Looking for Something?
Posts Tagged for

ali luke

25 Posts About Blogging that Will Change Your Life

Author:

The title of this post might seem a bit dramatic, but I believe there are some truly life-altering posts out there about blogging. These aren’t how-to posts or resource lists, which are wonderful in their own right, but passionate posts from people who are big dreamers and incredible thinkers about the very art of blogging.

And yes, they have changed me. They have changed how I think about the world and how I run my own blogs and what I choose to say online. They’ve inspired me to do better. So today, I wanted to share these posts with you.

(Note: These posts are in alphabetical order by author’s last name, not in order of importance.)

1. The Insidious Perfidiousness of Doubts, Overcome by Leo Babauta (@zen_habits)

There isn’t a single one of us who has overcome the human condition of self doubt. Whether you’re a supremely confident person, a content Zen monk, a successful writer…it doesn’t matter. You have doubts about yourself.

The question is whether these doubts stop you from doing amazing things, from leading the life you want to lead.


2. Haven’t Had Time to Blog by Chris Brogan (@chrisbrogan)

We pick our paths. We decide what we make time to do. We choose our own adventures every single day. Each and every day, we have the chance to make choices.

3. Bonus Post, Also from Chris Brogan: This Post Isn’t Worth Your Time


4. Confessions of a Narcissistic Blogger by Joe Bunting (@joebunting)

I first got into writing because I felt this explosion of feeling, like I could release everything I was on the page and fill it with beautiful and terrible truths. Sometimes I get so excited about writing, my eyes fill with tears. It’s a great experience.

This is life experienced to its fullest. But then I look at my pageviews and my game face goes on. All I care about is the numbers. Immediately, my joy fizzles out like soda gone flat.


5. Is F.E.A.R. Holding You Back? by Brian Clark (@copyblogger)

F.E.A.R. is an illusion. Something we fabricate in our own minds and pretend is real. It’s a fairy tale we tell ourselves that keeps us from doing what we really want.

False evidence appearing real.

The common label for F.E.A.R is anxiety, a less fundamental emotion that arises purely from our own thoughts, not external reality. And 50 years of cognitive psychology research demonstrates that while we can’t always control how we feel, we do have the power to choose how we think and act.

6. Bonus Post, Also from Brian Clark: Do You Recognize These 10 Mental Blocks to Creative Thinking?


7. Managing a Blog Is Great. Managing the Blogger is Even Better. by Brandon Cox (@brandonacox)

Your blogging success isn’t about your next post. It’s about all of your posts. It isn’t about a great headline, a huge list, or sweet graphics. It’s about the total package. Whether your blog is personal, corporate, or one of those that’s supposed to make you a millionaire tomorrow, your blog is really all about you.


8. Want People to Listen? Get a Life. by Jonathan Fields (@jonathanfields)

Fact is, every word you say, write, sing or film and release into the world is judged against a backdrop of who you are, what you’ve said, done and achieved in the past…and what you HAVEN’T said, done and achieved. That’s why one of the first things most people do when they read an interesting post on a new blog is jump over to the “about” page to see who the writer is. They’re looking to frame the message. Because…

Context is as important as content.


9. The Most Important Conversation I’ve Had About My Business Ever by Pat Flynn (@PatFlynn)

How many times during the day are you actually working when you’re supposed to? Probably not as much as you should.

I wasn’t.

In fact, after literally keeping track of everything I did during a normal day, I noticed some rather disturbing issues, especially when it came to checking my emails, checking website stats, opening my Facebook account (personal, not the fan page), and reading the news.

Basically, I did a lot of non-work related things when I was supposed to be working. On the flip side, I was working (or thinking about work), when I probably shouldn’t have been.


10. The Wealthy Gardener by Seth Godin

Sure, people make money growing orchids. Some people probably get rich growing orchids. Not many though. And my guess is that the people who do make money gardening probably didn’t set out to do so.

11. Bonus Post, Also from Seth Godin: Do It Wrong, Relentlessly


12. What’s Next? It’s You by Mitch Joel (@mitchjoel)

It was bound to happen. We were heading for a place where “top ten” and “how to”-types of blog posts may become redundant or rudimentary. We’ve come to a place where those who were never going to stick it out with blogging for the long haul are busy on Twitter and Facebook, where they can share without the burden of having a passion for writing. So, in the end, maybe what’s new for blogging is a place where the real bloggers step in and create a new type of copy for the world to consume. A place where more and more creative thinkers get to tinker with words in new and interesting ways. It’s a place where you (and everyone else who wants to write and have a voice) gets to be free to try it out and see what kind of audience their words, images and even video connects with.


13. Passion over Perfection. Love over politics. The Story of Mrs. Mulvey. by Danielle LaPorte (@DanielleLaPorte)

And that was a moment. One of those world-stops-for-a-nanosecond-so-you-can-glimpse-the-future kinds of moments. And I realized that I could do it. I didn’t know what “it” was, but I knew that somehow my passion was going to count.


14. Have Faith in Yourself and Your Writing by Ali Luke (@aliventures)

Faith doesn’t mean you never give up. Faith means that when you’ve fallen down – again and again – you get up and carry on.

I can’t tell you that the writing path is an easy one. I can tell you that it’s worth travelling. And if you want to be a writer, if your life doesn’t feel complete without writing, then you already have the faith that you need.


15. It’s OK to Give a Crap by Ian Lurie (@portentint)

It’s OK. Take this opportunity to feel good about it. You’re in a shrinking population of People Who Actually Give A Crap About What They Do.

I, for one, am sick of people telling me I should delegate everything, find someone offshore to do SEO for me for $10 a day, take my own work ‘less seriously’, blah blah blah blah. Screw that. And you, if you’re one of those people.


16. Important by Anissa Mayhew (@AnissaMayhew)

If the worst thing that happens in your day is that someone sends you an ugly email, try waiting for a call from the doctor to give you results you’re pretty sure you don’t want to hear.

If you’re going to argue about who makes money and if they’re doing it right, you’ve never sat in front of your checkbook and wondered what you weren’t going to pay so that you can afford to give your child the treatments they need AND keep a roof over their head.

If you can talk about your mafia, feel slighted because you weren’t the center of attention, or fret about your PR connections, you’ve never had to sit and contemplate the moment when they cut into your child’s brain to see what the tumors are doing.


17. How to be Unforgettable by Jon Morrow (@JonMorrow)

If we’re being honest, I think maybe that’s one of the reasons many of us start blogging. There’s something immensely comforting about knowing your thoughts are out there for the whole world to read. You could kick the bucket tomorrow, but your words will live on, teaching, inspiring, and taking root in the minds of readers for generations to come.

Or at least that’s the idea.

What really happens, of course, is that you pour your heart and soul into a post, and no one seems to care. No comments, no links, no nothing. Come on over, friends, and check out my blog. We’re watching my ideas die in real time. Yuk, yuk, yuk.

And it’s disturbing.


18. Let Them Love You by Elizabeth Potts Weinstein (@ElizabethPW)

You refuse to share your gifts with the world, just because you are not perfect? Because you are human? Because you don’t have ever answer to every question even invented, because you have flaws, because you are still growing and learning yourself?

Stop wasting yourself on all that crap.


19. When it Feels Like Nobody is Reading Your Blog by Darren Rowse (@problogger)

As I would preach to the empty pews and as my word echoed around the room I found that I learned so much about the topic I was exploring and how to deliver it. I also learned a lot about preaching. New ideas would come, I’d try different ways of expressing it and slowly the final version of the sermon would begin to form – to the point that when I got up in the same room on Sunday to deliver the final version it would flow.


20. See The Rats For The Fleas by Joey Strawn (@joey_strawn)

It’s so easy to look at a situation, see something we are already afraid of and place the blame there. How much more often could we investigate further and find the little things being ignored are the real issue?

You complain that your blog isn’t getting the audience you want or that not enough people are subscribing to your amazing feed, but are you looking at the right things?


21. 106 Excuses That Prevent You From Ever Becoming Great by Tommy Walker (@tommyismyname)

Be honest. How often do you sabotage yourself?

On any given day, you have tasks you’d like to finish because you know they’d positively impact your business, and tasks you actually do.

You trick yourself into thinking that keeping up with industry news, and reading the latest “10 tips to ______” post is “working.”

You know better, but some part of you believes that simply reading the article will help you move forward.

22. Bonus Post, Also from Tommy Walker: Blogging and the Definition of “Insanity.”


I’ll humbly add to this list, two posts I’m extremely proud to have written, one here on the NMX blog and the other on my blog, Blog Zombies. I hope they have really affected my readers and changed them for the better:

23. Does Your Blog Just Tell People What They Want to Hear? A Honest Look at Social Success
24. Don’t Be a Scumbag (And Other Advice I Can’t Believe I Have To Tell You)

Where’s post #25? Well, I leave that one up to you. I hope you take a moment to leave a comment with a link to the best post you’ve ever written, a post that you hope has changed the lives of your readers.

If you’re having trouble thinking of a post that fits into this category, maybe it’s time to write one. Give me your best!

18 Brilliant Bloggers Talk About Writing eBooks

Author:

Brilliant Bloggers is a bi-weekly series here at NMX where we look at the best posts from around the web all surrounding a specific topic. Every other week, we’ll feature three of the most brilliant bloggers out there, along with a huge list of more resources where you can learn about the topic. You can see more Brilliant Blogger posts or learn how to submit your link for an upcoming edition here.

This Week’s Topic: Ebooks

It seems like every big-name blogger has written at least one ebook, and many bloggers are offering them for free. The first NMX ebook is about Pinterest available for free here, but ebooks can be sold as well. If you’ve been thinking about producing your own ebook, today’s Brilliant Bloggers is for you! In edition to all of the resources available in our publishing category, check out the links below to find more about ebook writing.

Brilliant Blogger of the Week:

You Already Know How to Write an Ebook … So What’s Stopping You? by Ali Luke

Ali is the author of The Blogger’s Guide to Irresistible Ebooks, and she’s written quite a few successful ebooks herself, so she know what’s up when it comes to writing ebooks. In this post for Copyblogger, Ali talks about how writing an ebook isn’t different from the content writing you probably already do on  your blog. To call her a brilliant blogger on the topic of ebooks is an understatement!

After checking out the post, I also recommend checking out her own blog, Aliventures, and following her on Twitter at @aliventures for more great tips.

Even More Brilliant Advice:

  1. 5 Tips For Writing An Ebook They Can’t Put Down by Jesse Schmitt
  2. 10 Tips on Writing an E-Book by Amber Naslund (@ambercadabra)
  3. 14 Successful Ebook Authors Reveal How to Write Ebooks that Sell by HectorCuevas (@HectorCuevas)
  4. Boost Your Business By Writing an eBook by Chris Robley (@chrisrobley)
  5. The Charles Darwin Guide to Writing and Selling an Effective Ebook by Pamela Wilson (@pamelaiwilson)
  6. eBook Writing Tips – How you Can Avoid Writers Block! by the eBook Author Academy
  7. Ebooks Store – Ebook Writing Tips by Mary Kitt-Neel (@MaryKittNeel)
  8. The Essential Guide to Writing an eBook & Sharing It with the World by Jeff Goins (@jeffgoins)
  9. How to Write an Ebook by Amy Lynn Andrews (@AmyLynnAndrews)
  10. How to Write an Ebook that Doesn’t Suck by Michael Martine (@remarkablogger)
  11. How to Write Ebooks that Sell by Brian Clark (@copyblogger)
  12. How to Write an eBook that People Will Actually Read by Ryan Taft (@ryantaft)
  13. Introduction to writing eBooks: How is it different than traditional book publishing? by Chris-Rachael Oseland (@ChrisRachael)
  14. So you want to write an ebook? 30 tips for success by David Meerman Scott (@dmscott)
  15. Tips for Writing a Great Ebook by Blog Oh Blog
  16. Top 5 Tips to Write a Successful EBook by Arjun Singh (@arjunchauhan24)
  17. Writing an eBook: How to Get Started (and Finish!) by Cara Stein (@cara_stein)

Did I miss your post or a post by someone you know about ebooks? Unintentional! Help me out by leaving a comment below with the link.

Next Brilliant Blogger Topic: Controversial Posts

I’d love to include a link to your post in our next installment– and if you head to the Brilliant Bloggers Schedule, you can see even more upcoming posts. We all have something to learn from one another, so please don’t be shy! Head to the schedule today to learn how to submit your post so I won’t miss it.

The 12 New Media Days of Christmas: 6 Publishers a-Publishing

Author:

During the 12 New Media Days of Christmas, we’re counting down the days until Santa comes by featuring some of the best blog posts of 2011 from awesome writers within the BlogWorld community! Skip to the end to read more posts in this holiday series and don’t forget to leave a comment if you’ve written a post about today’s topic!

One of the things I love about the new media industry is watching the publishing industry grow and change. Today, I’ve gathered some interesting blog posts about this topic, and I’d encourage you to read them all if you’re a book publisher, writer, online content creator, marketer…basically, if you all should be reading these posts!

Post too long? Head to the Quick Links section for just a list of the links included in this post without all the analysis and quotes!

1. The Future of Books and Publishing by Mitch Joel at Six Pixels of Separation

I don’t have time to listen to many podcasts, but Mitch Joel’s is one I really enjoy. In this episode, Mitch talks with Hugh McGuire about some really cool new tools in the publishing world. The publishing world is going through a lot of changes right now, but those changes don’t have to be bad. In fact, I think they’re pretty exciting. During the podcast, Mitch and Hugh talk about this exciting future.

Writes Mitch,

The book publishing industry is going through dramatic change and digitization. With that comes some fascinating lessons for marketers and marketing. Enjoy the conversation…

After listening to his podcast, you can find Mitch on Twitter @MitchJoel. He’d the author of the Six Pixels of Separation book and also writes for The Montreal Gazette and Vancouver Sun.

BONUS: I featured Chris Brogan earlier in this 12 New Media Days series, but he also have a great interview with Hugh published on his blog that is totally worth checking out!


 

2. The Economics of Self-Publishing an Ebook by Simon Owens at The Next Web

Self publishing is a hot topic. At one time, you weren’t really considered a legitimate author if you self published. Sure you could do it, but it was hard to sell copies of your book, since retailers didn’t (and still don’t) want to stock self-published books. That’s not to mention the out-of-pocket costs for the author. But now, publishing an ebook is pretty simple, and not only can you sell your book on your own blog, but you can also upload it to the Kindle and Nook marketplaces. And authors? Well, some of them are making a killing. In this post, Simon writes about some of the authors who have found success with self-publishing, along with topics like pricing, where the big publishing houses are going from here, and more. From the post:

Recent figures released by Amazon indicate that its ebooks are now outselling their print counterparts. Most the top sellers in the Kindle store also have print editions, but there are dozens of “indie” authors who are selling thousands of ebooks a month without a print version.

Simon also blogs at his own site, Bloggasm, and you can find him on Twitter @simonowens. He’s also the Director of Editorial & Outreach at JESS3.


 

3. How to Publish Your First Book by Donny Gamble at DonnyGamble.com (guest post for ZacJohnson.com)

If you’re brand new to the idea of self-publishing an ebook, this post is a good place to start. It all starts with a good idea, which is the same thing you need before starting the traditional publishing process as well! If you have a great idea that will really help people, self-publishing is pretty easy. Donny talks about his experiences in this post, and you can easy replicate these ideas to publish your own posts. He writes,

Do you have a book swimming around in your head? Maybe you’ve got one already written but have never known how to offer it or where. Now you do. If you make the decision now, you can realistically see your dream come to fruition before the end of the year.

Okay, it might be a little too close to the end of the year for this still to be true, but you can definitely have a book published by this time next year! After reading Donny’s post, check out his book, #Code Bytes – Conversations with Internet Entrepreneurs, and follow him on Twitter @donnygamblejr.


 

4. Self-Publishing versus e-Publishing by Suzanne Fyhrie Parrott at Unruly Guides

While we often equate self-publishing with ebook pushing, as Suzanne points out in this point, it isn’t your only option. If you want to build your business, print versions might make sense for you as well, depending on your goals and target market. Check out this post to learn about your options, including both traditional print self-publishing and print on demand. From the post:

Self-publishing means you take on all the responsibility of getting noticed. You have to set aside time to market yourself. I like to do all my connective work (facebook, blog) in the morning – even before I am dressed. I spend about an hour, sometimes less, and then I take a small break, preparing myself for my writing.

One thing every author needs to ingrain in their mind – you are a business and the commodity is you. Not your books, but you.

You can find Suzanne on Twitter @unrulyguides and also like her Facebook page. If you sign up for her newsletter on her sidebar, you can download her guide, 10 Tools for Finding Author Success for free!


 

5. Self-Publishing: A Game Changer for the Publishing Industry by Abby Johnson at WebProNews (with Jim Kukral)

A lot of what Jim is saying in this video with WebProNews is echoing what others are saying as well about the publishing industry. He also talks his experiences publishing, both traditionally and in this new online world. I love his ideas about pre-selling or pledging, which is how he’s marketing his new three-book series. Traditional publishing might not be totally dead, but Jim makes some really good points about how it is evolving. Says Jim,

“[Traditional publishing techniques] are not going to die…they’re just changing. The model of having a thousand books put out by a big publisher every six months is going to change simply from the fact that bookstores can’t support that anymore….they’re gong to scale back and handpick books they know are going to sell.”

You can add Abby to your circles on Google+ and follow WebProNews on Twitter @webpronews. Jim is on Twitter @jimkukral. He’s the author of Internet Marketing for Business Answers and a number of other books, which you can find on his website, JimKukral.com.


 

6. 6 Reasons Why I Chose to Self-Publish my Novel by Ali Luke at Aliventures

Whether you are publishing an informational book/guide in conjunction with your blog or are publishing a novel, as Ali is doing, there are some clear advantages to self-publishing for some people.

Is self-publishing the right option for you? The answer it’s “yes” for everyone, but Ali’s post will help you decide. For her, it was the best option! Writes Ali,

Seven months ago, I wrote a rather provocatively-titled post here on Aliventures: Why I’m Giving Up on My Dream.

I explained why the writing dream of “get an agent” then “land a book deal” wasn’t looking so great to me anymore. And I outlined my plan to publish Lycopolis myself.

A couple of weeks ago, I went ahead and did it.

Read about Ali’s experiences, and then follow her on Twitter @aliventures. You can also check out her online shop, where you find ebooks such as The Blogger’s Guide to Irresistible Ebooks, The Blogger’s Guide to Freelancing, and The Blogger’s Guide to Effective Writing. And definitely check out her new novel, Lycopolis!


Quick Links

For those of you short on time, here’s a list of the links covered in this post:

  1. The Future of Books and Publishing by Mitch Joel (@MitchJoel)
  2. The Economics of Self-Publishing an Ebook by Simon Owens (@simonowens)
  3. How to Publish Your First Book by Donny Gamble (@donnygamblejr)
  4. Self-Publishing versus e-Publishing by Suzanne Fyhrie Parrott (@unrulyguides)
  5. Self-Publishing: A Game Changer for the Publishing Industry by Abby Johnson at WebProNews (@webpronews) with Jim Kukral (@jimkukral)
  6. 6 Reasons Why I Chose to Self-Publish my Novel by Ali Luke (@aliventures)

Other posts in the 12 New Media Days of Christmas series will be linked here as they go live:

12 Bloggers Monetizing
11 Emailers List Building
10 Google+ Users a-Sharing
9 Vloggers Recording
8 Links a-Baiting
7 Community Managers a-Managing
6 Publishers a-Publishing (this post)
5 Traffic Tips
4 New Media Case Studies
3 Must-Read New Media Interviews
2 Top New Media News Stories of 2011
And a Partridge in a Pear Tree

You can also check out the all the posts from 2010 and 2011 here, and don’t forget: If you wrote a post in 2011 about today’s topic (digital publishing), PLEASE leave the link in a comment below to share with the community!

Six Simple Ways to Market Your EBook – After the Launch

Author:

Session: How to Write EBooks That Practically Sell Themselves
Speaker: Ali Luke

There’s tons of great advice out there about launching an eBook – and for good reason: you’ll get rapid sales in the first week or two. But unless your eBook is incredibly topical, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t keep on selling well, long after the launch is over.
And this isn’t just good for you … it’s also good for your audience. Chances are, new folks are stopping by your site (or following you on Twitter, or liking your page on Facebook) every day. Your new readers might love to get their hands on your eBook – but they need to know it exists.
I’ll start off with the easiest, quickest tips and work up to more time-consuming ones.

#1: Add a Link to Email/Forum Signatures

This will only take you a couple of minutes – and could get your eBook in front of hundreds of people. Just add a line to your email signature. It can be as simple as this:

Author of EBOOK TITLE, available from LINK

You might also want to include a brief quote from a testimonial, or a note about who the book is for.
If you use any forums, check whether it’s okay to link to your eBook sales page in your signature – different sites will have different rules about this. On private forums, such as the Third Tribe, you might want to include a custom discount code.

#2: Mention it on Your About Page

If you take a quick look at your blog’s analytics, then you’ll probably see that the most popular static page is the About page. New readers want to see who you are and what your blog is all about. The About page is a great place to mention any products or services – including eBooks.

Since you’ve got a lot more space on an About page than in an email signature, you’ll want to give enough information to draw readers in. Add your eBook’s cover image, plus a short description of key benefits (perhaps in bullet-point format). Encourage readers to “click here to find out more” rather than “click here to buy now” – it’s not such a big commitment.

#3: Send a Sample to Everyone on Your Email List

Your newsletter or mailing list is a great marketing tool – assuming you use it right. That means avoiding overloading your readers with offers and promotions … whilst ensuring that you’re not completely silent about your eBook.

One great way to promote your eBook is to provide an exclusive free sample to your email list. Your readers will be thrilled – and you may well make some new sales. Make your sample genuinely useful (perhaps a quarter to a third of your full eBook) and use the last page of it to tell readers how to get the full eBook.

If you don’t have an email list yet, or if your list is very small, a free sample of your eBook makes a great sign-up incentive.

#4: Guest Post on a Relevant Blog

Perhaps your own blog doesn’t have many readers yet – a few dozen, or a few hundred. You could keep promoting your eBook to them, but chances are, they’re going to get a bit bored of hearing about something they’ve already bought (or already dismissed).
Luckily, it’s not too hard to get your eBook in front of an audience of thousands – or ten of thousands – of readers. How? Write a guest post, and promote your eBook in the bio.

For maximum effect, look for a blog that:

  • Has readers who are used to buying eBooks (e.g. ProBlogger or Copyblogger).
  • Hasn’t done any large promotions recently.
  • Allows a link in the body of your post, as well as in the bio.
  • Is on-topic: you’ll want to write a guest post that’s related to your eBook.

You might even want to give a special discount code for that blog’s readers: this offers an extra incentive to buy, and also helps you track where sales are coming from.

#5: Hold an EBook Sale

We all love a bargain – so putting your eBook on sale for a week or two will help undecided buyers to make up their minds! Sales are more powerful if you don’t hold them too often, and if you offer a significant discount.

It’s a good idea to have a reason for a sale (and “I need to pay my taxes” isn’t ideal). You might try:

  • A charity sale: all or some of the money will go to a specific charity.
  • Your birthday, or your blog’s birthday.
  • A summer, Thanksgiving or January sale (though bear in mind that lots of other bloggers might be doing the same).
  • A “secret” sale for a specific group of people – e.g. your Facebook page, email list or Twitter followers.

A sale is a great time to revamp your promotional copy: do you have new testimonials to add to your eBook’s sales page, or case studies that you can include?

#6: Write a Related EBook

Writing a second eBook isn’t a short-term option – but it can be a hugely effective marketing technique (as well as a new source of revenue in itself).

If you’ve got two eBooks on related topics – for instance, “How to Get Started With Your Digital Camera” and “How to Take Great Portraits With Your Digital Camera” – then you can easily create an up-sell, or give a discount code to buyers so that they can get the other eBook. That way, the new eBook will boost sales of the first.

And you don’t have to stop at two. I’ve got three eBooks (so far!) in The Blogger’s Guide series, and this has meant that I can provide all three as a bundle, offering readers a significant discount. Plenty of other eBook authors use the same technique: check out Holly Lisle’s “writing clinics bundle” for another example.

So … if your eBook is gathering dust on the virtual shelves, pick two ideas from above (one shorter-term, one longer-term) to get sales going again. And if you’ve got a tip to add to the list, please share it with us in the comments below.

Hear what else Ali has to say:

Watch more videos and see why other speakers are attending BlogWorld LA. See all Speakers here.

Learn more about BlogWorld LA and register Here!

Ali Luke is speaking at BlogWorld on “How to Write EBooks That Practically Sell Themselves” (Saturday 5th Nov, 3.30pm). She’s also the author of The Blogger’s Guide to Irresistible EBooks, currently just $29, and blogs about writing at Aliventures.

Learn About NMX

NEW TWITTER HASHTAG: #NMX

Recent Comments

Categories

Archives