Most of the lit blogs are hopping about BEA these days and rightfully so - it sounds like a huge chaotic meeting of all that is good and bad in the world of books. I've been reading some updates from Ed and Mark and Lauren and Max among others and it's interesting how everyone seems to agree that no one (at BEA anyway) seems to know what to do with lit bloggers. They think blogs are a good way to spread the word about books but they don't know how to use them or what to do with them or how to link the worlds of books and blogs together. Of course if they talked to folks who know they would probably figure it out a lot faster, but I am cynical enough to doubt that will ever happen.

All of this lit blogging talk has made me wonder though just what it is that I am doing. I would have enjoyed going to BEA but it wasn't really possible this year due to family travel plans. I kind of also can't figure out just where I would have fit in if I did go though. I write reviews for Bookslut - I don't contribute to the daily blog so in that respect I am certainly a reviewer first and foremost (and also for Booklist and Eclectica). But I do discuss things going on in the literary world here at Chasing Ray. My site is so very new though and the numbers are not all that high (I haven't checked them in over a month - no idea how popular I am these days), so I doubt any publisher would consider a mention over here as something execiting for a book. But still - are you a lit blogger only if a thousand people read you each day? Or ten thousand? When do you become a lit blogger? And beyond all of that, this weekend has been spent working on notes I received on my novel last week from my agent so for the last few days I have been strictly a writer and wouldn't I be meeting with my agent if I was at BEA? Wouldn't I be discussing the perils of publishing with other writers or agents or PR reps?

Would people want to talk to me as a reviewer, blogger or author?

I also wonder what job is the best for me. Clearly I am a writer - it's all about writing regardless of what or where or why - but should I work harder at being a blogger of note? (What ever the hell that is!) Or keep plugging away at my reviews and the new book with equal intensity? I really think lit blogs and lit sites are the future of book reviewing just because it's so easy to form relationships with reviewers and authors this way and also so much faster when it comes to getting the word out. Part of why I'm so jazzed to be associated with the Voices of New Orleans site is because I think it's an excellent way to keep people informed on what's going on in the city and surrounding area (and great books they should keep an eye out for). So the web is great for lit blogging but am I doing it enough? Am I working hard enough at keeping up this site to consider myself a lit blogger?

When did this all become so freaking complicated anyway?!

Edited to add: It looks like I'm not the only one wondering what lit bloggers and publishing are supposed to do together - Max has a great write-up about it.