“Good god. Not another blog…” That was the first thought I had when I read the excited announcement on someone’s blog about another blog they’d created. It made me think of the other blog they had that they hadn’t maintained, not to mention the blog they were posting the announcement on. “But it was such a great idea!!!…” Yes, yes, I know. Chase the dream. Drop everything, quick! There’s a BIG IDEA happening, and we’d better do something about it fast – like, within the next 34.287 seconds before the whole blogosphere either discovers it
> Read MoreArchives for October 2008
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.
Open Debate: The True Costs of Starting a Freelance Business
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Over at Freelance Parent, there’s another duo taking the world by storm. It’s the Berry-Brewer gang, two girls who think we aren’t realistic about the costs of setting up shop as a freelance writer. They figure starting a freelance business doesn’t cost much and that if you have $220 bucks, you can set up operations. I arched a skeptical eyebrow when I read that. If you’re going to get into business, be serious about it from the start – and the reality is that it costs money to make money. Now, before I start writing,
> Read MoreBlogs versus Websites: What’s the Difference?
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A blog isn’t just a two-column private journal anymore. People are noticing. They ask questions like: Just what can be done with a blog? What’s a blog, a website and a combo site? Can I have a static home page and a back-end blog? You can do just about anything you want using WordPress. Blogs aren’t really blogs anymore – they’ve become full-blown content management systems, replacing early or traditional HTML sites. In fact, the world hasn’t really figured out yet just how much blogs can do and all the various ways we can use
> Read MoreDrive-by-Shooting Sundays: Simplistic Thoughts
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“I’ll be so glad to just stretch out and sleep all week,” James sighed as he stepped off the elevator of the hotel. “Me too,” Harry agreed. “This little travel problem is probably the best thing that’s happened lately. I’m looking forward to hiding out.” The explosion from last week’s hit had made some splashy front-page news, and the men were stuck laying low for a while or their involvement would be discovered. Plus, they didn’t know who’d set the bomb yet. Until they did… Checking into a local hotel for a small vacation while
> Read MoreDiscovering Your Artistic Creative Process
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Jeez, Harry! How do you come up with this stuff?” After a long hard day of busting my brain over our site design overhaul , Charlie’s question made me grin. I often admire the creativity of others, whether I see it in design or the written word. I enjoy the creativity people express and the process behind the creation. Charlie’s question got me thinking, though. How do I come up with the stuff? Going Back to Basics In college, I majored in scientific illustration, a specialized form of illustration that focuses on wildlife, archaeology and
> Read MoreAvoiding the Entrepreneurial Seizure
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How many of you began thinking about starting a business after a friend or relative said something like, “Oh, you’re so good at (insert activity/hobby/skill here). You should go into business!” Or, maybe your co-workers stood around the water cooler, bemoaning the state of office affairs and someone said, “The Bossman doesn’t know what he’s doing. Dammit, if I had a place like this, I’d… Hey, you know what? We should start our own business!” Go on. Don’t be afraid to raise your hand. I’m sure you’ve heard such things at one time or another.
> Read MoreHow to Use Strategic SEO Email
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Content writers know that good search-engine optimization involves targeted keywords that let people find exactly what they need quickly and easily. Smart keyword strategies allow a search that produces results. No, this isn’t about using email to boost search engine rankings or helping people find a site. This is about creating an email system that helps you work faster and more efficiently while helping your clients to do the same. It’s a win-win advantage that saves time and money for everyone. With the increase of web working and using email to communicate back and forth,
> Read MoreDrive-By-Shooting Sundays: Ulla Hennig’s WebBlog
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Berlin. What a beautiful assignment. The call had come in, he’d listened to the details with his usual quiet, and then he’d told James the news with a huge grin. James arched an eyebrow. “You’ve been watching too much History Channel lately.” “No, come on, are you kidding me?” Harry was already packing. “Berlin is the perfect place for intrigue and subterfuge. It’s right up your alley, Jamie.” The city’s name alone brought up images of black trench coats, slick fedoras and irresistible femme fatales. “You could be right.” Okay, so he’d been watching the
> Read MoreCreate Fantastic Characters for the NaNoWriMo Challenge
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Are you taking the NaNoWriMo challenge? Then you need to have good characters – and we can help. Why Characters Matter So Much Characters make every story worth reading. Without characters, your readers can’t relate to anyone and you can’t create a mental bond to draw people into your world for a time. Your beautiful settings fall flat, there’s no dialogue to enjoy, and there’s nothing that can happen. Good characters rule the story – there’s no story without them. In fact, characters not only make your story worth reading, they make your story rock.
> Read MoreRecessions are the Best Times for Business
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I’m no economist, but I believe there has never been a better time to start your online business. The economy is down, job security is iffy, companies are downsizing and everyone is hoarding money in case the situation gets worse. It’s great, really. This is the perfect time to launch a business and make your dreams a reality. “James, are you insane? How much coffee have you had today? Times are tough – terrible even! No one is buying, there’s competition all over the place and everyone’s losing money by the minute.” Well, that’s true.
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