That’s another April over and another A to Z Challenge completed. As always, all participants are asked to write a reflections post that shares what we enjoyed about the challenge, what wasn’t so good and what could be done to improve it.
Here goes:
What I Loved About The A-Z Challenge
Over all, I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge this year, but here are some of my highlights:
- I loved the fact that the official sign up list was back so we could see who had signed up easily without having to try and find relevant posts and themes in the comments section of the blog.
- I loved the daily lists too – it was a great way of finding new blogs that were actually participating daily – and using the Google form set up meant we could see at a glance which blogs’ themes appealed to us.
- As always, I loved finding new blogs and re-connecting with bloggers who I’ve seen on the challenge circuit in previous years. The challenge has a lovely community feel to it and it’s always nice to connect with new bloggers, especially those who you know you will still see around after the challenge is done.
What I Didn’t Love About The A-Z Challenge
I genuinely love this challenge, but like anything, there are some things that aren’t so good:
- Links in comments – every year the hosts advise people to leave their links in comments on other people’s blogs. This is bad practice as it flags you up as spam to Google which can affect your rankings and your DA (this can affect the person doing it and the blogs that allow it). As always, I removed the links from comments left here, but so many people don’t know this has an adverse affect on their blogs.
- The lack of time – I’m aware this one is completely on me, but I didn’t have anywhere near as much time as usual for visits and commenting. Most years, I get through about 1,000 blogs. This year, I think it was more like 200. With a book release, extra client work and a short course to get through in April, this really slowed me down on the challenge.
A Special Mention
Although I didn’t get to visit as many blogs as I would like to, one I did visit daily was Marquessa from The Next Chapter who tackled a very sensitive subject (an abusive relationship) through a serialised story and she did it exceptionally well.
I’d also like to say a big thank you to those of you who visited me through the challenge, especially those who visited daily and joined in with the prompts. You guys all rock 🙂
And that’s a wrap! See you all next April 🙂
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Hari OM
Hi Debbie – good reflections. This was my first A-Z and am not all that certain I would do another. I actually incorporated my reflections in my “Z” post on Monday… one of my main gripes not noted in those reflections is the linking business – I agree with you 100% and even state that I do NOT want links; on Blogger I can’t ‘edit’ out those who did leave links – one of the very few advantages with WP, I must say! If folk want to find you they will through the ‘avatar’ so there is really no need for such blatant self-advertising.
On the visiting… you’ll see if you chose to read my reflections what my thoughts on that are. Boils down to I chose a select few and that was it. My sanity takes priority over all else!
I do appreciate ‘meeting’ and connecting with those – including your good self, whom I may not otherwise have found. Golly, am glad its done though. YAM xx
I’ve just been and read your reflections – I know exactly what you mean about the guilt although for me that is mostly self imposed.
I started out on Blogger before I went self hosted and it’s a nightmare not being able to edit comments. I completely agree – leave your URL in the actual box that’s meant for it and people want to visit you, they will!
It’s a really intense challenge and although I look forward to it, I’m always a little relieved when it’s over too. Thank you for sticking with me through the month, I’ve really enjoyed your takes on the prompts 🙂 x
I agree: I don’t like the comments with a link to the post or the blog, either. We had some discussion about it before the challenge. I think Blogger folks do it because of the platform, which assumes that everyone commenting is a Blogger user as well and will put up with it. When Arlee started the challenge, everyone used Blogger, but as time has gone on, fewer people use that platform. That’ll be one of the things I’ll bring up to them. Be sure and do the post-Challenge survey; I’m pretty sure thre’s a place to enter comments. And be sure to add a link to this post to the Reflections post sheet that opens Sunday.
Thanks for participating this year!
I’ve filled out the survey and I’ll be sure to drop by on Sunday, thanks 🙂 Thank you for bringing it up!
I only participated in the A to Z in 2014 and 2016. Last year’s omission of the list scared me off, haha! This year I read all the April entries of the blogs I follow regularly anyway, and that took up plenty of time by itself!
I didn’t enjoy last year’s challenge as much without the lists ad I wasn’t going to do it this year, but they brought the lists back so I jumped back in. I’m a glutton for punishment haha
I enjoyed the challenge. I’m also one of those commenters who leaves links, so sorry for making you have extra work. >.>
Haha I forgive you 😉
Nice summary! I am linking to it in my reflection on Monday.
Thank you so much 🙂
You summed it up quite well. I agree about leaving the links in the comments part. Thanks for highlighting this. Congratulations on completing A to Z. See you next year. Cheers, Surbhi
Thank you 🙂