I am so excited to share this very special giveaway with you.  IREX Technologies has generously offered one of their forthcoming consumer eReaders to a lucky BBAW participant in the United States!

Just in case you don’t know, this eReader will be compatible with Barnes & Noble’s eBookstore when it is released later this year.  It will be a 3G wireless device with an 8 inch screen.

To enter this giveaway, write a post on YOUR blog telling us all what you think the most important feature is in an eReader.  Link back to this post from Kevin Hamilton in your post and be creative!  The more creative and thoughtful your answer is—the better!

Then come back here and put the permalink to your post in the Mister Linky so that we can all join in the conversation.  The eReader will be available late fall and will be shipped to the winner who will be announced on the BBAW blog!

Once again, this contest is only open to US residents. Good luck!!!!!

Small presses like mine have a lot in common with book bloggers: We love books, we don’t make much (if any) money, and we see our mission as building lots of friendly little bridges between readers and authors, far from the hype and bright lights of the Literati Who Know Best, aka the mainstream book industry. 

As an author of more than 35 romance and women’s fiction titles for major publishers, I’ve ranted for two decades about the narrow focus of traditional book reviewers. Now, as a small press publisher, I battle the lack of small press coverage among same. 

Book bloggers to the rescue! 

Bloggers chat, they praise, they share, they condemn, they give honest, unvarnished opinions, they support, they encourage, and most of all, they offer an open-minded welcome to the new and different, the smaller than small, the odd and unique. 

Without book bloggers, small presses like mine, and the authors I publish, would exist in a void outside the gravitational pull of New York. Because of you, we can form our own little solar systems.

BelleBooks
Bell Bridge Books

I personally love to read classic literature, those older books that have been around for dozens or even thousands of years. Book blogs have been a great place for me to remember my old favorites and to discover new old favorites.

Reviewing a classic on a blog may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Most bloggers review classics in a similar style to other works they review: short and to the point, or detailed thoughts about a particular theme, or sarcastic, or rambling and personal. Just because Dickens got paid by the word doesn’t mean your review has to follow the style as well! We rejoice in the individuality of book blogs.

I’ve seen some bloggers do “read-alongs” of the really daunting epics, linking to each other as they progress. Others do weekly or biweekly updates until their personal read of a mega-work is complete. I love to read those progress updates because it is interesting to see how impressions of a book change while progressing through it.

With classics, I think the fact that many people have already read it makes it ideal for online discussion. Our blog audience is our fellow book bloggers in the book community, and we all have a lot to say.

Many familiar old classics (Homer’s epics or Grimm’s fairy tales, for example) have entered in to our literary consciousness already: you may not need to give a complete plot description, and it’s hard to accidentally “spoil” the work for blog readers. With many classic works, people may relate to the issues because they’ve read retellings or even seen a movie. Learning about the original may then be fun for you and for your readers.

It’s perfectly alright to admit “I dislike this classic.” Once, I wrote that I couldn’t finish one classic; another time I posted about how much I disliked a particular classic. Both times, I received a few comments saying “I agree and here’s why” and other comments saying “Oh, I loved this book and here’s why.” Disliking the work opened up the discussion just as much as loving it might have, and I now want to give the books a second chance.

As a blog reader, I love it when someone reviews a classic. If it’s one I’ve read, I like recalling my impressions when I first read it, whether that was last year or in tenth grade. I may even be inspired to reread it. And if it is a work I haven’t read, it is fun to consider how it compares to those I have read. I’ve added so many classics to my “to be read” list, thanks to bloggers!

Don’t hesitate to blog about classics. We’d love to hear your thoughts on these old favorites.

From Rebecca Reid of Rebecca Reads

I love reading book reviews. I’ve been reading newspaper review sections cover-to-cover since I was, oh I don’t know, ten or eleven years old, but it was only sometime over the past few years that I began to realize that the book reviews I was reading represented only a small percentage of the books actually being published in a given year.

By the time my first novel came out a couple of months ago I’d figured out that getting a book by a non-famous author reviewed in a major paper can be a bit of an uphill battle, but I don’t think I realized just how difficult it really is until a couple of months after the book was published: a friend’s mother read my book, liked it a great deal, and sent me an effusive email. She wrote that she’d talked to her husband, who writes editorials for one of the largest newspapers in the country, and her husband had said that he’d talk to the book editor about getting a review. I immediately emailed my publicist. Her response was startling (and testament to her dedication): she’d be happy to send another copy to the book editor, she said, but I should probably know the history—she’d already sent the book review editor an ARC. And a finished copy of the book. And then followed up with him five times. 

Publishers are putting out more books than ever before, and review space in the major papers is shrinking. Book bloggers help cover the gap: they review books that will never grace the pages of the New York Times or the Washington Post. 
This in itself is a valuable thing, but after several months of following book bloggers on Twitter and reading their blogs, it occurred to me recently that book bloggers aren’t just filling in for what’s been lost. They’re creating something that wasn’t there before: a new and immediate way for readers, writers and reviewers to interact around a book. They introduce readers to books that we won’t read about anywhere else. They create buzz for books that would otherwise fall under the radar. Their love of books is contagious. I and other writers have tremendous gratitude for what they do, and I’ve come to think of them as an essential part of the literary landscape.

Emily St. John Mandel is the author of Last Night in Montreal.

Welcome to BBAW 09!!  We are beyond thrilled that you’re here!  The book blogging community is truly the best online community there is and while we may have many differences among us, we share a love for books!  So let’s celebrate each other and celebrate books.

Last week was fun seeing all the shortlists and visiting some new blogs but now it’s time to make it personal. 

What book blogs mean something to you?  Who are your most trusted sources for recommendations, your greatest help, the blogger you turn to for a laugh or to vent?  Whose writing do you admire or who introduced you to a whole new genre you didn’t know about?  We want to hear all about them…because we want to know them too!  Please share about the blogs we haven’t had a chance to meet via BBAW and let the party begin!

If this is your first time to use Mister Linky, please use the Mister Linky tutorial.  If you do not submit a permalink, your link will be deleted for the convenience of everyone participating in BBAW.

Book Blogger Appreciation Week now has a CafePress store for any sort of BBAW gear you’d like!

All the proceeds will be going to Amy to help offset the cost of any prize shipping. Please do not feel obligated to purchase anything as Book Blogger Apprecation Week is free for all! The CafePress Store came into being because someone asked if they could get t-shirts printed with the BBAW graphic.

If there is something specific you’d like to see in store, please email Monica (aka monnibo) at monnibo[at]hotmail[dot]com.

It has been brought to the attention of the awards committee that one of the shortlisted blogs in the Best New Blog category did not fully meet the eligibility requirements.  Since we did not stress the date requirement enough, and since this slipped past our panels, and since we are already 2 full days into voting, we are going to let the category stand as is, and take this under advisement as an area to improve in next year. 

Additionally, we have heard your concerns about the awards process!  Thank you for your passion, we can tell this really means a lot to you.  We have already been discussing ways in which we can improve and the following are actions we are committing to for next year:

1) A clear detailed explanation of the process available on the BBAW blog.
2) More transparency in the judging criteria
3) Longer notification periods so that nominees can consider whether or not they are interested in being involved with BBAW.
4) More outreach to all areas of the book community for their input and help.  (we will need your help with this!)

To show you we are serious, I am now posting more details about the scoresheet we used this year.  While the basic categories were announced in advance, I’m giving you the line items.  The scoresheets were finalized literally seconds before we started judging.  We judged blogs based on a holistic approach incorporating some of what is considered to be blogging best practices. 

Quality of Writing (30 points):
*Correct Spelling and Grammar
*Not repetitious. Succinct, concise, and to the point.
*Credits Sources (links properly)
*Writes with authority and accuracy

Category Originality and Diversity of Content(30 points)
*Original Content
*Variety of Content
*Fresh Perspective

Visual Aesthetic and Functionality (15 points)
*Blog is easy on the eyes
*Ease of Navigation
*Easy to subscribe, search, and contact blogger
*Sidebars are neat and not cluttered

Audience Engagement (15 points)
*Posts invite audience participation through comments
*Through humorous and engaging posts
*Through use of pictures, podcasts, vlogs, etc.

Some categories had different criteria, but this is what we used for all the review categories.  The number one criteria was really that the submitted posts fit the category description.

Additionally, if anyone did not respond to our letter, we did not disqualify them.  The committee went around and collected their 5 most recent posts.  The panelists judged the blogs, submitted their scores to the chairperson who averaged them together and took the top 5 scores.  In this way, the shortlists do not reflect any one person’s opinion.

Now you know everything and since you do, I hope we can move on.  There is still much work to be done on BBAW and we want to focus on that and celebrating each other.  It is our sincere hope that the book blogging community can truly celebrate each other next week!  I hope that we can show everyone they should be proud to be part of this community!

(one last note…a lot of information about BBAW can be found on the BBAW blog itself.  Please consider subscribing to the feed so you don’t miss out!)

All bloggers have been contacted with information about their interview partners.  If you signed up and have not received this information, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

How to Enter a Post/Link into Mr. Linky
Even if you have used Mr. Linky before, please read this carefully. If a link is not properly added, it will be deleted for everyone’s convenience.

In the “Your name:” box, please enter the name of the blog (not your name) that you are submitting.

In the “Your URL:” box please enter the URL/link that will lead directly to the post you are submitting (also called the permalink). This is not the URL to the blog’s home page.

For example, if I want to enter My Friend Amy’s “Book Review Policy Page,” here’s what I’d do:

Your name: My Friend Amy
Your URL: http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/2008/05/book-review-policy.html

How to Find the Correct Link (Permalink)

This is very easy. Go to the post that you want to submit. Click on the post title (not the blog title or the blog’s home page tab). Once you’ve clicked on the post title, what you’ll generally see is just that single post (and its comments). Now go to your bowser’s location box (the place where you type in URLs) and copy the entire link. This is the permalink that will take you directly the post in question.

If you want to test the link, open another browser tab or window and paste the URL into the location box. The correct post should appear. Once you verify that you have the correct link, you can paste it into Mr. Linky in the “Your URL:” box.

Why Is This Important?

All of us will have a lot of posts to read and blogs to visit during BBAW. Some blogs have hundreds of posts, but we need to find just the one you submitted. If you link to the blog’s home page, all we’ll see is the newest posts and we won’t have any idea which specific post is being submitted for BBAW. So not only will we miss out on reading the post but the submission will be lost because the wrong link was provided.

What to Do if You Made a Mistake

Please contact the .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). We’ll make the needed corrections.

Let’s Practice!!!!

Go to the review of one of your favorite books on your own blog, find the permalink, and enter your information below!

This comprehensive calendar includes events all over the book blogging community. We rely on dedicated bloggers to help us keep this list up to date.

WEEKLY

• Sunday Salon


• Mailbox Monday
• Monday Movie Meme
• Musing Monday
• Short Stories Monday
• What Are You Reading Monday


• Where Are You?
• Tuesday Thingers
• Teaser Tuesdays


• A-Z Wednesday
• Bookword Game
• Cover Attraction
• Library Loot (hosted by Alessandra and Eva)
• Midweek Morsels
• Read ‘Em Yet Wednesday
• Scene of the Blog
• Waiting on Wednesday
• Wishful Wednesday
• Wondrous Words
• Word Filled Wednesdays
• Wordless Wednesday
• Write on Wednesday


• Booking Through Thursday
• My Favorite Reads
• Read Aloud Thursday
• Throw-Back Thursday
• Thursday Tea
• Thursday Thoughts
• Thursday Thunks
• Thursday Tunes
• What’s Your Favorite Book This Week?


• 451 Fridays
• Book Bloggers New Discover
• Freebie Friday
• Friday Feud
• Friday Fill-Ins
• Friday Finds
• Poe Fridays
• Poetry Fridays
• Refer a Book Weekend
• Friday Firsts


• Faith n’ Fiction Saturday
• Saturday Review of Books
• Saturday Word Play
• Surfing Saturdays
• Take Me Away Saturday
• Virtual Poetry Circle
• Weekly Geeks

MONTHLY

• First Tuesday: Classics Bookclub
• Third Wednesday: These Books Were Made for Walking
• Fourth Sunday (around the 23rd): Agatha Christie Reading Challenge
• Fourth Tuesday: What’s on Your Nightstand?
• Last Day of Month: Literary Locals

TWICE A YEAR:

• Dewey’s Read-a-Thon
• Mystery Read-a-Thon
• Orange Month (January & July)

ONCE A YEAR:

• Advent Calendar
• Book Blogger Appreciation Week (BBAW)
• Bloggiesta
• Book Bloggers Christmas Swap
• Book Bloggers Giveaway Carnival
• target=“new”>Buy Books for the Holidays
• January ARC reading month

ONE TIME

• 50 Books for Our Times
• Year of Readers

ON GOING:

• Blog Improvement Project
• Book Review Blog Carnival
• Bookworms Carnival
• By the Chapter
• Children’s Classics Carnival
• Literary Road Trip

We have daily blogging topics for the week of BBAW.  As a courtesy to bloggers who preschedule their posts, we are announcing them now.  Please do not post in advance of BBAW, but rather post each day along with the community!

Our theme for this year is: Celebrate Books!  You are welcome to use this button on your BBAW Daily Blogging Topics posts.  Please save it to your own computer first.

Each day of BBAW, we’ll have a Mister Linky up for you to submit your permalinks to the daily blogging topics.  It’s optional to participate in the daily blogging themes, but you are encouraged to participate so that you can meet many other wonderful bloggers.  On Thursday of this week, we’ll have a test run with Mister Linky so stay tuned for that if it’s your first time to use Mister Linky!

Monday September 14
The shortlists for the awards will be announced next Monday, September 7th.  The first day of BBAW, Monday September 14th, we encourage you to write a post thanking and spotlighting your favorite blogs that didn’t make the shortlists. 

Tuesday September 15
We will post our blogger interview swaps!

Wednesday September 16
Reading Meme
We encourage you to be creative with this!  Please choose one or two questions to answer or try to answer all the questions in five words or less.  Or choose a picture to answer a question!  Brevity is the goal of today!

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of
writing in books horrify you?
How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?
Laying the book flat open?
Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Hard copy or audiobooks?
Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you
able to put a book down at any point?
If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
What are you currently reading?
What is the last book you bought?
Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can
you read more than one at a time?
Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read? 
Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)

Thursday September 17
Today we encourage you to blog about a book you read only because you discovered it on another book blog.  Preferably, this will be a book you loved!  You might also write a bit about the blog you discovered it on!

Friday September 18
Setting Goals!
Write in 50 words or less…what do you like best about your blog right now and where would you like your blog to be a year from now?

That’s it!  Come back later this week for a mister Linky tutorial and run through!

One of the highlights of BBAW last year was having bloggers swap interviews and post during BBAW!  We’d love to do it again!  This is such a fun way to get to know other bloggers and make new friends.  Just fill out the easy form below and someone will get back to you with your partner.  If you don’t hear back right away, don’t fret!  We have probably received your submission we just haven’t had a chance to email you back!  Please keep in mind that while you can swap your interview questions at anytime, we ask that you wait to post your interviews until Tuesday September 15th.  We’ll have a Mister Linky up so that we can all easily visit each other’s interviews.

In order to prepare for BBAW Interview sign-ups are now closed.  You will receive your interview partner’s information by Friday September 4th.

I’ve seen a few people express interest in helping out with BBAW and as it just so happens there are a few tasks the BBAW crew could use your help with.

Some of the organziation behind the events takes a tremendous amount of work and there are a few administrative tasks that need to be done.  I warn you that these aren’t terribly glamorous or exciting, but they will help everyone out so much!

So if you have some free time this week or next and would like to help out…please email me at bookbloggerappreciationweekATgmailDOTcom

Thank so much!

BBAW is coming!  Remember that nominations close on the 15th and everything will be a flurry of activity after that!  (I’m so excited!!)

I’ve seen some questions floating around about Book Blogger Appreciation Week, so here’s a way to learn more about it from people who participated last year!

If you were a part of BBAW last year, please answer these simple questions on your blog and drop your link into Mister Linky so that others can learn all about BBAW!  Feel free to tag other bloggers to play along!  (Please note: only sign the Mister Linky if you have completed the meme.  Registration for BBAW can be found here.)
1)  What was the highlight (something that happened, a post, an activity, etc.) of BBAW for you last year?
2)  What is one new blog you discovered during BBAW last year?
3)  What tips would you share to help others get the most out of their BBAW experience?

But wait!!  We don’t want those of you who didn’t participate to feel left out, so if you didn’t participate last year, how about these questions?
1)  What has been one of the highlights of blogging for you?
2)  What blogger has helped you out with your blog by answering questions, linking to you, or inspiring you?
3)  What one question do you have about BBAW that someone who participated last year could answer?

Last year over 400 blogs came together to celebrate the art of book blogging during the first ever Book Blogger Appreciation Week!  I am so pleased to announce that the second annual Book Blogger Appreciation Week will be taking place September 14-18.

WHO Anyone who blogs about books is invited to participate.  In fact, we want everyone who blogs about books and reading to be a part of this week!
WHAT A week where we come together,  celebrate the contribution and hard work of book bloggers in promoting a culture of literacy, connecting readers to books and authors, and recogonizing the best among us with the Second Annual BBAW Awards.  There will be special guest posts, daily blogging themes, and giveaways.
WHEN September 14-18, 2009
WHERE Here at the new Book Blogger Appreciation Week Blog!  (Please note that this year there are three separate blogs and feeds—one for the main event, one for giveaways, and one for awards.)
WHY Because books matter.  In a world full of options, the people talking about books pour hard work, time, energy, and money into creating a community around the written word.  I, Amy, the founder of Book Blogger Appreciation Week love this community of bloggers and want to shower my appreciation on you!

WANT TO PARTICIPATE?
Please help us spread the word about Book Blogger Appreciation Week by posting about it on your blog, stumbling this post, twittering about it, and telling everyone you know that it’s time to have a party and celebrate book bloggers!

Please register by filling out the registration form! Registering ensures your inclusion in the BBAW 09 Database of Book Bloggers and enters you into the drawing for the BBAW 09 Grand Prize!

Come back often as there will be many updates!  And follow us on Twitter!

AWARDS
BBAW Award Nominations will open tomorrow, July 15 on the BBAW Awards Blog.