It’s time for another ProBlogger Group Writing Project – and this time we’ve got 10 prizes worth between $2000 to $2500 USD!
PLEASE READ ALL OF THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE SUBMITTING. Particularly pay attention to the instruction to submit NEW posts not previously written ones. Old posts (written before today) won’t be accepted and will not be eligible for a gift. Thanks for your understanding.
The Topic
This project’s topic is ‘Reviews and Predictions…….’
Your task is to write a post that looks back or looks forward (on what is up to you).
- You might want to look back on the year that was (topical for this time of year)….
- You could make some predictions about what the new year will bring in your niche….
- You could look back on some aspect of your life….
- You might use the post to make some resolutions for the year ahead….
- You might like to give an award for the last year to someone in your niche….
- You might look back on the 10 biggest developments, 5 biggest mistakes, 72 best quotes…. of your niche….
Write it in any style you like, a rant, list, poem, video, pictorial, haiku, podcast….. anything
Be as creative as you can and take this in any direction you like. You’ll have a much better chance of getting your post noticed if it’s useful and/or interesting to readers and write something relevant to the topic of your blog.
Once you’ve written your post simply follow the process for participating that I’ve outlined below (please note – to be eligible for the gifts from our sponsors you need to follow the guidelines below).
The Prizes
This project has attracted sponsors willing to donate some great prizes with a total value of over $2000 (and up to $2400 depending what people choose to take). All values below are in $US and all cash prizes can be paid via PayPal.
- 451 Press is offering one lucky winner a Nintendo Wii (worth $250). 451 Press is a blog network. Thanks to Steve for this prize.
- bloglinkr is offering $100 cash or $500 in advertising credit on their service when they launch in the first quarter of 2007. bloglinkr is a new ad network exclusively for blogs and sounds like an interesting project to watch in the next few months. Thanks to Michael for this offer.
- The Blogging Times has offered $100 cash to their winner. Thanks to Minic for this prize.
- Information for Her Australia for Australian Women is offering $100 cash (via PayPal). This is a site for Australian women giving information on health issues, rural women, indigenous women and more. Thanks to Toni for this prize.
- Poker on a Mac (a poker site for Mac users) is offering a 30gb video ipod to their winner. Thanks to Mike for this.
- Dave Taylor from Ask Dave Taylor Tech Support and The Intuitive Life Business Blog is offering a copy of his book ‘Growing Your Business with Google‘ and $100 cash as his prize.
- Thrive Web Marketing are offering a medium level webhosting package for a year that includes 100MB of webspace, 4000MB data transfer a month and more (worth $240). Thanks to Ross for this prize.
- eMoms at Home is offering two free passes (worth $349 each) to a 12 week group coaching program that she’s running in January. The course (via phone) is about how to be more productive and build a business. Read more on it here. Thanks Wendy for this prize.
- DeveloperCube – a forum for web developers – is offering a $100 Amazon gift voucher. Thanks to Patrick for this prize.
- Rob Schaumer is offering a $100 gift card (of the winners choice) at GiftCertificates.com. Thanks Rob!
Thanks also to those others who offered to sponsor this week. As I mentioned – there were 50 offers of prizes which was quite overwhelming. I’ve chosen prizes based upon reader feedback from last time. Readers liked actual prizes, cash etc more than services.
How To Participate
Here’s how to participate and put yourself in the running for a gift. Please read this as it has changed slightly since last time:
Please note – one entry per person – and not per blog. Please only submit NEW posts.
1. Write a ‘preview or review’ post
- Be as creative as you’d like – take it in any direction you want as long as it relates to the topic.
- Give your post a good title. Once all the posts are listed it’ll only be your title that sets it apart from others. It doesn’t have to have the words ‘review’ and or ‘preview’ in the title.
- Feel free to write your post in your own first language.
- Please consider putting a link back to this post on your post so that your readers know you’re participating. You don’t have to do this – but it’d be appreaciated to help grow the project.
2. Let us Know about your post
- Once you’ve posted your post let me know about it by sending me an email via my contact form.
- Please include your name (as you want it to appear in my list), your post title and the URL to your post (not just to your blog’s front page).
- Submissions must be received by me the the end of Thursday 21 December (as long as it’s still Thursday where you send it from I’ll accept it). If they come in after Thursday they won’t be included in the list and will not be in the running for the gifts.
3. I will post 2 links to your post
- In the day or two after you let me know about your post I’ll post a link to it in two places. Firstly there will be a daily (ish) list of the submissions from the last 24 hours. Secondly there will be a central list of all submissions for the project so we can see everything on one page.
- I’ll post my final list of submissions on Friday and will announce those who receive the gifts then.
4. Surf Surf Surf
- This is where you take over. Surf the submissions received. Leave comments, make connections with other ProBlogger readers and enjoy reading what others have to say.
5. Link Link Link
- There is no formal ‘judging’ as this is not a competition. Instead – I encourage you to surf through the submissions at the end of the week and announce your own winners on your own blog. Name a top 5 or so and share the link love.
- Probably the best part of the last group project was the amount of inter-linking I see happening between participating bloggers as a result of their posts. It’s obvious that people found new blogs through it and that the benefits of participating was way beyond getting a link from me but flowed on to a lot of new connections and links between other bloggers.
6. Prizes
- On Friday I’ll randomly select 10 participants to win the 10 gifts and will post the winners at this point. The rest of us can muse over what could have been and then we’ll get ourselves ready for next months project.
About Darren Rowse
My name is Darren Rowse and I’m a full time Blogger making a living from blogs like 
It’s going to be very difficult to write a new post before 21 November!
It’s difficult to do this also in this short-term if you native lang is not English :)
Darren, what about Bulgarian language ?:D
Would you mind to join with a post in Bulgarian language ;)
There are no restrictions about this as far as I can see ;) ;)
lol – fixed Michael
Atanas – yes – feel free to do it in your own language – the more languages the better!
Thanks Darren, will do it! ;)
yahoo!!!!! This is my favorite time of the month. There is nothing better in the blogsphere than participating in the ProBlogger “Group Writing Project”
Very timely (and a cool incentive) as I’m currently drafting ‘my predictions for 2007′ post.
I can’t wait to see all the prediction posts coming out – it’ll be good reading and I’m sure there’ll be some good insights.
nice topic, quite suitable for this period of the year
Very suitable topic. I love these group-writing projects and think that you should keep hosting them, Darren. Once a month is a nice interval, too. Thanks to the last project, I subscribed to two new blogs.
Entered…. I dig these sorts of writing projects. They bring people together and kind of give you a theme to run with. This was fun. I know I’ll find some cool new blogs to read from this…
I am so winning the Wii!
Hey Darren,
Sorry, I’m new to this and a bit confused. You keep mentioning “How To” – is the post supposed to be in a How To format, along with being either a review or prediction?
Thank you,
Lisa
I’ll see what I can whip up. :-)
Lisa,
I think Darren is just telling you how to participate ;)
Woohoo, ours is up with a review AND a preview of things to come, thanks!
sorry Lisa,
the two ‘how to’ references were because the last group project was on the topic of ‘how to’ and I copied and pasted part of this post. I’ve deleted them now so it should read better.
If you’re confused – 24 hours and you’ll see my post later today with the first round of entries and you’ll get the idea.
Darren,
I just wrote my piece and submitted it to you. It’s probably crap but worth a shot anyhow. For this that read this comment, the link will take you to my entry.
It’s fun regardless of how my entry goes.
Col :)
woooohhooo!!! I missed the last group writing project due to a massive brain cramp!! I have my submission in this time. Thanks again Darren for helping is bloggers out!
Alright I just sent in my submission!
I can’t wait to see what happens, I’m new to the world of blogging and so far I like it. Though I am not the greatest at writing and I hope to improve the more posts I have on my site. Who knows right?
Now thats really a good chance! I hope my analysis skill comes in handy this time.Even if i dont get anything.I would love to particiape.
Thx Darren.
Hi Darren,
I have one question.You said “Your task is to write a post that looks back or looks forward” , Can I make it more of a mix than separating both of them, will that be acceptable?
Thx and Regards
Ashish
Would it be possible to add a link to last year’s winners?
And can it be on any topic in our niche?
Thanks!
Talia
PS
Is it Friday Australian or US time?
Hello All,
I just submitted my article:
The Google Maps API – Predictions for 2007.
http://googlemapsbook.com/2006/12/18/the-google-maps-api-predictions-for-2007/
I wish we could do one per blog as I have some neat ideas for my personal blog too. But I guess my professional blog is probably more interesting for most of the readers here.
I look forward to reading YOUR posts, until then, enjoy mine.
Cam
Talia – I post winners on Friday Aussie time (late in the day usually).
It can be on any topic you like.
The last two project’s winners pages are here and here.
It’s all randomly awarded.
I’m so excited, but the excitement has caused bloggers block.
A few deep breaths and I should be fine.
Looking forward to reading everyones post.
Great idea Darren, I just submitted my post. It’s going to be fun to see what everyone comes up with!
[…] This post has been entered for Darren Rowse’s “ProBlogger Group Writing Project – Reviews and Predictions”
Once upon a time in the enchanted forest of the “Blogosphere”, there lived many people called “bloggers” who loved to talk about their passions. They were very happy people and every day many strangers from around the globe would come to visit them. [...]
I got the news via the ProBlogger Newsletter and have gracefully accepted the challenge. I am new at blogging and this will be my first online group writing project.
I look forward to it and have begun brainstorming.
Gosh, this project would take off when I still have the flu. I’ll give it my best shot, because it will keep me inspired. Thanks for the assignment.. I’m glad you randomly award the winners. There’s hope for all of us. and the real winners are those who learn to really connect with the reader. and that’s all of us. that’s priceless.
I’ve been looking forward to a project like this from ProBlogger… thx for opening your doors to us Darren.
My first time participating !
Star Wars make a comeback in 2007!
Great Project! :-)
OMG,
i scanned through the replies and was surprised no one else picked up on this:
“we’ll get ourselves ready for next months project.”
there’ll be another project next month.
way to go, darren!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
–
ok, moment of insanity over.
good luck everyone, be prepared to see a tide of traffic head over to your blog, especially if you put out Primo content!
Great Idea. I nearly missed it, but managed to get in a blog entry for Thursday before heading off to my final Christmas party. I’ll make sure I keep a look out for future writing projects! :)
Cool,
my life’s blog in 3 hours.
this will gonna be fun!
here it goes man! :)
Cheers,
TOFUmonkey
IM Journey of a TOFU lover
Title of article: What is my problem?
Posted Dec 05, 2006.
Last week I participated in the ProBlogger-Reviews and Previews Group Writing Project and I have to say it was a great experience.
Even though there are a variety of end-of-year blog writing projects I have to be honest and say that the energy required for these has “left the building” and I won’t be too far behind.