I like these ideas, especially the getting more specific part and having someone record it and post it for others would be great.  I felt like a top in a whirlwind!

You know there are a lot of sites I below to that advertise webinars and chats and say the transcripts will be available.  It might something you guys just need to research a little more or approach other sites that do similar work and ask them how they do it! :)  Just a thought! :) 

Thanks, all, for these great suggestions!  I think that we will create some "chat etiquette", designate hosts, and perhaps do a chat of the day with a very specific topic.  We won't always have a moderator for the chats, but when we do, we will work with her to help her structure the chat better.

I think the fairest thing would be scheduled chats that are more targeted.  Maybe we can come up with a chat board that shows the chat dates and topic and maybe have people post the attendance in advance, or their planned attendance, anyway.  That way, it gives the moderators a chance to know what numbers to expect.  I would also suggest that the chats be closed once that time starts or have a ten minute late arrival allowance, that way it's not so confusing when some come in in the middle.  On the transcript problem, don't our compusters do page shots?  Maybe we could figure a way to incorporate that feature, maybe check to see if there's some kind of setting that automatically snaps a pic every so many seconds?  Probably a stupid idea, just thought I'd think it out loud.

I'd love to follow the chats, but I'm rarely on the computer after two in the afternoon. I write from six a.m. to 1p.m., then hubby comes from work and I fix dinner, chat with him and relax for the rest of the day until time to hit the gym's pool nearby for water aerobics. Is there anything I can do with the group in the mornings? I writer erotic suspense. The first book will be epublished in a week.

Hi Kamy,
I think over time these suggestions will work well.  The chat I attended went south when the leader kindly offered to let us give our own blog addresses.  Of course they all went by at light speed and were never captured, so that was not a good strategy.  In retrospect, someone might have offered to collect them all for SW posting later if people would email them to her, but no one did.  Anyway, that flood more or less derailed the publicity information and I finally disconnected.  I think, as I said, it will all work out with more practice.  I suspect if something like this happened again, some of us would say, let's find another way to do the blog list.

cheers,
Laura

I think these are all good ideas: breaking the chat down into more specific topics, and possibly a "beginners" group as well; sending out some chat "etiquette" tips with the notice; asking for a scribe (not me! I'm a slow typist!) That said, i really appreciate both the practical advice and great camraderie here. Thanks for pulling this off!

I loved the chat and while I agree it got a bit frenetic, it was still worthwhile. I like your suggestions about the scribe and more specificity, though. I'd also suggest a list of "rules" to follow that come via the email announcing the chat. I'd suggest asking folks to keep the cross chat down and to try (though it's hard when people are so enthused) to stay on topic. I'd love to see a chat on finding an agent, too, if that works. But, overall, craziness aside, I really got a lot of good info from the time spent on this chat.

I was spectating and it seemed as if two different things were going on: one a q & a with Jennifer Wilkov, and the other more of a free chat where people were getting to meet each other, offer mutual help and info.

Also think it might help if there were sometimes a "for beginners" level--some people have very elementary questions, while another might be more advanced or narrowed down in some way like: "Now you have a blog and what can you do with it..."