First off: Just a reminder (you’ll be getting a lot of these in the next week), that the Cybils are coming! The nominations for the various categories — from non-fiction picture books through to YA fiction — will be open on October 1st. Anyone can nominate one book in any (or all!) categories, so start thinking about the books you’ve loved this year. I know I’ve got a list forming (first choices and backups, in case my first choices are already taken…) in my head (and on a few pieces of paper).
While you’re at it, don’t forget to pick up some Cybils bling — I’m determined to pick up at least a T-shirt before October, and…
the Kitlit Conference!
I’m SO excited to be going this year; I’ve wanted to go since it was started, and — bad economy and all — the stars have aligned in such a way that I’m able to go, meet, learn and enjoy!
Which brings me to what I need from you (hopefully, you’ve made it through until this point)! Pam has asked me (eek!) and several other awesome bloggers (I feel like an imposter!) to throw together a panel on issues in book blogging and reviewing. It’ll be a bit of a Q&A — we hope (I don’t know, maybe we’ll all just get up there and blather a bit about how wonderful the kidlitosphere is or something) — and we’re soliciting Qs beforehand (so we have some time to think about the As). So… what do you want to know? Any issues that you want to addressed? Any ideas/processes you want me to spill the beans about? Any tips you want me to pass along? Any thoughts? (Bueller? Bueller?) (OK. I did just date myself.)
C’mon, people: I’m begging here!
(And, yes, I know you can’t all come — so sad about that, too! — but I WILL blog about this afterward, so you’ll get your As. I promise.)
The Book Nut 
I'm extremely jealous and also extremely drawing a blank. I guess I'd ask questions about reviews – do you go based on some objective criteria (writing, structure, etc) or all subjective (it affected me, I liked the story). Can you give it a rating? If you don't, do you ever pay attention to other people's ratings? (I guess Shannon Hale's post is still influencing me.)
All this is sounding very befuddled when I try to spit it out.
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Okay, here's what I'd want to know:
How can I get people to comment on my blog?
Or link to my blog?
Or notice I have a blog?
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Of course, all of my questions hinge on the blogger/publicist relationship.
I would be interested in hearing from the panel their positive/negative experiences when being approached by a publicist or industry representative.
Have you been the subject of a bad pitch? (a general email was sent to you, wrong name used in an email, you feel they haven't read through your content)
Have there been a favorite approach that someone has used when offering you a review title?
Fill in the blank: 'If a publicist ___________________, I would refuse to work with them again.'
How about this one: 'I wish publicists _____________________.'
What would you like publicists/industry reps to know about you as individuals rather than the general identity of 'book bloggers'?
I am always full of questions (I'm usually the person badgering tour guides with my queries) so I may have more, but I hope this helps! I hope you have so much fun in DC!
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Would it be possible to encourage the bloggers to post the title, author and date of publication at the top of each review…it would be very helpful to me.
TKS
Penny
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