Top Ten Tips for New Book Bloggers

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists over at The Broke and the Bookish. They'd love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week they will post a new top ten list that one of our bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Top Ten Tips for New Book Bloggers:

1. Establish Your Blog Voice – You probably already know that there are hundreds (if not thousands) of book blogs out there. Like it or not, those blogs are all competing for a pretty similar audience. This means that you, your blog and your voice need to somehow stand out from the rest as unique. For me, my blog voice is just me, myself and I. For others, they adopt a personality. It’s entirely your choice! Have fun with it.

2. Pick Your Genre – I think it’s great when blogs can be completely cross-genre and encompass both adult and YA books. I’ve found, over time, that just being a simple YA blog works for me. This way, I can keep my reviews streamlined, and I don’t confuse publishers when they request reviews. There are niche blogs and there are more broad-based blogs. Pick what works for you.

3. Choose a Rating System – Your rating system is your way of separating the books that work for you from the books that don’t. I’ve seen some bloggers out there that don’t post negative reviews, which is fine, but for me, I decided that if I didn’t post what didn’t work for me, I wouldn’t be able to show what did work! I went with a simple 5-star system because it’s pretty much universal, but have fun with it…make it your own.

4. Ask for Help – Trust me…there is absolutely no shame in asking other bloggers for help! I remember when I first started blogging, and I had no clue what to do. If it hadn’t been for awesome bloggers offering up their expertise, I probably would have quit two years ago. We all have to start somewhere.

5. Don’t Overwhelm Yourself – It’s great to start your blog off with a bang, but remember that slow and steady wins the race. If you do too many posts too fast, you could well find yourself overwhelmed and burned out. I’ve had my fair share of hiatuses because of that, but there have also been times where I considered ending the blog. Give yourself a break, and take your time.

6. Be Yourself – It is a good idea to see what other blogs do, what works for them and whatnot, but it is NOT a good idea to replicate them. If you aren’t original, bloggers have no reason to follow you as opposed to the other blogger. It is your voice, your personality and your take that is going to build an audience.

7. Don’t Get Discouraged – There are always going to be bigger and better blogs, kiddos. There just are. Are there days when I get bummed? Of course! It’s natural. However, don’t fool yourself into thinking that your small blog is any less than the big blogs. Give it time. It will grow.

8. Be Relevant – If you’ve declared your blog a YA blog, then by all means remain a YA blog. If you’ve decided you’re an adult blog, leave it that way. Don’t cloud the message or the agenda of your blog with ambiguities. People want to know what they are going to find when they visit your blog. If you confuse them, they probably won’t continue to follow you.

9. Use Social Media – This one is huge, and this isn’t just because I’m biased (I’m a social media strategist by day). If you expect to grow your blog without the aid of Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Goodreads, Pinterest and more, you’ll find it taking a lot longer than you might want. These free mediums are your friends. Don’t be afraid to publicize your blog!

10. Have Fun – This is probably the one that I just can’t tout enough. Guys, if you’re not having fun, it’s most likely not worth it. I don’t do this as a job, and I certainly don’t get paid for it. I do, however, love blogging and love my bloggy friends. Enjoy what you’re doing. People will tell if you don’t, and they won’t be as inspired by your posts. Don’t take it too seriously…just have a blast!