Writing Quote of the Day
Nice to see you again! Join in the discussion!“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. “
~Benjamin Franklin
Photo by mutednarayan
Writing Quote of the Day
“The discipline of the writer is to learn to be still and listen to what his subject has to tell him.”
Rachel Carson
Photo by Twylo
Recommended: Crime-Writers Yahoo Group
There are many sites out there, purporting to be the definitive source for information. Many sites too will offer this information–at a price. One site though that truly delivers is the Crime-Writers Yahoo Group. Where to start? First of all, the group is active, very active. There’s plenty to read and enjoy. The group hosts writers from experienced to beginning to would-be. Questions are welcomed and cheerfully answered and analyzed. No question is taboo here if it’s what poison mimics a heart attack to what to do with the body afterwards, it’s fair game.
A number of heavy hitters post regularly on the group including Lee Lofland, author and blogger from The Graveyard Shift. Information comes from all quarters. Related questions such as computer questions are also welcomed. Being as it is a Yahoo group, you do need to join the group. While I’m not a fan of Yahoo groups in general, for this one I set all aside. The one thing I don’t like about the groups is the posting of your email address in messages to the group. No worries though. The group does a fine job of sifting through the spam. Self-promoters are promptly dealt with. The links list, while not very long, is a good selection of resources worth a look.
Have that burning question about police procedure or poisons? This is the group to query.
Marketing Yourself With Squidoo
You may have noticed my links, but if you haven’t visited Squidoo, you’re missing a great opportunity to market yourself. With Squidoo, you create pages that are called lens. A lens is a static page, your canvas as it were, to create a page about a topic of your choice. It can be your love, like writing. It can be a focus of your life, perhaps health. It can be a hobby, a place you love, anything. Then the fun starts.
Squidoo works in a controlled type of set up like Blogger. You are given choices of modules to add to your lens. Some are basic like text areas and lists. Other modules are money-making like Amazon and NetFlix. There’s even modules for eBay and ArtByUs to feature your auctions. You pick and arrange the modules as you please. More than one of a type can appear on your page. You are allowed to use some basic HTML to customize the look and feel of your lens.
What are the benefits to you? Visibility. The site gets a great deal of traffic. The format is very attractive too. A visitor wants to browse lens. Lens are fun to create. You can have more than one. Some people have lots of lens–over 100. Then there’s the money. When you add that Amazon module, you can add your associate ID, if you have one. You do make money on other revenue-focused modules. So does Squidoo, but it’s their site.
I’ve had my lens for awhile now. Other than Zazzle, it has been my best paying non-art outlet. Nice too that my earnings can be sent to my PayPal account. Here are some examples of my lens.
Doing the Door–Door County, Wisconsin
Writing Quote of the Day
Jef Mallett, Frazz
Photo by Bright Meadow
Subcribe: Listen
While You’re Surfing
Articles
Writing Samples
For Writers and Readers
Extras
BookSwim
