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FeedDemon Redux

Posted on September 15, 2009 by emilyakin

FeedDemon is still the best way to follow multiple blogs, in my opinion. I’ve written about it in previous blogs here and here. Just after I posted my last rave about FeedDemon, I got an e-mail from Newsgator saying there would be changes, effective August 31, 2009. Here’s my take on the changes.

There’s an ad in the lower left corner of the FeedDemon desktop. Annoying, but pretty unobtrusive.
FeedDemon now syncs with Google Reader instead of Newsgator, which is an improvement, I think. I usually recommend Google Reader for beginners to feed-reading, because there are online tutorials on how to use it and it’s easy to use. Once a beginner has learned to use Google Reader, it’s easy enough to move to FeedDemon for more efficient blog tracking.
I think it runs a bit slower than the old version, but I really can’t complain.

Go to the FeedDemon site for a complete overview including features description and screenshots. I welcome comments from anyone who uses another feed reader. If you would like to write a guest post on an alternate feed reader, e-mail me at akinemily[a]gmail.com.

Guest Post: Affordable, Professional Web Sites

Posted on September 7, 2009 by emilyakin

Welcome to guest blogger, Tracy Ruckman. She is a freelance writer, editor, and photographer. She owns Write Integrity Editorial Services and WIES Workshops (online writing courses.) She also hosts the popular Pix-N-Pens blog for writers, readers, editors, and photographers.

An essential tool for any business, especially writers and editors, is a Web site. Most of us are of the “starving artist” variety, so we can’t afford a huge budget for building and hosting our site – but we also can’t afford to look cheap, either. (One of my pet peeves is a cheap-looking Web site.)

Several years ago, I discovered HostGator and they provide the best of both worlds – professional and affordable.

HostGator provides many options for beginners and professionals, and can be considered a “one-stop shop” because you can purchase your domain name and monthly hosting of your Web site. They even provide free site builders (SiteStudio and SiteBuilder) so you can easily build the Web site yourself from thousands of templates. Building your own site saves money in the end, because you’ll be able to make updates yourself as needed and you maintain total control of its look and content.

HostGator’s web hosting packages are priced from $8.95/month for a very basic plan, to $9.95/month for their mid-range plan, and $14.95/month for the professional plan that includes your own toll-free number. The rates are a little lower if you pay by the year(s) rather than by the month ($4.95/mo, $7.95/mo, $12.95/mo for a 3-year payment.)

The company offers a “reseller” plan if you are interested in building web sites for others, or even if you just want to set yourself up as a hosting company. Reseller hosting plans start at just $24.95. (You’ll recoup this almost immediately as you build your client base.)

HostGator also sells domain names, and they start at $15, which is a little steep compared to some of the other companies, but they don’t jack up the price after the first year, so it averages out. (It also saves a few steps transferring the DNS.) But if you prefer to buy your domain name elsewhere and use HostGator for everything else, that’s acceptable and easily done.

Technical support at HostGator is exceptional. Agents are available 24/7 by phone, chat, and e-mail. They are thorough, efficient, and friendly – and there’s never much of a wait except during peak times (and even then, it’s not a long wait.)

Some of the Web sites I’ve designed using their templates include: www.tracyruckman.com, www.debraullrick.com, www.mildredcolvin.com, www.thechristianpen.com, and www.writeintegrity.com. All of these were built using the SiteStudio program with limited html knowledge, and limited experience – if I can do it, you probably can, too!

Guest Review: Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers’ Market Guide

Posted on September 1, 2009 by emilyakin

This review is by Lettie Kirkpatrick Burress, freelance writer and speaker. See her Web site www.writingforhim.com.

It may not be riveting and it may not be fun reading, but not owning it is not an option. “It’s the closest thing to the Bible for an inspirational writer.” That’s what I tell my “Beginners Basics” students about Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers Market Guide. If they can only afford one resource, it must be this one. And the updated version should be purchased every year. Continue reading →

Creating a Free Site with WordPress

Posted on August 31, 2009 by emilyakin

I searched the Web for step-by-step instructions on how to set up a free site with WordPress.com, but I found nothing. I first became aware that this was possible when I ran across Brandy Brow’s site at www.brandybrow.com.

Notice the address bar when you arrive on her site (http://brandybrow.wordpress.com/).

She has purchased her own domain name and re-directed it to the free WordPress site, thereby saving hosting fees. Most people coming to her site using brandybrow.com would not even notice the different URL.

I needed to do a free site for my music club, so I created this one using Brandy’s approach: www.pmgmartin.wordpress.com. Check the URL in the address bar when you arrive there: http://pmgmartin.wordpress.com/. Note that you can’t always get the URL you want when you’re dealing with free services.

I’ve created a new page for the directions on how to do this. Go to Free Site with WordPress following this link. Good luck!

Promotion: Next, a Web Site

Posted on August 29, 2009 by emilyakin

A writer seeking to get work published must have an online presence—a Web site, a blog, or both. Many writers try to get by with a blog provided by one of the free sources, but I think it’s better to have a brochure-style Web site with an associated blog or a Web site that includes a link to a free blog.

The Site Itself

If you have budgeted for a site, I congratulate you. Since most beginning writers prefer to use a free site, I provide information on site-builders that allow you to start out free and upgrade later to a paid version.

Take a look at www.webs.com (formerly Freewebs.com). There are two versions, free and paid. To get rid of ads, you must upgrade to a paid version. Webs has a blog feature so you can have your blog and other information on the same site.

Some site-builders offer a free trial so that you can work with their product a bit before you have to pay. Check out these three and look at the pricing page before you sign up for a trial. I have tried all except Homestead myself.

Homestead

Highpowersites.com (subsidiary of EZ Christian Hosting)

Vistaprint (Offers business cards to coordinate with design of Web site)

Keep in mind that free builders are not going to offer the range of options that you get when you pay. If you have budgeted for a site, try the free versions before you make your final choice. If you must begin with a free site, set a goal to upgrade to the paid version within six months. Some of the options above are available for about $5.00 per month. It’s a small price to pay for a professional-looking Web presence.

The Domain Name

When you set up a free site with Webs.com, for example, you get a Webs.com address. See my sample site at http://www.freewebs.com/emilyakin/. Everyone who sees this URL will know that this is a free site, because it has the Freewebs URL first. My site is a subdomain of Freewebs.

It looks more professional to have your own domain name. Choose the domain name you’d like to have, like www.yourname.net. Go to www.namecheap.com or www.networksolutions.com and buy it. Have alternatives ready, because your first choice might not be available. Prices vary depending on the extension (.com, .org, .net, .info). Buy it for two years the first time because that will get you a better rank in the search engines. Once you own your domain name, you can re-direct it to a free or low-cost site. You will use www.yourname.net on your business cards and other promotional pieces. Once you’ve set this up, when the visitor types in or clicks on that URL, she will be taken to your free site and will probably not even realize you are using the freebie.

Beware: Some of the companies that offer free sites also offer to sell you a domain name. If you buy your domain name through one of these outfits, be sure that you will own the domain name and not the company. If you should decide to change to another site-building company, you want to be able to take your domain name with you. If your current company owns it, you’ll have to buy it from them in order to change companies.

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It is possible to construct a free Web site on www.wordpress.com, but you would need instructions on how to do that. I plan to put step-by-step instructions on this blog soon.

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Meet the Marketing Class

Posted on August 29, 2009 by emilyakin

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Last Monday was the first day of my class, Marketing Your Services, offered through The Christian PEN. The course is tailored for freelance editors or writing coaches, and it is designed to help them build a marketing plan for their freelance businesses. Writers can benefit from this approach, too, as shown in my article on the Marketing Mix page.

Although I said the next post on this blog would be about setting up a writer’s Web site, I thought it would be interesting for you to see the sites for my class members. We have 10 in the class, but two of them don’t have sites yet. I’ll post their links when they’re available. Meanwhile, I list the name, link to site, and name of Web design program and/or hosting company, if available.

Amy Timco - http://www.wisewordsediting.com/ (Yahoo Business)

Andrea Graham - www.povbootcamp.com/about (WordPress.org)

Dawn Kinzer - http://www.dawnkinzer.com/

Juliet Kennedy - www.jkkwriting.net

Laurel den Hoed - http://site.writerlaurel.com/

Sally Bradley - http://sallybradley.com/

Tracy Ruckman - www.tracyruckman.com and www.writeintegrity.com/

Vie Herlocker - http://www.violetwrites.com/

If you need help getting your manuscript in shape, perhaps one of them can help you. Check them out.

Promotion: First, a Tagline

Posted on August 17, 2009 by emilyakin

Who are you? A writer, you say? A writer who does editing on the side? Do you write fiction or nonfiction?

Before you can begin to promote your freelance writing, your editing, or your books, you must have a short answer to the above questions. When someone lands on your Web site or receives your business card, they need to know not only your name but also exactly what you do. You need a tagline.

The following links will take you to sites with excellent examples of taglines. Go to each site, and jot down your first impression. Then visit around on the site to see if the first impression was accurate.

Mary Yerkes: http://www.maryyerkes.com/

Virginia Smith: http://www.virginiasmith.org/

Jeanne Marie Leach: http://www.jeannemarieleach.com/

Tracy Ruckman: http://www.tracyruckman.com/

Brandilyn Collins: http://www.brandilyncollins.com/

James Scott Bell: http://www.jamesscottbell.com/

Steve Hutson: http://www.hutsonbooks.com/editorial

Tiffany Colter: http://www.writingcareercoach.com/

Did you check all of them? If not, you can come back and do it later. Now, do you have a tagline? If not, get to work on it right away.

When I first began writing for publication, my site URL was www.writingontarget.com. My tagline was: “On time and on target.” Since I write mostly for magazines in the Christian market, I thought I would impress editors with my dependability as a writer. However, I did not do any market testing on that tagline. One editor told me that he thought it sounded like I ran a writing service for businesses. The business-like air of my promotional materials did not say “Christian market” to him.

I have since changed my URL to www.emilyakin.com, but I kept the old URL, and it points to the new one. I am still casting about for a new tagline. If you’d like to take a look at my site and make a recommendation, feel free. I will be holding a drawing for a free Christian novel on August 28^th. Comment on this blog before noon on the 28^th to enter the drawing.

Product Quality

Posted on August 13, 2009 by emilyakin

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The first step in developing your marketing plan is to define your product. Once you’ve identified your specialty, you’ll need to compare your product to competitors’ products. When you try to sell your articles, books, or editing services, you will be competing with others for customers. A piece of writing has product features that publishers (and the agents who serve them) expect to see in work they buy. While there are many sub-categories, the publishers look for content relevant to their target market, writing that needs little editing (style), and writers who adhere to their stated guidelines (professionalism).

Content

Look to Writers Market or Sally Stuart’s Christian market guide to be sure you are submitting your work to a publisher that wants your subject matter and genre. If you don’t have the market guides, sometimes you can find writers’ guidelines by searching for a publisher online. Of course, you have to know the name of the publisher. In the Christian market, you must consider theology also. The various denominations have very different views of doctrinal issues, especially if your work is nonfiction.

Style

Different markets use different style guides. If you write or edit for magazines, you need to know Associated Press style. Book writers and editors should be thoroughly familiar with the Chicago Manual of Style. There are preferred dictionaries for the different markets, too. The recommended manuals for the secular or Christian markets are listed in Kathy Ide’s editing course.

Book publishers (or authors of books or short stories that will be included in books, fiction or nonfiction):

The Chicago Manual of Style (15th edition, published in 2003), online subscription available for $35/year, new print edition coming soon.
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11th edition, C 2003), also online. The dictionary search is free, and premium services include access to the unabridged dictionary and Encylopedia Britannica.

Magazine publishers:

The Associated Press Stylebook, updated every year. Online subscription for $25/year.
Webster’s New World College Dictionary (C 2004)

Some Christian publishers (books or articles):

The Christian Writer’s Manual of Style (C 2004)

Academic writing may require the use of one of the following guides:

If this list is not familiar to you, now’s the time to check out these resources. Choose the ones that are used for the genre you have chosen as your product. Writers who want to be published cannot rely on their knowledge of English from high school or college. You stand a better chance of selling your work if you know and conform to the style guides the publishers use.

Professionalism

Every publisher has established guidelines instructing you how to submit your work. Some publishers only take submissions through agents. Agents often have their own guidelines for submissions from prospective clients. Here’s an example. Regardless of whether you’re selling direct or through an agent, nothing screams “amateur” like a submission that does not adhere to guidelines. If you won’t take the time and effort to submit your work in the requested format, you’re telling the publisher or agent that you might have a problem following directions. You are selling your writing, but you are also selling yourself as a professional. Always, always, always…adhere to the guidelines.

This post updated 5-19-12.

Social Media Networking: Twitter and Facebook

Posted on August 5, 2009 by emilyakin

Do you Twitter? Are you on Facebook, MySpace, Shoutlife? YouTube? Have you found that it helps promote your writing career? I’ve been on Twitter and Facebook for several months, and I’m not sure yet whether it’s worth the time required to follow others and respond. However, I’ve recently researched how other writers are using the social media, and I want to share some of the things I’ve found with you.

First, Wikipedia defines Social media thusly: “Social media describes the online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences, and perspectives. Social media can take many different forms, including text, images, audio, and video. These sites typically use technologies such as blogs, message boards, podcasts, wikis, and vlogs to allow users to interact.”

Twitter: Let’s look at Twitter first, since it’s the simplest of the social media. Follow these links to learn how to Twitter and how it’s used by other Christian writers.

How to Twitter

Twitter and the Christian writer

Lee Warren’s thoughts on Twitter

See my Twitter page, and follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/emilyakin

Facebook: You can do more with Facebook. Your posts can be longer, and you can add photos and notes about yourself. Start with the how-to videos, and then check out how other writers use Facebook.

Videos on how to use Facebook

Facebook for Writers

My Facebook profile: http://www.facebook.com/emilyakin

And finally, advice on how to manage your time on social media:

General Social Media Tips for Writers

I invite comments from writers on this post. As I said, I’m not sure it’s helping me promote my writing, but I’d like to hear about the experiences of others. Comments are moderated, so, if you do comment, it may be a few hours before your comment appears here.