Blog Hops and Special Events - What are Your Favorites? - Are they worth the effort? Love em' or hate em'?

[Lynda Coker]

Most blog owners love to participate in a few yearly Hops or Special Events. Please share you thoughts on any of the points below.

• Can you tell us the top events you look forward to each year?
• What makes these stand out for you?
  
• How does your blog benefit?
  
• Would you rather host or just participate in such events?
• How would you score the effort verses reward factor of hosting such events?
• As a participant, are they enjoyable and worth your time?
• Do you think there are too few, or too many of these events yearly?
• Have you ever hosted such an event, or would you like to in the future
• Any other thoughts you would like to share?
• Do you like events to be international in scope, or smaller?
• 
  

Blogmania Central - NEXT BLOGMANIA EVENT - SEPTEMBER 15th and 16th.

[Julie Smith]

Oh! I started that one a couple of weeks ago, too. I don't know if it's gotten me much more traffic, but I like doing it, so I'll keep on doing so! I usually try to visit at least 5 of the sites that have books linked that I'm interested in or that look interesting to me, and I've found some cool blogs that, again, i might not have found otherwise!

Julie @ Knitting and Sundries

[Cym Lowell]

You know I love you, Right?

You are a real asset to the weekly book review link-up. I always look forward to your reviews and reading what's going on in your corner of blogland. Thanks for the shout-out.

I hope to see you at the party this week ;)

-CYM

Ps. You too, Julie!!!! Thanks.

[Enbrethiliel]

+JMJ+

Thanks, Cym! =) Since yours is the only "hop" I ever join these days, I guess I must love you, too! ;-)

[Julianne]

I try to do the weekly Book Blogger hop (*waves to Jennifer*) and enjoy it when I find a new blog to read. I participated (That is, hopped around) on the Wild Rose Press Bunny Hop this Easter and had lots of fun there. So, yes, I'd say they're enjoyable. And I do hope they do it again. What makes them stand out, and how does my blog benefit? The quality of the posts, the writers of the posts, if they're talking about the genres I care about, usually. I haven't found many others outside BH and BB, but I'm probably just not looking in the right place. Well, I do gain a follower here and there so that's good. I've never hosted one, so I can't answer that question. It doesn't matter to me, really, if they're international or not, unless there's a giveaway that won't include citizens of the US. :) Gotta love those giveaways! :)

Julianne
Café Pearl
http://julismapsroom.blogspot.com/

[Rachel]

I love the Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for books. I participate once or twice a month. I must admit, although I visit many blogs during the hop there are only a select few I add to my reader and return to. Obviously my reader would be beyond overloaded if I added every blog I came across so although I chat to fellow bloggers during the hop, it takes a special blog to get me hooked.

I am also pretty sure the same goes for those who visit me. Some return, some don't. Some become my blogging buddies, some I never hear from again. And that is ok. Not everyone can like my blog, just like I can't like every blog I come across but the hop is a great way to find these blogs that are for me! Make sense?

I highly doubt the comments about this "big book blogger databse"... I am not sure where the commentor got their information from (nor do they seem willing to share) but since all of these hopping events are held on different blogs by different people I doubt it is some evil conspiracy to get our information. Also, I am sure everyone is aware that EVERYTHING you post online is public and available for anyone to view so we all just need to be careful about what we post. That's pretty much common sense. Joining a hop does no more to add you blog to a big database than creating a blog in the first place.

[Joy Tamsin David]

I wish there was a master list of all the book related memes and hops. Anyone interested in starting one?

I enjoy the Book Blogger Hop and It's Monday? What are you reading? But I've seen others I haven't participated in yet. There's the What's in Your Mailbox, Teaser Tuesday...

I just learned about Review Wednesdays from this thread. I love that one too.

I like the book related memes better than the general Friday Follow types of things because when I link up to the general ones, I get all sorts of people who don't even seem like they're interested in reading, much less reading Christian fiction (which is my blog focus).

I think they just follow me so I'll follow them back, and they are usually coupon or discount related sites. Hey, I love a good deal just as much as the next person, but I'm following all the discount blogs I care to read at this point.

In the book memes, instead of comment drive bys, I usually get a book related comment even if someone is not interested in my genre.

Also, one thing I love about reading book blogs is all the blog bling in the sidebars. I love to see buttons posted there. I guess I'm an anomaly though. :)

I also love contests. I just started my own reading challenge. 6 inspirational ebooks in 6 months in case anyone wants to join. http://edgyinspirational.blogspot.com/p/challenges.html

[Chelle]

I'm really enjoying the Summer Reading challenges I'm signed up for. I'm not hosting (these hosts put in quite a bit of effort) but maybe sometime in the future I would because it's been alot of fun to participate. I also enjoy the book blogger hop (by crazy for books) and it doesn't bother me that she's getting tons of link to her blog. She's doing the hard work of creating and monitoring it each week so why shouldn't she? It seems only fair.

The most meaningful events are ones that ask participants to DO something - little activities or a small post about a theme or question. Doing something builds community and makes bloggers interact and not just gain followers. When I see "participants" who don't do what the event asks, I won't even comment on their blog or bother to stay and read because I feel they're cheating and taking away from the spirit of community that events try to build.

[Lit Addicted Brit]

I've only been blogging for a few weeks and I'm also really new to reading all of the great blogs that are out there so I've really enjoyed doing the Book Blogger Hop over the weekend to check out loads more. I like that part of signing up is stating what kind of books you review so I can go straight to those I know I'm going to be able to identify with.

What I have found while "hopping" around are a couple of bloggers who have left a standard "I'm hopping by...I'm now a follower...stop by mine..." type message. Which would be fine. If they hadn't also pasted the exact same message on to loads of other blogs that I'm reading! I just find it lazy and a little bit insulting - why would I follow a blog because they spent two seconds on mine and probably didn't even read anything?

Like I say though, this has only happened with a very small number of bloggers - most people are really in it for the experience and my book wishlist is getting heftier every week!

So, for that, I'll keep on hopping!

[Enbrethiliel]

+JMJ+

Yeah, the "Stop by my blog" and nothing else comments get on my nerves, too. =( I know one blogger who can get through over a hundred participating blogs in a day because that is the only comment she leaves--and she does that week after week.

On the other hand, I think that blogging etiquette allows it--or if it didn't before, it does now, considering how many people do it and think it's acceptable.

[Lit Addicted Brit]

I guess you're right - most people don't seem to mind and even return posts gratefully..and the bloggers that are doing this always seem to have a high number of followers so either they also have awesome content or the increase in traffic generates interest.

I also suppose they deserve a teensy bit of respect for their efforts because it can't be very interesting going through blogs and pasting all day (rather than actually taking the time to read and enjoy them, that is) - and over a hundred? Wow!

It still bugs me...maybe I'm just a cynic...

[Enbrethiliel]

+JMJ+

Yeah, an A for effort and not much else! ;-)

I try to think of it as speed dating. I visit a bunch of people, leave them comments without obviously promoting myself, and hope that they stop by my place, too. But I'm not sure why I keep doing this because I rarely find anyone I want to follow on these hops; and as far as I can tell, nobody has started following me because he found me through one, either.

Oh, wait. I do know why I keep doing this! =P I like "Teaser Tuesdays" because it is like a reading exercise for me. So I've started getting a bit turned off by people who join simply for the sake of traffic--but then again, that is what "Teaser Tuesday" is for!

Okay, I'll stop moaning now. Thanks for the conversation!

[Paula Phillips]

I love them , so awesome and you get more followers to your blog and you discover new blogs and more books to read. The readers heaven