tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410373290265879019.post7466172249545277965..comments2024-03-28T06:05:17.085-04:00Comments on THE READING APE: Thoughts on the 2011 Book Blogger Conventionthe Apehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14060965283007759623noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410373290265879019.post-28424299047962284462011-06-06T18:08:25.504-04:002011-06-06T18:08:25.504-04:00Re: #8 - I use WordPress rather than Blogspot beca...Re: #8 - I use WordPress rather than Blogspot because it provides so much support for many of the tools that you mention. Not promoting WP- just saying. I started w/ Blogspot long ago, but felt I needed more support. WP has worked well for me.<br />Thanks for the post about BBC - being here on the Left Coast, it's tough to get there, so I can live vicariously through your experience.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410373290265879019.post-28039321357048078212011-06-02T10:01:10.670-04:002011-06-02T10:01:10.670-04:00I'm with you on #1 -- there's such a varie...I'm with you on #1 -- there's such a variety of people who write about books, it's hard to describe as just "book blogger." I also think it's now hard to talk about the "book blogging community" since it's now so expansive. Maybe you never really could, that's hard to say. <br /><br />I'd like to see a panel next year on monetization -- how you do it, if it's worth it, and thinking about whether it fits into the goals of you blog. It seems like there are a lot of semi-professional places for book bloggers to do reviews too; it'd be nice to talk about that a bit.Kim (Sophisticated Dorkiness)http://sophisticateddorkiness.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410373290265879019.post-73413369360943813182011-06-01T19:25:24.454-04:002011-06-01T19:25:24.454-04:00Those are some useful observations. I went in 2010...Those are some useful observations. I went in 2010 and was a bit eh about it, didn't sign up this year, and had the distinct thought that maybe by the third year it might really kick some butt. And I think #1 is a big old root issue. There is no one Book Blogger Community -- there are a lot of microcommunities, and I don't think a certain amount of fragmentation is bad at all. <br /><br />I remember having a discussion at the 2010 event that really drove that point home for me: I was talking at lunch to a woman who was complaining about a publicist being too aggressive for her liking, querying her about her review schedule etc., and I suggested that the publicist was just treating her like a professional. And she said, "But I don't want to be treated like that. I'm not a professional. I just do this because I really enjoy it." Which was... good to hear. I forget. I tend to "hang out" with bloggers who are like me, and it's good to remember just how diverse the various communities are. That said, there needs to be some way of addressing the whole range of them. Maybe breaking off into smaller splinter groups within topics? That could get unwieldy, I guess, but it could also be really effective.Lisa Peethttp://www.likefire.org/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410373290265879019.post-60155302711748195562011-06-01T06:32:13.888-04:002011-06-01T06:32:13.888-04:00I am a particular fan of JGBTFB. Once it is a lit...I am a particular fan of JGBTFB. Once it is a little older, you can even JGB(orrow)TFB.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410373290265879019.post-71954247311985394172011-05-31T21:14:25.824-04:002011-05-31T21:14:25.824-04:00@Florinda, I'm mostly a "mommy" blog...@Florinda, I'm mostly a "mommy" blogger and we talk a lot about monetization. I understand that blogging is a hobby for many people and they plan to keep it that way. I do think there are plenty of us who are interested in earning an income from blogging. It takes a lot of time and love to do what we do.<br /><br />@theApe I'm glad it wasn't just me. As primarily a mommy blogger we talk about this a lot. I think if the dialogue was opened we could talk about best practices, etc as well.Thien-Kim aka Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00944429273741512796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410373290265879019.post-62761289718471490952011-05-31T19:18:39.730-04:002011-05-31T19:18:39.730-04:00Amateur Reader-
It is as much a format problem as ...Amateur Reader-<br />It is as much a format problem as it is an ethical one. How do you go about talking about the writing about book blogs without singling people out? That doesn't seem fair. Maybe go the opposite way: highlight exceptional writing on book blogs. <br /><br />Pussreboots-<br />That sounds wildly sane to me.<br /><br />Amy-<br />Damn, sorry to have missed you. I didn't do a very good job of putting faces with online names and introducing myself. A definite goal for next year. I do wonder if the ARC acquisition process leads people to read things they don't really want to read, or at least not as much as things you have to buy for yourself.<br /><br />Kim-<br />I don't even think there were hushed tones; more like deafening silence. For example, the gray areas of book blogging panel featured several people who do this for a living, or a related think. Sarah Wendell, the keynote speaker, went from amateur to author. Seems like something people would be pretty interested in hearing more about.<br /><br />Man of la Book-<br />I do think some more careful curation of what people ask for would help, but I guess what I am thinking about now is that the moment you ask for an ARC, something shifts in your attitude toward your blogging. I don't know if it's good or bad, just different. <br /><br />Florinda-<br />That's very interesting to hear, though it makes a lot of sense. The structural difference between the hobbyist and the pro is real. When the line between them is so blurry with book blogs, it makes it that much more difficult to have a conversation about "ethics" and "professionalism."<br /><br />Christine-<br />I don't know why the questions were so weirdly self-interested, except that these are people (of which I am one), spend most of their blog-related time just thinking about their own blog in a very specific way. So when it comes time to ask questions about blogging, the only mode of entry they have into that discussion is to talk about some gripe. A waste in this kind of setting.<br /><br />Teresa-<br />Spot on. Maybe the way to have the conversation then is to talk in detail about specific practices rather than groups. Probably this would require more, but smaller, sessions for something like the book blogger convention (I would welcome this)<br /><br />And that sounds like a healthy development. I agree that much of the de facto contract is in the minds of the blogger, especially those seeking to cultivate relationships with publishers, but there was some suggestion of what one should and shouldn't do (what a review is, what one should do with that review, what one should do with an ARC if you don't want it, etc).the Apehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14060965283007759623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410373290265879019.post-26945260324623525342011-05-31T18:30:14.538-04:002011-05-31T18:30:14.538-04:00Good observations. Totally agree with you on #1 an...Good observations. Totally agree with you on #1 and #2. I'm becoming increasingly frustrated with statements about what "most book bloggers" do. The book blogging world is far too large and diverse for such statements to be accurate. "Most bloggers I know" would be better. And that holds true even within the genre communities. I doubt anyone can say anymore that they know what most bloggers do.<br /><br />Regarding ARCs. I actually came away from BBC with a much more laid back attitude than I had before. I accept few ARCs and mostly use Netgalley these days, but I still feel a sense of obligation about them in a timely manner. But what after listening to the panels--especially the grey areas one--I'm letting that go. I think a lot of the "de facto" contract you mention is in the minds of bloggers. And if there is such a contract in pubs' minds, what are the consequences of breaking it? No more free books? Fine. I'll JGBTFB (or JG check TFB out of the library).Teresahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09896331683344872038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410373290265879019.post-75964071681928046582011-05-31T17:33:13.149-04:002011-05-31T17:33:13.149-04:00I was also shocked at the specificity and arroganc...I was also shocked at the specificity and arrogance of some of the questions that were asked of the publishers. Furthermore, I found it extremely bizarre that the second hour, with the "independent" publishers, seemed to elicit disdain and flippancy from the crowd. I don't know if it's representative of most book bloggers, but indeed, some of those questions could not have been more close-minded.Christinehttp://www.thewritechristine.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410373290265879019.post-63559247427482356202011-05-31T16:20:16.739-04:002011-05-31T16:20:16.739-04:00Great insights. It's interesting; some of the ...Great insights. It's interesting; some of the points you're bringing up about book bloggers are the same things that other blogging sectors have confronted as they grow. I've lurked on the fringes of the mom-blog sphere for awhile, and the debates over monetization and attracting the attention of "brands" (publishers and authors, in our case) are STILL going on over there.<br /><br />And yes, books aren't everything - it IS about the people.Florindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09789402061034734894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410373290265879019.post-82931088720023964642011-05-31T11:35:45.931-04:002011-05-31T11:35:45.931-04:00Great post as usual - I loved all your BEA posts.
...Great post as usual - I loved all your BEA posts.<br /><br />ARC obsession - the problem is that most book bloggers will take an ARC they can have. A professional courtesy by book bloggers should be not to accept an ARC unless you are interested in reading it in the first place. Someone recently asked me about this subject, what if I get a free book and don't like it? I said that it rarely happens because I read the books I want to read not the books which are given to me.<br /><br />Social Media Fatigue - best advice I got about social media was from the Sunday evening Twitter #blogchat, only do 2-3 sites and monitor only those<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ManOfLaBook.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.ManOfLaBook.com</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410373290265879019.post-54091481913234399872011-05-31T10:43:32.849-04:002011-05-31T10:43:32.849-04:00I agree with #7. There seemed to be hushed tones a...I agree with #7. There seemed to be hushed tones about monetization but no one talked about it.Thien-Kim aka Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00944429273741512796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410373290265879019.post-55273296124709117592011-05-30T21:11:25.866-04:002011-05-30T21:11:25.866-04:00It was great to see you in the back of the panel, ...It was great to see you in the back of the panel, and I'm glad you asked a question. I may or may not have stalked around afterwards but didn't see you to say hi. <br /><br />I'm with you on #4 especially - I buy my books. I love coming to BEA and getting some books and getting the catalogs... and then I go online and buy what sounds good. I can't help it, it's just how I roll. Free sounds good but meh, I can't get over my love of ranting and feel it works better if I buy the book myself ;)Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18102250492155489672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410373290265879019.post-89831775847212874152011-05-30T20:14:15.989-04:002011-05-30T20:14:15.989-04:00I have a small pile of review copies both physical...I have a small pile of review copies both physical and electronic to read through from when I was still accepting pitched book. This year though I decided to stick with reading books off my wishlist and getting them primarily through the library. It means I'm no longer worrying about release dates or being the first to get the next hot thing. I leaves me to concentrate on reading and writing about books I actually care about on my own terms.pussrebootshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02167235847991793325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410373290265879019.post-46636850169839563912011-05-30T18:53:47.553-04:002011-05-30T18:53:47.553-04:00#7 - I read your series of posts with real interes...#7 - I read your series of posts with real interest, but this is exactly the part I thought was missing, that was overshadowing the whole thing. It must be the most difficult part to talk about clearly. If people are defensive about how or why they blog, imagine criticizing their writing!<br /><br /><i>(most are at least comptent amateurs)</i><br /><br />Or so we hope. Anyone, everyone, feel free to criticize my writing. I can use the help.Amateur Reader (Tom)https://www.blogger.com/profile/13675275555757408496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410373290265879019.post-40924596988513767242011-05-30T16:36:17.585-04:002011-05-30T16:36:17.585-04:00Very interesting. I went last year, and couldn'...Very interesting. I went last year, and couldn't agree more about your observation - awesome as it was, it felt very desperate and pandering. Glad to hear that that dynamic's changed, at least, and hope I can make it next year.Maggie Desmond-O'Brienhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16007811452527769309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410373290265879019.post-48793867311515383342011-05-30T16:12:23.951-04:002011-05-30T16:12:23.951-04:00Nice report. It's good to hear what went on at...Nice report. It's good to hear what went on at BBC.Chellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04506296443676360367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410373290265879019.post-13785147810388606142011-05-30T14:50:18.738-04:002011-05-30T14:50:18.738-04:00Some great observations in this post, even for som...Some great observations in this post, even for someone who didn't get to make it out to BEA/BBC this year. :-)Carina (Reading Through Life)http://readingthroughlife.canoreply@blogger.com