posted by W A Blog Tools on Sep 28

I entered the blogosphere fairly late in the game. More than three years after starting and managing several busy forums and web sites, I dabbled with blogging through regular entries to one of my aviation web sites. Within weeks I got tired of the discipline - not of writing - but of ftp’ing everything to the web. I gave up as I decided blogging wasn’t for me.

Fortunately, I didn’t stay away as I saw a challenge, and an opportunity, in front of me. Having blogged on other people’s sites, I felt that if I could blog there, I could blog anywhere, including on my own blogs. Taking a look at my options, I decided to download WordPress and I now run two blogs from two separate web sites.

I am thrilled with each blog’s success and have no plans of giving up on what I am doing. In fact, I am mulling over starting a couple of more blogs as I see the value of this type of medium online.

So, how are my site’s doing? Very well according to my sites’ statistics. No, there isn’t much activity as far as comments go, but my information is getting read and the blogs are bringing additional traffic to both sites. Let’s just say that the traffic increases alone have been enough to keep me going, but other factors weigh in including:

Blurbs - There are times when a full length article just doesn’t cut it, but a blurb [pithy paragraph] does. Blogs are great for showcasing tidbits of information and allowing bloggers to link to the full article if more information is desired.

Links - On my Jet Movements blog, I added over 200 aviation related links recently. Within days, traffic to my site increased and the first page rankings came back from Google. Less than six weeks after starting, the traffic to this particular blog has been great.

Showcase - My second blog, The Article Writer, has helped me communicate better to my customers. Now, my customers can read about my writing style, my comments on raising SEO, book reviews, and more. This blog has given a “human touch” to an otherwise good, but too-business-like web site.

Idea Farm - Some of my blogs have turned into articles as I have taken a short, concise work and expanded on what I wrote through an article. Saves me time, too, as all I have to do is add a couple of extra paragraphs and my article is usually done.

Yes, blogging is a great way to communicate for business folks as well as teens. Some have thought that blogging was a fad, but I must say that it isn’t and it is certainly here to stay. Have you started your blog yet?

About the Author

Copyright 2006 - For additional information regarding Matt Keegan, The Article Writer, please visit his blog for wit, quips, and freelance writing tips.

posted by W A Blog Tools on Sep 27

Any first time author who wants to get his novel published should ask John Grisham about the process. He endured a relatively modest 28 rejections before finding a publisher for his first novel, A Time to Kill. Twenty-Eight rejections may not seem like a lot but if you consider the time it takes to write a query, send a manuscript and await a response from the publisher or agent you can easily come to the conclusion that it is a process that takes anywhere from one to six months in most cases - for one rejection. If you multiply that by the number of rejections the average first time writer must endure for his first time novel then you will easily see why alternative sources of publishing are always attractive. The most recent alternative source of publishing is the blognovel.

The word “blognovel” is still relatively unknown to most people. Though blog is a word that most everyone has heard at one point or another “blognovel” is for the most part under the radar. It is hard to say who it was that first coined the phrase but for certain it was the Salon blognovel “Plan B <http://blogs.salon.com/0001172/>” by Diego Doval that gained the most attention. It was shortly thereafter that a fair number of blognovels started popping up. Ever since that time the idea of the blog as a logical media for artistic expression has gained momentum. The site Slashdot.org has archived some particularly interesting debates <http://slashdot.org/articles/02/07/31/1919240.shtml?tid=149> concerning this subject. Other interesting articles <http://www.netlexfrance.com/weblogs/?p=357> on the emerging form have occurred in many places as the form begins to be embraced by a larger population of the artist community.

One other event that seemed to cement the concept of writing novels in the form of a blog was the fact that the National Novel Writing Month <http://www.nanowrimo.org/> participants chose the blog as their media of choice for the 50,000 word novellas. You can see a list of the 2004 contest at the organizations official blog <http://nanoblogmo.blogspot.com/>. The contest will be running again starting this November so the posting of a whole new wave of blognovels is sure to hit the internet community regardless of whether they read them or not.

For some fairly professional examples of what can be accomplished with a blognovel see the following:

Simon of Space <http://simonofspace.blogspot.com/> (Which was recently picked for print by publisher Ephemera Bound.)

The Fifth Tomorrow <http://fifthtomorrow.cfyork.net/> (Nice format though there are only 4 chapters posted of this effort by first time author C.F. York <http://www.cfyork.net/>.)

Le Spirale Fantastique <http://lespirale.blogspot.com/> (Very professional effort by an author previously published in print)

Irrational Histories <http://irrationalhistories.blogspot.com/> (A somewhat regular serial style novel by up and coming author David Moles <http://www.chrononaut.org/~dm/>)

American Invisible <http://americaninvisible.blogspot.com/> (Fine effort by writer Hugh Madison.)

As you can see there are a wide variety of styles and genres, which can be found in blognovel form. If you would like to explore more existing works before trying your own you can find a nice catalog of online fiction along with synopsis at Interactivia.org <http://www.interactiva.org/Di/English/Online_Reading/Arts/Literature/>.

So what are the possibilities for this new media? Or more importantly, can you get paid? YES. Blogger.com, which seems to be the forum of choice for most blognovels posted a concise and informative article <http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=674> on what it takes to go from cyberia to print along with a few success stories.

If you have decided that the blognovel is for you, there are detailed instructions <http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=1006> at blogger.com on how to format and post a novel to a traditional blog.

About the Author

Matt Bacak became “#1 Best Selling Author” in just a few short hours. Recent Entrepreneur Magazine’s e-Biz radio show host is turning Authors, Speakers, and Experts into Overnight Success Stories. Discover The Secrets To Unleash The Powerful Promoter In You! Sign up for Matt Bacak’s Promoting Tips Ezine ($100 value) just visit his website at http://www.powerfulpromoter.com or http://promotingtips.com

posted by W A Blog Tools on Sep 25

Today’s software makes it so easy to set up a blog that it seems like everybody and their neighbor has a blog. Yes, they are a fad right now. And yes, they are a great business tool for any business, large or small - and they’re here to stay.

Especially for the independent professional, a blog is an easy communication tool to build credibility and trust. Most importantly, blogs make it easy for people to find you on the Web.

But 9 out of 10 blogs created will be abandoned because they can take up a lot of time in a busy professional’s life, and results may not be evident right away.

There are several keys to making your blog work for you, instead of the other way around. Once you learn and integrate these steps, it should take you only 10-20 minutes per post. It’s recommended that an additional 20 minutes a couple of times per week should be spent reading and commenting on other blogs and sites on the Web so you can bring valuable information to your readers.

7 Secrets to a Successful Business Blog

1. Write valuable content and share stories to showcase your knowledge and expertise. Don’t forget to explain how you work with clients and let readers know how to contact you, hire you, buy a product or register for your services.

2. Write 2-3 times a week, short articles of 250-350 words each time. Occasionally, a longer article can be shared, using the extended post feature.

3. Link profusely to other resources on the web. This is essential for building traffic and enlarging your reading audience. Spend some time, 2-3 times a week researching your area of expertise on the Web. Leave comments on other blogs.

4. Submit to blog directories and ping each time you post. If you don’t know how to do this, get a blog coach or buy and read an instructional manual, such as the ebook at www.BuildaBetterBlogSystem.com.

5. Track and monitor your visitor stats. Install a counter on your blog so you know what’s happening. For example, a free counter can be found at www.SiteMeter.com.

6. List all your products and affiliate products and make sure you have the landing pages properly linked. Use your affiliate links and ad-tracking features if you have a shopping cart.

7. Don’t forget to link to your own website and vice versa! This is one reason we prefer to have the blog separate from your website, rather than installing blog software incorporated into your website. It’s like having two fishing poles in the pond.

Like any marketing effort, persistence pays off. In six months of regular blogging, assuming you are providing valuable content, you should see a significant increase in your web site traffic, the client leads, and overall total revenue for your business.

If not, you’re not blogging smart!

About the Author

Patsi Krakoff and Denise Wakeman work with professionals to maximize their marketing strategies by implementing blogs, ezines and ecommerce tactics. They have co-authored “Build a Better Blog”, “Confessions of a Reluctant Blogger” and “Secrets of Successful Ezines” Get The Blog Squad’s free report on the “Top 10 Reasons to do an Ezine and A Blog” Snipurl.com