Top Ten Tuesday (3): Tips for New Book Bloggers

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new Top Ten list is posted.  Everyone is welcome to join.  All we 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. Network!- Reach out early on Twitter and Facebook (make a fan page). Twitter is a great, casual way to get to know other bloggers like you!
2. Don't stress too much about design.- I'm still making this mistake, but I'm starting to realize that how pretty the blog is isn't nearly as important as the content I publish.
3. Make a schedule- Whether it's just a paper & pencil calendar, or a Google calendar, or something more complex (I carry around a binder with everything that has to do with my blog), having something to keep track of the posts you're planning, books that need to be reviewed, tour dates, etc, is so helpful. You'll be surprised how quickly those review requests pile up and how easy it is to lose track of them.
4. Keep organized- You'll need something to keep track of the books you've read, ones on your TBR pile (or piles), etc. Goodreads is a great tool for this, you can make shelves to organize all your books and post your reviews there as well as on your blog. Excel spreadsheets can also be helpful to keep track of requests you receive, when you will review those books, and anything else pertaining to the books featured on your blog.
5. Don't worry about followers- If you post quality content, the numbers will eventually catch up, just be patient.
6. Don't expect to be flooded with free books.- I always get jealous when I see everyone's In My Mailbox posts (featuring books they've received in the past week). It seems like there's a never ending supply of books landing on everyone's doorstep (but mine). Then I take a step back and remind myself that most of the bloggers I'm following have been at this for much longer than I have and it takes time to build relationships with publishers, authors, and agents. This is another "Be Patient" tip.
7. Don't be afraid to talk to other bloggers- (or authors for that matter). The book blogging community is a great group of people. They seem intimidating at first (because, like me, you may be thinking 'gee, that'd be such a silly question to ask them and I'll just look like an idiot'). I got over that fear and have asked a few bloggers questions that seemed like silly things (most of the time they were, but it took someone else looking at something to figure it out), and I always got helpful responses. As far as authors go, most that I've seen on Twitter are more than happy to chat with fans, they are just people. :)
8. It's not necessary to post every day- I used to participate in memes every day just to get content published, but it wasn't meaningful content, so it didn't help anything. If anything, it probably hurt me in the beginning. I generally post 2-3 memes per week and try to get at least 1 review up too. Content is an ongoing struggle for me, but I'm realizing that memes are fun, but not what a blog should be based on.
9. Participate in events that help you reach your blogging goals- I recently learned (and participated in) a weekend event called Bloggiesta! There are mini challenges, Twitter parties, giveaways, and tons of goals to help get your blog going (or keep it running smoothly). I'm sure there are other events like this one, and I strongly recommend seeking them out. The next Bloggiesta is being held in September.
10. Enjoy yourself!- Remember why you started blogging and don't lose sight of that. Blogging shouldn't feel like work (because if it did, none of us would be doing it). Make your blog your own and try not to get too bogged down with deadlines and such.

Any tips I missed that new book bloggers should know about? (I still consider myself a newbie too since I haven't been at this for a full year yet)

Are you a new book blogger with a blog I should check out? Leave a link in the comments below!