It occurred to me earlier today that it was in late April 2014 that I nervously posted my first post on WordPress. I don’t know if anyone saw it, but I posted another, then another, and gradually I got likes, and a comment. I was just planning to review my own – pretty huge – book collection as I read them, partly as a way of getting into writing often(ish!) again.
So I just thought I’d write a wee post about what I’ve learned along the way. Starting with…
- Book people are lovely (well, all the ones I’ve met are.) From fellow bloggers, to publicists, to authors – they are all wonderfully kind people, who genuinely love books.
- Life gets in the way (a lot!) In an ideal world I’d review every book as soon as I’d finished it, but stuff happens – good & bad – that throw the best laid plans in the bin. As long as you get there eventually, and keep people in the loop, they’re happy.
- Free books! (everyone else is too polite to mention this…) I didn’t know any book bloggers before I started blogging, and when I heard people mention NetGalley, I had to Google it. I probably went overboard that first time, not expecting any requests to be approved. But – wow! – they were, and I was reading a book I’d probably have had to wait until it came out in paperback to buy. Then, as you get to know more people in the book business (authors, publicists), you’ll be offered actual books. Mr Crimeworm thought this was fantastic, as it would save us money, but he revises that opinion every time he falls over a pile I’m moving. And he mustn’t rearrange them, otherwise he’ll mess up my mental filing system (I use mental in two senses of the word there!)
- I wasn’t getting great viewing figures until someone (thanks, Christine!) said, “Why don’t you use Twitter?” Doh! then – Wow! What a difference that made! Although it is highly addictive, it’s the best way to interact with the book community and upped my profile tremendously. (See how clueless I was?)
- I’m still crap at the technology side of things – because I spend my time reading, when I should be following WordPress tutorials (are they really helpful? I’ve heard they are.) I will get to it. And I still don’t know what a widget is (although I’ve a pretty good idea!)
- I can’t post a bad review. Luckily, most of what I read is self selected, so obviously I choose books I think I’ll like. But if I don’t get on with a book, it’s usually because it’s not my bag, and I can still pick out some positives from it. Also, with Twitter, authors can see your reviews, and most of mine know how to commit the perfect murder…My feeling is that people have put a lot of time, energy, and love into their book. Don’t diss that.
Well, that’s about it. Thank you to all who visit, even occasionally. Here’s to the next two (and many more, I hope…!)
crimeworm 