Posts Tagged ‘bloggiesta’
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Bloggiesta Finishing Line
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Well, I started with such enthusiasm, but life just got in the way and I didn’t get much further than the point I was up to at my first (and only) Bloggiesta update. Oh well. I’ll keep working on my list over the next month or so and try to work through the links to the challenges and past challenges.
Bloggiesta did get me thinking about exactly what changes I want to make to my blog and thinking through a rough plan for improvements, so I feel like I have achieved something. Now that I have a better idea of what I want to achieve, it should be easier to actually achieve it. Right?
So, the sun slowly sets on another excellent Bloggiesta, but the spirit of blog renovations and improvement will live on.
See you at the next Blog fiesta!
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Bloggiesta Update #1
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I’m feeling quite proud of my Bloggiesta achievements so far.
Mini-challenge at My Friend Amy – Blogging Goals
Earlier this month, I actually posted about my blogging goals for 2011, so I’ve got a head start on this challenge. I really liked Amy’s reminder about writing the kind of blog I like to read. I also like Amy’s timeline for her blogging goals, so I’ll do the same.
Main Goal #1: Write a blog I’d like to read – chatty, clever, amusing, interesting
Main Goal #2: Be more involved with the blogging community – visit blogs and leave comments.
By March: Chat with my new blogging and writing buddies (found after I posted my blogging goals in early January). Discuss ways we can support and encourage each other.
By April: Have a posting schedule in place including taking part in some regular blog memes.
Mini-challenge at Word Lily – 10 Things Bloggers Should Not Do!
My ratings for the 10 points (1 = bad, 5 = good)
- Don’t Expect Results Overnight – 5/5
- Don’t Ignore Your Readers – 3.5/5
- Don’t Scrape Other Blogger’s Content – 5/5
- Don’t Expect Success without Promoting – 4/5
- Don’t Copy Other Bloggers – 4/5
- Don’t Fail to Update Your Blog Regularly – 2/5
- Don’t Ignore SEO – 3/5
- Don’t Ignore Networking – 3/5
- Don’t Have an Unreadable Site – 4/5
- Don’t Throw Mud – 5/5
My total score is 38.5/50. I’ve probably been too positive with my marks, but I’ve started making improvements in a few areas already this year so I’m feeling generous.
I’ve been posting more regularly and I have been putting more effort into networking and connecting with the blogging and writing community via Facebook, Twitter, visiting blogs and participating in blogging networks like Aussie Mummy Bloggers and Blog This. I’ve got my ticket booked for the Aussie Bloggers Conference in Sydney in March as well and I’m looking forward to meeting many of the bloggers I regularly chat with online and finding ways of networking more effectively with them.
Mini-Challenge at Teach Mentor Texts – Using Mr Linky/Linky Tools
I’ve used Mr Linky and Linky Tools before so this challenge is another tick. I used Linky Tools earlier this month to create a place for other bloggers to link to the 2011 Reading Challenge update posts.
Updates from my Blogging To Do List
- Updated blog menu bar to include a drop down menu in some sections, a new TBR page and some new categories, which I am planning to post articles in soon.
- Posted a ‘Books I’ve Read in 2011’ list that I will update through the year so that I can see just how many books I manage to read this year.
That’s probably enough for this update. Time to get back to work!
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Bloggiesta – Let the Festivities Begin
1The 3-day blog makeover marathon that is Bloggiesta has begun. Hosted by Natasha at Maw Books, Bloggiesta is all about doing some blog housekeeping and minor renovations – an opportunity to cross some blog maintenance jobs off the to do list.
I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to devote to Bloggiesta over the next few days, but I do have several jobs I want to take care of here at Reading Upside Down, so I’m going to try to take this opportunity to Get Things Done. That’s right, I’ve pulled out the capitals again, so I’m obviously taking this seriously.
My Blogging To Do List
- Update my ‘About’ page
- Write and schedule 5 book reviews
- Write 5 draft posts
- Create TBR page
- Organise categories and tags
- Create a gravatar & favicon
- Write review policy
- Create Twitter and Facebook landing page
- Update Challenges lists
- Update old book reviews with new post format
- Make blog tech to do list for tech guru
- Create a blogging buddy plan
- Update GoodReads
- Update Book Collector database
- Organise Book Depository affiliate link
I’ll probably add a few more as I progress through the weekend. Hopefully I will be able to cross at least some of these off the list by the time Bloggiesta is over.
If you want to join in the Bloggiesta fun, it isn’t too late. Visit the Bloggiesta Start page at Maw Books to sign up. You can follow @Bloggiesta on twitter, or simply keep track of the #bloggiesta hashtag to follow the conversation.
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Bloggiesta Finish Line
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Well, it’s been an interesting weekend. There have been quite a few distractions over the past 48 or so hours and I haven’t had the time to do as many things as I would like to, but I’ve had lots of fun at the Bloggiesta and have put in almost 10 hours since 8pm Friday night.
I won’t repeat my To Do list here, since I didn’t manage to achieve many of the things on the list. Instead, in the interest of thinking positive, I will list what I did achieve:
I completed several mini-challenges hosted by some great book bloggers:
- Wrote an opinion post to be published at a later date (Beth @ Beth Fish Reads)
- Approached two other book bloggers about becoming book blog buddies (Amy @ My Friend Amy)
- Wrote my book blog elevator pitch (Deborah @ Books, Movies and Chinese Food)
- Revised my anchor text skills (Michelle @ GalleySmith)
- Checked that I had Google Alerts in place (Emily @ Emily’s Reading Room)
I have partly completed other challenges and will be trying to complete them all over the course of this week.
Other tasks I accomplished:
- Organised my books waiting for review
- Updated my Good Reads account – added books, tags and reviews
- Updated my book review spreadsheet
I’ve also come away from the Bloggiesta with some great ideas for improvements and additions to my blog to implement in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned.
Well, it’s getting late and I’m all partied out. Thanks to everyone who participated this weekend, I’ve had a great time visiting other blogs and I’ve picked up some great tips to improve my own blog. Special thanks to Natasha at Maw Books, who inspired us all this weekend.
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Spreading the Comment Love
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There are so many great book blogs out there – I love visiting blogs by other readers not only to pick up the titles of some great new and classic books, but also to join in the chat about book-related topics. There really is a sense of community and I have enjoyed slowly becoming a part of the existing book blogger circle of friends.
Inspired by the Bloggiesta mini-challenge organised by Jill of Fizzy Thoughts, I’ve tried to visit some new blogs and stretch my book blog wings even further. The Bloggiesta really has created a kind of party atmosphere and visiting the other blogs has felt a little bit like mingling at a party meeting other guests.
In the interest of sharing some of my great new blog finds with others, here are the Bloggiesta guests I’ve chatted with today:
- Louise at Lous_Pages
- Wendy at CaribousMom
- Kristin at KCBooks
- Cindy at Cindy’s Love of Books
- Drea at Book Blather
- Jenn at Jenn’s Bookshelf
- Marg at Reading Adventures
- Undine at Upside Down Duck
- Jackie at The Orange Room
- Amy at Haiku Amy
- Liyana at LiyanaLand
Did you discover any great new blogs this weekend during the Bloggiesta festivities? What was your favourite?
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The Bloggiesta has Begun!
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I know that technically I should have started my personal Bloggiesta this morning at 8am, but it’s a bit hard to get in the mood when no-one else will arrive at the party for another 12 hours.
So, to help me feel a little less stranded at the bottom of the globe, I have started my Bloggiesta at 8pm Australian EST and will run through until 8pm Sunday night. Still not quite in synch with everyone else, but much better than it could be.
I’ve already listed my Bloggiesta goals when I signed up, so now all I have to do is overcome my time management hurdles for the weekend (family birthday lunch tomorrow, possible guests for dinner tomorrow night, church Sunday morning) and get stuck in to getting this blog into tip top shape.
I’m really excited about the mini-challenges that Natasha has lined up at different book blogs. I really do function better when given a specific task and deadline, so I’m hoping for some great progress this weekend.
I love that the Bloggiesta mascot has a name now too – PEDRO will remind us to Plan, Edit, Develop, Review and Organise.
So, I’m already over an hour into the Bloggiesta and I’m ready to get started (well, I will be as soon as I go and make myself a cup of tea). I notice that a few of the mini-challenges have already been posted, so I’m off to try to get a head-start.
Wish me luck!
Please add a comment if you have any suggestions about ways I can improve Reading Upside Down or just say Hi!
PS If you want more details about signing up to take part in Bloggiesta yourself, visit Natasha at Maw Books for all the details.
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Disorganised Book Blog? Come join the Bloggiesta!
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The fact that it has taken me three days to write this post is perhaps a sign of just how much I need to join in the work on-your-blog-and-stop-procrastinating Bloggiesta this weekend.
Inspired and hosted by Natasha at Maw Books, the Bloggiesta challenges book bloggers to catch up on their blog maintenance and other housekeeping tasks between 8am Friday 19th June and 8am Sunday 21st June. Full details of the challenge including how to sign up can be found here.
So, in the interest of public accountability, here is my Bloggiesta To Do List:
- Catch up on outstanding book reviews (namely the pile of books sitting next to my desk)
- Create an author index list for all my reviews
- Create a title index list for all my reviews
- Update my GoodReads reviews and links
- Update my blog roll
- Update my book review spreadsheet
- Update the About Us and Contact info
- Write a review policy
- Catch up on outstanding emails to publishers/authors
- Update tags
Since we actually have a family birthday to celebrate on the 20th, that list is probably more than long enough to keep me busy in what little free time I will have during the 48 hours of the challenge, but I am looking forward to the possibility of a deadline breaking me out of my current procrastination.
Bring on the Bloggiesta!
