Blog goal in 50 words or less?! The pressure is Twitter-esque!
After months of stalking and waiting, I was finally able to snag the .com domain for Book, Line, and Sinker–a company that sells domain names had been sitting on it for a year! Site will be up and running shortly!
http://www.booklineandsinker.com
A few months ago, I put out a plea to book bloggers for help with a personal reading challenge I was developing–Off The Deep End Summer Reading–and asked for suggestions of bloggers’ favorite books. I turned to book bloggers rather than more traditional sources (New York Times Book List, Washington Post, etc) because I think we cover a broader spectrum; we’re not only reading best-sellers or books that have been marketed heavily.
The response was overwhelming–over 30 titles–some I had read but most I hadn’t. And so began my reading binge of GREAT BOOKS suggested by book bloggers. I’ve only managed to get through eight of the 30 books so far, but it’s more fun to savor them! (To view this list with LIVE links to the blogs and the books, click HERE.) If your TBR pile ever gets low, stop by and take a look at my list again!
Here’s a (partial) snapshot of the original post with images of the suggested titles–my two favorites so far were The Help and The Gargoyle:
List of book recommendations without links to blogs:
“Since July 1993, the back page of Vanity Fair has been devoted Proust Questionnaire, in which a noteworthy person answers a series of personal questions. The questionnaire has its origins in a parlor game popularized (though not devised) by Marcel Proust (1871-1922), the French essayist and novelist, who believed that, in answering these questions, an individual reveals his or her true nature.” —Vanity Fair magazine
To spice up our BBAW interview swap, Amy and I decided to use Vanity Fair’s format. Amy’s interview is below and you can read all about me at Amy Reads Good Books. Enjoy!
Amy from Amy Reads Good Books by Gina (Nat's sister-in-law)
Meet Amy of Amy Reads Good Books. She’s an English professor at a small college in Ohio and enjoys memoirs, women’s fiction, and books about food and travel.
What is your most marked characteristic?
I can get just a wee bit obsessed about learning something new
Which talent would you most like to have?
I’d love to be able to sing well
What do you most value in your friends?
Ready smiles and ready comfort
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
A cozy dinner with people I love, candles, and a nice wine
Which living person do you most admire?
My mom
Where would you like to live?
In the woods, near a nice hiking trail, with a cozy studio for reading and writing
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Procrastination
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Grief, experienced alone
Who are your favorite writers?
Virginia Woolf, Jane Austen, L.M. Montgomery, Marian Keyes, Sophie Kinsella, Jennifer Weiner
Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Nick Carraway
Who is your favorite heroine of fiction?
Emma Woodhouse
Who are your favorite poets?
Elizabeth Bishop, Louise Gluck, Wallace Stevens, Sylvia Plath
How would you like to die?
Unaware
What is your motto?
Okay, I confess that I don’t have one. After a little googling, however, I was charmed by this one: Amor tussisque non celantur–Love, and a cough, are not concealed. (Ovid)
Thanks to the organizers of BBAW for putting together such a wonderful opportunity for book bloggers to meet and greet. Amy and I hope you liked our spin on the book blogger interview swap.
For more information on Vanity Fair’s Proust Questionnaire, or to review the complete list of questions and answer them yourself, visit Vanity Fair. If you’re a fan of Vanity Fair’s Proust Questionnaire, look for the coffee table collection, coming in October.
Book, Line, and Sinker 
New Kids on the ‘Blog’: Promoting New Book Blogs
When I first started my life blog back in 2007, I was posting for almost an entire month before someone left a comment. My daily stats were in the low single digits and I was discouraged.
I learned, trial by fire, how integral connecting with readers through my writing, tagging posts, and commenting meaningfully on other blogs was to helping grow my blog. I eventually developed friendships and my stats and comments grew. Blogging became more fun because of my friends, their feedback, and a sense of community.
When I decided to launch Book, Line, and Sinker in early 2009, I contacted a wonderful book blogger who I’d gotten to know through my life blog. I asked her for some advice and she went above and beyond, writing an entire post promoting my new venture.
With her introduction, my neophyte book blog’s stats spiked and I found myself warmly welcomed into the book blogging community. That introduction made all the difference between my book blog languishing for months without an audience and my book blog finding a niche in such a great community. While I do think that it’s marginally easier to break into book blogging than life blogging*, starting a new blog can be daunting no matter what your niche.
Recently, this same blogger tweeted about a new book blog and asked that we pay a visit to welcome the new blogger. All of these things, and BBAW, got me thinking about building community and engaging new (or under exposed) book bloggers who might not have the encouragement (through comments, chats, tweets, and emails) that others in the community enjoy.
I’m not sure how (or if) promoting new book bloggers is a viable idea. While developing Book, Line, and Sinker’s new layout and design, I’m toying with a widget for New Book Blog Promotion. Here are other things I’m considering:
As the book blogging community continues to grow, I’d love to give back by offering new bloggers encouragement and exposure. If you’d like to be a part of this, please let me know. Have any ideas or suggestions? Drop me a comment or email!
*In my experience, book bloggers are, by nature, avid readers and are more willing to read posts and comment on them.
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Posted in Mad Ramblings
Tagged BBAW, book blogs, book line and sinker, books, building community, getting readers on my book blog, helping new book blogs, how can i get more comments on my book blog, how can i make my blog more popular, new bloggers, promoting new book blogs, reading