Utah Book Month 2013 Roundup

What a lovely month it has been!  Though I'm sad to see the second annual Utah Book Month come to a close, I'm also overwhelmed by the awesome bookish community that lives here in Utah.  Thank you so much to everyone that participated.  There would be no Utah Book Month without you.

Suey and I had a blast planning this event and getting to know you all a little better.  Mark your calendars now, because we'll be back next August.  And, we'll try to post here from time to time with exciting Utah book events.  If you have a suggestion for anything Utah Books related, please drop us a line.

AND DON'T FORGET!!  The Utah Books annual social is coming next Saturday.  Check out the details here.

And now, here is a recap of Utah Book Month 2013:

MINI-CHALLENGES & GIVEAWAYS

Mini-Challenge: Utah Books hosts Read 5 Utah Books

Giveaway: Daniel & Brittany

Mini-Challenge: Stephanie hosts One True Pairings

Mini-Challenge & Giveaway: Jessica A. hosts Insta-UBM

Mini-Challenge: Kami hosts Character Challenge

Mini-Challenge & Giveaway: Jennifer

Mini-Challenge & Giveaway: Suey hosts First Lines Quiz
Giveaway: Jessica A. 
Giveaway: Cindy Bennett
Giveaway: Kami

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHTS

Author Spotlight: Kami spotlights Ally Condie

Author Spotlight: Stephanie spotlights Elana Johnson

Author Spotlight: Heather Ostler spotlights Carol Nicholas

Author Spotlight: Jessica A. spotlights Emily Wing Smith

Author Spotlight: Suey spotlights J.R. Johansson

Author Spotlight: Cindi spotlights Heather Frost

Author Spotlight: Heather G. spotlights Rebecca Jamison

Author Spotlight: Angie spotlights Kristen Chandler

Author Spotlight: Mark Hansen spotlights Christina Dymock

Author Spotlight: Andrea spotlights Sarah Eden

Author Spotlight: T. Lynn Adams spotlights Cindy Bennett

Author Spotlight & Giveaway: Jessica A. spotlights F.W. Adams

Author Spotlight: Jessica B. spotlights J. Scott Savage

Author Spotlight: Cindy Bennett spotlights Michelle Argyle

Author Spotlight: Kathy spotlights Ken Baker

Author Spotlight: Jennifer Greyson spotlights Mark Hansen

Author Spotlight: Kelsy spotlights Natalie Whipple

Author Spotlight: Christina Dymock spotlights Heather Ostler

Author Spotlight: Daniel & Brittany spotlight Dave Wolverton

Author Spotlight: Dorine White spotlights Tyler Whitesides

Author Spotlight: Carol Nicholas spotlights Kay Lynn Mangum
Author Spotlight: Carol Nicholas spotlights Lisa Mangum

BLOGGER SPOTLIGHTS

Blogger Spotlight: Jennifer spotlights Daniel & Brittany

Blogger Spotlight: Jessica B. spotlights Kathy

Blogger Spotlight: Kathy spotlights Jennifer

Blogger Spotlight: Kelsy spotlights Angie

Blogger Spotlight: Kami spotlights Stephanie

Blogger Spotlight: Stephanie spotlights Jessica A.

Blogger Spotlight: Daniel & Brittany spotlight Carol

Blogger Spotlight: Jessica A. spotlights Cindi

Blogger Spotlight: Cindi spotlights Kelsy

Blogger Spotlight: Carol Nicholas spotlights Suey

Blogger Spotlight: Angie spotlights Penelope

Blogger Spotlight: Jessica A. spotlights Jessica B.

Blogger Spotlight: Suey spotlights Kami

GUEST POSTS & SPECIAL FEATURES
Special Feature: The Salt Lake Library by Angie

Guest Post at Utah Books: Mark Hansen

Special Feature: Utah Awesomeness by Kami

Guest Post at Utah Books: Christina Dymock

Guest Post at Utah Books: Carol Nicolas

Guest Post at Utah Books: Rebecca Jamison

Guest Post at Utah Books: F.W. Adams

Guest Post at Utah Books: Cindy Bennett

Please let us know if we missed a link to one of your posts.  That's it for this year!

Today's Featured Posts for Utah Book Month - 8/31

Ah, the second annual Utah Book Month comes to a close.  We've got three new posts in store for you today, before we sign off.

First, Suey from It's All About Books spotlights Utah book blogger Kami from Kami's Library Thoughts.

Second, Carol Nicolas spotlights (and interviews) Utah author Lisa Mangum.

Third, check out this round-up post for a categorical list of the fun we've had this month, and you can always check out the master schedule, if you prefer a chronological list.

Today's Featured Posts for Utah Book Month - 8/30

I'm getting a little nostalgic, for the month of August has flown by. But we're not done yet!

Today, Utah author Carol Nicholas spotlights Utah author Kay Lynn Mangum.

Also, this is your last chance to participate (and often enter to win!) in these awesome mini-challenges:

Utah Books hosts Read 5 Utah Books
Stephanie hosts One True Pairings
Jessica A. hosts Insta-UBM
Kami hosts Character Challenge
Jennifer hosts Childhood Eyes
Suey hosts First Lines Quiz

Today's Featured Posts for Utah Book Month - 8/29

Our month of Utah book fun is coming to an end, but not just yet.

Today, Jessica A. from The Bluestocking Society spotlights Utah book blogger Jessica B. from Books: A True Story.

And author Dorine White spotlights Utah author Tyler Whitesides.

Today's Featured Posts for Utah Book Month - 8/28

Today, Daniel and Brittany of Attack of the Books spotlight Utah author Dave Wolverton.

And, we are pleased to have a guest post from Utah author Cindy Bennett here at the Utah Books blog about the writing community here in Utah.

Utah Author Guest Post: Cindy Bennett

Cindy C. Bennett is the author or co-author of a number of books.  She self-published her first novel, Geek Girl, and then sold it to Utah publishing house Cedar Fort.  As Cindy says on her About page, she writes contemporary YA, though she has "a few books which dip a tiny toe into the paranormal." You can find her on her blog, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook.  She even has a sometimes-Podcast with her son called Geek Revolution Radio.

And now, here's Cindy:
__________________________

From nearly every window in my house, I can look out and see the Wasatch Mountains, the portion of the greater Rocky Mountain range that line the east side of the Salt Lake valley. Even still, after living here my whole life, and looking out these same windows for the past ten years, I never tire of the sight. Not to say that I never take the sight for granted, because I admit that sometimes I do, and then I’ll look up and see them and it will strike me anew how very lucky I am to live in the shadows of such a glorious bit of nature.

The hidden treasure that isn’t as obvious as the imposing mountain range is the vast amount of talented writers and the large number of amazing, supportive bloggers who live here. Even having lived here my entire life and having long held the dream of becoming an author, I had no idea they existed. I naïvely thought that if you wanted to be a successful writer you needed to live somewhere like New York or Los Angeles, or even Key West in a house full of six-toed cats.

It was an eye-opening experience to find, when I finally dared to put my words out for the world to see, that I was surrounded by creativity and support like I didn’t dare dream. At every event or book signing I discovered more of the talent that abounds in our humble little state. I’ve developed relationships with bloggers who are relatively anonymous in their location, only to find out later that they also are fellow Utahns.

So while I may enjoy visiting New York or LA or Hemingway’s home, I’ll always return to my roots in Utah, happy to be the girl who gets to look out her window and see the Rocky Mountains, and who gets to live side-by-side with the talented, kind, helpful and supportive Utah authors and bloggers. What a lucky, blessed girl I am!

Today's Featured Posts for Utah Book Month - 8/27

Here's what's up for today:

Angie from Angela's Anxious Life spotlights Utah blogger Penelope.

Christina Dymock spotlights Utah author Heather Ostler.

Today's Featured Post for Utah Book Month - 8/26

Today, we have Kelsy from Up in the Bibliosphere spotlighting Utah author Natalie Whipple.

Also, the end of the month is nearing!  Make sure to get your entries in for these fun mini-challenges:

Utah Books hosts Read 5 Utah Books
Stephanie hosts One True Pairings
Jessica A. hosts Insta-UBM
Kami hosts Character Challenge
Jennifer hosts Childhood Eyes
Suey hosts First Lines Quiz

Today's Featured Posts: 8/24

Here's what's going on today for Utah Book Month:

We have a guest post here on this blog by F.W. Adams. He's talking about some ideas that inspire him to write.

Also, Suey is featured over at the blog of Carol Nicolas! She had some fun questions to answer!

Utah Books Guest Post: F.W. Adams

What If?

The first question you may be asking is what could this guy write that hasn't already been written, that you haven't already read or perhaps already thought?

The answer may likely be nothing. Whoa, end of post, right?  No, not quite yet.  True, you may not read anything new in the next few words, sentences and paragraphs, however, you just may be reminded of something that you have previously read, something that inspired you and then perhaps the details of day-to-day living simply pushed to to the back of your mind--until now, that is.

So, I'd like to share two things that inspired me, two things that made me stop and think and got me putting pen to paper, so to speak.  The first is that writing is work. Yep, work.  I remember reading an essay in one of L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future series to this effect, wherein the author basically noted that writing is work and that it takes time, effort, energy and then more time, effort and energy.  Being an author is a job and a good idea may be had by most anyone, but it is only a start and creating characters with which we want to identify, creating believable worlds and then crafting an engaging story takes, well work.  That has been with me since I read it and I only wish I could recall the author to give him or her the credit due that great essay.

Second, and I believe it was from another essay in that same series, though perhaps a different book, wherein the author noted that asking the question of "What if..." is often the start of a wonderful literary journey.  I know for me that it has been.  Had I not read that essay and had that question not been at the forefront of my mind, then I would have simply passed by that storm drain in the middle of the street without a second thought.  Instead, it caught my attention, I asked "What if..." and now I'm writing a Young Adult Sci-Fi series all based on that "What if..." question.

And yes, it is work!

So, ask the question, "What if..." and then go ahead and put in the effort and then write something!


About the author: F.W. is working on a three part science fiction series for young adults, titled "The Storm Drain Chronicles." His first published work, "The Unfortunate Tale of Little Mary Jenkins" can be found in digital format for all platforms on Amazon or Smashwords.  To learn more about what may be lurking in your storm drain, visit him here on his official website and, of course, feel free to like and follow on Facebook,

Today's Featured Posts for Utah Book Month: 8/23

\
There's a giveaway today! Head on over to Kami's blog for all the details. 

Featured Posts for Utah Book Month: 8/22

More awesome posts today!

On Cindi's (A Utah Mom's Life) blog you can learn more about yet another Utah book blogger, Kelsy!

Also, over at Jennifer Greyson's blog, she's spotlighting Utah author Mark Hansen.

Don't miss it!

Featured Posts for Utah Book Month: 8/21

Today the celebration continues with Kathy from Read This Instead highlighting Utah author Ken Baker.

And right here on this blog we have a guest post by Utah author Rebecca Jamison about our wonderful libraries here in Utah. Check it out! :)

Finally, we have a blogger spotlight by Jessica from The Bluestocking Society highlighting Cindi from Utah Mom's Life.

Utah Author Guest Post: Rebecca Jamison

Rebecca H. Jamison is a full-time mom with a passion for writing novels, running and dancing. She is the author of Persuasion: A Latter-day Tale and Emma: A Latter-day Tale. You can learn more about her at rebeccahjamison.com.

Check Out Utah Libraries

Guest Post by Rebecca H. Jamison

I’ve visited libraries all over the country. Don’t ask me why. When I visit a town, I visit the library. I’ve been to libraries in the East, the Mid-West, and the South-West. And I always come away with gratitude for my own library. Utah libraries are spectacular! They have the latest releases in books, movies, and magazines. They’re well staffed. And they’re fun places to be.

A visit to Salt Lake City is not complete until you visit the Salt Lake City Library. It’s exciting just to walk through the building with its glass walls and artistic displays. Don’t get me started on the selection of books. They may not have every book in the world, but they come close. My kids love going there because of their fun reading rooms for children.



Recently, I walked the halls of the old Brigham Young Academy Building, which is now the Provo City Library. Though it was a Friday Evening, the place was packed. It’s a small library compared to mine; however, the selection was up to date, and the children’s section was enormous.

I’m lucky enough to live within the boundaries of the Salt Lake County Library System. My card allows me to go to any of the nineteen libraries throughout Salt Lake County. If my home library doesn’t have the book, magazine, or movie I want, I simply place it on hold. The item usually arrives at my home library within a week. The library system also provides a summer reading program, as well as many online resources.

As I think about how I became an author, I have to admit that it probably would not have happened without my library. To be able to write well, you have to read well. While I wrote my first published novel, I sought inspiration from the shelves of my library. Reading great books helped me get through my many writer’s blocks. When I didn't have time to sit down and read, I listened to audio books as I worked around the house. The library even helped me after I finished writing. It offered me a variety of books about how to publish.

Do you have a favorite library? How has it helped you?

Today's Featured Posts for Utah Book Month: 8/20

Here's what we have for you today!

Over on Cindy Bennett's blog you'll see a spotlight of Utah author Michelle Davidson Argyle!

Enjoy!

Today's Featured Posts for Utah Book Month: 8/19

It's another author spotlight today! Jessica over at Books a True Story is featuring J. Scott Savage. You don't want to miss it!

Today's Featured Posts for Utah Book Month - 8/18

We're moving our way through the month!

Today, we're pleased to host a guest post from Carol Nicholas here at the Utah Books blog.

As always, make sure to check out the full schedule of Utah Book Month events to catch up on anything you might have missed.

Utah Author Guest Post: Carol Nicholas

Carol Nicholas is the author of The Sixth Power, a YA fantasy novel about a girl with special powers.  Carol blogs regularly at http://carolnicolas.wordpress.com/.  Check out this list of her favorite books, which is kept updated on her blog.  You can also find Carol on Twitter and on Facebook.

Now, here's Carol:

______________________

ABOUT BLOGGING

When I finally finished my last edit of The Sixth Power in January, I emailed the book to my husband (who was going to handle the whole process of self-publishing), treated myself to Godiva chocolate, and thought I was done.  Little did I know that I was just beginning a whole new adventure.  “You have to write a blog,” he told me.  So I began to learn about blogging. 

One of the first things I learned is that there are hundreds of blogs out there where people read books and review them.  Wow!  What an amazing concept!  I loved going to all the different websites and reading the book reviews.  It was better than a library, better than a candy store, better than a back rub...  I was like a kid with a carte blanche credit card in a toy store.  My Nook suddenly had a hundred titles downloaded onto it.  I gorged on books.  I read and read and read until one day I came up for air and realized that I hadn’t painted a picture or played guitar or gardened or written a story for a while.  It was time to step back from the books, get back into life, and get going on my own blog.  (Since the garden was under three feet of snow, I could excuse myself on that one.)   

Then I discovered that authors have websites.  (Yes, I know, you’re asking if I’ve been living in the Dark Ages all my life.  I’m quite sheepish to admit this.)  One of the first things I did was look up Robin McKinley.  I have been a fan ever since I read The Blue Sword in 1982.  I love her books!  I had so much fun going through her website, reading her blog entries, finding out what she has published and what’s coming in the near future.  She even has an ongoing story called Kes.  She writes and posts a chapter a week, and I am in agony every week to find out what happens.  For a person who likes to read a book from start to finish in one sitting, this is the ultimate torture.  I really enjoyed perusing the websites of my favorite authors, both old and new.  But now I had to join the blogging community.

My son set up my website and coached me through the steps of how to use it.  Then I sat down and stared at the blank screen.  What on earth was I going to write?  Who would read it?  Would anyone read it?  With great trepidation I sent my first blog out into the ether.   I fully expected my high school English teacher to write back and highlight all my grammatical errors.  “Carol, you should have paid more attention during English.  Instead of writing those stories in the back of your notebook, you should have been diagramming sentences.”  It didn’t happen.  Whew.

In the past six months, I have learned a great deal about blogging.  It has been an interesting experiment.  Some days it is very hard to find a subject to write about.  My sister calls me.   “I like the stories about things that really happened,” she says. “Be real.  Don’t write about things you don’t care about.”  I tell her I’ll work on it.  I sit and stare at the screen some more.  Other days, I think of ten different things I could comment on.  I always agonize over my blog before I click on the publish button (see English teacher phobia above).  Some days no one comments, and I wonder if there is any point in writing them.  And then there are the days when one of my neighbors says, “Hey, I read your blog.  I really enjoyed it.”  That gives me the courage to keep on sending these vignettes out there and hoping they will be read and enjoyed by someone.

Today's Featured Posts for Utah Book Month - 8/17

Happy Saturday! Here are the posts in store for you today:

Daniel & Brittany from Attack of the Books spotlight Utah author and blogger Carol Nicolas

We're so excited to feature a guest post from Utah author Christina Dymock here at the Utah Books Blog today!

Utah Author Guest Post: Christina Dymock

Christina Dymock is the author of a cookbook for kids called Young Chefs.  She developed the methodology and recipes behind Young Chefs in her own test kitchen - on her four children.  She runs a blog about teaching kids to cook at http://teachingyoungchefs.blogspot.com/.  She also blogs about her writing adventures at http://myamateuradventures.blogspot.com/.  

And now, Christina Dymock:
_____________________

Utah Writers Need To Forget About Balance

From the moment you wake up in the morning to the second your head hits the pillow at night, there are hundreds of demands on your time. Family, friends, church service, writing, editing, marketing, volunteer work, cleaning, team commitments, laundry, work, paying bills, balancing the checkbook, updating social media, blogging, and cooking are just a few of the items on a writer’s everyday to-do list. It’s no wonder we wish for more hours in the day.

Since we can’t slow down the sun, we agree to settle for balance. Being able to accomplish enough of the items on our list that we feel accomplished instead of strained. Perhaps you’ve attended a writer’s conference or read a blog and wonder how other people seem to handle all these demands with confidence and class. We mistakenly believe that balance exists when in fact, it is a myth created by watching other people look like they can do it all.

Myth: A made up story that describes a natural phenomenon.

In this case, the natural phenomenon is another writer’s ability to do everything and do it well without stress. You too can have that appearance. It’s an appearance and not an actual ability because no one goes through life without stress. It just doesn’t happen. Here are three ideas to help you drop the need for balance, feel more satisfied with what you do each day, and therefore have a higher level of success as a writer.

1.     Stop Comparing

My biggest beef with comparisons is that we are never fair to ourselves when we pull out the measuring stick. We automatically compare someone’s best to our worst. That’s messed up.

For example, let’s say you join a critique group to improve your writing. After everyone exchanges chapters you start to feel bad. Sally can describe a scene so well you feel like you are there. Trevor wrote dialogue that has you cracking up. And, you care about Becca’s characters with every molecule in your body. You wonder if you’ll ever be as good as the rest of the writing world. When we compare our shortcoming with one glimpse of someone else’s supposedly perfect abilities, we will always come up short.

Instead of comparing your faults to another writer’s strengths, make a list of your good qualities. Take some time to celebrate those abilities that come naturally or that you’ve developed through hard work. Then list your weaknesses. Read and research authors who are good at things you are not,  Instead of using their work to put yourself or your writing down, use it to improve your writing. Draw upon their strengths until they become your own.

2.     Set Your Priorities

One of the reasons we feel dissonance at the end of a day is that we look at the things on our list and realize important tasks are left undone. “Where did the day go?” we wonder. Then we think back and realize that hour spent browsing Pinterest cut into our editing time.

When you get up in the morning, and after you’ve eaten your Wheaties, make a list of things you need to do that day and things you’d like to do that day. Then rank them by priority. Reading with your five year old may be high on the list while folding the laundry could go down a few notches. Work through the list in order of importance and you’ll find that your dissonance disappears.

You can also take a few minutes and look at the big picture. I have a dear friend who is a gifted writer. She is continually working on her manuscripts and always looking for ways to improve her craft. However, she has made a commitment to be 100%  mom while her kids are living at home. For her, writing is manageable right now, but publishing is not. She is well aware that she can have it all, she just doesn’t have to have it all right now.  I’m sure that when her youngest moves out, she’ll have half a dozen ready-to-publish manuscripts on her hard drive and take the book world by storm.

3.     Accept Your Best

Have you ever met a writer who thought their book was done? It doesn’t happen. They may have thought their book was ready to submit to agents and editors, but they are never done. The reason behind this inability to really finish a book is that we are never really finished learning.

On one hand, this is a good thing. When a writer is constantly working to improve, they learn new skills. These skills (hopefully) make each new book better than the last. 

On the other hand, constantly reminding yourself of what you do wrong can be detrimental to your development. Learning to accept that your current efforts are good enough can be difficult. However, there is no more freeing thought than, “I did my best.” Once you can recognize your best efforts and allow yourself to feel satisfaction, your confidence in your abilities will grow. That confidence will transfer into your writing and into your pitches.

When it comes down to it, a balanced life is impractical. There is no way you can give equal time to writing, your family, and your extracurricular activities. You have to make choices. Some things are going to be more important or demand more of your time. Those who appear to have it all together are flexible enough to give the proper amount of attention to those items on their to-do list that will bring them the most fulfillment and let go of the rest.

Today's Featured Post for Utah Book Month - 8/16

Kami from Kami's Library Thoughts put together an awesome post on Utah Awesomeness.  Go check it out!

Make sure to check out the full schedule of Utah Book Month events to catch up on anything you might have missed.

Today's Feature Posts for Utah Book Month - 8/15

Three excellent posts are in store for you today:

T. Lynn Adams spotlights Utah author Cindy Bennett

Stephanie from Chronicles of a Novice Writer spotlights Jessica A.

Jessica A. from The Bluestocking Society spotlights Utah author F.W. Adams (and hosts a giveaway)

Today's Featured Post for Utah Book Month - 8/14

One lovely item for today:

Andrea from Literary Time Out spotlights Utah author Sarah Eden.

Check out the full schedule of events for posts you might have missed and posts to look forward to!

Today's Featured Posts for Utah Book Month - 8/13

Fun spotlights are on the menu for today:

Mark Hansen from Mark's Black Pot spotlights Utah author Christina Dymock

Kami from Kami's Library Thoughts spotlights Utah blogger Stephanie

Today's Featured Posts for Utah Book Month - 8/12

A lovely dose of Utah Book Month fun to brighten up your Monday:

Angie from Angela's Anxious Life spotlights Utah author Kristen Chandler.

Utah author Cindy Bennett hosts a giveaway!

And here on the Utah Books blog, we are delighted to feature a guest post from Utah author Mark Hansen.

Utah Author Guest Post: Mark Hansen

Mark Hansen is a local author and blogger. He has published two cookbooks on Dutch oven cooking with Cedar Fort (a Utah publishing house): Black Pot for Beginners and Best of the Black Pot, with two more forthcoming. Mark's interests are diverse and range from, of course, Dutch oven cooking to music and LDS culture. You can find him on his blogs and on Twitter.

Now, without further ado, I give you Mark's guest post.
________________________

Reasons Why Publishers Like Bloggers

I first started blogging in 2005, because I’d heard about it, and it sounded fun.  I created a space, chose a topic (a religious pop culture blog) and started writing.  I must have really enjoyed it, because, before long, I had added another blog about Internet marketing (my day job), and another about my musical hobby.  I really liked the concept of being able to spout off my opinion and watch the traffic tracker draw mountains and valleys on the charts.  Occasionally, I’d hit a nerve and get a wave of comments.  

In 2007, I started what is now my primary blog, http://marksblackpot.com, and in so doing, became not just a blogger, but a food blogger.  I had recently discovered a blossoming interest in cooking on my back porch using a Dutch oven and charcoal briquettes.  I soon established a pattern of cooking my family’s Sunday dinner, and then blogging about it.  I would usually post up the recipe and the story by Monday or Tuesday of that week.  It wasn’t long before the black pot’s traffic overtook all of my older, more established blogs, and it kept growing, steadily, slowly.

I remember seeing the movie “Julie and Julia”, about a lady who cooks her way through Julia Child’s classic cookbook, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”, while blogging about it.  I really enjoyed the movie, despite it being an obvious chick flick, because I could relate to cooking and blogging about it.

Of course, as a result of her blog, she gets a call from a publisher, and gets offered a book deal.

“Wow.  Wouldn’t that be cool!” I thought.  I also knew that probably doesn’t happen in real life.

Until in May of 2012, I arrived at my tiny little cube at work and opened up my emails, and there was one from Cedar Fort (http://cedarfort.com), a Utah-based publisher.  They had seen my blog and wanted to talk to me about writing a Dutch oven cookbook.  I don’t think my feet touched the ground the entire day.  They looked over my proposals and ended up offering me a 4-book contract, and it’s been a wonderful ride with them ever since.

Since then, I’ve come to realize that there are some real benefits, from a publisher’s perspective, to signing bloggers.  Here are just a few of them.

Bloggers write.  A lot.  

Successful bloggers write and post in their blogs on a regular consistent basis.  Some post daily.  I post a Dutch oven recipe about once a week.  This means that bloggers are accustomed to writing regularly, and they are able to focus on that task.  That also means that if a blogger has been around for a long time, they have a lot of on-topic content already in place.  In my case, that meant tried and tested recipes.  Hundreds of ‘em.

Bloggers are usually good writers.

This is not always the case, but you have to agree that if someone is writing daily, or even weekly, they’re bound to keep getting better.  Practice makes perfect, and all that.  At the very least, as a publisher, there’s a body of work they can review to get an idea of the quality the author can create.

Bloggers are often good at what they write about.

When I started blogging, I was not an expert at Dutch oven cooking.  I still don’t pretend to be the best.  But as I cooked and blogged and blogged and cooked, I got better.  And, I brought my readers along for the journey.  They learned right beside me.

Bloggers often already have readers.

This is a big, big, point for a publisher.  A successful blogger has a built-in audience following along.  It’s a pretty easy step, then, to promoting the new books to that pre-made audience.  Publishers like that!  It makes their job much easier.

Now, it’s true that every blogger and every publisher is different.  All I’m saying is that blogging is a great way to get things started, and to keep things moving once they are started.  Hey!  It worked for me and Julie, right?

Today's Featured Post for Utah Book Month 2013 - 8/11

Just one selection for you today:

Jessica from The Bluestocking Society hosts a giveaway. 

And, while you're at it, make sure you've visited all of the mini-challenges posted so far:

Utah Books hosts Read 5 Utah Books
Stephanie hosts One True Pairings
Jessica A. hosts Insta-UBM
Kami hosts Character Challenge
Jennifer hosts Childhood Eyes
Suey hosts First Lines Quiz

Today's Featured Posts for Utah Book Month 2013 - 8/10

Ah, ten days in and twenty one more to go.  Here are today's posts:

Heather from Fire & Ice spotlights Utah author Rebecca Jamison

Kelsy from Up in the Bibliosphere spotlights Utah blogger Angie from Angela's Anxious Life.

Happy Saturday!

Today's Featured Posts for Utah Book Month 2013

Here's what's happening today for Utah Book Month!

Go test your first lines acumen with Suey's First Lines Quiz.

Cindi from A Utah Mom's Life spotlights author Heather Frost.

Go forth and Utahbook. (Yep, I verbed it.)

Today's Featured Posts for Utah Book Month 2013

We have three lovely offerings for you today!

Suey from It's All About Books spotlights Utah author J.R. Johansson

Kathy from Read This Instead spotlights Utah blogger Jennifer from My Life with Books

Finally, come revisit books through your childhood eyes with Jennifer's challenge and enter to win a copy of Brandon Mull's newest book, Spirit Animals.

Today's Featured Posts for Utah Book Month 2013

Be sure to check out these awesome posts today!

Jessica from The Bluestocking Society is spotlighting author Emily Wing Smith.

Come see if you can guess the characters over Kami's (Kami's Library Thoughts) Character Challenge today!

Today's Featured Posts for Utah Book Month 2013

There's lots happening today!

First up, we have Utah author Heather Ostler spotlighting Utah author Carol Nicolas! How fun is that? Be sure to go learn about both of them on Heather's blog, Adventures in Writing.

We also have Utah book blogger Jessica from Books a True Story spotlighting Utah book blogger Kathy, from Read This Instead. It's a blast to learn more about one of our favorite bloggers!

And finally, Angie from Angela's Anxious Life has written up a post featuring the beautiful Salt Lake Library, complete with a ton of awesome pictures. You don't want to miss it!

Today's Featured Post for Utah Book Month 2013

Today, Stephanie from Chronicles of a Novice Writer has posted an interview with Utah author Elana Johnson. Be sure to head on over and visit!

Today's Featured Posts for Utah Book Month 2013

We have another mini challenge for you today! If you are into Instagram and picture taking, you are going to love it!

Head on over to Jessica's (The Bluestocking Society) to find out all the details!

Today's Featured Posts for Utah Book Month 2013

Today we have one post for you to check out. How easy is that? 

Head on over to Jennifer at My Life in Books where she spotlights new Utah bloggers Daniel and Brittany from Attack of the Books. They are awesome! Go be friends!

Also, check out the Read Utah Books challenge found right here on this blog. Join us in this quest! You know you want to!

Utah Book Month Bash

Although most of the UBM celebration happens online, some of it actually takes place IN UTAH, IN REAL LIFE. Please come and join us for our summer social. Whether you're a blogger, author, or anything in between WE WANT TO SEE YOU! Here are the details:

Utah Book Month Bash

Saturday, September 7, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.

Wines Park in Lehi, Pavilion #3*

• Bring a small dessert to share; we'll provide plates/forks/napkins/cups/water.
• Bring ONE book (per attendee) to swap.
• We do have a pavilion with picnic tables, but you may also want to bring chairs or blankets for sitting on the grass.
• Families are welcome - there is a playground for kids.

*From I-15, take Lehi Main Street Exit. Turn west onto Main Street (toward Lehi Roller Mills). Turn right onto 100 East. Turn left onto 500 North. Pavilion #3 is in the southwest corner.

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND SPREAD THE WORD! 

Today's Featured Posts for Utah Book Month 2013

Today's celebrations of Utah Books include:

 ** A fun and fabulous mini challenge called "One True Pairings" hosted by Stephanie at Chronicles of a Novice Writer.

** An author spotlight featuring Ally Condie by Kami at Kami's Library Thoughts.

** A giveaway courtesy of Daniel and Brittany at Attack of the Books for the book Nightingale by Utah author David Farland.

Be sure to visit them all!