One of the cool things about being a WordPress blogger is all the community awards we get to leave each other. This week, I was lucky enough to be nominated for the Blogger Recognition Award from the lovely Christine of Simpleek. Her blog is about video games, anime/manga, and fashion, and it’s one of my very favorites here on WordPress.

Here are the rules of the contest:

1. Give two pieces of advice (about blogging, it seems).
2. Tell the whopper of a story about how my blog got started.
3. Nominate others for this hallowed honor.

Blogging Advice

1. Be Part of the Community

When I started my blog, I didn’t know if anyone would read it. But I followed other blogs, left comments, and even wrote guest posts for other sites. Soon, I started seeing new followers and likes based on my interactions with other bloggers. Honestly, it’s not even about “followers,” though — it’s about getting your blog out there to people who will really like it, being able to share with them and start conversations with them, and helping other bloggers find their audience through you, too. This is a community, and it’s important to spread the love!

2. Write About Your Passion

This probably goes without saying, but you have to love what you write about. To be honest, I don’t even like writing “rant” posts where I just rip on a video game or movie I hated. Being positive is so much more fun, and when you’re passionate about something, I think it really shows in the writing. It makes it really cool to start conversations with readers in the comments or through social media, too.

The Story Behind Robo♥beat

I started Robo♥beat in 2012, when I was thinking about starting a career in video games. At the time, I was working as a freelance writer and a nanny, but I wanted to branch out. The problem was that I didn’t have any relevant writing experience for the gaming industry. So I started a blog as a way to add to my portfolio and just practice a little. It ended up turning into one of my favorite hobbies as I realized the WordPress community is very active and welcoming. I found so many other great blogs to follow that I just kept rolling with it. And I’m really happy to be celebrating Robo♥beat’s 3rd birthday in a few weeks! She’s not a baby anymore!

My Nominations

Now I’d like to nominate a few of my favorite blogs/bloggers that I regularly read. There are so many to choose from, but here are a few:

1. Gamer Crash

2. The Triple Option

3. FemHype

Definitely check out these blogs if you’re into gaming (or nerdy stuff) and want some new reading material. And thanks again to Christine of Simpleek for the nomination! =)

— Ashley