A to Z Challenge--How to Wing It in Style: guest from Jamie at Mithril Wisdom

        Jamie Gibbs from Mithril Wisdom is no stranger to the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.  In this guest post Jamie provides some excellent Challenge wisdom that may alleviate some stress come April.  

A to Z Blogging - How to wing it in style

It’s certainly no secret that I rarely prepare for blog-type events. I’m usually the one frantically hitting that “Publish’ button mere seconds before each deadline (and on one occasion, several days after it). I enjoy the spontaneity of winging it and the thrill of the unexpected when I blog with little planning. However, writing by the seat of your pants does not mean you should walk into the A to Z Challenge blind. A small amount of planning can go a very long way. Here’s a few tips to wing it without making a fool of yourself.

●        Know your theme

            Even if your theme is to have no theme, make sure you know the general feel of the posts that you’ll write. Things will be a lot easier when you’re sitting at your keyboard, struggling to find that elusive ‘Q’ topic, if you know that whatever the ‘Q’ is, it needs to be in the realm of, say, Aztec gods (and the answer, of course, would be Quetzalcoatl).

●        Prep each day with one word

            You have two whole months until the Challenge starts, so grab a pen and paper, and write the alphabet. Go on, do it, don’t be shy. I’ll wait. I’ll just busy myself thinking about dragons.

Right, done that? Awesome. Now think about a single word to go with each letter (sticking with your theme). I hope you left enough room next to each letter to write the word itself. I probably should have mentioned that earlier. Hmm . . .

It may take some time, but using those single words will make your posts so much quicker to write each day. Even if you still haven’t thought of any for the elusive ‘Q’ by the time April rolls around, you’ll have 25 less posts to worry about because of your list.

●        Read around. Read widely. Read everything!

            The A to Z Challenge is about community above all else. There are hundred of awesome bloggers who are participating, and it would be a shame for you to miss out. Don’t just read the blogs you know, or those who comment on your posts. Don’t just focus on the blogs that are similar to your own. You’ll be surprised how much inspiration you’ll get from reading outside of your comfort zone. Even better, you’ll meet new friends along the way. Everyone’s a winner!

Good luck to all of you, and extra good luck to my fellow winging bloggers. I look forward to seeing you blogging by the seat of your pants - and doing it in style.

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Telling the Rest of the World: Publicizing the Challenge

Image via Wikipedia
       Li from Flash Fiction requested that we address the subject of getting publicity for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  As an author, Li recognizes that participating in an event such as the April Challenge can add something extra to her writing resume and even more so when people know what the A to Z Challenge is.  How do we go about getting the word out?

       Many of you have already been publicizing the Challenge on your blogs and that is something that is greatly appreciated.  It because of the bloggers like you that the list grows with new participants.  Don't stop promoting the Challenge to other bloggers.  Let's get as many participants as we can.

       But what about the bloggers who aren't part of the community in which we blog?  There are millions of bloggers out there and most of them don't know about the A to Z Challenge.  And how about those who don't have blogs (or at least not yet) who just enjoy reading things on line?   How do we tell those people about the A to Z Challenge?

        One way is getting the word out through the media.    There are many outlets out there through which you can spread the news about A to Z:   newspapers, newsletters, magazines, radio, television, and so on.  Why would we want to do this?  My answer is to be a part of something notable.

        Many of you blog in order to promote yourself or some product that you represent, such as your books or other creations.   When you are attached to something big you gain additional recognition for what you are doing outside the Challenge.  Even if you aren't promoting anything in particular it's still fun to have the bragging rights of being part of something that others have heard about.  If an event or movement that you are a part of "makes the news", you are a part of something noteworthy and you can use that to your advantage.

       In the interest of keeping this post short, I'm going to quickly offer some ways you can help spread the word about A to Z in a bigger way than just on your blogs.

       Here are some things you might try:

        1)    Contact someone you know who has media ties.  Perhaps you know someone who works for a newspaper or radio station, publishes a local newsletter, or is affiliated with an online news distributor.   Let them know about the Challenge.  Be excited about it and ask them if they can help by featuring it in the resource they work with.   Offer to write the story for them.

       2)   Ask someone who knows someone.  Maybe you're part of a committee or have kids on a sports team.  Find out who submits news releases to media outlets and ask them if they can help you make contact.  Or there might be a neighbor or relative who has contacts that can help.  Check around. Be creative.

        3)   Keep your eyes and ears open.  Your local newspaper probably offers a forum for making announcements--add your A to Z announcement for local bloggers to see.  Put up notices on public bulletin boards at libraries, student centers, and other similar places.  Find any opportunity you can to tell others about the A to Z Challenge.  Last year my daughter in New Jersey called me in Los Angeles to tell me about a radio talk show where the topic was blogging.  I got on the phone and before I knew it I was on the radio talking about the Challenge.  Within an hour of that appearance I received several emails about the Challenge from people who had heard me and we saw a spike in sign-ups.

       4)   Be a publicity hound.   Some of you may find self-promoting to be a distasteful activity.  Do it vicariously by promoting the Challenge.  You can drop your name in as a participant and still gain some recognition for yourself.  Get your blog address published and you might get some visitors you might not have otherwise had.  For those of you with product, you may gain new customers.   Self-promo is not a dirty word--it's a necessary part of building your platform.

       These are a few ideas that you can try, but it doesn't end there by any means.  Use your imagination to come up with ways of getting the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge more widely known.  Then tell us about your experiences and send us your links.   We'll tell your story here.

        Last year I offered a series about getting publicity.  This information is not only useful for getting A to Z publicity, but also for promoting your own interests.  Here are the links from last year that you might want to read for more information:

http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/2011/03/more-challenges-reaching-for-stars.html

http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/2011/03/making-news-why-you-should-be-promoting.html

http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/2011/03/easier-way-to-get-news-story.html

http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/2011/03/press-release.html

http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/2011/03/what-story-should-i-tell.html

        Here are a couple examples of good press stories:

From Alana at Writercize:    Benefits of Blogging Challenges

Nicki Elson at Not So Deep Thoughts had this one from last year:  

Author Invites Local Bloggers to Join International Blogging Event

             Try it and let us know about your results.  Have you used press releases to promote yourself or something you were involved with?  What are some other ways you can suggest publicizing A to Z beyond the blogs?




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More Easy Production Ideas for A to Z Video Challenge Entries : Guest Nicole from Madlab Post

Nicole from Madlab Post

         Nicole from Madlab Post is back with some more tips about making videos.  For those who are new to the A to Z Blog or just happened to miss the announcement along the way, we are having an A to Z Video Contest where you can submit a promo video for the April Challenge.  Details can be found by clicking a tab at the top of this page.  There is also a tab where you can go to visit some of the videos that have already been sent to us.  For those who may be intimidated by the prospect of making a video, Nicole is offering some assistance.

More Easy Production Ideas for A to Z Video Challenge Entries – Part 2

        Live shots, which are one of the easiest ways to make a promo for the A to Z Video challenge and get it up online was covered in Part 1 of my production tips for bloggers. Since all videos are not made equal, there are additional ways that you can promote the 2012 Blogging from A to Z Challenge using video editing programs that came with your computer and video footage that you recorded on a camcorder or modern day gadget such as an iPhone or digital camera. Here are some options that can be used to step things up a notch on the editing side when making an online video.

        Import the recorded footage that you want to use into a video editing program that came with your computer. This can be done using either a firewire cable or a USB cable, depending on the camera that you have. If you are using a PC, then you will be making your video with Windows Movie Maker. Mac users can use iMovie to edit their videos.

       To make this process easier, it may be better for you to start off with one or two Live Shot recordings based on the previous post (Part 1) on video tips. Once your video footage is imported into the video editing program, you can trim the footage so that the finished video only includes the portion of the footage that you want. You can also add titles to the video, which makes for a good time to add the address of the A to Z Challenge website in your video somewhere. The screen in Windows Movie Maker and iMovie will display the running time, so you can make sure that it is 2 minutes or less.

      You can also add a music track by importing an MP3 song or audio recording from your computer, into the video editing program and then adding it underneath your video on the timeline (assuming you are either using Windows Movie Maker or iMovie, but other editing programs such as Adobe Premiere Express allow you to add music as well…I just don’t remember what the interface of that particular program is like, so I won’t comment on it at this time) for an extra layer to your Blogging from A to Z promo. Once you have the video done the way you like it, export it or save it and then upload it online somewhere where it can be viewed by the public and submit it using the submission form on the A to Z website and then you're done.  

       Actually, you’re not done….don’t forget to promote it to your blogging friends and social networks or mention it or embed it on your own blog.

Related articles

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• A to Z Video Challenge: Some Ideas from Nicole (a-to-zchallenge.com)
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