Armchair
BEA Day 5 - “ The Future of Book Blogging”
“Our suggested post for today is "Ask the Experts". If you have any burning questions for your fellow participants about book blogging now is the time to ask and if you don't we'd love for you to share your own personal tips about book blogging!”
Hello and happy last day of Armchair BEA to you, I hope you've all had fun because I know I have. :)
I don't consider myself an expert but like the post says, here are some questions and tips I have for fellow bloggers out there.
Questions for fellow participants:
1.) When do you think the best time to schedule posts is?
2.) How many reviews do you try to post a week?
3.) If your blog has a Facebook page how do you use it/get people to interact there?
4.) What's one thing you like about Bibliognome if you've had a chance to look around?
A Couple of Tips from Bibliognome:
1.) If you use Blogger to blog I've found that a lot of the time it's easier to use Google Docs for formatting versus the Blogger interface. Using Google Docs lets you set your font to 12 pt so it's easier to read and you'll go less crazy trying to figure out your spacing/formatting too if you use this and then just copy everything into the Blogger form.
2.) Have fun because if you aren't having at least a little fun blogging then you're definitely doing it wrong. :)
1. I've been playing around with when I post things, but it doesn't seem to matter.
ReplyDelete2. I try to post at least one review a week.
3. I don't have a Facebook page (for the blog), but I've considered it.
4. I like your layout: cute and clean.
Thanks for stopping by and answering my questions. :)
Delete1.) Good to know, I still mess around with when I post things sometimes.
4.) Thanks, it took me awhile to figure out what I wanted the blog to look like so that's great to hear.
I never even thought about using Google Docs to format a post. I really am new at this. Thanks for the tip.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, thanks for stopping by and checking out the post.
DeleteYeah I love Google Docs because I can do all the formatting and spacing and the best part is being able to set my font to 12 pt. because bloggers normal size seems to be 11 pt. (which is harder to read.)
I have linked my blog to auto publish on my Facebook page via Network Blogs, I have wordpress but I am sure you can also set that up with blogger
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoyed ABEA
Shelleyrae @ Book'd Out
Thanks for the feedback I think I'll be working on my facebook page more and try to integrate it better. :)
DeleteI am too new to answer your questions, but I love the tip to use Google docs. I have been going mad wondering why my blogger posts end up looking different from each other when I set the settings the same. I will see if Google docs helps!
ReplyDeleteHi, glad to help, it was driving me crazy too until I figured it out. Now it takes me a lot less time to set up the formatting of a post. :)
DeleteBlogger formatting is terrible so thank-you for the Google docs tip.
ReplyDeleteI really like your blog layout, easy navigation and easy to read. I too don't have a Facebook page.
My post - http://obsessionwithbooks.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/armchair-bea-day-five-future-of-book.html
Glad you like the Google docs tip. :)
DeleteThanks, I'm happy you like the navigation, layout, and that it's easy to read. I always worry that there's not enough going on here or that I need more.
Oh that is a great tip - I'm sick of blogger and the formatting experience here. Especially when I want to put in a bunch of book covers in a wordy post, the words go all over the place!
ReplyDeleteI find the weekends are usually pretty low on readership, so I try to avoid posting anything really good then! Save that for a Monday, that seems to get a nice spike in readers.
Dee, from e-Volving Books
Thanks, always glad to help in the fight against Blogger's horrible formatting :) It took me forever to format posts before I figured this out.
DeleteHave a great day and thanks for answering my questions.
1. I try to post mine in the morning. I figure people will read it while they drink their coffee. It's also there in their Google Readers first thing. I don't know if that's the best but it's what I do.
ReplyDelete2. I try for 2 but sometimes that doesn't work out.
3.No Facebook.
4.I love your header! And the template you chose too.
(Oh and I use Windows Live Writer for writing blog posts.)
1.) That's a good idea, I've just been posting at midnight lately. Still trying to figure out the very best time.
Delete2.) Good to hear, I usually strive for 2 reviews a week too.
4.) Thanks, I love the header too (Jessica at http://www.hopelessbibliophile.com/ made it up for me.)I went with the grass template because I always think of gnomes as garden gnomes/in the yard. The space background is because I pretty much love anything having to do with space. :)
1.) I schedule mine for anywhere between midnight and 5am. I am sure to get them posted BEFORE my email newsletter goes out, but I figure before 5am means anyone who is sitting at their computer eating breakfast before school or work might get to see!
ReplyDelete2.) How many reviews do you try to post a week? It varies! I try to post "content" at least 4 days a week and a meme or two a week. Sometimes I do content 5 days and one meme. Content meaning reviews, interviews, guest posts.
3.) If your blog has a Facebook page how do you use it/get people to interact there?
I'm just getting people to interact a bit more on mine. I'm sharing book news, cover releases, sales I find, etc. And of course my blog posts go there as well.
4.) What's one thing you like about Bibliognome if you've had a chance to look around?
I love the header! So cute.
1.) Sounds good, I always just never know when to post because of all the different time zones etc..
Delete2.) Cool, that's pretty much what I try to do too.
3.) Thanks, you have some good ideas here, I know I have to add more to mine, right now it's just blog posts.
4.) Thanks, I love it too. The awesome Jessica at http://www.hopelessbibliophile.com/ made it up for me.
So cool - I didn't know that about Google Docs, but I will give it a try! As for your questions here goes:
ReplyDelete1) I never have figured this out. I am typically scheduling mine around 6am now for reviews that are scheduled, 3am for excerpt/book tour posts and midnight for memes. No real science behind that and I'm not sure they are the "best" scheduling times.
2) I try to post 2-5 reviews a week, right now while dealing with burnout I've been lucky to post one, but when I am on a roll I can post 5. I think 2-3 a week is good.
3) I'm still trying to balance blog, Facebook and Twitter and not doing a good job of it, hope to improve on this in the next few months so no advice for you here.
4)I like your header and your blog design, it goes with your blog name and it's bright and happy and easy to read.
I wanted to say thank you too for stopping by my blog and answering my question about burnout. I am trying to read other books and between that and Armchair BEA I do seem to be getting my groove back. I think I will continue with your advice and hopefully I will be back to it soon. Again thanks for commenting!
Glad you like the tip. :)
Delete1.) Sounds like you have a good plan there.
2.) Five reviews a week, that's pretty amazing, (you must be a faster reader then I am). I tend to take a while to write my review and make it just right sometimes.) So I usually shoot for two reviews a week.
3.) Yeah, it's not easy balancing everything.
4.) Thanks, very happy to hear that you like the blog design :) Jessica at http://www.hopelessbibliophile.com/ made the awesome header up for me. I try to keep everything simple and not have too much going on and I use Google Docs to try to make everything easy to read size wise.
Not a problem, I was happy to stop by. Sometimes you just have to step back and remember to have fun/what made you want to blog in the first place.
Love your tip about the Google docs for posts! I don't know if there is a best time to schedule posts, but I do mine in the morning (a little after midnight actually). I have a different review ... style (not sure if that's the right word), but on Mondays, I do a Weekly Reading With ... where I discuss 2 books I recently read (serves as my review). It's linked to the meme "It's Monday What Are You Reading." On Saturdays, I will post an Audiobook review if I've finished one, and link that to an audiobook meme at Devourer of Books - that happens about once or twice a month.
ReplyDeleteThanks :) Sounds like a good way to do things. Thanks for stopping by and answering my questions.
DeleteI find that posting earlier in the morning has worked the best for me!
ReplyDeleteCool, thanks for stopping by. :)
DeleteI have a facebook page for my blog, but I have not yet done anything with it. I mainly signed up so I'd have the name for when I am ready. Right now I'm focusing on subscribers for my site and Twitter followers.
ReplyDeleteYour blog loads nice and fast, which is good! Sometimes they're bogged down with way too many widgets and flash content that it slows the loading down, even on a fast connection.
Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteYeah, I'm still not a hundred percent sure what to do with Bibliognome's facebook page.
Glad to hear that the blog loads fast, I try not to have too much stuff on the sidebar.
1.) I find earlier in the day is the best.
ReplyDelete2.) I think you should post what you are comfortable with.
3.) I haven't done Facebook yet.
4.) Your blog is very readable. The text/background colour.
Thanks so much for your answers, they're really helpful.
Delete4.) Glad to hear because I know I hate it when it's hard to read a blogs because of the font or background color.
1.) I schedule my posts to go live at 10 AM CST. That's mid morning for most of the country, so it tends to show up at about the right time for most people in their readers. By doing that it also gives me enough time in the morning to make last minute changes or additions.
ReplyDelete2.) I try to post 2 reviews & 1 meme a week for 3 posts total. Some weeks I do more, some I do less. This works for me simply because I don't want to feel pressured to perform by reading faster & not fully enjoying my books.
3.) I have enough issues with FB on my personal page, so I've left well enough alone for my blog.
4.) I enjoy your empty space. There is a lot of extra space surrounding your posts so my eyes tend to focus directly on the center (the actual content) rather than banners, ads & links. It looks clean & well-managed!
Tattooed Books
Hi, thanks for commenting. :)
Delete1.) That's a really good idea.
4.) Thanks so much, I'm glad you think it works so well.
The Blogger editor is crazy-making. I just use ScribeFire since it's so simple.
ReplyDeleteIdeally, I would schedule posts for Sunday through Wednesday. During the weekend things seem to quiet down considerably.
Exactly :) Thanks for commenting.
DeleteSounds like a good schedule.
I try to get my posts out in the morning. I don't know if I actually get more traffic that way but it's become a habit.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a specific number of reviews I post a week. However many books I read. Sometimes one, sometimes four.
I don't use FB for my blog but I was thinking about it. I was wondering if it would actually drive traffic to my blog or not really, especially if I'm already using Twitter.
I know I saw someone else say this, but I like that the posts are the main focus and there isn't a lot of stuff cluttering up your page and taking the focus away from the reviews.
Thanks for your answers. It's great to see all these different perspectives.
DeleteI'm really glad that you like the look of the blog and am happy that nothing takes the focus away from reviews.