Some Housekeeping Stuff

Sign-Up Dates for the A-Z Blogging Challenge:March 23 - April 4Remember to sign up! If you'd signed up for the Theme Reveal it doesn't automatically make you signed up for the main challenge.

If you encourage people to join the challenge, they can add to the sign-up form that you had done so, and you can get into the draw to win a chance to guest post on the A-Z Challenge Blog.


Remember to visit other blogs during the A-Z Challenge and leave comments! The point of a blog hop is to visit others, leave comments, and get visitors to your blog.
Let's start with some basics to help you get the most out of this April's A-Z Challenge. These older posts on our blog is still useful today:10 Common Misconceptions About Blog CommentsBlogging Basics: Hyperlink SignatureHow To Make Your Blog "Comment Friendly"
Building on all of that, I have to add something that I've come up against in during the Theme Reveal hop: Substack.
I just got my Substack account suspended for commenting on A-Z participants' posts with the usual links. Turns out it isn't blog hop friendly. I think people should be aware of this issue when commenting on blogs hosted on Substack before their accounts get inadvertently suspended. It's not always clear when a blog is hosted on Substack, so it gets tricky. Also, some of these "blogs" don't allow you to comment unless you're a paid subscriber.
I thought I'd warn people to not leave hyperlinks (or any kind of links) in the comments they leave on Substack. I have appealed their decision to suspend my account, but it's up in the air if I'll get it back.
As J rightly said when I raised the issue: "I'm not sure anyone using Substack is really hoping for new comments, so it makes no sense to join a blog hop. Blog hops are for people who hope for maximum comments and know that means, yeah, you'll occasionally have to toss out some spam, but mostly you'll get actual interested humans."
I'm not against anyone using Substack. But I think you ought to add in your CTA (call to action) at the end of your A-Z posts a warning that people shouldn't leave links, just their blog's name in their comments. Oh, and if only paid subscribers can comment, what's the point?

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Our hashtag is #AtoZChallenge

Theme Reveal Blog Hop #AtoZchallenge

https://forms.gle/xhieZKo9RTbhnwrs9 Sign up for the THEME REVEAL blog hop here.
CLOSES on March 14!

Then visit fellow bloggers to learn about their themes.
Here are all of the theme reveal links: https://tinyurl.com/3dv4n7vw

Our team theme for April is “Aspirations: Blogging hopes, dreams, and goals”.
The A to Z Team has a theme that we hope you'll all really enjoy. Of course, no blogger is required to have a theme to take part in the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge. This is a bonus blog hop. Themes pull a month's posts together and often make writing a month of posts easier. Themes give you direction. It can also drum up interest from potential new readers. A theme connects your 26 April posts, what you'll convey over the month, and inspires readers to ponder what you'll blog about on that topic. 

LINK DIRECTLY TO YOUR THEME REVEAL POST.

Not to your main blog, website, or creator dashboard. 

This year, we're also encouraging everyone to "bring a blogging friend" to the challenge. Encouraging others to join us for the first time could win you a guest blog spot right here on the A to Z blog (which gets tens of thousands of views all year long). 

 

We recommend that you make a copy of the Google Sheet with the theme reveal results once the Theme Reveal closes on March 14. If you make a copy, you can use it to 😁 track which blogs you visit!

📢 Official Challenge Sign-ups : March 23- April 4

Be sure you come back here during those dates to sign your blog up for the official APRIL Blogging from A to Z Challenge. 💡💖

Taking part in the Theme Reveal does not sign you up for the main challenge. It increases your odds of winning the challenge by posting all month, and it increases the odds that you'll receive more visits and comments. You could let others know whether you've taken part in the challenge before or whether you usually visit your commenters' blogs. 

🤤 Get readers salivating, eager for your April posts. Have fellow blog hoppers pounding the refresh button, waiting for your April First "A" post. ⟳ 

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/2026-graphics.html At the top of the page, you'll see the bookmark page link for this year's graphics, for your use. HTML is included for those who prefer code. 

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Please follow us!

bloglovin.com/blogs/blogging-from-a-to-z-april-challenge-3294742
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com
@a.to.z.challenge    @atozchallenge   @atozchallenge.bsky.social
Our hashtag is #AtoZChallenge

Dates for the #AtoZChallenge 2026 International Blog Hop

Important dates for 2026:

March 9 - 14 Theme Reveal

March 23 - April 4 Sign-up

May 4 - 9 Reflections

May 11 - Road Trip opens

Our team-theme for the site this year:

A is for Aspirations: Blogging hopes, dreams, and goals

Knowing what you hope to get from blogging is the key to staying motivated. The A to Z team will spend April on this blog, sharing tips, tricks, and ideas. Be sure to check out the alphabet of posts!

As is tradition, this blog will host the Theme Reveal blog hop, the A-to-Z Challenge blog hop, the Reflections blog hop, and the Road Trip. Please make a note of the dates! 

(Americans especially- please note the MONDAY week-start calendar format!)

Please follow us!

bloglovin.com/blogs/blogging-from-a-to-z-april-challenge-3294742
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com
@a.to.z.challenge     @atozchallenge   @atozchallenge.bsky.social
Our hashtag is #AtoZChallenge