Since our families and friends have been so patient with us throughout the year, we thought they deserved some attention. We’ll be taking a short break from posting to spend time with them. We’ll be back to our regular daily posting schedule on January 3, 2008. Best wishes to all for the New Year, and may it be a bright, happy, prosperous one for all our readers. James and Harry
> Read MoreArchives for December 2007
Blog Archives
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To A Homeless Man and His Dog, Merry Christmas
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I once sat in the parking lot of a convenience store and watched a homeless man rifle through his plastic bag. It was a cold day – bitterly cold – and the sharp wind carried a sting. The man was bundled in a raggedy coat, and his hands were chapped and red. The man had a dog with him, a nice-looking black and white dog. It was clean, well kept, well fed and looked devoted to the man. The man looked devoted to the dog, too, reaching out to pet its head, talking a little
> Read MoreHow Long Would You Wait?
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“He’ll be right with you. Please have a seat.” How often have you heard those two sentences in your life? Probably plenty of times. It’s common. It’s usually never an issue to wait for someone either – after all, everyone’s busy. But imagine the secretary gets up and walks away without a backward glance. Maybe she went to work in the back room. Maybe it was her lunch break. Whatever the reason, you’re sitting by yourself, all alone. You’re still waiting, too. No one is coming to greet you. In fact, you can’t even hear
> Read MoreThree Rules of Freelancing Online for Happy Clients
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Whether you’re a lone freelancer or running a business, there are some rules of the game you’d be wise to follow. It doesn’t matter if you write for a living, apply your talents to marketing consultation or use your creativity for graphic design – your job is to gain new clients and keep clients happy for a long, prosperous relationship. Never make a promise you can’t keep If you tell a client you’ll deliver on Tuesday or that the project would be complete in three weeks, then it’s your responsibility to make that happen. If
> Read MoreHow To Get Started As a Freelance Writer on the Web
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Have you ever wished that it was easier to find the information you need? Have you ever wondered where to get answers to your questions? Do you ever ask yourself, “How do I get started as a freelance writer?” We’ve been there. We’ve done that. We learned the hard way. With each obstacle and challenge we met, Harry and I wished there was one good resource to help us learn, to cut down on the hours of research and help us get started earning a living through writing. That’s why we created our ebook, Write
> Read MoreKeeping Your Content Neutral
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Warning: If you’re a person who believes religion should not only be a part of your life but everyone else’s as well, please change the channel and find something else to read. What would you do if you were in a situation where the views expressed in a document will be associated with your name or that of your business – but those views go against your own? I very rarely rant. I have a slow-burning fuse and I’m usually the one talking James down from the ledge of the bell tower when he has
> Read MoreWhy You Should Write At Elementary School Levels
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The writing on my blog is at an elementary school level. While I’m not usually one for stuff like this, I was curious enough to see what the test from CriticsRant showed. Other bloggers that took the test crowed over the Genius level of their blog writings (or were stunned to see that result, one of the two) and some had high school level ratings for their content. None had elementary school level – or they were too embarrassed to admit it. Me? I’m not ashamed at all of that rating. Alright, I’ll admit that
> Read MoreOne Vital Plugin For Your WordPress Blog
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Whether you blog for pleasure or business, encouraging readers to visit and comment is usually a big part of your game plan. But if you’re not helping readers come back to your blog, you might as well pack up shop and close it down. Get the “Subscribe to Comments” plugin installed. Now. Today. Even Darren Rowse learned the value of the “Subscribe to Comments” feature after removing it from his blog. He reinstated it after overwhelming demand. You’ll reap the benefits of adding that small, fast feature to your blog. If someone drops a fast
> Read More7 Deadly Fears Explored: Only One Book
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This post is part of a 7-article series on the fears of writing. You can find all other articles here: Rejection Inadequacy Success Exposing Yourself Too Old to Write Fear of Research What do you mean you only have one book in you? You’ve got to be kidding me! Jurgen Wolff, author of Your Writing Coach, mentions The 7 Deadly Fears Of Writing. One of those fears belongs to writers who are afraid their first book will be their only work of genius. Many writers pull themselves up short with the question, “What if that’s
> Read MoreBlogs with Eating Disorders (or Four Types of Posts You Shouldn’t Be Writing)
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Blog posts that just puke up useless content drive me nuts. Seriously, people – say something interesting. Find a new angle. Give an opinion. Debate. Expand. Don’t regurgitate other people’s content. Puking Up What’s Already Been Said I get tired of seeing posts that offer very little in the way of value. The worst offenders are bloggers that write posts that say, “Wow! Soandso just wrote a great post! Go read it!” Chances are that I already have. Even if I haven’t read the highlighted post, nothing motivates me to click through. Nothing entices me
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