BOOK REVIEW TEMPLATE Create a template of links you use every time, amazon or other affiliate id info, page set up, photo source info, etc. BOOK AFFILIATE LINKS http://www.amazon.com/ (insert your own affiliate info) http://www.indiebound.org/ SOCIAL NETWORKS http://twitter.com/the1stdaughter http://bookblogs.ning.com/profile/the1stdaughter ARCHIVES http://www.theresabook.com/archive/ http://www.theresabook.com/archive/#wheniwasyoungfeature PAGES The actual pages for your site, listed: http://www.theresabook.com/about/ LINKS If you have a page with links or maybe a directory with subcategories you can provide the links here. http://www.theresabook.com/about/#theturkeybird POSTS http://www.theresabook.com/2010/01/bloggiesta-mini-challenge/ etc... IMAGES If you're using an outside photo service post links here. HTML CHEAT SHEET <a href="URL" title="TITLE">TEXT</a> <a href="URL" ><img src="IMAGE URL" /></a> SIDEBAR STUFF Your sidebar html. CHITIKA CODE (Marketing Code you may have) METADATA/KEYWORDS bookiemoji Skip to content  A One-Stop Book Blogging Publicity Resource BY JENNA // OCTOBER 24, 2012 //  14 COMMENTS header-publicity-resource  (Note: I mulled around for quite a while deciding whether or not I would actually post this.)  This post is indented to be a resource for book review bloggers in the US who wish to establish relationships with young adult (YA) publishers.  Please use this information ONLY if you are a serious and dedicated blogger who has been ACTIVELY blogging for more than 6 months and have at least 300 followers (preferably more) under your belt. ARCs are not for everyone. Do not waste the publisher’s time if you are only out for “free books”.  As a young adult book blogger, one of the greatest thrills you can imagine is reaching that point when the book publishers actually want YOU to review their books and rely on YOU to help promote them. It’s a big step to develop a relationship with publishers, one that should be taken seriously and not as a means for personal gain (or free books). I know how much work, time and dedication it has taken me to establish relationships with the publishers, and although I won’t be giving you my own personal contacts below, I AM giving you a resource to help make building relationships a bit easier.  Below I provide:  General contact information for the publishers who release the widest assortment of titles on the market. Publicity contacts for a handful of authors (the information is publicly available on their web sites). That’s right, these are direct contacts for publicists who work for each publisher (aka. real people). Having these contacts is beneficial as it gets your leg in the door beyond a general/catch-all email address. A sample template for a blogger email submission to a publicist. (How’s that for a one-stop resource?) I recommend that you read my other post, Top Ten Tips for New Book Bloggers, for even more information about blogging in general as well as working with publishers.    Disney, Hyperion Books for Children They prefer that you initiate contact using the form on this page.  Hachette Book Group, Little Brown BYR publicity@littlebrown.com or publicity@lbyr.com  Harlequin Teen public_relations@harlequin.ca  HarperCollins, HarperTeen, Balzer + Bray, Greenwillow Books, Katherine Tegen Books Sandee Roston Sandee.Roston@harpercollins.com  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt childrens_publicity@hmhpub.com  Macmillan, Feiwel & Friends childrens.publicity@macmillanusa.com Farrar, Straus & Giroux BYR childrens.publicity@macmillanusa.com St. Martin’s Press publicity@stmartins.com Tor/Forge torpublicity@tor.com Henry Holt BYR publicity@hholt.com  Penguin Group, Dutton Children’s Books, RazorBill, Dial Books for Young Readers, G.P Putnam’s Sons, Philomel Books, Viking Children’s Books, Puffin youngreaderspublicity@us.penguingroup.com  Random House, Delacorte rhkidspublicity@randomhouse.com  Sourcebooks Fire publicity@sourcebooks.com  Simon & Schuster BYR, Simon Audio ChildrensPublicity@simonandschuster.com    A good place to start building personal contacts for other titles within the same imprint, as these publicists may also represent other authors. *The information below was obtained from the author’s public web sites, as linked*  Disney, Hyperion Books for Children (Author) Laurie Stolarz: http://www.lauriestolarz.com/contact.html (Publicity) Jennifer Corcoran: Jennifer.Corcoran@disney.com  Hachette Book Group, Little Brown BYR (Author) Kami Garcia: http://www.kamigarcia.com/contact/ (Publicity) Hallie Patterson: Hallie.Patterson@hbgusa.com  HarperCollins, Balzer + Bray (Author) Brodi Ashton: http://brodiashton.blogspot.com/p/contact-me.html (Publicity) Caroline Sun: Caroline.Sun@harpercollins.com  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Author) Katie Kacvinsky: http://www.katiekacvinsky.com/contact.php (Publicity) Rachel Wasdyke: Rachel.Wasdyke@hmhpub.com  Macmillan, Farrar, Straus & Giroux BYR (Author) Marissa Meyer: http://www.marissameyer.com/connect/ (Publicity) Allison Verost: allison.verost@macmillan.com  Random House Books, Delacorte (Author) Anne Greenwood Brown: http://annegreenwoodbrown.com/contacts/ (Publicity) Paul Samuelson: psamuelson@randomhouse.com  Simon & Schuster BYR (Author) Michelle Hodkin: http://www.michellehodkin.com/p/for-press_11.html (Publicity) Paul Crichton: paul.crichton@simonandschuster.com  Sourcebooks Fire (Author) Zoraida Cordova: http://www.zoraidawrites.com/p/contact.html (Publicity) Derry Wilkens: derry.wilkens@sourcebooks.com  Tor Books (Author) Kristen Simmons: http://www.kristensimmonsbooks.com/contact/ (Publicity) Alexis Saarela: Alexis.saarela@tor.com    Here is a good email template I recommend you use for requesting ARCs and adjust accordingly: (Again, ONLY use this template if you are ABSOLUTELY qualified to make such a request. Again, ARCs are not made for any “Joe Schmoe” or “Jane Doe” on the street.)  Subject: Blogger Review Inquiry Good day, My name is [Your Name] and I am the administrator of a young adult book review blog, [Blog Name]. I would be honored to have the opportunity to receive an advance copy in order to review the following title on my blog. Readers of our blog are a great fit for the promotion of this title: [Book Title] by [Author] (ISBN) BLOG STATS: [BLOG NAME] is actively promoting new and upcoming books; all in the form of book reviews, ARC tours, news and giveaways. As of [DATE], [BLOG NAME] averages ____ unique visitors a month, with a current trend of ___ page views a day. The site has maintained a following of ____ followers distributed across social networks like Facebook and Twitter and email subscriptions. On the Web [URL] On Facebook [URL] On Twitter [URL] Again, I would be honored to have the opportunity to review your upcoming titles on the blog. Thank you for your time and consideration! [Your Name] [Blog Name] Good luck to all who decide to blog and (most of all ) HAPPY READING!  For more reading visit Katie’s Book Blog ‘How to Get ARCs’  Share this: Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Related Posts  Related Posts  Bookish Deal Alert! YA Titles for Under  Emote Through Discussion: Breaking Up Wi  ARC August: TBR  Make it a Movie: The Orphan Queen by Jod THIS ENTRY WAS POSTED IN ON BLOGGING AND TAGGED ADVANCE READING COPY, ADVANCE REVIEW COPY, ARC, BALZER AND BRAY, BLOGGER, BLOGGING, BOOK, DELACOURT, FIRE, HACHETTE, HARLEQUIN TEEN, HARPER, HARPERCOLLINGS, HARPERTEEN, HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT, LITTLE BROWN, MACMILLAN, NOVEL, PENGUIN GROUP, PUBLICIST, PUBLICITY, PUBLISHER, RANDOM HOUSE, REVIEW, SIMON & SCHUSTER, SIMON AUDIO, SOURCEBOOKS, TEEN, TOR, WORDPRESS, YA, YOUNG ADULT. ABOUT THE AUTHOR   Jenna  Jenna is a reader, writer and reviewer who has a tendency to obsess over the written word. In addition, she's a collector of oddities. (Belly button lint teddy bears, anyone?) Previously the owner of the blogs, Making the Grade and Jenna Does Books, she is beyond thrilled to now be collaborating with one of her bookish besties here at bookiemoji.com. Post navigation NAVIGATION  ← Top Ten Tips for New Book BloggersTop Ten Tuesday: My Favorite Quotes from Eleanor and Park + Giveaway! → 14 COMMENTS   sarabara081 @ Forever 17 Books says: October 24, 2012 at 8:18 am Thanks for sharing! A few of these emails I haven’t added to my list yet. I bit the bullet and requested a few ARCs a couple weeks ago but didn’t hear back from any of the publishers so I am not sure if I will try again anytime soon. lol Feeling a little rejected but, eh.  The contact email I have a hard time finding is for Disney Hyperion. I have looked and looked. I found an email but I don’t think it is the right one. I wish theirs was a little easier to find because I like a lot of their books!  Reply  sarabara081 @ Forever 17 Books says: October 24, 2012 at 10:55 am On that note, one of them just arrived in the mail! I never heard back so I assumed it was a no. Does that ususally happen? Do you get responses or do they just send?  Reply  mtgreviews says: October 24, 2012 at 10:58 am Some publishers will respond, some won’t. Even those who do respond, don’t always! And they may even send you additional books you didn’t request.  Congrats on the pleasant surprise in your mailbox! Happy reading!!   sarabara081 @ Forever 17 Books says: October 24, 2012 at 12:34 pm Thanks Jenna!   Brittany @ The Book Addict's Guide says: October 24, 2012 at 9:02 am Wow, this is incredible! thanks so much for sharing. It couldnt’ have come at a more perfect time because I’ve just been starting to reach out and begin looking for contacts to obtain review copies. I was VERY hestitant because I really hate asking for “free books”, but I’ve really been working hard on my blog for the past 6 months + and it’s something that I’ve grown very serious about, and in no way am I in blogging for the “free stuff”. It’s something that I’ve developed quite a passion for and I’m loving every minute of it. I’m sure to some publishers and/or authors, they may see me as a little new still, but I hope they like the content of what I’m doing and can see that I really do enjoy reading, reviewing, and promoting authors as much as I possibly can. Thanks again for this wonderful post! I will use this information responsibly.  Reply  Jessi @ Auntie Spinelli Reads says: October 24, 2012 at 9:24 am This is a fabulous post! I have only recently starting sending out requests (I’ve been blogging a year), and I’ve had some trouble finding publisher contacts. Thanks so much for sharing this helpful information!!  Reply  Millie Dixon says: October 24, 2012 at 5:13 pm Great advice! Thanks for this post! This is definitely all bloggers should know about before they start requesting to publishers and such. 🙂 Cheers!  Reply  Jaime says: October 27, 2012 at 10:11 pm Thanks for the tips! I’m new to this and I’m not quite at 300 followers so I will save his for a bit but I appreciate the advice!  Reply  Kiki says: October 27, 2012 at 10:11 pm I really wish I had read this when I first requested ARCs. The first time I did, I didn’t say anything except the question asking if I could request the book for review. I only got 1 reply out of like 4. She was SO nice about it too! She gave me tips about how to request and what to include. Even though I never did get the book I requested, I still got knowledge. I now know to request only when I have like around 500 followers and have been blogging for at least 6 months.  Reply  Sarah says: April 25, 2013 at 5:26 pm fsg.publicity at fsgbooks.com is ONLY adult trade books. Please email childrens.publicity@macmillanusa.com for FSG Books for Young Readers.  Reply  Jenna (Does Books) says: April 27, 2013 at 9:48 am Thank you so much for letting me know! I have made the change. 🙂  Reply  Kyle Chirgwin says: December 11, 2013 at 1:01 pm Is there any way of getting my childrens book reviewed or looked at by you or someone in the department. MY BIG TOW The Adventures of Captain Recovery –TT publications in FL.  Reply  BRITTANY T says: October 16, 2014 at 10:58 am You are an angel for posting this. Most seasoned blogger I ask are extremely hush hush about it and I get I wouldn’t want someone snaggin an arc that could have been mine but it is so great to finally have a bit of a concrete slab t stand on for us semi newer with enough followers (I hope) bloggers. I could kiss you right now! mWAH!  Reply  Lori @ Ficwishes says: November 4, 2014 at 3:49 pm Thanks so much for sharing this info. It’s been so very helpful.  Reply LEAVE A REPLY  Comment   Name *   Email *   Website   Post Comment   Notify me of follow-up comments by email.   Notify me of new posts by email.  search  Search for:  Search …   Search WHY bookiemoji?   Books... Emojis... We love books and we love emojis. What better way to share our love for books than through our love for emojis? Bookiemoji!  ABOUT us  Crystal is a stay-at-home mom who is book obsessed. She's also a chocolate lover and a perpetual social butterfly.  Jenna is a 32 year old graphic artist who is also book obsessed. She's a little crazy (okay, maybe more than a little) and will likely never grow up.  Crystal's Goodreads | Jenna's Goodreads  SOCIAL media          GOT email?    Email Address  Email Address Sign Me Up!  SOCIETY6 store    Like our emojis? Check our our store and have them printed on mugs, tote bags, t-shirts, phone cases, pillows, prints and more!   RECENT reviews  Blog Tour: The Traitor’s Kiss by Erin Beaty (Top 5)Blog Tour: Missing by Kelley Armstrong (Giveaway)Release Day Blitz (Paperback): The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead (Giveaway)Blog Tour: Wintersong by S. 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. How did you get that coffee cup next to your URL address?

That little image is known as a Favicon.

This is fairly easy to do using a really cool website gadget. All you will need is an image you’d like to make a favicon out of. Here is the

website: http://favicon.htmlkit.com/favicon/

Simply follow the directions.
Once you have made your favicon, download it to your computer
On blogger open your layout page. You should see a favicon box, just select edit and upload your icon.

2. How do I make a button for my blog??

• Make an image for your button and make it no larger than 250×250.(mine is 240×240) Be sure not to use an image that you do not own unless you get permission. I bought mine from Vectorstock. You can edit this image and add words using Photoshop, Photobucket, Pixlr or Ribbit .
• Once you have made your image you will need to save and store it on Flickr, Photobucket etc. It doesn’t matter where as long as it’s in the cloud. Do not save to your computer or your button will not work, you will need a URL address for it. It should look something like this:

 http://myimage.jpg

• • Now we are ready to make your button and the box with code for others to grab.
  • go to “Grab My Button” and input your information and it will give you code. Be sure to make it open a new page and keep size and no wider than 250.

You now have a button to share with others! This is an excellent way to promote your blog. This code can also be used to make event buttons. Enjoy!
Hope these help you and if you have additional questions please email me.

Is there something you want to learn?
Email me and I will try to bring it to you on the next Blogger Tips and Tricks

d blogging, in general, can make you feel like you’ve just taken a trip in the Tardis..but my wish is to make it as simple as possible for you.

Update: I noticed when copying the code from this post the quotes are fancy and can mess with code. Please replace them before using code.

 1. Placing Images Side by Side on my Blog. 

This is a simple way to place them side by side.

Access the HTML side of your post and type the following code:

<table>

<tbody>

<tr>

<img alt=”” src=”image url image 1″ width=”180″ />

<img alt=”” src=”image url image 2″ width= “180” />

</tr>

</tbody>

</table>

In the highlighted blue area you will need to place the web-hosted URL of your image. You can use
Photobucket(this is what I use and it’s free), Flickr etc to house these images. What?? how do I do that?? It’s easy, download image desired to your computer. Set up an account with web-based photoshop such as Photobucket. When you are logged on, upload pictures from your computer by selecting upload and following directions. Then click save and go to your albums. Under the photo, you will see a direct link, copy and paste that URL into the red area above, repeat for the second image. In the blue area select the width you want the photo to be.
2. Want them to have clickable links????

<center>

<table cellpadding=”0″ cellspacing=”0″>

<tbody>

<tr>

<td><a href=”url address to website”><img border=”0″ src=”url image of picture” /></a></td>

10px;”>url address to wrbsitel”><img border=”0″ src=”url image of picture” /></a></td></tr>

</tbody></table>

</center>

• To add to your post, go to HTML side of composing and copy and paste this code into the post.
• copy and paste the link site URL in the red area.
• In the blue area copy and paste your image URL. Remember it must be an image stored online, for example, Photobucket or Flickr. (be sure and size them the same)
• Repeat for each image.
• The 10px  is the distance between images and you can change that number to suit your needs.

4. Can I do more than 2 side by side images? 

Yes you can, for more images, simply add more code surrounded by ( <td style=”padding-left:10px;”>  and </td> ) Make sure you add them before the tag ( </tr> )

• <td style=”padding-left:10px;”> paste 2nd link url here“><img src=”paste 2nd photo url here” border=”0″ /></a></td>

5. Can these codes be used in my side bar?

Yes, just be sure to re-size images to fit the width of your sidebar. On blogger, go to add a gadget and use HTML code. Copy and paste the codes we used above.

Tips:

1. Commenting on other blogs:

Be sure to set up accounts with all comment systems that include a link to YOUR blog. (ie. Comment Luv, blogger, Disqus, WordPress, twitter.) I get comments and would love to reciprocate..but if I cannot find you easily I cannot comment.

I know it’s a pain, and I know it takes time to set up profiles but you will see an increase in comments to your blog..trust me. Choice a username and icon to use for all profiles. This will make you recognizable!!! You can use the same password to make it easier to remember. Add your blog and twitter link to this profile. Market yourself everywhere you go.

2. Images in your sidebar 

To all the bloggers with pictures in your sidebars that hang out over the edges..you can use Photobucket, Flickr etc to re-size those images to fit within the sidebar. You can also resize your side bar by customizing your template. For Blogger, go to Template, customize, adjusts widths and play around with it, till you get the look you want.

Good Luck and if you have a problem..email, tweet or facebook message me 

If there is something you want to learn about or need advice on

email me and I will try and include it in an upcom

1. How do I make a popular review image slider for my blog?

• First follow the directions provided by Rahul @ Helper Blogger. These are simple and do not involve changes to your html blog code.
• Next you will need to re-size book images. You can use Photobucket, Flicker or any web-based photo edit shop. You will need to determine the slider width for your blog and adjust both Rahul’s script and your images. (Remember that your images must be stored on the web and not your computer.)
• Following Rahul’s instructions add image URL, post link URL and description.
• I recommend copying and pasting script into Scribe or a doc to edit and then copying code into your blog as per Rahul’s instructions.

2. How do I request an ARC for a Book and what information should I send publisher?

Publishers like to see blogs that consistently post and have been active for at least a year. (but you can begin requests sooner) If you are using NetGalley/Edelweiss be sure you are reviewing books on time. Once you’ve meet that criteria you are ready to request a book.

Go to the publishers website of the book you desire and look upcontact us. Generally you are looking for publicity or marketing dept. Once you have an email:

1. Know the book title, author and ISBN number as well as publisher.
2. Compose your email and include the following:

• In subject line state ARC request and title of book and author
• If you know the publicist name use it, if not Dear name of publishing house
• State your name, blog(with link) and briefly describe it.example: Ya blogger, paranormal book reviews etc.
• State book, author and ISBN number and why you personally would like to review/share with your followers. Keep it short and sweet.
• Next share your blog stats. For example: my blog has xxxx followers and realizes xxxxx unique visitors a day. Do not fabricate, a quick look at your blog will show them this. If you are a small blog, be passionate, state you are growing daily etc.
• Advise them you will email them a direct link of your review and when you intend to post it. Also state a willingness to participate in blog tour, guest interview etc. If you also post reviews to consumer sites and Goodreads advise them you will post reviews there as well.
• Thank them for considering your request.
• Below your signature be sure to provide your mailing address and links to all social media sites associated with your blog.

Publishers do not have a lot of time, so be brief and professional.  Do not be disappointed if you do not get a response, and try again for the next book. (I requested a book and didn’t hear anything and it showed up in the mail ..wahoo!) 

3. OMG! They said, “YES!” ,”Now what?”

• When you get a positive response and receive direct contact from a publicist at the publishing house..that person is YOUR contact. Do not lose their email address!
• Read and Post your review in a timely manner. Most publishers prefer it publish within 30 days of or after publication date. Not sure? Ask.
• Email publicist and provide them with direct link, advise them if you posted review anywhere else. Thank them, state you look forward to working with them again and to feel free to contact you regarding reviews, promotional tours, etc.
• When the next book comes around that you’d like to review email your contact and address them personally and ask for new book.

4. Contacting an author for an ARC:

• Published authors will have a limited supply of ARC’s, but self published are usually grateful for your interest. Send them the same professional email as you would a publisher and extend them the same courtesy.

5. I just started, how do I get ARC’s?

• NetGalley
• Edelweiss
• Giveaways-from Goodreads, Facebook and author’s pages
• Like publisher’s facebook pages, share links of reviews you’ve written that were published by them.
• Tweet your reviews and @ the publishers (I have actual been offered arcs this way)
• Showcase a book you’d love to review on Waiting on Wednesday-tweet the author and/or publisher the link (I have been offered an arc)
• Remember what I said about being organized last month, when the ARC offers begin to come do not say, “Yes” to everyone, choose books in genres you like and only accept those you can read in a specific time frame. (check calendar and release date)

If you want to know “How Did 

How do I create a scrolling blogroll?

• Go to add a gadget or HTML code for sidebar
• For blogger under add, a gadget select HTML/java code
• Paste the following code and add a title such as “Blogs I Follow”

<center><div><marquee direction=”up” width=”200″ onmouseover=”this.stop()” scrollamount=”5″ onmouseout=”this.start()” height=”400″ align=”center”> THIS IS WHERE YOU ADD THE HTML CODES FOR  BUTTONS! (add as many as you like!) </marquee></div>

• Now you can add buttons.
• Go to your fave blog.
• Copy their button code and paste that code between red HTML code.

You now have a scrolling blogroll for your favorite blogs. You can add as many buttons as you like, but always keep the code between the red HTML.

Here is an example:

<center><div><marquee direction=”up” width=”200″ onmouseover=”this.stop()” scrollamount=”5″ onmouseout=”this.start()” height=”400″ align=”center”>

<div align=”center”><a href=”blog url address”  title=”name of blog” target=”_blank”><img src=”image url address ” alt=”blog name” style=”border:none;” /></a></div>

<div align=”center”><a href=”blog url address”  title=”name of blog” target=”_blank”><img src=”image url address ” alt=”blog name” style=”border:none;” /></a></div>

 </marquee></div>

2. Five tips on how to grow your blog:

• Visit other blogs and leave meaningful comments.
• Start a twitter account -get to know bloggers and authors. Tweet your content. Be sure your twitter name and icon match your blog so they are easily recognizable
• Start a facebook page for your blog. This is a perfect place to connect, share bookish news and control the content on your blog.
• Post consistently. While you do not have to post every day, a blog that sits inactive for weeks at a time will be forgotten.
• Review things you are passionate about. Good reviews that show your personality and reflect books you like will attract like-minded readers.

3. I was emailed the following question:

How do you post on a daily basis?

I am actually posting weeks in advance. For instance, this post which will publish on November 17, is actually being written on October 10th.

Ideally, the way to do this is to create blog posts for two to three weeks before you go live. However, if you are like me, you dove in headfirst and asked questions later. So here are some tips to build a base:

• Write up reviews for books you have already read. Let’s say six to eight reviews. These can be books you read in the last five years or make a post showcasing a series or author..be creative.
• Participate in at least one meme or create your own weekly post. Since we all cannot review seven books a week, try to have at least two days with memes such as Waiting on Wednesday or The Sunday Post. As an alternative create your own weekly post such as a bookish news post.
• Join a blog tour group. Ask bloggers you trust which tour groups they recommend.
• Map out at least two weeks worth of reviews, memes, and tours.
• Now that you have a PLAN, your pre-written posts, memes and hopefully tour date you are ready to organize. Gather all of the books you have promised to review but have not read. Create a list based on release dates.

Organization is the key!

Get a calendar or use an online one. (I use Google calendar)

• Determine how many books you want to review and how many you can read each month. This is really important..do not overreach in your commitments or you will quickly burn out. Error on the low side.
• Determine how many scheduled memes you will be participating in each week.
• For me, I can easily review 8 books a month.
• I participate in two memes a week and once a month I post Blogger Tips and Tricks

Open your calendar for the Next three months:

• Add all of your scheduled memes(for the entire 3 months) I know you haven’t written them, but fill in those dates. I use red for planned and blue for completed and scheduled.
• Schedule all of the book reviews you wrote from above for the next two to three weeks, don’t forget to include any blog tours you have scheduled.
• Now beginning two-three weeks from today’s date start adding book post dates. These are books you have not yet read for review. The number of books scheduled to post for review will be based on the number of books you decided you could read a month. (For me I can do eight a month, so each week I schedule two review posts, usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays.)
• Now that your schedule is up, begin reading the books scheduled for two to three weeks from now. You should have ample time to read and review them. (If you aren’t able to read your own books or feel locked into a reading schedule ..go back and adjust the number of books you can review in a month.)
• Fill in empty slots with blog tours, books you’ve read, bookish news, cover reveals or another meme.
• Scheduling Ahead for Book Reviews, Blog Tours, Guest Post etc:

Whenever you are asked to review a book or find yourself drooling on NetGalley, look at the book(s) release date and head to that calendar month. Have you accepted your max number of books for that month? Using this method will ensure you do not overbook, that you enjoy your blog and deliver a steady str

Social Icon Buttons:

When making the codes for Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads etc. I noticed most are set up to direct you away from the blog to the social page. Using this code will allow your reader to follow you on say Facebook, but also remain on your page..which is where you want them!  It also creates a message when they hover over an icon, like follow me on Twitter, like my Facebook page etc. Try mine, located in my sidebar, hover over them, click one, See you are still here and a new page opened.

Here is an example code for Twitter, Email and RSS icons: 

 IMPORTANT: When copying this you will notice the quotes are backward or facing the wrong way- be sure and fix them before using.

<div><a href=”your rss feed url” target=”_blank” title=”Follow me with RSS”><img src=”your rss social icon image url” ></a>

<a href=”mailto: your email address” target=”_blank” title=”Email Me”><img src=”your email image icon”/></a>

<a href=”your twitter url” target=”_blank” title=”Follow me on Tumblr”><img src= “your twitter icon image url”/></a>

<a href=”your google+ url address” target=”_blank” title= “Follow me on Goggle+”><img src=your google+ icon image ur “/></a>

a href=”your goodreads account url” target=”_blank” title=”Follow me on Goodreads”><img src= “your goodreads social icon image url”/></a>

<a href=”your instagram ulr” target=”_blank” title=”Follow me on Instagram”><img src=”your instagram icon image”/></a>

<a href=”your pinterest url” target=”_blank” title=”Follow me on Pinterest'”><img src=”your pinterest social icon url”/></a></div> <br/>

Using this code you can make a social icon code for any site:

1.open an HTML gadget on blogger or WordPress
2.add the following code from above
3. replace each area between ” ” with correct URLs.

• be sure to use direct URL link to your profile on social site (which means go to the social site, go to your profile and copy that URL)
• Icons for social icon buttons are available for download. You will need to save them on Photobucket, Flicker etc and use the URL address it creates for icon image URL.

It would look like my twitter button URL: https://twitter.com/kimbacaffeinate

http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa411/twitter_1.png

Tip: Utilize Social Networks to Grow  Blog

1. Facebook
2. Twitter
3. Pinterest
4. Instagram
5. Tumblr
6. Google+

Allowing followers different ways to engage with your blog will help it grow and strengthen your appeal to publishers. I have found that as I have added social sites to my blog I have had an increase in comments, growth, and ARC’s.
Your blog is wonderful, you have written a lovely review but people need to see it.

How do I utilize these social sites?

Be sure each of these sites is linked to your page and that the name makes them identifiable as an extension of your blog. Feel free to check my social sites for ideas.

Facebook is a great place to share bookish things, happenings on the blog and your reviews. Create a Facebook page for your blog and link your RSS feed through Network blogs. Share bookish news, engage your followers with questions, fun facts, and cover reveal.

Twitter is another place to share your blog posts, keep up to date with book news, author information and publisher info. I love chatting with other bloggers, authors, followers, and friends.

Pinterest- create book blog page, share covers, links to your reviews and attract other book lovers and publishers. Make a giveaway board, a touring board and book blogs you love. I have boards for Publishers I have relationships with, etc.

Instagram allows you to instantly share books you receive or an awesome cover you spotted at the local bookstore. You can also tweet it @publisher, etc.

Tumblr/Google+ these sites are perfect for creating an extension of your blog and allow you to share links to blog as well as other bookish things.

Is there something you want to know about? Email me and I will see if I can share it in an upcoming blogger tips and tricks.

Copyright (c) 2011-2013 Caffeinated Book Reviewer

What Do I Include in My Review and What Do Publishers Like to See?!?

What things should I include in my review post? 

First and foremost, regardless of how you structure your reviews, you want to add a little bit of yourself. As you grow and find your niche this will become second nature. What you ultimately want to achieve is to share your feelings and thoughts to help others decide if they will like or dislike the book. How you do this is entirely up to you! Some like to be snarky, some like to break things out into likes and dislikes and some like to add images, exclamation points, and humor.FTC Guidelines: If you received a book/arc you must clearly state this in plain sight on your review post. Any buy links? Be sure readers know they are supporting your blog when they make a purchase. Read the rules: HERE

The following are a list of suggestions based on questions I posed to readers:

The basic things readers like to see in a good review:

1. Why you bought book or decided to review it

2. A brief, spoiler free synopsis in your own words

3. Character analyses

a. personality (alpha, kick-ass, brat, whiny? we want to know)

b. did you connect with them? why or why not?

c. character growth

d. did you like or dislike them? Give reason why.It’s so important to back up your statement when analyzing a character. To simply state you like or dislike a character doesn’t really help the reader determine if they will. For example I love snarky, bad-ass, headstrong characters and you may prefer soft spoken, moody, flawed characters. By sharing the why, you enable readers to decide for themselves.

4. Romance
a. is there one?

b. is it insta-love or a triangle?

c. did it feel real to you?

d. is it the main focus or a subplot?

4. World-building

a. is it detailed?

b. did it feel plausible?

c. was it show or tell?

d. setting

e. genreWas

Was it an information dump, or slowly revealed? Did the author paint the world for you or smother you with details about chairs and wallpaper? Was it believable? Is it the same old troupe or did the author add their own voice to it? What worked? What didn’t?

5. Flow, Author’s writing style

a. where you jarred from the story by anything?

b. was it slow, fast-paced, did the middle suffer?

c. did the author make you connect with the characters & setting?

d. point of view (multiple?)Hmm, how do I know what POV the book is from? Here is a simple guideline:

First Person: told from future, present or past tense, the author uses terms like I climbed the hill, we climbed the hill.

Second Person: generally found in non-fiction, like manuals the author uses terms like you lose or you all lose.

Third Person: this is the easiest to identify as the narrator isn’t present in the tale and the author uses terms such as He climbed the hill, she climbed the hill, they climbed the hill.

6. Would you recommend it?

Why or why not? And to whom.

7. Honest opinion, be trustworthy and state your true assessment.

Honesty is what people crave more than anything. They want to discern your tastes and know how theirs align with yours. Remember not everyone is going to love or loathe the same book, so if you loved it say so. If you wanted to smack it against the wall and scream; tell us why.

Things Readers Do Not Want to see:

1. Spoilers – readers want to experience the book for themselves

2. Dishonesty, Plagiarism etc

3. No synopsis by publisher or recap by reviewer

4. Author Bashing – maintain professionalism and don’t make it personal

5. No cover

6. A recap with no real opinionSpoiler? A spoiler to me is any information regarding the plot that is not revealed in the synopsis. If you want to talk about something specific by all means do so but either give fair warning or be vague.

A vague example: The author brought up social issues regarding racism and made me reflect on my own opinion.

Readers said after they have read the book they love spoilers, but before they want a clear warning if you have them.

Extras that Readers love to see added to the post:

1. Links to Goodreads

2. Buy links

3. Book trailers

4. Series- yes? No? What book is it?

5. Information on next book or previous book

6. If you like (insert author or book) then you will like this.

7. Genre and age group

Things Publishers and Authors Like to see:

I emailed a few authors and publishers to find out what they like to see in a review and here are a few items:

1. General book info: cover, title, synopsis, publisher info, release date, genre

2. Honest and spoiler-free review

3. author links/publisher links

4. Goodreads button

5. Buy links

6. A review posted within 2 weeks of release date before or after (for ARCS)

Again these are suggestions! Mold your reviews to fit your personality. Find your own voice and format.

Do you have a question or tip you’d like me to discu

Great Websites to Utilize

1. Grab My Button Code Generator -all you need is your image URL and blog URL address and the generator does the rest! Whether it’s for a blog follow button or an event button..have fun!

2. Vector Stock Media– they have free vector images as well as ones that you can purchase for less than $1.00. Easy to use! (this is where I bought my button images and feature buttons)

3.  InLinkz– having a read-a-thon, hosting a meme you can use this tool. It allows peeps to link up and you can customize it. It has a free version and one you can buy. Since I host a weekly meme and do frequent events I chose to pay 19.99 a year for the full service.

4. HTML Color Codes and Numbers – lists all the HTML color codes and the site Computer Hope also has tips and tricks.

5. Helper Blogger – is a website that offers a wealth of information for bloggers from CSS code to cool widgets for blogger.

6. After the Deadline– check spelling, style, and writing. This is a great little site, to copy and paste a letter, blog post etc to check for errors.

7. Commonly used HTML codes – a great chart with HTML codes to help you accomplish many looks

8. Box the Web– find and make dynamic widgets for your website or mobile site.

9. w3schools.com -CSS codes

10. McAfee SiteAdvisor -claim your site so others know your site is safe

11. Norton Safe Web– claim your site so others know it is safe

12. Google Analytics – measures your site’s traffic from unique visits, traffic source, and bounce rate etc.

These are only a small handful of sites.
Do you utilize a site not listing?
Tells us about it in your comments.

Do you have a suggested topic for How the Heck Did You Do That?

contact me:)

Caffeinated Book Reviewer Moved from Blogger to Self-Hosted WordPress:)  

In case you didn’t notice the new digs, this week we moved from Blogger to WordPress. I have wanted to move since last year and peeps like Vicky @Books Biscuits and Tea will tell you I was #chicken #scared. Now approaching two years of blogging and dabbling in codes and sharing them with you, I felt confident about moving. I had planned to wait until after I had completed a course about coding at our local college, but recent changes in the TOS for Blogger made me decide now was a perfect time. While there are plenty of tutorials on how to move, I wanted to be sure things were coded correctly and that the transition moved smoothly so I hired Carmel @ Rabid Reads to move me. The transfer went smoothly and all of my feeds crossed over. Carmel offers basic transfers and tweaks for your website.  She moved me over and set up the skeleton of my blog so I could move in and set up shop. I am working out the bugs as I ran into some coding issues and read issues but I have a trusted friend smoothing things over for me and making sure things run correctly.  So please be patient and if you notice something weird by all means email me!

Working in WordPress is slightly different and hello I do not know what half of these buttons do!! However,  it has such a nicer setup, from indexing to comments. I love how things work. I also snaggedAshley’s Ultimate Book Blogger Plugin and think it’s a must-have tool for WordPress users.  I am still tweaking the blog but I h

,

When I first started my blog, I knew very little about HTML code and spent a lot of time Google searching and asking fellow bloggers, “How the heck did you do that??” I thought I’d pass a little of what I learned on to you:

1. That little-colored box:

Ever visit a blog where they use this type of box to showcase a book’s synopsis or an awesome quote. It’s very simple to do  Just follow the steps listed below

• use the following code:

<blockquote style=”background-color: lightblue; border-radius: 15px; #666; padding: 10px;”>Your Text Here</blockquote>

• you can change the color to whatever you want, simply by changing the html color number and color. You can get the HTML Number codes here: codes
• replace the orange number with the color code you want for a border and the color name with the one you would like
• copy and paste the code above into your post, be sure you are using html. For example on blogger switch from composing to html. (located on top left side of new post page) You can switch back once you are done.

On my posts, you will notice I use the box to highlight the synopsis and book cover. To make your post look like mine follow these steps.
Using Html side of composing enter:
XXXX (paste quote box HTML here)

Switch back to Compose side and :
( click insert image here before XXXX) XXXX
Your picture will appear above box, select right or left for the side you want a cover to appear on.
Highlight XXXX and type title of book and additional desired info.
Next, click on box and type/paste your synopsis into it
2.  Copy/pasting text into/ onto colored background:
Has this ever happen to you? You copy and paste a synopsis or copy and paste from word, only to find the words have a white background. I see it on blogs all the time. It’s easy to fix and I will show you how.

First let me show you what this looks like on the HTML side of Compose:

<span style=”&lt;span&gt;background-color: white; color: #222222; &lt;/span&gt; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;”>Has this every happen to you? You copy and paste a synopsis or copy and paste from word, only to find the words have a white background. I see it on blogs all the time. It’s easy to fix and I will show you how. </span>

Ok, do you see the area that is bold? To remove the white background, all you need to do is go to the HTML side of composing and removed all the lines that say background-color: white; color: #222222;. Yes, it is that easy, just highlight them and click Delete. For a simple synopsis, there will probably be only one, longer text may have more than one background color line..consider it a scavenger hunt!

IMPORTANT!!  I noticed when copying code from my site the quotes are fancy and do not work well in code. Please replace all of the quotes from the code using your keyboard. 

3.  Add to Goodreads Box or Button: 

Adding a Goodreads Button to your post is a great idea and your followers will love the convenience of it. Authors and publishers appreciate it as well.

First, save Goodreads button image and upload to flicker ot your self hosted blog. Size to desired look then copy image url and add to code below:

Add this code from the HTML side of compose:

<a href=”goodreads book URL” target=’_blank’><br /><img src=”image url for goodreads button ” </a>

Just want a link:

Then use this code:
Add to Goodreads

<a href=”url address to book on Goodreads”>Add to Goodreads</a>

4. You comment on a blog and notice people have links that look pretty like this when they comment:   

Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
My WoW
The Sunday Post

These are easy to do and they all use the same html code:

<a  href=”http://www.caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/”>Caffeinated Book Reviewer</a>

the first part is where you put your link between the ” ” and between the > < you place what you want it to say eg. My WoW, Sunday Post, Caffeinated Book Reviewer

It’s the same code and it can be used to create any type of link you want. So after you type your comment, you simply paste this code into their comment box and b