Blogworld New York Early Bird Pricing Ends Tomorrow!

It goes without saying that I learned an incredible amount from last year's Blogworld event here in New York City. As the date of the event creeps ever nearer I dance with the question of what I can truly afford one year later. The first question is, can I even afford to go to Blogworld this year? However, as the first question enters my mind, a second quickly challenges, can I afford not to?

As an attendee last year, I was a sponge sucking up whatever knowledge I could from every panel I could get into. I was having a virtual identity crisis as I had just started this blog and wasn't entirely sure I was walking away from another. When I was asked questions like "What kind of blogger are you?" I was honestly stymied, not knowing which passion I wished to pursue or what Rivera Runs Through It was meant to be.


Things are different now. I could go to Blogworld not only to learn, but also to network. In fact, my brand new (FREE) business cards arrived from VistaPrint today. Is this a sign? Shall I go into the red, start skipping breakfast or grow my hair out again just to jump in the waters again?

As far as I see it, I have 24 hours to decide. The early bird pricing ends tomorrow.

I figured I would share this news with you too, just in case you wanted to take advantage of this great deal. According to the Blogworld people you can Save up to $400 off your BlogWorld registration with Early Bird pricing! Early Bird pricing ends on 3/22/12!

Here's a small sampling of what I learned from last year's event:

• 3 Quickie Lessons from My First Day at Blogworld Expo New York 2011 
• 3 More Lessons from BlogWorld Expo NY 
• Blogging With An Authentic Voice 
• The Birds and Bees of Your Blog Life 
• Your Book Proposal from a Publisher's Perspective

And when I unearth my notebook from the event, I'm sure there are even more posts that can be written and shared.

Here are the various passes available for this year's event:

Important Dates and Pass Prices:

Pass Type	Thru Mar 22	Thru May 15	After May 15
3-Day Blogger and Podcaster Pass	$197	$297	$397
Social Media Business Summit	$697	$897	$1,097
Expo Pass	$47	$57	$77
Virtual Ticket	$197	$247	$297
Virtual Ticket Add-On (add to 3 Day or SMBS passes only)	$47	$47	$97

Check out who is speaking at Blog World Expo in June!

So is it worth the money? Absolutely. Now if I can just FIND that money!

How do you make the decision of how much you will invest in your own education - is it based on how much you have, how much you'll learn, a balance of the two, or something else entirely?

Have you ever attended a blogging conference? What lessons did you learn?

Blogging with an Authentic Voice

A bit more "authentic" than necessary this morning. (nice hair)

When blogging, it sometimes feels as though you lose a piece of yourself as you send your words out into the Internet for the world to see. Most bloggers are interested in more than merely sharing their thoughts on a topic; most are looking for engagement. To facilitate this aspect of technological communication, blogging experts typically dispense with a singular bit of advice:

When you blog, do so with an authentic voice.

I doubt there are many bloggers that set out to do otherwise, but sometimes, under the pressures to provide continual content, efforts to find ways to monetize, bring more traffic and blog promotion, it is possible that an authentic voice can get pushed aside.

In May, when I went to Blog World Expo New York, I went to a panel by Jodi Beck of MomTalk and WomensForum.com fame entitled "Why an Authentic Voice Rings True." She spoke a lot about how she started (back in 1996!) and built up to such an enormous venture, but the most valuable part of the panel, for me, was her break-down of what an authentic voice is and is not.

An Authentic Voice IS

• YOU in print. As basic as that sounds, I agree with this. Does your printed word reflect YOU? While you do need to keep your readers in mind as you write, and those for whom you are an affiliate, these two aspects should not have you being insincere to yourself. Select your affiliate programs carefully - do you truly enjoy this product? Will you be able able to sell it sincerely? There are plenty of programs out there, simply find the ones that work for you.
• Honest, transparent first person. If you are going to sell, let your readers know. If you have an opinion about a topic, share it. You will not make all of your readers happy all of the time, but that is normal, that is human. Wouldn't it be nice if your readers remembered, even for one post, that there was an honest-to-goodness human being behind all of your beautifully designed digital masterpieces? However, from a creative writing standpoint, I am not sure one actually has to write in first person to have an authentic voice, but I do believe the perspective should be yours.
• Emotionally connected. I agree with this point if, for no other reason, that it too brings in the human aspect of blogging. This does not mean that every post needs to be some emotionally charged work that leaves your readers requiring a monthly supply of Kleenex tissues just to get through your feed. This simply means, in my opinion, that blogging does not have to be objective reporting one would find in a newspaper that's interested in "Just the facts, Ma'am!" (Unless, of course, your blog is serving as a news source and your portfolio for a future in journalism!).

An Authentic Voice IS NOT

• Preachy. This can be difficult if you feel strongly about a topic. In fact, a reader of Grist actually wrote into an advice column about the issue after a difficult situation in real life. There is some good advice in the response that I think can be transferred to blog writing in Umbra on talking about environmentalism without being preachy.
• Arrogant. Here's another one to be careful with bloggers! Did you start writing your blog because you are an expert in your field? Do you feel that you know more than the average man/woman on the topic at hand? Do you have a litany of references that can be furbished upon request and awards and accolades to prove just how much of an expert you are?! Well, that is just AWESOME! That is why we, your readers, come to your blog in the first place. Find a way to incorporate all of that into your "About Me" page. There is absolutely no need to be arrogant in your posts once we have arrived. We don't need to be reminded of how amazing you are all of the time, we simply need you to share a bit of your awesomeness with us - if you do that, we'll be back and we'll tell our friends about you, too!
• Perfection Oriented. Machines are perfection oriented. Humans have this cute little thing called "human error." Everyone knows about it, statisticians even account for it in their big studies about really important stuff. If you try to pretend that you are above error, that makes you a tiny bit less human to your readers and less relate-able.
• Manufactured. This speaks mainly to the blogs that expand and become joint ventures, or posting with an enormous frequency. If you have gotten to this point, it is important remember how you did so - even if you bring on guest posters, or start to collaborate with other bloggers, there is no reason for you to ever shift your voice and sound "manufactured." This can create a quick and slippery slope - why would readers stay? In short, Jodi Peck's point here was, the authentic voice of a blog is important no matter what level of blogging your are at. (And she could speak to that point a heck of a lot better than I can!

Remember: 

It is YOUR VOICE, more than anything else, that sets you apart from the crowd and makes you truly unique.

How do you maintain your authentic voice when writing?

Other Blogging Lessons I've Learned

• The Birds and Bees of Your Blog Life
• 3 More Lessons From Blog World 
• 3 Lessons from My First Day at Blog World NY 
• Your Book Proposal from a Publisher's Perspective
• How Darren Rowse Has Forever Changed My Life in 10 Days 
• Where Do I Get My Degree In Blogging?

Check out Blogworld in LA in November (click below for up to 30% off if you register by 9/21)!

Your Book Proposal from A Publisher's Perspective

Many bloggers are on the path from blog to book, so it was no surprise to me that there were publishers at the Blog World Expo to take advantage of this fact. I have no idea where my blogger adventures might take me some day, so I decided to check out the panel entitled "What Publishers Really think About Your Book Proposal" presented by a group of editors from John Wiley.

In short, a successful book proposal should contain the answers to three major questions:

1. Why YOU?
2. Why THIS Book?
3. HOW Is It Going To SELL?

As each of the editors shared their own personal preference for genre (one was a sci-fi editor, one was a historical and foreign-based fiction editor and one was a celebrity editor) and unique skills, there were some clear answers to these three questions that seemed to sell no matter what genre you may be interested in writing. Let's take a look at each one in detail.


Why YOU?

You must understand that as an editor in a publishing company each of these individuals is exposed to countless authors who are just as passionate about their work, who have been working just as hard as you (maybe even harder!), who write just and wonderfully as you, et cetera, et cetera, so you must answer the question: WHY YOU? Here are some of the answers that the editors said that catch their eye:

• You write a lot, possibly even in magazines
• You are an expert on the subject and have evidence of this fact
• You have been making a lot of "noise" in the field
• you have special expertise in language (this came from the editor with interest in the foreign-based genre)
• You are a celebrity (of course, this came from the celebrity editor)

Why THIS Book?

Have you been to the bookstore lately? Have you checked out the "New Releases" section? How about the "Bargain Books" section? Both of these sections have lessons in them - 1. How much competition is out there and, 2. how many of the books that do get published that still end up not being successful. You need to think long and hard about this question: WHY THIS BOOK? Believe it or not, just because you wrote it is not reason enough! Here are some things to consider and/or include in your proposal to let your prospective editor(s) know why your book needs to be published:

• Explain your book in terms of other successful published books
• Do NOT say "This has never been done before," OR, "This book is the first of its kind" - while this may sound like a positive unique experience, it actually sounds like your book has no shelf to be placed on in a bookstore!
• Be on the lookout for the publishing house you are contacting is promoting and explain how your book fits their current market (or go to a publishing house that better fits your book!)
• Read the "acknowledgments" sections of books similar to your own to find good contacts to make the right match

HOW Is It Going To SELL?

You may be embracing your artistic side as was philosophical through the writing of your latest masterpiece, but, in the end, this is a business. If your book can't sell or it doesn't look like you can be much of a help in the selling of it, then your deal is done. Your book proposal must have some evidence of the fact that you have considered sales and the selling of your book and that your plan may have some legs. Here are some things that help (and this is where the web and social media came to the panel):

• You have cultivated an audience, or created some sort of platform for yourself - this can be either through writing in print, or through the Internet
• You have a wide presence on the web
• You use your website as a TOOL FOR COMMUNICATION, not merely as an artifact of your work
• You can show interaction and/or influence with your audience (again, this does not have to be online)
• Do NOT spend time on the Internet as an afterthought - either all in, or all out

What Does It All Look Like?

Maybe you knew more about this stuff than I did before I sat down to this panel, but after all this chat about who I was, what my precious book was all about and what kind of sales person I was going to turn out to be, I was still wondering, "What the heck does the proposal actually look like?" Luckily, I was rescued from my curiosity and I now pass along the favor:

The Proposal

5-7 pages, containing:

• An annotated table of contents for your book, 

• A "Who Am I/Why Me" Statement (one editor said, "Formulate your Elevator Pitch", those of us who have been through the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog know all about elevator pitches!)

• & At least 1-2 sample chapters of the book, or some other equivalent sample of your writing (blogs or articles)

Other Quick Tips

There were so many little tips thrown in here and there for aspiring writers throughout the panel. I know I didn't get them all, but here are just a few that will hopefully help someone out there!

• Agents aren't necessary, but can be very helpful to run "interference" between you (the author) and the publisher (this way you don't always feel so offended when they are just doing their job by "hacking your baby"
• You will probably hate the cover of your book
• For fiction writers, a great place to create a platform is using the website Duotrope.com to get published in short fiction
• For all writers - the more you get published, the more "credits" you get
• **Be careful of blogging it could be a TIME SUCK!** (According to the editors there Blogging hit its peak in 2006-2007)
• Going from an eBook to a print book is difficult. HOWEVER, publishing a different print book with the SUCCESS of an eBook behind you makes the publisher's decision easier - in their eyes you already did the hard work

So what do you think, are you ready to write your proposal now?

Related Reading

• Publishing Myths and Truths for Bloggers from Ginger at Ramble Ramble
  

Other Blog Life Lessons

• The Birds and Bees of Your Blog Life
• 3 More Lessons From Blog World 
• 3 Lessons from My First Day at Blog World NY 
• How Darren Rowse Has Forever Changed My Life in 10 Days 
• Where Do I Get My Degree In Blogging?

The Birds and the Bees of Your Blog Life

As I expressed in my first post about the BlogWorld and New Media Expo 2011, the over-arching lesson I learned was that blogging is all about relationships. The first panel I attended, 365 Days to a Household Name led by Srinivas Rao of The Skool of Life blog and BlogCastFM podcast, started this theme right away when he began to analogize all of our Internet interactions with those that we undertake when finding our perfect mate.

I loved this analogy so much because it made clear to me the value of each of the interactions we take. I would like to share this delicate dance with you now so you can be better prepared for the World Wide Web.

THE FLIRT

Flirting is quick, it's easy, it's fun, oftentimes funny, and it can happen any number of times per day with any number of people in a room. All of this can happen without any of it holding that much meaning for anyone involved, however, for all relationships, there is usually some flirting in the beginning even if it is just to get noticed. So in the world of social media, on the path to developing relationships with readers, fellow bloggers, potential employers or potential clients if you want to flirt, then all you have to do it TWEET.

Twitter is the single most casual interaction held in the biggest, hottest party on the Internet. In 140 characters or less you give the twitterverse a little piece of you with every tweet - what you are interested in, what you write about, who you are. There is no commitment involved in Twitter, but when you've earned yourself a "follow," perhaps it is time to make the next move.

THE FIRST DATE

While you are busy blogging away and tossing your tweets out into the world, there are others doing exactly the same thing. Others you could be developing a relationship with. It is time to up your game with those you may think are worthy. As you are catching up on your reading, is there someone who's writing truly speaks to you? Or someone who is in your niche and may be someone you want to work with? Here are a couple of first date possibilities for you to consider:

• Blog Comment ~ If you are a blogger, you know the value of this. Receiving a meaningful comment related to your post can have the same dizzying effect as going on a first date with someone special: Someone connected with you, they liked what you had to say and they cared enough to share back. This is definitely a way to move toward a relationship and for me, personally, has led to guest posting opportunities and a number of web friendships.
• E-mail ~ In terms of the evolution of social media, e-mail is considered Web 1.0, you know - old news - however, sometimes old-fashioned charm is exactly what is called for on a first date. E-mail is not dead and it is very personal. If you want to make a one-on-one connection and you are not interested in doing it publicly, then this may be the move for you. Just keep in mind, for a first e-mail connect you want to keep it short and simple to ensure it is read.

As you continue your dating you can use some stand-out options that Srini shared in his session to deepen your connection. They are all pre-web, so you may want to grab a pen or something, because since they are pre-web they are unique in this digital age: send a letter, hand-written thank you notes, or even send a care package to a special someone who you wish to develop a working relationship with.

SEX?

This is where things get really personal and you are one on one - focusing on each other and (hopefully) nothing else. You may be saying to yourself That never happens in the social media world. Well, if you think about it for a moment, it will probably come to you. You can have this kind of connection with someone in a personal chat/instant message, through Skype, or with a Phone call (doesn't it seem to  always come down to somehow getting those digits?!). Anyone of these avenues is the type of communication that takes place between two people who want to connect and, oftentimes, are already in a social media relationship, or, at least, are on the fast track to having one.

THE RELATIONSHIP

So what are you in for? What are you working toward in this pretty little dance? Simply put: Conversations. In Social Media, on the Internet, and in your Blog Life your relationships are measured by your conversations. This isn't too different from what do in what we refer to as "real life," but it's something we sometimes think is beyond the reach of social media when we're seated behind the anonymity of our screens. It could be. If that's what you want. However, if you are looking for relationships, if you are looking to grow your blog, your business, your brand or simply just to find other like-minded individuals then it is time for you to start the dance - start flirting, dating and making some moves - in short, start having some CONVERSATIONS.

"Amazing things start happening when you start conversing for the sake of conversing." ~Srinivas Rao

Related Reading

• 3 Lessons from My First Day at Blog World NY 
• How Darren Rowse Has Forever Changed My Life in 10 Days 
• Where Do I Get My Degree In Blogging?

Srinivas Rao

• The Skool of Life
•  BlogCastFM

START BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH RIVERA RUNS THROUGH IT

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• Share your thoughts in a comment below!
• LIKE the BRAND NEW Rivera Runs Through It FaceBook Fan Page 

3 More Lessons From Blog World Expo NY

Click above to find out about their NEXT event!

After an educational and jammed-packed first day at the Blog World Expo in New York City, I ventured back for more lessons about building an online community, hosting companies and the WordPress experience, blogging about your passion, and, of course list building for bloggers. I knew so little about so much, so I grabbed my pen and my notebook and took diligent notes. Here's some highlights from the day's lessons, which I do plan to expand upon in the weeks to come:

Lesson 1: Your blog and your online community are not about YOU, they are about YOUR AUDIENCE.
This was reiterated in a number of sessions I went to during the day concerning all different topics from the community established on and around your site all the way to the e-mail list you create to maintain connections and spread the message of your blog.

"You are not your audience." ~Phil Hollows

Lesson 2: Beware of free.
While learning about all of the cool possibilities there are inherent in using WordPress, the discussion of the wide availability of free themes came up. In this session I learned that many of (not all) the free themes that pop up in a Google search contain Malware and Spam right within them! How annoying! Considering that WordPress has a repository of safe, "clean" free themes available, this is easily avoidable even if you don't have the money to spend.

"I will never download a free theme from Google." 

~the oath Mitch Canter had his audience recite while raising our right hands

Lesson 3: While new technology broadens our connections, older technology deepens them.

This idea makes more and more sense the more I hear it and think about it. A blog comment is more personal than a tweet, an e-mail is even more so, and snail mail or good old conversations TRUMP THEM ALL. This was a lesson learned about connectivity with readers, but also when networking among fellow bloggers. New tech is easier, but old tech is more meaningful - plain and simple, and pivotal to developing all relationships these days.

"This wasn't just about me learning new stuff, this was about me TALKING to other people."

~my thoughts on the express bus ride home

Luckily, I had a three day pass (even though I only had access to the exhibitor floor on the last day). I had one last day to not only learn from this blog conference, but also to learn about blog conferencs and what one truly had to gain from attending one!

Related Posts:

• 3 Quickie Lessons from My First Day at the Blog World Expo New York 2011
• How Darren Rowse Has Forever Changed My Life in 10 Days 
• Where Do I Get My Degree In Blogging?

3 Quickie Lessons from My First Day at Blog World Expo New York 2011

Click above to find out about their NEXT event!

I did it. I ventured forth and, on my own, with tickets given to me as a gift from my husband, I experienced the first full day of my very first Blogger's Convention. Needless to say, after a day on my own traveling back and forth to the big city after nearly one full year of being on medical leave and doing... well... nothing, I am exhausted. Therefore, this will be a quick run-down of some of the stand-out lessons for me with promises of more in-depth posts to come (I really hope I make sense here and don't babble too much)!


Lesson 1: This whole social media, blogging, Internet thing is not just about communication, it is about RELATIONSHIPS.
This was a theme reiterated by many of the speakers I saw today. In one way or another, the moral of the story is if you want more followers, if you are looking for your audience, if you want to have genuine, sincere comments and conversations with the people of the World Wide Web, then you had better be thinking first and foremost about how you are building your relationships with these people.

"Amazing things start to happen when you converse for the sake of conversing..."

~Srinivas Rao

Lesson 2: Nothing "sells" better than an authentic YOU and PASSION.
Again, words spoken by many, and not things I heard for the first time here either. Each of the speakers I saw today were blogging about things close to their heart, things they were passionate about and it showed.

"If you are not passionate about what you are doing - find something else to do!" 

~Jared Rolin

Lesson 3: The Nerd Within Might Be Exactly What You Should be Proud Of.
Just hours after feeling ashamed for letting all of my geek-goo go all over the Twitterverse, I found out, that perhaps the persona I so proudly flaunted in my classroom should also have a place in my web space!

I am a nerd, to ignore such things, or leave out such telling details separates me from my readers because they do not know the authentic me without it. Your nerd within doesn't have to be so nerdy (I mean, honestly, could I be any more cliche? Comic books, math, calculators???) - you might be a grilling nerd or a knitting nerd, who knows? Only you know, until you let us in on your juicy secret!

"Tell me about your inner geek... You don't have to go open kimono!" 

~Michael Margolis

Bonus Lesson from BEA: Free Books are Awesome, But Quickly Become Heavy!

As a bonus with the admission to BlogWorld, I also get access to the exhibitor floor of the Book Expo that is housed in Javits Center as well.  Considering I am a book lover I could not pass up this opportunity and hopped in during the lunch break between blogging panels. These people are just giving away books! In some cases, the authors are there to autograph them for me!! I was in heaven, until the weight of my decision became a reality when walking eleven city blocks to my express bus home. I have not yet come up with a better action plan for tomorrow... I will sleep on it.

"This was a bad idea." 

~my left knee, my foot, my right shoulder, my lower back, and, of course, my ACHING HEAD

Related Posts:

• 3 More Lessons from Blog World Expo NY
• How Darren Rowse Has Forever Changed My Life in 10 Days 
• Where Do I Get My Degree In Blogging?