Successful Blog

Should You Dish What You Take?

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By Terez Howard

One of the editors that I write for usually doesn’t get back with me about my articles until right before publication. That means that I have to scramble to make any changes. She hardly ever responds to my first e-mail, and oftentimes doesn’t “get” the e-mails I send. I’ve had so many issues with this woman, from getting no check at all to getting double on my check, that I’ve contemplated ceasing my business relationship with her.

I love to write. But when I have to deal with someone that doesn’t seem the least bit organized, I don’t want to deal with them. I feel like not responding to her e-mails or only doing half the work I’m asked to do. I know that’s a horrible attitude that will make her feel that I am unworthy of writing for that publication.  That attitude would get me bad reviews from a higher up.

No matter how angry and wronged I feel, I tell myself that I have to maintain a professional demeanor.

When you’re wronged

Do you pay in kind? Or, do you turn the other cheek?

In the blogging business world, you might feel that paying in kind is a necessity. With your blog, you have a means to communicate your unbridled ideas and opinions with the world. You might feel that it’s your duty to be brutally honest.

Personally, I agree that a blog should keep it real.

On the other hand, perhaps you are more of a turn the other cheek person. It’s not that you aren’t being true to yourself. Being yourself just means avoiding confrontation. You actually just might not care about an issue one way or the other. You might prefer to ban ranting from your blog.

That’s OK, too. Once again, be real.

What about a personal level?

With a blog, you don’t usually get more personal than comments and e-mails. What are people saying about what you write? What are people saying about you?

You can choose to take offense on a personal attack and dish what they serve, or you can choose ignore ignorance, or do something in between.

The in between approach is best. When you deal with a confrontational reader, you have to always be tactful. Just because a person is rude to you, does not mean that you have to be the exact same way. Say how you feel as professionally as possible.

Be careful when you choose to ignore a person. That individual, while agitated, might be expecting a response from you. If that is the case, do so in the same tactful spirit I mentioned before. If you still just don’t want to deal with it, you can still let a person know that you are not going to respond to that type of negativity and leave it at that.

What will I do?

I’m still not sure what to do about writing for this editor. I try to be a very organized woman, and when that organization is dramatically disrupted time and time again, I have a difficult time rolling with the punches. I probably will not dish what she serves. I probably will not try to approach her again about these issues. (Yes, I’ve already made some attempts to smooth things out).

What would you do? Do you dish what people serve?

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Terez Howard operates TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility. She has written informative pieces for newspapers, online magazines and blogs, both big and small. She regularly blogs at Freelance Writing Mamas. You’ll find her on Twitter @thewriteblogger.

Thanks, Terez!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

You Want Me To Write About What?!

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 By Jael Strong

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With today’s economy, it isn’t uncommon to hear people say, “I’ll take whatever job I can get!”  Let me say right from the start, that is not my attitude.  But still, the logic is sound.  We need money.  We provide a service.  We don’t have to like it, we just have to write about it.  In the end though, when you will write anything for a buck, it can start to feel a bit like literary prostitution.

There are many reasons why a person might not feel inclined to write about a certain topic.  A certain theme may clash with an individuals world view or moral code.  The topic may completely fall out of a writer’s realm of expertise.  Then there are those subjects that we find plain boring. 

If you are blogging strictly for yourself, even if money is an issue, the solution is simple:  Don’t write about anything that you do not feel inclined to write about.  If you are fairly good with public relations though you might get the drift that your readers want you to address a particular subject.  In that case you have a choice:  Please the readers or please yourself.  In the instance of blogging for an outside entity the choice is very similar, but there are the added strings of increased visibility and possible financial remuneration at stake.

So, how can you make a less than savory writing assignment more palatable?  If you feel less than qualified to write on a certain subject, but you don’t want to pass on a blogging opportunity, do some research.  Of course, most of us are not in the position to spend countless hours researching for a relatively small writing assignment. So, set the timer and do some digging for a set period of time.  In the end, you may discover that you know more than you did on the topic.  You may also discover that with a bit more effort, you could speak with a degree of authority on the topic.

This technique can also help you if you are simply not interested in the topic at issue.  It may be that you know just enough about the subject to hate it.  After a bit of research, you may actually find it intriguing.  

In the end, you may choose to pass on the assignment, but if your aching for visibility or  a little extra cash, don’t casually pass over potential.  If you love writing, you can put your added panache to any subject and make it come alive for yourself and for your readers.  

 
Jael Strong writes for TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility.  She has written both fiction and non-fiction pieces for print and online publications.  She regularly blogs at Freelance Writing Mamas .

Thanks, Jael

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

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Are You A Cookie Cutter Writer Or Something Else?

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By Terez Howard

I am a writer. If you stood over me while I type at my computer, you would wonder how anything discernible is going to come from what you see. I don’t normally write from sentence to sentence and then follow up by writing one paragraph after another in sequential order. My mind processes information in a somewhat scattered manner.

The mess going on in mind has to be sorted, processed and regurgitated in an intelligible way. That means, I think of a thought and type it. That sentence, paragraph or even single word might get moved all around my blog post before it finds a home.

I start a sentence, and sometimes I finish it. (This sentence happened to be the second sentence of this post, and I think it’s going to stay here now). I like to attribute this writing style to my journalism background. When you write for the newspaper on deadline and you’re sorting through notes and remembering key ideas in all sorts of orders, you realize that you better get what you know on paper fast. Organize later.

I’ve maintained that style when I blog.

Writing with a template

This was new to me. I recently purchased an e-book that actually was about building AdSense websites, and the author spoke about using a template to write articles. I appreciated these simple template ideas, like Q&As, Myths vs. Facts and 10 (or whatever number) Reasons For Something. I said to myself, I’m going to do this. It will make writing much easier.

About two or three articles into it, I totally forgot about the templates and went back to my old ways. I’m not cut out for templates. (Ha, pun).

For people who aren’t much for writing or who have a difficult time coming up with ideas, I find templates to be a fabulous spring board. You fill in the blanks and voila. You have a well-thought-out, organized, helpful blog post.

Some possible template ideas that I’ve noticed on other blogs using, besides the ones I listed above, are:

  • Tutorial. A step-by-step guide of what to do.
  • The interview. You ask questions, and someone important answers.
  • Pros and cons. You say what is good and what is bad about a certain issue. You take a side, or you don’t.
  • Review.You review a product, service or other website in your niche.You review your own blog.
  • A blend. Blend some of the template ideas I listed here. For instance, write a review based on a pros and cons list.

Still not for me

Writing against a template is not for me.I feel like my freedom of expression is inhibited in a cookie cutter post.I can definitely see how a template would be beneficial to people who do not like to write or struggle with what to write about.But for those of us that just want to get our thoughts on the page, we don’t do it.

I guess it’s more of a matter of order. I put writing first and organization second. A template writer puts organization first and writing second.

One is not better than the other. Templates are for some, and free writing is for others. Which do you prefer?

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Terez Howard operates TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility. She has written informative pieces for newspapers, online magazines and blogs, both big and small. She regularly blogs at Freelance Writing Mamas. You’ll find her on Twitter @thewriteblogger.

Thanks, Terez!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Powerful Blogging: Can Twitter and Email Replace Comments?

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A Tools Review by
David Berti

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Can You Sleek Down YOUR Life This way?

Whether you’re a blogger or an entrepreneur, you’re probably using the net to get in touch with lots of people out there. You also know what to do, how to do that. But you feel there is always something missing to get to that so called “next step” everyone of us is longing for.

As bloggers, we can absolutely tell that wonderful feeling… that feeling of having our digital life going great, that side of our digital existence handled for good; I will be serious about that. The best advice I have been able to find on the net goes like this:

“write the greatest, deepest content you can produce and let the machines do the rest, without worrying about visitors, comments and similar stuff”.

That is to say: all the effort you really have to make is about content. Creating, is the only thing we, as bloggers, editors and writers, are allowed to worry about.

What is not so clear for the vast majority of bloggers is that the interface between the user and the internet can become a great obstacle because of the vast choice of applications, addons, plugins and widgets that are available for us to use on our pages. These features are totally irrelevant on the quality of the material we can find on a blog page.

By simplifying the blog interface, I guess I have made one of the most important and wise decisions ever in my (digital) life. What did I do, exactly to simplify my blog interface?
1. I removed the comments section under every post
2. I removed plugins and reduced my blog interface to the essential

No need for comments and features that bloat my page. I need content that is valuable for what it is. Looks doesn’t really matter to me, and all I want to look at is the content I am interested in. That is why I also removed comments.

The Results:

I uniquely use 2 communication channels that are completely free: my email account and my Twitter. This way, I don’t create clutter in my life and all I do in the virtual world remains there.

Plus, my blog remains clean and usable; no visual clutter is present on my screen and whenever I feel like I can read what I write with no need to close and click ads, useless windows and pop-up stuff.

Moreover, in absence of plugins and different elements I can have a blog which is usable and viewable by almost every kind of device out there, and doesn’t make the user wait for the content to appear and load.

No time to waste, no clutter. Just you and the deep content you’re going to enrich your existence with.

What might you gain or lose by sleeing doen your down your (digital life) to these two communication channels?

David Berti is the creator of the Ubuntulook project. His webisite is(unbuntulook You’ll find him on twitter as @ubuntulook

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Thanks, David! Always love a distinctively new point of view!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

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You Don’t Have To Be The Stereotypical Blogger

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By Terez Howard

When I visited dictionary.com to see what it had to say about a stereotype, I read, “The cowboy and Indian are American stereotypes.” They are “a simplified and standardized conception or image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group.”

In classic Western shows, cowboys are white men. But cowboys were also of African American, Mexican and Native American decent. And we all know that the Indians that go with cowboys are not from India.

Why the stereotypes?

I don’t really know. I believe that someone or group of people somewhere decide that this is going to be the norm. Cowboys will be white, and Indians will be Native Americans. They will never get along, and it will be a fun game for kids to play. Then, that norm transforms into a stereotype. Before long, the actual truth of a matter is lost. A stereotype becomes truth.

This is why when most people speak of a stereotype, it engenders thoughts of something bad.

What is the stereotypical blogger?

I have been thinking about this for a while.I suppose the stereotypical blogger knows everything there is to know in her niche, at least everything thinks she does. She posts frequently, well, regularly.She is witty, conversational and informative, all wrapped up in a delicious but very real blog.Readers hang on her every word. She posts pictures and video, too, because she wants her blog to have it all.She knows everyone, and everyone knows her.

The stereotypical blogger doesn’t sound bad at all. In fact, it sounds like the type of person that every serious blogger wants to become. But, why? Because those characteristics equate success? Is it because that is what all of the top, authority bloggers are doing? Just because they’re doing it, you have to do it too. They’re successful, and there’s no other way for you to be a successful blogger. Is that so?

I’m not that kind of blogger

Yep. I’m not that kind of blogger. I’m not saying that I don’t want to be. I wish that I could post every single day and that I understood the ins and outs of html. I don’t, and I can’t. I am not ashamed.

I have made another observation about the stereotypical blogger. She has very limited time for the rest of her life. She’s always answering e-mails. She’s constantly tweeting her stuff and everyone else’s. She always seems to be on every blog related to her niche, commenting and guest blogging. She is everywhere, and everyone loves it.

If you’re not going to be the stereotypical blogger, then you know by now that you are letting some things go. Your blog might not have everything, every tool and form of media, right away. I believe that if you want to have a life outside of your blog and you’re patient, you can eventually have everything on your blog.

Also, your name will not get to be all over the Internet immediately when you aren’t the stereotypical blogger. You will not have the time. Slowly, you can make connections that will boost your image. You may never be No. 1 in your niche. Is that OK?

It’s OK with me. No. 1 has too much responsibility. I’m content doing what I can do, having fun writing, collecting my money and then having a life.

I’m not ashamed to say that I don’t have the time to be the stereotypical blogger. I will never be that girl. I do what I do. I enjoy what I do. And blogging is only a small part of “what I do.”

What do you think? Are you or do you want to be the stereotypical blogger?

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Terez Howard operates TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients authority status and net visibility.  She has written informative pieces for newspapers, online magazines and blogs, both big and small.  She regularly blogs at Freelance Writing Mamas. You’ll find her on Twitter @thewriteblogger.

Thanks, Terez!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

What Is Your Title, And Why Do I Care?

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By Terez Howard

I have a secret to share with you. After years of studying online writing, I decided to become a “professional blogger.” And you know what? I made that title up.

I was in an interview once, and I was asked what it took to be a professional blogger. I was thinking, I made that title up to tell people who I am without having to explain who I am. Now you want me to explain it?

The writer, the blogger, the candlestick maker

When you introduce yourself to someone, you say, “Hi. My name is (insert name).” The stranger always gets around to asking, “So, what do you do?” That’s your opportunity to give your title. If you’re like my husband, you say that you are a teacher and a professional violinist. If you’re my niece, you say that you are a dental hygienist. But, when you’re a freelancing jack-of-all-trades, what do you call yourself?

You have to give yourself some type of title. Please don’t call yourself a freelancing jack-of-all-trades. I will give you three reasons why you need a definite title:

  1. Your title is part of your brand. It automatically gives people a mental image of what you do. A blogger blogs, and a marketing specialist markets. It is a snapshot of your work.
  2. Your title can open doors. When you tell someone what you do, it can be an opportunity for a super short sales pitch. For instance, my husband and I took a visit to an insurance agent who asked me what I did. When I explained my work, he said that he wished he knew me a few months ago because he was looking for a writer. I am confident that he will remember me if he needs a writer in the future.
  3. Your title makes you feel like you have a real job. When you blog online, some tend to get the idea you are practicing some sort of hobby to pass time. They don’t realize you are building a business and get paid in dollars and cents. Some of my friends still seem to not understand that I actually work from home. I have a job, and here is my title. Even if they never get it, I can feel like I am a member of the workforce. It’s a boost.

Choosing your title

Yes. You get to choose what to be called if you work from home as a freelancer. It is an easy, simple way to build your brand. Pick the right title, the one that tells people exactly what you do.

Be as specific as possible. If you blog about travel, then call yourself a freelance travel blogger. If you write press releases, then you are a press release writer. If you want to blog about and review screenplays, call yourself a screenplay blogger. That’s right. Even if you don’t have all the references, testimonials and samples to prove it, choose the title that will best describe who you want to be.

If you need to make a change in the process, do so.If you see that your type of blogging is evolving and that you are beginning to become someone other than the person that your title embodies, gently transition to your new title.

If you just happen to do more than your title says, don’t stress over it. Yes, I call myself a professional blogger. But I also write for a magazine, edit, build websites and create online content. I still call myself a professional blogger. However, if I find that the scale tips more toward another niche, I’m not afraid to make a change.

In the end, you are who you say you are. By the way, who are you, and why should I care?

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Terez Howard operates TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility. She has written informative pieces for newspapers, online magazines and blogs, both big and small. She regularly blogs at Freelance Writing Mamas. You’ll find her on Twitter @thewriteblogger.

Thanks, Terez!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!