Score Free Comics During Free Comic Book Day!

Give a big welcome to Kai from Fiction State of Mind! She's here to talk about one of her favorite comic events. Is it a comic con? No, it's Free Comic Book Day! Read on to discover how you can participate.

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Hello Everyone! I’m so glad Book Bloggers International is hosting this event. I’ll confess when I first started blogging I didn’t talk about comics, despite being a fan of them for many years. I guess I was worried I wouldn’t be taken as a “serious blogger” if I covered comics.

However I’ve gotten over that! I’ve been pleased to notice that a lot of bloggers have started reading comics and now we have this month long event!

As avid readers we can get very much stuck in genre ruts. With many of us watching our book buying budgets closely, we tend to stick to the same genres and authors. Comic books have really increased in price over the last few years so many of us wait for trade collections to turn up at our library or get them as digital trades on Amazon.

So today I wanted to talk about a wonderful yearly event that will allow you to explore more comic book genres and creators for free.

The first Saturday in May is Free Comic Book Day. Comic shops across the United States will have various titles available for free (really! Not a scam!). For us FCBD veterans the day is kind of like a geeky Christmas! Besides free books the store has really great sales, free sketches and giveaways, also balloons & face painters for children. If you’re really lucky some Stormtroopers from Darth Vader’s legion the 501’st might show up!

Here is how it works. Visit the FCBD website at www.freecomicbookday.com. In the left corner put your zip code in the Find A Participating Store link. Pick a store and plan your trip! Also on the site you will find a list of the comics being given away on the 2nd along with some previews.

Tips For The Day

• Road Trip It! Every store will have different comics on the shelves so if there are several near you its fun to make a day of it and visit various stores. Each store also limits the amount of comics per person sometimes 3-5 per person is the maximum. So if you are going with your kids or friends you should be able to get some great books.
• Beware Duplicates! Several of the books given out are flip books which means it will have two different covers. So let’s say you see a Scooby Doo book and next to it a superman animated series book. They may actually be the same book so do a quick flip to make sure the second book is different.
• Consider a Purchase/Donation Though the books are free the individual stores do have to pay for them along with extra staff for the store, and talent fees. So if you see a cool T-shirt or any other goodie that calls to you buy it. Some stores will also let you get additional comics if you make a donation to their charity.
• Expand Your Genres If you visit a few stores you should be able to get lots of comics, so take a risk and get some genres you might not have tried before. Here are my suggestions:

Fight Club

Dark Horse comics is known for its more adult themed comics like Hellboy and now Fight Club based on the bestselling novel by Chuck P.



Cleopatra In Space

I’m very partial to Science Fiction so I will definitely be getting this book. I also love seeing a book with a female lead which isn’t that common in comics.

Gronk

Gronk is adorbs! An all ages read about a monster and the human she adopts.

Attack On Titan

I’m Obsessed with Attack On Titan, a horror themed manga. AOT is one of the fastest growing fandoms. Pick up this book to see what all the fuss is about!

The Phantom

Step back into comics history by reading a classic hero: the Phantom! He was one of the first costumed heroes who starred in stories full of two fisted action and adventure.

Rabbids

An Example of the kid friendly comics available at shops. So much cuteness!


















So I hope I’ve encouraged you guys to visit a comic shop next month! If you would like to send be pictures of your haul send me a tweet @yogikai. I will also be hosting an event encouraging bloggers to share their FCBD journeys using the hash tag #FCBDblogathon

Happy Reading!

L.A. Times Festival of Books: A Book Lover's Dream

Please welcome Anastasia from Here There Be Books as she gives us a little more information about the LA Times Festival of Books!

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2013 Festival Logo

The LA Times Festival of Books is a big celebration of books and authors and the people who love books and authors! It happens every year on an April weekend; this year's festival was my third time going.

Author Joyce Maynard and I during a signing of her book,
Labor Day (one of the freebie books I got this year!).

I'm still trying to figure out how to make my festival trips awesome, but I think the secret is in packing my schedule full of panels and signings. (Which I didn't do this year-- mistake!-- and that's why I'm determined to make next year EVEN BETTER.) 

The best part of this year's festival for me was definitely meeting up with fellow bloggers. Worst part: listening to an author read his poetry in the style of William Shatner.

The shuttle stop at Union Station. The festival shuttle is free
and runs about every 20 minutes or so.

Here is some advice on how to rock #bookfest, which I have curated from years of wandering around not knowing what to do.

Talk to the people in the booths! They're trying to sell you something for sure, but they can also be really nice. Do NOT sign up for the "win a getaway" contests. They just want your information for nefarious purposes.

Bring water, an umbrella/parasol, sunglasses, sunscreen, and anything else you'd need to feel comfortable on a sunny day. This year's festival had weird weather-- cold in the morning, scorching in the afternoon. Since most of it is outside, I was alternatively freezing and burning! Yay, fun!

Keep an eye out for the freebies. You can get some nice things if you're not afraid to stand in line for a little bit. This year I got two signed books, a coffee mug, and drink samples. Yummy!

Meet people in shaded places. Some fellow book bloggers and I met up during the festival (exciting!) and I was super glad that we managed to get under some trees. Other good places to meet: the steps of Bovard Auditorium, the secluded area between the food court and another building, and that one place I found but am not telling about because it's my secret place so there.

Speaking of meeting people: the Tommy Trojan statue is a central, easy-to-spot monument that works great for both finding your friends AND figuring out the festival map.

The YA panel was in 2013 and has Kiersten White, Rachel Cohn,
Tahereh Mafi, Michelle Gagnon and mod Aaron Hartzler. 

Ditch the panels you're not into and be prepared to stand in line for AGES for the ones you really want. Every year there's at least three Big Time Authors doing panels/readings/interviews, outside of the many celebrity-turned-authors. For instance, this year John Green and Rainbow Rowell were both there doing panels and signing stuff, and the lines were INSANE. 

If you want to be guaranteed a seat, be sure to get a ticket online before the festival starts. And after the panel, prepare to stand in MORE lines-- this time for the autographing session! The signing line for John Green was wrapped around an entire park twice. If you really want that signature, bring comfy shoes and a good attitude.

The Keurig machine where festival goers got freebie
full-sized samples of their choice of flavor. Yummy!

Eat at the food trucks. They're expensive, but DELICIOUS! I had a smoked apple pork crepe with apple chutney and some sort of salad. omg, so good! Protip: get your food early, as in before noon. After noon it is PACKED, but before is surprisingly empty of people in lines.

 And most of all: have fun! If you aren't having fun, get a smoothie and try again.

Mark Your Calendars: DWJ March

(Granny Diana by yellow crayola crayon)

Who: Organized by Kristen M. of We Be Reading with contributions by many others

What: A month-long celebration of all things Diana Wynne Jones

When: March, every year since 2012

Where: The We Be Reading blog and the DWJ March tumblr and #dwjmarch on Twitter

Why: Jenny of Reading the End hosted a Diana Wynne Jones Week in August 2010 which was a big success. Sadly, Diana passed away the next year in March of 2011. So, when the first anniversary of her death came around, Kristen decided to resurrect the dedicated week, make it a month instead, and spend all of March celebrating Diana’s life and work rather than solely mourning her passing.

The events and features vary each year to keep it fun and have included daily prompts, guest posts, read-alongs, watch-alongs and giveaways. The 4th Annual DWJ March will begin on … March 1, 2015! All fans (and even those new to DWJ) are welcome to join and participate as much or as little as they can. Details will go up on the blog and tumblr in February.

Estella Society: A Playground for Book Bloggers

What is the Estella Society?

The Estella Society was conceived to be “A Reading Playground Built by Book Bloggers for Book Bloggers.” It's our mission to just have fun! We host readalongs, readathons (including the bi-annual Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon), the photo meme EstellaGram on Instagram, and more.

Our newest project will be Season 2 of The Estella Project, launching soon! Last summer, we hosted The Estella Project, asking followers to submit that one book--THE ONE BOOK--that they would put into everyone’s hands if given the chance. Then we challenged them to pick three from the list to read and report back on. So many great books came from it; that we decided to do it again!

Who is the Estella Society team? 

The Estella Society was created by Andi of Estella’s Revenge, the one who is good at putting the words together, and Heather of CapriciousReader, the guru of the technical stuffs.

We host events, and partner with various community-building entities across the book blogosphere. We’d love to have you in our sandbox, so send your schemes to estellasociety AT gmail DOT com!

Where do I find The Estella Society? 

Visit us at http://www.estellasociety.com or follow us here...
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest

How can I get involved? 

Want to co-host a readalong with us? Sponsor a readathon? Hit us up on Facebook, Twitter, or our email at estellasociety AT gmail DOT com. We’d LOVE to have you!

Mark Your Calendars: Bloggiesta

Hey everyone! I’m here to tell you all you need to know about a blogging event called Bloggiesta. It’s a four times a year blogging marathon where we get together online with other bloggers to make and work on our list of blogging goals. The best thing about the event (besides networking with other bloggers of course) is the mini challenges that participating bloggers post on their blogs which teach the rest of us how to do some fun blogging tasks.

But first, you may be interested in a little back history. Bloggiesta started around 2009 I think, when Natasha from Maw Books Blog decided she had a ton of blogging tasks that needed doing. She thought, wouldn’t it be fun to see if others wanted to accomplish some blogging business too and everyone could get together one weekend, online, and work on their blogs with each other. She named it Bloggiesta and created a mascot (Pedro) and a graphic and a motto and all sorts of things to make the event fun. She ran it twice a year for a couple of years but then she had a baby...and stopped blogging... and Bloggiesta languished for a year or more.

At one point she asked for volunteers to get it started again, so that’s when Danielle and I (Suey from It’s All About Books) took it over and got it going again in March of 2012. That was such a fun and well received come back! We’ve made a few changes since then including the additions of mini events, and Twitter chats. Danielle’s life then got crazy and so now I manage the event with the technical help of Jessica from The Bluestocking Society.

Now that you have a little background, here are the basics about Bloggiesta:

We have “main” Bloggiesta events in March and September (usually the third or last weekend of the month) and “mini” events in January and July (also third or last weekend of the month.) The main events now last four days, Thursday through Saturday and the mini events are just the two day weekend.

Everyday of the events, we host a Twitter chat which is always a lot of fun. This past event we had themes for each chat, which worked out really well.

During the main events, we have 15 to 20 mini challenges which can help bloggers with blog basics, technical things, design help, organizational tips, or simply inspire you with lots of blogging ideas. We also have challenges that help people get out and meet other bloggers.

And that’s it! We keep the event simple and really try to focus on spending time working on our blogs and networking with others doing the same thing.

Here are a list of links if you are interested in learning more:

Bloggiesta Main Website

Twitter  (during events we use the hashtag #bloggiesta to find each other)

Facebook Page

Google+ Community

A list of past mini challenges (that’s the other great thing… these challenges are always here so you can actually work on things whenever you want!)

Email: bloggiesta AT gmail DOT com

The dates for future events are:

Summer 2014 Mini Bloggiesta:  July 19-20

Fall 2014 Main Bloggiesta: September 18-21

We welcome any blogger who wants to participate! At the start of each event, we’ll have a sign up linky, which simply asks participants to link up to their goal “to do” lists. We hope to see you there!

Mark Your Calendars: Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon

What is Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon?

Dewey's is a twice-yearly readathon featuring hourly posts, hourly mini-challenges, hourly prize drawings, a vibrant social media community (blogs, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr), and all the bookish fun you can imagine crammed into one day! We refer to the Read-a-Thon as a "choose your own" adventure because there are so many things to do! Some people choose to read all day, others choose to split their time between various activities, while those with limited time can sign up to cheer on their fellow read-a-thonners in the time they have available. It's really up to you and you DO NOT have to read for the whole 24 hours! :D 

We're also really proud that Dewey's was the original readathon! It was founded in 2007 by our dear, fearless leader who passed away in 2008. 

When is Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon?

It's always in April and October. The dates vary slightly depending on what's shaking in the world, but we post the dates on 24HourReadathon.com so it's easy to find! We'll also begin publicizing on Facebook, Twitter, and other channels about a month before each event.  

Who is the Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon team? 

We have a big, awesome team of helpers! At the helm are Andi from Estella's Revenge and Heather from CapriciousReader. We also have volunteers to who post "warm up" blog posts with advice and recommendations in the week leading up to the event. Then there are somewhere between five and 10 hourly hosts. 21 hourly mini-challenge hosts, a bunch of prize wranglers, and prize donors! Whew! It's a bit overwhelming. 

Where do I find Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon? 

Website: http://www.24hourreadathon.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/readathon
Facebook: http://www.fb.com/readathon
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/deweysreadathon
Email: deweyreadathon (at) gmail (dot) com 

We're also working on a Goodreads group for the October event! 

Why would I want to participate? 

There's no better way to feel the vastness of the bookish community online! It's amazing to see hundreds of people (800+ in April 2014) sign up and to know that you're all READING together, celebrating books on one glorious day! 

In short, it's just plain fun. If you've never participated before, we recommend jumping into the fray at least once to get your feet wet and see what it's all about. We guarantee you'll get some great reading done and you might even meet a ton of new people on Twitter or out and about by visiting some new-to-you blogs. 

Book Expo America (BEA) - Heaven for Book Lovers

My name is Sheila and I blog at Book Journey since June of 2009. When I started my blog, I barely knew it was a blog (I thought I was just putting my reviews on line like a journal) so as you can imagine, I certainly did not have a clue about the Book Expo.

It was not until the following February of 2010 that I first heard of BEA. It was someone on Twitter, mentioning they would be attending and I quickly Googled the Expo to see what it was all about. Good Lord….. How had I never heard of this before? At this point in my life I had never traveled alone on a plane or traveled out of state on my own, but I knew one thing for sure… I was going to go to this thing called Book Expo of America and I would do whatever it took to make it happen. June 2010 was my first year attending the Expo and I have attended every year since.

If you are attending I am giving you this link (a key really… a shiny shiny key) to this post I wrote last year called The Unauthorized Guide to BEA.  This is what I have learned in my years of attending and I am more than happy to help out those who are new. If I had only known then what I know now….

Here are a few highlights of that post that may assist you in your AMAZING BEA ADVENTURE (insert echo here) J

Dress – you are representing your blog, your little online corner of the world. Look the part. I suggest business casual – girl’s nice Capri’s and shirt, skirts, or pants. Guys, nice jeans or Dockers style pants and a nice shirt. Comfy shoes are a must. You will walk a zillion miles a day. Well…. It will feel like a zillion.

Food – while at the expo, a few food items are offered there but choices are limited and expensive. Do yourself a favor and walk outside to one of the nearby café’s or restaurants. The fresh air will do you good. 

Channel the greed – first timers…. Oh wow…. Even for me it is still crazy that you are at this amazing place where the books are free and it is easy to get carried away and grab and grab and grab…. STOP! Follow a few rules of thumb for your own reputation, your own sanity, and your pocket book as you do need to ship your books home.

1. Is this a book that you plan to review? 
2. Are you excited or curious to read this book? 
3. Do you have the ability to read this book in a reasonable time frame? 

If the answer to any of these questions is a toe shuffling and a mumbled “no,” then maybe you should pass on the book. Book Bloggers (and I have seen some live up to this) can easily have a reputation of being “book grabbers and rude” and I cringe at the thought. Help give us a good name. Be selective and say “thank you.”

Please read my post for information on shipping (I have great tips on this), saving money on food, and other extras of the expo. Oh and if you are going, be sure and say hi…. One awesome thing I have discovered about Book Bloggers, we are just as we are on line….. real and fun!

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Be sure to check out the official website for Book Expo America here!  And, for those unable to attend, you can always try out the Armchair BEA version, which parallels the NYC event.

Mark Your Calendars: Armchair BEA

What is Armchair BEA?

Armchair BEA is the online event that runs parallel to Book Expo America and the BEA Bloggers Conference located in New York City.  It began in 2010 on the spur of the moment when a number of bloggers were envious of not being able to attend the largest book event in the United States.  It has grown and expanded over the years, and will be celebrating its fifth year of existence later this month!

To be more specific, here is our full mission statement . . . Armchair BEA is the experience for book bloggers to participate in Book Expo America (BEA) from the comfort of their homes. This experience is created lovingly by book bloggers specifically for our peers who for whatever reason are not able to participate in the main conference in New York each year. We bring publishers, authors, and bloggers together in celebrating our love for all things literary by hosting celebrations such as sneak peeks, daily discussion topics, and sponsored giveaways.

When is Armchair BEA?

The dates for 2014 are May 26-31.

Who is behind Armchair BEA?

Armchair BEA is run on a volunteer basis, with the team expanding each year.  You can view the current team in full on the Armchair BEA Contact Page.

Where do I find Armchair BEA?

Website:  http://www.armchairbea.com/ 
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/armchairbea?bookmark_t=page
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/armchairbea
Google+:  https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/116272531770106740848
Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/armchairbea/
Instagram:  http://instagram.com/armchairbea
Email:  armchairbea (at) gmail (dot) com

Why would I want to participate in Armchair BEA?

Because it is a blast!!  If you are looking for more specifics, I can give you a number of them . . .

1)  It's a great way to network with fellow bloggers!  With one of our daily discussion topics centered around genres and formats, you can easily find other bloggers out there that have similar interests and tastes as you.  It also helps that we have hundreds of participants.  In 2013, we had 500+ bloggers alone chatting blogging and books throughout the week!

2)  In past years, we have had hundreds of giveaways of both new releases featured at BEA as well as past titles.  It's a great way to get in on a little of the book action that is taking place in NYC.

3)  It's a place to hear what other bloggers are doing both in the blogosphere as well as outside, thanks to blogging and their love for reading.  It's an opportune time to expand your own blog and get those creative juices flowing.

I could go on, but I won't!  The point is that Armchair BEA is a great event to chat about books and blogging, become informed and motivated, connect with bloggers, authors, and publishers, and simply have fun!

How can I get involved?

There are so many ways to get involved in Armchair BEA, it can often feel overwhelming.  The key to remember in making the week successful for you is to participate as little or as much as you have time for.  It really is what you make of it!  

Here is a little peek at the important links to take note of . . .

Registration:  Registration is open, so be sure to click on over and get your name on our list!  As a registered participant, you will appear on our full list of participants as well as become eligible for our giveaways that are offered throughout the week.

Giveaways:  We have already received a number of sponsored giveaways that will be available throughout the week via linking up to our daily discussion topics, participating in our twitter parties, joining our commenting team, and sharing photos through our Instagram Challenge.  We will even have some special featured giveaways announced during the week of the event.  (If you are author, publicist, or publisher, I encourage you to consider becoming a sponsor as well!)

Cheerleader Volunteer:  We are still in the midst of recruiting cheerleading volunteers to ensure that all participants receive a little commenting love on discussion topics.  The more help we have, the merrier!  

2014 Agenda:  The agenda was recently announced and I am personally very excited about our daily topics this year.  There is so much awesome potential and I cannot wait to read what everyone has to say about the topics!

This is just a snippet!  Be watching the website for more information to come soon, including the announcement of the Twitter parties, our introduction questions, and the Instagram Challenge!

I look forward to armchairing with you in 2014!

Mark Your Calendars: Bout of Books

What is Bout of Books? 

Bout of Books is week-long read-a-thon, which means everyone spends an entire week reading as much as they can. With friends. Because the only thing better than reading is reading with friends. 

When is Bout of Books? 

The next Bout of Books is May 12-18. (Next week!) 

We have three Bout of Books every year: the first full week in January, the second full week in May, and the third full week in August. You can find the specific dates on our about page. 

Occasionally, we have Twitter chats between each read-a-thon, but those dates aren’t set. We always announce the dates on the blog, though, so if you want to join us for those, make sure you’re subscribed. 

Who is the Bout of Books team? 

The Bout of Books team consists of me (Amanda @ On a Book Bender) and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. I created Bout of Books in August 2011, and when it grew so large it was too much for me to handle, I dragged Kelly into the process. She has yet to thank me. 

We also have challenge hosts and Bout of Books experts (kind of like cheerleaders who can also assist you with questions), but they change from read-a-thon to read-a-thon. We like having new faces and blogs. 

Where do I find Bout of Books? 

Website: http://boutofbooks.blogspot.com/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/boutofbooks 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bout-of-Books/556162917743173 
Email: boutofbooks (at) gmail (dot) com 

If you have questions, we highly suggest emailing us. Tweet (not DM) us if you can fit your question into 140 characters. Those are the best ways to contact us! 

Why would I want to participate? 

We have FUN, you get to read books, and you meet new people. The last read-a-thon had more than 700 people, so you’re bound to find a new friend or ten. 

But don’t just take it from me… here’s what other #boutofbooks-ers have said about why YOU should participate in Bout of Books:

A8; If you want a true sense of community, a large bout of support and just oodles of fun, then you should do #boutofbooks !
— Faye (@daydreamin_star) November 2, 2013

https://twitter.com/daydreamin_star/status/396663563554549760

A8 - Because you will meet SO MANY PEOPLE who are amazing and love BOOKS! And people who love books should stick together. #boutofbooks
— Lindsay Church (@lindsaychurch) May 16, 2013

https://twitter.com/lindsaychurch/status/334849643462660097

A8. Because it is so dang fun and you'll meet some awesome bookish friends! #boutofbooks
— Dana Catherine (@littlelovelybks) May 16, 2013

https://twitter.com/littlelovelybks/status/334849676744470528 

How can I get involved? 

Join the read-a-thon:

It’s super easy! 

1. Blog, tweet, booktube, Facebook, Google Plus -- whatever you want to use to update -- your intentions to join us. This helps us spread the word. 
2. Grab the link to your update and add it to our linky. 
3. Read! 

Join our Twitter chats: 

We host three parties during each read-a-thon and usually one in between. You’re always welcome to join! Here’s what you can expect next week: 

Monday the 12th: 1:00pm CDT 
Wednesday the 14th: 8:00pm CDT 
Saturday the 17th: 10:00am CDT 

Be a challenge host: 

We post a form on our blog a month in advance of the read-a-thon to ask for challenge hosts. It’s too late to sign up for the May read-a-thon, but the August one is all YOU. You get to host a challenge for 24 hours and we send approximately 700 readers to your blog for fun and games.  
Be a Bout of Books expert: 

Once you’ve participated in three (or more) Bout of Books read-a-thons, you can be an expert. Which basically just means you’re our official Bout of Books love spreaderers. You also help us answer questions on Twitter. 

Like the challenge hosts, we put out a call for experts about a month before the read-a-thon. Watch our blog in July for more information. 

Kelly and I look forward to seeing you there!

Blogging NaNoWriMo

We're only about 3 weeks away from National Novel Writing Month, more popularly known as NaNoWriMo. If you've never heard of NaNoWriMo, it's where people from around the world try their hand at completing a novel (at least 50,000 words) in 30 days or less during the month of November. It's crazy and tons of fun. You can chat with other NaNos on Twitter using the hashtag #nanowrimo, meet up with fellow NaNos in your area for write-ins, race in "word wars" with other NaNos to boost your word count, follow writing prompts if you're stuck, and read excellent "pep talk" essays by established authors. I've participated in NaNoWriMo for the past two years and highly recommend it to anyone who's thought about writing a novel, because there's so much support available that you won't get during the rest of the year. Plus, it's a freaking blast.

But. What if you don't want to write a novel, but still want to get your writing on? You could turn NaNoWriMo into NaBloPoMo, or National Blog Posting Month, by challenging yourself to post to your blog every day in November.

Sound crazy? Worried about how you'll think of a topic every day? Don't be intimidated. BlogHer hosts a NaBloPoMo every month of the year (including November) with writing prompts and themed topics. You can also use one of the many random topic generators found on the interwebs, including the three I recommended in Tips for Dealing with Blogging Block.

If blogging every day of the month sounds intimidating, just imagine how the people about to write a novel in a month feel! It is overwhelming and sounds nearly impossible, but that's the point: to challenge yourself to something you're not sure you can do. Whether you succeed or not, you'll have fun and learn a lot about yourself along the way.

Are you participating or have participated in either NaNoWriMo or NaBloPoMo? Let us know in the comments!

Bloggiesta Challenge: Book Blogging Heroes

Bloggiesta has arrived and the team here at Book Bloggers International is joining in the challenge fun! What is Bloggiesta, you might be asking? It’s a blogging fiesta! where bloggers get together for the weekend to work on their blogs, eat Mexican food, and wear sombreros (sombreros optional). If you want to join in—and you know you do—just visit the Bloggiesta site for more info and to sign up.

Now onto the challenge...

One of the best ways to help in building an audience for your own blog is to network with other bloggers, whether it may be in commenting on other blogs or interacting via social media.

Book Bloggers International also brings those connections to you, highlighting book bloggers around the world in one general location. Every Tuesday and Thursday, we highlight a different blogger, either through a set of interview questions or through a guest post. We also bring you different blogging tips once a week to help bring you resources that can assist you in your blogging world.

For this challenge, we want to focus on this networking. And because networking can occur in a variety of ways, we have a couple of options for you for the challenge . . .

Option 1: Using our tag cloud on the right OR the Bloggiesta participant list, find three (3) bloggers that are new to you and comment on their blogs. When you have completed the challenge, come back here and let us know who the three (3) lucky bloggers were in the comments section. If you choose to write a post about your new blogger friends, then feel free to link up in the linky below.

Option 2: Write a post featuring a blogger that has influenced or impacted you in your own blogging. Share with your readers how they have influenced you and don’t forget to let them know that you have chosen them. When you have completed the challenge, come back here and leave us the direct link in the linky below.

Choose one option or the other OR do both! The point is to network and help spread the blogging love. 

If you want to get in on the action here at Book Bloggers International, we are currently accepting feature submissions. Simply visit How To Be Featured and we will be in contact with you soon!

Bloggiesta is Coming!!!!

Many of you may be familiar with Bloggiesta, but probably not all of you.  If you are looking for an event to better your book blog, this is one event that is filled with TONS of resources that you can refer to over and over again, so there is no way that we can exclude it from our blogging resources here at BBI!  Let's break it down into three easy parts . . .

What is Bloggiesta?

Bloggiesta is a 3-day weekend devoted to ultimately improving your blog.  It includes resources from bloggers from around the community sharing information on social media, tips on blog technicalities, planning and scheduling, and ultimately, being a better blogger in general.  This is a very quick explanation, so I recommend that you click on over to their About page for more information.

When is the next big day for Bloggiesta?

The amazing organizers behind this event have changed things up and have provided bloggers with resources on a more regular basis.  They are now doing monthly Twitter chats and bi-annual mini-bloggiestas, as well as the original big events twice a year.  Mark your calendars now for the remaining 2013 dates . . .

Friday, June 21:  Twitter Chat (That's this Friday!!!)

Saturday, July 20 - Sunday, July 21:  Mini Bloggiesta

Saturday, August 17:  Twitter Chat

Friday, September 20-Sunday, September 22:  Main Bloggiesta

Friday, October 18:  Twitter Chat

Saturday, November 16:  Twitter Chat

Friday, December 20:  Twitter Chat

For more information on the schedule, including times of the Twitter chats, refer to Future Bloggiesta Chats!

What are the specific resources shared during this event?

Every event has new challenges that you can take part in that reflect the latest trends, but don't forget to check out the past resources shared throughout the years that this event has been in place.  Click here for the FULL list of all challenges, organized by topic for easier navigation!

Did you mark your calendars?  Will you be joining in on the upcoming chats and bloggiesta celebrations?  And, for those who have previously participated, what have been your favorite parts about the event?

Armchair BEA: All You Need to Know!

Today I am here at Book Bloggers International wearing two hats: one as a co-author for this very site and one as a co-founder of Armchair BEA! I am excited to share with you just a few details about the latter, one of the largest book blogger events around!

Design credit: Nina of Nina Reads

What is Armchair BEA? 

Armchair BEA is an online event that is currently celebrating its fourth year! It runs simultaneously and in partnership with Book Expo America, one of the largest book-ish events in the world! Throughout the week, the Armchair BEA team brings you daily discussion topics, an opportunity to interact and network with other book bloggers, authors, and publishers, views of the big event itself, and lots and lots of giveaways! For more information, you can also check out the NEW FAQ page!

When is Armchair BEA? 

Mark your calendars for Monday, May 27 – Sunday, June 2! The official schedule will be published very soon!

Who is the Armchair BEA team? 

Armchair BEA is a HUGE event, so our team continues to grow every year. Let me introduce you to the 2013 team . . .

Chris of Chrisbookarama (@chrisbookarama)

Danielle of There's a Book (@the1stdaughter)

Emily of Emily's Reading Room (@emsreadingroom)

Florinda of The 3 R's Blog (@florinda_3rs)

Jasmine of the bookish mama (@jasmine_marie)

Pam of Bookalicious (@bookaliciouspam)

Tif of Tif Talks Books (@tiftalksbooks)

International Liaisons 

Christa of More Than Just Magic (@ChristasBooks)

Sel of Bookcase to Heaven (@selselxu)

Commenting Committee Chairs

Becca of Lost in Books (@imlostinbooks)

Lisa of Lisa's World of Books (@LMM831)

Tanya of Girlxoxo (@iateapie)

Where do I find Armchair BEA? 

Website: www.armchairbea.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/armchairbea

Facebook: www.facebook.com/armchairbea

Email: armchairbea (at) gmail (dot) com

Why would I want to participate? 

Last year, we had more than 600 participants! It is a great opportunity to not only get some great information on what is hot and what is coming in the book world, but it provides you a great network of other book bloggers from all around the world. From the daily discussions to the giveaway loot and lively twitter chats, there is something available for everyone! And, you choose your level of participation!

How can I get involved?

You can get involved in a variety of ways! Let me list the ways . . .

Registration: Registration opened earlier this week, so click on over and get registered for the event! Grab one of our buttons, help us spread the word, then prepare to participate as little or as much as you would like during the week!

Commenting Volunteer: Our team likes to ensure that all participants get visitors and traffic during the week, so we have a commenting committee that is specifically assigned blogs to comment on throughout the week. If you love to meet new people and visit lots of blogs, then becoming a commenting volunteer is for you!  (Sign-ups open Thursday, April 18!)

Sponsorship: If you are a book blogger attending BEA or are an author or publisher, then you can become one of our sponsors! As a sponsor, you receive special publicity through our website and social media platforms. (We also have participant-hosted giveaways throughout the week for those involved directly in Armchair BEA.)

Twitter Parties: The twitter parties are always some of our biggest events! We talk about all things literary multiple times throughout the week. Specific dates and times will be announced in the near future!

Armchair BEA is quickly approaching! Will you be joining us? Do you have any questions? Comment and let me know. You are also welcome to contact me directly at tiftalksbooks (at) gmail (dot) com or the Armchair team at armchairbea (at) gmail (dot) com.