This week I had the good fortune to attend the Penguin Random House National Book Bloggers Forum in Sydney. My time there just flew by and I haven’t really had time yet to process everything. However, I thought I’d share my five (5) fave things about forum:
5. Random House offices
My last couple of government workplaces were pretty groovy (unlike their predecessors!). Indeed my final workplace (6 star energy-rated building) reminded me a bit of the Random House office space, which was just gorgeous and seemed like a great place to work – open, modern and designed with creative personalities in mind.
4. Goodie bags
We all got half a dozen (or more) books to take home and read (and review presumably).
At the moment I predominantly get online books for review purposes, so getting the real thing was kinda strange.
(Though I was tempted to also steal the new Karin Slaughter book from the shelves. But didn’t… I swear!)
3. The guest speakers
We had the opportunity to hear from three authors: Sneh Roy, Judy Nunn and Bruce McCabe, who all had very different journeys to publication. Sneh is a food blogger whose recipe book, Tasty Express, was released in April. Judy has 12 books under her belt and talked about finding inspiration; while Bruce self-published before being ‘discovered’ by an agent.
@BruceMcCabe1 feels like he’s won the lottery several times over to get to where he is now! #author #NBBF14
— Debbish (@debbishdotcom) May 20, 2014
2. Other book reviewers and bloggers
Many of my friends and family like reading. Some even love it, but I rarely meet anyone whose passion matches my obsessiveness. Until #NBBF14 that is, when I met a few dozen. Some may only read a book a week, others inhale even more than my 3-4/week but on the whole everyone there LOVED books and reading. Many also wish to write or are already writers. And our taste varied, although I was surprised at the number of lovers of Young Adult and Fantasy fiction – which seem to have sub-genres which eluded me (ie. #WTF are ‘dystopian’ novels?).
1. The passion of those involved in the industry
I guess I expected that for many working in the publishing industry (editors, publishers and publicists), it may just be a job. Rather than a calling.
However after hearing the enthusiasm in the voices of the Penguin and Random House peeps presenting upcoming books and talking about their work I was left in no doubt about their passion and enthusiasm for the industry (and which – incidentally – was undoubtedly my fave part of the day!).
I’m now left with an array of new Twitter and blogging friends and have committed to develop a little action plan to take my book blogging to the next level.
Of course I should mention that the jaunt to Sydney wasn’t as bad as I expected, although North Sydney Rydges gets a big ‘F’ for #pillowFAIL with only large puffy pillows. As expected I had to go pillow-less, occasionally trying a folded bath towel. #Hmph!
For those interested in learning more about the forum or following others who blog about books, check out the list of attendees.
Do you take a while to process things when a heap of new stuff is thrown at you? (Surely it’s not just me… she asks hopefully?!)
Thanks to Penguin Random House or organising the forum and to the presenters and participants for such a great day!
As it’s Friday I’m flogging my blog With Some Grace today.
May 23, 2014
Ooooh…..*lust*. I can’t imagine anything better than a trip into the Random house offices. Maybe owning my own full size stocked library complete with stacks and a dewey system. It would take me a while to fully process all of that too – although for me a big part of it would be adapting to a gift of books instead of one I chose myself. I always find books such a personal thing and I struggle to engage with them when one is given to me (although I’m often pleasantly surprised)
May 23, 2014
Yes, I usually request books to preview in my fave genre (crime fiction, mystery, suspense, thrillers, literature) so some we received won’t be my usual reading fodder! But – it’s probably good to challenge ourselves every so often.
And yes, the office was gorgeous.
May 23, 2014
Dystopian: novels usually set in the future where everything’s gone to hell in a hand basket. Hunger Games and Divergent and Super Sad True Love Story are dystopian novels. I prefer happy endings, but I do love Hunger Games. That last one is super depressing because it sounds incredibly plausible….
May 23, 2014
Ha! Yes I had to google ‘dystopia’ as it got mentioned so many times during the day!
🙂
May 26, 2014
If it helps, “dystopia” is literally the opposite of “utopia”. One versus the other was one of the themes in the movie “The Matrix”.
Most dystopian novels are extreme dystopias, by the way. An interesting example of a world where a more-or-less utopian setting devolved into dystopia is the future world of the epic Night’s Dawn Trilogy by Peter F Hamilton.
May 26, 2014
Ha, thanks Wade! Once I knew what it was I realised it was the opposite to Utopia – oh, and The Matrix is a great example!
May 23, 2014
I think you’d have to be ‘called’ to be an editor/publisher – all those manuscripts… all those desperate writers…
May 23, 2014
Yes, I was talking to a publicist about a book I’d read and she said, “That’s MY book!” Initially I thought she meant she was the author and then I realised that it was one she was ‘responsible’ for… I loved that sense of joint responsibility and passion!
May 23, 2014
Everything I’ve seen about this event makes it sound amazing. Look forward to getting to the event next year.
May 23, 2014
Yes it was great Michael. It came at a time when I really didn’t think I SHOULD go cos of the cost (lots of bills lately) but I’m really glad I did!
May 23, 2014
Yes, I need time to process things too … sounds like an awesome event … as a fellow bibliophile I’m extremely jealous!!!
May 23, 2014
Yes it was great Janet – around people who ‘get’ my reading obsession… (and think it’s normal!).
May 23, 2014
There’s a new Karin Slaughter soon?? You’ve just made my day!
May 23, 2014
Yes! It’s not one of the usual series though, so it’s a stand-alone!
May 23, 2014
Oh I’m SO jealous Deb! Goodie bags and everything!
In answer to your question, I too get overwhelmed – bit like the deer in headlights and take a while to process new things…(and glaze over school in-services/meetings). I need a book FORUM!
May 23, 2014
I just need to make sure I follow through. I’ve attended ProBlogger for the last 2 years and two other blogging things before that and I always get home and get straight into other things and rarely implement anything I learned!
May 23, 2014
I love a hard copy book rather than the ebook format. Sounds like you had a great time! What an awesome opportunity to go to the Random House offices. 🙂
May 23, 2014
Yes! And I’m with you. I much prefer the ‘real’ thing!
May 23, 2014
Oh my. Books. I swoon. I’m about to attend my first Pro Blogger this year. Let’s see how I process it… I have no expectations, considering I’m already overwhelmed being a teeny tiny blogger in such a big crowd!
May 23, 2014
Completely understand Caitlin… I’ve felt that way both years I’ve attended ProBlogger!
May 24, 2014
I was wondering how it went – LOVE your tweets and yes to seeing hot men all around! I bet it was awesome, and right up your alley. And it sure does look like a great place to work at. Yay for free books 🙂
May 24, 2014
I forgot about men in suits… it’d been a while…
May 25, 2014
The goodie bags sound amazing! Glad you had a great time & got lots of value from it…
May 25, 2014
Indeed. I just have to work on my little plan. In her session Sneh talked about balancing blogging with life and said she decided to focus on just a few things at a time. Think I will take that advice.
May 25, 2014
Loved it Deb, and so nice to meet you too. I think my absolute favourite thing was being in a room with people just like me! I had to stop myself from trying to form group hugs. See you next year, I hope!
PS, I had no idea what a dystopian novel was until late last year. They are a tad addictive I must admit.
May 26, 2014
Yes, being around so many avid readers was a strange (but delightful!) thing!
May 26, 2014
I loved the goodie bag as I’m the opposite and am perfectly happy to tell people to give me a bag of books but to omit the romance. I think there’s a romantic type book in that bag which I’m very unlikely to read.
I was at the first two Problogger conferences and implementing even a small percentage of the information they throw at you is so challenging. It takes me so long to process certain types of information that I’m only ready to put some of it into action now.
May 26, 2014
I vowed after last year’s Problogger conference I’d take some time to implement stuff, but I didn’t. (Well, other than adding myself onto Google+. Guess that’s better than nothing!)
May 29, 2014
Sounds like so much fun! Lucky you!
May 29, 2014
Oh yes, absolutely!
May 28, 2019
Wish I’d been there with you all 🙂
May 29, 2019
I didn’t know anyone then so it’d be better now I’d have an idea of who people are. There were lots of YA readers there.