I can’t explain how much I adore, Adore, ADORE this bloggie event. I’ve participated a few times and it is SUCH a great way to get organized and do all those behind-the-scenes things that need to be done to keep your log in tip-top-shape. I think it’s a must for bloggers of any topic/venue. Bloggiesta is hosted by Danielle @ There’s a Book and Suey @ It’s All About Books. It runs from September 28th through 30th, which is right around the corner! Danielle states:
If you decide to participate in the Fall 2012 edition you can expect:
- to spend time that weekend (as much or as little as your schedule allows) working on your blog
- to create a to do list to share on your blog and link up with other participants
- to hopefully participant in several mini challenges and learn something new
- to connect with other participants through blog hopping or twitter
- to make new blogging friends!
- to come away at the end of the three days with a spiffed up blog!
WIN! PLUS……..I will be hosting a mini-challenge! I am FREAKING out about it, but it shall be awesome to share with all of you, so I will suck up my fear and HAVE FUN. And teach. And share. And love you all for not judging me. 
Anywho, here’s my list. I’m sure I will add to it over the next few weeks, and I will never be able to complete it all:
- Create a disclosure/privacy page
- Create an elevator pitch
Backup Goodreads ListBrainstorm future discussion postsFinish my images overhaul (only 280 posts to go!)- Finish fixing the broken links (aka, bane of my existence)
Update my Review ArchiveCreate alphabet links in Archive- Format old reviews to match new style, fix SEO and tags – UGH
Cross post reviews to Goodreads, LibraryThing and AmazonRe-categorize Goodreads shelves- Create a blog roll
Maybe clean up my categories, get rid of authors and just stick to genres? Sigh…what is the best way to tag/categorize?Maybe create some sort of weekly schedule again, though I prefer to post what I want when I want to lately…- Write reviews!
- Brainstorm a better way to do my Book Whores feature. I want to bring it back!
- Contact Shirley/CreativeDeeds to start designing my b-cards & bookmarks
- Contact authors for World-Building Wednesdays
Complete at least 5 mini-challenges, and bookmark all the rest for future fun.Cheer on my fellow bloggers.Meet some new bloggers.
MINI-CHALLENGE FUN!
On a Book Bender: Organization and Scheduling Posts
Believe it or not, I was more organized. I actually still am but I’ve slacked off. Now is the perfect time to get my ass back in gear before I start working. Possible schedule? I’m leaving myself wiggle room and not making it a priority to post every day. I just need to get that pressure off me when I start working again.
P.S. Does anyone know of any other Friday discussion meme? I want to have options.
Blogs lists? You mean these?
I stopped using them once I found the WP Editorial Calendar. I kinda like Amanda’s little notecards. I gave it a shot, but it just didn’t feel right, so I kept to what I know. I can’t follow my new schedule too much in October because I have too many blog tours scheduled, but I will give it my best effort in Nov!
20+ Discussion Post Ideas For Your Book Blog
I really appreciated Tanya Patrice’s ideas! I just suck at ideas. I can write about a topic, but coming up with the topic is just horrible for me. I definitely plan to use some of her topic ideas, like:
- Book vs Book – eg. Vampire vs Vampire (Eli from Let The Right One In vs. Allison from The Immortal Rules); or Spy vs Spy; Vampire vs Werewolf etc.
- 10 Most Anticipated Books Of 2013 On My Reading List
- 5 Dystopian (or Apocalyptic) Novels That Will Make You Scared For the Future.
- 5 Chilling Dystopian Government Systems in Books.
- 10 Most Memorable Characters from Books Read in 2012
- 10 Authors I Read For the First Time in 2012 And Want to Read More From
- 10 Must See Book To Movie Adaptations
Blogging Notebook and Calendar Mini-Challenge
Trish loves pens! YAY! So many of us bloggers have pen…issues? fetishes? addictions? Whatever. Anywho, she challenged us to get a calendar and blogging notebook setup. I kinda had a notebook, but it was a mess. Now I made a better one, and I started off with discussion post ideas. And I ended up brainstorming my very own 2012 recap post idea! Not that it’s new ideas or anything. I plan to add more to it, like blogger and author bits too. Woot!
And I get to use this adorable notebook that a friend bought me when my chow chow passed in 2005. I said I would never use it, but it feels right, for some reason. 
How to Use Pocket to Save Time
How did I not know about this nifty little bookmark tool? I LOVE IT. Thanks, Brianna! I am especially loving the Google Reader feature. I’m not a huge fan of saving things to read later in GR. I also love that you can tag posts! Need my organization! Here’s a snippet of my saved links so far…
Six Techniques that Will Revitalize Your Old Content
Per Jessica’s idea, I installed YARPP (Yet Another Related Posts Plugin) and I think it works really well at highlighting related posts at the end of each post. I also took the time to delete plugins I do not need because poorly coded plugins can cause issues, which I’ve experienced in the past. These are good articles to read on how many plugins is too damn many: Here and Here.
© 2012, Smash Attack Reads. All rights reserved.
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Seeing your title in my Reader made me laugh! I’ve only participated in one before this, and it was so much fun! Glad you’re doing it again
That’s a long list, good luck with trying to get it all done, and have fun hosting a mini-challenge, I’m looking forward to it!
For categories, I usually stick to my rating, the type of post (review, discussion, etc), any event it’s part of, and genre. I use tags for authors and series. I have no idea if that’s a good way to deal with categories and tags.
OH! And if you need any brainstorming help, let me know! I like brainstorming, and I usually have twenty fifty million ideas trying to claw their way out of my brain at any given moment.
PS. Part of my mini-challenge will ask you to create a weekly schedule, so… remember that.
I kinda like the tag idea for authors and extras, like what kinda of beastie is present in books.
I do want some brainstorming help, but I don’t want to take your ideas! I need to brainstorm for my own blog and something for H&H. I just suck at the whole process. lol
P.S. Awesome. I used to love my schedule but I kinda like not having one now. We shall see if you can convince me again. heh.
At the very least, you can create a schedule and say you participated in my challenge. Whether you keep the schedule or not will be up to you. And my abilities of persuasion.
Okay the title of this post cracked me up, b/c my friends and I do that all the time. Thanks for kind of talking me into this. Hopefully, I’ll learn, learn and learn!
Do it! Do it!
I’m so sad this is happening the same weekend I go to Austin for Austin Teen Book Fest!!
I know everyone will do great, though! And your mini-challenge will be a great success!!
No one does a heading better than you! And I had to look up “elevator pitch” – I’m so behind the times. I always called it a mission statement; there must be subtle differences. As in one sells you, one is what you do, no?
Categories vs. Tags are really tripping me up in WP. I liked how you did yours so you could have a drop down menu to make it easy to find anything you wanted quickly. I’ll be curious what you decide to do (and then I’ll promptly copy it – nooooo! I kid…. maybe)
I’m so looking forward to this – I’m a virgin so hopefully everyone will be gentle
Holy list, Smash!! I may be adding more things to mine after reading yours.
I look forward to your mini challenge!!
Ha. I added things to mine after reading others, too. There is no way I’ll be able to finish it all in one weekend, but it’s a list to continually check off!
[...] Bloggiesta, bitches! [...]
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There’s a Friday meme at Crazy for Books (http://crazy-for-books.com/2012/05/book-blogger-hop-weekly-questions.html). And there’s the Follow Friday at Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.
Thanks! I did these hops when I first started blogging. I see that Crazy for Books has good questions. I want to have options for my Friday discussion topics. Thanks!
You’ve got a great list going there… and you even crossed some off already! Impressive.
I never thought of backing up my goodreads book list before!!! What a good idea!!!
I am definitely on a roll!
I backup Goodreads about once a month. The site could crash, you never know! THAT would be beyond horrifying.
I love your blog design! It’s so cute!
Do you use a widget to float your share buttons? Or, are they programmed in as part of your blog design?
I hope you’re able to get all your goals done! Good luck!
Why thank you! The social floater is part of the design, which I did not make. lol. I can point you to the awesomesauce lady who did, if you’d like.
Good luck to you, as well!
I’m glad to see I’m not the only one with a long list of things to do this weekend! It seems as if you’ve been pretty productive so far…I love your pictures that you included for the mini-challenges you did. I use a monthly calendar to keep track of all tours I am participating in. I’ve been doing that for a while now and it works.
Hope you continue to get lots done!
~Kristin @ Always With a Book
You made great progress!! Doesn’t it feel good to be done with the task of going thru all of your images? I can hear that sigh of relief
I’ve been debating whether or not to have a blog roll….are you still planning on creating one? Or did you nix the idea?
Question – In your review archive, you use a table. Does it alphabetize easier that way?
Glad you find Pocket useful! I use it everyday
I still alphabetize it myself. I could sort it but I never do. So….no? lol
Oh those colored calendars really warm my heart. Even if they are cumbersome and on paper. But don’t you love looking back over them? Ok, maybe that’s just me.
Thanks for playing along with the mini-challenge. I’m impressed with all you got done this past weekend.
[...] week was a Freebie, so I decided to highlight the Bloggiesta mini-challenges that I just [...]