I dropped out of the contest (Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award). What did that last? All of two days? I decided the biggest push for a goal I’d ever endeavored was TOO BIG. Upon deeper examination of the contest, I noticed that the others who entered were talking about their polished manuscripts. Here I sat with mine only half-finished. So, after accepting the giant challenge of completing it in two weeks, I would have still been uploading half-baked content. Unacceptable.

Aside from that, my manuscript would have been tied up in the contest just for entering until June 16th. That means even if I was eliminated as a winner early on, I couldn’t self-publish or shop my book anywhere else. No thanks. Maybe next year. It’s okay. It motivated me to write nearly 5000 words on a manuscript that was just collecting dust. It’s a momentum I don’t plan to let die.

Now What!?!

I’m going to focus on completing the book while setting regular goals for ProWebWriter. I’ve let the site go back and forth between regular content and a couple months with no new content. Again, unacceptable. PWW has too much potential, and I shouldn’t let my lack of focus ruin that. I have a strong vision; I just have problems with the day to day implementation needed to work toward that vision.

Upcoming

So, what can you look forward to? That’s a loaded question. In the coming weeks and months, here’s what coming to ProWebWriter:

• Regular content updates
• A PLR store
• Site design update
• New Freebies!
• A periodic newsletter (probably quarterly, I’m not trying to invade your inbox)

I found out about the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award via the Kindle Direct Publishing Newsletter. The brief description intrigued me. Two categories, two grand prizes, a publishing contract, and a $15000 advance. It didn’t register right away that the contest required a completed manuscript. I was on board until I figured that out. My manuscript is MILES from complete. Oh well, there’s always next year, or the next contest.

I was telling my partner about it later. How I found this awesome contest and submissions were in three days. Then I realized I needed a complete manuscript to enter, so I just figured it wasn’t possible. “Why not?” she says.

“Uh, because submissions open in THREE days.”
“So.”
“So, I’m not anywhere near done.”
“Well, get it done. You can do it, I have faith in you.”

I was devoid of any excuse. Why couldn’t I do it? So, I’m writing this post in the midst of this endeavor. Submissions open tomorrow, and I have until February 5th to complete my manuscript and write a pitch. Apparently, there’s a whole horde of people who have been waiting since last year for this contest to roll around again. I took a very brief look at the discussion forums before I decided to wing it. I’m a little late to the game to be all researchy and scientific about it.

So here goes nothing. I’ve written nearly 6000 words in 2 days with a long weekend coming up to make an even larger dent. Even if I don’t make the deadline, I win because my debut novel will be complete and ready to publish. I needed that push! If you’d like to enter, check the link above. You’ll find all the info you need there. I’ll keep you posted. Either way, look for some new informative posts headed your way. Happy Writing!

You can share documents and email other group members and chat with them real time in Facebook. I would say this facility has been overused by network marketers and facebook is very strict in group settings and email options now. you can easily leave and report such groups to facebook.

1. How to navigate to your subscribed groups: In the right hand side of your home page you can identify your groups.

2.  To leave or report group select option on right hand side corner of each of your groups.

3. To turn ON or OFF group notifications select the notifications option.

This is an awesome tip from an awesome SEO guru and marketer. To know more about Internet marketing, SEO, social media listen to the  SEO expert.

“Known is a drop, unknown is an Ocean.” ~ Tamil proverb

How to enable secured browsing of Facebook or accessing Facebook securely? Go to account settings in your facebook account. In the home page there will be a dropdown in top right side next to Home button. In the settings page select security settings and then select Secure Browsing, enable and save. You are done, so from next time you see https in facebook address bar.

How to get Facebook Session Info:

Facebook session info. You can see who has logged in Facebook using your accounts (userid/password). If you feel someone might be using your Facebook account, its how you can verify. It shows the current active login detail. Go to Facebook Security settings and select Active Sessions.

This is a Guest post by Jay who blogs about free printable grocery coupons and also in free printable coupons

Check out other posts that insists on online personal security while using social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.

How to find and search videos uploaded by Upload date, view count, rating , HD, 3D etc?

When you search for a video in youtube.com search box, it will display the video results and then a filter button on top. Click the filer button and you will see ways to filter your video search results. You can filter videos in the search results and get the videos by date, view count, rating etc. the below screen cast explain it. Youtube has changed to a new interface now but the search feature works in the same way for the new upgraded Youtube as well.

This Tip was posted by an avid Blogger, Youtube searcher and video marketer who blogs at http://www.dealsandcoupons.org  Post your comments below the post.

A WebTV setup from RCA.

Being a teenager of limited means, I finally got online in 1997 via WebTV. WebTV became kind of a laughable phenomenon as computer ownership became more widespread. It was really an innovator and ahead of its time given all the Internet-ready TV’s and TV compatible devices available today. It was a limited experience without a computer, but my brain was a sponge. Two years later, my parents (God bless them) shelled out nearly $2500 for my first desktop and I haven’t looked back. So with nearly 13 years online under my belt, I am attempting to write a comprehensive list of criteria that makes one “Internet Savvy” since I can’t really find one online.

What Does “Internet Savvy” Mean?

Let’s break it down. If you’re reading this, you know what the Internet is, but what does savvy mean? The beauty of the Internet is that as I’m writing, I can pull up a dictionary definition of any word.

savvy [sav-ee]

verb, -vied, -vy·ing, noun, adjective, -vi·er, -vi·est. Informal .
verb (used with object), verb (used without object)

In addition to providing informative content, ProWebWriter is the hub for a number of online endeavors. You can read more about the evolution of the site HERE. Stay tuned as well to upcoming posts as I’ve been doing A LOT of research about ways to engage readers more. ProWebWriter has a main focus on the following subjects:

• Blogging
• Content Writing
• Independent Publishing

However, as you can see in the Category list to the right, there are a number of topics that do not fit this niche. As I said, PWW is a hub that first seeks to provide informative content. While that is a broad niche, we are shaping ourselves to be a major web stop for well, information! Expect to see an expansion of topics which will include, but never be limited to, the following:

• WordPress
• Internet Marketing
• Transparent Financial and Traffic Reports
• Special Offers
• Freebies

We will eventually expand to include a store with both free and paid digital products. Our mission statement has not changed:

ProWebWriter is committed to providing a community of resources for writers interested in creating content for the Web. It is our desire to offer writers resources, opportunities, and a place to hone their skills amongst other writers. We want to see YOU succeed.

Don’t hesitate to contact us through the various avenues readily available on the Home and Contact Me pages of PWW. Thanks for reading!

1st generation Amazon Kindle

I don’t often endorse products. I am a writer of limited means and it seems that most cutting edge technology falls well outside of my price range. My regular readers will notice that ProWebWriter has a running theme of FREE. If it’s not free, it’s extremely cheap. I’m typing this entry on my three and a half year old laptop, and I’m okay with that. My phone pretty much just makes calls…that’s it. Yes, I can text and I even sprang for a model with a QWERTY keyboard, but there are no Apps…there’s no touch screen…it’s just a phone with a really crappy camera. I’m okay with that as well. My flat screen TV and Nintendo Wii were awesome deals from a secondhand store. In fact, I didn’t even buy them, my partner did.

Last Christmas, I received a piece of modern technology that I consider pretty cutting edge, and it’s about to get a whole lot better. I remember writing about this gadget when it first appeared on the scene in 2008. The first Kindle retailed for $399 I believe; nearly 400 smackers. It was certainly well out of my price range then and now. Something amazing happened though as happens with all tech eventually, the price dropped…drastically. So last Christmas, I got one as a gift. The Kindle changed what I read, how often I read it, and where I read it for the better.

3rd generation Amazon Kindle

By the time I got my hands on one, Kindle was in its 3rd generation. I’m glad I waited a while. Back in 2008, there were about 90,000 books available for Kindle. Now there are more than a million, and I’m only counting the FREE ones. In addition to ebooks of all lengths about everything you could imagine, there are also games, audio books, applications, newspapers, blogs, and magazines all available for Kindle. All of this great content is delivered to your Kindle in less than 60 seconds.

Imagine what college would have been like if all of your books were on a Kindle. Some of the lesser known features on Kindle are my favorite. For example, the My Clippings file. When you read any type of media on Kindle, you can highlight, make notes, bookmark pages, and clip entire articles. All of this content is saved in a file called My Clippings. That’s right, all of your most important content is saved for you in one place that you can access from your Kindle or your computer. Not to mention, Amazon backs it ALL up to your Amazon account. The Cloud. That’s what they’re calling it now.

I usually abhor companies who release a newer, better product every year. I guess that’s why people who go gaga for Apple baffle me. I might be gaining a new understanding though. Within the last month, Amazon has announced its new family of Kindles. I’m sold already. Amazon has answered every gripe that owners of other ebook readers could have presented: 

• It doesn’t have a light
• It doesn’t come in color
• It doesn’t have a touch screen
• It doesn’t have Apps
• The web browser is laughable
• The music player is “experimental”
• It costs too much
• It doesn’t do PDFs

Their answer? The Kindle Fire.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsH0GKUKmXM

Just in case that wasn’t enough, Amazon decided that the latest, greatest Kindle should be your one stop for all your entertainment on the go. For the bargain price of $79 a year, you can access 10,000 movies and TV shows. Anything else? Well, it has a customized Android operating system (which means Apps!), a new revolutionary browser called Amazon Silk, FREE cloud storage for all your content, Wi-Fi, and a dual core processor. That laptop I mentioned earlier…dual core. It blows my mind.

So all of this should set you back 400 bucks at the very least, huh? Based on comparable tablets available on the market like the Samsung Galaxy or the Motorolla Xoom…this thing should be right up there. Even though I nearly drooled in my keyboard when I first heard about it, it certainly never occurred to me that it would be even remotely in my price range. I mean for $400, I could buy a much needed new laptop, right? As I read hungrily through the many features which only turned me green with envy, I finally got to the bottom. They always stick the price at the bottom of everything. I literally had to pick my jaw up off my touchpad. $199!?! Someone at Amazon needs to lay off the sauce! They’re serious! ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY NINE for this fantastic device.

My 3rd gen Kindle is a mere shadow of the Fire, but has been one of the best gifts I’ve ever received. $199 is cheaper than the most rudimentary smartphone. On top of that, you’re locked into a data plan that is inadequate or you could feed a small country with your cell phone bill every month. It seems like a no brainer to me. The Kindle Fire is set to ship of November 15th. You can even pre-order it now:

Amazon stopped with the Kindle Fire. But before they got there, they improved on their E-ink readers. Not only are they releasing the Kindle Fire, but they’re releasing an entire line of Kindles to meet the needs and means of any user. For $79, you can own a Kindle…cheaper than any other e-reader manufacturer on the market. You get all the wonderful Kindle content on a basic device that anyone could use. To make navigation a little simpler, you can invest 20 more dollars and get the Kindle Touch for $99. If you think you’ll miss your Kindle QWERTY keyboard, you can still get Kindle Keyboard for $139 including Wi-Fi and FREE 3G. So, you see, Amazon has something to offer every existing Kindle lover. If you’re new to the world of Kindle or just can’t decide which e-reader is for you, look no further than Amazon and the Kindle…proudly endorsed by ProWebWriter.com.

The new Kindle family.

That’s Nice, But What is a Favicon?

favicon (fav-uh-con)
noun
– a 16×16-pixel icon associated with a particular website, usually displayed before the URL in a browser.

“Favicon” is a combo of the words “favorite” and “icon”. They first became popular in older browsers so that users could easily recognize their favorite bookmarks.

The red squares in this image indicate the favicons.

Why Do I Need One?

You don’t need one. Like I said, I ignored the fact that PWW didn’t have one for well over a year. The favicon is simply an attention-getter. When someone adds your site to their bookmarks, your favicon will appear in the listing with your URL. Also, since most browsers have all those convenient tabs, favicons help users identify your site quickly while they are browsing or working. Having a favicon surely won’t make you or break you, but it can’t hurt. Not to mention the implication toward your site being a place for professionals.

Tell Me How To Get One Already!

Alrighty!

You need a source image. I’m going to assume that you have some basic graphics skills and a graphics editor like Photoshop or an online one like SplashUp. If not, skip this part and Contact Me instead. I can help.

Here’s the specs I used for my source image:

• 50×50 pixels — It needs to be square
• 72 dpi — Standard web quality
• Colors directly from my color scheme

I saved the final as a JPEG and was able to use that with no problems in the next step.

Step 1. Upload your source file to Favigen.

• Navigate to your source image on your computer by clicking the Browse button.
• Select your size using the drop-down menu. Most favicons are 16×16 pixels.
• Click the Create Favicon button.

Favigen will generate your favicon file and you can download it to your computer. The file will be automatically named Favicon.ico

• Rename the file with a lower-case “f” like so: favicon.ico

The next part of this tutorial will assume you know how to upload files to the domain you have WordPress installed on using an FTP Client. Again, if you need help with this part, Contact Me.

Step 2. Remove any old favicon.ico files from the main folder of your current WordPress theme.

Step 3. Click Appearance in the left navigation of your WordPress Dashboard. A menu will drop down beneath Appearance.

Step 4. Click Editor underneath the Appearance menu. This will open the WordPress Theme Editor.

Step 5. Click Header under Templates to the right of the Editor window.

Step 6. Find the following line of code between the <head> tags and remove it:

<link rel="shortcut icon" and ends with /favicon.ico" />

This code may not exist, so don’t fret if you can’t find it. Just move on to the next step.

Step 7. Paste the following code between the <head> tags:

<link rel="shortcut icon" href="<?php bloginfo('stylesheet_directory'); ?>/favicon.ico" />

*TIP* The <head> tags probably won’t be close to each other. You really only need to find one. Make sure you’re not posting your code inside other scripts or code. Find the </head> tag and create a line above it by pressing the Enter key. Paste your code there.

Step 8. Click the Update File button under the Editor window to save your changes.

Step 9. Clear your browser’s Cache and restart it to view your new favicon.

That’s it! Now when users load your site or save it as a bookmark, your favicon will come to represent your site as a quick visual reference.

Sources:

http://codex.wordpress.org/Creating_a_Favicon
http://www.upvery.com/5103-why-is-it-important-that-your-website-have-favicon.html

Once you’ve got a good start on your novel or you’ve completed the rough draft of your manuscript, it’s time to enter the editing phase. This is the point where you let go of your baby and see if it can stand alone. It’s not an easy step, but necessary in the publishing process. The first step is Proofreading. While it’s difficult to proofread your own work, you will catch mistakes.

If you would prefer your manuscript to be a little more polished before you let others critique it, you can always run it through editing software like Editor by Serenity Software. Editor will set you back $55 for the standard version, but it will find mistakes and inconsistencies that you will initially miss during your proofread. Personally, if I bought every 50-dollar piece of software that I could benefit from, I’d have no space on my computer AND I’d be broke.

Finding an Objective Eye

More than likely, as you seek out a beta reader or critique partner to put an objective pair of eyes on your draft, you’re going to have to count on getting lucky. There are communities online dedicated to such pairings but the caveat is it will be difficult to find a dedicated reader and you may be expected to return the favor. If you haven’t started using Twitter to meet and interact with other writers, now’s a good time to start. That’s the next post.

You can also find readers by blogging. Those who take the time to comment are already reading what you’re putting down. Most Writers’ forums have an area where you can post your work for critique. I suggest that you find a writers’ community where you feel comfortable, interact, and post some good information BEFORE you ask for critiques. You should never have to pay a beta reader, but remember, the relationship is usually a reciprocal one where you will be asked to critique your partner’s work as well. Look for someone in your genre. Writers’ communities are a dime a dozen.

What’s Next?

It’s time to hire an editor. After you’ve done everything you can to get your work to a polished state, bring in an editor. Why now? Well, because it will be a less time-consuming task at this stage in the game. It’s always a good idea to send the editor you choose a sample to edit so you will have an idea of their editing style and what you are getting for your money.

Why Are These Steps Are So Important?

As an indie publisher, the odds and resources are stacked against you. Following these steps will ensure that your work is on a level with mainstream publishing. Churning out the best product you can helps quell the stereotype that indie publishing is less professional and shows readers that you are serious about writing and providing them with the best product possible.