Busting the Newbie Blues

Busting the Newbie Blues is BACK! After a very successful event last year, Small Review is hosting it again throughout the month of January. It's a great way for new bloggers to connect with more established bloggers, and to get some new followers. Last year I participated as a new blogger (my post). This year I will be answering the established blogger questionaire.

If you want to participate, you can still sign up.

When did you start your blog?

I started my blog a long time ago, in April 2010. I'll be celebrating my two-year anniversary this year.

Do you ever still feel like a newbie?

Yes, totally! I still feel so puny compared to the other big blogs out there. I feel like I still have a lot to learn, even though I've been around for a while. Especially on HTML, I'm still such a newbie at that. I tried to change my blog header the other day, and managed to multiply my header into the posts body. Oops. With some help from other bloggers, I luckily did get that fixed.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far? Did you make any mistakes new bloggers can learn from?

Don't try to do too much. That's something I can't stress enough. I tried to post every day, even though I really shouldn't. After a while blogging was something I wasn't looking forward to, eventually leading to a burn out. I had to leave my blog for a few months. I'm back now, and doing way better. Nyx Book Reviews is now more how I want it to be, than what is expected.

What did you find most discouraging about being a new blogger? How did you deal with this?

The low follower count. I wanted to blog to interact with people, to get them to read my reviews. It's very discouraging when you know there are just 7 people in the whole wide world that are interested in your view. It was pretty easy to deal with in the end. I got out and tried to meet people. Comment on their blogs. I participated in events, like Busting the Newbie Blues. It felt good to see people were interested in what I have to say, you sometimes just have to go out and meet them.

What do you find most encouraging?

The help of the blogging community. If you have a question, there is always someone that's willing to help you. I'm very glad for the people I met through blogging.

If you could go back in time and speak with your newbie self, what five bits of wisdom would you tell yourself?

Five bits! I'll have to think on that one. First, don't worry about the followers count. Second, you don't have to review all the new books. Old books are just as fine. Third, don't accept every review request that gets your way! I'm still stuck with 50 ebooks you accepted! Fourth, participate in more events. Just posting reviews gets boring after a while. Fifth, just have fun with your blog (:

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

I like blogs with clear navigation, with handy lists of what they've read. I tried to do this myself too. I also really like extensive reviews that tell you what the story is about. I just can't do anything with a review that says "This book was awesome! And the guy is HOTTT! Read it.". I need more info. I try to make my reviews as clear as possible.

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

Arghh, music on a blog! What's up with that? I know you like the music, but I sure as hell don't want to get blasted away by Beyonce the moment I open your blog. You can add a music widget in your side bar if you want to. But don't make it auto-play. I want to decide for myself if I want to hear it or now. I generally don't post music on my blog, but if I do, it's a Youtube video. People can see for themselves whether or not they're interested.

How did you bring your blog to the attention of so many people? 

Blood, sweat, tears and a lot of blogging! I try to keep my content of good quality, while also participate in some fun things once in a while. Like last year, I participated in three readathons. Readathons are great ways of meeting people with similar interests. Also, have a nice giveaway once in a while. People will definitely appreciate that.

When and how did you get your first ARC (or first few ARCs)?
I still don't get many ARCs. I get them almost all from Netgalley. I would definitely recommend Netgalley to every newbie blogger, especially when you're international. You might not get accepted for all the galleys, but I can assure you you will be for some. Sometimes I request ARCs from the author, and it has worked a few times. It's harder for me to get ARCs because the publisher more often than not thinks shipping is too expensive. I'm still looking into ways for me to get to the ARCs I want (:

***