Make Your Blog Shine Through the Smog

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Thousands of new blogs are created every day. In a sense, this is a sign of a very cool thing about modern technology. Anyone can grab a seat at the table; if you want to publish your writing on the Internet, it's easier than ever. The problem, of course, is that the table is now so large, and we're not really seated as close to one another as people make out. Even when we're yelling, our voices my not be heard.

So how can you take your blog to the next level? How can you make your work really stand out? We're going to take a look at some tips that can be considered by new bloggers and by those who have already got a bunch of material and a few readers.

Guest blogging

There are two ways you can go about guest blogging. The first is to see if other bloggers are willing to submit a post to your blog; someone, perhaps, who is a bit more established in your given niche than you. They'll probably expect payment – and you should be willing to pay them - but it’ll be worth it for the extra attention boost you’ll get, as well as the improved ‘legitimacy’ with which you’ll be perceived.

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You can also look into submitting posts for other blogs. This could be another blog in your niche, or you could consider hitting a little higher up the food chain and seeing if a bigger publication would be interested in a post you’ve created. This helps a lot with networking and exposure.

Other mediums

A lot of bloggers are beginning to use YouTube more and more. This is because YouTube can be a more consistent means of earning money, though it’s also because so many fans love to watch opinion-based content through the medium of video. Vloggers are becoming more popular than ever, so it’s certainly worth considering a YouTube channel to go with your blog.

If you think you have enough readers hooked, you should think about physical publication. Some would claim that books, journals, and magazines are dead media that no-one invests in anymore, but this simply isn’t true. A lot of popular blogs have turned to the creation of an occasional magazine issue as a means of earning additional revenue. Start thinking about original magazine content and experimenting with a magazine cover maker to get some inspiration.

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The e-book hook

E-books are something else that a lot of writers are using to grow their blogs. The likes of The Daily Wire, for example, hook passers-by to their mailing list by offering a free download of an e-book by Ben Shapiro, the founder of the website and a bestselling author.

If there’s a topic that will excite a lot of people, one which you’d like to write about without worrying so much about people getting tired of using their scroll wheel, then consider writing about the topic across at least forty pages or so then turning it into an e-book. This will really show your dedication and expertise and will help you take your blog to new heights.

Write for our #SAGeek Series!

Attention fellow geeks! Mark your calendars, because July 13 is "Embrace Your Geekness Day!" (It also just so happens to be Harrison Ford’s birthday. Coincidence?) To celebrate this day (not to be confused with Geek Pride Day, or Star Wars Day, or Pi Day, or any other nerdy/geeky holiday), we’re launching a special month long #SAgeek blog series! Tell us what you geek out about. Video games, comics, RPGs, cosplay -- whatever it is, we want to know. Bonus points for stories that connect your geek identity to your student affairs identity. For example: Is your geeky hobby a source of balance and stress relief? As a geek, have you experienced workplace bullying? Does your geekiness help foster connection with your students? 

Email your ideas to me (dmr52289@gmail.com) so we can get the ball rolling.

The #SAgeek series will debut on July 13 (mostly because this "holiday" is as good a day as any to launch this awesome series).

Thank you for your time, attention, and help with this effort! (Also thanks to Lynne Meyer for the idea germ and for the continued help with this series)

Book Review: The War of Art

I just recently blew through The War of Art, an interesting and unique self help book from author Steven Pressfield about the creative process. I'd had it recommend by some people as well as seeing it come up based on my Amazon history, so since it was available for very cheap through the Kindle store, I figured I'd give it a try.

This was a very quick read with some good takeaways in it but the most intriguing part of the book is how it is written. It has several short points to make instead of drawn out chapters and takes a very deep, meta, philosophical view on being creative and committing to creating. It personifies things like "Resistance" and the "Muse" and preaches for a strong devotion to working to create each and every day. This strong devotion that he elaborates on in the book sort of takes on a viewpoint similar to how theories are explained, in a context of all other things being constant, which is hardly realistic but still allows for some helpful advice.

I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who struggles with creative blocks. While it sometimes lacks practical tips, it makes up for it by going into the psychological and philosophical elements of how we create, and why it can be such a struggle sometimes. The first big step in dealing with a problem can be awareness of it and understanding it. This book is a great place to start in terms of getting towards a more natural creative flow and acknowledging that we're all creative, no matter what we may think, we just need to focus, commit, and get to work refining our craft.

You can check out some more info about Steven Pressfield and The War of Art (as well as his other books) at his website.

Thanks for stopping by!

On Two Years of Blogging

I like to celebrate milestones. No matter how small they might be.

I'm pretty proud to have been blogging now for two years. While my first few months of blogging were pretty sporadic, I am now leaps and bounds ahead of where I was then. We all have to start somewhere and I'm glad I've kept with it.

Some other little milestones I've had recently; I'm at almost 300 total posts, I've started to have my first guest posts, and last year was my first full calendar year of blogging. I'm getting more views in a month now than I did in the entirety of 2013 when I started, and I've built the site out way more than what it was when it began.

I'm always trying to continuously improve my content, my layout, and my outreach. There is always more that I can do and that is part of the fun for me, that I can always do more and do better. Every time a blog post takes off, I get likes, comments, shares, etc., it motivates me to keep the momentum going. I always appreciate hearing feedback and thoughts from people and it is nice to know that people read what I write and have feelings they want to share. I write for myself mostly but I also write to share information, stories, and my own feelings with people. It's nice to know when it resonates with others.

I'll be sure to look back again at the end of the year, but until then, thank you for taking time out to read and connect with me here, it means a lot and I look forward to many more blog posts and years to come!

My Writing Process: From Stray Thought to Full Out Geekery

"I hope people can have fun with what I write but also learn something useful for their lives."

I recently go a shout out from the marvelous Marci Walton to write about my writing. It's meta and I dig it so I figured I'd jump on here and leave some thoughts from my work here for the past year and a half of writing.

I have only been writing weekly since January of this year with my geek out posts and movie reviews, with other stuff sprinkled in between, but 2014 has been a good year for me to get in a regular habit of writing. I've written around 160 posts for this blog, covering all sorts of geeky topics that matter to me. I hope the framework of stuff below helps others get into a flow of writing however they wish about whatever they want.

On My Writing Process 

What are you working on? 

I'm currently working on a few different blog posts about stuff that has been popping up in my head recently just as stray thoughts or from reading books, articles, and keeping up with the news. I'm also working on reading more books to review and keeping my regular schedule of movie reviews from Netflix and geeking out about new, cool stuff. Keep an eye out for some awesome posts coming soon!

How does your work differ from others of its genre? 

I feel my work is pretty unique since I always try to find connections to student affairs in geeky topics, such as Star Wars, Doctor Who, Star Trek, Spider-Man, and Green Lantern. I don't see a lot of that out there in the blogging world and I enjoy being something original and unique. I think we should all seek to do our own thing and not just create an echo chamber for the usual zeitgeist.

Why do you write what you do?

I write what I do because it is what interests me and it is how my brain works a lot of the time. I always joke that I take my entertainment seriously. I look into their subtexts or symbolism to see what they have to say about society or greater topics like choice, love, friendship, family, or any number of other things. I hope people can have fun with what I write but also learn something useful for their lives. I seek to provide value and happiness to my readers!

How does your writing process work? 

I usually just let my mind wander and allow for ideas to pop in. Whether that is something about one particular show or movie or is about a general topic, I usually make sure to draft up a blog post for it so I don't lose the idea. A lot of the time I'll be watching or reading something and find something relevant in it, like with Green Lantern. For something like Star Wars, I was surprised I hadn't blogged about it specifically already. I also just think a lot about topics like positivity, social media, sustainability, or nerdy stuff in general so ideas will come to me all the time. I typically will bounce ideas off my partner to see if they make sense or not instead of always just having them rattle around in my head all the time. I don't have a formal, structured, or detailed process for getting the content together. I just let the writing flow out and then I'll proof myself afterwards. This works well for me but I know it might not work well for everyone! I'm also a very brief writer so I don't feel the need to prepare too much for posts since they're just quick bits and thoughts I want to share.

Thanks again to Marci for sharing her process and for the shout out! I nominate Tom Krieglstein & Jennifer Keegin. Why do you write what you do?!

Thanks for stopping by!

Guest Blogger

Hey everybody, I just wanted to highlight two other blogs where I have just started writing a blog a month (at least). Socialnomics and The Student Affairs Collective.

I've only been writing for a few months now but I've done more specific posts on those sites so I just wanted to spotlight those.

Thanks for your support! Have a great day!