The blog to book phenom, Julia and Julie, which I blogged about last August at Writer’s Edge has won top prize in the lulu.com-sponsored Blooker Prize. The Book Standard’s intriguing Blogs and Bestsellers: One and the Same? suggested: If anyone is sure to have a real blog-to-print success story, it may be Julie Powell with Julie & Julia. After blogging daily about her year-long attempt to cook every recipe in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Powell attracted media attention and, ultimately, landed her book deal with Little, Brown.

Cory Doctorow, one of the Blooker Prize judges, said, “Those who dismiss blogging as “mere” confessional writing and complaining about one’s day job fail to appreciate just how engrossing those genres can be when handled by a talented writer like Julie Powell. The story of how blogging–writing in public–changed Powell’s life is inspirational and memorable.”

Other Blooker winners were:
Fiction Winner: Four and Twenty Blackbirds by Cherie Priest
Comics Winner: Totally Boned: A Joe and Monkey Collection by Zach Miller

I’ve been blogging frequently about the blog-to-book phenomenon since it began. With the awarding of the Blooker Prizes, it must be time for a comprehensive roundup. More than 80 entries flooded the contest, evidence of a growing trend that began only about two years ago.

Blog along with Georganna and enter comments at Writer’s Edge.

[tags]blog,book,writer’s edge,blooker prize,julia and julie[/tags]