Bloggiesta Fun - With Updates!

UPDATE - Day 2/Sat. Jan 22: So lets see, Jake and Gregory are taking the SATs as we speak and I have to get back to my WIP. We've been checking off things on the list below and putting the updates in RED.  We've done a few mini-challenges, got some policies written up, a few reviews, a vlog, sent out interview questions of all but one waiting author, and lots of other stuff! Found some great new bloggers and had fun visiting some old favorites! Jake and I saw Black Swan and The King's Speech and were inspired to to a vlog review when we came home - so that was an unexpected addition to our list!

An annual event hosted by Natasha at Maw Books Blog, Bloggiesta is a weekend dedicated to doing all things blog-like and trying improve our blogs in the process. It's a great event that we've missed in past years, and we're crazy busy this weekend but we're going to try to do a couple of things. There's no pressure and you can do as much or as little as you want. 

If you, along with dozens of other fantastic bloggers, would like to participate, it's not too late - sign up for Bloggiesta now!

OUR GOALS

(We're going to put out a bunch so we can pick and choose what we can do as time permits. It's a tough weekend. Gregory and Jake are taking SAT's and Alyssa is kicking out thousands of words to finish the first draft of her WIP. We know we won't get to all of our list but just putting it all down is helpful!)


Day 2 Updates in RED

• Write Reviews (Current Count: 3)
• Finish Updating and setting Up Blog Pages -Policies, DAC, etc. (We've finished the Privacy and Contest Policies. Will set up review one next. We're going to have all our policies on one page so have to wait until the whole thing is finished. Next up our DAC and we'll have to see after that.) 
• Put together a list of standard interview questions for bloggers and authors
• Send interview questions to authors requesting questions for upcoming interviews (Have sent to all but one author)
• Put out invitations for Guest Posts and Interviews
• Update Reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, etc.
• Debut Author Spotlight Button
• Clean up/answer emails (This is at least half done)
• Film In My Mailbox vlog
• Film vlog for Movie Review of BLACK SWAN and THE KINGS SPEECH
• Create/Update Post Templates
• Back up Blog
• Clean out/organize reader and blog subscriptions (Did some of this)
• Set up at least one giveaway
• Make cookies for giveaway winners
• Pick up books at the library before the holds expire (Grabbed six awesome looking books! Had to pay a few dollars in late fees - yeah, we're bad - but still cheaper than buying!)
• Get Gregory past his shyness, out from the background work and putting more reviews on the site - for people to actually read and comment on - scary stuff! (That could be the toughest on-going project)
• Create backup/rainy day posts
• Create upcoming WoW posts
• Check out other Bloggiesta participants' cool ideas (This has been fun!)
• Read Bloggiesta participants tips (Ongoing and interesting!) 
• Check out mini challenges and do at least one  (Current Counter: 3 - may do more!)

         - Organize Thy Books! by Jenn @ Jenn's Bookshelf

             (This is a fantastic post!)
         - Best Email Practices
              - Google Forms by Jenn @ Devourer of Books

• Update social network profiles
• Explore discussion post topics (Have come up with at least two firm ideas and several more that have been discussed but not fleshed out)
• Clean up tags, categories etc.
• Check out new features to add 
• Find new awesome bloggers! (Ongoing and having a amazing time!)
• Visit and support Bloggiesta bloggers! (Ongoing! Keep it up everyone - you're doing great!)

That'll do it for now. We'll update as we go along - see what we get to. At least we have goals to work on and keep this list as an ongoing reference/inspiration. We can break down tasks month by month, week by week, which makes things more organized and easier to deal with. 

Good luck to all the participants and can't wait to see what this group accomplishes!