Carnivalesque
It's taken me a while to post about Barbara Fister's Carnival of the Criminal Minds because I was slow to figure out how blog carnivals work.Now that I have, though, I can tell you that they are a supremely practical way to cope with the surfeit of information in blogland. Quite simply, a blog carnival lets someone else do the work of finding and highlighting some of the best of what's out there.
In this case, a revolving cast of someones does the work, starting with Karen C., keeper of AustCrime, that compendium of information about Australian and New Zealand crime fiction. Next up was J. Kingston Pierce of the Rap Sheet, and the current host is Julia Buckley of Mysterious Musings, pointing the way to a feast of blogs about writing, publishing and crime fiction.
The three hosts to date have linked to some of my favorite bloggers and, more to the point, to some new ones that look interesting. And that's what makes a carnival fun.
© Peter Rozovsky 2007
Labels: blogs, Carnival of the Criminal Minds
posted by Peter Rozovsky at 9:03 PM
10 Comments:
"a blog carnival lets someone else do the work of finding"
Not necessarily. Many ask for submissions. Some, like the science guys linked above, are on a set schedule with a set rotation of hosts, too.
It's a very clever idea.
Ha! I'd better figure out what the drill is, because I'll be hosting this one in a couple of months.
But if a carnival asks for and receives submissions, then I can find all those links in one place, rather than having to rely on individual searches, yes? In other words, it saves me hours of browsing time.
Well, assuming you get the submissions by e-mail and then copy the links from the mail to Notepad or something like it (I compose blogposts in Editpad and c&p into my Movable Type new entry box), then yes; you'd have them all in one place and could peruse them at leisure.
These would be my public rules, more or less:
Set deadlines for submissions. If someone agreed and hasn't followed up, one reminder notice and out. Don't chase bloggers; after all, this is their opportunity to get their best stuff in front of a wider audience than they normally have.
Privately, whatever arrangements you make with individual bloggers is up to you. ;)
Not a bad idea. Thanks.
I'd just assumed that hosts of the crime-fiction carnival would highlight and discuss posts that they had found on their own.
I'm one of the bloggers on First Offenders, and I didn't know it would be featured on Julia Buckley's Mysterious Musings. As far as I know, she didn't ask for submissions, and I know Rap Sheet doesn't.
Whatever works! When I decided crime fiction needed a carnival, I just rounded up some bloggers who seemed game and luckily some decided to take the plunge. (Thanks in advance, Peter - though your blog is one I check daily, anyway). I know some ask for submissions. Some also beg and plead for submissions. I thought I'd see what develops and let hosts work out their own preferences.
The other thing I like about carnivals is that the various hosts put their own stamp on it, so you get to know something about their take as well.
It will be heading to Femmes Fatales next where I'm sure Mary Saums will treat it with southern hospitality. If anyone has a submission, you're welcome to let me know - or contact Mary.
When I took on the Carnival of Criminal Minds last month (http://therapsheet.blogspot.com/2007/10/
carnival-of-criminal-minds-no-2.html) , I didn't even consider asking bloggers to submit suggestions of what they thought I ought to highlight. I assumed it was up to the blogger him- or herself to do the choosing. And I like it that way. It tells you something about the carnival organizer, what he or she finds interesting in the crime-fiction blogosphere.
Cheers,
Jeff
A carnival, it appears, is what the host wants it to be, then. Thanks.
It's nice to know that some do ask for submissions, though, in case I think of someone I'd like to ask.
Here's a link to more carnivals, in case you're still doing research ;)
Did you get my e-mail?
Yes, I got it, and thanks. I also found another link to instructions on how to conduct a carnival. It's helpful to see the different ways of doing it.
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