10 What is a blog carnival? How do I join in? June 23, 2007 /

A "blog carnival" is a collaboration of posts by different bloggers on a particular subject or theme. It's like a magazine in structure: usually presented as a post on the carnival host's blog with links to each submission and often editorial comments. Blog carnivals are usually posted regularly: weekly, monthly or even daily! They are a great way to find useful information on a particular subject of interest, and can also be a good way to encourage others to read your blog, by either submitting an article for inclusion, or hosting a carnival of your own. So how do I join in? You can either find a blog carnival you'd like to contribute to, or start your own. BlogCarnival.com is probably the best place to start: hundreds of carnivals are listed here, along with links to the hosts to whom you should submit your articles. Carnivals are arranged by subject, and you can even search for your particular area of interest. If you've discovered a blog carnival on someones blog, chances are you may be able to join in too! If you'd like to start a blog carnival of your own, you may like to sign up to BlogCarnival.com where you can easily create your carnival, arrange a host (this can be yourself or a volunteer) and publicise your carnival for others to discover and read or contribute to. Alternatively, you can easily start a carnival on your own blog, simply by posting about it, and spreading the word to your fellow bloggers. Submissions could be made by email, or a comment including a link to the contributor's post. Some carnivals make use of Mr. Linky: a widget which can be used to submit links which are then displayed in a blog post or sidebar. An example of this is seen in Chili's carnival, which I posted about yesterday. However you choose to be involved in blog carnivals, they are undoubtedly a great way to discover like minded bloggers, and also to attract traffic to your site! If you discover or host a carnival which you think would be of interest to Blogger Buster readers, feel free to leave your comment and a link below. Technorati Tags: blog+carnival blogging mr+linky traffic carnivals blogs blog+rings