Today’s challenge: publish a roundup post that links to posts on at least three other blogs, and tell us why we should read your recommendations.
Maria Popova, Dave Pell, and Jason Kottke make a living by scouring the internet and blogging about their finds. They’re masters at rounding up great discoveries and sharing both the links and why they love them.
Today’s challenge: publish a roundup post that links to posts on at least three other blogs, and tell us why we should read your recommendations.
Why do this?
- Because when you’ve truly enjoyed something, it’s nice to tell your readers — and the original blogger — what touched you.
- Because roundup posts are a good addition to your blogger’s toolbox, and they’re low stress and easily shared.
Roundup posts — collections of links to things you love — shouldn’t be the basis of your blogging, but they can be great add-ons. They’re less stressful and time intensive than generating an original post. They open new avenues of conversation. They attract new readers, and are highly share-able.
Maybe, just maybe, a weekly or monthly roundup post to the best you’ve read/seen will become a fixture in your editorial calendar… an idea which just might help you on Day Twenty-Nine.
Roundups, when done well, are about a lot more than just a list of links. As with your blogroll, what you choose to recommend (and how you describe it) tells readers a lot about you and your point of view. It also positions you as a source of good things.
Today, publish one. Make sure you link to at least three other sites, but feel free to link to more. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Everyone loves a good rant. Share three favorite opinionated pieces.
- Bloggers have amazing content lurking in their archives. Share posts that are more than one year old.
- Go topical. Into baking? Judo? Gaming? Books? Share your favorite posts on a beloved subject.
- Teach us something. What’s the easiest way to clean oven racks? What’s the best recipe for pulled pork tacos? Share how-tos that made your life easier.
We love roundup posts, too — over on The WordPress.com Blog, we publish them all the time.
If you’re feeling sassy (and I hope you are), use a few criteria to shape the roundup to fit the focus of your blog — only poetry posts. Only posts about travel from the perspective of a single mom. Only posts about dog training by people who own Cocker Spaniels.
Remember, these are only ideas to get you thinking. Modify them to suit your needs, or go your own way. Post a bulleted list, or work the links into a narrative-style post.
Remember to add the “zerotohero” tag to your post. If you want to chat more about how to interpret this assignment to fit your blog, get yourself over to The Commons.
This is going to be hard! I feel like I’ll include so many, there really are some amazing blogs out there!:-)
http://galacivilization.wordpress.com/
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Your blog is starting to look awesome…love the pics
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Thank you Enissa!:-)
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I want that job! Are you hiring? 😀
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Haha! Automattic is always hiring: http://automattic.com/work-with-us/
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Ohh this shall be interesting. I still have quite a few assignments to catch up with, then I’ll get started on this 🙂
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KEEP YOUR HEAD UP
When you hold your head up high
You can smell fresh air with a sigh
It shows everyone that you’re positive
Downing your head makes you negative
Maybe your parents had a slouch
And they think you are a grouch
But you can change that posture
Which can ebb away your anger
Everytime you twist and turn around
Like being trampled into the ground
Rebuking you’re dumb and a loser
With head high you can do better
At school they say you have dyselexia
Kids look at you as if you’re in a coma
This’s crushed your spirit even in a crowd
So you keep your lowered and head bowed
Maybe bullies picked on you at school
Looking at you like a perpetal blue fool
Oh! how you’d like to wring their necks
Calling you four eyes with your specs
Maybe you were not bright in school
Then they called you a dunce or a fool
You hold your head up high a good effect
Today that is no longer politically correct
You hold your head up high you should
Walking down your street you feel good
But you’ve paid a price to reach this stage
And you should cherish it in your old age
Your feedback is welcomed
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Wow, 1400 entries and we’ll have to do a round-up of some of the best. Gonna be a really tall order. Here’s my blog if anyone wants to check it out: http://LhuWenKai.com. I think instead of dedicating a post for this sharing thing (it’ll disrupt the flow and style of my blog, I’ll do some free advertising at the end of my future posts to link to one of my favorite blogs. It’s less tiring, and more people will click on their links as well since it’s “dedicated” instead of a “feature of everybody”. More impact I feel.
Happy blogging!
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I never would have thought of this.. what a great idea! I’m looking so forward to this, but already having trouble deciphering who to put, how I should categorize it, etc. May take a while…
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Ok.. done.. http://easterellen.com/2014/05/08/2654/. In advance, if we have interacted a lot and I have forgotten you, please forgive me. I will edit and add.. I was up most of the night with a nasty kidney stone and I’m soooo tired and feeling this nasty little bugger in my side forcing its way out.
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Oops I rounded up blogs instead of posts.. sorry – (there goes that lack of sleep again!)
I don’t think that I’m going to edit it to be “post-specific” at this point as it took a long time to write this as it was. Maybe at a later date. (sorry)
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Don’t worry I’ve done it too and that was after reading your Oops, and still did it… no excuse for me.. and I’m the same, I am happy with putting blogs instead of posts. So adult of us 🙂
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I have a brilliant idea about today’s assignment! I was nominated for a Liebster Award by two other bloggers and had to come up with 11 other bloggers to nominate. I’ll post my award nomination while linking to the other bloggers. One task, two goals completed! Yay!
http://honoringourhairitage.wordpress.com/
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that was a lucky win/win situation! Good thinking.
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Yay, I did it! At least, I think I did it. Did I?
(thanks for all the great suggestions, btw)
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Fun assignment. Here’s my take: http://charleneoldham.com/2014/05/08/these-are-a-few-of-my-favorite-things/
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So, rather than doing a post which will get lost, I made a page with my round up, which I will add to later… read it here: http://cassiezemer.wordpress.com/worth-a-look/
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I do this quite a bit actually. As a writer and book blogger, I sometimes get stuck for inspiration so I use the books section of major national newspapers. Usually helps me to come up with something 🙂
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Here’s my blog entry for today. I’m not sure that I followed the rules exactly but I gave it a go! http://indacampo.wordpress.com/2014/05/08/isla-iguana-panama-day-24-and-im-ready-for-the-roundup/
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Rules are made to be broken 😉 Great post!
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Hello Guys, Please check out my blog post on Expectations.. Just plain me sharing my journey!! thanks friends… http://vivacious7.wordpress.com/2014/05/08/expectations/
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I love the idea of doing a round up post, so simple! I’ll have to think of a topic, not sure I’ll get it posted today but I did just publish this post today! – http://ladytopiawellness.com/2014/05/08/simple-solutions-for-seasonal-allergies-natural-and-safe/
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Finished my post, I’m pretty proud of getting it done so have a look when you have a minute!
http://nocrybabies.net/2014/05/08/roundup-roll-call-yall/
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Hi 101 bloggers,
This was a difficult assignment. However just able to pull it off and made it suitable for our blog.
Please feel free to visit and let me know what you guys think.
http://eatallfresh.me/2014/05/08/freshrecommendations/
Also this is my blog – http://eatallfresh.me/ . All comments and recommendations are welcome.
Regards,
EAT ALL FRESH
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Not sure if I did this right but here is my roundup for all you crazies out there.
A roundup of conspiracy theories.
http://wp.me/pC9TQ-LB
you’re welcome. : )
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I know it’s late in the day but I finally got my round up done! Please check it out. 🙂
http://wp.me/p1Jjtv-9g
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I wrote a post featuring three of my favorite sites/blogs. http://fallinginlovewithdiego.com/2014/05/08/current-favorites/
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Ok, I’ve done some linking to some good blogs in a previous post. So I’m at least not entirely bailing on this assignment. I just got back into town from some remote work. Posted some really awesome pictures of it, got to fly a plane, obtained an entourage of children, you know the usual. (Hey at least I have a pretty good excuse for copping out a bit)
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Yep good excuse! 🙂 I had linked blogs before so this time looked at blogs in photography. I didn’t read it properly and thought it was blogs not posts but no matter. Would rather had flown to Fairbanks in a plane though 🙂
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What a great way to show readers different aspects of yourself and not only your blogger persona. My friends do not recognize my voice in my blog at all, because I’m basically spewing out rants like an angry stand up comedian. Just a bit different from my everyday quiet Asian girl. Anyways, awesome way to share interests with others and show appreciation to other sites.
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After much dissembling, here is my Day 24 assignment:
http://wp.me/p4o9jn-oS
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I have a confession…I have been slacking!!! I feel like a bad student…but I’m making a promise to myself and anyone who is listening, that I will catch up on all five or six assignments by Monday…Im posting this so I can feel better about this..;( oh please don’t like this comment but if you do, I will follow you:) lol have a good day everyone xoxo…
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Don’t feel bad! The Challenge is meant to help ignite some ideas for you and can be done so it fits into your life.
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What I realize about word press…their titles sound so intimidating…Example…”Publish a round up”. I tend to get overwhelmed lol but then I realize that the way it’s explained for us makes it easier than we think. I have people tell me, “Wow, how do you this?” (meaning the way I set up my blog)…word press makes me look like a professional…I love it..if you like this comment I will link back to your page on my blog….and I will make a post about this…Sorry word press..am I being a bad student? I figure why not we all deserve some love…DONT BE AFRAID to like:))))
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first see how I slacked on all my word press assignments!
http://wp.me/4gwRh
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I wrote a story about Mariel Hemingway (Ernest Heminway’s granddaughter) and added links so you can see a trailer of her documentary.and her books! .so todays assignment is done..:) check it out!!
http://wp.me/4gwRh
Why I’m here..to awaken everyone to their own truth..the way she does!
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I did my round up from an event I attended – and I absolutely love all things eco-friendly and green, so I linked to some of the creative minds who do great things every day.
http://www.ukorganicblog.com/eco-friendly-fashion/
🙂
Love,
Green Chick
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Great stuff. Round-Ups hey? Sure!!! Some people have great posts that we at TPJ would love to share. If anyone wants a shout out on the blog, feel free to say hello on any photo and post your link in the comments. We love reading new blogs!
Hear is a link to the blog: http://tigerpawsjnrsstories.wordpress.com/
And for all you Tumblr fans out there, here’s a link to our Photography page: http://tigerpawsjunior.tumblr.com/
Many hugs,
tpJ x
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Phew finished. What pressure. I wanted to write about some blogs I follow here at WordPress but was worried that I would miss someone… so I opted to write about three photography blogs that have inspired me instead. Crisis averted?? Funny I have no idea what I am going to write about and as soon as my fingers start typing I take off and sometimes go down a totally different path than I had in mind.
http://daysandmonths.com/2014/05/09/blogging-101-day-24-assignment-publish-a-round-up/
Hope everyone else went okay. I cant wait to check out what everyone else has done.
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It’s strange how just getting started can be the key to a successful post, isn’t it! If I struggle to think what to write these days, I just start typing and see what happens. I love your pictures of Provincial France 🙂
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I have started doing just this (although a couple of my links are to other social media as that’s where I found the pics). Since I blog about furniture painting, I’ve decided to start a series called ‘Inspiration for the Weekend’ which I post on Fridays. I really enjoy putting these together. Please see what you think! http://www.lavendertimes.co.uk/
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