As I sit in my rocking chair, knitting myself a Harry Potter jumper with an ‘H’ on because I can’t work out how to knit an ‘R’, I thought back, to the beginning of my blogging journey, 8 long months ago.
‘What have I learnt?’ I asked myself, and what can I , as a wise old blogger, offer to the younger of our kind in the form of tips and advice?
What did I do before blogging? It was so long ago that it is hard to recall but I am pretty sure it was remembered in black and white…
Here are my Top Ten Musings on the nature of being a book blogger, they might help, they might not, they might pass a coffee break , they might keep you awake at night…whichever effect they have…you are welcome !(but hopefully they will bring joy not angst).
1) Do not compare yourself to anyone else
There is room for everyone and if you think that it is a full, oversaturated market of people looking to pimp books then you are right, but also wrong! There is always room for 1 more! Your opinions matter!Read around, find your favourite book bloggers, say ‘Hello!’ , leave a comment and find your own tribe-they are out there, waiting to meet you!
2)Be true to yourself
Don’t try and copy someone else’s style, images or stalk their Instagram feed, look over their pics with a magnifying glass,scan their TBR pile, get your review in quicker, sit in tree with binoculars and take pictures of their postal deliveries. It is super hard, especially when you are trying to carve your own identity, you will read other people’s stuff, it will go in subliminally. Try and resist ,find your own style, sit and write what you know, and let it go. And if someone copies you? DM me , I know people…
3) Try not to be a snob
If you love reading,love reading.You are not going to go from a book reader, to the top of the list of a major publishing company’s blogger list overnight. Read the books you love and be open to independent presses, self published authors and book review requests. Champion the little guy as much as the big hitters and leave a review .Book reviews matter!Show your library some love and order those books in!
4) You don’t need to be rich to have a lot of books
If you can’t afford books, there are still plenty of ways to pick up books-as a poor impoverished student, I struggle and buy them second hand, borrow, swap, whichever way I can to read. I even make my own clothes so that I can budget more for books! There are ways! I am in my early 40’s,and have been buying books/had them bought for me since I was 15. People pass books on to me and then I pass them. I have a lot of books.
Because that is a lot of years in which to accumulate them. So if I post a lot of pictures of books, it’s not because I have lots of money , or know the right people, some are probably older than you ! Also, I have noticed a lot of community bookshelves popping up in random places such as banks, pubs and so forth, where you can take a book, swap one, donate them even. Or maybe start a book swap of your own!
5)….which leads me to ‘BookBloggers Buy Books!’
Bit of a thing this year, lots of people were quite vocal across social media platforms about ‘bloggers being blaggers’. I can honestly say this is so far from true. Publishing companies are increasingly looking for enthusiastic readers to spread the bookish love.
You don’t stop buying books because you may be given access to a free copy. One word-back catalogue. You find new authors and new blogging buddies and it is wonderful! And before you know it, publishers and authors you weren’t aware of are now your favourites thanks to a blog tour, or a review. Bookish Twitter is wonderful and terrible for leading you to your new bookish obsession! 
6) Authors will not always rave about, or even like your reviews.
It may be a complete tumbleweed moment. You have spent all weekend writing a well considered, thoughtful review , tagged them, the publisher, their dog, everywhere and NOTHING. Silence. Yet a quick check of their Twitter feed shows them retweeting and sharing the reviews of people you thought were friends/fellow book bloggers/blog tour participants. OMG. The shame, the rolling waves of shame. Stop it.Your review was fine. If you write reviews that are honest and backed up with why you liked them,or why you thought they were really good but not amazing, then a 4* review is their ego issue not yours.
7)Pay it forward
Forward, retweet, tag and share your fellow bloggers. If you see a book competition or requests for readers then share it. Let your friends know, share their blog posts, like and comment when possible. There is no greater fear than pressing ‘publish’ and sending your book review/blogpost out into the world to a deafening silence.
8) Have fun!
If it becomes like work or a chore, then it’s no longer fun. You read to escape, you read to get away from daily life -which lets face it, is pretty grim right now-not to panic about your books read to books bought ratio or the 60 blog tours you signed yourself up for . If it’s not fun, stop. Take a break-social media breaks are a super good idea, you can get obsessed with FOMO but actually you are missing out. On real life.
9) Don’t be competitive
This sounds suspiciously like 1 and 2 but it’s not . It kind of is but really it’s about letting it all go. Your best blogger buddy across the world gets invited to a book launch party. His tweet got 7000 likes. Or she has 578 followers after a month of blogging. That is ok! Be happy for them! Don’t let it eat you up inside.
If you have been blogging for a month then no, you are probably not going to have a squillion Instagram followers, and if you do, what are they really there for? Have a look back over your pics maybe there is one of some cheeky ankles and suddenly you have a lot of followers not because of books but because of that, you naughty minx! Instagram is both good and bad. I will share links down below about the power of social media and how it can affect your mental health.
10) BE KIND!
If you don’t like a book, don’t review. Saying something was ‘rubbish’ or a ‘waste of time’ does not help people make informed choices about what to read. It causes upset , drives an authors ratings down and is unnecessary. If you are approached by an author to read their work and you don’t like it, politely offer them constructive feedback and if they get mean or snarky it’s on them.And if they, or their friends and family gang up on you, D.M,I know people….
You are spending 6/7 hours reading a book to help promote it, your time and work is valuable!
If someone grants a book request, say thank you.
If someone asks you to read their work say ‘Thank you’ or ‘Not at the moment’.
If someone inspires you, acknowledge your source.
It is not a competition, it is about writing about what you love and hoping that someone out there might find their new favourite author, thanks to you!
And if you find a book thanks to a book blogger, I can 100% confirm it would make their day to hear this !
Links
https://www.sophisblogging.com/bad-habits-i-picked-up-from-bookstagram/
https://www.thenovelendeavor.com/2018/03/bookworm-problems-reading-fomo/
https://beaucoupbooksblog.wordpress.com/2017/01/25/why-i-dont-have-bookstagram/
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“It is not a competition, it is about writing about what you love and hoping that someone out there might find their new favourite author, thanks to you.”
These are such inspiring words of wisdom for someone that’s only been blogging for eight months! Congratulations and thanks for the inspiration. =) Also, thanks for the mention from my Reading FOMO post! One of my goals for the new year is to really strip back my reading and focus on what I WANT to read versus what I SHOULD be reading. Cheers to the bookworm life!
I’LL DRINK TO THAT!! It is really about spreading the love, thank you for commenting and letting me use your brilliant think piece on FOMO.It can creep up so quickly…looking at the stats became a bit of an obsession when I put the hit counter on.
Totally with you on the aim for 2019 to be more selective, enjoy what I read and not feel it’s a race-I don’t want to not enjoy reading😄
Thank you so much that means a huge amount to me! Same here, what I want to read not what I feel I should-hoping your new year is off to a great start!