I think I may have stumbled upon the answer to something that have Google searched at least 5 times, always hoping that the results will be different. (They never are.)
Using an Editorial Calendar
It is highly recommended by many professional bloggers that you use an editorial calendar. When I was just blogging as my heart led, on My Journey to Authenticity, it wasn't really that important. But as I gradually become more enmeshed in the blogging world, and started to write guest posts, started this blog, and signed on to be a contributing writer for another blog, I realized that I was NOT going to be able to keep all of the deadlines in my head.
I have to be honest with you.
I had some pretty serious, pretty green, WordPress envy. Bloggers on the WordPress platform have access to an Editorial Calendar Plugin. Right in their blog writing site.
So I searched. And searched.
And I tried no less than five free online calendar sites.
But not one of them compared to my first love in online calendars: Google Calendar.
I use Google Calendar at work to manage the 4 different bands that I teach and their incredibly different schedules. I love it. But the LAST thing I wanted was to add ANOTHER calendar to that account.
And to be honest? I really didn't want to have yet ANOTHER browser window open so I don't have to log in and log out (the whole "switching accounts" thing doesn't always work for me, since ALL of the google apps don't switch . . ). Because I have my primary gmail account, then I have one for the elementary school, and one for the high school, and one for each of my blogs. That is FIVE gmail accounts. Oh mylanta.
Anyway. I remembered that I could just download the Opera web browser, and now have been loading up my new "EDITORIAL CALENDAR" with the posts I plan to write, the tasks I need to do, etc. I am already motivated and excited.
You can see all of the colored boxes representing all of the blogs that I write for. All of the ones in green aren't hard for me to remember, because my primary bog is on a schedule. But the contributing posts definitely need to be in there! Seeing it, in beautiful customizable colors? Bliss.
So I am just putting the topic of each post on the day I plan for it to go live.
In this picture, I have clicked on the post and added any details that I want to make sure that I remember to include -- I need my students to remember when the concert is, so I slyly mention it somewhere in the post. (As well as write it on the white board in my classroom, email, and mention it every day.) So you can see how helpful this can be.
So I am pretty excited about using my favorite Google Calendar as my editorial calendar.
And the best news?
Since Blogger is owned by Google, it just works.
Have fun!
Shoot me any questions as you have them!
