Creating A Successful Online Business

It's a big deal to get published by a publishing house. It is also a lot of work. Very few submissions that pass through the editor's hands ever reach print. Before even getting to that point, there is the submission stage, revisions, and more. It can take over two years between the first and last steps to finally see the printed copy. That said, any published author is likely very proud of the accomplishment. Possibly because of the unlikely chance of being taken on by a publishing house, and the time involved, and, at times, the fees presented, many people have gone with self-publishing. While authors that have been published the traditional way might scorn the idea, as might others, there is nothing to be ashamed of. You want to get your work out there in the public, and self-publishing is a great way to go forward with that. There are two main methods of self-publishing. One is through creating a PDF document and allowing people to download it, whether for free or for a pri...

Did you know what poorly written social media posts and blog articles can be a huge turn-off for potential customers and clients? It's true. While using some slang and odd punctuation may be used deliberately for emphasis or to make a joke, articles and social media posts with grammar errors can tell a reader that you are careless. It can really make the wrong impression. You've likely seen the viral videos of signs with hilarious mistakes - ones that you know were accidental. What were your first thoughts when you saw them? If you have errors in your articles and posts, your potential customers and clients may be reacting the same way. It is vital that blogs, informational articles, social media posts, and other such things are well-written. It is possible to have a completely casual post with colloquialisms, if that is what you want, while still being written correctly. Of course, this applies to any type of tone you are vying for. If you are trying for a tone that uses gramm...

Bloggers of all ages and experience levels are often asking, "How long should a blog post be?". Well, that's a great question, and sometimes it depends on the blog content. However, for the most part, the consensus is that each blog article should be at least 300 words long. There are various reasons for this. A blog post of 300 words or more is better able to cover the topic. Any less than 300 words, there cannot be a lot of information given. Typically, blogs that are less than 300 words have a lot of images to fill the space or are simply adding short articles to obtain more entries. Unfortunately, more entries do not guarantee additional traffic if the blogger is not giving sufficient reading material in each article. Consider this:  If you are a reader looking for information on a topic, how many details can be held in less than 300 words, and would that satisfy your thirst for information? How would the experience leave you feeling? This may be different when lookin...

Etsy is a wonderful marketplace for craftspersons. Actually, it used to be just for artisans selling work they made themselves but it has changed. You can now sell supplies and items as a third party. This has increased the selection as well as the competition. There has been some controversy over this as well as the increase in fees, but the forum still attracts thousands of vendors. Anyone selling on Etsy.com has to consider the fees involved. There is a 20-cent USD listing fee and a 5% transaction fee for each sale. Any items paid for with PayPal incur other fees - 2.9% plus 30 cents. These fees should be accounted for when pricing items to ensure a profit is still earned. Of course, there are fees to pay when using any forum. It is really a matter of what you are familiar and comfortable with. Also, when compared to creating your own website, depending on the number of sales you make, Etsy can be cheaper and more user-friendly.  It is fairly easy to set up an Etsy shop. You cr...

Most people like free stuff, it's quite normal. In fact, many individuals are willing to do minor tasks just for the chance to win something that is completely free. That willingness can work in your favor when you do a Facebook giveaway or any type of contest for that matter. This activity is not taking advantage of participants. It is giving them the chance to win something that they want simply by doing a task that takes a few moments. To get the best results, the task has to be something easy and quick, for example, liking and sharing a particular Facebook post. These actions require only a few seconds. To make this type of contest work, you need to offer something that the customer wants. You can offer them a free sample or a full-sized product, a gift certificate, or something similar. What you offer depends on your business and what you can afford. Providing the winning contestant with the merchandise without charging shipping is also important. There should be absolutely no...