Blogging

A simple tip to help you build your online community

July 21, 2010

Everyone’s always complaining about how much time it takes to build an online community — to grow a following on Twitter, Facebook, your blog, etc. It’s true. It does take a lot of time. So I like to give my clients tips to maximize every minute they spend online. And this particular tip will help […]

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Blogging Part III: A 5-step guide to getting started

July 14, 2010

You’ve thought about whether you should start blogging, and decided the answer is yes. You’ve seriously considered your content, pondering what makes a blog successful. Now you ask: How do I get started? 1. Pick a platform. If you’re a newbie, you’ll probably want a hosted platform, one that’s easy to use. They’re also free. […]

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Blogging 101, Part II: What makes an awesome blog?

July 12, 2010

Welcome back! We’ve already talked about why you should have a blog and whether you’re ready to start one. Up today: What makes an awesome blog? There are as many ways to produce a good blog as there are bloggers. But when you’re new to the blogosphere, you need concrete goals, right? So here are […]

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Another thing Google's good for: a laugh

July 7, 2010

Whenever I don’t know how to do something, I ask Google. Usually I ask little things. Like how to add a signature with live links to my Gmail. Or whether it’s possible to give my YouTube channel a cool background. Or what a baobab tree looks like (to help me describe it in my book). […]

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Blogging 101: Do you have what it takes to start a blog?

July 7, 2010

A handful of writers have approached me recently asking for help with their blogs. Some are trying to decide whether they should start a blog and how to go about it. Others want to improve an existing blog. So this week I’m running a series that will address three questions: Should I start a blog? […]

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Why writers should have a blog (and my first real rejection)

July 5, 2010

It was nearly a year ago that I was first approached by a literary agent. I hadn’t sent out any queries. I hadn’t attended a conference and pitched agents in person. I hadn’t even tried to get in touch with agents, because I wanted to write my manuscript first. So how, you ask, did this […]

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Finding my voice through blogging

May 20, 2010

Literary agent Nathan Bransford had a great post recently on finding your literary voice. This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot as I dig into another revision of my travel memoir. One of the elements I’m focusing on is my voice. Rachelle says my voice is still too journalistic, not memoir-y enough. I […]

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The Baby-Sitters Club: Where are they now?

April 28, 2010

The release of The Baby-Sitters Club prequel got me to thinking: what are the girls doing now? They’d be in their early 30s, I believe. But beyond that, it’s all up to our imagination. Lots of women my age grew up reading — and, in my case, writing — because of the BSC. And I […]

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Tips for blogging from developing countries

April 5, 2010

I don’t usually repost pieces that I write for other publications, but this one is particularly useful to travel writers: 10 Tips for Blogging from Developing Countries It’s about how to keep your blog alive and healthy when your Internet connection isn’t. Posted at the Matador Network. Check out additional hints in the comments, too.

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A blog tip that's guaranteed to bring you more comments

March 22, 2010

The best part: it’s easy. Turn off your word verification. Yes, you. You probably didn’t even know it was on, right? But unless you turned it off, it’s likely keeping people from commenting on your blog. Think it’s not that big of a deal? It is. It’s one extra hoop we have to go through […]

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