I think I need to go to conference rehab.

Today starts the fourth week of my summer break and I've already been to four conferences.

I need help.

On Friday, I had the chance to attend Y'all Connect, a blogging and social media conference held in Birmingham and directed by local communications consultant Wade Kwon.

I had a wonderful time hanging out with some of the ladies of See Jane Write who attended the conference and Wade was kind enough to allow me to make an announcement to the crowd about See Jane Write's upcoming Bloganista Mini-Con, a partial-day conference for fashion, fitness, and lifestyle bloggers. (Get more info and tickets here.)

a few lovely ladies of See Jane Write

And, of course, I came home with pages and pages of notes. Here are a few things I learned at the conference.

1. Free can really pay big.

In his morning keynote Syed Balkhi discussed how entrepreneurs can wisely use free as part of their business model. Balkhi is the founder of WPBeginner, the largest free WordPress resource site. "Going the extra mile to offer free help allows you to win big," Balkhi said. Case in point, one day several years ago Balkhi noticed that a guy named Michael Hyatt was having some website trouble. Balkhi was a teenager at the time but he knew a solution to Hyatt's problem. What did not know was who Hyatt was. But he helped him anyway. Then he found out that Hyatt was (at the time) chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers. Because he was grateful for Balkhi's help, Hyatt hired Balkhi to help him some other problems and paid Balkhi quite handsomely for his work. Helping someone for free today can pay off big tomorrow.

2. Bloggers, just like business owners, must know who they are and the people they serve.

Whether you like it or not, you are a brand. In her presentation "How to Be Really, Really Attractvie on Social Media," Birmingham entrepreneur Jen Barnett asserted that knowing your brand -- knowing who you are and what you're trying to accomplish -- is the first step to developing good content. If you're having trouble defining your brand, brainstorm some adjectives that describe who and what you want to be. Identify your values and your key stakeholders. And speaking of stakeholders, to be attractive on social media you must know your audience. Through research and trial and error determine what they like and don't like and figure out which social media channels they use most.

3. I'm on to something with the Pomodoro technique.

I've blogged before about how I often tackle daunting to-do lists using the Pomodoro technique. Developed by Francesco Cirillo, the Pomodoro Technique is simple, yet brilliant. You break down your work in 25-minute intervals, taking five-minute breaks after each one. After four work periods you take a longer break of about 20 minutes. Working in very focused time blocks was Balkhi's top tip in his afternoon talk "Time Management for Bloggers." Balkhi also recommended getting up earlier instead of staying up late to get more done. He suggested setting deadlines and recommended that we bloggers reward ourselves when we meet a deadline but also penalize ourselves when we don't. So if I don't update my blog three times this week I won't allow myself to watch my favorite TV shows this weekend (which is great motivation because True Blood returns this Sunday). 

4. If social media is like a cocktail party, visual content is your little black dress.

Whitney Breaux and Kim Garst both gave great tips on how to better use social media.  Breaux is an accomplished communications, marketing, and sales strategist who founded the Baton Rouge Social Media Association and helped with the start of the Alabama Social Media Association. Garst is the co-founder and CEO of Boom! Social, a corporate branding and social media consulting firm. Forbes named her as one of the Top 50 Social Media Influencers in 2012. In other words, these women know their stuff!

Garst reminded conference attendees that social media is like a cocktail party. Just as you wouldn't make a sales pitch as soon as you started talking to someone at a party, you shouldn't do that on social media either. Add value to your followers. Share useful and interesting information. Ask questions. Remember that social media is a two-way conversation, both Breaux and Garst said. Don't treat social media like a billboard.

In her talk, Garst spoke a lot about the value of visual content. Articles with photos get 94 percent more views, she said. She believes every brand should develop a visual content plan. Garst has even written an e-book to help you do that. You can download 17 Quick and Easy Ways to Create Visual Content here. Listening her talk I realized that if social media is like a cocktail party, visual content is your little black dress. It makes you look good and gets people's attention. And once you have it you can show that you're beauty and brains.

On Monday I spoke at a workshop for high school journalism advisers sponsored by the Foundation for Progress in Journalism. My presentation was about how to start and maintain a school blog. And part of my talk focused on using social media to promote a blog, business or message.  Ironically, I've been pretty quiet for the past few days both here on my blog and on my social media channels.

My mother was in the hospital. I was scared and I was sad and suddenly social media and blogging seemed about as significant as pocket lint.

My mother is much better and she's back at home. But as I sat down to catch up on social media and to brainstorm my next blog post I began to think about how most of us only show one side of our lives online.

Though I do believe great friendships can begin online (and many of mine have) I don't think you can truly know a person simply through virtual connections.

My life is not my blog. My life is not a status update, a tweet, or square snapshot with a sepia filter.

I blog about my fitness goals. I post to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter when I run six miles, go to a spin class, or conquer another Jillian Michaels DVD. I blog about being determined to exercise every day this year despite suffering from a connective tissue disease. But I don't blog about the times when that disease nearly gets the best of me and I'm in so much pain I cry myself to sleep.

I blog about being a feminist wife but not about the days when my marriage is nowhere near as perfect as it seems.

I blog about the latest small group I'm leading, but not about my doubts regarding whether or not I should be attempting to lead anyone through anything. I don't blog about the days I feel out of God's favor. I don't blog about how I feel out of place in nearly every Christian circle I'm a part of because of my liberal beliefs. I don't blog about how sometimes I wonder if the conservatives are right.

I didn't blog about my dad losing his job or the financial and emotional stress I endured trying to support two households with a teacher's salary.

I don't blog about the days I want to quit EVERYTHING.

I don't blog about these things because The Writeous Babe Project is my blog, not my therapist.

This isn't to say I don't blog about my problems. I do. And I think I should because no one trusts a person who pretends to have it all together. No one trusts perfection. But I make it a point to write about my junk after I've made my way through it so that I can help my readers sort through their junk too.

But my point here is this: don't judge a person by her blog or her Facebook status updates.  Don't envy a person because of the fun, happy pictures she posts on Instagram or the delicious meal ideas she pins to Pinterest. They don't give the full picture of a person's life.

I love blogging and social media and probably always will, but they are simply one dimension of this crazy, beautiful thing we call life.

image via Clutch magazine

Early yesterday afternoon I suddenly began to get notification after notification of new followers on Twitter and my blog's Facebook fan page. And I didn't recognize any of the names. I wasn't quite sure what was going on until I saw this tweet:

Child of Zora ‏@EvetteDionne20h

5 Underrated Blogs You Should Read http://bit.ly/144YssG  cc: @tyunscripted, @kenrya, @missmariamw, @writeousbabe, @AshJournaliste 

I clicked the link and saw that I had been featured in a Clutch magazine article on blogs by black women that don't get the attention they deserve. And the result was, well, a lot of attention -- a spike in readership and new Twitter followers and Facebook fans. 

So if you're new here, welcome!

Today is Tuesday which means it's time for me to tell you about some of the folks I follow on Twitter. 

@evettedionne Child of Zora

This is the Twitter account of Evette Dionne, who wrote the Clutch article. I'm sure glad I follow her because otherwise I may have missed her post. But I'm glad I follow her also because she frequently tweets out great articles on journalism and feminism, my two favorite -isms of all.

@missmariamw Mariam Williams

Mariam is a friend of mine from Louisville, but I'd follow her on Twitter even if we'd never met. She's a thoughtful and talented writer and feminist and she blogs at RedBoneAfroPuff.com. Mariam was also featured in the Clutch article and as Evette Dionne writes, "Redbone Afropuff and Black GRITS is a celebration of black women. The blog explores faith, feminism and all-things Southern..."

@rukristin Kristin Tweedale

I started following Kristin during the last Blog Brunch Twitter chat when I noticed that all the tweets I was retweeting and copying down were from her. Kristin's blog is all about "storytelling with pictures, paper and prose." She's currently offering a Find Your Voice online workshop to help other people tell their stories too. 

Tell me about the people you follow on Twitter and why they're your tweeps.

It's Tuesday, which means it's time for me to tell you about some more of my Tweeps.

@JeffGoins Jeff Goins

Jeff Goins is the man behind the wildly popular blog Goins Writer. He not only tweets out his inspiring blog posts on writing and making a difference in the world, but also shares other articles that can help us build our blogging tribes and be a positive influence in our communities -- both online and off.

@BritniDWrites Britni Danielle

Britni Danielle rocks. Period. She's a freelance writer and blogger and the reason I've written a few articles for Clutch magazine. We connected via Twitter and she helped me get a couple essays published on the online magazine. (I keep telling you all that Twitter can help boost your writing career!) One of the things I love most about Britni Danielle is her determination to help other writers, which she does through her website BritniDanielle.com, through online courses on freelancing, and through her #GOALdiggers project.

@_IFB  Independent Fashion Bloggers

In my next life I want to be a fashion blogger. But I don't have to wait until that next life to benefit from all the valuable blogging advice offered by the Independent Fashion Bloggers website. Following IFB on Twitter is a great way to remind yourself to swing by the site for some web wisdom.

Image via  

Tweeps Tuesday is a new feature here at The Writeous Babe Project and is my chance to tell you all about the people I follow on Twitter and why. Think of this as Follow Friday (#FF) on steroids (and on a Tuesday).

@seejanewritemag See Jane Write Magazine
I follow this Twitter account because, well, it's for my own magazine. You should follow this account because from it I plan to tweet out daily inspiration and helpful information for women writers.





@thesexyfeminist The Sexy Feminist
The Sexy Feminists not only share posts from their awesome blog, but also tweets from other fun and fierce feminists. (And yesterday they retweeted one of my tweets about See Jane Write Magazine!)


@projecteve1 Project Eve
The folks at Project Eve describe its website as "a global meeting place that connects women to the news, resources, networking and promotional tools that help us grow our business." The Project Eve Twitter account is a great extension of the website and should be followed by any and all female entrepreneurs.

@theindiechicks The Indie Chicks 
TheIndieChicks.com is an online magazine that seeks to empower and motivate passionate and ambitious women. The Indie Chicks do just that not only with their articles but also by tweeting out inspirational quotes. Here's one from yesterday:
“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.” ~ Coco Chanel

@mental_floss Mental Floss magazine

You can count on Mental Floss for trivia, fun facts, and links to informative articles that leave you feeling smarter than all your friends. Check out my story on Mental Floss co-founder Will Pearson.


@Hilarious_Idiot Alan Hangover
OK, so this Zach Galifinakis-inspired parody account has nothing to do with writing or feminism or entrepreneurship, but it makes me laugh out loud, literally and in public, all the time. One of my favorite tweets from this account reads: "A brain freeze is God's way of saying, 'Slow down, fatty.'"
That never gets old.

Image by Jeffrey Turner via Flickr/Creative Commons

When it comes to social media, I am a true believer. I jumped on the bandwagon long ago. I drank the Kool-Aid. And I believe that if you're trying to promote a book, business, or blog and you're not on Twitter or Facebook, you're crazy. 

But there are some social media outlets that even I don't use as much as I should or as effectively as I could -- Pinterest is one of them. 

As with Twitter, I was an early adopter with Pinterest. I joined because I saw Pinterest as a way to create online vision boards. How could I not love that! But Pinterest soon became a pit of procrastination as I started to waste hours browsing photos of clothes I could never afford and decorations for a house I don't have. So I quit and left my account sitting around collecting virtual dust. 

Then suddenly all my favorite bloggers began to rave about how Pinterest was helping them increase traffic to their sites. For fashion and food bloggers this made sense. I'm not the only one coveting the cute outfits posted to the site and nearly everyone I know goes to Pinterest for recipes. I understand why Pinterest would also be great for DIY bloggers too, but I saw folks who blog about writing and city development raving about Pinterest. Wait, what?

My blog is not a photo-heavy site in part because I'm a horrible photographer, but mostly because I'm a writer. I blog to show off my words, not my photos. Thus, I figured that sites like Pinterest and apps like Instagram would just be for fun, not tools to help me promote my projects. 

But mom blogger Rachel Callahan of Grasping for Objectivity garnered such an increase in traffic from Pinterest she had to move up to a more expensive website hosting plan for her blog (which she could afford because she also started making more money from her ad networks). 

Thanks to conversations with and observations of other bloggers, I now know I can do a lot with Pinterest if I just put in a little more effort. I need to create graphics with tips, lists, quotes or even just catchy titles to go along with my posts. You can find great examples of what I mean on Beth Bryan's Blogging and Web Tips Pinterest board. 

So I'm starting a See Jane Write Pinterest board to promote and inspire women writers and bloggers and once the magazine launches I'll be using this board to spread the word about the articles we post. I just hope I don't get trapped in the vortex of Feminist Ryan Gosling pins.

What's been your experience with Pinterest? 

You may have noticed I haven't been blogging much lately.

You may think I've been quiet because I'm facing writer's block, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, I've filled several pages of the notebook pictured above with ideas. But I'm saving them.

Remember when I said I was going to pursue my dream of starting a magazine? Well, I meant it. I challenged myself to come up with enough ideas for three months worth of posts for my online magazine, which I plan to launch this summer. I got a bit carried away and I have a list of nearly 200 article topics.

Now you're probably thinking to yourself, "That's so cool that Javacia is finally going to try to start an online magazine. How could I help her?"

Well, I'm so glad you asked! Today I am starting a Twitter campaign in an effort to build anticipation for See Jane Write Magazine. My hope is that my 'zine will garner 1,000 Twitter followers even before it launches! A lofty goal, I know, but with your help I think I can do it.

So please follow @seejanewritemag and spread the word to other women writers, bloggers, and journalists. In return for your support you can expect @seejanewritemag to tweet inspirational and informational articles to help you in your writing and blogging careers, in addition to links related to feminism and women's empowerment.

Also, if you are a woman writer, blogger, or journalist and you would like to be featured in a future See Jane Write Magazine article, please let me know. While my organization See Jane Write is for women in Birmingham, this magazine is for women worldwide. So please reach out to me regardless of where you live.

Let's do this!

Next month See Jane Write will host its second big event of the year -- Tweets & Sweets: A See Jane Write Tweet-Up. This event will be held Friday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. at The Wine Loft, 2200 1st Ave. North in Birmingham. The evening will feature drink specials and sweet treats from Birmingham-area shops and bakeries.

This event is also a birthday for me! So even if you're not a writer or blogger, come on out and help an old lady celebrate her special day. 

In lieu of birthday gifts, please consider bringing a cash donation to See Jane Write. 

If you think you can make, please click here to RSVP or if you're not on Facebook just let me know in the comments section of this post that you'll be there.

And here are three reason you should be there:

1. You love networking. Well, maybe you don't love networking, but you're smart enough to know it's an important thing to do. If you're a writer Tweets & Sweets will give you the chance to meet and mingle with other writers in Birmingham, some of whom you may have only previously chatted with on Twitter. Maybe you'll meet your future writing partner -- someone you can meet occasionally for writing sessions, someone to hold you accountable for writing regularly, and someone to critique your work. If you're not a writer, here's your chance to introduce yourself to people who are. Tell them about the big project you're working on and maybe you'll be the topic of their next blog post or news feature story. In other words, don't forget to bring your business cards!
2. You love cake. It's the beginning of the year, so you're probably on a diet. You're trying to lose weight and get in shape. I am too. But it's my party, I'll eat cake if I want to. And I give you permission to do the same. We can go running together the next day to burn off those calories. 
3. You love me! Okay, there's a chance you have no idea who I am and this is your first time ever visiting this blog, but hear me out. As I mentioned before, this event is also my birthday party and I'd love to celebrate my special day with anyone who takes the time to read my rants.  

Hope to see you on Feb. 8!

xo,

javacia a.k.a. writeous babe

PS -- If you're not in Birmingham, consider hosting an event like this in your own town. Remember, today's task for 31 Days to a Better Blog is to "Organize an event for bloggers in your area." So get to it, and let me know how it turns out. 

When it comes to Twitter I am not a member of #TeamFollowBack. For those of you not hip to Twitter lingo, let me explain. If a person follows me on Twitter I am not going to automatically follow him or her in return. 

I hope that doesn't make me sound like a snob, but I take my Twitter timeline seriously. If you don't have a picture or a bio I will not follow you, unless I know you personally. I need a picture to show me you're not a robot and I need a biography to get an idea of what your tweets will most likely be about. I want to see that we have something in common. 

And I suggest you be just as picky. 

Today's task for 31 Days to a Better Blog is to "cut ties with some of your tweeps to streamline your Twitter experience."

Try to maintain a 1:1 ratio on Twitter, meaning you should follow approximately the same number of people who follow you. This shows you're actually thoughtful about the people you follow. Streamlining your Twitter experience will make room for new connections and keep you from missing great content. 

Here are three things you can do: 

• Stop following folks who haven't posted in over two months. (Try UnTweeps for help.) 
• Stop following people who never followed you back (unless they're a big shot whose tweets you love to read). 
• If you can't remember why you followed someone in the first place and their tweets cause you to strain your eye-rolling muscles, it's probably time to unfollow. 

Bonus: Follow me at @writeousbabe. :) 

Happy tweeting!

Today’s task for 31 Days to a Better Blog is to recommit to being more engaging on Facebook and Twitter.
 

Treat Twitter and Facebook like a cocktail party – that’s the best advice I’ve ever read about the proper way to engage your audience and build your brand via social media.

Remember that you’re trying to have a conversation with people and that you want those people to find you interesting.

Post regularly (several times a day), but don’t ramble. Be intentional about what you post. Obviously, you should use Facebook and Twitter to share your blog posts. Also post tweets and status updates that are informative, inspiring, helpful or humorous. Don’t bore your readers with every detail of your life and don’t use social media as a place to rant about how much you hate your job, your neighbor, or your husband. Save that for your therapist.

Get personal. While you shouldn’t use social media as free therapy, don’t be afraid to show your personality. Share posts about fun, funny, or exciting things going on in your day. You don’t want to be all business all the time.

Stay on topic. The people who follow you on Twitter do so for a reason, so make sure you deliver. For example,  people tend to follow me because they’re interested in writing or blogging, feminism, fitness, or faith. There are also several fellow Birmingham residents who follow me. So I try to tweet about those topics and about things going on in my city. 

Remember you’re not the center of the twitterverse. Make sure your tweets and Facebook posts aren’t all about you all the time. This is like having a friend who only wants to talk about herself. Use your social media channels to promote other bloggers and writers as well. Retweet and share intriguing posts by others. Compliment and thank people for sharing something insightful.

Ask questions. You don’t want to spend your time on Twitter and Facebook talking to yourself, do you?  Social media outlets are meant to spark a conversation, so ask questions to show your readers you care what they think too.

And to lead by example…

What are your Facebook and Twitter rules of engagement?

Image by Dean Meyers
via Flickr/Creative Commons

Today’s task for 31 Days to a Better Blog is for those of you who think you might need a change. Maybe you’re considering changing your blog platform or maybe you've been thinking about changing your blog’s title or URL. If you've decided a change is what you need, go for it!

But after you make this switch branding is going to become even more important for you as you try to market your new name. Lucky for you, on Saturday I participated in the monthly Twitter chat Blog Brunch and this month’s topic was Branding 101. Here are a few tips on how to build your brand.

Write a mission statement. I know you’re tired of me telling you this, but I’m not the only one who believes this is a good idea. So does Sarah Tolzmann (@notetosarah) of the blog Note to Self.  During Blog Brunch she tweeted “Your blog should have a mission statement, even if you keep it to yourself. It will help you decide if content is relevant.”  Remember, you can’t send a clear brand message to readers if you’re sure what your message is.

Be consistent. Having a mission statement will help ensure your message is clear, but you need a consistent writing style as well. You also need to make sure you’re consistent throughout your social media channels.  The author of the blog Sarah Hearts (@sarahkhandijan) tweeted “All social media pages should look like you! Your readers should instantly know by the look & content that it’s yours.”  I, for example, use the Twitter handle @writeousbabe and usually tweet about the same topics you’ll find on my blog – writing, blogging, feminism, fitness, and faith.

While consistency is key, don’t be afraid of change.  “I think your brand should maintain a common visual aspect – but it shouldn't hold you back from trying something new,” tweeted Katie (@mspinkandblue), co-founder of Blog Brunch.  Kait Kucy (@yuppielove) advised not changing your branding more than once a year. And most bloggers agreed that when you are making a change be sure it’s for a good reason and not simply just to follow a trend.

Network. Now that you've put all that work into crafting your message and polishing your blog’s look, you need to spread the word about who you are and what you’re all about. You need to network. Several bloggers from Saturday’s Blog Brunch agree that some of the best ways to market your blog and your brand include: commenting on other blogs, writing guest posts for blogs with a mission similar to yours, hosting events, attending conferences and, of course, using social media outlets such as Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

I’ve been thinking about branding a lot myself, lately. I've been considering changing the name of my blog, worried that “Writeous Babe” is too silly. What do you think? I’d love to get some feedback in the comments section.

Happy brand building! 

You probably already know that Twitter is a great way to promote your blog and Twitter's latest look makes this even easier to do. If you haven't updated your profile since Twitter rolled out its new look, today is the day to do so.

With the addition of a header photo and the focus being shifted to the center of the page, branding just got easier. So here's what you need to do:

1. Choose a header photo. Twitter recommends the image have the dimensions of 1252 x 626. And I recommend you pick an image that somehow represents what you and your blog are all about. For example, my header is a cropped image of a journal cover I have, one with the image of a typewriter. If you have a graphic in the header of your blog, perhaps you could use that. 
2. Consider a new avatar. Your avatar is now more visible since it's centered. So choose a photo that you love and one that you will use on other social media networks too, as this helps with branding. Remember, as a blogger or writer, you are your brand.
3. Review your bio. Your bio is now part of this new header, which means it may get more attention than before. Independent Fashion Bloggers once gave good advice on how to write a great social media bio. They recommend that you share who you are and what you do and give a peek into your personality. (Click here to check out some examples.) My bio tells you that I'm a writer, blogger, teacher, and founder of See Jane Write. It tells you I'm a feminist and proud Southerner. And it reveals that fitness is a hobby of mine. And if you follow me on Twitter you know that these are exactly the things I typically tweet about and the topics you'll find on my blog. (What? You don't follow me on Twitter? Well, let's fix that now. You'll find me @writeousbabe.) 

I can't wait to see your new Twitter header. Leave a link to your Twitter page in the comments so I can check it out!

super cute photo found here

I’m not a fashion blogger, but I regularly read the Independent Fashion Bloggers website because it always features such great tips for bloggers of any niche.

At the beginning of this month I came across a blog post on that website on 31 Ways to Boost Your Blog into 2013. Taylor Davies gave a list of 31 things to do in the month of December to make for a more successful blog in the New Year. Unfortunately, I didn't see this post until a few days into the month and since I’m not a fashion blogger several items on the list didn't really apply to me. Then I thought, “I feel another blogging challenging coming on!”

Drawing inspiration from Davies' post, I’ve put together a list of my own: 31 Days to a Better Blog. Here are 31 things to do in January (that’s one task for each day) to improve your blog. What a great way to kick off the New Year.

Below is the entire list so you can play along, but each day I’ll be posting or tweeting @writeousbabe about the tasks (with the hashtag #31Days).

If you plan to join me on this challenge let me know in the comments so I can swing by your blog to check on your progress.

Happy blogging!

xo,
Writeous Babe

31 Days to a Better Blog

1. Carve out a new niche for yourself. Create the blog you wish existed!
2. Create an editorial calendar and stick with it!
3. Update your Twitter header.
4. Write a mission statement for your blog. 
5. Revamp your About page (and include that new mission statement). 
6. Redesign your header. 
7. Take a photo that you will use on all your social networking sites and add the photo to your blog as an "About Me" graphic that links to your About page. 
8. If you've been thinking about changing your URL, title or platform, do it! 
9. Sign up for a blogging class or conference.
10. Recommit to being more engaging on Facebook and Twitter. 
11. Dust off your LinkedIn profile. Believe it or not, I've had more people contact me about writing and social media gigs through LinkedIn than Facebook or Twitter. 
12. Update your Google profile. 
13. Learn how you can use Pinterest to boost your blog. 
14. Update your blogroll. 
15. Now recommit to leaving thoughtful comments on most of those sites in your blogroll. 
16. Cut ties with some of your tweeps to streamline your Twitter experience. 
17. Make commenting on your blog easier.
18. Organize an event for bloggers in your area.
19. Get connected with an online blogging community such as BlogHer, Skirt or IFB.
20. Make a pitch to be featured on or to contribute to one of your favorite blogs. 
21. Make a pitch to be featured in local (or even national) media. 
22. Start a video post feature on a topic related to your niche. 
23. Post an interview with someone you admire. These posts generally bring lots of pageviews.
24. Introduce yourself to important people in your niche. 
25. Blog about a controversial topic. These posts are shared over and over in cyberspace and are sure to bring you more traffic.
26. Start an e-newsletter.
27. Have a blog date. Go to your favorite coffee shop and blog for hours.
28. Highlight your best blog posts. 
29. Cover a local event. These types of posts tend to be popular, too.
30. Compile a post of all the lesssons you've learned about blogging thus far. Your readers who are also bloggers will appreciate it, and this will be a great post for you to refer back to when you feel you've lost your way.
31. Create a list of great blog post ideas for 2013. 

Image via

Back in January I gave up blogging and all forms of social media for three weeks for a time of prayer and fasting my church calls "21 Days of Prayer." I didn't even allow myself read blogs during this time.

I decided to do this because my obsession with blogging had become just that -- an obsession -- and I had begun to neglect more important things like spending time in prayer and studying Scripture.

When I launched #bloglikecrazy this month, I feared this would happen again and for about a week it did. I began to wonder if God wanted me to blog at all. Then in the most roundabout way I happened upon She Reads Truth, a blog and online community that seems just perfect for young women who love God and social media. She Reads Truth offers daily devotions through the blog and the bible app You Version. There's online discussion on the blog and Twitter.

Currently we're reading through the book of Colossians. Here is the verse that stood out to me the most this week:  

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. -- Colossians 3:17

This reminds me that blogging and social media shouldn't be something that takes me away from God. I should instead use it as a way to thank God and as a way to carry out the work that I believe the Creator placed me on this planet to do -- empowering women and girls through the written word.

Photo by Rosaura Ochoa
Image via Flickr/Creative Commons

Believe it or not, there are still people who don't understand the purpose of social media. Some people still think social networking sites are just a high-tech form of teenage gossip and a colossal waste of time. These people couldn't be more wrong.

For writers, social media could be the key to landing your next freelance gig. For example, the editor for one of the websites I write for found me through LinkedIn. And last year I had the opportunity to write a few articles for my one of my favorite online magazines because of Twitter. I began following one of the site's editors on Twitter and whenever she would post articles and encouraging words that really resonated with me I would let her know by replying to her tweets and she graciously responded. Then one day I decided to ask her, through Twitter, about writing for her publication. She sent me her email address (which I'd tried finding in the past to no avail) and I sent her a few story pitches. A week later my byline was on the site. 

But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Through Twitter you can not only find writing gigs, but also other writing gals! I have met so many ambitious, creative, and forward-thinking women writers in Birmingham thanks to social media. I was inspired to write this post because of a coffee date I had last week with a new friend who goes by the Twitter handle @see_clair_write. 

We met a few weeks ago at a panel discussion on the future of journalism, but we truly have Twitter to thank for our connection. This event was thrown by people who actually do understand social media, and the organizers encouraged attendees to tweet questions and comments during the talk. Those tweets were projected onto a screen at the front of the room and used to help guide the conversation. Not only did @see_clair_write catch my eye because of her awesome Twitter handle, but I was intrigued by and agreed with her insightful tweets. So I retweeted a few of her posts. Then I saw she retweeted a few of mine. 

When the panel discussion ended I leapt from my chair on a mission: I had to find this @see_clair_write. Evidently, she had the same idea and we walked straight to each other. (This is why you need a photo on your Twitter account, people. If you still have that stupid egg as your avatar please fix that right now. Go on. I'll wait...)

Clair and I exchanged information and last week sat in Urban Standard coffee house for hours talking about writing and so much more. 

This is surely the beginning of a beautiful friendship and we owe it all to you Twitter! 


Crossposted at See Jane Write. 

Photo by Denise Carbonell
Image via Flickr/Creative Commons

Sometimes you need to take a break from taking care of everyone else. Sometimes you need to put yourself first.

But sometimes being selfless is the right thing to do. Sometimes by being selfless you can actually help yourself after all.

I present to you 3 selfish reasons to be selfless:

Being selfless is a great distraction when your life sucks. My family and I have been facing tough times lately. I have exclaimed the phrase "Life sucks!" more times than I care to admit. But, pushing my cares aside, last weekend I threw myself into being a good bridesmaid for my cousin who was marrying the love of her life. On Sunday and Tuesday I made time to hang out with gal pals who have recently given birth and were in need of some adult conversation. I found that when I stopped wallowing in worry and self-pity and decided to focus on other people instead, I was suddenly happier.

Being selfless is more fun than being a jerk. No, really, it is. Earlier this year James Spann, a renowned meteorologist here in the Southeast who has also been recognized for his superb Twitter skills, gave a talk on how to make a difference with social media. During his presentation he said something that really stuck with me: he said that when you start to put other people first that's when life gets good. And he's right. My organization See Jane Write is a perfect example. That networking group for women writers is truly a labor of love. I don't do this for money. When there's a venue to be rented or refreshments to be bought for an event I spend my own cash, cash I don't get back because I'm determined to never charge for See Jane Write events. I don't do this for fame. Most people don't even know who the founder and organizer of See Jane Write is. Frankly, it would probably be easier for me to accomplish my goals as a writer if I didn't spend so much time working on See Jane Write events. But I do it nonetheless. I do it for the sake of the women who attend  the programs and social events and I do it simply because it's fun! I honestly didn't start enjoying my life here in Birmingham until I got connected to the community through this organization.

Being selfless is the pathway to peace. This is something difficult for me to explain, but when I am pouring my energy and time into others without reservation or complaint everything within and around me feels calm. And soon enough, I start to see rewards for my good deeds. I see my work bear fruit. Whether you call it gifts from God, blessings from the universe, good karma or good luck, when you do good things for other people, good things happen to you. Perhaps not immediately, but eventually things start to work out and that sucky life you needed a distraction from becomes an awesome one.

It finally happened.

For years I’d dreamt of someone I’d never previously worked with coming to me and asking me to freelance for her publication. And last month I was approached by a local news website about being a contributing features writer.

I had imagined the editor would say, “I came across some of your work on the web and I just knew your voice was what my publication was missing.” 

Um, yeah. It didn’t quite happen that way. In actuality, the editor said she found me through LinkedIn.

Say what?!

My first thought was, “Wait. I have a LinkedIn account?”

I admit I’m not a huge fan of the social networking site LinkedIn. It’s like Facebook for grownups and even though I’m 31 I still feel like I’m 16 (except when I’m paying bills and when my back and knees ache). I prefer the bells, whistles, and complete nonsense of Mark Zuckerburg’s evil, yet oh-so-entertaining creation.

And perhaps you feel the same way, but it seems as if we writers need to give our LinkedIn profiles a little more TLC. I can’t help but wonder how many other editors visited my LinkedIn profile and chose to pass me by.

For help I turned to Samantha Collier’s Ultimate LinkedIn Profile Cheat Sheet. She recommends that you do the following. 

Use a professional profile picture, one you wouldn’t be ashamed to show your grandma or mother-in-law. Here’s mine:

I kind of hate that picture, but it should pass for professional. I have on a blazer and everything!

Create a keyword rich headline that focuses on your specialty. My headline reads “blogger, freelance writer, founder of See Jane Write Birmingham.” It could probably stand to be a bit more specific, but I suppose that will do for now. Check out Collier’s article for more tips on this. 

Update your status. Ugh. I’ll try. This will be tough for me, but I’m going to try to update my LinkedIn status at least once a day. She recommends you comment on the status updates of others too, you know, like on Facebook.

Claim your vanity URL. Mine reads http://www.linkedin.com/in/javaciaharrisbowser. 

Personalize your website URLs.  You can customize your links by editing your profile, clicking edit on your website links, and selecting “Other” in the drop-down menu to customize the anchor text. I have links for this blog and the See Jane Write blog. 

Add your Twitter account information. I have links to both my personal Twitter account and the Twitter account for See Jane Write.

Check out Samantha Collier’s Ultimate LinkedIn Profile Cheat Sheet for more detailed instructions on how to build the best profile. 

I am not a fan of the Facebook timeline layout and I'm quite crotchety about it. I have trouble finding recent posts and trouble deciding on a cover photo. Also I don't like that the profile pictures on this new layout are so small. 

Nonetheless one day while clicking around my timeline and looking at some of my wall posts from my early years on Facebook, I stumbled upon a piece of creative non-fiction I wrote back in 2006. Usually when I look back at things I wrote long ago I cringe, but this time that wasn't the case. Reading this piece reminded me of a time in my life when writing was everything and everything was a story or poem waiting to be written. 

My hope, my prayer is that I can get back to this, that I can get back to feeling like a real writer again. 

And in case you're curious, here's that little piece of prose I found tucked in my timeline. 

Untitled Ramblings for T. 

Image by Wee Lakeo
via Creative Commons

They were eating ice cream in a food court. He was studying her as she crunched bites out of her waffle cone. He watched carefully so he could warn her about drips of vanilla that were coveting a spot on the thigh of her pants. He ate sweet cream from a big Styrofoam bowl. ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good,’ rang in her head as she watched him lick the spoon. 

His hunger for God was apparent. Every time she mentioned another long Sunday at church he hit her with a list of questions that made her feel the way her sources must as she interviewed them for another story. He wanted to know what she believed and why. She told him, God is love and desires communion with creation. But she didn’t know how to explain the moments she’d felt the spirit of God move through her body and tickle her toes.

He told her he’d made a deal with God: "I said 'Look God, I won’t blame you for the bad stuff as long as you don’t expect me to thank you for the good stuff. And I’ll never ask you for anything.'"

He told her he couldn’t pray, ‘Oh thank you Lord for that promotion’ when there are people in Nicaragua searching for dinner in landfills. She didn’t know what to say. She thanked God daily for her reporting gig, her Chevy Cavalier, her two-bedroom home, for the blue of a cloudless sky and for the flavor of wild berry tea smoothies. What was she to say? 

He said that he could never thank God for saving him from a tornado if his neighbor’s house was destroyed. He believed in God, but in an absent one, not a Heavenly Father just a deadbeat dad. 

He wanted to know how she pictured God. She didn’t. Not anymore. It took her years to stop seeing the big white man with white hair and white eyes that she prayed to as a little girl. Her God was ever present but was now invisible and that’s the way she liked it. Because most white men intimidated the shit out of her worshiping one was out of the question. Fear of the Lord couldn’t mean this, she reasoned.

God could be anything, he said. God could be a vapor. Or ice cream, she thought but she didn’t say it out loud for fear it would confuse him or convince him she prayed to false idols. 

But she and he had one thing in common – the thought of a God that played favorites terrified them both. She told her husband that once and he tried to convince her she should be grateful to be chosen. But instead she wanted to vomit from disgust and fear because what kind of parent has a favorite child?