Blogging Gal

Imagine my surprise to find two great reviews of Blogging Gal today! I just can’t tell you how excited I am.

Mark Sierra posted A Darn Good Look at Blogging Gal on his review site, Darn Good Reviews. In his review, Mark stated, “One of the things I like most about Tish — and I’m sure you will too — is that no matter what she writes about, it always seems effortless, which, for me, makes it just as effortless to read. She can write about anything of any length.”

Hema from Make Your Money Grow posted Parallel Source of Income, in which she introduced Blogging Gal to her readers. She discussed the fact that I am a Human Resources Manager at my day job, and that it was an intelligent decision on my part to maintain a parallel source of income through blogging.

Thank you so much, Mark and Hema! I am absolutely ecstatic to receive such nice publicity!

Chungyen Chang, also known as C-Squared, is a 17 year old student in Lexington, Kentucky. C-Squared is new to the art of blogging, having started An Unsuspecting Notebook just two months ago. A refreshing and delightful read, An Unsuspecting Notebook takes me back to my first days of blogging - when the only motivation was a passion for writing.

An Unsuspecting Notebook is the personal blog of a high school boy who will soon be heading to college. His future is uncertain, but one thing is for sure - the possibilities are endless. C-Squared blogs about whatever happens to cross his mind. There are posts about video games, blogging, and everyday life. There are a number of beautiful poems that he has written. The tone of the blog is both innocent and honest.

Perhaps the best way for me to introduce you to An Unsuspecting Notebook is to share a few of my favorite posts.

OldSchool Video Games: CRPGs - A post about C-Squared’s love of computer role playing games from the 1990s.

Thoughts on My First Few Weeks as a Blogger - A post about the joy and anticipation of blogging.

Tech Tip: How to Strip the Formatting out of a Word Document - If you compose your posts in Word and then find them all screwed up when you paste them into your blogging software, be sure to read this post.

Poem #12 - Thoughts on Bamboo - C-Squared’s entry for a Haiku contest. This post brings a smile to my face. Check it out to see why.

I’m a big fan of An Unsuspecting Notebook, but I do have just a few suggestions to make the blog even better. The content is fantastic, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Once C-Squared is a little more comfortable with blogging, I think he should get his own domain and begin using WordPress, as it offers a lot of functionality not available with Blogger. I also think the Archives need a little work. They are currently set up with a weekly view, which isn’t really a problem for a new blog. As time goes on, however, this will cause navigation problems and unnecessary clutter. I recommend going with a monthly view and possibly a drop down box or a separate page.

An Unsuspecting Notebook is a great read for when you need a little break from the daily grind. Take a few moments to stop by and check it out. I think you’ll be pleasantly reminded of the reasons you first started blogging.

The very first review of Blogging Gal has been published! Tom of Push Standards wrote a great review of this blog, focusing mainly on areas for improvement. Being a web designer, he had some fabulous suggestions for increasing the visual appeal of the site. I am already working to implement some of them.

A great big thank you to Tom for the honest feedback! My talents lie predominantly in creating content, so I always welcome design suggestions.

If you’re interested in receiving an in depth critique of your blog, Tom’s review services are for hire - and well worth the money!

I recently discovered a great new blog called Push Standards. Authored by Tom Ross, a web designer and aspiring entrepreneur living in Scotland, the blog covers such topics as blogging, web design, and marketing. Though it was launched just earlier this month, there are lots of great, informative articles already available on the site. I’d like to share a few of my favorites.

15 Tips to Boost Your Blog’s Traffic - I’m sure there are at least a few tips here that you’re not currently utilizing, so be sure to check out this article. Though Push Standards is a brand new blog, Tom has been designing websites for more than eight years. He is no stranger to the techniques required to drive traffic to a site.

Please Subscribe! Plus RSS Tips. - This post contains some great advice on improving your RSS feed and securing new readers.

Bloggers are the Friendliest People in the World - I couldn’t agree more!

In addition to its wealth of quality content, Push Standards has a very visually pleasing design. The colors are brilliant, but not at all distracting. Everything is neatly positioned and free of clutter. Tabs across the top of the site allow you to easily navigate through the site’s content.

I always enjoy providing a few site suggestions to my fellow bloggers, but after spending considerable time examining Push Standards, I can come up with very little that can be done to improve the site. My only suggestion is that Tom add the custom banners he recently created to his portfolio page. Given the recently popularity of Entrecard, Project Wonderful, and other such ad programs, I think he should capitalize on the growing need for banner ads.

Push Standards is currently hosting a great contest in which you can win a month of free advertising plus $25 cash. Just post a review of the site to get your entry. The deadline is March 5th, and the best post wins.

It is Tom’s goal to live completely off his online endeavors, and judging from what I’ve seen so far, he’s definitely headed in the right direction. His writing style is impeccable, and his design work is some of the best I’ve seen. If you have any design needs, be sure to check out his portfolio for samples of his work. I’m sure that he can create a quality product to exceed your expectations.

I encourage you to add Push Standards to your list of regular reads. You’ll find lots of helpful information there, and maybe even a new friend!

According to its About page, ShanKri-la was designed to “disperse information about technology that can make our lives a little bit easier, a little bit more enjoyable, and a little bit more manageable.” Having been an avid reader of the blog for nearly six months, I can testify to the fact that it is accomplishing its mission. It has quickly become one of my favorite destinations on the web.

ShanKri-la is authored by Karthik, an IT professional residing in East Lansing, Michigan. He is married to the lovely Shriya of Spicy Tasty. Today is Karthik’s 30th birthday, so this review is my little way of wishing him a wonderful day!

The ShanKri-la archives date back to October 2006 and are chock full of articles on blogging, web applications, and various other internet related topics. Every now and then, we even get a little glimpse of the man behind the blog. ShanKri-la currently boasts more than 300 RSS subscribers and a PageRank of 4.

I’d like to highlight a few of the many wonderful posts on ShanKri-la.

Top 5 Must Read Blogs - This post introduces some great blogs related to technology and blogging. I can’t believe that Karthik forgot to include Blogging Gal on the list!

Top WordPress Plugins - A list, complete with descriptions, of the more than 65 plugins utilized and highly recommended by Karthik.

Guide to Managing Your Non-essential Passwords - Tips and tools for managing your list of passwords.

I can’t possibly do the blog justice by shining the spotlight on only three posts, so I ask you to check out the wealth of information on ShanKri-la for yourself. The blog is visually pleasing, easy to understand, and frequently updated. It will make a great addition to your feed reader. When you stop by, be sure to wish Karthik a happy birthday!

Happy birthday, K!

I read a lot of great blogging and technology blogs, but MeAndMyDrum is one of my favorites. Authored by Mark Sierra, the blog features blogging tips and software reviews, as well as information on current events and whatever other topics happen to catch Mark’s attention.

Though Mark may not consider himself a professional blogger, his work is some of the most professional I’ve seen. In addition to MeAndMyDrum, he authors two other blogs - Darn Good Reviews and Family WebWatch. He also contributes to Blog About Your Blog, BlogsWeLuv, and Digital Journal. Yes, he’s a blogging machine! And whether he’s blogging about the latest technology or how to stop stuffing your pie hole, each post is well thought out, exceptionally well written, and a joy to read.

MeAndMyDrum was launched in February 2007. It recently broke into the Technorati Top 10K, currently boasting a rank of 8,420. There are nearly 200 RSS subscribers.

Perhaps the best way to introduce you to MeAndMyDrum is to highlight a few posts that I enjoyed.

Wendy’s Doesn’t Know What I Deserve - Mark reflects on his lunch at Wendy’s, and more specifically, how advertising can influence a person’s behavior.

Twas My Blog Before Christmas - A very clever, creative post that all bloggers can relate to.

How to Find Hot Spots on Your Blog - A review of Crazy Egg, a free product that uses heat maps to display where your readers are looking and clicking on your blog. This information can be used to determine ad placement, thereby increasing your online income.

2 Tips for Eliminating Blogger’s Block - Reviews of Google Notebook and Diigo, two of the tools Mark uses when generating ideas for upcoming posts.

There are lots of other great posts you’re sure to enjoy, so head on over to MeAndMyDrum and give it a look. This blog will make a great addition to your feed reader!

If you’re looking for a little free exposure for your site, please consider visiting BlogsWeLuv. Mike Wheeler and I co-founded the site in June 2007, and it has since expanded to include several other contributors. We highlight unique and interesting sites by posting blog reviews and conducting interviews with bloggers.

The quickest and easiest way to have your blog featured on the site is by participating in our 10 Question interview. All bloggers are welcome. In fact, many of the blogs we have chosen to review on the site were discovered through the 10 Question interviews. This is your opportunity to share your thoughts on blogging and to promote your site. Even if your blog has already been reviewed on the site, you are still free to participate in our interview for some additional publicity.

We host a contest on BlogsWeLuv each month, with the winner receiving a blog review written by yours truly. You still have plenty of time to get your entry in the January contest. All you need to do is subscribe to the BlogsWeLuv feed and leave a comment on the contest post. One random winner will be chosen at midnight on January 31st. A review of the winning blog will be posted during the first week of February. And don’t fret if you don’t win. As I mentioned, we host a new contest each month.

Speaking of contests, you still have time to get your entry into the Blogging Gal Contest #1. You can win a review of your blog as well as a 125 x 125 pixel banner ad spot for the entire month of February! Good luck!

Having co-founded a blog review site, I have a lot of experience when it comes to writing reviews. It is a time consuming process, but very enjoyable. I hope that you will consider my 10 tips for writing an outstanding review when you’re ready to pen your next review.

1. Keep a notepad handy. Use it to record the information I’ve listed below. Don’t start typing until the notepad is overflowing with material for your review.
2. Get to know the author. Reading the About page and the initial post to the blog will often supply you with biographical information as well as the author’s purpose and goals for the blog.
3. Collect data. Gather information such as age of the blog, frequency of posts, number of RSS subscribers, Technorati rank, Alexa traffic rank, and any noteworthy accomplishments.
4. Familiarize yourself with the layout and design of the blog. Take note of the features you like as well as those you don’t.
5. Read through the archives. You should dedicate a significant amount of time to the archives. You can’t write a great review without actually reading the blog. Skimming will not suffice.
6. Highlight your favorite posts. When you find posts that you particularly enjoy, share them with your readers.
7. Find suitable graphics. The use of logos, photos, or screenshots will make your article more interesting and compelling.
8. Offer suggestions. Most bloggers appreciate honest feedback, so be sure to offer a few suggestions for improvement.
9. Put forth your best effort. Keep in mind that your article is a reflection of you. Quality content will keep your readers coming back.
10. Proofread. I cannot stress enough how important proofreading is. Before you publish, read the article twice. Use a spellchecker if necessary.

I spend an average of 4-5 hours per review, and you should be prepared to as well. A well-written review should entice your readers to visit the subject blog. The subject blog will often link back to your post. It’s a win-win situation.

We all face writer’s block from time to time, but there are some great blogs that can inspire you and get those fingers moving again. One such site is Blogging Calendar, authored by David Cooley of CyberCoder fame.

Blogging Calendar is a new blog, started in November 2007. Its purpose is to provide writing ideas related to dates coming up on the calendar. Title and keyword suggestions are also provided.

Most of us are well aware of the major holidays, but Blogging Calendar also gives information on lesser known holidays and events, as well as important dates in history. Topics featured for November and December included Black Friday, Cyber Monday, the attack on Pearl Harbor, the death of John Lennon, and the landing of the Mayflower at Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Information on the International Consumer Electronics Show and the NFL Playoffs has already been posted for January.

Blogging Calendar would make a great addition to your feed aggregator. Even if you never run out of things to blog about, there is always some interesting information on the site. Take a moment to stop by and check it out, and tell David that Blogging Gal sent ya!

In order to introduce you to some great blogging resources, I have decided to review one blog from my blogroll each week.

If you have a blog that serves as a resource to other bloggers and you would like to be added to the blogroll, please contact me. I am interested in blogs that pertain to blogging - tips, tricks, news, reviews, etc. I do ask for a reciprocal link.

The first review will be posted tomorrow.