Successful Blog

Writers’ Resolutions for the New Year

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By Tiffany Matthews

One of the things that resonated with me as a writer during the new year is a wish that one of my favorite authors shared:

It’s a New Year and with it comes a fresh opportunity to shape our world.

So this is my wish, a wish for me as much as it is a wish for you: in the world to come, let us be brave – let us walk into the dark without fear, and step into the unknown with smiles on our faces, even if we’re faking them.

And whatever happens to us, whatever we make, whatever we learn, let us take joy in it. We can find joy in the world if it’s joy we’re looking for, we can take joy in the act of creation.

So that is my wish for you, and for me. Bravery and joy.

If you are familiar with this, then you know I’m talking about Neil Gaiman’s New Year’s wish. This is a wish that I feel resonates with every writer who is shaped by his or her experiences.

Bravery is a mantra that I think everyone should embrace this year, especially when we’ve been given a reprieve on doomsday last December. This is the year to make things happen and here are some resolutions that will help you achieve your writing goals.

Cruise, Drive, Fly

No matter how busy you are with writing, always set aside time for travel, to de-stress and unwind. Most writers, myself included, tend to be perfectionists and workaholics, which when combined can lead to being overworked and burned out. This is why taking a break every now and then is vital to keep your creative juices flowing.

Still not convinced? Perhaps this checklist can help shed light on why writers need to travel. Before you go on your adventure, keep in mind that travel is very unpredictable; therefore, it’s better to be prepared for the worst that could happen. Always take travel insurance with you as your backup plan.

Make a Booklist

You might wonder how a must-read list of books will help you achieve your writing goals. Author Stephen King in his book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, shares this valuable piece of advice to writers:

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”

The importance of reading is reiterated throughout his book, which is woven with his often humorous insights on writing as a craft. He further states, “Good description is a learned skill, one of the prime reasons why you cannot succeed unless you read a lot and write a lot.”

One Word at a Time

Getting published is one of writers’ dearest dreams, a dream that is riddled with hurdles like trying to survive daily life. Dreams don’t come true overnight and the reality is you have to work to survive. That doesn’t mean, however, that you can just abandon your dream of becoming an author. It can still happen, if you make it happen.

Set aside time to write for yourself and not just for work. You might feel overwhelmed at the sheer volume of words needed to create your book, but it’s never really about the words. It’s the story that you’re telling. Like what a friend of mine said when he paraphrased Lao Tzu’s famous quote, “The journey of a thousand words begins with one word.”

Swallow your fear and try to be brave as you take it one word at a time. Take comfort in what Stephen King said:

“The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better.”

Author’s Bio: Based in San Diego, California, Tiffany Matthews writes about travel, fashion and anything under the sun at wordbaristas.com. You can find her on Twitter as
@TiffyCat87.

Beginnings and Endings

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By James Ellis

There are really only two hard parts to writing effective marketing pieces. If you’re thinking about your email, web pages, or direct mailings, it doesn’t matter.

Sadly, these two things are the beginnings and endings. Do those properly, and you barely need a middle.

The job of the beginning is to get your target interested. The job of the ending is to tell the target what to do next. Yes, it really is that simple. If I was running your marketing department, i’d rather have killer beginnings and endings rather than all the great middle content you can stuff in a web page.

Yes, the beginnings and endings are just that important. Think about it. Once you’ve got someone interested, the only thing that can happen is that you can either close the deal and convert them, or you can say something stupid or unappealing and lose them. Why take that chance? Once you’ve got them interested, tell them what to do next. Don’t waste your target’s time (trust me, they will appreciate it) and get to the point.

Please note that I never said how long the beginnings or endings need to be. The perfect email isn’t necessarily just a subject line and a call to action link. But if you can get their attention in ten words, and the link is the offer, what else is there to talk about?

The beginning isn’t just the subject line and pre-header, but those are part of the beginning. The beginning isn’t limited to the structure of the medium (subject line in emails, headlines in web sites, etc), but whatever it takes to achieve the goal: gain interest.

The beginning of Moby Dick isn’t “Call me Ishmael.” It’s a hundred thousand words that explain the relationship between a man and a white whale, or really the nature of obsession. All those words are needed to get our attention because simply saying “An old sea captain lost a leg to a whale and wants revenge” is not attention-getting; it’s an idea in need of supporting detail.

On the other hand, what else do I need to know beyond “50% off all our most popular products” except what to do next?

It doesn’t matter if you use emotion, loss aversion, numbers, relationship reminders, or sensational quotes. Just be intentional about getting their attention.

So once you have their attention, you need to do something with it. Don’t tease, don’t dawdle, don’t wait. Get to the next step. Click the link, call for an appointment, sign up for a subscription, whatever it is, just get to the point.

It’s crucial that you make sure that the beginning aligns with the ending. If you get my interest by saying “Free beer and pizza” the ending can’t be “Sign up for a subscription” because I won’t understand why they go together. I’ll smell something fishy and bolt.

This is the basis of all good marketing. Making it more complicated than that just clouds the issue. Nail your beginning and ending. The rest takes care of itself.

Author’s Bio: James Ellis is a digital strategist, mad scientist, lover, fighter, drummer and blogger living in Chicago. You can reach out to him or just argue with his premise at saltlab.com.

How to Use a Google Docs Content Template

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By Andy Crestodina

Sorry, Word. We had a good run. Goodbye Word

We created hundreds of beautiful documents together over the years, but it’s time to move on. I’ve moved up, into the “cloud.” I’ve moved all of my content creation to Google Docs.

Why? There are some obvious reasons:

  • No crashes. No “Oops, forgot to save!” Google has never lost a single word I’ve typed.
  • No version control issues. Everything is easy to share. No more email attachments or wondering if I’m looking at the latest version.
  • Word was always high-maintenance. It’s kind of a resource hog and slowed down my computer. But Google Docs? I’ve got a browser open anyway. Why not use it?

So, let’s use Docs. Here’s how to use a Google Docs content marketing template:

1. Set it up with whatever content standards you set for your own writing.

Use the template to prompt yourself to use the formatting, length, tone, images, keywords, links, calls-to-action and author bios that you know work best for you.

If you don’t yet have a content template, here’s CMI’s own Template for Killer Website Content, which you can adapt from a PDF version into your own Google Doc. I’ve included a link to my own Google Doc content template at the end of this post.

2. Link from it to your favorite resources.

If you’re like me, you’re always referring to online tools while you write. I’m looking up keyphrases (Google Keyword Tool), finding possible experts to contribute or share with (FilterTweeps), or researching possible host blogs to pitch to (Open Site Explorer). It’s fast to get to these when you have links in the template.

3. Link to it from your other planning tools.

Since your draft articles are now online, you can link to them easily from your content calendar or other internal tools. Keep a Google Docs spreadsheet of all the articles you’re working on with links to each.

4. Collaborate with your editor, graphics person or other contributors.

Sharing a Google Doc is easy. No sending attachments. No wondering if you’re looking at the latest version.

Sharing Google Docs
Just click the blue “Share” button, decide if they can edit or just view, and Google will send them a link.

Put your own standards for length, tone and topics into the template, so when you share it with possible guest bloggers, they’ll see your guest blogger guidelines right there in the template.

5. Plan your promotion in advance.

It’s smart to think ahead about who you’ll share it with, how you’ll tweet it, what keyphrases you’ll target, and what the email subject line will be before you write something. When the template includes these aspects, it’s impossible to write without promotion in mind.

6. Access it quickly from anywhere. My template is called “Content Template – MASTER” and since I access it so often, I just need to start typing “œmaster” into my address bar and the doc shows up.

Google Docs Template
No need to wait for Word to open. It’s as easy as Evernote. But remember to make a copy of it before you start! Otherwise, you’ll overwrite your template.

Feel free to use the shared version of my own Google Doc content template. Just make a copy, and adapt it for your own content marketing. If you have questions about this template or Google Docs in general, let us know with a comment below!

Author’s Bio: Andy Crestodina is the Strategic Director of Orbit Media, a web design and ecommerce firm in Chicago, where writes about content marketing for the Orbit blog. You can find Andy on and Twitter.

Beat Writer’s Block with These Simple Tips!

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Tiffany Matthews

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Can’t Write? – Beat Writer’s Block with These Simple Tips!

You’ve just had a nice cup of coffee to start your day. Your fingers are poised on the keyboard, ready to type away most of the day as you churn out page after page of your manuscript or perhaps articles that you need to submit asap. Forty-five minutes later, you’re staring at the blinking cursor, the only sign of life on your still empty document.

Writer’s block is inevitable, especially for those who write nonstop 24/7. Sometimes, we need to step back from that piece of paper and pen or laptop, to allow ourselves to breathe and find new ammo to write. For those struggling with blank page syndrome, here are some tips on how you can try and beat writer’s block.

Take Long Walks

If you’ve been writing long enough, you know when your work is beginning to look like it belongs in the trash. Don’t force yourself to write. Get out of your chair and take a leisurely stroll outside. Enjoy the scenery and observe other people around you. If you live near a park, walk there and take time to stop and smell the roses, both literally and figuratively. Your walk will invigorate you, clear your mind and allow ideas to trickle in gradually.

Travel

Travel is one of the most foolproof ways of getting over writer’s block. All those exotic locations are sure to inspire you to write about your journey, the good, the bad and the ugly. Exploring new places will also allow you to learn about other cultures and their quirky differences. When you learn about another country and its people, you are broadening your horizon and expanding your understanding of the world.

Drive to the Beach

If you don’t have the funds to travel far, the next best thing you can do is to drive to the beach. The beach is a favorite thinking spot, and many writers have one way or another spent some of their soul searching on the sandy shores of the beach. Breathe in the salty air and let the wind whip your hair around your face. Let the cold water soothe your tired feet and if you decide to stay until dark, take your fill of the starry skies as you lie on the sand.

Do a Quick Exercise

It’s a little strange, but my former colleague swears by this. When she’s stuck in a creative rut, she does a couple of push-ups to get her blood rushing. Some of her best ideas came along after experiencing adrenaline rush. Push-ups are not a must. You can do other quick exercises like going down the stairs and going up again. Make sure you’re climb at least 4-5 flights of stairs so you can also work on improving your stamina.

Go on a Side Trip to Vegas

A trip to sin city, no matter how quick, is always entertaining. No two trips is ever the same. To spice up your little break, rent a limo with friends so you can explore Las Vegas in style. If you are traveling in a large group, rent a shuttle or van. Not in the mood for casinos? There are a lot of great restaurants to choose from or you can opt for dance clubs if you want to dance the night away.

Author’s Bio:
Based in San Diego, California, Tiffany Matthews writes about travel, fashion and anything under sun at wordbaristas.com. You can find her on Twitter as @TiffyCat87

Thank you, Tiffany! New experiences are a great way to move past writer’s block.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

16 Ways To Make Guest Blogging Easier For Yourself

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How to Blog

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Tapha Ngum

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When I first started guest posting, iI could barely crank out one post a week. Writing consistently, for me, was a struggle and I felt continuous discouragement – not just because I wasn’t putting out as much as I should have, but also because some of the stuff that I was putting out was not very good. I know this, because it was routinely rejected by some of the top blogs that I sent them out to.

Despite this, I continued to do the same things and plowed through with minimal success until I decided that I really had to sit down and analyze my approach. I came to the conclusion that I was really just making things harder for myself than I needed to. Largely because i was failing to implement positive habits into my routine that would assist me in my efforts.

After assessing my situation and implementing some of the better habits that I found to be helpful, as I learned more about writing – my results changed dramatically.

I now write at least 2 high quality posts a day and have not had a single one rejected since I started to really take the implementation of these positive habits seriously. My writing has been published on ProBlogger, SpeckyBoy and Onextrapixel, and many of the other larger blogs online that accept guest posts.

I believe that for those of you who are in the position that I was in a couple of months ago, the habits that I use to help me with my guest blogging now, could be very helpful.

Here are the 16 Ways To Make Guest Blogging Easier For Yourself

Below I have compiled a list of the most effective habits, for you to use. I hope that they help you improve your writing and consistency, the way they have helped me for mine.

  1. Set Clear Goals – When you are guest blogging without a goal in mind, or a purpose to which you are striving for, you make it that much more likely that you are going to quit. Set clear and concise goals and you are much more likely to stay on task.
  2. Rethink how you think about writing – Instead of thinking about the process of writing a guest post as one of agonizing drudgery, instead, think of it as a game. One where every word you write is another point on the tally. This is hard to do when you are not used to it, but once you do get the hang of it, it becomes very effective.
  3. Read affirmations – This is probably gonna have you rolling your eyes and thinking – don’t waste my time. But these really do work. When you consistently repeat something to yourself. Your mind comes to accept it. Try repeating things like – ‘I am a consistent guest poster’ or ‘my posts are always high quality’. It seems weird but trust me on this. It does the business.
  4. Read at least 3 guest posts a day – This will help you with your writing style and will also get your mind into producing the kind of writing that blog admins typically like to publish.
  5. Improve your typing speed – There are a lot of great typing games and apps that can dramatically help you to improve your writing ability. I have personally seen my post creation times decrease by upto 50% once I started to use these typing helpers.
  6. Pick a topic and write 10 posts ideas for it, per day – This will improve your ability to come up with post ideas. And if you do this in conjunction with submitting these ideas to blog owners and getting them accepted and critiqued, the quality of ideas that you produce will undoubtedly improve.
  7. Align your guest blogging efforts to a personal development goal – Even though I had started guest blogging intitially, to meet certain goals. When I first started, it was sometimes not as effective to motivate myself with these goals. Most likely because they were external. So what I did for the first month was align my guest posting efforts with improving my self discipline. The more I sat down and cranked out a guest post when I didn’t feel like doing it. The more my self discipline improved. And that helped me to be motivated to continue and improve.
  8. Rewrite popular guest posts that you like, verbatim – This puts you in the mind of the person who was creating the guest post. It helps you structure your thoughts and ideas in a way that is best for readers to digest. And overall it improves your writing ability and grammar. Because, after all, you are mimicking someone who is likely very good.
  9. Drink more water – This may seem like a strange one to talk about, but it’s definitely worth mentioning. I often would find myself so caught up with the post that I was writing that I would forget to drink. This definitely affected my ability to write well over time. You tend to make more errors and have to think a little bit longer when you are not fully hydrated, so try to remember to drink water regularly while writing. It’s very important.
  10. Stop being afraid of sounding stupid – One of the main reasons why people don’t guest blog or even write generally for that matter is, that they are afraid of seeming stupid. Or lacking knowledge in the area that they are discussing. They think that you have to be and ‘expert’ to write about something. And that, if you are not, you should not have an opinion. The beautiful thing about the blogging world is that being an ‘expert’ is not a pre-requisite. You don’t need to have years experience to talk about something. As long as you have ‘some’ experience and can share it in a coherent fashion. Your alternative perspective is likely to be just as valuable as that of an experts. That is the beauty of the internet. We can literally learn from anyone. So don’t be afraid, share your views and help others. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to participate just because you were scared that someone would call you an idiot.
  11. Read atleast 3 of the blogs previous posts before submitting a request – This will help you in two ways. One, it will give you a better idea of the post idea that you should be coming up with and two, it will also show you the preferred writing style of the blog.
  12. Be yourself – Even though some of the advice above recommends mimicking others writing to help you improve. When you write, don’t drown out your own voice. If you think that one way of saying something sounds better than another. Say it that way.
  13. Expose yourself to a lot of things in your space – Guest blogging and creativity in a general area is greatly helped by exposing yourself to a lot of things in it. Ideas are just connections after all. And the more connection points you have, the more connections you will inevitably be able to make. So read those articles and follow the relevant people on twitter for links. You will thank yourself for it later. (Just try not to overload yourself. Limit the total time spent reading and researching to a reasonable amount so you don’t get overwhelmed)
  14. Remind yourself constantly that 90% of the work is in the editing – You will not believe how much this reduces the pressure and resistance to starting. When you realize and understand that you will not likely make something extraordinary out the gate (and that nobody does), you will free yourself of a lot of the unneccessary anxiety that writing often brings with it. And you will produce more high quality work, to boot.
  15. Use the Pomodorro Technique – This is by far the best productivity technique I have ever used. What it does is segment your work into manageable chunks of time, usually 25 minutes. And then helps you to focus by making yourself eliminate any and all distractions during those chunks. This improves your work output and quality dramatically. I highly recommend it. The full ebook to help you get started can be found here, completely free.
  16. Read it out load – This is the best of all things that you can do to help you improve your writing instantly. Once you have written the post, or even as you are writing it. Read it out loud and see how it sounds. You will notice a lot if things and gradually you will make more and more intelligent edits, that will ultimately benefit the overall piece that you are writing. This is like the swiss army knife of writing. When you are one on one with your computer screen, trying to crank out a piece of work. This will save your butt.

Do you have any tactics that you use to help improve your guest blogging? Let me know in the comments!

Author’s Bio:
Tapha is an entrepreneur and the founder of MyAppTemplates.com, a site that provides customiPhone app design templates to people who cannot afford to spend $1,000s on their iPhone app design.

Thank you, Tapha! Great advice all!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

3 Ways to Recharge Your Business Creativity

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Stephen Key

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Why Letting Your Inner Child Out Can Benefit Your Business

How many times have you watched your son or daughter’s imagination shine as they play with their friends or by themselves? Children are incredible dreamers and creators who have no inhibitions about letting creativity dictate their actions. To me, entrepreneurship is synonymous with creativity. People often talk about business and art as if the two couldn’t be more separate, but both celebrate the value of looking at the world a little differently than everyone else. The best entrepreneurs see possibility and opportunity where others have failed to, because they’re able to spot unique and powerful ideas that will resonate with consumers. Developing and celebrating your creative energy can benefit your business in countless ways.

I’ve spent the past twenty years bringing my product ideas to life. Thinking creatively has helped me invent and innovate, but even more importantly, I’d argue, it has helped me problem solve. Business owners are constantly surprised by new and different conflicts to overcome. You’ll never be able to predict them all. The more comfortable you become with quickly brainstorming solutions, the better your business will be. There’s never just one answer. And that’s why being able to think outside the box when your business is faced with a seemingly impenetrable roadblock is important. Somewhere along the way most of lose the ability to dream and imagine as easily as we did as children; being able rekindle these skills will help your business.

3 Ways to Recharge Your Business Creativity

I don’t believe that certain individuals are inherently more creative than others. The belief that ‘you’re just not creative’ is an excuse. We’re all creative! As children, we’re all able to dream and imagine with abandon. But like any other skill, creativity requires practice, commitment, and inspiration. I’ve found that playing games helps recharge my creativity.

The first one is, ‘What If?’ When I try to imagine new product ideas or encounter a problem in my daily life, I allow myself to ask any question I want to. What if we lived in a world that __? What if I were able to __? There are no right or wrong questions (nor answers!). I remember my own three children asking me question after question when they were little. Questions lead to answers, answers lead to more questions, and creative juices flow during the process!

The second game I play I call, ‘Mix and Match’. I combine several ideas together, even if they don’t seem to make immediate sense. Someone really hit the nail on the head when they matched a camera and phone, after all…. Some of the best ideas actually combine existing concepts or products in interesting ways. Think about all the times you’ve watched your son or daughter play with their toys in unique ways. They are no strangers to mixing and matching to make things new and exciting.


The third creative game I use is called ‘Solve It’. What do you wish was made better? What would you do to change it? Some products and services have been around for so long, we no longer even think about what it would be like if they were different. Don’t take any assumptions for granted, and stop subconsciously assuming what is and isn’t possible.


And finally, don’t forget to get inspired. Seek out friends, family, and peers who, like loved and empowered children, believe that anything’s possible and embrace the alternative. Some people are more receptive to new ideas than others. At the least, find someone whose first word isn’t always ‘no’.

Break out of your normal mold and schedule. How can you imagine something different and unique if you always do and see the exact same things? Change your route to work. Try a new restaurant instead of your neighborhood favorite. I know your schedule is hectic, but make time to read a new book or magazine, or watch an interesting film. Exposing yourself to new ideas and ways of thinking will jumpstart your own creativity.

Above all, allow your creative inner child to emerge to help bring your business to new heights.

What do you do to inspire your creativity?

Author’s Bio:
Stephen Key writes about licensing and small business at www.inventornotes.com. He is also author of One Simple Idea and One Simple Idea for Startups and Entrepreneurs. You can find Stephen on Twitter as @inventright ()

Thank you, Steven. Love your thoughts on inspiring creativity!

–Me “Liz” Strauss