Right now I am working on tweaking this new theme a bit.  There used to be a slideshow of default images at the top of the page, but I removed it for the time being. I need to get rid of some of these strange ad slots (or advertise their availability).

I plan on using the blog to talk about life and my experiences with all the things I do. That was always the intent, anyway. I’m also going to create a weekly showcase of stuff I’ve written for my other sites around the web. I hope that will give you a better insight into what I do as well.

I do believe I’m going to open the site back up for guest posting as well. Why not share some space in the web world, right?

Please bear with me a bit. Obviously, the site is now under construction!

That said, I’ve created a few Squidoo Lenses that I’m putting up for sale. These three lenses are very different from each other but all focus on hot niche topics – yoga (health/wellness), computer security, and higher end women’s clothing.

Check out the lenses here and let me know if you are interested. They’re all new lenses currently priced at $100 USD:

• Pranayama Yoga – Breathing for Life
• How to Find the Best Women’s Jeans
• Choosing an Antivirus System for Windows

All of these lenses are optimized for Amazon sales and the Yoga lens has at least one Clickbank link as well. You can change anything you’d like about these lenses, and I’ll give you instructions for updating the links with your own affiliate identification codes as well.

All of the images contained within these pages are from iStockPhoto so you will never have any copyright issues with the images.

Contact deborah at writeontheedge dot com if you’re interested in any of these lenses or if you’d like me to build you a custom lens!

2011 is going to be different. I’ve got a clearer picture of my business model in my head. I know I’m not going to waste as much on stuff I don’t need, and I know what I can do realistically as opposed to what I only wish I could do.

There are very few internet marketing “gurus” I really trust. When I first started to build my freelance business, I subscribed to the lists of more people than I can count. I soon realized I had joined a bunch of marketing lists. These people didn’t really care about me. They simply wanted to make money.

There is one marketer I do trust, though. Her name is Tiffany Dow and while she does sell products to her list, I’ve never gotten an email from her that didn’t contain valuable, helpful information. Tiffany seems to understand just how large the web really is and she isn’t afraid to help others find their little piece of internet real estate. I learn something from every single message Tiffany sends. I’ve purchased her products, I’ve read her eReports, and I learn from her. She even answers my emails!

I can’t say that about most of the others I have encountered.

Needless to say, I’m feeling a bit inspired this morning. I’m working through my to-do list for the week and I’m just about where I should be. I’m keeping my eyes on my goals and am working towards developing the next part of my internet empire. This year is going to be my year for success!

Thumbnail image for this post licensed for commercial use, from talented Flickr user royblumenthal.

Imagine my surprise, then, when one of my clients – after weeks of quick payment – suddenly paid me via eCheck. The implications are rather far reaching. To make a long story short, eChecks have a 6-8 business day hold for clearance. This meant I would be at least 1 – 1 1/2 weeks behind financially and would be unable to pay the “team” working with me on this project.

My client was kind enough to replace the payment immediately but I couldn’t help but wonder if there was something I could do to avoid being forced to accept this less-than-desirable method of payment.

Fortunately, a fellow writer and Facebook friend quickly came to the rescue and gave me instructions on how to change my PayPal settings. So here’s what you need to do:

• Log into your PayPal account
• Go to your Profile
• Click on Seller Preferences
• Click on Payment Receiving Preferences

From here you’ll be presented with a whole list of settings you can update, including wehther or not you will accept eChecks (you can block eChecks for everything except for eBay).

It may be worth logging in and taking a look around, even if this is not a problem for you. You never know if or when you will have a payment issue.

A nurse.

The nurse thing always gets me thinking. At one point I did believe I wanted to be a nurse, but as I worked through my high school programs at Camden County Technical School I realized that I did not.

It wasn’t until a few months ago that I began to really take a hard look at the work nurses do. As I spent the last 3 months of my great aunt’s life getting to know her hospice nurses I couldn’t help but wonder how they manage to get out of bed every day and go to work.

The outcome, for a hospice nurse, is the same – for every single patient.

These women were special. They were incredibly friendly, had bubbly personalities, and were as professional as you could possibly imagine. And I truly believe that each and every one of the women on my aunt’s team grew to love her as they cared for her. They showed it. Aunt Dot loved them, too. She frequently told me how wonderful they were.

A few days before my aunt passed, the nurse who visited the house told me it was time to call the family to come and see her for the last time. We thought she wouldn’t make it through the night, let alone the weekend.

The nurse moved quickly. We changed her nightgown, gave her a sponge bath, combed her hair, and did all we could to make her feel pretty for her trip home. She called the chaplain, reiterated what I could expect, made sure all of my contact information was still accessible, and went on her way – almost sad she couldn’t stay with us. She told me on her way out the door that two of her other patients were in the exact same condition.

The house filled with people. The chaplain came and sat with us. Even the social worker stopped by – though she actually didn’t know what was going on. She just wanted to make sure we were all adjusting to my aunt’s move into the house earlier that week.

My aunt wasn’t ready to go. Friday turned into Monday and things were back to normal. I instructed everyone to go to work and do what they needed to do. Aunt Dot passed away sometime around 1pm, and I knew what to do. When I called Samaritan, they kindly and gently told me they’d page my nurse.

She called back within moments. She said she was on her way. She had a distance to travel. When Aunt Dot moved from the assisted living facility into our home she had technically moved out of the district her nurses handled. They refused to give her up as a patient.

Then I started going down the list of family members I needed to call. The rest of the afternoon was, for lack of a better word, very strange. There were tons of people in my apartment and then – suddenly – it was just me.

My aunt’s hospice team was from Samaritan. Samaritan provided my aunt with medication, medical supplies, equipment when she moved into my house, 2 nurses, a home health aid, a chaplain, a social worker, and a myriad of other services. They worked with her from a time where she was communicative and able-bodied until the very last day.

When Aunt Dot passed away, I told my mom, aunt, and grandmom that my request was for her obituary to suggest donations to Samaritan. While my aunt’s health insurance paid for her care, it is obvious that the organization goes above and beyond the call of duty every single day. And, if you don’t have insurance, they’ll still work with you.

Anyway. My point? It’s been over 3 months and every night I say a special prayer for the nurses and aids that visited my aunt every week. They have gigantic hearts. They must feel pain we’ll never know. They must question their paths constantly and they still do their jobs every day.

They deserve to be acknowledged.

Some people love a huge cup of coffee in the morning – others drink soda instead. Soda, unfortunately, is incredibly detrimental to your body and overall health. It can damage your bones and destroy your stomach, leaving you with a number of side effects that will leave you ruing the day you had your last glass. Most people don’t realize just how bad soda can be. Here are a few things to consider.

Soda is Definitely Addictive

Do you drink soda every single day? If so, try to go a day without it. You’ll probably feel tired, lethargic, headachy, and – if you’re particularly unlucky – anxious. The caffeine content is what makes it addictive and – yes- caffeine is very strong. Don’t try to quit cold-turkey if you consume a lot of soda daily. Wean yourself off to help avoid headaches and other complications.

Soda Consumption Leads to Dehydration

There are two main reasons for soda causing dehydration. First, the caffeine in your soda will act as a diuretic, leading you to use the bathroom more often. Second, soda contains sodium (aka salt), which will make you feel thirstier. Most people, when thirsty, will grab a second glass of soda instead of a glass of water, making the process even worse. Soda cannot replace water in terms of hydration. As a matter of fact, for each glass you drink, you need to ADD that much extra water to your daily intake.

Soda will Weaken Your Bones

You read that right. Caffeine and phosphoric acid, both major ingredients in soda, can leech calcium from your bones. Because caffeine causes you to urinate more frequently, your body won’t have as much time to process nutrients from your food before you eliminate it. Eventually, excess soda consumption may lead to the development of diseases caused by malnutrition, arthritis, osteoporosis, and other bone-weakening diseases.

Still not convinced? Check back next week  for 4 more reasons you need to cut soda from your diet. Trust me. It’s worth the effort.

What sets Suite101 apart from so many other content-driven sights, however, is the publication process. Before I was accepted as a writer, I had to complete an application and submit a sample. Upon acceptance, I had to read and complete a contract, giving Suite101 exclusive rights to my work (for the first year only), and promising to write at least 10 articles every 3 months.

Due to some personal issues, I wasn’t able to keep up with my Suite101 obligations. I asked to have my account put on hold and just last month asked Suite101 to reactivate my account (you can do this without reapplying).

This is what I really want to say about Suite101. Many writers hesitate to write for sites that pay based on page views or advertising revenue because they don’t know if they’ll get any compensation for the work they do. I can safely tell you that, with only 5 articles in the system, I have generated more than 9,000 page views and have earned almost $40 in royalties. These numbers reflect a three month period but, taking the # of articles I have in their system into consideration, as well as the fact that I did NO marketing, I have to assume I’m not off to a bad start at all.

You also get tips and constructive criticism from editors, who will review all of your articles as you publish them. Between them and the writer forums, you’ll find lots of information about how to write for the online world.

Are you a writer struggling to get started? If you don’t have your own blog, setting up an account on a site like Suite101 is a great way to publish some work, get a decent amount of distribution, and have your name and byline appear online. Interested in creating a Suite101 account (yes, that’s my affiliate link), then please check it out. You won’t be sorry, and, at the very least, you’ll have an outlet for work that other sites don’t want.

Good luck!

It’s a question I’m glad to answer. I usually share information on freelance job boards I’ve worked on, or I talk about other sites where I’ve submitted articles for pay. These are all things and sites I’ll get around to talking about on this blog as well. What I’d like to talk about today, though, is blogging.

I am a firm believer in the idea that everyone who wants to write for a living should have a personal blog.

Why?

A blog is like a business card. A blog will allow you to showcase your talents while allowing you to market yourself and your writing as a business. Your blog will allow you to establish yourself as an expert in your chosen field, and your blog will help you to stay connected with the public (or your family, or your friends, or your potential customers). If your blog becomes popular, you’ll be able to monetize it and earn a little bit of extra money on the side. The content on your blog is your own and, if constructed properly, can be used as your sample portfolio when bidding on projects as well.

Now don’t panic.

Creating a blog doesn’t need to be a complicated process. While many experts believe that a person or business attempting to build a brand should have a personal domain, not everyone has the time or money to pay for hosting upfront. You can easily start a free blog on Blogger or WordPress with no problem.

If you do have a few extra dollars to spend, go ahead and register your own domain (at around $10 per year), and purchase some cheap hosting (think $5 – $10 per month depending on the plan you choose). Building a blog of your own, on your own domain, can be incredibly beneficial as well. You’ll have more wiggle room when it comes to customizations, layouts, and future changes.

In the end, it’s all about credibility. Can you really market yourself to a potential client as a “blogger” if you don’t have a blog of your own to share? I’ve worked on plenty of blogs. My problem? I’ve been a ghostwriter, which means my name wasn’t attached to a significant amount of my work. Without my own blog, I’d have nothing to show for myself.

Go figure.

Confused? Don’t be. You don’t have to be an expert on any one topic to blog. Just find a place, write, and publish. You’ll end up with a great online portfolio – and you’ll be doing something that will allow you to grow as a writer – in your own style and on your own terms. That alone is worth the effort.

At first I struggled with the concept. I thought Swagbucks would turn out to be just another time waster. Then I had a small epiphany.

As a writer, I spend a ton of time on Google every day. The folks at Swagbucks were asking me to do something very simple by installing another toolbar to my browser. This didn’t prohibit me from using Google. Instead, it gave me a second option for searching.

In the end, I was able to occasionally earn Swagbucks for doing the natural searches I would be doing each and every day, in the course of my work, anyway. It only takes a few seconds to enter a phrase into the toolbar, and if I don’t get the results I think I need, I just switch back to Google. Essentially, I’m earning Swagbucks, and eventually rewards, for doing what I already do – nothing more.

What are the rewards? It depends. You can browse the SwagStore for any variety of prizes. I usually cash in my SwagBucks everytime I have enough for a new $5 Amazon Gift card. When I get my gift card code (they’re issued twice per month), I add the amount to my balance on Amazon.com and let it sit until I’m ready to make a purchase. I just traded my Swagbucks in today for another card.

There are, of course, other prizes to choose from. These include portable electronics, books, magazines, gift cards to a wide variety of stores, sports collectibles, and more. You’ll have to check out the store for yourself to see.

If you are a writer, or someone who already spends a lot of time browsing the internet each day, I highly recommend you check out the Swagbucks program. Stay away from the “special offers” – as those are where you’ll end up wasting time. Otherwise, in the end, you really have nothing to lose.

*The links above, as well as the box in my blog sidebar, are referral links. If you click on one of those links and sign up, I will receive additional Swagbucks. I appreciate you reading my honest review and hope that if you do decide to join, you’ll utilize one of these links.

This one is really cool. Check it out!