It’s time for another ProBlogger Group Writing Project – and this time we’ve got $1001 Cash (USD) up for grabs thanks to our generous sponsors Chitika!
PLEASE READ ALL OF THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE SUBMITTING – the process has changed. 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. Also please note that there is ONE entry per participant.
update: This project is now finished. See the full list of submissions of top 5 posts submitted here.
The Topic
This project’s topic is:
‘Top 5′
Your task with this project is to take the theme of ‘Top 5′ in any direction that you’d like to. I’ve chosen this theme because it should be adaptable to most types of blogs. For example a personal blogger could write about their top 5 favorite foods, a celebrity blogger could write about the top 5 things Paris will do when she gets to jail, a tech blogger could rate their top five gadgets of the year, a productivity blogger could write their top 5 ways to save 20 minutes a day etc.
Write it in any style you like, a rant, list, poem, essay, 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 Prize
For this project I decided to experiment with having just the one larger prize instead of lots of smaller ones.
As a result at the end of the week I’ll be randomly choosing one lucky participant to win $1001 USD in Cash which has been kindly donated by Chitika. Over the week in each of the daily summary posts I’ll be sharing a reason that I think Chitika is great (and in doing so will come up with my own ‘Top 5′.
Thanks also to those others who offered to sponsor this week. As I mentioned – there were many offers and I really grappled with which one to choose.
The Other (Real) Reason to Participate
Prizes are great – but the real reason to get involved in this type of project is that it has the potential to find you some new readers, make some new blogging friends and put your blog out there.
Every time I run these projects I get emails from bloggers telling me that they:
- had big traffic days
- found new blogs that they just love
- had their posts get to the top of digg and other bookmarking sites
Of course not every entry goes viral as a result of participating – but it’s been a beneficial experience for many previous participants as hundreds of bloggers take part.
The Key to Participating
One last thing before I tell you HOW to participate.
These projects work best when those participating don’t only submit posts of their own but when they read and interact with others who submit posts. Here’s how you can do this:
- Read the submissions of others
- Make friends with those you like the submissions of (comment, email – get to know them)
- Link up to those who you resonate with (some bloggers write a top 5 or 10 list each day of the submissions that they like the best)
- Bookmark, Stumble and Vote for those you resonate with
The people who get the most out of these projects are those who throw themselves deeply into them.
How To Participate
Here’s how to participate and put yourself in the running for the prize (and to get a little exposure for your blog along the way). Please read this as it has changed slightly since last time (this time submissions are not to be sent via my contact form but via another form – please read on):
Please note – one entry per person – and not per blog. Please only submit NEW posts.
1. Write a ‘top 5′ 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 filling in ‘this form’ (now removed as the project is closed).
- Please fill the form in accurately as the way you enter it is the way it’ll appear and due to the numbers participating I can’t edit it for everyone! The detail that you add will appear in the post (although I’ll be moderating out spam/offensive stuff).
- Include your post title as you wish it to appear, the post’s URL (not your blog’s front page) and your name (or alias). All of this will be published.
- To be eligable for the prize I need a valid email address – this will be kept secure and private ad will not be published.
- Submissions must be received by me the the end of Thursday 10 May (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 prize.
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 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 prize.
4. Surf Surf Surf
- This is where you take over. Surf the submissions received. Leave comments, make connections with other ProBlogger readers, bookmark them 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. Prize
- On Friday I’ll randomly select the participant to win the $1001 from Chitika and will post the winner 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.
I can’t wait to read everyone’s top 5 list – don’t forget to submit it here.
About Darren Rowse
My name is Darren Rowse and I’m a full time Blogger making a living from blogs like 
Great project, Darren. A bunch of topics have come to mind already. And the $1k cash prize ain’t bad either.
What a great topic! I’ve been hoping for something a little more accessible for us Travel Bloggers. I’ve already started my post and will get it up soon!
Thanks, Darren!
Perfect topic! Very exciting indeed. This is something that will definitely ring loudly with all the bloggers in the blogosphere.
great! thanks for running another group writing project darren. I think these are just brilliant for us small time bloggers!
The best ever topic, I should say. Would participate for sure.
Thanks Darren! I’m glad that I can be involved even though my blog is about investing.
Awesome project Darren! Nothing like a nice big cash prize to motivate us to come up with somehting original and interesting. Thank you for posting this!
Excellent topic – this is the first one I’ll have entered, thanks! Looking forward to reading the entries.
It is always interesting to see how group writing projects create new waves of creativity from me.
WOW…that’s very broad. It almost makes it more difficult in some ways.
Just the thing I needed for a sluggish Monday morning!! ;-) Okay, here’s me: one more cup of coffee and getting started…
This was fun…great topic!! Can’t wait to see what others have written :)
Great news, I am all for entering and hope to give you the best post I can write
Thank you, this worked very well for my blog.
Very exciting! I am starting right away. Thanks Darren.
I heard the last one was such a hit; I expect this would be a successful program, too. It would be interesting to see who wins this…
Great Idea! I’m working on a top 5 post that will be focused on Home Theater PC’s since that is a big focus on my blog
Thanks!
Brent
I’m looking forward to this competition. Hope to submit something interesting
i m new here and have a very weird question
actually i have 4-5 blogs in which i write so can i have multiple entries i.e. one for each blog though the top 5 will be regarding wat the the blog really is about
Ok, I’ve put my post up. Here’s good luck to me!
Thanks Darren, I’ll get started on this right away. And…thanks for the topic, it’s great because it can fit for any blog.
I’m excited with this writing project as it is my first time to participate. I hope to meet more community members in the process.
I love this idea! Sounds like a great project in which to participate, even if I don’t win that prize! I put my post up a few minutes ago.
Thanks for all the effort at putting this together.
Lexi
Great Darren, I think I will participate too – it is my first time. Can’t wait to see how this will affect my traffic ;-)
I think I got a nice topic …
I have only been reading this blog a month, but have learned so much. This is a great opportunity for me to start participating in the blog community, thanks for putting this on!
Wow $1001 as a prize that could be so handy!
I like the idea about a Top 5 List that has anything to do with anything but should relate to your blog.
Anyway I sent my submission in! Thanks for the opportunity!
This is great, Darren. I have been waiting for this group writing project for quite some time now.
Very excited.
Thanks for the idea, Darren. I’m always looking for new great ideas to blog on. I just stumbled upon your blog and this wonderful article. I’ll definitely be participating in this. Very excited!
I’ve tried to comment several times….not sure why it’s not taking….
I think this was a neat idea for a group writing contest….my post is up….good luck to everyone! :)
Thanks Darren!
Great idea! I used one of my other blogs for the entry, Daily Chronicles of the American Civil War. It provided me good opportunity to reflect over the last two years of posting over 9,000 articles and diary entries from 1861, 1862, and 1863 (through May 7th, 1863). It’s a substantially different post than the rest of those in the blog, but that’s ok!
Thanks for all that you do here.
OOh Ive got an awesome idea for this one. The title is good just need to get the content ;)
You know, I really wish these contests of yours would have better/more interesting themes. Now all I’m seeing in my feed reader are really boring or stupid Top Five posts obviously thrown together just to enter this contest. Or maybe you could actually judge them on content rather than random selection so that people would have to think for more than three seconds before spitting out some piece of crap list.
Great idea, Darren. My entry is posted! Check it out . . . http://www.romancetracker.com/how-to-find-the-person-of-your-dreams/
Thank you Darren for this awesome topic. I have already started writing my article. I think, this project will be really big.
Cheers
Marco
count me in! yipee, more money!!!!!!!!
I’m from Argentina, should I really publish it in Spanish?
Hey Darren – one of my guest posts I wrote while you were here in the states gave some reader tips for making the most out of one of your group writing projects. Hopefully everyone can get even more great exposure from your project! :D
Excellent topic for a group writing project. I just finished mine Top 5 Sins. I can’t wait to read the other submissions.
Question, all prizes won by my blog / me are recycled as prizes for contests on my blog. Just another way of rewarding the readers. Do you keep your prizes or use them to increase your readership?
Superb idea Darren Thanks. Top 5 hmm…..let me think, what about the Top 5 Top 5′s. Oh I really need to read your creativity article again.
Cheers I’m looking forward to this one.
Ian
I’m on it! Thanks for the opportunity!
Yikes– For some reason I’m getting nervous about this!
Chronic performance anxiety I guess :), but I love this project idea, will write up my top 5 post and will help spread the word!
Great contest idea! I think I will enter. :)
Although I feel a bit reluctant to join in on this project, I do feel I could contribute in a positive way. I’ve been thinking about writing a certain post for quite some time now. My estimate is not many of your readers will understand Dutch, so I’ll challenge myself to writing in English as well. I don’t see myself winning any money here, the recent top fives I’ve read are more then enough to keep me happy.
(Let’s just hope nothing comes up so I can finish before Thursday.)
Oops, I apologize, I just noticed I spelled your last name wrong in my post Darren, I caught it in my trackback above….very sorry, I’ve corrected it in my post…(I leave now, highly embarassed…)
I have been meaning to write a top list entry . This is a great excuse for starting it now.
This is a cool idea. I have never entered a contest but found this one to be interesting. I posted my Top 5 reasons to have a horse a little bit ago. I hope I atleast receive some comments on my post as well as my blog. Keep up the great work..I always look forward to learning something new from your posts.
Nice topic – I am in for this project. This should be my first ‘writing project’. Let’s see how it goes.
What an awesome idea! I love that this is something every blogger can do. Thanks a bunch for the opportunity! Now off I go to read some of these great Top 5s!
What a great topic – Darren. I wish to participate. How many posts can I submit ? Please let me know. Since it is the first time I am participating to a contest – I seek help from other bloggers to make me aware and interact with me.
My mail address is blogging4fame@yahoo.com
Count me in for the experience.
Good luck to all. :)