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advice for new bloggers, author, book, bookblogwrimo, books, characters, fantasy, most popular posts, NaNoWriMo, novel, rating system, read, reader, review process, science fiction, scifi, writer, YA, young adult
Sponsored by Bookbumblings, BookBlogWriMo is an alternative to NaNoWriMo (A writing competition every November. The goal is to write 50,000 words in a month.) where there are blogging prompts for each day. I’m of course cheating and doing one post a week instead.
Sorry for the late post, the writing was working! (so of course I forgot the rest of the world) I’ve figured out the problem I was having with my plot! *does a happy dance*
Blogging Toolkit
I don’t really use anything to help me with my blogging. I do love the WordPress app on my phone! (Although it doesn’t show everyone’s posts) It’s handy to have everyone’s comments come right in and then I don’t have to subscribe for replies. I’ve given up trying to comment back on it though, because it’s rather unreliable. (So if you’ve seen my like your review and then come back later to comment it’s because I read it on my phone.)
Blogging Workflow
I try to plan ahead, but it rarely works. So every week I realize I was supposed to post something the next day, go into a panic, then spend forever writing something up. I really should schedule posts, but wordpress doesn’t like me so my posts never post themselves.
I am a compulsive editor I read my post like 3 times before I post it, then I always notice another typo, so I have to edit it.
Memes
I’ve never done a blogging Meme, but I’ve tried (and failed) to do Top Ten Tuesday a couple of times. This week is different though! I’ve completed my top ten post ahead of time and tomorrow will be my first ever Top Ten Tuesday! (Now I just have to figure out how I do the link up thing)
Advice for New Bloggers
1. Relax and try not to stress
2. Just be yourself
3. Comment on other blogger’s posts. It starts conversation, you make friends, and more people find out about you.
4. Add pretty pictures
Review Process
I make notes on random things while reading and then it’s always an effort to find them all when it’s time to write my review. The moment I finish a book I write the review (occasionally the next day) because if I wait I’ll forget what I wanted to say. (and though I procrastinate other things I never put that off, because I know it won’t happen if I do)
Ratings System
My ratings are out of 10 Stars (Because 5 aren’t enough)
10 Stars – I am obsessed with this book, I adore it, and must own it now! I will read it again and again.
9 Stars – An awesome book, just short of perfection! I still feel the need to own it even though I’ve read it.
8 Stars – A great book! I want to buy it, but I’ll wait for the used book store to have it.
7 Stars – A really good book. I might buy it, but I might not.
6 Stars – A good book, and I’m glad I read it, but I probably won’t read it again.
5 Stars – Well I finished it. It was okay, not for me.
4 Stars – This is a bad book, I can’t believe I read the whole thing.
3 Stars – I didn’t finish this book it was so bad, but I read enough to know how bad it was.
2 Stars – I am haunted by this book. It’s so awful I still have bad dreams about it.
1 Star – This is not a book, it is a collection of words that someone is trying to pass off as a book. It never should’ve been published.
How do you rate books? What is your blogging process/ system?
Woven Magic Books 
Love your description of a one star book haha. Good luck on NaNo! 🙂
Thank you! 😉 I hate writing negative reviews, but if I actually give a book only one star it will be for a very good reason.
I agree, that was funny 😀
hehe thanks! 😉
Yep, also loving the one-star book description 🙂 Two-star is funny too. 😀
Thanks! 🙂 I rarely give negative ratings, so when I do I feel strongly about them.
I’m a compulsive editor, too. And then when I find a typo months later, I’m so embarrassed!
My rating system only goes up to 5… but I’ve also got a “dead ladybug” for those books that are just so awful that they’re incompatible with life (you know, the ones where if you have to read one more sentence, you think you might actually drop dead because your brain will mutiny and stop functioning). I’ve had a few of those, but not many; books that bad usually just get DNFed.
As for linking up with Top Ten Tuesday, you just have to wait until Tuesday morning. The Broke and the Bookish’s TTT post will go up and it’ll have the linky thing in it; you can add your link at that point.
I once had someone on twitter point out a spelling mistake in my post title! I was mortified. Why doesn’t the title have spell check?
lol I love the dead bug rating!
Thanks for giving me advice on Top Ten Tuesday, thanks to you I actually got my post done ahead of time. 🙂
You can have a system to blogging? You mean you don’t have to just rush through a post the night before? This sounds familiar but it’s been months since I was that organized! About the only thing I’m good about is writing my reviews as soon as I finish a book, besides that I’m rushing the night before to come up with a post! Even my memes recently I’ve been behind on, and because of that when it comes to Top Ten Tuesday I tend to end up forgetting some of my more obvious choices!
I’m glad you figured out your plot! Yay! =)
Yeah apparently some bloggers have mystical powers where they can write posts days even weeks in advance. I’ve never been that organized!
Lately I haven’t even finished the book until the day before the post is supposed to go up.
Thanks! I was so happy that I finally figured things out, and it was so obvious too! 🙂
I do rate but I’m usually a 3/4-star girl. It’s rare that books are 5 stars and if they’re less than 3, I’ve usually DNFed them. And I do sometimes do DNF posts, though not that often.
Yeah most of my books wind up in the 6-7 range or 10 stars. I don’t seem to have much middle ground. I usually can’t give up on a book, I’d rather struggle through than quit.
The pictures problem for blogs in an interesting one. I definitely notice a blog more if it’s got something good to look at. However, coming up with pictures for my own blog is difficult.
I agree, it’s hard to find/make pictures, but I always like other blogs better that have them.
What wonderful advice for new bloggers! I am always trying to stay ahead of the game with my posts, but I am usually just a day ahead instead of a week like I want to be! When it comes to reviews- I have found that talking into an app that turns speech to texts works really well for a first draft. That way I can quickly get my thoughts down when I finish a book. The reviews still need a lot of editing and work, but my initial thoughts are all done and it helps me if I have time between finishing the book and writing the review.
Thank you! I just wish someone would’ve told me that last year. (I tend to over think things and panic) I think I’m doing well when I’m a day ahead. I actually got a post read two days ahead this week! Woohoo! Text to speech things don’t like me, I must misspeak or mumble or something. (I even have that Dragon software.) I’m usually better if I don’t have time, but some books I feel like I have to formulate my thoughts first. (Instead of just babbling about how good it was)
Yay for Top Ten Tuesday! I love those because I love making lists of stuff, I have no idea why. And all you have to do to link up is go to The Broke and the Bookish anytime after midnight EST, and they’ll have a link-up form, you just put in the url of the post and your name, and you’re good to go!
I am like you, rushing to get things done, completely forgetting about something, etc. Also, how do you survive without scheduled posts!? My goodness, my blog would be a mess.
I am glad your plot is working out now, that is so exciting! Hope it keeps going well for you 🙂
I love lists too, that’s why I kept trying to do this top ten thing. Thanks, that was my problem I was too early for once.
The few times I’ve tried scheduled posts, they never actually posted. (One time it posted like three times) For someone supposedly good with technology things sure like to act up around me.
Thank you! 😀 I’m so happy to even be writing a little bit again!
Second week of NaNo and I’m starting to feel the burn!
Love your star system. I have a similar one, but 5 stars with half stars. I can’t stand that sites like Goodreads don’t do half stars!
Yay! Good luck with your writing! 🙂
I know, five plain stars just isn’t enough. Thank you!
the only meme I really like is Stacking the Shelves. I like sharing my new books.
I like reading that meme, but I’ve actually been (sort of) behaving myself this fall so I wouldn’t have much to post.
Ah yes I really can’t plan for the blog, not possible except for interviews or else but otherwise it’s just a big impossible! I tried some memes but I need to plan to do that and well too annoying in the end so I’m only doing my Stacking the Shelves
Stacking the shelves is a fun meme to read. I never read what I just bought though. (My reading moods change so quickly) I wish I could plan ahead, it would make life so much simpler.
Planning ahead takes time, and planning ahead! And then, of course, there’s the countless editing runs that take just as much time as writing the post, so, really planning ahead is just an illusion. This only works for me when I remember I have a crying baby and less time than I would like here. But I’m glad to know there’s someone else out there battling the post scheduling!
I agree, it’s just so hard to remember ahead of time and if I actually do think of it I convince myself I have plenty of time. I’m my own worst enemy.
I wish I could do ratings but personally they drive me insane, I love that others have them, but I just can’t do it myself
I know what you mean, sometimes it’s just so hard to decide on a rating. I don’t want it to be too low to seem like I didn’t like it, but it did have issues.
Out of ten seems to be the best way because you’re right, five stars is quite limited. The thing is, I use the five star system and all the decimals in between as well LOL I’ve actually got a very detailed criteria that I save personally for me (but will have to post up one day so people can differentiate between the ratings. But it allows me to understand where I place things.) I never do memes either but congrats on your first one! I’ll have to check back to read it 🙂
Now that I think of it, most of my content is planned ahead by about a week? I schedule in review copies and when to read them and I brainstorm discussion posts. This week the review and discussion are kind of linked together and I had to make a last minute swap between the two when I realised that the review couldn’t go up without the discussion. I liked “themed” weeks though so I may have another go soon!
I’m a crazy editor like you as well. And even then, sometimes I spot mistakes and it DRIVES ME UP THE WALL BUT I CAN’T CHANGE THEM D; It’s pedantic but spellchecking and whatnot takes me about three hours and it drives me up the wall. Nights where I post can leave me up to 1am just to make sure everything goes up successfully which sucks. I used to use the scheduling button but it’s released posts early and uncompleted three times already and I think it’s time to learn a lesson LOL
I always wondered how people decided what decimal to use. I look forward to seeing how you do your ratings. Thanks! 🙂
A week ahead? That must be so nice. You always have the best discussion posts. I always struggle with what to talk about. Mine only wind up themed weeks because I get an idea for a discussion from a review.
I’m not the only one! I literally edit for hours. I keep reading it through to make sure it sounds good. My writing tends to be choppy. I couldn’t handle it if I couldn’t edit after I posted.
Wonderful answers! I enjoyed this post a lot! 🙂
PS: I love your review system!
Thank you! This BlogMo thing is fun. hehe thanks. 🙂
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Hello Molly, I’ve wandered over to your blog from Lorelle’s place and enjoyed reading through some of your reviews. I admire your star system and the predictability levels. 🙂
Thank you! I love discovering new blogs too.
It took a while to get my rating system figured out and the predictability just came from not wanting to spoil anything.
Thanks for sharing how you found me. I’m always curious.