The Grassroots Blogger Book Marketing Campaign 2008: The RAINN Fundraiser
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Please note that registration is now open throughout the duration of the contest! Congratulations to our weekly writing winners! Week 3 (April 14-20, 2008) - Simply Jane, sex changes, Week 2 (April 7-13, 2008) - Daisy, daisybones, Week 1 (April 1-6, 2008) - Jen, Low Minded Lover, |
Hey everyone! It's time for the second Grassroots Blogger Book Marketing Campaign! Two years ago, I came up with the idea of launching a creative writing contest to coincide with the publication of Paul Davidson's The Lost Blogs: From Jesus to Jim Morrison. There was nothing in it for me other than having a little fun and promoting a friend's book launch. And it took off like wildfire. There were more than 40 participants and the promotion received coverage during Paul's book tour and was even highlighted on the USA Today's entertainment blog.
After a couple years off, the time has come again to highlight a book written by another blogger friend. This time, Carly Milne's Sexography. And we have another creative writing contest for you all to work with. Oh, and we have some pretty serious prizes this time around, I'm talking nearly $5,000 worth of prizes, my friends.
But things have changed a bit this year. Our discussions began by simply planning a promotion of Carly's new book. However, as we talked a bit more about it, the whole idea evolved into something much grander with charitable implications (I know, I know... I'm working on something charitable... the world must be coming to an end). But we did it. We turned what could've been a simple grassroots book awareness campaign into a fundraiser for a fantastic organization.
I'm going to let Carly take over now...
April is National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, and it’s a big month for the Rape and Incest National Network (RAINN). The organization’s goal is to raise enough money to be able to offer victims of sexual abuse, sexual assault and rape an online hotline offering counseling and assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week. RAINN’s Chelsea Bowers, Kevin Apgar and Sexography author Carly Milne have banded together to launch a one-of-a-kind online fundraising event to help RAINN reach that goal… but they need your help! All you have to do is do what you already do – blog, but with a twist.
The Deal:
Carly’s book, Sexography, is both a tragic and comedic memoirs about her journey of sexual self-discovery. And now, it’s your turn to blog your own version of Sexography. Even if you’re not a “sex writer” per se, we want to encourage you to explore the comedy, fear, silliness, scariness, million-and-one emotions and million-and-one experiences that are mental, physical, emotional and spiritual, all of which make up the rich tapestry of sexuality. So if you want to write about how your dog watches you masturbate or how you can't stand porn or about your first time or what you think of sex in the media and how it affects you personally, you should. What you write about is up to you, just as long as it falls under the “sexuality” header. Personal stories about survival are strongly encouraged.
For each Sexography blog entry you post, you’ll be soliciting donations for RAINN from the readers you entertain and engage with your commentary. But the best part? Not only will you be helping an incredible cause, but the bloggers who come in first, second and third place for most funds raised will nab fabulous prizes. Simply place a link to the RAINN Donation Page (https://donate.rainn.org - that "s" at the end of "http" is important!) either at the top or bottom of each GBBMC-related post. Also make sure to tell your readers to put "GBBMC2008" and your name in the more information box when they donate. It's the only way we'll know that the donation was made because of what you wrote.
Also, since the contest period spans a month during which you can write as many or as few entries as you like, we will be awarding weekly prizes to the entries we deem to be "best" based on our personal judgments.
Tell them what they can win, Bob!
Remember you can sign up at anytime throughout the duration of this promotion. Sign up by e-mailing gbbmc2008@gmail.com. Please help us raise funds for an incredibly worthy charity and cause!
What You Need To Do:
Sign up (anyone can participate, but only those located in the United States of America and Canada are eligible for prizes).- Place one of the two available GBBMC2008/Sexography/RAINN icons (at right, 150px wide, and above, 350 px wide) on your blog for the duration of the contest, April 1-30, 2008.
- Blog about sexuality as it relates to your life as many times as you like between April 1 and April 30, 2008.
- On each of these posts, link to the RAINN donation page.
- Make sure to tell people to reference the GBBMC2008 and include your name with their donation so you receive credit.
- If you'd like and know how, trackback to this page (see code at the bottom of this page) so we and other visitors know where to find your posts and can read them as well.
About RAINN:
The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network is the nation's largest anti-sexual assault organization. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline with a nationwide partnership of more than 1,100 local rape treatment hotlines, providing victims of sexual assault with free, confidential services around the clock. The hotline helped 137,039 sexual assault victims in 2005 and has helped more than one million since it began in 1994. RAINN’s goal is to expand its hotline services with the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline, which will be the nation's first secure web-based hotline that provides live, secure and completely confidential help to victims 24/7 through an interface as intuitive as instant messaging. RAINN educates more than 120 million Americans each year about sexual assault. RAINN also publicizes the hotline's free, confidential services; educates the public about sexual assault; and leads national efforts to improve services to victims and ensure that rapists are brought to justice. RAINN is the nation's largest anti-sexual assault organization and has been ranked as one of America’s 100 Best Charities by Worth Magazine.
About Sexography:
By turns serious and playful, Sexography maps the coming of age, tragedy and rebirth of one woman's sexual self. From "making out" with imaginary Hollywood stars in her closet (and getting busted) to coming to terms with abuse, assault and rape, from embracing her curiosity enough to become a sex toy tester to accepting and dealing with her tumultuous past, Carly Milne paints a brutally honest - and, at times, amusing - picture of what it's like to learn about and experience sex in every sense of the word. From the earliest experiences in her childhood homes in Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta to present day Los Angeles, Milne guides readers through the sometimes troubled waters of female sexuality with a mixture of candidness and humor. Whether you've been through similar experiences or just know someone who has, Sexography will change your mind about why and how survivors survive.
Update (3/31/08):
A complete list of participants has been posted. On this page, you will also find a link to our Google Reader list where you can view the posts that each of our participants have written for the GBBMC/RAINN fund raiser.
Update (4/9/08):
Registration has been extended to the duration of the promotion. Feel free to contact us at gbbmc2008@gmail.com at any time if you wish to take part.
Update (4/10/08):
A page dedicated to media coverage of the GBBMC2008: Sexography campaign has been set up.
