Photo credit Antonov Roman A polite intro, a list of my choice of topics and a really well-written email got my attention, and Chris swooshed right through the hoops (not that I have any) to be today’s guest poster. His advice is perfect for those who write and submit guest posts around the web – use it wisely, young Jedis, and always for the power of good. It’s an awful, mind-numbing, frustrating feeling. You’ve successfully completed a stellar guest post. You’ve pitched it just as successfully. The site editor raves about your work and welcomes
> Read MoreArchives for April 2010
Blog Archives
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What To Do When You’ve Been Insulted
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The other day, I got an email from a client whom I like very much. He’s a cool guy, profitable business, generally fun to work with, pays on time, all the good stuff. His emails are usually brief, casual, and mention something like, “Have a nice weekend,” or “Hope everything’s good with you.” So it was weird to get an email that was so stilted and formal that it sounded like it was written by the Queen of England’s chamberlain to someone she was too polite to outright call a waste of space. I sat
> Read MoreThe Procrastinator’s Guide to Writing That Thing You Need to Write
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Photo credit Luis Fernando Curci Chavier I started wondering where Dean Rieck’s latest guest post was a few weeks ago. I mean, he’s usually… well… not so erratic in delivering. Just a bit. Sometimes. Anyways, he sent in this great guest post, and I wanted to post it up on a Friday, but then there was… that… thing I had to do. And so it was going to be Monday, but then I got busy. Real busy. Color coding stuff. And… well, it’s a bit late but… I finally got this post up for you
> Read MoreThe Crucial Secret to Great Marketing
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Photo credit A v.d. Wolde I like posts that discuss the psychology of business, the brain-stuff that we all need to pay attention to if we want to be more successful. So when my good friend Nathan Hangen whipped one of those my way, there was no hesitation – and here that post is for you to enjoy. The Secret to Marketing Your Business I have a secret to tell you, and I’m not talking the Robert Langdon type where I’m going to drag your ass to France and make you solve riddles until someone
> Read MoreImperfection is a Good Thing
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Do yourself a favor and look around the blogosphere. Look at the people who have almost obsessive cult-followings. The people who have started their own movements and revolutions. The people whose fans would knife you if you said an ill word against their favorite blogger. Realize something with me: We are not looking for perfection. If anything, perfection kind of pisses us off. The high and mighty are not our favorite people. We like people who can acknowledge their imperfections, people who admit they screw it up not just sometimes, but often, and the people
> Read MoreAre You Becoming a Lazy Blogger?
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As your readership grows, it’s easy to think you’ve got this blogging thing down pat. Everyone likes you, you have lots of subscribers, and your posts are Tweeted and Dugg and Stumbled all over the place. You can kick back and relax, right? Afraid not. There’s a growing trend around longtime bloggers: newbie mistakes. Producing Lackluster Content This is perhaps the most common problem among longtime bloggers. If you’ve been around for a few years and you enjoy even moderate popularity, it’s almost a guarantee that newbies show up, all wide-eyed and open-mouthed, to gape
> Read MoreHow to Improve Your Writing
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I like Ali Hale. She’s perky, she’s a go-getter, and she’s all over the place in the blogosphere writing some great advice. It never really occurred to me that I could ask her for a guest post instead of waiting for her to ask me. So when it hit me, I did – and here’s her post on how to be a better writer – fast. Enjoy! A few weeks ago, my mother read and enjoyed a guest blog post of mine – The Missing Half of Productivity Advice: Why Women Need to Get Involved.
> Read MoreDo You Ask for Permission or Forgiveness?
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You’ve heard the old saying, “It’s easier to ask forgiveness than to get permission,” right? It may be easier. But it’s still not a good idea. I’ve been seeing a lot of this sort of thing lately. I’m on a bunch of lists I never signed up for. I have people following me on Twitter who say things like, “Hey, if you’re looking for new writing markets, you should try this website.” I get snail mail from credit card companies who could not possibly have my new mailing address unless they scammed it off some
> Read MoreWhy You Need to Have More than Your Clients
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A client of mine came to me mentioning that he wanted to develop a website for his offline business, but there was a lot of hesitation involved: “Look, James, here’s the thing. It’d be nice to have a website, but I don’t really need one. I do okay, I guess. I have my offline business and that does well. I’ve been operating on referrals and word of mouth and it’s worked so far. I’d like a website, but I’m having a hard time justifying the expense.” Okay, no problem. I’m not here to push people
> Read More20 Powerful Apps to Organize Your Thoughts
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I always did like those posts that list a bunch of apps and tools I’d never heard of. I’ve found some really great apps that way. But no one’s ever bothered to offer us one of those “check these out!” posts – until today. Please welcome today’s guest poster, James Adams, and his collection of apps to organize thoughts. (We could all use more of that, eh!) Enjoy. Everyone these days is busy. Regardless if you are a freelance writer, a business executive, a graphic artist or if you are working a part-time job, you
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