Archive for the ‘Tools Resources’ Category
How to Have Blog RSS Feeds Sent to You by Email
I guess I’m just old school, but in most cases I prefer receiving blog news and updates by email rather than through an RSS newsreader.
Scratch that… it has less to do with being “old school” than it does with the fact that email is still my main direct communications channel. Simply put, I spend a lot of time daily using my email client software. First thing I look at in the morning, and more often than not, the last thing I check before signing off for the day.
Free Word-of-Mouth Tool for Your Blog or Site
You’ve probably seen those small “Share This”-type links on many blogs and sites (like right here, the green thingie all the way at the bottom) that, when clicked on, let you “tell a friend” about a site, article, blog post, etc. For word-of-mouth marketing, they’re excellent…
…if people use them.
Skype Call Recorder
I spent 15 minutes yesterday talking to an old friend in Darwin, Australia. Video too. Cost? $0. We were online, at our respective Net connections, and using Skype. Cel phone + Skype = land line killer. Seems that about the only reason why any business would need a land line nowadays is for faxes, and even that doesn’t seem to make much sense anymore either. If you haven’t checked out Skype yet, go do it (free, and I’m telling you, it’s really easy to figure out!).
Last Minute Tax Stuff
The deadline for filing your 2008 tax returns is fast approaching (one week and counting down!). If you’re not done yet, no need to give me a story or an excuse — that’s between you and the Tax Man — but you’re certainly far from alone.
No worries. For those of you who may need it, here are a few last minute resources you may want to tap to get it all done (or delayed) and out of your hair so you can get back to writing.
If you need to file for an extension, here are a couple services to check out:
FileLater — Get a 6-month income tax extension in just minutes. FileLater is an authorized IRS e-file provider. Over 98% approved. Anyone can extend automatically; the IRS doesn’t ask for a reason. You’ll receive an email confirmation when your extension is IRS-approved. GO »
TaxExtension.com — Avoid large tax penalties by electronically filing your tax extension using the most comprehenseive IRS tax extension filing system available on the Web. 97% of their clients are accepted by the IRS (94% on their first attempt). A trusted tax extension service provider since 1997. GO »
If, for whatever reason, you need copies of previous returns and/or W2′s, there’s a resource for that too:
Tax9er — Get express copies of previous tax returns and W2′s, for both you and your spouse. Most can retrieve and request instant online delivery of prior-year tax documents previously filed with the IRS. GO »
Of course, chances are there’s still time to get your returns in on or before the deadline. Lots of services and software out there to help you out. Here’s another service you may want to check out:
CompleteTax — Online federal and state tax preparation and submission with free E-Filing and unlimited support. GO »
Have fun!
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Challenge-Response Anti-Spam Tech for Queries? I Don’t Think So
I hate spam as much as the next guy, and of all the anti-spam solutions out there, the ones I like the most (although I don’t use them) and undoubtedly the most effective are the ones that employ “challenge-response” technology. Like Spam Arrest.
CommentLuv Plugin for WordPress
Although briefly mentioned in a blogging advice piece I reprinted not very long ago, I got reminded of this plugin by Mike Haydon’s comment on my recent Blog Spring Cleaning Tips and Tools – Part 1 post. Thanks for the reminder, Mike!
Scribus – Free Desktop Publishing Software
In my head, this was all very recent, but on paper, it’s crystal clear that man, I’m getting old: It’s been 15 years since using desktop publishing (DTP) software was a big part of my daily routine. So it’s been about at least that long since I last thought about upgrading any of the DTP software licenses I owned.
Unblocking Writer’s Block – Let Google Do it for You
My friend, master programmer William Bontrager, sent this tip over to share with all of you. Interestingly enough, I’m a long-time user of the free Google tool in this tip; never used it for the purpose described, but it’s crystal clear that it’s an excellent application for it!
The OneLook Dictionary
You all know what a dictionary is (tells you what a word means)… and a thesaurus (tells you what other words mean the same thing, or the opposite). But what if you know the meaning, but not the word? It’s exactly this kind of “reverse dictionary” ability that I find most useful with OneLook, a free online Web service.
PrimoPDF: Create Professional PDFs for Free
Have you checked the price of Adobe Acrobat lately? Well, not even just lately… Acrobat has always been pricey (not the Reader, which is free, but the full Acrobat package). Although not out of reach or even unreasonable for serious professional use, it’s definitely not inexpensive.
If you can’t afford it (or just don’t want to), I recommend you check this out. Heck, even if you already have purchased Acrobat, take a look at this anyway… it may just do everything you need. If it does, then you’ve just saved yourself from the $100 or so annual Acrobat upgrade expenditure.
Create PDFs From RSS Feeds
Now here’s something pretty cool: Quickly and easily generate an Adobe Acrobat PDF document filled with the content from an RSS feed.
And the service happens to be free too (a signup’s not even required).
How Much is Your Blog Worth?
Courtesy of the Business Opportunities Weblog, I’ve known about this cute little resource for a while but just keep forgetting to write about it.
WHAT IT IS: Give it your blog’s URL, and it spits out a guesstimate of how much it thinks your blog is worth in $$$.
How to Search All of Craigslist for Freelance Gigs
Craigslist, as you know, is a large network of free local classified advertising… an excellent regular source of freelance writing/editing/related gigs. But here’s the problem: It’s a large network of free local classified advertising. TRANSLATION: It’s multiple local sites.
Writers’ Websites – Focus, Purpose, Benefits
Article by Kerry Finch
Having a website of their own allows writers (and by writers I mean anyone who can put their thoughts into words) to accomplish several things:
Promote Yourself
On your own website you have carte blanche to talk about yourself. It is accepted in the world of internet marketing to do this — indeed it is expected if you are to win business from someone else. It could be as simple as writing a little about your background — what has brought you to this point. Readers aren’t necessarily looking for your resume (although you can put this on one of your pages if you like), they are more interested in connecting with YOU.
Writers’ Website Essentials – Don’t Forget to Include These!
Article by Kerry Finch
A powerful tool for both professional and amateur writers is utilizing the internet for self-promotion. Having an internet presence in the form of their own website, gives writers a fantastic opportunity to showcase their craft and promote their talents.
Many website owners struggle to keep the content on their websites fresh and interesting – they are more focused on making money and creating new products. Instead they enlist the help of freelance writers or ghostwriters to provide them with fresh, topical, quality content.
Time for a Seasonal Blog Tune Up?
Very good, relatively brief post at Upstart Blogger you’ll want to check out, reminding us “to make sure [our blogs are] firing on all cylinders and in tip top condition.” The post is called:
Increase Your Traffic And Income With A Seasonal Blog Tune Up
In short, UB suggests we do the following:
Get Paid Running Ads in Your eBooks
Thought-provoking article for you ebook publishers. Very traditional magazine-like business model. There is, however, a bit of a problem with what’s being suggested in this article. I’ll tell you what it is at the end of the piece, along with my ideas on how it could be “fixed.” In fact, you probably won’t want to miss the very last “fix” idea I describe. — EES
Why Not Use Your eBook as Advertising Space?
Article by Stu A. McLaren
Have you ever thought of using the eBooks you’ve created for more than just revenue stream? With a little creativity you can use your eBooks to generate you multiple streams of income
More specifically, you could actually make money by selling advertising space in the particular eBook that you’re creating.
How to Extract an Image Embedded in an MS Word .DOC
I figured this out a ways back, with MS Word .DOC files being one of the popular formats the publishing world has to learn to work with. I had to do it again today, which reminded me that strangely enough, not a lot of people have figured out the technique I’ll share with you today.
Easier Affiliate Book Links With Amazon’s New Associates Site Stripe
Amazon Associates was the very first “affiliate program” I remember joining way back when. The industry and concept was so new, the jargon hadn’t even been standardized yet, hence the “Associates” moniker. And it’s still going strong.
Stronger, I bet, with the new affiliate “Site Stripe” technology it recently introduced. In simple terms, the Stripe makes it a heck of a lot easier for us to create Amazon affiliate links to its products. So easy, there’s really no reason now why you can’t create a product link every time you happen to mention a book in your blog (or just about any product out there, for that matter, considering all the stuff we can now purchase at Amazon). Like, say, the book I’m reading now.
Stock.XCHNG
No shortage of sites out there offering free photographs for use on your blogs/sites and print pubs. Unless you happen to be looking for truly good images, then the pickings get slim. And if you also happen to require high-resolution images for best print quality, then your choices just about dry up.