BEA: Blogging Opportunities

Has blogging opened up opportunities for you beyond getting free, advance copies of new books? Has it helped you get offers to write or review elsewhere (maybe even for pay)? Have you gotten invites to special events or places you might not have been to otherwise? Today, we'd like you to talk about those opportunities in you own posts, and later this morning, we'll have a guest post from one of our own Armchair BEA team members, about her freelancing experiences.

I blog as a hobby, and not looking to make profits off my reviews or thoughts on books. My passion is for the written word, and my love for books and spreading the word about them. If someone reads my blog that is awesome, and some don't that is ok too. I am not looking for compensation. The blog is for me, as a journal to keep track of the books I read, and also my readers.

When I first started my blog, I was always surfing the book blogging community. It would take up most of my day. I would comment, and try to do meme, do guest posts and giveaways, and blog tours.  But, this year I fell back, and not doing much on my blog but reviews.

What opportunities I do receive is the emails and contacts of authors and publishers. It is awesome, when I can talk to author, and discuss the writing business and publishing. It is just too bad I don't have as much time to dedicate myself to my blog.

I am excited about a blog tour, I am participating in. The blog tour is Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand. Perhaps that will get me on the radar, and get my juices flowing again.