Networking, Partying for Quilters and Authors

Finding readers for our blogs and meeting new people is often tricky. Why not have, or attend a party? After all, who doesn’t like a party? And, if the party will help you find new friends, readers, and customers, it’s the best kind. Plus, you don’t have to get all dressed up and drive to these parties. They’re held online. Sweet!

What kind of party does all that? A Linky Party. No, it’s not a party with different chain links. It’s a party with blog links. A  place where bloggers can meet, share information about their blog, and find other blogs of similar interests. All this sharing creates more traffic and new readers for everyone.

Linky parties are sometimes called a Blog Carnival, Blog Hop, even a Meme. Whatever they’re called, they’re fun and help you meet new readers and friends.

There are link parties for every type of blog. Since I’m a writer (mostly inspirational, faith-based writing) and a quilter, writing,  inspirational and quilting posts those are the parties that most interest me.

Here are a couple of writing linkies. Unfortunately  there doesn’t seem to be one blog or website to serve as a landing-place for other author or inspirational blogs that also host parties. If you have, or know of a blog with a linky party for writers in general and/or inspirational writers, please leave the URL in the comments section.

First up on the Linky tour is Lisa Jo, also known as, The Gypsy Mama,  Lisa sponsors Five Minute Friday, a party for bloggers write on the prompt she provides for five minutes, no over-thinking, no editing, posts on their blog, and link up with her. Lisa Jo is both an inspirational blogger, and an author blogger. Her prompts generally lead to inspirational posts.

Next up is Madison Woods  and her Friday Fictioneers. For this party, bloggers write something based on a photo Madison posts. Did I mention it’s fiction?

Another writing party is the Six Sentence Sunday, held by  Carol Shenold  on her website. For Six Sentence Sunday she invites authors to leave six sentences from their work, on their own blog, and then leave their blog address in her comments section. The six sentences can come from a recently published book the author is promoting, or six sentences from a WIP (work in progress). Bloggers’ choice.

Crafting and sewing blog parties seem to be all over the internet. There are at least three blogs, The Blog Guide Book, The Well Crafted Home blog, and Carol’s Homework; Today’s Assignment, Be Inspired, that list linky party blogs on their blogs.

Two of the blogs listed are:  Sumo’s Sweet Stuff and Free Pretty Things for You. Sumo’s Sweet Stuff has, Market Yourself Monday. A blog party for  crafters to link up their latest projects, attract new visitors to their site, and visit other blogs to get some inspiration! Free Pretty Things for You has, Whatever You Want Wednesday, a party for DIYers and Crafters to post, well, whatever they want. There are a few rules, every party has its own guidelines.

If you can’t find a party, blog hop, carnival, or meme you like, why not start your own? Liz the Party Girl, and her husband, Doug the Master of Ceremonies work together on their blog It’s a Blog Party: Celebrating Blogland, have an entire series on linky parties.

Have you tried a Linky party? Feel free to share your party experience with us as well as any parties you support or sponsor.

Stop the Presses! Another “party”.  Ok, “stop the presses” is cliche, and that was the prompt yesterday at Joe Bunting’s blog, The Right Practice.  Since writers, like everyone else, need practice, he posts a prompt/story idea six times a week for his readers to use for fifteen minutes of writing.Yesterday’s prompt was to write using cliches.

Results of the exercise can be posted in the comments section, which will attract readers to your blog, or you can just comment with a link to your blog. Either way it’s a win-win (isn’t that another cliche?) you get to practice writing, thus improving your writing skills, and your attract readers to your blog, and build your blog community.

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