cyberworder

New ventures

2007-02-24T11:22:00.000-08:00

First, I have to say that there just are not enough hours in the week. Between work (freelance editing/project management) and family commitments, I don't get any writing done for "me" -- ie fiction...

But, I also have trouble saying no -- to myself and to others -- when there is a new idea that can be implemented. I over-commit myself on a continuous basis. That said, I'm pleased to announce a new erotica fiction showcase - with free erotica stories -- called EroticNibbles. Initially, it will just be short erotic fiction writings from Anya Werner and Casey Pendelton, specializing in some of the underutilized erotica markets -- erotica for mature women among them.

Stop in and check it out as it grows...

In other directions...

2007-02-11T22:50:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm keeping utterly busy, but have gotten drawn into launching yet another web site with a friend... We've both been dabbling in erotica and think we ought to do a site and showcase it -- will we get rich? Probably not. Will we make some money? We could.

My own websites

2007-02-03T13:59:00.000-08:00

About 2 years ago, I got the idea of creating several of my own websites, with the purpose of earning my own Google adsense revenue... of course, the market is highly competitive and one only has so much time, but i hypothesized that if I could write a few articles a week...

Well, the bad news is I haven't had time to do nearly that much. Paying work has been far more tempting that the longer term speculation on my own projects. However, the good news is that one of those sites -- transfatfree -- a site devoted to healthy eating and a reduction of trans fats in our diet has started to take off... It has been helped by the recent legislation and all the trans fat news, certainly... And, the content I've added over time has certainly helped.

Then, there is the positive feedback loop - finally getting some traffic and revenue from it has made me want to work on it more. So, despite not really having the time, I added a new product review, updated the news and the blog there today and have been doing so regularly. Next is an updated food list.

Even though it isn't fiction, nice to be doing some writing for my own projects for a change.

Writing wimps

2007-02-02T21:53:00.000-08:00

Ok. I understand that no one enjoys being edited and that making revisions is always perceived as extra work. But, today we had someone quit over minor edits; she defended her use of passive voice saying "no one else has ever complained about it." Well, gee. I guess you want to work for those people who are happy to accept bad writing.

I know - it is easy to slip into passive voice and I'm guilty of it as much of the next guy. However, I have to respect those who point out ways my writing can improve. Yes, sometimes, it is subjective and I disagree with some of the edits, but those are usually open for discussion.

Other people seem to find Wiki formatting difficult. I understand that it may not be intuitive, but our instructions are pretty clear. So, I have to wonder if they aren't wired to "get" it or whether they just aren't following directions. I imagine that it is some of each.

I've committed to doing some writing myself this week. I have to do a couple product reviews, an article and a description of my Napa wine tasting weekend. Tired tonight though, and tempted to curl up with my book and ignore it all for the night...

Wow...

2007-01-24T12:52:00.000-08:00

Having an editing job really cuts into the writing time. But, I am going to try to keep blogging at least once a week this year...

Well, I started a new job...

2006-02-16T18:21:00.000-08:00

Part time and freelance, but keeping me very busy.

Will update soon, but in the meantime, if you want to tell me what you think of me:

http://kevan.org/johari?name=AnyaWerner

Wow

2005-11-30T10:05:00.000-08:00

Where did the month of November go? I remember snippets of it, but it seems to have whizzed by in a big blur.

The holidays do that to me. I try to do far more than is reasonably possible, balancing work, household and family while adding a bunch of new holiday activities, guests, entertaining and so forth. Someday I will learn.

I am now Group Editor over 4 sites at LoveToKnow... keeping extremely busy getting 3 of them ready to go live, hopefully in January and February. It is a different kind of keyword /seo writing - definitely more creative and I am enjoying that.

Of course, I am still cranking out my share of articles on online gambling. Pays the bills, ya know? And, Santa seems to have a lot of bills this year.

Okay. Some pre-new year's resolutions:
* Will try to blog at least once a week.
* Will exercise 4 times a week.
* Won't eat all the chrismtas cookies myself...

Fun with key words

2005-10-16T15:30:00.000-07:00

One big dilemma in search optimization content creation is that people search differently than they read. People enter strings of words into search boxes that are not grammatically meant to hang out together. Then, desperate marketers request content that uses those words sequentially so that they can rise above the chaff of the Internet.

Take for example, the search string: dragon dragonshard dungeon pc

I mean, how would you use dragon dragonshard dungeon pc in a grammatically correct sentence as part of an article or essay? I can get three of them in there, but all 4? Even in my fantasies, it gets tough...

"My good man, Dragon. Dragonshard Dungeon is the most morbid place in the castle. "

Since search engines largely dump conjunctions and other little unimportant words, some clients will allow you to tack things in. Others won't. They want you to really suffer for the $10 they are paying for their content.

"I found a dragon in Dragonshard Dungeon. P.C., I am ready for you to take your team of knights and battle it."

Hmmm...there is always the option of sounding like Yoda. "There is this game with a dragon -- Dragonshard Dungeon. PC it is for. I am wanting to play it."

Whoa.

2005-10-10T23:04:00.000-07:00

I just wrote 8 articles on roulette. Yes, eight. And, I'm not done.

My brain is spinning like a roulette wheel and my marbles won't seem to rest... lol.

Okay, I really, really need to order these!

2005-10-06T16:57:00.000-07:00

I discovered THE neatest thing today. And I want it.

You can order real postage stamps that have your pictures printed on them. You can upload any photo you want and they print stamps with it. SO cute!

I know I am going to need these for our Christmas cards this year.

Photostamps.com

Check it out!

Best laid plans...

2005-09-19T14:35:00.000-07:00

8:00 am
Plan for Monday morning:
Drop daughter at preschool
Stop at post office, take a return to home improvement store, drop book at library
Eat breakfast
Write 3 articles
Make cookie dough to finish making cookies with daughter for class birthday treat for tomorrow
Pick up daughter

8:45 am
Revised plan for Monday morning
Survive post office line.
Make note to self to put book in car to drop at library on way back to preschool.

8:50 am
Re-revised plan
Mop floor and wipe down all cabinets to remove soda that sprayed all over when can exploded when it fell out of the fridge while getting milk.
Eat breakfast.
Write 3 articles
Make cookie dough to finish making cookies with daughter for class birthday treat for tomorrow
Pick up daughter

9:30 morning break.
Eat piece of rhubarb pie (finished baking last night too late to eat and collapsed into bed after only testing a spoonful)
Checked email.
Working on revised morning plan.

10:00 New and Improved Morning Plan
Make cookie dough before writing articles so it has time to chill so we can roll and cut out cookies before ballet class.
Write 3 articles.

11:00 status report
Cookie dough is complete.
Must stop on way home from ballet to buy eggs or won't be able to make birthday cake tomorrow.
Write 3 articles in one hour

11:20
Just got off phone with sister-in-law.
Try to write 2 articles.

11:55
Wrote 1 article and discovered client request for that category has been pulled for request site. Post article anyway.
Move cat off keyboard.
Write title for next article.
Stare blankly at screen for 10 minutes
Change jeans that are speckled with coke from soda explosion. Put on jeans with rips. Rips in the knees are chic, right?

12:10
Rush out door to preschool for pickup, forgetting library book.

Back to video games...

2005-08-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, I am a refugee from the field of video game development. I spent more than a decade in the game industry designing, producing, directing and project managing video games. The hours were grueling and the mentality was largely... well... uncomfortable for anyone over 30, female and with interests in things other than games. I spent my last couple years in the industry at a publisher/developer that was not committed to quality and that had a very formulaic approach to game development. Not to mention a fascist, sadistic VP in charge of the effort.

So, when I was asked to be video game editor for a new content site, my first response was "no". But, then I thought about what my knee-jerk response was really reacting to and realized...

I like games. I like video games. I don't think they cause kids to kill people. I think they are fun.

So, I accepted and am pleased to present:

Love to Know Video Games

Hints for spammers and phishers.

2005-08-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, like everyone else, I hate spam. Yet, I feel compelled to share a piece of information with the rampant spammers.

I get spam everyday. It is easy to identify most of the spam - it is the stuff that is trying to get me to enlarge my penis, order sedatives, mood enhancers or drugs to help my penis (can someone please tell them I do *not* have a penis? and it certainly doesn't need ). But, even before I look at the content, I can spot the spam -- it is woefully mis-spelled. Now, I know they purportedly do some of the typos in order to confuse the spam-guard software. However, I am pretty sure that any half-way decent spam blocker will know that Viaggra or Viaxgra is just as spammy as Viagra.

Then, there are the phishers. They are sending emails that try to get you to disclose your personal information by pretending to be big reputable companies needing "updates". But, the emails are poorly written and laden with grammatical and spelling errors. Do they really want you to think that no one at eBay or Paypal takes any time to proofread?

So, spammers and phishers... take note. If you want to sell, con or fool more people... Run a spell-check.

Is everything bad good for you?

2005-08-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

That is the claim of author Steven Johnson in his new book Everything Bad is Good for You.

His premise is that most of pop culture -- tv shows, movies and video games -- are all actually brain stimulators and are ultimately good for us.

He references Woody Allen's book "Sleeper" where a look into the distant future revealed that sugary treats like cream pies and hot fudge are actually proven to be healthful...

He then extends the metaphor to Xbox and other video games that are usually under fire in the media for their extreme content, including sex and violence. He sites the problem solving and decision making of the game playing process, as well as the reward system inherent in most games, as features that are beneficial for us. Of course, he doesn't closely examine the nature of many of those game rewards... He does look at the kinds of thinking that keep the brain fresh and argues that video games do the same things for us that word games have been proven to do -- keep our neurons firing.

While Johnson's claims are appealing, I think there may be better ways to keep our brains active. Don't get me wrong - I am an advocate of video game playing; I am just not sure I'm ready to equate it to spending time with the classics.

Am I an Internet Serf?

2005-08-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

I saw an ad posting today... admittedly, it was probably a typo:

"... Skill sets: Internet-serfing..."

But, it made me wonder. Am I really an Internet serf? I create web content for low wages for those who own all the land. I dream of being a land-owner, having large web sites accruing my own Google Adsense income, but so far I barely have my own garden plots. Mostly, I spend time creating web content for too-low rates for those who have big enough stakes to use the content to build their empires and rake in the ad revenue. Technically, they are taking more risk than I. And, (usually) they pay me as soon as I complete the articles, helping my cash flow. But still...

I guess technically I am not in servitude, yet sometimes it feels like I am. I need the money I earn to pay for some of our monthly expenses - the preschool and car payments rely heavily on my income.

I am lucky. I do NOT have to accept some of the really insultingly low pay positions I see posted or hear about. I do not usually work for less than $20 an hour and I try to work for much more. But, I still find that my most lucrative contracts have nothing to do with web content, or if they do, it is not of the keyword SEO variety. Instead, I create content for companies who need to impart a message via the web. They are willing to pay to have well-crafted words on their sites, not keyword phrases jammed inelegantly into word-counted prose.

If you are a writer, remember your worth. Yes, go ahead and pick up some of the keyword content gigs to help you fill the gaps between contracts and pay the bills. But, don't put yourself in bondage to that kind of writing. Always keep your own little piece of the land for your own pursuits. Whether you write your own web content for your own adsense account, or even better write what you love to write... cherish that freedom.

My pieces of the pie?
Well, a little chunk of Writers Row is mine... http://www.writersrow.com/anya_werner/index.htm
And, I maintain and operate:
http://www.transfatfree.com
http://www.killerchocolate.com
http://www.monsterdance.com

Projects, projects everywhere

2005-08-04T22:30:00.000-07:00

This summer has really shown me that there is freelance work out there. I have as much work as I have time to do (admittedly I have too little time) and I have had the option of turning down projects that didn't pay enough or that did not fit my requirements.

I have actually started to believe that when my daughter starts elementary school, I *could* make a full-time living as a writer. On the other hand, the pay is still substandard, so...

I had a bit of a flip-flop on my book this week. For 2 days, I was full of plans to totally change and revamp it, then finish it.

Then, with the help of some friends and family, I came to my senses. What I *really* need to do is just finish it as is. Despite the urges to move onto something new, I need to finish, resolve, conquer. I will do it. I will. Really...

Search rankings and what people really want

2005-07-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

I read an article this morning that cited some data from WordTracker. For those of you unfamiliar with Wordtracker, they follow what terms people are searching for... useful information if you are creating web sites selling advertising and so on...

Anyway, the top search term is Paris Hilton. How sad is that?

But, I am almost more distraught by the #2 search term: google. Yes, people are searching for the search engine in their search boxes. They don't think to just type the URL - they just enter google in their search box. It is... well, horrifying. Certainly, I would expect a few people to do that. But, enough people to make it the second most popular word to search on? Ack.

I suppose I should just find some condolence on the fact that they could be searching for Britney or Jessica, but that is sort of meager comfort.

Of course, wordtracker does filter out the nasty words. So, realistically there are probably more people searching for nudie shots than looking for google. Sigh.

Why not me?

2005-07-19T10:10:00.000-07:00

Why not me?
I've been musing the last few hours over the success of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling (well-deserved in my opinion, even if I am a bit green with envy), but also the bestseller status attained by the teenage author of the dragon fantasy tale, Eragon. His 6-figure book deal went on to net him a film contract, with production set to begin in August on the $100 million dollar movie.

I don't begrudge them - or anyone - their successes. However, I must ask... why not me?

Why can I not get my novel done? Why can I not make myself write more than the snippets and starts that are floating around on my hard drive? And, even if I did get one or more of them complete, would I be able to get them published? If they were published, would anyone read them?

Well, there is the drive to get things done. That is paramount. There is also time. I spend many days writing things that will earn me immediate, if somewhat meager, income in order to support the lifestyle to which we have become accustomed. And, I actually like to get 8 -9 hours of sleep a night.

I am pulled in many directions. I love to spend time raising my daughter and bend my work commitments around her. I keep my home, I cook, I try to spend quality time with my spouse, I do things with and for friends and family.

A nagging voice in my head says if I was meant to write a best-seller, I would have done it already. But that seems defeatist. And, I am not sure I even believe it is true. So, I will keep examining my lifestyle, my motives and my work until I have a more positive, a more confident answer.

In the meantime, the sequel to Eragon, called Eldest, will be out in August.

Hmmm, I think I did something and deleted my most recent posts

2005-07-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

But, maybe I just dreamed that I posted. lol.

The writing leads addiction

2005-07-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

I can't help it. I scan the job leads looking for interesting places to submit and query. Never mind that I am so booked I don't know how I am going to do all the writing projects I already have in the next couple weeks. I still imagine there may be something high-paying, creative and exciting out there that would supplant my current projects.

Don't get me wrong - I've made commitments and I will finish them. Yet, I find myself drawn to looking for other freelance writing jobs like the moth to the proverbial flame...

When it rains, it...

2005-06-21T09:34:00.000-07:00

... keeps me really busy.
Things are heating up again. I have gotten rolling on a couple of my own web sites, so now the freelance projects are coming in. Okay, so none of them are really high paying - that is what I am still hoping and aspiring to. But, it is a steady stream of work and it shows that all those queries and samples pay off. Sometimes they pay off weeks after I thought they would...

Add that to Friday night's planned fun. I agreed to be a subject in a market research study. Not only do they interview me about my grocery shopping and cooking habits - they watch me cook dinner. Then, I have to keep a shopping/cooking log for 2 weeks. Silly, yes, but the pay is good and I *thought* this was going to be a thin month for work. Oh well, if it keeps up, maybe we can take a mini-vacation at the end of summer.

The hardest part is setting my priorities. How do I budget my time between the projects for others, my own sites and the chores that have to be done around the house? I guess I'll think about it while I go toss some laundry in...

The weekend approacheth...

2005-06-10T17:16:00.000-07:00

Ever since I became a mom and a freelance writer, weekends totally changed in character. No more leisurely mornings of sleeping in. No more lounging all day with the Sunday paper. In fact, weekends have begun to feel strangely just like every other day.

My daughter is an early bird. So, bright and shiny, she wakes me up -- at the same time as she does on the weekdays. Go figure. And, just like on those "work" days, I stagger downstairs and procure juice and Sesame Street and toaster waffles.

Then, of course there are my freelance projects. I frequently need the time on weekends - when my husband is home to help with the little one - to actually do my freelance writing. I have some time during the week, but it is much easier to get a block of time at the computer, uninterrupted on the weekend.

Occasionally, I ignore the pile of assignments on my desk and we head to the beach, but that is the exception and not the rule. Hopefully, I can do some of each this weekend.

Second-guessing and self loathing

2005-06-06T13:55:00.000-07:00

Most of the time, my self-esteem is just fine. It goes about its business, reminding me that I'm okay and doing better the average bear. But every once in a while, it goes on vacation.

It may start with a rejection, but more often than not it happens when I am hearing nothing at all. Take the most recent example. I queried someone about a writing position. The head of the firm responding in a positive, upbeat manner and asked me to express interest in categories.

I did so, and mentioned I was about to head out of town for a few days. He responded that it was no problem, he thought one of the categories I mentioned would be fine and that we should discuss it more detail upon my return. Good. Self-confidence was still in place.

A couple days later (as I checked email remotely from vacation), he sent a message indicating I should review a pre-approved topic list for categories. In addition, it showed the topic I had first mentioned, but assigned to someone else.

I responded that if that topic was not available, I would be interested in one of several others on the list and I stated them.

Heard nothing. Okay. Well, he knew I was out of town, right? No worries.

Returned home. Emailed him a cheery message that I was ready to discuss categories. Heard nothing.

Asked another writer who I knew had been in contact with him if she'd been in touch. Yup. Had just been talking with him He's definitely working.

Okay. He is busy. Wait a few days.

The weekend comes. Wait until Monday.

Okay, Monday comes and the other writer has had a lovely phone chat with him and secured 2 topics. I have heard nothing. I send off an email. Another writer chats with him.

This is where it starts. Did I make some dreadful faux pas in one of my emails? No, they were all very professional and innocuous. Am I just irritating? He looked at my writing samples before and they haven't changed. Did he suddenly realize he was getting apps from people far more qualified/talented/skilled/insert-superlative-here than I ? Am I so irritating he couldn't stand me just from my short emails? Did an angel come from above and tell him I am not the one?

Just the self doubt would be okay, but it is often accompanied with an uncomfortable nervousness and anxiety - almost like when you have too much adrenalin, but not nearly as happy -- as well as an obsession with checking email to see if he has finally responded.

I try to set it out of my mind, but the other tasks on my plate for today are the most dreaded of chores - balancing and reconciling accounts. I'd rather write about the innards of competition tractors.

So, I stare at the numbers and try not to think about the rejection by omission. Not very successfully, I might add.

A new day

2005-06-09T19:45:00.000-07:00

Funny how every new day brings new feedback, new places to query and other writing adventures. I am tickled by the great response we have had to the writers row forum - 48 registered users in only a week.

I had one place I write for tell me I had sent my best article yet... and sent off yet another email to the place I hadn't heard from. Finally had a promising response, so I am feeling much more upbeat about that one too.

I am still trying to find my right niche. Do I stick with web content or try to do more in print? How do I carve out time to finish my novel?

I read some advice the other day about making time by letting things slide around the house. If I let anything more slide, we'll be ready for a landfill. Oh well, we manage to muddle along.

C. is searching for a new car, and we need to sell one. That should make for a really thrilling weekend.

Off to make dinner...

Meet and be merry

2005-06-06T20:43:00.000-07:00

You are cordially invited to visit the new Writers' Row forum at:
http://www.writersrow.com/phpBB1/