Friday, February 18, 2011

#amcrusading

FINISHED!


I have finally finished following the 216 blogs on the list for Rachael Harrie's Second Writers' Platform-Building Crusade! Wow, what a marathon of following and commenting! If you think that I somehow missed you (maybe I commented but then forgot to click the Follow button (!) or my subscribing via Google Reader for those who don't have the Follow button didn't seem to work) please let me know in the comments :-)

*updated tips

Tips for Newbie Bloggers

  • Display your email address. You may have specific reasons for not wanting to share your email address (like the fact that it has your real name!) but it is very helpful to have your email address displayed. It means that when I (or anyone else's blog you comment on) receive an email notification of the comment you've left on my blog, I can reply to you directly by email. On your Blogger dashboard click Edit Profile, then tick Show my email address and then at the bottom of the page click Save Profile.
  • *Set up a new email address. If you don't want to share your original email address because it has your real name (for example) it is WORTH IT TO SET UP A NEW ONE WITH YOUR PEN NAME! Yes, it is a mission. I know this because a few months into blogging I set up a new gmail account, I then transferred ownership of my blog to the new gmail/blogger account, and I then re-followed every single blog I was already following! Exhausting. But so worth it in the long run. And if you've only just started blogging it is better to do this NOW than in the future when you're following even more people. [If you don't want to constantly be logging in and out of two email accounts you can set it up so that the one forwards emails to the other. Then you only need to check one account all the time.]
  • Display your blog link. Now this one you definitely do want to do! You know all the little profile pictures you see in someone's Followers list? If I click on your picture, I want to be able to see the link to your blog. If it's not there, then I can't follow you back! On your Blogger dashboard click View Profile. If, underneath My Blogs, you see the name of your blog, then you're ok :-) If not, click Edit Profile. Next to Show my blogs click on Select blogs to display. Then put a tick in the box next to your blog name and click Save Settings.
  • *Another way to display your blog link (like if you've done the above and it doens't seem to be working!) Go to a blog you're already following and go to the Followers gadget. If you don't see your pic with your name just above everyone else's pics then beneath the gadget click Sign In (because, of course, you are already a follower). Once you are signed in, beneath your name click on Options and then Site Settings. A new window opens up. Inside the box with your name, click on Add Links. Type in the url and the name of your blog and click Add. Then at the bottom of the window click Done. This should change your settings for all the blogs you follow (and will follow in the future!).
  • *If a blog doesn't have a "Subscribe to my RSS feed" button, and you want to subscribe to their blog through Google Reader, simply go to the home page of that person's blog (ie. before you have clicked on any of their individual posts or comments), copy the url from the address bar, go to Google Reader, a the top left click Add a Subscription, paste the url and click Add. Then give it a little bit of time to load the new subscription!

And a big THANK YOU to everyone from the crusade who has followed me!!


PS. If you have any questions about the above tips, write it in the comments
or email rachelmorganwrites[at]gmail[dot]com
:-)


25 comments:

Melissa said...

I can't believe you went through ALL Those blogs!! That's insane - but awesome!

Unknown said...

Congrats!! I'm still making my way through the list. Great tips too. Have a good weekend.

Abby Minard said...

Whoa. Super blogger! Totally awesome! These are great tips for any blogger- glad you put them up!

Ellie Garratt said...

Poor yourself a large drink and pat yourself on the back - you deserve it!

Charlotte Rains Dixon said...

Wow, you are awesome, getting around to all of the blogs. You're way ahead of me, I've probably done 30 or so.

I'd like to add one thing to your recommendations--please display a way to subscribe to your RSS feed.I read blogs through my reader, and so like to subscribe to them, but often can't find a way to do it.

Louise Wise said...

Fellow crusader saying hi.
Displaying the blog link is something that makes me want to yell in frustration. Why'd people go to the trouble of following you, having a profile picture but then hiding their blog link? Madness!

Talei said...

Wow, congrats! That's a huge achievement, and I agree with Ellie, pour yourself a large glass of vino and relax, at least for tonight! ;-)

Michael Di Gesu said...

I am so jealous of you right now. I am only on 161. IT is quite the accomplishment.

Your tips are sensational! I know how frustrated I've been feeling when I can't find a way to communicate with a blogger.

I guess I should get to 162....

Michael

CherylAnne Ham said...

Big congrats - that must have been a blogging frenzy. I say, Have a martini and let the weekend begin! Woot.

I agree with your comment about making sure that the link to your blog is showing - it makes is much easier to follow someone back. I want to follow, I need to follow, so make it easy for me to follow! LOL

CherylAnne Ham said...

OMG - I just realized I was one of those people without the link to their blog on their profile. *hangs head in shame* I really thought it was there. (it is now fixed) so thanks for mentioning it in your blog or I never would've checked my own profile.

I thought I'd leave this embarrassing comment since I'm a newbie blogger and perhaps it's a good idea, if your new at this, to check your own profile even if you think the link is there already. :)

Kittie Howard said...

Congrats! That's a lot of work. Pop the cork and celebrate.

I checked my profile page and the link is there and works. Enjoy your weekend, Rachel.

Kittie Howard said...

Oh, oh! I went back into your followers, found my photo, clicked it open, and, horrors! There's no link. When I checked my profile page all was in order. Yipes!

Sarah Ketley said...

Well done,

I'm still shamefully at about #104.

much to do.

i am not enjoying sorting out that linking thing. it kept displaying unrelevant blogs of mine. Sigh - still working it out.

anyway grats of getting through them all and happy crusader group blogging :-)
constance

Sarah Ketley said...

Actually just seen that clicking on my name in the message text takes you to a different profile than when you hit the picture of me in google friends connect. uugg what!! ok have to fix all that up too. didn't see that!

thanks for the tips.

erica and christy said...

YES - emails and links. We want to talk to everyone, but sometimes it's too hard and we run out of time to link and link and link just to email a response! Thanks for reminding everyone, Rachel!
erica

Witless Exposition said...

Congrats on making it through. It really does feel like a marathon when you get to the last one!

Trisha said...

WOW, well done on getting through the following task. I'm working on it now. lol

Unknown said...

Thanks for all the useful comments, guys, I'm gonna add a few more things to the post...

And, Lucy, it is totally worth it in the long run to create a separate e-mail account!

Elliot Grace said...

...hopping across Blogland can be a day-long enterprise, indeed. Well done, and kudos to the advice on linking one's penmanship to the rest of us:) I could've used this post back when I started.

Nice tattoo, by the way:)

EL

Len Lambert said...

Oh thank you, Rachel. This is such a good reminder. I will have to finish following everybody! :)

G Blechman said...

You make it all seem so easy. I'm a new blogger and it took me nearly a century to figure things out. Which leads me to another question for you: how can I add the crusader badge to my blog?

Lauri said...

Wow, I can't believe you finished! Impressive!

Regina said...

These are really great tips to help us make sure we get everyone followed and allow everyone to follow us for the crusade. What a great post. Thanks.

J.L. Campbell said...

Helpful post. There are some people who I can't follow for a lack of links. Still not done following yet. I need a more organized approach. :D

Cally Jackson said...

Well done!! I'm still making my way through. Hoping to get through them tonight. Fingers crossed!