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: Bright Ideas Blogzine Sept 2008
Sent Monday, September 8, 2008
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Bright Ideas Blogzine Issue #2 - September 2008 Publisher: http://heblogssheblogs.com/ ****************************************************************** IN THIS ISSUE ****************************************************************** 1. LANDING A LITERARY AGENT: DID JIM BLOW IT? In September of '06 Jim landed a literary agent for his novel, but upset another agent in the process. Get the full story and weigh in: Did Jim make the right choice? 2. THE MISSING LINK: CROSS-PROMOTION You want more hits on your blog, Web site, or article? And want to make it easier for them to read your "stuff?" Of course you do. Check out some fundamentals of linking. 3. GETTING YOUR BLOG POSTS READ: HOW TO INCREASE THE ODDS Jim confesses his life is crazy--just like yours--and explains the best way to get to him... which is also the best way to get to your readers. 4. ASK JIM & LAURA Is it better to title blog posts with catchy phrases that beg to be read or to use words that people will search for? 5. HOT POSTS ON HeBlogsSheBlogs.com 6. UPCOMING SPEAKING GIGS 7. FEATURED SERVICES 8. SHARE BRIGHT IDEAS 9. HELPFUL LINKS ****************************************************************** 1. LANDING A LITERARY AGENT: DID JIM BLOW IT? ****************************************************************** March '06 - I take my first venture into the novel writing world by going to a national conference. April/May '06 - Through some amazing people I meet at the conference, I get my novel in the hands of two agents. Both are interested in representing me. July '06 - Through a friend, I'm introduced to a third agent. Before we chat, I tell her I'm in discussions with two other agents and ask if it's okay that we're talking. She says, "No problem. Until you sign something you're getting free advice." September '06 - I sign with a fourth agent. October '06 - I get an e-mail from one of the April/May agents, reprimanding me for talking to more than one agent at a time. The agent tells me that agents put in a good deal of effort evaluating potential clients. Mind you, I respect this veteran agent's opinion. (Quick side note: This agent and I did talk through the situation. The agent was gracious and there are no ill feelings.) Whether you're shopping for an agent, shopping a book or article, or even, shopping for a job, this situation will probably come up for you, it if hasn't already. What's your vote? Did I do it wrong? Or is all fair in love, war, and agent seeking? Share your opinion at http://heblogssheblogs.com/contact/. We'll print responses in the next issue. ****************************************************************** 2. THE MISSING LINK: CROSS-PROMOTION ****************************************************************** You're skimming a blog, soaking in some entertainment or info. Suddenly you think, Hey, I wouldn't mind knowing more about underwater basket weaving and how they're trying to get the sport into the Olympics. But do you really want to take the time to copy/paste/search for greater depth on the subject? Or would you rather click on a link embedded in the article you're currently perusing? The easier you make it for people, the more they'll hang around you. (Check out our article on how to embed a link in a blog post: http://tinyurl.com/5gwunk) Hey! We just linked! If you have a newsletter, it should link to your blog. If you have a blog, it should link to your newsletter. When you send e-mails, your sig line should contain a link to your blog/Web site/ The Paper Mache Jewelry Foundation--whatever you want people to find easily. In the advertising world people use the phrase "Frequency Sells." It's true. People need to be exposed to a message/idea multiple times for them to act. The easier it is for them to "hear" the message, the more quickly it will work. Make sure your Internet communication has evolved. Give them the missing links. ****************************************************************** 3. GETTING YOUR BLOG POSTS READ: HOW TO INCREASE THE ODDS ****************************************************************** I (Jim) backpack, water-ski, play guitar with one son, play Halo with the other, do a bit of photography, practice sleight of hand, write novels, dirt bike with my kids, take long walks with my wife, let alone make $$$ to live... The point of this rant? I'm too swamped to work for my information. Unless it comes to me, I'll probably forget it's available. Specifically, I'm talking RSS subscriptions and e-mail subscriptions. If you have a blog, I strongly suggest you make it possible for people to get it via an RSS feed or directly through their e-mail. Yes, I know. The odds of them posting a comment on your blog goes down when it comes to their in-box or via their feed reader, but wouldn't you rather have them read your post in the first place? Give your readers several ways to find you, and they'll choose the one that works best for them. Where to put your subscription form: upper right corner. Don't make people hunt for it. Make it prominent and easy to find. After installing the subscription form, ask a few friends to visit your site and list the first three things they see. Keep tweaking till your RSS subscription box and/or e-mail subscription box is one of the three. People are busy; the fewer hoops they have to jump through, the greater the chance they'll stop and watch your circus. (No, I'm not sure that analogy worked.) Gotta go. Gotta get some sleep. ****************************************************************** 4. ASK JIM & LAURA ****************************************************************** Q: Is it better to title blog posts with catchy phrases that beg to be read or to use words that people will search for? A: Both! Over 80 percent of visitors will find your blog via a search, so incorporating key words/phrases is essential. Plus, key words help search engines index your site more accurately--and help your blog move up in the search engine rankings for those words/phrases. Our rule of thumb: When composing a title for your post, ask yourself: What words would I Google to find this article? In addition to being key word-rich, your titles must be catchy. Many blog readers subscribe to RSS feeds of their favorite blogs. When they check their feeds, they scan all the post titles and click the ones that interest them most. Tell 'em what they're gonna get: Communicate how your article will meet your reader's need. Instead of the obtuse, "Kitchen-ease," try: "10 Tips for Organizing Your Kitchen" "How to Clear Kitchen Clutter" (alliteration is always fun) When composing titles, avoid the 3 Cs: Cutsie, Clever, Cryptic ****************************************************************** 5. HOT POSTS ON HeBlogsSheBlogs.com ****************************************************************** MARKETING 7 Tips for Prepping for Radio & TV appearances http://tinyurl.com/5lfwm7 How to Write Entertaining Interview Questions http://tinyurl.com/62lw3e 4 Elements of a Superb Soundbite http://tinyurl.com/6p4n8k 23 Things You Need to Know About Marketing to Gen Y http://tinyurl.com/5hkybx BLOGGING How to compress URLs when linking http://tinyurl.com/64cavf Tighten Your Blog Writing: Dump 'Illegal' Words http://tinyurl.com/6zq4n5 To Twitter or to Blog? That is the Question http://tinyurl.com/5t3ww5 WRITING Putrid Prose - New weekly feature every Monday! http://tinyurl.com/5qbd3s Writing Well: Two Quick Tips http://tinyurl.com/55keqk Learn to Write Fiction Through Author Binging http://tinyurl.com/56cq9g ****************************************************************** 6. UPCOMING SPEAKING GIGS ****************************************************************** Northwest Christian Writers Association Jim & Laura to teach roundtables on marketing & blogging First Monday in October CRAVE Coffee Chat Laura will be leading an in depth discussion on business blogging October, Date/Time TBA Florida Christian Writers' Conference 2009 Jim & Laura will be teaching four workshops on marketing, blogging, and writing ****************************************************************** 7. FEATURED SERVICES ****************************************************************** BLOG TUNE-UP PACKAGES http://heblogssheblogs.com/resources/blogging/ Choose any 2 tune-up services - 15% off Choose any 3 tune-up services - 25% off Choose all 5 services - 35% off ****************************************************************** BUSINESS BLOG TRAINING Customized training for businesses--from executives to managers to staff. We train you/your staff how to set up your blog, write blog posts, and efficiently manage your content. Contact us for an estimate: info@HeBlogsSheBlogs.com ****************************************************************** 8. SHARE BRIGHT IDEAS ****************************************************************** Permission is granted to use any of the articles in Bright Ideas Blogzine in your own e-zine or web site, as long as you include the following blurb with it: Jim Rubart and Laura Christianson co-founded HeBlogsSheBlogs.com, a Seattle-based business that helps individuals and companies maximize their writing, marketing, and blogging skills. We encourage you to forward this e-zine to others who want to maximize their writing, marketing, and blogging skills. To start a new subscription, send a blank e-mail to HeBlogsSheBlogs@aWeber.com. We respect your privacy. We promise not to sell, rent, or distribute your contact information. ****************************************************************** 9. HELPFUL LINKS ****************************************************************** HeBlogsSheBlogs - http://heblogssheblogs.com Get e-mail updates to our blog: http://tinyurl.com/18r E-mail Us - info@HeBlogsSheBlogs.com Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/heblogssheblogs Friendfeed - All our feeds at one central location! http://friendfeed.com/heblogssheblogs Subscribe to Bright Ideas Blogzine - E-mail: HeBlogsSheBlogs@aweber.com Start your own newsletter with aWeber - http://tinyurl.com/6kb8n6