Busting the Newbie Blues: Button Making

As a part in the Busting the Newbie Blues event, Small Review has made a neat link up post with all of her Tips & Tricks posts! She has challenged us newbies and oldies alike to use one of her posts and to try something we've been scared of doing before. Well, I have a scary thing that I want to do. I've been a blogger for 1,5 year, and I don't have a button.

Yes people, that's right. I'm scared of buttons.

So I followed Smalls advice on how to make a button, and this is the result!

Well, that wasn't as intimidating as I thought. Even though I have mediocre Photoshop skills, it looks pretty cool over there in my sidebar.

The only thing missing now is a "Grab it" section, where you can easily copy the code. Does anyone know how to make one? Got it working, thanks to Smalls (:

I will do a personal happy-dance for every person that grabs my button!

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 (:

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Busting the Newbie Blues

Busting the Newbie Blues is an event hosted by Small Review to connect fellow YA-bloggers, and help out starting bloggers.

How to join:

• Select the questionnaire that best applies to you (there's no "wrong" choice, so just pick whichever one you feel most comfortable answering)
• Create a post on your blog with the questions and your answers
• Grab the banner above or the button below to include in your post or sidebar
• Link back to Small Review's post
• Sign the Mr. Linky below so we can all come and visit your post!
• Spread the word! 

My Answers: 

When did you start your blog?

I created my blog in April, but I didn't really do anything with it then, it was just to see how this blogging thing works. I started to actively blog around October, when I discovered the wonderful world of weekly memes and other blog-fun.

Why did you start your blog? 

I started my blog because I joined the site Goodreads, and there I started reviewing books. I liked this so much and a lot of people over there wrote blogs themselves that I thought, I want that too! My blog has changed quite a bit since then, at first it was just a place for me to post my reviews on and be done with it. Now I like to post about other topics too, like what books I can't wait to put my hands on and discuss books with other book-lovers.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far? 

The biggest challenge I'm still struggling with is trying to get frequent readers. Followers, if you like. I try to post every day, and try to have at least one extensive book review up every week, but it's very hard to compete with all those other book blogs out there. They seem to get all those ARC's and requests, while we newbies are always a step behind on all of the trends. 

What do you find most discouraging about being a new blogger?

The feeling you are talking to thin air. That there is no one out there that is remotely interested in what you have to say. I'm glad that I have reached the point now where everything seems to take off, that there actually are people that respond on what I post. But especially when you just start blogging, that is the most discouraging.

What do you find most encouraging? 

When you find out there are other struggling bloggers out there. Not every blogger has the time to read and review a book a day. It is strengthening to know that you aren't the only one. Every single comment made on one of my posts makes my day. Just because someone has taken the time to read something I have put a lot of thought in. That's what makes blogging totally worth it.

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

One thing that I really like about blogs is when they write more into their reviews than "oh, this book was AWESUM". I like to know more about the book, things that stood out, how the characters were portrayed, that kind of information. I try to reflect this in my own reviews too. I will always explain what I absolutely loved about the book, or absolutely hated, and why. That way, readers can make up their own minds on if they want to read that book or not.

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

One thing I cannot stand is a lack of interpunction, lack of use of capital letters, and obvious spelling errors in every single sentence. I think a person that reads so much and thinks about what he or she has read, should be able to write correct English. Of course, I don't mind minor errors at all. I make those all the time! But I at least try to write in a way that is enjoyable to read...

Any advice for other new bloggers? 

Don't be discouraged. When your blog finally starts off, it is so much fun to have a blog. Try to keep in mind that it takes some time. Join in on memes and events to give your blog some more exposure, and take every feedback or comment you get at heart. 

Anything else you’d like to share about your experience? 

So far, hosting Nyx Book Reviews has been so much fun. It has opened a whole new world for me. My to be read pile has never been this big!

Is there anything you’d like to tell us about your blog?

I review mostly young-adult books, epic fantasy, paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Overall I tend to read about everything. I try to review every book I read, and my reviews are always honest reflections of my own opinion. It's to hard for my to keep up with all the trends, as most books aren't available here in the Netherlands, but I try to get my hands on new releases as soon as possible. I'm having great plans for the upcoming year. There will be more giveaways, some author interviews, more book reviews and other fun posts!

Talking about giveaways, check out my very first giveaway (international) if you haven't yet!