By

Michele L. Tune

We have a new home (a big thanks to Goofy Girl Designs!). Clap your hands everybody!

If you subscribe to Writing the Cyber Highway’s feed, it’s time to update:

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See, we still have the same vibrant header. You should feel right at home! Kick your shoes off and stay awhile. Help me break my new home in.

Yes, I’ve talked about it, teased about it, flirted with it, and now it’s time to actually do it–move to WordPress, that is! Yes, we’re moved in and just have a few last finishing touches to complete. This blog’s new home is on the other side of the cyber highway. You know that big ole stretch of country called WordPress. The grass is greener over on this side, I hear. Thought it was high time to find out if it was true!

I’m still figuring everything out, but I’m actually loving it so far. Don’t forget our new address. Subscribe to my feed so you can find out what’s happening in our new neighborhood….

See you soon!

Don’t forget, I’m still writing the cyber highway. I’m just living on the other side of Blogger!

*smiles*

By

Michele L. Tune

Wow, this is a first for me! I’ve been tagged by Misti Sandefur , over at Life of a Writer, to write a post sharing 7 blogging tips on how to make your readers cringe and not want to come back.

Here Are 7 Ways to Send Fellow Bloggers Speeding Off Down the Cyber Highway, Never to Return:

1. Include links that go nowhere (am I the only person driven bonkers by this mistake?). After all, who wants to be reading and come across an interesting link, only to click and be taken to a cyber nowhere zone. “Error!” (And if I do this–SOWWY!)

2. Boast rudeness. Never follow fellow bloggers’ comments over to their own blogs. Never show courtesy by just leaving your little cyber stamp and saying hi and NEVER leave a few kind words relevant to their post (just to show you’re sweet and caring). Wouldn’t want to do that! After all, you’re making your readers cringe and not want to come back–Ever! (My traffic is increasing tremendously by visiting fellow bloggers’ blogs and leaving a kind comment).

3. Make your blog feel like a cold waiting room–no warm or cheerful colors, no pictures to admire. Just a non-friendly atmosphere.

4. Be B-O-R-I-N-G! Write blandly. Don’t act like yourself. Don’t let your colorful personality make a peep! In other words, act like a wilted leaf–limp and lifeless to all cyber neighbors!

5. Write like a child. Don’t use proper sentences. Forget about spelling and grammar, and don’t even try to capitalize or anything of the such. Just be lazy and sloppy and have an “I don’t care” attitude.

6. Make your readers have to “break in” to leave a comment. I’ll admit, I’m guilty. I did enable that little feature that makes you try a few times reading those fuzzy little letters before you can leave your comment. By then, your readers won’t care anymore and they’ll just leave frustrated. Don’t worry, they won’t be back to bother you anymore! (By the way, I disabled that comment feature).

7. Whew, I didn’t think I’d make it to 7 (smile). Be obnoxious. Just act like you are the greatest blogger, the best at everything. Don’t take time for comments or polishing your post into something interesting to show your readers you want them to have something awesome to read each time they come to visit you. Just abhor your readers’ very existence–that should do it! You’ll have zero readers, zero comments, and zero cyber neighbors. Oh yeah, that’s what you wanted!

So there, take these 7 Tips and Send Fellow Bloggers Speeding Off Down the Cyber Highway, Never to Return!

It’s been fun (thanks, Misti!), but now it’s your turn. I tag:

Amy Derby at Write-from-home.

Rebecca Laffar-Smith at The Writer’s Round-About.

Becca at Moving Write Along.

Anyone else like to join in? Hop on board!

If I make horrid blogging mistakes, I’ll humbly take the criticism and try to improve

Hopefully, these tips will help you think twice before you make blogging mistakes and allow you to successfully keep blogging the cyber highway!

By

Michele L. Tune

Today has been great! I have been in contact with three editors! All contact was great–encouraging and promising.

One editor actually asked for another story for an anthology I’ve already sold a story to. Who knows, I’m going to send a second story but it may or may not make it to the final cut. Still, it was an honor to be asked for a second story!

Another editor really gave me the encouraging boost I needed to query a great magazine about my personal story of weight loss. (Thanks!)

Also, I sold an article today that I queried an editor about. I got like a newsflash with the title and went from there. I wrote this piece in about 15 minutes, printed it out, scanned over it, got a second opinion before I sent it over cyber space. I wrote a very casual query and included the article (just in case she wanted to read it) and bingo! A few hours later, I checked my email to find I had not only received a reply (QUICK!) from that editor, but she thought it was great and wanted to buy it. And, the pay is nothing to cry about!. Sometimes we just have to jump in and go for it!

Thanks to blogging, I’ve been writing more and the inspiration seems to come more easily. If you want to write more, start blogging the cyber highway!

Copyright © 2007-2008 Writing the Cyber Highway Freelance Writer, Michele L. Tune