A post on Blogging.

I started this blog around 10 months ago, yet I've just realised that I don't actually blog. I post cover reveals, release blitz, blog tours but I've only done one or two personal posts. So I'm going to start changing that and actually start blogging.

Today's post is all about how I started, how Mummy's Naughty Corner came about. Almost 3 years ago my mother-in-law got a kindle within days my sister-law got one too and so I wasn't left out my husband brought me one for xmas that year. I downloaded a few books and my reading picked up but your only talking about a book a month. Within time I found out about freebies and cheapies which helped to kickstart my obsession with reading. I'm now up to around 8-10 books a month. It was on face book that I found my first Indie author. She had just released her book and after talking for a few days I had my first arc. I was amazed at the woman's generosity and went on to read the book within hours to get a review up for her. After a few months I had interacted with several authors and was proud to call myself a reviewer.

Then I got a request which I couldn't turn down. I was asked to beta read a book. I couldn't believe that a simple stay at home mum like me could offer anything but was convinced to help. It was an experience that I loved. It was great to see a book go from the raw idea to the published finish article. A few weeks later I was asked to beta another book from a different author. It was just after finishing the second Beta read that I realised that I wanted to help these women and actually have somewhere to post about the books so I went from reviewer to Blog and Mummy's Naughty Corner was created.

Within weeks my blog was growing daily and this weekend I passed 3000 facebook likes. Over every social media site (twitter, goodreads, blog, facebook etc) I've got close to 4500 followers. Does that make me big or small, does that mean I've done it. I don't think so. I have made many friends along this journey and I have learnt loads. But I'm still learning. Blogging isn't as easy as I first thought it was. Several times I check my review list to see that it's longer then my arm. I'm constantly battling facebook over their terms and stuff. Although I have over 3000 likes some posts only reach about 7 people. I've seen many blogs come and go in just the 10 months I've been going, but fear not I'm going to hang in there and try to make this blog work. I have met so many authors from all walks of life with so many great reads. I know I can't possibly read ever book or help every single author but I'll do my best to help who I can.

My friends and family think that blogging is easy, well I'll gladly hand the blog over to them so they can find out the truth. Everyday I get around 40 blog related e-mails (that's without all the junk mail and personal e-mails) to go through and sort out. I have on average around 10 messages to the facebook page a day, that's not too many you say. It takes me about 2 hours a day to get both of them sorted out. Then you start scrolling face book and twitter. Have I missed anything, what's new with that author. Publishing all the posts on the website can take around an hour a day. Talking to several authors a day, coming up with ways to help them or even just having a friendly chat takes more time, and then here's the thing, you still have to find time to read. If you take even just a day off from blogging it all adds up. You have double the work to do and guess what.............it's all unpaid. I spend on average around 4 hours a day on the blog and that's without reading and yet I know my blog is far from the best but I'm working on it.

So comes the question, Why? Why waste all that time? Why stress myself out? No matter how much I moan and how much time I spend doing it I do actually love it. Finding all the hidden gems and making new friends. I'm stuck at home all day every day so why not. It's a hobby and one I love and will continue. It is a labour of love but these authors take a chance on me. They ask me to read their work and help to pimp out bloggers such as myself. It's a family and one I'm happy to be apart of.