Pixelware

LInda Conrad Bookplate Mockup

Alice — Tue, 04 May 2010 17:17:56 +0000

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Linda Conrad Bookmark Mockups

Alice — Tue, 04 May 2010 15:11:56 +0000

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Linda Conrad Bookmark Mockup

Alice — Mon, 03 May 2010 22:46:02 +0000

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Ad design for winabook.com

Alice — Sun, 02 May 2010 19:31:03 +0000

Ad design for www.winabook.com appearing on RTBookReviews.com.

Standard banner for websites.

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Linda Conrad Bookmark Mockup

Alice — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 22:49:52 +0000

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Bookplate mockup

Alice — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 22:10:41 +0000

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No Follow Does No Favors

Alice — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:20:00 +0000

One method websmasters use to fight spam is the no follow attribute on links. Basically what this does is tell search engines not to follow that link essentially killing all search engine crawling and indexing of that site.

This makes your site less attractive to spammers.

The problem is, it doesn’t work. Spammers still spam sites who use no follow. Most of the time spam bots don’t even seem to notice if the site uses no follow or not. If you’re using a system like wordpress, akismet works really well. And other blog systems have other spam options that help a lot.

So if it doesn’t stop spam, what’s the point? That’s a good question. The only outcome I can see is that you’re hurting the people who visit your site and make legitimate comments. You’re denying people who participate on your site from receiving any kind of kick back or better search engine ranking.

Something to note: if you use wordpress and want to disable the no follow feature, there’s a plugin called DoFollow that does an excellent job.

For the record: the catanetwork and Pixelware Design are removing nofollow attributes from our sites. If you take the time to post a good comment, you should be rewarded, not punished. So comment at will!

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Build Your Facebook Page

Alice — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 13:42:57 +0000

Trying to build your Facebook fan page? Boost your exposure by leaving thoughtful comments on blogs and using your facebook address where it asks for a website address.

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Brilliant Book Marketing

Alice — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 01:10:07 +0000

It’s so nice to see authors taking the reigns of their marketing. What’s really great is when they learn how to tackle the press release.

Susan Mallery does a great job of promoting herself and her books while snagging attention thanks to a recent study that reports women who get married at 25 or older are twice as likely to stay married. How does Mallery relate her own books? She points out that the heroines in her book tend to be a little older.

She says “I believe women at this age have matured enough to know what they want in a husband, and are better at shrugging off the small stuff. Plus, they’ve been dinged up by life a little bit, and we’re all more interesting with scars.”

What’s more, she ties the press release to a holiday and what holiday is better at getting folks engaged than Valentine’s day. So kudos to Susan Mallery.

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Who’s your Audience?

Alice — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:14:28 +0000

When it comes to marketing and promotion, know who your audience is so you can address them. Do you write fiction about race car drivers? Guess who you should be advertising to? Race car fans, drivers, sponsors. People who are involved in that sport.

Are you a restaurant? Advertise on local blogs, websites, newspapers, especially if they have a section on food or recipes. People reading those sites and papers are already hungry, and will be interested in what you have to offer. Better yet, offer the writer a gift certificate to come eat with you. That way they’ll be familiar with your restaurant and food.