#bloglikecrazy Archives - Page 8 of 10

What Should I Do This Weekend?

November 13, 2014
Birmingham
0 comments
by javacia

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

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

Get regular updates on the best events in Birmingham for women writers, bloggers, and entrepreneurs by signing up for the See Jane Write newsletter. Click here to join the list!

Why did you start See Jane Write?

November 11, 2014
Dreams & Goals
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by javacia

Thanks to my work with See Jane Write I’m often asked to speak at local conferences and professional development events. During these speaking engagements one of the things people often ask me is why I started See Jane Write in the first place.

I wish my answer were a noble one — that I wanted to launch an organization to close the byline gender gap. But in all honesty the answer is a bit selfish — I wanted more femal writer friends. I kept looking for an organization for creative and ambitious women who write or blog but I couldn’t find it. So I started one of my own.

My reason for continuing See Jane Write for the past three and a half years is a bit more saintly — I want to empower women to tell their stories. I want to empower women to write and to live a life worth writing about.

Since I started See Jane Write on March 24, 2011 the group has grown and changed quite a bit. What was intended to be a simple writing group and what started with 14 women gathered for dinner at a local Mexican restaurant has become a thriving city-wide network. Now my goal is to make it a thriving business, too — not because I want to get rich (although that would be nice) but simply because I want to make See Jane Write sustainable. I believe See Jane Write can really help women create their best work and live their best lives, but only if I have the time and resources necessary to make See Jane Write the best network that it can be.

This means that over the next year or so things will be changing. I know change is scary, but I hope you will come on this journey with me. I promise it will be a blast!

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.

Blogging — What’s the Point?

November 10, 2014
Blogging, Business, Writing
6 Comments
by javacia

Keep Up and Blog On — Image by Alexander Baxevanis via Flickr/Creative Commons

What’s the point? There comes a time when every blogger will ask herself this question.

Creating good content on a consistent basis is hard work and most of us aren’t pulling a paycheck from our posts. So why bother blogging in the first place?

Well, some folks do get lucky. Some bloggers build a massive following and grab the attention of big-name brands. Some bloggers generate enough revenue from ads, sponsored posts, and affiliate links to quit their day jobs.

But most of us do not. But here’s why you should keep blogging anyway.

Blogging can make you a better writer. Writing is a practice. Just as athletes must train to get better at their sport, writers must practice to get better at our craft. Blogs make for a great training field. Blogging has taught me how to be more concise in my writing and taught me how to write faster, even faster than I did as a reporter with the Associated Press! If you set a posting schedule for yourself, blogging can train you to meet deadlines, too.

Blogging can help your writing career. Blogging will only help you as a writer if you’re striving to post quality work. And it’s important that you don’t put out crap just to say you’ve updated your blog for the week. People are paying attention. Your blog could land you a book deal or at least opportunities to write for some of your favorite publications. Case in point, I have a journalism degree from UC Berkeley, but the editors I work with couldn’t care less. Nearly all of the regular freelance gigs I have right now I snagged because I blog. So while I don’t make money directly from my blog, I do get paid for my freelance work and so blogging like crazy is worth it.

Blogging can help you establish an online platform. And you can use this online platform to promote your book or business or to spread ideas.

Blogging can help you find community. Blogging can help you find like-minded people with whom you can wax poetic about your passions or just hang out with and have fun. You thought you were the only 35-year-old black woman in the South who loved comic books, graphic novels, and video games. But then you started a blog about this obsession of yours and now you have a gaggle of geeky gal pals to take with you to Dragon Con.

Blogging can help you position yourself as an expert. As I mentioned, most people don’t make much money directly from their blogs. But your blog is a great way for you to promote your expertise. So use your fitness blog to promote yourself as a personal trainer. Use your fashion blog to promote yourself as a stylist. Take for example, Megan LaRussa Chenoweth, who owns the style coaching service Southern Femme. Chenoweth a top-notch, in-demand image consultant and personal shopper and is also a stylist for several magazines and fashion shows. But Southern Femme actually began as a fashion blog. Chenoweth used SouthernFemme.com to show off her style expertise and soon she went from bloganista to businesswoman.

Why do you blog?

Are you interested in blogging more but having trouble finding the time to do so? Then don’t miss the launch of my time management e-course. To be notified of the launch date, simply click here and sign up for my personal blog’s newsletter.

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 Blogs Do You Read?

November 9, 2014
Blogging
0 comments
by javacia

A blogging buddy of mine once advised me to make a list of 25 sites to regularly visit for information and inspiration and I did just that. Over time my list has changed, as expected, but I believe it’s imperative that writers read.

So today I’m updating my list and sharing it in hopes that it will inspire you to create a list of your own. Obviously, I don’t have time to read 25 different blogs a day. But if I skim through 5 a day, 5 days a week and do more close reading on the weekend, I stay on top of things and I have plenty to jot down in my journal of blog post ideas.

My list includes websites on the topics that interest me most — writing, blogging, feminism, and business — as well as some of my favorite lifestyle blogs. Many of the sites are also online publications I hope to write for someday. It’s important to be familiar with a website before you send in your a pitch.

Here’s my top 25:

What websites and blogs to do you love?

Are you interested in learning how I find time to read all the blogs I love? Then don’t miss the launch of my time management e-course. To be notified of the launch date, simply click here and sign up for my personal blog’s newsletter.

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.

Do I need an elevator pitch for my blog?

November 7, 2014
Blogging, Networking
0 comments
by javacia

Whether you’re attending a national blogging conference like BlogHer or just networking at an event in your hometown, you need to be able to quickly and concisely explain what your blog is all about. You need an elevator pitch. Here’s how to craft one:

Be brief. In your elevator speech you need to explain what you blog about and why in about 30 seconds.

Be clever. When working on your elevator pitch consider comparing your blog to something the folks in your niche would recognize. In the New Year I plan to relaunch my personal blog with a new look, a newsletter and a new focus. And after that relaunch I want people to say that I’m like a feminist Jeff Goins. But feel free to be funny or witty when finding a comparison for your blog. Maybe you’re Erika Napoletano without the f-bombs. Or maybe on your running blog you hit people with f-bombs and the hard truth on the regular and so you’re the Erika Napoletano of the fitness world. (Can you tell I really like Erika Napoletano?)

Be yourself. Mainly, you just need to be sure your elevator pitch is authentic. Your blog’s tagline is not your elevator speech. While that tagline is great for your business cards, if you say it in actual conversation it will probably sound too contrived. For example, my personal blog The Writeous Babe Project is about “writing, wellness and women’s empowerment.” It’s about how I am “writing my way through life as a southern fried feminist.” But when I say either of those out loud I sound and feel like a jerk store. So instead of an overly rehearsed speech, consider just having bullet points that present the highlights of your site.

To craft a truly effective elevator pitch start with the mission statement for your blog. Focus on your Why. I blog to empower women, especially those who write and those yearning to live a life worth writing about. That should be at the core of my elevator pitch and at the core of all I do for my blog.

What tips do you have for crafting a good elevator pitch?

Interested in learning more about the relaunch of The Writeous Babe Project? Click here to sign up for updates.

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.