Top Ten Tuesday- Because I'm an Expert

This week's Tuesday Top Ten from The Broke and the Bookish asks for the top ten book blogging tips for a newbie, and, since I'm such an expert and all (hello, I don't have sixty-one followers for nothing) I figured I owed it the world to chime in. 

1. Pick a cool name- Find something that will set you apart without being corny, juvenile, or vague (example: Bookishly Boisterous). 

2. Don't give away endings without spoiler alerts- Seriously, only assholes do that, and nobody wants to be an asshole. Am I right, or am I right?

3. Bigger isn't always better- Your reviews do not need to be 1,000 words. In fact, you don't even need to have reviews!

4. Organization- Lists are nice (for example, "Book Read in 2012" or "The Ultimate To-Do List")

5. Stalk others- You can't expect traffic if no one knows you exist; post updates on Facebook and Twitter and comment on other blogs (see below- all the cool people are doing it). Subtle self-promotion is key if you want to attract visitors. Also, drop by blogs that aren't book related- I comment on health and fitness blogs more than book ones, and I see some carry over.

6. Give credit- If you are lifting memes or pictures from others, make sure to obviously site original sources. It polite, it's professional, and it's the law.

7. Maintenance- Update your lists, your "about me" section, and, most importantly your blog! The main reason why I drop blogs is because of infrequent updates. Don't post just for the hell of it, though; post interestingly, and post often.

8. Sex sells- Fine, maybe not sex, but be controversial on occasion. You can be somewhat-polite while still voicing your opinion (hey, have you seen my post on The Hunger Games movie? Or Fifty Shades of Gray?)

9. Overkill- Please don't put five million challenge badges on your site. Takes longer to load and is visually cluttering. 

10. Spelling counts- So does grammar! While no one expects perfection, someone who is writing a book blog should probably be able to write coherently. 

In all seriousness, I definitely don't consider myself anywhere near worthy of handing out advice- there are far, far better book blogs than mine. I do love keeping up Bookishly Boisterous, though, which I think is half the battle- you have to love what you do!

12 comments:

  1. Hi there,

    Great list! I especially like "2. Don't give away endings without spoiler alerts" !!! This just p!$$e$ me off :P

    Top Ten Tuesday

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  2. I always wonder how Blogspot users manage to think of the Spoiler warnings. I just add the shortcode for the spoiler tab, but it always seems then when it comes to stuff like this, Blogspot makes it a little harder for you to do the same.

    Anyway, great list!

    Patricia // My Post

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  3. I'm terrible when it comes to keeping my reviews short and concise, so that's something I've been mindful of lately. Great tips!

    My Top Ten Tips @ YA Books

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  4. Definitely agree with 1, 5, 9 and 10!

    I remember wishing at one point I'd chosen a more bookish name! That said, it's not turned out too bad, I suppose. I also think I was one of those people that was scared to reach out and connect with other people, and still somehow expected blog traffic!

    Great list - now a follower!

    Tara @ Hey, Tara

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  5. No spoiler alerts! YES! Loved seeing that on your list.

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  6. Spoiler alerts! I never thought about putting that in my list, but you are so right. Nothing is more annoying than reading a spoiler without knowing it, until it is too late..

    And grammars are important, I know, but bear in mind that some bloggers don't have English as their native language (like me :p) and than it can be pretty hard..

    http://thedailyprophecy.blogspot.com/2012/04/top-10-tuesday-6.html

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  7. Great tips! Thanks so much for posting them. I'm learning so much today.

    Angela @ AJ Arndt Books Blog

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  8. Totally agree with #2! I've read too many reviews that totally wrecked the book I was about to read..

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  9. I agree with what you said about stalking other peoples blogs and making lists, I love lists.

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  10. Reviews giving away spoilers without highlighting it are my pet hate! If I haven't read a book now I'm very selective where I'll read a review from, just so I won't be spoiled.

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  11. "Post interestingly, post often." Spot on! I try to do that, but I honestly think some times what I'm saying is only interesting to me. At least I fit the "often" part!*

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  12. I love the tip about a name - I wish I had thought about mine more before I started/

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