We have all worked so hard, don’t you think it’s fair that we get to show off a little; celebrate?

Announcing:

The Story A Day StoryFest, June 11-14, 2011:

An Online Celebration of the Second Annual Story A Day Challenge

What Is It?

From June 11-13 the front page of this site will change to the StoryFest Page.

The StoryFest page will contain blurbs about and links to each author’s favorite story (or collection of stories if you’re writing super-short stories)

Readers can come by on their coffee breaks, browse the best of our work, leave comments, tell their friends.

(See last year’s StoryFest front page, to see what I’m talking about.)

What Do You Do?

• First, pick your favorite Story A Day stories  that you wrote (this can be the same story you intend to enter in the contest).  Pick one, if it’s a long or multi-part story. Pick a couple if they are short. Pick ten if you’re a twitter-fiction writer  No real restrictions here.
• Write a short blurb about you/your stories/the challenge (about 50-75 words).
• Optional extra: pick your favorite one or two stories by other people to recommend to readers.
• Email a blurb and the links to your own stories and your ‘recommended reading’ stories as soon as possible. (editor at story a day dot org / subject: StoryFest Submission) I will put them on the StoryFest page for readers to find.
• On June 11, start tweeting and blogging and Facebooking (sorry) and telling all your friends and family to stop by. (I will provide some sample messages, in case you’re uncomfortable with self-promotion, but you should feel free to write whatever you like.
• During StoryFest be sure to share your recommendations for stories you’ve enjoyed by other StADa writers.
• On June 13, send another reminder to people that time is running out, to access the StoryFest page, and discover all the wonderful new writers that you’ve been reading and enjoying throughout May.
• Sit back and bask in the feedback.

I’ve created a StoryADay StoryFest graphic that you can hang on your StoryFest stories, no matter where you posted them (here or your personal blog)

What Can Readers Do?

Readers can stop by any time between June 11 and June 14.

They will find the front page all decked out for StoryFest and featuring links to your favorite stories.

They can read, comment and, I hope, recommend stories to their reading friends.

What’s The Point?

It’s a celebration! Writing a story a day was hard, wasn’t it?

This is our chance to show off. This is our recital. (Tutus strictly optional).

It’s also a chance for readers and writers to connect. Readers are always looking to find great new writers and interesting stories. Writers want to be found.

I’ve been thrilled by the quality and diversity of the stories I’ve read here, and I want to share that with other readers.

Why So Short?

Making the StoryFest an event with a limited timeline gives readers a good reason to come NOW, not just think ‘that’s cool, I’ll stop by later maybe’ and then forget about us. Instead, we’re creating scarcity and a deadline. It’s basic sales psychology, and it works!

None of the Story A Day blogs will disappear (unless you delete them), so readers can still find your stuff for as long as you want them to.

The StoryFest is just a big promotional/celebratory party, and we all know that at some point, every party has to wrap up and someone has to turn out the lights.

(Luckily, no one will have to mop anything up after this one.)