Decisions, decisions... #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.

Decisions, decisions…

There are so many decisions to make when deciding to write a blog. Here are my Top 10 Decisions to make before starting a blog.

10) How often are you going to post? Daily? Weekly? Monthly?
9) Will you write your blog as you, or under a pen name?
8) Do you have the time to read and reply to all the comments people make?
7) What website will you use for your blog? Wordpress? Blogger? Others? There are lots.
6) Are you willing to pay for your blog? Your domain name?
5) How will you get followers? Do you already have people who will follow you, or do you have to go find them?
4) Are you ready to invest time in looking at other blogs? Reading other blogs and commenting is one of the best ways to meet other bloggers.
3) Is your blog unique or is there another one just like it?
2) Have you looked at Blog Hops? Blogs that promote other bloggers?
1) Are you ready to join this fantastic community of bloggers? (Yes! Say yes!)

We hope that all of you out there are loving the blogs you’ve created, and we hope that you’ll keep inspiring others to create blogs. The A to Z Challenge is what inspired me to create my blog, and it has introduced me to the best community of bloggers in the world! Thanks for going on this crazy ride with us!

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

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

You Must Be Crazy! #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.

Crazy! That's what you have to be to participate in the A to Z Challenge!

How many of you heard that from your blog buddies when you announced on your blog that you were even thinking about attempting to write every day in April (except Sunday, of course), starting with the letter A on April 1 and ending with the letter Z on the 30th? How many of you heard this from your real-life friends, even your significant other?

How do you respond to such aspersions being cast upon you?

I'm willing to bet that, for most of you, this isn't your first go-around with the Challenge. You've had to deal with these questions about your sanity before. You've dealt with them, and you come back year after year to participate with us again.

Whether you're doing this for the first time or the tenth, Arlee, J, Jayden, Csenge and I are happy you're here. More importantly, everyone else participating is happy you're here. We're going to do a lot of writing over the remainder of the month, and we're going to read a lot, too. That's the best way to encourage other bloggers, to read what they've written, even if it's something you generally don't read, and to leave them a comment, even if it's just, "Hi, I see you're doing the A to Z Challenge too!" or "Just stopping by from the A to Z Challenge. Happy blogging!"

And as for those people who think you're nuts for doing this, ignore them. Do your own thing and show them why you did it. By the end of this month, you'll have written 26 posts and read at least five times that many more, and by doing it you'll be a better blogger. It was the A to Z Challenge that was my "baptism by fire" into the blogging world eight years ago, and what I learned is that yes, I can blog every day. Yes, I can make friends doing this. And yes, it is a lot of fun.

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

Book Blog Tours #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.

Book Blog Tours 

There are plenty of authors and book bloggers in the A to Z challenge. Simon says raise your hand if you know what a book blog tour is!

*cough* This blog held one earlier this year. If you're not a newb, your hand should be up. *cough*

Okay. Simon says you can put your hand back down. Book Blog Tours are an easy way for writers to reach a larger audience. It also gains your blog extra exposure from people who are looking for information on a certain book. Plus, it's an easy post to create, so that's freebie content.

Sometimes bloggers who aren't authors or book-bloggers aren't sure how a novel could tour on their blog. Here's a list of ten categories of blogs and ways they could invite certain books to tour:

1. Culinary blogs could host novels that have unusual food. (The Hunger Games eventually got a cookbook.) Or non-fiction recipe books, because those can tour too. 
2. Entertainment blogs could compare a book to a movie, television show, or play. Or perhaps use books that reference certain bands or music. (Rock-fiction is a thing.)
3. Genealogy blogs could host books that feature characters who look up their genealogy.
4. Health blogs could discuss books with characters who have certain health issues. (The diverse book movement is encouraging more of these!)
5. Lifestyle and Social blogs could interview authors or characters who live the certain lifestyles featured on the blog. (I've interviewed an author who lives on a boat and another who traveled around the world.)
6. Mythology and Folklore blogs are perfect for novels with that subject.
7. Parenting/Family blogs are a great place for children's' books to tour.
8. Spirituality and Religion blogs might be a good place for books with characters of faith.
9. Travel blogs could compare their journey with those of a character who travels.
10. Women's Interest blogs could feature books with strong female characters.

I hope this list has inspired you to invite an author to tour on your blog. Do you know of a book that fits one of the types of blogs listed?

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