Book Journey

The Book Blogger Convention (BBC) for the last two years has followed the excitement of the Book Expo of America (BEA).  When the expo ends on Thursday, Thursday evening has been a Book Blogger Reception and then Friday is the BBC, a day committed to Book Bloggers connecting with authors, publishing houses…  it is a Book Blogger work shop and well worth attending.

After a delicious breakfast served at 7:45 am and a chance to build your own swag bag, we all settled into a large room to listen to our Keynote Speaker, Sara Wendell.  Sara is a fellow book blogger and if I remember this correctly (it was early after a crazy busy week) I think an author too.  Sara was funny, describing the first time she was offered a galley…

“What’s a galley?” she had asked.  When they said it was a book sent to her for free to read and review she was shocked.  When a large box a short time later “THUMPED” on her front step she was beside herself….  FREE BOOKS.  MY PRECIOUS!  (picture Gollum here).  When Sara had finished reading the books she called the company and asked where to return them.  They laughed at her and told her to do what she wanted with them – the lady on the phone told Sara that she burned her copies…

“Burning BOOKS?” Sara had cried out in disbelief…. no, “I will keep them.”  The lady had laughed and explained that the books tend to accumulate…. (as a two-year book reviewer… *looking around reading room* I can not agree more.)

Besides being funny Sara also had great advice for taking your blog to the “next level” which means something different for each of us. 

I really enjoyed listening to Sara.

Next up was Ask A Publisher or Publicist session and I took a lot away from this.  A great panel led by Jennifer Hart (Harper Collins).  We had on the panel:

Lydia Hirt (Penguin Group)

Kelly Leonard (Hatchette Book group)

Lucille Rettino (Simon and Schuster)

Allison Verost (Harper Teen)

Ksenia Winnicki (Macmillan)

Here is my take away:

1. You may have heard of some of the big promotions around the blog when they chose blogs to represent Districts for the release of Mockingjay by Susanne Collins and again when they chose blogs to represent courts for the release of the latest Iron King book.  These promotions generate excitement and the panel encouraged us as reviewers if we have ideas to feel free to share them by emailing the publishers.  (They graciously gave us lists of contact emails)  

2. Galleys cost more than the actual books (I did not know this and this was really a wake up call for me).  In respect of this new-found knowledge I have been taking all the books as they come into my home and adding their release dates to my Google calendar so I can better watch when i should be reviewing these.
   

3. We can post a  review for an upcoming release at the point it is available for pre-order.  We do not have to wait for release date.

4. Posting your review to other sources besides your blog is important.  I currently always try to also put it on Amazon, but learned that when the Publishers were asked, they really would like to see it on Good Reads as well as Good reads apparently connects to other sources.  (I did not know this!)  I am a member of Good Reads but terrible at posting my reviews there as the time spent writing the post, adding it to Amazon… but knowing now that this is important I am going to make the time to do this.

• They also said that we save them time if we also send them a link to our reviews when they are up, as they like to let the authors know.

• Also – they do appreciate it is we also let them know of reviews we do to older titles as well.

5.  When requesting a book for review – be polite.  (I would think this is a given, but apparently it is not.)  Explaining which blog you have, traffic, etc… is helpful if you do not already have a relationship with this publisher.  Do not demand a book – in one case the blogger apparently said they needed the book by the weekend…. wow…. uhhh…. *delete request*.  Also helpful is to include your mailing address at the time of the ask.  This saves them the time of having to connect with you again and request it.  *I have a separate email I use for my bookish side and I have added my address to my signature so it shows up on all emails.

I then went into the author Speed Dating event with Reagan (Miss Remmers Reviews) and Alison (Alison’s Book Marks)  *waves*.  I really enjoyed this session where we (bloggers) sat around tables and a different author came to our table every 15 minutes to discuss their book  and we had opportunities to ask questions as well.  This idea was BRILLIANT!  (Yes I quote Harry Potter….)  .  I had a lot of fun meeting authors that were new to me, as well as a few that I had previously met and it was so fun!!  Of course this also added to my “must read” list.  *sigh – but a happy sigh*

The final session I went to Technology For Blogging because seriously – I need all the help I can get.  I went into this blogging gig hardly knowing how to make a post.  Everything else I learned by visiting blogs, seeing things I liked, emailing the blogger and asking how they did it.  Another reminder that book bloggers are incredibly generous and helpful people. 

What I took away from this session was:

1. Do NOT automatically connect your blog to Twitter and Facebook.  *Guilty as charged*  I think it was Anna Moore who said this (Blog Graphic design).  She said that we should only connect to other social media with our “best of the best” posts.  I agree and disagree… I believe I will keep my posts connected to Twitter as they are all bookish people there – the only twitter connections I have.  I do however agree on the Facebook part as that is everyone from family, friends, co workers, bookish types… some of my posts do not need to go there.  I have not decided at this time to open up a blog page on Facebook and do not think I will.  One more thing to try to keep up with 😀
2. Connect connect connect… we talked about Tumblr which I know little about – but also other ways to connect with others which in turn will create relationships that in turn will (possibly) become readers of your blog.  

By the end of BBC I was full of information and chalk it up as a successful and fun day.  I learned a little, made many connections with bloggers and authors and publishers and say hats off to the hard-working behind the scenes bloggers who pulled off a successful event!  😀

This week, I am planning many posts on my time in New York for BEA.  I will be posting about the YA Teen Carnival, Dinner with Beth Hoffman, The Expo itself, Harper Collins Party and dinner following with Bloggers, The tour of Greenwich Village, lunch with Adriana Trigiani, The Harry Potter Exhibit, and this, seeing Mary Poppins on Broadway.

Now – Mary Poppins was actually the last thing we did in New York this past week.  It was Friday evening and I was hanging with Reagan from Miss Remmers Reviews and Cass from Bon Jour Cass.   They wanted to do something “New Yorky” for our final evening in the big city, I just wanted to go out to eat.  😛

When they came up with the idea of Mary Poppins, it sounded interesting but I was tired and calculating when we would get back… we still had to pack… our flight left at 6:45 am….  (I know… I know… what a pain right? :razz:)  I knew they were right to do something awesome, but really… Mary Poppins?  Really?

Oh.  Ok…..

So off we went stopping for delicious buffalo chicken sandwiches and spaghetti on our way to the show.  Once seated and the curtain was drawn….

I was never the same.

Ashley Brown makes a wonderful Mary Poppins.  I can not even begin to do her justice.  Her voice, her moves, if ever there was a Mary Poppins – she is her. 

I’m practically perfect in every way

practically perfect that’s my forte

uncanny nannies are hard to find

unique yet meek unspeakably kind

I’m practically perfect not slightly soiled

running like an engine that’s just been freshly oiled!

The special effects are phenomenal – props appear from within a seemingly empty travel bag and a bed appears under a sheet…. when Gavin Lee as Bert walks up the stage wall across the tops and down the other side – the audience goes wild!  I imagine children are astounded and will not soon forget the magic of Mary Poppins …. shoot, neither will I.

I think one of the key moments for me was when they sand supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.  The song, the dancers, was so good!  See for yourself:

I told Reagan and Cass later that I could study that dance for the rest of my life and not be able to do it!

AND how about the kids?  Their roles are huge, I found it fascinating that there are actually three sets of kids who perform these songs and dances.  What big roles!  Hear from them yourself:

I loved the witch, errr….. the other nanny, Miss Andrew, Mr. Banks’ nanny who he had as a child.  *gulp*  If this actress does not play roles as a witch she certainly should… she was AWESOME!

Overall… I LOVED IT!  How could you not.  I think I had forgotten the story behind Mary Poppins.  Deeply buried no doubt in childhood memories, entwined in stories long since abandoned in the depths of the files in my brain.  It was nice to take these memories out for a refresher. 

BEA is more than books… it is for me, a taste of New York and each time I go I bask in what I can experience this time.

If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend you go and see this visual treat.  You will thank me.