Coming Up With Theme Ideas #atozchallenge

We're celebrating our Tenth Anniversary here at the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge.

#AtoZchallenge. The blog hop that made an online community by asking bloggers to spend the month of April using the English alphabet as inspiration for their posts. We're glad you stopped by today.

"I'm not doing A to Z this year because I can't think of a theme."

I've heard that a couple of times over the last few years from blog buddies of mine when I ask them if they're doing the Challenge. Granted, the Challenge is a lot more fun (and is maybe a little harder) if you have a theme to tie all your posts together. But there's nothing in the rules that says you must have a theme. Back in 2014, I had the same problem: I couldn't think of a theme, so I decided that I'd just go themeless. And it went fine. I had a great time, made a lot of new blog buddies, and felt like I was part of something bigger. Granted, doing the A to Z Challenge without a theme is kind of like trick-or-treating in your street clothes, but hey, if that's what you got, you go with it.

I haven't had to do that for the last several years, because I found the secret to coming up with good themes: Don't try to do it a month before the challenge. Ideas for good themes are all around you all year, so it pays to keep track of them when they come. When you see something or think of something that looks like it might be a good theme, write it down. Write it in your journal, write it on a Post-It Note, put it on a note in Evernote (or Simplenote, or OneNote, or Google Keep, or wherever you keep your ideas), do something so you don't forget it.

The biggest lie I ever told myself was "I don't need to write it down, I'll remember." - Anonymous

And, whatever you do, don't shut your mind off to coming up with themes during the Challenge! This is a great time of year to think of future themes. Maybe you think someone has a great theme that might be good for you. Write it down. Maybe you get an idea for combining themes. Write it down.

That's a good one. Write it down. - Hal Roach

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nZ7UupzB78MvJnraN9khkLJT3jM6uOP1LTDc8gaQluY

That's the link to the Master List. You can find, and hop to, all the blogs officially participating on that sheet.

Grab your A to Z gear, and other cool goodies from our graphics guy, here:

https://www.neatoshop.com/artist/Jeremy-Hawkins

H is for saying Hello (#AtoZChallenge)

We're celebrating our Tenth Anniversary here at the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge.

We are in the second week of the challenge! Have people been stopping by at your blog, saying hello? One of my favorite parts of the Challenge is the visiting. A to Z really brings people together. For our tenth year, here are ten things that make visiting even better:

1. Make sure to say hi! If you stop by on a blog, leave a comment, even if it is a short one. 

2. Make sure people can say hi on your blog! Check your comment settings to make it as easy as possible.

3. Make sure to leave a link to your own blog. It is sometimes hard to track you through your Google profile, so it makes visiting back a lot easier if you leave an address!

4. However, don't just leave an address. Say something nice first. No one wants a guest who just yells "come see my stuff!" through the window without saying anything about yours.

5. Venture outside your own category! It is fun to visit like-minded people, but it is also fun to discover topics you have never really read about before. 

6. Visit back those who visit you. 

7. Try to visit a few new blogs every day! Even if just one or two, keep returning to the master list, and see what you can find. You can make new friends in unexpected places!

8. Save your favorites for beyond A to Z. Bookmark them, Follow them, or sign up for their updates. A to Z comes around once a year, but good blogging relatinships are fun all year round :)

9. Sometimes I see people sharing my posts on Twitter or Facebook, and it warms my heart. You can make someone happy by sharing something they wrote that you loved!

10. Put your creativity into your comments. We are all dedicated writers (of posts), we can brighten each other's day by leaving lovely messages!

Everybody say hi! :)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nZ7UupzB78MvJnraN9khkLJT3jM6uOP1LTDc8gaQluY

That's the link to the Master List. You can find, and hop to, all the blogs officially participating on that sheet.

Grab your A to Z gear, and other cool goodies from our graphics guy, here: NeatoShop.com/artist/Jeremy-Hawkins

G is for Guest Post by Jemima Pett #AtoZchallenge

We're celebrating our Tenth Anniversary here at the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge.

#AtoZchallenge. The blog hop that made an online community by asking bloggers to spend the month of April using the English alphabet as inspiration for their posts. We're glad you stopped by today.

---

Hello! This is a guest post, and I’m Jemima Pett. I won this post in the A to Z Book Review Tour Giveaway in February. Like you, I blog—at Jemima Pett, author. I also write and publish books, and occasionally do guest posts on other people’s blogs.

What are guest posts? 

Someone who is not a part of the blog, like a co-author or regular contributor with access rights, writes a post for it. If that's you, you tailor your post to what suits the blog.

Who hosts them? 

Anyone can host them, but blogs generally need a good number of followers to attract guests. Although some well-known guests have many followers, most guests are hoping to raise awareness. A blog with fewer followers would be unlikely to do that. It’s probably better to look for author interviews and join blog tours than canvas people for guest posts if you need blog content.

How do you decide on a topic? 

Some bloggers want specific topics—or list some to avoid. Others leave the choice up to you. The A to Z asked me to select a letter to post for this month, and I offered a choice of letter plus topic.

I have a regular guest slot at The Story Reading Ape—TSRA—every second Sunday of the month. The Ape leaves it entirely up to me, although is happy to discuss ideas. TSRA is an eclectic place, and most things relating to stories, writing, blogging, books, travel, adventure, and humour are welcome.

If you like Scifi or Horror, the Scifi&Scary website offers guests a chance to post on particular subjects. They list on their blog what they’d like, and have guidelines for any speculative approaches.

Sue Vincent welcomes artists, writers and photographers who want to talk about their work, include a news or promotion item, and maybe tips for others. She has guidelines on her website.

At Smorgasbord Magazine, Sally Cronin welcomes author interviews, and often invites people to do guest posts. Which leads to…

What’s the difference between a guest post and an author interview? 

Author interviews

• for authors (and other creatives) with products they wish to promote 
• some blogs extend this to artists, craftmakers etc, others focus on books with or without illustration 
• blog usually sets questions, like ‘why did you write this book’ and ‘how did you get started?’. The author may be asked for tips for their readers. 
• biography, headshot, and buying links are expected 

Guest post - with wide variations… 

• the guest may not have a product other than his/her own blog 
• topic may be free or defined 
• topic should be tailored to the interests of the blog’s readers 
• generally should not talk much about their products 
• headshot and very brief biography often included, with contact/follow links, rather than buying ones 

Is there any etiquette you should follow?

Yes!

• read the person’s blog and see if they ask for guest posts 
• follow their instructions 
• get your post in on time 
• submit it in the agreed file format 
• make sure it is free of typos and poor grammar 
• use the right spelling for the blog 
• provide pictures of appropriate size for the post, and make sure you have the right to use them. Include copyright links if possible. 
• Visit the post on the day, and for a week afterwards (or get emails of comments), to interact with the blog’s readers 
• If you get a reblog to someone else’s site, it’s polite to visit that too, in case there are more comments there 

How do I discover more? 

Any blog you visit, look to see whether guests are writing posts. Is there a menu item showing they accept guest posts? Don’t be afraid to contact people to ask, but look first!

Check the guidelines they have for posting. Since you’ll be going to the Story Reading Ape now, start with this post highlighting good practice!

Follow instructions, and meet deadlines.

Take the plunge!

Jemima Pett and where to find her… 

Jemima has been writing publishable stories since 2008, and blogging since 2010. Her Princelings of the East series now runs to eight books, with the last two in progress, and her science fiction Viridian System series is awaiting its third and final volume. She also runs websites for all her titles, and manages a blog for her guinea pigs, George’s Guinea Pig World, who are tackling the A to Z Challenge for the fourth time this year.

This is Jemima’s eight April A to Z Challenge. Follow her on Twitter @jemima_pett, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Smashwords

---

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nZ7UupzB78MvJnraN9khkLJT3jM6uOP1LTDc8gaQluY

That's the link to the Master List. You can find, and hop to, all the blogs officially participating on that sheet.

Grab your A to Z gear, and other cool goodies from our graphics guy, here: NeatoShop.com/artist/Jeremy-Hawkins