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Introducing BookBlogWriMo!

Posted 17 October, 2014 in Features / 167 Comments

So who else has ever watched your favorite authors participate in NaNoWriMo and thought, “That sounds like fun! If I could write a novel…which I probably can’t.” I mean, I’m trying. But there’s no possibility that I, Brittany, could have a finished draft of a book 45-ish days from today.

However, one thing I totally could do is blog more. I post a lot, but I’m trying to post more original content instead of cover reviews and release day launches. I like writing blog posts, and want to do more of it.

That’s how I got to #BookBlogWriMo.

What is #BookBlogWriMo?

Basically, it’s a lax version of NaNoWriMo for book bloggers. I created prompts for each day, discussing different topics around books, blogging, and books + blogging.

There’s no word count requirement, no daily writing requirement, very little requirements in general. Just post the posts on the day they should be posted!

Your answers to the prompts can be as short or long as you like. I know that even though I came up with the topics, I know I’m not going to have a lot to say for some of them. Those posts will probably be a measly 250 words. Other days have topics I’m really passionate about, and those might end up being 1,000+ words.

You can also write them whenever you want to. Hell, I’ve already started outlining some since I know November is going to be a busy month. You can write seven posts each Saturday. Hell, you can write all 30 posts tomorrow. As long as they’re posted on the right day, it’s all good.

How Does It Work?

I have a link up at the bottom of this post. The first thing you do is post an announcement that you’re participating in #BookBlogWriMo. Say what you want. Call me stupid. Call me crazy. Share your favorite breakfast foods. Add that post’s URL to the link up.

But make sure you include the #BookBlogWriMo schedule using the embed code below. Then, grow to love this post. Because every time you publish a new BookBlogWriMo post, you’re going to add a link to this post you love so much.

Just a bulleted list is all good. This is just to make it easy for other participants to find all of your posts.

Note: I’m also going to create a Facebook event or group for us to chat, and we may do some Twitter chats. Sign up for my email list for bloggers here to find out about this stuff first!

Schedule

#BookBlogWriMo Schedule

Embed Code to Copy and Paste in Your Post:

 Week 1

  • 11/1 – History of Your Blog – Tell us how you got started! When did you start your blog? Why? What have been some of your trials and tribulations? How many pigs did you have to sacrifice to get people to see your Facebook posts?
  • 11/2 – How You Read – Paperback? Hardcover? Ereader? Smartphone? Bookmarks, note taking in the margins, or highlighting? Tell us some of your reading rituals!
  • 11/3 – Where You Read – Pretty self-explanatory. Bonus for a picture!
  • 11/4 – Why You Blog – Again, self-explanatory.
  • 11/5 – Where You Blog – Bonus for a picture!
  • 11/6 – #TBT – Favorite Childhood Books – What were some of your favorite books way back when? This could be a read from before you could read, or what you spent summers by the pool with in high school.
  • 11/7 – #FlashbackFriday – Blog’s First Design – This one’s fun! Oh, how blogs evolve! Go to WayBackMachine.com, enter your blog’s URL, and take a screenshot of what you used to look like!

Week 2

  • 11/8 – Your Blogging Toolkit – We could all blog smarter! Share some of the best tools in your blogging arsenal.
  • 11/9 – Your Blogging Workflow – Lifters can take their #gymflow and shove it. Share your blogging process and rituals using the hashtag #blogflow.
  • 11/10 – Memes You Meme – Do you #ThrowbackThursday or indulge in a little #ManCandyMonday? Share some of your favorite meme posts from your blog or social media pages.
  • 11/11 – #Top10Tuesday – Most Popular Posts – Head on over to Google Analytics or wherever your stats are located and find the 10 most popular posts on your blog. Link to them, talk about them, tell us why we should love them.
  • 11/12 – Advice for Newbie Bloggers – Be Yoda. Share your secrets. Do or do not, there is no try.
  • 11/13 – Your Review Process – Do you write your review the second you finish the book? Months later? Take notes as you read?
  • 11/14 – Your Ratings System – A lot of blogs have ratings policies or systems. Some don’t, but they really do. What makes you decide how many stars to give?

Week 3

  • 11/15 – Favorite Book Blogging Things – Feel free to talk about the wonderful host of BookBlogWriMo and how much you love her.
  • 11/16 – Least Favorite Book Blogging Things – Yeah, sometimes blogging is a pain in the ass. Tell us why.
  • 11/17 – Favorite Book Tropes – Friends with benefits? Manic pixie dream girl? What cliche-type things do you never get sick of?
  • 11/18 – Favorite Subgenres – Self-explanatory.
  • 11/19 – #WaitingOnWednesday – TBR Books – Name some books on your TBR shelf and why you’re looking forward to reading them.
  • 11/20 – #TBT – Best Books of 2014 – Do a top 10, top 20, or hell, top 100 list of books you’ve enjoyed this year.
  • 11/21 – #FlashbackFriday – Your First Reviews – Link up to your some of your first reviews. Feel free to get reflective.

Week 4

  • 11/22 – #ShowMeYourShelves – Take a picture of your bookshelves, whether they’re physical or Kindle folders. It’s always fun seeing how people organize their books!
  • 11/23 – Book Boyfriend Criteria – What do you look for in a book boyfriend? Build your dream man. Book boyfriend examples and pictures of hot guys encouraged.
  • 11/24 – Reading Cave Fantasies – You know those awesome reading nooks on BuzzFeed and Pinterest? Describe what yours would look like.
  • 11/25 – How You Deal with Book Hangovers – Pig out? Take a nap? How do you deal?
  • 11/26 – Cheating on Books: TV & Movies – What are your favorite ways to cheat on books?
  • 11/27 – Authors You’re Thankful For – Who’s sitting at your dream Thanksgiving table?
  • 11/28 – Book Pet Peeves – What plot lines or stereotypes make you cringe or DNF?

Week 5

  • 11/29 – The Future of Your Blog – Where do you think you’re going? Get in touch with your inner Miss Cleo.
  • 11/30 – #BookBlogWriMo Wrap Up – Tell us what you thought of this “challenge!” It will be helpful in future planning. It’s also another chance to give your BookBlogWriMo posts some extra inbound links, and show some love to posts from other participants.

Participants

I can’t wait to get started! I hope you’ll join us!

Get BookBlogWriMo Updates

If you don’t want to get email about all of my new blog posts (no hard feelings…well, some hard feelings), I created a separate weekly newsletter just for blog tips, which is the category I’ll be including all BookBlogWriMo updates.

 

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167 Responses to “Introducing BookBlogWriMo!”

  2. Karen Blue

    Hiya! I want to participate. I tried to copy the graphic and it doesn’t seem like it is working for me. Can I just copy the pic and then add it to my post?
    These look like great topics that I could blog quickly.

    Reply
    • Book Bumblings

      Oh no! I’ll get to work on fixing the embed code. In the meantime, copy the pic but also make sure to add a link to this post so other people can see the link-up! I’m so excited you’re going to be participating! I tried to keep the topics easy because I know that there will be days where I won’t want to write a long post, especially on top of reviews and other stuff.

      Reply
  3. Elizabeth Lynx

    I will try to do this because it looks awesome, but I am also participating in the NaNoWriMo. So, posts may also include updates about my writing. I hope that’s okay. Great idea by the way!

    Reply
    • Book Bumblings

      That’s totally okay! I don’t think I stressed enough that this is totally lax. The goal is just to post more frequently (even if the posts are short) and get to know other members of the blogging community better. Good luck with NaNoWriMo!

      Reply
  5. Cate

    I’m game! 🙂 I even emailed the link to this post to myself so that I won’t forget to do it when I get home (at work right now, oops lol). I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo in 2010 and as much fun as it was, I just didn’t have time. At least with blogging, it’s something that I enjoy doing everyday. Plus, it’s more posts for me wee little blog.

    Thank you for doing this! I’m looking forward to participating. 🙂

    Reply
  11. Annie

    Wow, what a fabulous idea. I love it. If I weren’t just a lowly writer and were a book blogger, I’d love to do this challenge. Like many writers Nano for me is meh. Maybe because it’s been around so long?

    Anyway, best of luck with the challenge.

    Annie

    Reply
    • Book Bumblings

      Sure! I think the link up is closed (and I don’t think I can reopen it with a free account), but use the contact form on my Contact page to send me your email, and I’ll make sure you get added to the mailing list! You can always skip the ones you missed and just start today. 🙂

      Reply
  50. Why Do I Blog?* | Avid Reader

    […] How is your day been going? My day has been going great to be honest. Today is day four of Book  Bumbling’s #BookBlogWriMo! What is that you ask? Well, it is: “a lax version of NaNoWriMo for book  bloggers. [There […]

    Reply
  60. JJ

    Hi!

    I know the first week is already gone, but I’m looking forward to starting this off!

    It’s a fabulous idea! 🙂

    Reply
  150. Mariam aka Mimi

    thank you brittany for creating this challenge! I started in late November when I discovered it on twitter, but I did it for this month. I just finished before christmas, and my family vacation and did a wrap up post for my blog. hopefully next year I can do it with all of you. thanks again and take care!

    Reply

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