103 followers
385 daily readers
rank of 23
Receive an e-mail notification of new posts on this site:
|
|
|
WritersNotes.Net: Helping Writers Follow Their Dreams Through Information, Inspiration, and Encouragement!
Many Thanks for Your Feedback!
I'd like to thank everyone for all your excellent feedback on feed-reading. It's been very helpful! You've given me some great ideas that will help make my feed management easier and more productive; and hopefully your comments have been helpful to other readers, who may have been experiencing some of the same issues, as well.
Feed Readers: Tools to Make Our Lives Easier
Feed reading is really a very convenient way to "visit" the blogs we enjoy--without having to surf all over the internet to find them. Having them all in one place is a great feature. When we look at feed readers as tools to help make our lives easier, we won't feel enslaved to them, but will use them in the ways that prove most helpful to us. If that means deleting posts that we haven't had time to read, so be it. If it means deleting entire blogs that we never read, we shouldn't feel guilty about doing so. The feed reader is there for us, after all.
Feed Readers and E-Mail: Both Benefit from Labelling
I still haven't tried labels in my feed reader, yet, but will do so as soon as I can find the time. Lately, I've been concentrating my energy and effort on labelling my e-mails in G-mail. I'd never used this feature before, and so organizing my saved e-mails has been pretty time-consuming. Just as my feed reader has become overrun with posts, my e-mail account has become overloaded with e-mails. Using my account for writing-related queries and submissions, church writing projects, and miscellaneous blog-related activities--in addition to everything else--has caused my inbox to be fairly inundated with mail; therefore, e-mail labelling was my area of concentration yesterday.
Labelling: A Big Job Once E-Mails Get Out of Hand!
So far I've only completed the e-mails that were in my inbox--though I spent a good part of the day doing it. (I told you my inbox was overloaded!) I have yet to tackle the ones in the archives. Since so many of my e-mails are writing-related, I really need to keep accurate records of my online correspondence, so I wouldn't want to delete those; though I'm sure there are some individual e-mails--and no doubt entire categories, as well--that I could probably live without. I'll have to give that a bit more thought.
Clear Out Your Inbox By Labelling and Archiving
I'd definitely like to begin keeping the number of messages in my inbox down to a manageable level, and I think labelling and archiving will help me do this--though I realize that I do need to rethink which e-mails I really need to save, as my archives continue to grow. All I can say is that it's a good thing G-mail offers close to 3,000 MB of storage. It's hard to believe, though, that with all the e-mails I've got archived, I'm only using 3% of that space! (This makes me realize that G-mail gives me plenty of space for letting things get out of hand--or should I say "plenty of rope to hang myself"?) So I'm the one who needs to decide when enough is enough--because G-mail certainly won't do it for me! (When G-mail was first launched, it offered 2,500 MB of storage space, and that amount has grown daily, until now it's over 2,900 MB!)
Minimize Archived E-Mails: Print/Delete Some of Them
One thing I've begun doing to get rid of excess e-mail is printing out the e-mails received from family members and then deleting them. This way, I have hard copies which I can keep, just as I would if a family member had sent me a letter via snail mail. This works well for me, since I generally bring them over to my mom's house to read them to her and share the latest family news.
I print out other select categories of e-mail, as well. This does, of course, use up more printer ink--not to mention paper--but that's simply the price one must pay for the added convenience of the practice. (No doubt most of us have quite a few e-mails we could simply delete--without printing--and we wouldn't really miss them. We all need to decide for ourselves which ones those are.)
What Are Your E-Mail Practices, Tips, or Techniques?
How do you handle your e-mail? Have you been able to tame the e-mail monster, or are you becoming buried in electronic messages? Are you an e-mail pack rat, or do you ruthlessly delete all but the most crucial communications? If you have any e-mail management tips or techniques you'd like to share with the rest of us, we're all ears!
RSS Feeds and E-Mail: Both Require Organization!
RSS feeds and e-mail accounts--with their many, many blog posts and e-mail messages--are formidable opponents. Yet, my plan is to vanquish both through organization! I fully intend to tame the RSS feed and e-mail monsters one way or another! How about you?
Eager for your input,
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Learn anything? Have any tips to share? Please feel free to comment!
Mr. Murphy Must Love Writing Deadlines!
Have you ever experienced a dental emergency right in the middle of a big writing project, with an imminent deadline looming before you like an immovable giant? While few of us would say that we ever need the unpleasant interruption caused by a lost filling, loosened cap, or chipped tooth, most of us would agree that mid-project has to be one of the absolute worst times for a dental emergency to occur. Yet, "Murphy's Law" seems to be alive and well during just those times when we need to be at our efficient best!
But whether it's an extremely tight writing deadline or an extremely busy dentist that prevents us from getting in immediately to have the problem corrected, the result is the same: We face a situation where temporary measures must be taken to mitigate the problem, relieve our discomfort, and minimize our embarrassment until our dentist can provide a more permanent solution.
My Own Personal Dental Dilemma
Several months ago, I faced a similar situation myself. I happened to be eating a sprouted wheat bagel--and if you are familiar with sprouted wheat, you know that the kernels can be rather large and tough to chew. Up until the point where I bit down a bit too hard into a kernel (which was also a bit too hard,) I might have been in "bagel heaven" had there been such a place.
I could tell right away that something was very wrong. I'd both heard and felt my tooth break, though I could hardly believe it had happened--particularly from simply biting into a bagel! I would have never expected that to happen in a million years! But happen it did.
When I looked in the mirror, my worst suspicions were confirmed: the outer surface of one of my upper molars--yes, the part most visible when I smiled (though admittedly, I wasn't in any mood to do very much of that, at this point)--was gone, exposing an unsightly, old-fashioned amalgam filling. And the thin but precious piece of porcelain I pulled out of my mouth gave mute testimony to the utter irreversibility of the situation.
An Unsightly Exposed Amalgam Filling
If you're old enough to have amalgam fillings, you'll have an idea how unsightly my damaged tooth looked! (For those who don't know anything about amalgam fillings, they are composed of a metal alloy, the color of which is basically silver but which tends to darken around the edges, appearing somewhat blackish in places.) Suffice it to say, my tooth wasn't pretty!
At the time, I didn't have a publishing deadline looming, but I did have college homework due, as well as classes to attend--which, in its own way, was far worse because it meant going out in public and interacting with people in normal, everyday situations, where people tend to...smile. As you can well imagine, waiting even a few days to see a dentist wasn't very much fun. I only wish I'd known about Dentemp OS at the time. It would have saved me a great deal of embarrassment.
Dentemp OS: The 60-Second Solution
Dentemp OS is an FDA-approved over-the-counter dental cement that's used for temporary dental repair and would have been the perfect solution to my problem had I known it existed. It was developed by a dentist and offers effective First Aid for just such problems as the one I faced, as well as lost fillings and loose caps. It can be used to temporarily replace lost fillings and re-cement loose crowns. In short, it would have been a godsend for me at that time. It's still hard to believe that I could have enjoyed such a quick, easy solution to several days of embarrassment and discomfort. But, as they say, Live and learn.
My tooth was finally capped, and now things are back to normal. But I now know precisely what to do if I'm ever faced with a similar situation again: Go for the Dentemp OS. It certainly would have made a great deal of difference to me back then. And, if you ever face a dental disruption similar to the one I experienced, I'm sure it will make as much of a difference to you.
Keep smiling!
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Was it helpful? Have any questions? Please feel free to leave a comment!
A Great Article on How You Can Develop Confidence as a Business Writer
The following article was written by my friend and fellow blogger, Joanna Young, of Confident Writing. This article is offered for free distribution by EzineArticles.Com; so I thought I'd share it with my readers to help you become a more confident business writer, as well as to highlight the wonderful content you'll find on Joanna's blog. (Many of Joanna's tips and techniques also apply to other types of writing, as well; so bear that in mind as you read, and look for places in your own writing where you can practice these helpful principles.)
_____________________________
Business Writing with Confidence - An ABC Guide
By Joanna Young
Confident writing is an essential part of effective business communication. Most people would agree with this statement but how many of us have the skills or the confidence to put it into practice? Anxiety about grammar rules can leave people tongue tied. All too often business writing is seen as a barrier, a stumbling block rather than something that can add value to your contribution at work.
But here’s the thing: you don’t need to learn the rules of a grammar book to write with confidence at work. You just need to work on three basic elements of good business writing: authenticity, brevity and clarity. It’s what I call the ABC guide to confident writing at work.
Writing with authenticity
Writing with authenticity means being real, sounding human, sounding like yourself. It’s great for creating rapport with other people, whether that’s your colleagues, customers or potential clients. Most people want to do business with another human being and it’s even better if that’s someone they feel they can get to ‘know’ and trust.
To make your writing more authentic:
* Make use of plain, everyday words: go for short, simple words; avoid jargon and clichés; use everyday words rather than corporate or business speak
* Use a conversational style: this doesn’t mean slang – it does mean feeling free to use short sentences and contractions like “I’m” or “we’ll” or “let’s” (all great for the flow)
* Find your own words: spend a little bit of time jotting down your own words for the things that are most important to you (ideas, your business purpose, your values) and start to work them into your writing. This is a great way to sound like you really mean business!
Writing with brevity
Most people are drowning in information overload. So much for the paperless office – most of us are suffering from too much paper, a deluge of e-mails and more reports than we’ll ever have time to read. You’ll really start to win friends and influence people if you keep your writing short and to the point. Your readers will thank you for the time and effort saved, and you’ll also make your message more punchy, powerful and memorable.
To write with brevity:
* Keep each sentence short: aim for an average of 18 – 25 words a sentence. This is good writing practice and will get you into the habit of writing less
* Cut out excess words: go back and edit your work once you’ve written a draft. Cut out as many excess words as you can. Then do it again (and again till it’s done.) Enjoy seeing your message emerge more clearly!
* Write within limits : set yourself a word limit and practice working to it. It’ll improve your skills of writing with brevity and help you stick to the point
Writing with clarity
You’ve got something important to say so you want your writing to stand out. Clear writing makes it easier for people to read, follow and understand what you’re saying. Now this is the place where grammar does come into play because there are some rules – whether you like it or not – that are there to help us understand your meaning. You need to master these basic rules if you want your message to be clear and easily understood.
To write more clearly:
* Know your point : be clear what you’re trying to say, and why, before you start to write. Boil your message down to no more than 10 words. That’s your message: focus on that and it will shine through your writing
* Manage your writing: work out which grammar points are stopping you from writing with clarity (like use of apostrophes). Ask a colleague or friend to help identify them. Then take responsibility for learning and applying the rules. There are plenty of books, websites and writing coaches who can help with this
* Keep it simple: use short sentences, cut out excess words, use plain, everyday language
I don’t know if you noticed some common themes running through these writing tips. Keep it short, keep it simple, use plain language, know your point and stick to it. These are the fundamental rules of good business writing and if you apply them you will find it easy to write with authenticity, brevity and clarity. Effective business writing needn’t be hard – it can be as easy as ABC.
Joanna Young is a writing coach who helps people to write with confidence - to realise the power of their own words. You can find out how to work with Joanna or read more of her writing tips at Confident Writing.
Article Source: EzineArticles.com expert=Joanna Young
_____________________________
Hope you've enjoyed these great tips on confident writing by a very confident writer! Don't forget to visit Joanna's blog for more great content on writing confidently!
Happy writing!
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Was it helpful? Have anything to add? If so, please feel free to comment!
And, while you're at it, why not visit Joanna' s blog and do the same?
A Hi-Tech Tool to Test Website Viability/Blog Vitality
I've recently learned about a couple of fairly comprehensive diagnostic tools that can help you determine the viability of your website or the vitality of your blog. (Thanks go out to K-IntheHouse at ShanKri-la, for the info, passed along in a guest post at Blog About Your Blog. A link to the post is provided below.) I wanted to pass along this info to my readers, in the hope that you'll be able to use it to make your website/blog better and more successful.
In this post, I'll cover the first of these two great online diagnostic tools: Website Grader. A great deal has already been written about these tools, so I'll limit the info I include in this post, providing a few links to other great content on the subject. Should you be interested in finding more info than these sources provide, I suggest a Google Search, which will generate many more links related to this topic. (I know; I checked.)
Website Grader
Website Grader gives your site an overall rating (so many points out of 100), which boils down to a percentage (e.g., 85/100 = 85%). Website Grader allows you to either diagnose your own site's condition exclusively or compare it to a couple of your most competitive website rivals, which is an interesting feature for those who want to know how they rank within their niche.
Some things you'll learn from Website Grader:
-Website Grade
-Google Page Rank
-Alexa Rank
-Technorati Rank
-Google Inbound Links
-Yahoo Inbound Links
-Delicious Saved Count
-Google Indexed Pages
Of course, many of the above are facts you already know about your site; however the others can certainly be helpful to learn, and even more helpful are the explanations which follow the chart listing the above data. That's where you'll find all your site's specific problems clearly spelled out for you--as well as all its positive points, using "alert" icons, consisting of either a yellow lightbulb or purple exclamation point, along with yellow or red highlighting of each of these problem sections. Blue "i" icons are used to indicate the non-problem portions of your site.
A Comprehensive Report on Your Site
The report generated by this tool is worth much more than the price of admission! (It would have to be--because it's free!) But, seriously, the report is very comprehensive. In fact, Website Grader will even e-mail you a link to the report so you can go back and look at it again later. (However, I would recommend copying and pasting it into Word [or whatever other word processing program you use].) Word will retain the formatting of the grading chart, in case you'd like to reproduce it on your blog or elsewhere, or even print it out.)
The original post from which I learned about Website Grader, as I mentioned earlier, was written by K-IntheHouse as a guest post at Blog About Your Blog. This post gives more great info about the tool. Here's the link: 2 Great Ways to Check Your Blog Health
The Website Grader report generates far more detailed information than I have mentioned here. So why not check it out for yourself and learn what's good about your website and what isn't. It will give you a great starting point for revamping your site to make it the best it can be. You'll then be able to measure how much progress you've made by plugging your site's URL into Website Grader again, as recommended by Wild Bill at Passionate Blogger, in his post, Does Your Blog Get a Failing Grade? How to Get an A+!
Happy diagnosing!
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Was it helpful? Any questions? Feel free to comment!
An Intriguing Article Reprint
The following article is reprinted with permission from Articles Alley Article Directory. It presents an interesting perspective on earning a living as a freelance writer online.
_____________________________
There is a wonderful opportunity to make a substantial income by doing freelance writing online. However there are some things the aspiring freelance writer should be aware of.
If there is one maxim that has continued to remain true about the Internet it is that "Content is King". The fact that website owners need fresh and relevant content to keep browsers coming back to their website means that there is a secondary market for content creation.
This of course has created a wonderful opportunity for freelance writers who can spend their time creating content for others and be paid for it. But before you throw in your day jobs, register your profile with Elance or Guru and start banging away on your laptop, let's look at some of the truisms of the market so that you can enter the opportunity with open eyes.
Firstly, let's deal with the question of how much money you can make. Will you make a million dollars? No. Only very high profile offline authors make this sort of money. Is it possible to make $80- $100k per year. The answer is yes but like anything it will require some hard work and a dash of entrepreneurial spirit. In fact, to be truly successful you will need to spend nearly as much time marketing yourself as you will creating content. To command this type of income you will also most likely need to augment your writing efforts with some affiliate marketing. This isn't difficult: you still create content but you will also make sure that you embed some of your own affiliate links in the content that you create.
It also depends on your agenda. If you're looking to make a full time income then those figures are within your reach. If however, you're a student for instance and therefore do not have as much time at your disposal, then a $20k per annum secondary income at the upper end would be the more likely scenario.
Do you have to be a good writer to succeed online? No. In fact being a good writer may actually be a hindrance: simply for the fact that your work may not be appreciated and command the price that you feel it's worth. The nature of the market that you will be dealing with is one that is after fast and relatively cheap content. They're not after high quality writing so don't try and be Shakespeare. All you really need is a decent grasp of spelling and punctuation and be able to write in a conversational tone. Easy? You bet.
Do you need to have a subject specialty? Once again the answer is no and if you do specialise then you may be severely denting your income prospects. The secret here is to not put all your eggs in one basket. You want to have multiple sources of income: this means not only a multiplicity of subjects but also a multiplicity off avenues to get your writing out there. Bidding at auction sites such as Guru.com and Elance.com is certainly one way of getting the dollars in but it does not preclude creating monetised blogs or writing and submitting articles with embedded links.
It helps when writing online for a living to think outside the box. You can certainly make a steady income from just writing alone but by tweaking and monetising your approach with affiliate marketing you can put yourself in a position to really explode your income.
Article Source: http://www.ArticlesAlley.com/
About the Author
Scott is a successful freelance writer who makes the bulk of his income by writing online. To learn how you can create a secondary income through pursuing freelance writing opportunities go to Writing for Income.
_____________________________
What Do You Think?
Can a writer expect to earn a living online while emulating the excellence of a Shakespeare, or are "a decent grasp of spelling and punctuation" and the ability to "write in a conversational tone," not simply the only things required, but actually preferable?
A penny for your thoughts,
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Don't leave me lonely--Please comment!
So, You Love to Write...Great! Now, You Need to Be Read!
As a blogger, it goes without saying that you love to write! You would have to love writing to continue to provide, day after day, fresh, new material to keep your readers engaged and keep them coming back. After all, your goal is to develop a base of loyal readers, who bookmark and return to your blog again and again. Yet it's just as important to cultivate a relationship with first-time visitors to your site--to attract and hold new readers, adding them to your current fan base.
Content May Be King, But Responsiveness Is the Real Ruler!
If your blog is highly informative, providing valuable, helpful information and insight to your readers, many people will initially be attracted to your site, and many may return again and again. But, there's a limit to how long informative content alone will hold readers and cause them to remain in the fold of a blog which lacks other, equally important components.
Let's not forget that there are many thousands--even many tens of thousands--of other informative blogs, in addition to yours, on the internet today. Another fantastic blog is always only a click away. In other words, in the world of blogging, competition is fierce!
Your Readers Are Your Success!
In short, after content, one of the major secrets to building a viable, dynamic blog is demonstrating a responsiveness to your readers, who are, after all, the foundation of your success. The critical importance of, first, appreciating, and then showing that appreciation to your readers simply cannot be stressed enough! If you think that writing wonderfully informative and brilliantly eloquent blog posts is all that you owe your readers, think again!
Comments: Your Key to Magnetizing Your Blog
The quickest way to entice a reader back to your blog again and again is to demonstrate that you value his or her input--all of it! (Of course, by all of it, I am not referring to abusive, discourteous, or vulgar comments!) By replying to every reader's comments--and every comment of every reader--in a timely, friendly, courteous, and professional--yes, I said professional--manner, you will draw your readers back to your blog like a magnet!
A New Day for Your Blog
If you've been slack in replying to comments, if you have your comment capability turned off, or if commenting is active on your blog and yet you've been ignoring your readers' feedback entirely, today is the day to try something new. The time for implementing a fascinating little experiment is now.
(Look at it this way: If your little foray into two-way communication with your readers, via comments, doesn't prove, to your personal satisfaction, that validating, appreciating, and engaging your blog's readers in conversation about the topics expounded upon in your posts benefits your blog's popularity and increases its traffic, you will be perfectly free to revert back to your previous, non-responsive method of writing at your readers. But, give it a chance. If you never try it, you'll never know.)
A Little Better Every Day
If you have been responding to reader comments, good for you! Keep up the good work! (You may want to check out my recent post, The iReply Revolution: Join It, where you'll find info on where to get the You Comment, I Reply logo to post on your blog.)
But, if your replies to reader feedback have been somewhat hit-or-miss, giving you the nagging feeling that you haven't been as responsive as you should be, determine to do something about it. Decide today to make your blog a little bit better every single day!
Always remember: Tomorrow is a brand new day, a day when you can make positive, lasting, changes to your blog--and your life!
What have you got to lose?
Happy connecting,
Jeanne
Note: This post is one entry to the Daily Reader Blog Tips portion of the ProBlogger 31 Days to Building a Better Blog - 2007 - Group Writing Project.
Did you enjoy this post? Don't leave me lonely--Please comment!
The following article is a humorous look at those techniques many of us resort to--often subconsciously--in our attempts to be successful. It applies equally to writers, business people, and other humans who share a common interest: the desire to succeed. Enjoy!
Show 'Em Who's Boss, or How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
Here is a list of 30 helpful tips on how you can reveal to the world the vast inner resources you possess, rising above the mire of mediocrity and reaching a pinnacle of success previously only dreamed of.
Get angry at least once a day. If "blowing up" doesn't come naturally to you, this may take a little practice. But, be patient. In time it will become second nature to you. The reason this technique is so important is that it will teach people to take you seriously. It will also discourage them from resisting your superior ideas, "suggestions," and "recommendations." Never underestimate the value of this simple technique in setting the appropriate "tone" for all your interpersonal and business relationships.
Be hyper-critical. Never fail to point out the faults of others at every possible opportunity--preferably in public and the more people around, the better. This not only keeps people on their toes, but also shows that you have real insight into the inner workings of the human psyche.
Be a blamer. After all, you know that whenever anything goes wrong, it's always their fault. So, why shouldn't other people know it, too? Otherwise, they might actually think it was your fault--and that certainly couldn't be the case! And why shouldn't they themselves know it when they're wrong? You wouldn't want them to go along thinking they were doing a good job, now would you? That just wouldn't be fair to them.
Be uncompromising--never give in! This will demonstrate your strength, giving you the upper hand in any situation in which you may find yourself. And we all know that control is a very important component of leadership. If you hold out long enough, eventually others will see that you are right--or at least they'll go along with your superior ideas--even if reluctantly. This will, of course, benefit them in the long run, though they may not be able to see that--or perhaps just won't admit it--right now.
When in doubt, rationalize. You can always think of a good reason for everything you do or want to do, if you try hard enough. Be creative. This is what "separates the men from the boys": the ability to convincingly call all the relevant arguments to your aid, at a moment's notice, whenever they are needed. With a little practice, you'll become an expert in no time.
Be sarcastic. It's the easiest way to add impact to your words. The best authors use it as a literary device, don't they? And, I might add, a very effective one, at that. If the literary world recognizes the value of sarcasm, why don't we? This technique has exceptional potential for highlighting not only your supreme command of the English language--but also your commanding superiority over other people. Utilize this technique and watch them cringe in your awesome presence!
Be unappreciative. After all, the world owes you! You're completely deserving of every good thing that comes your way. In any event, gushing gratefulness is very undignified! And there's certainly no reason to give people the impression that you need them. Besides, they obviously had an ulterior motive for their generous actions, anyway.
Be cynical. Anybody who has any sense at all knows that people simply can't be trusted. Only the truly naïve believe otherwise. They are the only ones who don't seem to realize that the world is out to get them. You, on the other hand, are way ahead of the game, since you recognize the stark reality of this truth.
Be an expert on other people's motives. You've been around the block a few times. And you're one of the few who's smart enough to know exactly where other people are coming from and precisely what they're thinking. They can't fool you. And this is the way it should be. After all, you know how important it is to "look out for Number One"!
Be a "challenger." Never let anything go. Never give anyone the benefit of the doubt for any reason. This would be a real sign of weakness. Be sure to confront people every time you think of something you have against them. And never fall for the myth that it's better to wait for a more appropriate time to discuss it. What better time could there ever be than right now?
Be suspicious. People always have ulterior motives for everything they do. If they tell you otherwise, don't believe them. They're lying. "Judge now; ask questions later." That's always the best policy. All truly confident individuals do this. If you don't watch out for your own interests, don't expect anyone else to.
Never praise, encourage, or compliment anyone--or better yet, do the opposite. You wouldn't want to give them a swelled head or (gasp!) foster the erroneous impression that they're better than you are. You have to watch that kind of thing. People just don't know how to take a compliment these days. They blow it out of all proportion. You're far safer to avoid the problem altogether--though every now and then, a well-timed 'put-down' can prove invaluable in pride prevention.
Never fail to compete! Everyone knows that this is the only way to rise to the top. This cooperation business is for the birds! People never get ahead that way. In fact, that's the perfect way to remain just one of the crowd for the rest of your life. So, get busy! Show 'em who's the best: You!
Never indulge in self-evaluation. You're fine just exactly the way you are. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise. They're just jealous, that's all. Besides, it's a waste of time and mental energy to sit there analyzing yourself when you could be out there doing something. You've heard the phrase "paralysis by analysis." Don't fall into that trap!
Be a "reminder." Never fail to say, "I told you so." Otherwise, how will people ever learn anything from their mistakes? And how will they ever realize just how much you know or how smart it would be to listen to you? When they do something wrong, be sure to throw it in their faces regularly. It builds character. And, goodness knows, they need it!
Be a "name-caller." If they do something stupid--well, that's just who they are. There's absolutely nothing wrong with calling a spade a spade. Always tell it like it is. They deserve it!
Always ask "What's in it for me?" Never do anything from purely altruistic motives. Only losers do that. Selfishness is nothing more than self-preservation, and the self-preservation instinct is only natural. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it. So don't let anyone trick you into believing that there is.
Always operate on the "favor-for-a-favor" principle. This is only fair. Besides, you wouldn't want people to get into the habit of expecting favors all the time. That could really get out of hand. People are always ready to take advantage of your generosity. So make sure you keep track, and always remind them when they owe you one.
Never forgive or forget. Always hold people accountable for everything! This is only right. After all, they did it, didn't they? How will they ever learn, if you always let them slide? Seriously, this is one of the worst things wrong with the world today: too much forgiveness! People don't have any strength of character anymore, any moral fiber! They have no resolve to stand up for what they believe in. I just don't understand it.
Be envious of others. You know you deserve what they have far more than they do! Other people just haven't realized it yet. But, they will! Just give it time. Before you know it, the world will recognize your superiority and you'll be amply rewarded, at last.
Be uncommunicative. When others try to coax you into conversation, clam up. Keep your ideas to yourself unless it benefits you to express them. If you talk less, they'll learn to appreciate what you say more. Give them the "silent treatment" whenever you really want to impress on them the seriousness of their transgressions. Their sins will shout to them in the silence. Everybody likes the "strong silent type," anyway.
Never admit to being wrong--and never say "I'm sorry." It's a sign of weakness. If you've made a minor mistake, ignore it. If you've made a major mistake, see previous advice. Just bide your time. It'll blow over. If someone confronts you about it, deny everything. If they catch you red handed, make an excuse--any excuse--or better still, try to turn it to your advantage. Make it look as if you were actually doing something commendable when circumstances turned against you.
Never show affection. People might just come to expect it. And you certainly wouldn't want that to become a habit! It could become quite an embarrassment. Just think of it! People might actually expect you to give them a hug--or, heaven forbid, a kiss--and maybe even in public! You need to avoid that scenario, at all costs!
Be possessive. You've worked hard for everything you have, and you deserve to keep it! Let them get their own! Generosity is highly overrated. Why own anything, for Pete's sake, if you're going to be giving it all away! What ever happened to the all-American principle of "private property"? This is one of the concepts that made America great!
Be an opportunist. Never fail to take advantage of others at every opportunity. Do unto others before they do unto you! You know they're just waiting for their chance to get you! So beat them to the punch, and you'll be the one to come out ahead.
Never fail to use flattery when it suits your purpose. People love to hear how great they are! In fact, they're invariably so happy to hear it that they rarely stop to think about whether or not it's true. You don't have to believe it--just say it. (If it makes you feel better, cross your fingers behind your back.) Honest compliments just don't do the trick. Flattery is simply one more technique in your arsenal of self-betterment tools that can help you reach your goals, and that makes it OK.
Be an "authority." After all, why should you waste your vast knowledge and experience? Others sorely need to hear it, anyway. So be sure to offer your opinion regularly, even--or maybe especially--when people don't want to hear it. Whenever they think they don't need your advice, that's when they actually need it the most. It's for their own good.
If you absolutely must give, give anything but yourself. You have to draw the line somewhere. If you start going soft, who knows where it might lead? People might actually come to expect sensitivity--and expect it all the time! Then you'd really be in trouble! So, keep your distance, keep your perspective, and keep people from taking advantage of you. You'll be glad you did.
Never fail to manipulate and control others. This is the only way to direct your own destiny, to reach your fullest potential, to truly become great. You can't expect other people to help you get ahead unless you can skillfully coerce them into doing so. They don't have your best interests at heart, nor do they have any stake in seeing you succeed. It's a "dog-eat-dog" world out there, and it's every man for himself! So take control!
And finally, never ask, always tell--and never, never say "please." If you expect to get ahead, to be taken seriously, to have people look up to you as a competent leader, and to have any credibility at all with them, it is absolutely critical that this aspect not be neglected. It is by this technique, perhaps more than any other, that you establish the air of authority that will make it easy to maintain your superior status.
This self-centered approach isn't very difficult to master. It's easy, really, once you see that it's a logical extension of the basic human instinct of self-preservation. And, with a little practice, you, too, can be well on your way to success in no time.
A word of warning, however: This method is so powerful that its systematic application is guaranteed to result in some degree of alienation from those individuals who are the targets of its insightful techniques. Therefore, anyone who actually enjoys pleasant, honest, and open interaction with other people on a mutually respectful basis, should not attempt these techniques under any circumstances. They obviously weren't meant to be leaders.
This time-tested approach is intended only for those of us who do not view isolation from the inferior masses as a bad thing--those of us who know that it's always been lonely at the top. We realize that this is simply the price we must pay for being superior, and we can handle it. We're strong. We are true leaders. And we've always been loners, anyway.
If you've always dreamed of getting ahead in life, this approach just might be for you.
Why not try it? But,be prepared...
It works every time.
Facetiously yours,
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Don't leave me lonely--Please comment!
Writing and Business: A Common Goal
As writers, we all share one ultimate goal: Whether we freelance, provide copy for our employers, donate our writing services to churches or other non-profits, share our hearts and/or insights through our blogs, or simply write for our own enjoyment, our dream is to be successful in our chosen area of endeavor. And, though each of us defines success in our own personal way, there's little question that our ultimate destination—at least our psychological one—is the same: to experience the sense of accomplishment that comes from knowing that we have succeeded in meeting our life goals. In this sense, our personal and/or business-related objectives are not very different from those of any business organization, and therefore, our means of achieving them will also be very much the same.
In the world of business, there are a number of very basic principles which, when correctly understood and applied, can arm employers and managers with the tools they need to create an environment that is conducive to employee success. At least one of these principles applies every bit as much to the individual entrepreneur—including the freelance writer—who seeks to succeed in making his or her dreams a reality.
Failure-Tolerant Leadership: The Principle
This principle is called Failure-Tolerant Leadership, and while generally applied (as mentioned above) only to those individuals who are in positions of authority within an organization, this valuable concept can be easily adapted to the endeavors of each of us as individuals.
Failure Is Only a Temporary Setback
Failure-Tolerant Leadership is the ability of an employer or manager to accept failure as nothing more than a temporary setback on the journey to eventual success. In the viewpoint of such a leader, present failure not only can, but when properly handled and used as a guide to future strategy, likely will become the very catalyst that will fuel future success.
Failure Should Be Viewed as an Opportunity
Failure-Tolerant Leaders not only have a knack for seeing the potential good that can come of failure, but they also possess the uncanny ability to convey their own optimistic, success-oriented vision to others. Rather than seeing and projecting the negative side of failure, as most people tend to do, they recognize that with every failure comes a corresponding opportunity—-an opportunity to take the insights gleaned through failure and use them to forge an entirely new strategy for successfully reaching either the original or a newly modified goal.
Every Attempt at Success Involves Risk
Failure-Tolerant Leaders recognize that whenever a momentous task is undertaken, there will always be a tremendous risk for failure. This potential for coming up short of the mark simply goes hand-in-hand with any attempt to reach it, and the Failure-Tolerant Leader knows this. This is one reason why the Failure-Tolerant Leader does not engage in personal criticism when an employee fails to meet a goal, but rather utilizes both objective review of the strategy used and balanced evaluation of where the plan may have gone off track and why.
Personal Criticism Is Counterproductive
Failure-Tolerant Leaders realize that personal attacks on employees for their errors, shortcomings, inexperience, lapses in judgment, or unwise decisions are counterproductive and only tend to guarantee that the pattern of failure will repeat itself in the future, as the employee becomes even more wary of taking risks. The Failure-Tolerant Leader, instead, projects to the employee the sense that they are both working together to find a solution to a shared problem—-one which both of them have an equal stake in.
Positive, Proactive Collaboration Creates Confidence
In this way, the Failure-Tolerant Leader invigorates his or her staff, infusing them with the confidence they need to go out and give it one more try, to be bold enough to think the situation through, explore new avenues, develop a superior strategy, and take another carefully calculated risk.
Failure Tolerance Equals Permission to Try Again
In short, Failure-Tolerant Leaders encourage their employees to adopt an attitude of daring—to dare to dream, to plan, to hope, to work toward a goal, and perhaps most importantly, to believe in their own ability to achieve it—if not this time, then maybe the next.
Failure-Tolerant Leadership and Freelance Writing: The Application
How does this translate into helpful advice for us as writers? Freelance writers—and any number of other individuals who are working toward a goal of any kind—can adopt the foregoing concepts, applying them to their own situation with incredibly positive results. How? Read on.
1. Determine to Become a Failure-Tolerant Self-Leader/Manager
Convince yourself, to your own satisfaction, that this principle is a valuable weapon in your self-improvement and writing success arsenal. Then, once convinced, determine to use it as a catalyst to positive change in your own situation.
2. Recognize that Failing at Something Doesn’t Make You a Failure
We are all human, we all make mistakes, and no matter how much we may hate to admit it, none of us is right 100% of the time! If failing at something at any given time made us failures, guess what every single one of us would be?
3. View Every Failure as an Opportunity
Failure gives us the chance to pause, take stock of ourselves and our situation, learn from our mistakes, gain wisdom, insight, and valuable experience, and grow in ways we never could have otherwise.
4. Give Yourself a Break
Don’t beat yourself up over your shortcomings. The best leaders in any field recognize their very human weaknesses and past failures, accept them, and move on. (This does not mean they are complacent or that they do not seek self-improvement, however.) The cream of the crop among leaders actually admit their past—and present—mistakes to others, as well as to themselves, providing others with a valuable opportunity to learn from their example.
5. Be Objective
Analyze the causes of the temporary setbacks you encounter in reaching your goals. Figure out exactly where things went off track and why, and incorporate that knowledge into building a new, superior strategy for future success. But recognize that, just as a house is built one brick at a time, so it is with your success. And, unless you are among the greatest of artisans and working under absolutely ideal conditions, your project will likely require regular doses of trial and error.
6. Never Give Up!
If you do, you’ll never know how close you may have come to phenomenal success!
Good luck!
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Don't leave me lonely--Please comment!
Today, I thought I would bring you this fascinating article on how to improve your Alexa ranking, compliments of Marketing Scoop. Check it out! You'll find some interesting strategies here!
7 Proven Strategies for Improving Your Alexa Ranking
By Michael Fleischner | Marketing Expert | Internet Marketing Secrets*
After spending two years building my own website, I was very disappointed that my Alexa ranking was still higher than one million. Alexa ranks each website based on the number of visitors it receives. The top ranked website, Yahoo! has an Alexa rating of 1 or 2. Less popular sites could be ranked up to 5,000,000.
In order to improve my Alexa rating, I spent about three weeks combing the web to find tips, secrets, and proven strategies for increasing my Alexa ranking. Unfortunately, many of the sites offering advice didn’t even have a high ranking themselves. Finally I discovered a number of sites ranked within the top 100,000 that were all applying the same “Alexa techniques” to improve their ranking. I’ve begun implementing a number of these techniques and have improved my Alexa ranking by 250,000 spots in just one week.
Here’s what you need to know. The basis for many of these techniques is the fact that your Alexa ranking is based reach and page views. However it only counts those who visit your site and have already downloaded the Alexa toolbar. Anyone can download the toolbar for free which is automatically added to your browser and tracks the sites you’re visiting. Increasing visits from those who do not have the Alexa toolbar installed will not help your Alexa ranking.
I’ve summarized the 7 strategies that I’ve discovered and applied to my own website to increase my Alexa ranking. Apply these strategies to your own website and see your ranking climb towards the top.
1. Download the Alexa toolbar and use it every day to visit your own website. Alexa even gives you the ability to co-brand the toolbar with your own logo and give it away. You can download the toolbar here: http://www.alexa.com/site/devcorner/associate_toolbar.
2. Use Alexa redirection whenever you can. No matter when or where you provide a link to your website, be sure to use the equivalent Alexa redirect URL. For example, when providing a link to my website, I use http://redirect.alexa.com/redirect?marketingscoop.com/. If you copy this URL into your browser, it will take you to MarketingScoop.com. To use this technique, simply replace the name of my website (marketingscoop) with yours.
3. Encourage your website visitors to add their positive testimonials on Alexa’s detailed listings page for your website. This can be done by placing a link to the appropriate Alexa page on your website and asking visitors to “Click here to rate this website”. You can find your detailed Alexa page here: http://www.alexa.com/data/details/?url=marketingscoop.com. Again, just replace the name of my website (marketingscoop) with yours. By clicking on the URL, visitors will be able to reach your detailed rating page and write a review using the review link located on the left hand side of the page.
4. Write your own site reviews on the top 100 rated Alexa sites and include your redirect URL. The top 500 domains, according to Alexa can be found at http://www.alexa.com/site/ds/top_500. When you write a review, be sure to use the redirection URL we discussed in number 2 above specifically for your website [http://redirect.alexa.com/redirect?marketingscoop.com].
5. Download the Alexa ranking button, traffic history graph, info links, and other traffic counters onto the page of your website that receives the most traffic. For example, at the bottom of my home page http://www.marketingscoop.com, I’ve added the Alexa ranking box. You can do the same for your own site by visiting http://www.alexa.com/site/site_stats/signup. You’ll notice that I haven’t added the traffic history graph. This is because it wouldn’t look appropriate on my home page and because Alexa is only providing detailed history on the top 100,000 sites. So if you’re not in the top 100,000, site stats would not be available.
6. Take an inexpensive advertisement out on the ExactSeek search directory for only a few dollars per month at ExactSeek.com. Search engine results are directly correlated with Alexa rankings. You’ll notice that if a website is highly ranked on ExactSeek, chances are that it will be highly ranked on Alexa.
7. Get listed on as many search engines as possible by placing a free listing in DMOZ. This is the largest human edited directory on the web and is co-branded among hundreds of thousands of sites. Be patient though, it often takes up to 5 months before you see your website listed after submission. Even though it takes longer than it should, you have little say in the matter because it’s so widely used across the Internet.
These simple Alexa strategies are easy to implement and will make a huge difference in your Alexa ranking. Ultimately you want visitors to do more than visit your home page, you want them to interact with your site. Be sure to optimize your home page for SEO purposes, ease of use, and interaction. Creating a positive user experience will get visitors to return again and again.
*Michael Fleischner is a marketing expert and the president of MarketingScoop.com. Visit today for free marketing information and marketing blog directory. Michael has more than 12 years of marketing experience and had appeared on The TODAY Show, Bloomberg Radio, and other major media. Visit his marketing blog for further details.
**************
The above article is reprinted, with permission, from the Marketing Scoop website. Hope you find it helpful!
Happy Alexa-tising!
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Don't leave me lonely--Please comment!
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
Did you enjoy this post? Don't leave me lonely--Please comment!
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
Did you enjoy this post? Don't leave me lonely--Please comment!
Words: The Tools of Our Trade
We writers have an almost endless array of words from which to choose in crafting our written works. And, for the most part, we have an amazing degree of latitude in our choice of which of the terms from our (hopefully) wide vocabulary we will use in any given piece.
The problem lies in the inability of many to distinguish between those words in our immense communal bag of literary tricks which bear removing and using often and those which should be seldom used and would, in fact, very likely best be left sitting in the bottom of the bag, conveniently forgotten and undisturbed.
Write With Precision!
There are so many wonderful words which brilliantly advance our themes, expressing our thoughts with precision, painting pleasing (or at least appropriate) literary pictures in our readers' minds, beautifully clarifying our topics, and effectively allowing those who approach our works to grasp the thread of our argument, the gist of our explanation, or the heart of our story--and which do so without unduly and unnecessarily distracting the reader from our topic and forcing him or her to focus, instead, on our annoying word choice.
Don't Sacrifice Your Credibility
One term which I, personally, find extremely distracting and the use of which, in any kind of serious writing, in my view, immensely detracts from a writer's credibility--one of my literary pet peeves, in fact--is the word "sucks" when it is used in its slang form, to mean "is terrible or inferior." I would even venture to say that this use of the word in any type of serious writing and/or in any professional context is itself terrible and inferior--at least to me. (And, no, I won't use the term itself to describe its use.)
Writing Requires Craftsmanship!
I must be honest in saying that, as a writer who takes my craft very seriously--and as a reader who takes my avocation every bit as seriously--whenever I encounter this use of the word in a written work which is non-casual and is intended to be taken seriously from either a literary or a professional standpoint, my critical assessment of the writer (or at least of the writer's craftsmanship/good judgment) instantly drops a few notches.
Don't Drive Your Readers Away!
In fact, to be totally honest, it would take nothing short of a literary miracle to keep me reading beyond that point in a formal, official, literary, or professional piece. (Aside from excessive or extremely vulgar profanity, the use of this irritating term in a professionally written piece is one of the quickest ways for an author to lose this reader in mid-sentence, sending me on my merry way to look for greener literary pastures.)
Write With Purpose, Write On Purpose
I realize that today's younger adults have grown up hearing--and using--this term and it has become almost second nature to many of them. I realize, too, that, as the saying goes, "Old habits die hard." But, if you take away anything at all from this post, let it be this: To write effectively, you must not only write with purpose, you must also write on purpose. If you would truly communicate with your reader and capture his or her attention and interest--and hold it--you must choose your words carefully, targeting them to your audience, your topic, and your venue, and cutting out any terminology which has the potential to alienate your audience and thereby defeat your literary objective.
Is Alienation Your Intention?
(Of course, for some of you, your objective might actually be to alienate your audience--or a portion of it--in which case I would only say that this word should suit your purpose nicely. But this type of writing would not generally tend to fall under the purview of serious literary or professional writing, which is the kind we are discussing.)
So, please think twice about the terms you use in your writing--for your reader's sake--as well as your own! Don't give your reader a reason to stop reading and seek more suitable or appropriate content elsewhere.
Slang: When In Doubt, Leave it Out!
Slang can often be used very effectively; but only if it is used with discretion, if it is not overused, and if the slang terms chosen do not irritate, or lower your credibility with your reader, causing him or her to lose respect for you either as a communicator or as an authority on your subject--or worse yet, both.
Where slang is concerned, the recommended rule of thumb is, When in doubt, leave it out! It simply isn't worth the risk. Alienating your audience over such an unnecessary and easily correctible problem, would be very unwise. After all, it can be hard enough to hold our readers' attention even without throwing such literary stumbling blocks into their path. So, why would we ever want to do that?
May you always write effectively!
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Don't leave me lonely--Please comment!
Here are a few more great quotes on writing critics and writing criticism, just in case you could use another dose of humor, wisdom, irony, or wit. Some of these literary tidbits are serious, some hilarious, some straightforward and some oh so barbed--but all are worth the read!
The best thing you can do about critics is never say a word. In the end you have the last say, and they know it. ~Tennessee Williams~
The critic should describe and not prescribe. ~Eugene Ionesco~
The only really difficult thing about a poem is the critic's explanation of it. ~Frank Moore Colby~
I don't read my reviews, I measure them. ~Joseph Conrad~
Critics of literature have the same essential function as teachers of literature: this is not to direct the judgment of the audience, but to assist the audience in those disciplines of reading on which any meaningful judgment must rest. ~Mark Schorer~
Critics sometimes appear to be addressing themselves to works other than those I remember writing. ~Joyce Carol Oates~
People ask you for criticism but they only want praise. ~W. Somerset Maugham~
When I have to praise a writer, I usually do it by attacking his enemies. ~H.L. Mencken~
One of the greatest creations of the human mind is the art of reviewing books without ever having to read them. ~G. C. Lichtenberg~
Ideal dramatic criticism is unqualified appreciation. ~Oscar Wilde~
Criticism can be instructive in the sense that it gives readers, including the author of the book, some information about the critic's intelligence, or honesty, or both. ~Vladimir Nabokov~
And, finally, for any writer who may need a bit of an antidote to criticism, here's a list of some great ingredients to mix together to make your elixir:
Confronted by an absolutely infuriating review it is sometimes helpful for the victim to do a little personal research on the critic. Is there any truth to the rumor that he had no formal education beyond the age of eleven? In any event, is he able to construct a simple English sentence? Do his participles dangle? When moved to lyricism does he write "I had a fun time"? Was he ever arrested for burglary? I don't know that you will prove anything this way, but it is perfectly harmless and quite soothing. ~Jean Kerr~
Here's to the writing life--despite the critics!
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Don't leave me lonely--Please comment!
Add to Technorati Favorites
They say that everybody's a critic, and to a certain extent this is very true. And if true for the average person, it is even more so for the writer. To a writer, criticism is a fact of life! Those who might not be able to do any better themselves simply love to pick apart every paragraph...every sentence...every phrase...every word written--as long as it's written by someone else!
But, what else should a writer expect? After all, we, as writers repeatedly make ourselves vulnerable to the whims and caprices, the opinions and judgments, the beliefs, perspectives, and presuppositions of every individual who reads our work! By boldly putting our thoughts, ideas, feelings, and opinions out there for all the world to see...to evaluate..to weigh against their own experiences, their own feelings, and their own individual knowledge--as well as the wider body of knowledge, pseudo-knowledge, experience, and pure conjecture that surrounds us--we attract and even at times invite criticism.
But this is OK! We can take it--and hopefully we can at the same time learn not to take it to heart! Whatever their intent, our critics can teach us a great deal--as much about ourselves as they can about our work! If nothing else, they can teach us something about grace under fire...about turning the other cheek...about persevering despite all odds...and about transforming temporary failure into ultimate success!
So, let's say Thanks to critics everywhere! If nothing else, they give us the determination to keep trying...to continually challenge ourselves...to steadily improve our skills. And, if all else fails, they at least give us one possibly unintended gift: publicity!
Here are a few enlightening quotes by famous writers on critics and criticism:
A man must serve his time at every trade save censure--critics all are ready made. ~Lord Byron~
A dramatic critic is a man who leaves no turn unstoned. ~George Bernard Shaw~
A good writer is not, per se, a good book critic. No more than a good drunk is automatically a good bartender. ~Jim Bishop~
Has anybody ever seen a drama critic in the daytime? Of course not. They come out after dark, up to no good. ~P.G. Wodehouse~
Those who write ill, and they who ne'er durst write,
Turn critics out of mere revenge and spite. ~John Dryden~
The good critic is he who narrates the adventures of his soul among masterpieces. ~Anatole France~
Nature fits all her children with something to do,
He who would write and can't write, can surely review. ~James Russell Lowell~
Critic, n. A person who boasts himself hard to please because nobody tries to please him. ~Ambrose Bierce~
Every good poet includes a critic, but the reverse will not hold. ~William Shenstone~
To literary critics a book is assumed to be guilty until it proves itself innocent. ~Nelson Algren~
A bad review by a man I admire hurts terribly. ~Anthony Burgess~
Time is the only critic without ambition. ~John Steinbeck~
I love criticism just so long as it's unqualified praise. ~Noel Coward~
Writing criticism is to writing fiction and poetry as hugging the shore is to sailing the open sea. ~John Updike~
The main use in criticism is in showing the manner of man the critic is. ~Frank Moore Colby~
And, finally, this gem:
I never read a book before reviewing it. It prejudices me so. ~Sydney Smith~
Hope these quotations, from some of the best writing minds that history has produced have made you smile or chuckle...consider or reflect. I always find it fascinating to read the differing viewpoints of a whole array of writers on a single specific topic--and the more intricately related to the writing craft, the better!
Till next time,
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Don't leave me lonely--Please comment!
If you're looking for a site that will help you master the writing craft and/or prepare you for your own personal journey on the path to publication, Writing-World.Com has a great deal to offer!
This site is chock full of great information for the aspiring--or practicing--writer! Some examples:
~An interesting variety of books on the writing craft itself and on marketing your writing, including volumes containing specific markets for your work. (Their book inventory also contains a few books on subjects other than writing.)
~An impressive list of more than 600 writing-related articles that can be read right on the site. These articles are all well catalogued and categorized for easy reference.
~A contest database featuring a wealth of info on entering--and not being scammed by--writing contests.
~A list of certain selected markets for your work.
~A long list of links to other online resources for writers.
~A call for articles on writing that they will purchase from you to add to their database, complete with Writer's Guidelines.
~A "Guide for Launching Your Writing Career," containing a wealth of great advice that can get you started on the road to a successful freelance writing business. (This section also includes a lot of great advice on the real nitty gritty, down-to-earth, seat-of-your-pants aspects of writing.)
~A great section on how to avoid writing scams, presented along with info on copyright issues, rights, and contracts.
~A free monthly newsletter, containing many great feature articles, as well as recurring topical columns that you might find helpful.
As far as payment for articles is concerned, here's what they themselves have to say: "We pay 5¢/word for original articles, to a maximum of $100 (regardless of word count; thus, a 2500-word article is still paid only $100). We pay a flat $25 for reprints, and we definitely welcome work that has appeared in other publications (especially print). Payment is on acceptance. For humor, we pay a flat $15 per item. We will also exchange advertising space for editorial."
That doesn't sound half bad for an online market! So, if you enjoy writing about your craft, check out their Writer's Guidelines and try submitting your work. But be sure to check their article database to be sure your topic hasn't already been covered. You can do this via their Topical Indexes or their Master Article Index.
Take a peek at what Writing-World.Com has to offer. I think you'll be impressed!
And good luck!
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Don't leave me lonely--Please comment!
Writers, as a rule, tend to have a great deal to say about many subjects--and writing is no exception. Here are a few pearls of wisdom on the writing craft from some of history's most prolific authors:
There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein. ~Red Smith~
Read over your compositions, and when you meet a passage which you think is particularly fine, strike it out. ~Samuel Johnson~
A good many young writers make the mistake of enclosing a stamped, self-addressed envelope, big enough for the manuscript to come back in. That is too much of a temptation to the editor. ~Ring Lardner~
Writing is a wholetime job: no professional writer can afford only to write when he feels like it. ~W. Somerset Maugham~
The secret of popular writing is never to put more on a given page than the common reader can lap off it with no strain WHATSOEVER on his habitually slack attention. ~Ezra Pound~
Better to write for yourself and have no public than write for the public and have no self. ~Cyril Connolly~
If you want to get rich from writing, write the sort of thing that's read by people who move their lips when they're reading to themselves. ~Don Marquis~
In composing, as a general rule, run your pen through every other word you have written; you have no idea what vigor it will give to your style. ~Sydney Smith~
Not that the story need be long, but it will take a long while to make it short. ~Henry David Thoreau~
There are no dull subjects. There are only dull writers. ~H.L. Mencken~
You can write about anything, and if you write well enough, even the reader with no intrinsic interest in the subject will become involved. ~Tracy Kidder~
The wastepaper basket is the writer's best friend. ~Isaac Bashevis Singer~
When I sit at my table to write, I never know what it's going to be till I'm under way. I trust inspiration, which sometimes comes and sometimes doesn't. But I don't sit back waiting for it. I work every day. ~Alberto Moravia~
It's not wise to violate the rules until you know how to observe them. ~T. S. Eliot~
The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug. ~Mark Twain~
The secret of good writing is to say an old thing a new way or to say a new thing an old way. ~Richard Harding Davis~
Well, dear Aspiring Writer, now that you've read all this practical advice, all these clever witticisms, and all these words of inspiration penned by wordsmiths who have actually accomplished what you may only dream of, there's only one thing left for you to do if you'd like to join their ranks: WRITE!
Literarily Yours,
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Don't leave me lonely--Please comment!
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?
Did you enjoy this post? Don't leave me lonely--Please comment!
|
|
|
Comments (4)
Add Comments