Bloggers Bash Awards 2018 – Nominations are now CLOSED

We have had a phenomenal response to the Annual Bloggers Bash Awards (ABBAs) with an incredible number of nominations. Thank you to everyone who nominated your favourite bloggers. 

This year, the awards are being sponsored by Greenstory – a fantastic eco-friendly company who are awarding each of the winners with a STONE notebook… Yes, a notebook actually made of stone. For more details, check out Suzie’s review of the notebook here or their website here. 

The committee is now busy collating all the data ready for VOTING which opens on the 6th April 2018. 

While you’re waiting for voting to open it’s the perfect time to check you’ve bought your Bash Ticket, purchased any necessary travel and accommodation, printed business cards, and bought new stationery to take notes! 

The countdown is on… 

WHAT IS THE BASH? 

If you’ve never attended a Blogger Bash event before then, you’re in for a treat. Created by Sacha Black and aided by her intrepid committee of eight bloggers, the Bash is open to any blogger, regardless of age or niche. Previous events have included speakers, competitions, a panel, and attendees from all over the UK, Europe, the US, and Canada.  

There will be an opportunity to network, eat cake, and meet some amazing online friends in person! The event takes place in a single day; timings and the exact breakdown of the day will be available closer to the event, but it will start mid-morning and end in the evening. We announce the winners of the Bloggers Bash Awards, which you, the blogging public, vote for. You can see last year’s winners here 

WANT TO KNOW MORE? 

Join Sacha and the committee on our Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/991165987611263/  

You can also join us for our Twitter Hour on the first Sunday of the month from 7pm-8pm using the hashtag #BlogBashChat or join in the conversation on Twitter by using the #BloggersBash hashtag. 

DON’T FORGET YOU CAN  BUY YOUR TICKETS here. 

2018 Bloggers Bash Award Categories are here!

THE BLOGGERS BASH AWARDS ARE BACK! 

 Now in its fourth year, the Annual Bloggers Bash returns bigger and better than ever. The venue is booked, and the committee is busy working behind the scenes to ensure the day is full of fun, learning opportunities, networking, and, of course, the blogtastic award ceremony. 

 The nominations will open soon but we wanted to share the award categories with you to give everyone plenty of time to think about who they feel deserves a nomination. 

 Get your thinking caps on and keep an eye out for future posts. Nominations will open on March 6th 2018. 

 Award Categories for the 2018 Bloggers Bash Awards 

BEST OVERALL BLOGGER  

 Who is the blogger that excels in a variety of categories? Who provides excellent content, is sociable and engaging with readers, shares other posts, or has a writing style that keeps you coming back time and time again? 

Whoever you choose needs to be an all-rounder. A blogger that is head and shoulders above the rest as that’s what makes the Best Overall Blogger. 

 FUNNIEST BLOGGER 

 Which blogger always makes you laugh the most? Whether that’s through humourous content, or their blogging manner. A blogger that has your sides aching from laughter and brightens up the blog-o-sphere is what makes the Funniest Blogger. 

 MOST INSPIRATIONAL BLOGGER 

 Who inspires you? Is there a blogger that’s thought provoking and inquisitive? Perhaps they’re a muse to you with the constant provision of inspirational content or imagery. Who’s the one blogger that touched your heart? This is what makes the Most Inspirational Blogger. 

 MOST INFORMATIVE (Original Content) BLOGGER 

 This award is for the blogger with the most informative and original content. Who creates fascinating content that you find yourself longing to read? Perhaps they’re a history blogger or they write about the craft of writing/blogging, or maybe they like archaeology or wine tasting. They could be an artist or musician. The topic is irrelevant, it’s the original content that counts. A blogger who shares a wealth of knowledge in an informative way is what makes the Most Informative & Original Blogger. 

 BEST BOOK REVIEW BLOG 

 There are so many wonderful book bloggers out there, but which one stands out for you? Whose book reviews do you enjoy reading and engaging with? It’s not the number of reviews that’s important, but more about the quality of them. Who has you clicking the ‘buy now’ button after reading a riveting summary, or

who has the most thoughtful reviews? A blogger who shares an abundance of book reviews in a memorable way deserves the Best Book Review Blog 

 SERVICES TO BLOGGERS 

 Which blogger goes out of their way to help others? Maybe this is someone who helped you kick-start your blog with tutorials or how-to guides. Perhaps they continually reblog your posts. It could be a blogger who consistently provides useful posts on how to boost your blog. Or maybe you want to nominate someone who provides an engaging platform for others. 

Someone who selflessly dedicates themselves to other bloggers is who deserves the Services to Bloggers award.  

 HIDDEN GEM 

 Have you stumbled upon a blog by change and discovered useful information, or thought provoking content? Is there a blog that doesn’t get the notoriety they deserve? Maybe they have such an original style you can’t help but read their posts. A blogger who you believe should get the limelight for a change is who deserves the Hidden Gem award. 

 NEWCOMER BLOGGER 

 A category for those bloggers who have been blogging less than a year (joined the blog-o-sphere after 1st June 2017). Did they join with a bang? Have they made an impression? Do they engage with readers? Are they funny, or well designed, or maybe share posts that make you smile time after time. A newbie blogger who deserves recognition makes the best Newcomer Blogger. 

 BEST PAL  

 Which blogger do you want to go to the pub with? Or maybe have dinner with? Who never fails to reply to comments, and has thoughtful things to say? Maybe they encourage the community through weekly challenges or blog parties. A blogger who makes the blog-o-sphere a better place is what makes the Best Pal. 

THERE’S STILL TIME TO GRAB YOUR BASH TICKETS!: 

 Tickets (available until 3rd May) £25 pp  

 Late Entry Tickets (available between 4th – 18th May) £30 pp 

 Please take note of the small print: 

  • Tickets are non-refundable unless the event is cancelled 
  • Tickets are non-transferable 
  • Tickets are limited on a first come first served basis 
  • Cost of a ticket is for entry to the event only (not for food or anything else) 
  • Those buying a ticket agree to comply with any health & safety rules set by the venue and to behave in a way that will not impact upon the enjoyment of other people 
  • The Committee reserves the right to change the venue and/or agenda of the event 
  • Payment for tickets via PayPal only. 

WHAT IS THE BASH? 

If you’ve never attended a Blogger Bash event before then you’re in for a treat. Created by Sacha Black and aided by her intrepid committee of eight bloggers, the Bash is open to any blogger, regardless of age or niche. Previous events have included speakers, competitions, a panel, and attendees from all over the UK, Europe, the US, and Canada.  

There will be an opportunity to network, eat cake, and meet some amazing online friends in person! The event takes place in a single day, and you’ll be guaranteed a fantastic time and a sore face from all of the smiling that you’ll do! 

Timings and the exact breakdown of the day will be available closer to the event, but it will start mid-morning and end in the evening. We will also announce the winners of the Bloggers Bash Awards, which you, the blogging public, vote for. You can see last year’s winners here 

WANT TO KNOW MORE? 

Join Sacha and the committee in the Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/991165987611263/  

You can also join us for our weekly Twitter Hour every Sunday 7pm-8pm using the hashtag #BlogBashChat or join in the conversation on Twitter by using the #BloggersBash hashtag. 

Blogger Bash Award Rules: 

The Bloggers Bash Awards are given annually to the Blog with the highest number of votes in each selected category (here, a Category and Categories shall be construed accordingly). Categories are chosen by the Bloggers Bash Committee (here, the Committee) each year and may vary at the Committee’s discretion. 

Nominations to each Category are accepted from anyone, blogger or non-blogger who complies with the rules laid down for that year’s Award. These rules may change between years and the person nominating (here, the Nominator) is solely responsible for compliance with the rules applicable in any one year. Once a nomination has been accepted the person Nominated (here, the Nominee) will be eligible to have their blog (here, the Nominated Blog) included on the list of Blogs to be voted on in the nominated Category (subject to the rules permitting only one Category nomination per Blog – see below). The applicable rules applying to both the Nominator and the Nominee are as follows: 

No one can nominate their own blog. In the event of any doubt the Committee’s decision is binding. 

The Nominator is solely responsible to complete any specified Mandatory Fields that are designated at the time of the announcement of the Categories. In the event no Mandatory Fields are mentioned at that time they will

be deemed to include the full Blog address of the Nominee (i.e. http://nominatedblog.com) and the email address of the Nominee. Failure to include both at the time of nomination will render the nomination null and void.  

At any point the Committee may waive strict compliance with 2 above in their discretion. However no appeals will be admitted.  

Once a Blog has been nominated the Nominee will be notified by email. If the Nominee does not wish to have their Blog included in the Category the Nominee must notify the Committee by email within the specified time frame (and if none is specified within five working days of the date on which the email notification is sent). If no such withdrawal is received the Committee will include the Nominated Blog in the Category list for voting. 

In the event that a Blog is nominated for more than one Category the Nominee will be notified. The Nominee will be able to choose under which Category the nominated Blog is included. The Nominee must notify the Committee by email within the specified time frame (and if none is specified within five working days of the date on which the email notification is sent). If no such notification is received within the specified time frame (and this includes if the notification is for any reason lost or not delivered after being sent by the Nominee; the Committee accept no liability for any failures whatsoever to receive the notification) the Committee will include the Nominated Blog in such Category as the Committee determines in its discretion. 

Throughout the Nomination and Voting process only the Blog title supplied by the Nominator will be used; if more than one nomination for a Blog is received with differing titles the Committee will use such as it sees fit and accepts no responsibility for any errors or omissions. 

The Committee reserves the right to exclude any Blogs form the voting process as it sees fit, without cause or giving reasons. In particular any R rated blogs, or any containing any offensive material (in the judgment of the Committee) will be excluded.  

Voting will be organized and collated by, or under the supervision of, the Committee. While every effort will be made to ensure the accuracy of the voting process no complaints or appeals will be countenanced.  

The results of the voting in each Category will be announced at that year’s Bash or in such a manner and format as the Committee determine.  

Any prizes awarded for a Category will be dispatched at no cost to the winner to an address within the United Kingdom. If the winner wishes the prize to be dispatched other than to the UK the cost will have to be deferred by the winner or otherwise (in the Committee’s discretion)  

In all circumstances the Committee decision final. 

Each Category winner will be able to include the winning Annual Bloggers Bash Award badge for that Category on their blog and in such promotional material as they wish. However all copyright in the Badge is retained by Nica Hawkins de Koenigswater on behalf of the Annual Bloggers Bash and such use is licensed until such time as it is revoked by the Committee in the event of misuse (as determined by the Committee in its discretion). 

No Nominator or Nominee may use the Annual Bloggers Bash Facebook page (insert details) or the twitter handle (insert details) [anymore?] for promotion/inappropriate material/promotion for votes for their Category or any other unacceptable use (as determined by the Committee). In such an event the Committee reserves the right to remove the Nominee’s Blog for the relevant Category.  

The Committee reserve the right to change the rules if they deem it appropriate or expedient at any time. No appeals will be considered. 


 

The Bloggers Bash – 2017!

Ali Isaac, Sherri Matthews and your truly

This time last week my bag was packed, my outfit chosen, and I was looking forward to attending another Bloggers Bash. I’d decided to stay over this year, as in previous years it all seemed to end too quickly, conversations cut short as the day flashed by.

And I’m so glad I did. The day dawned sunny and bright, and I headed into London on the train, getting off the Tube one stop early so I could walk through the streets to the hotel. As I came into Vincent Square I was greeted by the bucolic vista of the Westminster Boy’s School cricket ground (at least, I think that was what it was called) – hard to believe I was in the heart of London.

When I got to the hotel the first person I saw was Ali Isaac, my roommate for the night. And before our squeals of greeting were finished I saw Noelle from Sayling Away… After that it was a bit of a blur, seeing old friends from previous years, including Graeme Cumming, Lucy from Blondewritemore, Suzie from Suzie Speaks and Sue Vincent, who I hadn’t seen since the Silent Eye weekend I attended last September. I also met other bloggers for the first time, including Sally Cronin, Ellen Best, Elouise De Souza and the lovely Allie Potts – such a pleasure to turn digital conversations into real ones. And of course the rest of the committee – Hugh, Geoff and Sacha – I know I’m going to leave out some names so I do apologise. Let’s just say it was a fantastic crowd of bloggers from all over the world!

The day began with awards, then we were treated to the first of two masterclasses. This was presented by Suzie from Suzie Speaks, about how to monetize your blog. Her ideas were simple yet effective, and certainly gave me food for thought. Then Elena Peters, Canadian Pinterest queen extraordinaire, gave an inspiring class on how to use Pinterest in conjunction with your blog. Both classes were well worth the ticket asking price – in fact, I would have paid more to see both as they were so informative. More awards were given out, Lucy and I managed to sneak out for a lovely chatty lunch in  a cafe down the road, there was a lively panel discussion and Ritu won Best Overal Blog (as well as baking a wonderful array of cakes for the event – where does she find the time!?)

All too soon it was over and people began to disperse. But, instead of being one of the people leaving, I checked into my lovely hotel room and returned to the lobby, where the rest of those who were staying had congregated. I had a chat with the wonderfully effervescent Susie Lindau, then a group of us wandered out into the warm evening to find dinner and continue the conversation, which lasted, one way or another, into the night.

Me, Allie Potts and Lucy Mitchell

The next morning, after breakfast, Ali and I checked out and walked to Victoria Station, where Ali went on to the airport and I took the Tube to Euston and then home, getting in around lunch time. It was over, for another year… I had the most fabulous time and can’t wait for the next one (June 9th, in case any of you are planning to attend). Congratulations to all the award winners!

PS I also saw Christoph Fischer, Icy Sedgewick, Shelley Wilson, Steve Tanham, Adam Dixon, Marjorie Mallon, Sherri Matthews, Jools Lawson, Lance Greenfield… Sorry, I know I’m forgetting people – it was such a fabulous crowd!


If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more, you can find me on Twitter @AuthorHelenJFacebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Plus my latest book release, A Thousand Rooms, is now available on Amazon. Visit my Amazon Author Page to see more.

The Annual Bloggers Bash – Nominations are open!

The Annual Bloggers Bash, brainchild of Sacha Black, is less than two months away! Ably assisted by Ali Isaac, Geoff LePard and Hugh Roberts, Sacha has arranged another fantastic event in the heart of London – I’ll be attending, can’t wait! I went to the first and second Bashes, where I met some wonderful bloggers, as well as being amazed at how much the event grew in the space of a year.

Suzie from Suzie Speaks and me at last year’s event

Apart from getting to mingle with loads of lovely bloggers, there are also awards given out on the day. Categories include: Funniest Blogger, Hidden Gem, Most Informative… you get the idea. And, Sacha has just announced that nominations are now open for this year’s Bash – all you need to do is visit Sacha’s site and fill in the form. You can also get tickets and find out more about the day, so if you haven’t checked it out, head on over and take a look (and if there’s a blog you’d like to nominate for anything *cough* you know, you can nominate it there).

Throwback to everyone meeting at the very first Bash 🙂

Happy weekend, everyone 🙂


If you enjoyed this post and want to read more, you can find me on Twitter @AuthorHelenJFacebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Plus my latest book release, A Thousand Rooms, is now available on Amazon. Visit my Amazon Author Page to see more.

Week End

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Is it Saturday yet? This week has flown by, mainly because I’ve been working hard on my Hills and Valleys edit, with a massive push to finish today. I’m done except for typing up the changes, which is a big relief.

It’s been a week of loss (Bowie, Alan Rickman and others), and of cold weather finally arriving, the mornings bright with frost.

It’s also been a week of blog love. Both Sue Vincent and Ali Isaac nominated me for a Champions Blog award – thank you both so much! 🙂 According to Seumas Gallacher, the originator of this award, it is a way to say thank you to those readers and writers who go the extra mile in support of others. He also says no explanations are needed and to keep it simple. Well, I just love that idea! I’m supposed to name another five bloggers as part of the award – I just need a little while to get some names together and then I can accept the award, but I couldn’t let the nomination go by without saying thank you.

And the same goes to Marjorie at Kyrosmajica, who nominated me for the #Girllove Blog Challenge. This involves writing a post about women who inspire us, including five female bloggers. Marjorie very kindly listed me as one of her five – thank you! Once again, I need a bit of time to get a post together, but wanted to say thanks 🙂

And finally, Kristin over at pursuitofanewadventure invited me to write a guest post, which went live today. Thanks so much, Kristin – you’re a great host!

So, onwards and upwards with my final corrections – I’ll be back in blogland once they’re done. Happy weekend, everyone!

We Came, We Blogged, We Bashed

Great day for a Blogger's Bash...

Great day for a Blogger’s Bash…

Today was the first Annual Blogger’s Bash Awards, held in London and attended by around twenty bloggers, including myself. We were a mostly UK based bunch except for Ali who flew in from Ireland to attend and Conny from Germany, a welcome surprise addition to our group.

I arrived just before eleven at the British Library and… there was no-one there. Then a woman who’d been taking photos of the wonderful Isaac Newton statue came up to me.

‘Are you here for the Blogging Bash?’ she asked, very brave under the circumstances. It turned out to be Marje from Kyrosmagica, and she’d recognised me from the photo on my own blog. Pleased to meet a fellow blogger at last, I shook hands and we chatted for a few minutes before a Blogging Bash T-Shirt-clad Hugh, from Hugh’s News and Views appeared and said hello. Then it was on. Soon there was a small crowd of us at the base of the statue, conversations ebbing and flowing as we moved around the group, introducing ourselves. There were people I recognised from following their blogs, and others I’d not yet seen – it was a strange thing, to put faces to the names and words I’ve been reading, something a few of us expressed.

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Photos were taken, jokes told and blogs exchanged, before we headed across the road to Pizza Express and took up a table spanning most of the room. We ate, we drank and we made a lot of noise, much to the amusement of the staff and fellow diners (at least, I hope it was amusement!) Speeches were made, with Sacha, Hugh, Geoff and Ali all taking their turn and then awards were handed out, with Suzie from Suzie Speaks getting two nods, and Lucy from Blonde Write More winning one as well (for a full list of winners, go here).

Sacha saying a few words...

Sacha saying a few words…

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Hugh making us laugh

We wound up by wandering several doors down to an Irish pub on the corner, where we sat and drank and talked some more (not short of words, us bloggers!). Then it was time for me to go and so I walked back to Euston with Mel and we went our separate ways.

Me with the lovely Suzie from Suzie Speaks

Me with the lovely Suzie from Suzie Speaks

A fabulous day over all – well done to the organising committee, Sacha, Hugh, Geoffle and Ali 🙂 I met some wonderful people, had a great time and my only complaint was that it was over so quickly! Bring on next year’s Bash 🙂