Are You Embarrassed by Your Blogging Skills? Here’s What to Do
Confession: I didn’t make up that title. I don’t think I could have if I tried. I got it from a blog title generator.
http://tweakyourbiz.com/tools/title-generator/index.php
You put in a topic, it can be a noun or verb, and it comes up with titles for you. It will give you a long list such as “Ten Ways to Make Your Blog Exciting” and “How to Gain Blog.” Some of them are pretty generic, some of them are don’t quite make sense, and a lot are the sort that you see all over the web these days.
read moreTips to Navigate the Twitter Jungle
How much can you really accomplish with just 140 characters? Quite a bit more than you might think. With just a few words and a bit of strategy, you can reach thousands of prospects and spread your message around the world in a very short time.
Twitter may seem at first like a jumbled, confusing impenetrable jungle, but push on and you can hack a clear path.
read moreProductivity Coach Practices What She Teaches to Write Book
Linda Stacy of Living Bluprints is an expert at guiding others on how to manage their time and live more fulfilling lives. That turned out to be extremely useful when she decided to write a book in addition to keeping up with her own busy life. She relied on the same tactics she teaches to her audiences to finish The Whole Package Professional: The Definitive Guide to Productivity, Success, and Fulfillment in Business and Life in under a year.
read moreStay Committed to Your Book, Even if it Takes Years, Author Says
Non-profit organizations may have different goals than for-profit companies, but they still have a brand that is either working for or against them. Michele Levy works with these groups to understand their brand and how to define, refine and promote it to support their mission. She also wrote the book on how to do it right. In Building Your Brand, A Practical Guide for Nonprofit Organizations, Levy, a consultant and speaker, guides nonprofit leaders through the process of creating a brand that will help them reach their organizational goals...
read moreDo You Need a Deadline?
If you are thinking about writing a book or an article, I’d love to hear about it. If you’re serious about the writing, it’s a good idea to share with someone. It makes it more real and forces you to define your project. If you do tell me, be forewarned that I will ask you about it often until you tell me it’s done or that you’ve set it aside indefinitely. I’ll ask because I know it can help to have someone checking in on you. When you’ve been putting it off, having someone ask can remind you how important it is. And if you’ve been working on...
read moreWriter says Revisions Reveal the Best Story
The best stories read like they took no effort to write at all. But the more likely reality is that they were labored over, rethought, rewritten and revised during angst-ridden hours by a writer who battled several rounds of self-doubt. Learning the story behind the story can be as inspiring as the story itself. Laura-Lynne Powell, my creative sister-in-law, successfully placed such a piece in the Sacramento Bee earlier this year about fathers and the anniversary of the civil rights marches that led to the adoption of the Voters Rights Act....
read moreAn Interview on Blogging
I was a guest recently on the inaugural edition of the Author Connection, a show produced by Merrimack Media, a go-to firm for authors who want to self publish. We talked about how authors can use blogs. They’re great not only for promoting books but also for writing them. The Author Connection features authors and the stories behind the story. Streaming live and available on replay.
read moreDo You Write for Money or for Art?
A young adult cousin of mine who is artistically talented hasn’t touched a brush in years. Why? She said recently it’s because her dad told her she couldn’t make a living at it. I think that may be somewhat of an excuse, but it raises an important issue. Do we do what we do as artists, musicians and writers to make money or make art? Her father has his own artistic pursuits, but it’s something he does on the side after work and on weekends. Artistically, he won’t accomplish as much as he would if he did it...
read moreBlog Challenge – Can You Do It?
What does it take to blog? Well for starters, you actually have to blog. If you’ve been wanting to blog but have had a hard time finding the motivation or getting yourself going, I have the solution: I challenge you to blog at least once a week for three months. That’s easy math – just 12 posts. You can write them all at once if you want – as long as you post just one a week, or more if you’re really ambitious. What’s in it for you besides connecting with readers and building your audience? You will get...
read moreHelp! I Don’t Know What to Write About
I often hear from people that they just don’t have time to blog. It’s probably true to an extent. But there’s generally a reason why they don’t make the time to do it. -They fear that no one will want to read what they’ve written. -They don’t know what to write about. -They know what to write about but not what to say about it. The latter two issues are the bigger problem because once you know what you want to write about and what to say about, it you are less likely to be concerned whether someone will...
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