Here we go again

Last year, my readers were instrumental in voting my blog the #1 Top Military Family Blog of 2011on Circle of Moms website (see, “We’re Number One” May 2011.) They faithfully voted day after day, week after week, until my blog was on the top of the list and I won the whole freaking thing. I was truly touched.

Since the hubbub over that contest, some have asked me, “Hey Lisa, what did they give you for winning?” For those of you out there who are fellow bloggers, you already know the answer to that question, but many non-bloggers do not, and I’m always afraid to disappoint them with my answer. The fact is, online magazines and websites who run contests like these do not award trophies, medals, ribbons, cash, crowns, sashes, or even an Applebee’s gift card. There are no ticker tape parades, no banquets with chicken cordon bleu, no bouquet of foil balloons, no giant stuffed animal.

No, the reward for winning these contests is solely in the free marketing benefit of being listed on their websites. Whoopdeedoo, you might be saying to yourself, but actually, I need the free marketing a heck of a lot more than I need a French Dip Slider from Applebee’s or a life sized plush gorilla like the one at the Pingpong Fishbowl Stand at the County Fair.

No, the publicity I got for being on the Circle of Moms’ list did not land me any book deals. King Features has not offered to syndicate my column across North America. No Hollywood producers have requested the rights to my life story for a mini-series starring Drew Barrymore (the goofy one in “Never Been Kissed” not the Covergirl model.) But the Circle of Moms contest last year really helped me attract new readers and subscribers, and even a few freelance deals, so it was worth all the shameless trolling for votesafter all (see,“I kinda suck, but will you vote for me anyway?”May 2011.)

This year, Circle of Moms has announced new contest categories, one of which is “The Top 25 Funny Mom Blogs.” If you have read my stuff and are inclined to help a struggling stay-at-home-mom to make it in the world as a humor columnist, click the pink circle above and throw me a bone. Your votes (you can vote up to once a day until March 21st) will not win me a lifetime subscription to the Jelly of the Month Club, and Ed McMahon will never show up at my door with a giant check, but it will publicize my blog to the six million users of Circle of Moms website and might help me break into the big leagues one day.

Thanks again everyone!