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Writer's Notes - By Jeanne Dininni

 
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Writer's Notes - September 2007


Sugar & Spice Anthology Needs More Conventional Online Poetry Written By Women

Gerald Bosacker of Bosacker Books, is putting together a poetry anthology, to be entitled Sugar & Spice. This compilation of the works of various female poets which have already appeared online in one internet venue or other will be comprised of conventional, mostly rhymed and metered poetry.

A number of my own poems will be included in the anthology, and I wanted to share this opportunity with my female readers who have written poetry of this type and had it published--or may yet have it published--online. Remuneration will likely be small; however, your inclusion in the anthology would give you one more--or perhaps your first?--published clip. And since it will be in a print publication, it will likely carry a bit more weight among future potential publishers than an online publishing credit, as it's generally so much easier to be published online.


The Opportunity, In Mr. Bosacker's Own Words

Here's what Mr. Bosacker had to say to me in an e-mail written in response to my submissions back in July:

If your intent is monetary compensation, refuse permission as the financial yield will not be great. I sell poetry, and receive but a small fee, even from large magazines. I do take pleasure in the paid recognition, no matter how small. SUGAR & SPICE does not auger huge sales, but all of the royalties will be divided amongst the authors, in proportion to their share of print. I will not contribute, nor share royalties. I have no idea how well the anthology will sell, but it is not a scam, nor profit making venture.

Let me know if you wish to be included...


Anthology Release Delayed Due to "Scarcity of Good, Conventional Poetry, Written By Women and Posted on the Internet"

Mr. Bosacker had hoped to release Sugar & Spice by October 1st, but has had trouble amassing enough good conventional poetry written by women which has been published on the internet. His latest correspondence of a few weeks ago informs me that, at this point, he only has about one-third of the poetry he needs to fill the 200-page book. At that rate, it could be a while before the book goes to print--unless the internet poetesses among us will begin submitting our best work ASAP.


Visit BosackerBooks.Com for Submission Information

Feel free to visit the Bosacker Books website for more information about the planned anthology and/or to find out how to submit your work. The book's cover may be viewed at the following link: Sugar & Spice Poetry Anthology.

While Sugar & Spice will likely not be a high-profit venture for those of us whose work is included, there is always the possibility that it will sell better than Mr. Bosacker expects. Whether or not it does will no doubt--in part, at least--be dependent upon how much buzz we ourselves are able to create for the book via our websites, blogs, word-of-mouth, and possibly even through asking our fellow writers and bloggers for their help in spreading the word.


Are You a Conventional Female Poet Who Has or Will Soon Put Your Work Online?

If you are a female poet and you have some well-crafted conventional poetry sitting in the bottom drawer of your desk, the back of your closet, or even the darkest corners of your garage or attic, you might just want to consider digging it out, reassessing its quality and appropriateness for this market, touching it up if needed, posting it on one of the online poetry websites* first, and then submitting it to Mr. Bosacker for the Sugar & Spice Poetry Anthology.

If your work is already posted online, so much the better! You will be able to submit it to the anthology with a minimum of hassle. So, scour the sites you've posted your work to, find your best poetic masterpieces, and consider submitting them if you'd like to be a part of this book project.

If you don't already have some conventional poetry hidden away somewhere--either online or off--but have the heart of a poet(ess), why not write a few poems, submit them to the poetry site(s), and then forward them to Mr. Bosacker. Send your best work, though, because Mr. B is looking for very well-executed conventional verse. Let's show him that good conventional poetry written by women and published on the internet isn't really as scarce as he thinks it is!

Best of luck to you!
Jeanne

*A few of the better websites that accept poetry are Creative-Poems.Com and MoonTownCafe.Com. To learn more about submitting your work to these sites, please see my earlier posts, Calling All Poets! More Info About Creative-Poems.Com and Calling All Poets 2: More Info About MoonTownCafe.Com. Other possible websites for posting your poetry--though they are not exclusively poetry sites--are Helium.Com and Associated Content.







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A Kaleidoscope of Intriguing Content

September 27th 2007 07:59

A Very Gracious Blogger Shares Some Link Love

Cindy, at Kaleidoscope, penned a very gracious post about my Alienation ABCs blog post, linking to both my blog and my alienation post; so I thought I'd return the favor and send a little link love her way, since her blog (appropriately) contains a fascinating kaleidoscope of content, which is sure to bring a smile to your face or make you think. Many thanks, Cindy, for spreading the word about my post! I truly do appreciate it!


A Kaleidoscope of Content

While not specifically related to writing, Cindy's blog provides a welcome break from routine writing tasks--a few entertaining moments of rest and relaxation amid the rigors of the writing life--helping to renew your inspiration and igniting that spark of imagination that can refresh your viewpoint for your next project.

One post that I found especially entertaining was "Dear Tech Support", a post which humorously equates wives with computer software. Check it out. Very imaginative!

Another funny, philosophical post is Dust If You Must.... If you hate housework as much as I do, you'll love this one! You'll truly appreciate the permission it grants you to do other, more important things instead!

The Sky Was on Fire contains two breathtaking sunset photos captured in Cindy's backyard, and for all you lovers of nature's beauty, is definitely worth the price of admission!

For the Christians among us, Cell Phone vs. Bible will definitely get us thinking about where our priorities lie!


A Little Bit of Everything

Cindy's blog has a little bit of everything: posts to make us laugh, posts to make us smile, posts to make us cheer, photos to make us ooh and aah--and much more. It's a safe place to kick back and relax at the end of a trying day--or even in the middle of one--and simply enjoy some entertaining, inspiring, or thought-provoking content.

Check out Kaleidoscope. It just might be the lift you need to get you through the day!

Enjoy!
Jeanne







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The Writer Within Seeks Submissions

September 26th 2007 08:36

The Writer Within Wants Your Articles on Writing

The Writer Within Newsletter publishes writing-related articles ranging in length from 400-700 words. Original and previously published pieces are acceptable. While this is a somewhat low-paying market, at $10 per article (paid on publication via PayPal), you're free to send along a bio, links, or promotional ads with your submission.


Don't Have an Article to Publish? Still Get Free Publicity!

You may also get free publicity, without submitting your work, by sending "a short brag or success story" to The Writer Within "Strut Your Stuff Section." Bios and links will be included here, as well. It's a good opportunity to let the cyber-world know about you and your accomplishments, your website, or your blog.


Further Information

For further information, follow this link to The Writer Within Submission Guidelines. Then start writing!

Till next time,
Jeanne







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Alienation ABCs

I've been tagged by Yvonne Russell, at Grow Your Writing Business, to write a post giving my tips for making other bloggers hate you and driving your readers crazy. Check out Yvonne's own list in her highly entertaining post on the subject, Tips to Make Other Bloggers Hate You - Comment Crazy. I think you'll not only mentally savor the delicious dish of sarcasm she skillfully serves up, but that you'll also totally relate to the points she makes, as you recall some of your own blogging misadventures.

Are you back yet? Good! Didn't I tell you her post was great! And now, without further ado, I present my list of tips and techniques, which, if conscientiously followed, will help you successfully alienate bloggers and non-bloggers alike, causing them to avoid your site like the plague. (It's OK, though, because you'll be revealing your superiority in this way, which is critically important to you in achieving the greatness you obviously deserve.)


My List of Blogger Alienation Techniques

1. Whenever you visit another blog, look for as many errors as you can possibly find there and point them out publicly every chance you get. Be sure to leave them in comments, discuss them on other blogs, and even mention them in your own posts. (Better still, devote an entire blog post to them. After all, it's important for everyone to know that you knew they were wrong. And, of course, we all know that you've never made a mistake yourself.) Be sure that you don't contact the blog owner privately when the error is significant. He or she might think you were too unsure of yourself to mention it publicly.

2. Copy other bloggers' content and post it on your own blog, passing it off as your own, as often as you can. After all, similar content is floating around all over the internet, so no one will ever know. Since it happens often enough that two bloggers just happen to innocently write about the same topic--and sometimes even say much the same thing about it at roughly the same time, no one will be the wiser; and even if they are, they won't be able to prove a thing.

3. "Adopt" a breaking story that you read about on another blog, but don't give the other blogger credit as your source. After all, that blogger and blog are your competition. Who would expect you to credit your competitor with providing your "product" for you? And besides, if that blogger got the info from yet another blog (and was foolish enough to admit it--and link to the other blog, no less), what's to stop you from bypassing that blog completely and going back to the original source? And why shouldn't you? The original source is the one that counts, anyway. And who would know?

Besides, why gum up the works with too many links? (Everyone knows how time-consuming it is to create a lot of links.) And wouldn't things become too confusing with so many different credits? It's simply a more efficient method of creating blog posts--and it doesn't confuse your reader with too many facts!

4. Never write posts on your own blog either commending or recommending other blogs or bloggers. That should be your regular rule of thumb. It's a sure way to lose your readers to them! By writing posts that highlight the knowledge or expertise of other bloggers--particularly those in your own niche--you make yourself seem less knowledgeable or talented than the blogger you are plugging.

And by sharing "link love" with other bloggers, you are laying out the red carpet--or is it the "flying carpet"--that makes it devilishly easy for your readers to "fly the coop." Wouldn't you much rather have a captive audience--to the extent that that's possible on the internet, anyway. (Since it's already so easy for readers to click away from your page, why make it any easier for them?)

5. Always be argumentative and unpleasant when leaving comments on others' blogs. Forcing bloggers to defend their positions regularly will keep them on their toes. (They'll thank you one day.) And, if nothing else, when they've deleted your comments as spam, you can go around bad mouthing them behind their backs--which should obviously make you look better, while casting doubt on their sense of fairness in refusing to air honest debate on their blogs. In fact, be sure to be downright rude every chance you get; it will show them who's really in charge, earning you their deep, if grudging, respect.

6. Never recognize, appreciate, or thank your readers, even when they leave comments on your posts--and especially when they are other bloggers who leave comments on your posts. In fact, don't even bother to reply to their comments. After all, you've already given them enough by deigning to share your extreme wisdom with them via your sterling blog posts. The least they can do is comment, after all you've done for them!


Are You Ready to Take Charge?

Well, my list is a trifle shorter than Yvonne's was: only six items here. But, I think I've covered each tip fairly extensively, so I'll let it go at that. I'll leave it to you to decide whether or not you have what it takes to be a take-charge blogger--a blogger who knows exactly what's required to show the world who's the best: YOU!


Do You Have Any Alienation Inducing Tips to Share?

I won't tag any specific bloggers to write on this topic, but I will invite any who would like to write about it to feel free to do so. (If you do, be sure to let me know in comments and link to this blog post.) Anyone else who has any tips on this topic is also welcome to share your ideas with us in comments. We'd love to hear them!

Satirically yours,
Jeanne







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Short Stories Sought for Two Unusual Anthologies

Hadley Rille Books is seeking short stories for two of its upcoming anthologies: Desolate Places and Ruins Metropolis. If you happen to be an author of tightly written Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, or Mainstream Fiction, with a knack for expressing the "eeriness and wonder of a desolate place"--which can be either on earth or anywhere else in the universe--or a talent for creating captivating tales about ruins (in particular, a tale based on the third issue's cover art), Hadley Rille would like to hear from you.


Desolate Places: An Anthology Exploring "Magnificent Desolation"

For this volume, Hadley Rille seeks Science Fiction stories set in--you guessed it--desolate places. The folks at HR believe that "desolation stirs the imagination." For these tales, they prefer physically desolate settings, as opposed to more abstract desolation. A few of the questions they'd like your story to answer are the following: "Why are your character(s) there and how do they react to such a place? What do they expect to find?"


Ruins Metropolis: A Volume of Mysterious Dimensions

For this particular volume, as its title indicates, the company seeks stories dealing with ruins--specifically, the ruins depicted on the anthology's cover--with the story revolving around a particularly mysterious woman--also on the cover--who should be the story's protagonist. For this anthology, the third in the company's Ruins series, stories may represent a number of different genres--including Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, or Mainstream--as long as they feature the "ruins" theme.


Deadline, Story Length, and Payment Info

Deadline for submissions for both anthologies is October 31st, 2007. Ideal story length for both would be 2,000-6,000 words, though stories ranging from 1,000 to 7,000 words will be considered. While up-front payment for stories is relatively low ($25-$30 each), authors also receive royalties and one copy of the book. In addition, the opportunity for getting your fictional creations into print, demonstrating your prowess in crafting Fiction, and gaining exposure for your work within the above genres should provide another great motivation for you to consider this market.


Submission Guidelines for Both Anthologies

You may follow this link to read the info and guidelines for submitting stories to the Desolate Places Anthology. And here's the link for info and guidelines--as well as the cover art for which a story is sought--for the Ruins Metropolis Anthology.


Try Your Hand at Creating Desolation and Ruin

If you enjoy writing Fiction of the type described above--in any of the genres mentioned--take a look at Hadley Rille's guidelines for these two anthologies. You just might be able to make a few bucks writing the kind of stories you love. And, if you've already got a story or two lying around that you believe would fit one or both of these categories, by all means, consider sending it along. But, be sure to follow the guidelines; and, if you have any doubt that your story or story idea in fact fits what the company is looking for, be sure to query. Hadley Rille would be more than happy to answer your questions about exactly what they're looking for for these two anthologies.

Best of luck writing about desolation and ruins! And may your writing career be just the opposite!

Happy writing!
Jeanne







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Artistic Self-Expression: The Writer's Goal

Writing is an art, as well as a means of creative expression--two characteristics it certainly shares with music. Within all writers resides that creative spark which, almost magically, transforms our thoughts into words that feed the mind, touch the heart, and please the ear. Like music, writing can be rhythmic, flowing, lilting, or lively--gifting its reader with a satisfying sense of beauty.


Many Writers Have Multiple Creative Talents

Yet, as much as we relish expressing ourselves through the written word, many of us also carry a desire, a dream--perhaps even a need--to express ourselves through music. As many writers are multi-talented, expressing their creativity through drawing, painting, or photography--in addition to writing--so, many also seek a musical outlet for their creative energies. Are you one of them? Or, would you like to be?


Free Piano Lessons at The Piano Chords Blog

Whether you've ever had prior musical experience or not, and whether you perhaps don't even know for certain that you possess the talent it takes to play a musical instrument; if you are one of those people who yearn to express themselves through music--or at least would like to try your hand at it--you have the opportunity to learn the piano for free online at Piano Chords Blog. Even if you already play another instrument, you'll have the opportunity to learn a little music theory--which is generally taught on the piano, anyway.




Express Yourself Through Music--as Well as Words

The Piano Chords Blog will not only teach you piano chords and songs, via video clips and explanations, but it will also inspire and encourage you along the road to realizing your dream of adding music to your list of creative talents.

Why not visit the Piano Chords Blog, and try your hand at the piano. You may just discover a talent you never knew you had!

Happy playing!
Jeanne



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Join Yvonne and Other Fellow Writers for a Great Time of Sharing Each Weekend!

On Friday, September 7th, Yvonne Russell, at Grow Your Writing Business, kicked off her new Writers (and Bloggers) Cafe. In her own words, her purpose for instituting this writers' gathering every Friday through Sunday is to share "marvellous mini milestones and super successes," as well as links to writing- or blogging-related articles or websites that might be helpful to your fellow writers, your plans and goals for your writing/blogging--in short, anything relevant to writing or blogging.


For Further Info About the Cafe, Visit Grow Your Writing Business

You may read more about Yvonne's new weekend gathering in her Writers and Bloggers Cafe--Now Open at Grow Your Writing Business post. (Also, check out Share Your Marvellous Mini Milestones and Super Successes, the post in which she first introduces the Writers and Bloggers Cafe.) Sharing these small and large successes will be the focus of the Writers Cafe during the month of September.


Visit Yvonne's Site During the Week, As Well, for Other Helpful Writing-Related Content

There are many other reasons to visit Yvonne's blog, in addition to the Writers and Bloggers Cafe. At Grow Your Writing Business, Yvonne offers a great deal of valuable info and many helpful resources for writers and bloggers that can move you closer to the realization of your writing goals.


What Are You Doing This Weekend?

Why not drop by Grow Your Writing Business this weekend and check out the Writers and Bloggers Cafe? (It starts tomorrow, Friday.) Pull up a chair, grab a muffin and a cup of coffee, and enjoy a great time of fellowship with other likeminded creative people, as you share your own goals, aspirations, and accomplishments, relate to, celebrate, and learn from theirs.

I think you'll enjoy it!

See you there!
Jeanne







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Journyx.Com: Free Time Sheet Software

September 11th 2007 20:07

Time and Expense Records Made Easy

Keeping track of both time and expenses during a project can be difficult--whether we run a company with a number of employee projects or a one-person operation such as a freelance writing business.

Journyx has made our job easier, though, with its full-featured time sheet software, which is absolutely free for up to 10 users. While I haven't tried it myself--yet!--it appears to be a program that will work every bit as well for a single user as for multiple users. And since it's free for 1-10 users, my take on it is that it would certainly be worth a try!


Free to Smaller Businesses or Individuals

So, if you own a small business with 10 or fewer employees or are a freelancer with only your own time and expenses to track, this software won't cost you anything to use--and it just might save you some headaches, in the process. And, if your company is larger than 10 employees, you probably need this software even more than those running smaller concerns.


Full-Service Version Available for Free 45-Day Trial

If you'd rather not download and have to maintain and update the software yourself, you might want to take advantage of Journyx's free 45-day trial of their SaaS (Software as a Service) version, where they'll do all the work short of actually keeping track of your time and expenses for you.


Take it for a "Test Drive"

Whatever size your company may be, visit Journyx.Com and check out their comprehensive time sheet software, already used by thousands of companies. You'll love the features, the convenience, and the peace of mind they bring.

Here's to organization!
Jeanne


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The Realities of Book Publishing

Lillie Ammann has written a post, on A Writer's Words, An Editor's Eye, that any writer planning on becoming involved in book publishing anytime in the foreseeable future would do well to read. It's called, The Realities of the Publishing World: Traditional, Subsidy, and Self-Publishing. Lillie has eight years in the publishing industry to her credit, which eminently qualifies her to write this piece.


Self-Publishing Explained

Lillie's post discusses the ongoing debate over the three types of book publishing and provides links to a few other helpful discussions of the topic. In addition to these resources, she links to her 14-part Self-Publishing Primer, where, in her own words, she offers readers "a more in-depth review of these different kinds of publishing and the advantages and disadvantages of each."


Gain A Bit of Publishing Knowledge

Lillie's Self-Publishing Primer is, itself worth the visit, with the other offsite resources she mentions providing the icing on the cake. So, if you have a book-length manuscript lying around waiting to find a home, and you're at all interested in learning a bit about the ins and outs of the book publishing industry--as well as the various options open to you in getting your own book published--visit Lillie's blog and have a read. You'll come away with a great deal more knowledge about publishing your book than you've ever had before.

Knowledge is power,
Jeanne







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A Write-from-Home Reminder

Write-from-home.com is a website that I've written about before. In my May 11th, 2007 post, Write-from-Home.Com: A New Site for Freelance Writers, I introduced this site to my readers, as the excellent resource that it is for writers.

Recently, Amy Derby, who runs the site, purchased a reprint of one of my articles, which appeared on my blog back in June and which she has just published in her September online e-zine. And, although this isn't really the reason I'm bringing her site up again (since my blog's readers have likely already read the post in question), it's as good a reason as any to remind everyone of a great site where writers will find helpful writing-related articles, writing markets and contest listings, and even a blog with some really great content.


The Write-from-Home Blog

With all the other helpful info on the site, it would be easy to overlook the Write-from-Home blog--but don't, because it's loaded with helpful tips, information, advice, and resources that can help you succeed. One post even contains a warning about a possible scam currently being advertised on Craigslist. So, check it out. I know you'll get a great deal out of this blog, as well as the rest of the site.

Some topics covered on the blog, in addition to the possible Craigslist scam, are these: dealing with stress as a freelance writer, the freelance workload "rollercoaster," setting up a home office on a budget, getting published as a new freelance writer, and freelance writing terms explained (quite a long list of them, too).


The Write-from-Home Market

So, if you've never been to Write-from-Home.Com--or haven't been there lately--drop by for a visit. You'll find a great deal of helpful information there.

And, if your forte just happens to be writing about selling your writing, you might just be able to sell some of your writing right there--since Amy buys both original articles and reprints for her Write-from-Home e-zine. (She pays $75 for unpublished articles and $30 for reprints.) Check out her Guidelines to find out what she's looking for.

Stop by Write-from-Home.Com--and give your freelance writing career a boost!

Happy reading!
Jeanne







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DataBanq: The Blog of DataBanq Media Network

The DataBanq Media Blog covers topics such as technology, social networking, and SEO. These are all subjects that affect not only businesses that market their products online, but also writers of online content--or writers who market their writing online.

Posts on this relatively new but popular Internet Blog are informative and well-written. One that stands out in particular was penned by DataBanq president David Bayer and presents an in-depth assessment of the current and future realities of social networking.

Another fascinating topic addressed by Bayer on this insightful Technology Blog is "orphaned pages" (i.e., pages that, due to changes made to a website, no longer have other pages linked to them) and how such pages can negatively impact a website's other pages in search results.

The Databanq Blog presents highly informative content for anyone who is interested in knowing a little more about the inner workings of the often-mysterious world of the internet. And there are few people today who aren't in some way affected by the realities of the WorldWide Web--writers included.

Thanks for reading,
Jeanne



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Mining the Archival Abyss

With the speed at which new content is posted to many blogs today--including this one--older (though equally valuable) posts quickly become buried in the deep, dark recesses of the archival abyss, where they can do absolutely no good. So, in the interest of fairness to those who may not have read some of these earlier pieces, I've decided to resurrect those that I believe to be the most helpful, by linking to the original posts, here. (In fact, you'll find quite a few more links than might at first appear, since the first post on the list which follows is itself a list of links to other great articles on writing.)


Tips, Techniques, and Tools to Help Writers Succeed

Add Color, Clarity, and Style to Your Writing: A Linkfest

Failure-Tolerant Leadership for Writers and Others

Magnetize Your Blog: Always Reply to Comments!

Write Engaging Headlines: Use the Emotional Marketing Value Headline Analyzer

Need Ideas? Let the New York Times Help!

Google Alerts Can Help You Detect Misuse Or Abuse of Your Writing

More About Google Alerts and Your Blog

Keyword Density: Your Key to Better Search Engine Ranking

One Look Dictionary Search: Your One-Stop Word Shop

Hopefully, you've found some information here that's helped bring you closer to meeting your writing/publishing goals!

Much luck to you in all your endeavors!
Jeanne







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Heading for the Holidays

With the holidays on the horizon, this is a good time for us to briefly turn our attention away from our latest writing project--since we're long overdue for a break, anyway--and check out a site that can take the hassle out of our holiday gift-giving this year. It can save us both money and time, giving us more of the first precious commodity to spend on the people we care about and more of the second to spend working on our favorite creative pursuit: writing.


One-Stop Gift Shopping

The people at CouponChief.com work hard to provide a one-stop coupon deal and discount resource for their website visitors. In fact, Coupon Chief offers literally hundreds of holiday--and everyday--coupons to help stretch your writing dollar and help you get more for your money.


A Few Retailers with Deals to Appeal to Writers

Coupons from online stores such as the ones mentioned below can help you get the best deals on books, stationery, computer and other writing-related materials and products, and a variety of gifts for your family members and friends.

For example, you'll find Barnes & Noble coupon deals that will help you fill your bookshelves with the titles that interest you most. You'll also discover Dell coupons for a wide variety of different products, from computers, software, and accessories, to office furniture and digital cameras. And the Staples coupon codes you'll find on the site will help you upgrade your office--and replenish your writing supplies while you're at it--for the best possible prices.


The Best Deals from a Wide Variety of Stores

Aside from the stores mentioned above, a long and varied list of other retailers offering special coupon deals will make your holiday shopping task a simpler one. You'll be able to take a few minutes out from your writing whenever the mood strikes and find some great deals for yourself and everyone on your holiday shopping list, without even removing your hands from the keyboard. And, for a writer, it doesn't get much better than that.

Happy writing!
Jeanne







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Answers to Your Writing Questions

Daily Writing Tips is the place to go for the answers to all those nagging little questions that so often come up about the myriad nuances of the writing craft. You'll find thorough, well-written pieces here, containing valuable principles which will enable you to greatly improve your writing.


Advice from a Knowledgeable Team

The helpful advice you'll find here comes from three writers and an editor with an interesting variety of experience under their collective belt. This writing team brings its fellow writers, who seek sound advice for polishing their work and perfecting their skills, a wide range of time-honored principles and helpful hints about such topics as the following:

-The Shortcomings of Proofreading
-Proper Word Usage
-Correct Grammar
-Effective Spelling
-Writing Numbers and Numerals
-Using the Inverted Pyramid Style of Writing
-Proper Use of Articles
-Eliminating Unnecessary Phrases
-Using Imagery
-Increasing Vocabulary

...and much more.

Categories are listed below:

-Book Reviews
-Business Writing
-Fiction Writing
-Freelance Writing
-General
-Grammar
-Misused Words
-Punctuation
-Spelling
-Word of the Day
-Writing Basics


Here's to Your Literary Health!

So, if you'd like to have all those nagging little questions about writing answered to your satisfaction--and the overwhelmingly large ones, as well--and pick up a few new vocabulary words while you're at it, check out Daily Writing Tips, where a tip a day can mean better literary health!

Happy writing!
Jeanne






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Blog Review: Just a Thought!

September 5th 2007 00:20

A Truly Thought-ful Blogger

Just a Thought! is a fascinating compilation of David Woon's musings on life and truth. "And who is David Woon?" you may ask. That's a very fair question.

David Woon is an unusually insightful young man who possesses an uncanny ability to cut right to the heart of a topic and thoroughly probe its depths. But there's more. He also has the rare skill to do so with a minimum of words--a skill which rarely goes hand-in-hand with an in-depth look at a topic. This natural-born philosopher/blogger presents his words of wisdom via concise blog entries that get right to the point, discuss it briefly, using some truly original and fascinating metaphors, and then get out. There is absolutely no rambling on this blog, which I admire.


A Truly Purposeful Blog

David states the following about Just a Thought: "The blog contains my short reflections about Life in general which I hope would, in one way or another, serve as a source of inspiration for you..." He also hopes his musings might trigger "some thoughts of your own in the contemplation of the mystery that is Life." His ultimate goal for his blog is to create an atmosphere of mutual sharing between him and his readers, as he puts it, "so that we can all learn and grow together as we strive to leave this world a better place than what it was before our humble existence." What a lofty goal!


Truly Intriguing Ideas

Many readers--as well as bloggers--will be able to relate to his thoroughly altruistic aspirations, since we feel very much the same way he does. These readers will enjoy reading his entries about such topics as spending money wisely by designating certain percentages to each spending category, including donating to charity; enjoying better communication with others by using the "Golden Assumption," "backing up your life" in the minds and hearts of those you've touched and influenced, and becoming a better person through becoming "nobody-centric," rather than "self-centric."

David Woon shares some truly intriguing ideas at http://www.davidwoon.com/blog/, and anyone who will dig back into his archives (which go back to November 2004) will find a great many more philosophical treasures buried there!

Happy digging!
Jeanne


This post sponsored by ReviewMe.



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Australian Blogging Conference 2007

September 4th 2007 21:30

The 2007 Australian Blogging Conference

The next Australian Blogging Conference is slated for Friday, September 28th, 2007 (please forgive the Americanization of the date), from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at the Creative Industries Precinct at the Queensland University of Technology's Kelvin Grove Campus In Brisbane. Since I'm not certain how many Orble (and other Australian) bloggers know about this conference, I thought I'd write a post about it.


Thanks Go Out to Darren Rowse, at ProBlogger, for the Info

I learned of the conference from Darren Rowse's ProBlogger website, in his brief Speed Linking - 31 August, 2007 post.


Conference Description

Here's what the event's organizers have to say about it:

This will not be a conference in the traditional sense. It will be relatively informal. Instead of lengthy presentations, people will be invited lead discussions on various topics throughout the day – some practical, such as how to build a better blog, and some theoretical on the role, influence and future of blogs.

It is hoped that this Australian Blogging Conference will be a memorable event where all participants will learn more about the social, cultural, creative and technological aspects of blogging from one another.


Conference Hosts

The conference will be hosted by the following two organizations*:

The Legal and Regulatory Program of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation

The Queensland University of Technology


Conference Topics

Topics covered will be the following:

-The Politics of Blogging
-Researching Blogging
-Blogs, Creativity and Creative Commons
-Legal Issues
-Citizen Journalism
-Blogs and Education
-Business and Corporate Blogging
-Building a Better Blog
-Final Discussion 1: The future for blogging - what's next?
-Final Discussion 2: The future for your blog - promoting your blog and building traffic

Please bear in mind that a number of the above sessions take place simultaneously, requiring you to choose the one you most want to attend.


Conference Registration

If you'd like to attend the conference, you'll need to register in advance.

The organizers of the event hope to have no registration fee, but state, "This will only be possible if we are able to attract sufficient corporate sponsorship. Accordingly we would appreciate any support you and your organisation is able to provide."


Conference Sponsorship

If you or your organization* are interested in helping to eliminate registration fees for participating bloggers by sponsoring the conference, you may visit the site's Sponsorship Opportunities page to learn how you can acquire a Sponsorship Kit.


Post-Conference Activities

There will be a few opportunities for post-conference get-togethers the evening of the conference, so be sure to check out the Friday Dinners Page, if you think you might be interested in attending one of these.


Conference Announcement Badges

Whether or not you are able to attend the conference, if you have a website or blog, you may want to post an Australian Blogging Conference badge, for the benefit of your readers (two sizes available).

Hope many of my Australian blogger/readers will be able to make it to the conference. It promises to be quite an enlightening event! We non-Aussie bloggers will be with you in spirit!

Happy conferencing!
Jeanne


* Hope all my non-American readers will excuse the Americanized spellings used throughout this post (except within specific quotes). The majority of my readers are in the U.S. and, of course, I am, as well. And, while it may seem a bit strange to see two different spellings of this word (organisation/organization) within the same post, the reason for this is that I always use American spellings in my own writing.





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Do You Sell Your Work on Your Website?

Do you have a website or blog where you sell your own work--perhaps even the work of others? Or maybe you've never sold books, e-books, artwork, or crafts online before, but have been thinking of adding that feature to your site. Either way, you'll need good, reliable shopping cart software to make the job of selling and shipping your creative products easier, more accurate, and more convenient.


Ecommerce: The Current Trend

Ecommerce is the current trend in product marketing, and Ashop Commerce is one of the leading providers of ecommerce software on the internet today. Their website offers an ecommerce demo shop, where you can test drive their award-winning software to see first-hand what it can do.

The site also includes a long list of shopping cart features, arming you to compare their shopping cart software to other similar products and see how much more you'll get with Ashop. And flexible package pricing will help you find the combination of features that meets your individual needs at the best price.


All This, And a Free Trial, too

Aside from all this, Ashop offers a free 10-day trial of their shopping cart software, with no credit card required to take advantage of it. Yet, with its advanced functionality, you'll be able to accept credit cards online when selling your products.

Your website will likely need a shopping cart, if you plan to offer quite a few different items and/or make a significant number of sales. Once you have the software in hand, within hours, you'll be ready to use your customized shopping cart to begin selling online--or begin doing it better and more profitably.


Be a Contender

So, if, in addition to writing articles or blog posts for your site's visitors, you'd also like to offer your work for sale, check out the shopping cart software offered by Ashop Commerce. It will help you compete with some of the most powerful sites on the Web.

And perhaps, soon, it will help you to join their ranks.

Happy browsing,
Jeanne


This post is sponsored by Smorty.


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Love Thy Commenter

Mark, at ProBloggers Matrix, penned a post recently, which asked the following question:

How Do You REWARD Your COMMENTERS and Those Who Have BACKLINKED to Your Blog?


August Link Love

In the spirit of giving--and the spirit of Blog Day (which, as many of you may know, was yesterday)--I thought I'd designate today, September 1st, Comment Appreciation Day and send some link love out to everyone who commented at Writer's Notes during the month of August. Thanks, guys and gals! Love you all!

Here's the list of August commenters, in no particular order:

Yvonne Russel, Grow Your Writing Business

Laura Spencer, Writing Thoughts

Lillie Ammann, A Writer's Words, An Editor's Eye

John Doe, Film & TV on DVD

AmyHuang, Travel String

Kleonaptra, Kalikapsychosis

Fiar, Radioactive Liberty

BigMike, N.A.D.S.

Louie, Climate Red

Jon, Tech News

K-IntheHouse, ShanKri-la

Tracy, Movies and Life

Mandy, Pop! In the Name of Love

Charles Young, Top Site of the Day

Danielle, Musings of a Middle Aged Woman

David, Mind Orgasms

Phil, Contest Blogger

Chic Critique, Fashion.org.au

Brad Shorr, Word Sell, Inc.

Bob, Every Every Minute

Loz, Written Life

Joanna Young, Confident Writing

Chris Kitamura, Dude Check Out My Site

Sylvia C, Sylvia's Insight

Melissa Garrett, A Writer's Woolgatherings

Malathy, Blog Avenues

Lily, Ars Poetica

Ash, Australian Traveller

Faisca, Faisca's Corner

Michael Martin, Pro Blog Design

Sharon, Get Paid to Write Online

Mark-Blogger, ProBloggers Matrix

Mark Goodyear, Good Word Editing

Tavi Nemet, Loop 44

Rosemary, Alpaca Notes

Robert Hruzek, Middle Zone Musings


Keep Spreading the Magic!

Thanks so much for your comments, everyone! They've all been greatly appreciated; and they've helped make Writer's Notes a much more interesting--and far less lonely--place than it would have been otherwise!

Stop back by again to chat anytime! And remember to visit lots of other blogs and continue to pass on the comment-kindness! You'll get as much out of it as the other blogger will!


Keep those comments coming,
Jeanne







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Your Writing Spot: Indoors or Out?

We writers often like the feeling of finding a quiet, peaceful, cozy nook to settle down, journal in hand, and contemplate life's larger questions. We love jotting down our thoughts, as we prepare for the next piece we will ultimately share with the world.

Whether our restful writing spot is indoors or out, whether it's our office or den, our patio, or a grassy place in our backyard, it's important for us to create an atmosphere that inspires our Muse.


Classical, Whimsical, or Chilling?

Online Discount Mart offers a wide variety of home and garden decor, in styles that range from classical to whimsical, decorator products that can bring inspiration to you, both indoors and out. And, if you happen to be planning a horror tale in preparation for Halloween this year, you'll find suitably fright-inducing decorations to help set the mood.

Whatever you may need or want for your home or garden decor, to help put you in the mood to write, you're likely to find it at Online Discount Mart. So, have a look. If nothing else, it's safe to say, you'll have a great time "Window" shopping.

Enjoy,
Jeanne


This post sponsored by PayPerPost.


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