#BBAW

Book Blogger
Appreciation Week
2016

Day 5

Day 5:
One of the unfortunate side effects of reading and blogging like rockstars seems to be a tendency toward burnout.
How do you keep things fresh on your blog and in your reading?

How I keep things fresh in my reading:

1. I try to keep a healthy balance between New Releases AND classics, and books that have been on my TBR for too long.

   How?

   Doing Reading challenges helps,

   but mostly, I have learned to be very very very picky at what book I request or agree to review. I have not counted, but maybe I accept to review only 1/10 books I get offered through email.
   But I guess that requires self-discipline.
   And when I do accept, I look at my review schedule and give myself a lot of time ahead, and tell them: yes I’m interested in reading your book, but I won’t be able to post until that day.
   I only accept to be part of a book tour when I really want to read a book and again, it’s schedule far ahead, so that I have no pressure.
   I think that’s also what is keeping me sane: I ultimately read what I really chose to read, no pressure.
   And schedule, that is organization!

2. I keep an eye on diversity in books mostly through books in translation.
   Review copies are important for me, because I don’t have a lot of dough, and books are expensive. I use a lot my library, but that’s not always easy with new releases (unless, like for my favorite authors, I know when the book is going to be released, so I keep an eye on my library catalog months ahead and request it as soon as it says they are ordering it – but that’s pressure to organize!)
   I also read a lot of books in translation that are coming from smaller presses. If I get them through interlibrary loan, usually I can’t renew the loan, and they may be fat books! So review copies save me
   

3. and through books published in French – it helps to be tutoring in French: for instance, with one of my advanced students, every week, we work on an except of a book which received a literary award in France in 2015 (there are A LOT of different French literary awards).

How I keep things fresh in my blogging:

1. By doing all of the above, as my blog is essentially about books I read

2. By trying to write better reviews

3. By visiting other blogs and gathering new ideas here and there

4. By reading material to try to always improve (Blogging University for instance)

5. By trying to create conversation through my posts

6. By accepting guest-posts from different authors

7. By taking part in current blogging events, such as #BBAW!

8. By staying away from controversies when they come up – so keeping blogging positive, not a place to fight

9. And also by not bothering if I can’t do anything on the blog, because I’m away with no internet connection. It’s good to totally disconnect from time to time

10. By trying to update the look from time to time – I know, I have promised a major update for a while…

ANY OTHER WAY
THAT WORKS FOR YOU ?