BBAW Day 5-Trends, Tips, and Techniques for Book Bloggers

The Final Day for BBAW 2011

Trends and Tips

Random Observations on the Book Blog World

 200 for  Dickens 200 Day

Here is today's topic for BBAW

Friday September 16th: Blogging

The world of blogging is continually changing. Share 3 things you  think are essential tried and true practices for every blogger and 1-3 new trends or tools you’ve adapted recently or would like to in the future.

Some Random Observations

It is kind of sad to see BBAW come to an end.    I have discovered a lot of great new to me blogs and had the pleasure of some new visitors to The Reading Life.   The Book Blogging Community is just a tremendous and wonderful group of people who all love reading.    Some of us love the touch and feel of a book and others prefer their Kindles, tablets, smart phones and reading on a PC.   I personally think in time E reading will allow or bring about a greater focus on the text of what we read and less of a focus on its bearer and produce a purer more, intense reading experience.

The book blog world has gotten a lot bigger since my first BBAW in 2009.    I really think there are many book blog communities besides the giant community most of us are a part of in one way or another.    We all love books and we see the value in posting about them and most of us want to interact with others who share our passion.    Some bloggers are very social, others are really mostly posting for themselves.   One of my core interests is the Japanese novel.   One of the very best  English language Japanese literature blogs is almost completely unknown and has maybe ten followers, counting me.   I do not list them as I think that is the way they want it.     But most bloggers want their readership to grow and want to feel they are part of something bigger than they are.   I know I do.  

TwoTried and True Practices

and The "T" Word

The most important step for building your blog audience and finding your place in the community is to leave comments on blogs that interest you.   Try to add value to the  post you comment on.   Make sure the blogger can see you read their post.   Normally I do not put a link to my blog in a comment with the exceptions being networking events like the hops and BBAW or when the host blogger says it is OK.     If someone wants to visit your  blog they can do it from your profile.   

Join challenges and events on things that interest you.   There are all kind of events  and challenges as well as read-a-longs you can join.   

Twitter

When I first started using Twitter two years ago it seemed almost pointless to me. Then I thought back around twenty years ago and I recalled that is what I thought of the Internet when I first signed into it.   Now I see Twitter as very important to my blogging and a great overall resource.   For example, tonight I joined in a conversation on Malaysian literature with a group of S. E. Asian book bloggers.   We meet every Thursday at #spbkchat.    That is just one of the many wonderful things you can do with Twitter.   If you are new to Twitter and are wondering who to follow, just look at who follows a blogger you respect and  who they follow.   Follow the ones that look interesting.   Many people, me included, follow back all book  bloggers, authors and publishers who follow me.   If somebody that follows 50,000  follows me I know to ignore them.   If someone has no profile I do not follow them.   I tweet all my posts.   It is a form of advertising.   Everyone does it and you should also.    

Future Trend and New Ideas for My Blog

Personal new idea I was way behind on-I am for the first time in two years plus as a blogger going to do some memes on a regular basis for a while.   I will see what feels right for me and my blog.   

In 2011 I had two events.  Irish Short Story Week and Indonesian Short Story Week.     (My blog is becoming increasingly about short stories).  I was very happy with how both of them turned out and hope to do them again next year in March and August.   

February 7, 2012

200th Birthday of Charles Dickens

We need to get ready and show the world how impacting we can be.  I have a hope, I hope it is not a fantasy, of at least 200 book bloggers all posting on Dickens on his 200th birthday, February 7, 2012.   Imagine if we had 2000, not that far fetched!    Dickens deserves this tribute and I think we could get lots of tie- ins and publicity for our community.    Leave me a comment if  you are interested.  

BBAW was really fun for me and I think I will profit from some of the ideas and have found some great new blogs to follow.   I thank all those who worked on it  and, God willing, see you all next year.

Mel u