There have been some questions in the past week about how the SBBT (and WBBT) come together. While I have certainly already explained the genesis of this multi-blog interview tour idea before (start here with why, then go here for reflections on the project last year and finally here with a look at the actual process of making this all happen), a few questions still remain. So here's the scoop.

There SBBT and WBBT are put together by a group of about fifteen sites (some of which are comprised of more than one blogger). We start emailing months before to come up with a list of authors/illustrators we would like to interview. After throwing a big list out there we then go through it and try to make sure we are talking to people who cover multiple ethnicities, multiple genres and appeal to both boys and girls, straight and gay. We also try to focus on authors that might have been overlooked in the past while certainly not shying away from including a few "heavy hitters" if we have a chance. It's all about balance though. The final list is something that takes several days of give and take as we put together something that will appeal to the broadest possible audience - but is still comprised of individuals that we each want very much to interview.

It's not hard (not in the way that loading an airplane at 40 below or working an oil rig in WY is hard) but it does require a lot of trust among the participants, and a big willingness to listen and work with each other. As it happens, we work really well together and so the tours come together in a painless and effective manner. In the end readers will have no idea who was lost from that original list, and how many discussions were held to get to where we are today.

But that's what we want - for readers just to enjoy the final project and not have to worry at all about the process that got us here.

Because we do have to work together as a group though, and because pretty much all of that work takes place via email, we keep the group small. The SBBT and WBBT are exclusive projects - we purposely have not opened them up to the larger lit blogosphere. Everyone has to do their part, include the links, follow through with interviews, get everything in on time - it's really a lot to ask. In the very beginning there were a couple of bloggers who dropped out at the very last minute, as in the week before the tour started, and had never conducted any of the interviews they agreed to do. Fortunately everyone else followed through so we had plenty of interviews. But still that was a big wake-up call for me. We need to be able to rely on each other to do what we promise to do or this will not work. And while I certainly understand that stuff can happen (please - my life is all about this) a big event like this, where so many professional people are part of the process to bring it together, well I can't personally let it fall apart because some of the folks decide not to do their part at the last minute. Burning bridges is just not an option for me.

So, yeah. The SBBT and WBBT are exclusive closed projects and that is how they will remain.

But having said that, anyone can put together similar tours. If someone wants to email me for any assistance I'm happy to provide it. And keep in mind that the One Shot projects (like the most recent Canada Day) are totally open to everybody. (As I said last March when announcing the date for Canada Day.) I also posted recently on my plan to discuss books this August that are important in this year's political race (books on the environment, war, economy, etc.) and asked anyone who was interested to join in. I'm all about including everybody and their cousin when it's a project that makes inclusion possible. It's only on the complicated stuff - the big stuff - that I draw a line. Mostly this is for my own sanity, but it's also because when we've got a good group thing going we just don't want it to mess up.

I hope everyone can understand that and I look forward to more great interviews this November in the 2008 Winter Blog Blast Tour.