Occasionally, I get inquiries about what the requirements are to participate in the Carnival of Genealogy. I thought maybe it would be a good idea to put together a post of frequently asked questions about the COG for the convenience of others who might have some of these same questions. Here are some of the questions I've been asked:
I write a blog but it is not entirely about genealogy. Can I still participate?
Yes! You do not have to be the author of a "genealogy blog" to participate in the Carnival of Genealogy. You need not worry that you won't be taken seriously if your blog covers several topics and is not solely about genealogy. That's OK, we like you anyway ; -)Is there a minimum or maximum number of words per article required?
No. However, I would advise you to break up a lengthy article into a series of shorter blogs posts with links connecting them to each other. Then submit just the first article in the series using the blog carnival submission form. That will make it easier on the blog host and on your readers.What criteria is used to judge which articles will be included?
The Carnival of Genealogy is not a competition. If you are one of the first 30 bloggers to submit an article that fits with the theme for the upcoming edition, does not include offensive language or photos, and does not detract from the purpose of the COG, it will generally be included in that edition. This is a serious genealogy publication (sometimes with good humor!) so I do use discretion about what's included.Do I need to document the sources used in writing my article?
You don't have to, but it would be appreciated if you did. As far as I'm concerned it doesn't matter if you use a formal documentation method such as the MLA, Elizabeth Shown Mills' citation style, or you just casually mention one or more of the sources you've used in your research. The point is to let people know what sources are out there. You may have used a source that someone else is not aware of, that may be beneficial to them. If they want more information they can leave a comment or contact you privately. By sharing our sources, we teach and help others along the way. Plus, it's always good professional practice to mention your sources. It gives them credit and you credibility.Can I submit more than one article for a given edition?
Yes, you can. But if you have three or more articles on the topic it would be best if you link them together to create a series and just submit one of them. You could also save some of them for another edition. You'd be surprised how often you'll find one article would fit under a number of different topics.How often can I participate?
As often as you like. Some people choose to participate only once, some do it occasionally, and others enjoy participating in every edition. We welcome your participation at any level.I have a request for a particular topic that I would like to see addressed in the COG. Who should I send it to?
Send it to me: imJasia at yahoo dot com. I welcome your suggestions and encourage you to send them along. However I make no guarantee that it will be a featured topic of the COG.I've noticed that sometimes the COG is hosted on other blogs. I'd like a turn at hosting the Carnival of Genealogy. How can we arrange that?
You must be a past participant in the Carnival of Genealogy to be considered for hosting one of the editions. From time to time I put out a request for guest hosts on the Creative Gene blog. You can let me know at that time if you're interested or you can send me a private e-mail at any time to let me know that you would like to host the COG when the next call for hosts goes out.Who decides on the topics for the carnival editions?
Any other questions I should include here? Leave me a comment.I do when I'm hosting the carnival. If someone else is hosting the carnival they get to choose the topic, as long as it is genealogy-related.
