#AtoZChallenge 2022 Master List SIGN UP for the April #Blogging Challenge

Get your graphics: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/2022-badge-graphics.html

The team's theme of the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge this year is:
ACCOMPLISHING YOUR DREAMS, AND THE DUALITY OF 22

What will your theme be, if you'll have one at all?

Sign up for the 2022 challenge! Click this:

https://forms.gle/pN8xCbvnxGLScj4V8

Get on the Master List! You aren't officially part of the challenge without completing this sign-up form.

(The Theme Reveal is a *separate* A to Z Challenge activity. Signing up for the Theme Reveal did NOT automatically sign you up for the Challenge. Thank you.)

What information will you need to sign up this year?

• Blog name - This is what you call your blog. It doesn't include the word "wordpress." It isn't a link. There's no "www" or ".com" -- It's just what you call your blog. This blog's name, for example, is "Blogging from A to Z April Challenge."
• Author's Name -- How you would like people to refer to you. ("Great post, *name*!")
• Blog Link - This is a link to your blog. It isn't the hidden place where you create posts. It's what people type or click to get to see your posts. (For example, you're currently viewing "http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com" which is our LINK -- but this post was written on "blogger.com")
• It must go to a PUBLIC blog where anyone doing the challenge may COMMENT WITHOUT LOGGING IN, SIGNING UP, or SUBSCRIBING. 
• Category -- There are 48 choices, including the option to "prefer not to say." Pick whatever best aligns with your theme. Don't have a theme? Pick whatever best matches the type of blog you have.

• There's then an option to name your own category if you couldn't find something suitable.
• Adult content? -- As this is an all-ages event, there is an obligation to note if a site is unsuitable for young people. Adult content blogs generally have any of the following:
• Excessive Violence — If your blog reads like a how-to guide for Hannibal Lecter, you have excessive violence. If you've written the A to Z guide of how to pummel someone, make 💣, create 🔪 weapons from ordinary objects, or kill without detection, you have excessive violence.
• Nudity for sexual purposes — If you write erotica, you have adult content. 👙 If body parts normally covered by swimwear or underwear are visible on your blog, you've got adult content. This gets tricky with art blogs, so if you fall into that gray area, ask the team for a ruling (before April 8, please). 
• Strong and frequent harsh language — If the F word is being used as a verb, or it is used more than three times in 500 words, that is considered adult content. If most of your blog posts have three curse words, that is adult content. 🤬
• Continuous story? -- If someone visits your blog for the first time in mid-April, will they be able to figure out what's going on? Or will it be like reading a book from the middle, watching a movie without the first half, or trying to enjoy a show without character introductions?
• People may wish to visit daily to keep up. Or might want to read it all at the end of the month.
• Voting? -- Some bloggers will let the audience decide what their next post will be.
• Blogs that mark this as "yes" especially need to attract commenters daily!
• Will you hop to other blogs? -- The April Blogging Challenge has two parts. One is posting to your blog every day in April (except Sundays), and the other is commenting on the blogs of others in the challenge. Here are your choices:
• I will seek out new blogs from the list 😁
• I will visit those who comment on my blog 😊
• I will visit my friends' blogs 😏
• I'm new, so I don't know yet 🤔
• I won't be visiting other blogs 😐
• Other:
• Author's Pronouns -- he/him, she/her, they/them, abstain, other (Use "abstain" if you prefer not to select the pronouns by which others may correctly refer to you.)
• Year -- The challenge has run for TWELVE years! What year did you first try it?
• Twitter Link (optional) -- If you use it. Remember, this link starts with "https://twitter.com/" and then has your handle. There's no "@" symbol.
• Facebook Link (optional) -- If you'd like people to friend or follow you there.
• Instagram Link (optional) -- New this year! Check out the hard work Anjela Curtis has done to create ours, please.
• Physical location of blogger (optional) Country first please -- This is an International blog hop. A great way to find others beyond your homeland, or to discover those living nearby, is to share a general location.
• Theme (optional) -- Please keep it to 100 characters or less. A short summary of your planned posts for April. https://tinyurl.com/AZtheme22 The theme reveal hop had the option for longer descriptions.

That's it. Now you know what to expect when you sign-up. It looks like a lot, but it doesn't take long to fill out the Google form. 

Remember to make sure that your blog is open to public comments and that people do not need to "log in, sign up, or subscribe" to leave you a comment.
(If you use Wix -- https://support.wix.com/en/article/wix-blog-about-wix-comments#guest-commenting  -- please learn how to allow people who don't use Wix to leave you a comment.)
(You must create and sign into a Tumblr account before you can leave comments. This is why the A to Z Challenge does NOT recognize Tumblr blogs as official participants.)
(The A to Z Blogging Challenge is not a "blog by email sign-up" either. We do not support or recognize "private blogs" that request email addresses be sent first, and then blog links or posts are privately sent later.)
Any blogs found in violation will be removed. Please privately contact a team member if you feel you've found such a blog on the Master List. (Include the blog name, please.)


The #AtoZChallenge is planning three #AZchat sessions on social media.
April 2, April 15, and May 2.

The first one is 📅 April 2 ⏰ 11pm GMT
See the time in your area:
https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html

Master List Sign-up Form
https://forms.gle/pN8xCbvnxGLScj4V8

Are you ready to make posts and hop to other blogs this April?

bloglovin.com/blogs/blogging-from-a-to-z-april-challenge-3294742
@a.to.z.challenge @atozchallenge
@AprilA2Z Our hashtag is #AtoZChallenge
Please follow us on social media.


File, Make a Copy of the Master List for yourself! Click this:
https://tinyurl.com/AtoZ22
The Master List will be complete on April 10 (after H), when sign-ups close.
Be sure your copy is updated with everyone who signed up for the challenge. Hopping to other blogs to leave comments is half of the challenge!

Get your 2022 merchandise here: 
https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/103818836

8 Common Misconceptions About the #AtoZChallenge

Today I'm going to debunk the most common misconceptions about the A to Z blogging challenge.

1- Just adding my link is enough.

• No. It’s a hop. You post and you visit others who have posted. We interact with one another and cultivate new relationships.
• Leaving comments — It's what bloggers do for each other. How important is it to you to be a valued member of the blogging community?

2- The A to Z Team list is just names on the blog. Hosts don’t do anything.

• WRONG. The hosts are here year round keeping the blog alive. We spend April helping all the participants. It’s hard work. It’s a second job that pays no money. We are not just names, we are people who care that this a supportive, safe, and productive blogging community.

3- The site is only up in April.

• Nope. It’s here all year. There are less posts in the off-seasons, but the content is still interesting. You should follow this blog and check for updates regularly.

4- No one will notice if I bend or break a rule…

• The hosts are dedicated to noticing and acting fast.

5- Everyone has a theme but me.

• Nah. About 30% of the blogs in the challenge go without a theme to tie their posts together… other than the alphabet, of course!

6- There’s no reason I should advertise the challenge on my blog.

• First, it’s not exactly advertising. It’s saying you participate, that you are part of our community. It shows off your blogging dedication, even if you only blog in April.
• Second, it’s spreading the word about the challenge, which brings everyone more views and comments.
• Third, it’s how others in the blog hop know they have come to the right place. It’s an assurance.

7- I’m going to get so much email junk from this challenge!

• I have been doing this challenge for six years. In all that time, and in commenting at about 1,000 blogs last year alone, I have received only ONE spam message. If you're still worried, create a separate email account. (I have one for hops, one for general, one for classes, and one for business. It's an old organization trick.) Be mindful of check-boxes that sign you up for replies or notices. Consider that you might enjoy some of the emails. Learn to use services such as BlogLovin' to keep up with your favorite blogs.

8- This is only for professionals.

• Most of the participants in the challenge are not professional bloggers. A few are professionals in their field who also blog. There are plenty of good people here who are new to blogging or who blog only as a hobby. We welcome everyone. Bonus -- the hosts are a wealth of knowledge for newbie bloggers!

by J Lenni Dorner
Reference and Speculative Fiction Author
A to Z Challenge Co-Host
Operation Awesome Debut Author Spotlight Organizer