com\/happydisco\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1005"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mescallado.com\/happydisco\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1005\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mescallado.com\/happydisco\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mescallado.com\/happydisco\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mescallado.com\/happydisco\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}