Tuesday offered the Book Blogger Conference hosted by Sarah Wendell (Smart Bitches) and Jane Litte (Dear Author).
It was an informal affair where Sarah asked (paraphrase), "Talk as much as you listen". Here is a sample of suggestions offered by the other bloggers:
- Book Likes is an alternative to Goodreads.
- Options to self host (to migrate away from restrictions of Blogger and Wordpress).
- Make sure your blog layout is appealing to readers.
- Consider a "fresh look" for your blog.
- View your blog from an older PC and even smart phone to ensure all elements are visible.
- The image behind your blog should be less than 10% so it doesn't distract the reader from the content.
- "I have the book for you".
- Late reviews (i.e., reviews posted some time after book publiciation) are still welcome as they promote sales of backlists.
- Attacking the author (in lieu of reviewing the book) does not convey a professional attitude. The publishers are open to criticisms of the writing, but not unprofessional behavior towards authors, other reviews, and even readers.
- Offer recipes to "feed the trolls".
Harlequin hosted a cocktail party with delicious nibbles and goodie bags!
Hats off to Sarah and Jane for the warm welcome and helpful mentorship! Do you have any advice to offer bloggers? One randomly selected commenter from this week's blogs wins a book choice from my convention stash. Comments are open through Saturday, May 24, 10 pm in Baltimore. I'll post the winner on Sunday, May 25, at SOS Aloha.
Mahalo,
Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spiriti in Charm City
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| Tamara Argyle, Sara Humphreys, and a reader enjoy the Sock Hop on Tuesday night. |
I just became a blogger and I am always looking for advice on how to do things in Blogger. A lot of the items listed above are helpful and if I could offer advice to anyone it would be,
ReplyDelete"Don't be afraid to ask for help."
I found a few bloggers out there who've been wonderful in offering assistance and who I've also become online buddies with. That's my advice.
I've never had a blog, so I have no idea all the work that goes into maintaining it.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with the comment about ensuring the blog is easy for visitors to read and recognize. Thanks for the recap.
ReplyDeleteNice tips; make it easy to read and easy to comment
ReplyDeleteGreat pics, thanks
ReplyDeleteKimh
I'd suggest keeping the display clean & clear so we can read it and find things easily.
ReplyDeleteJust one suggestion on sites that have book giveaways, always mention if giveaways are for US only or US/Canada. It just makes it easier for all.
ReplyDeleteEasy to read, which means it is not too "busy" with graphics/colors/prints all over the place.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing the photos.
ReplyDeleteHi Kim! Love visiting your blog here, you do a great job with it! As for other blogs,I love to visit ones that are easy to read. Some blogs have fonts that are hard to read or the background colors makes the words hard to read. Also for giveaways, blog should state clearly what is being given away, when it ends and who is eligible.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun, informative sounding event. I don't know that I have any additional advice, but love the idea of viewing it from a smartphone. It's what I use most of the time and some blogs are very hard to view, or have so much content that it doesn't load. Yours, however, I never have that issue. ;D
ReplyDeleteI agree that blogs should be easy to follow,and be attractive to look at. Pictures/graphics do help with the presentation aspect of it. And making easy for followers to comment is always a plus. Great job here, Kim!
ReplyDeleteBig thanks to t heir manager and staff! We were continually delighted by the cordiality and responsiveness of the staff, from the earliest planning stages through the actual day.
ReplyDelete