What I Would Have Done Differently ~ A Guest post by Kristen of My Friends are Fiction! ~

Posted November 11, 2013 by Octavia in Features & Spotlights / 0 Comments

Blogoversary ButtonRequesting Remorse

First off, I’d like to give a shout out to Octavia for being a great blogging friend and always eager to gush over Susan Ee with me. When Octavia asked me to be part of her blogoversary celebration I was honored and touched. Thank you ☺

I’ve been blogging just shy of a year and can say I’ve learned a lot in this time period. Before I started blogging I didn’t visit blogs or know anything about the industry or community. I decided, fairly randomly, to start a review blog. I quite literally picked my blog name and purchased the domain (with the help of my husband) the night this all occurred to me.

When I was told about NetGalley and Edelweiss it felt like Christmas. I had no idea that either site existed and that you could download books with the click of your mouse (and the coveted approval).

Once I began getting approved, I went a bit crazy, as we all do. My biggest mistake was less in requesting so many books (they were mostly manageable) but in requesting sequels to books I’d not ever read. I’d see a pretty cover and think…why not? Then the approval…and a lot of times it was right before release date. This is where the stress and scramble really kicked in. Frantic Kristen ensued.

Also, the worst case scenario—reading and really not enjoying book one. I can’t say how many first books I have read and groaned knowing that book 2 was waiting for me (with a deadline).

The one and only time requesting a sequel did not back fire on me was with Julie Kagawa’s The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2). I loved both books and felt that Kagawa has brought so much depth and entertainment to a genre that needed a boost.

So, what would I have done differently in my short (but sweet) blogging career? I would be more selective in which electronic arcs I requested. If I’ve not read the first book there is no rush to request the sequel.

Thank you, Octavia for having me.

 

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