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WritersNotes.Net: Helping Writers Follow Their Dreams Through Information, Inspiration, and Encouragement!
Age of Conversation: 100+ Authors Write to Raise Funds for Children's Charity
Today's the day to join the concerted effort of a dedicated group of people from all over the blogosphere (and all over the world) to drive last year's Age of Conversation collaborative book project to the top of the Amazon charts! Why? To raise awareness for the soon-to-be-published Age of Conversation 2008 sequel*--and simultaneously raise even more funds for Variety Children's Charity. (All monies raised through the books' sales and referrals go to Variety's Lifeline Children's Project.)
Two Bloggers Take On a Monumental Task
Spearheaded, organized, overseen, and edited by bloggers Drew McLellan and Gavin Heaton, the original Age of Conversation “brings together over 100 of the world’s leading marketers, writers, thinkers and creative innovators in a ground-breaking and unusual publication.” If you're interested in good writing, great wisdom on business and life, and helping sick children get well, please join this effort to bring the book the attention it deserves. As mentioned above, no one involved in this project will be making a profit from the book's production and sale: 100% of the proceeds will go to Variety Children's Charity (just as they will with the book's sequel).
Variety Children's Lifeline Program
Here's what Drew had to say about this charity in his Age of Conversation's Gift of Life post last year:
Lifeline's sole mission is providing medical assistance to children with treatable and survivable heart conditions in countries where the appropriate medical facilities, expertise or resources do not exist.
Today's Effort to Launch The Age of Conversation to the Top of the Charts Explained
Today's launch of the Age of Conversation Bum Rush is explained at Chris Wilson's Marketing Fresh Peel blog, in the following two posts: The Launch: The Age of Conversation Bum Rush and The Real Age of Conversation Bum Rush: March 29th. Please drop by and check out these posts. And if you feel this to be a worthy endeavor, consider joining these hard-working authors in helping to make a difference in the lives of sick children around the world by buying your copy of The Age of Conversation and encouraging others you know to do the same.
Please use the following link (or one of the specially designated links at other participating blogs) when purchasing The Age of Conversation. This will ensure that referral monies go to Variety Children's Charity, in addition to book sale proceeds.
Each purchase will only be counted once, regardless of how many books you purchase; so please buy each book separately (Super Saver shipping to the U.S. is free on this item)--and buy it TODAY--to help this charitable project gain greater recognition by rising to the top of the Amazon Best Seller List.
Hope you'll join us!
Jeanne
* While I wasn't among the authors of the original Age of Conversation, I will be on board for The Age of Conversation 2008--along with 274 other dedicated writers and bloggers. (What a wonderful way to use our writing talents--by helping others! I highly recommend it!)
INTERIM PROGRESS REPORT - 6 AM CST, MARCH 29TH: Between 2 pm CST, March 28th and 1:30 am CST, March 29th, the book's ranking rose from #102,282 to #16,879! Way to go, everyone! Further updates will be posted at Marketing Fresh Peel, in Chris's Launch post, and also on Twitter, throughout the day (info in the Launch post).
3:15 pm CST: AOC has jumped to #368! Keep up the good work, everyone!
AOC made it to #262 of all books sold at Amazon.com on March 29th. Not as high as we'd hoped, but not bad, at all! (At one point, it actually hit #33 in the Business/Investing category.) Great work, everyone!
Did you enjoy this post? Have anything to add? Which worthy causes have you loaned your writing talents to, and did you feel as if you'd made a difference?
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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.
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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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If you're looking for a site with tons of valuable information for freelance writers, you'll want to check out Writers-Editors Network. This site is also the home of Cassell Network of Writers (CNW) and Florida Freelance Writers Association (FFWA).
While both of the aforementioned writers associations charge varying fees for membership, the Writers-Editors Network website contains a great deal of free information, in the form of articles filled with advice on writing, getting writing assignments, negotiating fees for your work, and many other aspects of freelancing.
In addition, the site offers a Contest Tip Sheet, with great advice that can help you become "a contender" in any writing contest you may decide to enter. They also offer a list of current writing contests, as well as info on their own contest, and an FAQ page which answers many questions that writers may have about the writing/marketing process. They also list a few job opportunities, as well as "Talks, Seminars, and Conferences of Interest" to writers and/or editors.
If you are serious about writing--and about selling your writing--there's a lot of great information here that would undoubtedly be worthy of your time. So, check it out, and see if you don't find something here that will help you along the road to writing success.
Here's to your success!
Jeanne
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I thought I'd post a link to the Science Fiction Writers of America's Writer Beware website, which describes the info presented there as "Warnings About Literary Fraud and Other Schemes, Scams, and Pitfalls That Target Writers."
In its article about Contests and Vanity Anthologies, SFWA cautions writers to carefully evaluate any such so-called opportunities and provides the specific guidelines that writers will need to do just that. There's a good deal of information here, including quite a few links to other helpful resources which also address this and other related issues.
There are links to such info as the following:
~How to increase your chances of winning once you've found a legitimate contest and decided to enter your work
~Personal stories of individuals who have been taken advantage of by some of these unscrupulous contests/groups
~Submitting and selling your work for legitimate publication
You may just find some info here that will save you a lot of grief--not to mention money!
So, why not check it out!
Jeanne
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I learned, a few days ago, from reading my friend Yvonne Russell's Grow Your Writing Business blog, that WritersWeekly.Com is raising the rates it pays writers for their work. According to an article, written by Angela Hoy and reproduced in its entirety (with permission) by Yvonne, WritersWeekly is raising its rates 20% for features and 33% for success stories. This is great news for freelancers!
According to Ms. Hoy's article, the 20% increase for feature articles figures to "$60 for around 600 words for non-exclusive electronic rights only," and she adds, "For freelance success stories, we now pay $40 for around 300 words."
Her article is exceptionally interesting reading for freelancers, as it also contains an explanation of the payment history of several other major online publishers of freelance material, as well as several print publishers, giving us a glimpse into their going rates, and letting us know just how long it's been since each has raised its own rates.
Check out this great article on Yvonne's site! You'll find it in her post, entitled, Freelance Writing Rates. The article, entitled, We're Raising Our Freelance Rates, by Angela Hoy, is also posted on the WritersWeekly website.
Thanks, Yvonne for this fascinating and thoroughly helpful info! We can only hope that all the other publishers of freelance material will follow WritersWeekly.Com's shining example of adopting fairer freelance payment rates and thereby engaging in more responsible business practices!
Happy writing!
Jeanne
P.S. You'll want to visit Yvonne's blog often! Through it, she provides lots of great info and many helpful resources for writers! For your convenience, a link to Grow Your Writing Business can always be found in my blog's sidebar in the Helpful Sites for Writers list.
You'll also want to visit WritersWeekly.Com. Their site is packed with articles, market listings, and other resources that will help you reach your writing goals!
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The following is an update added to my recent blog post about Iron Pyramid Publications' Writing Contest, which had previously been slated to run from April 1st to April 30th, 2007:
UPDATE 3/19/07: I've just learned that the new contest is open NOW, as R.D. has apparently decided not to wait until April 1st to begin accepting submissions, after all. So, if short stories are your literary 'cup of tea,' sharpen those pencils, fire up those computers, and get a head start on your entry! As far as I know, the deadline is still the same: April 30th.
For more info about the contest, see my March 17th blog post, Iron Pyramid's Latest Writing Contest Winner: 'Yours Truly'! New Contest Coming Soon!
Good luck!
Jeanne
P.S. New to short story writing? Or just a little rusty at it? Have a fantastic idea for a story and the writing skills to pull it off, but just need a little guidance in putting it all together? Check out this link: Short Stories: 10 Tips for Novice Creative Writers. It's a fairly in-depth resource that dissects and explains each element of the literary form--a resource that just might help make you a contender in the highly competitive short story market--not to mention the highly competitive short story contest! Even seasoned short fiction writers can find something of interest here.
Here are two other links that might prove helpful in your quest to win short story contests:
1. Short-Story Competitions: Increasing Your Chances of Winning.
2. Writers-Editors.com Contest Tip Sheet.
Last time, I gave you four great websites where you can get your work published: Creative-Poems.com, MoonTownCafe.com, Helium.com, and AssociatedContent.com. A few helpful hints about each of these will make your experiences with them more pleasant, more productive, and less frustrating. In this post, we'll cover some of the idiosyncracies of Creative-Poems.com.
The Creative-Poems website is a wonderful site, where you can receive recognition for your work through member comments, weekly Featured Poetry Awards, and monthly Poetry Contests. They do not pay for the poems they post, though they do offer prizes in their monthly Poetry Contest.
At Creative-Poems, non-premium (free) members--as well as trial members--are allowed to place up to five posts on their site in a 24-hour period. (Premium members are allowed eight.) This is somewhat misleading, though, and requires a bit of clarification.
At first glance, it would appear that you'd be able to post up to five--or eight--poems to the site every 24 hours--and this can, indeed, be the case, provided you are very careful not to leave any typos or other errors in your poem, which might require its modification after it's been posted! The reason for this is that, should your poem require editing after posting, you will be resubmitting it after making your corrections--just as if it were a new poem--and thus you will be using another of the finite number of posts you are allowed daily. (This can be a bit frustrating.)
If you're anything like me, you could use an infinite number of posts to edit, modify, correct, and improve your poems to your satisfaction before final submission! But, alas, this is the real world, and every website is set up differently. So, always preview your work before submitting, to be sure your formatting is the way you want it and your work contains no typos. (Occasionally, you'll miss something and need to resubmit--we're all human--but at least you'll know that you aren't wasting most of your posts simply correcting errors!)
Another important point about formatting, while we're on the subject: At Creative-Poems, the default setting--for both poetry submissions and member comments--is centered. So, if you want your poem or comment to be left-margin justified (which is generally my personal preference) you'll need to select your text--if it's already been entered--and click the appropriate icon. (You can also simply click this icon before entering your text with the same effect.) Both regular and premium members may save, for later posting, up to five drafts in addition to the five--or eight--poems they may post in a 24-hour period, in case they aren't quite ready to post their work when they must leave the site.)
With a little prior knowledge of the workings of this great site and the obstacles you might encounter there, you can be well on your way to a long and fulfilling relationship with a dedicated group of site administrators and moderators who are friendly, helpful, responsive, and eager to showcase your work!
Creative-Poems.com is a fabulous forum for your work and a great community of friendly poets, who will help encourage you along the path of self-expression through that most magical of mediums: Poetry! (A very small word with a very big meaning!)*
If you are a poet and haven't yet visited this site, I would definitely--and without reservation--recommend that you check it out!
You'll be glad you did!
Till next time,
Jeanne
*I've written a short article on exactly this subject entitled "Why is Poetry So Difficult to Define?" Why not drop by AC and take a look?
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