Author Blog Challenge 2015 – Starting Sept. 13 – Register Now!
In May 2013, I took over a small Phoenix-area Meetup group, called EPublishing and Online Book Promotion, from a prior organizer who had held about six meetings at a local coffee shop. Taking over as a Meetup organizer is much different than actually hosting Meetups, so the poor group languished, untouched and unmet, for about seven months. When I was finally ready to start holding meetings, I changed the name to Phoenix Publishing & Book Promotion and I added some pizzazz to our Meetup page.
When I got around to holding meetings in January 2014, attendance was paltry at first – with just four people (including me!) at the meeting. That was then. Over the last two years, we’ve held nearly 60 Meetups, meeting twice a month for seminars on specific topics related to publishing and/or book promotion. We also hold a networking-only meeting once every other month, where members just come and share ideas and ask and answer questions about their writing and publishing experiences. And as a result, our membership has grown and grown – and we’re about to hit 500 members!
To celebrate our success, we’ve got a couple of events coming up. One is a party on Sept. 19 at the Phoenix City Grille. If you’re in the Phoenix area and want to join us, just make sure to RSVP.
The other big thing we’re doing is sponsoring another Author Blog Challenge. Since we’re celebrating 500 Meetup members, we’ll use a factor of 500, meaning this challenge will run for 5 weeks (35 days). If you’ve been thinking about starting a blog, this is the perfect time to launch one. If you’ve got a blog that’s been left unattended for some time, this is a great opportunity to give it a word transfusion. If you’d just like to meet other great authors from around the globe – yes, we welcome authors of any genre and skill level, published or just thinking about it, ebook or printed book, well known and with less exposure, from any location – this is the best chance to make such acquaintances.
We started the Author Blog Challenge back in 2012. That first Challenge drew 90+ authors from 14 countries. I’d love to supersede both those numbers this time! So if you’re an author or aspiring author who fancies him/herself a blogger, get yourself registered today! The Challenge will get underway on Sunday, September 13th. If you know other authors who would find our challenge interesting/useful, please share the info and invite them to sign up, too.
The goal is to post on your blog for 35 days in a row. I’m not going to kid you – participation in this Challenge will require some dedication on your part. Those who manage to post all 35 days will be entered to win a $50 gift certificate to the bookstore of their choice. However, even if you miss the 35-day mark, you will still benefit via: great exposure for your blog (and book), getting in some additional writing practice, and meeting other awesome fellow writers. All told, it’s a win-win-win.
Everyone who registers will receive a complimentary copy of my special report, “138 Tips to Help You Blog Like a Pro.”
You can write on the subjects of your choice, or follow our DAILY PROMPTS – all of which will be topics related to writing, publishing, and/or book marketing.
Just to give our participants even more incentive to write, we’ll be offering a Giveaway of the Day. We’re accepting donations from participants (there’s a space on the registration form to describe your donation). It could be an ebook, short story, poem, special report, piece of art – anything you can give away digitally. Each day’s participants will be entered into a drawing to win that day’s prize.
One writer I know asked if posting every day wouldn’t aggravate her subscribers. I thought that was an interesting question. While I can’t say for sure, I doubt it. For one thing, it’s temporary. Secondly, TELL your subscribers you’re participating in the Author Blog Challenge so they understand why you’re suddenly posting a lot more often than usual. Third, your subscribers subscribe because they like what you write! Every time I’ve participated in a blog challenge, I’ve added double-digits, in terms of subscribers.
Here’s the thing: participating in the Author Blog Challenge will benefit you. Really. It will:
- Improve your traffic
- Increase your subscribers
- Make you a part of a supportive community
- Give you the opportunity to make great new friends and connections
I hope you’ll join us!
Laura (AKA Marcie Brock)
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We welcome and encourage your thoughtful, courteous comments below.
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Want to learn lots more about launching a successful media campaign to help you build your author platform? Get my comprehensive book, The Author’s Media Tool Kit today!
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Marcie Brock, Book Marketing Maven 