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> Read MoreArchives for August 2007
Blog Archives
Enjoy 1,000+ articles geared to your content-marketing, writing, freelancing or small business endeavors. Scroll down for recent posts, select a category, or browse the archives here.
Schools Publishing Personal Home Pages
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This evening, my daughter passed by me on the way to the fridge, iPod in hand and a sheaf of colored papers in the other. “You have to sign these,” the papers suddenly fell under my ownership as my teen stuck her head in the fridge to debate whether to eat a salad or sandwich. “What are they?” Papers from school, obviously, the logo branded at the top left of each page. “Permission slips for this year,” she informed me. “One’s to get a pass to leave school.” I’d heard about the day passes and
> Read MoreThe Thread that Wouldn’t Die
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I had something interesting happen yesterday. Well, maybe not interesting, but it was something that set me back on my heels and made me wonder. I read a blog post on short versus long for article length and became involved in the ensuing comments of it. It wasn’t a really controversial subject, just a discussion on article length and the best word count to aim for. The blog author’s opinion was that long doesn’t mean better and that 500 words obtains the most effective results in article marketing campaigns. I agree. A few people didn’t,
> Read MoreHow to Reduce Writer’s Fatigue
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On the heels of my post about position, posture, and being a writer, here are some tips on how to reduce writer’s fatigue: Set yourself up Get a good, ergonomic chair. Make sure that when you sit down, your chair is at the proper height. Your feet should be flat on the floor, and your keyboard in easy reach. You should only have to lift your hands to place them properly. Don’t lean forward, either. Handicrafts Your hands should be almost at a 90-degree angle from your elbows. Your mouse should be in easy reach
> Read MoreOccupational Hazards: Writing Better
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Writers are slothful creatures by habit. We’re not particularly lazy, but we’re often excellent procrastinators at work and we’re usually late for anything that requires our presence. We also tend to harm our own productivity and speed with one simple fault: we slouch. Take me, for example. Any website on the best posture for maximum typing speed and comfort tells me I should have both feet firmly on the floor, my back straight, and my arms resting at my sides. I should be lifting my hands to a little less than 90 degree angles
> Read MoreThe Internet Fame Game: Dawn’s eBay Exploits
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I’ve been observing an interesting phenomenon these past few days: Internet fame. Until now, this fame was something I viewed from a distance. People would pass on the usual funny photo, video clip, or story. I’ve seen things I’ve viewed end up on the news or make a headline. I never stopped to consider what it must be like behind the scenes for the people who started the ball rolling in the first place. In the case of the Star Wars Kid, it nearly ruined his life. Here was a high school kid who was
> Read MoreSorry, I Was On Vacation
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I’m not a workaholic, but I do have trouble letting go of my job. I tend to think the sky will fall if I walk away from the desk for a while or that during my absence I’ll miss the chance of a lifetime. I feel responsible for the business, and so, I am ever-present to make sure we never miss that chance. One problem is that I think everyone else is that way, too. I assume that everyone in a virtual world business is constantly present. When I am expecting a reply to communication
> Read MoreFree Word Processors: Just Say No
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I’m all for free. Free food, free toys, free giveaways, free software. I’m all about quality, too, but no one can expect top-notch when what they have didn’t cost them a penny. You get what you pay for, after all. That goes for Open Office, a free software solution for those who don’t want to make Microsoft richer. Plenty of people ask me if I recommend free word processors, and Open Office is one. Zoho offers some good solutions too. But not for professional writers. I’ll repeat that: Not for writers who earn their living
> Read MoreAn Easy Job for Writers Who Know What They are Doing
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There is one sentence that drives me nuts: “This is a pretty easy job for someone who knows what he or she is doing.” That’s the most condescending, insulting statement anyone can make to a writer, and if I could, I would ban it from use in the freelance world. I’m not sure where the trend of inserting this sentence in a project description began. I do know of one article-spinning guru who wrote a report saying that clients should use this condescending tactic to obtain lower prices, but I can’t say that he began
> Read MoreMonetizing a Blog: Tip Jars and PayPal Donations
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Harry and I have had a few conversations about monetizing our blog. Every so often, the subject comes up (mostly because I brought it up), we talk, and the agreement is that we’d prefer not to make money off our blog. Look around. There isn’t any Adsense. There aren’t any sponsored ads. We don’t do advertising. We very rarely profit from affiliate marketing. What we do promote that earns us a share of profits is promoted because we believe it’s a worthy product – not because we make money off it. We created this blog
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