Archive for January, 2008

Web Content Thursdays: How Do You Feel About Incoming Links

This is a short, but sweet, Web Content Thursday on a pet peeve of mine.

How do you feel about incoming links?

When someone links to me I go to their site and read the post that contains the link. I try to leave a comment on the post, even if I don’t agree with it. I figure that if they’ve taken the time and trouble to read a post of mine and write a response, then the least I could do is leave a comment.

What amazes me is how few bloggers do this. 

I currently post on four different blogs, two of which are extremely active. On those active blogs every single post links to a news article or another blogs post. You’d think that I’d get at least one comment nearly every day, but it just isn’t so.

Now, I admit that there have been times when it looked like I was getting a link and I went to the site and couldn’t find it. (Does anyone know what causes that to happen?) But, if the blogger is responding to me, then I respond to the response.

(By the way, you can find out if someone has linked to one of your posts by going to your blog on Technorati and looking for blog reactions. If you haven’t claimed your blog on Technorati yet, I highly recommend doing so.)
What’s your take on this? Am I being too sensitive?

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

WAHM Wednesday: Of Spam and Life

Does anyone really purchase the products that are offered in spam e-mails?

I have to ask because I just can’t believe that spam is a very effective means of marketing.

(Oh yeah, and I’m sick and tired of deleting 40+ spam e-mails every day. I know, I know. It’s time to buy a better filter…)

Some samplings from my daily spam as examples of futile marketing (and why each type of spam is futile):

• Offers to enhance my manhood. Uh, for starters I’m a woman and not a man.
• Notifications that I’ve won the foreign lottery. Number one, I never entered. Number two, even I realize that winning a legitimate lottery is a rare occurrence. It shouldn’t happen three or four times a day.
• Sales of pharmaceuticals. I actually don’t use much medication. What I do use, my doctor prescribes. Can you fill my doctor’s prescription? Will you take my insurance? Uh huh, I thought not.
• Offers from foreign nationals wanting to deposit large sums of money in my bank account. I don’t even know where to begin on this one. It kind of falls into the category of “how stupid do you think I am?” I’ve heard of this scam already, okay?

The truth is, I delete any e-mail that I suspect to be spam within seconds of receiving it. I suspect most people do exactly the same thing.

So, why do the spammers persist?

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

Write About Your Bad Date and Win a Prize!

Did you ever hear of the saying, “unlucky in love, lucky in writing?”

Well, neither have I. But, if you have a really bad Valentines Day date story to tell, then you could win a prize.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day my good blogging friend, Calvin Warr, has decided that he wants a collection of bad date stories. Calvin’s running a contest to find the best of the worst. The prizes range from $20 to $100, and you have until February 10th to enter.

(Of course when Calvin wanted judges for his contest, he immediately thought of someone who has been married so long that they can hardly remember dating. Yes, yours truly has been asked to judge — but that’s another story…)

Best wishes (and condolences) to all WritingThoughts readers who enter. I look forward to reading the entries.

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

Web Content Thursdays: Social Media - Is the Party Over?

Is it time to rethink social media?

If you write web content, then chances are good that you’ve heard social media mentioned as a way to promote your web presence.

Liz Strauss’s post, A Time to Check Social Media Return On Investment, captured my attention this week.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by social media. For one thing there are literally dozens of them. (If you’re looking for a list of social media sites, here’s one from Jane Copeland and here’s another from Dosh Dosh.)

When you hear out about a new social media site it’s hard to resist the urge to join it, just in case you’re missing out on something.

I know. I’ve been there.

The truth is that most of us (dare I say, all of us) can’t really be active on more than a few social media sites. Not every site is right for every person, either.

Social media is more effective when you put forth a concentrated effort on a site that meets your needs and goals.

The trick is to pick those sites that are most useful to you. That’s where the list on Liz’s post comes in handy, and that’s also why I wrote this post.

How many social media sites do you use? How many sites do you really participate in?

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

WAHM Wednesday: Is There Any Type of Writing That You Would Not Do?

Now, I’m not talking about subject matter. Of course, I would not want to write something that was immoral or illegal.

I’m thinking more about types of writing. For example: novels, plays, articles, technical manuals, advertising copy, news stories…

Personally, I can’t think of a type of writing that I would not want to try. Although,  there are types of writing that I am unlikely to try any time soon, simply because I don’t have time to focus on them. (I need to earn a living.)

What about you? Is there a type of writing that you would not be interested in doing under any circumstances?

Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

Cat Got Your Tongue?

This is the phrase that I grew up hearing whenever I was speechless.

We’ve all been there. There’s a break in the conversation, it’s our turn to talk, and we just can’t think of a single thing to say.

Instead of continuity in the conversation, there’s this awkward, almost painful, silence…

When I was growing up, the adult waiting patiently for me to speak would often use the phrase: Cat got your tongue? 

There are still times when I feel that a conversation has run its course and that I don’t have anything new to say.

Blogging is an online conversation. Just like in verbal communication, there are times when I feel that everything that could be said has already been said (if not by me, then by somebody else).

Call it blogger’s block, if you will. (A cousin to writer’s block, perhaps?)

Here are a few ideas to overcome blogger’s block:

1. Force yourself to blog. Sometimes just typing out a few words can stimulate additional ideas. Before you know it, you have a fresh post.
2. Change the time of day that you post. After an entire life of being a morning person, I now sometimes find that my best ideas for posts come at night.
3. Surf around. You may find someone else’s post that you want to respond to.
4. Last, but not least, take a break. You may need a rest. Give yourself time off, but set a time that you will resume blogging and stick to that date!

What are your solutions for blogger’s block?

Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

Of Note: Most Notable Blog for 2007 Update

There’s still time to go to the original post and cast your vote.

Before I go any further, I should say that all of these blogs are winners. All of these blogs are great. This isn’t THAT kind of competition.

I’m really just looking for a vote for which blog you found to be most helpful. So, a vote for one is NOT a vote against the others.

Thanks to everyone who has already voted.

Here are the blogs that have received votes so far:

1. Freelance Writing Jobs
2. Grow Your Writing Business
3. Inkthinker
4. Punctuality Rules
5. The Article Writer
6. Web Content Writer Tips
7. Writing Forward

Grow Your Writing Business has two votes. All of the other blogs have one vote each.

Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

WAHM Wednesdays: Does Blogging Stress You Out?

Normally I would never blog about another blogger’s health. It’s just too private, in my opinion.

However, when I came across this article in The New York Times, I realized that I had to make an exception in order to talk about stress with my readers.

Since the article appears in The New York Times (it doesn’t get much more public than that) and since the blogger appears to be talking about it publicly, I’m guessing it’s okay.

My question to my WritingThoughts readers (and anyone else who is dropping by) is whether or not you find blogging stressful. You can leave your answer in the comments, take the survey in this post, or both.

For myself, while I can see how blogging could become stressful (especially for a high profile blog), I try to keep my blogging fun and stress-free.

I do confess that I feel guilty when my life obligations cause me to skip a post. I practically had to force myself to take a break at Christmas. However, I keep reminding myself of my priorities - while blogging is a great way to reach out to people, it’s not the only responsibility that I have.

What’s your opinion? Why not take the poll?

Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

Words Not To Use in an E-Mail

I know that you’re not supposed to blog about being busy. (Isn’t it one of the cardinal blogging sins, or something?) In case you’re wondering, that’s exactly what’s going on with me right now. I’ve been unbelievably busy for the past week, or so.

Until I can get back into the swing of things, you might enjoy this helpful post about subject line words that might get your e-mail sent to the Spam folder. The blogger had no way of knowing it, of course, but I actually had a very important e-mail wind up in my spam filter just last week.

Now, I have to say, the spam filter does a very good job of “filing” all of those notices about my foreign lottery winnings. (Who knew I could win so many times without even entering?) There are times, though, that I really do receive and send important information through e-mail. It would be nice to have a little more assurance that things actually get where they need to be.

Do you have any frustrations with e-mail spam. Feel free to share them!

Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

Of Note: Notable Blog Update — Keep the Votes Coming!

Last week I asked for your help in picking the five most notable blogs for writers in 2007.

I want to thank you for helping me with this. There’s no way I could choose from among the 43 “Of Note” blogs. If you haven’t voted already, go ahead and do so.

So far I have a single vote for each of the following blogs:

1. Freelance Writing Jobs
2. Punctuality Rules
3. Writing Forward
4. Grow Your Writing Business

As you can see, there is plenty of opportunity to make your vote count.

By the way, you don’t have to be on the list to vote. I just thought that I’d make that clear.

I look forward to seeing everyone’s comments.

Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved