Interview with a Book Blogger | Cait Jacobs | Caitsbooks

Cait Jacobs

Q.1 Please introduce yourself - Where are you from? How long have you been blogging? What’s the name of your blog? What made you decide to start a book blog?
A. Hello! My name is Cait, and I’m from Long Island, NY. I’ve had my blog, Caitsbooks, for about a year and a half now, but I’ve been a huge fan of book blogging, and the book community as a whole for years before I started. I always wanted to be a more active part of the online book community, posting reviews to Goodreads, starting a bookstagram, and even trying booktube.

It was only after one of my Tumblr posts (talking about my favorite releases that year) started to get likes and comments that I actually thought book blogging could be a good path for me. I always loved bloggers, but I never thought people would be interested in what I wrote. I first started my book blog on Tumblr, and after I gained a bit of a following there, I finally felt brave enough to start my own blog on WordPress.

Q.2 What is your favorite genre and book?
A. I try to read almost all genres (except maybe mysteries and thrillers), but I think my favorite would have to be romance and YA fantasy. As for my favorite book- that’s tough. I usually say Harry Potter, but I think my favorite is really probably Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.

Q.3 What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you first started book blogging?
A. Just be yourself. You don’t need to fit the perfect mold of a book blogger or follow a specific formula for your posts to be good. Instead, talk about whatever you want to talk about, and don’t be afraid to show off your personality.

Q.4 What piece of advice you would like to give to other bloggers?
A. Book blogging is supposed to be fun. Write posts you want to write, review books you want to review, and discuss topics you’re dying to discuss. Never feel forced to do something. Also, don’t let yourself get too stressed about posts or drama. Remember, you’re doing this for yourself. We’re not getting paid to do this (well, I know I’m not), so if you’re not enjoying what you’re doing, it’s okay to take a break or switch things up!

Q.5 How many books are actually on your bookshelf/shelves right now?
A. In total, I think I have a little over 1,570 books at the moment. I’ve been collecting for about five years are so, but I’m planning to seriously reign in my book buying habits and maybe do a few unhauls this year to lower that number a bit.

Q.6 If you could be a character from a book for just one day, who would you be and why?
A. This is tough! I think I would want to be Hermione from Harry Potter because of magic, and I think I have more of a chance of surviving life in the wizarding world than anywhere else. I don’t think I would last even a minute in Ketterdam, Tranavia, Prythian, Arawiya, or Elfhame.

Q.7 Is blogging your profession or just a hobby? Does your family support you? What’s their take on this?
A. Blogging is pretty much just a hobby for me, but I’m in school to become a librarian and working as a clerk at a public library, so it’s a very, very useful hobby for my profession. My family supports it, but they definitely don’t take it as seriously as I do. They’ll be happy for me when I tell them about any ARCs I get or successful posts I have, but if they ever think I’m prioritizing blogging over anything else in my life, they aren’t so happy.

Q.8 What do you think is the best strategy for getting more visitors to a blog?
A. This is something I’m still trying to figure out. I think the best things to do are: promote your blog on all your social media accounts, write posts that are relevant to trending books or topics at the moment, and, above all, make your blog uniquely you, so people can’t get the exact same content anywhere else. If something is trending, everyone will be talking about it, so it's important to make your blog stand out among the rest and worth coming back to.

Q.9 What are the top 3 characteristics you look for in a good book?
A. My number one most important thing in a book is characters. I love flawed and complex characters and watching them develop. Other than characters, the writing and the plot are the next most important for me. I love when the writing style has a unique voice, whether it’s gorgeous and flowing or lighthearted and funny. For the plot, I really like it to be gripping. The best reading experiences for me are when I can’t make myself put the book down.

Q.10 What are your favorite Instagram/Bookstagram/Booktuber accounts?
A. I have to admit, I’m not that up to date on bookstagram (Instagram and I had a fight, but we’re making up). However, I’ve been reading a lot of blogs lately. I absolutely love @TheBookBratz, @AceofBens, @RecItRachel, and @Julie. They all are such amazing people, and I never miss any of their posts!!

A few words for our readers and Books Charming -
Thank you so much for this opportunity and to your readers - thanks for reading this!

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