Pearl Writing Services Blog

Great Wordpress Plugins from Men with Pens

2009-04-13T10:53:00.002-05:00

Men with Pens have done it again - they've put together a list of useful plugins for Wordpress blogs. While these plugins aren't specifically intended for writers, there are a bunch of functions I can't wait to try! Find them here: Rockstar Plugins for Wordpress.

Use your hometown landscape

2009-04-08T14:11:00.004-05:00

In a few previous posts, I've mentioned that I grew up in the rural Midwest. But for the last twenty-odd years I've lived in a suburb of Chicago - the largest Midwestern city. At a recent writer's conference, I began thinking about what images, smells, sounds, tastes, and textures are stored in my memory because of the landscapes of my life.

For example, I could think swimming, and immediately I remember the warm breakers pushing us towards the seaweed-crusted pier on a Lake Michigan beach, or huddling under blankets on sand that was still warm, waiting for the Fourth of July fireworks to burst overhead. Or the rope swing we'd use to fling ourselves out over Big Paw Paw Lake and, with an excess of courage, let go and plummet before the rope returned us to our friends and their contempt.

Think picnic. For me, it was the summer picnic hosted by the public library, with three-legged races and the tug-o-war over the creek. There was always macaroni salad and lots of watermelon, with seeds, RC Cola and probably three different kinds of jello. I lost at all the games but always won one prize: best reader. My summer reading card always had more stickers than anyone else's; sometimes they had to put the excess stickers on the back.

Autumn. I believe the world was most fragrant in autumn, with the musky-earth smell of dying leaves and the smoky burn piles; apples piled up and oozing cider in the basement, and the shockingly tart and sweet burst of flavor of concord grapes that looked like green mucus once you pulled off the skins. And in autumn, there was the delight of finding a dried-out puffball mushroom to stomp, releasing a rusty cloud, or a dried milkweed pod that had saved its silky parachutes just for you.

Ordinary stuff, do you think? I read about people in Costa Rica, Tibet, Dublin, or Nigeria, and it's all so exotic and strange; caffeine for my imagination. Yet this world of my childhood is exotic to some people, too.

Now that I've lived in suburbia so long, I realized that my perspective has changed about rural Midwestern life. I'm currently on a writing retreat in rural Ohio, and a girl down the road just brought me some freshly-laid eggs. I asked if I could see her chickens, and she let me pet them as we talked. She asked so many questions about my life and where I live, and I tried to let her know how special and interesting I found her world. She laughed at me. At twelve, her world is old news, and I was a glamorous writer from Chicago. I can hardly write that without snickering.

Both suburbia and farmland color my view of the world, and allow me to write with detail and specificity about the Midwest I know. Some people will read my stories and immediately plunge into their own memories, triggered by the authenticity of my descriptions. Others will read and wonder at the world my characters inhabit - and maybe they'll see a side of the Midwest that they hadn't known before.

We often write books that require a flight of inspiration and some amount of research. But try using your hometown landscapes when you're writing; not necessarily every time, but when it suits your stories. I guarantee that the associations you recall will be sweet and painful, sour and savory - and others will savor it, too.

Starting Your Own Writing Business, Part 5: Sign on the Dotted Line!

2009-04-05T19:25:00.000-05:00

Once you've identified clients, and have worked lined up, it's crucial that you have a contract or work agreement in place, to protect you and help the client know what to expect. I've had a few client experiences, good and bad, that will help illustrate this need.

I've been working with several clients for years and we have a great working relationship. At the beginning of our first project, we talked by phone and I told them what they could expect in terms of project updates, rewrites, and other matters. In each of these projects, we both signed an agreement detailing the expectations. Because of this, they provide clear requirements at the beginning of the project and like the end result. After a couple of phone conferences we've gotten on the same wavelength so there are very few revisions afterward. They trust my research and love the way I represent their ideas in the blog posts I write for them.

In another situation, I did monthly work for a client who signed a similar agreement with me. However, she did not provide source materials on time, requested rewrites beyond the agreement and did not want to pay for them, and was unpleasant in correspondence. Because she couldn't comply with our agreement, I eventually withdrew my contract with her.

My worst experience came last summer. I found what looked like a great opportunity with a firm that would give me a variety of projects and would cultivate other clients. The owner of the company stated he was swamped with work and wanted me to start immediately. We started with an informal written agreement, and he kept promising a formal contract. Unfortunately, I quickly discovered his company was in serious trouble and had a history of many dissatisfied clients. As I pushed for a formal contract to protect myself against a potentially difficult situation, he terminated our agreement and refused to pay for my last week of work. It wasn't fun getting lawyers involved.

Interestingly enough, I found that this last company eventually lost many of their clients (which was inevitable) and that the owner also laid off most of his work force. He decided who to lay off by looking in the parking lot to see who had an Obama bumper sticker on his/her car, and fired those people.

A tight contract is a writer's best friend. Many good ones can be found online, and a lawyer familiar with "intellectual property" laws will be able to provide you with good advice on the contract you choose. Be safe, and write well!

Starting Your Own Writing Business, Part 4: Finding Clients

2009-03-31T19:20:00.000-05:00

You may have started your business because you had people lined up to write for. Or you may have started out from nothing, as I did when I started my business. In either case, your success will depend on how well you find and cultivate clients. Each genre of writing has a different clientele and therefore a different method for finding work. I'll start out with some generalities and then more onto specifics.

When you're ready to look for clients, you should have already completed a market analysis, given yourself a self assessment and written down a business plan. These formal-sounding documents are the tools that you need to target the right customers with the best you have to offer. You now know how your skills, the market, and your business direction intersect.
You then do research online and in the library to find the people who make hiring decisions for your target. You may have already noted some organizations or individuals who will serve as good contacts or clients for your work - contact them right away!

By networking with other businesses in your local Chamber of Commerce or Rotary Club, you'll develop good contacts and business skills. Connect with other writers and ask them where they find their clients - since the writing field is so wide, chances are pretty good that you won't be competition for each other.

If you look at your market and business plan and don't have a specific client base defined, brainstorm about the types of businesses you can help on both a local and global basis. For example, if I wanted work as a technical writer, I would contact local corporations such as Grainger or Abbott to see if they're looking for freelance writers. I'd also contact smaller businesses such as machine shops, call centers, and factories to see if they need someone to write things like technical manuals, employee procedures, or product information. On a global basis, I'd do some internet searches to look for job postings - on sites like Monster.com, Elance.com, Sologig.com, Craigslist, and free-form searches.

If I wanted to help people connect to their faith (which I do) I would contact local churches (which I have). Churches are often begging volunteers to help them put out a newsletter, create bulletins, write information for their websites, and put together reports. You could suggest to a church that you will do all that work for them (or provide X number of hours a month) for a set fee. On a larger scale, you can contact the overall church organization, such as Catholic Charities or the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Or whatever charities or faith-based organizations you feel passionate about.

If you're writing fiction or poetry, you'll likely spend less time in assessment and business planning, and more time in writing at the beginning. Fiction authors and some types of non-fiction authors write first and then find someone to buy what they write; other types of freelancers find clients first and then write what the organization needs.

A lot of good material has been written about how to publish your work in magazines or newspapers, so I'm not going to re-invent the wheel in this article. I regularly read the blogs on my blogroll, and all of the writers there teach me something new. The basic process is to target a publication with a unique, interesting idea that fits perfectly with their demographic and style, find the right editor to contact, and contact them with the idea or story in exactly the way they want to be contacted. If you're writing fiction or poetry, you write it first, and then find the best market for the completed work. Fantastic resources for finding markets include the annual Writer's Market, the Association of Writers and Writing Programs, Writer's Digest, and Absolute Write.

When you're working with small or local organizations, they may not have the perspective to understand what a writer can do for them. Your job is to imagine the problems they might face (poor communication, outdated procedures, lack of expansion due to old marketing materials or an uninformative website) and then dazzle them with solutions to their problems.

Lastly, I want to urge you to go for it today. You never know what opportunities might pass you by if you wait. An example? I've been meaning to send out a query to my local paper on a travel article. Last weekend my article idea was published in that paper - by someone else. You know what really kills me? I know I could have written it better.

Starting Your Own Writing Business, Part 3: Planning

2009-03-25T19:18:00.000-05:00

Once you have evaluated yourself and analyzed your business opportunities, it's important to plan your business. This is helpful in two ways: it becomes your yearly road map, and it officially documents your direction for partners, employees, or investors.

Business planning sounds dull, especially when you'd rather be writing, but it can actually be a lot of fun. Using your self evaluation and your SWOT analysis, write down a summary of what your business is and what it will offer. This summary will also be used as a 60-second personal commercial when someone asks you what you do, so be creative and descriptive. When I first opened my business, people asked me about it and I would say, "I'm a freelance writer." They would give me a blank stare until I actually explained what I did.

Next, write down an overview of the freelance writing industry, especially any genres that you expect to target for work. There are many internet sites, as well as the current Writer's Market book, that can help you describe this. This section is important because you will mine these areas for work, and will continually evaluate to see if you're expending effort in the right direction.
Next, you write down your credentials, which is where the business plan becomes fun. You get to list all your accomplishments and strengths - don't be afraid to brag a little about awards, training, and experience. If you're a little light in any of these credentials, don't worry - next time I'll discuss how you can build credentials and experience.

Finally, you write a financial analysis of one, three, and five year's earnings. This may sound daunting but can be fairly easy. Sources like the Association of Writers and Writing Programs, or the Writer's Market books can offer advice on rates to charge for your targeted work. Estimate the hours you'll be able to work and multiply by your expected rate, then project that income for a year. It is realistic to assume that your first year will be a ramp-up period, and then your income goals can become steadier after that point. If you plan to start part-time, your ramp-up year may cause you little to no financial pain. In fact, writing is the perfect part-time job because with a little equipment and good abilities, you can write anywhere, anytime.

Pull all this information together and keep it in a safe place. On a monthly basis, check back with your plan to see if you are on the right track. Your business plan might change, or your course may need to be corrected. With a detailed plan, you can keep your business focused.

Starting Your Own Writing Business, Part 2: Analysis

2009-03-15T19:15:00.000-05:00

We've all heard the saying, "Fail to plan, and you plan to fail." Good planning will start your writing business off on the right foot; continued planning will keep your business running well. But planning isn't necessarily the most fun in starting a new business. Here are a few techniques.

SWOT Analysis
Here's where you analyze yourself and the possibilities in your business. First, write down all the strengths you bring to your writing business. Next, list your weaknesses - things that may get in the way of business success. Finally, list the opportunities for your business and the threats to those opportunities.

Your strengths will help you focus your services on the the things you do best. Weaknesses aren't necessarily things to avoid, but rather areas where you may need training, mentorship, or extra help. Opportunities are areas that you can focus to achieve best results, while you will need to do some planning to mitigate the threats to your business.

As you look at this information as a whole, you should see some common threads that give you overall direction. For example, I knew I was a strong writer whose weakness was difficulty in handling rejection, a common facet of writing. I saw that one of my opportunities was that I had a large network of friends and mentors who could provide support and feedback, but a threat to that opportunity was that I wasn't using that network effectively. This led me to set a direction for personal growth by cultivating mentors. As I perform SWOT analysis on a yearly basis, I will see new themes appear that help me set a course for my business and my professional growth.

Market Analysis
You know what you want to do, and you know your talents. The world is hungry for good writing. Now you need to match up your skills to demand. You do this by analyzing the market for your services. If your target is local businesses, contact your Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau to find out how many people offer the same services in your area. Is there enough market for all of your businesses?

More often, freelance writing is not location-specific. Through Google searches, global yellow pages, writing associations, blogs, websites, and organizations for freelancers, you can find a wealth of information on pay rates, volume of jobs, and types of employers. While writing can be a competitive field, you may also contact other writers to ask for advice. Many of us want to help along someone who is getting started as a writer!

Once you've determined who your target market is, and what you can offer that target market, write it down and keep that focus. It's easy run off on a tangent and get into work that doesn't fit your core services and market, but that can distract you from the real focus of your business. Be prepared to tell people who you are targeting. If you can clearly and quickly explain your ideal customers, your friends and family have a better chance of referring you when the right client comes along.

Join me next time for more advice on starting your own business

Starting Your Own Writing Business, Part 1

2009-02-28T19:09:00.002-06:00

Since I've had quite a few people ask me about how to get started in a freelance writing career, I'm offering some advice I've written about in the past.

When I started my freelance writing business, I was given the huge blessing of an enormous severance package from my corporate job, and I was determined to never return to a corporate job. I didn't know much about being a small business owner, but I learned it all as I went along. Thinking of starting a full-time freelance writing business? I'm here to give you a hand up with posts on how to start a business.

Traits of a Writer
To be a freelance writer, you must be able to write, edit, and research your work. You must be able to handle rejection, because there will be plenty of "no's" between each "yes". You must develop a network of people who are willing to refer you or act as advocates for you. You must nuture mentors that will help you learn to run a business and hone your writing. Finally, you must cultivate in yourself traits of persistence, time management, and discipline.

Self-Evaluation
First, and most importantly, decide what you want to do. Take a realistic look at your skills and interests. If you've written newsletters in the past, think about what you liked about it. Did you have fun planning the graphics and layouts? Did you enjoy interviewing people for the articles? Was the act of blending stories and news satisfying to the writer in you? Analyze work you've done to determine what you love to do. Do you like researching medical facts? Writing creative non-fiction? Or putting together clear procedural documentation? Good writers can write about anything, but why not stick to the subjects and types of writing that are fun for you?

Develop CredentialsI
had much credibility within my organization, but when I started my own business, I had to develop a new kind of credibility. I didn't have a master's degree in fine arts or an extensive publishing background. But I knew I could write, and I just needed to develop some new credibility so that potential clients would notice me. So I joined writer's organizations and professional associations, and advertised this fact on my website and publications. I learned all I could about my field through online and library research, as well as through friends I made in the literary organizations.When I met with clients, my research and knowledge showed. I never had a client question me about my educational background or experience in their field, because I showed them I was adaptable, professional, and enthusiastic about writing for them.

Prepare Samples of Your Work
As I said earlier, I started my freelance career after a layoff from a corporate job where I'd been a writer for decades. I soon learned that people interested in hiring me were looking to see what I'd done in the past. Unfortunately, I many copies of my work were still at the company I left. However, I maximized the samples that I did have. I had a file of a training manual I'd written for a software rollout, and I took several pages from that manual as examples of business writing, procedural documentation, as technical writing. I had also written for years for my church, and I pulled together all the articles, newsletters, and interviews. Though I wasn't paid for those jobs, it still showed that I had the ability to write.I took a big leather portfolio with clear sheetcovers and put several copies of each type of writing inside. When I met with a local client, I would leave a sample of my writing behind. I also posted files on my website so that people could see samples there, too. It wasn't a lot at first, but each job I finished added to my portfolio. At this point, the portfolio is almost full, and I routinely take out old samples or inapplicable projects.

My job is one in which I look forward to getting up each day and doing what I love. The flexibility, freedom, and opportunity surpass anything I imagined back in my corporate days. Stick with me, and I'll keep showing you how it's done!

Building the Framework

2009-02-12T14:59:00.000-06:00

While I'm enjoying the AWP conference, here is another post on good fiction writing for beginners. Enjoy!

Halfway through my first novel, I stopped writing for weeks. I couldn’t stand to think about my story, because I knew I was stuck. I couldn’t remember how the sister met the boyfriend, and I forgot why the story of the bass player passing out on the pool table was crucial to the character development. I also forgot some names and critical dates. Worst of all, I knew how the story was going to end but I couldn’t figure out how to get there. My characters had taken over the plot and we were drifting somewhere else. How was I going to end this piece?

It’s perfectly valid to use the “drive by your headlights” method to write an entire book; you start with a plot and just take off writing your fingers to nubbins. However when you get stuck with a problem like mine, stepping back and applying a structure to the story can be especially helpful. Some writers can’t write at all without building an outline or brainstorming the story first. Here are a few techniques.

Write a Story Synopsis. On no more than two pages, summarize your story. This is nothing more than a description of the main characters and action, similar to the text you read on the back cover of flyleaf of a book. By paring down the story to a synopsis, you can identify problems with the plot – or you can fall in love with your idea once again.

Build an Outline. This step provides the benefit of structure before writing, as well as a good start on the chapter summary that an editor is going to require for a novel. An outline is especially helpful for giving you a roadmap for each of your chapters, so you can see how your characters are going to get from point A to point Z. Remember, though, that this is your outline. Don’t stress if you have an item #1 but no item #2, the way we were all taught in language arts classes. Write down what’s essential and don’t make something up if it’s not necessary.

Dump Your Brain. This method is helpful when you’re fresh out of ideas or are struggling to make a relationship between different elements or events. There are several ways to wake up the genius lurking inside you. You can free-associate and write down ideas on sticky notes, then group the notes together in related strings that are structurally related.

In another method, you write down an idea, concept, or event (such as “Dominic strips onstage”) and circle it. Then write down something that is related to it, such as the following string of events or consequences (“The band gets notoriety”, “Sheila dumps Dominic”, etc.), circling each one and connecting it to the main idea with a line. Continue adding events or ideas and relating them with lines to other ideas, until the structure is complete or the ideas start popping.

A satisfactory, workable story structure is like MapQuest for your story: it tells you how to get where you’re going and what your destination is going to look like. Depending on your needs, you can outline turn-by-turn directions, or just a general map. Whichever you choose for your story can eliminate writer anxiety and get your characters where you want them to be.

Plot Your Story

2009-02-11T14:49:00.000-06:00

While I'm away at the AWP Conference, here's an old post to encourage other writers.

One of the most essential – and difficult – elements of your story is a good plot. Even books for the youngest children must have a plot that children can grasp.A plot must have a minimum of three stages: the introduction (of characters, scene, problems, etc.), the climax, and the resolution.

In order for a story to have a workable plot, there must be some sort of problem or conflict for the characters to deal with, and the main character must be changed in some way (good or bad) by the end of the story. I used to tell my writers’ group that our job was to make the hero’s life miserable. By the end of the story, the characters will either overcome the problems or be overcome by them. Without problems, there is no story.

Some literature professors will tell you that there are no new plots – that all stories derive from a handful of distinct plots, such as:

• Individual versus individual (The assistant vs. the editor in The Devil Wears Prada; Henry Higgins vs. Eliza Dolittle in My Fair Lady)
• Individual versus God (Orual vs. the Wind God in Till We Have Faces, Satan vs. God in Paradise Lost)
• Individual versus nature (Captain Ahab vs. the whale in Moby Dick, the fisherman vs. the ocean in The Old Man and the Sea)
• Individual versus society (Father vs. the white townspeople in To Kill a Mockingbird, Romeo and Juliet vs. their families).

Obviously, there is overlap between plots, since a story about a struggle between two people can be a microcosm of a struggle in society. The genre that you choose will also have an effect on your plot. For example, a young children’s story is likely to have a simple, non-threatening problem, while a thriller or crime novel is likely to have many twists and turns.

Examine gripping, interesting plots and identify what you have enjoyed about them. Figure out how the author has caused the main character to change and how the denouement was accomplished. Determine what your hero wants and what you are willing to make him or her do to get it. Plan out what nature, society, or another individual is likely to do to thwart your hero’s desires, and you are on your way to planning out a fascinating story.

The AWP Conference - Chicago

2009-02-10T14:43:00.003-06:00

This week I'll be attending the conference of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs, in downtown Chicago. I haven't attended before, so I'm a little nervous and a lot intrigued about what I'll experience. Next week, I'll write some of my experiences for future attendees.

So far, I'd have to say that while the organization is devoted to writers and writing programs, I've been a little disappointed with the lead-up to this conference. Though the registration process is simple, you receive no information beforehand and there is no "newbie" track or even a discussion in their forum for people attending the first time. The only advice I have received is to pick up my badge and materials the day before the conference begins.

Still, if it fulfills my agenda of meeting writers and editors, it should be a worthwhile weekend.

Rejection: is it you or the agent?

2009-02-05T18:46:00.003-06:00

If you're not having luck in finding an editor for your masterpiece, does it mean you're a poor writer, or maybe that your agent isn't doing his/her job? Ask Allison has some excellent insights in her Feb. 5 blog post, "Who's the Culprit?"

Managing Your Time as a Freelancer

2009-01-31T14:56:00.000-06:00

One of the questions I'm asked most often is how to manage time when you're not working on a timeclock or a schedule. Working from home certainly has challenges. Here is my response, from a previous post.

When you work for another employer, your time is not your own – you must keep the hours they set and work when you are told. When you work for yourself, setting your hours and planning your work schedule can be troublesome. Some people find that the freedom to work from home and choose their work hours can be a temptation to do other things and become distracted; others find that they end up working too many hours and sacrificing family and leisure time. Each temptation requires self-discipline to make the home office work. There is always something that can distract you from your business when you work for yourself. On a particularly nice day, you may rather plant flowers in your garden or go for a long walk. Your children may run in and out of the office with papers for you to look at, friends to meet, or arguments to overrule. Stay-at-home friends can drop by or call for a lunch date. You have a dozen errands to do and there’s a sale at the department store.

Each of these distractions of daily life can de-rail your business. Careful planning must be employed to handle these problems. Some people even use daily calendars to block off work time, family time, and self time. Different colored pens can let people know, at a glance, which activity is your priority at that moment.

When I started my business, I realized that one of the major reasons to leave a corporate job and work for myself was the ability to blend my work and home life. I wanted to be available for my children when they stepped off the school bus. I wanted to cultivate my friendships and take advantage of those beautiful spring days. That meant that I had to set boundaries on when I could be disturbed during work hours. I told my family and friends when I was available for phone calls and shut the office door when I could not be disturbed. I even shifted my hours to take advantage of school schedules and night-time hours when my husband was able to take care of the kids. And I developed the mindset that if I was disciplined and worked hard during hours I set for myself, I would be able to take advantage of my flexible schedule and take an afternoon off once in a while.

Even though you are working from home, it’s important to set regular hours for your work. Otherwise it can be all too easy to become distracted by throwing a load of laundry into the washer or fixing that wobbly ceiling fan. Remember, when you worked for someone else, you weren’t able to run off and take care of a few things at home very easily. And once others know you’re home, you might have to field calls from the school asking you to help the teachers each morning or run the food drive. Consider whether these activities will eat into your work time, and whether you are willing to sacrifice your business for these activities. If you aren’t, just say no – no matter how much you want to help.

Dedicate yourself only to work during your work hours, and when your work day is finished, mentally (and physically) close your file drawers and office door and be present for the other parts of your life. Don’t take paperwork out to work on while watching TV or handle phone calls during family time. It’s important to your health and your family’s well-being to be present and focused, without living, breathing, and sleeping your new business.

Handle Paper Only Once

2009-01-03T13:03:00.000-06:00

It's easy to get caught up in administrative tasks - reading email, handling paper mail, filing information, managing accounts - that pull you away from writing and making money. One principle to help reduce administrative tasks is to handle each correspondence and piece of paper as few times as possible. How do you do that?

Sort your snail mail right over the shredder or recycle bin. Throw away junk mail or any unneeded enclosures or envelopes at that time.
Limit yourself to checking email only six times a day. Then respond to emails as you read them.
When you read an an email or letter, be prepared to file it in the appropriate place as soon as you have finished reading it.
Designate a particular time and place for handling receipts, mileage logs, invoices, and bills. Allow the supporting documentation to accumulate at that place until the time you have designated to work on it for that week.

Work smarter, not harder.

Top Ten Ways To Market Your Web Site: Get The Traffic You Need

2008-09-15T16:39:00.002-05:00

Millions of people are online, and all those people mean you’ve got hundreds of thousands of potential customers who are looking for your products and services. Your site should get around 500 visitors a day without spending a cent on advertising. However, the number one question I get from Web site owners is: how do I get more traffic?

Here are the top ten ways to market your Web site. I guarantee you, if you use all these tactics you’ll get at least 500 visitors a day within a couple of weeks. From there, if you keep implementing the tactics, your traffic will grow into a flood, and you’ll have more business than you can handle.

=> 1. Send out press releases
Word for word, press releases give unbelievable value — more value than any other tactic you could use to promote your business. And yet, many business owners don’t use press releases. One owner told me: “It makes me look as if I’m begging for attention…”
I’ve been a tech journalist for years, and as a journalist, I scan news releases eagerly. I want a story! I need news, and I need it every day. If you send me a news release, I’m grateful. I might not use your story, but the next time I hear your business’s name, I’ll remember it. If you keep sending me story ideas, sooner or later I will get in touch, either to interview you for a story I’m writing, or to do a story on your business.

Sites like PRWeb will publish your news release free. Use this incredible publicity resource.

=> 2. Write articles
Articles are content, and the Web thrives on content. If you write an article a week, and publish it on several of the many article directories online, you’ll drive traffic to your business.

=> 3. Network — use your friends, family and colleagues and THEIR friends etc
Got friends? Of course you have. You’ve got friends, acquaintances, and colleagues. Use your address book. Send out a message which says: “Hey — have you seen my new site? I’m trying to get the news out about it, and would appreciate it if you’d visit, and would let your friends know about the site too. Thanks.”
See? Easy.

=> 4. Classified ads in newspapers
Take out a weekly classified ad in your local newspaper with your site’s name and URL, and a one-sentence description of the site.

=> 5. Get more content onto your site: blog
The search engines are indexing software. They need words to index. Google especially loves blogs. So start a blog on your site, and blog several times a week. Think of your blog as a “News” page for your site.

=> 6. Run a contest
Everyone loves contests. Run a contest on your site, with an Apple iPod as the prize, and you’ll get lots of traffic.

=> 7. Use the social networking sites
There are dozens of social networking sites online. The best known is MySpace, but there are many others, like Gather and Ryze. Join one of these sites. Network.

=> 8. Word Of Mouth (WOM)
There’s a saying that you can’t buy WOM. Well, guess what? You can. Develop a process in which you reward WOM. You could offer ten per cent off your services to anyone who introduces three friends. Or ten per cent off a product, if the buyer buys a gift token too. There are many ways you can encourage people to spread the word about your site.

=> 9. Join barter networks
Barter networks are deservedly popular. Join a business barter network, and barter products and services for what you need. You’re doing it not as much for the benefits of saving money, you’re doing it to spread the word about your business and Web site.

=> 10. Barter advertising
There are many business networks which barter advertising through the network. You can run banner advertising on others’ sites, and run banners for them on your own.
“Banner exchanges” were all the rage five years ago, and people went mad with them. This led to banners becoming ineffective. Don’t join a large network. Join a small network, or start a small network yourself. Don’t run more than one banner on any page.

There you have it. Ten ways to get traffic to your site. These methods work. Please try them, and become a business owner who has no trouble generating traffic.

Angela Booth is a veteran copywriter and marketing expert. She writes Web site copy and content, and develops marketing plans for Web sites. Visit her creative copywriting site at http://angelabooth.com/ and her Creativity Factory marketing copywriting blog at http://www.angelabooth.com/wp/

Find Your Best Credit Card - Today!

2008-09-07T17:27:00.005-05:00

Have you seen how much interest the credit card companies are charging these days? I had a business credit card that was a good deal three years ago, but I've been looking for something a little more competitive. Today I ran across the site http://www.ezpreapproval.com/, a credit card search and application tool that does all the research for me.

This site provides all the information I need to find the best card for my situation. The card offers are sorted by different categories, such as by limit, rewards, specific banks, and offer details. Actual card users place a vote to determine the best overall card, best card by fees, etc. There's even a side-by-side comparison tool. Once I use the search tools to find my perfect card, I can simply click a link to an online application at that financial institution - and an approval process begins instantly!

EZ Pre-Approval offers more than just tools to find credit card offers, though. There's a section providing credit news, and articles with solid advice for users. For example, the site recommends not applying for cards you may not get, as that will damage your credit rating. Honest advice like that, along with easy-access tools and a pleasant design, gets my vote.

What we can learn from successful leaders

2008-07-31T11:19:00.000-05:00

Many organizations have studied the traits of exceptional leaders. These studies have shown that leaders generally possess the same types of traits, whether these were innate behavioral traits, or characteristics learned in the course of their careers. Whether we lead many other people, or just act as leaders of our own businesses, we can learn from these leaders by studying their characteristics and adopting them ourselves.

In surveys of many successful leaders, researchers noted that all leaders were efficient, aggressive, persistent, and proactive. They also possessed “soft” skills such as being flexible, a good listener, open to criticism, and a team player. And many of the leaders had traits that not only helped them be successful but also helped them adapt in high-pressure situations, such as being persuasive, organized, analytical, and calm. Interestingly, these characteristics were not related to either age or gender.

The most successful leaders possess exceptional leadership traits, and they can communicate these traits to others through mentorship. However, the right environment is the other key predictor in whether a leader will achieve great success. When both of these factors come together in one company, the result is success for the business as well as the leader.

Help for Hearing Damage

2008-06-26T10:03:00.004-05:00

The first and last time I took my daughter to a rock concert, we both came out complaining of ear pain and ringing in our ears. When I was a teen myself, the creed was, "If it's too loud, you're too old!" But now that I'm a mother, and a professional who needs her hearing, I began wondering who is liable for the damage that live bands do to our ears. After a little bit of internet searching, I found a hearing loss lawyer, Evan Aidman, that actually represents people who have suffered hearing loss.

I recognize that we choose to attend live music concerts, but isn't it reasonable to expect that our bodies don't incur permanent damage as a result? Now, I can't say that I'd personally go up against the lawyers for Green Day or Justin Timberlake if my hearing was damaged; I'd guess my chances of collecting damages would be pretty small. But this hearing loss attorney works on contingency - you don't have to pay anything until he wins a settlement.

Also, I would never sue my uncle for the probable hearing loss that resulted from him ineptly shooting off illegal Kentucky fireworks too close to my right ear during one of his visits to our farm. But I might file a hearing loss claim if the traffic and incredibly loud jackhammer outside my office window causes me any permanent damage. I need my hearing, folks.

Now that I think about it, I'm starting to wonder if I might incur eye damage by sitting at this computer staring at the screen everyday. My eye doctor asks me about my computer habits at every visit - couldn't this be harmful? If research someday points to computer radiation as an eye health hazard, I'll know who to sic on Compaq - Evan Aidman specializes in eye damage, also.

Photo courtesy of twenty_questions.

An unfortunate written experience

2008-06-04T17:15:00.005-05:00

While reading apartment reviews with my daughter, I was shocked by the level of writing incompetence I saw people displaying on the web. In fact, I saw a level of basic inability to write that I don't think I've seen in any of the other basic skills that modern Americans are expected to master by adulthood. If these people behaved at work, operated motor vehicles, or performed normal hygiene routines with the same level of care and attention to detail as they use in writing, satellites would fall from the sky and the economy would crumble in upon itself. Hey, wait - that's already happening. I'm here not a moment too soon.

So to help our economy and keep satellites and other machinery of modern man functioning in our society, I've decided to be a part of the change I wish to see in the world by selecting bits of Internet and print writing, and assisting others in understanding what's wrong with this writing.

A few disclaimers:

I understand that people write in an informal manner on the web.
I have no complaint with the shortened words used on the web and in text messaging.
I understand that people usually write much more quickly on the web, resulting in a greater number of typos.
I KNOW that English grammar has a lot of confusing rules. I'm going to work on only the most grievous errors. I'll try to avoid discussing gerunds and split infinitives.

That said, here are tips to help all of us avoid looking like fools while sharing our pithiest comments, and prevent others from imagining us as slovenly low-class illiterates who don't bother to comb their hair, and who wear curlers, old polyester sweatsuits, and fuzzy slippers in public. You're welcome.

Original Text:

"Why are you faulting the management company for goose poop. It happens. You are all so stupid. What do you want them to do' Put diapers on all the geese. Idiots. The management staff is not there to make your life easy. They are there to provide housing, and they do a great job. Just all of you stop whining and get over yourself."

Let's break it down.

"Why are you faulting the management company for goose poop." When you ask someone a question in the English language, you MUST end the sentence with a question mark. Just one. A question is a question, and does not gain gravitational force from having additional question marks placed beyond the initial one.

"You are all so stupid." It's never a good idea to call anyone names when there is no true anonymity on the web; you may actually find yourself living next door to someone who feels insulted by your name-calling of three years ago on some website you don't even remember. In addition, if you begin telling people they are stupid, they will begin to question your own intelligence; if the rest of your writing is faulty, they will have endless entertainment at your expense.

"What do you want them to do' Put diapers on all the geese." The stray apostrophe in the place where a question mark is required (see sentence number one) might well be a typo, so I will extend benefit of the doubt. However, the following amusing idea is actually a suggestion based on the question, so the sentence should read: "What do you want them to do, put diapers on all the geese?"

"Idiots." See "stupid" above.

"The management staff is not there to make your life easy. They are there to provide housing, and they do a great job." While the author did an excellent job of following American standards in giving "staff" a singular verb ("is"), the author then stumbled when he/she got to "They" and "your life". The writer has already identified a singular group titled "staff", so should the least awkward next sentence should start with, "The staff is...". The person also addressed "you all", which is more than one person, so he/she should have said "The staff is not there to make your lives easy."

"Just all of you stop whining and get over yourself." Again, if our dear author is addressing all of us, he or she ought to also address all of ourselves, like this: "Just all of you stop whining and get over yourselves."

See how easy it is to attain basic competence in English? As long as there's sentences grating on my mind, I'll be here to show you how to improve them. Happy writing!

101 Best Websites for Writers

2008-05-20T16:49:00.003-05:00

There are literally millions of websites devoted to the craft of writing - and not enought time to sift through all of them! Never fear, Writer's Digest has just published its list of the 101 best sites for writers. You can review all of them here. I'm looking forward to checking out some agent's blogs. How do agents think, anyway?

Bi-Monthly? Twice a Month?

2008-05-16T14:42:00.003-05:00

Does a term like "bi-monthly" sometimes confuse you like it does the rest of the world? If not, beware - someone might be using "bi-monthly" to mean every two months, when you interpret it as twice a month. This makes a big difference when, say, you think you're going to be paid twice a week but the employer used bi-weekly to mean every other week.

Best practice? Don't use these terms if they are likely to cause confusion (which they will!). Write out the actual time period, and give the "bi"s a rest.

How to Choose a Print on Demand Publisher

2008-05-13T16:11:00.009-05:00

Print on demand (POD) publishing is an enormous field - I've heard of at least a hundred companies that provide self-publishing and marketing services for books. In traditional publishing, you found an agent willing to represent your book, worried and prayed while the agent shopped the book around to publishers, and then eagerly waited for the day the book was published (as much as a year later).

POD offers a quicker, more customized option - for a price. Most companies offer a package that allows you to upload your manuscript, choose formatting and layout options, and provide marketing services to promote your work. The books are usually printed as a customer orders them.

I've assessed five of the biggest and most popular POD companies on their services and costs. See my POD comparison file at Pearl Writing Services. Once you are familiar with the basic options and terms, however, there is still an analysis to be done. Each of the POD publishers I documented have benefits and disadvantages, but all are excellent resources. How do you choose the right POD for your project? Consider these questions:

Does your work have broad appeal or will it appeal to those in a specific niche? If your work is for a niche audience, and you have access to promote to that audience, you may not need some of the promotional services offered by some PODs.
How much self-promoting you want to do? Some POD companies offer standard packages that provide for promotional items such as bookmarks, posters, free websites, and business cards; other PODs offer these as extra selections. Don't pay for what you don't need!
Will you also try to sell your book through table sales at conferences, trade organizations, or book readings? If so, you might choose a publisher that offers a steep discount to the author, and then bring those books with you to the event.
How much hand-holding will you need through the process? Some services provide a representative to walk you through each stage of the process. If you are familiar with the publishing world, you may not need that level of service.
What distribution channels will the publisher use? Make sure that these are the channels that your readers will use to find and purchase your book!

Top 8 Free Online Tools for Freelance Writers

2008-05-11T16:29:00.002-05:00

Today's guest post is written by freelancer Heather Johnson.

Thanks to the Internet, managing a career as a freelance writer has never been easier. Whether you are looking for help with the actual writing and research or the business end of things, you can find countless resources on the Web. Even more exciting is the fact that many resources are completely free to the public. Below are the top eight free online tools for freelance writers.

1. Google Docs & Spreadsheets – Never worry about losing your written work again. With Google Docs & Spreadsheets, you can write from any location with an Internet connection. Securely save your work online and pick up where you left off from another location. Not only can you save your work online, you will never again have to pay for commercial word-processing software. Also, you can share any of your online docs and spreadsheets with others for collaboration.

2. Citing Sources – This handy online guide from Duke University will help you to cite any source using MLA, APA, Chicago or Turabian style. If you have any doubts about whether or not you are citing something correctly, it is better to double-check than to accidentally plagiarize another writer.

3. OneLook Dictionary – Why use one online dictionary when you can use a dictionary search engine that combines hundreds of reference texts? Not only can you find definitions on this site, you can also translate any word.

4. The Elements of Style – Every writer should have this bible nearby. If you don't have a copy handy, Bartleby actually hosts the book online for free. Never again will you have to second-guess your sentence structure.

5. PayPal – This is the easiest way to invoice a client and to collect money. PayPal is used by millions of people worldwide and is considered to be a very secure way to conduct online transactions. The free invoicing tool couldn't be easier.

6. Morguefile – Need a free stock image to go with your latest written masterpiece? Look no further than Morguefile, a free resource for public domain imagery.

7. U.S. Census Bureau – When you are in need of a reliable statistic to back up your writing, you can always depend on the U.S. Census Bureau. You can find many studies and survey results on this site and they are all categorized by subject for your convenience.

8. Writeboard – This online collaboration tool is free of charge and comes in very handy for freelance writers. With this tool, you can view and edit work with people from around the globe in real time. For telecommuters, nothing could make collaboration easier.

By-line:

Heather Johnson is an industry critic, as well as a regular contributor on the subject of business credit cards. She invites your questions, comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address: heatherjohnson2323@gmail.com.

Words you shouldn't end your sentence with.

2008-05-01T10:06:00.003-05:00

Does the title sound a little funny to you? It should. It ends with a preposition - a word that links nouns, pronouns and phrases to other words in a sentence, and tells the place of the noun, pronoun, or phrase in space or time.

Examples: in, behind, with, within, past, beneath, along, under.

In English the preposition usually comes before or very close to its object. And generally it's considered a no-no to end a sentence with a preposition.

However, that rule is not ironclad. If the sentence would be more awkward and confusing if you re-wrote it to put the preposition in its usual place. I would give you an example, but I haven't had enough coffee to think of an awkward sentence.

Keep this in mind when you're writing: in general, the more formal your writing, the more closely you will need to follow the rules of the English language. By contrast, when you are writing dialogue, you will be much more likely to murder the rules, since we relax the rules when speaking in real life.

For this rule, as well as all other parts of English, write in a manner that is appropriate to your subject, audience, and purpose.

Twelve Most Persuasive Words In The English Language

2008-04-28T14:55:00.002-05:00

According to a Yale University study, the twelve most persuasive words in the English language are:

You
Money
Save
New
Results
Easy
Health
Safety
Love
Discovery
Proven
Guarantee

Why should you care? Because whether you write query letters, articles, or ad copy, you need to include effective words that will motivate your reader to hire you, buy products and services, etc.

To that list, I'd also add the words "tips" and "secrets". Check any magazine - you'll often see those words used in the titles. What other effective words do you like to use in writing?

Editing in Color

2008-04-14T17:20:00.003-05:00

I've been working on an editing project, and came across an old memory from my former life in Corporate Hell.

My job title was "Project/Process Consultant" for payroll purposes and "Quality Management Consultant" to the rest of my industry. This meant I spent my life auditing IT professionals about their compliance to our ISO 9000 Quality System and writing reports about said compliance. If you're guessing I was about as popular as the tax man, you'd be exactly right. People shunned me in the hallways.

In one interview, I asked a guy to produce evidence that he was doing whatever he just said he did. He pulled up a blank document. When I mentioned that, in fact, that was a blank document, he said (with a straight face!) that it was actually a white document using white text.

I knew I had to get out of that job when I started imagining me leaping over a desk and stabbing someone with my ball-point pen.