Ask the Bloggers: Blogging Or Bookish Conferences?

Are you enjoying these fabulous bloggers as much as I am?!?  I have learned a little something each week we’ve done this and cannot thank enough all of these wonderful bloggers for sharing.  And a tremendous thanks to YOU, Lovely Reader, for the in-depth conversations we’ve been having.  Blogging is all about community to me and this series has proven it even more so in my eyes.

This week’s topic ~ Blogging or Bookish Conferences ~ have you been to one?  If so, what did you like or dislike?

  Rebecca at Love at First Book  Blogging Conference – I went to Florida Blog Con in 2013, which is a general blogging conference, and at first, I felt alone as one of two book bloggers. But then I realized I had a huge advantage: to learn from bloggers of other genres! Not only was the conference HUGELY beneficial, but also learning from the many DIY/Lifestyle bloggers I became friends with.  I probably learned more from them than the conference itself!
Bookish Conference – I attended ALAMW14, which was just this past January.  ALA is a book conference mainly for librarians, but while attending with another blogger friend, we met people in multiple working capacities.  This conference was so valuable!  I met authors, publishers, and bookish people in other arenas, and passed out my business cards to tons of people.  I also walked away with fabulous books, many of them autographed.   Both conferences were amazing.  I highly recommend ALA as well, because the conferences are held 2x a year, in different cities.  Maybe there will be one near you soon!

Rissi from Dreaming Under the Same Moon:   No, I have never been to a conference related to blogging or books though having read about some, I have to say, they sound like such fun! The appeal to me would be meeting some of the authors I respect and admire as well as potentially bumping into some of the bloggers I have formed friendships with (though I cannot promise I’d sound coherent ;D) – and of course, ideally bringing home gobs of books.

Suey from It’s All About Books:  I’ve really only been to writing conferences, well, one particular conference each year. And while it’s about writing, it’s also very bookish, so I’m not sure how you’d count that! I’ve been to a book festival but that’s a little different too. So I guess I’d say that technically I haven’t been to a real book or blog conference, which is sad because I’d love to go to one!

What I love about the writing one is the community, the gathering together of like-minded people. It makes you feel like you aren’t quite as weird as you thought! I also love getting to know the personalities of the authors better. And buying their books and getting them signed. Basically, I love being a fan.   There’s not much I dislike except for the fact that I always have to fight my shyness and force myself to mingle and talk to people!

Stacy from Stacy’s Books  Thanks for having me, Stacy!  I attended Bouchercon, THE 3 day event for mystery/thriller authors and fans, when it was in Cleveland and had the best time.  There were great panels and so many bestselling authors walking around you were bound to run into them.  Lots of free books, an awards ceremony at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and a very friendly atmosphere.  I even bought Mary Higgins Clark and her daughter Carol a glass of wine at the bar :)  If you can do it I can’t say enough good things.  I also learned of the yearly Ohioana Book Festival from a fellow blogger (Carol from Carol’s Notebook) and attended this one day event hosted in Columbus for Ohio authors. There were great panels and authors on hand to sell their books. I wish this one had been longer and included more social time.  I would love to attend a blogger event! Send Clevelanders my way and we’ll get something  set up

and me?  Well, I’ve been fortunate enough to attend SIBA in 2010, BEA in 2011 and the Decatur Book Festival each year since its inception in 2006.  One of the things I found truly memorable about the SIBA Trade Show is that the authors were so accessible as compared to BEA.  Of course at BEA there’s soooo many authors and publishers and publicists that a book blogger could believe she’s died and gone to bookish heaven!  But, SIBA is a more intimate event and on a much smaller scale {that this particular extreme introvert found quite enjoyable!}. So how about you Dear Reader?   What festivals or bookish/bloggerish conferences have you been to?   Would you recommend your fellow online friends attend?