Bloggers Get Real: Madi of TheBookNerdDiaries
Welcome to Bloggers Get Real! Inspired by CW of The Quiet Pond's The Pond Gets Loud series, Bloggers Get Real is a YA book bloggers spotlight interview series with the aim of celebrating and supporting YA book bloggers and the work we do, while also discussing the realities of book blogging, the YA community, and the various controversies that have sprung up. I feel it's important to keep these conversations going - our voices matter, what we do matters, and we should be heard.
I'm really excited to have be spotlighting Madi of TheBookNerdDiaries today!
Can you tell us a little about you and your blog?
I don’t remember the specific reason I started blogging, but five years ago I brought TheBookNerdDiaries to life. I mainly review YA Fantasy/Sci-Fi and YA Contemporary/Romance but I am also known to delve into some High Fantasy and New Adult.
What's unique to your blog?
There’s not really anything super unique, but I do have this type of review that I call a “Quickie Review”. I write this type of review when my memory sucks about what I read or I just don’t have a lot to say. It gets a review out there says what I need to say.
We often ask authors in our interviews what they’re writing process is. But what is your blogging process?
I’ve been doing a lot of tour posts lately because they are easier to quickly format and schedule around my busy college/work schedule. In between, I have reviews I write or have posted elsewhere that I mix in. Tour posts I can usually schedule as soon as I get the materials for them, but the other posts vary in how I schedule them. I have pre-made graphics that label the post that I use so I don’t have to worry about those. For Bookstagram, I went out months ago and took a ton of photos so I wouldn’t have to go out frequently and worry about getting photos taken around my schedule.
What other ways are you involved in the YA community?
I have an Instagram and Twitter for my blog. My Instagram is more for pictures of my books that I have taken. My Twitter is where I boost giveaways, weigh in on blogging issues, and share bookish thoughts.
What does book blogging mean to you?
It’s important to me because I can share my love for reading and connect with other book lovers while also helping authors and publishers to get their books out there to people who will love them. I don’t meet many people IRL who share my bookish passions and love the same books I do, so blogging gives me a space to do so.
Which of your blog posts are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of all of them. Sometimes it’s hard to get a post out and just getting one out is enough.
What are your greatest book blogging achievements?
Five years blogging is pretty big! A publisher also sent me my first promotional copy unsolicited, which meant a lot.
What do you love most about blogging/being part of the YA community?
I love that it gives me a space that I feel is hard to find elsewhere. I haven’t been able to find many people IRL who are as into books/the same books I am but blogging gives me a space to do so.
Fellow book bloggers and I can get excited about the same books and bookish fun that we love, even with countries and oceans between us.
What aspects of book blogging or being a blogger do you wish were different/better?
For me, it’s a constant struggle to try and make myself seen. I can’t post more than once a week unless it’s for a tour because I’m a full time student who works and also struggles with anxiety. I also can’t afford to buy many props, so it’s a struggle to draw people in on Bookstagram. With those things being said, I don’t draw in as many people due to the posting schedule and more basic posts and that means my numbers are low. These days, publishers want to know your every view, follow, and reach just so you can be considered to get ARCs or for other promotional things. With my low numbers, it’s hard to get ARCs or become a rep.
How do you feel about authors who react, and then act, badly regarding negative reviews?
No book will ever have 0 negative reviews because everyone enjoys different books. Yeah, it probably sucks to see them, but there’s no reason for authors to attack reviewers who did not like their book or found issues with it.
What are your thoughts regarding #OwnVoices?
I honestly don’t know too much about #OwnVoices but I do think it is very important to have representation for everyone and for everyone to feel seen in the books they consume.
What are your thoughts in regards to how the YA community approaches problematic books, the response of publishers when a book is called out, and how those outside the community react to the YA community calling books out?
Whatever happens or however it happens needs to happen respectfully. Some of these problematic things can be frustrating but it’s always important to remember a real person on the other side.
What are your thoughts regarding the materialistic aspect to some elements of being a part of the YA community?
I think we need to be more aware that not everyone can afford to buy a ton of books, props, or pay full price to pre-order for incentives. I get a lot of the books I read from the library via Overdrive because it’s more cost-efficient for me.
What are your thoughts about bloggers monetising their blogs, and idea of book bloggers getting paid?
I think it’s a good idea and would love to do it myself if I could afford it some day! We bloggers spend a lot of time working on posts, graphics, and just reading in general for our blogs and I think it’s only fair that we can choose to monetize the end results! It’s hard and time consuming work, especially mixing it in with everything else we have to do in life.
Thank you, Madi, for your great answers. The struggle if balancing blogging and life is difficult, but I feel it's such a shame that TheBookNerdDiaries isn't getting the views and stats publishers need! Let's all give Madi a follow and help a fellow blogger out!
Be sure to visit Madi's blog, TheBookNerdDiaries, and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Check out the other interviews for Bloggers Get Real, and if you are a YA book blogger who would like to take part, do email me!
I'm really excited to have be spotlighting Madi of TheBookNerdDiaries today!
Can you tell us a little about you and your blog?
I don’t remember the specific reason I started blogging, but five years ago I brought TheBookNerdDiaries to life. I mainly review YA Fantasy/Sci-Fi and YA Contemporary/Romance but I am also known to delve into some High Fantasy and New Adult.
What's unique to your blog?
There’s not really anything super unique, but I do have this type of review that I call a “Quickie Review”. I write this type of review when my memory sucks about what I read or I just don’t have a lot to say. It gets a review out there says what I need to say.
We often ask authors in our interviews what they’re writing process is. But what is your blogging process?
I’ve been doing a lot of tour posts lately because they are easier to quickly format and schedule around my busy college/work schedule. In between, I have reviews I write or have posted elsewhere that I mix in. Tour posts I can usually schedule as soon as I get the materials for them, but the other posts vary in how I schedule them. I have pre-made graphics that label the post that I use so I don’t have to worry about those. For Bookstagram, I went out months ago and took a ton of photos so I wouldn’t have to go out frequently and worry about getting photos taken around my schedule.
What other ways are you involved in the YA community?
I have an Instagram and Twitter for my blog. My Instagram is more for pictures of my books that I have taken. My Twitter is where I boost giveaways, weigh in on blogging issues, and share bookish thoughts.
What does book blogging mean to you?
It’s important to me because I can share my love for reading and connect with other book lovers while also helping authors and publishers to get their books out there to people who will love them. I don’t meet many people IRL who share my bookish passions and love the same books I do, so blogging gives me a space to do so.
Which of your blog posts are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of all of them. Sometimes it’s hard to get a post out and just getting one out is enough.
What are your greatest book blogging achievements?
Five years blogging is pretty big! A publisher also sent me my first promotional copy unsolicited, which meant a lot.
What do you love most about blogging/being part of the YA community?
I love that it gives me a space that I feel is hard to find elsewhere. I haven’t been able to find many people IRL who are as into books/the same books I am but blogging gives me a space to do so.
Fellow book bloggers and I can get excited about the same books and bookish fun that we love, even with countries and oceans between us.
What aspects of book blogging or being a blogger do you wish were different/better?
For me, it’s a constant struggle to try and make myself seen. I can’t post more than once a week unless it’s for a tour because I’m a full time student who works and also struggles with anxiety. I also can’t afford to buy many props, so it’s a struggle to draw people in on Bookstagram. With those things being said, I don’t draw in as many people due to the posting schedule and more basic posts and that means my numbers are low. These days, publishers want to know your every view, follow, and reach just so you can be considered to get ARCs or for other promotional things. With my low numbers, it’s hard to get ARCs or become a rep.
How do you feel about authors who react, and then act, badly regarding negative reviews?
No book will ever have 0 negative reviews because everyone enjoys different books. Yeah, it probably sucks to see them, but there’s no reason for authors to attack reviewers who did not like their book or found issues with it.
What are your thoughts regarding #OwnVoices?
I honestly don’t know too much about #OwnVoices but I do think it is very important to have representation for everyone and for everyone to feel seen in the books they consume.
What are your thoughts in regards to how the YA community approaches problematic books, the response of publishers when a book is called out, and how those outside the community react to the YA community calling books out?
Whatever happens or however it happens needs to happen respectfully. Some of these problematic things can be frustrating but it’s always important to remember a real person on the other side.
What are your thoughts regarding the materialistic aspect to some elements of being a part of the YA community?
I think we need to be more aware that not everyone can afford to buy a ton of books, props, or pay full price to pre-order for incentives. I get a lot of the books I read from the library via Overdrive because it’s more cost-efficient for me.
What are your thoughts about bloggers monetising their blogs, and idea of book bloggers getting paid?
I think it’s a good idea and would love to do it myself if I could afford it some day! We bloggers spend a lot of time working on posts, graphics, and just reading in general for our blogs and I think it’s only fair that we can choose to monetize the end results! It’s hard and time consuming work, especially mixing it in with everything else we have to do in life.
Thank you, Madi, for your great answers. The struggle if balancing blogging and life is difficult, but I feel it's such a shame that TheBookNerdDiaries isn't getting the views and stats publishers need! Let's all give Madi a follow and help a fellow blogger out!
Be sure to visit Madi's blog, TheBookNerdDiaries, and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Check out the other interviews for Bloggers Get Real, and if you are a YA book blogger who would like to take part, do email me!
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Great interview. I also work and have had to cut down to one day a week of blogging. I'm also an aspiring author so want to leave enough time to write.
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