Awards ceremonies: And the best newcomer is…

There is some debate about the merit of awards for fellow bloggers. But for us newbies, they are a great way of helping your blog reach those parts – or people – that, well, your blog isn’t reaching yet. As well as giving you something to write about. OK, I’ve got lots of things to write about, such as where to buy a meerkat toy (that’s a toy that looks like a meerkat, not a toy for a meerkat…we need it for a prop), but I’ve also found quite a few new blogs so I thought well, why not?

And in any case JM Mcdowell recently made my day by giving me the “Tell Me About Yourself” award. She is an archaeologist who is also turning her had to writing novels. If you haven’t seen her blog, it’s worth a visit.

So the rules are simples (see meerkat).

1. Thank the person that nominated you and link back to their blog. (Thank you, JM Mcdowell.)

2. Tell the world 7 things about yourself that you have not shared, yet.

3. Nominate 7 fellow bloggers and let them know.

Here are the 7 things about me:

• I’ve just bought a smartphone. It’s smart. I’m not. Could someone tell me how to use it?
• I married a northerner. He knows how to use a smartphone. (“Give me back my ****ing phone.”)
• I sometimes have to support Grimsby football team (see previous point). That’s soccer if you are in the US.
• But I’m not allowed to speak at said footie matches in case my southern accent gives me away and I become a target for pies.
• I don’t like pies, unless they’re vegetarian.
• I am a bit pale and pasty because I’m vegetarian. Or maybe it’s because I have that Neanderthal gene.
• But I am also a bit overweight, probably because I eat too much cheese and crisps rather than fresh fruit and, well, veg.

So now that’s over with, here are some new winners of the “tell me about yourself” award. Most of the following are new blogs, all of which I’ve heard about through friends and former colleagues. Most of them are written by journalists but I thought they are interesting examples of what you can do. So in no particular order:

• B Blog

Written by a journalist and beekeeper who has turned her hand to making luxury chocolates with honey from her bees and is selling them at local farmers’ markets in the UK.

• South London Scribe

Journalist and author, who has just self-published an ebook Perversities of Faith, a collection of stories about when religion becomes absurd and unsafe.

• Womanandvan

Travel blog by journalist on a sabbatical.

• Pauline Guerin

Jewellery maker who is also working on writing novels.

• Call off the search

Journalist turned blogger.

• Fashion Fretter

Former TV fashion reporter turned property developer turned fashion blogger. Only been blogging a few weeks and is on HuffPo. Good for promoting a blog. Beware the HuffPo controversy over not paying bloggers

• Queen is dead

Written by a journalist turned blogger and activist, this is an alternative voice to the recent Jubilee celebrations.

• The Pioneer Woman

OK, I’ve gone over seven. I wanted to add this one, not because it’s new but because I’ve been told that Pioneer Woman started out as a cooking blog, and grew into a cookbook business and TV show. It’s an example of what can happen and she also offers tips on what she’s learnt from blogging.