Here is the story of how Lucy got started as a Book Blogger…
I have always had a passion for reading, and I write some of my own material, mainly poetry and short stories. Over the past year, I have considered creating my very own book blog which would incorporate reviewing novels and sharing my passion with others who have common interests. I have gained wonderful friendships through the blogging community, and with their support and encouragement, I decided to finally put my desire to create my very own blog into action. My blog: Moonlight Gleam’s Bookshelf was created on November 28, 2010 which makes it nearly three months old. I currently review all genres as well as debut author novels. I try to give my readers quality through my reviews. I believe I still have a lot of work cut out for me to bring my ideas and plans for my blog to life.
Can you tell me a little bit about what it is like to start from scratch as a book reviewer?
Honestly, it was a little difficult at first to get the hang of having a book blog. I often found myself asking friends how I should present reviews, what the outline should look like and how often should I post reviews. I found out that it really depends on each person, everyone is different and reviews are meant to display your own take on a book you’ve read so there isn’t really a specific outline or length of a review that is mandatory. One blog that really helped answer all the beginner questions of blogging is Parajunkee’s View: Blogging 101. Rachel is a fantastic blogger who is very helpful so I highly encourage new bloggers to refer to her blog for commonly asked questions.
What a wonderful resource! (Thanks for sharing, Rachel.) Have you received books from authors/publicists or have you been reviewing books that you’ve wanted to read yourself?
I have received books directly from debut authors for review; others have been won on other blog contests, bought or given to me by friends and family. I have only had the opportunity to post reviews for the books I have received by debut authors for review given that I am a full-time student outside of blogging. I will be posting reviews on books I have read for my own pleasure really soon!
How do you get the word out that you’re a serious blogger?
Ideally, it would be best not to spam any message boards or other blogs with advertisements of your blog. It would be better if you meet others who have common interests as you, get to know them and if you follow their blog they will be more than happy to return the favor. Also, you must put a lot of hard work to show quality in your posts. Remember to be patient, followers will come with time.
I’m so glad I asked that question-great information. OK, I have to ask. Is it hard to write an unfavorable review? Have you had to do it yet? Do you think that it helps or hurts you as a reviewer if you are critical in your evaluation?
Personally, I have never encountered a time where I had to write an unfavorable review. If I do, which I know eventually I will encounter one, I would encourage the author to focus on their strong points presented in their novels and suggest ways to improve the others. I do not believe it will hurt me as a reviewer if I write an unfavorable review; however, it is the way that the review is presented that is important. Focus on the good and help the author improve rather than discredit them all together. Authors put a tremendous amount of hard work in writing their novels and it would be unfair to them if you only speak of the negative. Also keep in mind that if you write a negative review based on the genre not being one that is favorable to you, it would be wise to include that in your review so that others will know that you may not have enjoyed the novel based on the genre.
That’s a great answer, thank you. I know that when I attend writer’s conferences, I’m always a little bit star struck. Do you have any authors that you are dying to interview/review?
There are several authors who I would absolutely love to interview. Some of my favorite authors include Kelley Armstrong, Maria V. Snyder, Cassandra Clare, Sophie Kinsella and Cecelia Ahern. It would be such a pleasure to have the opportunity to interview any one of these authors. They are truly talented and inspiring authors, who have created such brilliant novels with original plots that pull you right in from the very first page.
Reading your blog post this morning and noticed that you do In My Mailbox. Can you tell us a little bit more about these blogger memes?
Of course! I participate in a variety of weekly memes hosted by other bloggers, which have been created to share common interests and they are also a way to network your blog. I
n My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at
The Story Siren inspired by Alea. For those of you who are not familiar with
In My Mailbox, it is a showcase of the books you have received for review, have purchased, or have picked up at the library during the week. Other weekly memes which I participate in are:
Waiting on Wednesday which is a weekly meme hosted by
Breaking The Spine and
Follow Friday which is hosted by Parajunkie at
Parajunkie’s View.
Waiting on Wednesday is where we highlight an upcoming book release we are eagerly awaiting and
Follow Friday is a great opportunity to meet new bloggers mainly, bloggers following each other to help gain more followers.
Do you have a system for rating books?
I have come up with a rating system which mainly consists of ratings on 5. Here is my breakdown for the rating system:
1 out of 5 – Would not recommend
2 out of 5 – Was not my kind of book
2.5 out of 5 – It was an okay read
3 out of 5 – I enjoyed this book
3.5 out of 5 – Worth reading
4 out of 5 – An enjoyable read, well written
4.5 out of 5 – Fabulous read, highly recommended
5 out of 5 – MUST READ!!! LOVED IT!!!
Personally, I have not yet rated a book less than 4/5 on my blog as I have been reading novels that I have been really enjoying. Novels that receive a rating between 1/5 and 2.5/5 are generally novels which are not the kind of genre I enjoy reading. I do not wish to discredit any authors for their hard work; however, I must someway convey what I thought about their novels within my reviews. As I have already mentioned, if I do encounter a novel which I did not enjoy, I would not simply express negativity about the novel. I would also mention the positive points, explain that it was perhaps my type of read and suggest ways of improving.
I’ll leave off asking if there is anything you want to add that might bring a reader over to check out your blog?
I am always delighted to meet others who have a passion for reading as I do. Through my posts, I aim to express all the enthusiasm I have for reading and direct it to my readers. Quality is very important to me as my readers are my number one priority, so I make sure that my posts are filled with beneficial information for them. I will always respond to comments on my posts as I believe in developing great relationships with my readers. Finally, I am always willing to help others with blogging problems as I am still fairly new at this myself, so I can definitely help others where to start.
Thank you so much for having me Kimberly, it has been a pleasure!
Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed. I love making new book-loving friends and you were fantastic. If you would like to check out Lucy’s blog, you can find her at Midnight Gleam’s Bookshelf. She can also be found on Twitter, Goodreads and Book Blogs.
I’m curious, as a reader, what makes you read a review and decided that you MUST read that book?
Linda G. says:
Great interview! Your blog looks lovely, Lucy — I'm looking forward to exploring it further when I find a minute to breathe. 🙂
On February 18, 2011 at 2:29 pm
Kimberly Sabatini says:
I hear ya Linda! Today was a no-transport day for the 10yo. Already spent 2 hours in the car. Another 2 in the afternoon. Bleh.
Yay Lucy!!!!
On February 18, 2011 at 3:13 pm
Monica B.W. says:
Hey Kim! I love how you introduce us to other bloggers here! <333
And Lucy, I just checked out your blog! It looks FUN! Congrats! 😀
On February 18, 2011 at 7:58 pm
Kimberly Sabatini says:
This might be a good time for all of us to grab hands and sing It's a Small World. *grin*
On February 18, 2011 at 10:40 pm
Moonlight Gleam says:
Dear Linda and Monica, thank you so much for the compliments! I really appreciate you taking the time to read this!
Kimberly, thank you once again for having me! You are great and I really appreciate it :)!
On February 19, 2011 at 1:05 am
Kimberly Sabatini says:
So glad you loved the interview-I had a blast getting to know you. I'll be reading that wonderful blog of yours. <3
On February 19, 2011 at 2:12 am
Cozy in Texas says:
Great post.
Ann
On February 19, 2011 at 10:44 pm
lucy D'Andrea says:
Hi Lucy I love to read too, and my name is Lucy D’Andrea!:) :p
On February 21, 2012 at 7:05 pm
seo Berkhamsted says:
This design is wicked! You certainbly khow how to
keep a reader entertained. Between your wwit and yolur videos, I was almost moved to sstart
my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Excellent job.
I really loved what you hadd to say, and more than that, hhow you presented it.
Too cool!
On August 16, 2014 at 8:00 pm
Virgil says:
Howdy would you mid sharing which blog platform you’re using?
I’m looking to start my own blog soon but I’m havving a difficult time deciding between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal.
The reason I ask is bewcause your layout seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something completely
unique. P.S Apologies for being off-topic
but I had to ask!
On October 4, 2014 at 12:41 pm