Bloggers helping bloggers

So, all you have to do is take a look around and you'll realize I don't know very much about setting up a  blog. I mean, come on, I use a standard blogger template/background and I don't even have a header. Seriously, I spent the better part of a whole day trying to turn the creepy canal picture from the back of the VENOM ARC into a header but it just wasn't happening, guys. My blog, like my life, seems destined to remain pretty minimalist for awhile.

But a couple of months ago I asked some of my twitter friends who blog for tips. What did they think about when they set up their blogs? How exactly did they go about making their blogs so pretty and getting all of those followers? How did they score so many free ARCs for review?

Their answers were so smart and helpful, that I decided to share them as part of a blog series designed to help new bloggers--including me!--get started. (Note: not that I need more ARCs to read, OMG, but followers would be nice.)

All throughout August, I'll be posting guest posts by bloggers for bloggers. So if you want to know how to set up a blog and get publishing PR departments to shower you with the hottest galleys, come back on August 2nd for the first post. And if you happen to be an experienced blogger, come share your own tips in the comments. I'm a big believer that everyone has something to learn from everyone else (and that, you know, I just have a lot to learn in general.)