blogging

Remember when I used to be a regular blogger?

Exactly, 501 years ago, I believe it was. 😌 Back in my wild and woolly youth. I had a posting schedule, I answered hundreds of comments per day, I visited so so so many blogs, I spent hour upon hour on posts. And I do not regret it. It was hard, but it was also rewarding, my blog grew incredibly, and I really made great friends. I started this all in May, 2011, when I was 17. At the same time I really seriously started pursuing an author career — and fell in love with book blogging along the way.

But then in 2018, it all sort of fell apart.

I think sad music needs to play right now. 🥺 I’ve put two screenshots below of my blogging archive, to show how many posts I was putting up per month in 2017 vs 2019. So you can SEE it halved.

…whyyyyy, though? I mean this isn’t uncommon for bloggers to lose motivation. I think I read a statistic somewhere that said most bloggers last about 2-3 years on average. (Book blogging is a particularly difficult niche, because we don’t get paid but we’re under so much pressure to read/review/promote everything.)

I do have a complicated mess of reasons for my crash, so I want to actually TALK about them for once.

• The very very very first reason is MY BLOG BROKE. It stopped emailing people my posts and after a month, I went from 100 comments to 50 comments. I had no idea what was happening. I’m super busy, so it took a while to notice I was losing touch with other bloggers — and I didn’t realise my posts weren’t going out, so I kind of assumed people were stopping blogging. BUT NO. IT WAS ME. Turns out my blog’s (I’m self-hosted wordpress) scheduling wasn’t working. I realised this, stopped scheduling, and now manually publish my posts. But it took me over a year to figure this out so the damage was done. 😭 It’s still broken. I never schedule now. (And yes I’ve tried to have it fixed, but I don’t know what’s going on.) I still have people messaging me with: “Oh I thought you quit blogging.” 😫
• At the same time, I had three big life changes happening. (1) I got my dream of being an author, which was amazing, but stressful and complicated and new. As an autistic, I don’t actually function well with new things (EVEN IF I REALLY WANT THE THING) and there was a lot that went wrong a lot behind the scenes. They are still going wrong, bless. 😌 I’m stressed. And (2) I moved house and it really shook me. See aforementioned struggling with change. And lastly (3) my mental health just collapsed. Like, being honest? I was not okay. I feel a little more solid now, but I’m treating myself really gingerly. Depression and anxiety are actually illnesses, and I’m allowing myself to believe that now. I’ve lived with anxiety/depression for over 10 years, and it’s taken things from me. Motivation. Memory recall. Clarity. Coping mechanisms. Etc. etc.
  • (And look, I don’t often talk about this because I like privacy but also I don’t want to sound like I’m asking for pity! I do honestly feel okay right now! I’m working hard, I’m chasing dreams, I’m coming to peace with the fact I will never know left from right so please don’t give me directions. But I say it today because I know lots of us struggle with mental health so 💛 hey, you’re not alone.)
• So I sort of fell out of the community. Partially because of my blog breaking, people not knowing I’m posting, etc. Partially because I started lacking the ability TO put 2+ hours a day into blogging!!! I’m STILL struggling with this and I apologise 100 x over, because I feel rude and snobby to not answer your comments and visit your blogs, when I’m just so so mentally exhausted. And you get what you put out in blogging. I don’t want to whine that my blog is dying when I’m also not actively working on it like I used to. So that’s on me too!
  • Please don’t feel I’m complaining and wishing YOU worked harder when I’ve not been supporting you either. My apology is also here to you too for not supporting your blogs these last 2 years.
• I also found it was hard to be a blogger AND author. I didn’t properly anticipate it. When my debut came out, were a couple of times going to visit friends’ blogs (people I’d talked to for years…) to find them giving my book really harsh reviews. And LIKE OKAY. This post is for being raw and honest so let me say: I fully believe you should review books however you want. But like…we were friends?! Maybe they could’ve hated it and not reviewed it, knowing I comment back so would absolutely visit their blog. Plus I stopped negative reviews (I don’t think it’s appropriate for an author to put down other authors — just MY opinion) and I started noticing just how negative the community could be. NOT everyone!!! This isn’t a call out!!! It’s just…I even looked at MY content and felt I did so many “unpopular opinions” and snarked about books a lot. I kept reading reviews were it didn’t seem anyone really thought about the books? It was just “this book is bad because BAD THINGS HAPPEN” and I’m just ?!?!??!?!?!?! Again, this isn’t everyone. But things built up. Dissatisfaction at my own content, plus anxiety about accidentally seeing reviews of my books, plus feeling we all get more likes/reactions when we’re being negative.
  • Plus I saw again and again authors/readers clashing on twitter. Authors harassing and openly mocking readers. Readers being outright cruel to authors. It was overwhelming. I didn’t feel like an author (every time I tried to make author friends I was very politely acknowledged once and then very politely ignored) and I didn’t feel like a blogger (I couldn’t keep up with posting or commenting).
  • I had a CRISIS. I didn’t know where to sit. Maybe on the floor??? Crying????
• BURN OUT. We have to talk about it. It sucks. It’s real. This year, 2020, I will have been blogging for NINE YEARS. You run out of content after a while!!! Your brain burns out!! Plus so so many of my old blogging friends have left or stopped or moved on. Not all, thank goodness, but I miss a lot of people. And then…I can’t think of fresh funny blog posts anymore.

Lastly I started putting my effort into instagram.

And it ended up being way way more rewarding for me. It turned into my mini-blog. I talk about books there, I do funny memes in my Stories, I’ve found so so many epic people I ADORE. I answer 100+ comments there a day. I help run a bookstagram tour company! I really really love visual things and book photography makes my heart sing. 😍

It also gave me a wider reach for promoting my books! Which I sorely needed. And it’s just quicker and easier to use. Instagram (#bookstagram!) is my focus now and will stay that way!

soooo…what happens next for the Paper Fury Blog?

Now it’s the start of a new year. A lot of my old blogging problems haven’t left → I still feel awkward being an author AND blogger. And I don’t know how to write blog post content because I can’t THINK of any. I’m very very tired still and don’t have the energy I used to.

I put so many hours into instagram that I have none left for the blog.

Now this is the part where I could probably say: “I’m quitting blogging and just using instagram.” But I don’t wholly want to do that because: (1) reviews are easier to log, find, and be searchable on google if they’re on a website! (2) I PUT LIKE 9 YEARS INTO THIS BLOG DAMMIT I CAN’T ABANDON IT. (3) It looks pretty, duuuuude my blog is nice. (4) I would miss you. 🥺

this is the part where I ask for your advice, opinions, and wisdom on what I should do next with PaperFury.com!

Because this blog is firstly here because I loved blogging. But also it’s content I make for readers. So I want your input and advice and feedback. I don’t create in a vacuum. I create to entertain and make friends and have a platform for my work as a writer. (And also because I really freaking love talking about books?!?) Audiences are important. That is a fact.

So talk to me. (If you want!)

Options

1. I blog twice a week. A review and an article (maybe a top ten list or writing tips or a book discussion). So basically what I’m doing now. Except…actually do it. (I think I just went 2 weeks without blogging again oops.)
2. I blog like I instagram. Short, regular post. Popcorn style reviews. Mini discussions. Focus more on your comments than on me writing 2K posts. We’re talking 500 word posts. It would be doubled-up content from my IG and light/fun — ergo much less work for me.
   
3. I blog like AN ERRATIC BEAR and you will just never know what’s coming but at least there will be pretty photos when it does happen.
4. I blog mostly reviews, because I have…so so many of them. But it would be regular content, probably helpful to authors/publishers, and I find them way easier to write so I wouldn’t feel pressured.

 

I really really value your feedback on this! And I KNOW so many of you are the absolute loveliest and will just say “do what you want!!!” but I don’t know what I want 😂 hence you have to decide. And I want this to still be a blog you enjoy clicking on.

And look, no pressure too, okay? I’ve already apologised for not being as supportive as I should be TO YOU as well. So please don’t feel like I’m whining for more comments. I am absolutely okay if my blog is quieter. I’m actually really exhausted. 😂 Instagram WILL still be my focus. And I also want to find time to write novels + read books + be a loaf of bread.

I can’t go back to blogging as hard and industriously as before. I just have to accept that time is finished for me. But I don’t want to vanish forever.

Also? If you want to ever chat with me: Instagram DMs. Guaranteed I will actually answer. 😂

Anyway. LOVE YOU!!! thank you for reading this heartfelt ramble!

give me all your thoughts! and tell me about YOU. have you felt blogging has changed for you? do you feel worn out or keen to blog more this year?

 

 

And so a new decade begins!

And, as always, I get to launch into the new year with a list of goals. 🤗 I always manage to gloriously FAIL my goals each year (possibly because I never look back at the post after making it? not sure if that’s been the problem?), but I still love making the lists and thinking up glossy and shiny and ambitious dreams.

I don’t want to layer 2020 with too much pressure — but I really want this to be A Good Year™. To be perfectly blunt, 2019 sucked. 😂 I feel spread thin just thinking about it. I have lots of accomplishments to be proud of, but I have lots of things to heal from too. And I’m just trying so so hard to keep on. In all honesty, that’s the goal for 2020…to just keep on.

But I’ll also make a list because my bones say “do ittttttt“. 

…you might also like…

💬 Climbing Atop My Bookshelf (And Other Goals for 2019)
💬 Wearing A Wizard Cloak (And Other Goals for 2018)
💬 Being Queen Of The Galaxies (And Other Goals for 2017)

how did my 2019 goals go…?

➢ read 200 books again ✓
I DID IT. But it was excruciatingly hard this year and I can’t keep it up. 😭

➢ reread 30 books again…specifically all the Stiefvater and Cassandra Clare ✗
That’s a solid fail, my friends. I only reread 24 books, and didn’t even touch Stiefvater OR Clare’s whole backlist.

➢ write something that makes me immensely pleased. ✓
I ALSO DID THIS ONE AND I’M PROUD. Because way back in 2018, my goal was “write something that scares me” and okay — it took me 2 years to do it. But I did it. I wrote an adult urban fantasy, an absolute heart story, and it is wickedly dark and I’m so intensely in love with it.

➢ clear out ALL my overdue eARCs ✗
this was the dumbest pretend goal 😂😂😂 am wheezing. I didn’t even try.

➢ fix my blog and get BACK into blogging ✓✗
I claim half and half for this? I DID fix my blog!!! I did NOT get back into blogging. I lost a lot of my blogging enthusiasm after my blog broke, stopped sending emails, and basically torpedoed me into the dust. I went from 150 comments to 10 comments so I ended up shifting my hard work to instagram. But I have blogging PLANS and I’ll share them with you soon!!

➢ do more designs on Society6 ✗
I did…one. Oh. No, no I remember now…I did two. Incredible.

➢ pass 60,000 on instagram ✓
if the algorithm did indeed still eat my bones but I STILL DID THAT. 61,000 as we speak.

➢ sell another book ✗
I put this on my list in the first place with the caveat that it obviously isn’t something I can control, so it was a wish. It was a cute wish. It did not work. I am, in fact, further away from this goal than I was last year, so that’s impressive in a subtractive way. 👌🏻

➢ survive the release of The Boy Who Steals Houses ✓ 
I actually found a white eyebrow hair? I may be shedding my skin and turning into a ghost soon. But I’m still counting my life as survival, even if I aged 100 years.

➢ take a nap ✓
I took many naps 🥺It’s my favourite part-time hobby.

score = 5 / 10

I continue to be half baked. And I can’t even claim I tried because I didn’t. 😂 At least I’m adorable.

time for my 2020 goals…

• Read 150 books. (I’ve read 200 for 6 years in a row and I’m really sad to feel that era is over. But this year I want to focus on writing. I write slower now, and I want to be okay with that! But I also need more time.)
• Reread 20 books. (Look I really want to reread The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices this year so wish me luck.)
• Read more BIG books! (The 600+ page ones, the adult ones, the intimidating ones!)
• Revamp my blogging style. (Sounds ominous 😏but I’ll do a full blog post on my plans and get your input!)
• Write a sequel AND tackle a brand new first draft. (The first I’m dying for, the second I’m scared of…but have to do this!!)
• Hit 70,000 followers on instagram.
• Get new tools/props for my bookstagram. (I really need a tripod 😂And I’d also like a dark-fake-wooden mat!)
• Start slowly quitting ARC lists. (This worries me! Because I read more books than I can buy. But I have a library now and I have access to some online elibraries too. Also audible. So I don’t think I’ll bookishly starve. I just want to move away from being awkwardly stuck reviewing books I don’t like but am obligated to review since it’s an ARC!! Agh.)
• Fill my new empty bookshelves!
• Actually be okay with myself. (With going slower. With my mental health. With who I am and where I am in life.)
• Achieve a really big new goal that terrifies me. (That I’m cryptically not telling you about. But if it happens, I will tell you!!)
• Eat ice cream. Because I need something to tick off when the year ends okay.

 

This is a small list, a chill list, and maybe it’s not ambitious or surprising — but I’m happy with it! Aiming to tick them ALL off. 😌👌🏻Just watch.

And here’s to an excellent 2020 for ALL of us. (And I just ate ice cream so who’s really winning here!!!!)

what are your goals for 2020?!! how many books are you aiming for? do you like making big goals or soft achievable ones?

* and how many of us are typing “2002”  😑 because I am.

 

I want to start off this post clarifying that I originally wrote the title as Blook Boggers.

Just so we’re upfront about what kind of person you’re talking to here today. 😌 Clearly we’re all in for a TREAT of cohesive thinking from a veteran blogger. Because, why yes, I have been at this blogging thing for 8 years. Yes. Eight years. I’ve been here so long that I’ve watched blogging culture change, seen people come and go, watched the rise and fall of trends and habits and empires and kings. I am now this old gnarled tree in the background, ancient.

(Not dramatic though, clearly.)

But I have to admit, I’ve picked up on some bad habits as a book blogger.

They’re not necessarily bad for “everyone” but they are for meeeee. I don’t even know if I will/can fix these, but I’m going ahead and gently roast myself.

➢ saying books are “over-hyped”

I get why people say this, hence I’ve said it myself. Sometimes you see That Book everywhere and maybe the writing is bleh, the premise is cliche, or you just know way better books exist. And you’re just there like, “WHY 🗣IS THIS 🗣SO FAMOUS.”

But I feel like calling things “overhyped” is rooted in this idea that something can’t be good if “everyone” likes it, therefore you’re not an individual anymore. I get it, we crave individuality and excellence and curating things that we love. (Good books! Favourite music! Films we can’t stop talking about!) But at the end of the day — it’s just subjectivity. You hate it. I like it. Or you like it. I hate it. So what? If a book makes a few million people happy, then isn’t that actually nice for them?

I want to just move along and find a book I would die for and hype that up myself. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

➢ recommending the same books over and over

Disclaimer that this does not apply to me + The Raven Cycle = aka my true love of ever, who I will never shut up about. The reason I am on this green imploding planet is to tell everyone to read it!!!

However, I just feel like every time someone is all, “What’s a good sci-fi book?” My brain is like: we have never read any other scifi but Illuminae because that’s super famous and you remember it.

Me. Always. 🙄 Put me on the spot and I only ever remember big titles. And I love those titles, don’t get me wrong. But I want to recommend little titles too!??!?

➢ caustic reviews

Now to be clear: THIS IS JUST ME. I think negative reviews should exist and I think some bloggers write the most hilarious salty reviews that I will snicker quietly to myself about. But for ME, personally, I found that my snarky reviews got like 50 x the traffic and interaction and I could be way too acidic because I knew it made people laugh.

And the internet world is just so???? Built on negativity???? Sometimes I get tired of adding to that. And as a community, often I see way more lists like “all the books you can’t stand!” or “all the authors who annoy you!” and I’m just 💀 I tripped and fell into a Hufflepuff and now I feel life is too short not to be kind.

* None of this is referring to calling out problematic books by the way!

➢ never taking breaks

“Ohhhh,” you say knowingly, “this is why you barely blog now.”

Alright listen up, U LITTLE SQUID. 🗣 YOU ARE…okay fine, yes you’re right. 😂 Instead of forcing myself to blog and panicking about posts, I’ve been letting myself blog when I can. Instead of when I should. All these “shoulds” are really draining. The only “should” I want in my life is, “I should stop feeling guilty for wanting that book on cover love alone because IT’S BEAUTIFUL OKAY. LET ME LIVE AND LOVE.”

Obviously when you’re doing social media and have an internet presence, online consistency IS key. You can’t just post whenever you want and expect the same results as someone on a dedicated schedule, working super hard at it every day, etc. etc. But since no one is paying me here and I’m supposed to write a book now and then…I want to not be a frantic blogging workaholic for no reason. 🤗

➢ Reading slumps!

Oh this is a bad habit, alright. It is. Because pre-blogging, I never would’ve said I had a reading slump. I feel like it’s a thing we bloggers suffer from because (1) we’re overloaded with reading commitments, (2) lots of the time we have to read THIS and THIS before THIS date, and that’s slightly exhausting?!, and (3) we are genuinely trying to do too much.

Also…I admit that being told to do something lowers my interest in doing it by 187%.

I have teens ask me how I read 200 books because highschool is eating them alive and I’m like: in highschool I maybe read 40 books a year?? Or LESS. And then some people have full-time jobs or raise kids! They might read a lot (I admire them!) or not a lot (I think that’s so reasonable!). We seem to have all this guilt and expectations on us. Some of those are self-inflicted, but some are just the whole culture of blogging being about ‘owing’ everyone reviews and our time. I see bloggers “calling out” other bloggers for not hyping up a certain title. And I’m just: what if we haven’t had time to read all these titles yet?! I’m looking at the Goodreads Choice Awards, blinking rapidly, and realising I’ve read less than half of the nominations.

I’m beginning to wish it wasn’t like this!!

I don’t want to have reading slumps, brought on by exhaustion from cram reading or guilt reading. I want to just 🤗 read and enjoy things when I can.

(I say this, but I’m still trying to figure out to read a lot but not stress. HA. I want to read all the things and not disappoint authors or publishers…I just don’t like all this pressure as well, especially when it’s not paid. This is still a hobby! Much as I dearly love it!)

| what about you?|

tell me some book blogging things you really wish you didn’t do? 👀 any habits or trends you’re against?

Ah it’s that time of year when I get to write lists and map out my plans of paper and fury for the coming year.

I truly love these types of posts. Although I already confess I’m planning to write a Quiet™ list for this year. Hence the plan to nest in my wizard cloak atop my bookshelf and devour words and magical worlds like the book boggart I am truly deep inside.

But before I trundle into my goals for 2019 ➸ how about a quick recap of how I did with last year’s plots and plans?!

➸ READ 200 BOOKS. ✓
I did! I read 207…which is a lot, although I always secretly dream of going to 250. ALAS, POOR ONION, I did not.

➸ DO EDITS ON MY 2019 NOVEL.✓ 
I mean this was a GIVEN…but I also got to announce The Boy Who Steals Houses (coming April 4th ahhhhhh). I have now reread it 93894 times am getting to the stage where if someone finds a typo I’m just going to scream for 76 years. But I am also SO PROUD and I put half my soul into this book. It is my horcrux. Nothing to worry about.

➸ WRITE 4 NEW NOVELS & REWRITE 2 NOVELS. ✓
I did…but barely. In 2017 I wrote 7 books…and in 2018? Writing was so so hard. I’ve never had a WORSE writing year, I swear. I rewrote one novel AT LEAST 6 TIMES (I mean full heckin’ rewrites), rewrote A Secret Project, and of course edited Houses.

My 4 new novels included: (1) a sequel I shouldn’t have written lmao, (2) new contemporary project, (3) a Stranger Things x Jumunji retelling, and (4) a contemporary that ended up with way way too much murder to be considered contemporary. WOULD U CHILL OUT, CAIT.

➸ WRITE A BOOK SLOWLY (AKA NOT IN 3 DAYS). ✓
This was because of burn out and the insane pressure I’d started putting on myself to write fast. Anyway I listened to myself! All my new novels took at least a week. (SHHH It’s slow compared to 3 days!! Stop throwing potatoes at me.)

➸ WRITE SOMETHING THAT SCARES ME. ✗
Yeah no I don’t think I can claim this one, oops.

➸ READ BACKLIST TITLES. ✓
Shoutout to past-Cait for being so vague with this. So I read SOME therefore I can claim it! Nevermind that it was not many!

➸ REREAD 30 BOOKS. ✓ I DID. I actually forgot I challenged myself to this lmao. But I reread at least 32 books and it was good. So comforting. I plan to keep this up.

➸ DON’T STRESS ABOUT A THOUSAND PERFECT NOTE’S RELEASE IN JUNE.  ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗
Ha haha HAHA Hahha hahahahahah. I stressed. I stressed so bad.

➸ INCREASE MY RUNNING ROUTE TO 6 OR 7KMS. ✗
I did it once so I don’t think that counts.

➸ REVIVE MY ETSY STORE. ✗
Did I even try?? Ah…no. But etsy raised all their taxes on me so wow!! Thanks etsy!! Real champ!!!

➸ REACH 20K ON TWITTER & 45K ON INSTAGRAM. ✓
Omg I actually thought this was a silly reach…but do you know what?! I passed 30K ON TWITTER and I’m at 49.3K on INSTAGRAM. YEAH I’M AS SHOCKED AS YOU.

➸ NOT BREAK EVERYTHING I TOUCH. ✗
Nope. I broke my headphones, my laptop at least 3 times. Broke my shoes. I broke several books. I literally broke a chair at my sister’s house. I broke stuff in the kitchen. I broke mY miND. I broke springs two seconds ago. Sometimes I’m concerned I broke my dog because he refuses to touch wet grass and is basically a cat.

➸ MAYBE PLAY PIANO AGAIN. ✗
Again, doing something, like…twice…doesn’t count. In my defence, I am not brilliant at the piano and how do you EVEN COPE with doing something and not being perfect at it??? [perfectionist swan dive here]

➸ WEAR MY NEW CLOAK. ✗
No. Why? IT’S NEVER COLD IN THE TROPICS. DARN YOU, EQUATOR. I love the cold. I suffer.

 

7 / 14 achieved for last year…

oh…dear. This is what I scored in 2017 too so I GUESS I’m destined to be a halfling. Hobbiton here I come.

I also had a lot of unanticipated successes this year, including: taking several solo-plane flights (!!!) which is HUGE and terrifying, and seeing A Thousand Perfect Notes in the Illumicrate box (!!!) and fitting more bookshelves into a room THAT CANNOT FIT MORE SHELVES (wizardry !!!) and collecting Stiefvater character cards (!!!) and having gobs and gobs of people say they loved my book.

aFJDSALD I CAN’T EVEN.

 

➸ read 200 books again!
I am nothing if not super cute and also predictable.

➸ reread 30 books again…specifically all the Stiefvater and Cassandra Clare!
Which is, um, a LOT. But I miss the old TMI crew and I want to do annual Stiefvater rereads so. I flail! This will be great!

➸ write something that makes me immensely pleased.
I’ve been so so anxious about writing for a while now. (I know! I know! I’m not special and this is something a lot of debut authors go through.) But I want to push through this and write some more “just for me” projects, because they keep me happy and sane. And focusing JUST on the business part of publishing is hurling me 1000 leagues under the sea. It is damp down here. I need out.

I also want to brainstorm new ideas (I have had a drought forever) and maybe write some shorts for my published novels. And just!! enjoy writing!!

➸ clear out ALL my overdue eARCs
You hear that, kindle?! yOUR DEPTHS WILL BE KNOWN. (This is, um, terrifying and not attainable save me.)

➸ fix my blog and get BACK into blogging
I have been an unwatered cacti for over half this year. AGH. I don’t blog-hop like I used to, and I definitely post less. This is half on account of my blog not emailing people anymore…but hopefully I’ll look pathetic enough and a miracle will happen and it’ll be fixed? But I want to be involved in the blogging community again!! YOU’RE ALL SO AWESOME.

➸ do more designs on Society6!
I did a grand total of 2 this year and that is abominable.

➸ pass 60,000 on instagram
if the algorithm doesn’t eat mY BONES first

➸ sell another book
ahhhh not something I can control afjdkslad but I’m putting it on there too so we can HOPE that The Boy Who Steals Houses isn’t the last you see of my pretty face. (Not that you see my face. But shh, don’t get caught up on details.)

➸ survive the release of The Boy Who Steals Houses (without running to the misty moors, befriending ghosts, and screaming companionably in haunted houses)
LOOK. I made this very specific so there’s a much better chance I can tick it off.

➸ take a nap
haha unrealistic goals here I see

 

nothing too wild this year…I am seriously here for a Quiet year. One where my mental health gets better and I enjoy what I do and I find a library to attack and eat every single shelf. The little, soft things, you know??

 

what are your goals for 2019??? how many books do you plan to read? are the writers amongst us planning anything HUGE? or do you have some softer/quieter goals? is this the year we conquer our TBRs? (lmao)

There comes a time when I just must acknowledge all the super weird random ways people find my blog.

Part of me is like “thank you to everyone who visits” but the rest of me was like “YOU FOUND ME HOW?????” after I’ve cruised the search term results for a bit. But look. Even though some are quite misguided, I feel a duty to try and answer all these questions regardless.

I used to answer a few search term results in my monthly recaps, but this year I tried to make the recaps shorter so whoomp. It got cut. But I miss it?! Where else am I supposed to put all my salt. So let me bring IT BACK with some very mocking sincere and pithy heartfelt answers. Unfortunately I don’t get as many cool ones as I used to. I guess internet searches are becoming more private?! Darn you, privacy, for stopping me laughing at ridiculous people.

You can see my answers to Part 1 here!

Also the tiniest update:

✧ I’m sorry I haven’t been blogging as much this month! This is NOT like me at all, but I went away and then got sick and then have been trying to read half a library in 3 weeks and then my life fell over like a badly stacked cracker house. So. I will do better in december.
✧ I haven’t actually started NaNoWriMo yet lol lol sob. I will be starting on Friday. I will die presently. How fun is this already
✧ I don’t even know what to blog right now, hence you’re getting a part 2. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Forgive me and love me anyway. I would give cake but I ate it all to live.

 

In case you don’t know what Search Term Results are — they’re just random things people google and they might hit your blog! You can find them in your blog’s settings and stats!

I find these 90% amusing and 10% depressing because the amount of “free pdf of such and such book” I get IS FURIOUSLY BAD. Go take your pirate selves somewhere else arghsgshofs.

does too much reading cost harm

Your bank account would say yes and then throw a shoe at you. I say think of it less as spending all your money and being broke and instead view it as having friends who can’t run away from you. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

children’s books from the villain’s perspective

About 50% of me saw this and thought: “What do you want your little babies to be reading????” but then also 50% of me is immediately like: MY NEXT NOVEL IDEA. THANK YOU.

 

adrift by paul griffin ending / did they kill jojo in adrift

Oh this is hilarious. I’m getting SO many hits on my Adrift review. I’m guessing some school has it on their curriculum and these kids are supposed to be reading it but they’re googling?! Lmao. NO SPOILERS FROM ME. You’re on your own.

 

what kind of writers are there

✧ confused writers
✧ smol writers who can’t reach tall cupboards
✧ writers who (if interrupted) have bitten and will bite again
✧ writers who are just a stack of moths in a trench coat
✧ soft writers who do let nice things happen to their characters
✧ writers who have fallen over and can’t get up
✧ writers who plan novels and world domination in the same notebook
✧ writers who haven’t stopped screaming since 1785

 

monochrome bookstagram

yes you have come to the right place before, look at my monochrome, I think this is right

what book bloggers do

Mostly we type vigorously with one hand while eating small cakes with the other, until we are entirely made out of crumbs and passionate rants. We spend hours blogging! Networking! Taking photos of books! Chatting with other bloggers! Sometimes, we even have time to read a page of a book.

 

notebook sisters blog

AWWW THROW BACK!! Does anyone remember when I used to blog with my little sister Mime and we were “Notebook Sisters”!? We were adorable. We couldn’t blog. Every post was a gif nightmare. Aww!

 

i ate a cicada today

I am so happy for you??? Also how did this reach my blog (I hate bugs with every fibre of my soul). And lastly, is the bug fandom okay?

 

what is the iffect of reading to much

Sometimes you learnt to spell. Very dire effect. Tread with care.

 

how people get made overreading

Usually it starts when a modest stack of books are buried in the dark forest. The moon has to be just right, preferably during a blood moon or the cheese moon. Occasionally dig up this stack of books and add more. Eventually, when you go to dig up the stack, there will be a bookworm down there instead. Did they grow out of the books and dirt??? Did they burrow in from another land??? We don’t know. But this is how they’re made.

 

ladybug strengths and weaknesses

I mean??? I guess they’re pretty?? Their weakness is probably that they can’t sign up for a library card idk I have not really asked one. But seriously WHY THE BUG QUESTIONS I HATE BUGS. WHEN DID I EVER MENTION BUGS.

 

sucks to relax

Honestly? Big mood. how can one relax when there are 1,045 books to read per day and and twice as many books to write in a life time???? Also I feel like if I’m going to relax, someone should bring me and ice cream sandwich and nO ONE HAS.

 

6 of crows moral message

us trying to find Good Morals™ in a book lead by Kaz Stabby Thief Brekker

I’M JUST KIDDING! The morals are (1) waffles are better than boys, (2) if you are rude to Inej then Kaz will kill you, (3) keep your squad close because you love them! also because they might stab you idk! and lastly (4) if you haven’t made a pithy joke before you nearly die, is it even a good death??? Jesper would say no.

 

why do book covers change from the u.s. from other countries

See one time, the USA threw the Brit’s tea in the ocean and they are still angry about it. They won’t even let their book covers match so people know they are still upset.

(Also something about buying the cover image rights and this depends on the cost. Also marketing is different depending on the country and other things appeal. And then the UK just thinks the US is wrong. Etc etc etc. My first answer was better.

 

where are all the funny ya novels

Mine is HILARIOUS.

Right before I rip out your heart and use it as soup, but I have some utterly funny lines in A Thousand Perfect Notes. I am also super humble, but you knew that.

 

which is more popular acotar or tog

Bread actually. Toast specifically. There are very very few people who don’t crave toast. Even the people who can’t eat it (because they’re allergic or something) crave it mightily. Toast is more popular than ACOTAR or ToG. That is my final ruling.

 

should i reread or start a new series

Um, do BOTH?!?? You have two eyeballs don’t you?? That’s one for each book, why on earth are you whingeing.

 

fury is bad for you

Nick Fury and I think you’re rude.

 

what to say when recommending a book

“Read it! It’s my favourite! I’m sure you’ll love it! The axe I’m holding right now is in no way a threat! Go for it!”

 

i have decided to unfollow a few people

I’m so glad I get to share this moment with you tbh. I feel kinship because just today I decided to unfollow someone who was making me miserable. I think we should share tea and a quick biscuit and admire our life decisions.

 

tragic ya books

Lemme hit you with some recs. No really. Let me hit you with them. These little jerks are painful.

coconut boots

I have so so many questions as well…

 

i have a great story idea but i’m not excited about it

I’m laughing and also confused?!? It is probably not great.

 

paper fury review of zenith

If you found this, then it’d be news to you and me both because I haven’t read it lmao. (But seriously, the fact that people google specifically for my opinion is quite flattering?!)

 

im writing an essay and it sucks what do i do

Think to yourself: What would Chidi do? Then do it.

 

i am rather a book worm and fail to indulge in extra currixular activities..what should i do?

Same. Why would one go outside when there are books inside??? I don’t think there’s hope for us tbh. Although I’m now referring to my disinterest in other hobbies as “fail to indulge.” Thank you for this.

 

any writer who didn’t remember what he wrote?

Meeeee! Someone mentioned a scene in ATPN recently and I had to go look it up. I’d like to think this is because my brain has moved on to being filled with new story ideas, but in truth? I never remember anything. I swear I have bees for brains. Once I forgot how to spell my own name, so what more should I say here.

 

books similar to a thousand perfect nots

Try these! I recommend them highly.

Also in other news, I’m now referring to my book as A Thousand Perfect NOTS because that’s how I felt during revisions too.

 

i was here now ive gone

me @ parties and social gatherings

have you had any weird search term results lead to your blog?! please do tell me if there’s a children’s villain you want to read a book about? and hey writers! if you forget what you write, pls confess too so I’m not alone lmao

The world is full of magnificent wild creatures like emperor penguins, jaguars, and book bloggers.

Most people know how to approach emperor penguins (you dance I guess, I’ve seen Happy Feet) and jaguars (you put herbs in your hair and other seasonings and pre-prepare yourself because you’re about to get eaten, mate). But book bloggers??? People get SO CONFUSED about how to treat us. It’s not that hard. But yet you rarely come across a book blogger who doesn’t have a frustrated story of being treated badly. 

Therefore it’s time for a handy guide.

 

Before we go on though, a little FAQ about book bloggers in general:

✧ Do book bloggers bite? Yes.
✧ Can you poke them with a stick and survive? No they will bite the stick and then bite you.
✧ What happens if you put them in direct sunlight? This is actually ok. They will take book photos.
✧ Can I tap the glass? No. What’s wrong with you.
✧ What do they eat? You can throw small delicious cakes at them. No lettuce. If not vegan, they may eat the hearts of those who mock YA books.
✧ Do they have odd habits? They sometimes tunnel under piles of books and rest there indefinitely.
✧ Do they make good friends/companions/pets? Yes, they actually do, they are very intelligent and loyal and kind, and also: if you leave your pantry open they will eat all your cereal

1. WHEN YOU SEE ONE IN THE WILD, REMEMBER (A) THEY HAVE A NAME, AND (B) THEY ARE A PERSON.

This means that, no, we are not a faceless platform or company. We are a very smol person behind a phone or laptop, probably covered in toast crumbs, most likely typing frantically 2 seconds before we meant to post. And we have feelings. A lot of them. That is why we blog.

It’s also not hard to find a blogger’s name! Most of us will have an “About Page”. Or at the bottom of a post there will be a signature. Or check our social medias! It makes a 10000% difference to be talked to BY NAME. It means you actually care who you’re talking to.

FUN FACT: Someone’s it’s ok to get names wrong. For instance, I’ve received an email addressed to NICK FURY before and I’m ok with that.

UNFUN FACT: Just saying “Hello” (with no name following) if you’re randomly emailing a blogger is a HUGE red flag. It says you’ve never so much as looked at our blog. At all. When I get emails like this and I’m already saying “byyyyyyyeeeee”.

2. NEVER TELL A BLOGGER WHAT THEY “SHOULD” BE DOING.

Because the fact of the day is (a) we aren’t paid, (b) we do this FOR FUN which means we can do what we want, and (c) look if someone tells me to do something, my interest in doing it goes down by 87%.

3. SERIOUSLY THO…WE AREN’T PAID.

That means our time is absolutely golden and valuable and RARE. We squeeze blogging in amongst our dayjobs or school or other things we want to do in free time.

And no, getting free books isn’t payment. I mean (very roughly) you might spend 3-4 hours reading, then 1 hour writing a post, then 1 hour formatting the post and finding gifs and taking photos and making graphics and emailing publicists and promoting the post…dude, that was just 6 HOURS WORK FOR A BOOK MAYBE WORTH $15. If you get given a product (like a book) to advertise, then that’s what you’re doing! Advertising a free product! It’s not paid!

(Also this DOESN’T MEAN we are ever ungrateful to receive free books! I’m just simply talking about payment.)

UNFUN FACT: I have had publicists (freelance? IDK) inquire if I’d promote a book for them. I’ve had to say no because the book didn’t interest me or I’m too busy etc etc. And then they’ve gone on and asked me to round up other book bloggers to do the promotions. This makes me SO MAD. I am BUSY. That is YOUR JOB THAT YOU ARE LITERALLY HIRED FOR. Unless you want to pay me to suddenly be a publicist for a day?! DO NOT DO THIS.

4. WE DO THIS BECAUSE WE LOVE IT. WE SERIOUSLY DON’T OWE ANYONE ANYTHING.

This is freeing. Be freed by this, you little sprite. Any part of blogging you don’t like? DON’T DO IT. Any part you do like? DO IT AS MUCH AS YOU WANT.

Personally? I don’t like blog tours (unless I really know/like the author already)! I also don’t like organising blog events because it stresses me out. And I LOVE tags and memes, no matter if others say they’re cliche!! So I just go ahead and live my life my way. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

FUN FACT: This means we don’t owe people reviews or promo posts if it doesn’t work for us. This is our platform that we built????? I do not see the part where I OWE it to random people to now use my hard-worked-for-platform to promote them unless I want to.

5. SUPPORT BLOGGERS!! AS MUCH AS YOU CAN!!

This is what we THRIVE on ok. All of us! Big or small, it means a lot to us to have our readers’ love and support. Here are some examples:

✧ interact with us by leaving a comment or tweeting!
✧ don’t be shy shhh seriously we love talking to you
✧ share their posts
✧ feed them pie
✧ comment on each other’s work (something I try to do! If you comment here –> I always try to visit you back!)
✧ don’t be scared to congratulate each other for milestones (a little “hey congrats on your blogversary!” is lovely for anyone!)
✧ you’re not annoying or “too small” to talk to

6. DON’T GET MAD AT THEM ABOUT GIVEAWAYS!

This peeves me SO MUCH when people roll out their: “OH BLOGGERS DON’T CARE ABOUT INTERNATIONAL READERS. THEY’RE SO SELFISH.”

Dude, we are so not rich!?

I would love to giveaway more books or send my friends an ARC I don’t want. I cannot freaking afford it. (I can only afford books because I freelance blog for a bookstore and get review-copies from publishers!!!) So no, I haven’t forgotten INT readers. I feel constantly guilty for not being inclusive…but bloggers are not being mean when they do this!! This is all out of pocket.

7. BE RESPECTFUL OF BLOGGERS’ SPACE.

This one I’m struggling with because I am an author now. And I feel like I should get the heck out of the blogger world in case I see negative reviews of my book or people feel stifled reading my work because I’M LURKING. I don’t mean to lurk!! But I love blogging! I am in the midst of a messy divorce with myself apparently!!

But seriously, censorship? Can we not. Authors shouldn’t tell bloggers what to think/say about their book.

Bloggers shouldn’t do this to EACH OTHER too. I have had people message me completely randomly to say: (1) I am trash for owning a book they didn’t like, (2) I should rearrange my opinion about a book because I’m wrong, (3) I am problematic for not having read a certain diverse book yet.

I wish I was jokinggggg but I’m not.

8. DON’T ASSUME YOU KNOW A BLOGGER!

We don’t HAVE to be super personal on our blogs. And I chaff at this because there’s a lot of identity and diversity policing that goes on. This genuinely happens to me:

Me: This book has problematic autism rep.
Other Blogger: Well you’re wrong!! mY COUSIN is autistic and I loved this book!!
Me: Well...I am autistic…and this is problematic rep. And having an autistic cousin doesn’t make you an expert on what autistics feel.
Other Blogger: [blocks me]

I’M SO TIRED SOMETIMES. I shouldn’t have to list my credentials to avoid getting attacked. ALSO this goes for all bloggers! We don’t need to state our finances. Or ages. Or how much time we do/don’t read. Don’t assume a blogger is/isn’t part of a minority. Don’t assume anyone has an easy or perfect life either!!

 

The overall thing to do when approaching a blogger in the wild?! RESPECT THEM.

So simple!! Yet so forgotten sometimes!!

If you want to work with bloggers, TREAT US LIKE PEOPLE. And don’t make friendships just to get something out of it. Make friends with bloggers because we’re awesome and passionate and have a fun hobby absolutely dedicated to sharing books. Which is pretty epic!!

ok tell me your blogger “horror stories”!? annoying emails you’ve been sent? trolls you’ve had to deal with?? do you get enough cake?? have you had people assume things about you? let us rant therapeutically.

 

PS. My blog is no longer sending out emails…wHIcH is a technically difficulty that is breaking my hEART. (Bloglovin’ subscriptions are still working though!) So if you happen to be subscribed through email, can you let me know if you are/are not getting emailed my posts like normal?? (I always post Saturday/Monday/Tuesday.)

When it comes to book blogging trends, I am…not fast.

You’re probably thinking this is because I like to be my own person or whatnot. But actually no. It’s because I’m distracted and oblivious and also if people say “HEY GO LEFT!” I go right. Not to be contrary. But because I can’t tell left from right.

But that aside, I actually truly enjoy so many trends that gallop through the blogging community! Some I dislike for sure. But I feel like “follow the crowd” gets a bad rap when…if you enjoy doing something (even if a million people do it too) then YOU SHOULD GO FOR IT. Likewise it’s ok to do your own thing and not be pressured!

Today I want to list 10 things that are popular in the book community and whether I love vs flee from them!

1. BOOKSTAGRAM ✓

Oh I love love LOVE bookstagram! (Although I frequently weep at the algorithm and how I have 5% engagement fsfshfosh.) But I love how we all gather together to gush over glitter and book covers and the aestheticness of gorgeous fonts. It’s so wholesome. Truly.

And I actually was taking book photos LONG before I knew about bookstagram! So I feel like I was right on the cusp of this trend when it started?! I just…had…no idea it was happening. TYPICAL.

2. BOOK BOXES ✓

Wow I am SUCH a fan. It took me a while though. At the beginning my brain was like: “Um that is very expensive for not knowing what you’re getting…” But then I applied to rep/work with some of the companies, got accepted, and go thoroughly converted. The signed books! The merch! The exclusive covers! IT’S ALL PRETTY COOL. (Although to be very very honest, I couldn’t afford this if I wasn’t working for them. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

I am here for having a Harry Potter mug so if someone talks to me while I am in the midst of tea and writing? Evanesco, you fools.

3. BOOK CANDLES ✗

But why tho. WHY. All I can think of is how fire and books are very very bad together and also…I genuinely hate smells. I will actually sprint the Sahara instead of being forced to smell perfume. And I’m still not sure how burning a candle that represents the musk of some book boy isn’t SUPER CREEPY.

HERE, SON, LET ME BURN YOU. YOU SMELL SO GOOD.

I realise it’s like, sandalwood and fragile masculinity we’re smelling, not human flesh, but still.

4. COLLECTING MULTIPLE BOOK EDITIONS ✓ 

I just used to believe this was pointless. You can only read one book at a time, why have two copies of the same one, hmm?? Now I look back at my sweet innocent self and laugh and laugh and laaaaaugh.

It’s for the art of COLLECTING. And I freaking adore it. I have several multiple editions! Although I confess for many of them I actually haven’t bought them myself. I’ll get given one + get it cheap at a sale + get it in a book box, etc. etc. But otherwise it feels me with such joy to have some in multiples so WHY NOT. It supports my fav authors.

5. GIFS EVERYWHERE ✗

I actually used to be known for how much I gif’d. Now??? Don’t haaate me but I don’t love gifs. I find them super distracting from the text, so if I can’t scroll enough so that I DON’T have to see the gif flashing and can concentrate on the text??? Then I’m lost. I am an unripe pumpkin peel.

That saying: (1) yes I will use gifs on occasion!! and (2) I still read PLENTY of amazing blogs that love gifs!!

I just got old. SO OLD. (I love emojis though. I’m simultaneously 80 and secretly 12.)

6. JOINING IN BLOGGING MEMES ✓

Sometimes I think: “CAIT! This is your blog! Take control of it and use your imagination!” But those thoughts are frail and I would much rather meld with the carpet and not take control of my own fate. That’s for Merida, thanks. SO blogging memes? My lifesavers. Yes please tell me what to do for the week. Top Ten Tuesday is my favourite.

I love ones with open prompts so (a) you have an idea of what to blog about, and (b) you can still add your own creative flair around the edges!

I get how they CAN feel repetitive, if your feed is just 57 What Are You Reading type posts in a row…buuuuut. I still love them and it’s always easy to start a conversation with them!

 

7. DOING “INCORRECT QUOTES” ✓

I swear I was doing this before it became popular!! I WAS OK?! I AM THE TRENDSETTER. (shh let me live in my delusions.) I have been doing it on Goodreads for years! Actually to the point where I do it and people yell at me for “spoilers” and I’m like…my dear, my mate, my little frangipani: I’M BEING HORRIBLY SARCASTIC WITH THIS UPDATE IT IS NOT A SPOILER.

Anyway I highly love these. I follow Incorrect The Cruel Prince, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, and a couple of Marvel ones on twitter. You will also absolutely see me making memes of these for my own books. Shame? I have none.

I swear I DIE REGULARLY with laughter over these. (I don’t know who runs it but they’re hilarious.)

 

And here’s one of mine from Goodreads:

8. READING CHALLENGES / READATHONS ✗

The truth is I am just very bad at group activities. I WORK ALONE, ALFRED. (I also very much am Batman. Fight me if you don’t believe it, but I even have batman socks with little golden capes on them.) I also struggle to commit to challenges of “read this and this book!” because MOOD READER.

I do have a Goodreads goal, but I caaaan’t pledge to read certain amounts of certain types of books.

9. PASSIONATE RANTS ✗

This is NOT a call out against rants! Because I enjoy reading a lot of them. But writing them myself??? Here is basically what transpires in my brain:

• Oh I have opinions about this topic!
• I should write a post!
• Wait am I sure about my opinions??
• no i could be wrong
• actually everyone will hate me
• what if I’m misinformed??????
• if i get into an internet fight I WILL JUST CRY
• everyone else has ranted on this topic before me anyway
• i have nothing new to say
• i am a piece of bread

And therefore I never get around to writing rant posts. It’s very pathetic. Look at me, so smol and sad.

10. ARCS ✗✓

I’ll finish up by cheating, because…BOTH! I have such mixed feelings about ARCs I’ve basically turned myself into a baking pre-mix and, just add water and anxiety = and you get a PAPER FURY!!

Good Parts Of ARCs: You get free books (and I can’t afford many soooo this is crucial to my existence) + you get to read highly anticipated books early sometimes!! + I feel like there’s more chance to read things you might not have tried?! Ergo NEW FAVOURITES!

Bad Parts Of ARCs: pressure reading is…pReSSureFUL ugh + getting sent unsolicited ones is overwhelming + that anxiety of disliking a book you HAVE to review + often everyone’s reviewing the same ARCs + the who-gets-them is REALLY unfair and sometimes is so so frustrating you just feel 1000% done with it altogether + they’re ugly.

Lmao to the last one. I’M SORRY. But with my love of bookstagram —> my interest in ARCs has decreased because they’re just ugly, ok. I also have SUCH rotten luck with Netgalley and Edelweiss, it’s just depressing.

I would probably quit ARCs altogether if I were rich. Then, obviously, I would soon NOT be rich because I would have bought a lot of books. Regrets? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I see none.

hey so chat with me!

what are trends you like vs ones you avoid in the blogging world?!? do we agree on any?? do you join in reading challenges? or how do you feel about ARCs?

 

PS. My blog’s email subscriptions appears to have FAILED on me. So if you happen to usually get emails from my blog but haven’t lately…can you let me know?! I’m trying to fix it. I hate wordpress gah. (If you follow via bloglovin‘, it should be fine though!)

I’d like to think we book bloggers are mostly chill creatures, just here to enjoy books and with our pockets full of cake crumbs and magic.

And yet. Haha…oh wow, we can definitely get annoyed. The little dragon part of our souls will unfurl its wings and roast some humans and potatoes alike if anyone insists on being downright annoying. And hey it happens! We bloggers put up with a lot! And we work hard over here, OK?! Don’t be mean, or we’ll tell on you.

So just in case you either (a) want to nod vigorously in companionable agreement over the annoyances we put up with, or (b) you secretly want to know just how to annoy a book blogger yourself because you are eVIL (how dare you) — I am writing a post on:

10 really annoying things that happen to book bloggers

Bless us for surviving this, seriously. Between authors murdering our feels and internet-humans sneezing on us, it’s A WONDER WE’RE ACTUALLY SOMETIMES A LITTLE HIGHLY STRUNG INSTEAD OF CHILL.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE…

 

1. WHEN PEOPLE STEAL YOUR HARD BLOGGING WORK.

And pfft to anyone who says “Well it’s the highest form of flattery!” If I made a sandwich and you waltzed up here and ate it, then no. I would not be flattered. I would eat you as revenge because that was my sandwich, you limp lettuce leaf. I made it. I wanted to eat it. You didn’t even ASK. It’s the same as stealing art — except art is a little less edible unless it’s paint and you can eat it if you want to see another dimension.

I’ve had blog posts, pinterest boards, tweets, and photos stolen. I’ve practically got one foot in the grave, one in a seafaring ship, and once I find my tricorn hat and my kraken under my piles of books, REVENGE HERE I COME. *

 

* Just kidding. Well, not about wanting to wear a tricorn hat. But I am not very much into revenge unless it is the petty kind like I eat your favourite cake in front of you but don’t share.

2. WHEN SOMEONE APPEARS OUT OF THE GLOOM TO EXCLUSIVELY HATE ON YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK.

 

I like discussions! I like seeing other perspectives, you know that whole “walk in someone else’s shoes”?? That’s a fantastic saying! I love your shoes! I will take them and run away and you will nary ever catch me! Ha ha ha!

Excuse me.

But I just can’t when I say “I LOVE THIS” and someone appears to say “WELL YOU’RE SO DUMB THIS IS ALL THE REASONS IT SUCKS.” What does this even achieve except me wanting to sprinkle staples in your hair??? It’s negative and unnecessary. If I’m really raving about a book you hate — DON’T READ MY POST. Stunning idea.

3. WHEN SOMEONE JUST POINTS OUT TYPOS AND NOTHING ELSE.

Okayyy negative Nancy, I’m sure spelling ITS instead of IT’S is going to ruin the whole post. It doesn’t actually! It’s good to spell correctly, but you literally don’t need to stampede out of the snow to juuuuust point out problems. Look I’ll break it down for us so we can differentiate which typos are bad and which are not that big of a deal:

TYPOS THAT WON’T KILL YOU

• it’s vs its
• their vs they’re
• the vs teh
• cait vs cake (it’s the same thing anyway)

TYPOS THAT WILL KILL US ALL PLEASE FIX THEM

• i ate evil = I hate evil (this is important to be clear about ok)
• Legolas vs Legacy
• TBR (to be read) vs TBC (terrifying bear close)
• I’m not buying A Thousand Perfect Notes = I am definitely absolutely totally buying 42 copies of A Thousand Perfect Notes
• “I want to eat cake” vs “I want to eat Cait” (just so I have warning)

 

4. WHEN SOMEONE SAYS “OH LOL YES BLOGGING WOULD BE SO EASY.”

SO IS RAISING MY OWN PTERODACTYL SON IN THE BATHUB OBVIOUSLY.

I’m joking. That was me being facetious. Because raising my pterodactyl son in the bathtub is hard and blogging is hard and there is not enough cake for how hard my life is, clearly.

Bloggers work hard! We promote and champion books because we enjoy it, yes, but it doesn’t stop it from actually basically being an unpaid job! We spend HOURS coming up with content and organising things and most of us will spend some money on our blogs at some point. And we squeeze 5 hours of blogging into 15 mins before bed so like, we’re also time-turning wizards too. Take that.

 

5. WHEN YOU GET OVERLOOKED FOR COOL OPPORTUNITIES FOR NO GOOD REASON??

Or because you’re that terrible terrible thing…ready for it? (TAKE A BREATH).

NOT IN THE USA.

Gasp. How dare you, peasant.

But honestly, it never ceases to boggle me how wildly unpredictable opportunities in the blogging realms are! Like why do I get rejected for 90% of my requests on Edelweiss and Netgalley!? (Despite having a good ratio!) Why do bloggers who WANT the ARCs miss them in favour of bloggers who probably won’t even read that ARC?!? Some bloggers get the Famous interviews. Some don’t. Some get all the follows and pageviews. Some don’t. None of it makes sense??? And then the sun will go and NOT SHINE WHILE I’M TRYING TO TAKE BOOKSTAGRAM PHOTOS and sheesh I’m done here. I’m crying in my batcave, I’ll get back to you.

6. WHEN SOMEONE ASKS YOU TO DECLARE YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION.

I tend to think if it’s rude to ask it TO MY FACE, don’t ask it online either! Although apparently it’s a bizarre concept!?? It really bothers me when people assume things about others’ finances online. YOU JUST CAN’T KNOW. Online lives are notorious for just displaying the “pretty” side, but only a peahen would assume that it’s the full story. Come onnn.

I particularly hate it when people tell me how rich I am (like, I wish but yet?!?) or ask me to tell them how much I earn for a living and I just??? When about is it your business.

 

7. WHEN WE DO NOT GET OFFERED ENOUGH CAKE.

There’s literally nothing more to clarify about this. It’s a travesty and skies are falling because of it. Someone ought to bake more. Be ashamed, world, for failing us like this.

8. WHEN OUR REVIEW REQUEST CRITERIA GETS IGNORED.

Just…just read it. Starting off an email with, “Look I know you said you don’t take review requests…BUUUUT!” doesn’t help your case! It just makes me realise you already don’t respect my words!

FUN (NOT) EMAIL EXPERIENCES I’VE HAD

• getting emailed with “hi!” but no name because that was too hard to find
• or better yet, “Dear Paper Fury”…
• it’s not mY naME actually
• (although I would reply if someone called me Nick Fury, let’s be real)
• Being asked to BUY the book to review it.
• Being requested for sequels…how does that even make sense?!
• Emailed about adult books when if you spend 2 seconds on my blog you’ll know I’m a YA blogger
• Being followed up 4+ times…mate, please take a lowkey no from someone who hates confrontation
• being told “Now I know you love [insert book title] which is similar to mine” WHEN I’VE NEVER READ THE BOOK THEY MENTIONED THAT I SUPPOSEDLY LOVE??
• When you end up on mailing lists you NEVER SIGNED UP FOR???????????

9. WHEN OTHER BLOGGERS INVALIDATE OTHERS’ NEEDS.

Just because you don’t care if a series doesn’t match, or if spines aren’t the same height, or if your bookshelf is organised a certain way — dooooesn’t mean IT CAN’T BE VERY IMPORTANT TO OTHERS. This is like the second rule you should’ve learned in preschool. *

Just let people live! Unless they are already part of the undead! Then let people die for goodness sakes!

 

* The first being, if someone steals your cookies, you level all your 5-year-old anger into declaring a dire and despicable ice war which will last 100 years as they become your arch-nemises. This is how Sherlock and Moriarty did it anyway I guess.

 

10. WHEN SOMEONE SNARKS THAT BLOGGERS MUST HAVE SUPER PURE™ REASONS FOR BLOGGING.

You know why you should blog? BECAUSE YOU WANT TO. And also (keep calm now this may come as a shock) because it might help you to achieve something you want! Now, much like cleaning the house if you have a toddler, this is a bit of a controversial thing I’m suggesting. But I think it’s perfectly valid to blog for MANY reasons and they don’t have to be selfless! (Also I’m a Slytherin, yes. Hello.)

REASONS YOU CAN START A BLOG

• Because you’d like to receive free books to review! YES! This is a valid reason to blog! I know people say “don’t blog just for free books” and while, yes, you should blog because you enjoy it…but why not also get books?! I love getting books from publishers! I love working with them! And for someone with a smol-book-buying-budget, I need this.
• Because you’re launching a platform for your business! Maybe it’s graphic design, or your publishing a book, or starting a candle-making business or running a book box or an etsy store?! It’s perfectly OK to launch that off your blog. None of this “eh they’re only here to make money”…IT’S A VALID WAY TO MAKE MONEY IF YOU CAN MAKE IT WORK.
• Because you want to rule the world. Oh oh…um, sorry wait typo. This is only my reason and you can’t borrow it.
• Because you just want to fangirl over books and make friends! Also a valid reason! You do not have to be writing massive discussion topics or championing a cause or anything! You can simply blog because it’s fun. Zero pressure, you fun octopi.

what are some things that really annoy YOU as a book blogger?!? do you think there are good vs bad reasons to start a blog? do you get enough cake??? (im asking in concern here)