6 Arguments for the Creme de la Creme

Almost 200 people have already submitted to the Creme de la Creme.  The December 15th soft deadline is quickly approaching, and this is your penultimate kick in the ass to submit before this deadline passes.  What does the December 15th deadline mean?  That your blog post will be up on the list on January 1st.  Anything that comes in December 16th–January 31st will go on the list, but it most likely won’t be up there when the list first goes up.

There are about 2600 blogs on the blogroll, but only a predicted 300 or so will be on the list when it closes (rough estimate based on submissions so far as compared with past years).  So if you haven’t yet submitted, and any of these are your excuses, I’ve provided you with my response to your lack of participation.

I’m not going to submit a post because I’m too cool for school and I don’t do that kumbaya crap even though I like you Mel and I’m going to read the list on January 1st.

Listen up, Missy.  Er … actually, I don’t have anything harsher than “listen up, Missy” in my pocket for this one.  But seriously?  If you think your blog is too good for this list or that you are somehow better than everyone else, it might actually be best if you stay away.  This space is a welcome table where everyone sits on the same plane.  And I don’t want that energy here.

The energy I want is the sort we brought to the What If project, with 450 thoughts coming together to show the diversity of our experience.

I’m new to blogging, and I feel shy.

You are putting your inner most thoughts out there for the world to read: you are not as shy as you think.  Oh!  You mean that you don’t feel like you belong yet.  Well, that’s all the more reason to participate.  Here’s a door into the community — one that is wide-open for you to walk through — and it’s a chance to meet a lot of other bloggers as well as have them find you.  Be a part of something: throw a post onto the list.

I’m so busy.  I want to do this, but it’s like #64829 on my to-do list.

I get it.  This time of year is busy.  And something like this has to fall low on the to-do list.  But you don’t have to stress about it or do it alone.  Have people help you with the choice.  Grab a handful of posts you like, construct a blog post asking people to vote, and voila — you have your submission for the Creme de la Creme.

I think this list is stupid, and I don’t want to be part of it.

Totally valid reason not to participate.  But I have to ask, why are you reading this blog?  I mean, the list is definitely an offshoot of my blog and all the thoughts contained within.  I’m not sure how you can enjoy the blog, but not enjoy the list.  Or why you bother to read something you don’t enjoy, learn from, find support within, etc.  I just don’t waste my time like that, so I’ve always been fascinated by people who do.

I’m now parenting, and I feel shy submitting a post from this year even though I often still mention infertility, loss, or adoption.

Parenting is the desire or goal (or was the desire or goal) of everyone on the blogroll.  And reaching parenthood doesn’t erase all that came before it.  I personally like seeing a range of posts on the list — from those still in the trenches to those parenting after infertility or loss.  I try to ensure that the blurb that comes after gives people a heads up about the contents so they can skip over any that sound too painful to read in their current state (though hopefully they will double back and read them later).  Please do submit because your viewpoint is still valid and necessary.

I closed my blog in 2010 and it feels strange to now submit something to the list when I don’t want new readers.

Then perhaps don’t look at this list as a way to catch new readers.  Look at it as a goodbye to your old readers; a parting gift.  If you wrote even one post in 2010, please include it on the list.

Thank you to everyone who has already submitted.  And I declare today International Go-and-Bug-Your-Favourite-Blogger-to-Submit Day.  Ask people you read if they’ve submitted, and suggest your favourite post if they haven’t.  Tweet about it, Facebook about it, blog about it.  And make sure that everyone in the ALI community knows that they’re welcome.

How do you submit to the 2010 list (and yes, the post needs to come from 2010)?  Read this post about the Creme de la Creme list and follow the instructions.