And Now a Word from Sophie

Remember the interview I did over at Mrs. Magoo's site? Well it was an interview for a interview so here is the Q&A I did with Miss Sophie, aka Mrs. Magoo! Enjoy!

Why the name Mrs. Magoo?

It comes from the cartoon character Mr. Magoo, who has horrible eyesight.

What made you want to start a book blog?

I was hearing more and more about the blogosphere in general, and I thought it would be cool to start a blog. I decided to write about something I love: books. Little did I know such a community existed and would continue to grow! I was absolutely thrilled when I found out about it, of course, and I am so glad I started a book blog.

You're a pretty big name in the YA book blog community. What advice would you give to novice book bloggers like myself?

Hey, thanks! That just made my day! =) As for the question, be friendly and interact with other bloggers. This is something I myself need to do more. Relationships with other book bloggers are extremely important, especially if you want to become a well-known blogger quickly.

Everyone makes mistakes. What mistakes (or trials and errors) have you made with your site?

As I said, when I started blogging, I didn't know that this wonderful community existed. As a result, I wasted six precious months doing absolutely nothing to promote my blog, and in that time I had, what? Two readers? Once I started talking to other bloggers and doing link exchanges, traffic went up astronomically. My other mistake is something I still do to this day: I don't comment on other blogs enough. Every blogger wants comments, and if you comment on somebody else's blog they will most likely reciprocate. Unfortunately I rarely comment and that is something I definitely need to work on. So if anybody out there has a great system that works for them, please let me know!

Who do you look up to in the book blogging world?

Kristi from The Story Siren, Steph from Reviewer X, and Chelsea from The Page Flipper.

What don't you like to see in book bloggers?

Humongous egos. True, you're blogging to put out your opinion, but I don't want to hear what authors can or cannot write about, or what others can or cannot think. State your opinion, but say it in a tolerant way. I also can't stand it when I receive poorly spelled, one sentence emails basically saying "hi i just started a blog at XXXXX please link to it". Asking for a link exchange is 100% okay with me, but at least write a professional email!

What's your favorite book that you've reviewed?

Well, I can't just pick one! I loved Twilight, Uglies, Madapple, Willow, and many more...

Who's your favorite author that you've either met or interviewed?

Uh-oh... I think I'm going to have to back out of this one... Wouldn't want hurt feelings ;D

What do you like most about book blogging?

The fact that people read, care about, and value my opinion! I love it when I get a comment from somebody saying that they're going to check out a book, just because I recommended it!!

What do you like the least?

There's been a bit of negativity going around, what with ARC requesting and such, and I really don't like it. I'd rather just keep this blogging positive and encouraging for EVERYBODY!

Any other pearls of wisdom?

Be nice, be patient, and be intelligent, and you're all set!