Get to Know Dear Blogger’s Greg Narayan On A Personal Level!

Today’s post is a guest post from “The Blogger” – Dear Blogger’s very own Greg Narayan! I had some technical issues with publishing this post, too. Sorry, folks, sometimes sh** happens when you’re a non-techie like me…so please realize that both this post AND the post announcing the new giveaway were BOTH published today! Make sure you read it and enter!!! Also, be sure to watch the video of Greg, my other special guest for today, and then read his guest post. I’d advise getting to know him; we may have a surprise for you next month! šŸ˜‰

Take it away, Greg! Read More

My Online Journey

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When I first got a laptop in January 2013, I never imagined that I would be where I am today, doing the things I am doing.

The online community may reach worldwide, but the internet brings us closer. The technological advances that have been made while I was raising my son, going to school, and teaching are simply astounding. They boggle my mind.

In addition to trying to put together an ebook of short stories, I started writing a book about my life. I have a timeline created, and a few chapters written. My short stories are currently being re-worked, as I needed to make some improvements (according to the people I chose to be my ā€œbeta readersā€).

In my quest for learning how to do new things, Iā€™ve also been trying to learn how to create infographics.

As you can see from my personal “infographic”, I’ve met a lot of great people online.

The famous Carol Tice is one of the people I have met. I have been reading her blog, Make A Living Writing, for many months. A few weeks ago, she wasĀ asking for guest posts. She is one of the many bloggers who pay for guest posts, too, so I was excited to see this – it was a great opportunity for me! Normally she only invites people who have taken Jon Morrowā€™s classĀ ORĀ are members of her ā€œFreelance Writers Den.ā€ Since I fall into neither of these groups, I never thought that Iā€™d have the opportunity to guest post for her. However, when she decided to ā€œbreak her own ruleā€ and seek guest posts from (almost) ā€œanyone,ā€ I decided to give it a shot.

I thought I had a pretty good chance at being accepted since I have actually crossed paths with her on a few occasions. I also comment on her blog on occasion (when I have something noteworthy to say). Iā€™ve entered two of my posts into her linky contests, too. (The last one was during this one, in early September. I placed 23rd out of 46 entries. Since the post I entered had nothing to do with freelancing, Iā€™m surprised I was not last!)

Anyway, when I submitted an email to Carol Tice with my idea for a guest post, it was rejected. I wasnā€™t very surprised; it was not the greatest of ideas. (I can see that now!) Not letting this rejection get me down, I decided to persevere. I then spent an evening thinking of three more ideas ā€“ better ones! ā€“ to pitch to her. I was thrilled when she accepted one of them. Oddly enough, it was not the one that I thought she would select.

However, IĀ wrote the post she requested, but not well enough to meet her standards. I had to re-write the opening paragraph, and alter things a bit. I wanted it to be perfect. When I thought it was, I sent my re-write to her. A week later, I was told that she sent it to her editor. YAY!

I have guest posted on other sites before (look at my ServicesĀ page) but never for pay! Since I will be paid upon publication, I havenā€™t made any money yetā€¦but Iā€™m told that it will happen within the next few months. (She schedules her posts months ahead of time.)

Needless to say, Iā€™m looking forward to being ā€œfeaturedā€ on her site! Iā€™ll be sure to keep you informed of my postā€™s publication date, too.

To wrap things up for now, let me say that I love learning. There are so many other things that I have learned during my time online. Some of them are outlined in my post ā€œ21 Things I Learned From My 21 Days In The Scavenger Huntā€. I am adding to my list weekly, and am loving my journey.

But, enough about meā€¦

I want to know more about YOU.

What are some of YOUR online accomplishments? Share in the comments, please!

Author Christine Cowley Shares Information via A Guest Post and a Video

This post is a combination of a

  1. unique guest post by author, writing coach, and micro-publisher Christine Cowley,
  2. an awesome video about “Simone’s Story”,Ā which demonstrates the importance of writing and creating a memoir for others to have, learn from and enjoy,Ā and
  3. a video of a Google Hangout of the two of us talking about the “makings” of “Simone’s Story”. Read More

Author Lyn Alexander Offers Advice To Fiction Writers

This is a guest post from Lyn Alexander, author of several historical novels, including “The Officer’s Code”. code cover

Every writer of fiction should read read read. Good and bad, classics and the latest best-seller in your preferred category. I hesitate to call it ā€˜genreā€™. I deplore the concept of ā€˜genreā€™. This word signifies that the book must conform to a preconceived format aimed at a specific reader. Read More

Using Social Media to Preserve the English Language

This is a guest post from Aleshia Clarke.

Using Social Media to Preserve the English Language

Do you think the English language will eventually fade away? Languages today are evolving at a rapid pace, as evidenced by significant changes in usage within the last decade. In fact, entire cultures are merging as the world grows smaller, due in part to the widespread availability of social technologies. Writing is a skilled, vocational trade that specializes in the scholarly domain of words to create entertaining, educational stories for an audience. Grammar, spelling, and structure are the tools by which we impart information to our readers with clear, concise text. Writers have traditionally assumed a creative developmental role in the literary arts, but now we have joined the ranks of educators, businesses and marketing professionals, by using the internet social media platform to promote our craft. Read More