Last year, I wrote a lengthy reflective piece about my experience with the April A-to-Z Blogging Challenge when the event was over. You can read the entirety here (if you’re interested), but the gist of it (in 2018) was:
- This event took place while I was dealing with some serious stress in my personal life.
- I expected this event to be a new-community-building exercise and for the organizers to be active commenters/participants. Neither was true.
- The people who showed their support during my A-to-Z marathon were the same people who show their support for everything else I do: i.e., MY PEOPLE (my existing community).
I took those things into consideration before starting the A-to-Z this year, as well as making note of the fact that my regular readers just plain can’t keep up when I post on a speed schedule in April, and tailored my approach to the 2019 challenge accordingly. While in 2018 I wrote fairly extensively/intensively, including for memes, I chose in 2019 to limit my meme participation and my writing intensiveness in favor of more lighthearted, fun-with-Feve type infotainment.
This, I think – for me – worked better.
It made the blog more accessible (read: more general-audience friendly) on the whole to any generic A-to-Z’ers who happened to wander my way (there were only a few, but more of them ‘Liked’ and/or commented this year than last) and on the whole allowed me to just relax and share bits and pieces with my regular readers that I otherwise might not. Using this approach made almost zero impact on my stats (my numbers from April 2018 and April 2019 are remarkably similar) but had a positive impact on my overall energy and ability to maintain a reasonable participation level throughout the month.
And where participation is concerned: I visited 510 of the 650+ blogs on the master list of participants, utilized the ‘Like’ button and commented as I felt so inclined but did not stress about getting to ALL THE BLOGS or waste time doing a lot of comment follow-up. (Comments often get stuck in moderation for several days; ain’t nobody got time for that.) I started with – and made repeat visits to – the members of the sex blogging community who were participating, and focused the majority of my engagement/encouragement on them.
Next year, I will likely do the same. With possible additional tweaks. Like maybe a link-list for sex bloggers and/or members of my readership who wish to make known that they are participating, so I know better who’s playing along and how to find them.
Also, next year I will attempt to have a theme. (No, my theme will not be ‘socks’ — but I think I will do a separate sock-themed event of my own later this year. Stay tuned. 😀 )
The top three posts of the challenge were – despite my lessened emphasis on wordiness throughout the month – also among my longest (titles linked):
The fact that all three of these posts also fell in the middle of the challenge is interesting. Two of them were linked to outside prompts/memes, which I readily acknowledge carries its own impact. That all three of them were ‘thinky’ posts (to borrow a term from my spouse) tells me some things about my audience. (None of the three were commented on by non-regulars to my blog, which also tells me some things about my audience.)
A n y w ay
All that to say: I think I did the A-to-Z better (meaning: in a way that worked better for me) this time around. So, for those of you who may be interested in bettering your own experience with the A-to-Z – or just aren’t sure how to go about setting up the A-to-Z Challenge on your own blog – below is a handy-dandy list I’ve created of How To A-to-Z:
- In mid-March, visit the A-to-Z Challenge webpage. Download the letter badges/banners and put them in a folder for when you’re ready to start writing.
- From mid-March til the end of the month, watch the A-to-Z page for updates, theme reveal info, and master list sign-ups. Sign up on the master list as soon as possible. (Bloggers toward the top of the list will get more visits once the challenge begins, because math.)
- Create a posting schedule. (The organizers have a ‘Sundays off’ plan, but that doesn’t work for me. I post every 28 hours for the entire month.)
- Plan ahead if possible (I started writing in February for the 2018 challenge and in mid-March for the 2019 challenge, which helped immensely in terms of maintaining my posting schedule and keeping up my energy during April), and pre-schedule your posts along with the letter badges. Link the letter badge in each post to the A-to-Z main site.
- Start posting April 1st.
- Start visiting other blogs by the end of the first week.
- Set a blog visitation schedule/expectation for yourself and stick to it. You don’t have to visit every participant, but you should visit some. (You pick the number or the genre ~ whatever works for you. But remember that this is supposed to be a blog hop, which means the idea is for you to actually hop away from your own blog and see what other people are doing.)
- When it’s over, take the time to reflect on your experience. Things to consider upon reflection: What worked? What didn’t? Were your expectations and your reality of the experience aligned? Will you participate again? Why/How? What did you like about the challenge? What would you change?
- If you choose to publish your reflections as a post, link it to the Reflections list on the A-to-Z site.
That last bit is what I’m doing right now. 😉
If you have questions about the process (or perhaps I should say, my process), feel free to ask.
Meanwhile, I’d like to ask YOU:
If you participated in the A-to-Z Challenge, how did it work for you as a writer/creator?
If you read my blog during the A-to-Z Challenge, what feedback do you have about your experience as a reader?
This is interesting and helpful. I tried to do far too much this year. I did the same last year but for some reason felt my idea this year was more manageable than it turned out to be. I am not sure that I will participate again but if so I will return to your useful reflection for tips. Thank you 😊
I thought your serial worked really well, from a reader’s perspective. It’s a lot to write that much though — if your average post/story segment was 700 words, that means you wrote over 20,000 words in April just for the challenge. Seeing as you also wrote additional, non-challenge posts throughout the month, I can only imagine how exhausted you must be!
Thank you for this post Mrs Fever, and your support throughout the challenge.
I knew it would take a lot of work to complete, and didn’t factor in life as a feature. Blogging intensively worked well for me, until a spanner got thrown in the works and my day to day life got in the way so I haven’t finished the alphabet. Next year I have a reminder in my diary to start planning and scheduling in February/March.
I think because I was chasing my tail I missed out on the blog hopping, and struggled to even keep up with even the bloggers I already enjoy.
As for your month,I loved the variety of different things that you shared, which have led to me seeing the richer picture of you. It has been a pleasure to learn more about you, and I look forward to seeing your 2020 challenge (as well as other upcoming posts!)
Thank you again for your encouragement N xx
Planning ahead is really the only way I manage! Same with FebPhotoFest. I start working on it in December, because otherwise I’d never have time! 😱
And yes, the schedule/posting intensity makes keeping up with other participants a challenge in its own right. I haven’t figured that piece out quite yet, but I will. (Eventually.) 😉
Thank you for your feedback! 🙂
Thank you for the insight to this challenge Mrs. Fever! I clicked on the link to it at the beginning and honestly was so overwhelmed by the whole idea. You have provided some very useful information that I will definitely utilize next year. I wish I was able to visit everyone’s blog posts as it seemed like a lot of fun.
It is fun (for me) but it can be overwhelming too! Hope to see you next year!
Yeah, I really think the only way to handle the challenge is to pick a way that lets you have fun. (Of course, that’s also a decision I reached long ago about my blog itself.) You’re in for one very long month if you don’t!
I start early, too. One reason I was #400-whatever on the list was because I didn’t sign up until I had at least an idea for every letter. I try to have at least 2 posts for each of the weeks written before April 1st. The first year I did this, there was no advance planning of any sort involved, and it was wild. I managed it, but it was wild.
The visiting part is difficult. Every year, I say I’m just going to cherry pick but then I get feeling this moral obligation. (Probably to offset my disdain for the people who don’t visit others… If you’re going to be hypocritical, at least be subtle about it!) So I chug my way through nearly all of them – then wonder why I bother.
Anyhow, I just realized I’m going to be late for work, so I’ll stop blathering now…
*whoopsie!*
It was a job well-done.
See ya there next year!
Jz recently posted…A-to-Z Challenge Reflections
YES!, I totally ‘get’ the moral obligation thing. *laugh*
I think it’s because I always visit every participant when I join in with weekly/monthly writing/photography memes and prompts. I don’t ‘Like’ or comment on every one, but I visit them all, so I feel like I’m supposed to do that for the A-to-Z too. (Even though I’m the only one who will know whether or not I actually did it!) I wonder if this is an eldest-child thing? That sense of responsibility can be a beast!
Next Year: THEME! 😀
I followed most of your posts & Mays & Caras – but I think it would be too intimidating for me to have the time pressure – but with the good planning you advise mayyyyybe one year (when I’m not working)!
Thank you for following along! 🙂
Hello Mrs Fever!! I so enjoyed your posts this year. I find that in April it becomes onerous to read all the blog posts from the people I follow. So many of you take part in this challenge, that I am overwhelmed with the amount of reading I must do. I often fall many days behind. I eventually catch up, but it is nice not to be too far behind. Your shorter and light hearted posts were enjoyable and didn’t take long to read. I found that a bonus!
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Thank you! I was hoping this year it would be less ‘work’ for the readers; I’m glad to know it worked out that way. 🙂
I have a reflection/fav post lined up for next week – so will check out where to link it too. I think your challenge worked really well – the light hearted approach – not that mine was serious but I committed my self to write quite a bit each day and do feel it would have worked better with a few days a week just for photos or a couple of snippets of info.
For me it helped me with the discipline of writing, and I have written loads since it finished, having got into the swing of it – but I missed my fiction writing and perhaps I could have included that one day a week. I know I am rambling 😉 my main problem is that I was not planned at all! I wrote the post on the actual day I put it out, sometimes not knowing until I started writing what it would include.
I did manage to get around to some of the other writers who were not in our community – no more than 30 thou – no as good as I could have done – and a few different people came to me too – which was nice and made me see how it probably all started in the first place…
May More recently posted…Don’t mention it
It’s great that you got into the swing of writing regularly — I’ll look forward to your fiction posts!
I like your list of ‘how to’ and hope I can participate again next year, depending on things in my personal life.
Rebel xox
I know how that goes. 🙂
I love your work , no matter what the theme.
For myself, those things require too much structure and discipline.
I just can’t think of one thing I’d be excited to write about that started with a ‘U’ , for instance.
Let’s see…… umbrellas…. ukeleles…. udders ?
😀
Umbilical cord? 😛
No, I know: UNDERWEAR!
I’m sure you could do a post or three on *that* topic. 😉 😛
I try to find a balance between a theme that will keep my posts shortish for the challenge participants and interesting for my regular readers. I think I just about managed it this year lol. I always start writing my posts early or I think my head would explode in April haha
Debbie
Yes! You’ve stated it perfectly. 🙂
Hi:
I was a slug this year with blog hopping. This was my sixth year doing AtoZ, and I was so much better at visiting other blogs the first three years.
Then I started getting ambitious, pushing myself with my writing/storytelling. I know that long posts during April is a sure way to not get a huge amount of writers. My decision to use the challenge TO challenge myself was stronger. I did gain followers, some great comments, but I turned many away with the length of my posts.
A huge positive came of this: I submitted the first three chapters for entry into a week long Writer’s Week and was not only accepted but was given a full free ride (scholarship).
I wrote daily. Insane, but that was also part of my challenge. I knew my theme, knew the beginning and end, and how I got there was the journey of discovery. My shortest post was 887 words. My longest was just shy of 3,000. In total, I wrote 36K during the month for AtoZ alone. I wrote more, but that was writing groups and my WIP.
I agree with you 100% about last year’s host involvement. Almost didn’t do this year due to that.
Really glad you stopped by and liked one of my drabbles. I don’t know if I’d have found you. I have been going over the list, a few per day, to at least visit those I didn’t hit. Thanks.
Stuart Nager recently posted…the writing on the wall: #FridayFictioneers
That’s incredible! Congratulations on your scholarship!
This is only my second year participating; I’m still figuring some things out. Everybody seems to utilize the challenge in their own way. I think your challenge results this year were awesome!
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. 🙂
Thank you for this honest and thoughtful reflections post. I wish I had discovered your blog earlier, during the Challenge, but I know about it now. Honestly, it was all I could do to get my daily pieces posted more-or-less on time and then visit about a dozen blogs who were either near mine on the list of who had posted a comment on mine early in the month. As a result I didn’t discover many new blogs, yours included. I like your writing voice and will return. Take care and be well.
Josna recently posted…Reflections on A-to-Z 2019: Migrants, Refugees, and Exiles
The visiting-others piece is overwhelming for many of us, I think. I will work out a better plan for myself in that regard before next year’s challenge.
Thank you for stopping by! 🙂
You’re welcome. Glad I found this. I clicked the follow icon thingy, so I’ll be getting your posts in my email now.
Looking forward to reading. I’ve been described as being too “white bread.” There is a lot I don’t know. 🙂
Stuart Nager recently posted…Ponderings: Sunday Stealing Questions
Short and simple – for me, best part of A-Z was that it increased the frequency of your posting.
That’s helpful feedback, thank you. 🙂
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