Scene of the Blog Progress

I thought I'd fill all of you in with the latest on my weekly feature, Scene of the Blog. The very first thing you should have noticed was the new button. Ain't it great?!? All compliments need to be directed to Sheri at A Novel Menagerie. I went begging, and she so very graciously took the time to design not one button, but FOUR! They were all so good that I had a tough time making up my mind which one to use! Thank you so very much, Sheri!

As of today, I've sent out 119 emails to 119 different book bloggers. I've had 82 "Yes" responses, 42 "Yes" responses with photos and write-ups, 3 "No" responses, 2 "Maybe" responses, and 30 no responses. 30 no responses? Either some of you folks have a hard time saying no (which I have no trouble hearing and understanding), or there are some folks who don't check their in boxes for the email addresses listed on their blogs. (Hint, hint!)

If you're wondering just how I choose book bloggers to email, I started out with everyone in my Google Reader. I've now moved on to Here Be Reviews. I'll also be visiting places like LibraryThing, and book blog directories that are known to me. If you have other places for me to check for book bloggers, leave a comment here or use the Contact Me form in my header, please!

If you are wondering if I have any criteria for the book bloggers I email, I do. Does location matter? Not at all! We are a global community, and I'd like to feature as many blogs from around the world as I can. Do I have to like the type of books you review? Nope! Does it matter that your blog has very little traffic yet? No, it doesn't. I like the idea of featuring everyone. In fact, I have only two real criteria:

1. Your blog must be current. If you haven't posted in a month or two, chances are I'll think real life has caught up with you and you're too busy to participate. It's not my intention to add more stress to any one's life.
   
2. You must have some way of being contacted, whether it's a Contact Me form on your blog, or an email address listed on your profile. If I check both those places and can't find some way of contacting you other than leaving a comment, I'll move along to the next in the list. That may sound a little hard-hearted, but it is one way of showing you how important it is to have some way of contacting you listed on your blog! Some people don't like spilling the beans in a comment. (Pointing a finger at myself!)
   

I sit here with notebook and pen, compiling a list of bloggers to contact...their names, the names of their blogs, and their email addresses. Once I've emailed them, I add them to my spreadsheet. My current handwritten list contains eight more bloggers' information. I don't know when I'll be able to get in contact with them because I have a house guest showing up tomorrow night. (But I will keep up with my email!)

If I haven't contacted you and you want to be featured, please please please-- don't be shy. Contact me! If you know of book bloggers that you'd like to see featured, let me know. I'll get back to you quickly with a "Thanks, I've already contacted them" or a "Thanks, I'll email them soon!" And I certainly want to thank each and every single person who's helped me so far. You are the reason this weekly feature is so much fun!