NEW ADULT ADDICTION BLOGAVERSARY GIVEAWAY DAY ONE!

October 1, 2013 Giveaways 75

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YUP – I  made it!  One year of blogging almost every single freaking day!  You know it’s funny because I’m a writer, but I have never been one to “journal” things. I never kept a diary, I’ve never been one to write things because I felt I needed to. I’ve started a few blogs for my other business (which is writing non-fiction science books) but I’ve never been able to keep up with it.
And my author blog, pffffttt.  Don’t even ask how often I go over there to write about shit. Like twice a month if I’m lucky. But it’s my one year publishing anniversary too, so I am blogging all week overt there about writing. It’s mostly for writers, some tips and tricks I learned about self-publishing, so you can skip it and you won’t miss anything, believe me. It’s more of a rant, probably. 
BUT HERE… I was 100% committed to blogging. I’m not even sure why. I think because it’s fun. And I don’t have to say much, just post other people’s stuff, read some books, write reviews, and do giveaways.
I LOVE giveaways!
And I love promo graphics!  God, I seriously love promo graphics.
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So I’m gonna keep this blog!  I recently changed the design and I like it, but I might change it again, who knows. I’m loving WordPress, even though I loved Blogger too. And I have tips for new bloggers and that’s what I’m gonna write about this week.  Today I’m gonna blog about how/why New Adult Addiction took off  and how it might’ve happened.
First of all – NAA got big over the last twelve months. I’m gonna share my stats tomorrow, but today I’m gonna tell you how I got so big so fast. Because this blog just sorta took off and I think it mostly had to do with two things:
The first was the name. New adult as a genre was just taking off, I had been reading and writing new adult, so this was definitely something I was interested in, and this name just came to me and I impulsively bought the domain even though I started out on Blogger. If you start out on Blogger, I would urge you to buy your domain name immediately, even if you don’t want to hook up your custom url to your blog. Because one day you might outgrow Blogger and want to move, and in that case, you want to make it easy for people to search for you and find your new blog.
So the name was an immediate hit – that might’ve been luck, or maybe I’m just super intuitive?  Who knows.
The second was design.  This was not what NAA looked like a couple months ago – I had a very paranormal romance theme going and it was still pretty hot last fall when my name just happened to come up on Parajunkie’s waiting list for blog design. I had put in my name months before this blog came into being (for my author blog) and it was again, maybe just luck that I got a very cool professional design from day one.
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So one I had the cool name and the cool design to go with it, all I needed was to participate in book blogger activities.  I’m gonna talk about memes on Friday, but today I’m gonna talk about:
Hops
Giveaways
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Hops and Giveaways sorta go together. I participated in like every hop I Am A Reader did for almost six months. It’s a great way to get eyeballs on your blog and gain followers.  Fair warning – if you have a spicy blog, like NAA is now, she won’t let you participate. It’s family friendly only.  The old design was much less sexy, so it was fine. But I’m probably not allowed to hop with her any more with the new design.  I like hopping and I like asking questions in the “Leave a blog comment” entry. I LOVE reading the comments in the blog hops. It’s a cool way to pick the brains of other bloggers and readers, and if I’m being perfectly honest, I use some of that data when I’m writing. For instance, I like to ask things like – what do you like in a hero?  And I get so many different answers, but there are always a few that stick out – like loyalty. Almost everyone wants that in a good romance hero.
So that’s like data mining for a writer. :)
Hops are also cool because you link up with other book bloggers and everyone holds a giveaway on their blog. Usually it’s book related, but sometimes they are just straight gift cards. And then you hop down the Linky and everyone visits each others blogs and enters their contests and tries to win the prizes on the other blogs. It’s fun, it’s cool and it very social.
I’m gonna talk more about giveaways on Thursday when I discuss high traffic posts, so check back then to hear more of my giveaway wisdom.
FF_2013Button-300x300The other thing I did was Feature and Follow Friday, which is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkie’s View and Alison Can Read. It’s a hop too, but it’s not a giveaway. It’s a get to know you hop. And it was SUPER FUN  and COOL!  I miss it, but I have literally no time to participate in it anymore.
Often there are hundreds of blogs on these meme hops.  The really popular ones like F&F, or Stacking the Shelves, or Top ten Tuesday have a lot of very dedicated followers and they like to see new blogs come on board because that means they get a new followers just like you do.  The secret to getting the most out of the meme hops is to participate. Don’t sign up your blog and then not hop over to see other people, because generally you have to comment and follow in order to get comments and followers. If you just sign up and not participate, you ‘ll get a few people, but it won’t be significant and if you don’t at least hop back to those who commented and followed you, you’ll actually hurt your own book blogger reputation.
Most of this is probably basic shit for you guys – I know a lot of you have been blogging a hell of a lot longer than me, but if you’re new and you’re trying to make a name for yourself to get on the good tours, this is how you start.
I’ll talk more about tours on Friday, so stop by then. Tomorrow’s post will be the stats for NAA and what I enjoy the most about being a book blogger.
AND – I have a massive SIGNED PAPERBACK GIVEAWAY FOR YOU!  I gathered together some of my best author buddies and got them to donate signed books for the giveaway. There are 18 books in all from these fabulous writers:
Betwixt by Melissa Pearl
For You by Mimi Strong
Inhale Exhale by Sarah M Ross
Love, Lies, and Deception by L.P. Dover
Maddy’s Oasis by  Lizzy Ford
Maverick by Anna Cruise
My Unexpected Forever by Heidi Mclaughlin
No One’s Angel by Kelly Walker
Now or Never by A.J. Benett
Rook and Ronin Series by JA Huss
Say When by Tara West
Shattered Hearts Series by Cassia Leo
TORCH by Cambria Hebert
Tripping Me Up by Amber Garza

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75 Responses to “NEW ADULT ADDICTION BLOGAVERSARY GIVEAWAY DAY ONE!”

  5. Alexandra Cruz

    Any paperback would be awesome, but some Rook and Ronin, or Shattered Hearts would put me over the moon.

    Thank you so much for the chance :)

    Reply

  13. Heather

    All the books have beautiful covers. But having to choose just one I’d choose My Unexpected Forever.

    Reply

  14. Danielle Hoover

    Wow! This is a tough choice! There are so many books I would love to have! :)

    Reply

  18. Rachelle

    Unexpected Forever, Torch, any of the Cassia Leo books and Panic. I’d be happy with any book they’re all so pretty :) Thanks for the awesome giveaway :)

    Reply

  22. Donna Reynolds

    Oh my how do I pick one out of so many amazing authors I would be happy with any but really happy if it was Shattered Hearts Series by Cassia Leo,TORCH by Cambria Hebert, or Rook and Ronin Series by JA Huss Thank you to all the amazing authors for their generosity and Thank you for the awesome giveaway.

    Reply

  23. Karina G.

    I’ll be happy with any signed book, but would love to win the Shattered Hearts series by Casia Leo! Thank you for such an amazing giveaway!

    Reply

  26. Jenny Dauksa Schaber

    It’s really a toss up at the very top of my list with Rook & Ronin series and Maverick. I would LOVE any of the paperbacks in this giveaway. I don’t have any of them in paperback. Thanks for the giveaway!

    Reply

  30. Laura Mendez

    I like all the paperbacks…. but I would be super happy with My Unexpected Forever.

    Reply

  34. Kim

    I would love either one of the books from Rook and Ronin Series by JA Huss or Shattered Hearts Series by Cassia Leo. But any I would also be happy with any book from this awesome giveaway…LOL
    Thank you for a wonderful giveaway!!

    Reply

  36. Sarah Rosario

    Oh I would really love the entire Beaumont series by Heidi Mclaughlin in paperback

    Reply

  46. Saralyn Miller

    Amazing giveaway!! And lots of great advice on blogging. I’m looking forward to catching your future posts! On my way to hunt down your other blog also. 😉

    Reply

  50. Isis

    A signed copy of PANIC!!! :-) Complete my collection. . . unless of course you decide to offer the final I Am Just Junco book!! :-))

    Reply

  56. Amy Pollard Woolard

    I would LOVE to have Panic by JA Huss!! Thank you for the giveaway!!! Happy Blogversary!!!!

    Reply

  59. T Hammond

    What a great site, and I love the giveaway! Keep up the great work (and congrats on one year!)

    Reply

  74. Kamla L.

    Definitely Panic!! Most of these are on my fiending list. Also Mine and Remy (the Real series),Wild Child, Gabriel’s Redemption, and so many many others. :)

    Reply

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