Another in our series of chats with inspiring teen readers... meet Amber, who runs her own book blog!
Hi Amber! You're a well-known book blogger - how did you get started?
Aw, thank you! I started blogging at seven, when I left school to be home educated; a few years in I began my book blog, which has been running four years. I'm 15 now and it's like I've grown up with my blog. As my tastes have changed and matured, so have the books I review. I even did a post to help people start their own blog, which you can see here!
Why books... and how do you get your review copies?
I've always loved reading, plus I'm always on the internet so I thought I'd combine the two! I'm in touch with lots of publishers who send me books to review. In the last three weeks I've had almost 30, so I'd better make a start on that pile!
Have you met/interviewed any authors?
I've met Cathy Cassidy several times at book signings, but I've interviewed lots by email. They include Cathy, David Levithan, Maggi Gibson, Natasha Ngan and even Malorie Blackman!
What else do you do on your blog?
I do reviews, giveaways, interviews, guest posts, features and videos, plus themed weeks to fit with the seasons. I chat to other bloggers, mostly on twitter - the book blogging community is really kind and supportive and of course we all share the same passion - books! I consider some of them my best friends and don't know what I'd do without them!
What are your ambitions for the future?
For he blog, my ambition is to reach a wider audience and to continue spreading the love of reading, For me? Well, I'd LOVE to be a publicist, an author or a journalist. So many possibilities!
What advice do you have for readers who might want to start a blog?
I highly recommend Blogger as a format, as it's much less complicated than Wordpress. Next - well, write about what you care about! For example, if you blog about music but hate it, your blog won't work. It sounds obvious, but I once knew a book blogger who admitted they disliked reading - I mean, how???!!!
My final piece of advice is never let it stress you out... blogging is a hobby, not a job, and it should be fun. Enjoy - and good luck!
So inspirational :) I will check out your blog.
ReplyDeleteHey! You're the mastermind behind the Mile Long Bookshelf! You do awesome work!
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