Celebrate 50,000 Views with Me

Copyright  2013 Joan Y. Edwards and Her Licensors

“Celebrate 50,000 Views with Me” by Joan Y. Edwards

On October 9, 2009 I decided to start a blog. I had no idea what I would write about, my goal was to write things to encourage people to never give up on their hopes and dreams. Today 44 months later, I reached 50,000 views. Yee Haw! What a fun experience! Last night I was waiting like someone waiting for the ballots to come in for an election. At 11:30 there were 3 to go. Sometime early this morning, the tally of reads for my blog reached 50,000.  That equals 1,136 reads a month.

In my blog, I write:

1. Things that interest me.
2. Topics requested by my readers.
3. Things I know from experience.
4. Things I discover through research.

What do I get out of my blogging experience?

1. Interacting with people wonderful people who like the same things as I do.
2. A great feeling of helping others when people say these words to me:

• “Your blog is addictive” …Karen Tomas.
• “You motivated me to take action.”
• “You inspired me to keep on going.”
• “You gave me great information.”
• “I’m saving a link to your blog for future reference.”
• “You made me laugh.”
• “Your simple steps make it easy for me to understand.”

My Top Twelve Posts with the number of reads beside them.

1. How Many Words Should Your Sentences Contain? 5,153
2. Family Sewing Projects – Jedi Robes and Princess Leia Ponchos 2,843
3. Put Universal Conflict, Theme, and Emotions in Your Story 1,882
4. 17 Days to Repaint a Wooden French Provincial Bed 1,879
5. What Is Your Story’s Premise? Editors Want to Know 1,646
6. Wonderfully Funny Analogies and Metaphors 1,560
7. Eight Character Archetypes to Emphasize the Conflict in Your Story 1,423
8. Twelve Ways to Get Over Disappointment 847
9. What I Learned about the Adams Literary Agency 757
10. God Will Show You How by Mary L. Kupferle public domain 536
11. God’s Emergency Phone List 534
12. 18 Publishers Who Accept Unsolicited Manuscripts 498

Hangout GooglePlus+

Monday, May 20, 2013 from 7:00-9:00 p.m.

The first way to celebrate my 50,000 reads, on Monday, May 20, 2013 from 7:00-9:00 PM, I’ll do a Hangout at GooglePlus+ entitled “How to Make Your Blog Zing” and field questions from participants. Only 10 people are allowed in a Hangout at a time. It’s free.

For those who are unable to join the hangout, I’ll post a blog with a link to the video on YouTube and a few questions and answers from the Hangout.

Leave a comment below if you’d like to join me. It’ll be on the first Monday after I reach 50,000 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. It looks like it’ll be in the next two weeks. Connect with me on Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/108439424078672286967. I’ll send you an invitation, be sure and tell me you want to join the hangout.

Giveaway – Free $50.00 value

Free 30 minutes personal consultation to

Make Your Blog Zing

Everyone who leaves a comment on this blog post before midnight Thursday, May 23, 2013 will have a chance to win a free 30 minutes personal consultation by phone or Skype or FaceTime or other web-cam or other computer method agreed upon to help the lucky winner Make Your Blog Zing. If you’re the winner, I’ll analyze your blog:

1. Make suggestions on how to improve what you’re already doing.
2. Give tips on how to organize your time.
3. Most importantly, answer your questions about your blog.

To celebrate 50,000, here is a new Never Give Up log you can use on your emails, websites, or blogs. Thank you for reading my blog.

 

I sent a new Never Give Up GoGoGo logo to all subscribers for whom I have an email address. If you are subscribed and  didn’t receive it, email me at the email address in the left-hand column and let me know.

Connect with me. I’d be honored.

Celebrate you today.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards

Copyright © 2013 Joan Y. Edwards

Which Social Media Is Right for You?

Sign-up Links
Facebook Glogster	Google Plus+ Goodreads	LinkedIn Pinterest Twitter

“Which Social Media Is Right for You?” by Joan Y. Edwards

I know. I know. I’ve thrown so many Social Media possibilities out at you: Facebook, GooglePlus+, Glogster, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter. You might be confused. There are others that I didn’t include yet. I put a little information about blogging below. I may add a separate post for Blogging and Goodreads later. I added the signup page link for Goodreads now. Guess what! You can’t do them all. Nor should you do them all. Relax. Here is a little information and a few questions to help you decide which social media is right for you.

Which social media do you believe will get you the most new connections and good prospects for your business, service, or product? Which one will help you be better known across the internet? All of the tools below can create a good following of new people. Which is right for you?

1. Blogging – Many bloggers create a good following. In the references, I put articles written by Anne R. Allen and Jane Friedman discussing whether a writer should or shouldn’t have a blog.  Personally, I use my blog for my major focus for marketing. I use the other social media to spread the word about my blog, my books, and my workshops. When you sell your book, your publisher may require you to have a blog. WordPress or Blogger are two simple platforms to use for a blog. Don’t blog any information or material you wish to have published by a publisher. Make sure your blog and each blog post has your copyright information on it.
2. Facebook Author or Company Pages – can create a good following, with links for special deals, links to websites, blogs, information, pictures, videos with links, special events.
3. Glogster If you like to make a collection of different formats, Glogster might be for you.
4. Goodreads lists your published books and reviews, lists books you read. You can do giveaways.
5. GooglePlus+ can be a message with a link, with a picture, with a video, with a slideshow. You can interact with businesses, friends, family, organizations, people with the same skills and profession as you. You can organize them in circles of any name you choose: family, friends, writers, illustrators, lawyers, editors, agents, and/or plumbers.
6. LinkedIn can connect you with professionals you already know online and/or in person. You can upload resumes and list your skills and expertise. You can check out possible employers. You can start or join groups with same interests as you. You can also find out events related to your skills or profession.
7. Pinterest gives you a place to post messages with a picture attached. If you don’t have a picture or image for your post, Pinterest might not be the best one for you.
8. Twitter with its short 140 character tweets and retweets. Tweets can be words or links to webpages, blogs, images, videos, sales, books, products, etc.
9. Websites can provide visitors but usually you don’t have any way to interact with them unless you do a newsletter and have them sign up on your website. Adding a blog or guest book on your website can help this.

Before you decide, here are more questions to help you make a good decision:

1. What is your marketing goal? WikiHow says this should be your first decision. I say choose two or three social media that seem to fit your needs. Then focus on one main one, and one minor one.
2. How much time do you have to spend on it? Specify a certain amount of time and limit it to that. Time is money. Leave time for your job, your family, your friends.  If you’re a writer, do your major writing project first, then do your social media.
3. What will you get out of it?
4. Which one is calling you? Which one do you like? If one intimidates you, leave it alone for now. Do the ones that your inner self says, “I can do that.”
5. If you need more directions, look at the blog posts in my series, to help you get started.

Good luck to you.

Here are links to my social media posts:

1. Joan Y. Edwards. “Collect Images for Fun and Research – Use Pinterest:” http://joanyedwards.wordpress.com/2013/04/28/collect-images-for-fun-and-research-use-pinterest/
2. Joan Y. Edwards. “Facebook: The Pros, Cons, and How to’s:” http://joanyedwards.wordpress.com/2013/03/01/facebook-the-pros-cons-and-how-tos/
3. Joan Y. Edwards. “How to Use Glogster – A Personal Electronic Poster Maker:” http://joanyedwards.wordpress.com/2013/04/28/how-to-use-glogster-a-personal-electronic-poster-maker/
4. Joan Y. Edwards. “9 Reasons to Use Google Plus+:” http://joanyedwards.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/9-reasons-to-use-google-plus/
5. Joan Y. Edwards.”Seven Advantages of Using Twitter:” http://joanyedwards.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/seven-advantages-of-using-twitter/
6. Joan Y. Edwards. “Ten Reasons to Use LinkedIn:” http://joanyedwards.wordpress.com/2013/05/12/ten-reasons-to-use-linkedin/
7. Joan Y. Edwards. “Which Social Media Is Right for You?” http://joanyedwards.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/which-social-media-is-right-for-you/
   

I hope this article has given you a few ideas to help you decide which social media, if any, is right for you. There are more references at the bottom. Please feel free to ask a question or leave a comment below, be sure to sign your first and last name.

As a way to celebrate my 50,000 reads (only 402 views to go), I’ll do a Hangout to “How to Make Your Blog Zing” and field questions from participants. We can only have 10 people in a Hangout at a time. It’s free. Those unable to join the hangout can view it on YouTube a few hours later. Leave a comment below if you’d like to join me. It’ll be on the first Monday after I reach 50,000 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. It looks like it’ll be in the next two weeks. Connect with me on Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/108439424078672286967. I’ll send you an invitation, be sure and tell me you want to join the hangout.

Giveaway – When I reach 50,000 views, a lucky winner will receive — a free 1/2 hour personal consultation by phone or computer on Making Your Blog Zing. I’ll analyze the lucky winner’s blog and make suggestions on how to improve what he’s already doing;  give tips on how to organize his time; and most importantly, answer questions he has about his blog.

Connect with me. I’d be honored.

Celebrate you today.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards

Copyright © 2013 Joan Y. Edwards

References

1. Anne R. Allen.  “Is it Really Time for Authors to Stop Blogging?” http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2013/03/is-it-really-time-for-authors-to-stop.html
2. Ellie Mirman. “30 Terrible Pieces of Social Media Advice You Should Ignore:” http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/34180/30-Terrible-Pieces-of-Social-Media-Advice-You-Should-Ignore.aspx
3. http://www.forbes.com/pictures/emig45ffhe/myth-1-social-news-aggregators-are-dead/
4. Finance Magazine. “What skills do you need to become a professional blogger?” http://www.financemagazineonline.com/2012/02/what-skills-do-you-need-to-become.html
5. IT World Answers. “How Do I Blend Facebook, Twitter, and Google-Plus:” http://www.itworld.com/answers/topic/internet/question/how-do-i-blend-facebook-twitter-and-google-plus
6. Janet Friedman. “It’s Time for Many Experienced Writers to Stop Blogging:” http://janefriedman.com/2013/03/15/its-time-for-many-experienced-writers-to-stop-blogging/
7. Jennifer Lonoff Schiff. “6 Tips to Build Your Social Media Strategy:” http://www.cio.com/article/732975/6_Tips_to_Build_Your_Social_Media_Strategy
8. Kasper Mikiewicz. Better Way to Add Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and Any Other External Scripts:” https://coderwall.com/p/27jmwq
9. Simon Kuper. Prezi. “How to Choose Your Soap Box: Picking the Right Social Media:” http://prezi.com/lh1jrt0sjufj/how-to-choose-your-soap-box-picking-the-right-social-media-platforms/
10. “How Social Media Improved Writing:” http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/9083e598-90ee-11e2-a456-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2ROjIcL2p
11. WikiHow. “4 Ways to Select a Social Media Monitoring Tool:” http://www.wikihow.com/Select-a-Social-Media-Monitoring-Tool

Ten Reasons to Use LinkedIn

“Ten Reasons to Use LinkedIn” by Joan Y. Edwards

Wikipedia says that by March 2011, LinkedIn had 100 million users worldwide. As of October 2011, LinkedIn had over 14 million students and recent college graduates as members. Now, they have over 225 million users. LinkedIn is a place for job seekers, entrepreneurs, and professionals to network online.

USA TODAY College says joining LinkedIn before graduation can benefit students during their college and professional careers.

Trade publication TechRepublic says LinkedIn has “become the de facto tool for professional networking.

Here are 10 reasons to use LinkedIn:

1. Connect with someone you already know who is on LinkedIn. Don’t ask to join the network of a person you do not know.  I have accepted from people whose names and work I am acquainted with, although I have not met them face-to-face. For instance, people I have interacted with by email or who have subscribed to my blog.

2. Endorse your connections for skills and expertise. You can also add other skills for them. Sometimes others endorse you for skills you hadn’t put on your list.  This is quite an honor.  By seeing the skills listed for you, an employer can check his needs with your skills and request an interview for a job with his company.

3. Design your own profile with a photo for Identification purposes.

4. Upload a resume listing all of your qualifications for a potential job. This will showcase your education, honors and awards, publications, work and community experiences. This can help you find jobs, people and more business opportunities.

4. Employers can list jobs and search for potential candidates within LinkedIn.

5. Job seekers can review the profile of hiring managers and discover which of their existing contacts can introduce them.

6. Send private messages to people in your network through LinkedIn.

7. Post links to websites, blogs, and other social media connections.

8. Join different focus groups for organizations, industries or products; for instance, SCBWI, social media, writers, illustrators, kitchen and bath designers, lawyers, plumbers, architects, etc.

9. See events that relate to your job and/or skills and who is going; for instance, conventions,  conferences, seminars, workshops.

10. Regular LinkedIn is free: http://www.linkedin.com/. You can join premium services for a fee.

I hope this article has shown you 10 reasons to use LinkedIn. Always remember it’s a choice.

If you don’t feel 100% percent comfortable in doing it yet, there are 14 resources listed below to help you decide if it’s for you and to help you get started.

As a way to celebrate my 50,000 reads (only 621 views to go), I’ll do a Hangout to “How to Make Your Blog Zing” and field questions from participants. As I understand it, we can only have 10 people in a Hangout at a time. But it’s free. I hope you’ll join me. Leave a comment below if you’d like to come. It’ll be on the first Monday after I reach 50,000 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. It’ll either be in May or June. Connect with me on Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/108439424078672286967. I’ll send you an invitation. If it works out, we can do one every month about varying topics. We’ll see how it works.

When I reach 50,000 views, I’m also going to have a Give-Away to a lucky winner — a 1/2 hour personal consultation/critique on Making Your Blog Zing. I’ll do this by telephone or via computer (winner’s choice). I’ll analyze the lucky winner’s blog and make suggestions on how to improve what he’s already doing;  give tips on how to organize his time; and most importantly, answer questions he has about his blog.

To subscribe to my blog and receive an email when I post an article, click “Sign Me Up” in the left hand column. You’ll receive a free logo as a gift. Thank you.

Connect with me. I’d be honored.

Celebrate you today.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards

Copyright © 2013 Joan Y. Edwards

Resources

1. Christina Wodtke: Announcing LinkedIn Events:” http://blog.linkedin.com/2008/11/07/announcing-linkedin-events/
2. Guy Kawasaki. “How to Change the World: Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn:” http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2007/01/ten_ways_to_use.html
3. Joel Elad. “Benefits of Using LinkedIn:” http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/linkedin-benefits-of-using.html 
4. Kevin O’Keefe. “LinkedIn Is 10 Years Old Now a Personal CRM System for Lawyers:” http://kevin.lexblog.com/2013/05/06/linkedin-is-10-years-old-now-a-personal-crm-system-for-lawyers/
5. Kenna Griffin. “Why You Should Use LinkedIn More Than Facebook or Twitter:” http://www.profkrg.com/why-you-should-use-linkedin-more-than-facebook-or-twitter
6. LinkedIn. Video. “The Value of LinkedIn:” http://help.linkedin.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/45
7. LinkedIntelligence. “100+ Ways to Use LinkedIn:” http://linkedintelligence.com/smart-ways-to-use-linkedin/
8. Neal Shaffer. “What is LinkedIn and Why Should You Join?” http://windmillnetworking.com/2009/08/26/what-is-linkedin-and-why-should-you-join/#ixzz2Sl3rlGpZ
9. Neal Schaffer. “Why Use LinkedIn? 7 Reasons for Every Professional to Join:” http://windmillnetworking.com/2009/02/02/7-reasons-why-every-professional-should-be-on-linkedin/
10. OutSmarts. “Why You Should Use LinkedIn for Business:”   http://www.out-smarts.com/2011/08/05/why-you-should-use-linkedin-for-business/
11. Rick Vanover. “Five benefits of LinkedIn for organizations (and IT pros):” http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/networking/five-benefits-of-linkedin-for-organizations-and-it-pros/1471
12. Ruth A. Harper. “Why You Should Use LinkedIn before Graduation:” http://www.usatodayeducate.com/staging/index.php/blog/why-you-should-use-linkedin-before-graduation
13. Slim Jackson. “Why You Should Use LinkedIn:” http://www.singleblackmale.org/2012/07/19/why-you-should-use-linkedin/
14. Tess C. Taylor. “Why Use LinkedIn?” http://www.brighthub.com/internet/web-development/articles/112183.aspx

9 Reasons to Use Google Plus+

Google Plus+

“9 Reasons to Use Google Plus+” by Joan Y. Edwards

Here are 9 reasons to use Google Plus+. It has many ways to help you with marketing.

1. Google plus has circles. You decide what the name of your circles are. Here are the names of circles I chose to have on Google Plus. You will communicate with the people in these groups.

• Family
• Friends
• Writers
• Illustrators
• Marketing
• Publishers
• Agents

You can name the circles whatever you wish. Just click, add circle and give it the name you like. No one but you knows the name of your circles and who is in them. You can put people in more than one circle. You choose which circle(s) receive your shared post.

On Facebook, I have to share on my friends page, on my author page, and on the PubSubber Page, separately. On Google, I could do all three, if I had all those connections in a circle.

2. People do not know which circle you put them in. You can put people in as many circles as you want. For instance, some people might be friends and writers. If your product is for men, you could make a circle consisting only of men. Then you could target this particular circle of men with posts about how every man needs “YOUR PRODUCT.”

3. The Google Plus Profile Page has a place to broadcast your blog(s) or website(s). Put a place on your blog(s) and your website(s) for people to follow you on Google Plus.

4. You can gain new connections. Perhaps new customers for your product or service. And as marketing consultant, Linda Sherman, wrote in a recent blog post, “GooglePlus can give you access to influencers who might not notice you elsewhere.”

5. You can make a page for a business, blog, book, product, or service. I made a simple one for Flip Flap Floodle and for Joan’s Elder Care Guide. I may add one for this blog. It’ll all be in one place.

6. You can add people to a circle using their email address. If you have a Gmail account, it’ll use your contacts, if you want to ask if you wish to add them to a circle. Then it sends an email asking them if they’d like to join Google Plus and add you to their circles.

7. You can add your location, remember special events, post pictures, videos, and links.

8. Having more information on Google Plus may give you more hits on your blogs or websites which will help you statistics, gain your audience, and hopefully increase your sales.

9. Google Plus has Hangouts. A hangout is similar to Skype or FaceTime, but you can have up to ten people from 10 different webcams hanging out with you at the same time. Now listen to this: It sends you a video of your whole hangout to your YouTube account. Each time a different person talks, it switches their webcam picture on the screen. If you don’t have a webcam, if you give me your phone number, I can invite you by phone. Phoning from United States and Canada is free.

I hope this article has shown you 9 reasons to use Google Plus+. Always remember it’s a choice.

If you don’t feel 100% percent comfortable in doing it yet, there are 15 resources listed below to help you decide if it’s for you or to help you get started.

As a way to celebrate my 50,000 reads (only 1,323 more to go), I’ll do a Hangout to “How to Make Your Blog Zing” and field questions from participants. As I understand it, we can only have 10 people in a Hangout at a time. But it’s free. I hope you’ll join me. Leave a comment below if you’d like to come. It’ll be on the first Monday after I reach 50,000 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. It’ll either be in May or June. Connect with me on Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/108439424078672286967. I’ll send you an invitation. If it works out, we can do one every month about varying topics. We’ll see how it works.

When I reach 50,000 views, I’m also going to have a Give-Away to a lucky winner — a 1/2 hour personal consultation/critique on Making Your Blog Zing. I’ll do this by telephone or via computer (winner’s choice). I’ll analyze the lucky winner’s blog and make suggestions on how to improve what he’s already doing;  give tips on how to organize his time; and most importantly, answer questions he has about his blog.

Do you have any suggestions for fun and exciting ways to celebrate 50,000 views? Let me know.

Join the 126 subscribers to my blog. To receive an email when I post my next article, click “Sign Me Up” in the left hand column. You’ll receive a link and password to download a free logo that says: Never Give Up Build It One Block at a Time. It’s my free gift to you for subscribing to my blog. Thank you.

Would you write a review of my picture book Flip Flap Floodle? Click here to Hear Flip’s Song. I have 14 reviews. I need 15 to meet my goal for 2013. 48,677

Joan’s Website: http://www.joanyedwards.com (Gospel-related devotionals, puzzles, and skits)

Connect with me. I’d be honored.

Celebrate you today.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards

Copyright © 2013 Joan Y. Edwards

Resources

1. Chris Brogan. “Getting Started with Google Plus+” (privacy settings)
   http://www.chrisbrogan.com/startgoogleplus/#
2. Digital Unite. “How to join Google Plus:” http://digitalunite.com/guides/social-networking-blogs/google-plus/how-join-google-plus
3. Dorie Clark. “Why You Should Be On Google Plus (Even Though No One Else Is):” http://www.forbes.com/sites/dorieclark/2013/01/04/why-you-should-be-on-google-plus-even-though-no-one-else-is/
4. Fraser Cain. “Tips and Tricks for Hangouts on Air:”
   https://plus.google.com/+FraserCain/posts/PaeeynDx34L
5. Google. “Invite People to Hangout.” https://support.google.com/plus/answer/1215839?hl=en
6. Google Plus Daily. “How to’s for Google Plus:” http://www.googleplusdaily.com/search/label/how-to
7. Lee Jarrett. Google Plus Daily. “How to Get around Google+:” http://www.googleplusdaily.com/2013/01/how-to-getting-around-google.html#.UYFsgsr95VI
8. Mark Traphagen. “Your Google Plus Network is More Powerful Than You Know”  http://windmillnetworking.com/2013/01/30/your-google-plus-network-is-more-powerful-than-you-know/
9. Martin Shervington. “Complete User Guide: Google Plus Pages for Business and Brands:” http://www.martinshervington.com/google-plus-pages-for-business-and-brands/
10. Michael Carney. “How to Use Google Plus for Business.com Smart Video Chat Marketing with Google Plus  Hangouts.” http://howtousegoogleplusforbusiness.com/2012/01/smart-video-chat-marketing-with-google-plus-hangouts/
11. Neal Schaffer. “How to Use Google Plus for Personal Branding and Establishing Author Rank:” http://windmillnetworking.com/2012/11/29/6-ways-to-leverage-google-plus-for-personal-branding-and-author-rank/
12. Paul Maplesden. Google Plus Daily. “10 Things to Do after Joining Google+:” http://www.googleplusdaily.com/2013/03/10-things-to-do-after-joining-google.html#.UYFsCLUT-sj
13. Paul Maplesden. “Differences between Facebook and Google Plus:” http://www.googleplusdaily.com/2013/02/differences-google-plus-facebook.html#.UYFzErUT-sg
14. Ronnie Bincer “Learn How YouTube Connects YOU with Google Plus:” https://plus.google.com/u/0/108210288375340023376/posts/YBiofdrkb3T
15. Roshan Khan. “How to Use Google Plus” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-nIcIzCq5

Collect Images for Fun and Research – Use Pinterest

Collect images on Pinterest

“Collect Images for Fun and Research – Use Pinterest” by Joan Y. Edwards

Wikipedia says Pinterest allows users to save images and categorize them on different boards. You can follow other users’ boards if they have similar tastes. Wikipedia says popular categories are travel, cars, food, film, humor, home design, sports, fashion, and art. I haven’t used Pinterest. I have a folder on my computer where I collect images for my blog. I put them in folders from the different sites from which I downloaded them. I have a folder for those I created. I imagine that Pinterest is similar. It also saves the website where you found the picture. I have to write mine in the word document where I save them. It might save me time.  share them. Others can see the URL of the website where each image was found, too.

It’s a great way to collect and save images for your next historical novel, or the family pictures. Want to buy a new home, then collect photos of your favorite homes.

You can keep your pin boards private.  You can also share your pinned boards with Facebook or Twitter or send a link through emails. People can leave comments and re-pin what you posted in your collection.

If you used to cut out pictures from magazines and newspapers, this might be a fun digital way to save your favorite images.

Good luck in your collections, either digital or with actual paper documents.

Below are resources that will help you learn how to use Pinterest.  You can add a special Pinterest collection to your blog or website and lead more people to find you. A smooth way to enlarge the marketing pool of people who may be interested in buying or reviewing your book, product, or service.

Resources

1. David Mielach. “The Four Words That Drive Business on Pinterest:” http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4391-four-words-pinterest.html
2. Jeff Bullas. “Seven Ways to Use Pinterest to Promote Your Business:” http://bit.ly/12ZHycG
3. Mitt Ray. “How to Use Pinterest to Promote Your Products:” http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-use-pinterest-to-promote-your-products/
4. Pinterest. “Pinning 101 – About Pinterest…Basics:” http://about.pinterest.com/basics
5. RealSimple. Six steps. “How to Use Pinterest:” http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/technology/how-to-use-pinterest-00100000087471/
6. Ryan Pinkham. “10 Things You Need to Do When Getting Started on Pinterest:” http://blogs.constantcontact.com/product-blogs/social-media-marketing/getting-started-on-pinterest/
7. Stephanie Burkhart. 4RV Publishing. “Using Pinterest as a Marketing Tool:” http://4rvreading-writingnewsletter.blogspot.com/2013/03/using-pinterest-as-marketing-tool.html
8. Tristan Higbee. YouTube. “How to Use Pinterest – Tutorial:” www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQP2dBMoCQ0
9. Tristan Higbee.  (You have to sign up or sign in to see this)”My Pinterest account:” http://www.pinterest.com/tristanhigbee.
10. Wikihow. Step by Step Directions and Pictures. “How to Use Pinterest:” http://m.wikihow.com/Use-Pinterest
11. Wikipedia. “Pinterest.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinterest

Thank you for reading my blog. You honor me with your presence here.

Please leave a comment. Let me know if you already use Pinterest and why you like it. If it sounds like fun to you, sign up and enjoy.

Oh my goodness! You have read articles on my blog a total of 48,348 times at his moment. I’m getting close to 50,000 views on my blog. Thank you for making this possible. One of my subscribers, Sandra Warren noticed how close I was and congratulated me.  I asked her what should we do to celebrate. I liked her suggestion and am using it. Thank you, Sandra.

To celebrate I’m going to have a Give-Away to a lucky winner — a 1/2 hour personal consultation/critique on Making Your Blog Zing. I’ll do this by telephone or via computer (winner’s choice). I’ll analyze the lucky winner’s blog and make suggestions on how to improve what he’s already doing;  give tips on how to organize his time; and most importantly, answer questions he has about his blog.

So I’ll give you more details on the first blog I write after I reach 50,000 readers.  I’ll have a special treat for all subscribers to my blog at that time. Do you have any suggestions for fun and exciting ways to celebrate? Let me know.

Join the 126 subscribers to my blog. To receive an email when I post my next article, click “Sign Me Up” in the left hand column. You’ll receive a link and password to download a free logo that says: Never Give Up Build It One Block at a Time. It’s my free gift to you for subscribing to my blog. Thank you.

Would you write a review of my picture book Flip Flap Floodle? Let me know in the comment area. Hear Flip’s Song. I have 14 reviews. I ‘d love to have 25 to give more confidence to buyers that Flip is a great investment of their $10.00. It’s a story that encourages children to Never Give Up even if they feel like they’ve been swallowed by a mean ole Mr. Fox. It’s available in paperback, Kindle and Nook.

Celebrate you today.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards

Copyright © 2013 Joan Y. Edwards

How to Use Glogster – A Personal Electronic Poster Maker

“How to Use Glogster – A Personal Electronic Poster Maker” by Joan Y. Edwards

Copyright © 2012-2013
Joan Y. Edwards
About me on Glogster

Glogster is an electronic poster collection of Graphics, Images, Text, Videos, Podcasts, Sounds (including songs)  when people view your Glog. My daughter, Lorrie, told me about this in the summer of 2011. I checked it out at that time. During 2012 I opened an account.  I haven’t used it like I thought I would. You can keep your glog private or make it public.

I made a Glog for you to see. An image of it is above. I hope you like it. To see it, click below:
http://www.glogster.com/joanyedwards/about-joan-y-edwards-by-joan-y-edwards/g-6kq48kbssc6uedgn0310ka0

The little pink arrows are for audio files. When you highlight text that has a link attached to it, it flashes www at you. This lets you know you can click there and go to a webpage. To upload a file from your computer, you click the arrow on Glogster. If you go there, it has a place for you to leave a comment. If you want to put a lot of information in different formats for people to see about a new book, a new product, or views of illustrations, this might be a fun thing for you to use and a novel way to market you and what you’re selling – a service or a product. Here’s a link to sign up for Glogster regular: It’s free. www.glogster.com/sign-up

If you want a group of people to be able to work on a glog together, or if you’re a teacher and want your class to be able to make a glog together or individually, sign up for Glogster.Edu. It’s a separate sign-in place. These may cost you a fee of $29.00 a year for one teacher and 30 students. They have a free trial. http://edu.glogster.com/register?premium=trial  Explanation of Different Plans available. http://edu.glogster.com/what-is-glogster-edu/

http://www.glogster.com/joanyedwards/about-joan-y-edwards-by-joan-y-edwards/g-6kq48kbssc6uedgn0310ka0

The resources below will help show you step by step how to do it.

Resources

1. YouTube. “Creating a Glog:” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQGxSig8lAM

2. YouTube. “Creating Glogster EDU Account for Your Class:” www.youtube.com/watch?v=80NISdsoouE

3. YouTube. “How to Use Glogster (A Young Student Demonstrates):” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4MjW1JL8mM

4. Scribd. “(Tip Sheet-Step By Step Directions – Tutorial) How to use Glogster:” http://www.scribd.com/doc/14750322/how-to-use-Glogster

5. Teacher Training Videos.com. “How to Use Glogster EDU:” http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/glogster/index.htm

Thank you for reading my blog. You honor me with your presence here.

Oh my goodness! I have 48,244 Reads at his moment. I’m getting close to 50,000 views on my blog. Thank you for making this possible. One of my subscribers, Sandra Warren noticed how close I was and sent me an email congratulating me.  I asked her what should we do to celebrate. I liked her suggestion. Thank you, Sandra.  To celebrate I’m going to have a Give-Away to a lucky winner — a 1/2 hour personal consultation/critique on Making Your Blog Zing. I’ll do this by telephone or via computer (winner’s choice). I’ll analyze the lucky winner’s blog and make suggestions on how to improve what he’s already doing;  give tips on how to organize his time; and most importantly, answer questions he has about his blog.

So I’ll give you more details on the first blog I write after I reach 50,000 readers.  I’ll have a special treat for all subscribers to my blog at that time. Do you have any suggestions for fun and exciting ways to celebrate? Let me know.

Join the 125 subscribers to my blog. To receive an email when I post my next article, click “Sign Me Up” in the left hand column. You’ll receive a link and password to download a free logo that says: Never Give Up Build It One Block at a Time. It’s my free gift to you for subscribing to my blog. Thank you.

Would you write a review of my picture book Flip Flap Floodle? Click here to Hear Flip’s Song. I have 14 reviews. I need 15 to meet my goal for 2013.

Joan’s Website: http://www.joanyedwards.com (Gospel-related devotionals, puzzles, and skits)

Celebrate you today.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards

Copyright © 2013 Joan Y. Edwards

 

…and the Winner is Joy Moore

“…and the Winner is Joy Moore,” by Joan Y. Edwards

Thank you for reading Make Your Character’s Actions Show Emotions blog from March 19, 2013. The following people left a comment and/or shared a “Plain Jane” sentence and its revised ”Dazzling Dan” version before midnight April 26, 2013. I put their names in a virtual hat and let Random.org choose the winner.

1. Linda Andersen
2. Joy Moore
3. Sandra Warren
4. Carol Federlin Baldwin
5. Linda Phillips 4866
6. Sarah Maury Swan
7. Tracy Campbell
8. Becky Shillington

Random.org chose number 2 – Joy Moore. Congratulations, Joy. Please email me and let me know whether you want a free pitch and 1000 word critique or a free copy of Flip Flap Floodle. Hear Flip’s Song.

Thank you to everyone who reads my blog. A special thanks to those who take time from their busy lives to leave me a note. I appreciate you very much.

Celebrate you.
Never Give Up

Joan Y. Edwards

7 Reasons Why You Should Never Give Up

“7 Reasons Why You Should Never Give Up” by Joan Y. Edwards

Copyright © 2013 Joan Y. Edwards. It takes determination, belief, and courage to Never Give Up.

The theme of my blog is “Never Give Up.” It takes determination, belief, and courage to Never Give Up. Most of my blogs encourage you to keep going toward your goals, your life’s dreams. Today I’d like to encourage you by telling you about the lives of 7 famous people who were rejected many times before they were successful. Their behavior shows 7 reasons why you should never give up. Each of these people had three essentials necessary to Never Give Up: determination, belief, and courage.

1. Did you know that J.K. Rowling was on welfare before she sold Harry Potter? Twelve publishing houses rejected Harry Potter. That’s why you should keep on writing. Keep on rewriting, revising, and submitting your manuscripts.
2. Did you know that Roget invented the Thesaurus at age 73? That’s why you should keep looking at the relationship of things that interest you. Write about what keeps your heart-strings strumming.
3. Did you know that Colonel Sanders, founder of the world-renowned Kentucky Fried Chicken chain got 1009 rejections from restaurant owners before he got one “YES,” when he was selling his franchise licenses to use his famous recipe in exchange for a percentage of the pieces of chicken sold? That’s why you should never say you’re too old or stop when one person says, “No.” Become proud of yourself, no matter where you are and how much money you’re making. Accept yourself as being good. Celebrate you as you are right now. Study and learn to get better.
4. Did you know that teachers said Thomas Edison was “too stupid to learn anything” and was fired from his first 2 jobs for not being productive enough. He tried 1,999 times to invent the light bulb. He was successful at try number 2,000. Keep on trying. Look at things from a different point of view. If you’ve written it in first person, write it as an observer. There is a way to succeed. You just haven’t figured it out yet. Believe in you and the success of your ideas. Your belief is a key ingredient to keep you going so that you Never Give Up.
5. Did you know that Toyota Motor Corporation turned down Soichiro Honda for an engineering job. He had no job so he started making his own scooters at home. His neighbors encouraged him and he setup his own company. Honda Motor Corporation. That’s the way to do it. Show the naysayers that you’re built of solid stuff. Show them they were wrong about you. You may make mistakes. However, you are not a mistake. Be determined that you’re going to succeed, no matter how many mistakes it takes to get there.
6. Did you know that people told Sidney Poitier to “stop wasting people’s time and go out and become a dishwasher or something” during an audition. Later he won an Oscar for Lilies of the Field. He became one of the most respected actors ever. In 2002, thirty-eight years after receiving the Best Actor Award, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave Poitier an Honorary Award in recognition of his remarkable accomplishments as an artist and as a human being. It takes courage to continue when someone tells you that you’re wasting your time. Sometimes I believe that people are occasionally blind to good talent. Get a new pair of glasses to see yourself and others as opportunities to grow and succeed.
7. Did you know that Wilma Rudolph was paralyzed in 1 leg due to polio and told by doctors she would never walk again. Yet she later won 3 Olympic gold medals in track and fields. Talk about determination. That’s what you need to have to succeed. Determination. Be determined beyond anything that might happen or get in your way. You can do it. You must believe that you can.

Okay. You tell me you had a really bummer day. You got 50 rejections. Your cat died. Your dogs are lost. Your rent is due and your pockets are empty. Your car broke down on the interstate and there is no food in the pantry. You’re still not convinced that you should go on. You dug a hole and at this moment you are sitting at the bottom of a very deep pit of sorrow. Oh my. Here are 7 quotes of famous people who finally succeeded after many failures. Maybe this will get your enthusiasm genes in action to steer you to your goals.

1. “Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill
2. “Sheer persistence is the difference between success and failure.” – Donald Trump
3. “How many people are completely successful in every department of life? Not one. The most successful people are the ones who learn from their mistakes and turn their failures into opportunities.” – Zig Ziglar
4. “When you reach an obstacle, turn it into an opportunity. You have the choice. You can overcome and be a winner, or you can allow it to overcome you and be a loser. The choice is yours and yours alone. Refuse to throw in the towel. Go that extra mile that failures refuse to travel. It is far better to be exhausted from success than to be rested from failure.” – Mary Kay Ash
5. “Failure is just a resting place. It is an opportunity to begin again more intelligently.” – Henry Ford
6. “If we try and fail, we have temporary disappointments. But if we do not try at all, we have permanent regrets.” – Bern Williams
7. “Be the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment, own it.” – Oprah Winfrey

Oh my goodness. You dug the hole even deeper! Here are links to other stories and quotes to help inspire you. Ask God to help you is a good plan. He knows what he put you on earth to do. God gave you the talent, the resources, the time, the energy, and everything you need to accomplish the dreams in your heart. Go for it. Today is a great day to believe that you can do it. I believe you can.

Resources

1. Aly Weisman. “Fifteen People Who Failed before Becoming Famous:” http://www.businessinsider.com/15-people-who-failed-before-becoming-famous-2012-10?op=1
2. Benny Hsu. “Famous People Who Found Success Despite Failures:” http://getbusylivingblog.com/famous-people-who-found-success-despite-failures/
3. Biography.com. http://www.biography.com/people/colonel-harland-sanders-12353545
4. Rethink Redefine. “66 Famous Failures of People Who Never Give Up:” http://rethink-redefine.blogspot.com/2012/08/66-famous-failures-of-people-who-never.html
5. Simon Dufresne and Dylan Moore. “Five Famous People Who Succeeded Long after They Should’ve Quit:” http://www.cracked.com/article_19655_5-famous-late-bloomers.html
6. Strategic Business Team. “Fifty Failure Quotes from 50 Successful People:” http://www.strategicbusinessteam.com/famous-small-business-quotes/50-failure-quotes-from-50-successful-people/

Thank you for reading my blog. You honor me with your presence here.

Oh my goodness! I have 48,001 reads at his moment. I’m getting close to 50,000 views on my blog.  That is so exciting. I started this blog on October 9, 2009. In 3 years and a half, I’m at 48,001. That equals 1,143 readers a month. It could take two months to reach 50,000 reads. Thank you for making this possible.

One of my subscribers, Sandra Warren noticed how close I was and sent me an email congratulating me.  I asked her what should we do to celebrate. I liked her suggestion. Thank you, Sandra.  To celebrate I’m going to have a Give-Away to a lucky winner — a 1/2 hour personal consultation/critique on Making Your Blog Zing. I’ll do this by telephone or via computer (winner’s choice). I’ll analyze the lucky winner’s blog and make suggestions on how to improve what he’s already doing;  give tips on how to organize his time; and most importantly, answer questions he has about his blog.

So I’ll give you more details on the first blog I write after I reach 50,000 readers.  I’ll have a special treat for everyone who is subscribed at that time.

Join the 122 subscribers to my blog. To receive an email when I post my next article, click “Sign Me Up” in the left hand column. You’ll receive a link and password to download a free logo that says: Never Give Up Build It One Block at a Time. It’s my free gift to you for subscribing to my blog. Thank you.

Would you write a review of my picture book Flip Flap Floodle? Click here to Hear Flip’s Song. I have 14 reviews. I need 15 to meet my goal for 2013.

Joan’s Website: http://www.joanyedwards.com (Gospel-related devotionals, puzzles, and skits)

Celebrate you today.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards

Copyright © 2013 Joan Y. Edwards

Seven Advantages of Using Twitter

Follow Me on Twitter

“Seven Advantages of Using Twitter” by Joan Y. Edwards

I’m sure you’ve noticed that newscasters, sports commentators, businesses, authors, illustrators, neighbors, and friends might use Twitter to give short quick notices about what’s going on with them. Many people Tweet about things or events that interest them. You can, too.

As of April 22, 2013. I have 1012 followers. I follow 1620 people. A large number of followers might help persuade a publisher that you can help market your books.If you’d like to follow me on Twitter do so. My Twitter handle is: @joanyedwards

If you don’t have a Twitter account, you can sign up at: https://twitter.com/

Through Twitter I connect with

1. Family
2. Friends
3. People who’ve read my blog follow me.
4. SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators)
5. Marketing Enthusiasts
6. Authors
7. Illustrators
8. Publishers
9. Editors
10. Agents

Ask them to send you an email when someone sends you a direct message.

When someone follows you, Twitter sends you an email (if you sign up for it). Instead of having them send me emails when someone follows me, I go to Twitter once a week and check the list to see who is following me, it puts a notice, following or follow beside their name. You can click on their name to see their profile and what they’re about.  This will help you decide if you want to follow them.

If you believe someone is abusing their membership, you can report them. They have companies who will follow people who follow you automatically. I tried one and I didn’t like it. I like to choose for myself.

Advantages of Using Twitter:

1. It doesn’t take much time to write a Twitter Post – 140 letters, numbers, symbols, and spaces.
2. It’s exciting when someone retweets your tweet.
3. Advertise your book and link to buy it.
4. Inform others about workshops that interest you or that you’re teaching.
5. Let people know about online conferences that interest you or that have you as a presenter.
6. Inform others when you update your blog or website.
7. Give a coupon for services or purchases.

Tips

• Check your account once a week to follow new followers.
• If you also post things on Facebook, you can fix it where Twitter automatically posts what you put on Facebook pages.
• Use the share links at the end of your blog or a favorite blog to post a link to Twitter about it.
• When you find a website that tickles your fancy or inspires you, post a link to Twitter about it.

I hope this helps you decide whether you might start a Twitter account. It might also inspire you to use it more often. Thank you for reading my blog. I appreciate you very much.

Follow Me on Twitter

Join the 122 subscribers to my blog. To receive an email when I post my next article, click “Sign Me Up” in the left hand column. You’ll receive a link and password to download a free logo that says: Never Give Up Build It One Block at a Time. It’s my free gift to you for subscribing to my blog. Thank you.

Are you willing to write a review my picture book Flip Flap Floodle for me? Let me know, if you do. Hear Flip’s Song. Flip has a fun way to encourage others to Never Give Up. It now has 14 reviews…just 11 more to my goal of 25.

You are a gift to the world. Thanks.
Celebrate you.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards

Copyright © 2013 Joan Y. Edwards

Resources

1. Kerianne Mellott “How to Use Twitter:” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWV74mndNaY&feature=youtu.be
2. Kerianne Mellott Website: http://www.MarketingMakesMeSmile.com
3. Aaron Lee. “Ten Reasons Why Your Business Should Use Twitter:” http://askaaronlee.com/10-reasons-why-your-business-should-use-twitter/
4. Lauren Dugan. “You Can Say a Lot in 140 Characters:” http://www.laurendugan.com/why-social-media/twitter/
5. Lauren Dugan. “Twitter 101: Everything You Need to Know about Twitter:” http://www.ftpress.com/store/twitter-101-everything-you-need-to-know-about-twitter-9780133120950
6. Twitter – sign up page

 

…An Arm, a Leg, and Your First-Born Child?

Copyright © 2013 Joan Y. Edwards.                                                  What will make your character scared? Tense? Angry?

“…An Arm, a Leg, and Your First-Born Child” by Joan Y. Edwards

What is the cost of what your main character wants or needs? Will it cost him an arm, a leg, or his first-born child?

Picture Book

The witch twitched her head around and poked the polka-dotted princess on the forehead, “Princess, princess, so forlorn.

Give to me your true first-born child.”

Adult Fiction:

“How am I going to get to California from Charlotte? Are you kidding? Even a tank of gasoline costs an arm, a leg, and your first child.” John looked at his overalls with paint stains from his last paying job and hung his head low.

If there’s no cost, there’s no story.

Tell me your favorite stories, what the main character wanted and what it cost him?

When you’re writing a story, usually you give the main character 3 tries to get something or you give him three steps or levels to get there. In your mind, since we are all money-collectors, have the first try cost at least $50.00. The second, $100.00. And the third, $300.00.

So you don’t think in money, then it might cost him: embarrassment, betrayal, or abandonment. You say, these things wouldn’t hurt your character because he’s as tough as concrete highways or giant boulders. List 3 things he would wince at and hate, but would still be willing to do them to gain the reward, to win the battle, to get the job, etc.

If your character really wants or needs something, he will do whatever it costs. What obstacles will make your character scared? Tense? Angry? Your character will do anything to get his goal. He will put himself in danger of death to get it. In some cases, he will give up an arm, a leg, or a first-born child to get it.

Up the cost of what your character wants. If he’s willing to pay $500.00, make it cost him double. If he’s totally sure of himself and brags a lot, triple the cost. Make him jump through hoops he’s never even heard of before you created them for him.

Thank you for reading my blog. Please leave a note. You are the happy ending to my story each day.

Join the 122 subscribers to my blog. To receive an email when I post my next article, click “Sign Me Up” in the left hand column. You’ll receive a link and password to download a free logo that says: Never Give Up Build It One Block at a Time. It’s my free gift to you for subscribing to my blog. Thank you.

Are you willing to write a review my book Flip Flap Floodle for me? Let me know. I now have 14 reviews. My goal is to have more than 25 favorable reviews on Amazon.

Author of picture book, Flip Flap Floodle. Hear Flip’s Song. Flip helps children and adults to Never Give Up!
Author of “Joan’s Elder Care Guide” release 2015 by 4RV Publishing

Joan’s Website: http://www.joanyedwards.com (Gospel-related devotionals, puzzles, and skits)

May you realize how great a gift to the world you are!
Accept yourself as you are.

Celebrate you every day.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards

Copyright © 2013 Joan Y. Edwards