The HandOff

UPDATE: Deadline to apply is June 30, 2018.

We’re glad you’re here.  The Simple Year has been in existence since April, 2012 when it began as a journal during Kerry’s year of reduced consumption.  After her year was up, she passed it alone to Kandice who chronicled her year of Simplicity and then Kim who wrote about simplifying through kind acts. Tracy was next with a “life management” project, and then Trisha, who set out to see if she could go zero waste in a small town and with a family.

We are now looking for someone to take over The Simple Year 7.  Do you have something to say?

We have an existing readership of over 1,000 subscribers and over 1,000 page views a day!  (RSS and email) and over a million page views.  Would you like to tell your story to them?

Their project doesn’t have to be the same as ours (or it could be), it just has to be some sort of attempt at simplicity.

Ideally, We would like to find someone that can start July 1, 2018 (although we are flexible). The new blogger will have one-year from that date in which they are the author of The Simple Year.

What I have tried to do

My vision for this this blog is to offer a descriptive first person narrative in an honest but entertaining and humorous fashion.  Simply put, I tried to tell my story and would like to hear yours next year.  I don’t want to hear about what other people SHOULD be doing (there are lots of blogs out there for that), but rather what you actually ARE doing.

Don’t worry if you’ve never really done anything like this before and don’t know how to post things online or how the software works.  The fact that you have actually managed to navigate the internet to this page is all the knowledge you need.  The rest is actually pretty easy and I will show you everything you need to know, trust me.  What I think is most important is compelling content.  You have to be a good storyteller.

Interested?  We’d love to hear from you. Please include:

1. The description of your project

Tell me about your year-long project, describe yourself and any other participants. I would like to hear anything you think relevant.  If you were writing an “About Me” page, what would you include?  Please also include the frequency at which you plan to post  (how many times a week or month).  I will expect you to follow through on this commitment, so think it through carefully.  For planning purposes, I will share that I allow three-four hours for each blog post I write.

2. At least two samples of your work

These samples can be potential blog posts or unrelated piece of writing that showcase the style you would use.  If you plan to focus on some other type of medium like photos, drawings, interpretive dance, please include samples of those as well.

Once you gather those things, please send them to me at kerry 3835 at yahoo dot com.  (Although, type it like an email address and squish my name and those numbers together)

Or if you have questions, feel free to email or use the Contact Me form.

Additional Details

  • I’ll probably have some sort of Memorandum of Understanding put together for us to work together, just so all of the expectations and specifics are written down for both sides.
  • The Simple Year has a Facebook page, I will still own it but make you an administrator and you can manage it however you choose over the course of the next year.  I won’t contribute unless asked.
  • You will own your written content, photos and video and I will own mine.  I still own “The Simple Year” title.
  • I will continue to pay for the domain name and hosting fees for the duration of your year.  The site was created using Word Press and is a free application
  • No money making with the site of any kind including, but not limited to, things like advertisements (even for used things) testimonials, giveaways, or things I haven’t thought of.  I think since we are about simplifying, we should take the high road and abstain from all schilling.   The exception would be if you were to publish a book associated with your project.
  • If you commit to a specific frequency of posts, (i.e. 3 times a week), you must follow through on that promise.  It is my personal pet peeve when bloggers are silent for weeks at a time and suddenly reappear and say something like, “Sorry you haven’t heard from me in a while, but__________” insert appropriate excuse there.
  • I monitor stats those through Jetpack and Feedburner.  I can show you how that works.   Ideally over the year, you will help grow those numbers, so your potential replacement will have an even bigger audience.
  • I don’t care where you live in this great big world, but the blog has to be written in English please, mainly because I can’t read any other languages and I’m selfish like that.
  • Stay on topic.  Yes, I am sure the guy who cut you off in traffic is a funky mothertrucker, but if it is not directly related to the project, try to abstain from posting about it, even if it’s the greatest paragraph you have ever authored.
  • I don’t pay you and you don’t pay me.  This is a strictly volunteer gig both ways, our contribution to the world.

Not personally interested?  No worries, but if you think it’s a good idea, please forward it to your friends.  I’m hoping to find someone unexpected and exceptional.

My original post about this hand-off can be found here.

Blog, not Dog

Blog, not Dog


20 Responses to The HandOff

  1. Pingback: Passing the Torch: Blog Giveaway | The Simple Year

  2. Oh man! I would have loved to submit an expression of interest, but I think we are where we are for now.
    PS Jetpack and Feedburner – more info? Or should I be lerss lazy and just Google it myself? 😛

  3. Pingback: Nothing found for 1845

  4. This is the saddest news I have heard this year, including the major GAP outlet sale coupon I received the day I dedicated two months to not buying new clothes. Hmm… I will definitely be considering this

  5. Pingback: Hauling the Mail- Some alternatives to the tradtional card | The Simple Year

  6. Pingback: The Stalker | The Simple Year

  7. Pingback: The Simple Year | The Minimalist Mom

  8. Pingback: Bigger Truck | The Simple Year

  9. I just found you yesterday and can’t wait to read the entire year. You brought a lot of joy to my day. I have posted to FB to spread the word on the Hand Off. Best of luck. I wish I could apply, but think the commitment is not for me at this time. I rarely comment on blogs, but felt the need to tell you how much I have enjoyed the (first two months of) posts.

    • Marti- I am honored that you commented. Things like that always make my day (or in this case my evening). Also thanks for spreading the word. I appreciate it 🙂

  10. Pingback: Decluttering is Not Your Final Answer

  11. Pingback: “Someday” Isn’t on the Calendar and Celebrating 1yr of The Simple Year

  12. Pingback: 10 Free Acts of Random Kindness | The Simple Year

  13. Pingback: Kindness & Unintended Consequences | The Simple Year

  14. Pingback: The Relationship Between Kindness and Meth | The Simple Year

  15. Pingback: Wanted: The Simple Year Seven Blogger! | The Simple Year

Tell me, tell me...