The title question is one that I posed on my dream blog A Faraway View--should I enter the blog into the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge? For those who don't know what I'm talking about you can click on the link for complete information, but in brief the Challenge entails blogging every day in the month of April except Sundays using daily prompts of each successive letter of the alphabet.
And now I pose the same question for this memoir blog that you're currently reading.
Yes, the Challenge is fun, but it's a bit of work if you're keeping up four blogs in the Challenge like I've done over the past couple of years. Then on top of that I'm the one the started this Challenge. I've got a fantastic backup A to Z Team of support so that alleviates a lot of the work for me, but still since it's a networking Challenge, it can be rather time-consuming if done right. Like all of you, my time is limited.
One of the main points of participating in the A to Z Challenge is to build up blog following and gain new readers. Each year I've added the following on my secondary blogs, but it doesn't appear that I do much in gaining readership. What I may be doing in actuality is diffusing readership among my multiple blogs rather than keeping a focus on one primary blog. This could have its advantages, but I'm not sure those advantages are worth the efforts I put into my blogs.
So I'm pondering where to go with this. I'm preparing my posts at Tossing It Out--that blog stays in the Challenge since that is my anchor blog. Perhaps when I finish those posts I'll do posts for another blog and so on. Ideally all my blogs would be in the Challenge and I would find ways to grow all four more efficiently.
Don't get me wrong in what I'm saying here. The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is one of the best ways I've seen to attract an audience to ones blog and network into a strong community. If you are interested in building your own blog and have never tried the Challenge I encourage you to do so. Thousands have participated so far and many have done so repeatedly. There is a very strong A to Z following. I think all bloggers should try to complete at least one April Challenge to see what it does for them.
The 2014 Challenge will be the 5th year. If you want more information about it then visit the official Blogging from A to Z April Challenge Blog. You'll find a sign up list there. And if you want to sign up to do more than one blog you won't be the only one. Many have entered multiple blogs and finished. As one of those who has done so I assure you that it can be done.
If I keep this up I'm going to talk myself into entering more than one blog again.
Have you signed up for this year's Blogging from A to Z Challenge? Have you participated in the past? If you aren't doing it, what is it that keeps you from doing so? Do you have more than one blog?
I have two blogs at the moment and think I should enter my Poetry Perfected blog into this challenge as I am going to moving my main blog to my own site soon!
ReplyDeleteI'll think about this - can I sign up at the end of March?
Or would it be better to sign up now, even if I'm unsure of my participation?
ReplyDeleteI just can't come up with A-Z letters for anything this time around. I had a so-so experience last year in that I only gained a few followers and when I went to visit other blogs, CAPTCHA was still on or people bailed part way through.
ReplyDeleteThe first time I did A to Z, I gained quite a few readers who still follow me. But last year I gained no need readers that I know of. I haven't made up my mind about this year. If I can come up with a good plan, I might still do it because I do like the idea of the challenge.
ReplyDeleteLorraine -- A poetry blog would be a good one--there are a few of them but not that many. You can sign up now and withdraw later if you decide not to or you can wait. Either way is fine, but we hope you'll decide to participate.
ReplyDeleteJoJo -- Too bad about the word verification. We've tried to discourage it, but a lot of bloggers just don't get the message. I didn't get as many new followers probably because I didn't visit blogs and comment enough and I think most participants were already following my blog.
Wendy -- Hope you will join in again as the personal challenge is worth the effort. The followers are good, but it can be very time consuming to pursue them.
Lee
Arlee, I have two blogs but am only doing the challenge with one of them. I also signed on to be a volunteer this year.
ReplyDeleteIt's a double Challenge to enter multiple blogs. Spreading ourselves too thin is not the answer. This year, between my regular life and being a co-host, I simply know I wouldn't manage anything well, if I entered all of my blogs in the Challenge.
ReplyDelete