This isn't 'my advice' because that means i'm telling you how to do something and i'm not so this is........
Information i have gained; (along the way from many bloggers and a lot of reading blogs and making my own opinions about things. I am sure a lot of bloggers will be saying similar things here)
*Always quality over quantity. Having post after post to get your blog 'bulked' out will not necessarily add anything to the blog in reality. The quality of the content is what is important, even if you do post everyday,it's what is in that post that's important. I honestly believe that it is better to only post say 3-4times a week, enough for people have see regular posts from you but not too much.
*Cite info-If you get inspiration from others then link them, it's a lovely way to say thank you and then people who like the post may go and see what this other blogger does. If you quote something or take words from another post then cite! Ask permission if you are doing almost identical or using a lot of their ideas and information. Citing can be within the post or as a footnote at the end of the post. Bloggers don't tend to mind.
*Networking-Twitter! This is fantastic for letting others know about your posts, to met others and have chats. I recommend this to all bloggers. I have met some GREAT people doing this. I never used this before i did blogging. Be careful when you tweet your post, maybe twice in a day to cover the different time-zones but doing lots will annoy people.
*Meme's-Are fantastic, great idea, they are fun, get's ideas out there, you learn a lot and it helps you to meet more people a long the way. However, if you did every meme out there, then that is all your blog is about. It doesn't make it 'your' blog that way, you need original content. I would say do 2 maximum, maybe 3 at a push.
*Your blog- Following on from the above topic- this is YOUR BLOG. Be yourself, be truthful to yourself. Don't think you have to be anything else!! Don't try and replicate any other blog or their style, don't try and do stuff that you think you have to do, in a way that others expect. If people don't like something they won't read or follow you, and if they don't then look at it as their loss and there will always be people who like what others don't. We are all individuals and UNIQUE! Think why your blog started and keep that in your mind- I started because i wanted to keep a record of the books i was reading, to review them and to learn of other books i may like. A long the way i found other things i like- memes, etc BUT also it was the book community and i have met some great people!! With reviews- there is no right or wrong, it is YOUR review! (I should have broken this down).
*Ask for help. Nothing wrong with this at all, contact bloggers; on twitter, on their posts and however you want. This is how we learn and clarify information.
EXPERTS...HELP HELP HELP........plz........
*Blog tours-What exactly are these? and how do i get authors to use my blog to advertise their books? do you contact them.
*Organisation-How do you keep organised with posts that are coming up? With when to blog and what. With your review and your books that need reading etc.
*Contacts-I am not at the point yet whether i really want to be contacting publishers etc but i did wonder how do you get on their mailing lists? How long did you leave it from blogging to contact them in regard to being put on the mailing list? What are people's experience of contacting publishers...is there alot of rejection out there. At present i receive ARCs digitally- this is great for me! however, how long was it before you requested/were sent physical copies? Was it a case of being on their mailing list to receive physical copies? I know this is way way off for me so please don't think i am planning on doing anything yet. I just want to gain information and to learn more about the blogging world.
Thank you..... =D
Honestly, any bit of information or help would be amazing. I want to say thank you to all the people who have sent me comments and chatted with me on twitter. I have LOVED armchair BEA and it has gone by SO fast!! It was a difficult week for me because i have being so busy and also ill but i did it :) I have neglected my reading though ...yikes!! My June TBR list will not be completed now haha.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Thank you so much*~*~*~*~ keep in touch*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Great tips that I agree with. Too many posts means the one "important" one.. like the actual book related post.. would get missed. But I do participate in one or two memes, especially the Mailbox Monday post. Those are great tools to see what other books are coming out.
ReplyDeleteAs far as your ? for book blog tours, I would suggest you looking up your authors that you want to review for. Find a contact email, and email them. Tell them who you are and what you would like to offer them.
There are several book tour publicity companies, but I hesitate to recommend them because it seems they stay within a certain niche, or genre, and right now I would assume you are not of the same nice as I am. (Historical fiction, and Christian historicals)
But try Book Blogs Ning Group.. this is where I started 3-4 years ago.
And here is my post for today.
I think your blog looks great and I'm a new follower!
ReplyDeleteBlog Tours are all over the place. There are a few companies that do them, but I have always been approached. Sometimes, self pubbed or indie authors organize their own, so keep an eye out b/c sometimes they ask for interest on Twitter.
I didn't really start asking for books until I had been blogging for 6 months consistently. I think some of them look for that. You have to start by emailing the generic publicity email that each pub has (usually listed in the website) but if someone responds, then you have a contact! I really think that writing thoughtful reviews and treating the pub/blogger relationship as a professional one goes a long way to establish a good relationship.
Kate @ Ex Libris
I think the only way to keep organized for future posts is to schedule them and save them as drafts. Then you'll have them set for the appropriate date and you'll see them every time you open up your blog dashboard.
ReplyDeleteIf you are interested in Blog Tours you can visit this site to possibly become a part of a new blog tour group. http://parajunkee.com/pjv-blog-tours/tour-hosts
those are such great thoughts and nice to have met you through armchairbea. I think that around the world tours also does book tours too.
ReplyDeleteOh, Becky :D Great post! And I love the tips :) You did learn some things well :) And I'm so glad you had fun!! I've enjoyed this week so so much! It was the best time ever! :) xx
ReplyDeleteBeckie! Fab post!... love the info & tips you shared.. especially about it being QUALITY over QUANTITY.
ReplyDeleteI had a super fun week too and am so glad I got to meet you!
I keep organized by sitting down for a minute every Sunday and making a list of what days I want to post a blog the next week, and what the post will be. I'll spread reviews out among the memes, think of a discussion post, plan a character connection, fit in the buddy reads, etc. It has really helped a lot to keep it all going much more smoother.
ReplyDeleteOnce you build up your blog and its reputation (does not mean high traffic) blog tours and publicists will come to you. Get yourself a review policy so anyone stopping by the blog can see what you do and don't want and what you can offer them. I find blog tours are often more trouble than they are worth but I know lots of people love hosting them!
ReplyDeleteSomeone above said to contact the general publicity email...I would suggest from my experience of UK publishers, that targeting your approach is more likely to work. You can often find out which publicist or PR company is responsible for the imprint or specific book you're after from asking around Twitter or your good blogging friends. Don't approach someone you don't know and ask for their contacts though. And if the publicist doesn't have their email online, it may be a case of passing your blog info along for you and seeing if the publicist will contact you.
From experience, there is very little rejection but sometimes silence! Don't be deterred, sometimes the books just turn up in the post even if you don't hear back by email. Although a few Uk pubs are finding their way on NetGalley, it still is very much a paper world over here, so it is probably easier to get print proofs than in the US.