Pay It Forward: Helping New Bloggers
This month is my first blogoversary and I have been thinking a lot about the past year.
Getting started as a book blogger is hard — finding a routine, all that tech stuff, what the heck is a meme, anyway?
Getting hold of books to review can also be a challenge. No one sends ARCs to a brand-new blogger. NetGalley asks for stats. Some libraries have amazing YA collections, but others don’t.
I was lucky when I was starting out — a couple of bloggers generously shared their overflow of ARCs with me. While I’m in no way a “big” blogger and have only just requested my first physical ARC, I do have a bunch YA ARCs and finished copies that I’d love to share with other bloggers.
If you’re a U.S. blogger who is trying to get your blog off the ground and struggling to find books to review, I’d love to send you something — no cost to you and no strings attached. If the book you receive is an ARC, it would be great if you could review it on your blog. But I’m not going to check up on you 🙂
Here’s how it will work. If you’re interested in being on my RAK list, please fill out the Google Doc. It asks for your email, the URL of your blog, and what you like to read. I’ll email out a list of what I have and you can email me back if you are interested.
So sorry that I can’t make this international. I can mail a book within the US for under $3 using Media Mail, while it costs $12 to $20 to send a book internationally. But most of my giveaways are open internationally!
10/13/12 UPDATE: I got a bunch of responses and I will get to everyone! Sending out four books today 🙂
After I get this round of books sent out, I’ll put up another post and anyone — returning or new — can sign up again. If you don’t want to miss it, you can subscribe by GFC, RSS or email.
This is a great idea Jen! I have like no ARCs lol and my blogoversary is this month too! 🙂 I hope it's successful and I'll definitely be helping you tweet it out! 🙂
What a great idea!! I will help spread the word about this for you. 🙂
There is supposed to be a google doc in this post!! It was there when I checked on Friday! Not sure if I can add it until Monday as I'm on my phone.
So sorry about that but please check back.
Enjoy your long weekend. I am sure that if there are people who want them, they will check back.
There is also a great program called ARC cycling too!
Ooh, I'm interested! And I love ARCycling! But I always go for the older books, because the new ones are immediately gone. 🙁
Fun idea! I would also recommend new bloggers to post their reviews on Amazon for the chance to join Amazon Vine-I get up to 4 ARCs a month that way (you can't share them afterwards). It might take a while to get picked but it's really fun once you are!
That is a great idea. I have friends who get amazing stuff that way!
Awwh that's a nice, thoughtful idea..when I started I had no idea what a meme was! LOL. I'm sorry I don't live in the US but good luck to all the people entering! 🙂
That's really super nice of you, Jen! You've always been really generous about sharing your books – I hope some of your readers get fantastic ARCs!
This is so great, Jen!I know just the blogger friend I'm going to forward this to:)
This is awesome. 😀 Thanks!
This is such a good idea! This will help so many newbie bloggers!
Sorry about the Google Doc! I'll get it up Monday evening as soon as I'm reunited with my laptop!!
awesome idea. I love pay it forward stuff. A pay it forward contest is how I got The Sky is Everywhere–one of my fav books now.
This is just what I need! What a great idea. Thank you.
Well, it's a really good idea. And it's a shame that I can't participate on this because my co-blogger and me are European.
So sorry about that. I know how tough it can be for you to get stuff. I also offer stuff on Freebie Friday and on my new Tuesday giveaway for new releases and those are international.
I just decided I can find homes for 4-5 times as many new ARCs by mailing in the US.
This sounds great, Jen! My daughter and I both read like crazy (she's almost 18) and would love to do this! She is an amazing writer (she's actually written a book that she wants to have published) so I'm sure she'd love writing reviews on my blog with me! When you get the google doc up will you mail us again?
Yes — l'll add the doc by Tuesday morning and if you hit contact me on the left sidebar and give me your email or Twitter handle I'll let you know when it is up!
Wow a great idea.
This is a great idea. It will help a lot of new bloggers! 😀
Great post Jen! I definitely can agree with you that being a new blogger is hard. You don't get arcs, your just starting, and the most important your getting your name out. Love that your helping new bloggers getting arcs! :))
Happy Reading! 😀
Oh, this is great! I love how you're helping out new bloggers! I've been blogging for almost a year now, but I still consider myself new. Why? I've taken a LOT of hiatuses… might they be for a two month long family vacation or I just reached a blogging slump.
On another note, I'm thinking of deleting my blog and joining another one as a coblogger. It looks like you've made a lot of friends around the blogoshphere- do you know anyone in need of one? I love blogging and meeting other booklovers, but managing one by myself is too much work! Sorry if strayed out of topic- I do that sometimes… And I'm just awed at how successful your blog has become! You were really lucky to have some friends help you out when you were starting. 🙂
If anyone is interested in co-blogging, let Jen know!!
I'd totally offer but I'm already co-blogging with another blogger and I manage my blog just fine.. Hopefully u find someone! I'm sure u can be a reviewer for lots of blogs out there 🙂
This is wonderful. Sometimes all you need is a boost.
Thank you so much for this opportunity! I'm learning a lot from fellow bloggers and it's great to share with people who have similar interests ^.^
You are generous to share with others, but wrong when you say it is hard to get books to review. Your public library is full of books. No, they aren't ARCs and you may not have the latest and greatest, but if you write good reviews and promote your blog, you'll get readers and with readers and time, the ARCs will come.
Yes, that is certainly true. On and off my blog I am a huge advocate and supporter of libraries. A large proportion of the books I read are library books.
I am lucky to live in a city with a fantastic library system. But some smaller libraries have very limited YA collections and — I learned this only recently — some libraries also limit YA borrowing to patrons under age 18.
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your point of view 🙂
Nah. I just don't want to end up on that hoarding show.
This is a great idea Jen!
I just read your comment above about some libraries limit YA borrowing to those under 18 and I think that sucks!
I saw that on Maureen Johnson's twitter feed. I may be wrong about the age — it might be under 22 or 24 or whatever, but the whole thing is ridiculous. If someone who is 80 years old wants to read a YA book, why on earth wouldn't you let them?
Thanks for genrosity to us newbies 🙂