Book Blogging Goals for 2012

My Book Blogging Goals for 2012

Okay, I've decided to make a few changes for the sanity of my own real life because there just has to be more balance in it. Like all book bloggers, I don't have much balance when it comes to reading and reviewing books. For me, it's time I do some things differently from last year because some things just aren't working for me anymore. 

So, here are a few goals I'd like to set and maintain for myself, as a book blogger, in the year 2012. 

1. Change my review policy: 

This means I plan on no longer accepting unsolicited reviews from authors and publicists. I feel really terrible about revoking this, but I cannot read these ARCs and review copies fast enough to do any of these people any good! I will finish the pile I have started, but I will not accept requests from any new people. If you are an old acquaintance I've already made, then please do contact me about your books! I will keep the connects alive that I've already made.

Beyond this, I still intend to request a few ARCs from NetGalley and read some things of interest from Galley Grab, but I will not be making ARCs/RCs a very big priority this year. I will support authors by purchasing their books, reading them, and spreading the word about them with my reviews. This includes indie authors, as well. 

2. Read the books I purchased last year (2011):

Okay, here's my form of blogger guilt. I spent A LOT of money on books last year, and didn't even read half of them. How did that even happen? I seriously do not know. But, I will be reading those books this year because I consider it a waste of money until those books are read. I don't like to waste money because I have so little of it. I'm grateful I was able to buy what I did, so I'm going to buckle-down and read those books!

3. Read some of the books I downloaded for free:

I don't feel quite the amount of guilt here, but I do feel like I download a free ebook to my Kindle, then just pretty much forget it's there. I really do try to download only what I truly want to read, but because it was neither a review copy I agreed to review, nor a book I actually paid money for, I have the tendency to put reading these books off until... never. That I want to stop doing. 

4. Create Review-Themed Months for My Blog:

I came up with an idea recently that might just make it possible to read some books I've not been able to make time for by creating entire months dedicated to certain types of books. I'd like a month where I only review self-published novels, one for all steampunk, another for all vampires, and etc. I'm actually planning on doing some themed months I won't even announce on this blog because who really wants to know about "All-ARCs Review Month," or "All-Book-Freebies Review Month?"  


I actually do plan on reading more books this year than I did last year, but that's only because, like I said earlier, I have so many books I haven't read that I've already purchased. They refuse to read themselves, so I have to do it myself. Otherwise, I'd probably read much less, since it's not a numbers game for me. 


If you are a book blogger, what are your book blogging goals for 2012?