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Tag Archives: posts
The Perfect Blog Post-
Filed under Blog
What I look for in a blog
I’m a speed reader, so I can cover quite a bit of ground on my online travels through blogs in very little time. So when I happen upon a ‘good’ blog, I will book mark and visit later, while ‘bad’ blogs get forgotten quickly.
Here is what I look for in a blog-
- Posts of a reasonable length filled with good information. Don’t waste my time with lengthy posts of mundane stuff, impress me with your storytelling. I want to find information fast, or be entertained; preferably at the same time.
- Links so I can navigate the rest of your blog. I’m stunned when I visit a blog where I can’t find a way to explore other than sorting through post after post. Worse still when my only option is to sift through posts by date. Dates on another blog mean nothing to me- add links by topic or tags.
- I can leave a comment. I realize this may open your blog to the world of griefers and snerts (snot-nosed-egotistical-twits), but engaging your readers opens up opportunities for growth and sharing of knowledge, as well as the positive responses.
- I can learn more about you. I get curious about the author of the posts I read. Include a bio or ‘about me’ page to introduce yourself. I really love to find if you have other blogs or web sites I can explore.
- I can read samples of what you’ve written. If you’re a writer, for God’s sake, post your work where I can find them! Even if its fanfiction, a poem, or a sample chapter. Let me get a sample of your writing skills.
- I can read posts that include proper grammar and punctuation. Just because you write informal blog doesn’t mean you should get away with lazy writing. Your blog, as an author, will reflect your writing skills. I found some blogs where the writing was terrible enough to convince me to not read their published writing.
What do you look for in a blog? Post in comments or post a blog and add in a link in comments. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
Filed under Blog
Graphics for the blog posts
This post is more for bloggers, but for authors who blog, they might need to figure out ways to add photos and other graphic media to the blog to add character and color to their posts.
Make your own. Using your own images is best because you’ already have copyright, and can use such graphics as you see fit. I use my own photos from time to time, but also graphics I work in my Photoshop program.
Use Stock Photos. You can opt to buy stock photos through sites like Dreamtime.com, IStockphoto.com, or Fotolia.com which allow you to purchase graphics as needed often with a subscription based purchase. This can get a bit pricey.
Use screen grabbing or printscreen methods to make graphics. When I blog about another blog or web site, I use Pixlr Grabber extension for Google Chrome (or Firefox). This allows me to capture a part or the entire web site I want to walk about. I edit it for size and appearance, and insert into my posts. You can find other screen capture type extensions for your browser. You can also use the printscreen button on your keyboard to add to an editor of choice.
If I’ve forgotten any other methods, please post in comments below. These are just a few ways I use graphics in blogs I’ve found effective.
Technorati Tags: blogs,writer,authors,graphics,posts,blogging,printscreen,pixlr grabber,photoshop,stock photo
Filed under Blog, Friday Fun Tip
Blog Marketing Tip: Kindle Badges
If you’re a blogger, or better yet- a writer and a blogger- consider submitting your blog to Amazon Kindle Publishing for Blogs and adding a badge to your site.
Its easy with Newstex, which also offers a graphical button for Blogs on demand. Their Kindle badges are eye-catching, free, and I found pretty easy to add. Simply insert as HTML snippet or widget.
I’ve added this blog as well as three others, and make a little money without marketing much at all. More people subscribe through email or ‘follow’ me, but some people enjoy reading via their Ipad or Iphones.
My tips for writer/bloggers who want to publish their blogs;
- Be sure to have a blog schedule. The publishing process asks you how often you post to your blog. Its also good marketing advice to blog regularly for your readers, anyway.
- Post to the theme. This means if you’re writing about being a writer, don’t post about what you had for dinner last night or what you’re doing with the kids. Readers come to the site for a specific theme, and have expectations as such.
- Have an original theme. You’ll need a screenshot of your blog to post and advertise, and its far better to have a personalized blog theme than a template.
What do you think? Do you think you’ll publish your blog, or are you satisfied at your blog stands now? Post in comments.
Filed under Blog Mention, Friday Fun Tip, Handy Links and Resources, Links, Publishing, resources, Writer
The Author’s Blog
Writers may overlook the importance of having a blog, seeing regular posts as one more thing to take away from their ‘real writing’. Blogs, however, are essential to marketing in these modern times. They offer writers thousands if not millions of potential fans to discover your writing through a blog.
Some basics to a writer’s blog;
- Show off your writing. A writer should have links or even pages dedicated to their published writing so readers can find them easily and quickly. Show your best stuff, and be mindful that every post also shows off your skill.
- Allow comments. I pre-approve comments to keep the spam and useless comments to a minimum. Comments help in networking, provide valuable feedback on your writing as a blogger, and allows potential ‘fans’ to ask questions or tell you how they enjoy your work.
- Edit your blogs for length and style. After I write a blog post, I often go through, and nip and tuck where I can. Entire paragraphs often get deleted to keep the post short and concise.
- Check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Your words are your craft. If you want to be applauded as a writer, you best show you have skill in forming a sentence properly.
- Market your blog. Take the time to learn Internet Marketing. When and if you get published, you will find the Internet opens the entire world to share your work quickly and easily.
- Provide networking linking. This should include Facebook, Tumblr, StumbleUpon, and Digg (just to name a few). If people like your post, they will share it with their friends. Put buttons to make it easier for them.
- Add a subscribe button. Many blog services provide bloggers an easy-to-insert code to put the RSS feed button. This allows visitors to subscribe by email, web site, or newsfeed reader. If your account doesn’t have one, consider signing up with Feedburner which does most of the work for you. (they also offer the networking linking and its all free)
- Schedule your posts. You don’t have to add something every day. Once a week or even bi-monthly offers readers something to look forward to, providing you stick to the subject or theme you follow.
A blog offers a writer a valuable tool for networking and marketing their work via the Internet. You will find the blog will also evolve over time as you gain confidence and skill.
Worthy nuggets
Last night, a friend of mine happened upon the subject of blogging, where he admitted a concern that he didn’t have enough to share to post regularly on a blog. He added, he also couldn’t see writing every day a worthy nugget of information. He is so wrong. I told him so, because he often stays at my house for half the day talking over so many subjects. He’s entertaining and has a wealth of information he should share.
This inspired me to add what I’ve learned over the years of blogging…
Blogging facts: (or what I’ve learned about blogging)
Not all blog posts need to be nuggets of gold. They can be rants, reviews, tips, a shared link to a web site, a shared photo with comments, or just about anything that touches upon the main theme of your blog.
You don’t have to post every day. I find blogs that do post everyday a bit difficult to follow because of ‘too much info’. I prefer the bi-weekly or weekly post schedule. (Speaking as a reader)
Posts don’t have to be lengthy. Most people prefer the under 500 word mark, unless the subject offers compelling reading. Some posts can be as short as 200 words, providing its valuable information (or entertaining….or both).
You write towards a reader. Ask yourself who do you think reads your blog? My audience are writers of various genre and skill level, with the occasional interloper who happens upon a post that carries across many topics. All readers, of course, are welcome.
Blogs are wonderful marketing tools. Providing your posts are engaging (and I hope mine are) people will stay and look up your other posts, peruse your blog list, check your profile page, and with any luck, subscribe to the blog to get updates. You can occasionally engage the reader in what you’re currently writing about, if you’ve posted your writing someplace on the Web, or make announcements of joy or grumbles if you’ve accepted/rejected by a publishing company.
Write what you’d want to read. If you’re enthusiastic about writing, this reflects in the tone of your post, and beckons readers to read more. With any blog, or with any writing for that matter; SHARE YOUR ENTHUSIUM!
Blogging is about all about networking. If you find a blog you like, by all means POST A COMMENT SAYING SO. For blog writers, comments are nuggets of sweetness that keep us going. By posting, you also share links back to your blog/website. Add links to sites you like to a blog list to share with your readers.
Consider sharing the blog/link to sites such as StumbleUpon, Tumbler, Facebook, Twitter, and other networking sites. This also helps the blogger gain more readers and shows appreciation.
In conclusion, if you consider that ‘you have nothing to say’ or somehow your writing offers little to the Web community, I challenge you that you are wrong. Writers are interesting people with all the stories, opinions, and creativity they hold within them. A blog offers an outlet to hand out nuggets of information to share with the world.
