Segilola Salami's Blog, page 13
December 14, 2019
Character Interview: My Big Brother Troy by Danielle Wallace
This week’s Character Interview is from the Children’s Picture Book My Big Brother Troy by Danielle Wallace. It was published by Bowker and is currently available as a Paperback only (ISBN-13: 978-0578442068 08.15.2019). My Big Brother Troy by Danielle Wallace is suitable for children of all ages and contains no adult themes.
Synopsis of My Big Brother Troy by Danielle Wallace
My Big Brother Troy is the endearing story of an African American family and their journey of navigating through life with a developmentally delayed son. The story is told from the point of view of Sasha, our main character’s younger sister. Troy is developmentally delayed, but that does not interfere with Sasha and her big brother becoming best friends. Troy’s brain works in a special way that makes it harder for him to control his actions, communicate his words and emotions and learn in the same manner that his peers learn. Sasha faces the same problem as so many other children–getting other people to understand a member of her family. In bringing us this universal story she also happens to bring us an understanding of something many of us may not encounter in our families, but do in our lives.
Name of character to be interviewed:
Sasha
Why was this character chosen for this interview?
This character is one of the lead characters in the series. All of the stories are told from this character’s point of view.
Question 1: What do you want readers to gain from this story?
Answer: I want readers to realize that everyone is different in their own way and we should not judge them. We should all accept each other’s differences and work to be more empathetic.
Question 2: What makes your big brother Troy special?
Answer: Troy is developmentally delayed. The adults around us make it a point to refer to his delay as something that makes him seems negative, but to me, he’s simply my big brother. We have so much fun together and he’s the nicest person I know.
Question 3: Why is this story important?
Answer: I think it’s important for all kids to find representation in media. This story allows African American children with special needs to see themselves reflected in a way that isn’t available in other stories.
Question 4: Will there be more books?
Answer: Yes! Please stay tuned because this is only the first of many!
Question 5: Where can readers find out more about the book?
Answer: Please feel free to visit the website www.mybbtroy.com
***
This post was submitted by Danielle Wallace
If you enjoyed reading this children’s picture book My Big Brother Troy by Danielle Wallace, please buy your own copy via your favourite book retailer or using my Amazon affiliate links.
If you have found this blog post useful, you can subscribe to Segilola Salami's blog via email by visiting http://www.segilolasalami.co.uk/blog/. You can also follow Segilola Salami on Twitter https://twitter.com/iyayetunde1
The post Character Interview: My Big Brother Troy by Danielle Wallace appeared first on Segilola Salami. Segilola Salami teaches a course on grief resolution https://www.segilolasalami.co.uk/memb...
Sunday Snippet: The Inverted Orthotic Technique: A Process of Stabilization for the Pronated Foot by Richard Blake, DPM
Today’s Sunday Snippet is from the non-fiction medical book The Inverted Orthotic Technique: A Process of Stabilization for the Pronated Foot by Richard Blake, DPM. It was published by Book Baby Publishing and is currently available as a paperback (ISBN 978-1-54398-161-2, September 18, 2019) only. Whilst it is suitable for readers 18+, it has no explicit content.
Synopsis of The Inverted Orthotic Technique: A Process of Stabilization for the Pronated Foot by Richard Blake, DPM
The book is about a foot orthotic therapy for severe pronation. The book is the invention of the author and the technique is used internationally. The book goes through the patient selection process, the lab manufacturing process, the fine tuning of the devices for patients, and other general rules of lower extremity biomechanics. The second half of the book is on gait evaluation, examination techniques, types of orthotic corrections in the industry, and over 100 self test biomechanical questions with answers. The book should be a good help for anyone who treats lower extremity injuries from a conservative approach.
Chapter 13: Common Indications for the Inverted Orthotic Technique
This chapter outlines the top 13 patient problems that could benefit from the Inverted Orthotic Technique. These 13 categories include: any pronation problem, almost all running orthotic devices, moderate to severe pronation problems, pronation caused by sagittal plane deformities, pronation caused by transverse plane problems, posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, tarsal tunnel syndrome, lateral meniscus problems, increasing genu valgum,
Medial shin splints in a runner, patella-femoral problems especially in athletics, juvenile and adult acquired flat feet, and juvenile bunion deformities. The chapter discusses each of these in detail and draws attention that many surgical problems related may be avoided with the utilization of this form of conservative care.
***
This post was submitted by Richard Blake, DPM
If you enjoyed reading this free chapter from the non-fiction medical book The Inverted Orthotic Technique: A Process of Stabilization for the Pronated Foot by Richard Blake, DPM, please buy your own copy of the book from your favourite book retailer or using my Amazon affiliate links
If you have found this blog post useful, you can subscribe to Segilola Salami's blog via email by visiting http://www.segilolasalami.co.uk/blog/. You can also follow Segilola Salami on Twitter https://twitter.com/iyayetunde1
The post Sunday Snippet: The Inverted Orthotic Technique: A Process of Stabilization for the Pronated Foot by Richard Blake, DPM appeared first on Segilola Salami. Segilola Salami teaches a course on grief resolution https://www.segilolasalami.co.uk/memb...
December 7, 2019
Character Interview: The Squeezel by Simon Woodhouse
This week’s Character Interview is from the Children’s poem book The Squeezel by Simon Woodhouse. It was self-published by the author and is currently available as an eBook (Amazon ASIN B07TK3QYN7 25.07.19) only. The Squeezel by Simon Woodhouse is aimed at children aged 1 – 8 and has no adult themes.
Synopsis of The Squeezel by Simon Woodhouse
This book is the story of a Wesel, who wants to make friends, but goes about it in an unfortunate manner. She’s the best at cuddling in the land – so what could the Squeezel’s problem be? Surely everyone loves a hug . . . After hugging lots of animals just a little bit too hard, the Squeezel is very unpopular and can’t find any friends.
Will the Squeezel finally find a friend who understands her and likes her for who she is?
Name of character to be interviewed:
The Squeezel
Why was this character chosen for this interview?
The Squeezel is the main character in my story and is an especially relatable character for children as well as adults. She always tries hard to make friends but has one particular flaw, which makes it difficult.
Question 1: Why do you think you found it so hard to make friends?
Answer: I’m not sure really. I always try to say hello in the friendliest way possible, but all the other animals seem to get angry whenever 8 try to greet them!
Question 2: Are you satisfied now that you have found a new friend?
Answer: I’m really happy that I have finally found myself a friend, but I am still going to keep trying to make new friends. Why be satisfied with just one friend when there are so many other nice animals out there in the jungle, just waiting to be friends with me?
Question 3: What advice do you have for other animals who find making friends difficult?
Answer: My advice is to not change yourself too much. A true friend will like you for who you are. However, it is never a bad idea to listen to other people’s advice about how you are talking with people or behaving. Sometimes a small change to the way you do something can make a big difference!
Question 4: Is it important that your friends are just like you?
Answer: No, I was lucky that’s new best friend looks similar to me, but I think that I would like to make friends with any kinds of animals. Having friends, who are different from you is fun because you have so many exciting things to learn about them!
Question 5: Would you do anything differently in your life if you could start all over again?
Answer: If I could avoid all those times when the other animals hurt my feelings then I would. However, sometimes it’s all the hard times, which teach you an important lesson and prepare you for the good times which are just around the corner!
***
This post was submitted by Simon Woodhouse
If you enjoyed reading this character interview, please buy your own copy of The Squeezel by Simon Woodhouse via your favourite bok retailer or using my Amazon affiliate links.
If you have found this blog post useful, you can subscribe to Segilola Salami's blog via email by visiting http://www.segilolasalami.co.uk/blog/. You can also follow Segilola Salami on Twitter https://twitter.com/iyayetunde1
The post Character Interview: The Squeezel by Simon Woodhouse appeared first on Segilola Salami. Segilola Salami teaches a course on grief resolution https://www.segilolasalami.co.uk/memb...
December 2, 2019
Chris Meade: How to optimize your website for conversion and not overlook a single step in the process
Chris Meade, the world’s first four-way volleyball game inventer, is today’s guest on The Segilola Salami Show podcast. Chris shares with us how three childhood friends invented a brand new sport and went from selling 1 unit a day to being sold in Walmart and Target in less than 18 months! He also shares his best tips on how to optimize your website for conversion and not overlook a single step in the process. I assure you, you need to click play now to listen to this most intriguing conversation with Chris Meade.
If you enjoy listening to this podcast, please consider supporting it
About Chris Meade
Chris Meade is the co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer of CROSSNET. Chris has a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Film, Video and Interactive Media from Quinnipiac University. In 2017, Chris moved from a small farm town in Woodstock, Connecticut to Miami to create the world’s first four-way volleyball game which is projected to gross over two million dollars in 2019. When he is not working on CROSSNET you can find Chris still exploring his film and photography hobbies in downtown Miami, playing basketball, or enjoying his new passion for yoga.
Chris is currently enjoying these two books:
Double Your Profits by Bob Fifer
The 1 Page Marketing Plan by Allan Dib
Chris Meade’s tips for website owners
No tweak or adjustment is too small. Your customer is attentive if it does not look good to you, it probably won’t look good to them.
Optimize for both mobile and desktop and put a priority around the one that your traffic comes from.
Invest in reviews, gathering reviews, and credible publications (Forbes, Inc., etc) that you can put on your website
Capture emails at all costs. Get customers into a welcome series and remind them of your company
Eliminate clicks to checkout. The less clicks a customer has to do until they put in their credit card the better.
About The Segilola Salami Show
The Segilola Salami show is an audio podcast talk show hosted by the female Nigerian-British podcaster Segilola Salami who is also an author, freelance writer and blogger. Please click here to see the full list of Yoruba children’s books written by Segilola Salami.
The show is set in a virtual cafe and is a podcast on books and publishing. The aim of the show is to be both educative and informative but in an entertaining way. Guests from all works of life come on the show to talk about the books they have read or written and how books motivated or inspired them. Listeners of the show get to discover new authors and new books as well as learn something new. Also, as the show is set in a virtual cafe, it is a fun podcast to listen to at work, while running or even when driving.
The show is published weekly on Tuesdays at 9 am GMT London. Please click here to review the different ways to listen to or subscribe to this podcast to be notified when a new episode is released.
The Segilola Salami Show is a great audio podcast talk-show for writers and authors. If you would like to appear as a guest on this podcast, please click here for more info and to book your slot.
Please leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) by clicking here!
If you are an author, blogger or book lover, please subscribe to my authors and bloggers mailing list to find out about new self-published books that need reviews. I send out monthly newsletters with details of authors and their books that need honest feedback.
The podcast jingle used in this episode was provided by Chris Lament.
Please download a FREE copy of Yetunde: An Ode To My Mother by Segilola Salami on Amazon
***
I would love to know your thoughts on today’s episode “Chris Meade: How to optimize your website for conversion and not overlook a single step in the process”. Please leave a comment below.
If you have found this blog post useful, you can subscribe to Segilola Salami's blog via email by visiting http://www.segilolasalami.co.uk/blog/. You can also follow Segilola Salami on Twitter https://twitter.com/iyayetunde1
The post Chris Meade: How to optimize your website for conversion and not overlook a single step in the process appeared first on Segilola Salami. Segilola Salami teaches a course on grief resolution https://www.segilolasalami.co.uk/memb...
November 30, 2019
Character Interview: Abilities by Jason Boyce & Aliyah Boyce
This week’s Character Interview is from the Children’s book (No Pictures) Abilities by Jason Boyce & Aliyah Boyce. It was published by Boyce’s Book Factory and is currently available as a Paperback (ISBN 978-1703710823, 10/31/2019) and an eBook (Amazon ASIN B07ZTX13RV, 10/31/2019). Abilities by Jason Boyce & Aliyah Boyce is aimed at children aged 5 – 12 and contains no adult themes.
Synopsis of Abilities by Jason Boyce & Aliyah Boyce
Ethan is a ten-year-old boy with a best friend named Sarah. Ethan has special abilities, powers would be a better word. He lives with his Father after his Mother suffered a mysterious death. Ethan must rely on Sarah to help him stay focused on being a child. Trouble certainly brews as Ethan encounters many obstacles from family, outsiders, and the Government. What will happen to Ethan?
Name of character to be interviewed:
Ethan Anderson
Why was this character chosen for this interview?:
This is the lead character. He is the main focus of Abilities.
Question 1: Ethan, your secret is out. You have special abilities. How does that make you feel?
Answer: Well, I feel anxious about the fact that the world now knows there truly are people with special abilities out there. I want everyone to know that I did not ask for these abilities but they are very useful. I am just a child, ten years old, but I know the difference between good and bad and using abilities for bad actions is the worst thing one could possibly do.
Question 2: How did Sarah find out about your abilities?
Answer: Sarah Jenkins, my best friend, found out one day when she caught me practising my levitating in our garage. Ever since then we have had fun using my abilities in various ways. I trust her and she trusts me. It’s a fantastic relationship.
Question 3: How has life been since your mother passed away?
Answer: Life has had an emptiness to it since Mother passed. I tried to save her with my abilities but they weren’t quite strong enough yet. I think about it every day and my Father will not let me forget it.
Question 4: What is your greatest achievement?
Answer: When you read the book, you’ll see that I was able to lift something very sketchy into a very tall tree. That was so much fun but I don’t want to ruin the surprise.
Question 5: How will you proceed with life after book 1?
Answer: Well, life changes for me at the end of book 1. I won’t ruin the surprise but things were not as they seemed.
***
This post was submitted by Jason Boyce
If you enjoyed reading this character interview from the children’s book Abilities by Jason Boyce & Aliyah Boyce, please buy your own copy of the book now. You may do so via your favourite book retailer or using my Amazon affiliate links.
If you have found this blog post useful, you can subscribe to Segilola Salami's blog via email by visiting http://www.segilolasalami.co.uk/blog/. You can also follow Segilola Salami on Twitter https://twitter.com/iyayetunde1
The post Character Interview: Abilities by Jason Boyce & Aliyah Boyce appeared first on Segilola Salami. Segilola Salami teaches a course on grief resolution https://www.segilolasalami.co.uk/memb...
November 27, 2019
Simple Homemade Noodles Recipe for Kids
As a fan of Chinese dramas, I recently discovered “longevity noodles” which are given to people on their birthdays. It inspired me to try making my own noodles at home. That would be one less thing we eat that contains preservatives. After watching several Youtube videos, here’s my Simple Homemade Noodles Recipe for Kids.
Homemade Noodles Ingredients:
Dough
250g plain flour (extra for dusting)
80mls water
Pinch of salt
Stir fry
A quarter of 1 small carrot – grated
A quarter of 1 small courgette (zucchini) – grated
A quarter of 1 small red onion – diced
Pinch of salt
Dash of ground ginger
Cooking time
15 – 20 minutes
Prep time
Up to 1 hour
Serves 2 kids (or 1 adult who eats like a bird + 1 child)
Method to make simple homemade noodles:
How to make the homemade noodles
Measure the flour into a mixing bowl, add the salt and mix.
Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in the water
Using your hand (already washed) mix the water into the flour. The mixture is not going to be sticky or wet. Because the water is roughly a quarter of the amount of flour, all the flour would not mi in immediately. You just need to keep pressing the dry dough to the flour until it all mixes in. The texture would be similar to dry clay that can easily crumble
Cover the bowl the dough is in and leave in a warm place for about 10 minutes
Take out the dough, knead it for a few seconds and try to pull apart. If it crumbles easily, leave it for another 10 minutes. With my 4yo who needed my attention, I ended up leaving it for an hour.
Knead the dough for a few seconds more. The dough will not be sticky but has gone from the texture of blue tack to the texture of play-doh. You can get your kids to do the kneading. Punching the dough sounds like a fun activity too.
Once you try to stretch the dough and it does not immediately crumble, it is ready to be rolled
I found this dough to not be soft like bread dough, so it does need some elbow grease when rolling. Try to roll the dough as thinly as you can get it
With regular dusting, roll the stretched dough and cut it thinly. Dusting prevents the dough from sticking when cutting and allows the strips to come apart.
As the noodles have been freshly made and do not contain any preservations or other chemicals, I find it is best to add it to a large pot of boiling water. I added a couple of drops of oil to the water to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
After about 10 – 15 minutes of boiling, the water has a cloudy colour to it. I decant the noodles into a colander and rinse with clean water to get rid of the excess starch. This step is my personal preference, you don’t have to follow it. None of the Youtube videos I watched did this.
I returned the noodles to the pot with a little bit of hot water to heat it up and a pinch of salt. I cooked the noodles for a few minutes only and it’s ready
Background
The thing I love about cooking is that there’s no right or wrong way. Each time you cook, you can make changes until you get the right taste for you.
The first time I attempted to make homemade noodles, I wanted to make egg noodles but I got the ratio of liquid to dry ingredients wrong. That’s why this time around, I opted for an even simpler recipe to help me get a feel for the dough texture. It is a simple homemade noodles recipe with no eggs, no milk and is relatively easy to make. However, this is one recipe that you should not try to take short cuts with.
On my first attempt, I used 500g of flour and ended up with too many noodles (they didn’t look as nice as the ones in the picture below but they were still edible). I divided the noodles into two and one part was kept for use another day.
Whilst cooking the first batch of noodles, I added a handful of baby spinach leaves to the noodles whilst the water was still boiling. To be honest, I didn’t like the taste of the spinach and neither did my daughter.
After cooking the second batch of noodles, I fried some kale leaves and added it to the noodles. It still tasted like something was missing.
How to make the stir-fry
So on this attempt, I went back to our favourite vegetables that have always been a winner in our home: carrots, courgette and onions. The only thing with the onions is that I have to dice the onions as finely as I can or on the days I’m open to crying, I grate them. This is because if my daughter sees the onions, she gets all stroppy and moans about how she hates onions. As long as she cannot identify the onions, it’s the most delicious meal to her.
Our go-to cooking oil is sunflower oil. I drizzled some on a hot frying pan and added the vegetables, constantly stirring for about 2 – 3 minutes. You don’t want to destroy the nutrients in the vegetables by frying them for much longer. I added a pinch of salt and a dash of ground ginger and stirred them in for a few seconds and it’s ready.
I dished the noodles onto a plate and served the stir-fry on top. Using a fork, I mixed the stir-fry into the noodles.
As we’re meat eaters, there was a piece of roast chicken to go with it.
This is the first dish that I’ve ever made in my entire life that can truly be called a vegetarian dish and it was delicious. To be honest, I never imagined that a dish that had no meat in it could be delicious. Even without the meat the noodles was very delicious and had a chewy texture (for lack of a better way to describe it).
If you do not like meat or don’t eat meat, you could add sardines for protein or even add mushrooms to your stir-fry. The possibilities are endless! You’re only limited by your imagination and tastebuds!
Amazon online shopping list:
Please support my blog by purchasing your ingredients using my Amazon affiliate links
***
I used this homemade noodles recipe the day before my daughter’s birthday this 2019 to make noodles as my own version of the Chinese longevity noodles for her. It symbolises what I wish for my daughter: long life, prosperity and good luck (amongst other things).
This brings us to the end of my Simple Homemade Noodles Recipe for Kids. Drop me a comment below if you do try out the recipe. Would love to know how it went.
If you have found this blog post useful, you can subscribe to Segilola Salami's blog via email by visiting http://www.segilolasalami.co.uk/blog/. You can also follow Segilola Salami on Twitter https://twitter.com/iyayetunde1
The post Simple Homemade Noodles Recipe for Kids appeared first on Segilola Salami. Segilola Salami teaches a course on grief resolution https://www.segilolasalami.co.uk/memb...
November 25, 2019
Matthew William: Journey to producing a podio book
Sci-Fi Author Matthew William is this week’s guest on The Segilola Salami Show podcast. Matthew shares with us his journey from writing and self-publishing his first novel to producing a Podio book (a podcast audiobook). I assure you, you need to click play now to listen to this most intriguing conversation with Matthew William.
If you enjoy listening to this podcast, please consider supporting it
About Matthew William
Matthew William grew up in the woods of Pennsylvania, reading the works of Philip K. Dick, Arthur C. Clarke and other science fiction writers with abbreviations for middle names.
Currently, he lives in Sweden and keeps himself occupied with podcasting, expanding his fiction library and spending time with his wife and two cats. He enjoys connecting with other fans of good storytelling on social media.
Twitter handle @mat t_will_
The Space Christmas is fun and light-hearted, good for getting people through the gloomy months. The entire audiobook is available for free wherever you get your podcasts. But there are some people who absolutely hate having music with their audiobooks. So for those people, I made a version without music available on audible.
Matthew William’s tips for aspiring authors
I would say that, if you’re going to record an audiobook, just know that it’s a ton of work! For example, with my book, the finished product is over 7 hours long. Recording and editing probably take 4 times that long. But, like any project, you can’t think too much about the big picture before you start, you have to just take it one step at a time and then, before you know it, you’re done.
About The Segilola Salami Show
The Segilola Salami show is an audio podcast talk show hosted by the female Nigerian-British podcaster Segilola Salami who is also an author, freelance writer and blogger. Please click here to see the full list of Yoruba children’s books written by Segilola Salami.
The show is set in a virtual cafe and is a podcast on books and publishing. The aim of the show is to be both educative and informative but in an entertaining way. Guests from all works of life come on the show to talk about the books they have read or written and how books motivated or inspired them. Listeners of the show get to discover new authors and new books as well as learn something new. Also, as the show is set in a virtual cafe, it is a fun podcast to listen to at work, while running or even when driving.
The show is published weekly on Tuesdays at 9 am GMT London. Please click here to review the different ways to listen to or subscribe to this podcast to be notified when a new episode is released.
The Segilola Salami Show is a great audio podcast talk-show for writers and authors. If you would like to appear as a guest on this podcast, please click here for more info and to book your slot.
Please leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) by clicking here!
If you are an author, blogger or book lover, please subscribe to my authors and bloggers mailing list to find out about new self-published books that need reviews. I send out monthly newsletters with details of authors and their books that need honest feedback.
The podcast jingle used in this episode was provided by Chris Lament.
Please download a FREE copy of Yetunde: An Ode To My Mother by Segilola Salami on Amazon
***
I would love to know your thoughts on today’s episode “Matthew William: Journey to producing a podio book”. Please leave a comment below.
If you have found this blog post useful, you can subscribe to Segilola Salami's blog via email by visiting http://www.segilolasalami.co.uk/blog/. You can also follow Segilola Salami on Twitter https://twitter.com/iyayetunde1
The post Matthew William: Journey to producing a podio book appeared first on Segilola Salami. Segilola Salami teaches a course on grief resolution https://www.segilolasalami.co.uk/memb...
November 23, 2019
Character Interview: Salvatore’s Saving Grace by Gia Volterra de Saulnier
Today’s character interview is from the 20th Century Historical Romance Salvatore’s Saving Grace by Gia Volterra de Saulnier. It is aimed at readers 18+ and contains explicit sexual scenes, adult themes, fire. It is not yet published.
Synopsis of Salvatore’s Saving Grace by Gia Volterra de Saulnier.
WWII has hit Boston, MA and love is in the air, but will a fire spark romance?
Name of character to be interviewed: Salvatore “Sal’ Dominico
Why was this character chosen for this interview?:
He is the protagonist and quite the charming fellow
Question 1: What do you do?
Answer: I help run my family Italian Restaurant – Dominico’s in Little Italy, Boston, MA. I also just got this singing gig at The Cocoanut Grove!
Question 2: What year is this?
Answer: What do you mean what year is this? It’s 1942! Where have you been, in a shoe box? Jeepers!
Question 3: Why aren’t you serving in the war?
Answer: I tried to enter, and then I found out I got a heart murmur. I do know some fellas in the war though!
Question 4: Have you ever been in love?
Answer: I thought I was in love with this gal, Bianca D’Torro, but she broke my heart on Valentine’s Day by marrying some dope. Then I met this dynamite gal on the train. Her name is Grace Wright, what a dame! She’s been on my mind a lot lately.
Question 5: Sounds like you’re smitten with this girl, tell us about her.
Answer: I don’t know her real well, but she’s a real knockout, you get my drift? She’s on the petite side, but pal, her curves are so va-va-voom, you get me? Her hair is like this color of golden honey and her eyes? Jeepers, she’s got these amazing eyes that turn blue when she gets excited! I think I’m crazy about this dame!
***
This character interview was submitted by the author Gia Volterra de Saulnier.
If you have found this blog post useful, you can subscribe to Segilola Salami's blog via email by visiting http://www.segilolasalami.co.uk/blog/. You can also follow Segilola Salami on Twitter https://twitter.com/iyayetunde1
The post Character Interview: Salvatore’s Saving Grace by Gia Volterra de Saulnier appeared first on Segilola Salami. Segilola Salami teaches a course on grief resolution https://www.segilolasalami.co.uk/memb...
Review of Anchor as a free podcast host
This morning I replied to a post on Reddit seeking recommendations for a free podcast host. Someone recommended Anchor as a suitable free podcast host. As I have recently used Anchor, I replied to the thread highlighting what I liked and did not like about Anchor as a free podcast host. After writing my review on Reddit, I decided to publish it on my blog as someone in my network may find my review useful.
So, without much ado, here are my thoughts about Anchor as a free podcast host
Background to my podcast setup
When I first started my podcast The Segilola Salami Show, I was with Blubrry. I LOVE Blubrry for many reasons. In fact, anyone starting a podcast should start off with Blubrry. The most important thing about Blubrry is that you get your own podcast feed. So even if you migrate your hosting, everything is still under your control and no break in transmission. I use the Blubrry Power Press plugin to publish each episode of my podcast on my website and distribute it to podcast directories. Under the media player on each episode of my podcast on my website is the link to my podcast on other platforms like iTunes and Spotify.
My current free podcast host
A few years ago, I was poached by another podcast host who offered me free hosting + dynamic ads (so I get paid a stipend instead of my paying out). I like this hosting company because I did not have to change anything about my current podcast set up. I upload my files on their site, get the link to the media file, add the link to the episode page on my website and schedule it. Easy peasy.
Unfortunately, this company got bought over by another company and their once excellent customer service disappeared. After hearing so much about Anchor, I decided to give it a try.
Using Anchor as a free podcast host
After signing up with Anchor, I was able to import my podcast to their platform using my podcast’s RSS feed. However, Anchor gave me their own RSS feed. My current host did not generate a feed for me because my podcast is distributed through the PowerPress plugin which uses my domain name. I have no interest in replacing my RSS feed with the Anchor RSS feed.
I sent Anchor a support ticket asking for further info on how to resolve this. It took about 3 days before I got a reply. Their reply was to ask if I was happy for them to break the link with my current host. I did not give them permission at that point. Who are they breaking the link with? My free podcast host or Blubrry PowerPress? Would doing so affect how I publish my podcast? These were questions I needed answers to first.
Anchor podcast app
I discovered that the Anchor app allows you to record your episode on it and even invite guests. I normally used the Zoom app on my desktop. The only limitation with the free version of Zoom is that you can only record for 40mins max. So if you spend 15mins explaining things to your guest, that reduces the recording time. This is not always a problem for me because most of my guests are quite with it and we can start recording almost immediately.
Anyhoos, I decided to give the Anchor app a try. It was fairly straightforward to download the app. To invite someone to record with you, the person needs to be your friend on the Anchor app. All they have to do is like your podcast to become your friend.
To record my first episode, even after inviting my ‘friend’ it took about 15 minutes for him to connect with me. The app starts recording immediately the guest joins the call. I would have preferred for there to be a start recording button instead. On the app, you have a library where you can upload useful files like your opening tune etc. So I upload my opening tune, recorded my episode, uploaded an audio drama then recorded my closing message.
After recording, I scheduled my episode for the date it would go live. Doing so did not give me the option to download a copy of the episode. I had to publish it immediately to get to download the file. I looked around the app and the desktop version and couldn’t find the link to the media file. I sent an email to Anchor asking where I would find the link to the media file on Monday. It’s Saturday now and they’ve still not replied.
My conclusion on using Anchor as a free podcast host
My conclusion is YES Anchor does offer a free hosting service but the use of their free podcast hosting is according to their own terms and needs.
I did find a bit of interference with the recording I made on Anchor. You can listen to it here.
I should add that I will continue to use the Anchor app as a podcast recorder and editor. I found it straightforward to cut out segments from the recording and add my opening tune and closing message. When I downloaded the media file, it was an MP4a file.
You can see how my podcast is displayed on my website here.
Will I recommend Anchor as a free podcast host?
If you are a serious podcaster (eg with over 100 podcast episodes published), I think you should opt for podcast hosting companies that charge for their podcast hosting service per month. Blubrry has different hosting packages, so you are bound to find a podcast hosting package that meets your needs. They also have really good support. You never have to wait more than a few hours to get a reply to your question.
If you do not have a hosting plan with Blubrry but use their PowerPress WordPress plugin, they provide adequate technical support through a forum on their website. Please note that I have not used this service for at least 3 years at the time of writing this review.
However, if you do not need your own podcast RSS feed in your domain name and don’t need access to your media file, then Anchor is a suitable free podcast host.
If you are a hobby podcaster, just starting your own podcast or do not have your own website (eg a WordPress site) and domain name, then Anchor is a suitable free podcast host.
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If you have found my review on using Anchor as a free podcast host useful, please leave a comment below. I would also love to know what your experience of using Anchor as a free podcast host
If you have found this blog post useful, you can subscribe to Segilola Salami's blog via email by visiting http://www.segilolasalami.co.uk/blog/. You can also follow Segilola Salami on Twitter https://twitter.com/iyayetunde1
The post Review of Anchor as a free podcast host appeared first on Segilola Salami. Segilola Salami teaches a course on grief resolution https://www.segilolasalami.co.uk/memb...
November 18, 2019
Candace Paul: Spiritual Warfare and Spirituality
Christian fiction author Candace Paul is today’s guest on The Segilola Salami Show podcast. Candace Paul shares with us the story behind her latest book, “Spiritual Warfare: Rise to Power” and discusses a concept that many “believers” have experienced – spiritual warfare & spirituality in general. I assure you, you need to click play now to listen to this most intriguing conversation with Candace Paul.
If you enjoy listening to this podcast, please consider supporting it
About Candace Paul
My name is Candace Paul and I am a Christian fiction author. My book latest book, “Spiritual Warfare: Rise to Power” was released 10/15/2019!
Although my books are fiction it discusses a concept that many believers have experienced spiritual warfare. The book tackles many real world issues of faith, the choices we make. The goal is to bring people in who may not be familiar with this concept.
Twitter handle: @aknowingspirit
Facebook PAGE handle NOT profile: @aknowingspirit
Candace Paul’s tips on how to find your place in the world
For believers, sometimes it can be hard finding your place in the world and trying to change the world for the better.
Find your skills, talents and abilities. Develop these talents.
Use those skills, talents, and abilities to impact your sphere of influence (friends, family, community).
Get the people closest to you and those who are interested in what you have to say to help with your vision.
Continue to press forward – even when it feels like things aren’t happening fast enough.
Find a community! A community will help support you, you can learn from your community, gain insights, and most importantly grow. I suggest joining Aknowingspirit. We have a community online with people from all over the world who are believers. We welcome anyone who wants to learn more, share knowledge, and are willing to help impact the world for the better.
About The Segilola Salami Show
The Segilola Salami show is an audio podcast talk show hosted by the female Nigerian-British podcaster Segilola Salami who is also an author, freelance writer and blogger. Please click here to see the full list of Yoruba children’s books written by Segilola Salami.
The show is set in a virtual cafe and is a podcast on books and publishing. The aim of the show is to be both educative and informative but in an entertaining way. Guests from all works of life come on the show to talk about the books they have read or written and how books motivated or inspired them. Listeners of the show get to discover new authors and new books as well as learn something new. Also, as the show is set in a virtual cafe, it is a fun podcast to listen to at work, while running or even when driving.
The show is published weekly on Tuesdays at 9 am GMT London. Please click here to review the different ways to listen to or subscribe to this podcast to be notified when a new episode is released.
The Segilola Salami Show is a great audio podcast talk-show for writers and authors. If you would like to appear as a guest on this podcast, please click here for more info and to book your slot.
Please leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) by clicking here!
If you are an author, blogger or book lover, please subscribe to my authors and bloggers mailing list to find out about new self-published books that need reviews. I send out monthly newsletters with details of authors and their books that need honest feedback.
The podcast jingle used in this episode was provided by Chris Lament.
Please download a FREE copy of Yetunde: An Ode To My Mother by Segilola Salami on Amazon
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I would love to know your thoughts on today’s episode “Candace Paul: Spiritual Warfare and Spirituality”. Please leave a comment below.
If you have found this blog post useful, you can subscribe to Segilola Salami's blog via email by visiting http://www.segilolasalami.co.uk/blog/. You can also follow Segilola Salami on Twitter https://twitter.com/iyayetunde1
The post Candace Paul: Spiritual Warfare and Spirituality appeared first on Segilola Salami. Segilola Salami teaches a course on grief resolution https://www.segilolasalami.co.uk/memb...
