# The Secret Life Of A Book Blogger

I found this wonderful tag on ''Read Diverse Books'' where Naz had done it last year. The idea is to give the readers a glimpse of your thoughts about blogging and I hope this will be something that is fun for you to read!

How long have you been a blogger?

I've tried blogging on many occasions in the past but never made it past the first month. With Books Told Me So I've had the site up and running since July 2015 (has it really been that long?!). And before going live,
I spent an entire month writing posts and designing the site (which looked so much different then than now) for a month.

 

At what point do you think you will stop?

When I stop, I don't know. But I hope that I'll be able to continue until I've expanded Books Told Me So a bit to include a partner in crime who can continue after me. And maybe the time is sooner, maybe a bit later, but I don't think I'll be able to just stop. Maybe, one day, I just don't have anything to say anymore. Maybe the time stretches from one post to the next one gradually, and then one post just stays as the last one.

What is the best part?

Being able to be me. Being able to do what I love, most importantly, being able to do it when I want. And on top of it all, I get to meet new people who share the love of books and writing. Then there is you, who are giving your time to read my ramblings and reviews (and hopefully enjoying them). To be honest, I can't name one single thing that tops the list, but the reasons listed above are the Why I write this blog.

What is the worst part?

This, I realise, must be a very common answer to this question: It is very time-consuming. At a point, I realised that all my thoughts circled around this blog and how to make it better. I spend all my spare time searching for new ideas, reading so I could write reviews, blog hopping and much more, just to keep updated about what was going on the book community all over the world. I don't get paid a cent, not complaining because I still love doing this, but before I started flying, I used to wish I would make some money from this, so I could work a little fewer hours in my job and focus on finishing school and writing content here. Now, I have time, more days off, and a lot more opportunities to develop the site.

How long does it take you to find/create pictures to use?

Taking pictures is not something I remember to do all the time. Actually, I am quite lazy with them. I really try to take pics whenever I am in a place or situation that has potential. And let me just tell you, I am the worst with photoshopper in the world. Not my thing at all.

Who’s your book crush?

My book crush... To be honest, I don't currently don't have a book crush, but there are some books in my reviewing list coming up very soon, that might change the situation. 😍

What author would you like to have on your blog?

I haven't actually had an author interview yet on my blog, or actually a guest post for that matter. Even though I've been at this for over two years now, I still feel I lack a lot of things, and an author featured here is one of them. I don't have a specific author, but it would be amazing to get Ebony Olson, an author I found through Inkitt. Her books just have The Something in them (not to mention they are sizzling hot).

What do you wear when you write your blog?

Like, what do I wear right now? Well. Currently, when writing the first draft the time is just a bit past 2 am, so what I am wearing consist of sleepwear. - I am editing this post a couple days later, I am wearing the same clothes, sitting in the same spot, and the clock is a bit past 2 am. The only difference is that I was away on a three day trip to the sunny Canary Islands.
Because I mostly write at home, my fabulous outfits are sleepwear, sleepwear, and occasionally, comfy sweaters with jeans, but if I somehow have ended up outside my home, I might wear something resembling an actual combination of clothes that don't make me look like the  twenty-year-old version of the crazy cat lady (sans the cats).

How long does it take you to prepare a post?

If I write a review, the process is as long as the book is. It starts when I mark the book as 'currently reading' on Goodreads and ends when I press 'post' here on Blogger. With some books, I make notes to my little reviewing notebook, especially if the author and/or the genre I am reading is not familiar to me that much. Of course, a lot of highlights either with post-it notes or on Kindle - app. I try to write the review on the same day I've finished the book so everything is fresh in my memory, but if the ending is too shocking it might take a bit longer than that to gather my thoughts.
For a post like this, like not reviews, the process takes, I'd say, from one hour up to five or six, depending on how much research I have to do or pictures to set up.
My longest prep for a post is actually over a month. I have the text ready, and I am just missing the pictures, which I have to go and take (in another country, so I have to wait until I get a trip rostered there).

How do you feel about the book blogger community/culture?

You can either sit outside and be content with it, or you can throw yourself in with full force and never return.The how of how you participate is up to you, be it a blogger, vlogger, author, bookstagrammer, tumbler, or just a reader. There are so many ways to be in the community, and you can find support and love from anywhere if you want to (at least I have).

What do you think one should do to have a successful blog?

Content. Lots and lots of content. You can never have enough of it
Consistency. Have a schedule which you stick to. And when you have enough content in the store, there isn't a problem if you take a few day break from writing, because you have at least the next two posts scheduled for automatic publishing.
Collaboration. Authors, other bloggers, publishers/publishing houses, editors, your mum. Just get more people in. And I don't mean just guest posts. I am talking about press releases, excerpts, tags like this, list makers, and advice givers. Everything that supports the other two C's mentioned above keeps the blog alive and breathing.

You don't get popular overnight, you have to work for it. Sometimes a bit longer. In the beginning, you might feel a bit lost, but in time, you will figure out what you want your blog to be and what kind of content you want to post. So, if you feel lost, fake it till you make it.

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How did you like it? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below and if you have your own #Secret Life of A Book Blogger or any other Tag done or you just want me to check out your blog, let me know about that too!

Until next time!