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WritersNotes.Net: Helping Writers Follow Their Dreams Through Information, Inspiration, and Encouragement!
AbleStable: An Inspiration to Writers and Other Creative Types
In keeping with the theme of my series, Inspiration, I'd like to introduce a website, which many of my readers may not have heard of, but which I think would prove a real inspiration to you in your creative endeavors. And if you happen to be an artistic type who expresses your creativity in a variety of different ways, other than just through writing, you'll like this site even more.
What Is AbleStable?
AbleStable is a unique website which brings together information, inspiration, and a wide variety of resources for creative individuals who work their magic in a number of different disciplines. Whether you choose to express your personal creativity through writing, music, visual art, acting, or more than one of a broad array of artistic modes, you'll find something on this website to interest, inspire, empower, and equip you for your specialty.
What Does AbleStable Have to Offer?
From articles on a variety of creative topics to competitions and exhibitions featuring readers' work, there's something here for everyone. Helpful tools, e-books, freeware, a glossary of terminology used on the site, games, puzzles, and other activities make this a site with broad appeal for artistic personalities everywhere. In addition, the site provides a free listing service, where "creatives" can present their own services to the world.
Who Runs AbleStable?
Mike de Sousa, director of AbleStable and obviously himself a highly creative type, as can be seen by his About Us page, as well as his articles, is the personality behind the site. Mike has a great deal to offer the artistic visitor to his website. With a background in music, writing, art, photography, and both graphic and website design, he understands the differing needs of individuals involved in a variety of creative areas and can therefore provide on-target information, resources, inspiration, and encouragement to which each type of artist can relate.
AbleStable Articles to Inspire You
Being a writer, myself, I enjoy reading Mike's articles about How To Be Creative, Emotion and Creativity, Finding Balance, and The Purpose of Art. I find that his articles also Inspire Me and encourage me to Write from the Heart. The foregoing are just a few examples of some of the fascinating articles you'll find in the archive of Mike's monthly feature, The Column. Mike's articles are engagingly written and will definitely appeal to your creative, contemplative side. Speaking as one artist to another, through The Column, Mike shares the considerable insights he's gleaned from his own creative--and not-so-creative--experiences.
Visit AbleStable and Be Inspired
Whatever your creative specialty, check out AbleStable. There's something for everyone on this fantastic site!
Enjoy your visit!
Jeanne
This is not a sponsored post.
Did you enjoy this post? Find it helpful? Have any thoughts to share? I'd love to hear from you!
Please note: If the StumbleUpon and other social bookmarking buttons aren't visible, please click the "Add Comments" link beneath this post. Thanks!
Pillar Posts Link Helps You Locate Content Quickly
I'm not sure whether most of my readers have noticed it yet or not, but I've created a list of Pillar Posts to help you more easily find Writer's Notes' most beneficial content. You'll find a link in my Spotlight Posts list to Writer's Notes' Pillar Posts. This link will take you to a post in which I've listed my most helpful content, broken down into various categories.
Rather than simply listing them in reverse chronological order by month, as they are in my archives, I've decided that it would be far more helpful to you if I were to categorize this content. This should help you quickly find the topics you're interested in exploring or the tools and resources you'd like to use, rather than having to wade through all the posts on the list. (This will prove even more beneficial, no doubt, as the list grows through the addition of future content.) Hope you'll find this feature useful! Let me know what you think and whether you have any further suggestions for making it even more useful.
Other Spotlight Posts Links Point to Blog Carnival Feed and More
My Spotlight Posts list is also where a link to my About page is located, as well as links to Writer's Notes' Awards (given to me by various other bloggers), and my Blog Carnival Feed. Blog carnivals can be a fantastic way to get recognition, readers, and links to your site. So, check this feed often, visit the Blog Carnival website via the button in the Stats & Other Widgets section in my top left sidebar, and seriously consider submitting your blog posts to one or more carnivals. There are many carnivals on myriad topics, and the best part is that you may have already written content that's suitable for one or more of them. So, don't overlook a great opportunity to get exposure for your blog.
Sites for Writers Link List Points to Helpful Sites
Last, but not least, I'd like to remind my readers to make use of my Sites for Writers list (previously called "Helpful Sites for Writers") near the bottom of my left sidebar. (The links are still just as helpful, but I needed to shorten the title.) This is a comprehensive list of links to various websites which can be helpful to writers in one way or another.
Most are straight writing sites or blogs, some are sites to or through which to sell your work, and others offer various additional features beneficial to the writer/blogger: blog design, inspiration, wisdom about issues that affect writers/writing, both business and general life lessons that can be helpful to you in the craft or business of writing, etc. Be sure to use this list of links often--and try visiting some of the sites that are as yet unfamiliar to you. You'll find many gems in this list, and you may just discover one or more that really target your interests or needs. (How will you ever know if you don't check them out?)
Hope these additions to Writer's Notes' help to make your writing life, fuller, simpler, and more productive. And may they help contribute to your success!
From one writer to another,
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Find it helpful? Have any suggestions for improvement or other features you'd like to see? Please let me know in comments. I'd love to hear from you!
Please note: If the StumbleUpon and other social bookmarking buttons aren't visible, please click the "Add Comments" link beneath this post. Thanks!
Your One-Stop Shop for Freelance Writing Info
FreelanceWriting.Com is simple, straightforward, yet attractively laid out--a site that packs a huge amount of helpful information into one convenient corner of cyberspace.
An Extensive Variety of Resources
You'll find newsletters covering everything from the craft of writing, the business of marketing your writing, and a wide variety of markets you can market your writing to. You'll find writing contests, writing articles, writing news and events, and even writer's guidelines--enough to keep you busy for quite some time. You'll also find free e-books and essays on various aspects of writing and publishing, author interviews, discussion forums, podcasts, videocasts, job feeds, RSS feeds, and freelance recruiter lists, as well as Private Label Rights producers to help you earn income. You name it; this site offers it.
Writing Success Awaits!
Visit FreelanceWriting.Com and take full advantage of all the tools it provides to move you closer to your writing goals. I believe you'll find it a useful addition to your present list of favorite writing resource sites. If you haven't got this one bookmarked yet, I'd highly recommend it. Its many resources could provide just the push you need to propel you forward toward writing success.
Hope they will!
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? What are your thoughts about this writing resource site? Have any others you'd like to share with your fellow writers? We'd love to hear about them!
Please note: If the StumbleUpon and other social bookmarking buttons aren't visible, please click the "Add Comments" link beneath this post. Thanks!
An Invaluable Resource Clearinghouse for Writers
If you're a writer and you haven't yet visited John Hewitt's Writer's Resource Center, you don't know what you're missing! And if you've been there before but haven't stopped by lately, it's high time you made a return visit! John's blog is a veritable treasure trove of information helpful to writers--both in improving their craft and promoting/marketing their work.
John Does Your Research for You
By scouring the internet for valuable resources--and thereby saving the busy writer an incredible amount of time--John is able to provide writers with links to writing jobs and a plethora of websites and blog posts that offer tools, wisdom, insight, and practical advice on every conceivable aspect of writing and/or blogging.
One example of the huge amount of writing info John gathers into one place for the writer's convenience is his 3/2/08 Sunday Link Love post. Why not stop by, check out the fantastic information he's offered in this post, and then give it a Stumble. (If you're reading this much later than that date, visit John's blog anyway via the main link above to find his most recent resource lists--and don't forget to give them a Stumble to show John how much you appreciate all his hard work!)
A Great Place to Find Writing Jobs
Here's another example of just how much John has to offer his readers: This Week's Writing Jobs. You'll also love the Writer's Resource Center - Job Roll feature, which provides web-based search results for writing jobs, broken down into categories, and accessed via convenient links in John's sidebar. Here's a sample of what you'll find when you click his Freelance Writing link: freelance writer jobs. Other categories include General Writing, Copywriting, Editing, Online/Web, and Proofreading. John also offers writing job lists broken down by state. (To access the links to these and other writing job categories, visit John's main website, linked to in the first paragraph of this post, and click the appropriate link in his sidebar.)
A Site Worth Bookmarking
Whether or not you've ever been to Writer's Resource Center before, do yourself a big favor and take a few minutes to drop by. And why not bookmark the site while you're at it. I'm sure it's a link you'll be using again and again.
Happy resource-gathering!
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Find it helpful? Have any particularly helpful writing resource sites or ideas to share with your fellow writers? We'd love to hear them!
Please note: If the StumbleUpon and other social bookmarking buttons aren't visible, please click the "Add Comments" link beneath this post. Thanks!
We Love to Know Our Website Ranking
Whether we write a personal online journal, pen an authoritative niche blog, or run a thriving e-commerce website, most website and blog owners are at least a little curious about how our sites rank among the many other sites on the World Wide Web. That's why so many of us check our Technorati and Alexa rankings so often.
One More Place to Check Our Site's Popularity
Well, there's a new ranking site on the block, called ://URL Fan, which, though it has a slightly different focus--ranking sites based on their popularity in RSS feeds--is nevertheless one more helpful way to learn a bit more about where our site fits into the grand internet scheme.
What Is ://URL Fan All About?
://URL Fan describes itself this way:
://URLFAN is an evolving experiment designed to discover what websites the blogosphere is discussing all in real time. It does this by cultivating the content of thousands of RSS feeds and parsing billions of pieces of information.
The site also has this to say about what makes it different than other ranking websites:
Now every website owner can see who's talking about their site in real time and how they compare to every other site on the Internet. There are many sites designed to rank the "traffic" of a website, such as Alexa, however ://URLFAN is different. We rank sites according to their popularity in the fast moving and growing world of RSS feeds.
An Added Dimension to Our Sites' Stats
When I checked Writer's Notes on ://URL Fan today, it ranked 97,292 out of 1,515,000 websites, which places it in the top 7% of sites based on the amount of publicity it receives via RSS feed. (It's actually a little over 6.5%, but who's counting?) This is a stat that's helpful to know, because it adds one more dimension to a site owner's ability to assess a website's popularity, know where it stands among its peers, and determine whether or not s/he is doing something right in managing it.
According to this most recent check on ://URL Fan, Writer's Notes was mentioned in 9 unique RSS feeds. (A list of these feeds is also provided, along with excerpts from the content which relates to the site in question.) While I was quite happy with my blog's ranking, I was a bit surprised at the low number of RSS feeds that were abuzz about Writer's Notes, since I would have thought that a higher ranking would also indicate a higher number of RSS-feed mentions. But, I'll be keeping my eye on this metric in order to evaluate its significance over time.
A Site Worth Checking Out
Nevertheless, ://URL Fan is an informative site which you might just want to visit. I think it would be valuable to check it now and then to get a comparative picture of how your site's RSS popularity evolves over time. (For example, Writer's Notes' ranking has gone from 110,024 to 97,202 to its current 97,292 in less than a week--which is still good news--despite its slight drop today, since it's still in the top 100 K! It's also gone from being mentioned in 7 RSS feeds to 9 during that same period.)
Visit the ://URL Fan About Page to learn more about the site--and get ready to learn more about your own site, as well!
Happy stat-checking!
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Know any other great stat-checking sites? Have any that are your particular favorites? We'd love to hear about them!
Google Crawl Cycle: An Important Metric
Would you like to know how often Google crawls your site? If not, why not? According to the folks at SEOmeter.com, "How often search engine [sic] visits and crawls website content is an often neglected, but important metric for search engine optimization." They explain that a site's Crawl Cycle, or CC, is an important indicator of how much the search engines "trust" a particular website. The shorter the website's CC, the more trusted the site.
Why Is Crawl Cycle Important?
The main reason you might want to pay attention to this metric is that the degree of trust your website enjoys with the search engines is directly reflected in your site's search engine ranking. SEOmeter offers a free tool (free at least for your top-level domain and/or sub-domain) which will help you track your own site's Google Crawl Cycle. (If you'd like to track internal URLs using this tool, however, there is an annual payment.) The SEOmeter site has been in operation for about a month, so far. To read more about the site and the SEOmeter tool, visit the site's blog.
SEO Meter's Widgets
Here are examples of some of the nifty widget styles you may choose when you use SEOmeter on your website:
80 x 15 pixel button:
120 x 60 pixel button:
120 x 90 pixel button:
125 x 125 pixel button:
Other SEO Meter Features
Another neat thing about this site is that you can compare the Crawl Cycle of different websites, which are broken down into categories, with the top 20 in each category conveniently listed on the Top-20 Most Crawled Sites on the Web page.
You can also display the Crawl Cycle of your site and two others on a line graph, if you'd like to see a visual of the comparative CCs of the three sites to find out where your site ranks in relation to others in your niche.
Ease of Use/Benefits
The SEOmeter and other handy features of this website are easy--and even fun--to use and can help you keep track of your site's popularity with the search engines, since any attention your website or blog receives from Google is likely to be reflected in Yahoo! and other search engines, as well.
What could be easier than placing the SEOmeter tool on your site and simply watching it continuously recalculate your website's Crawl Cycle? Though I've only had mine for a few days, I have a feeling that, as I continually monitor it, I can expect to learn a lot.
Want to do the same?
Jeanne
NOTE: The only thing I had trouble figuring out was why all four of the widgets used as examples above weren't displaying the same Crawl Cycle. I'd wondered whether this indicated inaccuracy in the tool or something else. After e-mailing SEOmeter, I received the following explanation from Peter:
To reduce our server load, we do not calculate the statistics on the widget for each page refresh on your blog, but store (cache) the previously calculated stats somewhere in our server, and show it on the widget. And this caching thing happens for each size of widgets independently. So in this case, 1.9 was an outdated number, which was previously cached.
I just tried clearing the stat cache on your widgets, and they are now corrected. The stats on the widget get updated once every 24 hours, so even if you see an outdated/mismatching number, dont worry about it. It will be self corrected within the next 24 hours.
I certainly appreciated that explanation! Thanks, Peter!
Did you enjoy this post? Have any thoughts or any other handy SEO tools of your own to share? We'd love to hear from you!
A True Honor!
Liz Strauss, of Successful Blog has made it official: I'm an SOB! (See Thanks to Week 117 SOBs.)
Now, normally, when people call you an SOB, it isn't a compliment; but when Liz calls you that, you know that a very high honor has been bestowed; because at Successful Blog, SOB stands for Successful and Outstanding Blogger!
The SOB Award
You've no doubt already noticed the SOB badge in my sidebar. Nevertheless I'll reproduce it here, because, to be honest, you can never display this award too often!
Here it is:
You may have even been a bit curious about the newest badge to appear in my sidebar, if you aren't familiar with it or with Liz's blog. I'll let Liz herself explain the purpose of the SOB award in her own words.
A Few Words From Liz About the Award
Here are a few things Liz has to say about those bloggers who have, as she puts it, "earned this official badge of achievement":
They take the conversation to their readers, contribute great ideas, challenge us, make us better, and make our businesses stronger.
I thank all of our SOBs for thinking what we say is worth passing on. Good conversation shared can only improve the blogging community.
How I Shared Liz's Blog Conversation
My own manner of passing on Liz's blog conversation was through my post, My Journey to Becoming Positively Me, which I prepared back in November, 2007, in response to Liz's own Positively Me post.
I also flung this conversation a bit farther out into the blogosphere more recently by making it part of my What I Learned From 2007 post, which I entered into Robert Hruzek's Blogapalooza group writing project at Middle Zone Musings.
Do Yourself a Favor: Visit Successful Blog
If you've never visited Successful Blog--and even if you have--do yourself a favor and drop by. You'll be glad you did! (You'll find links in the first paragraph of this post and in my bottom left sidebar.) Liz's blog is loaded with helpful information to make your blog successful--amazing wisdom from a truly successful and highly respected blogger! This is one reason I'm truly honored to have received this award! (The other is that I'm definitely in good company! Liz's extensive list of SOB's is a veritable Who's Who of bloggers--and an excellent resource if you happen to be seeking some excellent blogs to read and learn from! Check out her SOB Hall of Fame--A-Z Directory.)
Happy reading!
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Care to share your thoughts? Have you checked out Successful Blog--or do you plan to? Please feel free to comment!
Developing Our Writing Goals for 2008 Is a Great Start
As we enter a new year, each of us has our own personal list of writing, blogging, and marketing goals which we hope will make 2008 even better than 2007 was. And this is a wonderful thing! Each new year is like a brand new beginning--like starting fresh. It can help inspire us and jump-start our enthusiasm for using our creative gifts in exciting new ways, for branching out into new areas of endeavor, for building our brand, for marketing ourselves and our work with renewed vigor, and perhaps most exciting of all, for increasing our writing income.
But Intellectual Exercise Isn't Enough
The above are all excellent goals to focus our energies on in the new year. Yet, as most of us would be quick to admit, while writing is one of the most rewarding of intellectual endeavors, it is precisely that: intellectual, which translates into many hours spent seated before our computers doing research, planning, writing, editing, rewriting, seeking markets for, and selling our work. In other words, as wonderful as writing is--and as wonderful as it is that we can sell so much of our work online from the comfort of our home offices--writing is definitely not an activity that contributes to our physical fitness; and it can, in fact, detract from it, if we don't find ways to counteract the often excessive amounts of time we spend in front of our computers.
A Blog to Help You Add Physical Fitness to Your List of 2008 Goals
One way that we can help motivate ourselves to add physical fitness to our list of New Year's resolutions this year--and make it a resolution that we actually keep--is by visiting the Simply Fitness Blog, where we'll find posts such as the following to help move us toward better fitness in 2008:
27 Ways to Get Fit for Free
Fitness Motivation: 6 Simple Steps to the Point of No Return
Fitness Success Tip 1: Have a Plan
These three posts, along with the others offered on this great blog, can help inspire us to make fitness happen for us this year.
More Information on Fitness and Fitness Gear on the Main Website
In addition to the great advice you'll find on the Simply Fitness Blog, you'll also discover a ton of other excellent fitness information on the main site, SimplyFitnessGear.com. This site presents comprehensive info on and reviews of the many different types and brands of fitness gear available and can help you decide which equipment is right for your fitness needs.
The Fitness Equipment Quiz offered at SimplyFitnessGear.com can also help you determine which type of fitness gear will give you the workout you need, based on your own current level of fitness.
Two Sites to Give You the Fitness Info You Need
Even if you aren't in the market for fitness equipment, you'll learn a great deal from both the blog and the main site. If you'd like to develop your own exercise regimen but don't know quite where to begin, definitely check out the blog for information, motivation, and inspiration. If your goal is to learn more about the equipment you may currently be using--or not using--either at home or at the gym, be sure to look over the main site.
Simply Fitness might just provide the push you need to help you balance your current regimen of intellectual exercise with a whole new physical fitness routine, making you healthier, happier, and more creative in the new year.
To a happy and healthy 2008!
Jeanne
This is not a sponsored post.
Know any other great fitness websites that can help us keep fit in the new year? We'd love to hear about them!
Two Charitable Sites Matching Clicks This Month
Two of six click-to-give sites that have been mentioned at Writer's Notes before are offering to match any clicks received through the end of 2007, giving double benefit to the charities they support. The Literacy Site and The Breast Cancer Site will match your clicks--up to one per day--through the end of December.
Give Just a Little Bit More When You Click This Month
This is a wonderful opportunity to give just a little bit more to these organizations that are dedicated to helping those in need. And the best part is that it doesn't cost you a penny! All it costs is a few minutes (or less) of your time each day to help provide free books for underprivileged children and free mammograms for low-income women. Simply visit the sites and click the "give" button. The sites and their sponsors will do the rest! What could be easier? And what a great free gift to give someone this Christmas!
Don't Forget to Click and Give to the Other Four Sites, As Well
While you're there, be sure to also click the "give" buttons for the other worthy causes represented by the remainder of this bank of six click-to-give sites: The Hunger Site, The Child Health Site, The Rainforest Site, and The Animal Rescue Site. While clicks generated on these four sites are not being matched click-for-click this month, your click will nevertheless help these organizations complete their charitable work. (As mentioned above, all six of these sites are part of a bank of charitable sites; and thus, for your convenience, all six may be accessed by clicking the link to any one of them.)
A Few Minutes of Your Time Equals Free Gifts this Christmas and In the New Year
Please consider spending a few minutes each day during the month of December clicking to give to these six charitable causes. After all, where else can you go to give free gifts this Christmas?
Also, consider making a habit of supporting these charitable sites with regular clicks in 2008! You'll receive far more than you give!
In the spirit of the season,
Jeanne
This is not a sponsored post.
Did you enjoy this post? Have any thoughts to share? Please feel free to comment!
Freelancers' Holiday Visions
With both the holidays and the end of the tax year drawing nigh, freelancers tend to have a slightly different version of the line from the popular poem, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas on their minds. For us, Christmas is the time when "visions of tax returns dance in our heads"!
Some Helpful Links to Lighten Our Mental Load
So, to help take a load off our minds this Christmas, I've listed links to some really helpful info on filing taxes for freelance writers. Some are lists of links to other resources about income taxes, and others are discussions of tax-related topics of interest to freelancers. (You'll find some very slight overlap in these offerings.) My hope is that knowing we have these great resources at our fingertips will help us to have a merrier Christmas this year, as well as an easier job filing when tax time rolls around in just a few short months.
Excellent Online Tax-Time Guidance
Debbie Ridpath Ohi's Tax Tips and Resources for Freelance Writers
Write Stuff's Tax Tips for Writers
Freelance Factor Tax Tips for Freelance Writers - Articles by Julian Block
Deborah Ng's Weekend Discussion: Tax Tips for Freelance Writers
Amy Derby's Blog Post: Don’t Sweat the Audit Threat
Chris Bibey's Blog Post: Health Insurance for Freelance Writers and Other Self-Employed Professionals
A Great Head Start
No doubt there are many other great online tax resources for freelancers; but these links ought to give us an excellent start in preparing for tax day 2008!
If you know of any great tax-related resources for freelancers, please feel free to share them with us in comments!
Here's to smooth sailing at tax time!
Jeanne
This is not a sponsored post.
Did you enjoy this post? Have any of your own tax tips, techniques, experiences, or resources to share? We welcome your comments!
Feed Rinse Cleans Up Your Feeds
K-IntheHouse, over at ShanKri-la, wrote an excellent blog post a while back (which I just discovered today) called How to Overcome RSS Feed Overload? Just thought I'd share this really comprehensive introduction to and explanation of a fantastic free online tool that can help you organize your feeds, selectively filtering out the items you aren't interested in and "filtering in" the ones you are! This powerhouse of an RSS-feed organizer--which can be thought of as a spam filter for RSS feeds--is called Feed Rinse.
Too Many Great Blogs!
I don't know about you, but I know that I, for one, have not yet gotten a handle on my feeds; simply because it seems as though I'm always too busy to keep up with them. Lately, it's all I can do to visit and comment on my favorite blogs, much less go through all the posts of the significant number of other great blogs I've subscribed to so I wouldn't lose track of them. If you tend to have this problem, you might want to check out this free resource. It can help make a difference. Haven't tried it myself, yet, but K-IntheHouse has, and he seems to feel it's worthwhile.
I'm certainly thinking of checking it out. How about you?
To cleaner RSS feeds!
Jeanne
This is not a sponsored post.
Did you enjoy this post? Learn anything new? Have anything to add? Please feel free to comment!
Free Online Resources That Are Worth Resurrecting
Over the past several months, I've provided my readers with numerous free online resources, written about in various posts, all of which have done the inevitable disappearing act that happens when blog posts move down the page and out of sight into the darkest depths of the archival abyss. Today, I'd like to resurrect some of these posts, so you can more easily access the helpful and/or fun tools, tests, and resources that can make your writing/blogging life much, much easier and a whole lot brighter.
So, without further ado, here are the links to these posts, divided into three helpful categories, for your convenience:
Resources
One Look Dictionary Search: Your One-Stop Word Shop
The Free Library: Your Online Literary and Information Portal
Bibliomania: The Modern Way to Read the Classics
GCF LearnFree.Org: Free Online Computer Training and More
Need Ideas? Let the New York Times Help!
Tools
Write Engaging Headlines: Use the Emotional Marketing Value Headline Analyzer
Check the Viability of Your Site with Website Grader
OpenOffice.Org: Free Alternatives to Popular Brand Name Software
Rate Your Blog: Handy Blog Rating Tool
Keyword Density: Your Key to Better Search Engine Ranking
Tests
Test Your Online Identity With Career Distinction’s Online Identity Calculator
If You Like Tests, You’ll Find Plenty at Tickle.Com
Test Your Skills: Take the Blogger Spelling and Grammar Test
Hope they help!
Jeanne
This is not a sponsored post.
Did you enjoy this post? Was it helpful? Which tool/resource do you especially like? Please feel free to comment!
A Highly Entertaining Meme
I recently decided to participate in a really entertaining meme I found at Cindy Nichols' Kaleidoscope blog, in her post Art, LinkLetter Style. I thought it would be great fun, and I've finally managed to complete my contribution. I wrote my post slightly differently than Cindy did hers, using the titles of each blog or website in my Helpful Sites for Writers list. (I've also added a link to DCR Blogs, since Dan is the first blogger I've seen write this type of "linky" tale and he may very well have originated the idea. (Find out about it in Dan's Viral Stories How-To post. I have, in fact, written my post DCR-style, if you will.) Hope you'll enjoy it!
A Real Blog About Your Blog Story
One day I decided to visit the downtown office of the Blog Herald to talk to The Copywriting Maven about writing a Successful Blog. She immediately took out The Golden Pencil that she had won in a writing competition, and began scribbling like an AcaDemon. Soon, she spoke. “If you really want to Grow Your Writing Business and Get Paid to Write Online, you’ll have to learn ‘Word Sell,’ which is a new language that will take you a long way Down the Writer's Path on your Freelancing Journey.” She certainly had my attention!
“Some of the terminology used in this new language may be unfamiliar to you,” she continued, “but you’ll get the hang of it soon enough by following my Daily Blog Tips.” Soon your Blogging Fingers will be doing some Confident Writing, and you’ll be a Pro Blogger before you know it.”
I was so curious, however, that I just had to ask about this Kaleidoscope of Web Writing Info and how it could possibly help me gather my Writing Thoughts into a Write from Home Blog that could churn out not only Constant Content, but Content Done Better. In fact, I wanted to know when All Freelance Writing I did would begin earning me a hefty piece of the Funds for Writers that are always there for the taking when you find the best Freelance Writing Jobs. I was gung-ho!
Well, soon the Maven realized how serious I was, so she decided to put me in touch with the “big guns”: her colleague Mrs. Write Right, Word Therapist.
“She should be able to teach you everything you need to know,” said the Maven. So, off we went to the office of this experienced Copyblogger who knew all there was to know about Good Word Editing. “She’ll teach you everything you need to know about My Way to Freelance. Just as I made a Passionate Blogger out of her, she’ll bring you into the Pro Bloggers Matrix, too, so you’ll Write Stuff that not only Writers Remember, but that Associated Content buyers will band together all in a Writers' Row for the sole purpose of reading, buying, and putting into their publications and on their websites. But you must realize that this will take dedication on your part. It won't happen overnight. It’ll be a joint effort between you and Mrs. Write Right. It’ll take A Writer's Words, An Editor's Eye, and some Blog Smart Resources to pull this off! Are you ready to get to work?”
How could I refuse? This was the chance of a lifetime! After introductions, my new mentor said, “We’ll get started first thing tomorrow morning.” Handing me a huge stack of books which had been written by a famous internet guru right at the peak of his highly successful career, she added, “Study these tonight. That will help prepare you for the work we’ll be doing. In this business, you need to be SEOAware, and that’s why you’ll find these Middle Zone Musings so helpful.”
I was so anxious to get started that I decided to check out a few pages before leaving so I could work on memorizing what I could to start "Writing the Cyber Highway" as I drove the five or so miles home.
On the way out, I met Sylvia, the receptionist, and stopped by her desk to say “Hi.” I recalled that it had been Sylvia's Insight About Freelance Writing that had kept my colleague Chris Blogging when he’d been ready to give up last year. Her encouragement and expertise had been just what he needed at the time. It had helped him become better able to Write from Home using the Pro Blog Design he’d previously had his good friend Randa Clay Design for him. He had then become so enamored with blogging that he and all his friends became Clicky Web Analytics, clicking on all the sites they could find to analyze the latest versions of their blog stats. Chris's friend, DCR Blogs for one of the well-known blogging networks.
As I left the office, I couldn’t help simply shaking my head in amazement. I had entered that building just a short while ago, my head filled with several years' accumulation of A Writer's Woolgatherings, and now here I was well on my way to learning everything I needed to know to begin an exciting and successful writing career.
And all because one of the experts had been willing to help me out! How lucky is that! That's one story that will definitely go down in this Writer's Notes!*
End of Story?
Well, there you have it, folks! That was my contribution to this really fun meme! Hope you enjoyed reading it! I won't tag anybody for this meme; but if anyone would like to participate, I guarantee you'll enjoy yourself immensely! If you do, write a story, using as many links from your sidebar as your imagination can handle; and also, please link back to this post and/or this blog. Then, don't forget to drop back by and leave me a comment, so I'll be able to check out your post.
Happy creative linking!
Jeanne
*Just had to throw that one in!
This is not a sponsored post.
Did you enjoy this post? Want to join in the fun? Join the meme! Or, at least, leave a comment! We'd love to hear your thoughts!
Relax Those Muscles After a Hard Day's Writing
The writing life can be rewarding. There's no question about it. Yet, it can also be very tiring and--with imminent deadlines often dictating our schedules--more than a little stressful. Those are the times when, after a busy day of writing, blogging, research, or querying, a relaxing soak in the hot tub may be just what the doctor ordered.
Variety, Quality, Availability, & Price = Value
HotTubWorks can help you keep your spa in pristine condition for just such times of rest and relaxation with quality spa covers designed for virtually every make and model spa manufactured today. Offering some of the lowest prices available on the internet, HotTubWorks can provide just the spa cover you need at a price you can afford. This combination of quality, availability, and price makes the company's hot tub covers highly sought-after. If you do a little research, you'll see that hot tub covers such as these will not be found everywhere.
Spa Covers of Superior Quality at HotTubWorks.com
If the above features aren't enough to pique your interest, HotTubWorks also offers one of the most comprehensive hot tub cover warranties in the business. The reason they can do this is because the construction of their spa covers is "second to none," a claim of which the company is rightfully proud.
Not only do all HotTubWorks covers meet ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) safety standards, but they also include a long list of quality features that will keep your spa cover in great shape for years to come, including rugged marine-grade vinyl top, tapered virgin-foam insulation, and exclusive, moisture-lock heat seal, to name just a few. A sturdy, four-layer hinge and super-strength recessed handles top off construction to give you the best spa cover for your money.
Top Notch Sales & Service Support
Add to this HotTubWorks' excellent live phone sales and support service and prompt e-mail response time, and you've found the winning combination that will put your mind, as well as your body, at ease. And to help make your ordering experience even more positive and ensure the seamless integration of your new spa cover into your life, HotTubWorks also provides easy-to-use ordering tools, an instructional video, printable instructions, and a highly detailed FAQ section.
So, why not check out their website today, and see whether their spa covers, as well as their responsive support team, might not be exactly what you've been looking for.
Here's to peace of mind,
Jeanne
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The Holidays Are Upon Us & Coupon Chief Is Here to Help
With Thanksgiving just around the corner and Christmas soon to follow, this is a good time to remind everyone about the wide variety of great gift deals that are available through the Coupon Chief website. Gifts for everyone on your list, as well as your choice of a whole array of gift ideas to round out your own wish list, make Coupon Chief your convenient one-stop gift shop. With all these deals centrally located on the Coupon Chief website, you'll be able to take a minimum of time away from your writing tasks to find the perfect gift for everyone you need to shop for.
Hundreds of Coupon Deals & Scores of Retailers All In One Place
At Coupon Chief, you'll find literally hundreds of coupon deals offered by your favorite retailers--stores like Hallmark, Best Buy, and Target and scores of others, as well--which can help you find the perfect gift for every member of your family and all your friends and business associates.
Some of the Deals You'll Find at Coupon Chief
For the artist on your holiday list, you'll find Blick coupons offering as much as 59% off selected items, such as sable paint brushes, as well as deals on acrylics, drawing pads, easels, and other art supplies (though offers vary and new deals are added daily). This is one that particularly interests me, with its generous discounts, since I have two artists in my family.
And for the avid readers you'll be buying for--not to mention yourself--BooksAMillion coupon codes (as well as BAM's 80%-off Clearance Sale) will help you bring the gift of the written word into the lives of those whose intellectual fulfillment you'd like to contribute to without having to contribute too much of your hard-earned cash to do it. (While you're waiting to write and/or publish your own book, you might as well supply them with other good reading materials in the meantime.)
For the technologically oriented members of your inner circle, CompUSA deals will help you make their season bright when you choose computers, notebooks, flash drives, media players, and more. CompUSA also offers TVs and camcorders, to help you please everyone on your list--whether they enjoy watching movies or making them. Your photo-savvy folks will enjoy unwrapping the deals you've found on digital cameras, too.
Even your pets will benefit when you take advantage of a whole variety of PETsMART deals this Christmas. And if you happen to be a pet owner who is more oriented toward natural pet products, your cat or dog's holiday gifts and goodies can be purchased using Only Natural Pet Store coupons, pleasing both you and your pet at the same time.
Coupon Deals for Everyone on Your Gift List
Whatever gift category you may be looking for, chances are excellent that Coupon Chief will have a coupon deal that will help you bring home not just the gifts but the bargains this Christmas. So, why not check them out; you're bound to find something--and likely just the right something--for everyone on your list.
Happy shopping,
Jeanne
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Earn More or Save More This Christmas?
As we enter a new holiday season, we may be thinking of our need to earn a few extra dollars from our writing to cover the expenses that the holidays inevitably bring. To most of us this means seeking new clients, new opportunities to sell our work to old clients, and perhaps even new ways to market our previously published works. But, while hunting down these new means of bringing in holiday money, we might also want to consider a few simple and relatively painless ways to cut down on holiday expenses and make the money we already have go a little farther.
LED Christmas Lights Save Energy & Last Longer
One way we can do this is by using energy-saving LED Christmas lights in place of last year's incandescents, which use 10 times the electricity of the LED version. Aside from using much less electricity, LED Christmas lights also last about 25 times as long as incandescents: more than 50,000 hours compared to about 2,000 for regular incandescent bulbs. That seems like a pretty impressive difference to me.
Durability
One reason these LED bulbs last so long is because of their durable epoxy plastic construction. Unlike regular Christmas light bulbs, LED Christmas lights contain no glass. This makes a big difference in durability, as one might well imagine. Another reason they last so long is that they don't burn out anywhere near as quickly as regular Christmas lights because they don't contain the fragile filament that standard bulbs use, which happens to be the major cause of burned out bulbs.
Safety
LED Christmas light bulbs are also far safer than regular Christmas lights, because they don't generate nearly as much heat and actually feel cool to the touch. Because they only hit 1 degree above ambient, or surrounding, temperature, they've been approved by the Home Safety Council and can help you have a merrier, more safety-conscious Christmas.
Variety
As if these reasons aren't enough, LED Christmas lights come in three different bulb sizes/shapes: the mini light, the raspberry light, and the strawberry light, each of which fits a different decorating need. All have a textured finish, which adds to their brilliance, and each style comes in one of several individual colors, multi-color, warm white, or crystal white. The appearance of these bulbs is quite attractive, and they look as if they would add an air of festivity to the home during the holidays.
Great Reasons to Switch
There are many great reasons to switch to LED Xmas lights this season. Why in the world would we want to stick with the old-fashioned, outdated Christmas light variety, which is more costly to use, far less efficient, hazardous to our families, and much worse for the environment? Visit the HolidayLEDs website and check out their selection. I think you'll be impressed. And once you've switched to LED Christmas lights, I doubt you'll ever go back to incandescents again.
May your holidays be bright!
Jeanne
This post sponsored by PayPerPost.
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Get Paid for What You Love to Do: Blog!
I've written about Smorty here at Writer's Notes before to share the news that this company provides some solid opportunities for bloggers to get paid for blogging--in other words, to receive monetary compensation for something they already do because they love it! What better deal could there be for a blogger--or anyone else--than to be paid for something they're not just already doing--but thoroughly enjoying!
Smorty: Icing on the Cake for those Who Love to Blog
I believe most bloggers fit the category of those who love to blog. Our first reward is the satisfaction we get from creating a vital, entertaining, and informative blog. We relish both the idea and the practice of creating valuable content, interacting with our readers via comments, and connecting with other like-minded bloggers by visiting their blogs and/or meeting them on various social networking sites. For this kind of blogger, being able to get paid to blog can simply be the "icing on the cake."
Buy Yourself Time to Blog
In many cases the opportunity to blog for money can make the difference between whether or not a blogger will be able to continue blogging. Blogging takes time--often a great deal of time. And many bloggers don't have the luxury of an unlimited amount of extra time--time available before, after, or instead of work--to spend engaging in their favorite pastime. For many bloggers, if the time spent blogging doesn't bring any sort of monetary return, that, in itself, could cause financial hardship, leaving the blogger little choice but to get a "real job."
Supplement Your Present Income Or Go "All Out"
That's why blog advertising is such a great "invention." It enables bloggers who would normally need to earn money in other ways to continue doing what they love and still bring in a few bucks to either supplement a spouse's income or possibly increase their own income--perhaps adding to the income they're already earning from sporadic freelance writing gigs. There are even those real go-getter bloggers who so thoroughly grasp the opportunities afforded to them by the fact that more and more companies are seeing the direct benefits they receive when they advertise on blogs that these bloggers are marketing their blogging skills in many different venues and earning better-than-average income.
Opportunities Await
The opportunities to get paid for blogging are out there. It's simply a matter of what we decide to do with them. If you would like to blog for money, Smorty might just be the perfect place to start.
Much luck to you!
Jeanne
This is not a sponsored post.
Please Note: This post has been removed from the Paid Posts category, since Smorty has refused to approve payment due to a glitch in the system which caused this posting opportunity to be offered to me a second time. After careful consideration, I've decided not to remove the post itself from my blog, despite Smorty's refusal to compensate me for it, since the information it contains could be of interest and potentially helpful to my readers. I also hesitate to remove the comments of those who have so generously contributed to the Writer's Notes conversation by responding to this post.
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Writer's Notes' Recent Emphasis on Free Giving Sites
I'm sure you've noticed that a number of my recent posts have been philanthropic in nature--though I've done my best to keep these relevant to the general topic of Writer's Notes. In addition, most have involved free giving opportunities through click-to-give, search-to-give, or test-your-vocabulary-to-give sites. This post is no different.
Click to Give Free Books to Children Around the Globe
I've discovered a site, via my blogging friend Lillie Ammann, which donates free books to children around the world and also helps build schools in impoverished parts of the globe through revenue raised via its advertisers in response to free clicks by visitors to the site. This is one more opportunity to give an intellectual and literary hand to those in need without the necessity of donating money. What an excellent idea!
Click to Support The Literacy Site
The Literacy Site is part of a bank of click-to-give sites that I discovered through an article written by Lillie, entitled How to Be a Philanthropist with No Money and Only Ten Minutes a Day. The Literacy Site allows you to take part in their two programs which help bring literacy to the poorest populations around the globe: Room to Read and First Book.
Room to Read Program
One of The Literacy Site's programs is the Room to Read program. Room to Read provides books for children through its Local Language Publishing Program and builds adequate schools in rural areas of the developing world, through its School Room Program.
The mission statement of the Room to Read program follows:
Room to Read partners with local communities throughout the developing world to establish schools, libraries, and other educational infrastructure. We seek to intervene early in the lives of children in the belief that education is a lifelong gift that empowers people to ultimately improve socioeconomic conditions for their families, communities, countries, and future generations. Through the opportunities that only an education can provide, we strive to break the cycle of poverty, one child at a time.
First Book Program
The other program offered by The Literacy Site, is the First Book program, which is dedicated to getting books into the hands of disadvantaged children. After Hurrican Katrina, First Book launched Book Relief, with a goal of providing over five million new books to those so seriously affected by the devastation as well as those organizations involved in the rebuilding effort. So far, 3.5 million books have been distributed through the Book Relief program.
Here's what The Literacy Site has to say about itself and its First Book program:
Since its launch in November 2004, visitors to The Literacy Site have helped generate over a million new books for children from low-income families. Our non-profit partner First Book helps convert clicks at The Literacy Site into actual books in the hands of children.
Other Convenient Opportunities for Free Giving
When you visit The Free Literacy Site, you'll notice that it's part of a bank of other free click-to-give sites: The Hunger Site, The Breast Cancer Site,* The Child Health Site, The Rain Forest Site, and The Animal Rescue Site. Each of these sites offers help and support to different worthy causes and relief efforts, and their convenient shared location on the same QuickDonations.com website makes it easy for you to click to help all six causes at the same time. (Note: you'll also have access to all six of these sites when you click the link to The Literacy Site, above.)
When you visit these sites, within minutes--or less--you'll be able to help feed the hungry, provide free mammograms* for poor women, give free health care to poor children, protect a portion of endangered rain forest habitat, rescue and provide free food and care for stray animals--and all this in addition to the free books and school facilities you'll be helping to provide for underprivileged children through The Literacy Site!
Wouldn't that be worth a few minutes of your time each day? If enough of us join together in the effort to help these worthy causes, we could really make a difference. It won't cost us a penny, and the effort involved would be less than the effort it takes to write an article, post a blog entry, or even leave a comment.
I'm in. How about you?
Jeanne
*Note: During the month of November, if the funding goal of 500 mammograms is reached, The Breast Cancer Site will donate an ultrasound machine to a hospital in South Africa through funding provided by its charitable partner, GreaterGood.org. As of today (Nov. 11th), visitors to the site have brought contributions to 31% of the goal. So, please click daily to help the people of South Africa receive their ultrasound machine!
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Search Kindly: The Site Where Research = Charity
The next time you need to research an article, blog post, book, or story, why not use Search Kindly and donate to a worthy cause at the same time? Search Kindly is a website that offers Google search capability with a twist: Each time you complete your Google search from the site instead of anywhere else, you actually donate money for free to a worthy charitable organization.
Why Search Kindly?
The people who run the site have this to say about themselves and their innovative way of raising money for charity:
Search Kindly is a non-profit organization dedicated to the idea of micro-volunteerism and micro-philanthropy. A lot of people doing a little is better than a few people doing a lot.
They also explain why they've chosen to use a site that offers Google search as their vehicle for fundraising:
The whole point of Search Kindly is to take something that you'd be doing anyway, like surfing the Internet, and turn it into a really meaningful action.
Sounds like a fantastic idea, to me.
How Does Search Kindly Work?
The charity which receives each month's donations is chosen via voting by the site's visitors during the month prior to the one in which the donations are distributed. So, not only are you able to give without money, but you're also able to help decide who receives your gift.
Search Kindly posts a list of organizations from which you can choose when you place your vote (which you may do once every eight hours). There are currently six charitable groups vying for December's funds. Each organization title in the list links to a description of the group and its work. During the first three weeks of the month, open voting takes place among all six charities to determine the top two. These two remain in the running during the fourth week, at which time the site's users vote for their favorite of the two and thereby choose the recipient of the next month's proceeds.
Donations are generated through the site's advertising, and 100% of proceeds raised are donated to the chosen charity each month. Last month (October) $913.35 was raised for Wildlife Direct, and the goal for this month is $1,000, which will be donated to Blood: Water Mission. (As of this writing, $180.60 has been raised so far this month.)
Which Groups Can I Choose Among for December's Donation?
Charitable organizations in the running for Next month's donation are the following:
-Covenant House
-Friends of Bonobos
-Boma Fund
-Cows for Kids
-Marion Medical Mission
-Save Darfur Coalition
Visit the site to learn more about these organizations and their work and to enter your vote for the charity of your choice. Then, why not start using Search Kindly for all your internet research?
As they say on the website, "If you're going to search, why not Search Kindly?"
Let's Search Kindly together!
Jeanne
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Note: All links in this post have been updated, as of June 4, 2009. AFA's eStore is open year-round.
The Holidays: A Fitting Time to Think of Those in Need
As the holidays approach, I would once again like to touch on the topic of just how important a vital mind and lucid thought-processing ability are to any individual's quality of life. We writers know just how critical the ability to think clearly can be to our livelihood, our relationships, and our overall satisfaction with life.
Yet, to those facing Alzheimer's, the prospect of living a fulfilling life is, to a great extent, dependent on the ability of others to understand their condition, learn how best to handle its symptoms and mitigate its negative effects, and know where to go to receive the emotional and practical support they need to be able to continually provide a loving, nurturing environment in which the Alzheimer's patient can not just survive, but thrive.
Alzheimer's Foundation of America: Improving Lives One Patient at a Time
The Alzheimer's Foundation of America is an organization that does a great deal to improve the quality of life of Alzheimer's victims and their families. The people at AFA work hard to provide information and support to all those affected by Alzheimer's--patients, caregivers, family members, and health care professionals. In addition, this non-profit organization is dedicated to finding a cure for this debilitating condition which robs so many of the ability to handle everyday activities that most of us take for granted.
Holiday Gifts that Give the Gift of Support to Alzheimer's Patients
AFA's eStore has the perfect holiday gift for that special someone. Buying your gifts online from AFA this holiday season will help you bring joy to friends and family while at the same time gifting Alzheimer's patients and their families with the critical support they need. All proceeds raised through the AFA eStore benefit the Alzheimer's Foundation of America and are used to help improve the lives of Alzheimer's patients.
AFA: "Together for Care...in Addition to Cure"
While finding a cure for this debilitating disorder is one very important focus of AFA's work, they also realize that care is every bit as important as cure and therefore place equal emphasis on this critical aspect of their work.
Why not visit the AFA eStore for some new gift-giving ideas; and give more than gifts to your friends and family this holiday season--give them the satisfaction of knowing that their gift helped make a difference in someone else's life.
And during this season of generosity in which the spirit of giving is so widespread, why not consider making a contribution to help support the work that AFA is doing to improve the lives of those facing Alzheimer's.
Thanks!
Jeanne
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