For this seminar, I want you to take a look first at the sites listed in the Forbes posting about literary blogs below. Visit each of the lit blogs they recommend as the Best of the Web lit blogs and get a feel for how each of those bloggers (and their connected sites, in the case of Bookslut) go about their business. Literary blogging provides many services that the book reviews section of newspapers used to supply: well written critical reviews, interviews with authors, publishers and editors, and links to articles of literary interest. When thinking about creating your own hypothetical literary blog, try to imagine what sort of services you'll want to supply to your readers. Make sure your sample postings on your lit blog display the variety of types of posts your lit blog would provide.
Forbes posting on Literary Blogs
Also, take a look at Nin Andrews' lit blog. Nin is a national and internationally acclaimed poet from Poland, Ohio. She'll be visiting with us on the day of the seminar to talk about her blog, which is quite unique and has lead her to other writing opportunities outside of writing poetry. Familiarize yourself with her lit blog so you can discuss it with her.
For a look at a highly specialized lit blog, visit Gwenda Bond's site "Shaken and Stirred" which revolves mainly around the YA publishing world.
Now, take a look at two different literary nonprofit organizations' websites. The first is The Loft, located in Minneapolis, where there's a great literary community, and much of it is centralized around this particular place and the services it offers. The second is a project headed up by the well known writer and publisher David Eggers, called 826 Valencia, which attempts to bring literacy and literary endeavors to underprivileged communities. Sort through these sites and try to see how each is structured (not necessarily the site, but the organizations themselves). If you choose to write a business plan for a literary nonprofit or private endeavor, these might provide you with some inspiration.
The Loft
826 Valencia
