Bout of Books 8.0 Grand Prize Winner!

Bout of Books 8.0 has ended but the fun doesn't stop until the Grand Prize Winner is announced!

And the Winner is...

Elizabeth @ Nightmare on Bookstreet

Elizabeth's winning entry came from following @creativedeeds on Twitter!

Congratulations, Elizabeth!

Keep your eye on your inbox, you'll be receiving emails from Amanda and Shirley soon!

We would like to thank everybody who signed up and participated in the read-a-thon. We're always striving to make this event the best it can be and we couldn't do that without your enthusiastic participation.

Please note that the challenge hosts are responsible for notifying winners and announcing prizes on their own blogs for the mini-challenges.

For those that are interested in helping out for the next Bout of Books, we post a call for help roughly a month prior to the start of the read-a-thon - which will be around December 9th for 9.0. Keep an eye on this blog for that announcement.

Once again, thank you to everyone who helped make Bout of Books 8.0 a success! We appreciate that you love books and that you're willing to shout it to the stars!

-Kelly and Amanda

Bout of Books 8.0 Wrap Up

Congratulations!
You have survived Bout of Books 8.0!

In this post, we invite you to link up to your overall progress for Bout of Books. You don't have to create a wrap-up post--it can be your goals post with day 7's progress.

Whatever works for you, works for us.

Here are important informational nuggets you probably want to know:

Bout of Books 9.0 will be from January 6th to 12th.

The Grand Prize winner will be announced TOMORROW.

Challenge hosts are responsible for announcing their own winners.

We'll have a #boutofbooks chat between now and January. Watch this space for details.

Following this blog is the BEST way to stay up to date on EVERYTHING.

Since we can't reach out to everyone personally to remind them about upcoming events (though wouldn't that be awesome?), we do our best to keep this blog updated with the most current information. That means you're responsible for following us if you want to receive the latest news.

Thank you for making this event fabulous!

BONUS: Review-a-thon

The Book Monsters are hosting a REVIEW-A-THON starting TODAY through September 1st. If all your reviews have piled up after Bout of Books, the Monster Review-a-thon is the perfect event for you.

PS: The linky will remain open until September 6th.

Bout of Books 8.0 Day 7

The end is in sight.
Keep reading!

Tune into important @boutofbooks announcements from:

10:30am to 11:00am CST (TZC) - Amanda
7:30pm to 8:00pm CST (TZC) - Kelly

Challenges

New Bout of Books Blogs @ Little Lovely Books

Updates

The way these updates work is that you post your progress for the previous day (today's link should be to your progress for the sixth day of the read-a-thon).  Please include a DIRECT LINK to your update post.  If you do not follow directions, your link will be deleted.

Bout of Books 8.0 Day 6

Tune into important @boutofbooks announcements from:

9:30am to 10:00am CST (TZC) - Kelly
7:30pm to 8:00pm CST (TZC) - Amanda

Challenges

Bookish Wishes @ Kelsey's Cluttered Bookshelf
Acrostic Book Poem @ I Read, Ergo I Write

Twitter Chat Information

TZC = Time Zone Conversion
There is a Twitter chat today at 10am CST (TZC)
The chat will be hosted by @BookBender
@boutofbooks is on standby

The chat will last one hour. You do NOT have to follow the host. If the host gets stuck in Twitter jail, she will take over the @boutofbooks handle.

We will use the Q1/A1 system. The host ask the question using Q1, Q2, and so on. You respond using A1, A2. EASY!

Updates

The way these updates work is that you post your progress for the previous day (today's link should be to your progress for the fifth day of the read-a-thon).  Please include a DIRECT LINK to your update post.  If you do not follow directions, your link will be deleted.

Bout of Books 8.0 Day 5

Tune into important @boutofbooks announcements from:

10:30am to 11:00am CST (TZC) - Kelly
7:30pm to 8:00pm CST (TZC) - Amanda

Challenges

Bookish Mad Libs @ The Space Between

Updates

The way these updates work is that you post your progress for the previous day (today's link should be to your progress for the fourth day of the read-a-thon).  Please include a DIRECT LINK to your update post.  If you do not follow directions, your link will be deleted.

Bout of Books 8.0 Day 4

Tune into important @boutofbooks announcements from:

10:30am to 11:00am CST (TZC) - Amanda
7:30pm to 8:00pm CST (TZC) - Kelly

Challenges

Book Road Trip @ In Wonderland

I Spy... @ Paperback Dreamer

Updates

The way these updates work is that you post your progress for the previous day (today's link should be to your progress for the third day of the read-a-thon).  Please include a DIRECT LINK to your update post.  If you do not follow directions, your link will be deleted.

Bout of Books 8.0 Day 3

Tune into important @boutofbooks announcements from:

10:30am to 11:00am CST (TZC) - Kelly
7:30pm to 8:00pm CST (TZC) - Amanda

Challenges

TBR List Challenge @ Musings of a Bookship Girl
Book Spine Poetry @ Such a Novel Idea

Twitter Chat Information

TZC = Time Zone Conversion
There is a Twitter chat today at 8pm CST (TZC)
The chat will be hosted by @soulswallo
@boutofbooks is on standby

The chat will last one hour. You do NOT have to follow the host. If the host gets stuck in Twitter jail, she will take over the @boutofbooks handle.
 

We will use the Q1/A1 system. The host ask the question using Q1, Q2, and so on. You respond using A1, A2. EASY

Updates

The way these updates work is that you post your progress for the previous day (today's link should be to your progress for the second day of the read-a-thon).  Please include a DIRECT LINK to your update post.  If you do not follow directions, your link will be deleted.

Bout of Books 8.0 Day 2

Today is the LAST DAY to GET SIGNED UP.
Are YOU signed up PROPERLY?
Only properly signed up participants
ARE ELIGIBLE FOR PRIZES.
_________________________

Congratulations!

You survived the first day of the read-a-thon!

Tune into important @boutofbooks announcements from:

10:30am to 11:00am CST (TZC) - Amanda
7:30pm to 8:00pm CST (TZC) - Kelly

Please note: the form for the sign up will stay open through TODAY.
It closes Wednesday at midnight (TZC)

Challenges

Re-Title It @ Music Plus Books

Updates

The way these updates work is that you post your progress for the previous day (today's link should be to your progress for the first day of the read-a-thon).  Please include a DIRECT LINK to your update post.  If you do not follow directions, your link will be deleted.

Bout of Books 8.0 Day 1

Welcome to Bout of Books 8.0!

Tune into important @boutofbooks announcements from:

10:30am to 11:00am CST (TZC) - Kelly
7:30pm to 8:00pm CST (TZC) - Amanda

Please note: the form for the sign up will stay open through TODAY and TOMORROW.
It closes Wednesday at midnight (TZC)

Challenges

Bookish Bucket List @ Sarah Says Read
Pairathon @ Book Pairing

Twitter Chat Information

TZC = Time Zone Conversion
There is a Twitter chat today at 1pm CST (TZC)
The chat will be hosted by @BookBender
@boutofbooks is on standby

Updates

The way these updates work is that you post your progress for the previous day.  Because today is the first day, we're linking goals rather than progress.  If you have already submitted your goal post, you do NOT have to link again.  It is the same linky.

Bout of Books 8.0 Goals

Welcome to Bout of Books 8.0!

Please note:

THIS IS NOT THE SIGN UP POST.

The sign up post is here.

This is for your goals.

SHARE YOUR GOALS HERE!

In this post, you can link to wherever you have your goals posted. To be considered for a prize in any of our challenges, you must have a post about your goals and be actively tracking your progress.

Here is more information you should know:

• This linky will also be available during the first day of the read-a-thon, so if you don't have your goals set yet there is no rush.
• If you're not sure what information to include, check out our template on the help page. 
• Please make sure this is a DIRECT link to your goal post.

If you have questions about your goals or how to track progress, visit our FAQ page. If you can't find the answers on the Help page, tweet us!

This is for goals only. If you have not entered your link in THIS LINKY, you are not officially signed up.

Bout of Books 8.0 Schedule and Social Hour Sign Up!

It's COMING!

Challenges/Giveaways

Monday 8/19
Bookish Bucket List -- Sarah Says Read
Pairathon -- Book Pairing

Tuesday 8/20
Re-Title It -- Music Plus Books

Wednesday 8/21
TBR List Challenge -- Musings of a Bookshop Girl
Book Spine Poetry -- Such a Novel Idea

Thursday 8/22
Book Road Trip -- In Wonderland
I Spy... -- Paperback Dreamer

Friday 8/23
Bookish Mad Libs -- The Space Between


Saturday 8/24
Bookish Wishes -- Kelsey's Cluttered Bookshelf
Acrostic Book Poem -- I Read, Ergo I Write

Sunday 8/25
New Bout of Books Blogs -- Little Lovely Books


Twitter Chats
(chats last approximately one hour)
TZC = Time Zone Conversion

Monday: 1pm CST (TZC)
Wednesday: 8pm CST (TZC)
Saturday: 10am CST (TZC)

Social Hour

We are also opening Social Hour signups! This list is for building our Twitter list. If you have a Twitter account and would like to be on our Twitter list, head on over to the Social Hour page!

Bout of Books 8.0 SIGN UP!

Are you ready to SIGN UP?

THIS IS WHERE YOU SIGN UP.

Here's what you have to do:

1. Post on your site and declare your intentions to join us. It's EASY. Grab the official blurb (below) and our button (in the sidebar) and create a post.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 8.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

2. Add your link to the linky in this post.

3. There will be an OPTIONAL Social Hour sign up beginning on August 5th. Check back on that date for more details.

4. On August 19th, READ!

Official Sign Up

Remember: you must post a DIRECT LINK to your sign up post. 

If you're only participating on Twitter/YouTube, link up your "I'm participating in Bout of Books!" tweet/video, NOT your Twitter/YouTube profile.

No direct link = no Grand Prize

A direct link is...

http://yoururl.com/your-sign-up-post
http://twitter.com/YOURHANDLE/status/thenumberofyourstatus

etc.

Want to share that you signed up for Bout of Books? Tweet it!
 

Call for Bout of Books Experts

We need YOU.

We're doing experts a little differently this year. Bout of Books is GROWING, y'all. And as it grows, we're limited as to how many people we can reach and interact with.

That's where Bout of Books experts come in.

What makes a person a Bout of Books expert, you ask?

• You've participated in three Bout of Books prior to 8.0
• You love Bout of Books and want to make sure everyone knows how awesome it is
• You're willing to commit some of your free time to helping us
• You love connecting with fellow book lovers and cheering them on

This time, Bout of Books experts will be given extra superpowers.

We're splitting experts into two groups: comments and Twitter.

If you're a comment expert, you get to visit #boutofbooks-ers' blogs and comment on their posts--tell them how awesome they are and how well they're doing.

If you're a Twitter expert, you get to help us around Twitter by answering questions and, GET THIS, hosting a social hour during the evening announcements (Tuesday 8/20 through Saturday 8/24 only).

Sound like something you're interested in?

Fill out this form below to sign up to be an expert! We need TEN people total (five for each group). You can sign up to be both, but you will only be chosen for ONE group.

Please note: if you sign up for Twitter, you are required to be available between 7:30CST and 8:30CST on at least one day from Tuesday to Saturday. 

We will be closing this form on July 31st. If you're interested in helping us, make sure you get on our list before then!

Call for Bout of Books 8.0 Challenge Hosts

Bout of Books 8.0 is August 19th through August 25th

Like us on Facebook

and follow us on Twitter

to join the social media fun.

We need YOUR help. This post is ONLY for people who want to host a challenge.

Challenges information

• Bloggers host challenges on their own blogs. (If you do not have a blog, you may host it here.)
• Challenges run for 24 hours and run from midnight CST to midnight CST.
• There will be a limit of two challenges per day.
• Challenge sign up will close July 28th at 11:59pm CST.

Things to keep in mind:

Preference will be given to challenges that are NOT genre specific. You will be turned down or asked to change your challenge so that it is not genre specific. We want to include EVERYONE.

Preference is given to international giveaways OR no giveaways. We're a worldwide read-a-thon.

You must have a challenge idea at the time of filling out the form to be considered. If you don't have an idea, check out what some past participants said about what they'd like to see.