1.
Tell us a bit about yourself - what do you do aside from reading and blogging?
I
work in a chocolate and sweet shop, I've just started learning to play the
guitar and like to express my artsy crafty side from time to time and currently
that's via miniature painting.
2.
I'm absolutely loving Geek Week! What's the geekiest thing you've ever done?
Oh
My! That's a tough one. It's either the
time I went to my first ever convention for a weekend, alone (A Firefly con
since you asked) and was so afraid I'd be silent the whole time because I was
there solo but some lovely Northern girls and Aussies took me under their wing
and we had an amazing time! Either that
or the time I camped out all night for a My Chemical Romance gig in Hammersmith
in the pouring rain. Over 24 hours but I
got right to the front so it was worth it.
WOW! MCR sounds fab!
3. One of my favourite reads of the year so far is Sophia Bennett's You Don't Know Me, which I know you really enjoyed as well. I was thrilled to see Sophia Bennett's awesome playlist for the book on your blog. What's your favourite song from that playlist?
hmmmm
*goes
and checks out the playlist again*
Wayward
Daughter: You Lost Your Place
Beautifully simple and heart breaking.
4.
What's your favourite genre to read?
It
changes over time but currently I've been drawn to Contemporary books and on
the flip side a lot of sci fi and fantasy novels. Way off Paranormal romances at the moment but
time may change that!
If
I'm honest, it would be Geekhood Mission Improbable by Andy Robb. I must sound like a broken record now but it
really stood up to the first book and still hit all those high marks that it set. Andy Robb must tap into my mind because he
knows how to make me laugh! Close second
is Goblins vs Dwarves by Philip Reeve.
6.
I'd hope that most of my readers will take a look at Sister Spooky when they
finish reading this interview. Is there a post you're particularly proud of
that you'd like to direct them towards?
I've
written so many blogs but the ones that really stick out are because of the
responses I've had from them or how personal they were for me.
The
review I'm most proud of is for The Perks of Being A Wallflower because I had
SUCH an amazing response to it from a wide variety of people. My favourite blogger/event post was my first
in-person author interview with Andy Robb that was so big I had to split into
two posts. I had THE best time. (Note from Jim - Check out part 1 and part 2!)
I
have written very personal posts too that have always shocked me at the
responses they've received. I had some
personal things going on last year and felt like I had to let the blog become
lower on my priorities and I was sent hugs, long emails with advice and tweets
and texts from authors, agents, publishers, bloggers and readers.
7.
I'm in awe of how productive you are on your blog - I think it's a good week if
I get 3 or 4 posts up, while you weren't far off a post a day last year! What
tips could you give to bloggers like me to improve our productivity?
HA!
Don't have much of a social life perhaps?
Well I think I just try and aim to have posts spread out over a week but
don't let yourself get to worked up if you don't cover every day. I like to have at least one review up out of
3 or 4 posts over the week as a whole.
I've recently REALLY cut back on the sort of posts I do so there will be
fewer on my blog but I hope that old "quality not quantity" thing
works out.
Best
tips are to try and have a rough schedule if you can, spread posts out over a
week and it seems fuller (great illusion) and make a note of news and points of
interests to read later because they may make a great posts.
Fab tips - thank you! I really need to make better notes of stuff as I quite often have an idea for what I think would be a good post but forget about it...
Fab tips - thank you! I really need to make better notes of stuff as I quite often have an idea for what I think would be a good post but forget about it...
Favourite thing is the community of like-minded people. It's like a family and we really band together and have a genuine passion for writing, publishing and books in the UK.
Things
I don't like…. there are many but sometimes it can feel like your hard efforts
aren't appreciated for what they are.
I've felt like a bit of a marketing tool sometimes and "used"
for the potential audience I can provide.
I don't claim to speak for every blogger or that I'm some big shot in
the blogging world but I feel like bloggers are seen VERY differently by
authors, other bloggers and the publishers.
9.
Is there anything you wish you'd known about blogging when you first started?
SO
MUCH!
I
had no idea about how it worked, how to manage a blog, how other bloggers fit
it all in with their daily lives and how the relationships between
publishers/authors and bloggers work.
Main
thing to know is DO NOT do it for the free books. It really REALLY is not what it is
about. Be prepared to read some things
you may not like as much as your favourite-books-ever because books vary so
much. Be prepared to do the work and
plan ahead.
Most
of all: Just Be Honest. Don't be rude
but be truthful when it comes to your thoughts.
It's YOUR blog and should reflect you as well as the books you read.
10.
Do you think you'll still be blogging in a few years time?
Honestly….
I hope I will but I very much doubt I'll be blogging as much as I do and in the
same way as I do now. Blogging has
changed hugely even since I started and either I'd have to change how I blog
and how I think of blogging or I'll give up.
I don't want to change my blog but I can see that I may eventually make
it more general and more focused on discussion posts etc. I'd love to be more brutally honest sometimes
but you have to find a balance.
A huge thanks for taking part in this interview, Laura - it was fab talking to you!
A huge thanks for taking part in this interview, Laura - it was fab talking to you!
Oh,I really enjoyed Geekhood book one. Looks like I'll have to get hold of book two pretty soon! Excellent interviewer, both you guys!
ReplyDeleteYou work in a sweet shop?! Wow, that must be the best job ever (with the possible exception of working in a book shop). Love the interview :)
ReplyDeletethanks Jim for the interview questions. Had a fab time answering them all!
ReplyDelete