This month on OA Recommends, we are featuring the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge! I have personally participated in the Challenge since 2015. It's fun and also a fun way to be introduced to other bloggers [and have other bloggers introduced to YOUR blog]. Another fun thing this month is I got to interview our very own J Lenni Dorner who is the captain of the A-to-Z Challenge team!
1- Are there any big events or exciting news for the A-to-Z Challenge in 2021?
Yes! We, of course, have our usual fun blog hop planned for April, the theme reveal in March, and the reflections post and after survey in May. Plus there's the year-round Road Trip. But we're also promoting the idea of taking a 🎲 gamble on yourself and your blog by this year with a bonus challenge.
2- What's a bonus challenge?
On March 2 there was a post detailing this. We're encouraging bloggers to take the challenge to the next level, to go one step further by doing more this year.
A lot of enthusiasm vanished from the blogging community last year. Well, we want to bring it back! We want to see bloggers challenge themselves to build the community, make blogging friends, promote themselves, and spread the word about this challenge.
There's a long list of ideas. We're really hoping bloggers will think of more!
3- Is there a theme for this year's Challenge?
The team and I do try to keep our April posts on the blog as a certain theme. We're playing around with what "21" means to us.
But what really matters is YOUR theme! And today is the first day to sign-up to share it with the world. The Theme Reveal portion of the hop only lasts for a short time. It's a chance to "preview" some of the blogs that will join in April. It is not required. It is popular and loved.
4- How does someone participate in the Challenge?
Sign up! The sign-up will open on March 29. There's a simple to navigate Google Form. After you've signed up, there's a Master List that shows the links to all the participants. Make a copy for yourself. (We suggest making a copy after the sign-up closes, or copy/pasting the additional links to your copy if you take one while people are still signing up.) Be sure to add a participant badge to your blog and grab the alphabet letters for your posts!
In April, you post each day (you get Sundays off for 👼 good 😏 or bad behavior). Your post should somehow relate to that day's letter. For example, April 1 is A, so a post about Apples 🍎 would be appropriate. Whatever fits in your blog's category, or theme for the month, and somehow uses a word that starts with "A." (Though for X, this gets a really broad definition.)
But posting is just half the challenge. The other part is commenting on the blogs of other participants. And there are a LOT of them! Most people will not make it through the entire list during the month. (I have successfully done it a few times, and let me tell you, it takes several hours a day!)
5- Are there benefits to participating, besides posting to your own blog daily for a month?
Community. You really get out what you put in when it comes to this. The more blogs you comment on, the more comments you'll get back. Participants are really great at reciprication. A lot of us are seeking to connect, to not just be entertained but to find like-minded bloggers to befriend. Many people who sign up have been doing this for years and are very supportive of each other.
The A to Z Challenge is where I found my blogging community. I hope others find that as well.
6- How can participants find other participating blogs to visit?
After signing up, take a look at the Master List. That's the best way to find everyone who is officially in our challenge.
You can also search for the #AtoZchallenge hashtag on your preferred social media. We were using it first. There are others who use it as well, so be aware that the hashtag doesn't always mean someone is taking part in this. (There's even another A to Z Challenge for bloggers in India in April. We get a lot of crossover and confusion because people think signing up on their site also signs them up on ours. That's not the case.)
Look for blogs that display the participant badge. Or posts that use our letters. That's how you can be assured that you're in the right spot!
7- Is it just one month of the year, or do you do anything for the other 11 months?
We did a First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop in 2019.
It was a LOT of work to organize. We might do it again, if there's interest.
The ROAD TRIP encourages people to visit blogs they might have missed during the challenge. (Or revisit.) Stopping by about five blogs a week usually will get you through all the ones you missed in April. (Depending on how active you were during the challenge, of course.)
6- How can participants find other participating blogs to visit?
After signing up, take a look at the Master List. That's the best way to find everyone who is officially in our challenge.
You can also search for the #AtoZchallenge hashtag on your preferred social media. We were using it first. There are others who use it as well, so be aware that the hashtag doesn't always mean someone is taking part in this. (There's even another A to Z Challenge for bloggers in India in April. We get a lot of crossover and confusion because people think signing up on their site also signs them up on ours. That's not the case.)
Look for blogs that display the participant badge. Or posts that use our letters. That's how you can be assured that you're in the right spot!
7- Is it just one month of the year, or do you do anything for the other 11 months?
We did a First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop in 2019.
The ROAD TRIP encourages people to visit blogs they might have missed during the challenge. (Or revisit.) Stopping by about five blogs a week usually will get you through all the ones you missed in April. (Depending on how active you were during the challenge, of course.)
We try to come up with interesting posts during the year. And we offer some guest posts from time to time (alphabet-related, of course). But the big action is in March when getting ready, in April during the challenge itself, and in May when we wrap up.
8- What is the origin story or history of the site? How many years has the Challenge been going?
Arlee Bird came up with the idea twelve years ago. In 2011, the challenge got a website of its own. He asked me to step up as team captain a few years ago because I give a lot of time and dedication to the challenge.
9- With all the blogging challenges out there, why should someone take the time to participate in yours; what makes the A-to-Z Challenge unique?
The sheer size and international reach. The hop had 375 participants in 2020-- during a global pandemic! In 2013 there were 1656 participants.
Also, most blog hops are very specific. We're open to nearly every blog, as long as you can tie your post to the alphabet.
10- Would you please list the links and ways people can find you?
8- What is the origin story or history of the site? How many years has the Challenge been going?
Arlee Bird came up with the idea twelve years ago. In 2011, the challenge got a website of its own. He asked me to step up as team captain a few years ago because I give a lot of time and dedication to the challenge.
9- With all the blogging challenges out there, why should someone take the time to participate in yours; what makes the A-to-Z Challenge unique?
The sheer size and international reach. The hop had 375 participants in 2020-- during a global pandemic! In 2013 there were 1656 participants.
Also, most blog hops are very specific. We're open to nearly every blog, as long as you can tie your post to the alphabet.
10- Would you please list the links and ways people can find you?
- http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/
- #AtoZChallenge - search on your preferred social media
- Twitter.com/AprilA2Z
- Facebook.com/atozchallenge
- Bloglovin'
