I am no blogging expert. I am learning as I’m going. Some things I fuck up, somethings I pick up. Most things I just wing it. I might make it a Sunday feature, depends if I find something to talk about. Either way here 1 thing I’ve learnt as a new book blogger;
It is okay to say no.
With being listed on TheIndieView I get contacted a lot by new authors, even some agents and even some publishing companies. There is a lot of pressure for me, to say yes to every single person who contacts me. They’ve taken the time to click my site, maybe read some of my reviews and go right I want a review from this person. At the start I was saying yes to pretty much anyone that wanted a review. Even to books I knew weren’t my genre or cup of tea. Which puts you in the position of doing a review that you know will be negative based on the fact, you just don’t like that idea behind the book. Which is unfair to the person who contacted you, and unfair to yourself. Reading books takes time, reading a shit book feels like it takes a lot more time.
At this time I have said Yes to 82 books to review. No to 13. I am not afraid to say no now. I’ve learnt from my mistake. I don’t feel guilty anymore because I know that I am being honest. Why would anyone want their book to be reviewed, if they know 80% that the person isn’t going to like it.
LFBooks 
“Some things I fuck up, somethings I pick up.” One of the best quotes I will ever read, period.
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Lol thanks.
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Completely agree to what you are saying Laura. Sometimes refusing to say NO leaves you with a huge pile of TBR consisting of genres that you are low in your priority and a mounting guilt.
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Thanks for taking the time to read. Yeah TBR is big enough by itself without adding guilt.
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Laura, don’t fall into the trap of thinking everybody is looking at what you read and review. After 8 years of doing this, I’d say 50% of the solicitations I get are clearly from people (authors, publicists, etc.) who haven’t bothered to read my review policy or even look at any of my past reviews. I don’t even bother saying no to them because, if they can’t be bothered, neither can I.
Having said that, this gives the others, the ones who DO bother, a leg up in my decision making 😉
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Yeah I have noticed them. I love the people who never reply back to your messages when you send them the review, or when you mention it going to be going up.
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Great practical advice! I’m the kind of person who has a hard time saying no when someone asks me for a favor. I don’t want to come across as mean or unfriendly. But sometimes, saying no is the best thing you can do for a person. 🙂
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Exactly 🙂
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Completely agree with you here!!
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Hella notifications from me today! 🙂
Great tips though. All of them, thanks!
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Thanks and np go mad lol
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