Armchair BEA Wrap up

Last week was an action-packed week of Armchair BEA.  Since this was my first time participating, I wasn't sure what to expect.  There was a tremendous amount of information and blogs thrown into a small time frame - it got a bit overwhelming at times - but I learned a lot and had fun, so I'm sure I'll join again next year.  Here's what I learned this year:

1.  You can't do it all.  There were over 600 participants, most of whom posted at least twice during the week.  There is no way to visit/read every post, every day.  You need to have some sort of system - even if it's as simple as "visit every 12th blog"  - to manage the tsunami of info. Which leads up to:

2.  It would be helpful if the list of participants were "tagged" or grouped according to the main focus of their blog, e.g. YA, mysteries, books+, over 40, etc.  That would make it much easier to visit blogs that have a higher chance of interesting me, rather than just clicking randomly.  I and several other bloggers submitted this idea to the hosts and hopefully the'll come up with a way to implement it next year.  And along that same vein:

3.  I am blown away by the number of YA bloggers out there.  It's fantastic that reading is so popular among the under-30 crowd!  Though fantasy and dystopia are not normally my favorite things to read, I'm all for any trend that can get this many young people reading.  

4.  The Twitter Parties were a blast - hard to follow, dizzying, and confusing - but a blast.  This was the time for all types of bloggers to be together and share ideas.

5.  Prizes!  The organizers and sponsors of Armchair BEA put together an impressive list of prizes.  (I won on the last day - I'll share that when it arrives.)  Also, hundreds of bloggers sponsored their own give-aways.  I appreciate everyone's generosity, but got tired of filling out Rafflecoptor forms, so I didn't enter nearly all of them.  Each blogger is free to set up their blog give-away however they like, but some blogs had way too many hoops to jump through for my taste.  I don't care for forcing people to follow your blog, twitter, facebook, etc in order to get a chance at a prize.  I want readers who are here because they get to know me and enjoy what I write.

6.  I'm glad I wrote - or at least sketched out - my posts in advance.  Taking time to write during the week would have meant I missed even more blog entrants.  Thanks again to the hostesses for putting up the daily topics way in advance.

7.  Visiting all those blogs made me aware of the importance of blog design.  As each blog opened, I made a judgement within the first few seconds if this was a blog I wanted to explore further.  When I began blogging, I used a pre-fab background and color scheme.  They were pretty, but they weren't "me".  Eventually, I made my own theme.  I chose the vintage kitchen design because it conveys the mood I want - come into my home and let's discuss books and life over a cup of coffee.  I appreciated the blogs whose design made a definite statement about the content and mood.

If you have a book blog, or begin one within the next year, or if you just want some great info on the upcoming books and trends in publishing, follow along with Armchair BEA next year.

Armchair BEA - Day 5 - Experts

It's the final day of Armchair BEA.  Today's topic is Ask the Experts: Ask your burning questions of your fellow participants or share your own personal tips about blogging. I've been blogging for just over 2 1/2 years and I've developed my own system, so can't say I really have any burning questions.  Not sure I have any tips for a successful blog either, but since when does not having anything helpful to say stop me? 

First, define "successful"  If your definition involves fame, fortune and free stuff - I can't help you. Not that those are bad goals, they're just not mine. I blog to have a place to write, to have someone to talk to - about books and about life - and to make friends.  If I'm accomplishing those things, I consider my blogging a success.  If that's your goal then here are my tips:

1. Be yourself - don't try to sound like anyone but you. If, like me, your normal speech contains sarcasm and obscure references, include them in your blog.

2. Don't check your stats - they'll drive you nuts.

3. Write about what interests you - it will interest someone else, too.

4. Respond to every comment - the only way to make friends and start conversations.

5. Don't worry about posting every day - that will also drive you nuts. And your readers don't mind if you skip a day - less stuff in their reader.

6. Do what makes you happy. Just to pick a totally random example - if you like to create puzzles about books, tv and movies, do it.  If you had fun making them - that's enough. If you like memes - join memes.  If you want to post nothing but reviews of mystery books by female authors with an R in their name - go for it.  It's your blog - be happy!

Armchair BEA Day 4 - Beyond the Blog

Today's assignment at Armchair BEA is to "share your tips for getting beyond your blog".  This could include freelance writing, monetizing, etc.  I have no experience with those areas, but I do get "beyond" being a book blog by sharing about daily life, gardening, parenting, crafts or whatever else comes up.  Although this blog started out to be strictly about books, it has expanded and usually the posts about family life garner far more responses than the book reviews.  If you are a blogger, I encourage you to broaden your horizons and write about your life beyond books.  When I'm behind with my reader (when am I NOT behind?) I find myself reading the life posts and skimming past the book posts.

If you're new here and want to know more about our life beyond the books, here are a few posts that will give you an inside glimpse:

"Musical Vehicles" - Part 2 of our ongoing vehicle crises.

"I Know When I've Been Insulted" - Trying to parent college-aged offspring

"Hallelujah, Holy S**t, Where's the Tylenol" - Thanksgiving vacation catastrophe

"Give Me Park Avenue" - My experience with farm life . . . and snakes

"Muskrat Love" - Further exploits with wildlife on the farm

"Gabby's Post" - Goofy guest post by the dog we adopted from a rescue shelter

Armchair BEA Day 3 - Networking

Today's topic at Armchair BEA is Networking. Have you ever wondered how bloggers get so involved outside the nuts and bolts community of book blogging? Well, now's your chance to learn from the experts! From partnering with their local indie bookstores to coordinating events at their local libraries, we've got tips to share with you to help you become more involved with your local bookish community.  Visit the website to learn more.

I'm on the learning end of this topic.  I've been blogging for 2 1/2 years, but haven't gotten heavily involved in networking or partnering, so I'm anxious to learn more. My limited experience was while I was working at the library - I teamed up with a fellow blogger and another library to create Library Bingo.

The originial idea came from Jenners at LifeWithBooks.  She created the "Take-A-Chance Challenge".  With Jenners' permission, I adapted her idea to work as a reading program for library patrons.  We featured six categories:

1. Random library location - draw a shelf number and read a book found on that shelf.
2. Random word - draw a word from the hat and read a book with that word in the title.
3. Random author - all fiction authors available at the library were thrown in the hat - draw a name and read anything by that author.
4. Random year - draw a year and read any New York Times Bestseller from that year.
5. Judge a Book By It's Cover - select a book you are unfamiliar with based solely on the cover design.
6. Read a non-fiction book.

Patrons who completed all six challenges received a prize.  The challenge was such a hit that the next year I "borrowed" an idea from a library blog (again, with their permission), combined it with Jenners' idea and created Take-A-Chance Bingo. 

Each patron received a standard 5X5 bingo card containing 25 different book categories - romance, mystery, 2010 bestsellers, staff recommendations, Kansas authors, foreign setting, etc.  Reading five books, one from each category in a row, made a BINGO and earned a prize.  A blackout - reading all 25 categories - earned a larger prize plus immunity from library fines for 1 year.  The program was a huge success.  One high school English teacher used it in her classroom, several area libraries hi-jacked the idea for their own reading programs.  I even sent sample cards to libraries and bloggers outside our area because they read it about it on this blog.  And all because I read a book blog . . .

Armchair BEA Day 2 - Giveaway Day

GIVE-AWAY CLOSED

Winners:  Len @ Musings of a Reader Happy

Laura @ Bunny Tales

Lisa @ Books. Lists. Life.

It's "Give-Away Day" at Armchair BEA.  Visit the website to check out the prizes being doled out all day.  Keeping with the spirit, we're hosting our own giveaway.  Below are some new and some "gently read" books that are looking for a new home. Just leave a comment and you're entered!  3 winners will be selected by random number at 10:00 p.m. (Central).  Each winner will get to select 3 books of their choice - first drawn gets first pick.  Be sure you include an email address or Twitter name so we can contact you if you win. Sorry - this is U.S. only.

The Comforts of Home by Jodi Thomas

The Cat Who Talked Turkey by Lilian Jackson Braun - new

The Christmas Spirit by Joel Osteen - new

Wildflower Bride by Mary Connealy - new

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson

Lethal by Sandra Brown

The Unseen by Heather Graham

Son of Stone by Stuart Woods

Ranchero by Rick Gavin

Robert B. Parker's Killing the Blues by Michael Brandman

I'll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark

Folly Beach by Dorothea Benton Frank

One Summer by David Baldacci

* Best of 2012 - My apologies to those who came by looking for a "Best of" post.  My blog was listed in error in that section.  But since you're here anyway, you might as well sign up for the giveaway.

Armchair BEA - Opening Day

Book Expo America (BEA) will be held in New York City this week.  BookExpo is the largest annual book trade show in America - "Everything key influencers need to stay up-to-date with the newest titles, emerging authors and latest industry trends." (www.bookexpoamerica.com)  Armchair BEA was founded in 2010 by a group of bloggers who couldn't attend, but didn't want to miss out.  In just two years, the event has grown to include hundreds of blogs, Twitter parties, give-aways and sponsors - including the BEA itself.  For all the details, visit the website.  This is my first year joining in and I'm excited to meet more bloggers, learn about the publishing industry, and get the inside scoop on what's new.  For day one, participants are introducing themselves.  If you have the time and inclination, check out the ArmchairBEA site and visit more book blogs.

1.  Please tell us a little about yourself:  I'm Tami - book lover and ex-librarian - and I began blogging in October 2009.  At that point I was still working at the library, where one of my responsibilities was to purchase new materials, and I used book blogs as a resource to keep current on popular books.  I've always loved to write, so decided to try my hand at sharing  about the books I was reading.  Over time, the blog has evolved to contain more than books, but reading is still the primary focus. You can find out more about my husband, Dave, and I by clicking on the "about" tab at the top of the page.

2.  What are you currently reading?  What is your favorite book you have read so far in 2012?  I am always reading several books at once.  At the moment, I'm reading "Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake" by Anna Quindlen and "Brownies and Broomsticks" by Bailey Cates.  My favorite book so far this year would be "The Snow Child" by Eowyn Ivey

3.  What is your favorite feature on your blog? Although the blog is primarily about books, I find that posts about the random occurrences in our life get more responses.  My favorite feature I have created is "A Puzzling Post" - puzzles I create around books, tv, movies and music. 

4.  Which is your favorite post that you have written, that you want everyone to read?  There are so many I loved writing, and about such a wide variety of topics - some very personal and emotional - but, oddly, my favorite posts are not about books.  I'll let you choose. Here are three of my favorites, read whatever appeals to you:

"Panic, Mechanics and Knight School"  - a humorous look at our family.

"National Infertility Awareness Week" - our infertility story.

"While the Music Plays On" - My tribute to my mother-in-law and her battle with Alzheimer's

5.  What is your favorite part about the book blogging community?   My favorite part of the book blogging community is the people!  I have made some wonderful friends through blogging - and then connecting with those people on Twitter, and sharing events such as Read-a-thons.  My best friends are fellow bloggers.

Check back tomorrow for Day Two of Armchair BEA - Give-Aways!