Tuesday 12 March 2013

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Huge Blog News and Request For Help!

So I have some news. Those of you who follow me on Twitter and are friends with me on Facebook may know this already, put please read on, because I need some help! Thanks.

Last Wednesday I was contacted and asked to take part in a panel event for the London Book Fair. And I've said yes! This is huge. For my CV. For the blog. For me. Because I am absolutely terrified! Public speaking and me are really not the best of friends. But I have decided to attempt at braveness and bite the bullet, take the bull by the horns, and dive right in. I just hope I don't sink! It really is such a big deal that I have accepted to do this, and sometimes I am just in shock at my courage (who is this girl who is saying yes to scary things? I don't recognise her!), and other times I feel extremely sick. We'll see how it goes. Though it is great to hear that Once Upon a Book case "is very highly respected in the industry". Whoop!

It's going to be massive for my blog because of all the exposure. Not just because I'll be on the panel, but because my blog will be mentioned in the London Book Fair's literature and so on, and my blog will be heard - or read - about by so many people! This is exciting!

But I need some help. Being on a panel means talking. There will be at least three other people with me, so I won't do all the talking, but I will be required to speak, obviously. I want to make sure I have something to say.
The topic for the panel is:

The power of children’s bloggers, especially for the YA audience, and the effect this is having on publicity campaigns.

I have already started working on some things I want to say, but part of me feels although it's me on the panel, and there will be another blogger, I am representing the YA blogging/reading community, so I want to make sure I try to get your thoughts across well, and when it comes to my own blog I don't want to pressume what you think of blow my own trumpet. so I have two questions to ask that I hope you'll answer.

1) Why do you visit Once Upon a Bookcase?

This is not me fishing for compliments. Pretend someone else who isn't me is asking you this question. I'd like to know exactly what it is about my blog that has you visiting, re-visiting and commenting. Lurkers, if you could please comment this one time, I would be so grateful. For some it may be difficult, but if you can try to think of the blog on it's own, rather than of me personally too, that would be great. I know my personality can come through in my posts, but if you can forget things like me on Twitter, that would be great.

2) Why do you visit YA book blogs, period?

This question is about all YA book blogs - though if you can, think specifically about UK book blogs (because the panel is about us UK book bloggers, and UK publicity campaigns). Why book blogs over other, or as well as, other ways of finding out about books? What else do you use, and what do book blogs offer that they don't that has you visiting them as well?

It's not definite that all you tell me will be used in the panel, but it will give me a few more ideas of what to talk about it, and others' opinions to share. Your help will be greatly appreciated, thank you.

8 comments:

  1. The answer to both your questions is similar; I work in a bookshop, running the children's/teens/YA section, and reading this and other blogs gives me a jump on the new titles coming in. Try as I might, I can't read everything we stock, and having seen reviews/knowing what people think is a huge help when I'm recommending or reordering.

    Your blog specifically, I like the chatty informal tone, your reviews are always well thought out and clear, and I feel like you listen to comments and opinions from your readers.

    Congrats and I hope you have a great time at the Fair. :D

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    1. I never even thought of booksellers, despite the fact that I'm one myself! So thanks for your thoughts!

      Thanks for the congrats, and for commenting! I assume you are a lurker, so I appreciate you commenting this time :)

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  2. Wow, congratulations!

    Also going to flip the questions around - I visit YA blogs in general because I like to get recommendations on which books to read next and I visit yours for the same reason I visit others - I visit those whose tastes roughly mirror my own :)

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  3. Congratulations! I'm sure the event will go wonderfully, but I hope you can shed the nerves enough to enjoy it too! I visit to find out more about books I'm not sure I'll enjoy but think I should read, and to find out which books are doing well and get a reliable opinion about what readers like most about them. Also to look at new covers and find out what's going on in the genre from week to week. Hope this helps! :)

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    1. Thanks Alexia! Your comment's much appreciated! :)

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  4. 1. I like visiting Once Upon A Bookcase because I like to feel a part of the UKYA book blogging community and to do this I like to visit blogs run by people living in the UK. You also run such a lovely blog and have a really pretty design.

    2. I visit blogs to both get book recommendations and also to interact with the community. I spend about 1-2 hours a day commenting on blogs and I do enjoy it, although sometimes it is hard work! On the note of book recommendations, I am likely to read a book if a blogger that I regularly visit has liked something or if they have featured something in a book haul.
    I'm sure there are a lot of other reasons why I stick around our community but those are the ones that instantly spring to mind. Book bloggers are also such friendly people (I'm not saying that because I am one!) and I really wouldn't choose to talk to anyone else.
    Hope this helps and good luck! Such an achievement! :D

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    1. Thank you! :) Your comments are really helpful, cheers!

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