You may have noticed the new little picture on the right hand side of your screen… I was awarded the Blogger Recognition Award. Woohoo! A big thank you to Mary Winfield at Growing as They Grow for the nomination – check her out here.

This award is particularly cool because it’s awarded to bloggers by bloggers as a way to promote each other’s brands and specific areas of expertise. Each person who receives the award then passes it on to other blogs who they particularly like. But before we get to my nominees, a little about my blog…

The How and Why of TauriCox.Com

Publishing a book is just not as simple as people think. Beyond the researching, drafting and editing itself, there are so many steps that the average person doesn’t know about. Including myself when I started my publishing journey. And trying to answer the questions of “So when is your book going to be published? Where can I buy it? Why do you need an agent?” were getting tougher and tougher to explain in a quick conversation.

So I decided to start a blog. My dad bought this URL when I was a kid, and turns out I would actually need it! Yes, eventually it will be used as my author website. But for now, I am doing my best to share the journey with my family, friends, fans, and other writers.

My advice to fellow bloggers…

First, and I can’t stress this enough… Share other people’s articles at least as often as you share your own. Interact with your fellow bloggers! That’s one of the reasons I think this award is so cool. Anytime you come across a post or a blogger that you find interesting, share it! Your followers will love the extra information, you’ll get a little extra publicity when that blogger does the same for you, and you may even make a friend – like I’ve done with several on the list below.

The other big tip that I didn’t start until about six months into my blogging journey is PINTEREST. I didn’t see how it would help, but my stats have quadrupled since sharing my posts there. Find a few boards that you can join, make sure your branding is consistent and create your profile as a go-to location for your followers.

Last but not least, don’t put too much pressure on yourself and don’t compare yourself to others. There are some people out there who can easily crank out 2-3 posts per week. That doesn’t mean you need to do the same! If once a month is all you can/want to do, that’s okay!

And now for the nominees!

• The Lady in Read Meg’s blog is similar to mine: “a place for women who read, write and want to be read.” Chock full of writing tips, personal stories, author interviews and book recommendations. Highly recommend for you other authors out there!

 

• Fun Without Fodmaps If you don’t know me, I have the world’s most sensitive stomach. So when I started a new diet to address those problems, I had no idea where to start. Enter Emily! Now I have a list of delicious recipes – my favorite is her amazing and filling Cobb Salad.

 

• Tomes and Tequila The BEST book reviews from the coolest/most real woman on the internet – trust me, you won’t be able to get through a post without giggling, crying or hardcore relating to her life and reviews.

• Oh, She Blogs! Ignore all the tips I gave above – THIS girl has everything you need to know about starting, maintaining and promoting a successful blog, no matter the topic.

 

• Cait and Co. The cutest Southern fashion blogger and my sorority sister from back in the day. Forget high (weird) fashion that you would only ever seen at New York Fashion Week. Nope, this is everyday cute: simple, casual and easy to style with Caitlin’s tips!

 

• YA and Wine Otherwise known as my two favorite things! Especially when paired together and reviewed.

 

• Well-Storied The queen of writing bloggers. That’s really all I can say – just go read. And join us on Wednesday’s for #StorySocial chats!

 

• The Dani Austin Style tips, travel guides, and my favorite “Things I Wish a Sister Taught Me”… Dani’s blog is just a great reminder of what it means and how to make the most of your identity as a woman. Plus, she’s a fellow Austinite!

If you have been nominated, here’s what to do next:

• Thank the blogger who nominated you and leave a link to their blog.
• Write a post to show your award.
• Give a brief story of How/Why you started blogging.
• Give a few pieces of advice you would give to brand new bloggers.
• Select 5-10 other bloggers you want to give this award to.
• Contact each blogger letting them know you have nominated them giving the link to the post you have created.

I hope everyone enjoyed a little insight into my journey and will continue to pass on the blogging love!