Book Blogger Problems: The Dreaded Information Search

If you’ve been following my blog for more than a minute, you’ve seen that I like to include a photo and short biography of the author(s) along with my reviews. I also include purchase links, as well as links to the publisher’s and author’s websites. It wasn’t my idea, of course—numerous others in the bookblogging community were doing it long before I did—it seemed like a nice little extra to include with my reviews, so I started doing it, too. Once I’ve got a review ready for posting, I have to admit it pleases me a great deal to see all those extras added to the bottom of the page. It gives it a nice finished look, and I still can’t believe it took me so long to start doing it.

But there are some nights that I find myself wishing I hadn’t started doing it, because finding a needle in a haystack might be easier than finding the information I need.

Goodreads is my go-to destination for quick access to author information. I’m ALWAYS on Goodreads for one reason or another, so it just makes sense to check here first. Awesome authors will have a Goodreads author profile that includes a photo, short bio, and a link to their website. (Bonus points for authors who are SO awesome, they also remember to include a link to their Twitter profile or Facebook page!) I’m pretty fortunate in that most of the authors I’ve read are awesome enough to have a nicely filled out profile on Goodreads. But every now and then, I’ll come across an author profile that is a vast wasteland in comparison. Oh, the horror!

I was putting together the skeleton of a review post tonight, and ran into such a profile. I googled until my fingers were ready to fall off, but I finally lucked out and found everything I needed. Good thing, too… I was starting to think my google-fu was weak. Ha!

Seriously, though. It got me thinking about how difficult it can sometimes be to find all this stuff, and how frustrating it can be at times. There are times I’ve spent more time trying to find something I need for the review than I spent writing the actual review… and I spend a lot of time writing my reviews.

Many of us use Netgalley as our source for ARCs. The publisher pages always include links to their website and social media pages. For example, the Berkley Publishing Group page includes information about themselves (a publisher bio, if you will) and several relevant links (see photo, left).

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if they did the same sort of thing on the individual book pages? All the author’s information that (most) bookbloggers like to include with their reviews in one handy-dandy place. I’d think I died and went to bookblogger heaven if such a thing were to happen!

Yeah. I know there’s probably ZERO chance of that happening, but a girl can dream, right?!

Ah, well. It’s frustrating at times, but if I had to go through it with every book review I write? I’d still do it, no question… I love being a bookblogger too much to give it up over something so trivial!

That wraps up this edition of Bookblogger Problems. I’ll be coming back with more as soon as I think of something else to moan and groan write about on this topic!