This post isn’t about blogging, but it does relate to something most of us bloggers are interested in – making money online.

Like many of you, I upgrade my cell phone every two years. In the past, my old phones have collected dust for months, or even years, before finally being donated to a local charity. Over the past few months, I’ve seen a number of sponsored posts for companies that purchase used cell phones. And since I recently upgraded from a Sony Ericsson to a Blackberry Pearl, I decided to try to make a few bucks to offset the cost of my new phone.

First of all, I got quotes from the companies I had seen advertised in the sponsored posts. They all quoted my phone at about $5. Next, I Googled sell cell phones online and found a huge list of companies that purchase used phones. I checked out a number of sites and finally settled on a company called Simply Sellular. They offered a whopping $24 my phone!

I’m not sure exactly how all the other companies operate, but I’ll tell you about my experience with Simply Sellular. After agreeing to sell my phone to them, they sent me a prepaid envelope to ship it in. They want only the phone – no chargers or other accessories. The phone must have a working battery, and it is preferred that you ship it with a full charge. It took about 3-4 weeks to get my check, but it did arrive as promised.

If you have some old cell phones lying around, I encourage you to do some price comparison to get the best possible deal. And please let me and the Blogging Gal readers know about your experience with the company you choose to do business with.

For those of you who would rather donate your phone to a good cause, there are a number of organizations that will refurbish the phones and provide them to battered women or other people in need. Simply Sellular offers this service, but so do many other companies. A Google search can send you in the right direction.

Good luck!

Here are a few great posts from my list of regular reads. Enjoy!

The Importance of Finding Your Blogging Voice - If you’re struggling to find your blogging voice, this guest post on John Chow Dot Com gives some excellent tips.

Project Wonderful Review and Tips - I’ve been curious about the Project Wonderful ad widgets I’ve been seeing lately. After reading this terrific review on Blog About Your Blog, I signed up for an account and will be giving Project Wonderful a try. If you’re looking for additional ways to monetize your blog, be sure to check it out.

50 Creative Ways to Make Your Blog Popular - We can all benefit from this post by Jai of Blog Oh! Blog. I especially like the bumper sticker suggestion!

Make Money Online - Online Money Makers That Work - Aaron Cook discusses the affiliate programs and sites that have performed best for him.   This is a great article, but I’m warning you - the photo is more than a little frightening!

Blogging Fatigue - 8 Tips to Get Over Your Blogging Blues - We all suffer from blogging burnout every now and then.  This guest post on ProBlogger offers some great recovery options.

A well designed About page is an integral part of connecting with your readers. I’ve gone back to some of the best About pages I’ve seen and compiled a list of their commonalities. If your About page does not include most or all of these components, you should consider making a few revisions to create a more welcoming and rewarding experience for your readers.

  1. Author bio and photo - Your content can be the best in the world, but without some personal information and a face to tie it all to, it is difficult to develop a community feel for your blog. If you have privacy or safety concerns, consider using an alias. A caricature could be used in place of a photo.
  2. Blog details - Provide information such as the mission of the blog, its history, significant achievements, and statistics.
  3. Popular posts - Link your readers to the most visited posts on your blog, as well as to those you consider to be your best work.
  4. Link to RSS feed - You probably have a link to the feed on your homepage, but adding one to the About page will increase your changes of securing subscribers.
  5. Information and links to the author’s other blogs - Take the opportunity to promote your other blogs. Readers who enjoy your writing style will be inclined to visit your other sites.
  6. Links to social networking profiles - Allow readers to easily connect to you through social networking sites such as StumbleUpon, MyBlogLog, BlogCatalog, Pownce, and Twitter.
  7. Further reading - Link to reviews of your blog, interviews you’ve given, or any other relevant information outside your site.
  8. Contact information - This could include a contact form or link to a Contact page, personal email addresses, or instant messenger IDs.

Here are a few examples of excellent About pages. Check them out for a little inspiration.

Using the tips above, I’ve revised my own About page. This is what the page looked like before.

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The new version is now active.

I wish you the best of luck in creating your new About page!

Help me build my RSS readership, and you could win a review of your blog and a 125 x 125 pixel banner ad spot for one month!

All you need to do is subscribe to my feed and leave a comment saying that you’ve done so. If you’re already subscribed, just leave a comment to get your entry.

The contest will run until midnight on February 29th. At that time, I will select a winner through random.org. I will post a review of the winning blog during the first week of March. The winner will also receive a 125 x 125 pixel banner ad spot on this site for the entire month of March.

Even if your blog has already been reviewed on Blogging Gal, you can still enter to win the banner ad spot.

Good luck!

My first contest has come to a close. The winner is Mark of MeAndMyDrum! Congratulations, Mark!

I have already posted a review of MeAndMyDrum, but Mark also receives a 125 x 125 banner ad spot for the entire month of February! Just send me your ad, Mark, and I’ll get it up on the site!

Details on the next contest will be posted momentarily!

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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!

In just a few short days, I will be selecting a random winner in the Blogging Gal Contest #1. The lucky winner will receive a blog review as well as a 125 x 125 pixel banner ad spot for the entire month of February. All you have to do to secure your entry is subscribe to my feed and then comment on the original contest post. If you’re already subscribed, that’s great. Just leave a comment to get your entry.

I’ll host a similar contest each month, so if you don’t win in January, you’ll have plenty of other opportunities. Good luck!


I’ve read a lot of great articles this past week, but here are the ones I think you’ll find most useful for your blog.

Socialize Me! Wordpress Plugin - This new plugin gives you a new way to connect with readers from various social networking sites. Supports StumbleUpon, Digg, Facebook, Twitter, Pownce, and others.

10 Tips for Writing Good Content and Attracting Readers - Great advice from Blog Oh! Blog.

Free Search Engine Friendly Wordpress Theme - Garry Conn just released Digs’em, a great tool for getting your content indexed and ranked in the search engines.

How to Make CPC Ads Convert - This article from ProBlogger is a must read for anyone interested in increasing revenue from Cost Per Click ads.

14 Awesome Reasons to Start Blogging Today! - A list of reasons people blog and great examples to go along with each reason.

I was tagged by Jim of U-Turn Ahead to list seven weird facts about myself. In keeping with the theme of this blog, here are seven strange blogging facts about me.

  1. I once authored a blog called The Daily Dump. It consisted of nothing but bathroom humor. One regular feature was Defecation Station, in which I reviewed the restrooms of local establishments.
  2. I also authored a blog called Find Tish a Boyfriend. The blog was a bust, as was my search for a boyfriend. So yes, Blogging Gal is still on the market! If any of you nice, young geeks are interested, drop me a line through the contact form.
  3. I’m a big fan of Minor League Baseball, and I’ve often blogged about my favorite player on my personal blog. In 2006, I got an email from my favorite player’s father! While googling his son, he came across some photos I had taken and posted on my personal blog, The Kat House. He kindly thanked me for being a fan and offered to send me some autographed cards. Since that time, we have become friends and keep in touch regularly by email. And I have a nice collection of autographed baseball cards! My favorite player has since moved to the Major League!
  4. I’m the blogosphere’s leading authority on Cootie Brown, and I have an entire category devoted to him on The Kat House.
  5. I participated in Blogathon 2007, blogging for 24 straight hours on my blog review site, BlogsWeLuv.
  6. I used to participate in a community art project called Half Nekkid Thursday. Participants posted artsy “half nekkid” photos on their blogs each Thursday.
  7. My last serious relationship, which ended nearly a year ago, was with another blogger.

I’d like to tag the following bloggers: Andrew, Aaron Cook, Josey, Wm H, and Laura Williams.


I’ve been anxiously awaiting the launch of Blogging Startup, a blog dedicated to providing “support, advice, and warnings for those starting a blog.” The official launch date is today, January 23rd.

Blogging Startup is authored by Jim Lockwood of U-Turn Ahead and SevenActions.com fame. With his new blog, Jim plans to share his passion for blogging and the Internet by posting articles to make the process of starting a blog as simple and painless as possible.

Please take a moment to stop by and welcome Blogging Startup to the neighborhood!