A Blogger's Books

How To Blog – Google’s Top Tips For Success

2013-05-14T18:57:00.000+01:00

How To Blog - Google's Tip Tips For Success, is a brief outline of the advice Google gives to Webmasters (bloggers) to help them blog better and improve their sites. I've picked out the most important points from the horse's mouth - so to speak - and created small chunks for your quick perusal below.

Google's best tips for blogging success

How to blog: design and content

Here are Google's top tips on the design your blog should follow, and the content you should create for it. Many of these are quite straight forward, but it's always good to remind ourselves. It's easy enough to forget.

Create a hierarchy so each page can be found from static links (I like to group by categories like I’ve done on this blog in the link bar above (where you can see my books etc). Wordpress will do it for you easily.

Create Custom 404 Page For Blogger

2013-05-07T19:50:00.000+01:00

It's great news that Blogger users can now create and customize their own 404 page. This is the page your readers arrive at when they click on a link that no longer exists on your blog. You want them to know they're in the right place, but more importantly, you don't want them to leave and go search elsewhere. Your 404 page should be informative and enticing enough to encourage your readers to hang on and look around your site. A 404 page couldn't be easier.

See this page for the total list of Blogger new, updated features to help you blog better and improve your site significantly.

Create custom 404 page for Blogger

Go to Dashboard. Click on the blog you want to work on and choose, Settings. It's the last option on your the right of your screen (in new Blogger dashboard).
Now choose Search Preferences. (Click on image to enlarge).

create a custom 404 page in Blogger

5 Ways To Blog When You Don't Want To

2013-04-16T20:39:00.002+01:00

Sometimes I just don’t want to blog. Face it, you don’t sit down at the computer every day and think, “Wow, I am so excited to blog today! Let’s see what I can write new about the same subject for the ninetieth bazillion time!” However, you know you have to update your blog regularly if you want to keep your traffic up. With that in mind, here are five tips to keep you blogging even when you don’t want to:

A guest post by Jason Miner

Just do it – Just getting started is the hardest part for me. I will sit there and stare at the screen forever before I just give up. Instead of doing this bad habit I have started to just write. It does not matter what it is. It can be a song, a poem, something silly, even just “I hate blogging” over and over again. When your fingers start moving you will be surprised at how much easier it is to actually get something done!

How To Add Alt Tags To Blogger Images

2013-03-25T11:13:00.000Z

Blogger users would be pleased to note that Blogger has introduced some great new features in uploading pictures and adding alt tags. This article is simply to point out the new changes to you and help you utilise them fully to benefit your site.
A person viewing your images knows exactly what they're about. However, even though Googlebots can read the text on your site, they can't read images. The only way Google and other search engines can know what your image is about is for you to tell them. When someone searches for the image of a white rose in the search panel, you can have the best white roses on your blog but your pictures will never come up in the search results unless the search engines know you've got them on your site. How do they know this? By alt tags! And this is why it's so important to know how to add alt tags.

See this page for the total list of Blogger new, updated features to help you blog better and improve your site significantly.

5 Great Ways to Hunt For a Writing Job

2013-03-18T09:08:00.001Z

Quite a number of people love to write, and a decent amount of these individuals actually want to turn writing into a career. This field can be a tough one to break into, but if you consult with these resources, you absolutely have a chance! Read on to get a head start.

Online Writing Jobs
In the year 2013, you really need to be starting online if you want to find a writing job. So many content-driven websites exist, and they are really growing by the day. As a result, content is needed for these sites themselves, and sometimes they're looking to sell out content to other sites in turn. Regardless of your experience or background, it's wise for almost everyone to seek out content-writing positions.

The Importance Of Knowing Your Niche

2013-03-11T11:19:00.000Z

Anyone looking to write website content needs to find their niche. We all know that a popular website is one that has understandable and informative content, and that only comes from expertise. Some website owners actually overlook content when creating their website, but this is a colossal mistake. Great writing and content is not only about grammar - that is an only a small part of the equation. You've GOT to have a niche, and know it! Here are five tips to find the niche for you.

Passion

Anyone looking to write about a niche needs to write about their passion. Everyone has something they are truly passionate about, whether it is mountain biking, travelling, or the stock market. When a writer writes about their passion, the reader can tell, because it's much more than work, it's fun!

Write Search Descriptions For Blog Posts in Blogger

2013-03-04T23:22:00.000Z

Being able to write search descriptions for blog posts in Blogger gives bloggers a great way of getting the best from search results.
The search description shows up in search results, so you can grab your opportunity to tell your potential visitors exactly what your post can offer them. New Blogger updates allows you to do this quite easily.

See this page for the total list of Blogger new, updated features to help you blog better and improve your site significantly.

Write search descriptions for blog posts in Blogger

write search descriptions for blog posts and pages

Create Meta Tags For Blogger Blog

2013-02-26T04:00:00.000Z

Blogger's new, improved features means you can now create meta tags for Blogger blogs. This is something new bloggers had a difficult time doing, since the only way to add meta tags to Bloggers was to edit the html - something well avoided if you knew nothing about html. Here's how you can now have your meta tags with ease.

See this page for the total list of Blogger new, updated features to help you blog better, help people find your articles, and improve your site's SEO significantly.

Create meta tags for Blogger blog

Blogger has also introduced some great new features in setting mode, which are extremely important for your PR rating and SEO. Please don't leave these for later. Do them now. Go to Dashboard - Setting -; Basic; then look at your Description. Make sure you have a description that includes your keywords for your blog before we move on. Don't leave your description panel empty. Also make sure your privacy setting is set to allow search engines to find your blog. Save your work.

Short Story Opportunity

2013-02-19T06:00:00.000Z

Short Stories are usually the first things to go when magazines are scaling down. If, like me, you're a writer who dabble (or specialise) in short stories, you would've found this to be the case over the last 2 years or so.

A lot of the UK magazines are slowly weeding out their short stories because they cost too much to pay for. Each month, publications are ceasing to be, so those lucky enough to still be viable are doing what they can to stay afloat financially.

Today I bring a short story opportunity you'll be pleased to hear. Please check out the submissions page for calls for submissions and other writing opportunities.

This concerns the UK magazine 'Take A Break' - I know they buy real life stories, but this is not what I'm talking about here. (If you have a real life story you want to sell them, check out this page).

Can You Write For Young Kids?

2013-01-29T11:37:00.000Z

Can you write for young kids? I once planned to write a series of books for kids. I ended up writing just one before I aborted the idea. The hardest part of the exercise (for me) was choosing the right words and phrases to suit my targeted age group. Writing a story is one thing. Researching words your young audience will understand and approve of is quite another.

See also: How writers build their characters

How to write an article online

Write your own guide book

Click on any of the (smaller) images below to see more details about them.

Can you write for young kids

image source

Submissions and Updates

2013-01-22T10:10:00.000Z

As subscribers and readers know, there's a regularly updated page on this blog called, Writing Opportunities. This is where writers, blogers, verse makers, tip givers etc, can find paid jobs available (mostly) in hard copy opportunities.

Go to that page to see if there's anything there suitable for you. Don't forget we've also got some on-the-spot call for submissions posts as well. Just type in the term submissions in the search panel at the top, right of this blog (the link will give you some of those search results) to find ongoing call for submissions in the hard-copy publishing field. (Or you can go to the new call for submissions page linked below).

Are Writers Made or Born?

2013-01-08T14:16:00.000Z

Are writers made or born? This is a question I ask myself quite a lot. I've always loved writing, even as a child. However, I've also spent years experimenting, studying and honing my writing skills. Does this mean that my writing skills are natural or self-made?

Millions of people take classes to learn how to write. They're taught to carefully place one word in front of another, the correct use of tenses, and the order of the elusive subject-verb agreement. Accurate form makes an adequate writer, but does it make a great one? Personally, I think not.

There a certain je ne sais quoi – the X-factor of writing, if you like – about certain writers. It’s a quality which, in my opinion can be nurtured but not taught. Good form is certainly admirable, but without the inherent skill to make your reader feel what you are, you could very well be writing a dictionary. I’ve showed this letter below in one of my older blogs. It was written for my birthday, by my daughter when she was eight. I’ve retained all spelling mistakes.

Taking A Break

2012-11-27T09:13:00.001Z

Hi A Blogger's Books readers, subscribers and stop-by-ers. I'm taking a break from this blog until the end of the year to pursue my writing and editing, and to concentrate on getting stronger as I've been unwell for quite some time.

As you know, my inspirational memoir, Sunday's Child was published earlier this year by Pulse Publishing. I also signed a contract with a separate publishing company to release my health book. At the moment I'm actively sending out my Baby Diaries - A Guide For New Mothers manuscript to potential publishers and have started editing the follow-up to Sunday's Child.

5 Reasons To Have A Crap Blog

2012-11-20T09:00:00.000Z

Everyone talks about how great it is to have a highly-rated blog. All the big SEO big cats out there extol the virtue of making your blog so 'friendly' to search engines, Google's mother must be blushing with embarrassment. I want to show you 5 reasons to have a crap blog. If these don't convince you, I don't know what will!

Ignore all the SEO advice. Ignore Google, his mother and all his friends. I assure you, you will benefit greatly from doing so.

Why you too should have a crap blog

No spammy comments
No one visits so you don't have to worry about spam comments filling up your spam box. You'll save yourself the precious time you spend answering two-word comments people leave on your blog, just so they can stick up their own crappy links on your site. I deleted more than 1,500 spam comments from this blog this week.

5 Criminal-Minded Characters Classed as Heroes

2012-11-13T12:03:00.000Z

Are you writing or reading a book? Think about this: What makes a criminal-minded character? What makes a character a hero?

Is someone like Puss in Boots or Jack (as in beanstalk) a hero? Traditional stories have conditioned us to believe that the character who comes out alive and well in the end is the one we should admire most. But does this constitute a character of substance, or just a wily individual willing to ‘do whatever it takes’ to be the last person standing?

Today when we write characters we attempt to represent admirable qualities with human blemishes. These are our heroes because they are the people we aspire to be, despite the fears and faults we keep hidden in our hearts. Fairy stories were the complete opposite. Criminal-minded characters were many times classed as the heroes of said tales. For authors or interested parties, go here to see how writers build their characters.

Publish Your Guide Book

2012-10-30T09:21:00.000Z

If you write about walking and car touring in Europe, here's a chance to publish your guide book!

If you're a regular reader of this blog, I'm sure you've already benefited from our writing opportunities page. You don't have to want to be a writer necessarily, to benefit from this page. There are jobs for people who write verses, who can create greeting cards, short story writers, article writing etc. The writing jobs page is updated regularly, so book mark it!

Today's article is a short heads-up on a recent call for manuscripts. Sunflower books want to publish your work. Here's what they've said on their website:

How To Add Google Webmaster Tools To Your Blog

2012-10-23T02:30:00.000+01:00

How to Add Google Webmaster Tools To Your Blog was originally published in 2010. It's been given a make-over and has been republished here because it's been getting quite a lot of attention lately.

Google's Webmaster Tools can be beneficial not only to experienced bloggers and website owners, but also to small-time bloggers like ourselves. Knowing who's linked to you and how your site performs in searches are the keys to more efficient post targeting.

Are You A Specialised Writer

2012-10-09T11:18:00.000+01:00

Are you looking for writing jobs? Are you tried specialised writer?
As a freelance writer myself, making a living (or trying to) from my writing and editing work, I know how hard it is to find good writing jobs and well-paying clients. Most clients want great writing. They want fantastic SEO posts to bring them traffic and help them sell their products. Yet, they don't want to share even a tiny percentage of this profit with the writers who created the material in the first place. I try to help in my own little way by updating this writing opportunities page whenever something new catches my eye. Feel free to check it out today.

Words Writers Misuse

2012-10-02T14:42:00.002+01:00

Words writers misuse will show you some very simple words English speaking writers misuse when writing articles. These are words we use in speech every day, but when it comes to writing them, they invariably cause a bit of confusion. If you have trouble with any of the words below, today's article should put your ambivalence at rest.
If you have trouble writing other words (which aren't mentioned here) please list them in the comment section so I can address them at a later date. Failing that, you can check out this Free English Lessons page. We may have already dealt with them there.

Pay attention to your writing. Potential clients are looking at your mistakes right now. The usage of the words below are outlined in their basic forms. There are exceptions to rules, so this article is in no way comprehensive. It was designed to quickly give an overview of the words addressed.

How Writers Build Their Characters

2012-09-25T14:45:00.000+01:00

How do writers build their characters? Ideas for stories swing by very often in a writer's head. So do setting and dialogue. One of the hardest things I find about writing is developing my characters. No matter how gripping and original your story is, if your readers don't feel, or can't relate to your characters' plight/position, they cannot completely engage with your novel.

So how do writers build their characters?

See also - lessons on writing articles: how to write an article online
Places to earn from your writing: writing opportunities
And to top up your earning: earn online

What Are Keywords: For Dummies

2012-09-10T12:14:00.000+01:00

'What Are Keywords: For Dummies' is an article every writer and up-and-coming blogger should read. Simply put, it gives you all the basic information about keywords you'll need.

What are keywords: Keywords are words that describe what your online article or blog post is about. A keyword is a word a person would use when looking for information on the Internet. For example, if I want to buy an e-book about parenting I’d type in ‘parenting e-books’ and hit ‘search’ in my search engine. Keywords are also the words search engines use to describe a blog, a book, an item, or any other product on the web.

Educational Tools and Websites 4 Writers + Bloggers

2012-09-04T12:37:00.000+01:00

Educational tools and websites 4 writers and bloggers are important because whether you're an English student studying at a University, a blogger making a living off of your written words, or a writing enthusiast for the pure joy of it, a writer's craft is never perfected. As writers, we are in a constant state of practicing, training, and learning. Every blog entry, article, or story we write is one more lesson in craft, execution, and style.

This can be a very painstaking and exhausting process no doubt. Writers are ever critical and endlessly perfectionist about their work. For this reason, writing as your profession can be a very challenging process for some. Bloggers and freelance writers traditionally work on deadlines and are forced to sometimes put out pieces of work that aren't completely polished. This is the nature of the business at times. These three educational websites are wonderful tools for writers of any kind—check them out.

The Writing Ladder

2012-08-29T16:28:00.001+01:00

How does one get on the writing ladder? It’s important for writers to earn while they’re making a name for themselves. It’s not just about the money. The payment is a statement of acceptance and a validation of your skill. It’s not about how much you get paid, but rather that someone has acknowledged your effort and worth.

I’ve worked for years to be published. Along the way, I’ve even self-published a few of my books. Nothing can compare to seeing your name in print, even if it’s at the bottom of a letter in a magazine. This is exactly why I have a regularly updated page with writing opportunities – 98 % of them paid - to give you the help you deserve. However hard the publishing process, there are certain elements that have to fall into place first.

British Or American English

2012-08-21T10:24:00.000+01:00

British or American English? Which one do you prefer? We'll never agree - ever. However, because I ghost write for a lot of American bodies, (or foreign companies who want to sound American) I have to be really careful how I spell - depending on who I'm writing for. I don't always get it right. Many times I forget and switch the spelling for the wrong crowd. I grew up in a former British colony and now live in England as a British subject. However, because I work on the Internet, I constantly have to use Americanized versions of words. Would you know the difference if you saw them? Let's look at some common British versus American English spelling. You should never get them wrong again! :-)

Additional reading: Speak English With Confidence (for foreigners learning English)
Free, Quick English Lessons Online (for foreigners who speak English and English speakers who want to brush up on grammar, punctuation etc.

Brit Writers Awards

2012-08-14T00:30:00.000+01:00

Brit Writers Awards gets your work the exposure it deserves! Brit Writers Awards have been working hard on behalf of unpublished and published authors alike. They launched in 2009 and since then have brought many unknown writers from obscurity to relative acclaim.

Their coverage and influence have grown massively over the years. This is not surprising considering that their first ever competition attracted over 21,000 entries from British people living in 92 different countries around the world.