I began organizing the Summer Blog Blast Tour a couple of months ago, for reasons I explained earlier. I had hopes that it would introduce readers to authors they have not been aware of and give them some insight into how some of their favorite books were written. I envisioned lots of jumping from site to site as readers followed the daily link lists and became more and more interested in what the SBBT was trying to accomplish. I thought I might hear from some authors or publishers who found our work to be worthwhile. I thought we might connect with a few people - I hoped we would.

But really - I had no idea we would hit this one so incredibly freaking far out of the litblogosphere ballpark.

Okay, I'm being a little over-the-top there, but I can't begin to explain how gratifying it was to see the whole tour succeed on every level. All the interviews went up when they were supposed to. All the interviews were interesting and funny and inspiring in their own way. Nothing was redundant - everything was new. The best part though was that it wasn't boring - every interview had something to contribute, something to make a reader smile or frown or take pause. A couple of my favorite quotes came from Ysabeau Wilce and Kirsten Miller. I mean really, here's the hint Wilce gave us for her sequel to the wonderful Flora Segunda:

I suggest (but do not guarentee) that FLORA REDUX will contain: Loud rock bands. Revolutionary riots. Secret passages. Attacking tentacles. Many chores. Flynn. Oubliettes. A demonic bouncer. Magickal vortices. Udo’s new hat. A Bear Headed Girl. A shootout. A horsecar shaped like a dragon. An amusement park that turns dangerous after dark. The Huitzil Ambassador. Bugles. A hedge maze Tomb. The Warlord’s Birthday Party. An indoor snowstorm. Phosphorescent bullets. A Dæmon from the Abyss. Sneaking. A swan boat. Glamorous disguises. Bullies. The Perfume of Invisibility. Magickal sigils. A Plushy Pink Pig With Very Sharp Teeth. Waffles.

And here's what kind of thing we learned fascinates Kiki Strike author, Miller:

When I’m reading, there’s nothing I like better than discovering a tantalizing snippet of information tucked into the text. That’s why I try to base many of the more bizarre elements in my books on fact. If anyone bothered to investigate whether there’s really a castle in the middle of the Hudson River or tunnels under Chinatown, she might be pleasantly surprised by what she found. I suppose it’s a way of making detectives out of one’s readers.

If you know a kid over the age of ten who has not read these two books then get yourself to the nearest library or bookstore posthaste. Boy - girl, doesn't matter. They will love them both, I promise.

More than the many great quotes though, I think with the SBBT we have hit on a formula that just might begin to shift the tide of litblogger credibility. One of the things that has annoyed so many of us recently is the instances where print reviewers dismiss litbloggers as idiots, or idiots in pajamas, or idiots who live in basements (actually that was author Richard Ford - not a critic), or idiots with 18 cats or maggoty idiots. I have responded more than once to this foolish and continued use of ridiculous generalizations but responding here, on my blog, to people who agree with me is really only one small way to effect change.

The better thing to do is to show them how wrong they really are.

So the SBBT goes up a week ago and proves itself to be a smart, witty, efficiently run multi blog author tour that has done something no print reviewer could ever - could ever - accomplish. You just can't coordinate on this level and engage with your readers in this way in print. Doesn't mean we're better, just means we're not the same. And in the case of the SBBT, the whole thing also means we're very very good at doing what we set out to do.

Maggots my ass.

What I've learned in the past week is that the best thing the lit blogosphere can do is bring fresh content to its readers and do it on a daily (M-F) basis. The SBBT worked because we had so many different interviews at so many different sites - and every site involved was more than willing to point their readers to what everyone else was doing. Also, we have to follow through on what we promise - we said there would be over 50 interviews and there were. No one failed to show up. You also have to be eclectic about the literary topics (and books) you discuss. If readers came to my site yesterday and weren't interested in what Tim Tharp had to say, then I directed them to several other interviews they might prefer. This way I didn't lose any readers - they still came to Chasing Ray looking for some good literary conversation and I was sure to provide them with lots of options.

That's something we all need to think about.

I think coordinated multi blog efforts are going to be a big part of the way the lit blogosphere affects major change to the literary landscape. The Lit Blog Co-op started all of this of course; we're just tweaking their ideas and making them work better for us. Upcoming projects include a Winter Blog Blast Tour in early November and a week long look at books that haven't received the notice we feel they deserve. That should be in late August - I'll keep you posted. I do think with the SBBT that we have found a formula of cooperation and love for literature that will enhance not only the lit blogs involved, but everyone else who actively participates in the larger lit blogosphere. And really, that's what I want to see happen more than anything.

Those folks who think I have nothing intelligent to say because I am only a lit blogger can kindly step back and watch this space. I'm done responding to their attacks; from now on, they can try to keep up with us.

And trust me, that isn't going to be easy.