Last Month I Discovered...Postal Dispair

"Discovery" is my 2013 Word for the Year, 

so at the end of each month I look back to reflect on what I discovered.

In April I discovered... the Post Office did away with personal Delivery Confirmation tracking labels! When trading, most want a Delivery Confirmation number so they can track their book - and so they can feel more secure that there actually is a book on its way. Usually, one has to make a trip to the Post Office for this, but I was lucky enough to be able to use special lime green labels from work! Until we ran out. I tried to order more online, but there were only different, white labels - and they didn't seem to work when I used one (talk about a freak-out when I discovered this mid-shipment). Turned out they are only scanned when the package is physically delivered to the recipient - no tracking it along its path. I inquired at the Post Office as soon as possible about the lime green labels, and was informed they got rid of personal DC tracking - unless you physically come into the PO for it! So it looks like I'll be spending a lot more time in POs now... T-T

Further Things I Discovered Last Month:

• Reviewing Is About Trial and Error: I'm still learning the best way to review for me personally, along with what exactly I should be noting in my reviews. This month I especially learned I have to fill in my Characters section immediately, or risk having to read the book over again! Needless to say, I'm relying on my paper review forms more than ever now.
• My DNFs Come In Threes: Before I started reviewing, I would start and pass on many, many books at a time before finding one that was truly worth reading. Now that I review, I try not to DNF (Did Not Finish) a book unless it really would be a true torture to read. But while there have been some really good reads this year, there have also been some horrific ones as well. And I've discovered that when I have one bad apple, two more always follow. Talk about discouraging. T-T Thankfully this usually happens with good reads as well, so I end up with blocks of good and bad books. Right now I'm back on a good streak, with two books so far. Here's hoping for a record breaker!

So what did you discover last month?

Last Month I Discovered...Giveaways

"Discovery" is my 2013 Word for the Year, 

so at the end of each month I look back to reflect on what I discovered.

In March I discovered... giveaways rock.

Won in a February box giveaway from Bibliopunkk!
Luckiest win EVER.

Okay, so this isn't some big discovery - everyone loves winning things. But I somehow won quite a bit in March after the losing streak that has been my life, and when the above box of pretties arrived at my door I was every shade of happiness. So maybe what I really discovered was some happiness? Whatever it was, it made for a pretty good birthday month. :)

Further Things I Discovered Last Month:

• Draft reviews immediately, but also allow a few days of pondering time: I know, this goes against what I said last month, but I read somewhere that you should allow for a "percolating" time before finalizing a review - jot down your initial thoughts, but then step back a day or two and let your brain mull over the book as a whole. Writing the review immediately makes for a bit of an emotional mess as All the Happys and All the Sads collide in a mass of confusion. Allowing everything to settle and stepping back to look at how you felt objectively does make for a better review all around.
• I want to write: And I want to write Project P. While I'm still a little nauseous about the uncertainty it's currently bogged in, it's calling to be finished no matter what. So I will be hosting my Second Annual Book Fast in mid-April (read all about it here) to get myself back into the swing of it, and hopefully you will be hearing of it's First Draft completion very soon. (Knowing me, though, don't hold your breath. ;)
• Priorities are key: ...Yeah, I still haven't gotten to this one yet. Note to self: make it a priority to sort out my priorities.

So what did you discover last month?

Last Month I Discovered...Scheduling

"Discovery" is my 2013 Word for the Year, 

so at the end of each month I look back to reflect on what I discovered.

In February I discovered... the art of scheduling - especially posts. It has proven extremely helpful and wondrously freeing at times. But scheduling has its downsides too - it allows me to be lazy, and soon I find myself scrambling to catch up again (for example, I'm writing this post the day before it goes live). So while I'm still far from having a handle on it, I think I'm slowly but surely mastering the art.

Further Things I Discovered Last Month:

• Don't Just Draft Reviews Immediately - Finalize Them Too: I was very proud of myself for drafting my reviews immediately after reading the books. But once the initial draft was done, I thought I could finalize them at my leisure, be it days or weeks later. Not so. I have learned the hard way that what I think is a full draft can prove oh so sparse, and when I finally come back to finalize them I can find myself without a full review. So now I'm trying to make sure I have the final draft done within a week - or else.
• 2013 is My Luckier Year!: I've never been one to win much of anything, but this year I've actually won several giveaways! Although they weren't things I was dying to get, I have gotten some pretty darn good stuff none the less. Here's hoping the year continues to be good to me. 
• Priorities Are Key: And I need to make some. Unfortunately in February I was a flounder when it came to having any, so I will be tackling this issue head-on in March.

So what did you discover last month?

Last Month I Discovered... I Can't Do Everything (Unfortunately)

Last month was truly a matter of discovery for me. There are so many things I plan to do this year, and in January I ran myself into the ground trying to start all of them. Needless to say, I discovered that I can't actually do All the Things - but I can do most of them, if I schedule myself.

Unfortunately, scheduling myself is not something I'm good at, so it's going to take some practice. I have declared February my "discovering the art of scheduling" month, so bear with me until I get the hang of it.

Further Things I Discovered Last Month:

• Daily To-Do List: I hung a small whiteboard beside my door and at the end of every day I note the following day's must-dos on it to check off. This has proved very helpful - I used to wander about the house, knowing I needed to do something but with no idea what. Now I always have something to do - and more importantly, something that needs doing that day!
• Book Review? Write it IMMEDIATELY: The past two books I've read, I wrote the review immediately after finishing the book. I usually struggle with reviews, but when I use this method I breeze through the First Draft in under a half-hour. If you review, I highly recommend this method.
• Editing Takes HARD WORK: And a LOT of drafts. But in the end, it's worth it. I hope.

So what did you discover last month?