Prossia Revolution : November 21, 2014

A List Of Indie-Friendly Book Bloggers

I mentioned how difficult it can be when looking for a book blogger to read your book a few posts ago. However, the search can even be more difficult for indie authors at times. When I first hopped into the book blogger hunt, I mainly came across bloggers that had a pretty anti-indie sentiment. And that's okay, if not understandable. Anybody can write a book nowadays, and sadly, that means a lot of people out there have scared away a lot of prospective reviewers since some indie authors don't put in a great deal of effort into their writing.

However, if you're one of those people that see the logic in seeking out an editor, doing some research on how to properly write, and follow the industry on a professional level, this a place you definitely want to look up. I was fortunate enough to find this site that lists bloggers that got a lil' "street cred," and are very indie-friendlie. :P Why, this is actually how I found Austine Decker and the Magick Pen blog that gave me my first blog review and interview.

The Indie View lists indie-friendly bloggers that review various types of books. Romance, sci-fi, fantasy, thriller, mystery, etc. All you have to do is find them! And considering there's 164 blogs listed, this place might be a good start for indie writers to find and network with some people that can get your book some attention. The lists of followers vary by blogger. Some can have 50 people while I've even seen others in the 1000s! Either way, if one extra person reads your book due to a book blogger, you should consider it a win. :)

There is one little catch with the Indie View, however. A few of the blogs listed haven't been updated in awhile, going from months to years even. So, I encourage (as you already should be doing when looking for book bloggers) to check the latest several postings on blogs you're thinking of considering. Doing this will give you a good idea of how often the blogger updates his/her site, and if you're actually going to hear from them since they're constantly in need of books to read.

Now, no blog is alike, and every person has certain items that need to be followed. We should always make sure to look over the review policies, and not just send every single indie blogger out there the same ole' email "template" that can just be copied and pasted. These blogs matter to the people that made them, so we should be willing to look over their web spot to see if we authors are a good match.

I'll go a little deeper into what I've learned in regards to conducting yourself when approaching bloggers in the future. In the meantime, you have a pretty good list of options that are definitely worth looking over thanks to the Indie View. Hopes this helps! ^_^

The Indie View 

Book Blog Check: There's "Magick" In the Book Blog World

Update: A HUGE thank you to Austine for reviewing my novel, "Prossia." Oh Cool! She actually liked it! Be sure to see what she had to say about it on her Magick Pen Blog.

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Book bloggers are getting very popular out there nowadays due to digital books. However, it can still be a little bit of a drag finding some that have a keen interest in what you're offering. However, I lucked out in finding the Magick Pen on blogspot.com to match my particular criteria.

The Magick Pen is ran by Austine Decker, an aspiring author who loves reading YA novels. Her particular interest are sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk, urban fantasy, and paranormal romance in physical form (no e-books). So, this blog caught my interest for several reasons. First and foremost, Magick Pen is very active, so you won't have to worry about getting some news one week and not getting any sort of update for months. You can expect on average 3-4 postings a week with some insightful articles from reviews, author interviews, or guest posts.

The other item is the most important thing I look for in a book blogger: Honesty. Now, now. I know we don't want to have our pride and joys belittled and posted for the whole world to see, but that's a fair risk that writers should be willing to take when looking for bloggers. The Magick Pen  has no problem telling that you are either insane for not reading a book, or if you should let one slip on by. However, if you look at the reviews that she didn't really fancy, you'll notice that it's not all doom and gloom. Oh, so there's the other thing: Austine is nice. ^_^

The final point is that Austine looks for all the key elements that makes a good story in her reviews. Pacing, character development, an interesting conflict, she'll point out how a story utilizes those pieces  and offer examples.

The Magick Pen is one the few blogs that's willing to go off on a hunch for something new, whether you're an indie or traditional. Be sure to check out what this page is doing in the future. If you think you have something that might be up Magick Pen's alley, you better make sure you drop a line! But be sure to give the blog the respect it deserves by checking out some of the reviews, author interviews, and be sure you fit her review policies before going off the limb. Still, the blog is currently taking in review requests, so you better hurry!

 Magick Pen