Showing posts with label Armchair BEA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Armchair BEA. Show all posts

Friday, May 31, 2013

Armchair BEA: Blog Development

From Armchair Bea....

"The purpose of the conference is to foster "blogger development"--and clearly, that development can go in a variety of directions! Today, we're inviting you to talk about your approach. Have you branched out into your community? Do you partner with other bloggers? Have you gone "pro" or tried generating some income through your blog? If you're a long-term blogger, how has your online personality developed over the years?"

Shamefully enough I'd have to say the thing I'm worst at is blog development. I started Reading Amidst the Chaos waay back in 2007 as an evolution to a very small idea: connecting my friends with the books I was reading and recommending those that I thought they'd enjoy too. It started simple but I let it linger for a year or so, and when I came back to it I was a total n00b with no idea what I was doing.

I had to kind of learn, by seeing and reading what other people were doing, what format was going to work for me. What kind of reviews I wanted to write and which ones I thought I could consistently provide. It's an ever changing process I think, and while I'm happy with the look of things at the moment anything could happen. 

Still, even if things haven't changed all that much around here, I've found that much more to follow out THERE. I don't always comment, but there are some incredible bloggers out there and Tweeting with them, asking questions, just dropping in to see what's up has been great. I kind of think of myself as this little blog over here in the corner of the great big book blog-o-sphere, especially it's not pro and I'm not expecting that to change anytime soon, but I can still contribute and be as active a part of the community as I want to be. 

Over time I've added a Facebook and a Twitter, other ways in which I can communicate with people, and for right now I think that's a enough. I've considered starting a little personal fund, for design overhauls of RAtChaos and Good Red Herring, but I think the first step would probably be to buy the dot com's right, lol? I don't wanna get ahead of myself here!

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Armchair BEA - the beginning! (sorta)

Design credit: Sarah of Puss Reboots
I might be late to the game but I'm not out! Thanks to Always With a Book's posts on Armchair BEA I've been inspired to take an active part (or as an active part as I can) in this year's Book Expo America. I can't be there in person, in fact I'm so bogged down in my 1.5 jobs that I barely have time to read at the moment, but I take such joy in the book blogging community that I knew I had to give it a shot. 

Posts started yesterday with one introducing yourself - and your blog - through five questions. I guess that means it's time to sit back, relax, and prepare to learn a little bit more about the Dana behind RAtChaos :).

Have you previously participated in Armchair BEA? What brought you back for another year? If you have not previously participated, what drew you to the event? I've never participated in Armchair BEA before but I think this past year or two I've become more interested in the discussions happening behind the scenes of publishing and blogging and activities like this help me stay connected. I want to know what's going to happen to Barnes & Noble, or how Amazon is changing the world of purchasing, or that public libraries might be going extinct, etc. - I'm a lover of books who recognizes the world in which those books exist is changing and Armchair BEA sounded like a fun event that in conjunction with Twitter and other mediums would keep me informed.

Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you. I have a problem with Spring dresses. A serious problem I tell you, that causes my closet to look like Easter threw up on it every Spring and Summer. I hate sweating and the heat but if I can throw on a cute fit and flare dress - maybe with a petticoat even? - then I am a really happy camper. That said it's probably no surprise that I love Dita Von Teese.

Name your favorite blog(s) and explain why they are your favorite(s). I read way too many to have really 'favorite' favorites, but here are a few that I love checking in with on a regular basis:


Dear Author - who could not love Jane and the community she's created? Her and her reviewers are in depth, methodical, and engage their audience in the kind of conversations I could never sustain and I love catching up with them. 

ALPHA Reader - Danielle at ALPHA Reader is another reviewer whose passion I could never emulate but inspires me to do all that I can. She connects authors with readers and writes incredible reviews about books from across the world. 

Smexy Books - I read some smexy books but I don't think anyone could do what Mandy does. Eye candy galore with a wit and humor that I admire - her blog is in my eyes very different than mind and it's part of why I lover her. Variety is the spice of life!

What literary location would you most like to visit? Why? I would sell an organ to live in Shelly Laurenston's Pride world. It's just like ours but with kick ass people and the kind of shapeshifter alpha love that I could totally get behind. There are few authors on my autobuy list that have me laughing out loud the entire time and yet still somehow be envious of the heroines - but Laurenston's one of them and I love her for it.

What is your favorite part about the book blogging community? I am never going to find all the good things to read. Ever, lol. I'm ok with that and have even started to accept the quirks of how I read the things I love (I've had Steel's Edge sitting on my shelf since it came out but have I read it? No. Something about it being the last of the series and emotionally draining at the same time has me feeling unprepared to face it - and I LOVE that author! It's weird.). Book blogging simultaneously makes me feel less lonely in my weirdness and also keeps me up to date on what I should/could be reading next. Even when I feel behind or like I'm letting down the people who check in with me, reading blog posts and staying connected on Twitter makes me feel like one of the 'in crowd' and that's an awesome thing. 



Design credit: Nina of Nina Reads