10 Blogging Tips - An Armchair BEA Post

It is a bit strange, but I was actually thinking about a post of this nature yesterday. I think it is a happy coincidence.

1. Be nice. Bloggers, authors, etc are people, too. If you disagree with something, be polite. If you dislike a book you should be respectful to the author. It is hard to be a blogger and an author and cranky people don't help.

2. Have fun. Some people think they have to do certain things, meet certain deadlines, etc. Blogging is a hobby for most of us, and at least started that way for others, so don't get overwhelmed and forget to enjoy.

3. Don't do only give-aways. This might just me, but even though free books are nice I get bored with blogs that never seem to do anything else. Variety is the spice of life.

4. Comment on blogs. I find this overwhelming some times, but people do enjoy hearing from you and any sort of acknowledgement that you were there is always appreciated.

5. Don't get stressed out by stats. I personally don't pay the slightest bit of attention to stats, but I know I am very much in the minority for this. I know that some sites want to know those sorts of things, but I have never particularly cared.

6. Share book hauls. If you are in the book blogging community it stands to reason your readers are interested in bookish treasures.

7. Be original. I have moments like this too, but people get caught up in new releases and forget about the 'older' books. It does lead to hype, and that is great for the author and book, but if you see the same book over and over again it makes it hard for your visitors to think of an original comment to make or some just get bored.

8. Don't be intimidated. I hear all the time how people are too intimidated to comment on certain blogs. When these conversations occur the person is always shocked to find themselves intimidating. So, break out of your comfort zone and comment. You might just make a new friend!

9. Utilize social media, but don't go overboard. It is fine to use social media, but it can get overwhelming if you feel you have to do everything. Choose what works for you and have fun. It is not supposed to be a chore!

10. Join things. If you want to meet more people, especially if you are a new blogger, work a bit of time into your schedule to join an event (like Armchair BEA), a read-along, or even a reading challenge. It will help bring your blog to other people's attention and then can lead to increased traffic.