Milestones and Giveaways!

Wow you guys, time really does fly when you’re having fun! Tomorrow completes my first month of writing this blog, and what an awesome and crazy month it’s been!

Here’s what’s happened in my first month as a new book blogger:

  • Posted 14 reviews
  • Gained 23 new followers
  • Created a Facebook page
  • Created a Twitter profile
  • Discovered some insanely awesome book blogs/bloggers
  • Received dozens of helpful, amusing and insightful comments
  • Started following so many blogs I lost count
  • Won one giveaway, only to lose my prize because the notification went to my spam folder and I missed the 48-hour response window [drat!]
  • Gave my blog a makeover (It looks nice, right? And yes, that actually is a photo of me up there! Just one of the perks of marrying a guy who knows his way around Photoshop. Thanks, honey!)
  • Passed 1,000 page views(!)
  • Received a totally unexpected box in the mail from Scholastic! Here’s what was inside:

I had contacted the lovely folks over there a couple weeks ago in my giddy new-blogger eagerness. I wasn’t really expecting any publishers to take me seriously yet, but I contacted a few of my favorites with a “nothing ventured, nothing gained” mentality.

Everyone I spoke to was incredibly friendly and helpful. I had a couple “sorry, we only send books to professionals” responses, a couple “patience, grasshopper” responses, and one “tell us what you are interested in, but no promises” response. So I told them what I was interested in, with no expectations whatsoever, and a week-ish later…BOX.

Holy smokes, I’m ridiculously excited that a publisher actually took my little blog seriously enough to send me books.

So everyone, get ready for some reviews of what are sure to be fantastic middle-grade titles in the coming weeks!

ALSO, since I know you’re only reading my excited ranting right now because I put the word “giveaway” in the title, YES, I will be holding my first-ever giveaway tomorrow to celebrate one month of survival in the blogosphere! I won’t tell you what it is yet, but you may want to come hungry and ready for some games, if you know what I mean.

Come back tomorrow for the details! And thanks so much for reading!

6 thoughts on “Milestones and Giveaways!

  1. LOL I LOVE THAT PICTURE! I read a book while I cook, my family thinks I’m insane.
    Congratulations on your success so far! I’ve been blogging for almost three years. As an international blogger publishers/authors rarely send me physical copies…but when they do, oh the thrill and gratitude!
    I wish you many more months/years in blogging and tons of new followers!

  2. Congrats!!! When you contact the publishers are you just sending an email to them? I’ve been too scared to try yet! 🙂 I’ve had some success with NetGalley and have been on a few ARC tours, but haven’t braved trying to give them a virtual handshake yet.

    • I am by NO MEANS an expert, but I’ve been using email, because I have an unreasonable fear of the phone. For a couple of my favorite authors, I went to their websites and saw if they listed a contact email for their publicist, then emailed the publicist. Otherwise, I just used the contact information on the publisher’s website. They have been nothing but super-nice, even though I know I was probably annoyingly premature in my requests!

  3. Congratulations on your first month! May you be wildly successful and may you discover many worlds of new books!

  4. Pingback: Review: The False Price by Jennifer A. Nielsen | The Housework Can Wait

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