I started FWJ Idol as a way to allow this community to pick our next winner. It was an interesting and necessary learning experience.
I learned you’re all very passionate about your favorites and what you would like to see here. I learned running a contest like this is a lot of work and I can’t please everyone - but the people I do please are the ones I need to be thinking of anyway. I learned that there are people who will sabotage things just for the sake of sabotage with no concern over the folks who put in a lot of hard work. And I learned the FWJ community are good, decent people who want the best person for the job to win and ensure FWJ’s future success.
Before I announce the winner I think it’s important to note only 12 votes separated the winner from the second place runner up. On Friday I thought we had a clear winner but by Sunday afternoon this wasn’t the case at all.
Enough with the talking already, Deb, who won?
I give you the winner of the FWJ Idol contest:
Kelly Clarkson, a/k/a Underdog, a/k/a Dobby, a/k/a Candidate #3 a/k/a…well you’ll just have to wait to find out her true identity when she submits her first post this week.
Congratulations Kelly Clarkson! We’re pleased and honored to welcome you as our next blogger and know we’ll be seeing good things from you. I’ll be sending you a log in and you can start at your convenience. I think we’ll make a great team.
And as for you Carrie Underwood, a/k/a Winky the House Elf, a/k/a Gigantaur, a/k/a Candidate #10…a/k/a, you are by no means anything less than a winner. You commanded this contest. You came in first place almost every week which means this community likes you and wanted to see you on top. That only 12 points separated you from the winner only means that you continued to kick butt, niche or no niche, and you deserve plenty of claps.
Also, I want to thank all of our candidates for their hard work and good sportsmanship. There was no guarantee you would get the gig and the majority of you handled yourself with class, grace and dignity. If I could I’d hire you all. I hope you will all continue to be members of this community and if there’s any way I can help you in the future, I hope you won’t hesitate to ask.
Now, it will take me some time to go in and change all the candidates names and add in links and bios. In the meantime, all of our candidates are welcome to introduce themselves here and add their links and bios so their fans can continue to follow.
Thanks for your participation. This has been exhausting but well worth it as we got turned on to some great writers and bloggers.
Rock on.
September 1st, 2008 at 9:51 am
Thank you to both of the two final candidates, you both are incredible writers. All of the original 13 were superb writers as well. Wow, what a close race!
I’m looking forward to meeting everyone and reading their bios and their links.
September 1st, 2008 at 10:29 am
Oh, what a brilliant end to the contest! Now that’s the way to pull it off. Suspense, drama (sorry), a really tight race (12 votes? Holy crow, batman!!) and a grand finale that *still* leaves people guessing.
Hats off to you, Deb (and Jodee!), congratulations to Kelly, and also kudos to everyone else who participated, both as contestants and within comment sections.
September 1st, 2008 at 10:46 am
Carrie, why don’t you let the real you come out and take a bow as the real you. I’m sure you gained many new fans. In fact, all of our candidates should come and introduce themselves. The FWJ community has been guessing for two months, show yourselves!!!
September 1st, 2008 at 10:51 am
Whoooo hoooo! Thank you so much! I’m very excited and I can’t wait to get started.
Carrie, you did a great job and gave me a run for my laptop! And big whoo hoo’s to all of the other contestants. Can you all believe it’s been 12 weeks? Whoa.
This has been a fantastic journey and I’m grateful that it’s just beginning.
Thank you to Deb and Jodee for putting this all together and sticking with it despite some spoiled sports trying to ruin the fun for everyone. You both deserve a big piece of chocolate for going strong for 12 weeks!
Thank you to my husband, who each week reminded me to stay true to my craft and ideals and to kick it hard every time.
Finally, thank you to the FWJ community - your support, comments and participation has made this contest so much fun!
September 1st, 2008 at 10:55 am
*bows*
What I’d really like to know is how many readers guessed who I was. *grins*
September 1st, 2008 at 10:59 am
@Kelly - I can’t wait until I start calling you (and all the contestants) by your real name. And I can’t wait to see what’s in store for your first post! I can’t tell you how happy I am you’ll be writing for us.
@ James - Quite a few people wrote to me asking if you were the famous #10. I told them I took a vow of secrecy.
September 1st, 2008 at 10:59 am
Better than a vow of celibacy, I’m sure
September 1st, 2008 at 11:06 am
You know “Carrie” I had a feeling you were James it was your last post that did it. It seemed like something you would write. You do an excellent job of making people think. After reading the last entry by Carrie I said to myself that has to be James! I did vote for Carrie.
Congrats to everyone who entered!
September 1st, 2008 at 11:22 am
@James - You never met Mr. Ng. ..
(sorry honey, I was kidding)
September 1st, 2008 at 11:23 am
@James/Carrie,
With your other posts I thought I knew who you were but this last one you had me a bit fooled. Excellent writing, as always!
September 1st, 2008 at 11:24 am
Congrats to everyone. Yo know #10 had me all through the early voting, just not the last one - sorry James! But y’all did a wonderful job, especially Deb who had to organize the whole thing.
September 1st, 2008 at 11:24 am
PS - James - do you now feel more in touch with your feminine side?
September 1st, 2008 at 11:32 am
Indeed I do, Fiona. I’ve even taken up warbling love songs like Miss Independenc- Oops, wait, wrong singer.
September 1st, 2008 at 11:33 am
First of all to Kelly Clarkson a big fat congratulations!!! I can’t wait to see what you bring to our great big round table. I was a fan of yours from early on.
TWELVE VOTES??? Whoa…
and James? I KNEW IT WAS YOU!!! I’m so smart I amaze myself. I voted for you most weeks. Deb wouldn’t tell me and I asked her three or four times. You did good. Deb I hope you’ll invite James to guest blog now and then.
Thank you to all the candidates for your participation and giving me something to think about each week. Thanks Deb for the contest. Thanks Jodee for leads. Now what will I do with my time now that it’s over?
September 1st, 2008 at 11:38 am
Congrats to the all the contestants! I’m looking forward to another voice contributing to this community.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:16 pm
I *thought* that was you a couple of times, James, in your #10 incarnation. This has been a fun competition.
September 1st, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Congrats to “Kelly” (Please pick Corporate Corner. Just sayin.)
And James, I’m sure you probably guessed that I knew who you were up until the end when you refused to have any sort of niche at all. (Why did you do that??????????????????????????????????????????? Web Writing, dude!! Come on!! You big brat.) When that happened, I thought maybe you were voted out in second to last round, because I didn’t pay close attention that round. The James I know would never do that.
So I guess in a way, you did have me fooled.
P.S. I thought “Carrie Underpants” was a cool name.
I want to know who #12 was. I want her to write for my blog.
September 1st, 2008 at 3:25 pm
James! I had no idea you were Carrie or #10. I thought you were the candidate Deb was talking about a few weeks ago when she had to eliminate someone who “she really respected and whose work she has followed for a long time,” etc. etc. No surprise that you got this far, though; you are and always have been awesome!
So, hi, everybody! I am Megatron, also known as Candidate #4, also known as Carly Schuna. I hope some of you will drop by my blog and say hi. I would really, really, really love to have some readers, and I created the blog just about a week ago so that you guys could drop by and keep up with me. Who knows…. maybe I’ll hold an icebreaker there in the next few days, too, just to get the party started.
September 1st, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Carly, you were one of my favorites. I like how you named your blog. LOL
September 1st, 2008 at 3:44 pm
@ Amy - I’ll tell you why I did that: because I write on web writing all the time. Between Men with Pens, Copyblogger, Small Fuel and others, I have everything from purple underpants to snazzy suits covered as far as niche within niche goes.
And since all these blogs cross over as far as subject area, I find that writing on yet another blog about the same subjects would just be unfair to readers and to Deb. I wanted the freedom to choose the topic of the day that would fit right for the moment and just rock the hell out of it.
But I couldn’t say that, because then everyone would know who I was. So I took the hit and tried to explain the hazards of constantly blogging on the same subject… but I guess that unless you’ve been there, done that, it’s very difficult to imagine, y’know?
September 1st, 2008 at 3:46 pm
@ Megatron - Hehehehe… fooled you!
September 1st, 2008 at 3:53 pm
James — I totally get it. In fact, I was a little surprised that you would want to write for another writing blog. But I also figured you had your reasons (i.e., it’s a good opportunity, and who wouldn’t want to write for Deb?). I did like your idea about going with the flow of the need. I thought that would be cool too, until I read what it was that Deb was looking for (sparkplugging-wise, vision and all of that). At that point I thought, “Ok, if it’s James, he’ll settle down and say “web writing” or “blogging” or something broad just to settle the need.” But you didn’t. And now I’m sad. Because I thought for sure (when you were #10) that you had the job in the bag. Not saying Kelly won’t do a fab job, just that I know you and how brilliant you are at getting a discussion going, and I was cheering for you, because I think you could add that here. Not dissing Kelly. I’m sure she’ll be great. But I’m still sad. *goes off to sulk in the corner*
September 1st, 2008 at 4:05 pm
@ Amy - To be honest, Deb surprised me with that one, but I believe that’s because our interpretations of niche are different. Because of what I do and my area of work, I see niche as extremely specific - laser targeting.
I see something like “web writing” or “marketing” or “branding” or “selling ebooks” as a less limiting, still restrictive but more tolerable view. When I wrote the post, I was thinking my interpretation. Deb and I discussed afterwards and it was an “ahhh” moment.
But then I tossed it back at her. I said, “Look. You’re the boss if I win. It’s up to you to tell me where you feel my talents are best served, so you toss me what you want me to write about if I end up being your new employee.” She did, I was happy. I would’ve written on anything she chose, actually, specifically because that’s what you do when your boss tells you to do something.
Sorta. Within reason. I *am* James, after all. I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t swim just a *little* counter-current.
September 1st, 2008 at 4:06 pm
And personally, I think anyone with a name like Carly is gonna kick butt.
September 1st, 2008 at 4:14 pm
James — I see niche the way you do. I actually learned a lot from the discussion on that post about the niche interpretations. For example, when I tell people I blog for lawyers, they go “Oh, that’s a great niche.” And I don’t think of that as a niche. Now that a good portion of my work is blogging about food safety and for food poisoning lawyers, *that* I see as a niche. So I am grateful to have been able to witness at least a little portion of that discussion, because it made me see the other perspective a little better. But back to you… I’m still sad.
If enough of us start to cry, maybe Deb will hire you all. 
September 1st, 2008 at 4:20 pm
@ Amy - If you’re crying now, wait until you take that housekeeping job I offered you earlier this morning…
September 1st, 2008 at 4:22 pm
James — Dude. I thought we settled this. Cleaning is NOT my niche. In fact, I just put in a bid on Deb’s vacuum-loving, cooking-show-hosting son on Twitter. Perhaps you should do the same.
September 1st, 2008 at 4:24 pm
@Amy - Housekeeping job? It shed a little more light on why you want my son (and his Swiffer) to come for a visit.
September 1st, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Deb — James and I were chatting about whose carpet has seen the less light of day. I still say mine wins. As long as “the boy” is taller than two feet, he shouldn’t get lost in the piles of clothes and books….
September 1st, 2008 at 4:34 pm
@Amy - Well..the only carpeted room in the Ng abode is our teeny family room and at the moment there’s only one dog-sized space visible to the naked eye.
September 1st, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Congrats, Carly. Well done. I’m sure you’ll do a fabulous job. And James, you certainly did well in keeping many people guessing. I enjoyed the articles from both of you.
And okay, I’ll de-cloak as candidate #11. Hi!
September 1st, 2008 at 8:49 pm
I think there is some confusion. Much as I would love to be the new blogger, I’m not–that honor goes to the fabulous Kelly Clarkson, whose real identity will, I trust, be revealed momentarily. I know Kelly and Carly sound a little bit alike, so if any of you can’t get enough of names with that sound, you’re welcome to visit my blog anytime.
September 1st, 2008 at 8:50 pm
It was brought to my attention that someone wanted to know who I was. So, here I am.
Congrats to the winner & runner up!
September 1st, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Oops! Hahah! I totally meant to type Kelly. Carly you did a great job on your posts. Wishing you luck on your next projects.
September 2nd, 2008 at 1:21 am
Congrats Kelly! I can’t wait to get to know the contestants’ real identities.
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:25 am
Hey,
A big congrats to the winner and James well done to you too!
By the way any news on why there are no leads for the last two days. I hope everything is going well
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:30 am
Wow, I’m a little late, but big congrats and best of luck, Kelly! Hats off to you too, James!! I had a feeling it was you
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Now that the cat’s out of the bag I’ll reveal my identity… Greetings, I’m Misti Sandefur, a.k.a, Candidate #1. Please feel free to drop by and visit me at my Life of a Writer blog (http://mistisandefur.blogspot.com) as well as my newest blog, WAHM’s Journey to Weight Loss (http://journey-to-weight-loss.blogspot.com). I have a full writing schedule for today so I won’t be able to blog at Life of a Writer (paying clients come first); however, as soon as I take care of my paying clients, I will create a welcome post at Life of a Writer for all of you who decide to join me there. Once the post is live, I encourage you to leave a comment and introduce yourself. Life of a Writer does “follow” commenters, and I’ll even visit your blog and leave a comment for you. Furthermore, if I enjoy your blog, it will be added to my RSS reader.
As a long-time reader of FWJ, it was definitely an honor to be part of such a great and friendly community. I was up against some tough competition, but I enjoyed every minute of it!
Congratulations, Terreece Clarke (aka Kelly Clarkson), and good luck with your newest writing gig!
James Chartrand (aka Carrie Underwood), congratulations to you for making it this far! I’ve been reading your blog for a long time and plan to continue reading your wonderful writing. I had a feeling you were #10, but when the names changed, I wasn’t sure who you were.
Finally, I would like to thank each and everyone who voted for me and left comments. Deb and Jodee, thank you both for the opportunity. The both of you did a great job with the contest!
Well, it’s back to writing for me. Until next time, take care and God bless you and yours.
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:39 pm
@ Grace: I took the day off yesterday and we had some server issues this morning that made leads a bit late.