In Novel Company by Me!
Genre: Creative Nonfiction | Personal Critique | Published: January 2025
I can’t believe we’re here! HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY TO MY BLOG!! My baby, ‘ In Novel Company’. What better way to celebrate than with my 100th post? I still don’t know how I managed that, but the timing feels like a wonderful coincidence. Over the past year, I’ve achieved so much through this blog. I’ve learnt, changed, and grown in ways I never expected, and somehow I’ve managed to stay consistent the whole way through.
So, to honour the occasion, here’s a review of In Novel Company (Year 1).
Synopsis
I started this blog on a whim in January 2025. People had been telling me for months to do something with my reading obsession, and I’d never really been pushed, until one day I thought, why the hell not?
In Novel Company was born after days of planning with my friends, throwing around name ideas and dreaming up what it could be. It was truly a team effort — we came up with the name, the logo, and the vibe, all of it.
The premise of the blog was always to talk about all things book-related, whether that meant reviews or wider discussion posts, the focus was the books I was reading and how I felt about reading in general. I officially kicked things off on the 27th, and from then on, something new was added or changed almost every week until it grew into the blog you see today.
Expectations Going In
I went into this with very few expectations. Outside of school and reading itself, I’d never really committed myself to anything like this before — especially something that, technically, meant I was now accountable to other people. I wasn’t sure what my consistency would look like: how often I’d post, or even what my content would eventually become. I just knew I wanted to write reviews and talk about books and reading.
I also knew that growing an audience would be the hardest part in the long run, but I didn’t want to focus on that at the beginning. Instead, I wanted to commit to creating good content on a consistent enough basis and see where it led.
At first, my motivation was simple: I’d started this, spent a reasonable amount of money on it, and now I had to see it through. I hoped that, as I went along, I’d become more creative, the ideas would flow more easily, and it would turn into something that was both enjoyable and challenging.
Early Chapters
‘Wow This is complicated’
I think I completely underestimated just how difficult creating a blog would be from a technical perspective alone. Building the website became the biggest labour of love — from setting up email lists to sorting domains and web hosting. There is so much involved. I must have watched close to a hundred videos about website creation, and it was still incredibly complicated.
I did almost everything myself in the beginning, with very little outsourced, and I was learning as I went. I really wish I had screenshots of how the blog looked on day one to compare it to now. It slowly started taking shape, but I’m a massive perfectionist, and I had a very specific vision in mind. Eventually, I realised that not everything can be done alone, so I outsourced and in February In Novel Company had a look and I was happy with it.
Barely a month later, I remember, I looked at the site one day, messaged my friend, and said, “This is ugly — I need to change it.” Shout out to Angelica on Etsy for her affordable website themes. It’s kept the same look since, but don’t be shocked if I switch it up again.
Content-wise, because everything else felt so hard at first, I stuck to what I knew. There were lots of romance recommendations, stories I’d already read and knew were popular, and posts that felt safe and familiar. My reviews were shorter and less in-depth — with the possible exception of the very first one — and there was quite a bit of repetition.
It wasn’t until the middle of the year that things began to flow more naturally, and I found clearer inspiration and direction in what I was creating.
Middle Chapters
By the middle of the year, I had redesigned the blog into a look I was genuinely happy with, committed to posting twice a week, and set myself a strict schedule: Tuesdays and Fridays at 10 am, without fail — even when I was on holiday.
By this point, I’d found a structure that worked for me and created a content calendar that allowed me to plan. I introduced recurring post formats, which made producing content feel far more manageable because not every post had to be a completely new idea. Let’s be honest — finding something fresh to write about all the time is a lot of work.
Features like Book vs Screen, TBR updates, and monthly round-ups made regular posting much easier. That said, I did struggle at times with posting just for the sake of it. Looking back, I’m not sure I loved everything I published during this period, or whether I was simply writing to keep up with the schedule.
Consistency vs Perfection
I think I struggled a lot with the pressure to post no matter what, even when I didn’t always love what I was sharing. Of course, not all posts are created equal, but some were definitely filler pieces — placeholders produced simply to keep the schedule going. That’s not to say there wasn’t care behind them, and I do think I maintained a certain standard, but there are posts I now look back on and think, that was fine… nothing special.
Deep down, I knew I wanted to write more hard-hitting, critical think pieces within the literary world, yet at times I found myself putting out fluff instead.
As the year went on, I began to have more ideas that felt genuinely thoughtful and intellectually challenging. I also realised that certain posts — especially my more reflective “novel thoughts” pieces — couldn’t be rushed. Some days, I can write whatever comes to mind, but many of the posts I truly want to create require far more research, time, and effort than I wasn’t always willing or able to give.
Because of that, I now have several posts sitting on the back burner, waiting until I can give them the care and diligence they deserve.
Final Chapters
Wow This is…Working?
Towards the end of the year, I finally found a rhythm that worked for me — but more importantly, I learnt and consistently reminded myself that this was my blog, and I could run it in a way that suited me. I began to put less pressure on myself and realised that even if a post went out at 8 pm instead of 10 am, it was still okay, as long as I was posting and happy with what I was posting.
I truly think the last four months of the blog, from September — my birthday month — onwards, were some of my favourites. Themed months made blogging feel so much easier, and the December wrap-up really showed me just how much I had achieved, not only with the blog, but with my reading goals in general.
Writing Style & Voice
The quality of my writing definitely improved, especially in my reviews. They became far more in-depth and critical as the year went on. Obviously, some books demand more than others, and not everything I read was an intense or emotionally heavy experience. However, I realised that many of the books I was reviewing were hard-hitting historical and social commentaries that did require that level of engagement from me. I had to read — and write — using my full mental capacity.
I also think my clarity of voice has strengthened. I feel as though I’ve settled into myself in terms of how I want to write: in a balanced, critical way, while still allowing my personality to shine through. I’ve learnt to let myself be biased when I want to be, without guilt, and to recognise that there isn’t always a need to over-explain what I love — or why I love it.
Standout Chapters
There are several posts I truly love. My Yellowface review was the first really critically astute piece I did, and it characterised a lot of my reviews going forward. It allowed me to put my social science cap on and explore really strong themes, especially those of human behaviour and responses, and I think that really came through in the final post.
My Onyx Storm review is another favourite. I find critique much easier to articulate than praise — pinpointing shortcomings comes more naturally (a generational hater, honestly). Personal grievances aside, I think I built a clear, well-structured argument that showcased the depth of how I consume books and my ability to break them down and analyse them.
My birthday month was also a highlight. It became a trip down memory lane and, unexpectedly, a very emotional one. My First Book Love post really showed me the impact reading has had on my life at every stage and how this is really more than just a fun hobby for me.
My favourite recurring features have definitely been my monthly round-ups. I genuinely look forward to writing those every time, looking back on what I have read and reminding myself about what I loved and hated.
One post I especially loved creating was “Can We Have Bad Taste in Books?” It was such a fun experience. I conducted research, gathered votes, and had so many conversations. There was so much thought behind it, and looking back, it’s exactly the kind of content I want to create more of. It made me proud of my ability to produce work that feels well thought out and well executed.
Weaknesses & Critiques
As I mentioned earlier, there was a period where I posted simply for the sake of it — and in many cases, it wasn’t my best work. Some of my recommendation posts became repetitive, which is why I’ve now set myself a rule: the same book can’t be discussed on the blog more than twice.
I think my ambition was both a blessing and a curse. I wanted consistency so badly that, at times, it came at the expense of the quality I knew I was capable of. Not because the posts were bad, but because they weren’t always what they could have been — they were simply what I could produce at the time.
Forcing myself to take breaks was honestly one of the best decisions I made. Stepping away to reset and rethink did me a lot of good. My first break was in August, after eight months of consistent blogging.
Looking back, there are some posts I would archive (I won’t) or approach differently.
Overall Verdict
I have loved creating ‘In Novel Company’. It is, without question, one of my favourite things I’ve ever done, and I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve built. truly believe it has delivered on its premise and become exactly what I hoped it would be: a space to talk, think, and discuss books of all kinds. I would recommend In Novel Company to any book lover. There is something for everyone, and as I continue to grow and explore, that will be reflected in what I create.
Would I Continue the Series?
Absolutely. I’m so excited for year two of In Novel Company. This feels like a crucial year — one that will help determine the long-term future of the blog.
The next “volume” will focus on refining my voice and being more intentional about the kinds of posts I create. Not much will change, but what does will be impactful. I also hope to grow my reach and audience. How? I’m not entirely sure yet — but I’m working on it. In the meantime, follow me on Fable and GoodReads!
To everyone who has stuck with me for a year — thank you. So many of you are my friends, and I love you all very much, every comment, repost and like does not go unnoticed. You are all the reasons I can do this.
Thank you so much for being here.
I hope you enjoyed this review. See you soon.
Signed,
5 stars easy ! And this is also coming from a generational hater 🤭