Do You Read African-American Mom Blogs? Take This Survey!

Calling all readers of African-American mom blogs!

I am currently conducting a study on the blogging practices of African-American mom bloggers.

I invite you to participate in my study by taking a survey geared toward readers of these blogs.

To understand the blogging practices of African-American mom bloggers, it is important to explore the readers of these blogs. Your participation in the survey will enable me to do that.

The online survey consists of 23 questions. It will take no longer than 30 minutes to complete. Names and e-mail addresses will not be used in this research.

If you are interested in participating, please click the following link that will take you to the survey at SurveyMonkey: [survey link]. Once you arrive at the link, you will read a short introduction before clicking “Next” to begin the survey.

Again, if you are interested in participating, please click the following link: [survey link].

If you have any questions, you can contact me at shon.bacon@ttu.edu. I thank you for your time and consideration.

Getting in the Know with Freelance Writer & Blogger Mary Davis

The Writer


Mary Davis is a freelance writer and blogger from western Pennsylvania. As a former college adviser, she’s thrilled that she is able to continue to advise students at the blog And You Will Graduate (http://www.graduate.andyouwill.com) She also writes about health, beauty, and personal development at her personal blog, Everyday Baby Steps (http://www.everydaybabysteps.com), and you can follow her writing journey at Adventures in Freelancing (http://www.adventuresinfreelancing.com), her blog for newbie freelancers.

You can follow Mary on Twitter!



The Interview

What three adjectives would you use to describe yourself?
Positive, Intuitive, Impatient


Take the adjective that best describes you and explain why.
Positive probably describes me best. I make a concerted effort to look at things in a positive light, to try to see all perspectives before making judgments. Life’s tough enough without dwelling on the negative. I’ve learned that the way you think truly does affect the way you feel.


I am a fan of your blog, Adventures in Freelancing [link]. On your blog, you state, "Join me in my journey to a freelance career. Let's learn something together!" What sparked you to start your journey into freelancing?
Thank you so much! I worked as an academic adviser at the local community college, and I really loved my job, but I was living a crazy-paced life and felt that I wasn’t giving my family sufficient time and attention. So when I found out that I was pregnant with my third child, I made the decision to leave my job and try to earn an income from writing. I’d done lots of reading on the subject and knew that it was possible.


Are there particular fields/subjects you're developing your freelance career around? If so, what are they, and why do they interest you?
Yes, I made the decision to write about topics with which I’m familiar. As a mom of three young children, my quality writing time is limited, so I’ve found it more convenient to begin my career focusing on areas I know. I write primarily about issues affecting college students, health, beauty, and personal development. As my children become more independent, I hope to become more of a generalist because I love learning about new things and enjoy the researching and interviewing involved in freelance writing.


What opportunities have you taken part in since starting your career?
I jumped right into the blogging world because it was a way to practice my writing and to force myself to write on a regular basis. Putting your writing out there can be very intimidating to someone just starting out, and blogging is a great outlet to get your feet wet. I began practicing my interviewing skills by talking to people I met through social media, and through those contacts, I’ve obtained some paid blogging positions. I’ve also begun querying online and print publications for college students. These are writing avenues that fit well into my lifestyle.


Since you began your journey, what have been three important things you've learned about freelancing?
I’ve learned so much! One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is the importance of marketing yourself. As a freelancer, you’re constantly searching for opportunities; employers don’t initially come to you. I’ve also learned that my time-management skills need some serious tweaking! Starting out as a freelancer is pretty much like starting any other business. A freelancer’s start-up requires a tremendous amount of time and dedication, and I’ve really had to work hard to find a writing schedule that fits around my family. On that note, I’ve learned that you really need to set firm boundaries with your friends and loved ones, as well as with yourself. It’s so easy to blur the lines between work and personal life when you’re an independent contractor. There’s no boss keeping an eye on you and no time card to punch.


What are three tools (books, sites, etc.) you believe every person interested in freelancing should have in her arsenal?
I have a ton of books on writing and on freelancing as a career. One book that I would definitely recommend for anyone wanting to write articles for print or online publication is The Renegade Writer by Diana Burrell and Linda Formichelli. These women teach you the ins and outs of freelancing and give you the straight story on which rules can be broken. If you’re interested in copywriting or writing for corporations, you really need to read The Well-Fed Writer by Peter Bowerman. While this book focuses on writing for commercial purposes, there’s so much that any freelancer can learn about marketing and about the business aspect of freelancing. A terrific website that I visit regularly is Freelance Writing Jobs (http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com). You’ll find so much more here than just job leads here. There’s information on blogging, article writing, networking, and so much more you need to know related to the world of freelancing.


For someone who is interested in going into freelance, what questions should she asks herself FIRST to see if she has the gumption to jump into the fray?
This is such a good question. I read so many books that addressed this issue, and I assured myself that I had all the necessary qualities. Then I actually started my freelancing career and almost gave up so many times! I’d say the most important quality to have as a freelance writer is persistence. Actually, it’s in your best interest to be downright stubborn. I’m too stubborn to give up. I know I can succeed, but I also know that I have to always keep my goals in sight. A successful freelancer has to be goal-oriented and also must be able to push insecurities aside and not take things personally. Fear and rejection are part of the game, but you can’t give into them!

Wanna Promote Your Blog? Try Blog Collage!

If you don't know about Twitter, then you need to check it out. I've met some great people there like Tim McTee, co-founder of the new site Blog Collage.

How Long Has Blog Collage Been In Existence?
Blog Collage is brand new. We launched BlogCollage.com on Friday August 22, 2008.


What Was The Spark That Led You To Create Blog Collage?
Well, the blog collage is a partnering venture between me and my brother Zack. We live on opposite sides of the country and our only way for communication is iChat. Zack is very savvy with computers, blogging and all things Web 2.0 and has been blogging since I can remember. A couple of years ago, after lots of "haha"s and "wtf"s, he convinced me I needed to start expressing my humor and strong opinions in a blog.

Soon after that, I wanted to know who was reading my blog, how to get more people to read it, and where I could find some other interesting blogs for my personal enjoyment and sourcing. He explained to me some different options, most of which seemed either too time consuming, or costly. It was long that we came up with the idea for the Blog Collage.


How Can Blog Collage Help Generate Traffic To A Person's Blog?
There are many ways in which the collage can generate traffic to a someone's blog. For starters, we have RSS feeds for people to add to their reader of choice; this makes it possible for people who don't have time to visit our site everyday to gain access through their rss reader to the most recently added blogs, the most active blogs, and our latest blog articles.

We are also in the process of developing widgets, web applications, and a blogcollage iphone application; all of which will be distributed through popular social media networks.

In addition to the above, anybody who adds their blog to the collage will be piggy-backing on our adwords campaign and widespread social networking efforts including our Twitter feed where every time a blog is added, we will post a tweet to our network....oh, and let's not forget the people who will be visiting the site on a daily basis to click on random, interesting images to be introduced to new blogs that they would have otherwise never found.


Has Blog Collage been a successful endeavor thus far?
Although it's been less than a month, we are having some incredible feedback so far. We look forward to continued, widespread compliments from both blog writers and readers.


What Is Your Ultimate Goal For Blog Collage?
The ultimate goal for Blog Collage is to create a place that will benefit bloggers and readers alike. At the same time, we want our site to be conveniently accessible; we understand that there are endless options on the internet and want our visitors to have options as to how they access our content.

One person may have the time to visit our site everyday; whereas, another person is busy and will want to have something he/she can add to his/her igoogle, rss reader, or social network of choice.

For the price of a pretty good meal at one of the restaurant chains - $25 - Blog Collage subscribers can buy a six-month residency on the grid. With so many blogs and so many books to compete with, writers should utilize all effective ways to promote their works to generate SALES.

Check out Blog Collage today and reserve your spot in what's sure to be one of the hottest locations for a blog to dwell.

Writer Amanda Mahan on Twitter & Comedic Murder Mystery - UNCLAD

I first learned about you and UNCLAD on Twitter, and I was fascinated by how you used this Microblogging tool to disseminate your work. Tell us a bit about why you decided to offer your book to the public - 140 characters or less at a time.
I got the idea to release my book on Twitter from Charles Dickens, actually. He used to serialize his novels, releasing chapters at a time in the local newspapers. He even responded to his reader's feedback - if people didn't like what a character was doing he would change things along the way. Twitter is just a modern day version of that - although my book is complete so I probably won't make any major changes!


Let's step back for a moment. In 140 characters or less, pitch us your comedic murder mystery, UNCLAD.
Tricky! Here goes: When a former PI starts over as a masseuse in a fancy spa, she learns that sometimes the dirtiest things happen in the cleanest places.


What was the spark to which UNCLAD came to be.
There were two parts to the spark. First, when I lived in Los Angeles, I had a very close friend who was a masseuse and used to tell me the craziest stories about what went on in the VERY exclusive and expensive spa where she worked. I thought, someone should write about this. And then I thought, wait a minute, that someone is me.

Secondly, I have a close friend who is a private investigator. I am obsessed with hearing about his cases, and also fascinated by how he reconciles helping defend some pretty vile people - and the damage it must do to his psyche on a deep level.

And then maybe a third part to the spark is that I have often wondered what it would be like to ditch everything in your past and start over - can you ever really do that or does everything just come with you?


Have you submitted UNCLAD to publishers and/or agents? If so, what has been the response?
I have just started the process and have had a few bites. Hopefully I'll have something good to report back soon!


Have you received any attention from agents or houses directly related to your online initiatives?
The response I've gotten from agents has been through my queries and not from my online initiates - yet! I think it's less that someone would discover me through my website or Twitter and more that someone I approach might be pleased that I've already starting thinking of ways to promote myself on the web. Though lots of publishing people are on Twitter apparently, so you never know!


Is UNCLAD your first completed novel? If not, talk to us about some of your previous work and their current progress.
Unclad is my first novel. Because of my job (copywriter and creative director) I strive to be as succinct as possible in my work writing. This bled into my personal writing, which led to lots of short stories. But I always wondered if I would have enough to say to fill a book. I was shocked to find that when I let myself keep going, I did.


At the end of the day, what's the goal behind having UNCLAD on Twitter, behind sharing your novel with the public?
When I first started tweeting, I didn't think anyone would actually read it. I was just hoping to create some buzz and maybe find an agent or publisher. But I've been amazed at the number of people who've written me to say they're following along or went to my website to watch the book trailer and download chapter 1. So I guess my goal was to just put the work out there - which is always scary - and see what happens. So far, it's been great.


What are some of your most positive responses from the public?
Here's what people are saying about chapter 1:

"This is great! It's fast paced and intriguing. Fun. Is there more?"

"I just read the first chapter of your book and I'm in love! It's great! I can't wait for it to come out! I'm a forensic science and anthropology major in college so I read A LOT of crime novels and this one by far has gotten my attention! It's so entertaining! I wanted to keep reading! Excellent chapter! I can't wait for the rest!"

"It was awesome and I can't wait to read the rest."

"You have a talent for comedic writing. I want to go on to chapter 2."

""Ass" in the first sentence = love it!"

"My husband doesn't read but I gave him the last two pages – he was hooked and went back and read it from the beginning."

"I read the first chapter of your book and LOVED it! Very well written and funny. Thanks for the good read!"

"SOOOO good. When can I get more, dammit?"


How are you able to be so diligent in your postings on Twitter?
I manage to post once an hour. Even if I took a leave of absence from my job and became addicted to meth and Red Bull so I could stay up 24 hours a day frenetically Tweeting, I still couldn't take a leave from my 11-month old daughter, my husband, or the laundry. Believe me, I've tried.

Enter Dmitri. A highly sought-after Drupal expert and developer who gives lectures at places like Google. Oh, did I mention he's 12? And my boss's son? Yes, I hired the child prodigy to make me a posting mechanism. To create in his free time between Bar Mitzvah lessons, piano practice and homework. Of course, on my first day the thing went haywire, posting random sentences from the middle of the book. Nothing made sense; people started wondering whether I'd had a stroke. Meanwhile I couldn't talk to Dmitri until he got out of homeroom.

Eventually he fixed it – the kid is a crackerjack! – and I haven't had a problem since. Which is good because I think Dmitri got grounded and his computer was taken away.


Learn more about Amanda & UNCLAD @ Twitter and @ her website!