Q&A discussion session
Relationship between publishers and bloggers:
- feels that publishers know what blogs are and what book bloggers do
- what kinds of arrangements can publishers help with for book bloggers
Ethics of the relationship
- expectation – getting a book for free
Does book blogging actually influence book sales?
- they write about things they love – so their review or share is seen as authentic
- a way to show the book is gathering interest before it’s publishers (advanced copies)
- Goodreads guy – thinks yes, they do
- it’s the beginnings of a grassroots campaign
- bloggers tend to drive word-of-mouth, which drives traditional media to mention it, which then drives book sales
Do you use social media?
- Facebook. One person thinks it reaches more people but is less effective
- Twitter is the key for another person – it drives a lot of traffic, as does Stumbleupon
How to engage community?
- write for a reader who doesn’t always read book blogs
- i.e., if there’s a blog with a ton of polls and contests and etc and then an occasional post on-topic, the blog looks like it’s for someone involved in the community
Facebook – very image-focused. Don’t just do a post – add an image to it (more people will click)
How to engage a community that you already have?
- only post when you feel inspired
- another person has a rhythm to her blog (certain types of posts on certain days)
How did you develop your own voice on a blog?
- one panelist was an earlier blogger
- Just be yourself – you WILL have your own voice
How are ebooks changing what you do?
- people don’t really care – a book’s a book. It depends…
- harder for one blog blogger to review an ebook – harder to flip back and forth, etc.
- much more convenient for travel
- not the same experience
Anonymity and ebook reading:
- you can download something and read it, and no one knows what you’re reading
Blogging code of conduct?
- has more problems on Facebook Page rather than her blog
- has problems with plagiarism … some bloggers really don’t understand plagiarism, citations, and fair use (me talking)
Making a living from blogging?
- the blog goes along with the career – one helps the other
- gets a lot of contacts from the blog
Do blogs have a lifespan?
- depends.
[…] is a book blogger, which I thought was odd. This proved to be a foreshadowing of things to come. Here’s a good set of notes about the questions and the main points taken from the answers the panel gave. My overall impression of this panel was […]