You Know You’re a Book Blogger When…
01.15.2013
By Zara D. Garcia-Alvarez / @ZaraAlexis
I saw a wonderful little post by Ezmirelda at the Parafantasy blog that outlined a few things that are sure signs you’re a book blogger! It made me smile and I enjoyed it so much, I decided to write my own version of “You Know You’re a Book Blogger When…” and of course, at her suggestion, “… let me know or make a post of your own and link in the comments!”
So, after you read my post, why not head over to the Parafantasy blog and give Ezmirelada some comment love and book blogging love? (I’ve also included a link to her post of my posting so she knows that I’m writing my own list as per her inspiring originality. No plagiarism here and all credit goes to Ezmirelda for coming up with this idea first!)
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You know you’re a book blogger when:
1. You don’t just read a book—you review it. And then post it on your blog.
2. Your number one resolution of the New Year is most likely a book pledge—of which, you’ve decided to read a ridiculously high amount of books with the common minimum of at least 50 titles per year.
3. You know which genres you enjoy reading the most—and pretty much head in that general section at the book store first.
4. You equate authors to superstars. You secretly worship your favourite ones. But refrain from squealing, screaming, gushing, or fainting, and do your best to appear calm and collected when meeting them because let’s face it—you don’t want to look dumb (because the authors you love, are certainly not!).
5. You recognize the logos of publishers and publishing houses from afar. You know what they look like. You can name the key animals or pictorial images off-hand. For example, Random House is a house; Doubleday is an anchor; Penguin is a penguin; McClelland & Stewart is a man with a raised bow and arrow riding in a carriage led by a steed. You get it…
6. You most likely wear eyeglasses or contact lenses because you started reading between the ages of 5-6. (Under the covers at night with a flashlight!)
7. You not only remember fictional characters in the books you read, but feel an emotional attachment to them. For some of you, you actually miss them when the book ends.
8. A crush on a fictional character is not beyond you. Nor is a crush on an author. But, you just don’t tell your husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend, or your partner about it!
9. You call your book collection a library…because it really is. The only difference is, your personal rules in lending them out to friends and family are more strict than the library’s will ever be. That is, if you DO lend them out in the first place.
10. You have a database of your books. In alphabetical order, by genre, author, publisher, or whether you own it, read it, or not—and you responsibly UPDATE it on a consistent basis!
11. You’re most likely a leader or an active member in the Goodreads community online.
12. You have accounts on almost every social media platform there is that exists. And your profile will consistently be about reading or include a passion about books.
13. Admit it, you’re addicted to Twitter. And most of your followers online are just as bookish as you are.
14. You’re sincerely baffled when you meet someone who admits they don’t really read or like books. You’re sincerely confused about this. You really don’t understand how this could be. You’re suspended first in disbelief, confusion, denial, curiosity, sadness, sorrow, anger, disbelief again…and finally pity…and then disbelief—again!
15. You review books for a number of publishers. And you’re grateful to do so.
16. You feel a deep kinship and appreciation for the marketing liaison(s) you work with at the publishing house(s) you review books for. You hold them in high regard. And any correspondence from them is like a direct letter from Santa Claus!
17. You look forward to checking your mailbox when you get home everyday—not for everyday mail like bills or advertising—but for book packages!
18. Your local courier/delivery person from UPS, Purolator, etc. know you by face and name.
19. You know what the word meme means online.
20. You know what the acronyms ARC and SWAG stand for.
21. You know what a TBR List is…and well, yours is L-O-N-G…
22. You love bookmarks almost as much as you love books—and you collect them, too. You’ll even enter contests to win them! Or host a contest to (begrudgingly) give them away.
23. The Book Depository is your go-to online book store because of its free shipping, low prices, and the number of times you host international giveaways on your blog.
24. You pray to the gods of the Rafflecopter—and then you curse them when you don’t win.
25. You participate in blog tours, blog hops, blog events, and book marathons, whereas other people don’t even know what those things are.
26. You not only know when a book event is happening, you actually attend them on a regular basis or are specially invited by their hosts.
27. You have a blogging calendar. And you like to keep it filled. And if you’re an experienced blogger, you may even schedule posts in advance!
28. You not only created the name of your blog, you also created a personalized widget, also known as a button. And though you won’t admit it to anyone, it’s your badge of honour!
29. You’re so hardcore, you even have a business card for yourself and your blog. And you will pass it around to anyone, anywhere, any chance you get.
30. You truly love each and every one of your readers and followers of your blog. You’re genuinely excited when you receive notice that a new reader has followed you.
31. Your personal bloggoversary is just as important as your birthday. And yes, you remember it every year.
32. You understand the true value of an autographed copy of a book. And you’ll stand in line for hours to make sure you get one.
33. Your computer is one of your treasured items. And if it’s mobile like a laptop or a tablet, you take it wherever you go.
34. You spend a ludicrous amount of time online—writing, editing your posts, or revamping/re-designing your blog.
35. Most of your email content found in your inbox is 90% from other book bloggers and it takes you a day to go through your emails to clean up your box.
36. You feel a personal kinship with other book bloggers. If you’re lucky, some of them are your best friends.
37. You understand on an intricate level that only other book bloggers truly empathize with you about your book blogging experience—because no one else can.
38. You’re part of a book blogging network or support group. (Yes, they do exist!)
39. You carry around your camera or tech device just in case you run into a perfect opportunity to take a photo(s) that can accompany the context of an upcoming post.
40. You actually book your vacation to coincide with The Book Expo America (BEA) Bloggers Convention—because it is to you as the Star Trek Convention is to trekkies.
41. A book store is like a little piece of heaven on earth—and you stay there far longer than you’re supposed to—even if you’re not buying any books.
42. You love new books, new releases, the crisp, clean covers, and its bindings. And it makes you cringe when someone gives any book, dog ears! How horrendous! It breaks your heart to even witness a wrinkle!
43. Or you love old, musty books, their yellow pages, and old editions. They make you feel connected to the importance of the past. And like the Velveteen Rabbit, you feel the more worn a book is, the more it’s beloved.
44. You read potentially 3-4 books at a time.
45. You actually read books over again…and over again…if you love them.
46. You do have book reading biases like preferences for: print, hardcopy, trade paperback, mass paperback, e-books on an e-reader, or audio books. And you’ll defend your preference to the death.
47. You own duplicate copies of the same title—because you sometimes forget which books you own when you’re at the book store and you end up buying double or sometimes triple copies! (Or you just love the book and enjoy adding different editions to your collection.)
48. When it comes to books, you believe in love at first sight, because whether you admit it or not, sometimes you just love a book simply for its gorgeous cover!
49. You know what an imprint is.
50. You know what a galley is.
51. You can decipher ISBN’s and know what they really mean.
52. You receive unsolicited book review requests from publishers and authors. And you’re always flattered someone out there cares about your reading opinions.
53. Your family and friends think that your blog is simply a hobby. You and other book bloggers know otherwise.
54. You feel guilty when you miss writing a post.
55. You get stressed out when you have so many things on the go that they might actually interfere with your book blogging.
56. You stay up way past your bedtime in order to finish a chapter or an entire book.
57. You have a book budget—and you always break it.
58. When you introduce yourself to other book bloggers, you not only introduce your name, but the name of your blog as well, as in “Hi, I’m Zara…from The Bibliotaphe Closet…”
59. You secretly dream of working in a:
- book store
- library
- publishing house
just to be around books and the industry.
60. You’re proud to call yourself a book nerd. You’re even prouder when someone else calls you one!
61. You’re running out of space in your house to store your books—because quite frankly, they’re everywhere!
62. If you won the lottery, you’d build a library for your home, build a library for the public, and create a literacy foundation.
63. You love it when you discover bookish items on Etsy.
64. You love to see other people reading. Especially children.
65. A new book in your possession is like owning a new $100 bill.
66. You have a personal, favourite reading spot…along with accessories!
67. You’re most likely a coffee drinker. A heavy coffee drinker.
68. You either read with a cup of coffee or cup of tea.
69. You HATE it when someone interrupts you when you’re reading. When it happens, he or she must be prepared for the evil eye. A very dark, evil eye.
70. You only enjoy public transit so you can read on your way to work.
71. You think about and can’t wait until the next time you‘ll be free so you can open up your book and read.
72. You hate it when people irresponsibly tell you about book spoilers before you’ve finished reading the book.
73. You think reading and people who read are sexy.
74. Admit it. You are drawn to Starbucks—even if it’s too pricey for your budget.
75. If your partner loves books, you love him or her even more.
76. If you’re single and deciding whether or not to accept a date, your deciding factor will be whether or not your potential date is literate.
77. If you could work and be paid to read books all day, damn it, you’d do it.
78. You do have to ground yourself from time to time to guard yourself from becoming a literary book snob.
79. Those who are not book bloggers don’t really understand what all the fuss is about.
80. Your book blog is your baby.
81. You’re an obsessed creature. Ob–sessed.
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Do you know any other ways you can tell that someone is a book blogger? You’re more than welcome to leave your ideas in the comments section below.
Happy reading and book blogging to all my fellow book enthusiasts!
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