Category: PUB101

I have decided to incorporate another medium into my blog which is TikTok. I don’t know why I haven’t started with it earlier, honestly. Because TikTok is a place where I myself watch book-related content (booktok). It’s easy, it’s fast and you can find any source of info there. Not just your next read but something more detailed like a favourite chapter of a creator, possible novelas, or similar reads; new book drops are also being announced on Booktok. People engage in all sorts of ways there and I decided if I consume this content might as well create it. However, what I do is mostly edit fantasy and dystopian novels while on my website I have all sorts of genres. I believe that if people are looking for information on the website they are looking for more ‘serious’ suggestions, and a variety of them. Even when we take Instagram, mine is full of psychological, development, and historical books, while my TikTok FYP (for you page) compared to that seems more ‘childish’. I know algorithms do their job based on my research agenda, however, I do look for similar things on both platforms. So this was a very interesting finding of mine. 

So far I have been trying to post every day as I really want my content to hit as many Fyp pages as possible. The first video was a success, but the others however made me feel a little demotivated. I experiment a lot in order to find out what works best for me. For example, one time (I think it was Wednesday) I posted one video at around 10:50 am and another one at 11:05 am, the first one had only 5 likes and one hundred fewer views than the second one which had over 60 likes, and they are only 10-15 mins apart. By doing so I try to figure out the best time to post to keep myself consistent and to make people anticipate what will be happening. In terms of content though, aside from the edits that I had mentioned, I’m still figuring out what people might like more. The most favourite video on my page is the meme video so maybe people like humoristic edits more. I also noticed that readers (myself included) love it when their favourite characters from different universes get interconnected so I’m thinking about making some content based on that. Especially with the characters not only by one author but combining different ones. 

Let’s Help Your Inner Genius 🙂

Greetings to you fellow Avengers! Tony Stark here but you obviously already know who I am. I am the host of this post here with some life-changing hacks to master the art of reading without burning out. Just like how I optimize Stark tech, it’s time to optimize your reading experience. Let’s dive in:

1. Suit Up with the Right Environment:

You need the right reading environment just like Iron Man needs the right suit. Establish a focused environment where there are no outside distractions, just you and the universe of your choice.

2. J.A.R.V.I.S. – Time Management:

Let’s talk about time management, a skill even J.A.R.V.I.S. would appreciate. Dedicate a specific time for reading, but make it realistic. It’s not about how many hours you read, it’s about the quality of your focus. J.A.R.V.I.S. doesn’t waste time, and neither should you.

3. StarkSpectacles – Your Visual Savior:

StarkSpectacles aren’t just a remarkable styling piece, they’re a reading game changer. Protect your eyes from screen tiredness with blue light-blocking lenses. These smart glasses enhance your reading experience, ease eye pain, and sharpen your focus. Think of it as a visual upgrade for your genius mind.

4. Note-Taking System:

I don’t just build suits, I build systems. Develop your own note-taking system. You can colour-code your insights, use stickers, and put in a dash of Stark-style humor. Your notes should be an extension of your thoughts, accessible for later review and sharing with your peers.

5. Stark Industries Book Club:

Even geniuses need a team. Establish your (Stark Industries) Book Club – a gathering of minds hungry for knowledge. Engage in discussions, share recommendations, and let this energy of diverse perspectives spice up your reading journey. Remember, collaboration is the ultimate power move.

Reading is a journey, not a sprint. Stay genius, my friends, and happy reading! 

– Tony Stark, out. #GeniusReads #BillionaireGeniusPhilanthropist

In crafting my website I have been targeting a really broad audience. I believe anyone who is interested in books, reading, and is looking for helpful tips and recommendations are welcomed, despite their gender, age and nationality. Although I might say there’s no children book content of course). Because if we take a look at it I have covered romance books (The Notebook) which are appropriate for everyone 13+ and up, in case if people are not interested in romances I added detective and mystery ones. I’m also thinking about adding easy reads and once depending on the mood, like what do you read when you feel lost or when you feel like you are burning out what easy reads could I recommend.

However, I’m also adding a variety of genres depending on the ‘timing’, if I feel like it will be the best one to post I do it. Like my blog post about “Top 5 Fall Cozy reads” perfect for these months. They include romance, fantasy, horror and match with the season’s change. Next I’m planning on sharing mystery, detective, and thrillers for the spooky season, because of the Halloween. So everyone will find something interesting on my website. Then maybe I’ll add a post about Chirstams and Winter reads and so on. It’s like when people bump into my website it’ll likely match their mood and what their looking for at that particular time. Well of course you cannot be a 100% sure in these cases as people on a rainy day may actually want to read something spooky and not something warming and cozy, but despite that I believe my website is for everyone, and every fellow reader is able to find something for themselves here.

The diagram I thought of when I saw the question: “Where will the PUB101 content live?”

Pretty simple but the first thing that came to my mind.

I also received a feedback about drop downs so thanks to Alice (one of my peers) I understood how to create sub menus. During the first two weeks my header did not look like it looks now I either had too much content or too less, all because creating sub menus was a real headache (as I was trying to figure it out). But once I did it all went smoothly and I was able to create a clean layout of the website with all of the necessary tabs at the opening page.

And here is the instagram posts preview I thought of so far. These are not the pictures I will use these are just the possible content that might appear there. In terms of visual there will be other images and videos (reels). I’ll be using an ‘impreview’ app to monitor the profile grid and see if the color scheme is matching and control the aesthetics of the instagram account. I also use this app while posting for my personal account, so I’m confident with it this platform. I also created an account in TikTok but I’m still considering if I should start it or just stick with Instagram only.

@sfupublishing @learnpublishing #posiel

The in class activity with Venn diagrams helped me a lot with rethinking my website’s nature. As it took me quite a while to figure out what my blog will be about, I liked the exercise that made me work it through one more time and see what I might have missed. Which (spoiler alert) did not happen, turned out that I’m on the right path, but it might have as even after I already started creating content for my website I was still doubting the topic. I just had so much stuff to talk about I wanted to include it all. 

Alright now back to the point with the Venn diagram. Here again, it took me a good 5 (maybe more) minutes to actually start working on it. When I did though, I carefully analyzed the components of my project before creating the diagram itself, starting by writing down important elements related to my interests. By combining and organizing these components into separate circles, I was able to see where they overlapped and where they stood out.

I combined my hobbies to things that I like, and work. What I mean by that is reading for examples is something that I love but I consider it as a hobby, cooking as another one is also one of my hobbies but it’s more on the side of a passion, travelling on the other hand is more of a happiness, lifestyle that is a huge part of me but still I wouldn’t consider it for this course’s website. So depending on that I divided every activity of mine into the groups, interconnected them, and saw where they overlapped. This technique not only made the connections between various components clear, but it also gave me an organized foundation to use when I built my website.

When I was done I was pleased to find out that the books, reading, and creative writing is the sphere of expertise that I would generate a lot of quality content at. Because when I thought of it, cooking blog would be very much within my expertise but I usually forget to film or shoot, even photograph while I’m cooking so content creation would be a problem. Same as travelling, I have a bunch of vlogs form before but I would prefer to be in the moment while creating by blog posts, so this thing was also a no for me. Turned out that books and reading overall is the most suitable topic for me here, and going back to a fact that I wasn’t sure about the sphere of my website this exercise helped me a lot with these doubts.

Welcome to ‘SabiWrites’ your cozy corner of web net where books take a center stage and reading secrets are shared.

Being a naturally shy and introverted person, stepping out of my comfort zone has been a difficult thing for me to do, particularly as an international student in Canada. So luckily for our “Talking to a Stranger” activity I got a chance to have something to talk about for this week’s process post, thanks to an invitation to a friend’s book club. Even though the prospect of entering a room full of strangers made my introverted self a little nervous, the shared love for reading acted as a common ground, like a bridge that made my second thoughts  more manageable.

During our literary discussions, I found myself engaged in a conversation with a girl named Dahlia. The small talk we had about our favourite genres and authors at first quickly switched into a more personal realm. To my delight, beyond the books and reading, we discovered a shared passion for horse riding and cooking. As we exchanged stories about our experiences the conversation flowed effortlessly and I actually made a new friend out of this activity.

After this unexpected experience, I have learned that sometimes the most deep connections can emerge from seemingly ordinary circumstances. The book club, initially a source of my anxiety, became a source for a new friendship. The shared love for literature acted as a sort of  “entrance” to discovering shared interests beyond the pages of a book. It was a reminder for me that stepping out of a comfort zone, even in small doses, can lead to unexpectedly beautiful connections.