Top Ten Tips for new book bloggers! I definitely still consider myself a new book blogger, but here are some things that I've learned during my 10 months of blogging:
1. Be Yourself. If you let your personality shine through on your blog (and it's likable), people will want to read it. I am still in the process of finding my voice in my reviews, but when I do, I think the reviews are better and people like them more. Be yourself.
2. Blog for the Right Reasons. I started blogging last June because I wanted to share my love for YA/reading and reach out to others like me. I didn't even know ARCs existed or that people got free books sometimes. (Clearly I have learned a lot since then.) Do it because you love reading.
3. Don't Worry About Stats. If I worried about stats and how many people came to my blog, I probably wouldn't be typing this right now. I know I don't get a lot of visitors, but it doesn't matter! I write about what I love, interact with other bloggers/readers, and enjoy myself. That's all. Who cares how many visitors you get per day?
4. Read Whatever You Want. My blog is mostly about YA books, but I still read and review whatever I want because it's my blog! There are definitely some non-fic and adult books in there and that's okay! Don't feel like you have to stick to a certain genre or type because other people might.
5. Go to the Library. That's where I get most of my books because I am poor. I see people ask bloggers "Where do I get books to review?" Um, duh. The library, the bookstore, friends? You don't need to receive ARCs to review a book. I almost always review older books and guess what? That's fine too.
6. Use Twitter. Find other bloggers, authors, and readers on twitter and follow them! I absolutely love having conversations on twitter! I talk to people every day that I have never met in real life and I love it. Promote your reviews or blog posts, tweet to authors, do anything you want! (except spam.)
7. Don't Let Blogging Turn into Another Job. Most of us who blog also have full time jobs, so if blogging ever feels like a chore or takes up way too much time, take a break! When I only post once a week, you can probably assume I am busy with school and have lots of grading to do. Sadly, the paying job has to come first :(
8. Go to Events. I went to a signing last fall (we don't get too many here, unfortunately) and went to RT this last weekend. I met some wonderful authors and bloggers and although I was nervous, it was really great to meet everyone in person. So do it! Go to events and talk to people who love reading as much as you do.
9. Comment! Comment on other people's blogs whenever you can. I love getting comments and I think I can safely assume everyone else does too. I don't comment just to comment, though; only when I have something genuine to say (or things like, OMG I LOVED THAT BOOK).
10. Have fun! Blogging is fun! You get to meet great people, read books you would have never even heard of before, and have a sense of belonging in this huge online world of ours. I love blogging and now I can't imagine not doing it.
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