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WritersNotes.Net: Helping Writers Follow Their Dreams Through Information, Inspiration, and Encouragement!
September 11th 2007 05:24
The Realities of Book Publishing
Lillie Ammann has written a post, on A Writer's Words, An Editor's Eye, that any writer planning on becoming involved in book publishing anytime in the foreseeable future would do well to read. It's called, The Realities of the Publishing World: Traditional, Subsidy, and Self-Publishing. Lillie has eight years in the publishing industry to her credit, which eminently qualifies her to write this piece.
Self-Publishing Explained
Lillie's post discusses the ongoing debate over the three types of book publishing and provides links to a few other helpful discussions of the topic. In addition to these resources, she links to her 14-part Self-Publishing Primer, where, in her own words, she offers readers "a more in-depth review of these different kinds of publishing and the advantages and disadvantages of each."
Gain A Bit of Publishing Knowledge
Lillie's Self-Publishing Primer is, itself worth the visit, with the other offsite resources she mentions providing the icing on the cake. So, if you have a book-length manuscript lying around waiting to find a home, and you're at all interested in learning a bit about the ins and outs of the book publishing industry--as well as the various options open to you in getting your own book published--visit Lillie's blog and have a read. You'll come away with a great deal more knowledge about publishing your book than you've ever had before.
Knowledge is power,
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Have any questions? Please feel free to comment!
A Write-from-Home Reminder
Write-from-home.com is a website that I've written about before. In my May 11th, 2007 post, Write-from-Home.Com: A New Site for Freelance Writers, I introduced this site to my readers, as the excellent resource that it is for writers.
Recently, Amy Derby, who runs the site, purchased a reprint of one of my articles, which appeared on my blog back in June and which she has just published in her September online e-zine. And, although this isn't really the reason I'm bringing her site up again (since my blog's readers have likely already read the post in question), it's as good a reason as any to remind everyone of a great site where writers will find helpful writing-related articles, writing markets and contest listings, and even a blog with some really great content.
The Write-from-Home Blog
With all the other helpful info on the site, it would be easy to overlook the Write-from-Home blog--but don't, because it's loaded with helpful tips, information, advice, and resources that can help you succeed. One post even contains a warning about a possible scam currently being advertised on Craigslist. So, check it out. I know you'll get a great deal out of this blog, as well as the rest of the site.
Some topics covered on the blog, in addition to the possible Craigslist scam, are these: dealing with stress as a freelance writer, the freelance workload "rollercoaster," setting up a home office on a budget, getting published as a new freelance writer, and freelance writing terms explained (quite a long list of them, too).
The Write-from-Home Market
So, if you've never been to Write-from-Home.Com--or haven't been there lately--drop by for a visit. You'll find a great deal of helpful information there.
And, if your forte just happens to be writing about selling your writing, you might just be able to sell some of your writing right there--since Amy buys both original articles and reprints for her Write-from-Home e-zine. (She pays $75 for unpublished articles and $30 for reprints.) Check out her Guidelines to find out what she's looking for.
Stop by Write-from-Home.Com--and give your freelance writing career a boost!
Happy reading!
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Have any questions? Please don't hesitate to leave a comment!
DataBanq: The Blog of DataBanq Media Network
The DataBanq Media Blog covers topics such as technology, social networking, and SEO. These are all subjects that affect not only businesses that market their products online, but also writers of online content--or writers who market their writing online.
Posts on this relatively new but popular Internet Blog are informative and well-written. One that stands out in particular was penned by DataBanq president David Bayer and presents an in-depth assessment of the current and future realities of social networking.
Another fascinating topic addressed by Bayer on this insightful Technology Blog is "orphaned pages" (i.e., pages that, due to changes made to a website, no longer have other pages linked to them) and how such pages can negatively impact a website's other pages in search results.
The Databanq Blog presents highly informative content for anyone who is interested in knowing a little more about the inner workings of the often-mysterious world of the internet. And there are few people today who aren't in some way affected by the realities of the WorldWide Web--writers included.
Thanks for reading,
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Learn anything from it? Have any questions? Feel free to comment!
A Truly Thought-ful Blogger
Just a Thought! is a fascinating compilation of David Woon's musings on life and truth. "And who is David Woon?" you may ask. That's a very fair question.
David Woon is an unusually insightful young man who possesses an uncanny ability to cut right to the heart of a topic and thoroughly probe its depths. But there's more. He also has the rare skill to do so with a minimum of words--a skill which rarely goes hand-in-hand with an in-depth look at a topic. This natural-born philosopher/blogger presents his words of wisdom via concise blog entries that get right to the point, discuss it briefly, using some truly original and fascinating metaphors, and then get out. There is absolutely no rambling on this blog, which I admire.
A Truly Purposeful Blog
David states the following about Just a Thought: "The blog contains my short reflections about Life in general which I hope would, in one way or another, serve as a source of inspiration for you..." He also hopes his musings might trigger "some thoughts of your own in the contemplation of the mystery that is Life." His ultimate goal for his blog is to create an atmosphere of mutual sharing between him and his readers, as he puts it, "so that we can all learn and grow together as we strive to leave this world a better place than what it was before our humble existence." What a lofty goal!
Truly Intriguing Ideas
Many readers--as well as bloggers--will be able to relate to his thoroughly altruistic aspirations, since we feel very much the same way he does. These readers will enjoy reading his entries about such topics as spending money wisely by designating certain percentages to each spending category, including donating to charity; enjoying better communication with others by using the "Golden Assumption," "backing up your life" in the minds and hearts of those you've touched and influenced, and becoming a better person through becoming "nobody-centric," rather than "self-centric."
David Woon shares some truly intriguing ideas at http://www.davidwoon.com/blog/, and anyone who will dig back into his archives (which go back to November 2004) will find a great many more philosophical treasures buried there!
Happy digging!
Jeanne
This post sponsored by ReviewMe.
Did you enjoy this post? Have any thoughts to share? Please don't hesitate to comment!
Love Thy Commenter
Mark, at ProBloggers Matrix, penned a post recently, which asked the following question:
How Do You REWARD Your COMMENTERS and Those Who Have BACKLINKED to Your Blog?
August Link Love
In the spirit of giving--and the spirit of Blog Day (which, as many of you may know, was yesterday)--I thought I'd designate today, September 1st, Comment Appreciation Day and send some link love out to everyone who commented at Writer's Notes during the month of August. Thanks, guys and gals! Love you all!
Here's the list of August commenters, in no particular order:
Yvonne Russel, Grow Your Writing Business
Laura Spencer, Writing Thoughts
Lillie Ammann, A Writer's Words, An Editor's Eye
John Doe, Film & TV on DVD
AmyHuang, Travel String
Kleonaptra, Kalikapsychosis
Fiar, Radioactive Liberty
BigMike, N.A.D.S.
Louie, Climate Red
Jon, Tech News
K-IntheHouse, ShanKri-la
Tracy, Movies and Life
Mandy, Pop! In the Name of Love
Charles Young, Top Site of the Day
Danielle, Musings of a Middle Aged Woman
David, Mind Orgasms
Phil, Contest Blogger
Chic Critique, Fashion.org.au
Brad Shorr, Word Sell, Inc.
Bob, Every Every Minute
Loz, Written Life
Joanna Young, Confident Writing
Chris Kitamura, Dude Check Out My Site
Sylvia C, Sylvia's Insight
Melissa Garrett, A Writer's Woolgatherings
Malathy, Blog Avenues
Lily, Ars Poetica
Ash, Australian Traveller
Faisca, Faisca's Corner
Michael Martin, Pro Blog Design
Sharon, Get Paid to Write Online
Mark-Blogger, ProBloggers Matrix
Mark Goodyear, Good Word Editing
Tavi Nemet, Loop 44
Rosemary, Alpaca Notes
Robert Hruzek, Middle Zone Musings
Keep Spreading the Magic!
Thanks so much for your comments, everyone! They've all been greatly appreciated; and they've helped make Writer's Notes a much more interesting--and far less lonely--place than it would have been otherwise!
Stop back by again to chat anytime! And remember to visit lots of other blogs and continue to pass on the comment-kindness! You'll get as much out of it as the other blogger will!
Keep those comments coming,
Jeanne
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Blog Day 2007: Celebrating New Blogs Worldwide
Today is Blog Day 2007: A day to celebrate new blogs all over the world! In honor of Blog Day, bloggers have been asked to list, describe, and link to five new blogs--preferably representing a different country, culture, or focus than our own.
Here's what the Blog Day website has to say:
BlogDay was created with the belief that bloggers should have one day dedicated to getting to know other bloggers from other countries and areas of interest. On that day Bloggers will recommend other blogs to their blog visitors.
After writing our Blog Day posts, we are also asked to notify the bloggers we've chosen, which I plan to do via a comment on each one's blog.
Five Great New Blogs You Should Definitely Visit
Here are my choices (in no particular order) for five of the best new blogs from different parts of the U.S. and around the world. (Well...only one is currently outside the U.S: Confident Writing, which comes to us from Scotland; though one will soon be moving to Germany: Content Done Better. Yet, for some of you, the U.S. is on the other side of the world!) All these blogs are either only several months old or under new ownership.
I will let the bloggers who create the magic of the written word on their blogs speak for themselves, via quotes from their About pages and blog posts.
Pro Blog Design
Pro Blog Design. Michael Martin has this to say about his very helpful blog and also about blog post formatting:
I have been designing websites for a few years now, and enjoying every minute of it.
Over time, I’ve learnt a lot about working with blogs, and through Pro Blog Design I hope to share that knowledge with others. Content on a blog is of course, King, but does the King get the attention he deserves when draped in ragged garments? Of course not! In the same way that the grandeur of the King is crucial to his success, your blog’s design is crucial to yours. (from Michael's About page)
As bloggers, we write pages upon pages of content each week. We spend hours promoting the articles, choosing the right words and trying to get our point across as clearly as possible. How can formatting be used to further improve our posts?
There are a few basic tools that you will have heard mention of time and time again, such as bolding words. The first section re-explains their purpose, and the second will explain how to perfect your usage of them to achieve optimal formatting. (from Format Blog Posts for Readability and Legibility)
Confident Writing
Confident Writing. Joanna Young says the following about her quality site and about why she writes:
Hello I'm Joanna Young, The Confident Writing Coach...My aim is to get people writing with confidence. To realise the power of their words. How we work is partly up to you - but my approach is based on a blend of coaching, teaching, editing and writing - tailor made to your needs. (from Joanna's Welcome and Work With Me sections)
(Post Title: Why Do You Write?.) For me, it's something to do with the power of connection: the connections we can make with other people, the connections we develop between our own ideas, making sense of our experience, pulling together spaghetti strands of random thoughts and creating something new, connecting back to our roots and our selves and coming out with a stronger sense of who we are.
But then again maybe it's that thing I call realising: the sweet, slow dawning of realisation. Recognising the things that you always knew to be true. Recognising - with a jolt - your self in your words. Realising the power of your words, and taking responsibility for their power and impact: on yourself, on other people, on the world. Grounding yourself with the specificity of words. Validating your experience with words which are not real - but can make us feel that our experiences are. Allowing ourselves to be changed by the words that we write. (from Why Do You Write?)
ChrisBlogging
ChrisBlogging. Chris Bibey describes himself and his insightful blog and shares a few words of wisdom on freelancing:
For more than three years I have been earning a full-time income online. My main sources of income include a wide range of freelance writing projects, and of course, blogging.
But although I do not know the first thing about web design or coding, I still earn three times as much as I did as a corporate slave.
The goal of Chrisblogging.com is to show you how I make money, how you can join me, and much more! (from Chris's About page)
There is no denying that a few big jobs make up a large part of my monthly freelance writing income. But guess what? I also believe that smaller jobs are every bit as important. Sure, I would love to work on high paying jobs only, who wouldn’t? But the reality of the freelance writing industry (at least for me) is that this is not always possible. For this reason, I always think twice before I turn down any small jobs that I am offered. (from Don't Always Turn Down the Small Jobs)
ProBloggers Matrix
ProBloggers Matrix. Mark gives us this inviting welcome to his blog, and some great info about blogging (taken from one of his excellent posts):
Hello, I’m Mark.
Welcome to ProBloggers Matrix. I’ll be sharing blogging tips. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to post them in the comments. (from Mark's About page)
If you’re like me, you love to write, you love to publish great articles on your authoritative blog and you also enjoy reading excellent articles in many fantastic blogs. That can be very time-intensive, but you need to get out and exercise! Get the blood flowing! Get into The Zone! (from How to Stay in the Zone and Keep Wowing Your Readers with Spectacular Articles)
Content Done Better
Content Done Better. Michi Beck's blog has an intimate, inviting atmosphere, due to her personal, engaging writing style. Her Under New Ownership section tells us this about her background, followed by an apt quote from one of her posts:
During her career she has written many informative articles on various subjects including economics, technology, local happenings, and human interest stories.
In addition to the newspaper and Internet work, Michi has had poems published and is currently working on her first novel, of which the first draft is nearing completion. She enjoys both fiction and non-fiction writing, and often takes the time to write about the smaller things in life, as she believes those things have lessons behind them that most people do not realize. It is not only the big things that are important in our daily lives, and since she is often reminded of that it appears frequently in her particular style of writing. (from Michi's Under New Ownership page.)
(Post Title: When It Rains, It Pours.) Have you ever noticed that? You could be in a ‘dry spell’ in your work life and then all of a sudden things go crazy, and you’re left shaking your head and wondering how you’re going to get it all done.
I mention this because it happened to me, rather recently. I’m not sure whether to be overwhelmed and annoyed that everything showed up at once or happy because of the work and income. Hmmm…..I think I’ll go with “happy because of the work and income.” (from When It Rains, It Pours)
Five Great Blogs to Bookmark and Visit Again and Again!
Be sure to visit the above blogs soon--and often! And don't forget to give these hard-working and insightful bloggers a little link love! It will be more than worth your while, as you continually enjoy their latest words of writing wisdom.
Congratulations go out to these five new bloggers for making their blogs places where we can go to pick up the best info, tips, techniques, and advice, to make us all better, more responsive, and more productive bloggers!
Happy Blog Day!
Jeanne
Technorati Tag: Blog Day 2007
P.S. I realize I posted this a little late in the day--particularly for those of you on the opposite side of the world to the U.S., where I live! My apologies. But, I believe I did manage to post it in time--though barely! If I missed the deadline in anyone's time zone, Happy Belated Blog Day!
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Are You Wondering What Your New Google Page Rank Will Be?
With the next Google Page Rank Update right around the corner--and, in fact, expected to occur any day now--perhaps you're wondering where your blog or website will place along the new ranking spectrum once the update takes place. I know I've been wondering about it, myself, quite a bit lately, with my blog's current Page Rank of 0! I know that Writer's Notes has a good number of inbound links, so I've had my fingers crossed that that fact would translate into a decent Page Rank once Google does the update.
Check out the iWebtool Google Page Rank Predictor!
Just today, I learned about a free online tool that can help give both you and me an idea of the Google Page Rank we can expect once the update occurs. I learned of it, compliments of K-IntheHouse at Blog About Your Blog, in his response to my comments to his 2 Great Ways to Check Your Blog Health post. Before replying to my comments, K-ItH very kindly plugged my blog's URL into the tool and later informed me that my own predicted G-PR is 5. (Thanks, K-IntheHouse! I definitely needed that confidence boost!)
Here's a link to this nifty tool: Google Page Rank Predictor. Check it out and find out what you can probably expect in the way of Google Page Rank for your website or blog after the upcoming--and imminent--Google PR Update.
Happy Google PR predicting!
Jeanne
By the way, don't forget to visit Blog About Your Blog--often! This site is packed with valuable information for bloggers. For your convenience, I placed a link to them, a while back, in my Helpful Sites for Writers list, near the bottom of my left sidebar. Now you'll have no excuse not to visit and do something good for your blog!
You might also want to visit K-IntheHouse's own blog, ShanKri-la, where you'll be able to keep up with all the latest tech info for daily life. And, when you visit either of the above sites, don't forget to comment!
Did you enjoy this post? Don't leave me lonely--Please comment!
Khanna's Dishonesty and Ulterior Motives Exposed
Phil, at Contest Blogger has exposed Ashwin Khanna's so-called $2500 Blog Extravaganza for what it apparently actually was: a totally fraudulent attempt to gain backlinks to his blog in order to raise his Technorati ranking and authority. And it has--enormously! For details, please see Contest Blogger's "I Told You So" post.
The Contest Blogger Counter-Contest
In response to Khanna's blatant con, Contest Blogger has decided to run a contest of his own: The Ashwin Khanna Revenge Contest, which any blogger who was conned into giving link love to Khanna through his fake contest can enter. The prize ($100) is quite a bit lower than Khanna's promised windfall, but, unlike Khanna's, presumably this prize will actually be delivered to the lucky winner.
Contest Requirement: A Link to Contest Blogger
The only thing Phil requires of the conned bloggers is that they change the links they gave Khanna, redirecting them to the Contest Blogger home page. (I have given this a great deal of thought and have simply decided to remove the links to Khanna's blog from my previous post announcing his "contest" (actually, more like con test). After careful consideration, I've decided that, since I'm generous with links anyway, I don't mind linking to Contest Blogger--In fact, he deserves the links for exposing Khanna's fraud--yet I've decided that, rather than doing so in the Khanna announcement post, by changing the link, I would simply link to Phil's blog in this post. (Perhaps Contest Blogger himself has taught me not to be so quick to jump on the bandwagon.)
Are You on the List of Defrauded Bloggers?
At any rate, Contest Blogger has posted a (very long) list of the blogs/bloggers who were conned by Khanna (which you'll find in the Revenge Contest post, linked to above). If you're on the list, you're eligible to enter his Khanna counter-contest, should you be so inclined.
Apt Acknowledgments
Thanks go out to Phil, at Contest Blogger, for his expose of this fraudulent contest. In addition, I'd like to thank The Contest Winner, whose modified post, Ashwin's Blog Extravaganza!! Win $2500 (which also lists all affected blogs/bloggers), originally alerted me to the con, via my Writer's Notes' Technorati Blog Reactions list.
Again, I'd like to offer an apology to all who entered Khanna's contest as a result of the announcement posted on my blog.
Apologetically yours,
Jeanne
Another interesting blog post, adding to the Khanna conversation, can be found at the following link: Honesty is the Best Policy – Not for Ashwin Khanna!
8/28/07: Just thought I'd link back to Ramblifications, a blog that shared a little link love with me and all the other bloggers who've written posts about being conned by Khanna.
Did this post make you think? Don't leave me lonely--Please comment!
A Virtual Trip Around the Blogosphere
In my latest travels around the blogosphere, I've uncovered some excellent content that can truly be a boon to any writer interested in a fresh approach, a new inspiration--in short, any writer seeking the motivation to write with renewed vigor and vitality.
Confident Writing: Posts to Both Inspire and Get You Thinking
Please check out Joanna Young's excellent post, When Writing Means Spirit Spilling, at Confident Writing. This piece explores the process of writing from the deepest parts of ourselves and, through quoting the wisdom of several knowledgeable bloggers, links out to other blogs you'll find most helpful in your quest to grow your own writing.
Two of Joanna's other pieces, The Ingredients of Confident Writing, and How to Learn from Your Writing, are also insightful looks into the components that help make our writing fresh and engaging. They also link to other related posts on her own blog and/or elsewhere in the blogosphere.
The Golden Pencil: Pieces on Perfectionism, Freelancing Dos and Don'ts, and Marketing Your Work Objectively
Anne Wayman, at The Golden Pencil, has written a succinct, yet very helpful post called, Don't Worry About Perfection--Go for Effective, reminding us that perfectionism is a trap and wisely counseling us to let it go.
Anne has also posted two guest pieces that offer practical guidance to help writers more effectively run their writing business. Top Dos and Don'ts for Freelancers, by Lori Widmer, offers 14 basic tips to help writers "make a go of freelancing," and Sending Out Ships, by Charlotte Rains Dixon, counsels us to write personally but submit our work objectively.
Passionate Blogger: Giving and Receiving Series to Help You Reap the Same Recognition You Sow, and How to Avoid Information Overload in Research
Wild Bill, at Passionate Blogger, has posted the first two parts of his excellent and informative multi-part series on giving and receiving: Give and Receive Series - Part 1 - Technorati Favorites and Give and Receive Series - Part 2 - StumbleUpon. These two posts explore the importance of giving lavish recognition to other writers/bloggers and letting the "getting" take care of itself, specifically covering how to do so through Technorati Favorites and StumbleUpon. The upcoming third post in the series will explore how to do this using Alexa.
Another excellent post on Wild Bill's site, about avoiding information overload when researching and writing blog posts (and which could also apply to other types of writing), is Stop Cramming for a Post! This insightful piece is an apt reminder that focusing on what we do know (known, in blogging, as our niche), can help us steer clear of excessive and unnecessary research, saving us valuable time and making us more productive.
A Writer's Words, An Editor's Eye: Customer Service and Productivity for Freelance Writers
Lillie Ammann, at A Writer's Words, An Editor's Eye, has written a brief but inspiring post, called The Simple Truths of Service: Will You Be a Johnny Today? that points us to a helpful video and serves to remind all freelance writers how important good "customer service" is to writer-client relations--despite the fact that, as freelancers, we have no "Customer Service Department." This piece--along with the video it introduces--tells us, in effect, that we must be our own "Customer Service Department."
A second great post, entitled How Do You Stack Up Against the Average Worker in America? asks us, as homeworkers/freelancers, to weigh our own productivity level against that of the average American working outside the home, providing an interesting comparison of the two, and hopefully providing writers with a little incentive to work on becoming more productive.
Four Great Blogs to Bookmark and Return to Again and Again!
It is my hope that the above posts will help you become more effective at both the craft, and the business, of writing. Why not bookmark these four great blogs, so you can return to them later to check out the other valuable content they are certain to post in the future! (You may also want to search their archives for buried treasure!)
Until next time,
Jeanne
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Join the Party!
Hello, there, fellow readers and writers! Come on in and join the party! This is Writer's Notes' 100th post, and I'll be serving up a luscious list of literary links to help spark the celebration.
Over the past day or so, I've been scouring the internet for especially sagacious 100-lists, in preparation for the party. So, take a seat, grab a tall, cool drink, and prepare to tantalize your intellectual tastebuds with this scrumptious spread of literary 100-lists, specially designed to satisfy your voracious literary appetite!
Links to Luscious Literary 100-Lists
Here they are, in no particular order:
From The Absolutely Weird Bookshelf/Stranger Books:
David Pringle's 100 Best Science Fiction Novels (through 1984)
David Pringle's 100 Best Fantasy Novels (to 1987)
From TIME Magazine:
100 All-TIME Best English-Language Novels from 1923 to the Present (2005)
From the BBC (British Broadcasting Company):
The Big Read: The UK's Top 100 Best-Loved Novels (2003)
From the MWA (Mystery Writers Association):
Top 100 Mystery Novels of All Time (PDF)
From Guardian Unlimited:
The Top 100 Books of All Time (2002)
From the NEA (National Education Association):
Educators' Top 100 Children's Books (2007)
From Modern Library (Random House):
100 Best Novels (The Board's List & The Readers' List)
100 Best Nonfiction (The Board's List & The Readers' List)
Radcliffe's Rival 100 Best Novels List
From the National Review:
100 Best Non-Fiction Books of the Century
From Madison Public Library:
100 Best Works by Women Writers
From Martin Seymour-Smith:
100 Most Influential Books Ever Written (1998)
From the Independent Mystery Booksellers' Association (IMBA):
The 100 Favorite Mysteries of the 20th Century
From Sci-Fi Lists:
Top 100 Sci-Fi Books
From Columbia University Libraries:
Africa's 100 Best Books of the 20th Century (2002)
From National Geographic:
Extreme Classics: The 100 Greatest Adventure Books of All Time (2004)
From Spirituality & Health:
100 Best Spiritual Books of the Twentieth Century
From Everything2:
Top 100 Works of Journalism in the United States in the 20th Century (2002)
From Mount Mercy College:
Webliography: The Literary 100: Children's Authors
Beneficial Blog & Book Links
Hope you've enjoyed meeting and mingling with all the literary and journalistic geniuses we've invited to this party--including all the famous ones you've met in the lists above! But the gathering wouldn't be complete without including a fellow blogger who generously offers advice to other bloggers on how making top 100 lists can help simplify and improve our blogging and our blogs.
From Productivity 501 blog:
Productive Blogger: Make a Top 100 List
And for all of us writers, whether or not we blog, the following book, available at Amazon.Com, can give us a whole slew of ways--100, to be exact (how appropriate is that?)--to help make our writing everything it can be.
From Amazon Online Reader:
100 Ways to Improve Your Writing, by Gary Provost (book)
Hope you've enjoyed the party! Thanks so much for helping me celebrate my 100th post at WritersNotes.Net! It's been so much fun!
Thanks again for dropping by!
Jeanne
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McGrath Dot Ca (formerly Steve's Tech Blog) Hosts Another Blogger Contest with a Cash Prize
Since I've been writing on the subject of blogger contests that have monetary prizes lately, I'll tell you about another such contest that I just came across: The Blog About My New Download Site and Win $100 Contest, being held at McGrath Dot Ca (formerly Steve's Tech Blog).
A Little Background
For quite some time, Steve has dreamed of owning a freeware/shareware download site, and, apparently, his dream is becoming a reality. Now that his new site, 1 Cool File is up and running--and acquiring new software every day--he wants the world to know about it!
Hence, the contest.
Requirements to Enter
To enter, bloggers simply have to copy and paste the following paragraphs from Steve's contest blog post into one of their own blog posts. (Don't forget to add all the links when posting the quoted text.)
Steve is launching his brand new site: 1 Cool File. It is a directory of cool files(shareware, freeware, plugins). For example, you can try a new media player after you have just finished a music download. You can add your ebook about making money or a screen saver. That’s not all, it has a section just for blogs(plugins). You can also rate a file or make a review about it. It does support PAD files so tell authors about it.
And just by linking to the contest post, I can win $50. You should read the contest post to win 2 other prizes of $25/each if you don’t have a blog. If your entry is before the next Google page rank, Steve will double the main prize. So, don’t wait to long. It’s coming soon!
And one more thing… You can read Steve’s blog while there.
Not a Blogger? You Can Win a Prize, Anyway
While bloggers may win $50 (or $100 if they enter before the next Google page rank update,) non-bloggers who visit and register for free membership at 1 Cool File, will be entered into a random drawing for $25. And another random $25 drawing will be held among all who point out "relevant" errors they find on the new site (with a few limitations that Steve mentions in his blog post). So, pretty much everyone has a chance of winning something, whether or not they have a blog, which sounds like a pretty fair deal.
Contest Details
Deadline: August 31st, 2007
All prizes paid in Canadian dollars.
All prizes paid via PayPal.
Want More Info? Visit Steve's Site
For more details about the contest, please visit McGrath Dot Ca.
What have you got to lose? Even if you don't win, you'll have found one cool site that will be offering an increasingly great selection of freeware/shareware that can satisfy most--if not all--of your software needs.
Happy "shopping"!
Jeanne
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ASHWIN KHANNA CONTEST WAS A FRAUD!
NOTE: (August 24, 2007) I HAVE RECENTLY LEARNED THAT THE ASHWIN KHANNA $2500 BLOG EXTRAVAGANZA WAS A FRAUDULENT ATTEMPT TO GAIN BACKLINKS FOR KHANNA'S BLOG AND, THEREFORE, ALL LINKS ORIGINALLY PLACED IN THIS POST WILL NOW BE REMOVED. AT THIS POINT, I WILL LEAVE THE REMAINDER OF THE TEXT OF THIS POST INTACT; HOWEVER, I MAY LATER OPT TO DELETE IT ENTIRELY. MY APOLOGIES TO THOSE WHO ENTERED THIS FAKE CONTEST AS A RESULT OF READING MY BLOG POST!
Ashwin Khanna's $2500 Blog Extravaganza
Ashwin, over at Ashwin Khanna Dot Com (Link removed) is hosting a $2500 Blog Extravaganza, in which one lucky blogger will claim the $2500 prize. What does a blogger have to do to enter? It's pretty simple: Just post the following text on your own blog:
Over at Ashwin’s blog (Link removed), you will find one crazy blog owner!! You can win $2500!! To enter just copy this text and paste it in your blog!! But hurry, this competition will not last long! So get posting!
It's as simple as that! (What a wild way to attract traffic!)
Contest Details
Closing date for this contest: August 20th
Payment Method: PayPal
PayPal, Ashwin, Here We Come!
So, if you don't have a PayPal account, I wouldn't waste a minute heading over there and signing up!
Then, I'd high-tail it over to Ashwin's blog to enter this one-of-a-kind Blog Extravaganza! It may be a while before you find another opportunity this sweet--and this easy to enter!
The Contest: Only One Good Thing You'll Find at Ashwin's Blog
And, while you're there, you'll definitely want to check out Ashwin's insightful content, which can help you more smoothly navigate the often-complex pathways of the blogosphere.
You might also consider requesting a free review of your blog--though only blogs which cover suitable topics (such as blogging tips and advice for making money online) will be considered. You'll also have to do a bit of minor hoop-jumping (i.e., subscribing to his RSS feed, mentioning that you got a free blog review at his site, and posting a few links--one to the $2500 Blog Extravaganza and one to his home page--all of which seems pretty fair, all things considered.)
$2500, Anyone?
So, why not enter and give yourself a stab at $2500? Even if you don't win, you'll have discovered a site you can turn to again and again for good, solid blogging and online moneymaking advice--and that, in itself, could prove invaluable to you down the road.
Keep your fingers crossed!
Jeanne
*Many thanks to my "blogging buddy," Melissa Garrett, at The Silver Tongue (and Little Woolgatherings) for this timely contest tip! (Note: The Silver Tongue will be moving soon, (as will Little Woolgatherings,) but the new link isn't active yet. I will update the link in this post, as well as the one in my sidebar, once Melissa has everything squared away at her new site.)
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Notice Anything Different About My Blog?
You may have noticed quite a few changes at Writer's Notes today: changes in my blog's template, in the style and placement of Google ads displayed on my site, and in the relative--and actual--placement of virtually everything in the Writer's Notes sidebar! My blog's new level of organization and more visually pleasing symmetrical look is a natural outgrowth of the guidelines received from a very savvy blogger/reviewer who graciously took the time to drop by and check out my site.
A Writer's Notes Review
Charles Young, of Top Site of the Day, reviewed Writer's Notes yesterday. I was very honored to have this opportunity, to not only receive a largely positive assessment of my blog, but also to be the recipient of some great feedback on how my site scored and why, which helped me implement some positive changes here at Writer's Notes. These changes should make my site a little less confusing, a lot easier to navigate, and a great deal more attractive than previously--which I hope my readers will like as much as I do!
The Review Itself: Short and Mostly Sweet
If you'd like to check out the very succinct review my blog received--and become acquainted with an informative blog-review site, while you're at it--Charles's review of Writer's Notes may be found at the following link: Notable Site: Writer's Tips and Help.
Value Added: The Personal Touch
The review itself goes into far less detail than Charles was gracious enough to do, for me, after receiving my e-mailed inquiry about the "missing elements" that would help make my blog a Top Site.
I'd just like to say a hearty "Thank you!" to Charles Young, at Top Site of the Day, for not only taking the time and effort to visit and review my blog, but also for very graciously explaining the criteria upon which his review was based, the possible scores compared to my blog's actual scores, and the specific reasons why some of my blog's scores fell short of the mark.
Lesson Learned: Blogs Are Dynamic, Not Static
His patient explanations have been incredibly helpful in reminding me that a blog is a dynamic, rather than a static entity, and that, just because our blogs may not be all that we want them to be today, that's no reason why they should remain that way tomorrow!
Why Not Submit Your Site to Top Site of the Day for Review?
If you'd appreciate a fair and sensitive review of your own blog, or if you'd like to submit someone else's blog who you believe should be recognized for doing a great job, visit Charles's site at the above link. Find out how you can make your blog a Top Site of the Day!
Thanks, Charles! Now, if only you would review my blog again! I'm sure I'd do a little bit better this time around!
Here's to a better blog!
Jeanne
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Darren Rowse, over at ProBlogger, is running a project, throughout the month of August, called 31 Days to Building a Better Blog - 2007. The project is, at its core, a resurrection of an earlier project of the same name which Darren ran back in August, 2005, with great success.
The current project will, however, be a bit different, containing two components: Darren's own Daily Blogging Tips (as in the first project) and a compilation of ProBlogger readers' own personal blogging tips, learned through each participating blogger's research or experience.
If the first group of submitted links is any indication, posts yet to be written during the next month promise to provide a veritable windfall of helpful information for improving your blog's quality, visibility, popularity, user-friendliness, SEO compatibility, profitability, page rank, searchability, and more.
Whether you participate by penning a post--or 30 (one posted tip per day per blogger is allowed during the month of August)--or take part in the project through one of the other methods Darren suggests, you're sure to find--and hopefully also contribute--many words of blogging wisdom.
So hurry on over to ProBlogger and check out a writing project that could just transform your blog--and your blogging--into an activity/enterprise that is not simply successful, but also beautiful to behold!
Happy posting!
Jeanne
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Laura Spencer, at Writing Thoughts, and Yvonne Russell, at Grow Your Writing Business, have gotten together to collaborate on a group writing project that should prove to be a fascinating one!
Shared Answers 2007, the details of which can be found at Laura's and Yvonne's blogs, will bring solution-oriented advice culled from the life experiences of a wide variety of bloggers from vastly disparate backgrounds. I, for one, anticipate a wealth of problem-solving insight from each pair of posts soon to be submitted by the project's participants, and I can hardly wait to read them!
There's a prize. (A $30 Amazon gift certificate will be given away to one lucky entrant in a random drawing.) There's also an opportunity for some major link-sharing along with the answer-sharing! So be sure to check it out!
The deadline for Shared Answers 2007 Group Writing Project entries is August 15th, so hurry on over to Laura's or Yvonne's blog to find out all the details you'll need to make your life experiences the catalyst that will help others make a similar move from problems to solutions--and pick up some major link love in the process!
I just know you'll be glad you did!
Blessings,
Jeanne
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Yesterday, I mentioned the Blogger Spelling Test, which I learned about through Laura Spencer's Writing Thoughts blog. In the same post, from which I got the Blogger Spelling Test info--her Of Note post--which featured The Copywriting Maven blog, Laura mentioned the Online Identity Calculator from Career Distinction. (Laura had, herself, learned about both of the above from The Copywriting Maven blog posts, entitled Loose or Lose? The Blogger Spelling & Grammar Test and What's Your Online Identity Brand Score? Calculate It Here!
The Career Distinction Online Identity Calculator is a great way to get a fairly accurate idea of the extent to which your online identity branding is likely to benefit you over the long run by providing you with the positive exposure and name recognition you seek as an internet personage.
By entering your name into the Google Search box, checking your search results, and answering several pertinent questions, you'll be able to get a fairly good idea of where you stand in the online branding game.
This handy survey will help you find out just how far you may still need to go to in creating an influential internet image that will translate into an online presence that is both widely recognized and (hopefully!) highly sought after.
After completing the survey, myself, I was very pleased--and somewhat surprised--to see that I scored a 10! (My results are reproduced below.)
Online Identity Calculator (beta)
Your online identity score is 10 out of a possible score of 10.
Congratulations. You are digitally distinct. This is the nirvana of online identity. Keep up the good work, and remember that your Google results can change as fast as the weather in New England. So, regularly monitor your online identity. Read Chapter 11 of Career Distinction for more ideas on how to continue to build your brand online.
This perfect score is, however, no doubt partially attributable to the fact that my name is not an extremely common one--and it also shows that no generally applied survey can ever be either perfect or foolproof, since, if I really did rate a perfect 10, I should be relatively famous (which I'm not) and should have absolutely no need for improving my online branding strategy (which does, in fact, need work.)
According to the above results, my name should practically be a household word by now--which it definitely isn't! (In fact, my blog's Google page rank is still a big, fat Zero!) But, be that as it may, these results do, at least, make me feel as if there's hope, and for this I am grateful!
If you're at all curious about this survey, why not check the Career Distinction Online Identity Calculator and find out where you stand in online identity branding. It should give you some insight into what you may be doing right, what you may be doing wrong, and what built-in hurdles you may need to develop effective strategies to overcome (such as having a very common name).
If you don't like your results, you can always keep them under wraps!
Happy Googling!
Jeanne
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Another blog I ran across at BlogCave (via MyBlogLog), which looks as if it might prove pretty helpful to bloggers is called Blog Smart Resources. With posts on free backlink builder script, trackback tools, Blogsvertise, various social networking sites and different SEO tools, info on the 2007 Blogging to Fame Awards, and more, there's a great deal that's of interest to bloggers here.
If you're a blogger, you'll want to make it a point to visit this blog when you have a bit of time to check out the many resources it offers to help make your blogging experience an easier, happier, and more productive one.
Happy reading!
Jeanne
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I've just discovered a blog that appears to have quite a bit of helpful information for avoiding internet scams of many different types. While browsing MyBlogLog, I decided to check out BlogCave and found this blog listed among the membership of that blogging community. It's a blog that could prove very beneficial to those of us who seek opportunities of various types online, so just thought I'd pass on the link to my readers.
The blog is called Scamtypes, and it covers such scams as Internet, Lottery, Work at Home, Charity, Link Trade, and Affiliate Marketing scams, as well as many other types of fraudulent activities. Click on over and take a look! The hide you save may be your own!
Stay safe!
Jeanne
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I visited my friend Laura Spencer's Writing Thoughts blog again today and decided to check out her new blog, OpinionMom, which she launched recently.
While I was there, I came across a post describing a handy blog rating tool that can be used to determine what sort of rating your blog would receive based on its content. Since I am very interested in producing a family-friendly blog, I decided to give it a try.
My blog came back with a G-rating, which is exactly what I'd hoped! (I couldn't be totally positive what my blog's rating would be, since the titles and posts of other Orble blogs are listed in the sidebar next to my own posts; so, needless to say, I was relieved to see that my blog had passed muster.)
Despite the fact that other bloggers' material does appear in my blog's sidebar, I do my very best to keep all other blog and post titles in an unobtrusive part of my blog, for the simple reason that any questionable material will be less likely to be noticed by those who visit my blog. I'm a firm believer that people should be allowed to decide for themselves whether or not they are interested in reading such content--before they are faced with it--rather than being accosted by it at every turn.
Orble has also recently asked its bloggers to use the "Mature Content" flag on any posts with titles that contain profanity, in order to prevent those titles from appearing in the "Popular Posts" list in the sidebar of all Orble blogs. (Thanks, Orble!) So this should help with some of the more blatant occurrences of profanity that had previously found their way into our blogs' sidebars.
Still, though, as I previously mentioned, I am not taking any chances. I have relegated the lists of other Orble blogs, as well as the "Popular Posts" and "Breaking Posts" lists, into the deepest reaches of my blog's sidebar, at the very end of a number of rather lengthy lists of other, more acceptable, material, to keep them well-hidden from casual and unintentional public view.
Here's the blog rating tool. Feel free to use it to check the rating of your own blog!
Thanks, Laura, for letting us know about this great tool!
Please be sure to visit Laura Spencer's Writing Thoughts blog for some great info and resources on the writing craft; and, if you're a mom, as well as a writer, you might just enjoy checking out her Opinion Mom blog, as well. (Links to both of Laura's blogs can be found in the opening paragraph of this post.)
Happy rating!
Jeanne
P.S. I hope it isn't infelicitous of me to use the above blog rating tool in this post--since it's offered by an online dating website! That does seem rather ironic. But, be that as it may, I felt the tool itself was valuable.
Note: Infelicitous was the Word of the Day for June 3rd on Melissa Garrett's blog, The Silver Tongue. Melissa challenges other bloggers to use her Words of the Day in their own blog posts; and, to be honest, I have been planning for quite a while to use this one. I love this word!
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Freelancing Journey, a blog which refers to itself as "The Road to Business Success for Writers & Bloggers," is literally loaded with info, tips, links, leads, techniques, advice, and other resources that can help you, the freelance writer, make the most of your own website or blog. Covering many different aspects of the freelance writer's creative, professional, practical, and even personal development, this site has something for everyone interested in any type of freelance writing.
One post, "Page Rank, Back Links and Blogging," posted June 22nd, 2007, explains why page rank is important and provides tips on how to obtain quality backlinks to your blog. Another, more recent post, titled "Definitive List of Paid to Blog Services," dated June 28th, 2007, links to a very comprehensive discussion of the subject found in a post on another helpful blog. In addition, Freelancing Journey's "Roll of Honour" includes a long list of links to other blogs about writing--and blogging--as well as numerous other writing resources, markets, and marketing blogs.
Freelance writers are busy people, whose time is often severely limited. But taking a few minutes out of your busy schedule today to pick up some timely tips and advantageous advice could just save you a great deal of time and trouble over the long term.
So, check out Freelancing Journey, and see if you don't agree that this blog contains some helpful literary and marketing signposts to guide you along your freelance writing travels.
Bon Voyage!
Jeanne
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