Have you ever been on vacation or taken a step away from your blog? If so, did you schedule a bunch of posts in advance? Or did you just have zero posts while you were away?
I was inspired to publish this post when I saw another blogger posting about a similar subject. She was talking about what to do with your blog while on vacation and said you should schedule everything. Write two posts a day beforehand so you have plenty to schedule during your away period. Now I completely respect that blogger’s decision to do that, but I thought I’d make this post because I do the opposite. I intentionally publish NOTHING while I’m on vacation.
First, keep in mind that this applies to a busy vacation. If I’m on a “lazy” vacation, which means no activities, plenty of down time, and wifi, I usually do schedule posts because I actually have time to blog. So I only apply this to “busy” vacations, which mean tons of activities, limited or no wifi, no time for blogging, etc.
Why I don’t schedule posts when I’m on vacation
When I publish posts on my blog, I get comments. When I get comments, I like to read them. When I read comments, I often reply to them. But if I’m on a busy vacation, I don’t have time to do any of those things! And heck, even if it’s a lazy vacation, I may not WANT to do those things. It’s called a “vacation” for a reason, after all. 😉
But if I have posts being published and I’m getting comments but don’t have time to reply, I feel guilty! And sure, I could reply to them when I get back, but that’s just intimidating! Imagine coming home to 20-60 comments to reply to. That sounds like a lot of work.
It’s vacation! Time for a break!
I guess I’m a firm believer that if I don’t have time to blog, I don’t want to be blogging. I don’t want posts and comments going up on my blog when I’m not around to read, monitor, and respond to them. I like to be involved with my blog, not have it run automatically.
I have guest posts from other bloggers and schedule ahead. I think they are all right. It is what works for you.
I’ve done it both ways. It just depends on how I feel at the time. I always go back and comment though. But I don’t take vacations vary often.
I think it’s perfectly fine not to post when on vacation. If you have a lot of readers, I think it doesn’t hurt to mention you won’t be around for a while. And I like reading about holiday experiences, so I definitely appreciate a good vacation post after the event (or during if you have plenty of time and feel like posting). 🙂 I also think scheduling posts is a good idea, but I’d in no way say that bloggers should feel obliged to do that!
I usually schedule them. I don’t ever do a vacation where I’m not on the internet at some point so if I get a reply I will respond to it.
My default is to not worry about anything on vacation, so I leave the blog postless while I’m gone. I like to really focus on enjoying myself while I’m away, and if there was a post I’d want to share it and read comments instead of just being on vacay.
Like you, I think it depends on the vacation. Every year I go on a vacation to a cabin in Canada with no electricity, which means no wifi, so I won’t have anything from me posted. But I went to DC earlier this year, and then reviews could be posted, because I could go through and night and reply. Over the holidays, I’ll be on vacation from work, but still be at home, so I wouldn’t mind posts then.
I pretty much go dark. I like to comment back too and my family is not patient enough for me to take the time during a vacation.
I think it’s totally up to the blogger as I have seen it done both ways or having someone guest post on your blog. If you must comment on what is said you can always do it when you come back but then that might be to hectic for you, so it really depends on how you want to do it. I think having maybe two post a week scheduled would work for me if I was on vacation but I would also let them know I am on vacation and may not be around to comment.
As I’m sure like most or all of you, I have a steady job (with some of you it’s school/college) outside of reading and blogging so for me I post to the blog when I have time. When I’m on vacation it just depends on what I’m doing but most likely I’ll have time to blog. I never come up with things to post ahead of time to fill a void. I’m probably a bad blogger because I’m not consistent, but it is what it is. It’s all I have time for right now. I can appreciate how much time and effort it takes to have such a consistent blogging ethic. I just don’t have that.
When I am going on vacation I usually don’t schedule any posts in advance for that time, unless I have a blog tour or something like that scheduled for a specific day and that day happens to fall in my vacation. Or if I am going on a long vacation I might schedule a few posts so it isn’t too obvious I am not there, but so far that hasn’t happened yet.
Just like you when I have a post and get comments, I want to reply to those and coment back. And usually when I am on a vacation I want to relax and not worry about my blog, so it’s better not to schedule any posts then.
“Vacation”? What is this strange thing of which you speak? Yeah, vacation isn’t a completely foreign concept to me, but I go so rarely, and for so short a time, there isn’t usually much to catch up on.
I usually schedule posts ahead of time, but I also might post less than normal. Maybe only two reviews instead of three. But, almost all my vacations are the relaxing sort, where I’m not very busy. If I were on the run the whole time, that might be a different matter. I don’t want to post tons of stuff, but not be able to promote it properly or not respond to comments.
The last time I went on vacation I had Wifi in the apartment, so during those three weeks I believe I posted three times and I could stay up-to-date with the comments. My next vacation will be different and I’m going to take a nice break from blogging 🙂 I might schedule a couple of reviews from review books, but that’s it.
I schedule some things, but not nearly as much as I would post if I were home. But you’re right – it does mean catching up on comments when I get home, which could be a bit stressful!
I agree with you. I have a hard time keeping up with comments when I’m not on vacation, so trying to keep up while on vacation (or catch up when I get back) would kind of defeat the purpose of the vacation. I figure y’all will be here when I get back and fully understand the temporary silence.
I usually stop blogging (especially during the summer holidays)… but always feel like I should have scheduled some posts!
I usually do not schedule ahead of time for breaks for the same reason – no time to reply back. It isn’t only about commenting but I get messages, emails, and sometimes texts from reading friends about posts. I’m not sure if that happens to everyone, but I’m okay with that from my closer reading friends. If I schedule posts to go up on breaks or vacations, I’ll have notifications popping up everywhere. It’s true that I can turn these off, but discussion is one of my main reasons for blogging. I love to talk about…whatever I’m talking about. So yeah, that’s why I let my breaks be breaks.
In the past I’ve tried to schedule posts in advance but it is incredibly stressful when also trying to prepare for vacation…especially with a procrastinator like me. I think you have the right idea. Less pressure before and after…and let’s get real…no one is going to miss a week without my blog. LOL
I refuse to take my computer when I’m on vacation, or doing blog stuff. I usually don’t even get a chance to read while on vacation. If I have time, I’ll schedule a few posts but let people know I will be out and will probably not respond to comments. If it’s a last minute thing or if I just don’t have time to schedule anything, I don’t even worry about not having any posts while I’m gone.
As a reader, I don’t mind either… (seeing posts while the blogger is on vacation or not seeing any posts).
I haven’t gone on vacation since I started my blog and don’t have anything planned, but I think I would schedule some posts. I use a desktop (no laptop) and don’t have a cellphone so I’d be completely out of touch unless I was visiting family or friends. I probably would also post something saying I wouldn’t be able to reply to comments right away, but I don’t always answer comments right away anyway. You get more comments in a day than I’ll get all week, so it really wouldn’t be *that*difficult for me to catch up unless I was gone for several weeks. Which I could never do. I couldn’t leave my job for that long. Or my cats!
Vacation? What is this vacation thing you speak of?
I haven’t taken one since I started my main blog (or for two years before that, for that matter…), but I would plan on not posting anything. If I decide on vacation that I want to write (which is probably pretty likely), I would. I’m a fan of beach vacays where I’m out during the day, but like to just chill in front of the TV at night, as usual. So I would probably end up blogging, but I wouldn’t feel obligated.
Take time off, for sure! I think all bloggers should take a break once in a while. It helps.
When I go on vacation I don’t like to schedule posts because of having to catch up on any comments made. But also because I don’t want to worry about something going wrong with the post or having to promote it. When I went to Comic Con I did tweet and post pictures on Instagram, but that’s the most I would do.
I actually blogged during my vacation to California last summer. I wrote a few sporadic posts at night, when I was just relaxing at my grandma’s house. I have wordpress on my phone, so I check comments while I’m riding in the car, waiting at a restaurant, etc.
I usually set up a couple posts to go up while I’m away. I don’t physically blog while I’m on vacation though. It’s my time away and I don’t want to take the time away from my family either.
I usually try to schedule my posts in advance, but if I can’t for some reason then I just tell my followers I’m on vacation and will be back. Typically my vacations are lazy anyway (it’s usually going to Florida to do nothing for a week) and I see a vacation as escape from work and responsibility, so I usually still blog since I have tons of free time! It just depends on what I feel like doing. I typically reserve returning comments until I get back, since that can sometimes feel like a chore ;D
I usually schedule a few weeks in advance just for reviews, so if I were to go on vacation I would just have those already going up. I haven’t been on a real vacation in forever though, just blog slumps and such lately, but I have them scheduled just in case.
I usually post a few things, or I post nothing. I also don’t like to post when I’m going on vacation on the blog, just kind of leave a week or so with nothing … and sometimes I’m not even on vacation and I won’t post anything! Ha ha … I figure I love reading and commenting to comments, as well as reading other blog posts while I do that, so why not just leave it for the days when I have time to do it? Of course, when I have gone on vacation and scheduled posts, it’s always nice to come home to lots of comments to read … it helps me get back into the swing of things!
This is a timely post, since I’ll be on vacation next week. I’ve only scheduled one post during my vacation, a weekly Paranormal Road Trip post that I didn’t want readers to miss. I too was worried that I wouldn’t have time to readily reply to comments if I scheduled my usual number of posts.
I was beginning to feel guilty about that HUGE gap in my blogging schedule, but now I don’t feel so bad. It’s a vacation, right? 🙂
Take time off, for sure! I think all bloggers should take a break once in a while. It helps.
I used to post ahead but then I have to do my companion blog too and then answer comments. This weekend I am doing a “Weekend off” sticky post and turning off the comments for that.
I want to spend my vacation not working and blogging is my work.