Blogger Recognition Award!!

I was recently nominated for the Blogger Recognition Award by Laura W. at Blue Eye Books. Thank you so much for the nomination, Laura W.!! It's always wonderful to be recognized by my fellow bloggers.

Here are the rules for the Blogger Recognition Award:

1. Thank whoever nominated you, and provide a link to their blog. 

2. Write a post to show off your award! Give a brief story of how your blog got started, and give a piece or two of advice to new bloggers.

3. Select 15 other blogs you want to give the Blogger Recognition Award to and let each blogger know you've nominated them for this award.

How I Started My Blog:

I had always wanted to start a blog of my own. So, in the Fall of 2011, I started thinking more seriously about the topic of blogging and what kind of blog I wanted to write/keep. I knew that I didn't want to keep a random blog about everything and anything... It had to be about a specific topic. I love to read books, but didn't want my blog to be solely about the books I'd read and reviewed. So, I expanded the idea to all thinks 'book related', which I define in many ways to include the following and then some:

Book reviews of the books I've read
Book/Reading Quotes
Reviews of the Indie Bookstores I visit
Author signings/Book festivals I attend
Read-A-Thons/Reading Challenges
World Book Night
Author Spotlights
Book Award Winners
Newsworthy items pertaining to authors, books, libraries, etc.
Book Memes
Basically anything to do with reading, books, authors, libraries, etc.

Coming up with a blog name was an entirely more difficult task because all the blog names I initially wanted to use were already taken!! Thank goodness, Captivated Reader, wasn't taken! 'Captivated Reader' suits me just perfectly as I love being captivated by a well written and absorbing book.

So, once I decided a topic for my blog and a blog name, I made my first blog post January 1, 2012! The rest is history as they say.

Blog Advice:

I don't really have any hard and fast rules about blogging. 

I'd recommend choosing to blog about something you are passionate about and/or know a lot about already. And try sticking to a specific theme for your blog, so that your readers know what your blog is about.

Keep blogging fun for you. Don't feel like you have to post daily if that isn't something you want to do or don't have time to do.

Don't expect overnight success with your blog. I've been blogging for almost 3.5 years now and it took awhile for followers to join.

Interact with other bloggers, especially if these bloggers write about the same topic as you.

Here Are My Nominees:

Cynthia @ Bingeing on Books
Ellen @ Glam Book Lounge
Ashley @ Wholly Books
Megan @ Lost My Muchness, Have I?
Ashley @ A Socially Awkward Bookworm
Mozette @ My Reading List

Rachel @ Reading Rachel
Jay Riv @ Vailia'a Page Turner
Brooke @ I Blog 4 Books
Sue G @ Bookalicious Babe Book Reviews
Meredith @ Unopened Letter to the World
Baggins @ Pinker Than Fiction Reviews
Christine @ Buckling Bookshelves
Amanda @ The Zen Leaf
Noemie @ Noemie's Book Blog


So, what advice do you have to offer bloggers?