Welcome, new ML!

We're so glad to have you joining us as an official NaNoWriMo volunteer. Thanks for your patience as we got everything set up for our new MLs this year! 

We've just finished activating new MLs on the website, and if you haven't been set as the ML in your region yet, let me know in this thread. This email will walk you through an overview of where to start in your MLing journey. I recommend saving this email in an easy-to-find way as it has a lot of useful information in it!

Here's what you'll find in this email:

• General reminders and information
• The new ML training course (deadline: aim to work through by October 1)
• ML Orientation (deadline: orientation sessions are August 9th and 11th; a recording will be available after the fact)
• Pre-ordering an ML kit (deadline: pre-orders close August 14th)
• Other ML resources (to check out when you have a moment)

General reminders and information

• You may have a co-ML in your region! You should now see this year's MLs on your region's landing page, or you can find a list of ML usernames and regions sorted alphabetically by region here—take a look and see if you've got co-MLs. If you don't know your co-ML, you can search for them on the NaNoWriMo website and send a buddy request so you can message each other there, or look for them in this thread in the ML forum to connect there!
   
• If you haven't been able to connect with your co-ML on the NaNoWriMo site or in the forums or elsewhere, give it a couple of days for them to check in and then let me know in that same thread that you'd like an intro to a co-ML, and I can send an email.
   
• Come and introduce yourself on the ML forum! If you aren't able to access the ML forum, make sure you're logged into your NaNoWriMo account when you click it. If you still can't access it, you can post in this thread to request access.

The new ML training course

Because there's so much information in all of our ML resources, we've put the essentials into a course format to make it more digestible for new MLs! You can access this course through Google Classroom, which allows you to track which sections you've reviewed. 

We've set deadlines for each section of October 1st just to have a date that allows them to be displayed in the "To-do" section, but you can work through this at your own pace. 

ML Orientation

There are two ML Orientation sessions on Zoom scheduled next week! You can either register to attend one of them live, or if neither of these times works for you, I'll share a recording and a transcript of the session afterwards.

(I tried to choose times that would give us the most options for the most countries—the one on Wednesday in North America is hopefully early enough to catch most Europeans in the evening, and the one on Friday in North America should hit waking hours on Saturday for quite a few folks on the other side of the international date line. But nothing is ever going to work for everyone, which is why I'll also share a recording and transcript.)

In these orientation sessions, I'll walk you through some of the ML tools and resources, answer any questions you have, and you'll get a chance to meet some of your fellow new MLs! 

• Orientation session #1, Wednesday August 9th at 10AM Pacific (your time zone). Register now! 
• Orientation session #2, Friday August 11th at 4PM Pacific (your time zone). Register now!

Accessibility notes:

• These orientation sessions will have live automated transcribing.
• You are not required to participate or have your camera on if you would prefer just to watch the session.
• Video capacity is not required, but some elements of the presentation will be via guided screenshare of the Municipal Liaison tools. If you would like to attend the session and would benefit from screenshots with alt text for screenreader access to what we'll be reviewing, please let me know and I will send them along.
• A dial-in option is available to participate via phone—if you are outside the United States and would like to call in via telephone, please let me know so I can make sure you get the relevant phone number. 

Pre-ordering an ML kit

ML kits contain stickers for the participants in your region and a poster for you to hang at events. There is no charge for ordering an ML kit, but MLs in regions with multiple MLs should coordinate to order one kit per region, unless you are a geographically spread out region and will not see your co-MLs at all.

• If you are the only ML in your region this year, you will be the one placing a pre-order for your ML kit! (Read on for more about that.)
   
• If all the MLs in your region this year are new, you can coordinate with them to pre-order an ML kit! (Read on for more about that.) 
   
• If there are any returning MLs in your region this year, please check with them before pre-ordering an ML kit! They may have already ordered an ML kit. If you are in a geographically spread-out region where you won't see them in person, you can order a separate kit.

This year, we're doing ML kits as a pre-order for the first time, which means your ML kit order won't ship until early September.  It also means that we don't have a sticker design to share with you yet. 

Please review all the information in the item description in the store before you place your order. The description also includes the link to the annual ML pin—you can pre-order one of those for each ML in your region.

Pre-orders must be placed by August 14th to guarantee the number of stickers you're requesting. If you aren't able to get ahold of any returning MLs in your region to check with them about whether they've pre-ordered, let me know in this thread and I can connect you via email and check on any orders. We'll also have some additional stickers available to order in September for those who missed the pre-order window.  

Questions about the pre-order process, not sure how many stickers to order, or anything have questions about anything else related to ML kits? Check to see if they're answered in the ML Swag FAQ. Is your question not there? Ask them in this thread. 

If you've definitely confirmed that you should be ordering a kit, you can place your pre-order! 

Other ML resources

First up is the ML Support Hub website, where all of our ML resources, information, and templates live. I also add links to ML emails whenever I send them there in case you miss an email in your inbox.

There are also several places to connect with other MLs for advice, support, and community!

• The ML forums. This is a great way to connect with your fellow MLs right on the NaNoWriMo forums and is also the primary space for updates from HQ between email updates. Introduce yourself here! If you can't access the ML forums, make sure you're logged into your account, and then if you still can't access them, please post in this thread to let us know.
   
• The ML Facebook group. If you're a Facebook user, you can join our ML Facebook group! Please make sure to include your username and region when you request to join—it should ask you for that information when you hit the request button. 
   
• There's also an ML Discord server—it's run by MLs as more of an unofficial space. It's a great way to connect with your fellow MLs, an incredible resource for support, and probably the fastest way to get answers to your questions, but not as effective for asking HQ questions. 

Welcome aboard! We're so glad to have you here. I'll be sending regular emails in the next few months so please make sure you've added my email address to your contacts so they don't get lost in your spam folder. 

If you want to adjust which other emails you receive from NaNoWriMo, please do so from your account settings rather than by unsubscribing via email footer, as that removes you from all NaNoWriMo email lists and we will no longer be able to update you about ML issues, which could lead to your removal as ML.

If you have a question that wasn't answered by this email, you can ask it in this thread! If you're logged into your NaNoWriMo account and can't see that thread, please post in this thread to get access.

If you have a private question that you don't want to ask in the questions from new MLs thread and need to send me an email, please be sure to include your username on the NaNoWriMo site and your region, and please be patient in waiting for a response! (There are kind of a lot of you.) 

Thanks, everyone!

Sarah Mackey
Director of Community Engagement
NaNoWriMo
she/her/hers