Blogging Lessons from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
A 40 year-old unsolved murder mystery. Strange cryptic codes in a bible. Sweden, sandwiches, and many, many cigarettes. The badass-est female protagonist since . . . forever. And an author who has, posthumously, caused quite a ruckus in the book world and in the minds of conspiracy theorists everywhere. Yes, I'm talking about The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo . If you haven't heard of it, the rest of us are inviting you to come out from under your rock. Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy ( The Girl With the Dra..
Copyblogger (6 hours ago)
Using Fiction Writing to Improve Your Non-Fiction Writing
There are many writers out there who write fiction and non-fiction alike. In the fiction world we follow a basic story structure. I’m no authority on that. If you’re interested in learning about it in depth, please visit Larry Brooks at Storyfix.com. He is a wealth of information on the topic. Learning other how-to methods when [...] Using Fiction Writing to Improve Your Non-Fiction Writing A selection of e-books to help you improve as a blogger. Find out more at www.bloggingtips.com/books/
Blogging Tips (9 hours ago)
10 Ways to Blog when you’re not Blogging
How do you keep your blogging fingers nimble and your blogging mind active when you're not blogging? How do you make sure it feels easy and natural to re-enter the blogging sphere when you're ready to come back from a break? The answer: Keep blogging even when you're not. Here are some of my hows: 1. Read other blogs (Yes, blog reading is an integral part of blogging) 2. Comment on other blogs (ditto) 3. Stay in touch on Twitter 4. Work through your archives Tidy up. Fix your categories. Read and learn from..
Confident Writing (1 day ago)
The Power of Confident Writing
There’s a wonderful European-style market and bakery in the Oak Lawn area of Dallas. They serve everything from made-to-order salads and sandwiches to chef-prepared, ready-to-eat meals. But what I love most about the place is the sign on the door when you leave. It’s classic. The sign doesn’t read “Please Come Again” or “Thank You for Your Business” or some other typical exit sign platitude. It says . . . “See you tomorrow.” That kind of confidence is compelling and downright sexy. Sure, a fantastic product, ..
Copyblogger (1 day ago)
What Do You Do When You Run Out of Knowledge?
Bloggers have a distinct disadvantage. When someone hires an expert in — oh, let’s say marketing — that expert can dispense the same information she did for the last client. And the client before that one. And the one before that. Not bloggers. Blogging is about breaking down everything you know into bite-sized chunks so that people can learn it all over a period of time. If they look back through the archives, they can often see the entire breadth of your knowledge. Then one day, your well runs d..
Copyblogger (2 days ago)
10 Proven Steps to Snag a Guest Post on an A-List Blog
Guest posting is the “in” thing. It's the newest craze. All the kids are doing it! You've heard it time and time again — guest posting is the best way of promoting your work. So why haven't you become part of the hip crowd yet? I know why. You're scared of rejection. You're not sure if you have the chops . I can understand these feelings, but don't get yourself down just yet. I'm going to show you a surefire, bulletproof, unshakable, watertight, virtually guaranteed (insert as many hyperbole..
Copyblogger (5 days ago)
How to Give Yourself a First-Class Online Business Education
When I first had the insane brilliant idea to start a business and get out of the alleged safety of the corporate world, I started by reading everything I could find. I wish I could remember where the thread started for me. It might have been Dan Kennedy, it might have been Michael Port, it could very well have been the Personal MBA . Each good resource led to three more. At some point, I found Copyblogger and Problogger and Seth Godin . Hundreds of books and thousands of dollars in information products later..
Copyblogger (6 days ago)
Give and Grow Rich: The Power of Focused Generosity
There are two kinds of people on the Internet: the greedy and the generous. The greedy want you to pay for everything. Every link is an affiliate link. Every recommendation has a profit motive. The really good content is locked away until you fork over some money. The generous want to give you everything free. It never occurs to them that their time or expertise has value. They're kind, selfless, giving, and (too often) dirt poor. But there's a third kind of person on the Internet. And yes, they belong to the..
Copyblogger (7 days ago)
Final Lessons Learned from One of the World’s Highest-Paid Copywriters
This is the final installment of a three-part series on how to translate advice from marketing guru Dan Kennedy to a new online environment. One of the smartest things any online marketer can do is to study the “old school” guys who wrote direct mail, magazine ads, and other artifacts of advertising history. Why? Because it took a tremendous understanding of the psychology of persuasion to make those tactics work. When you pair shiny new communication technology with tried-and-true methods to persuade and sel..
Copyblogger (8 days ago)
Sun Sign Wallpapers
Here is a simple set of Sun Sign Wallpapers we made for you... Enjoy.
Deziner Folio (8 days ago)
Are You Missing The Good Stuff on Daily Writing Tips?
As you guys know one of my largest blogs is called Daily Writing Tips . It was launched some months after DBT, with the goal of helping people improve their writing skills, and it has over 33,000 subscribers already. Lately we have been adding a lot of great content there, and I recommend that you check it out if you are trying to write better. Here are some examples of articles you'll find on the blog: The Writing Process 34 Writing Tips That Will Make You a Better Writer Creative Writing 101 Comparative or ..
Daily Blog Tips (9 days ago)
The Critical Mistake that Keeps Bloggers Broke
How I used a blog to attract thousands of subscribers my first week. Why I make six figures and you don’t. How I quit my day job and now I work all day in my robe and slippers while my wife brings me lattes. Ever seen headlines like these before? Find them at least a little compelling? Like every good headline , they exist to attract attention and convince you to keep reading. They’re trying to get you thinking about how to use a tool like blogging to make lots of cash. But there’s something in those big prom..
Copyblogger (9 days ago)
4 Ways to Overcome the “Nobody's Reading My Blog” Blues
This is a guest post by Jennifer Brown Banks . If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here. Blogs are a great way to brand your business and create a buzz about personal and professional agendas. But, let’s face it; the R.O.I. (return on investment) can be a bit low in the beginning. In my many years as a professional writer and relationship columnist, I’ve started several, gotten frustrated, lost the momentum, and decided to move on to bigger and better things. Then I would visit ot..
Daily Blog Tips (12 days ago)
The Mr. Rogers Guide to Blogging from the Heart
As bloggers, we put a lot of effort into telling our readers how to do things. We believe that if we can just give them enough informative content that they'll subscribe to our blog and never leave. We try to become the best teacher we possibly can, instilling wisdom down into short, usable posts that our readers can put into action right away. But what if that's not what they really want? What if they don't want a teacher to tell them what to do? What if all they're looking for is a warm and understanding pe..
Copyblogger (12 days ago)
Top Five Tips to be Successful
I’ve read several books in my time on being successful and personal development. There are a few things that are repeated in most of them. They must be important. I want to share with you the ones that stand out to me the most. These principles can be applied to any area of your life [...] Top Five Tips to be Successful A selection of e-books to help you improve as a blogger. Find out more at www.bloggingtips.com/books/
Blogging Tips (12 days ago)
Check out this preview of the Scribe SEO web-based application
This is a quick reminder that the Scribe introductory offer, where you get our most advanced plan for the Starter price, ends tomorrow, Friday, February 26, 2010, at 6:00 pm Central. But I also wanted to share a video with you. It was created for current Scribe customers to let them know what’s coming next month, but I’m going to hook you up too. It’s a preview of the Scribe web-based application. So while you can use Scribe right in your WordPress interface, you will also be able to use this web-based versio..
Copyblogger (13 days ago)
Use the Power, Wonder Working Power in the Words
A Guest Post by Hollie Pollard This week a christian hymn has rung in my head. The refrain goes like this “there is power, wonder working power in the blood”. With that song ringing in my head I got thinking about power and the power we have as bloggers. The [...]
Liz Strauss at Successful Blog (14 days ago)
Staying Motivated
You’ve started off with a bang, your sizzle has turned to fizzle–what do you do? You get motivated! Most people start a new project on cloud nine and spend as much time as possible working on the new project, but soon the new-ness and glory begin to fade causing you to lose hope perhaps–it’s just not [...] Staying Motivated A selection of e-books to help you improve as a blogger. Find out more at www.bloggingtips.com/books/
Blogging Tips (14 days ago)
Oh, God, It’s Snowing Again!
Surprise! It’s snowing again. Or should I say still? I live in Eastern Ohio, where cold snowy winters aren’t exactly unheard of. I mean, this is a nice place to live and our weather usually doesn’t go to too many extremes. In the summer, we have thunderstorms but no tornadoes. In the spring, it rains a lot [...] Oh, God, It’s Snowing Again! A selection of e-books to help you improve as a blogger. Find out more at www.bloggingtips.com/books/
Blogging Tips (16 days ago)
You’re Not Too Old Until You Think You’re Too Old
I’m going to divulge a little secret today–I’m almost 43 and it’s still my dream to publish a novel. After I passed the mid-twenties mark I thought of myself as too old and I thought that for many years. One day it dawned on me that a person isn’t too old until they think they’re [...] You’re Not Too Old Until You Think You’re Too Old A selection of e-books to help you improve as a blogger. Find out more at www.bloggingtips.com/books/
Blogging Tips (19 days ago)
Long Copy vs. Short Copy
I don’t consider myself a copywriter, but over the years, in considering this aspect of my writing career, there’s been the debate of long copy versus short copy. My personal preference for reading (or even writing) copy is that it be short and to the point. The advertising industry still claims that long copy is [...] Long Copy vs. Short Copy A selection of e-books to help you improve as a blogger. Find out more at www.bloggingtips.com/books/
Blogging Tips (21 days ago)
Is blogging really just for old timers?
Maybe I’m just hyper-sensitive on the whole topic of getting older. After all, I’m getting ready to celebrate the 10th anniversary of my 37th birthday (you do the math), so of course, anything that seems like it’s age-related is just jumping out at me. So the headline “Is blogging a slog? Some young people think so” hit [...] Is blogging really just for old timers? A selection of e-books to help you improve as a blogger. Find out more at www.bloggingtips.com/books/
Blogging Tips (23 days ago)
Look Who’s Entered to Win a FREE SOBCon Trip — OR Get a $250 Discount
150 People to Fine Tune Your Web Presence Suppose you could take a weekend retreat away from the noise of the Internet … to focus on your business with the support of a mastermind team to get quality time to interact with the top people in social media to get [...]
Liz Strauss at Successful Blog (25 days ago)
Are Bloggers Steering the Business Model Back to the Character Ethic?
The following is an article I started in 2006. I’ve been cleaning out old files recently and came across this. I am leaving it as is but would like to share some thoughts at the end on how I feel that blogging as a business has turned the tables around. “The significant problems we face cannot [...] Are Bloggers Steering the Business Model Back to the Character Ethic? A selection of e-books to help you improve as a blogger. Find out more at www.bloggingtips.com/books/
Blogging Tips (26 days ago)
A Few Tips on Finding New Clients in the Freelance World
One of the biggest challenges a person faces in the freelance world is finding new clients. This holds true whether you are a freelance writer or a freelance web developer and designer. Having repeat customers is a nice way to ensure you have steady income, but if you want to increase your income you have [...] A Few Tips on Finding New Clients in the Freelance World A selection of e-books to help you improve as a blogger. Find out more at www.bloggingtips.com/books/
Blogging Tips (28 days ago)
Do you dare put down the mask?
My first experiences online came before the web, and before most of the modern “nettiquette” was written. It was the days of ultra nerdy folks (like me), librarians, and academic PHD types in lab coats. When people were not doing serious science type stuff there was a lot of socializing going on. There were hippy hangouts [...]
Chris Garrett on New Media (29 days ago)
7 Ways to Stay Connected to Confident Writing
Not quite gone yet… Just a thought in response to some comments – here are 7 ways you can stay connected while I'm taking some time out… especially if you're missing the encouragement to write with confidence. 1. Keep your subscription as it is Whether that's by e-mail or RSS if you do nothing you'll hear from me as and when I pop back 2. Dip into the archives Lots of good stuff in there! 3. Get a copy of the book Based on the blog: 199 Ways to Write with Confidence 4. Come on a writing retr..
Confident Writing (36 days ago)
Letting Go and Letting Flow
One of the reasons I blog is to learn what I need to learn. Sometimes I learn through the writing of the post. Sometimes I work through an issue or a problem and then blog some of the things that worked. But the thing about learning is that you need to act on what you learn, as well as learning it. Writing the piece on 10 Things to Start and One Thing to Stop was really penned for myself. It was about things I have learned and need to learn, things I need to act upon now I have learned them, things I need to..
Confident Writing (37 days ago)
Setting Out on the Journey: One Last Word
Gosh it's hard for me to stop blogging on a theme! This really is the last one… but I couldn't resist sharing it. It's from the chapter called Setting Out on the Journey, from The Sufi Book of Life The reason we exist – and the reason to begin any journey – is to bring out our full humanity, the unique flavour that we alone can offer to the universe's still-cooking stew. I just love that bit about the still-cooking stew… don't you?
Confident Writing (39 days ago)
10 Things to Start, and One Thing to Stop
I can’t wait to see what you recommend a writer “should stop in order to start” writing. I just hope its not one of my darlings. This wonderful comment from ellanbethia has been rumbling at the back of my mind since the launch of the start theme at the beginning of this month. Because, guess what? I'm in no position to tell you what you should stop in order to start … and am certainly not going to recommend killing any of your darlings I'm going to focus instead on 10 things you might want to start : ..
Confident Writing (40 days ago)
Are You Going Out of Your Way Not to Repeat Yourself?
Think about That When you sit looking at a blank screen wondering what you’ll write about today. Do you find yourself thinking, “I already said that.” Do you go out of your way not to repeat yourself? Think about that … That single idea will make your job harder and harder the more you [...]
Liz Strauss at Successful Blog (41 days ago)
Now Where Did I Put Those Parentheses?
If you’re like me, parentheses can pose a challenge for your writing, especially if they come at the end of the sentence. Today we’re going to discuss the basic rules and how to punctuate within parentheses and at the end of sentences. Parentheses are basically used to separate nonessential information from the rest of your sentence, [...] Now Where Did I Put Those Parentheses? A selection of e-books to help you improve as a blogger. Find out more at www.bloggingtips.com/books/
Blogging Tips (42 days ago)
Make a Start by Writing it Down
I mentioned in the launch post for the 'start' series that I'd include something on: How writing things down (in a journal, a doodle, a line of a poem, in one word or three words or a series of posts) can help us to get started with new projects, dreams and ambitions Although we have touched on the idea of a word that will last for the year , I haven't yet written the post I wanted to on the idea of writing it down to make it happen . And sadly I don't have enough time to do the reading & write it up properl..
Confident Writing (42 days ago)
Watering Ideas at the Reflecting Pool
A Guest Post by Pamir Kiciman Browser tabs are great. Emails, tweets and feeds update so you can switch tabs and see what it is. But what happens when you switch in the middle of a juicy post, mindmap or other creative jaunt? You break continuity at the mercy of an insatiable beast. And breaking continuity can [...]
Liz Strauss at Successful Blog (43 days ago)
Why You’d Have Found Robert Burns on Twitter
A post in celebration of Burns Night – first posted January 2008 (sometimes it's good to recycle as well as start;-) ) 7 reasons we'd be following @RobbieBurns on Twitter Everyone's equal – one voice, no matter who you are, 140 characters at a time It's funny – don't know quite how, but it encourages you to lighten up, be witty, have fun It hones your writing skills – so they're short, sharp, sweet… to the point It's an opportunity to promote your work – point to a new piec..
Confident Writing (44 days ago)
Is Mobile the way to Run a Business?
Is mobile the way to run a business? This may be more of a pet peeve than good solid advice—but not only do I run a business (from my computer), I’m also a reader of many blogs and I’m a writer. I was recently reading an article about writing for people on mobile devices. This means [...] Is Mobile the way to Run a Business? A selection of e-books to help you improve as a blogger. Find out more at www.bloggingtips.com/books/
Blogging Tips (47 days ago)
Writing Superheroes
Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead~ Gene Fowler If only it were that easy. Oh, so finding the words might not be so hard, but getting beyond the very start , getting to a point where you're willing to: Share Submit Publish Send Put on a website Read out loud Well… that can mean getting past a whole lot of demons. The voices of the inner critic. The doubters inside us and about us. A wild, ridiculous host of fears: Fear of fa..
Confident Writing (47 days ago)
Fear of Failure or Fear of Success?
Are you building an online presence with your blog? Do you hold back when you should be forging onward? Do you question where you plan to go with your blog or your writing career? You do most of the right things, but when it comes down to it, you slack off or stay just under the [...] Fear of Failure or Fear of Success? A selection of e-books to help you improve as a blogger. Find out more at www.bloggingtips.com/books/
Blogging Tips (49 days ago)
Style Versus Content in Your Blog
This is a guest post by Ciprian Ginghina. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here. The word on the street, or perhaps I should say ‘information superhighway’, is that certain text style options make website content and blogs ‘pop’ and are thereby more appealing to readers. The use of short sentences within short paragraphs decorated with bullet point lists and sub-headers apparently hold our attention in a vise grip, bewitched by the format. Blogging gurus peddle these presentati..
Daily Blog Tips (50 days ago)
A Word to Last the Year
Some of you might have come across the idea of picking a word or words to focus on throughout the year. My friend Jon Swanson picked three words for 2010, inspired by Chris Brogan's practice . Other people have written about the power of one word , something I've read a lot about via singer-songwriter-blogger-coach Christine Kane. (Some articles from Christine on the how and why of working with one word listed below.) This year, I was tempted. And at the start of the year I was tempted by words that made me..
Confident Writing (51 days ago)
The Writing Space on Facebook
Just a quick update to let you know I've created a fan page for The Writing Space on Facebook – it's a chance for me to spread the word about the writing retreats in Scotland , and also to connect with people who are interested in ways to carve out space and time to write… and a way for you to make those connections too. It also provides a way for me to get to know those of you who enjoy the slightly more relaxed and conversational style of Facebook – a medium I still don't find entirely nat..
Confident Writing (54 days ago)
Journaling Your Intentions
On Wednesday I covered Setting Daily Intentions to Achieve Your Goals. I had some nice responses. David Walker even reported that he had used the method for a good night’s sleep and it worked like a charm. It does work, and while it’s not 100% foolproof 100% of the time, I would say it works [...] Journaling Your Intentions A selection of e-books to help you improve as a blogger. Find out more at www.bloggingtips.com/books/
Blogging Tips (54 days ago)
How to Sell More From Your Blog (Blog Critique: Steven Aitchison)
Steven Aitchison has a strong blog. Most people would regard his site as a success (in fact he claims it as the “biggest personal development blog in the UK) .. It looks good (using a slightly customized Thesis install) Steven is a good writer therefore the articles are excellent (in fact freelance writing is one of the [...]
Chris Garrett on New Media (55 days ago)
10 Prompts to Start a Blog Post When Your Screen Is Blank
Start with a Few Words Sometimes a few words can get a whole lot started. Try these prompts when you’re facing a blank screen and don’t know where to go … When I look at all of these social media tools, I think we need . . . Enough of this [...]
Liz Strauss at Successful Blog (56 days ago)
Setting Daily Intentions to Achieve Your Goals
In my post Tips for Success: Begin With the End in Mind I talked about goals and other such things. Today I want to talk about setting intentions and not leaving things to chance. Setting intentions is different than setting goals; intentions are more for the here and now—in the moment—than they are for long term. [...] Setting Daily Intentions to Achieve Your Goals A selection of e-books to help you improve as a blogger. Find out more at www.bloggingtips.com/books/
Blogging Tips (56 days ago)
Why Positive Thinking Doesn’t Work for You and How to Fix it
I was reminded on Twitter by a quote how life coaches and gurus often talk about how sports people visualize victory. They say if you use positive visualization, then your outcome will improve. Then there are the people who tell you that if you use the “Law of Attraction”, that is if you ask the universe for [...]
Chris Garrett on New Media (58 days ago)
Theme-a-Day for Freelance Writers
I recently posted about your writing passion, stepping out of your niche and having a theme for the day. Depending on how many topics you cover each week and how many websites you write for, you may want to consider adding a theme to each day’s writing. Some topics can even be stacked if they’re [...] Theme-a-Day for Freelance Writers A selection of e-books to help you improve as a blogger. Find out more at www.bloggingtips.com/books/
Blogging Tips (61 days ago)
Managing Guest Post Submissions Efficiently
If you started applying the trick I mentioned on this post , I am sure you are already receiving more guest post submissions. As your blog grows, however, you might start getting more submissions than you can handle. I receive 3-4 submissions per week, and I have seem blogs out there getting over 10 submissions weekly! The problem with this is that you might start messing things up. For example, I used to accept some submissions and then I would forget to actually publish them. Sometimes I liked the guest pos..
Daily Blog Tips (62 days ago)
Drupal Coda Clips
One of the coolest features of Coda is the ability to save code snippets and keep them organized. Coda is our primary editor for almost every work (other than JAVA). There have been many Coda Clips out there (like this Wordpress one ) but not a lot for Drupal . Been working on Drupal for a long time we decided to put up a quick set of snippets for you Drupallers. Installation : Simply extract the .zip file and double-click the .clips file to load the list in Coda. Enjoy!
Deziner Folio (63 days ago)
Defeating Procrastination: Become a Finisher
Analysis paralysis is just one of my procrastination challenges. A couple of other things have caused me to have to make an effort with my productivity. See if they are familiar to you and your own productivity issues: I have a compulsion to fix things I never think I have done enough Do you have the same problems? The [...]
Chris Garrett on New Media (64 days ago)
