The Profile Directory of Bloggers

Starting Out as a Freelance Writer

2011-05-04T14:46:00.000-07:00

Freelance writing makes a great job for bloggers, single mothers and others who want to work from home. If you're a really good writer and find out where to search for writing work, it is possible to earn a decent amount of money from your writing. Here are a few pointers to help you get started as a writer.

Steer Clear of Job Bidding Services

Elance, Freelancer, oDesk, and other sites for freelancers that make you bid for writing assignments have something in common: these sites all seem to be crowded with foreign laborers who are able to write articles for extremely low prices. If you bid for work on these websites, place your bids based on what you feel you're worthy of, and refuse to get caught up in a price war. If you find yourself working for three dollars an hour, you will just wind up feeling stressed and you'll get burned out quickly.

Content Broker Sites Are Great for Getting Money Quickly

Everyone endures a situation in which the budget is tight from time to time, and for those times, websites specializing in content brokering are often the perfect choice. The Content Authority pays weekly, and Textbroker pays twice per month. The amount that these sites pay is not great, but there's almost always work to be found and the revenue will prove useful until you are able to find writing jobs that pay more.

Webmasters Constantly Need Articles

There are countless sites online that are looking for fresh content. Many Internet marketers write their own content, but quite a few of them outsource the task to writers. If you've got good writing skills, you can probably get more money for the content you write by promoting your article writing service in forums where website owners spend time.

Magazines

If getting your articles published in magazines seems unrealistic, let me assure you that it really isn't. You don't have to have a college degree to get your articles published in a magazine or newspaper. The only thing you really need is the ability to write query letters pitching article ideas to magazine editors in a convincing way, along with the ability to do the research and craft the articles in a timely manner. It is much easier to sell yourself when you have two or three publishing credits to list as experience, but quite a few freelance writers have sold magazine articles with no prior publications. Get the Writer's Market book for the writer's guidelines of magazines that accept articles from freelance writers.

From Blog to Book

2010-07-26T16:57:00.000-07:00

How many times have you thought or heard someone say they would like to write a book when the time is right? Writing a book is a noble goal, but hard to accomplish. If you postpone it until the time is right, that time may never come. Even if you finish the book, there is a lot of work involved in getting it published and promoted, with no guarantee of success.

There is one thing that can be done to make this process much easier and more likely to succeed. Start a blog. It can be very helpful to just start writing about your subject. This doesn't have to be a big project. A few hours a week is more than sufficient. It's a great way to organize your thoughts. Also, reader comments can give you valuable feedback before you go through the trouble of submitting your manuscript to publishers. I like to include a good blogroll that includes links that are valuable to me in my research. Your readers will also appreciate this.

By the time you finish your book, it's likely that you will already have readers who are interested in purchasing it. Even if the book is never finished, you have still produced something you can be proud of. You might even be able to make some income from the blog from advertising or affiliate programs.

One of the most important steps towards finishing a book is just getting started. Starting by organizing your thoughts on a blog is a pleasant and easy way to do this. If the time comes for you to seriously tackle a book writing project, then you will have already laid a good foundation to help you succeed.

A New Three Column Template for the Profile Directory

2010-02-06T12:03:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally switched from a two column template to a three column template. I like this much better. The profile directory didn't leave much room for anything else in just the one sidebar. Now I have an extra sidebar to fill up. I'll probably add some more links to blogging sites and resources.

I would have done this a long time ago, but I've done this before and had trouble with losing my sidebar widgets. It would have taken many hours to redo all my sidebar information. Now Blogger lets you save your widgets so they aren't automatically deleted when you change templates.

If you would like to install a three column template on your Blogger blog, it isn't very difficult. There are many sites that offer free three column templates. I got mine here. They are based on the basic two column Blogger templates that are offered when you sign up for an account. Other more exotic templates are available elsewhere.

Installing it was very easy. I went to the layout section from the Blogger dashboard and clicked on Edit HTML. It's important to download the existing template as a backup in case something goes wrong or you change you mind. I then uploaded the new template and indicated that I wanted to save the widgets. I then previewed the template and clicked save template. It only took me a few minutes.

How to Have a Killer Blog

2009-03-29T12:03:00.000-07:00

10 Ways to a Killer Blog

View more presentations from yizmo.

How to Embed Videos

2008-01-29T07:28:00.001-08:00

I apologise for not posting in a while. I had to take a break and work on other things for a while (like microtonal music). I have been keeping up with new listings in the directory.

People often ask me how to embed videos. It's really much easier that it sounds. It's mostly a matter of of finding the embed code at places like Youtube or Google video and copying it and pasting it into your blog post. Here's a video that describes the process.

Embedding Videos and Slideshows in Blogger and Wordpress Blogs

Videos are a great way to add interest to your blog. They are also useful if you don't have the time to do a more traditional post. I even have a blog that is just for videos. Also, if you choose good keywords for the video titles, it can really help you to improve your search engine traffic.

A New Blog Directory

2007-07-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

Bobby Griffin has started a new automated directory, the Blankest Blank Blog Directory. This is part of a larger site where you can view blogs, jokes, videos, etc. You can even vote for the Best Blog, Funniest Video or Funniest Joke. You can visit this page to add your blog to the directory.

Blogger Tips and Tricks

2007-06-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

So far, the vast majority of profile listings at this blog come from bloggers with Blogger blogs. (Of course, other bloggers are welcome to submit a listing if they have an appropriate profile or about page.) I'm sure many of you will be interested in the blog, Blogger Tips and Tricks. It offers help in using the many features of the blogger platform. I have often been frustrated with the official Blogger help pages, but I have found a lot of useful information from Blogger Tips and Tricks.(Apparently many others have also benefited, judging from this comments page.) I hope you will pay it a visit.

Page Rank

2007-05-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

This blog has recently received a page rank of four. I wish I could take credit for this, but I haven't been doing much posting lately and I know the real credit goes to those who have chosen to link to me. Thank you! This is good news for everyone listed here, because it increases the value of the link to your profile page.

For your convenience, I have added a page rank checker at the bottom of this blog. I would be interested in hearing if getting listed here has increased the page rank of your profile page.

Top Blog Mag

2007-04-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

What is a blog magazine? Well, it's a lot like a regular magazine except that it comes in the convenience of a blog format. Top Blog Mag is fairly new, but it has already published some great articles by our fellow bloggers. Visiting this site is a great way to become acquainted with some of the best bloggers around. Better yet, you can submit entries for publication with the hope of receiving additional exposure for you and your blog.

So why not pay them a visit? If you consider submitting an article, please read their rules first.

Visit the Infinitely Crazy Blog Carnival

2007-03-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

After much anticipation, the Carnival of Craziness is up and running. I hope you will visit and enjoy the crazy collection.

If you missed out on this carnival, don't worry there is another one coming up. Visit the blog Infinitely Crazy for submission guidelines.

I would also like to thank The Crazy King of Clowns for awarding this post (at one of my other blogs) a coveted badge of honor.

A Carnival of Craziness

2007-03-07T11:02:00.000-08:00

The Crazy King of Clowns will be hosting a crazy blog carnival at his blog Infinitely Crazy. You may submit one entry per blog. Badges of honor will be awarded to the best article in each category. So why not join in on the craziness? The deadline for submissions is Sunday, March 25.

Blog Directory Reviews

2007-03-06T09:41:00.000-08:00

Blog directories can be a great way to increase the flow of traffic to your site. It's unfortunate that submitting your blog to these directories can be very time consuming and, in some cases, futile. Some blog directories require reciprocal links and then take a long time to list you, if they list you at all.

Fortunately, there's a blog that can help us to avoid this frustration. Blog Directories Reviews is a blog that offers reviews of blog directories. This is a valuable service. I plan on using it to find out which blog directories are worth my time.

Knots and Things

2007-02-17T10:00:00.000-08:00

I love unusual blogs, especially when the blogger chronicles a hobby that I know I would enjoy if I only had more time. One such blogger is Stormdrane. His blog is filled with photos of what can be done with decorative knots. It might seem that tying knots wouldn't make for a very fulfilling hobby, but this blog will likely change your mind.

A Links Blog

2007-02-11T10:27:00.000-08:00

Do you want another link pointing to your site? Just visit A Links Blog and leave a comment with your blog's url, title and a brief description. It's that easy. Just don't forget to first leave a comment here asking me to list your profile page.

See also:
Blog Review-The Bestest Blog of All-Time (Free Link Exchange)
Get Links to Your Blog

Check Out the Latest Blog Carnival

2007-02-03T12:42:00.000-08:00

The theme for the current blog carnival is embarrassment. This should make for some interesting reading. Did I submit an article? Yes, but I'm embarrassed to say that I was too embarrassed to share my own embarrassing moment so I discussed an embarrassing situation that occurred long ago and involves people who are no longer living. I'm sure that others were more courageous then I was in sharing their embarrassing moments.

The My Favorite Meme Carnival

2007-01-22T14:40:00.000-08:00

Mimi Lenox has been busy. I just wrote about her Saturday Comeback Challenge. Now I see that she is hosting the latest blog carnival at her Mimi Writes blog. I encourage you to take a look.

The Saturday Comeback Challenge

2007-01-20T14:11:00.000-08:00

Mimi Lenox of Dating Profile of the Day offers a weekly challenge for her readers. It goes something like this. She lists ten funny dating profiles. They often contain bizarre grammatical errors, strange misspellings, and generally humorous attempts to find romance. But wait, it gets better. You are invited to submit your own comical responses. A judging takes place and a winner is announced in a new post that lists the dating profiles along with the reader responses.

If you would like to see how it works, you can view the results for last week. If you feel ready to take the challenge, click here. The deadline for participation is 11:59 PM Monday.

50,000 Profile Views for R2K

2007-01-18T15:55:00.000-08:00

Of all the profile pages in this directory, it would appear that the one for R2K may be the most popular. He just passed 50,000 profile views. Congratulations, this is pretty impressive for a profile page!

What's his secret? I don't know, but I suspect that it may have something to do with his five great blogs. I wont tell you what they are. You will have to visit his profile to see the list. Doing so will allow you to play a small role in helping him achieve 100,000 profile views. I wonder how long it will take.

Do You Need Word Verification?

2007-01-16T09:57:00.000-08:00

To word verify or not to word verify? That is a question.

Skittles of Skittles' Place has challenged her readers to remove word verification for a week. I'm trying it and have been pleased with the results, so far. Word verification has its place in preventing spam, but it's also inconvenient and can reduce the number of legitimate comments that you receive. Some people need it, but many don't. The only way to tell is to give it a try.

If you try it and like the results, you may want to thank Skittles for the idea. I'd also enjoy hearing how it works for you.

The Bestest Blog Animal Carnival

2007-01-13T16:16:00.000-08:00

There's a new blog carnival in town! The theme is animals, so prepare yourself for a zoological display of great articles from around the blogosphere. I think these carnivals are great and I was sure to submit my own entry to be gawked at by hordes of enthusiastic visitors.

While you're there, you may want to thank Morgan of It's a Blog Eat Blog World for hosting this terrific animal carnival. (I wonder if he needs any help cleaning up the mess afterwards.)

The Second List of Firsts

2007-01-12T08:27:00.000-08:00

I would like you to think that this list was compiled after exhaustive research. Generally, however, I have merely listed the first blogger to come to my attention in a certain category. Many of the listings resulted from reader comments.

First Canadian blogger, Heather in Beautiful British Columbia
First blogger defined by what she isn't, Not Fearing Change
First 911 dispatcher, Linda
First sketchblogger, Jeanette Langmead
First fractal artist, Robot_Gir
First billionare blogger, Debonaire Billionaire
First blogger to offer exercise in exchange for comments, Sunflower
First bilingual nuclear ornithologist, Dirk_Star
First Bhutanese blogger, Ugyen Dorji
First blogger with an accent ague in her last name, Lexa Roséan
First blogger to correctly identify, in a comment, this mark as an accent ague, Peanut
First blogger to make more than one first list, Peanut (also the first to be listed twice in the same list (see what one comment can do))
First blogger to incorrectly identify, in a comment, that fancy mark above the "e" as a fancy mark above the "e", Dr. Blogstein
First uncle blogger, Uncle Artemis
First blogger name to cause a particular type of confusion, Skeet (See this article for clarification.)
First Mad Scientist blogger
First listing to be shared by two bloggers, Chelle and Chel

I'm not sure yet if there will be another list of firsts, but there's no harm in describing yourself in your comments. You never know what kind of list you might end up on. Even if you don't make a list, you will likely be noticed by other commenters.

A Great Idea from the Directory

2007-01-10T13:24:00.000-08:00

I never know what I'm going to run across while I'm updating this directory. I came across Debonaire Billionaire's blog and found a link to this site listed under the title "Blogger Buddies".

I had considered placing a small list of profile page links in the sidebar of one of my other blogs. I thought I might call it something like "A List of Profile Page Links", but when I saw the term "Blogger Buddies", I knew that was what I would call it.

I already have a blogroll, but I thought it would be fun to have a link list of some profiles that are particularly interesting or refer to bloggers that I have known for some time or who have a lot of great blogs.

At the bottom is a link for the complete list that takes a person here. I'm hoping that people will click on that and think, "Wow, look at all the blogger buddies this guy has. Maybe, I too can become a blogger buddy."

Well, I'll give it a try. If anyone else wants to try this, I'd be curious to hear how it works out.

Note: I plan on publishing a second list of firsts on Friday, January 12. Click here to see the first list of firsts.

Movie Trivia from the Directory

2007-01-08T11:38:00.000-08:00

If you haven't tried profile page browsing yet, I encourage you to give it a try. It's quite a different experience than browsing blogs. It sometimes seems that profile pages can provide a more personal and immediate glimpse into a blogger's mind than their blog can. If you want to learn more, their blog or blogs are only a click away.

A lot of bloggers list their favorite movies. One movie that I keep seeing in the lists is "A Knight's Tale". This surprised me. I haven't seen the movie, but I remember that it got some pretty poor reviews. I may have to see it. It's funny how a movie can be judged harshly by the critics, but still find a place in the hearts of a lot of fans. I saw some previews and I seem to recall that the music wasn't authentic for the time period. I write an early music blog, so I tend to pick up on subtleties like that.

Another blogger listed "The Deer Hunter" and "Bambi" in the same list as a joke, but I can't remember who. If you find it, maybe you can leave a comment.

I list these example to demonstrate how entertaining and educational profile pages can be. I feel like an archaeologist who is sifting through the foundations of modern culture. I'm looking for insights and discoveries that I can't find any where else.

If you come across anything that is interesting or unusual, please feel free to leave a comment about it.

A New Blog Carnival is Announced

2007-01-07T17:27:00.000-08:00

Bobby Griffin has announced a new blog carnival. If you don't know what a blog carnival is or missed the last one you can visit version 1.3 at Dr. Blogstein's blog.

The new theme is animals and the deadline is Wednesday, January 10. A blog carnival is a great way to promote your site and content. Visit The Bestest Blog of All-Time for submission guidelines.

Some Notable Firsts for the Directory

2007-01-05T09:04:00.000-08:00

First blogger name to begin with the first letter, Awesomelyplain
First blogger name to begin with the last letter, Zardoz Bachman
First blogger named after a candy, Skittles
First blogger named after a legume, Peanut
First blogger named after a preserved fish product, Pickled Eel
First royal blogger, Empress Bee (of the High See)
First doctor blogger, Dr. Blogstein
First botanist blogger, David Schmoller
First teddy bear blogger, Klu
First beverage listed, Bud Weiser
First nonblogger blogger, Karen Shanley
First foreign language blogger, Muum
First blogger name with a fancy mark above the "e", Billé Reda (What is that little mark called?)

Please leave comments about any profiles that you would like to see recognised, even if it's your own. I love comments.

Note: Due to the unexpected positive response to this first list of firsts, I have begun compiling a second list of firsts. Some of you have made suggestions and most, if not all, of these will be included. Who knows? Maybe some day I will publish a first list of seconds.

Note on the note: I'm a rather busy person. I have two jobs and six blogs. I'm also trying my hand at microtonal composition and preparing some music for release. I plan on frequently recognising bloggers and content, but have to acknowledge that these mentions will always be largely the result of somewhat random processes, and will likely exhibit my personal biases. Please don't be affended if you have an excellent profile or content that isn't mentioned. I have plans for the future that will also allow others to recognise bloggers and content from the directory.