Cue the cheers for Dudette Reads has grown up into Word Revel! I’m mighty excited about this because Dudette Reads was never meant to exist as long as it did. Dudette Reads was a placeholder to get me started. Say, it was an experimental platform of sorts while I figured things out. This means that the move to Word Revel was inevitable, and I’m really happy that the day has finally come.
What’s in a Name?
I think for many of us, our identities are very closely tied to our names. Nicknames we go by shape us on an even deeper level, as our affections are often embedded in them. To some degree, I would say the same is true of our blogs. The names we choose do affect the way we view them. Pride for our blogs starts with the name. If we’re ashamed of the name, we’ll in turn be less fond of our blogs. That is not to say I didn’t like Dudette Reads but it’s not a name that felt representative of me either. I chose it mostly because every other name that came to me last year had already been taken.
Now, why did I go ahead with Dudette Reads then? Well, if I didn’t take it, I knew I would never start. Sometimes things like that build a barrier that we can’t penetrate because we feel that something has to be perfect before we proceed. I’m consistently guilty of that, which is why I convinced myself to forge ahead anyway. Had I waited until I finally came up with Word Revel, then I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of blogging over the past year, so for that, it was worth taking on Dudette Reads.
When I had Word Revel written down on paper, I knew that was it. I finally have a name that resonates with me. It’s short, which makes it punchy and also easier to remember. It still captures the essence of a book blog, while allowing me to expand and blog about other things, should that fancy strike me in future. Besides, who can resist a name that rhymes with rebel? Hah. I kid. Or maybe not. I do like the sound of it.
Marking the Occasion
Since I’m in a very celebratory mood, I decided that I want to give away a copy of Red Ink by Julie Mayhew. Prior to blogging, I usually wrote reviews on Goodreads. But after reading Red Ink, I decided I wanted my own space to talk about books. That is how I ended up writing my very first review on the blog.
Red Ink helped me through a low point in my life because it allowed me to escaped into another life, while experiencing the catharsis of it all. Julie Mayhew crafted her characters beautifully, telling her story in a very relatable manner. Evidently, this book is very dear to me, so I would love for more people to read it.
Woohoo for new names! I like this one and yes, it’s similarity to rebel is a catch! ;)
Don’t mind me stalking your archive! I haven’t commented on any blog for ages so that’s my task right now! :D
First reviews are always a great start to our hobby! Mine is embarassing but to starting a blog! *raises glass*
Yay! Glad you like it :D Hahaha. I totally get it. I’ve quite a few archives to work through myself. I see a commenting spree on the horizon to make up for my lack of involvement over the past month. Lol.
No matter how embarrassing, it marked the beginning of something great, which is always reason to celebrate! *clinks glasses*
Congratulations on the change of not only name, but layout and design too. It’s all great! Finding a blog name that fits you and your content perfectly can be hard, and it can take time, but rewarding once it’s done.
I wish you nothing but all good things for Word Revel!
:-)
Thank you, Jade! You’re right! It’s so much tougher than I had anticipated. But it also makes it so much more satisfying now that I’m set on the name :)
this book sounds great
Thanks for the chance!
Congratulations Josephine! I like the name. Revel’s a pretty good word, and it suits book blogging. The layout’s pretty cute too, and you have so many social media accounts! It’s cool that you don’t need a sidebar at all. And if I had my way, I’d make you a nice pretty banner with spray paint type (revel-rebel blah blah) font in lettering because that’s something I would really love to do for you but I can’t. And I’m sad now, but the colors are really cool. Makes me think of bubblegum. And it’s so shiny too. :D
Thank you, Shannelle :) I’m glad you like it too! As for all those social media accounts, I’m mostly trying to figure out which ones I do like. I’m not so sure about Facebook. Can’t decide if the effort to maintain the page will be worth it in the long-run. I’m on Literally for now but I’m still waiting for it to become more user-friendly. I’m most active on Twitter. I like Tumblr & I’m truing to get into Instagram more. Heh.
And don’t be sad! We can keep your idea on the back burner for now. Who knows? Maybe sometime in future you’ll have honed your lettering skill and can actually make that spray paint Word Revel banner ;) I definitely like the thought!
Oh and yes on the sidebar! I am so relieved I found a way to get rid of it, without compromising the information people might be looking for on my blog. I like texts to be right smack in the centre of a screen when I read. Sidebars push the main content to the side, which I’m not exactly fond of.
Oohhh, I love the new name and layout! :) It’s so nice that it resonates with you more than your old blog name did. Congratulations! :D
Thank you, Ana! Yes! I love the new name and blog so so much! :D
The other name was cute, but this does sound a little more professional :D I love it! I like the background with the soft flower print. Congrats on the new name ^^
Hahaha. Cute was not what came to my mind in relation to Dudette Reads! Anyway, thank you, Mel :) Glad you love it too!
Nice!
Thank you! :)
EEEK! Happy new blog birthday! :D
I feel uber special that I knew about the wonderful name and design before the whole world got to witness the awesome!
I do say that I am a fan of both your blog names (I was fond of the cuteness of Dudette Reads), but Word Revel is awesome. Like you said, it’s punchy and to me, it has attitude (which is always a good thing ;D).
I’m kind of lucky with my blog name, because I already had the ‘delicate eternity’ part and all I had to figure out was a way to make it bookish. I know it’s kinda long, but it’s also unique and people do shorten it to just Delicate Eternity, which is awesome because like you + Word Revel, it’s not restrictive!
I adore my blog name, and I am so happy you’ve found one you love because it IS important to love everything about the blog to stay passionate about it!
Red Ink sounds fabulous and I have just added it to the TBR. If it got you through tough times, then it is worth the read, I say.
I cannot wait to see where your lovely blog goes in the next year and I am sure we will still be blogging buddies by then, as well ^.^
<3
Thank you, Chiara! :D
Hahaha. I’m glad you feel special ;) I did need someone other than myself to check if things were in order. So thank you for helping me with that, my dear :)
Cute? Lol. Cute wasn’t a term I associated with Dudette Reads but somehow it seems other agree with you on the cuteness factor. Now I’m even gladder that I switched. HAHA. Because cute ain’t my style yo! ;) Word Revel sound more like something I can swing with in the long haul since it’s a much more versatile name.
Ah, yes. Red Ink! Such a wonderful book yet oh so under the radar. Then again, maybe that also boosted its appeal to me. It’s a book that felt like mine. But I’m willing to share ;) Julie Mayhew also was the first author to interact with me on Twitter. Something I won’t forget either.
Here’s to the coming year! <3