Blogging a Carnival part 1

There's a part 2

As you probably know by now, blog carnivals are "floating internet magazines." At least that's my term for them. Besides being the "owner" and initiator of the Kosher Cooking Carnival, I've hosted a number of Havel Havelims and at least one of the lamented--we await its return JPix.

A "host" collects "suitable to the topic" links to posts from various blogs and sites. Honestly, there's a pretty fine line distinguishing between the two. And it's the job of the host to somehow put it all together in an organized, interesting or haphazard "carnival."

The Blog Carnival is like a clearing house plus. You can look through its listing of carnivals to send your post. It sends the carnvial host posts with even a suggested "sentence." A couple of days before the carnival is due, the host gets an offer of the full collection of posts sent. That's a great backup, if you're afraid you lost some.

All of us who host carnivals have our own way.

I developed a method with two backups, that's one besides blogcarnival's ready-written listing.

How to Put Together an Edition of a Blog Carnival

• First, whenever an email annoucement from "bc" or letter with link arrives, I file it away in my special yahoo mailbox.
• When I'm ready to start putting together the carnival, I write it as a "word document."
• I start going through the mailbox, check out the link, write something I hope is suitable on Word, "mark" the letter but not delete it, etc.
• I also add the sender's address to my blog carnival mailing list.
• After each "session" besides the "regular save" on Word, I save on my "extrenal memory."
• So the links are in three places: the mailbox, the Word document and the external memory.
• When everything's finished on Word, I create a new post on my blog for the carnival.
• I copy/paste what I wrote on Word in blogger compose mode.
• Then I flip it to "Edit Html."
• Then back to Compose.
• That's necessary, since I have my KCC logo in Html as part of my Word document. I just keep copying it from edition to edition. Also if you use any of the blogcarnival suggestions, it comes with Html, which is very helpful. You can always play with it.
• Then I add any additional pictures, and then I choose font, size and color.
• Publish and that's it!
• ps If I'm posting it early, I post-date it by clicking "Post Options" on the bottom of the compose screen.

Also, please consider this a reminder to send in your links for KCC by clicking here!