sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

Featured Blogger Friday: Tehani Wessley

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If you’re a regular here, you’ll know that every Friday is Featured Blogger Friday, where I interview a fellow blogger about why and how they blog. This week’s guest is Tehani Wessely. Welcome Tehani!

Firstly, why do you blog?
I started blogging to be one of the “cool kids”! A group of my friends were big bloggers, and I started out mostly reading, and then doing a few random posts (on Live Journal). It soon turned into something else, and living in a rural area, was a way of staying in touch with what was going on in the bigger world outside. These days, I blog to journal and chronicle (personal blog), to market (www.fablecroft.com.au) and share (worldsnextdoor.wordpress.com).

What do you blog about?
The Worlds Next Door blog is dedicated to material related to the Worlds Next Door anthology – I post teaching materials for the stories, guest blogs by authors, and other related things. On my other blog, I discuss books, spec fic, family, work and life in general.

Who is your target readership?
In general, my readership is writers, publishers, readers, fans and others in the speculative fiction field. Worlds Next Door specifically though has 9-13 year olds and teachers as the target – both for educational and enjoyment purposes.

How often do you blog?
Ooh, not regularly enough at times! I try to get regular content on all blogs, but real life sometimes interferes. Luckily, with the WND blog, others (particularly authors) help with providing content!

How much time do you devote to blogging?
A couple of hours a week most weeks, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less, depending on what’s going on around the place and how much else keeps me away from my computer!

Do you have a favourite blog post? 

Not really! I’m really enjoying my author guest blogs on WND though – Tansy and Kaia talked recently about collaboration on an international scale, which was fun.

What do you see as the benefits of blogging?
So many benefits! First, it forces one to WRITE, which is always a good thing. It keeps you in touch with friends or colleagues or fans, it allows you to get material out there in a way that’s relatively easy for others to find and keep track of, and it is a great way to provide information to lots of people!

What blogging platform do you use and why?
I have been using LiveJournal for about five years now, and started over there because that’s where all my online friends were! Now I also use WordPress, because it’s simple and easy to use, and looks great as a website too.

Do you have a favourite blog to visit (other than your own)?

I love reading Tansy Rayner Roberts’ blog – I love Tansy’s books, and her blog posts are always thoughtful, insightful and full of interesting stuff I need to go read or watch or listen to!

Lastly, when you are not blogging, what else do you do?
Well, I’m a mum of three, a teacher librarian (part-time as of term 4 this year), an editor & publisher in Australian independent press, a judge for various awards, and a book reviewer. Among other things! 

Thanks for dropping in.
Thanks for having me!
You can visit Tehani Wessely at
http://fablecroft.com and
http://worldsnextdoor.wordpress.com

Featured Blogger Friday: Kate Gordon

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Welcome to another Featured Blogger Friday. This week I am delighted to welcome up and coming Tassie author, and blogger, Kate Gordon.

Welcome Kate. 

Firstly, why do you blog?

I started off blogging because I was a librarian and “Library 2.0” was very big on blogging! Now, I blog because I love reading author blogs and getting an insight into the mind of the people I admire. I figured, since I’m about to become one of these “author people”, I should let people have an insight into my mind. Not that I expect to be admired. I just kind of feel like, since I’m such a blog junkie, I should give something back.

What do you blog about?

Mostly books and writing. I work in a book shop. I am a writer. That’s my world and it’s all I really know! Occasionally, I’ll blog about other things that make up my world – my friends, music, movies, my husband, my psychotic cat … yes, I have been known to be a cat blogger! I try and blog every Monday and, really, I just blog about the first thing that comes into my head!

Who is your target readership?

Ooh! Hard one! I guess, at the moment, my readership seems to be other writers, people associated with the publishing world, and bloggers. I guess people interested in books and writing are interested in the blog because that’s what it’s primarily about! Hopefully, when Daisy Blue comes out, I’ll get some teens reading. Hopefully I won’t seem old and boring to them!

How often do you blog?

Once a week. I wish I did it more but I don’t have the time!

How much time do you devote to blogging?

Probably about an hour or so a week? My husband does my website and he actually spends a lot longer on it than I do. Bless him!

Do you have a favourite blog post? 

My personal favourite is a post I did about my girlfriends. I like it because it’s a tribute to the wonderful ladies who have been such a huge support to me in my life, and I smile whenever I see it. I also had fun writing a post about the music that inspires my writing, because I love a chance to share great music with people. It was also an eye-opener to read the comments about the music that inspires other writers.

What do you see as the benefits of blogging?

As a reader, I am a total glutton for information about writers. How they do what they do, why they do it … even things about them that aren’t to do with writing – their families, the music and movies they love, their pets. Maybe I’m a voyeur, but I know I’m not alone. The reason I blog is to return the favour, and because it’s fun. I love to write, obviously, and blogging gives me a chance to write stuff that’s not “proper” writing. Plus, I can just hit “publish” and people can read it. I don’t have to submit it and hope it gets accepted. It’s just an enjoyable pastime!

What blogging platform do you use and why?

WordPress. I did use Blogger, but the Husband Bear found out that WordPress can do blogs AND websites so, when he made my website, he chose WordPress. I’m still getting my head around it.

Do you have a favourite blog to visit (other than your own)?

I love your blog, obviously! And Alien Onion is always good fun. Persnickety Snark, Sandy Fussell and Tansy Rayner Roberts  all give good blog, too. Paige Loves Books  is good for (often local) booky news.

Lastly, when you are not blogging, what else do you do?

I work in a book shop, where I’m in charge of the kidlet area, and the kidlets themselves (in the form of the Fullers Ferrets book group – all 400 of them), and the YA area as well. When I’m not there, I write as much as I can, do yoga and zumba, listen to metal and country, and hang out with the Husband Bear and Mephistopheles Danger Gordon. It’s not a bad life :o)

Thanks for dropping in, Kate. Good luck with the release of Daisy Blue.

Featured Blogger Friday: Brenton Cullen

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It’s time once again for Featured Blogger Friday and today I welcome young writer and blogger Brenton Cullen, come to tell us about his blog. Welcome Brenton.

Firstly, why do you blog?
I blog because I feel like I have so many thoughts and concepts and ideas that I just feel like I immediately have to put out there, and putting your thoughts out via the Internet is one of the easiest ways. Also, it’s fun! 🙂
 
What do you blog about?
I blog about an entire variety of things, but mainly writing and just every day life experiences.

Who is your target readership?
I don’t actually write for a target or a particular group. I guess the readership is just whoever comes across my blog and finds it interesting.

How often do you blog?
Normally when something interesting is happening, but, on average, every couple of weeks or saw I show up with some new posts.
 
How much time do you devote to blogging?
Just whenever I am actually blogging, is when I devote the time to it I guess.

Do you have a favourite blog post?
Not really any posts, although I do enjoy the blogs of children’s writer Sandy Fussell and New York screenwriter Janet Lawler.

What do you see as the benefits of blogging? 
Being able to share things over the Internet with strangers that you don’t even know. You can never know who might be reading!
 
What blogging platform do you use and why?
I use Blogspot.com and only because it’s the first one I ever came across when I began my blog 3 years ago.

 
Lastly, when you are not blogging, what else do you do? 
Busy being a 9th Grade student! 😀

Thanks for dropping in Brenton.
You can visit Brenton at his blog here.

Featured Blogger Friday: Rebecca Newman

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I love Fridays for lots of reasons, but mostly because if it’s Friday, it’s time for Featured Blogger Friday. Today’s featured blogger is a really delightful lady, and a fellow West Aussie, Rebecca Newman. Welcome Rebecca!

Firstly, why do you blog?

I have two blogs—Soup Blog, which is the blog associated with Alphabet Soup magazine, and Boobook which is my own blog.

I blog at Soup Blog because there’s so much material that I can’t fit into an issue of the magazine (like book events and writing workshops kids would be interested in) and what I can’t fit in the magazine goes on the blog instead. Plus some extra stuff that wouldn’t go in the magazine anyway!

I started blogging at Boobook because on Soup Blog I’m limited to posting material suitable for primary school aged kids (in keeping with the magazine’s readership). Sometimes I’d read a great YA book, or toddler picture book, or even a grown ups’ book (a rare thing for me these days!) and I couldn’t post about them on Soup Blog because they aren’t relevant (or appropriate) for the blog’s audience. So I started Boobook for myself. I’m still experimenting a bit there and pottering about.

What do you blog about?
Soup Blog: I post Q&As with children’s authors and illustrators, additional material to complement what’s in an issue of Alphabet Soup, book reviews/recommendations, Australian book-related events for kids like writing workshops, book launches, writing competitions, meet-the-author, book signings, writers festival kids’ events etc, and of course I do some promotion for each upcoming issue of Alphabet Soup magazine and for our latest writing/cover design competitions.

Boobook: I blog about all sorts of bits and pieces. Books by my bed, poetry week, what I’m working on with writing or the magazine, things that make me laugh, sometimes a bit about what I’m doing with my kids. (When I was little and we were moving house, my mum labelled the box of stuff from my second desk drawer ‘TERRIBLE MISC.’. Boobook is a bit like that.) It does tend to have a bookish flavour to it, because I’m passionate about books, words and language and that creeps in everywhere!

Who is your target readership?
Soup Blog: the main readership is children aged 6 to 12. But I know that there are primary school teachers and parents who read it too. I’ve recently added an ‘activities’ page on the blog with activities and a music listening list to go with the theme of the latest issue of the magazine, and that’s really aimed at the parents and teachers. But the blog posts are always aimed at the kids.

Boobook: people who are a bit like me. Parents and writers and readers who love boxes containing terrible misc, books (especially kidlit), and going to the library a lot. (But Boobook hasn’t been going long, so I’m not sure who is actually reading it yet.)

How often do you blog?
Soup Blog: about twice a week. But it can be daily when there’s a blog tour going.

Boobook: it’s a bit irregular at the moment. Maybe twice a month,

How much time do you devote to blogging?
It varies. About two hours a week for Soup Blog, unless there’s a blog tour when I have to write lots of posts, or compile lots of other people’s posts and photographs in preparation—those odd weeks might take up to 5 hours that week, depending on the length of the blog tour.

I don’t blog as often at Boobook—about ½ an hour every now and again! I am very busy with the magazine and my family, so personal blogging ends up lower on the priority list.

Do you have a favourite blog post?

On Soup Blog I loved this one.

I received a pile of letters from Palymra primary school students about a visit to see Narelle Oliver and what they thought of her books. (They were very enthusiastic.) We couldn’t print them all in the magazine, so these were some that we posted to the blog.

What do you see as the benefits of blogging?
It good for raising the magazine’s profile because I have three young kids at home and I can’t travel much. It has also been a fantastic way of meeting authors and illustrators and helping to promote them, too.

What blogging platform do you use and why?
I use WordPress for both. I didn’t know much about blogging platforms when I decided to start Soup Blog. I had heard of WordPress and Blogger … and, well, WordPress had ‘word’ in its name. (I probably shouldn’t admit that that swayed me.) But I like it—it’s fairly easy for a novice blogger to use. (Though I have just discovered that the free version won’t allow me to upload sound files. I was a bit sad about that.)

Do you have a favourite blog to visit (other than your own)?
My favourites are:
The Book Chook posts about literacy and includes posts combining technology and literacy. It’s a great resource for parents and teachers.
Hey Teenager of the Year Steph Bowe is a 16 year old writer with a novel coming out in September 2010. She often posts book reviews and interviews and great writing tips.
Eglantine’s Cake author Penni Russon’s blog. I love the way she writes, especially about her family.

(Disclaimer: The Book Chook—Susan Stephenson—has a writing tips column in Alphabet Soup magazine. But I was a fan of her blog even before she started doing that!)

Lastly, when you are not blogging, what else do you do?
I am a mum with three kids under 8 and I edit and publish children’s literary magazine, Alphabet Soup. I read a lot and I write a lot too, though not as much as I’d like to. Someday I’d like to have a picture book published.

Thanks for letting me visit, Sally!

—
Rebecca Newman is the Publisher and Managing Editor of children’s literary magazine, Alphabet Soup.

Thanks for visiting Rebecca. It’s been great to get to know you!

 

Featured Blogger Friday: Lori Calabrese

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 Time once more for Featured Blogger Friday. This week’s wonderful bloggy visitor is Lori Calabrese. Welcome Lori!
Firstly, why do you blog?

My name is Lori and I have a blog problem. No, seriously—I blog because I’m addicted. If I don’t blog, I get cranky!

There used to be a time when I never really understood the blog thing. Imagine that! It was when blogs first started. For some reason, it seemed so selfish to me and just a way for people to take advantage of their fifteen minutes of fame. Times have changed and I think blogs are an amazing tool. Blogs have become a wealth of information. There are blogs on everything from writing to books to parenting to marketing.  And that’s why I blog—to gather and share information.

There is so much to learn about writing for children, the ins and outs of publishing, and all of the amazing books that are available. I find blogging helps me stay on top of the latest news. It forces me to read books I normally wouldn’t pick up in a bookstore, and it allows me to network with so many awesome people across the internet.


What do you blog about?
I blog about everything related to children’s literature.  You’ll find reading recommendations and reviews from board books to young adult, author interviews, writing tips and articles, and children’s book news and events. There’s so much stuff to share, I usually have to remind myself to spread good news about my own writing and books!

Who is your target readership?
My target readership is writers, parents, and librarians. Basically anyone who has a love for children’s books, is looking for some new selections, and wants to strengthen children’s literacy.

How often do you blog?
As I stated earlier, I’m addicted. I usually blog every Monday through Friday. Fridays are dedicated to Fish for a Free Book. It’s a weekly meme that lists all of the free children’s book giveaways across the web. I invite anyone hosting a children’s- young adult book-related giveaway, sponsoring a giveaway, or anyone who has just found a really awesome giveaway to stop by and share the link. I don’t know about you, but I just love the word FREE. There are so many giveaways out there, I find this is a great way to find them and discover new blogs that offer giveaways.

How much time do you devote to blogging?
Way too much. I tell myself everyday that I need to cut down, but I always find myself blogging the same amount. I usually dedicate about a half hour to each post, sometimes more.  It all depends on what the post is about.

Do you have a favourite blog post?
My favorite blog posts are author interviews. In a previous life, I used to be a TV producer and loved doing face to face interviews. Since I made the leap to become a full time freelance writer and children’s book author, my blog still gives me the opportunity to conduct interviews. There’s just something about learning an author’s path to publication, where they got the inspiration for their book, and what makes them tick.

It’s so hard to pick just one, but a recent interview I did was with debut author and fellow Indie-Debut member, Danika Dinsmore.  Danika accidentally became a novelist and has such an interesting path to publication. Hearing about an author’s struggles, perseverance, and writing tips can be extremely helpful for a writer.

What do you see as the benefits of blogging?
It might be easier to list the negatives of blogging. There are so many benefits—
1. Gathering/ sharing information
2. Networking
3. Marketing
4. Creating a platform
5. Keeping up with a daily writing schedule

and one of my favorites as a book blogger…
6. Receiving books for review.  I love getting books to review because I’m often introduced to titles I normally wouldn’t pick up in a bookstore.

What blogging platform do you use and why?
I used Blogger when I was first starting out, and found it extremely easy to use. The interface was easy to understand, it was easy to change templates, and simple to post. However, as I learned more about html, I made the switch to a self-hosted WordPress site. I was lucky to find The WordPress Chick who helped me with the design, and I haven’t turned back since. I LOVE wordpress and highly recommend it.

I still use Blogger for my sports blog (http://sportsbooksforkidsandteens.blogspot.com) and the Indie-Debut 2010 group blog (http://indiedebut2010.blogspot.com), but if I had to choose, it would be WordPress all the way!

Do you have a favourite blog to visit (other than your own)?
Sally Murphy’s Writing for Children Blog, of course!  (Awwwwwww. Thanks. I’ll pay you later, lol)
I visit a lot of blogs. For book reviews, I especially love Jen Robinson’s Book Page . For fun interesting tidbits, I love Elizabeth Dulemba’s blog . And you’ll often find me hanging out at the blog of my critique partner, Donna McDine—Write What Inspires You!  


Lastly, when you are not blogging, what else do you do?
When I’m not blogging, I’m usually writing, chasing around my two boys, and chugging as much coffee as any one person can consume! 

Featured Blogger Friday: Catriona Hoy

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It’s Friday and here on my blog, every Friday is Featured Blogger Friday. Today’s featured blogger is Catriona Hoy. Welcome, Cat.

Firstly, why do you blog?
One of my writing resolutions for this year was to join the 21st century and commit to blogging. I had previously set up a blog but found that confronted by that empty page I couldn’t think of anything to say that anyone would be remotely interested in. So although I had a blog, there wasn’t really anything there. Until one day I had a run in with the school principal at the school where my children went in the UK when they banned sunscreen in the school. Well, as an Australian I then had plenty to say lol! So my first real blog was very naughty but the school did eventually change their policy the next year, after we had returned to Australia. I featured on nationwide tv and BBC radio during my campaign and my children were thoroughly embarassed…
Now I blog because as writers, publicity and having a public profile are so important. I’m still struggling with Twitter and I have two Facebooks, my one for friends and a public page. As I blogged however, I realised that the blogging world was much bigger than I imagined and I’ve met some great new writers and interesting people.
What do you blog about?
 Mostly I blog about my writing, or things that are happening to me. I’m not a regular blogger and tend to be sporadic. There are some fantastic blogs for writers out there such as your own Sally and Dee White’s.  This week I blogged about the demise of my first book, as the rights have just reverted to me. It’s the first time it has happened to me and made me feel a little sad that it will no longer be available.
Who is your target readership?
 Hmm, now that’s a good question and one that I haven’t quite answered for myself yet. I guess my target readership is anyone who is interested in children’s picture books as that is mainly what I write. I don’t think any of my students read it, which is good, as I like to keep my lives kind of separate which is sometimes hard.

How often do you blog?
 A bit like exercising….not as often as I’l like, or probably should. In fits and bursts. As I’m a high school teacher, I have to fit my writing around other commitments and at times like this, when there are mid year exams and reports to write, other things have to take a bit of a back seat. Like with exercising, I feel guilty but I also told myself this was my year for not feeling guilty but I’m failing miserably at that lol.

How much time do you devote to blogging?
 Hmm, see answer to the last question. There are times when I don’t keep up with emails and some of the groups I belong to. It depends how much spare time I have.
Do you have a favourite blog post?
 I’d be lying if I said I did. I check out the blogs of my friends when I have time or when they send me links to other blogs.
What do you see as the benefits of blogging?
 Writing is so much about networking these days and making contacts is important. But it’s also nice to meet new people and learn about their writing journey. Writing can be quite isolating and other writers have similar experiences and I have such huge resources to draw on. Sometimes when you meet people finally face to face they feel like old friends.
What blogging platform do you use and why?
 I use Blogger…why? I find it simple to use. I think WordPress has more features but like my gas and electricity…I need to be motivated to change.
Do you have a favourite blog to visit (other than your own)? 
 I visit many of my writing friends in Australia but also this one http://notesfromtheslushpile.blogspot.com/ . Candy Gourlay is a dynamic member of the SCBWI in the UK and we met at the SCBWI conference in Bologna in 2008. She has some fantastic advice on blogging and using the internet as a tool. I just wish I had time to follow it all.
Lastly, when you are not blogging, what else do you do?
 I’d like to say writing! But probably I’m marking essays, or tests or preparing class notes. Perhaps I’m hanging up the washing or making dinner. Maybe I’m worrying about whether I’ve been a good mother and the fact that I forgot my sushi duty at my daughter’s primary school. Sometimes I do visits to schools and libraries to promote my books or just to keep in touch with how kids think.

Thanks for dropping in.
Thanks for having me Sally. I am always amazed at the energy you put into everything you do and your writing is wonderful. When I grow up I want to be just like you!

  Awww, thanks Cat. You can visit Catriona’s blog here.