Hug-A-Blogger: Blogging Social Site


Julie and I had started the Hug-A-Blogger project as a proposal for a book. We would drive across the country, meet and hug bloggers, get an anonymous looking picture of us (to keep up with the online mystique for everyone) and feature them and their blog in a chapter of the book, discussing how it changed their lives, what they expected going into it and how it paralleled what was going on in their own lives. Being cost prohibited, publishers were not jumping on-board.

But, a few days ago, it struck me like lightning! HaB must continue on--the idea is a good one. Julie and I not only became good friends and sisters, road trip buddies, explorers and adventurers, ghost hunters together, but we also published a book together. So, we wanted to make a social site where people could write in what their experiences have been; some got jobs, some were inspired by someone's example, some found friendship, pen-pals, romance,and met in real life. We want to hear about it and promote a place where bloggers can perhaps hear stories from their own regions of the country and meet other local bloggers, can showcase their blogs and tell stories that show how blogging changed their lives. We even talked about potentially having tank tops made with the logo and doing a wall of pics women can send in wearing the tank tops--because you know, I'm famous for tank top shots!

We've inserted tabs on the blog so you can look by region or by subject such as "work" "romance" "friends" "met in real life" "penpals" et cetera.

So, jump on and check it out and if you have stories, the email address is at the top. We can showcase your story and your blog(s) and keep things anonymous if you like or if one person wants to be anonymous while the other tells the story, cool. We encourage mysterious photos so we never fully see you, videos, anything. Let's have fun with this project and pass the word that HaB is a place for bloggers to connect and tell stories.

Here's the link...
Hug-A-Blogger

Comments

  1. HN;
    I'm guessing a friendly guy like you must have made some interesting connections in the blog world.

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  2. Hey MM;
    Everyone I talk to seems to have a story of how blogging got them back into the work world, out of bad relationships, making friends with people with similar interests across the country, and generally motivating everyone. Seems like these stories could make a potential book in the future and for now, gives bloggers a place to tell their stories and showcase their blogs. Win/Win.

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  3. I think it's an excellent idea...and I'd still pursue the book idea.

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  4. G & Adrian;
    Thanks! We aren't giving it up. We might need to change it around a bit. Unless we can get sponsors to make a cross-country trek to meet bloggers, we might need to do the book through the blog. Originally the blog was the book proposal to show that we were on with all the social media sites and ready to make the blog turn from a proposal to a live blog on the road, reporting as we traveled, FB's and Tweeting along the way, having meet ups with bloggers in cities and even doing roadside dares through Twitter, videotaping, journalling and photographing and sharing it constantly on the way on the blog. People would read the blog and want to read the book about the bloggers we met, people who read the book would want to read the blog to find out about our crazy road trek. I still think it's brilliant but most publishers are terrified of upfront expenses and they're in enough trouble from ebooks competition.

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  5. this is very nice idea to make a chapter in a book with stories about bloggers. Sounds like it will have a lot of sentimental value to it.

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  6. Hey Echo;
    I'm hoping to do a whole book about how blogging affects peoples lives and makes relationships. Finger crossed.

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  7. Interesting. I'll have to check it out.

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  8. That's a great idea! I would love to find people from my area I can share experiences with!

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  9. Stephanie, if you email me, we can write a post and feature your region. Then, when people come on and click the tab for your region, they'll find your story. I really want others to have the experiences we did. Every day, I make new friends locally and get to meet in real life and do ghost hunts and urban exploration and goofy things. When you know someone's blog before you meet them, it always makes it more comfortable. psychic62@hotmail.com

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  10. I know I am a little late to this party, but I went ahead and looked at that link you posted and am pretty excited about the potential! I would be more than happy to participate, but I am confused as to whether I am technically South East or South West of you....stupid Yucatán...

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  11. Aaron, I could make a tab for "Americas" and you could be on there, buddy. Maybe find other bloggers in your region.

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