WordPress likes me. Or at least this online content management system and host site for Minnesota Prairie Roots likes my writing and photography enough to once again feature my work in Freshly Pressed. My writing was last highlighted on the WordPress homepage in July of 2010.
The photo from my Soap Box Derby post featured on the WordPress homepage in Freshly Pressed on Tuesday.
Today my post, “Testing the track during a Soap Box Derby trial run in Faribault,” was selected as one of the 11 best WordPress blog posts in the world. The whole big wide world, folks.
Yes, I am thrilled to have my post on the WordPress home page, chosen from among 834,622 new posts written by 401,667 bloggers. Those stats were as of 2:15 p.m. Tuesday when I took this screen shot:
A screen shot of the Tuesday, June 12, 2012, Freshly Pressed on the WordPress homepage. My post is featured in the bottom center.
“These (Freshly Pressed) posts represent how WordPress can be used to entertain, enlighten or inspire,” WordPress Weblog writer Joy Victory wrote in an April 28, 2010, post, “Five Ways to Get Featured in Freshly Pressed.” (Click here to read her post in its entirety.)
“It’s all about the content,” she says before listing five ways a WordPress blogger can increase his/her chance of making the homepage in Freshly Pressed:
- Write unique content that’s free of bad stuff.
- Include images or other visuals.
- Add tags.
- Aim for typo-free content.
- Cap off your post with a compelling headline.
Check. Check. Check. Check. Check.
If you’ve followed Minnesota Prairie Roots for any length of time, you know that I adhere to all of those guidelines. But I’d like to add one more—write with passion.
When a writer writes for the pure joy of writing and takes photos for the pure joy of taking photos, it shows.
So what does making Freshly Pressed mean for me as a blogger? It equals a substantial increase in traffic to my site, recognition among my blogging peers, more subscribers and a confidence boost.
I don’t know the odds of making Freshly Pressed. I’ll leave that to the math whizzes out there to determine. I may be good with words, but I’m certainly not good with numbers.
Of one thing I’m certain, though. It feels good, absolutely fabulous in fact, to realize that my writing and photography are resonating with readers and that my posts (at least two of them) have been chosen as among the best in the world.
Moland Lutheran Church, a Norwegian Lutheran church south of Kenyon in Steele County, the subject of my post which was Freshly Pressed in July 2010.
FYI: To read the post “In praise of preserving country churches,” which was Freshly Pressed in July 2010, click here. Click here to see the post I wrote then about being Freshly Pressed.
To read “Testing the Track during a Soap Box Derby trial run in Faribault,” click here.
© Copyright 2012 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Congratulations again!!!
Thank you so much, Mark. I appreciate your ongoing support of my blog.
Let me just say—I am officially jealous!!! I so want to be Freshly Pressed! 🙂 But kudos to you because you definitely deserve it and you should be totally over the moon to be Freshly Pressed again! I missed checking it out today so I missed your fame even though I had read your post!!! Congrats!!! So totally deserved!!!
Thank you and I like that phrase, “totally over the moon.”
You are welcome! May I please touch you since you have had 2 brushes with fame???? Pretty please???? 🙂
You are too funny. But if you insist…
Oh thank you! 🙂
Wow, that’s amazing, but not surprising, I love your blog and it inspires me to be a better blogger….I have a long way to go. Congratulations Audrey…I’m always eager to see what your next post will be 🙂
Jackie, you underestimate your talent. I also look forward to your blog posts, especially your spectacular photography. Now I’m waiting to read about that new grandbaby of yours…
That’s wonderful! Have been enjoying your blog since I first came upon it while researching a topic for my own. I was immediately taken in by your lovely photos and by the passion and sincerity in your writing … Well done.
Thank you so kindly for your words of praise. I do believe that when someone is passionate about what they do, as I am about writing and photography, that shows.
Yay!!!! You deserve it!!!!-)
Thank you.
SWEET!!!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS, AUDREY!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m so happy for you!
Thank you, Gretchen. It’s always nice to be publicly recognized for one’s writing.
Wonderful news and so deserving, Audrey. Congrats!
Thank you so much.