Armchair BEA Day 5 - The Future of Book Blogging

Design Credit: Nina @ Nina Reads

Today is supposed to be an "Ask The Expert" post when it comes to book blogging, but I'm not an expert. I've only been doing this for around five months, so what you'd get is "Ask the Amateur". That's to say that I haven't learned a few things along the way, but there is still so much that I don't know. If you're interested in my lowly advice, it's free to anyone who wants to read it. It sure has helped me.

1. NetGalley/Edelweiss are your friends when used responsibly. Unless you have absolutely nothing to do in your spare time, be conservative in your requests. Once upon a time, someone told me that publishers were very unlikely to allow their galleys to go to new bloggers. I have found that publishers are nothing but wonderful, understanding individuals that are very kind and accommodating when it comes to bloggers - and librarians. I did learn this lesson the hard way, but I'm too embarrassed to go into details. Let's just say it's a mess that I'm still trying to clean up. *blushes*
   
   
2. Always be professional - always. The book industry is a business. We may not always be paid for what we do (I'm not), but we should conduct ourselves as professionals. Yes, this is a hobby, and it is a lot of fun. However, people's livelihoods are tied up in our reviews, promotions, and features. The least we can do is behave in a dignified manner and respect our commitments. I'm not saying that no one should crack jokes or have DNFs, but it is important to remember that at the end of the day, we're providing a service. Even if you don't work directly with publishers or authors, people will read your blog. Be a trusted, respectable, and reliable information source.
   
   
3. Make a blogging buddy. Even if you do not have time to network or interact with other bloggers on a regular basis, you should find someone in the book blogging community to be your confidant. I don't have anyone in my personal life that gives two shakes of a stick about my blog, so it's nice to have a few ladies that I can talk to about the ups and downs of blogging. Even if you have supportive family or friends, it's great to have someone that understands what blogging entails. This is also especially important to new bloggers because you can learn so much from the seasoned professionals. Life is so much better when you have a friend.
   
   
4. It should only be your hobby if you are having fun. As someone who has been a writer for a very long time, I can testify to the fact that if you're not enjoying what you're doing, it's going to show up in your work. It's going to sound forced or the quality is going to drop. If something about your blog is not enjoyable or working for you - change it. Nothing is set in stone. This is your baby, and it needs to be for yourself, first and foremost. Once you're doing what you love, everything else will fall into place. I know it sounds vague, but when you get it, you'll get it. Work hard at what you have fun doing, and you will be successful. You can hold me to that.
   
   
5. Get a life. There is an entire world outside of our books, blogs, and computers. Sometimes, we need to just step away from it all, and do things that have absolutely no relevance to the latest releases, who is getting ARCs, who gets which authors, etc. I'm  not saying that you should do it every day but once in a while. The little things won't matter as much if you're not too tied into it all.

That is all this rookie has to offer up to you today. Do you have any great tips that you would like to share with me? I take help and advice anywhere that I can get it. I'd also like for you to leave your link so I can visit your blog, too.

If you're so inclined, there are five open giveaways that you are welcome to enter while you are here.