My Reading/Blogging Goals for 2017

Since 2017 will be my first full year blogging I figured that it would be fun to set some goals for myself for a few reasons. First, because I want to look at this a year from now and see how I did. I’m not one to set personal resolutions because they always fail, then I feel guilty, so I gave up years ago. But I feel like I need a little accountability as a book blogger, so why not? Secondly, I want to be able to reference this throughout the year and kind of check on myself so to speak. Finally, I knew next to nothing about book blogging when I started last summer and now that I’ve learned a few things, I am a tiny bit wiser. 

Tackle my review requests

This is one that I feel the most guilty about, I have quite a few requests from indie authors that I’ve fallen behind on. I took on way too many and I’ve closed myself to any additional requests until I catch up on them. If you’re an author that’s waiting on me still and you’re reading this, my apologies. I promise I will get to your requests as soon as I can. January is crazy and jam packed, but after that my schedule is a bit more open so please just be patient, I haven’t forgotten about anyone! 

Highlight more indie authors

I love reading plenty of books from powerhouse authors and I always will, but I want to make more of an effort to support indie authors as well. Even if that means simply featuring them as part of my Saturday Shoutout series, that’s alright with me. 

Netgalley 

I think almost every single book blogger can agree with this, but I’ve got to get my Netgalley shelf under control. It’s shameful, but I’m not requesting anything new until I make a huge dent in my TBR there. Except if it’s something from Bookouture because I have no willpower and I’m auto approved. 😂🙈

Personal TBR 

I want to read at least one book every month from my personal TBR, not just because it needs to be reviewed ASAP. I want a no pressure read, I did start this whole thing for fun after all. 

Piggy bank

I’ve seen many other people starting this all over social media and I want to try it as well. All you do is drop a dollar in a jar or bank every time you finish a book. Easy peasy, right? Had I done this last year I would’ve had an extra 271 dollars!!

Discussion posts

I have tons of what I think, are great ideas for discussion posts but I never actually take the time to post them. Between actually reading the books, then reviewing them, I always brush it off. I’m going to shoot for one discussion post per month. 

Goodreads Challenge 

I exceeded my goal of 200 this year so I set the bar high and went with 300 for 2017. Overly ambitious? Absolutely, but I work best under pressure. Besides, on the Third of the year I have three books done so I’m on track!

Don’t be scared to DNF 

I have a serious fear of missing out so normally I force myself to finish a book even if I hate it. Last year I only stopped reading one. This year? I’ve already stopped one 😂 There are just way too many amazing books that I’m dying to read to waste my time on one that’s not working for me.

Say No

I need to say no more instead of being a yes man. Or woman. But I always volunteer for blog tours and say yes to review requests even if I’m not sure, that stops now. It’s all too overwhelming, and again this is for fun. It’s not my job, I do it for free and I don’t have to read anything, the world will keep on spinning just fine if I say no.

TBC Challenge 

TBC is a Facebook group made up of readers, bloggers and authors. It’s amazing and they have a challenge that I’m really excited about. There are prompts for how to choose each book, but I won’t bore you with those, just the 20 books I picked to complete the challenge. Some have been in my TBR forever, some I just discovered, but I’m really excited to read them all! (Let me know if I should read any of these sooner rather than later) 

The Sisters by Claire Douglas

My Husband’s Son by Deborah O’Connor

Follow You Home by Mark Edwards 

Taunting the Dead by Mel Sherratt 

Bloq by Alan Jones 

The Guillotine Choice by Michael Malone

Her Husband’s Lover by Julia Crouch

Between You and Me by Lisa Hall

Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton

The Third Wife by Lisa Jewell

See How They Run by Tom Bale

Dear Amy by Helen Callaghan 

Dying for Christmas by Tammy Cohen

Flowers for the Dead by Barbara Copperthwaite

The Curvy Girls Club by Michele Gorman

Alchemy by Chris James

Before I Let You In by Jenny Blackhurst

Burying the Honeysuckle Girls by Emily Drake Carpenter 

Tell Me a Lie by CJ Carver 

Did you set goals for yourself this year? Do we have any in common? 

55 thoughts on “My Reading/Blogging Goals for 2017”

  2. theblondelikesbooks says:
    Reply

    I love these! I actually hadn’t seen the Piggy Bank challenge yet, and I think I’m going to do it! I love that idea! I just started blogging in the fall, so naturally I joined Netgalley, but I was so good and kept my requests under control and spaced out by release date, so my shelf isn’t looking too bad! That said, my goal for this year is to make it onto an auto-approved list! Fingers crossed for Bookouture! Ha!

    Liked by 2 people

    • novelgossip says:
      Reply

      Good job not getting out of control like me haha! I figured I wouldn’t get approved right away then all of the sudden they kept rolling in and I was like, whoops! I think the money challenge will be fun, I need to find a jar or something today I already need to put three bucks in!

      Liked by 2 people

      • theblondelikesbooks says:

        Yeah! I only owe a dollar so far. It works well because I already have a giant jar that we use to collect change. We also try and put any $5 bills we get into it, too, which makes it add up pretty quickly!

        But yeah, I’d heard other people had done that too, so I was like, okay, request less than 10 books that don’t all have release dates in the same month, and see how it goes and get a feel for how often you’ll be approved! I got approved for all 10, so I was like, OKAY good job. Hahah! Thankfully that worked out well for me!

        Liked by 2 people

  4. ahouseofbooks says:
    Reply

    I can relate to so many of these! I too stopped accepting review copies last year … but kept requesting ARCs on NetGalley 🙄
    I love the piggy bank idea. I’m trying to get my daughter to read more so might get her involved too.
    Thanks for such a great post!

    Liked by 2 people

  7. Zoe says:
    Reply

    Love this post Amy! It could have been my own.

    NetGalley really is dangerous and I would love to read one of the books in the many piles I have around my house just for fun and not feel the pressure to review it on a certain date!

    Will look forward to your updates to see how you’re faring 😊

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Sherrey Meyer says:
    Reply

    Great goals! So great I may print out your post to keep myself accountable. I got miserably behind on reviews last year because of an injury suffered in a fall in January. I’ve been working toward recovery ever since. The problem has been focusing on getting the reviews written. Unrelenting pain and pain meds keep the brain otherwise engaged! So 2017 is going to be a better for my book blog as well as my writing blog. Thanks for triggering lots of good thoughts.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Jen Lucas says:
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    Ha. These sound so familiar, especially accepting too many review requests and going nuts on NetGalley – that and the Bookouture auto-approval They’re sneaky they are. Mine is to make more time to read books from my personal TBR shelf. Lorn know I have hundreds I just won’t touch otherwise.

    Great goals

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Jill's Book Cafe says:
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    I agree with your sentiments and have similar goals. NetGalley is a killer. I’m auto-approved with 5 publishers including Bookouture. I’ve stopped looking and only request if I see something someone else posts that I must have. Good luck and happy reading.

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Renee says:
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    Those seem like really good goals! That will be a tremendous achievement to read 300 books…wowza! I still have a goal to get on Facebook to join TBC and keep my Netgalley down. I’ll also continue saying no to review requests if the sample writing I read isn’t something it seems I would enjoy. I thought about doing a discussion post as well, I think that would be fun to generate some different book related discussions:)

    Liked by 1 person

  15. knovelcafe says:
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    Great goals, Amy! I love the idea of the piggy bank…I’ve never heard of it and I love it. I’m going to have to do it. I tried to find TBC on fb, but then read that you have to message Charlie Fenton to join. I did that, but haven’t received a response. 😔 It sounds like a great group!

    Good luck on your goals! Oh and the 300 book?!?! Omg! I’ll be lucky if I achieve my 100!! 😂

    Liked by 1 person

  18. Annie says:
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    Piggy bank challenge is amazing! You read so many books, I’m so jealous! You know, when my friends tell me: how can you read so much? I always say: there’s a blogger friend who read more than 200! haha

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Donna says:
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    Great goals! 🙂 I do feel I should give more space to indie authors too. And I’m almost done with my NG shelves… until Bookouture strikes again, haha! I love discussion posts but I think I’m not too good about them so despite my will to have more on the blog, I already know there won’t be a lot from me, so I’m looking forward to yours!

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Amanda @Cover2CoverMom says:
    Reply

    I LOVE all your goals Amy!! I especially loved the piggy bank idea! Of course when the year is over you take that money and buy books with it right?!?! #NoShame I really hope you do decided to write some of those discussion posts! I struggle in that department as well. It isn’t for lack of ideas, but just actually getting them written and being too critical of myself.

    Can I just say HOLY CRAP that you read 271 books last year? I am so impressed with all that you get accomplished. You are definitely one of the bloggers that inspire me because you get shit done lol

    Can’t wait to see what you have in store for us in 2017 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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