Once again it’s time to answer a question raised through the Book Bloggers Hop courtesy of Coffee Addicted Writer.  This week:

As you grow in your blogging experience, have you become more particular in terms of what you will post on your blog or what books you will read for review on your blog?

The answer is yes, although you might not think so.  I’m still trying to work out the balance between what I want on my blog and what my readers want, and especially what might make visitors stop and read more (and maybe even start reading my books).

As I wrote a few weeks ago, maybe I don’t feature my writing enough. With six books out, I’m considering a weekly feature of quotes from them.  Maybe a few quotes from one book and you have to guess which one.  Is that six weeks of posting or could it last longer?  The main showcase for my writing is the Friday Flash Fiction, of course, but maybe I should make more of excerpts.  Maybe once or twice a month, and do the other weeks for that day with a Fiction in 50 (words), which you may have seen if you follow Bruce Gargoyle.

I’ve been featuring other people’s books a lot, with the aim of attracting visitors.  Although it adds content, I’ve come to the conclusion that Book Blasts don’t do that, and tours may not either, although they do attract me to be part of them, if they are the right book for my readers (i.e. something that would interest you).  I’m likely to continue doing book blasts for my author circle, but maybe not the other ones.  There’s an element of ‘do as you would be done by’ to consider.  I’ll still do book reviews, though.    I get a huge number of people visiting to read my review of A Christmas Carol.  I must work out what to do with my other blog pages to get a similar response!

This is a blog hop… so go hopping!

 

 

On selectivity in blogging – Book Bloggers Hop
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8 thoughts on “On selectivity in blogging – Book Bloggers Hop

  • 17 November, 2014 at 3:46 pm
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    I greatly fear I’ve been more swamped and ineffective than selective! I do know that keeping up with other bloggers takes time, and I was lured into Facebook by the demise of another on-line forum (we regrouped on FB, but that opens up way too many other things and isn’t a very good place for discussions), which is eating far too much time.

    As for reviews and blitzes, I shall keep doing reviews of whatever I’m reading (my reader[s]) know[s] that it gets a bit eclectic at times) as well as a few books that are part of tours. I have not done blitzes, except for my writer buddies, because I feel like doing a blitz is an endorsement, and I don’t want to endorse unless I have read. By the same token I do reviews on tours so I can offer my assessment (an exception is coming up next week).

    I think hops offer more chances to get actual followers who might become book readers, because they showcase you doing more of what you do.

    I think we should have coffee and discuss this–we are struggling with a lot of the same things! 🙂

    • 17 November, 2014 at 4:09 pm
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      Well, I tend to scribble notes to myself on ideas – especially when doing other things like checking through uploaded books 🙂
      I’ve got a numbe rof changes planned for the new year – I’ll drop you a line about them when I get time for it!

    • 19 November, 2014 at 10:59 pm
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      PS Your blog always looks well organised and interesting.

  • 17 November, 2014 at 7:14 pm
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    Thoughtful comment, Jemima. And thanks again for reviewing my book. If I could just imagine Rhe as a guinea pig with lustrous fur…

    • 19 November, 2014 at 10:57 pm
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      I do run short of names for my characters, Noelle, so if I need one with lustrous hair….

  • 17 November, 2014 at 10:04 pm
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    I always find it interesting when an author reviews someone else’s book. I wonder if authors read books that are similar to their own — or if that would cause contamination of some sort. (We software engineers have to be very careful not to look at code from someone else.) But surely authors are also readers. I find I’m intrigued to know what books appeal to the authors that I read. When I like an author’s books, would I find that I also like the books that they read for fun?

    • 19 November, 2014 at 11:06 pm
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      Yes, authors are encouraged to read widely. I find it helps to admire other people’s style (and also things you don’t like), but you have to find your own way of writing.

      I read a lot of other books for older children, mainly by independent authors, partly to help each other out. and partly because my readers may enjoy their books, since we have (in theory) the same target audience.

      Then again, I like a good crime novel (can’t write them myself) and also classic scifi, but I tend to review the first and not the second, for some unknown reason.

      If you find you do like the books I like (especially those I obviously read for fun – see my Readathon in September for some indication of those), then do let me know!

  • 24 November, 2014 at 1:51 pm
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    I am definitely quite selective. When it comes to my own blogging habits, I want to know more about the person or subject upon which the blog is focused. Anything that’s not about them is small doses only for me. So yes,the odd book excerpt, news of new releases and things, those are good.

    Reblogs nearly always leave me cold unless there’s a substantial introduction written by the person reblogging. Likewise book blasts and blog tours, UNLESS the tour is something that interests me.

    As a blogger it means I have the odd guest post but take part in very few blog tours and memes. If I reblog I tend to write an article which will be my own take and then link to the blog post that started it all off. I will blog articles from other people and will take part in book tours but only if I think they will interest the people who read my blog and only if I think they will appeal to the kinds of people who read my books. So that’s me. Mostly, I have to have actually read the book or something by the author and as I read about 10 books a year it means my recommendations are few and far between.

    So I’d say, go for personal take on the world, writing, publishing and then book news and excerpts.

    Cheers

    MTM

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