Top Ten Tuesday 7

  

Hosted by Broke and Bookish. 

Top Ten Things That Make Our Life As Bloggers Easier and/or Better!

 So many choices here but here is what top the list-in no particular order

• Goodreads-I LOVE THIS SITE!!!  So much to do, people to meet.  Authors, reading groups, book topics, trivia, giveaways and more!  I can virtually shelve books any way I want.  And then sort by various stats (rating, page #, publish date, title, author, etc).  I have meet some great people through this site and can easily spend several hours a day there!  The only thing I miss is the swap program they too away, but that leads me to....

• Bookmooch.com-  For those of you willing to read used books, check this out.  Similar to paperbackswap but more flexible in how you use it.  List the books you have, set limits on where you send the book.  You decide when to ship, easy ways to make condition notes or status notes that other uses can see.  Easy feedback, no limit to your wishlists.  You pay only for what you send out.   Get points for sending books.  Unlike paperbackswap you get a kickback bonus.  For every 10 books you list, you get a bonus point to use for a book, regardless if the book is requested!  Best of all-it's FREE!

• My library- I have been a fan of libraries since 2nd grade.  While the county I now live in has very limited funds for the library system, my library still strives to keep up a good variety of books.  They are working on ebooks but it is slower but they even have nooks for checkout!  This is a great resource when money is tight or you arent sure about a book or author, or looking into a recommendation and more.  My library has an easy hold system so when I go in, my books are ready for me at the front desk.  We also have a statewide program that allows us to request books free from other libraries.  Plus US wide interlibrary loans, but that costs most in this county (it was free when I lived in Colorado).  Overall, lots of options, and books to check out, and a super-friendly staff!

• Rafflecopter- Great for giveaways, easy to use for both host and entrants.  To me, this is the best giveaway program/site to use by far.

• Excel/Word- Excel is used for spreadsheets of books I own, blog charts, review/Arc organization and more.  Word is great for testing layouts, notes, and more when online.  I often find myself Alt-tabbing over to jot a quick note about something to look into later, or a thought on a book, etc.

• Netgalley/Edelweiss-Great way to gets some Free eArcs to review!  So far I like netgalley more.  Graphically it is more appealing, it is quicker and Approvals/declines are done faster. While Edelweiss I rarely seem to get a yes or no...still these are great tools for requesting eArcs.  And as a new blogger, easier than attempting to figure out how to contact publisher for a request.

• Other blogs/bloggers-where would I be without them!  They are what inspired me to blog myself.  They shared how to get started, and have continued with great tips.  Plus all the books and author info I can acquire!  Endless source of happy bookish times!

• Amazon-OFten the cheaper book purchasing place.  I can also look up book stats and other reviews possibly missed on Goodreads. Also lots of free ebooks which is nice when funds are short.

• My computer-blogging would be quite tricky without one of these.  While I could sit at the library for an hour a day, it would really limit my time, plus others around me might be distracting.  Almost everything I have mentioned requires my computer, so without it, I would not be blogging at all.

•  My comfy necessities:  A comfy place to sit/lay when reading is a great help.  Music while blogging can be inspirational.  Also favorite snacks and drinks help those comfort levels.  The more comfortable I am, the more productive! 

  
  

  What makes blogging easier/better for you?

  Also, be sure to check out the giveaways over to the top right!  I am trying a new weekly giveaway if I get some participation.