Do I Need Business Cards?

business cards
Image by Jodi Womack via Flickr/Creative Commons

I believe the most successful bloggers and writers are those who also consider themselves entrepreneurs. And this means that, like any good entrepreneur, you need a business card.

To be clear, you need a business card specifically for your book or blog. Don’t take your business card for day job and scribble your blog URL in the margin because, girl, that just looks raggedy.

A business card shows that you take your blogging and your writing seriously and thus encourages others to take you seriously, too.

On your business card be sure to include your name (Duh!), your email address, and your website URL. If you’d like you can also include your telephone number and social media channels.

These cards will come in handy at conferences and local networking events. And if you host giveaways on your blog, you’ll want to include them in the packages you send to your contest winners.

Be sure your card makes people excited to go check out your blog. And remember to employ good business card etiquette. This means do not go to a networking event and make it rain with your business cards. Only give people your business card after they ask for it.

 

Each day in November for #bloglikecrazy I’ll be publishing a blog post that answers your questions about blogging, social media, writing, wellness or women’s empowerment. Send your questions to javacia@seejanewritebham.com.

 

What Is a Twitter Chat?

Twitter
Image by Rosaura Ochoa via Flickr/Creative Commons

Today I decided to start a Twitter chat.

A Twitter chat is a public conversation on a specific that takes place on Twitter (Duh!) using a specific hashtag. Twitter chats are also called Twitter parties, which makes sense because that’s basically what a Twitter chat is — a party on Twitter. Think of the hashtag as the address for the party’s location. You follow the unique hashtag to see what everyone in the chat is saying and add the hashtag to your tweets to join the conversation. Like a party, a Twitter chat takes place on specific day, at a specific time so all the folks interested in participating can come together. And just as a party usually has a theme, Twitter chats center on a particular topic.

One of the most popular Twitter chat’s around is Mack Collier’s #blogchat, which takes place every Sunday at 8 p.m. Central and is, obviously, about blogging.

One of my favorite Twitter chats was the now defunct #BlogBrunch chat, which used to take place the first Saturday of every month.

In 2015 I plan to begin hosting #bloglikeagirl, a Twitter chat for women who blog.

I’m so excited and I hope you will join me!

To be notified of the launch date follow @ibloglikeagirl on Twitter and click here to join the #bloglikeagirl mailing list.

 

Each day in November for #bloglikecrazy I’ll be publishing a blog post that answers your questions about blogging, social media, writing, wellness or women’s empowerment. Send your questions to javacia@seejanewritebham.com.

What should a writer do on her day off?

day off

Last week, I wrote about the importance of taking a day off even if you’re juggling a day job with building a blog or business or writing a book. I believe in the importance of rest even if I don’t get very much of it myself.

And I believe days off are especially important for writers because they are part of the creative process. A writer friend of mine named TJ Beitelman, author of the book John the Revelator, once told me that he believes most of the creative writing process happens away from the keyboard. What I think he meant by this is that the things that inspire great work happen when you’re out living life, not simply staring at a blinking cursor on a blank screen.

So on my day off I’m not only doing things that revitalize me, but things that can re-energize my writing and blogging too.

Here’s what I like to do on my day off:

Go for a long walk or run. Most of my best ideas come to me when I’m out on my favorite trail.

Have coffee or brunch with my girlfriends. My passion for empowering women drives nearly everything I do, so for me nothing is as inspiring as spending time around other women.

Paint my nails. As my mani dries I usually browse my favorite websites and blogs.

Catch up on my favorite TV shows. How can one not find Olivia Pope inspiring?

How do you spend your day off?

 

Each day in November for #bloglikecrazy I’ll be publishing a blog post that answers your questions about blogging, social media, writing, wellness or women’s empowerment. Send your questions to javacia@seejanewritebham.com.

 

How can I improve my blog?

javacia with jennifer
chatting with Jennifer King of StellarFashionAndFitness.com at the #bloglikecrazy workshop

On Nov. 1 I led a 4-hour blogging workshop at Church Street Coffee and Books to kick off #bloglikecrazy.

Here are 10 blogging tips I shared with the ladies who attended:

  1. Write a mission statement for your blog. Never lose sight of why you’re blogging. Know the people you’re trying to help and the message you’re trying to convey.
  1. Create a strong “About” page. If people like what they see when they visit your blog, they will check out your “About” page to learn more. Be sure your “About” page clearly explains what kinds of posts people can expect from your blog and offers some background on you as well. Include pictures and links to some of your favorite posts, too.
  1. Write for your ideal reader. Identify your ideal reader and get to know her. What are her passions, problems, hobbies, and dreams? After you determine your ideal reader and what she wants, only blog for her. This sounds scary. This sounds as if you’ll alienate other readers, but you won’t. An ideal reader is someone who not only reads your posts but also shares them with others. Writing for this reader will simply attract more like her.
  1. Be sure your blog is answering questions and solving problems. Find out what questions or problems your ideal reader has and write posts that address those concerns.
  1. Tell a story in your blog posts. Whether you write a fashion blog or a business blog, you need to tell stories in your posts. Use a narrative to convey your information. Be sure to add images, too.
  1. Develop a blogging schedule and stick to it. You don’t have to blog every day, but decide how often you can blog and be consistent.
  1. Create three features for your blog. When developing features don’t simply follow trends. Choose features that are right for your blog and that you can maintain.
  1. Start an email newsletter. This is a great way to remind people to read your blog and an excellent way to build a tribe.
  1. Network. Promote your blog on social media. Interact in Facebook and LinkedIn groups. Participate in Twitter chats. Comment on other blogs.
  2. Guest blog for sites your ideal reader frequents. This is a great way to increase your readership and build partnerships with other bloggers.

Want to make sure you don’t miss announcements about events like the #bloglikecrazy workshop?  Sign up for the See Jane Write newsletter. Click here to join the list!

Each day in November for #bloglikecrazy I’ll be publishing a blog post that answers your questions about blogging, social media, writing, wellness or women’s empowerment. Send your questions to javacia@seejanewritebham.com.

What Should I Do This Weekend?

 

Marie Sutton

This weekend head out to Books-A-Million in Brookwood Village to support Birmingham-based writer Marie Sutton.

From 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sutton will be signing copies of her new book The A.G. Gaston Motel in Birmingham: A Civil Rights Landmark.

The book chronicles the story of how Birmingham black entrepreneur and eventual millionaire A.G. Gaston created a first-class motel and lounge for African Americans. The Gaston Motel was a revolving door for famous entertainers, activists, politicians and other pillars of the national black community, and served as the headquarters for Birmingham’s civil rights movement.

Sutton will also be signing books on Saturday, Nov. 22 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Barnes & Noble at the Summit.

A.G. Gaston Motel Book Signing with Marie Sutton
Saturday, Nov. 15
2-4 p.m.
Books-A-Million, Brookwood Village
757 Brookwood Village, Birmingham, AL 35209
Saturday, Nov. 22
5-7 p.m.
Barnes & Noble at the Summit
201 Summit Blvd., Birmingham, AL 35243

 

DISCO Supply Store

Also this weekend, The Desert Island Supply Co. (DISCO) and The Southern Letterpress will host the grand opening of the Desert Island Supply Store.

Swing by Saturday anytime between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. and stock up on message-in-a-bottle bottles, urchin decoys, water finders and other desert island essentials.

The Desert Island Supply Co. (DISCO) is a creative writing center for students in Birmingham, Alabama. Based in the city’s Woodlawn neighborhood, DISCO’s mission is simple: to give kids in the Birmingham area more opportunities to write.

Desert Island Supply Store Grand Opening
11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 15
Desert Island Supply Co. (DISCO),
5500 First Avenue North in Woodlawn

 

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