What the Judges are Thinking: Week 2

Hello, again. Hello. Justin from Daddy Knows Less here, channeling my inner Neil Diamond. (As if you don't have one.) Question for you:

What did I say to you? What did I tell you? I said nothing big. Wait...that's Robert DeNiro from Goodfellas. But what I said to you was, "BE YOURSELF." And what did one of last week's eliminated bloggers say in hindsight? "I took a chance and went country when in reality I'm a rocker." Geez, people. I am trying to HELP you here. Help me help you. Help ME. Help YOU. (What other movie?)

On Friday, it got real. Two people were booted. We will never hear from them again. I don't even remember their names. That's not true. I was really sad to see so-and-so and whats-her-name go. But they are unfortunately one and done. That's both the beauty and the cruelty of this competition. And this week, I have a whole new batch of judges you need to impress.

First up is Brent at Sooperdad Blog of Awesomeness. He recently became a stay-at-home dad and decided to blog about it. He, like most stay-at-home parents, just wants to be entertained. "It can be heart-wrenching, funny, nonsensical, or dramatic," he says.  Just grab his interest and hold it all the way through. (He has like 14 kids and therefore a very short attention span.) He admits he is a stickler for spelling, but grammar not so much.

Next up is April from Wildflowers and Whimsy. She is intent on making motherhood fabulous. She is also a big LSU football fan. So I'd try to avoid any references to that shellacking Alabama handed her team in the championship game in January. (Sorry, April.) As for what to include, "Just wow me," she warns. "Show me what you can do, and use correct grammar and spelling while doing it." So your poor-grammar holiday ends with Brent apparently. Here's a good tip from April: "Don't talk about yourself in the third person. It's obnoxious." DKL agrees.

Then we have Cat from Honey Badger Press. She's ready to "serve you some truth with a side of butt hurt." Cat is a living example of my cautionary tale about being yourself. She decided not be herself one week during last year's Blogger Idol. Some of the judges thought she swore too much. So she didn't swear at all in her next post and promptly got eliminated. Her parting shot was, "It's not my job to blow sunshine up your ass." That also just so happens to be the slogan on her blog. She is a grammar hawk like some of the others but is also looking for "a sincere LOL." But warns, "I am off of my meds today." Good luck navigating that minefield.

Amy, the Non-Stop Mom was nice enough to actually stop for a moment and share her thoughts: "grammar, spelling, humor is good, not too long because I have the attention span of a........oh, look, something shiny....." Now if I'm being fair, that is a horribly constructed run-on sentence on her part. But, she's a judge. And who am I to judge?

Actually, this week, I am a judge. I think I have given you enough insight into my thinking already. If you haven't listened to me by now, you're probably not going to listen to me at all. So I will say no more.

And now another surprise: A blogger who needs no introduction, Nikki from Moms Who Drink and Swear, is our guest judge this week. If you don't know her, you've been blogging under a rock. She has so many followers that her Facebook page could qualify for statehood. She is a juggernaut, a force in the blogosphere, and single-handedly put my blog on the map just because she wanted to. (And let's be honest, it's a helluva blog.) She also just so happens to be one of the nicest people I know, when you get passed the drinking and swearing. What is she looking for? "Authenticity and an original voice," she says. "F*ck grammar." There ya go.

Now for DKL's tip of the week: Beware the double-edged sword that is immunity. Sure, you're safe for that week. But you're also probably not putting your best work out there because you wrote it so fast. Thus, you're not impressing the swing voters. You're also not putting yourself out there as much because you're not asking for votes since you don't have to. I never went for immunity. I wanted to make sure my posts stood out and that I was judged for my writing. I made it to the finale.

Good luck, bloggers. May the judges - and the votes - be ever in your favor.

Blogger Idol 2012 Week 1 DOUBLE Elimination

Hi all!  Spaghetti Westerner here, honored to be your host again.  While I'm glad to be here, I must say that I'm not excited about today's Double Elimination.  After our Top 13 were kind enough to take us home and introduce us to mom and dad, cousins and grandparents, we now have to say goodbye to two of them.  It's a tough game, this Blogger Idol.  But, each week we're getting one step closer to crowning our Blogger Idol 2012.

It's been quite a week.  We had 23 brave souls play along with us at home this week.  Make sure you read their entries, and don't forget to play along next week.  It's a great opportunity to brush up on your writing skills and impress the judges for next year's contest.  And you get to meet some great bloggers along the way.

Then, we found out that the blog of one of our Top 13 had been hacked!  Martinis and Minivans has been working her tail off trying to take care of the rogue code left behind by these blog bandits.  She hopes it will be as good as new very shortly, so bear with her.

We've been having our own technical difficulties over here at Blogger Idol.  We're working to figure out why people are not allowed to comment on the weekly assignment posts from each contestant.  We're hoping to have a solution by next week, but until then, you can always feel free to join the conversation on our Facebook page.

Lastly, I learned some very disturbing news from one of my fellow judges, From the Bungalow.  It turns out that double spacing after each sentence is antiquated (see his comment on this post).  Who knew?  Not me.  Notice all the double spaces after each sentence in this post alone?  I can't stop. But in the name of bettering my blogging, I can try. See, I'm really trying here... but it is not easy.

Anyway, at long last, here's what you've been waiting for:

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Week 1 Voting Has Begun!

Voting has officially begun!

This week, the Top 13 had the task of writing about a family tradition. The judges went through and commented on their posts and gave them some feedback, which you can see on the assignments. Also, we are happy to have the awesome author of You Know It Happens At Your House Too as a guest judge this week!

This is how voting works: All of the posts are linked below. Read through them, and then come back here and use the poll below to cast your vote!

Voting ends tomorrow, at 11:59 PM CST!

Crazed in the Kitchen: Arizona Memories, or How I Learned my Grandma is a Stone-Cold Killer
My Rad Dad: Is That From the 70's? And Who is 'Price'?
Forever 51: Turkey Divorce Court
Manderstanding: Dancing with Seagulls
The Mother Freakin' Princess (The MFP): This Isn't Your Average TV Dinner
Crazy Dumbsaint of the Mind: Sunday Dinner
The Real Matt Daddy: A Really Awkward Gift
Edward Hotspur: Good and Evil
Random Thoughts 'n Lotsa Coffee: Duct Tape & Tin Foil: A Family Tradition
Martinis and Minivans: Tampons, Trees & Tears
Ice Scream Mama: Hi-ho, Hi-ho... It's Off To Camp We Go.
Pile of Babies: "Are you going to finish that?"
Dad and Buried: A different kind of shooting star

Make sure you choose your favorite wisely! This week is going to be a double elimination, and two of the Top 13 will be eliminated from the competition on Friday!

Week One Blogger Idol Play-at-Home

Are annual family pics a tradition for you?

As the contest progresses, we are going to give all of you a chance to play along at home, and strengthen your writing skills before auditions next year.

Each Monday, we will give you the same assignment that the contestants are doing, and then you can come back here and link your post so that others can read it. There is no fee for participating in this link-up. The only thing you are required to do, is check out at least TWO other links and go give them some constructive critique on their post. The Blogger Idol staff and judges will occasionally be checking out the links as well, and stopping by to offer some words of advice.

This week, the Top 13 face a double elimination as they write about family tradition. They have to write about a tradition that they participate in with their family, extended family, or friends, but at the same time, really let their new fans know who they are, since it's their first post. There are no word limitations, but you have to include at least one image in your post.

When you are all done, use the widget below to submit the link to your post! And don't forget to go and leave some constructive critique on TWO other blogs!

What the Judges Are Thinking: Week 1

Welcome to Week 1 of Blogger Idol. I am Justin from Daddy Knows Less. Just when I thought I was finally over being runner-up last year, they pull me back in. So what I should say is, "welcome to my nightmare. The water's still warm." I'm here to help the contestants get into the minds of the faceless, heartless people who will be judging them. Trust me, it's a very dark and scary place. These people are highly opinionated while for the most part being highly medicated.

Still, I waded into their psyches for you, esteemed Top 13. So you have some idea of what you're up against. Judging this week we have last year's champ, Lisa from The Spaghetti Westerner. She's done what all of you want to do. So you might want to listen to her. (And impress her.) She says she wants you to tell her a story. And not a bedtime story, either. You have three sentences to catch her attention. Three sentences. I repeated myself not because that bears repeating, but as an example of what not to do. Lisa doesn't want you making the same point over and over again. You get the point?

We also have John from Daddy's in Charge, the guy who writes a great blog with keyboard and Legos. John's a stay-at-home dad who admits he might just be a "dick" (his word) when he's reading your post. It all "depends on what kind of mood that my kids have put me in that day," he says. So here's hoping for your sake his boys are well-behaved. He also has a very short attention span, due to his stay-at-home dadness. So you need to grab him in the beginning as well.

Then there is Chris, ..from the Bungalow. He's a self-proclaimed hippy nerd. But you might want to pay more attention to the nerd than the hippy because he wants to see "concise writing with little to no filler."(I think he would HATE this post, for example.) He wants shiny adjectives and verbs that pop. He's big on inspiration.

Next up is Isis, from Bay Area Mommy. She is a Christian stay-at-home mom, lover of coupons, freebies & giveaways, and a product reviewer. I am also going to go ahead and add Grammar-Nazi-of-the-Week to her description. She wants "proper grammar and sentence structure." And "a little creativity would be nice." Ouch, babe. She's the living embodiment of Mrs. Mulvaney, my high school English teacher. You want to impress her? "Begin with the end in mind," she says. "I love it when you end your posts with a thought that has something to do with how you started it."

Finally we have the mysterious Tessa Taboo. She's blunt, honest, and not the type you'd bring home to mom because she won't sugarcoat what she says. She wants to be wowed. (Rawr.) "This is the audience's first impression of you," she says. "Bring your 'A' game this week, and make people want to pull for you." (Oh, THAT kind of "wowed.")

As if that's not enough information to have you second-guessing what you've already written for this week, now a surprise: Tara from You Know It Happens At Your House Too will be serving as a guest judge this week. She's super excited and honored to be involved. But I don't think it would be much fun to know what she's looking for. Do you? I mean, what's the fun in that?

I leave you with DKL's tip of the week: Be yourself. No joke. You got you here. Be you. Write you. Even if you get voted off, you can say you stayed true to yourself and your blog. That's pretty cool. Until next week, good luck to all. And may the odds - and votes - be ever in your favor.

It's time for the 2012 Top 13!

Hi all! It's your 2011 Blogger Idol: Lisa (or Mama Spags as some people prefer to call me) from The Spaghetti Westerner.

I am honored to be your host this afternoon to bring you the real, official, BIG announcement of the Top 13 contestants for Blogger Idol, Season 2.  (It's ok, go watch the video first.  As long as you promise to come back and read the rest.)

First, a word of caution to the Top 13:  During the announcement video last year, I almost had a heart attack.  Or overdosed on adrenaline.  Or peed my pants.  (Maybe all three).  And the anxiety and suspense only gets worse from here on out; welcome to the club.  But...it IS all worth it.

I want to give a shout out to all the judges.  They've worked so hard already, and I know there's much more to come.  And a special thank you to Heather Reese (My Husband Ate All My Ice Cream) who is the creator of Blogger Idol.  She works harder than just about anyone I know, and I'm pretty sure she never sleeps.  She's all about giving back to the blogging community.  Blogger Idol is just one (awesome) way that she does that.

We had so many great auditions this year (thank you to everyone who applied!), and I think we've got a great Top 13.  As last year's runner up, Justin from Daddy Knows Less said "I'm not surprised by any of the people who made it. What did surprise is me is some of the names that didn't make it. THAT is how good the competition is."

Buckle up: It's going to be a wild, fun and exciting competition.  And all of you readers out there, get ready to vote like mad for your favorite.  I promise you that every vote matters.

To those of you that didn't make the Top 13, we hope you'll come back next year and audition again.  If it had been up to me, we would have picked a top 40 (but Heather tells me the competition would be WAY too long).  Seriously, though, so many of you are such talented writers.  I think all of the judges would agree that we can't wait to see what's to come from many of you.

For the lucky Top 13, you'll get an email today with more information on what happens next!  Welcome, and I can't wait to see which of you will join me as Blogger Idol (I'll even share my tiara...or crown...whatever you want to call it)!

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The Top 13.... Who's it going to be?

Auditions have come to a close, and the judges are slaving away at scoring. In 48 hours, in this VERY place, you will find out which one of your favorite bloggers has a chance to compete in the greatest year yet, of the greatest blogging contest ever.

In the mean time, while we are scoring away, could you guys be awesome and do us a couple of favors? None of this would be possible without help, and we need to show some appreciation for those that make it possible.

1. Go to the Facebook pages of Izea, Duck Brand, and GIANTmicrobes, and tell them how much they rock for being one of our sponsors this year.

2.  Pick a judge.... any one of them, and hit them up on Twitter or Facebook, and give them a HUGE thank you. They are slaving over all 167 of these auditions, completely unpaid. It takes DAYS to get this done, and they are simply giving up their time to do it.

3. If you auditioned, remember to BREATHE! You only have 48 hours to wait, and the worst that can happen is that you don't make it, and have to audition again next year when the contest is even bigger and better!

WEBSITE COUNTDOWN CLOCK

Less than 24 hours left to audition for Blogger Idol 2012!

If you've waited this long to audition, chances are, you are on the fence about whether or not you should. Our question is... Why not?

• The worst that can happen is that you don't make it to the Top 13 and get to try again next year.
• It doesn't matter how big your fan base is. Blogger Idol is NOT a popularity contest, and even those that have a small following can win.
• Even if your audition isn't FANTASTIC, you still have a chance to make it to the Top 13. For more info, read our big announcement.
• The Top 6 contestants will win prizes.
• You'll get great feedback from the awesome panel of judges.

Auditions for Blogger Idol 2012 close at 11:59 PM CST TONIGHT! Get your audition in now, or you'll have to wait until next year!

The BIG Announcement!

Okay, well, it's not the BIG announcement, as in, the Top 12 (which will be on September 20th). But it's almost just as important!

You all know how much we love throwing in twists around here, right? Well auditions aren't even over, but we're already giving you one.

There is NOT going to be a Top 12 this year.

Yes, you read that right.

You see, we love that you guys have been sending so much love our way, in the form of blog comments, Facebook fans, and Twitter followers, that we are going to pay back the love.

Instead of just having a Top 12, we are going to have a Top 13! The Top 12 will be chosen as normal, based on the judges scores from their auditions, and then we are going to chose a 13th person, who didn't really rank up there, but that we can tell has an awesome bunch of followers. How do we know how awesome your followers think you are? Because they have been plastering our Facebook wall, and tweeting our butts off, and we can tell that they REALLY want you to be the next Blogger Idol. We figure this is fair because, even though you may not have had the best audition, we can tell that people love you, and we feel like we should give you a shot if that many people are passionate about you.

So what do you do now? If you haven't auditioned yet, GET ON IT! Auditions close on September 17th, which is a week from today. Once you've sent in your audition, mobilize your troops, and get your name plastered all over our blog, Facebook, and Twitter! Make sure we hear about how awesome you are from your fans!

Ready... Set... GO!

FINE PRINT: The contestants will not know which one of the Top 13 was the wildcard. The wildcard will be chosen by the judges, from all those who have given a clear social presence, and will not necessarily be the person who has the highest amount of people talking about them.

Auditions are OPEN!

You've been eyeing the prizes, kissing up to the judges, and now... It's GO TIME! Auditions are open for Blogger Idol 2012!

It doesn't matter how big your blog is. It doesn't matter how old your blog is. The only thing that matters is that you can entertain us. We've got a scoring system in place that ensures that this is not a popularity contest, so it doesn't matter how many fans you have. For all the details on how to audition, check out the Try Out page.

Auditions will close at 11:59 PM CST on Monday, September 17, 2012, and the Top 12 will be announced on September 20, 2012. You can find the full schedule here.

Are you going to audition? If you aren't going to audition, who are you rooting for? If you know a blogger that deserves the title of Blogger Idol, send them over here!

We are proud to have IZEA as a sponsor for Blogger Idol 2012!

IZEA: Social Influence At-Scale

IZEA is the pioneer of social media sponsorship (SMS), with marketplaces for brands and publishers to connect. Their network of 850,000 registered influencers in 147 countries and 50,000 advertisers have completed over three million sponsorships. 

What is SMS?

SMS is when bloggers, tweeters and other social media influencers are compensated to create and distribute advertising content through their social network. 

Learn More

IZEA has a number of platforms that allow social media publishers to monetize their content.

SponsoredTweets - (Sponsored Twitter Updates) Connect directly with advertisers who compensate tweeters with cash in exchange for a tweet. There are PayPerClick and PayPerPost opportunities. 

SocialSpark - (Sponsored Blog Posts) A premium marketplace where advertisers compensate you for blog posts about their products or services on your own blog. Advertisers offer "opportunities" and bloggers of the option of accepting, declining or negotiating with them. Now, SocialSpark connects with Pintrest, Facebook and Twitter, giving bloggers opportunities to earn even more for their influence. 

Staree - (Sponsored Photos & Videos) Join Staree and earn income from display advertising targeted to your content and product placement in photos and videos. (It's like Instagram, except you get paid. And, you can download photo props like bacon (yes, bacon!), hats and mustaches to make your photos even more fun and sharable!)  

IZEA Media - (Display Advertising) An exclusive network that complements sponsored posts to create increased earning potential for bloggers. It's hand-selected based on a blogger's content and reach.

Get Started

Get started today by selected the platform above, or visiting http://izea.com/influencers/. 

You can also download a PDF overview about IZEA.

Auditions Open MONDAY!

That's right! It's almost here! Find out what you need to do to audition for Blogger Idol: Season 2 by checking out the Try Out page!

If you haven't seen the AWESOME prizes we have this year (like the Samsung Galaxy 2 Tab), check out the Prizes page!

And it's never too early to start making nice with the judges, so make sure you give the Judges page a good rundown!

Last year, we had a blast with the first-ever Blogger Idol, and this year, we are hoping it will be bigger and better! So, who's in?