Crayon Writer

Interested in some good reading about web hosting?

When looking for hosting for a new or even current blog, doing your homework also includes reading what others think. Not just what others think about your potential host, but also what people think of web hosting in general. There’s so much to learn, and I’m fan of research. That’s probably why I’m addicted to the Internet.

I just found a new blog with lots of web hosting articles.

From my understanding, the rest of the website isn’t launched yet, so don’t be turned off by the articles. There’s more to come, including tutorials and more specific web host information.

If you check out the site, let us know what you think about it.

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I just read an interesting post on Scott Wainner’s blog about longevity.

As a mother, and as the daughter of aging parents, mortality is definitely something that’s on my mind.

Scott’s post discusses aging as a disease that could be delayed just like any other disease (though not completely cured).

Even though his post is also a monetary contest, it’s also thought provoking. Check out his post when you get the chance.

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I recently talked about writing for review sites, and PayPerPost is one of the best known. I just started seriously writing for them , and I think it’s a great deal.

Writing for review sites requires that you use sound blog ethics. For instance, I won’t claim I’ve used a product I haven’t, and I won’t say I love something I hate.

So why PayPerPost? With their new ranking system, I don’t have to worry about my Google rank in order to make money. In the past, a lot of the advertisers wanted blogs with a certain Google rank, but Google’s recent “slaps” works against this system in a drastic way. PayPerPost, whose parent company is called IZEA, came up with their own ranking system to alleviate this problem. This means I don’t have to write a bunch of $5 posts for companies I’m not interested in.

Right now my blog earns anywhere from $5 to $20 per review. Not too bad.

PayPerPost guidelines help keep people from littering their blogs with paid posts, which of course would be a disservice to the advertisers. You can’t write more than a few per day, and your blog has to have a balance between paid and non-paid posts. Fair enough, right?

If you haven’t tried it, and you’re looking for a way to monetize your blog, do your research and see if it’s for you. It’s free to sign up.

Interested? Just click on the logo above and you’re on your way!

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Are you a work-at-home parent? Even if you’re a home-based entrepreneur without children, this resource list is gold.

The list includes 100 resources, from articles to blogs (mine is included…very nice), to networks and miscellaneous information. Everything’s online, so there’s no need to run to the library.

Even if you don’t have time right now, just go to The Bootstrapper’s site and bookmark the WAHM’s Toolbox. This is a list you don’t want to ignore.

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You’ve probably heard that Microsoft wants to buy Yahoo!, which recently rejected Microsoft’s unsolicited bid.

So maybe that’s why Yahoo! is making some moves. I’m not a financial person, and I don’t keep up with the goings-on of big companies, so if you have any insight on the matter, let me know.

But what I do know is that Yahoo! has launched its new Yahoo! Toolbar, and they want people to try it out (here’s a handy link if you want to download the Yahoo! Toolbar). Apparently Yahoo! has a lot of the same things that Google does (again, I haven’t kept up with these things, so maybe it’s not news to you ). They even have a hosting plan, which I’m going to have to try the next time I need a new provider.

I was actually a Yahoo! person until recently, and now I use Google for everything. So I’m willing to give Yahoo! a try again, starting with their toolbar. It gives me quick access to my Yahoo! Groups, Yellow Pages, Personals (dating online isn’t a bad idea), and their search engine.

What do you think about the Yahoo! Toolbar and the other products? Will Yahoo! be able to compete with Google again? Will there soon be Yahoo! pagerank too?

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In my Entrecard sitehopping I’ve found a lot of gems. One of the great things about Entrecard is that the users let the company know when there are inappropriate or spam blogs. So I’ve found nothing but quality blogs so far.

If you’ve looked at any of my articles in the sidebar you know that I used to have pet rats. So when I found a blog that talked about the history of the Chinese New Year’s Year of the Rat (2008), I couldn’t help but be intrigued.

For Singapore Entrepreneurs Only is a really interesting blog with a lot of useful information for entrepreneurs anywhere in the world.

The post about the Year of the Rat taught me how the rat came to be on the Chinese calendar, and gave some interesting predictions about the year 2008. Rats are fascinating creatures, known to be intelligent and tenacious. The Year of the Rat promises to be eventful with major political changes and a calm stock market.

Read more about the predictions for this year at For Singapore Entrepreneurs Only. While you’re there, take a look around. There’s something for everyone.

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Years ago I realized I was a good writer. I would say it started in elementary school when my teachers always told me how creative I was. In college, I helped friends edit their papers, and even though my degree was in biology, my first job after college was as an assistant editor.

So it makes sense that I’m pursuing a writing career.

More recently, I’ve figured out that I prefer writing for businesses. I write website content, newsletters, press releases, sales letters, correspondence, brochures, and more. Basically, I’m a freelance commercial writer.

A new freelance writer asked me to recommend some books that helped me get started. There are two that I found particularly useful for commercial writing, and they’re both by the same author.

Peter Bowerman’s books include The Well-Fed Writer and Back for Seconds. The best thing about his books is that they give explicit instructions for building your commercial writing business. It’s not a bunch of, “Look how great I am!”

Peter’s first book, The Well-Fed Writer, is very specific but primarily based on the way Peter built his business. It’s great for learning about an effective business model. When I followed his directions, I definitely made progress.

His second book, Back for Seconds, includes lots of examples from other writers’ experiences. You’ll learn from people from all walks of life who are running their own commercial writing businesses.I also appreciate that Peter responds to his email messages even though he’s clearly very busy. He has a new book coming out soon, and I’ll be sure to let you know what I think of it.

In the meantime, if you’re serious about a freelance writing career, grab these books and get to work. I pick them up whenever I need a boost.

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I’ve written a few articles for Associated Content now, as I said I would in a previous post. I’m not thrilled, I must say. Sure, there’s a learning curve as to what they want, but I don’t know if I have the patience to figure it all out. Of the 7 or so articles I’ve submitted, two have been accepted for upfront payment for under $4.

Several others were declined for various reasons. One article was determined to be “humor,” which they don’t usually offer upfront payments for. Another had spelling “errors” (I disagree with their spellchecker, but I fixed the words their system “caught”), and another one or two just weren’t the types of articles they offer payments for (current events and articles that aren’t “in-depth” enough.

Luckily, I’ve been able to take some of the declined articles and sell them elsewhere instead. Otherwise I’m just leaving them as “Performance Paid” articles, and we’ll see what happens.

So check out my AC posts and my recent HubPages posts. Enjoy, and let me know what you think:

Training your cockatiel to whistle

Thinking of getting a pet cockatiel?

My first pet rat

Male or female rats?

Starting from scratch with a new laptop

Calming a toddler: Count to 20 method

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Freelance writers often write for businesses or magazines so we can make a living. But deep inside many, and not so far down in quite a few, is the desire to publish their first novel, or even some of their poetry.

It can be scary putting your “babies” out there for the world to see, and it’s heartbreaking if you get rejected. Luckily for you aspiring published authors, there is help available. I recently checked out Greendoor Publishing, a site that can help you get your poetry, fiction publishing, and writing dreams accomplished.

I like what Greendoor Publishing stands for. They believe every writer deserves a chance, and they’re willing to publish, free-of-charge, anything their editors think is worthwhile. The company encourages experimentation in writing, so you don’t have to write the way you think you “should.” Be yourself.

Even better than publishing your work, Greendoor will help your work reach its true potential with their online editing service. You send just 4 pages for a free appraisal, or send in your entire piece for a small fee. Their editors will let you know how much help the piece needs. When you’re ready, let their experienced team enhance your already great writing.

If you need a nudge getting started, perhaps with your personal memoirs, take advantage of their ghost writing service. All you need is a synopsis of your story, and you can begin getting great advice about where to go from there. 

Check them out when you get the urge to write the next great novel. Who knows? You may have the next Harry Potter on your hands.

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I just found out about this really cool WordPress plugin called CommentLuv (thanks to Opal of Vegan Momma).

If you comment on Crayon Writer (and you have a blog), the plugin will show the title of your last blog post. And if you don’t already know, Crayon Writer is a “do follow” blog. I don’t really understand what that means, but it’s good for search engines from what I hear.

So comment, subscribe, and be merry!

(Added note: I talked with the creator of the plugin, Andy, and he told me there may be an incompatibility issue with the threaded comments and commentluv plugins. So for now, commentluv doesn’t work on this blog. But do try it on yours!)

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