Interested in participating in the 2011 WordCount Blogathon but not sure you can post 31 days straight?
This year I’ve taken some of the pain out of the process by doing more of the planning for you. I’ve added theme days and other joint blogging activities to the calendar so all you have to do is write.
The Blogathon takes place May 1-31. You can register and read more about it here.
Here’s the complete calendar of events. If you haven’t participated before, take note of a couple dates prior to the event when I’ll be sharing tips for starting a blog or blogging more than you’re used to, including an April 27 live chat on Twitter where I’ll be talking about blogathon in real time.
2011 WordCount Blogathon calendar of events
April 18 – Information on giveaways and sponsors of the 2011 WordCount Blogathon.
April 25 – Tips on starting a bog, blogging every day and how to save yourself from going crazy.
April 27 – The WordCount Last Wednesday monthly chat is devoted to the blogathon. Worried you can’t come up with enough ideas for posts? Haven’t ever scheduled posts before and wondering how? Ask all your blogathon related questions. This hour-long chat starts at 10 a.m. Pacific time. Use hashtag #wclw.
May 1 – The blogathon begins. WordCount publishs a complete list of participants.
May 4 – Theme Post Day #1. Participants are encouraged to write on the same theme: “My top 5 favorite books on writing are…”
May 7 – This Saturday and every Saturday during the blogathon, I share links to some of the week’s most interesting posts from participating writers.
May 10 – Blogathon Haiku Day. Last year’s experiment with a joint haiku day proved so popular I’m bringing it back for an encore performance. Pick the topic of your choice and write about it in the form of a haiku. If you’re not familiar with this simple poem form, read more about it here, and see a sample of haiku from last year’s blogathon here.
May 16 – Guest Post Exchange Day. This blogathon staple encourages writers to trade guest posts with another blogathon participant. Past guest post exchanges have led to lasting friendships and regular guest post exchanges throughout the year. The best ways to find a partner: post a message on the Blogathon Google Group or on Twitter, under the blogathon hashtag #Blog2011.
May 24 – Theme Post Day #2. Participants are encouraged to write on the same theme: “My top 5 favorite places to write are…”
May 25 – The WordCount Last Wednesday live chat that normally takes place on this day is postponed a week so we can use it for the blogathon wrap party (see below).
May 30 – Blogathon Wordle Day. May 30 is also Memorial Day, and who wants to work on a holiday? Cover for yourself with this creative post based on Wordle, the word-cloud tool that turns the topics you blog about most into a colorful word picture. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, see this example. I’ll provide additional instructions for using a Wordle during the week so you can pre-publish and enjoy the day off.
May 31 – The Blogathon ends – you did it! Participants who made it through all 31 days can collect an “I did it!” badge to display on their blogs.
June 1 – The 2011 WordCount Blogathon wrap party and raffle drawing take place on Twitter at 10 a.m. Pacific time. We’ll share what we liked, what we hated and what we learned from blogging every day in May. The raffle drawing takes place at the end of the hour. Use #wclw to participate.
I’ve never participated, but am looking forward to this. I’ve just started a new blog which focuses on writing with mental illness and how they interrelate with each other. So this will most certainly be a challenge for me.
Posting every day can be a challenge, and three weeks into it you might wonder why you ever signed up. But the camaraderie pulls you through and in the end you’ll feel like you’ve accomplished something major. Give it a shot!
Michelle
This sounds productive, challenging and lucrative.
My question is, are there any set rules? Am I limited to one post a day? Can I post while on vacation (if there is no internet access? Is there a minimum on how long or short the posts need to be?
Thank you.
Sabrina:
There aren’t a lot of rules:
* You’re not limited to a post a day; if you want to write more, go for it.
* There is no minimum or maximum word count for posts.
* To be eligible for prizes you must post every day. It’s up to you whether you pre-write posts & schedule them to cover times you’re gone – lots of people do that, especially if they don’t want to blog over the weekend, or over the Memorial Day long weekend.
I’ll be hosting a Twitter chat on Wednesday where you can get answers to all your blogathon questions. Join us at 10 a.m. PST at hashtag #blog2011.
Michelle
Hello Michelle –
I’m in!
Definitely looking forward to this- my blog needs it! But- do we have to do the theme days? The themes really have nothing to do with my blog! My readers may think I’ve gone mad……(they may like the posts, but wonder why I’m writing them on my particular blog!)
Sondra:
You definitely do *not* have to do theme days. I include them because some people need help coming up with 31 days of programming. If you’re already covered or the theme doesn’t suit your blog, then by all means, carry on as usual. However, you might want to do a guest post swap on 5/16 for the heck of it, just with someone who writes about the same subjects that you do. You could also modify topics so they suit your blog topic.
Michelle
Hey Michelle,
Great idea! I am so looking forward to participating in this year’s Blogathon. Also, can’t wait to read the blogs of others and get to know more people. Wishing everyone the best of success with this event – happy blogging!
Tess C Taylor
Taylor Resources Writing
“A Journey of Words”
Thanks for your kind words. It looks like an amazing group. Stay tuned for the blogathon blogroll, which should go live tomorrow.
Michelle