Busting the Newbie Blues Event

Small Review is hosting this great event designed to introduce new YA book bloggers and hear from experienced bloggers for their perspective so we can all learn from each other. Since I am most definitely a new blogger, I figured this would be a great way to connect with some new people and introduce myself a bit more.  I also have updated my About Me page so you can get to know me better.

You can access the event here and check out the linked posts to meet more bloggers. Below are my responses to the newbie questionnaire.

When did you start your blog?

Um.  December 3rd.  Of this year.  I'm reeeeally new.

Why did you start your blog?

I wanted a way to network with other writers and discover more YA fiction titles.  I wanted to plug in to the community.  I'm working on a novel that I started during NaNoWriMo, and have taken writing classes at the fabulous StoryStudio Chicago.  Through the writers I met there, I discovered a lot of them have blogs and use them to get important industry news, connect with authors, perfect their query letters and so on.  I wanted to be a part of all of that.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?

Figuring out the lingo, etiquette, stuff like that.  I'm always worried I'll accidentally commit some horrific faux pas and get myself kicked out of the cool kids' club.  I'm still getting my sea legs, so there are bound to be missteps, but there are tons of helpful websites and blog posts around.  Parajunkee's View has a great Book Blogging 101 series that has been a terrific resource for me.

What do you find most discouraging about being a new blogger?

The feeling that I don't have anything new to bring to the table.  But Elana Johnson said it best: there is only one me, and that's the new perspective I'm bringing.

What do you find most encouraging?

People have already been very supportive and social. They comment back or introduce themselves in forums.  Everyone seems really nice and noncompetitive, which is a relief.  It makes me feel like this was a good choice.

What do you like best about the blogs you read? Have you tried to replicate this in your blog?

I love the humor.  I love the honesty.  I'm definitely making an effort to bring out those elements more in my posts.  Not because everyone else is doing it so I should too, but because it's who I am.  It's just another reminder that I needs to keep it realz.

And I'm not gonna lie.  I love the giveaways, contests and challenges.  They're fun and motivating and get us all interacting and supporting each other.  I definitely want to host some of these in the future when I'm more established.  In the meantime I'll just keep stalking the rest of you.

What do you dislike about blogs you’ve read? Do you try to avoid this?

Since I'm still at the very beginning, I tend to make note of design elements that don't work for me as a blog reader so I can avoid incorporating those types of things.  I like seeing all of the different color schemes and buttons (how do you make those, by the way?) and layouts, then asking myself why I prefer one over the other.

Any advice for other new bloggers?

Don't be afraid to jump right in.  People will welcome you with open arms.  And never be afraid to ask questions. (Like, seriously, how do I make a button?)

Anything else you’d like to share about your experience?

This experience is opening me up to the book industry in a big way.  It's really eye opening to see how agents, editors, authors, aspiring authors, and reviewers all interact and come together to talk about everything related to books.  We're all after the same thing - to make excellent literature that people enjoy.

It's really fun and exciting to me to be exposed to authors still waiting for their books to be published.  It's great to get to know some of these people before I have the honor to read their writing, which is why I jumped immediately on Badass Bookie's Debutante Event and The Story Siren's Debut Author Challenge.

Is there anything you’d like to tell us about your blog?

I would love to hear suggestions, tips, bits of wisdom, anything, from my more experienced blogger brethren.  I want to make this a place where people like to return.  I'll be posting daily until my sanity reminds me that I have a life and I need to peel my fingers off of the keyboard, so feel free to stop by and say hi.

Thank you to Small Review for hosting this!  If you want to see how other book bloggers responded to their questionnaires, or want to participate yourself, check out the event page and join in the fun.