The Baristas have spent the month of July brainstorming how we can continue to make the Go Dog Go Café a dynamic and interactive community for writers to gather. Starting August 1st, we will be introducing new features, giving an old favorite an update, and introducing new Baristas.

New Features

Throwback Fridays
Most of the Go Dog Go Baristas have been writing for some time and have impressive back catalogs. Starting Friday, August 2nd, the Baristas will be dusting off some oldies but goodies and sharing them with our readers. Look for a full day of stellar and diverse writing, as you get to further explore the Baristas’ work.

Guest Barista Saturday
We are really excited to announce the Launch of Guest Barista Saturdays! We are inviting all of our readers to submit 3 to 5 pieces of original writing (previously published is fine as long as you retain the rights) along with a paragraph introducing yourself, and a link to your blog to godoggocafe@gmail.com. We will be choosing 1 or 2 Guest Baristas to highlight every week. It gives us a chance to all get to know each other better and further celebrate this wonderful community.

New Barista Wednesdays
As we bring new Baristas on board, we want to really give you a chance to get to know them and their writing better. We will be introducing each new Barista with several pieces of their writing, a paragraph introducing themselves, and a link to their blog. Christine is so excited about this idea, that we might spotlight all of our current Baristas this way once all our new Baristas have been welcomed. Stay tuned!

Updated Features

Pay It Forward Thursdays is Becoming Promote a Poet/Writer Thursdays
Pay It Forward Thursdays has always been a big favorite of the Baristas. It is an honor and a pleasure to share some of our favorite writing with you. However, we realize the name is a little confusing and that limiting readers to choose a single piece of writing does not really introduce us adequately to a new-to-us writer. We are hoping that everyone in the community will consider introducing us to some of their favorite writers on WordPress, Facebook, or Instagram. Participation is really simple- just tell us in the comments section why you like this poet/writer and provide a link to their blog or social media page so we can explore.

Recruitment of New Baristas

We have already heard from several community members who are interested in becoming Baristas and are excited to start reviewing their writing samples. We are still accepting applications and encourage all interested parties to apply. You do not have to be a poet to be a Barista! We all love prose and short fiction and would also love to have baristas on board who enjoy writing book reviews, interviewing other writers, dreaming up writing prompts, or writing about writing!

Barista Responsibilities:
• Submission of a minimum of 2 to 3 pieces (poetry, prose, writing prompt, book reviews, writer interviews, essays about writing, and/or short fiction) of original writing a month
• Commitment to actively participate in the Go Dog Go Community by visiting often, reading and commenting on posts and showing support for patrons and your fellow Baristas
• Follow Go Dog Go on other social media platforms that you use (such as Facebook and Twitter) and spread the word about the cool things going on here.

How to Apply to Be a Barista:
Email godoggocafe@gmail.com

• 3 writing samples (links are acceptable)
• a brief biography
• your pen name (if applicable)
• link to where you publish your work
• please indicate Go Dog Go Barista Application in the subject line