Image by LizMarie

This post has been submitted by Sharon Hurley Hall from Get Paid To Write Online.com.

A few weeks ago I ran my first group writing project on my blog. It went pretty well, with about 16 posts (some people posted after the deadline). Here are some of the things I’ve learned about running such a project.

The Theme

I think the best themes for group writing projects are those that can easily be adapted to a wide range of blogs. My project was about how people got started in blogging, which is pretty much a universal theme for bloggers. Others choose to drill down and get more specfic, such as Freelance Parent’s crowdsourcing project on home business help. Whichever approach you take, choose a theme that will be relevant to your readers, but which could also apply to others.

The Logo

It’s always good to have some branding for your group writing project. If you’re not a great photographer or designer, you can use CoolText to generate a logo or banner that everyone who takes part in the project can use.

Announcements

Once you’ve thought about the theme and logo, it’s time to announce the project. Keep it simple. Your post should include:

• the theme
• the logo
• the rules
• the deadline date

The rules for your group writing project can be simple. In many cases, all participants have to do is link to the project announcement in their post and link to their post in the comments for the announcement post.

In the announcement post, encourage readers to get others involved by spreading the word about the project, joining in or giving some social media love. You can also contact the folks at Group Writing Projects to let them know that your project exists.

Admin

Once you’ve done all that, entries should start to trickle in. It’s essential to keep on top of these. When the first entry arrived, I started a draft post where I kept a record of all the entries. This saved me from having a big job to do at the end. It takes longer than you think to collate entries.

I also visited every entry to see what participants had written and to thank them for taking part. I did this as they were posted, so it never became a chore.

Finishing Touches

Once the closing date has passed, finish it up with a post containing all the writing project entries. That way everyone will be able to see the full list and a few more people might decide to join in.

Why Run A Group Writing Project?

Run correctly, a group writing project can be fun. As well as finding new blogs to read, there are other benefits. With group writing projects, you connect not just with your readers, but with participants’ readers. This expands your audience, attracts new subscribers and brings more traffic to your blog.

Sharon Hurley Hall
Get Paid To Write Online.com

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