Community Post: This article was submitted by a member of our community. Find out how you can publish your own writing here!
Hey 8CN Community! 2014 is drawing to a close, and I just wanted to thank each and every one of you for being a part of this project.
It’s really been an amazing year. We’ve published some incredible writing together, our audience has expanded by leaps and bounds, and every day I’m even more excited to see what our community will be creating next.
We’ve grown in ways that we were only dreaming about when we started this little blog, and we couldn’t have done it without your creativity, passion, and imagination.
So a big thank you goes out to all of you for helping us build this community. It’s been amazing seeing our team grow and develop as each of you adds your own personality and ideas. I think we’re onto something really great here, and I can’t wait to see the writing and projects everyone comes up with next year.
We’re not done yet though.
To make sure you have the best creative environment possible, the 8CN editorial team is working hard to provide you with all of the tools and resources you need to get your work out there, build an audience, and become a better writer. We’ve got some big things planned for next year, and I really, truly hope all of you will be a part of that.
So without further ado, here are some of the ways you can get involved in 2015!
1. Join our Facebook group!
If you haven’t already, make sure you’re connected with the 8CN writing community through the officialFacebook group. This is where we brainstorm and collaborate on article ideas, get feedback on the ones we’ve already written, and just hang out and chat in general.
It’s also a great way to network, meet your fellow writers, and find projects that you might want to work on. So get in there and make some friends!
2. Get involved with podcasts!
Interested in podcasts? We want to hear from you!
Right now, our network features several podcasting teams who are always on the lookout for guest hosts to join their crews. Just let the community know in the Facebook group if you’re interested in giving podcasting a try, and someone will be in touch.
Or, if you’re feeling ambitious, maybe you want to start your very own podcast! In 2015, we’ll be partnering with a new file service that will allow us to host and stream even more shows. So if you’ve ever wanted to give podcasting a try, now’s your chance!
Post a message in the group or email me directly to get the ball rolling on that.
3. Sign on to be a part of our YouTube team!
Next year, we’ll also be relaunching our YouTube channel, opening it up to members of our community to create original videos together. We want to extend that same feeling of collaboration and an open community we have in our writing to media projects as well.
Even if you’re new to YouTube, we’ll work together as a team to make that first step as painless as possible. Or, if you’re already an online video ace, we’ll work with you on building your audience, and getting your work out there.
We’re still very early on in working out exactly how this system will work, but if you’re interested, let us know now and we’ll make sure you’re on board when it goes live!
4. Take a class!
Next year, we’ll be taking a big step forward in trying to provide our community with the tools and knowledge you need to thrive as a writer.
Beginning in Q2 2015, we’ll be offering free online lectures and roundtables on a variety of writing, journalism, blogging, and website management topics.
Right now we are still developing the course list, so if there’s something in particular you’d like to learn, we’d love to hear about it! Whether it’s how to report the news, conduct an interview, edit a video, or anything in between… if you want to learn it, we’ll try our best to find someone to teach it!
5. Attend an event in your area!
The 8CN community is all about learning from new experiences and people, and what better place to do that then in a giant space full of your fellow geeks?
Luckily, there are thousands of comic cons, expos, and other events going on across the country where you can do exactly that! If you find one in your area that you’d like to attend, let us know. Maybe we can get you a free pass so you can blog about your experience!
6. Game with us on Steam!
Do you play games on Steam? If so, join our Steam Group and let’s game together (especially if you play Counter-Strike, because man, that game is the best).
7. Connect with us on social media!
Want to see what your fellow writers are up to? Then connect with us on the official 8CN Twitter,Facebook, Tumblr, and Google+ pages!
If you would like a follow-back, no problem! Let me know directly so I can find you. We’d love to retweet and reblog your posts!
8. Invite your friends!
Just about everything is better with friends, and our community is no different. The more writers we have to collaborate with, the better our ideas will be and the more we can learn from each other.
If you have friends with an interest in writing or blogging, invite them to join our community! Everyone is welcome, no matter what their writing level is, as long as they have a passion for discussing all things geeky!
9. Give us your feedback!
Our goal with the 8CN Community is to create an environment that provides you with the tools and the freedom you need to create amazing writing, grow your audience, and continue to develop and improve as writers.
To do that, we need to know what you want to see! Whether it’s a website feature, a better way of collaborating or networking, or even if you just have a random thought you want to share, we want to hear it!
This project hinges on us providing you with the best possible experience and community, so if we can be doing something better, please let us know.
10. Continue being awesome!
Give me a high five, you know you deserve it!
Happy almost New Year, see you in 2015!
Community Post: This article was submitted by a member of our community. The views expressed are the opinions of the designated author, and do not reflect the opinions of the Overmental as a whole or any other individual. We will gladly cooperate in the removal of plagiarism or any copyright infringement. Please contact us here.
