Ava Fails's Blog, page 11

Blame It On ADD

Dropout!

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)

The 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

It's been nearly a year ago that I decided to write my first fiction novel. I had a robust start with 10000 words in just a few days, and then…I lost momentum. I posted a bit about it here on ProWebWriter. The file for the book has been sitting on my hard drive since June and I've made NO progress. My weak defense excuse is that I started a new full-time job in July. I struggled to find motivation.

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!

Facebook Groups Settings

How to change group settings in Facebook. Facebook has made lot of changes to its working in the recent past. Some of the major rollouts include the timeline feature to profiles. Even the fan pages are going to get a new look. One thing that is underutilized in facebook is the groups. Earlier to fanpages groups were used to connect people. After the new changes groups had some change to the way they work including introducing document sharing and emailing options.

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 Get High School Grants For Your Education

Most people don't know this, but there are many grants you can apply for and receive while you are still in high school. Everyone thinks that you can only get government grants for college and university, but that is just not the case. Here is how you can get high school grants for your education…

Search For Grants

The first step in getting a high school grant is searching for grants you may be interested in. There are many ways to do this. The Internet would be a good place to start looking – you can find information on almost any grant on the Internet. If you are having trouble finding the information you need on your own, you can always go and talk to your guidance councilor – they will be able to help you.

Determine Eligibility

Next, after you have found some grants that you are interested in pursuing, you have to determine your specific eligibility. Almost all grants will lay out the requirements you must meet right in the information you have been provided. If you are looking at a government grant, most of the eligibility grants are based on need – if you have a high enough income, you won't be eligible for these. Most private grants, on the other hand, are based on intellect and academic success, so these don't really take into account your specific need.

Apply For Grants

After you have found a grant you are interested in and have determined that you are eligible for it, you need to actually apply for it. The application process will be different for almost every grant that you apply to, so you will need to follow the specific instructions. Don't worry, though – it is not that difficult and won't take much time to complete.

It is never too early to start considering high school grants for your education. Too many students make the mistake of waiting too late and either end up rushing the application or missing the deadline. In both cases, they don't get to receive the grant money they deserve. As you can see from the aforementioned steps, the whole process is easy and doesn't take very long to complete. Search for a grant you are interested in, determine if you are eligible to receive the grant, put in your application, and wait for the money to come. It really is that simple!

Are you looking to save money while you shop at your local grocery store? Grocery coupons are hot and there are many ways to get and save money easily. Sundays newspaper is a major source of grocery coupons,  retailer coupons and also the internet where you get free printable grocery coupons from selected sources and free printable coupons for major online retailers. Visit the links to save money and you will not regret.

 

Facebook Tips: How to Enable Secured Browsing and Session Info in Facebook

How to enable Secure Browsing in Facebook:

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.

 

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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.

 

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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.

Youtube Search Tips

Youtube Search Tips

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.

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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.

Are You Internet Savvy?

Being Internet savvy is quite a blanket statement. The Internet is such a vast domain that having a broad knowledge is an ongoing process for any enthusiast. The first time I ever saw the Internet was at my brother's house in the mid-90′s. I remember he showed me Yahoo and how you could search for people you know. It was a brief introduction, but I was completely intrigued.

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)

1. to know; understand.

2. shrewdly informed; experienced and well-informed
Are you experienced and well-informed in using the Internet? Take a look at some criteria.
Criteria for Being Internet Savvy

To consider yourself Internet Savvy, you should have knowledge in the following areas:

Email – This is an Internet staple and usually where newbies begin. Can you name the 3 most popular Internet providers?
Social Media – As a web-savvy person, you should know first and foremost what Social Media is. Social Media envelopes all Social Networking sites and services. Your Social Media skills should well exceed writing a Facebook status or Tweet. You should know what Social Bookmarking is. You should also know how to recognize when a website is intended for Social Media and when it's not.
Browsers – Another staple of Internet knowledge is the browser. You can't get on the Internet without one. As an Internet Savvy person, your knowledge should exceed merely double-clicking the blue "e". In addition to using your browser to surf the 'net, you should also know the features of your browser. You should know how to clear your cache, cookies, history, view page source code, etc. You should understand the convenience of tabbed browsing. Can you name five popular browsers?
Search Engines – Being Internet Savvy also means that you can use a search engine effectively. You should be able to find answers to questions of all types on any subject. You should understand that it's possible to filter and refine your searches. For example, using Google, you can define nearly any word by simply typing define: and then the word into the Search box.
Telephony – Did you know you can make free phone calls using the Internet? I thought you might.
Forums – Message boards have been around since the inception of the Internet. These boards were vast social networks long before the term Social Media arrived on the scene. Forums aren't too complicated, but they vary from place to place. You should know how to post, where to find the rules, how to use BBCode, and what the term "PM" means.
Instant Messaging – Along with forums, lots of people use Instant Messaging to chat with friends, family, potential love interests, and business associates. Like Forums, Instant Messaging is an important enough part of the Internet past that modern Social Media sites like Facebook and MySpace have included these features. Instant Messaging has given us the emoticon and terms like LOL.
Blogs – The Blogging Boom began in 2004. The number of blogs have doubled every 5 to 7 months since. There are now more than 53 million blogs. Being Internet Savvy means that you know what a blog is, what blog means, and you have knowledge of a few different blogging platforms such as Blogger and WordPress.
Domains – At its most basic,  a domain is the address you type into your browser's Address Bar to visit a specific website such as yahoo.com or prowebwriter.com.
Viral – Going viral is an Internet term that can apply to any type of content on the web such as pictures, videos, articles, etc. Many Internet connoisseurs try to create viral content over and over. Being Internet savvy means you understand "viral" as a term used in marketing, blogging, writing, etc. Can you name a viral YouTube video?
Scams – Can you recognize the scams? If you can, odds are that you have avoided the Nigerian email scams, the UK Lottery, or a scammy offer on Craigslist.

 Who Cares?

Well, really, just geeks care. This post is more of a challenge to the casual Internet user. There is so much more to the Internet than you can possibly imagine. Owning a piece of the World Wide Web can be like owning a costly piece of real estate without a major monetary investment. It's possible to make millions if you know what you are doing…just off the sale of one domain. The Internet isn't going anywhere. As an enthusiast, I honestly feel that it's worth my time to learn and know all I can about it. You may soon find that your employer cares, your church needs a website, your kid's report card is only available online, and you get a huge discount if you buy your next big whatever using your Internet skills. Be savvy.

Fact Box

The top 3 email services online are: Google's GMail, Windows Live Mail, and Yahoo Mail. — http://www.email-marketing-reports.com/metrics/email-statistics.htm
Popular sites like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr are well-known Social Media sites used by millions of people everyday.
A non-comprehensive list of browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, and Opera.
Google search tricks: http://www.googleguide.com/advanced_operators_reference.html
Free phone calls on the Internet:  http://freebies.about.com/od/computerfreebies/tp/free-internet-phone-calls.htm
The Blogosphere Stats: http://www.clicknewz.com/299/the-blogging-boom/
Top 10 Viral YouTube Videos of All Time: http://mattroyse.wordpress.com/2011/04/03/10-viral-youtube-videos-all-time/
Top 10 Internet/Email Scams: http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/scamsandidentitytheft/ss/top10inetscams.htm

 

Traffic Milestone and PWW Report

ProWebWriter hit a traffic milestone last month. We reached and exceeded 3000 visitors. Now on the level of many blogs/websites, this isn't very impressive especially those nearing their 2-year birthday. This report is a new campaign to be transparent as a website owner for those readers who may be considering starting a blog/website.

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!

Why ProWebWriter Endorses the Amazon Kindle

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.

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 decided which e-reader if for you, look no further than Amazon and the Kindle…proudly endorsed by ProWebWriter.com.

The new Kindle family.

Get a Favicon for WordPress

I have put off getting a favicon for ProWebWriter since I launched the site. Those tiny pictures fall to the back burner rather easily, but I came across a favicon generator on StumbleUpon today and decided to throw one together real quick.

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 tags and remove it:

<?php bloginfo('stylesheet_directory'); ?>/favicon.ico" />

 

 

*TIP* The 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 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