Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday : Tips for New Bloggers



1. Do It For The Right Reasons: When you decide to start up a book blog, start because you love to read and you want to express your feelings about books, not because you want free books. Hell when I started, I didn't know there was even a community or that you could request ARC's.

2. Experiment at First: Don't  be afraid to try new things with your blog, until you find what feels right for you. There are plenty of things I tried and changed, until my blog worked the way I wanted.

3. Create an Identity: When You have an identity, you become more recognizable

4. Prepare to Invest Time: Reading books and blogging about them is VERY time consuming, if you want to become a more serious blogger, be ready to spend the time doing so, it is almost a second job.

5. Don't Sweat The Stats: I am stealing this from Jamie's post on The Broke and The Bookish, but is true, something I still struggle with. Some blogs gain more followers then others, more comments, etc. It can make you crazy and make you compare, but truth is you didn't (of shouldn't have) begun blogging to gain a lot of followers.

6. The Rules are There are No Rules: Honestly, do whatever you want! Every blogger has a different thing they like or dislike about other blogs. So don't worry about it, and do what you want. Although, common etiquette is nice.

7. SOCIALIZE!: Comment on other bloggers blogs, use twitter, make connections. Most of the community is REALLY close, you may feel like an outsider. You may feel like there is a group of the "popular" bloggers and you are the outcast. But truth is most of them a really nice, don't be afraid to make an effort. Although, I have yet to find my Blogging BFF, I still talk to other bloggers semi regularly.

8. You Don't Have to Have An English Degree to Blog: This one worried me when I began. I am not some Literature Whiz, I don't really pay attention to prose and stuff like that. I write, how I speak and my English teacher would be disgraced. However, that doesn't mean you can't blog.

9. BE HONEST!: If you start reviewing every book you read like it is the BEST book you ever read, people are going to start calling you out on it. Especially, if you start reviewing ARC's. I know, it is hard when and publisher or even an author (which is even harder) gives you the chance to review their book. You don't want to write a bad review, in fear of ruining that connection you made or hurting their feelings. But really it is just better to write it like you see it.

10. Don't Ruin It For Other Bloggers: How you as blogger act, does affect other bloggers. Remember, although our "job" as bloggers does help publishers and authors promote their books, The authors and publishers do not have to allow us to have access to their books and their are Authors and Publishers etc. out there who already don't like book bloggers, So when you do something to take that from the rest of the community, it sucks. Even though it isn't a job, act with some sort of Professionalism.

10 comments:

  1. #4 is a big one to remember! The more serious you get the more work your blog is. I have to plan a bunch of posts all at once so I don't spend too much time during the week working on them :) As a newish blogger still your tips are helpful reminders, thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I didn't know what an arc was until I started my blog either. I also worried a lot about #8. Despite my love of reading I was never any good at writing. I still worry about my writing a little bit, but mostly I figure as long as I get the basic grammar down no one's going to complain.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love that you said to keep trying different things. I've been blogging for 3.5 yrs and my blog has gone through a lot of changes. Lots of different content, and I'm finally happy with my product. My reviews could use some work, but I'll be continually working on those. I also know that I'll need to change again sometimes in the future to keep evolving as a blogger. It's just the name of the game. Great list!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Cool list Kelsey! I definitely agree - blogs are personal and should be done for love first. I think people can tell when they're reading a blog written by someone who is passionate, and by someone who just sees it as a means to an end.

    Respecting the community is big too. Bloggers who don't take their role in the community seriously can damage things for others. It's sad to see publishers talking about limiting arcs and access because of the way some bloggers behave. We've all got to nurture our corner of the community and hold ourselves up to some standards.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I so agree with #7. I have had a ton of fun socializing, more-n-anything, I think, 'cause everyone here likes discussing books!! No BFF's, I suppose, or none that helped me go anywhere besides me following them around like a baby duck. If that counts. Sure... why not?!

    I'm a new follower. Great answers!! -Burgandy Ice

    ReplyDelete
  6. The time factor is very important! I have seen new blogs rise and fall within weeks, but with two IMM posts saying they "only got four review copies this week". I almost cried a little. :'D

    8 is difficult for me. I'm not a native speaker, as everyone who ever read a comment or post of mine, has probably long noticed.. So I feel very insecure about my posts. I wish people'd just tell me when I made mistakes, and I figreud I should add a Ask and Answer script to the blog so that people could anonymously tell me. *sigh*

    Very, very great list!

    Patricia // My Post

    ReplyDelete
  7. I don't really understand the stats thing. I mean, I DO, but the obsessing? I look at Google Analytics maybe a couple times a month or if I post something I hope will get attention. If it doesn't, I'm sad, but forget about it shortly after. I hope I never get hung up on them, because that is just stressful.

    YES, be honest! It's impossible to love EVERY SINGLE BOOK and it's weird and very likely dishonest if you do :(

    And heck no, there is no degree required to blog. Proper spelling/grammar is appreciated, but I slip up sometimes. I use all CAPS with NO REMORSE. It happens!

    Loving your blog is important. Making it YOU is important. Those people are easily recognizable and resonate with the blogging community.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I totally agree with all these! Great list! I'm a newish book blogger, and its always helpful reading what others have to say about blogging =). I'm definitely trying to get into socializing more, through commenting and Twitter.

    I'd love it if you came and checked out my top ten.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Kelsey,
    Thanks for the incredibly helpful advice. I'm learning a ton today! New follower on GFC :)
    Angela @ AJ Arndt Books Blog

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have Google Analytics only because of NetGalley. I rarely look at it, since I don't mind those notes. What I do like, are comments and that's the thing that matters to me :)

    And you are right about investing time. It's not that your blog works automatically; you have to put effort in it, but I think it's fun :)

    http://thedailyprophecy.blogspot.com/2012/04/top-10-tuesday-6.html

    ReplyDelete