Planning to join Fall Into Reading 2009? I hope you’ve been working on your list, because the challenge starts on Tuesday! In the meantime, here are a few posting guidelines/rules. I’m not too picky, but there are a few things I need you to do.

1. Write your post before you sign up on the linky list that goes live on September 22nd. I know that it can be tempting to try to get your name near the top of a reading challenge participant list, but please, please have your post written and published on your blog before you add your name to the linky list.  If I click on your name/link and do not see your post and reading list, or if it takes me to a post that says, “I’m going to join Fall Into Reading, but I don’t have my list yet. But I’ll do it soon.” or something like that… I’m sorry, but I will have to delete your entry from the list. Not because I’m mean, but because it’s simply not fair to the other participants who have already prepared their lists and blog posts. Of course, once you have your post/list up, you are more than welcome to come back and submit your name again.

2. Use a permalink when you sign up. In other words, use the linky list to link directly to your Fall Into Reading post, not just the main address (front page) of your blog. When you see the linky list here on September 22nd, you’ll find the words “Click Here to Enter Your Link.” When you click, you’ll see a space marked “Title” where you can type your name (or the name of your blog, or whatever you’d like) and a space under it for your link URL, or website address. In that space, you’ll need to put a “permalink” to your Fall Into Reading post.

For example, instead of something like:

http://myniftyblog.blogspot.com

You’d want something like this:

http://myniftyblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/fall-into-reading.html

I completely made those addresses up, but you get the idea. Blogging Basics 101 has an article on how to find the “permalink” to a particular post HERE.

Once again, your link will be deleted if it does not go to a specific post (the one with your reading list). And again, I’m not being picky about this to be mean, but rather as a courtesy to all involved. People will be checking out everyone’s lists throughout the fall challenge, and we want to make it as easy as possible for them to find your list. That means submitting a link to your specific post, rather than a general link to your blog.

If you have tried and tried, and read the post at Blogging Basics 101, and are still having trouble figuring out your permalink, please feel free to contact me (just click the “contact me” tab in my navigation menu above). I would be glad to help you and to get you signed up on the linky list with the correct link. Depending on the volume of email, it might take me a little while to get back to you, but I definitely will. I want you to be part of Fall Into Reading!

3. Keep your post family-friendly. I realize that, with potentially hundreds of challenge participants, Fall Into Reading is going to represent readers of various reading interests. However, I do request that you keep your “official” Fall Into Reading post (the one you add to the linky list) family-friendly and “clean.” In other words, please make sure that any book titles or book covers you include would be safe for little eyes to see. I’ve had kids participate in my reading challenges in the past, and I just want to make sure the links presented on the official Fall Into Reading list are safe for them. Links to posts with explicit titles or covers may be deleted. Please feel free to check with me ahead of time if you’re not sure about a particular book.

4. Get ready to read! Personally, I plan to abandon all housework, bill-paying, and cat-puke-cleaning during the fall season, so I can focus exclusively on reading. Okay, maybe I won’t go that far, but I do hope to rearrange my schedule a bit to fit in some more reading. I also plan to visit as many Fall Into Reading participants next week as I can, to find out what they’ll be reading this fall and to share our mutual love of books and reading. I encourage you to visit other participants as well. It’s fun to be in the challenge; but it’s even more fun to enjoy the challenge with others.

Linky Note: Due to a number of factors, I’ll most likely be using a MckLinky this time around, instead of a Mr. Linky (for the linky list). I realize this creates one extra step for you (clicking to another page to enter your information), but I believe the benefits will outweigh that little inconvenience. We’ll see how it goes!

A few other things:

My plan right now is to put up the official Fall Into Reading 2009 launch post at 9:00 a.m. (EST) on Tuesday, September 22nd. If for any reason that time will change, I’ll let you know.

I will also be putting up a post where you can link to any reviews you write of your Fall Into Reading 2009 books (remember: reviews are completely optional!), but probably won’t post it until September 24th or so.

Note: Fall Into Reading 2009 has begun. If you’d like to join the challenge, or just want to check out the participants, please visit the official launch post. Thanks!