1). Be prepared. I signed up the day before the read-a-thon and that wasn't the best idea. I didn't have time to form any kind of plan. I think giving yourself time to shop, do housework and run errands in the days before the read-a-thon is best. That way you're not trying to do all of it last minute or on the day of.
2). Take a midday nap. This will help you get through the long night. I took a very short nap and it didn't really help me out any. I've heard some readers take a nap for an hour or two and that seems pretty smart. If you crash out by 2 A.M., like me then you lose 5 hours of reading time when you could have saved yourself 3-4 of those by sleeping some earlier in the day.
3). Get some audio book and get yourself movin. I wish I'd thought of getting audio books for the read-a-thon. Lots of readers seemed to be listening to books while doing other things. It also got people moving which after sitting and reading for a long time is a great idea. Go for a walk, exercise, take your pets outside all while enjoying a book and moving those muscles.
4). Quick, spaced out updates are the way to go. Updating every hour can feel like a chore. It's best to go with quick, spaced out updates to keep you engaged in your book and not take away from your reading time. This is what I did and it really worked for me.
5). You don't have to do it all. You don't have to participate in ever mini-challenge or every hour of the read-a-thon. Do what feels right for you. After all its suppose to be fun so don't stress.
6). Short, non-review books work best, but you should read what you want. I found reading short, non-review books worked best for me. I felt like I was getting more read and it helped to know I wouldn't have to write a review for any of the books unless I wanted to. Its all about you and your reading habits though, so read what's going to engage you.
I'm sure I took away more then these 6 lessons but these are the ones that stick out. I blame my sleep deprivation, LOL. I had a really great time with mine even though I didn't get as much reading done as I wanted. Still it was fun and that's what counts, right?
Before the read-a-thon started I got some great advice from seasoned read-a-thoners. I hope what I learned will help the next reader who chooses to participate in one.
Your totally right. I did the first marathon. When I did this one, I picked out my books in advance, and I included a variety such as YA, short fiction, short stories, etc. I only had one novel to finish as my overall goal which I had been reading already.
ReplyDeleteI also did chores in the days before the challenge. I left some chores as activities for breaks. I look forward to October.
I second your first point. I signed up the day itself too, and I got a lot of real life things getting in the way of reading.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you still enjoyed the readathon though (:
Celine ~ Nyx Book Reviews