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April 29, 2014

Benefits of using “about.me” (+ how to get FREE social media buttons for your blog)

Have you heard of the site called about.me?

Do you use it to help brand yourself and your website?

I do, and I really like it. I also like the numerous benefits I get from using this completely free service. I learned about this service when I first started blogging, and today I am going to share several things with you about about.me.

Definition + Some Benefits

Simply put, about.me is a free service that lets you create a beautiful one-page website that’s all about you.

About.me makes it easy for people to learn about you and find your content on the web.

Get your content found with this free service! #bloggers #blogtips

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It is also a great place where you can:

meet new people
gain new readers for your books (if you are an author), and/or
potentially get new clients (if you are a freelancer).

You can also enhance your online presence by utilizing this service. Note that anyone can use about.me.

The Biggest Benefit for Bloggers: FREE Social Media Buttons

If you are a blogger who uses WordPress, you can also get free social media buttons for your blog, which is one of the reasons I like this service. About.me integrates with WordPress and allows bloggers to enable a particular widget on their sites.

If you are a blogger who uses Blogger as your blogging platform, don’t feel left out just yet; I’ve included steps you can take, too. Please find them below, under the heading “For Blogger Bloggers.” 🙂

Get FREE #socialmedia buttons here! #bloggers #blogtips

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How to Get the Buttons:

In order to get the social media buttons to show up on your blog, you need to:

Create a page on about.me (if you don’t already have one!)
Add all of your social media profiles to it using the instructions shown in the following image:
Add the about.me widget to the sidebar on your blog
Add the URL of your about.me page to the appropriate field
Check the box that says “Apps”
Click “Save”

I have included a screenshot of the widget settings below for your convenience.

How to Add the about.me widget to your WordPress Blog

It has occurred to me that you might need a few more instructions to get set up, depending on which form of WordPress you use, so I have also included the steps you can take to add the about.me widget to your blog, and have included a screenshot of what it looks like in your blog’s back end.

For WordPress.com users:

Log in and go to Widgets in your Appearance section.
Drag the about.me widget to your preferred Widget Area.
Add your about.me username and configure your widget.

For WordPress.org (Self-Hosted) users:

If your blog is self-hosted, download the widget.

For Blogger Bloggers:

I know not everyone uses WordPress. So, if you are a Blogger user, don’t worry! You can use these instructions for embedding your page. I’ve prepared some screenshots for you, too, because the “Embed Page” is hard to find. 🙁 You may find more answers on the about.me support page, too. You can also customize the embed code.

Steps to get the Embed code:

1. Click the “share” arrow while viewing your about.me page.

2. Click the “Embed” button on the window that pops up.

3. Select the blogging platform from the given choices.

4. Copy the code and then paste it into your blog post OR widget text box.

The following screenshots outline these steps for getting the code:

My Experience with about.me:

When I first started blogging, I did so on WordPress.com and, in fact, still have my poetry blog there.

Once I knew what widgets were, I started to “decorate” my blog with them, emulating other bloggers and other websites.

Now that I’ve been blogging for a while, however, I have learned that other options for social media buttons exist, and because this site (Wording Well) is a WordPress.org site, self-hosted using Abivia (see the hosting guide for more information), I don’t have the widget enabled on it because I am currently using a widget called SocialFans Counter, which I purchased via a place called Code Canyon. (They have many products to choose from, so you can check them out if you don’t mind spending money.) 😉

I’m a big lover of all things free, so I wouldn’t blame you for opting for the free service from about.me instead! 🙂

I’m also a big lover of all of my readers and fellow bloggers, and when someone asks for help, I tend to listen. This post is proof, as Dale Furse, an indie author, left me a comment. When I visited her site, I noticed that she had no social media buttons anywhere! I then replied to her comment, letting her know that I would write this post to help her and whomever else has no social media buttons but wants them!

Proof that About.me Provides Exposure (another Benefit!)

I get email notifications when people view my page, which I actually updated while creating this post. (You can adjust the settings on about.me to suit your preferences.) I also have been thinking of doing a post about this service for a while, too, and have been saving some of my emails to provide you with proof that one of the benefits of using about.me is exposure to other people.

As you know, exposure to others is important for indie authors (and other professionals, too) and using about.me can help you reach new audiences!

Other Benefits: Using the Paid Version

I cannot personally speak to the benefits of having a premium about.me account because mine is free. However, you can upgrade to a paid account and, apparently a new service is coming where you can also pay for promotion of your page if you want even more exposure online. There are a few other promotional tips that they offer you that you can use in the meantime, like adding a link to your email signature and a link to your about.me page to your other social media profiles.

I try to maintain a steady image and include all of my links in all of my profiles. On my Google+ page, for example, you can see the same links that are found on my about.me page. Branding yourself online takes time, but is ultimately worth it.

So, what I would like to know is this: Are you going to join about.me today? I sure hope so!!! 🙂

Or do you already use it? If you do, do you have a paid account or a free one?

Share your thoughts and experiences with it and about it in the comments!

Benefits of using about.me + how to get FREE social media buttons for your blog

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April 24, 2014

In One’s Eyes

I have something special for you today. It’s something I wrote many years ago, under horrible circumstances. Because today is Poem in Your Pocket Day, I felt like it was time to unveil my favorite poem.

Because I have it memorized, I carry this poem with me everywhere, at all times.

I’ve shared it with many people in my life, and now I’m finally ready to share it with the world.

I hope you like it.

If you are a female, please read the first version. If you are a male, please read the second version.

In One’s Eyes (READ IF YOU ARE FEMALE)

As I search into her eyes, I see loneliness and fears.
Her face seems so empty, except for those few tears.

These tears keep on flowing, more and more from her eyes;
she makes no sound at all, only distant, muffled cries.

She wants to express her feelings, on many a different thing,
but she feels that if she does, only more loneliness it would bring.

She wishes that she had a friend into whom she can confide;
an understanding, caring person who would always be by her side.

But instead, she has no one; no one to turn to in time of need.
She feels like she is trapped, and would very much like to be freed.

As I search deeper and deeper, I see more clearly into her eyes,
because, now, the tears have stopped, and no longer are her cries.

They have disappeared, although not completely, for they continue deep down inside,
but she now feels strong enough to regain her sense of pride.

But again her feelings weaken her and, again, I see a familiar tear.
She seems so far away from me, but yet, she seems so near.

I extend my hand to comfort her; I know I’m reaching in the right direction;
but all I feel is the flatness of the mirror, because I am staring into my own reflection.

In One’s Eyes (READ IF YOU ARE MALE)

As I search into his eyes, I see loneliness and fears.
His face seems so empty, except for those few tears.

These tears keep on flowing, more and more from his eyes;
he makes no sound at all, only distant, muffled cries.

He wants to express his feelings, on many a different thing,
but he feels that if he does, only more loneliness it would bring.

He wishes that he had a friend into whom he can confide;
an understanding, caring person who would always be by his side.

But instead, he has no one; no one to turn to in time of need.
He feels like he is trapped, and would very much like to be freed.

As I search deeper and deeper, I see more clearly into his eyes,
because, now, the tears have stopped, and no longer are his cries.

They have disappeared, although not completely, for they continue deep down inside,
but he now feels strong enough to regain his sense of pride.

But again his feelings weaken him and, again, I see a familiar tear.
He seems so far away from me, but yet, he seems so near.

I extend my hand to comfort him; I know I’m reaching in the right direction;
but all I feel is the flatness of the mirror, because I am staring into my own reflection.

Share YOUR Thoughts

REACTIONS WANTED!!!

Did you like my poem, In One’s Eyes?

If so, I urge you to share it with others, and leave me a comment and let me know your reactions to it.

Thank you. 🙂

~ Lorraine Reguly

read “In One’s Eyes” #poem #inspirational #poetry

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April 22, 2014

A Flame In the Wind of Death (#bookreview ) and a Q and A with Author Jen J. Danna

It’s official. The new book from Jen J. Danna is out, and it’s getting great reviews!

(I’m not surprised, I LOVED the first book!)

Jen agreed to answer a few more questions, too, for me, today on my blog!

To recap, Jen J. Danna (partnered with Ann Vanderlaan) is the author of the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries. As a mystery lover who somehow discovered Jen’s website one day, I simply had to contact her and request a copy! As it turns out, I’ve been on her street team, beta-reading her books ever since!

You might recall that I interviewed Jen J. Danna last year, when I gave her a review of Dead, Without a Stone to Tell It.

I also provided her with a review for her second book, a novella called No One Sees Me ‘Til I Fall.

Now, I’m pleased to share my review for her latest, A Flame in the Wind of Death, which received this review on Kirkus Reviews and the following review on Goodreads from me:

While I loved the plot and the solving of the case presented in “A Flame in the Wind of Death,” I found some of the writing to be a tad bit too technical for my personal taste. The research scientist side of the authors clearly shines through, and I ended up learning a few new things and adding several new words to my vocabulary. I cannot criticize the authors for this; instead, I have to complement them for expanding my repertoire! The one thing I didn’t really like is that there is a sub-plot that was not resolved. I understand that this is a tactic used my many series writers to get you to keep reading, and so I can’t fault the authors for successfully pulling this off. I’m intrigued and looking forward to the next book in this series already! I’m just the type of person who likes all loose ends to be tied up by the end of the book. The final scene in the book, however, is awesome. Without giving too much away, I will say that it ties together the progress the characters have made thus far, and is a beautiful tribute to the dead. Having read all three books so far (Dead, Without a Stone to Tell It and the novella, No One Sees Me ‘Til I Fall), I have to say that the authors are doing a bang-up job with this series. I’m hooked. I also like seeing the romance between the two main characters develop, and I’m not a romance fan AT ALL. But, given their tenuous backgrounds, it’s nice to learn about their pasts and their issues with their scars. Having had multiple surgeries in my life, I think this is a nice touch, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this sub-plot is developed further. I’d recommend that you catch up on your reading before book four in this series is released!

Some of you might be wondering how many books are going to be in this series. Today you will get answers to this question, and several others, too.

Another Q and A session with Jen

Let’s give Jen a big Wording Well welcome, shall we?

Me: Welcome, Jen!

Jen: Hi, Lorraine! It’s good to see you again. Hmm. Your site looks different.

Me: (laughing) That’s because it is! I finally got my own hosted site. Jen: I like it. Me: Thanks. I took a survey of what my readers want, to help me plan my blog for 2014, and I was shocked and surprised to learn that they like my author interviews and book reviews.

Jen: YAY! Great news! I’m always up for another interview! Me: I appreciate that, and I’m happy you took the time to join me today, to answer a few more questions. Let’s start by talking a bit about your novella, No One Sees Me ‘Til I Fall. Your daughter is featured on the cover, isn’t she?

Jen: Yes. I was lucky to have a daughter who is a professional photographer with a full studio at her disposal, as well as another daughter who is a good sport. We had quite the photo shoot, too. I kept telling her, “Look subservient. No, no, really subservient.” I think I drove her crazy! But we got it done.

We were also lucky to have professional editorial assistance and got the manuscript properly edited. I was immensely lucky that Ann is a computer wizard and took on all the persnickety formatting of the manuscript and didn’t kill me when I kept saying, “A little to the left, now to the right. Now back again…” (although it was likely deserved!).

Me: It looks good. Why did you write a novella instead of a novel?

Jen: We wanted to give our fans something to read while the second novel was being finished, and so we self-published a novella to keep our fans happy!

Me: How many more books can readers expect, and when?

Jen: Here is a rundown of all books, published and planned:

1) DEAD, WITHOUT A STONE TO TELL IT, June 2013

2) NO ONE SEES ME ‘TIL I FALL (e-novella), November 2013

3) A FLAME IN THE WIND OF DEATH, April 2014

4) TWO PARTS BLOODY MURDER, spring 2015

5) Work-in-progress, projected 2016

6) Planned novel, projected 2017

7) Planned novel, projected 2018 cover for book, Dead, Without a Stone to Tell It Me: Is it easier to plan for future books once you have one book written? I would think it is, as you can develop the characters more fully, etc. Most authors fare better with a series than with a single book. Has this been your experience, too? Also, do you agree with this statement?

Jen: I think it depends on the author. Series are certainly easier on the author – you don’t have to come up with fascinating characters every time because you’ve already created them. You’ve created the world they live in and the type of story you’re going to tell. Whether authors fare better would depend on the series they create.

Me: Do you have any other series’ planned?

Jen: No other series planned at this point. Not to say that there won’t be others in the future, but I’m too into this one and it still feels fresh to me. Since I’m only able to write one book a year because of my day job, I want to keep the regular releases going in this series so I’ll concentrate on it. At this point, we’re planned out to book 7, but don’t have a set number of books planned for the series.

Me: So there might be a book #8 (and maybe #9), too?

Jen: Yes. Ann and I are good long term planners. For instance, the seed for book 7’s plot was sewn into book 1.

Me: Can you talk a bit about your writing process and series development? When you first started this series, did you know it was going to be a series, or did it just evolve into one?

Jen: We wrote it as a series and pitched it to agents as such. As I said, right from the start we set up Juka Petrović as an open door to a particular plot, so we knew we were in it for the long haul (although at the time, we didn’t know that payoff wouldn’t come until book 7). Another character is introduced in concept in book 3 and in person in book 4 to support that same storyline and book. But to an extent, some storylines evolve as we go. There’s a character that is mentioned in name only in chapter 1 of book 1 that may be a focal point in book 5 if we can figure out some potential jurisdictional issues.

Me: Did you plan to write x number of books when you first started writing, or did they just evolve?

Jen: We don’t have any set number of books in mind. As long as the series can stay fresh, we’d like to keep writing it. When we started, we knew we were setting up a series, but that’s about as specific as we were until we got going.

Me: Are you going to write another series?

Jen: I’m not going to say “no” to that, but I will say “not right now.” I’m having too much fun writing this one and the ideas are still coming fast and furious. And, truthfully, when you’re trying to generate momentum on a series, it’s best to keep the installments coming at a regular pace. As a reader myself, I know how much I love getting onto a series and picking up the newest book the moment it comes out. And as I still work full-time in the lab, I wouldn’t be able to manage more than one series at a time for proper pacing.

Me: Have you had much success with your “filler” novella? Do you think it’s crucial to the series? (I know it can be read as a stand-alone, having read it.)

Jen: I’ve been quite happy with the novella. It’s done exactly what we wanted it to do – filled the gap for our readers during the long 11 months between DEAD and FLAME, and introduced us to new readers who’d never heard of Matt and Leigh in a nice, risk-free way. And while it’s not crucial to the series, I do think it’s a nice addition and tackles a real and disturbing issue.

Me: How have your views about publishing changed as a result of publishing both ways (traditionally and self-published)?

Jen: I always knew I wanted to go with traditional publishing and that hasn’t changed at all.

Me: Before we wrap this up, is there anything else you would like to add? Maybe something about Pinterest, perhaps?

Jen: Yes! You can see a Pinterest board for A Flame in the Wind of Death here and one for the upcoming book, Two Parts Bloody Murder here.

I’d also like to add that A Flame in the Wind of Death, in Canada, is being carried by Chapters/Indigo. And it’s available online through North America via Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Chapters. Indigo.ca. Of course, all books are featured on my website, too, with links to places where they can be purchased.

Me: I want to wish you a lot of continued success, Jen, and thank you for being here today to answer questions. If any of my readers have more questions, can they ask them in the comments?

Jen: Sure! I’ll reply to anyone who asks me something!

Me: Thanks again, Jen. And congratulations on your latest publication!

Jen: Thank you, Lorraine. See you in the comment section!

Readers: You can learn more about Jen’s books – and read sample chapters – on her website, and you can also connect with Jen J. Danna on Facebook , Twitter and Pinterest.

*I also want to remind you that you can still grab a copy of my free ebook, 20 Blog Post Must-Haves too! 😉

YOUR TURN:

Do you have any questions or comments for Jen (or me)?

If so, please voice them; don’t be shy!

And DO pick up a copy of Jen’s book, A Flame in the Wind of Death, from Amazon!

April 8, 2014

The Writing Process Blog Hop

The Writing Process Blog Hop is a great way for others to learn about the writing processes of authors, bloggers, and writers.

I actually have three different processes, depending on what I am writing! Today I am going to reveal them to you.

I am doing this for two reasons. The first is because I think this is an interesting topic. The second is because I have been asked to participate in a Writing Process Blog Hop. Actually, if truth be told, I volunteered! 😉

Writers are a great bunch of people, and I’ve met many online during the past year, including Robert Price, Robert is a poet and a storyteller. He’s got a way with words and with painting pictures in your head with his poetry. His blog, From a Clogged Mind, is where he shares his writing.

I’m not sure who started the Writing Process Blog Hop, but I can tell you that I like the “inside scoop” that is being shared by many across the web! Through our sharing, we can learn new tips from one another, from our individual experiences. I think that’s just great!

The Writing Process Blog Hop Rules

There are some rules to the Writing Process Blog Hop, which are:

1/ I must answer the four questions below.

2/ I must link back to the person who invited me to this Blog Hop.

3/ I must name four writers who will continue this Blog Hop and notify them. The questions are:

What are you working on?
How does your work differ from others of its genre?
Why do you write what you do?
How does your writing process work? Read More

April 3, 2014

Is the Freelance Life for You? (Hint: Ask yourself these 2 Questions)

Is the freelance life for you?

If you are unsure of whether or not the freelance life is for you, you should ask yourself these 2 questions, analyze your answers, and then decide. You may be surprised at your responses!