Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at the other blog I write for, The Broke and the Bookish.
Life as a book blogger is by no means easy, but it's amazing and I love it! I had no idea that I'd still be blogging three years later! Today I get to share with you my list of awesome stuff that makes being a book blogger just a bit easier.
Goodreads (and Goodreads App)
Oh my, Goodreads is a godsend. I have no idea what I would do without it! I use it for investigating the books I'm asked to read and review before accepting, keeping an inventory of the books I own or want, posting my reviews for extra publicity, finding new blogging friends and groups to join, and networking with authors. I'm always updating what I'm reading and what page I'm on, and I love to keep track of what my friends are up to! I have found some amazing books through recommendations on Goodreads!
Netgalley/Edelweiss
These two sites are just no good for me, even though I love them so! I love the easy access to galleys, and the fact that you can submit your review to the publisher through them. It's much easier to receive a book through these sites, because it costs the pubs less... so that means more opportunities for me! AND... they take up no room on my shelves, so I can request so many more!
Nice, polite authors
I love authors that support book bloggers. I can't tell you how many times I've received an email or tweet from an author, thanking me for my review. Sometimes I'm even thanked for bad reviews! It really makes life so much easier when authors understand us, and recognize that we're doing what we love.
Kindle
My Kindle holds so many more books than my shelves ever could! I'd hate to have to stop reading because I had no more room! Never fear, this can't possibly happen anymore!
Business Cards
Oh yes. Business cards are a must. You can hand them out at events, slip them in to books you giveaway, leave them on boards at libraries or book shops, etc. It's definitely a great way to get your name out.
Blogging Friends
You, my friends, make blogging so much fun! I love talking books with you, reading your reviews, participating in your memes and book events, sharing ARCs, and finding you at events! I'm not sure I could do it without you. :)
I love interacting with you all through Twitter! And I love using it to promote my posts.
iCal/Google Calendar
I have no idea what I would do without these calendars for scheduling out my posts. I'd be double-booked all over the place!
Amazon Prime
Books in two days? YES. Plus, you can borrow a lot of Kindle books for free through Amazon Prime.
Book Events (signings, ALA, BEA, etc.)
Events are the best way to network with the pubs and authors you email all the time. Showing up at events shows them that you're in this for the long haul. It builds trust, plus they get to put a face with a name and you do too!
So, what am I missing? Are there any secrets out there you'd like to let me in on? :)
I have to agree with Goodreads! Such a godsend.
ReplyDeleteHere's my Top Ten Tuesday.
I love the Goodreads app! I love being able to scan books in, it's my favorite part. And Goodreads in general has just made my life so much more organized. I want to go to more bookish events like BEA... I would love to get there someday! And business cards are a good idea too!
ReplyDeleteMy TTT
Agree with you 100% on the business cards! Such a great investment!!
ReplyDeleteIndigo @ Adventures in YA Fiction
My TTT: http://adventuresinyafiction.blogspot.ca/2013/08/top-ten-6-things-that-make-your-life-as.html
I always forget about my biz cards. AndI totally agree about events. I love going to them, and get warm fuzzies when an author recognizes me somewhere else. :D
ReplyDeleteGod bless Goodreads! Great list, and welcome back! We missed you. :)
ReplyDeleteMy TTT:
http://qaisracetusbookblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/top-ten-tuesday-82013.html
Isn't it funny how some of the things we rely on the most when it comes to reading and blogging are simultaneously our best friends and our worst enemies? I was immediately reminded of this when I read your comments about Goodreads and Netgalley/Edelweiss. I adore Goodreads for a number of reasons (It helps me track my reading goals, keep up with my friends' latest reading updates, etc) but it's also single-handedly responsible for adding to my ever-growing TBR list exponentially :P While I love that I'm able to discover new books on the site that I would like to read on a daily basis, Goodreads is a little like a black hole. I'll look up one book and still find myself searching through their database three hours later, with twenty+ books that I now desperately need to read immediately. Hehe. I would pretend to be angry at it if I didn't love it so ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm absolutely kicking myself for forgetting to include authors on my own list this week! I've met and spoken with so many lovely writers in my short two months as a blogger, and they make the experience both more pleasurable and infinitely easier! It's nice to know that no matter what your experience with a particular book, there's an open forum in which to discuss your feelings without fear of reprisal. Blogging would be far more difficult without the understanding and kindness of the authors who pen the works we read on a daily basis.
Goodreads is wonderful! I wish I had the fancy iPhone app (the Android one didn't work great for me).
ReplyDeleteHaha, NG & EW sometimes make book blogging harder in a sense, when we request TOO many books. But yes, in general, the easy access definitely makes them a big help!
I just got business cards made so I'm excited to be able to use them :) :)
Great list! Here's what helps make blogging & reading easier for me!
Goodreads was a must when I first started working at the library and I had so many books coming past my desk that I wanted to read I couldn't get to them all. It was so great to finally just make a visual list of them all. Now I got to it to find books for the discussions that I organize for our students every semester.
ReplyDeleteIt's been so fun to read everyone's posts today. Goodreads and NetGalley have come up consistently - I'd definitely be lost without them.
ReplyDeleteLove friendly authors and bloggers too. they do make blogging about books much more exciting! Since I focus on other things (other than books) I have to say friendly companies are a plus as well.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the Goodreads app. That scanning feature is my favorite. great list!
ReplyDeleteTwitter and my Goodreads APP have serouisly made blogging a thousand times easier for me and just opened me up to learning about new titles and talking to other bloggers! Thank God for it :)
ReplyDeleteLily @ Lilysbookblog
I love goodreads so much! I also really love bloglovin, without it there would be blogs i would forget to read!
ReplyDeleteI love goodreads so much! I also really love bloglovin, without it there would be blogs i would forget to read!
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