Guest Blogging for Authors: How NOT to Query a Blogger…and 10 Tips for Doing it Right
Want to land a guest blogging gig? Don’t clown around.
by Anne R. Allen
Marketing gurus will tell you guest blogging is one of the best ways to get your name out there to sell books and/or writing services. And they’re right.Here are some reasons why.
Read more
But the gurus don’t often tell you how to land guest spots. Or how to find the best ones to reach your readers
Welcome to Day One of No Whining Wednesdays! A new segment of The PBS Blog.
The No Whining Wednesday Badge
What is NWW?
No Whining Wednesdays is something coined by Iyanla Vanzant that I decided to adopt into this blog. It means that for the entire day today you CANNOT do the following:
– Whine
– Complain
– Criticize
Here are some definitions:
To Whine – give or make a long, high-pitched complaining cry or sound; to grumble, murmur or complain in a feeble way.
To Complain – express dissatisfaction or annoyance about a state of affairs or an event; state that one is suffering from; state of grievance.
To Criticize – indicate the faults of (someone or something) in a disapproving way; to condemn, attack, discourage.
OK, now that we all know what whining, complaining, and criticizing is, there is only one rule: DON’T DO ANY OF THIS TODAY.
Punishment:
If you whine, complain, or criticize at all today you must put a quarter in a jar. If you have no quarter you can put a dime, nickel, or penny. Of course, this is optional. The idea is to hold yourself accountable and to maintain self-control. If that means investing a few quarters then do that. If it means something else, do that Maybe you can deny yourself that favorite snack or fast food. Just make it fun.
Every week I will post an inspirational quote to help us to get you started. I’m going to go out and purchase me a notebook and record my experiences and thoughts there. You can too or you can record your experience on your own blogs, it’s up to you. This activity is personal so it will be up to you, to be honest about how well you did. You can share it with us or not. It’s a completely personal exercise.
Rewards
Less stress and a happier, and overall greater appreciation for all things and all people in your life. Together, we will strive to be more grateful by eliminating complaints and discouragement from our lives, one Wednesday at a time. (Not to mention you can save some money).
Inspiring Quote of the Day
“Remember, you and you alone are responsible for maintaining your energy. Give up blaming, complaining and excuse making, and keep taking action in the direction of your goals – however mundane or lofty they may be.”
– Jack Canfield
Wait! What if I start whining!?
First, go find some quarters. But if you’re struggling, no worries. You can take a moment to:
Pray
Sing
Listen to Music
Read
Write
Think about / Count your blessings
Call a Friend
Clean the house
Anything productive
Today is yours. Go out and conquer it and remember, no complaining!
Here’s what I’d tell you if we were having coffee right now.
If we were having coffee right now, I’d tell you that the domain name for this blog has changed and is now www.thepbsblog.com. It feels great! Though everything is the same aesthetically (I have not changed the theme or anything), I feel better not having the WordPress part in my blog name. Briefly, I should tell you why I didn’t start out this way. I wasn’t sure what would become of this blog, if I would be blogging for an extended period or if it would even be of value to those reading it. I was OK with not paying for something I wasn’t sure about. There was even a time where I seriously considered doing away with this blog. It wasn’t until I started seeing real potential here that I decided to make it official.
If we were having coffee right now I would tell you that I am releasing two new books this year (yaass!) and I am also working on an exciting new project that will remain on the low for now. While I can’t say much, I will say that I am venturing into a new stage of book publishing and I am excited to see what becomes of it. I’ll keep you posted.
Concerning the two books, they are the two books in The Nora White series:
If we were having coffee right now I will tell you that I am putting together an Advanced Review Team to help me to promote Renaissance. Even the messiah needed brothers to help him to spread the word and I am hoping to get all the help I can. Those who are interested in reading a free book (along with other treats!) you can email me Here. I have a special surprise gift for those who help me. Review copies go out in March so if you’re interested email me before then.
Speaking of projects, if we were having coffee right now, I’d tell you that I plan to launch my workshop this year (exact date coming soon), an online resource center and Indie Author community where serious writers can ban together and help one another to grow. You can learn more HERE.
I think it’s a mistake for Self-Publishers to try and do everything themselves. Everyone needs help and what better way to grow than to do so together. “I come here as one, but I stand as ten thousand.” (Maya Angelou) Do you know what this means? It means that when you see me I may be alone physically, but I represent an entire community of people. Every single person who has inspired me, every teacher who has taught me, every mother who has instilled wisdom in me, every father who has led me, every sister, brother, and every person who has given me what I needed to stand where I stand today is standing with me and I carry their strength on my back.
I’m also excited to implement new ideas into this blog so if we were having coffee right now, I would tell you about No Whining Wednesdays. For those of you familiar with Iyanla Vanzant, then you’re familiar with No Whining Wednesdays because I’m copying her pretty much. The idea is not to: whine, complain, or criticize on Wednesday. Every time that you do, you have to put a quarter in a jar. So, on No Whining Wednesdays I will be posting inspirational quotes and notes to help motivate us not to whine or complain. I’ll also share with you how it’s going for me and I think this is going to be a lot of fun. You can participate too but I’ll go into the who, what, when, and how tomorrow so stick around, tomorrow’s our first day!
Finally, if we were having coffee right now, I’d tell you that I am no longer on Facebook.
I have been wanting to withdraw from Facebook for a long time and I’ve finally made the decision to leave it. You will see me pop in every now and again but for the most part I am done with it. You can find me on the following platforms (which now includes Kyle Perkins Indie Author Network). Click HERE to discover where you can find me instead.
Yecheilyah Ysrayl is the YA, Historical Fiction author of eight books most notably, The Stella Trilogy, Blogger, and Poet. She is currently working on her next book series “The Nora White Story” about a young black woman writer who dreams of taking part in The Harlem Renaissance movement and her parents struggle to accept their traumatic past in the Jim Crow south. “Renaissance: The Nora White Story (Book One)” is due for release July, 2017. For updates on this project, sneak peeks of other projects, nuggets and tidbits, video tutorials, writing inspiration, and more, be sure to follow this blog and to subscribe to Yecheilyah’s email list HERE.
I’ll be honest, when I saw this blog headline, I thought I was going to disagree with everything Danny said Lol. BUT, I don’t. This is good info for writers who also blog. Between Danny and Jason I’ve learned a lot. “If you want people to see your writing, you have to learn how to be a blogger….Interact with people. That’s the art of blogging.”
The more I value myself the more I realize a daunting truth: Not everyone deserves to know me. In the words of Rudy Francisco: “Some people will take until you have nothing left, and then hold a grudge against your hands for being empty.”
The 10 Best tools for Bloggers and Freelance writers
If you are a blogger or a freelance writer churning material for an income, you will likely face a basket load of productivity problems. These include:
Day-to-day journaling
Writing productivity
Organizing research
Graphic making
Collaboration
Here are some tools, both free and paid, that will help you meet your deadline!
Day-to-Day Journaling
In the old days, Hemmingway wrote on Moleskins and lugged them all around in heavy trunks (albeit heavy Louis Vuitton trunks). Though romantic to write in, you may find difficulty running a keyword search on notebooks. That’s why most of us…
The PBS Blog 