It’s time for something new! Introducing the Carnival of Pen, Pencil and Paper, which will kick off here at Notebook Stories on Tuesday, August 4th. Future editions will be hosted by The Pen Addict on September 8th , Office Supply Geek on October 6th, and other blogs yet to be determined.

If you are a blogger and want to submit a post for the inaugural edition, the deadline is Sunday,  August 2nd at 5pm Eastern time. Read below for all the details.

What is the Carnival of Pen, Pencil and Paper? Will there be cotton candy and rides?

The Carnival is a monthly collection of the best blog posts about notebooks, journals, pens, pencils, paper products and other related topics, appearing at a different blog the first Tuesday of every month. Any unhealthy foods and unnatural G-force levels will be purely virtual.

How can I get one of my posts into the Carnival? How are the posts selected?

Any blogger can submit a post by filling out a simple form at this link. The carnival host will then be responsible for selecting submissions to be included at his or her discretion. One post per submitting blog per carnival. Spam, off-topic posts and inappropriate material will be rejected.

What is the best kind of post to submit?

Please submit a recent post (within the past week or two). Posts should be your own original content. The most interesting posts reflect the point of view of the writer, such as a review of a pen, or an explanation of your paper-based organization system, or examples of artwork from your sketchbook with some commentary. Photos of gorgeous notebooks and pens are always a big plus!

Are there any other requirements for bloggers submitting posts?

Bloggers whose posts are selected should write a post linking back to that edition of the carnival after it is published, as well as the carnival home page. Tweets and Facebook updates are also appreciated. Toot your own horn a bit!

How can I host a future edition of the carnival?

Contact the organizer to apply. Hosts are expected to weed out spam and post the carnival by 9am the first Tuesday of the month in order to ensure maximum exposure for all participants.  It’s also preferred that the host select a few “editor’s choice” posts to highlight. The host should help publicize the carnival by posting, tweeting, etc. The organizer reserves the right to limit hosting to established, active, on-topic blogs.

What is the point of all this? Why should I want to participate?

If you like reading about notebooks, pens, etc., the carnival is a great way to discover new bloggers and make sure you haven’t missed some of the best recent posts from blogs you may already know.
If you are a blogger who writes about notebooks and pens, either as a main topic or just occasionally in relation to other topics such as writing, organization, art, creativity, etc, then the carnival is a chance to showcase your work, find new readers, and gain more incoming links to your blog.
We hope all notebook, pen and pencil fans will find this a fun way to learn more about and interact with a large and growing community of like-minded souls! Please pass the word!