Blogging Tips #5: Organization

Welcome back to another edition of Blogging Tips!  This week I'm talking about organization, and how I organize.  If you're interested in commenting and leaving information about how you stay organized (or email me at tsundokublog(at)gmail(dot)com) then next month I'll do a part two featuring your organization tips!  But for now, here's how I stay organized.

How important is organization?

Well, pretty important.  You don't have to be as anal as me, and just keep a loose structure, but I recommend some sort of organization because it helps you post regularly, and this is what you'll want to do if you want to maintain an interesting and engaging blog.  I know I most enjoy reading blogs that post at least twice a week under normal circumstances.  Yes, everyone deserves a break, but if you're planning to dedicate yourself to blogging, that actually means dedication is necessary.

A calendar.

I actually have two calendar's for planning blogging.  One is for just keeping track of when I want things published, and one is for keeping track of when I'm writing the posts, editing the posts, and doing other "caretaker" things, like answering/responding to comments.  You only really need one, and I recommend just using it to see when things are planned to be publish.

Write ahead of time.

This doesn't always work, but if you can write a post in advance, it will really help you out.  I do this for memes like Waiting on Wednesday and Friday 56, and also, often, with review posts so that I can go back and change them if I wanted to.

"Caretaking"

This is just a term I use for the little things involved in running a blog.  I often have to put these on my calendar to remind me that yes, they do have to be taken care of.  For example, I need to remind myself to contact winner's of giveaways, respond to comments, and go on twitter in general (I don't know why this last one is so hard to just do).  I honestly really recommend doing this because it helps to just keep everything running smoothly.

Don't Plan too Much for Any One Day

I have stressed myself out in the past by trying to do everything in one sitting.  I often can only write one good post a day, so I try not to schedule more than one a day.  I also try not to edit more than one or two posts a day, because I just sort of lose focus as I do them.

Blogging Tips #4: Blogging Safety

This is my first Blogging Tips post since November since it is now a monthly post and not bi-weekly. I've been blogging for over a year now (just barely) and while I'm no expert in the field, I do think I've picked up quite a few things.

Today I wanted to talk about Blogging Safety, not because I've had issues, or am directly connected to anyone who has (to my knowledge) but because I was thinking about it lately.  It's going to be a rather short post, because there's little to say on this, since I feel like a bit of it is common knowledge since safety on the internet isn't so different from safety in real life.

Don't be stupid

Okay, that sounds really harsh, but it's the only way I can think of summing up this point.  Don't just dangle your address out there for the world to see.  Sometimes I put my general location out there, like the fact that I live in Illinois, and I have actually talked about my college, but I don't get more specific than that.  You could theoretically find me, but it would take a bit of work (considering I use a pen name of sorts... I've talked about that here, if you're interested) and I trust that the regular visitor probably doesn't want to.  I'm not completely locked down on my location, but I don't like everyone to know.  Of course, you could keep where you are even quieter than I do.  It's a choice.  In fact, before I turned eighteen, I never even put the country I was in online (outside of my personal Facebook), because I was rather paranoid.  The bottom line: don't be stupid.

"But What About ARC's and Galleys and the like?"

Well, that's a different matter.  You say you want ARCs?  Well, it's good to have a review policy somewhere on the blog with a way to contact you, but DO NOT PUT YOUR ADDRESS THERE!  Seriously, because you will get spam for sure, and maybe worse.  This falls under the don't be stupid idea.  If someone contacts you with a book they want you to read, if you've never heard of them, duo a quick google.  See if they're legit, if other reviews have reviewed the book, if they have a website and a track record.  Don't feel like you have to go total private eye or anything, but don't get scammed.  If you're requesting through a traditional publisher, you're probably safer since they do have a track record.

"And how about giveaways I've won?"

Well, first of all, congrats.  Winning is awesome!  Okay, but do you give your address?  Well, it's a little late now that you've won to ask yourself this since most of the time it says that you need to be able to give your address in an email in order to receive your prize.  So, really, in this case, just think about it before you enter.  I've never had any problems with anyone, and most of the time, I don't enter giveaways unless I know the blogger.  If it's not a blog, but a different kind of website, go back to the idea of "Don't Be Stupid" and if it feels like a scam or like it's wrong, don't enter.

Moral of this story: Trust your gut and don't be stupid.  Pretty simple.

I hope this doesn't come off too negative, since I'm really writing this post to be helpful.  I really just want everyone to be safe on the internet and be careful with their information.  (I will admit I'm writing this a bit late, so it's not as streamlined as I would like.)

Blogging Tips #3: Writing A Review

Hello and welcome to another edition of Blogging Tips!  So far, doing these has been a lot of fun, and actually help me evaluate my own blogging.  I love encouraging people to blog, and I love lending a helping hand.  Thanks again to the wonderful Lauren, who lent some advice in the comments section.  You can see that here if you are interested.  And, if you're interested, please don't be afraid to ask questions or lend your own experience and advice in either the comments section or by emailing me here.

Like last time, I'll be posting her advice, and then expanding on it with my own thoughts as well as adding my own additional advice.  This post is specifically about writing a book review, so I hope it helps.

Her advice: Include a picture, rating, and short summary.

My Thoughts: Yes, yes, and yes!  And make sure all three are easily accessible in the review.  People will always look at the picture and the rating to get a general idea, and then the summary.  I know if it's a book I've never heard of my first desire is to find out what it's about.  I recommend putting the picture, rating, and summary at the top of the post, though the rating can just as easily go at the bottom.

Pictures can be taken from anywhere, and taking your own always has a really great affect and makes things personal, but if you're like me, you may just want to get them from Goodreads.  And that way, you also know that every picture will be the same size.

The most important thing to keep in mind about ratings is that you need a set way to rate.  If you're going to do it out of five stars, make sure you do it out of five stars every time.  And have some set criteria.  I do it based off of how I feel when I immediately finish the book and then, on top of that, how well it was written and thought out.  I work to separate myself from the name of the author or the fandom, because it's more accurate for me that way.  It doesn't always work, but it allows me to really admit whether a book was actually good or just popular.  Rating can be hard, and it helps to keep a little chart somewhere, whether it's public on your blog or not, about what constitutes a good book for you.

Summaries can be done in two main ways.  Either take it from somewhere else, like the back cover, or summarize it yourself.  I like to summarize myself, just because sometimes the blurbs can be misleading sometimes.  However, both ways are pretty good.

Her advice: Include likes and dislikes.  Discuss what I would want to know as a reader.

My thoughts: Including both likes and dislikes is important.  And remember, when writing posts, the first and last points will be the most powerful.  People are more keen to remember the first and last thing they read, so if you really want to get something across, whether it's a problem or a perk, put it in one of these locations.

Discussing what one might want to know before going in is important.  It can be pretty much anything.  For me, if there's some really adult stuff, like graphic sex, I try to put that somewhere where someone can find it immediately.  Or if there's some sort of possible trigger, like rape.  Having these notices can help.  And, generally, just giving advice about the book, like whether the cover is super misleading, can be really beneficial to those interested in reading.  A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself whether you would have wanted to know this before diving in.

Her advice: Wrap it up.

My thoughts: Yep, this is super important because it helps get the general point across to the reader.  This isn't unlike summarizing an essay you've written for class.  Lauren likes to use .gif's or pictures (and she does an AWESOME job of it).  I don't do this, but I love how it gets across information.  As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

My advice: Keep your format the same.

It doesn't have to be cookie cutter, but it's a good idea to keep each review somewhat the same, format wise.  If you always start with a summary, start with a summary.  If you always end with the rating, end with the rating.  That way, people who stop by your blog regularly won't have trouble finding the information you need.  Don't let this stop your creativity, but also don't start doing experimental review formats every single time you post.  Finding your rhythm will take time, but you will find it.

My advice: Include links to the author/where to buy/Goodreads.

This isn't really that necessary, since it's not exactly hard to google stuff nowadays, but I like to include links to make things even easier.  I know after reading certain reviews I've gone and bought the book immediately (yes, I have a problem).  It can be a nice touch.

If you're still looking for how to format your posts, you can always ask me a question.  Or, just stop by other book blogs and see how they work theirs!

Thanks again to Lauren!

There won't be another blogging tips post until January (they're now a monthly thing, rather than biweekly as I was once going to run them).  I'm not sure exactly what the theme for it will be, yet.  Thanks for stopping by!

Blogging Tips #2: Voice and Content

Hello and welcome to another Blogging Tips post!  I love to encourage people to blog, whether about books or not, and actually have a friend who has recently started blogging.  But that's neither here nor there.  Basically, I want to help out people who are new to blogging by giving advice.  And I want your help!  If you have tips you think would be great to give newcomers, please let me know in the comments, or email me at tsundokublog(at)gmail(dot)com.  These tips come courtesy of Lauren Stoolfire who I talked with in the comments of the last post, which you can access here.  Thanks, Lauren!

Blogging Tips #1: So You Want to Start a Blog

So you're wondering what this is since it's a new, let me tell you.  I've been blogging for almost a year now, and one of my suite-mates here has been considering starting a blog.  So, it made me think, maybe other people want to start a blog, too.  So, here are some tips, and some pros and cons if you're considering.