My responses to a poll of "book bloggers"

I saw this linked to on Twitter and I thought I'd fill it out, with a mixture of serious and silly answers.  Here's what I wrote, for those who want amusement.

How many times do you post each week?  

Almost daily (6-7/week)

What percentage of your blog posts are reviews? (2-part question)  

Almost 1/3

What percentage of your blog posts are promotional posts? (2-part question) promos = cover reveals, author interviews, memes, etc.  

Less than 5%

How many books did you review in 2012?  

104

How long does it take for you to read a book, on average? Actual # of hours, not days.  

1-2 hours

How long does it take you to compose a review, on average? Don't forget you have to format it for your blog, insert links, choose images, etc. as well.  

Around 1 hour

What percentage of your reviewed books were from books you purchased? (4-part question)  

75%

What percentage of your reviewed books were from books you borrowed or were gifted? (4-part question) from library, friend, etc. (NOT a galley)  

0%

What percentage of your reviewed books were from galleys? (4-part question) from publisher, Amazon Vine, etc.  

25%

What percentage of your reviewed books were from trades with other bloggers? (4-part question)  

0%.   It would be greater if they would send me Squirrelist fictions for review consideration.

How much time does it take you to promote a single blog post via Facebook, GoodReads, Twitter, visiting other blogs, etc.? Are there other places where you promote your reviews? This may be difficult to define since some of your social media is also for fun, so please use your best judgment in settling on a number.  

Less than one minute.  If it takes longer, then I am gabbing too much.

How much time do you spend on blog maintenance per month? Updating, editing, prettifying--anything that isn't writing an actual post.  

Barely any time.

How many giveaways did you host in 2012?  

None.  I have considered throwing crappy books at people, however.

How many of those giveaways were self-funded? Meaning, you paid for s&h. Did you also pay for the books themselves?  

None.   Again, I would be tempted to buy some brick-sized books to throw at the occasional moron.

How much money did you personally spend on giveaways this year? Please include book costs, shipping and handling costs, packaging, tape, etc.  

$0. 

How much money did you spend this year on finished copies? Do you also buy them if you already got a galley (for you, friends, etc.)?  

Hrmm….probably bought 200 new e-books/print books, so $3000?  And no, I don’t buy extra copies, unless it’s of a volume where a translation of mine appears and I want someone to read it.

If you have other people contributing to your blog, do you pay them? If so, what amount did you spend?  

Books, but I would consider sending them a rabid squirrel on occasion.

How much did you spend on site maintenance? web design, domain name registration, etc.  

$0.

Do you attend book conventions like BEA, ALA, etc? If so, please total/break down the costs for registration, hotel, travel for each one.  

Only the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, TN.  I live nearby, so only cost is gas and $5-10 for parking each of the three days.

Do you have business cards or other promotional items? What did you spend on creating them, and why are they important to have?  

Not yet.  If I did, I’d have a snarling squirrel on them.

Are there other blogging costs that we haven't listed that you would like to add? Please explain and quantify as much as possible.  

None.

Do you receive any kind payment for your personal blogging efforts? ad revenue, paid promo posts, promo tour organization, etc.  

No.  I loathe capitalism.

If you do receive payment for your blogging, does it cover the cost of running your site? Please share the amount you earned in 2012 if possible, or put "decline to answer" or "N/A."  

N/A

Most book bloggers seem to agree that any ad revenue and finished copies don't come anywhere near offsetting the expense of maintaning a book blog. Which begs the question: why do you do it?  

I like to review books that those who slaver over ARCs are neglecting to review.

Have you had any unpleasant blogging experiences this last year? If so, how has it affected your blogging? author meltdowns, trolls, etc.  

I had to deal with Canadians.  It led me to having fun at their expense.

What are some of your frustrations, hopes, and dreams for your blog?  

Frustrations – Not enough squirrel-friendly books out there.

Hopes – To discover more squirrel-friendly books

Dreams – To unleash an army of rabid squirrels on the world.

How can your readers help you as a blogger?

•  Leaving a comment on a blog post.
•  Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, GoodReads, other social media.
•  "Like" my blog post on my Facebook page.
•  "Liking" my review on GoodReads, etc.
•  Retweet my blog post.
•  Pin my blog post on Pinterest.
•  Share my blog post via Facebook, Google Plus, Stumble Upon
•  Link to my blog or profile if they've won a contest, found out about a book through me, etc.
•  "Like" my Facebook page.
•  "Like" my Amazon review.
•  Other:  Worship rabid squirrels

What do you wish were different about the reader interaction on your blog? Frustrations, successes to share?  

Only wish more Squirrelists would respond regularly.

Aside from all the above reader things, how can your fellow bloggers help you?

•  Add me to their blog rolls.
•  Add my blog button to their side bars.
•  Acknowledge/link if they've received a book through me on tour, through a contest, etc.
•  Link to my reviews where appropriate.
•  Other:  Talk more about squirrels

What do you wish were different about your interaction with fellow bloggers or readers?  

Nothing.  I think most are bemused by my sarcasm, knowing that it’s rarely anything personal.

How can authors and publishers help you as a blogger?

•  Share my review of their books (or author feature) on Facebook or their websites.
•  Retweet my review or feature.
•  Make book information, contact information, ARC request information, bio, etc. easy to find on their websites.
•  Be available for guest posts and interviews.
•  Offer signed books or swag. (Elaborate in "other" if you like.)
•  Other:  Include more squirrel-positive scenes in their books.

What do you wish or publishers understood about the process of blogging? How has your experience been in interacting with industry people?  

I am not a shill.  I couldn’t care less about hosting giveaways.  While most people in the industry are nice and have demanding jobs, I just have to maintain some distance in order to be “independent.”

Which authors and pubishers have you found to be particularly responsive/helpful/enjoyable to work with? Why?  

There are many I could name.  I hope they know that I do understand and appreciate the work they do without gushing about it.

Do you find egalleys or physical ARCs easier to review from?  

I don’t receive egalleys and not many physical ARCs, so I really don’t care much on this issue.

What are your blog's monthly page views?  

Upwards of 25,000 page views/month.

How many subscribers do you have for your RSS feed/email sign up?  

Varies, but just under 800.

How many followers do you have through Google Friend Connect or Linky tools? Please list/quantify other sources if you use something similar.  

No effin’ clue.

How many Twitter followers do you have?  

Almost 500, but many of them are squirrels.

How many Facebook fans do you have?  

I refuse to set up a Facebook fan page.

How many GoodReads friends/followers do you have?  

I would rather be bitten by a rabid squirrel than join GoodReads.

What is your Amazon reviewer ranking?  

I never post anything under my name on Amazon.

Are there other facts & figures pertinent to your audience reach?  

I have dozens of squirrels following me on Twitter.

Would you like to share your name and blog? Please leave your URL and/or contact details if so.  

Sure, as long as you realize that I gave serious answers as well as silly ones:  The OF Blog.  http://ofblog.blogspot.com

Anything else you'd like to add? Last chance!  

Nothing really, other than I review mostly non-Anglophone fiction and lit fiction these days, with occasional SF/Fantasy pieces.