Blogger Recognition Award

So I got nominated by another blogger, Oursamyatra for this 'blogger recognition award'. I don't usually get picked for things, so this is a big deal to me just because it makes me feel seen. So yay!
A big thank you to Oursamyatra for picking me; if you have an interest in traveling in India, you should check them out.

What is the Blogger Recognition Award?

The blogger recognition award is given to bloggers, by bloggers to show appreciation for the work and dedication they put into their blogs. Now y'all know I put in work on this blog...So it's nice when somebody says, "Hey, here's lookin' at you kid!"
It's also a great way to keep the love going so do make sure to click on all the links and visit all the blogs mentioned. I also want to take this time to say thank you to my constant readers. Kisses and hugs to all of you.

What is Oursamyatra and who are they?

Samyatra means journey together and this blog chronicles the travels of two Indian students, Debabrati and Aniruddha around Kolkata and the rest of India. They combine photos and descriptions to provide a window into their world. If India is on your list of places to visit, this is a good place to start doing your research.

The Story Behind The Writing-A-Book Diaries

I started this blog when I took my book back from a traditional publisher and decided that from then on, I was going to do my own publishing. Of course, I did research, and one of the most common recommendations was that you can't be an author of note without a blog. I had no idea what to blog about being a very bohemian sort of person and just wanting things to be what they would be. However, with time and learning, I have reached the point where I know what this blog is for and hopefully so do my readers? It's been a trip and hopefully, it's just beginning.

My Advice to New Bloggers

1. Be yourself: I've seen people on the facebook writers' groups asking questions like "should I post such and such a thing or will it make me seem..." Stop trying to be a persona, and just be a person. Not everyone's going to like you, but that's okay. You'll find your tribe.

2. Post on a regularly scheduled non-schedule schedule: Okay I just wanted to say that; it's a quote from Frank Devereux in Supernatural season 7. However, the point is, don't go long periods of time without posting. The more reliable you are as a poster, the faster you will grow your audience.

3. Share, share and then share some more: when I started writing this blog, I would like put whatever heading jumped at me (okay, I still mostly do that) and write my piece and that was it. Whatever will be will be, remember? However, if you want to find your tribe, you have to make it easy to find you. So write a blog heading which gives your reader a clue as to the subject, and share your post everywhere so that you increase your readership.

4. Find out who your audience is: You might think that you're writing to elderly ladies in Scandinavia when it turns out that it's young gay men in Czechia reading your blog. Use bit.ly and google analytics to find out who you're talking to.

My Nominations are:

These are some blogs that I think are worth taking a look at:

Lesley Awino: http://www.jagombaka.wordpress.com/

Jackie Wanjiku: http://www.jack2y.com/

Valentine Kizito: http://kizitovalentine.wordpress.com/

Eva Muturi: http://evamuturi.wordpress.com/

Gloria Mari: https://nairobipedestrian.wordpress.com/

The Kenyan Camper: https://thekenyancamper.com/

Toi Thomas: http://etoithomas.com/

Bethany Perry: https://bperrywrites.com/

Glynis Jolly: https://ascriptedmaze.wordpress.com/

Debdatta Dasgupta Sahay: http://www.ddsreviews.in/p/about-me_27.html

Rules for Accepting this Award

Take the time to thank the blogger who nominated you, write a bit about them and their blog. Also, provide a link to their blog.

• Write a post to show your award.

• Give a brief story how your blog started.

• Give pieces of advice to new bloggers.

• Select 10 to 15 other bloggers you want to give this award to.

• Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated them, provide the link to the post you created.