The Clueless Librarian

netgalley: Recipes for Success: First Steps to Creating a Book Blog Guest post from Kate of Ex...

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 18:58:32 -0800

Recipes for Success: First Steps to Creating a Book Blog
Guest post from Kate of Ex Libris

Here at NetGalley our goal is to provide a central resource for professional readers to discover new titles to recommend! Whether you’re a reviewer, blogger, bookseller, librarian, or educator, we know that you’re spreading the word about books. Some of our members are well-established and some of you are just starting out. For those of you who have just started or are thinking about starting a dedicated book-review blog, we introduce this new blog series: Recipes for Success. Here you’ll find tips and tricks from the insiders! We aim to give new bloggers and reviewers helpful information, tools, and best practices to help facilitate your growth and effectiveness as reviewers.

Our first post is from Kate of Ex Libris, who’s here to kick things off by sharing four first steps in creating a book blog. Kate has been a NetGalley member since 2011 and has been approved for 182 titles as of today! Don’t forget to stay tuned for Kate’s next Recipe for Success, all about Review Policies.

So, you want to start a book blog…..

I published my first review on June 8, 2011. It was The Help by Kathryn Stockett and probably qualifies more as an essay rather than a review. I started a book blog looking for a way to combine my love of reading with something I could do from home with limited materials. (I was never good at scrapbooking). As I slowly discovered the vast world of book blogging, I eventually found a community in the Young Adult blogging world through attendance at book festivals and book signings. Without that community, I don’t think I would enjoy my hobby-turned-passion as much as I do. I feel like I have grown leaps and bounds as a blogger in the past 18 months, but I know that I still have a lot to learn. So, as I offer what worked for me, please understand that this is what worked for me. Ultimately, you have to travel a path that works for you. I just wanted to talk about some of the steps I took at the beginning that really helped me.

1. Start a blog
It’s that simple. There are many free blog platforms …

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schoollibraryjournal: Jarrett J. Krosoczka delivers a TedX...

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 07:33:13 -0800

schoollibraryjournal:

Jarrett J. Krosoczka delivers a TedX talk, “Imagining Beyond Your Circumstances.”

(Video via 100 Scope Notes)

schoollibraryjournal: SLJ blogger and New York City librarian...

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 13:54:59 -0700

schoollibraryjournal:

SLJ blogger and New York City librarian Betsy Bird and blogger and elementary school librarian Travis Jonker have a conversation entirely in picture books.

neil-gaiman: One day I will set them free.

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 17:44:31 -0700

neil-gaiman:

One day I will set them free.

Photo

Tue, 15 May 2012 21:25:07 -0700

Get your Center for Cartoon Studies Schulz Library Tote at the...

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:22:05 -0700

Get your Center for Cartoon Studies Schulz Library Tote at the Norwich Bookstore (Norwich, Vermont) or online.

Go Away, I’m Reading book covers by Sarah Enni. You can...

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 20:44:24 -0700

Go Away, I’m Reading book covers by Sarah Enni. You can print out your own!

[via Galley Cat]

How very clever … a hanging bookcase that has its own...

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 13:56:10 -0800

How very clever … a hanging bookcase that has its own bookmarks and can serve as a table if (gasp!) you’re okay with setting items on the book spines. Designed by Raw-Edges Design Studio (I couldn’t find a direct link to this particular project).

[via The Bookshelf blog]

Create book shelves, literally

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:14:45 -0800

Create book shelves, literally:

Tutorial on how to use old books to make simple, yet beautiful, shelves.

Happy Lunar New Year from Neil Gaiman (posted one day late by...

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:04:10 -0800

Happy Lunar New Year from Neil Gaiman (posted one day late by me).

[via Neil’s blog]

Literary nail art

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:01:54 -0800

Literary nail art:

If you’re a children’s literature fan, check out the nail art for Harry Potter (slide 2), The Hunger Games (slide 9), Tintin (slide 11), Where the Wild Things Are (slide 12), Alice in Wonderland (slide 13), and The Little Prince (slide 15).

Nail polish inspired by authors like Dickens and Grimm. Not only...

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:51:30 -0800

Nail polish inspired by authors like Dickens and Grimm. Not only is the subject matter appropriate for me, but these variations on black are my favorite color of nail polish for pedicures.

Dickensian Volume made by StrangeBeautiful.

[via January 10, 2012 Shelf Awareness]

365: Make a Book a Day

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:33:50 -0800

365: Make a Book a Day:

Donna Meyer’s Daily Journal of a Challenge: to make a book a day for a year.

[via January 10, 2012 Shelf Awareness]

Cecilia Levy’s tea cups are made from recycled book pages. [via...

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:32:19 -0800

Cecilia Levy’s tea cups are made from recycled book pages.

[via January 10, 2012 Shelf Awareness]

bookshelfporn: The Joy of Books Many sleepless nights were...

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:26:13 -0800

bookshelfporn:

The Joy of Books

Many sleepless nights were spent moving, stacking, and animating books at Type bookstore in Toronto to create this video.

(via Sarah Moran)

book & library crafts from papersnitch

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:18:27 -0800

book & library crafts from papersnitch:

Library Card gift wrapping

Book wall art

Little library card notebooks

Book picture frames

[via the Craft zine blog in a kind of roundabout way]

HAPPY NEW YEAR! [via Neil Gaiman’s blog … Does...

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 23:51:00 -0800

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[via Neil Gaiman’s blog … Does anyone know who made this poster? I’d like to credit her/him. I think Neil found it on tumblr, but I’m just guessing.]

Merry Christmas! Give the gift that keeps on giving! And please...

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 00:05:05 -0800

Merry Christmas! Give the gift that keeps on giving! And please continue to support public libraries in 2012!

tweedlebop: Delmona Monster, MLSMonster: cuddly, librarian,...

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 07:44:01 -0800

tweedlebop:

Delmona Monster, MLS

Monster: cuddly, librarian, heroic.
http://robotsandmonsters.org/

Map of Dresden in 1945, made of Wagner’s score for The...

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 07:29:29 -0800

Map of Dresden in 1945, made of Wagner’s score for The Ring, 2010 by Matthew Picton.

[via Brain Pickings]