[Another Update: Decided to have a panel of judges that will evaluate the final list of nominees. So there's 60% score from the judges and 40% from the votes. Also, blogs will now be first be evaluated and will be randomly picked by me before they could get to the final list of nominees. Sorry for the revisions, just want this contest to be fair to everyone]

Are you a Pinoy blogger who is seeking a little fame and recognition? Do you want your blog to be featured and be read by the members of the Pinoy blogging community?

Then why not join the “Pinoy Blog of the Month” Contest!

Pinoy bloggers are now given a chance to shine at the blogging spotlight by featuring them and their blogs here in PinoyBlogero. Not only that, but they would also get the chance to win a number of prizes every month!

Details after the jump!

How does this work, exactly?
The contest starts through the submission of nominees that spans from October 2 to October 14. During this period, the ones who are thinking of participating on this contest may submit their blogs by using the form provided.

Out of the overall submissions for the month, I will randomly pick twenty (20) blogs to be a part of the final list of Blog of the Month nominees. The nominees are then given a “Vote for me” badge that they can put and promote on their blogs.

The voting period then starts on October 16 and will end at October 30. At the same time, a panel of judges would be evaluating the nominees according to a predefined criteria.

The results will then be tallied and the winner will be announced on October 31.

Why should I join? What are the benefits of joining this contest?
Participants can enjoy the traffic generated by the said contest. I would also be making a post with a brief review of the final list of nominees before the voting period (Yay! A link-up!).

Furthermore, it is fairly easy to join. The only thing you need to do is to submit your blog, put the badge on your site, ask your readers to vote, and wait for the final result. It is worth the time and effort especially with all the prizes to be won for all those involved! Including the voters!

Prizes? There are prizes?
Yes, there are! This wouldn’t be a contest if there aren’t any prizes!

For the month of October, the winner of the title as Blog of the Month will receive:

• Exposure! Lots of it!
• A customized artwork for your blog like a blog header or feed button image (worth $10).
• A lifetime link on the Blog of the Month pages here in PinoyBlogero.com (it means more traffic and visitors for you!)
• And more to be added soon!

Wait, there’s also a prize in store for voters?
Yes. This is to encourage other Pinoy bloggers to vote for the blogs that they like. Voters may get the chance to win:

• A 512MB Kingston Data Traveler USB!

Yep. This is the one I won over at YugaTech.com. I’m giving it away because I already have 3 USBs!

The winner for the USB will be randomly picked through a raffle!

[Note: PinoyBlogero.com is calling for sponsors for this event. Details can be found here. More sponsors means more prizes!]

How could I win?
Your final score would depend on two things. The score from the panel of judges (60%) and the score from the votes that you will receive (40%). The reason for this breakdown is to give those small blogs a chance to win even if they don’t have a large readership to vote for them. As long as they have good content on their blogs, they have a chance at winning.

What is the criteria for judging?
The panel of judges (whom I shall not disclose) will be considering the following factors in evaluating your blog:

• Blog Content - 50% (Is it enjoyable to read? Does it entertain? Is it informative? Is the content valuable?)
• Design 25% - (Is it good to the eyes? Is it easy to navigate? Is it user friendly?)
• Reader-AuthorInteraction - 20% (Are there any interactions between readers and authors? Does the author encourage discussions on his blog? Remember, a reader-author relationship is important in making a blog grow!)
• Pinoy Factor - 5% (How well does the blog portray its pinoy image? Is it Pinoy enough to be considered a Pinoy Blog?)

So, how should I join?
Finally decided to join, eh? That’s good! If you really want to join in on the fun, follow the steps below:

STEP 1
Submit your blog using the form found here. Please provide all the necessary details like your full name, working e-mail address and the URL of the blog that you will be submitting. On the header title drop down selection, choose the phrase “Blog of the Month Submission”. Leave your blog’s description on the Message box, then press send.

I would reply to your message as soon as I receive your blog submission.

STEP 2
Once your blog has been verified, I would be including you on the list of nominees and will be posting a review of your blog on October 15th. At this time, I would also be giving you a piece of code for the badge that you can put up on your badge. But don’t put it up yet, wait for the voting period to start.

Example of the “Vote for Me” Badge

Just wait and smile as you see your blog being featured and reviewed on PinoyBlogero.com.

STEP 3
On October 16, the voting period will officially start and you could now put the “Vote for me” Badge on your blog so that people can click on it and vote. To earn more votes, you could try to make a post asking your readers to vote for you. Don’t forget to tell them that they could also win a prize!

STEP 4
The only thing left to do is to wait for the final result that I will be posting on October 31. Once the results come out, I will be contacting the winner for the prizes.

Yehey!
There you have it! Just four steps and you may be one of the lucky ones who will win the title as the Blog of the Month this October! If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about the contest, you can leave them at the comment section below.

You could also keep yourself updated with the latest news about this contest by subscribing to my feeds!

Happy blogging!