Friday, June 8, 2012
Armchair BEA ~ 3-4-5 ~
Oh my gosh, I'm so late on the Armchair BEA posts. I just didn't have the time/inspiration to do them. :( So now, it's time for some catch up.
Day 3: Networking (in real life)
Today is the day that we discuss networking. Many of us bloggers network online. Afterall, Armchair BEA is all about networking online, particularly with other bloggers. However, how can you get more involved offline and in real life? Have you ever wondered how some bloggers have established those connections with local bookstores or libraries or even beyond?
Networking is such a popular topic these days. Social networks like Facebook, Twitter and real life networking are seem like key parts to becoming a succesful blogger. But I have to admit it's a skill I haven't been able to master. My blog is not on Facebook, and I'm kinda 'Twitter-challenged'.... I do re-post my posts and my Goodreads status on Twitter, but mostly just use it to enter giveaways.
And real life networking? Nothing, nada. I like to use the library, but I'm not involved with them in any way. And I like talking about books, even recommend books, but that's it.
But you know what? That's fine. My blog is just a fun hobby for me. I don't aim to be a professional book blogger or anything like that. I'm a newbie blogger, just started my blog 4 months ago, and am still trying to find my 'voice'. Real life networking is not my highest priority. Plus I'm international, so even if I wanted to it would be close to impossible extremely hard to network in here.
I don't have many positive (or negative) "real life" experiences with books/bloggers/authors to share....I've met a few local authors, and went to small book fairs. But it wasn't recently... So I'm a little jealous of those who are able to attend author events. But just a little :) And it'd be cool to attend BEA one day. *dream on girl*
What about you? Do you network offline or online, or both? How do you network in real life?
Day 4: Beyond The Blog
Has blogging opened up opportunities for you beyond getting free, advance copies of new books? Has it helped you get offers to write or review elsewhere (maybe even for pay)? Have you gotten invites to special events or places you might not have been to otherwise?
Nope. No money/book parties for me. I don't blog to earn money, so that's fine. But I wouldn't mind some party with books and buzz. (what a great combo that would be :) But nope. I do have an Amazon Affiliate account, but it doesn't really bring in any money.... And I don't have any ads, because they would make my blog look 'ugly'. My sidebars are already crowded as it is, don't want to add any more stuff to it.
Tell me about your "beyond the blog" opportunities!
Day 5: Ask The Experts
Ask or Share a few blogging tips!
I'm far for being an expert, but there're a few things I've learned in my months of blogging:
1. Memes are great! They're fun and you can gain followers with them. Follow Friday is the best way to gain followers. I also like to participate in Waiting on Wednesday. My other favorites are Book Boyfriends (for the hot guys to drool on) and Tune in Tuesday (music!!!). There are tons of different memes out there, everyone can find something they like. So participate in memes!
2. Comment to get comments! But leave meaningful comments, not just "Nice review"/Thanks for the post"
3. Use Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest etc. I'm not good with them (the only exception is Pinterest, which I love. Oh, and I just joined Tumblr and that seems fun, too :), but I know that they're great and useful.
4. Giveaways? I don't know....you can obviously gain many followers with them, but my favorites are the blogs with real content and some personality. Don't get me wrong, giveaways are great. But that's not why I keep coming back to a blog. I like book blogs with honest reviews and interesting posts. And it's a bonus (for me) if the blog has a nice, clean design.
5. Get e-galleys from Netgalley/Edelweiss. I'm only using Netgalley righ now, but both sites are amazing. And if you're international like me, they're the best way to get ARCs.
(6. Captcha is evil. Really (esp. that new one with numbers...). Turn it off!)
+ Be yourself and have fun!
1. Netgalley or Edelweiss? And I have zero experience with Edelweiss, so I'd like to know more about it.
2. What memes do you like to participate in?
3. Do you schedule your posts? (I don't...)
4. The ultimate question: Is Wordpress that much better than Blogger??
+ What do you think of my blog?
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- Cayce
- I'm a 20-something lover of books, music, art, travel and fashion. Rainbows&Clovers M/M YA GLBT books Manga Anime L'arc~en~ciel Japan Paris Europe Asia - Contact me at cayce006 @ yahoo.com ~ *hugs*
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Everyone loves meaningful comments for sure! :) I live in a small town, so the only book people I get to interact with on a regular basis are the librarians. I have been to some book events elsewhere though, and they were very fun.
ReplyDeleteI love twitter and tumblr too! I could get lost on tumblr for days, looking at pretty images and sharing quotes.
ReplyDeleteIf you have the time, I’d love to hear from you at my armchair BEA post.