Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Armchair BEA: Networking in Real Life


Today's Armchair BEA topic is one that I seem to talk about all the time here on the blog.... and that is... my "in real life" experiences with real life bookish people. Let me just tell you some more!

BLOGGER PARTIES

The first Utah Blogger Party, January 2009

Back in January 2009 we had our first Utah blogger get together. There were about ten or so of us (in the above picture, half the people are spouses!) and one brave author (James Dasher BEFORE anyone knew who he was!) Natasha of Maw Books made it happen and I'm so glad she did!  Since then, we've met several more times and grown to probably 100 book bloggers (I've completely lost count now!) and had several authors join us for various parties. We haven't had a gathering now for awhile so hopefully we can make another happen soon. But, as scary as that first one was (I had never gone to meet anyone I'd gotten to know online before...it was quite the step to take!) I now can't imagine my life without these blogger relationships! It has been so much fun to get to know these people in real life... all book crazy fanatics like me! We all "get" each other, and it's truly a blast to hang out.

A bunch of us even went to the midnight showing of The Hunger Games together. And that was a first for me too! I've a feeling it could just the start of another tradition.

Because of the courage I've acquired from meeting the bloggers here in Utah, it's helped me to be more brave (guys, you must remember I'm really really shy for the most part!) in meeting other bloggers elsewhere, like when I went to Arizona a few months ago. It just didn't make sense to me to go there and not find my blogging buddies to say hi to! If, and when, I go other places (and actually stay for awhile, not driving through like last summer across the whole country!) I will most likely seek out bloggers to meet. It's just how it is now. Beware!

Meeting blogger friends in Arizona

BOOK CLUB

There's been a book club going on at my house now for about eight years or so. After meeting some of these fun book bloggers, many of them would say to me, "I so wish I had a fun book club to go to!" So of course I would say, "Hey, come try out mine! And see what you think!" I knew they only lived "down the street" so I thought, why not? This has led to many a blogger joining the book club, hopefully at the okay of the other non-blogging members. I think this has made book club all the better because our bookish discussions really are crazy fun! And now these bloggers are not just bloggin' buddies, they truly are in-real-life friends. I love that.

AUTHOR SIGNINGS

Pre-blogging days I don't remember going to many author signings. And now, I can't keep up with them! I've come to realize (especially after the recent Twitter party) that we really are lucky here with all the local authors and the non-local ones that come in to visit. The libraries, the stores and the colleges all work to bring them in for us and it just seems to grow and get better and better every year. And there's always other bloggers going to them, which makes them all the more fun! It's like a party every time!

Utah authors gather at the library
I wanted to list some of the authors I've been able to meet, and actually started this list just so I could see it all laid out, but then it felt way too much like name dropping, or something, so I deleted it. Just know it's a pretty long list and made me realize just how much things have changed around here and that we do live in a sort of center for bookish activity, even though we aren't really a big city.
So, even though I'm not that great at it, I would say that talking to authors, and getting to know them, especially when they are first starting out, falls under this networking umbrella. And besides that, it's a blast.

Bottom line, I would suggest to all bloggers to take advantage of whatever opportunity they have to connect with bloggers and authors in real life! (And book sellers too, I just have no experience in this particular area!)

So hop to it!






32 comments:

  1. I'm so glad you welcomed me into your book club with open arms. Although, sometimes, I think I don't belong because of my lack of reading experience. But, hey, it's still fun to hang out and talk books! :D

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    1. Jenni: Reading experience is not a requirement! AND there are several who probably feel the same way as you, so no worries! :)

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  2. That's really neat! Getting into real-life situations is not something I've managed to do... Yet. I really would like to, though.

    If you have the time, I’d love to hear from you at <a href="http://melaniesmusings.net/hello-armchair-bea-ers/>my armchair BEA post</a>.

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    1. Melanie: It's a blast, so keep working on it. Find people!

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  3. Meeting bloggers is real life has been fun. It makes me want to meet more. I have plenty of followers I would love to meet. And the best part is you know it won't be awkward cause you always have something to talk about. ;)

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    1. Jenny: So true! And here's to meeting more! :)

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  4. It's so awesome that you try to meet up with bloggers whenever you have the chance to travel! And I am JEALOUS of how popular Utah is when it comes to authors and bloggers! Lol.

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    1. Sarah: Hopefully I can do more of it.. the traveling and meeting part!

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  5. SO HAPPY that you've became brave and went/go exploring all the fun around the world :) ;)

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    1. Nea: Around the world! YES! I so hope that really happens some day!

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  6. Wow, it sounds like you've had some awesome experiences meeting up with other bloggers!! We had a first meet-up last year in my area and it was a lot of fun. I wish some more people lived locally rather than a couple of hours away, but I feel lucky to have had a few awesome bookish experiences.

    Here's my post.

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    1. Ashely, keep it up and that first one will grow to become something huge, if my experience is any clue!

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  7. You really are lucky with all of the authors that come through and all of the bloggers. I keep thinking I need to ferret out the bloggers in Nebraska but there may only be four or five of us!

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    1. Lisa: You should try and go for it... you may be surprised and find there's more than you think!

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  8. How wonderful you have been able to meet so many other bloggers and authors :)

    Thank-you for stopping by my blog :) http://obsessionwithbooks.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/armchair-bea-day-3-positive-experience.html#comment-form

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  9. Blogger parties!! How fun is that. We have a group that meets up at signing and booky things locally too.

    Thanks for participating!

    Here's my networking post

    Valerie
    StuckInBooks

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    1. Valerie: The signings are especially fun around here now. Always someone to chat with. I love it.

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  10. In retrospect, I wish I had gone to some of the socials for the Utah bloggers. I am going to make an effort to attend the next one, depending on location.

    Literally Jen

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    1. Jen: I really hope you can. Keep an eye for info!

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  11. I think that's so awesome how you guys have all managed to get together! I really want to plan something like that for the Atlanta area, hopefully it could become a regular thing!

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    1. Bibliothec: I bet there's a ton in Atlanta!

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  12. wheeee fun! :-) how awesome is all that? :-)

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  13. Blogger parties sound like so much fun!

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  14. After reading your post I think I'll take your advice and introduce myself next time to bloggers. If you can do it and you're shy then so can I =). Looks like a great experience. Too bad I'm not in Utah or I'd join lol. Thanks for stopping by yesterday!
    -Melissa

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    1. Melissa: Yes, too bad you aren't here! But do be brave next time (I know how it is, really!) and let me know how it goes! :)

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  15. Very cool that you run a book club for bloggers and non-bloggers alike :)

    Also, so totally jealous of all the authors you get to see in Utah – I'm always wishing more YA authors would visit us in Vancouver (Canada)!

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    1. Danya: We really are lucky that we have so many local authors PLUS the non local ones are realizing this is a cool place to come, so that makes things especially exciting.

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  16. I still don't believe you when you say you are a shy person. You don't seem that way IRL at all! At any rate, I'm glad you were feeling courageous when you came to Arizona and when I came to Utah, because it's been lots of fun getting to know you in person :)

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    1. Susan: Oh, believe me... I am. You should have seen me before you showed up at the bookstore that one day. I was DYING! :)

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