Three Tips for Creating Your Own Independence Day
July 4 is Independence Day here in the States, which, for most of us, entails the risk of losing: your fingers to cheap fireworks; your waistline to hot dogs; your liver. All of which, as a red-blooded American, I support wholeheartedly. But if you’re spending today celebrating the country’s independence, how about putting some attention on your own personal independence? It might be independence from a day job, or financial stress, or even a mindset that’s keeping you from making things happen. Here are a fe..
Copyblogger (12 hours ago)
Declaration of Independence
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Talk about the language of possibility! Then, now, still. ~~~ Happy 4th July to all my readers in the U.S. Post from: Confident Writing No related posts.
Confident Writing (19 hours ago)
July: A Month of Motivation
Image: sxc.hu I'm officially declaring war on writer's block, distractions, and procrastination during the month of July. Maybe it's just me, but the summer months always seem to drag. Well, at least, they do when I'm working. I feel sluggish and uninspired. I can barely force myself to do the work I have to do to pay the bills, let alone work on fun personal projects. I blame the sun. During the summer, there's nothing better than sitting outside by the pool and sipping Sangria or sweet tea. Hell, I can even..
The Golden Pencil: The Freelance Writer's Resource (1 day ago)
How to Write an Ebook that Sells in 2009
You’ll see one theme come up again and again on Copyblogger. If you want to create real revenue with your blog, you need to have something worthwhile to sell. Most sites are disappointed by the nickels and dimes that come in from advertising. If your site gets massive amounts of traffic, it can work, but if not, you’ll want to find a much more profitable source of revenue. But most of us find that it’s not all that easy to translate high-quality content from your blog into a high-quality product for sale. Fou..
Copyblogger (1 day ago)
Faulty Subordination, Rambling Sentences, and Faulty Parallelism
If you missed the post on faulty coordination, Sentence Structure and Coordination , be sure to check it out. We discussed that you don’t always need to begin a sentence with the subject, and the problems we can run into with improper coordination. This post is a continuation of that topic covering faulty subordination, rambling sentences and faulty parallelism. There are two types of problems we can encounter when using subordination; we can use the wrong subordinator or we can subordinate the wrong idea. ..
Blogging Tips (2 days ago)
Old-School Marketing No Longer Working? Blame Canada
Canadians are a funny lot. They use strange words and spell with a U. They kiss cod. They enjoy being frozen solid nearly 8 months a year, and they call their money Loonies and Toonies. Don’t get me wrong; they’re nice people just the same. They’re nature lovers and humanitarian and they like things simple and friendly. And contrary to popular belief, they’re actually pretty smart. But there’s just one problem. Your marketing strategies? You notice how they’ve been changing? That the old-school methods aren’t..
Copyblogger (3 days ago)
Impossible Things Before Breakfast: Introducing the Theme of Possibility
“There is no use trying,” said Alice; “one can't believe impossible things.” “I dare say you haven't had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” ~ Lewis Carroll It's a great quote, isn't it? One of my favourites from Alice , and there are so many to choose from. It leads us into the theme I'm going to be running at Confident Wr..
Confident Writing (3 days ago)
Call for Writers: Motivation Interview
Staying motivated is one of the hardest parts of freelance writing, in my opinion. Writer's block. Inspiration. The desire to work and do well. Some days, the sun is shining and the pool is calling my name…and I don't really care how many articles are left unfinished on my plate. Image: sxc.hu So, I want to know how you guys and gals stay motivated. If you have five minutes of time, I'd love to hear your answers to a little motivation and writer's block questionnaire I've created. I'll post responses he..
The Golden Pencil: The Freelance Writer's Resource (3 days ago)
Grammar Police: Too Much I, Not Enough Me
In elementary school, we learn to say “John and I” all the time. It's formal. It's polite. It's right. Or is it? The Grammar Police have a lot to teach you and me. Image: sxc.hu Actually, using and I when talking about being with another person isn't always the right choice. It is often instinctual to use and I , since it was drilled into our heads throughout school, but sometimes, the correct term is and me . *Gasp* Yes; it's true - you can use and me sometimes and be grammatically correct! But w..
The Golden Pencil: The Freelance Writer's Resource (3 days ago)
Grammar Police: It Forms (Its and It's)
It's hard to remember when to use its and when to use it's . One means it is or it has and the other make it possessive. But which one is which? The Gramer Police force has its own typo-sniffing dogs. Image: sxc.hu It's should be used to refer to it is or it has . It's a contraction. Its should be used as a possessive form of it . Its lack of apostrophe is important. How can you remember this? It can be tricky. Here's how I do it: It's (it is or it has) uses an apostrophe. In contractions like don't and can't..
The Golden Pencil: The Freelance Writer's Resource (3 days ago)
The Courage to be Wrong
I used to think being “right” was a big deal. I had to say the right thing, dress the right way, know the right people, read the right books, live in the right neighborhood, go to the right school. It wasn't because I wanted to, exactly, but because I thought it was a prerequisite for success. If you want other people to respect you, then you have to look and sound a certain way, right? Makes sense, if conformity is all you've ever been taught. What no one tells you is the cost. Yes, conformity ga..
Copyblogger (3 days ago)
How Dare You?
Guess what? Writers are not perfect. You see proof of this fact every day if you read enough blogs, books, newspapers or magazines. The best writers in the world make mistakes, misspell words, use poor grammar at times and punctuate incorrectly. Why? Because writers are human and humans make mistakes. Sometimes humans make mistakes several times before they learn the lesson. Sometimes they never learn. All writers’ have their pet peeves too, things they notice immediately that may go unnoticed by ..
Blogging Tips (4 days ago)
Rounding Up Breathing Space
The end of June, half way through the year, and it's time to move on from this theme time of breathing space. I don't know about you, but I've needed the breather, so thanks for the indulgence while I took some time out. I wanted to highlight some of the ‘best of' the last couple of months, including showcasing once again the guest posts which friends and fellow bloggers wrote for me for you. Thanks to all of them for helping to keep this show on the road I'll be back tomorrow with news of the theme fo..
Confident Writing (4 days ago)
Grammar Police: Fewer and Less
Many people mix up fewer and less . These words are pretty easy to understand, though, once someone actually tells you the rule. Maybe high schools these days aren't teaching this rule? The Grammar Police have less patience for mistakes than most people. Image: sxc.hu Use fewer when you can count the item. Use less when you cannot count the item. Simple, huh? So, you'd say, “John has fewer toys than Joe.” You'd also say “It rains less in Arizona than in Florida.” Less also applies to e..
The Golden Pencil: The Freelance Writer's Resource (4 days ago)
The Future of Copyblogger
What a wild three-and-a-half years, huh? Copyblogger started out as a way for me to demonstrate what I knew and could do in order to collaborate on new media projects with others. Now it’s the hub of a business enterprise that supports three families, two single guys, one single mom, and a host of domesticated animals. And we’re just getting started. Of course, that means having a clear picture of where we want to go is pretty essential. Guidance from the Wise Bald One I’m not going to pretend that Seth Godin..
Copyblogger (4 days ago)
The Freedom of Good Enough Writing
Sometimes the pressure to ‘write well' can get in the way. Get in the way of writing when we mean to (plan to, ‘ have to' .) Get in the way of enjoying it. Get in the way of writing what we really want to say. Your comments and feedback on Alex Fayle's guest post on ‘when should you not write?' got me thinking. Then Christine Kane's ‘Get Creative' newsletter arrived in my in-box and reminded me of the pleasure of doing things the imperfect way. The freedom and liberation that comes fr..
Confident Writing (5 days ago)
Suffering Society
The children of the world aren’t the only one’s suffering when it comes to grammar errors. Many people believe that the kids now a days are just lazy and don’t really care. Some people say that it’s the parents fault for not making sure their children are getting top marks in their studies. There seems to be a whole generation of children who are terrible spellers and don’t understand the function of grammar. Could cell phones and texting the be behind the errors that run rampant..
Blogging Tips (5 days ago)
Grammar Police: Numbers
Using numbers in your writing isn't as hard as you may thing…and there is actually a huge amount of flexibility when it comes to writing with numbers. Let's go over some basic rules, though: The Grammar Police wear badges with six points. Image: sxc.hu Spell out numbers less than 10. Use digits for numbers over nine. Be consistent if there are two or more numbers in a sentence and one is over ten. Spell out fractions like one-half, using a hyphens. Use digits for decimals like 0.19. Add a zero to the fr..
The Golden Pencil: The Freelance Writer's Resource (5 days ago)
Grammar Police: Lay and Lie
Knowing when to use lay and when to use lie is tricky. I mess it up myself from time to time, and over half of all writers do as well, if I was going to guess on statistics. Here's a quick guide: The Grammar Police will not lie down. Image: sxc.hu You lay an object. So, the following sentences are correct: Lay the book on the table. The girl will lay her clothes on the bed. I want to lay this blanket on the chair. You lie if you're talking about yourself…or another thing (like a pet) is doing it to itse..
The Golden Pencil: The Freelance Writer's Resource (5 days ago)
Grammar Police: However and Semicolons
By far, one of my biggest pet peeves is a writer who doesn't understand how to use a semicolon correct. Or, rather, the writer fails to use a semicolon. Most commonly, this is in conjunction with the word however . Grammar Police: We're fixin' your semicolons and stomping out your "howevers." Image: sxc.hu I think that most people know that a semicolon can be used in place of a period when the two sentences are highly related. For example: I work as a freelance writer; most of my work is done from home. Overu..
The Golden Pencil: The Freelance Writer's Resource (6 days ago)
Grammar Police?
I'm not known for my excellent grammar and spelling. Actually, more often than not, I just type too fast for my own good - and while I'm excellent at proofreading others' work, I find it extremely difficult to spot my own mistakes. My problem isn't, in general, not knowing the rules, but that doesn't really matter. As a writer, mistakes can be fatal to a relationship with your clients, whether you knew the rule or not. Image: sxc.hu What drives me nuts, though, is the fact that many freelancers out there don'..
The Golden Pencil: The Freelance Writer's Resource (6 days ago)
Success: Enjoy It!
Every so often, all writers will find a glimmer of success among the daily grind. Yesterday, one of the blogs where I write was picked up on a social networking site, which made my traffic soar from about 500 hits a day to nearly 2000 hits. Today, that traffic is still going strong. At 4:00 PM EST, I'm already at around 1300 hits. Image: sxc.hu When you have moments of success like this, it is important to enjoy it. Some writers just smile and go on with their work, but these are the gems of your career - the..
The Golden Pencil: The Freelance Writer's Resource (6 days ago)
Blogging is Dead (Again)
Welp, it’s time once again to log out of WordPress and turn out the lights. Once again, blogging is dead. Seems at least once a year, a flurry of discussion erupts around the eminent demise of blogging. And then the rest of us shrug our shoulders, grab some coffee, and get back to creating content that further solidifies our web presence. Don’t get me wrong… as always, change is definitely happening. But it doesn’t mean blogging is dead this time around anymore than it has every other time this discussion pop..
Copyblogger (7 days ago)
Why Preaching to the Choir is a Good Thing
“Hey man, spare some change?” Rain or shine, the professional panhandler works a busy corner every day in my neighborhood. He sets up shop right by the ATM, on the theory that people who have just withdrawn a hundred bucks are more likely to give him a dollar or two. The location is good, but prospecting is tough. Day in, day out, he sits on a stoop, asking people for a couple of bucks. He sees it as a numbers game – 98% of the people who pass by will say no or just ignore him, but if he asks enough people, a..
Copyblogger (9 days ago)
New Bloggers: Need Traffic?
If you're just getting started with blogging and you're struggling to attract traffic to your site, check out this video (no opt-in required). It's free content that explains some smart traffic attraction strategies. You can also opt-in for The Roadmap to Becoming a Blogger report . Back when we asked you about your blogging frustrations, getting a decent amount of traffic to your blog was one of the top concerns (among many others). Yaro Starak has carved out a niche for himself helping beginning bloggers ma..
Copyblogger (9 days ago)
When Should You Not Write? Guest Post by Alex Fayle
Anywhere you go, you'll find lots of advice on how to get yourself writing more, how to create daily pages and how to pump out more words… but sometimes pushing yourself to write just doesn't make any sense. If you're anything like me, you've probably experienced these moments often. Like when every word that comes out of your brain feels like a burning hot coal searing its way from neurons to fingertips. Or how about when the idea you had gets dragged sideways, moving your story (or blog post or client..
Confident Writing (10 days ago)
How to Turn Affiliate Marketing Disclosure Into a Selling Point
The big news yesterday? Blogging is finally being taken seriously. The Federal Trade Commission announced that they will begin going after bloggers - as well as the companies that compensate them - for any false claims or failure to disclose compensation, free gifts, and other conflicts of interest. This isn’t really a surprise. Content marketing is the most powerful online advertising strategy there is, and the FTC regulates advertising. Arguably, the FTC could go after bloggers who don’t disclose compensati..
Copyblogger (10 days ago)
How Facebook is Gunning for Google (And Killing SEO)
This weekend, my mother-in-law asked me to enter a life of crime. Not in the real world, of course - she'd like the father of her grandkids to remain jail-free. No, instead she invited me to play that Mafia game that's so popular on Facebook. Not interested in the game, I politely declined. But when my mother-in-law, who has just joined Facebook, becomes part of an online trend, that's a sure sign that it's hitting critical mass in the population at large. Facebook is quickly becoming the immovable object tha..
Copyblogger (11 days ago)
The Places You Go To Breathe
That's me back from my own choice of breathing space: the north west highlands of Scotland. Truly, there's nowhere quite like it. Well, you did ask for photos ~~~ It's drawing to the end of this breathing space theme . I think it's one that's struck a chord – maybe just because it's something we all need to do from time to time. Or there's something in the air just now. Anyway, since I started this theme, way back in late April, I've been gathering up links to the way other people describe their bre..
Confident Writing (12 days ago)
Confusing Words and Homonyms: Part 6 “V, W, and Y”
Sometimes words give us problems because we don’t know that there are words similar to the one we want to use, but mean different things. Sometimes words give us problems because we don’t know any better or we’re just to lazy to make sure that we are correct. Whatever the case, this final installment will help clarify a few common errors that people have with words that are similar and homonyms. Click here for previous entries. Vain : excessively concerned about your appearance. “She always ..
Blogging Tips (12 days ago)
Bloggers need to be realistic about Blogging Rates
Setting your blogging rate is something that many freelance writers and bloggers have difficulty setting, particularly when they first start writing on the web. We have touched upon the subject many times here at Blogging Tips. More recently, Yuwanda Black wrote about the subject in her posts ‘ Freelance Writing Rates: How to Stick to Your Pricing Guns ‘ and ‘ Blogging Jobs: How Much Should You Charge to Blog? ‘. Yesterday saw the end of a series of articles on Mens With Pens entitled ..
Blogging Tips (16 days ago)
Why Do You Write? A Challenge!
Hello everyone! Today I’m am going a little off the mark and share something I feel is important for writers to do from time to time. Let’s begin with a few simple (or not-so simple) questions. Why do you write? Why do you put words on paper? Why do you read/research material and manipulate the words to make them your own? Why do you make up stories and tell the world about people and situations that aren’t real? Is it esteem, prestige, passion, the mental connection of the word ‘writer’? A..
Blogging Tips (16 days ago)
Spiritual River Blog Critique
Patrick Meninga, aka skinnyninja to forum members, won this blog critique in the Blogger of the Month competition. If you would like to win a blog critique or Authority Blogger membership there is still time to win the June prize, you just need to participate in the forum by being friendly, asking excellent questions that [...]
Chris Garrett on New Media (17 days ago)
How Well Do You Speak?
As a writer you pay attention to how your grammar comes across in the written word, but do you pay as much attention in your speaking and chatting? Bad grammar is a habit just like anything else. But good grammar is also a habit and I find that bad grammar is one of the most frequently seen/heard habits in the speaking world. For a long time I wasn’t concerned with how I spoke. After all, I’m a writer and had the misconception that’s where my good grammar should be. But it…
Blogging Tips (18 days ago)
A Writers Worst Nightmare
One of the worst possible scenarios for a writer is not the idea of a bad plot or even a room full of evil people waiting to harshly critique them, it’s being out in public somewhere with a great idea and nothing to write it down on. This may not seem like that big of a deal, but when something strikes, you have to put it down on paper before the words skip out of your head and end up being someone else’s Pulitzer. Don’t let this happen to you! One…
Blogging Tips (19 days ago)
Heading For the Hills
Yes, I'm off again! Not back two minutes, spent all that time trying to get back into things , ditch bad blogging habits , get my blogging voice back then yep, I'm off again. I'm headed north and west (two of my favourite words ) for a week's holiday. If I'm good, I might even leave my laptop behind too… I'll take pictures when I'm away, and share some when I'm back. Meantime, be good, have fun, and I'll see you when I'm back. Post from: Confident Writing No related posts.
Confident Writing (21 days ago)
Help Your Readers Hang On To Every Word
Do you understand this sentence? The causative agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, proliferates within host macrophages where it modifies both its intracellular and local tissue environment, resulting in caseous granulomas with incomplete bacterial sterilization.* No? Well, how about this one? Ancillary cytologic tests including digital image analysis (DIA) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) have been developed to improve the sensitivity of routine cytology (RC) for the diagnosis of malignancy in pa..
Blogging Tips (22 days ago)
What Confident Writing Means to You
Back in April I asked you for a favour : to share some of your thoughts on what Confident Writing (the blog) means to you. In particular, I asked you to think about this question: Could you tell me what one thing you do, or have done differently as a result of reading the Confident Writing blog? I've finally got round to compiling your answers, and, in the interests of having the courage and confidence to toot, sweetly, wanted to share the results. Here's what you said: I’d never before considered that writin..
Confident Writing (22 days ago)
Time to Get Down to Some Writing
This breathing space has been good, hasn't it? I'm going to take just a little more of it - another week - then it's time to get down to some serious work. Including some serious writing I'm making some headway at last on the memoir writing I'm doing as I learn the art and the craft of not just writing but also teaching it. (Lesson learned: experiment with form and style until you find what works .) There's a second book on writing I want to finish by the autumn, so it's ready for publication in 2010…..
Confident Writing (23 days ago)
Writing, Art, Creativity… and Postcards from Scotland
Big words, aren't they? Writing. Art. Creativity. We can tie ourselves in knots trying to work out what they mean. What the relationship is between them. If writing is art, or something ‘else'. Whether ‘art' can ever be something we do, or only ever something other greater mortals can aspire to… But this isn't a post about abstract thoughts and big questions. No, I just wanted to let you in on a project I'm involved in and an experiment I've signed up for. I follow, avidly, a blog by t..
Confident Writing (25 days ago)
Writing With Passion
Today, I’ve decided to take a break from my usual area of writing and discuss passion. If you’re a writer, whether you write fiction or you’re just a blogger, you must have passion or you wouldn’t be writing, right? It does take passion to keep writing on a daily basis. But I want to talk about letting your passion show in your writing. No matter what topic you’re covering you need to have passion and you need to let the reader see that passion, even if it’s just a little bit. …
Blogging Tips (26 days ago)
Confusing Words and Homonyms: Part 5 “R, S, and T”
There are many words that make writers stumble over, but with this list of confusing words and homonyms you should be better equipped to avoid mistakes. If you missed any previous parts of this series click here . Rain : water that falls from the sky. “The rain is coming down hard.” Reign : to rule over people. “I reign over the elves and the woods.” Rein : a harness. “Pull back on the right side of the rein and the horse will turn.” Rap : a type of music or to strike sharply. “I don’t like rap… ..
Blogging Tips (26 days ago)
Parts of Speech: Adverbs & Adjectives
Today we’re going to continue discussing the parts of speech with adverbs and adjectives. Sentences need adverbs and adjectives to give a vivid mental picture to the reader and to give depth to your writing. Adjectives modify nouns or pronouns by answering a question about them. Adjectives should tell you what kind of something, which one, how many of something or how much. Examples: What kind? Fresh flowers, tweed jacket, woo l sweater Which ones? Blue pencil, sharp knife, those few, How many? Tw..
Blogging Tips (30 days ago)
How Journalists Stay Connected (Bloggers Take Note)
This is a guest post by Marty Weil. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here. During my career, I’ve been on both sides of the Journalism/PR equation. It’s a symbiotic relationship that has traditionally been fraught with both pitfalls and opportunities. When the two sides work in harmony, the relationship can be rewarding. I’ve been on the journalism side of the fence for more than a decade now, and I’ve learned some valuable lessons about how to develop and maintain good relatio..
Daily Blog Tips (31 days ago)
Join Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett on a Live Call
How would you like to ask Darren Rowse of Problogger fame a question? Next Tuesday Darren is joining me on the telephone where I will be asking him YOUR biggest questions about blogging, traffic, subscribers and how he makes so much money - and you can join us online. Windows users will be able to listen [...]
Chris Garrett on New Media (32 days ago)
Parts of Speech: Verbs and More Verbs
Last week we started on the Parts of Speech: Nouns and Pronouns . Today we’re going to continue the parts of speech with Verbs. A verb tells what the subject does, has or is , making them an essential part of the sentence. But there are several kinds of verbs. Action verb : An action verb does just what it says, it tells the action the subject is performing. Action verbs can show several types of action as well. They can show physical action with words like: drive, soar, sing, paint . They can sh..
Blogging Tips (32 days ago)
The “No Textbook” Zone
Blogging is all about you and what you know or love, so it makes sense that you write from your heart. Many bloggers, however, just put information up without thinking about how people will react to it. This is a big problem especially if you want to create a following or have viewers actually enjoy what you have to say. No matter what your topic is, you should write passionately rather than a dull informational IBM 701 EDPM computer. This is not to say that you shouldn’t inform readers on your…
Blogging Tips (33 days ago)
Parts of Speech: Nouns and Pronouns
You’ve read the title and you probably think nouns and pronouns are easy, and as far as speech goes they are probably the easiest to recognize. But we have to remember that they also have special classifications. Knowing the parts of speech can help you as a writer because understanding the functions of grammatical elements allows you to recognize agreement problems, like in subject and verb agreement. If you can identify certain clauses you’ll be able to incorporate them into your writing. Noun..
Blogging Tips (37 days ago)
Using Formulas to Generate Ideas for Blog Posts
This is a guest post by Ford Harding. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here. The ideas you use for blog posts don’t stand there for all to see, like Miss California in a beauty contest. They are abstractions, which, like souls occupying bodies, are only revealed through the structure of the post they inhabit. Which comes first, the body or the soul, the structure or the idea? I can’t answer either question, definitively. In the case of ideas and posts, sometimes I come up with ..
Daily Blog Tips (38 days ago)
Interview With Naomi Dunford and Sonia Simone
Today I had the pleasure of interviewing two very cool internet marketing gurus, Naomi Dunford and Sonia Simone of Marketing for Nice People. We talked about lots of interesting stuff in this fun interview, but there are definitely some strong lessons for all of us contained in this interview. Play the interview Download the MP3 here. As promised, here [...]
Chris Garrett on New Media (40 days ago)
