Discussion: Help me think blog please.

Fellow bloggers and readers, I need your opinion please.

I went for three fantastic weeks on holiday in the US (yes fellow US bloggers I love your country) with my family. Three weeks visiting gorgeous national parks, hiking, horse riding, rafting and ….reading!

I had very little blogging activity these weeks and it helped me ponder and think about what I want to do with my blog.

I sorted thoughts and took some distance to clear my head and answer some fundamental questions: what do I love most about blogging?

I came back with many ideas and I’d like to ask your opinion about them. Obviously if I’m blogging it is to share what I love and interact with YOU othe bookjunkies 🙂 So it’s only fair to ask your thoughts about what I’d like to try. Try being the key word as I don’t want to be under too much pressure and lose my love for blogging. This is a hobby and if I want to do my best (overachiever seometimes) it must stay fun!

I confess between managing two teams at work, commuting 4 hours every day, raising two teenager (my son turned 18 this week!!!), taking care of my cutie of a dog and… well every working mom/dad knows what I mean.

First things first: what do I love and what am I looking for in other blogs? This will be my starting point.

I love:

–Reading (obviously);

–Reviewing

I want to share my love, my “coup de coeur” (crush?) for a book that made me forget the harsh world or immersed me in its reality, characters, plot. Loving is sharing!

–Helping authors to be better known.

I do beta reads from time to time and I know all the work, sweat and blood writers put in their babies. I have the utmost respect and admiration for their work and I think that my role as a blogger is to help spread the word and reward their hard work.

–Interviewing authors.

I’m fascinated with the writing process. I always wonder how their mind work, what inspire them these stories and if they sometimes want to kick the “behind” of their characters 😀  I’m chatty and love speaking with them. It’s always an honor to interview an author I love.

–Writing topics about books, blogging, reading, the litterary industry,…

These posts take many, many hours as I try to explain my thoughts without annoying you! I try to be funny (I hope) and yet spot on the subject.

–Meme, tags and awards even if I would do more but have not enough time.

–Following other bloggers and reading their posts.

I’ve discovered fantastic, creative, interesting and generous people among the blogging community. I love the “home feel” blogs. Blogs with contents, discussion, passion, rant, reviews, beautiful graphics… Blogs with a soul! I’m not overtly fan of blogs only promoting books with launch, blitz and reviews. I want the “wole package”: promoting, creativity and interaction with the blogging community!

The blogs I follow all are respectful to other bloggers and writers. This is very important to me! No need to go at war with others just keep cool and read on 😉

–Organizing giveaways.

I love making other people happy! I love giving books and if I can help an author (debut author maybe) being better known it’s all better.

–Being creative and making bookstagrams, teasers and graphics.

After writing this “I love” list, here I come with some “resolutions” or things I’d like to do depending on the time I can spare to blog. I would very, very much to have your opinion about these ideas (Yes or no? Important or not? Good or bad idea? …)

List of ideas => need your opinion

  Interact and play more with other bloggers.

Featuring other bloggers => YES or NO?

I think Shanah’s idea (The Bionic Book Worm go visit her blog she is just fantastic) to feature other bloggers is amazing. I want to praise other bloggers, maybe beginners too as we all know how hard it is not to “shout in the desert” when you begin blogging. To remain realistic I think I should be able to do this once or twice a month (again not too much pressure).

Collaborative posts => YES or NO?

I’ve done one collaborative post so far about our favorite heroines but I would love doing it again. It could be about our “book boyfriends” or about “our favorite YA authors” or about “two advices for beginners bloggers” or “ideas to manage the pressure of blogging” or …

If you’d like to participate just tell me! If you have ideas just tell me too! It won’t happen tomorrow as it takes time for everyone to be ready but I promise we’ll get there as soon as possible.

Meme, tags and awards => YES or NO?

Do you read them? Do you like to participate? Would you be ready to do one of my creations (I don’t know what yet but I have some ideas)?

I want to keep doing “Standalone Sunday” ; Calendar Girls by Flaviathebibliophile and MNBernardbooks; Top 5 Tuesday by Shanah at The Bionic Bookworm and see if I can do some others. Plus create one of my own ;-).

Reading, reviewing, beta reading, interviews, promoting authors, etc.

Reading and reviewing is of course MANDATORY!

Now do you read the reviews?

It also means that I will take some days “off” from blogging. So don’t be surprised if for one or two days my interactions will be non existant or nearly. It means either that I’m drowned into work (yes that happens) either that “I’m reading”. I promise to be back and comment as soon as possible.

Beta reading asks several days so please don’t be angry with me for my “time out”.

Promoting authors: launch, release blitz, etc. => YES or NO?

I try not to drown you in release blitz, launch etc. posts. I want to have one a day, sometimes two a day and then none for one or two days. The reason is simple: too much in my mailbox from other blogs and I’m fed up, don’t read them anymore. Now if you want tons of launches just tell me!

I do prefer promoting authors through reviews, giveaways and interviews.

What’s your favored promoting mean?

Interviews => YES or NO?

I love interviewing authors but maybe you’re not fans of my interviews? Or you’d like other authors to be interviewed? Do you have suggestions, requests, etc?

They don’t always accept and I ask authors I love. I want to “know my topic” and have personalized questions.

Giveaways => I think this will be a no brainer 😀

Who does not want to win right?

What I plan to do: once a month I will keep participating inthe Giveaway Hop organized by Lonna at Flylef. It will happen on the blog self and will be a book of choice.

I plan on organizing an ebook giveaway once a week (probably Friday) on my FB page and Blog. I will select some recent books and will draw at random (I use either random.org either Rafflecopter by the way) one winner. I will add participants on my FB page to these on the blog (you’re entered twice if you play on FB and WP).

When I can have signed paperback I will offer them in a giveaway. As I’m living in Europe and I’m often frustrated with the “US Only” I will try to open it internationally if my budget allows it.

Being creative

Discussion posts => YES or NO?

Do you like reading about my discussions or listicles? What would you like discussing about? Any ideas? I try to come with these posts twice a month depending again on my free time.

Do you like them with or without graphics (it takes a lot of time to make/find them)? Short or whatever? Other suggestions?

Graphics, teasers, pictures etc. Important? => YES or NO?

I love creating graphics and teasers. I love bookstagrams but it takes time. Anyway this is one of my favorite parts of blogging as I’m a very visual person. I used to draw and paint when I was younger. It’s kinda “back to the roots”. But do you love them? Do you find them important? What kind do you like?

Mini Me Pick => YES or NO?

I get this idea from Wendy at Birdie Bookworm. She features some of her daughter’s choices in books and I found this idea fantastic! Well Wendy is a genius blogger so go visit her site as she has promoting, discussions, reviews, ideas… everything that I’m looking for!

What I’d like to do is once a month (more if we have time) feature a book chosen by my daughter. She is sixteen now and an avid reader. I will illustrate with a bookstagram of course! The cover may change from the original cover as you’ll get the book in French! Some culture on this blog 😀  Don’t be afraid all the comments will be in English. She will give you the reason for her choice. If you have kids you could always recommend the book. Or if you have liked it I’d be interested in your opinion. The same if you did not like it.

Pfew I think this is all. Ambitious certainly and I’ll see what I will do without having too much pressure and based on your feedback.

If you have other ideas, just tell me!

Now I did not speak about them in this post but I follow these blogs: Geybie’sbookblog, Book Princess Review, YA and Wine, Ramona’s Read With Love,  Red Hot Ink, Bobo’s Book Bank, Darque Dreamer, Daydreaming Books, Mia The Book Addict, Susan Loves Books, Book Bastion ….among others!

Anyway a huge thank you for reading this loooong post.