New Promotion Tools

So, a while back I posted about Squidoo Lens Promotion Techniques. Since then, I have come across a host of great tools I never knew existed, so I thought I would do a follow-up post and hopefully you'll find a couple of cool new tricks you didn't know about as well. Before we dive in, though, I want to first suggest that if you have not yet taken the time to read the first post, you might want to do that now.

• Google Blog Search: Sure you've probably listed your blogs with this search engine, but did you ever think of also listing web pages? Any web page that you intend to update on occasion, such as a Squidoo lens, can also be the perfect addition to their search engine! Individual articles can also be registered and will be pinged any time a new comment is added.


• 01dir.com: If you have an excessive amount of links you want to organize, why not create your own directory? This can offer a source of linkbacks and you can even offer the service to other people who are trying to promote similar links. They'll be more than appreciative!


• spynbuy
  This is a social network designed for people looking to sell stuff. Their specialty? Video marketing! But they offer several other options as well. The site is still very new and has about a billion and a half things on the to-do list, but getting in now and networking a little while the ground floor is still being laid will give you the opportunity to watch this young site flourish. But you should be aware that because it's so young, it's not very easy to navigate. If you are a novice, it might not be the best tool for you unless you are extremely patient.


• Squoogle:
  This is one of my newest absolute favorites! Why? It's a Link Directory for specific freelance sites including Associated Content, Gather, Squidoo, HubPages and LaunchTags. Why is this so incredible? Well, in case you haven't noticed, the growing area of people driven media sites full of single articles or one page sites is becoming more and more profitable. At the same time, we're the red-headed step children of the online writing realm. We aren't exactly blogging, even though we often ping our work and use traditional blog tools. But we also aren't "professional" in the sense that the vast majority of people contributing to these sites do not have the background education and the experience necessary to regard these sites as professional sites. Yet, here we are, somewhere in the middle. This directory, though, gives these lonely sites a bond. It also encourages interaction between these social networks, which is great for back links and building credibility in the eyes of the illustrious Google's search engine!


• SquidUtils:
  If you are on Squidoo and haven't found this site, you will want to bookmark it immediately! It is a great supplementary resource to the new and improved Squidoo Dashboard. (If you haven't visited your lenses in about a week or two, go check them out right now because the new Dashboard will blow you away!)


• Lensroll.com:
  This is a social bookmarking site exclusively for Lensmasters . I hope to post a more in depth review at some point in the future on how to use this site effectively to promote your lenses and even boost your lensrank without using the you-vote-for-me-and-I'll-vote-for-you approach, which does not do much to improve your ratings in the long run.


• OnlyWire and SocialMarker:
  I lump these in together because they are pretty much offering the same service: an all-in-one social bookmarking tool to help you add a link to a ton of bookmarking sites at once. It takes a lot of online legwork out of the promotion process and makes adding a link to several bookmarking sites much easier! Out of the two, Social Marker seems to have more sites available, but Only Wire takes less time. I suggest checking them both out and deciding for yourself which you like. But remember to add more links than just the ones you are promoting- you don't want to be viewed as a spammer by some of these sites!

This is it for now. Take some time this week to muddle through these sites and find the ones that will be helpful to you and bookmark them. As time goes on and I have more experience with each of these tools, I may on occasion dedicate entire posts to tricks and cool stuff I have learned about them since writing this post. Until then, however, if you have any questions about these sites I haven't covered, drop me a line and let me know what's on your mind. If I don't know, I will do my best to point you to someone who will know. Thanks again for reading and I hope all of you will benefit greatly from these outstanding resources!

Zazzle Memorial Day Sale

In honor of those serving in the military and the celebratory spirit of freedom, Zazzle is currently hosting a Memorial Day Sale that you do not want to miss, especially if you have been eying several different products. Through the end of today only, you can get 15% off on orders of $65 or more. That means you will save almost $10 automatically for $65 orders, and as you buy more, your savings increase! So, how do you get this sale price? Only by using the special promo code: MEMORIALSALE

Also in the spirit of paying homage to those who fight for our freedom, here is a design I created in honor of those who have served America with their lives on the line. I call it "Navy Pride". It's also available as a keychain, mousepad, or even postage stamps. What better postage to use to send a postcard or letter to your loved one in service? And you can use the magnet to hang up the latest letter you received from the front lines. A beautiful design in honor of the bravery of men and women who have risked and continue to risk their lives in service daily to protect the freedoms we enjoy.

Navy Pride Magnet by cherangelry

Get this custom magnet at Zazzle

(I should also mention that while this sale is a Memorial Day Sale, the sale is not limited to items related to the holiday, so feel free to shop around and find a cart load of items that seem to have been designed just for you!)

A Diplomatic Response

In response to the letter I wrote to my Congressman John Linder, I received this blanket email. For those of you who may not be aware, it is very common for political leaders to have the staff draft up some formal response to be given on common topics. While this does not offer much hope, if any, to the community of writers and artists for the legislation NOT passing, it might at least offer some insight into the minds of the congressmen leaning towards passing the bill. Without any further introduction, here is the email:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the protection of so-called "Orphan Works." I appreciate hearing from you.

On April 24, 2008, Representative Howard Berman (D-CA) introduced H.R. 5889, the "Orphan Works Act of 2008." This bill would limit the remedies available for copyright infringement if the infringing party can prove that an unsuccessful, but reasonably diligent search to locate the copyright owner was conducted and the infringing party provided attribution to the owner, if known. The infringing party must also file a Notice of Use with the Register of Copyrights before the orphaned work may be used. H.R. 5889 would provide reasonable compensation to the copyright owner for infringement unless the infringement was for non-commercial purposes by a primarily charitable, religious, scholarly, or educational purpose, and the infringement ceases upon notification. Currently, an amended version of this bill is pending before the House Committee on the Judiciary, where it awaits further consideration.

As you may know, Orphan Works are copyrighted works whose owners may be impossible to identify and locate. In recent years, concerns have been raised that the uncertainty surrounding ownership of such works might needlessly discourage subsequent creators and users from incorporating the works in a new creative effort or making them available to the public.

In response to these concerns, the U.S. Copyright Office conducted and published a study regarding Orphan Works in 2006. The Copyright Office has recommended a solution that will allow an individual the use of a work if that individual has conducted an unsuccessful but reasonably diligent, good faith search for the copyright owner. Should the copyright owner later resurface, they would be entitled to "reasonable compensation," which would be defined as the amount a reasonable, willing buyer and seller would have agreed to at the time the use was commenced. The Copyright Office also suggests that a "safe harbor" provision be included in any Orphan Works legislation. A safe harbor provision would protect the non-commercial use of an Orphan Work by a museum or university, for example, that used such work for a cultural or educational purpose, provided that the infringing entity ceased using the work upon the resurfacing of the copyright holder.

Intellectual property rights reform is both important and necessary. As a general rule, I support Title 17 copyright protections for artists and their original works, but I also believe it is important to strike a balance between that posture and the preservation of fair use rights and practices. As such, I am inclined to support H.R. 5889 or the recommendations by the Copyright Office, as long as they do not take away from artists what is rightfully theirs or limit innovation.

Again, thank you for contacting me. If I can be of further assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to call on me.

Sincerely,

John Linder
Member of Congress

Personally, I think there must be a better way of achieving a "balance between [copywrite protection] and the preservation of fair use rights and practices" than this approach. In my research, I have found that there is quite a bit of support not only on Capital Hill, but even from some elite artists groups. This might be because if you are making a significant amount of money from your work, this legislation might go farther toward securing your rights, but if you are like me and cannot afford to register everything you create, what happens then? And what about the impact on research for students? Has anyone considered this? This may change entirely the ability of the school administrators to punish and/or bring any charges against plagiarizers because of "fair use" laws. I admit that I am not the most well-versed in this type of legislation, so I could be extrapolating on points that might or might not really be issues in the long run, but I remain a concerned citizen on these points. I guess only time will tell exactly how this bill will affect writers, artists, and other creators in the US and all over the globe.

New Legislation Threatens Copywrite Laws

Today I was checking out the forum on Zazzle when I came across a very disturbing post explaining about a new bill set to hit Congress any minute now that could jeopardize the protection of inferred copy write laws that are currently in place. Essentially, this set of legislation will strongly encourage the legal theft of content not registered properly. So, what are the particulars?

"Orphan" Works
Any work that cannot be connected to a creator after a "reasonable search" will be deemed an "orphan" work and be eligible for public use under fair use laws. This is especially significant for people like me who create images that are often more difficult to trace back to an original creator. Also, if the interested party does not search the correct registry, but has proof that they conducted a "reasonable search", what is to stop them from using my images? Do you see the problem here?

Privatized Registeries
Instead of a single registry run by the US government, the new system will require artists, writers, and other creators, to register with privatized registries. This means that a private company will be able to set the price for registering. You can bet that because of this set up, some are ready and waiting to pounce and make LOADS of money on this. The people who lose? Once again, the ones who cannot afford to lose.

What does this mean for the average artist, writer, creator, etc?

• significantly higher costs to protect your content
  
• incentive for other people to not find who created your work so they can make money on it
  
• if someone finds an "orphan work" you created and you later claim it, even if you have proof of creation, if they register it, it is theirs to use and profit from
  
• this effects more than just the copy write laws in the US, but affects artists and creators all over the globe- if an American finds an orphaned work someone in Italy created, what's to stop them from registering it and profiting?
  

Personally, I have not been able to find any good thing about this law except the disgusting amount of money all the big whigs are posed to make from it. So, what can you do to stop this thing?

1. Do your own research. Understand exactly what is going on with this thing before you decide to jump on board. (This is always a good precaution in dealing with legal advocacy.)
   
2. Contact your congressman and/or representative. Let them know your concerns as a voting citizen and ask them to support you and others like you in preventing this bill from passing.
   
3. Sign petitions like this one.
   
4. Let all of your friends and family know about what's going on. You can do this with an email, joining the facebook petition group and inviting all your friends to join, starting discussions on any web forum you frequent often, etc. The point is, the word needs to get out SOON! With the presidential elections coming up, this bill is probably going to be fast-tracked through before most Congressmen really take notice of what it's really saying. This dangerous bill NEEDS our opposition now!
   

For more information about this, check out the following links:
Orphaned Works- No Myth
ASMP Orphan Works Legislation
How to Lose All the Rights to Every Piece of Art You Ever Created
Orphan Works Act of 2008 Squidoo lens

Life-Changing News: I'm Going to be a Pirate!

So, this week, in the middle of wrapping up final exams and projects for the semester, I received some HUGE news! Those of you who have been reading for a while know that I received my bachelors degree in psychology last May and have since been working on getting the prerequisite classes for a masters program in Occupational Therapy. Well, I finally received word this week that I have been accepted into the program at East Carolina University! Go Pirates!!!

This means that this summer I will be spending every waking moment working to finish up some last classes and preparing to make the big move. I am hoping to maintain this blog as I take on this new journey, and include updates on my various online endeavors as well, so don't start crying, it's good news for all of us!

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In other news, I have found several resources in my web travels this past week or two that I am excited to share with you. It includes a bit of everything for just about everyone, so be sure to check them all out and let me know what you think.

• OnlyWire: a Social Bookmarking tool that allows you to save your bookmarks to over 20 of the hottest bookmarking sites on the web by filling out only one form
  
  As you can imagine, this would be an incredible tool for promoting specific websites and driving traffic your way. It cuts down on a lot of mind-numbing tedious work to give you the best results for as little effort as necessary. There are still several big sites (like Digg) that are not yet supported by OnlyWire. Continue to promote to these separately in order to get optimum results. See this article for more info.
  
  
• Lapbooking: a tool often utilized for homeschooling, but useful for anyone wanting to organize a bunch of information on a specific topic in a visually appealing manner
  
  Essentially, a lapbook is a folder full of "mini-books" on sub-topics of the overall theme. This can be really handy in pulling together all the things that a homeschooled child has learned on a given topic, but it can easily be utilized for other purposes as well. Personally, I think it would be a great way to improve memory in older adults because it offers a creative way for them to integrate new information. It also offers a unique incentive to learn new things, which offers neural stimulation to the brain in a way that many adults do not ordinarily receive. This is a great way to challenge an aging brain to continue growing and forming new connections, which will go a far way towards maintaining a young and sharp mind.
  
  
• Go Ask Grandpa: a really cute and simple Q&A website
  
  This site is written by a grandfatherly physicist who is very wise with lots of academic knowledge and hard-earned experience. He encourages anyone and everyone to submit questions to him on anything really. Out of his bustle of children and grandchildren, he has several experts in many different fields at his service to call upon as references in answering your questions. If Google doesn't give you what you want and you have a couple of days to find the answer, why not give Grandpa a try? You might find that his years of knowledge and experience answer your question better than you thought!
  

That's all for now, but stay tuned. Spring is thick in the air and opportunities abound. As I find exciting new resources and have developments in my various projects, I will be sure to pass them along to you.

An Ironic Award and the Hidden Lesson it Poses

If you have been to my gallery lately, you probably know that I have done a huge overhaul on the look and feel of the storefront. I changed the banner at the top to a more generic look and edited the text and background color to match. I also spent several hours yesterday just trying to organize my products into product lines by image. (For example all of my products featuring the image "Winged Texture" now has it's own little place in my store instead of trying to categorize them by type of image like I had tried to do before.) In the midst of all that work I also managed to publish a ton of new products- so many that I currently have 322 products, with about 100 more "in progress". With all of the change, I decided to do something I have never done before- publish a product with an image that was NOT a fractal art piece. It was very simple, just a plain brown background with some brightly colored polka dots. I didn't expect it to get any extraordinary attention, but it fits my personal style, so I thought, why not publish it and see what happens. Well, guess what?! This piece I had almost no faith in has won me my first award on Zazzle- "Today's Best, May 4th". How crazy is that?! Ha! (Here's a link if you want to check it out.)

I guess the lesson here is that you never really know what people will think until you take a chance. Just because you didn't spend 5 years creating it does not mean that it is a bad design or that it is in any way inferior to your other pieces. I'm hoping to take a few more chances in the future and see how they pay off. This result encouraged me to publish my first t-shirt. You can see it here.

I hope that each of you reading this blog will allow my experience to encourage you to challenge your approach not only to your creative pursuits, but life in general. As creatures of comfort, we often paint ourselves into a corner just by always doing what we've always done and thereby always getting what we have always gotten. But I don't think we were designed to act this way. I think our hesitancy towards change is a direct result of doubting our instincts. My instinct told me that the design, though simple, was a good one. I took a chance and it paid off. The creative spirit and gut instinct often knows better than the rational logic, but too often as people we think so much about something that we miss out on great opportunities. I don't expect that this award will change your life forever, but I do hope that the story it represents will provoke you to live your life with a little more courage to do what you know is right, taking a chance on your instincts every now and again. You might not always be right, but living your life choosing to take opportunities as they arise instead of watching them pass you by will give you a renewed sense of adventure and curiosity about life that we often lose with age.

New Functionality of Zazzle

While I was busy studying, writing, and doing other nonsensical things to wrap up the end of another semester of college, the developers at Zazzle were busy releasing some new upgrades they have been working so diligently on. So, I want to walk you through some of the differences and discuss some of the cool new functionality that it brings to the user interface.

In the Zazzle Blog posting about the updates, these were the features that were advertised:

• Larger Product Views
  
• Smaller Right Hand Navigation
  
• Management Tools in MyZazzle
  
• Private Galleries
  

These changes took place earlier this week, but since I've been busy tying up loose ends with my classes, I just had time to check these features out and form an opinion. Overall, I'm very impressed. I even made my gallery "private" for about an hour while I worked on improving the appearance. (Click here to see my progress!)

Another function not noted in the blog is the Products tab of the myZazzle dashboard is much easier to maneuver. If you're like me, you often have a lot of products In Progress. Now, this is by default what you see when you click on the Products tab! This may not seem like a big deal, but when you have pages full of products and you can take one click out of the process, you'll quickly understand how big of an impact this small change makes in the long run!

If you checked out my new gallery look, you'll note that I now have my tools on the left hand side of the page as well. This small change drastically alters the user interface. Most users are used to seeing the navigational tools on this side anyways, so it might make navigation easier for users who are not as web-savvy. My point is that with all the features and new functionality of this update, it is easier than ever to personalize your gallery and optimize your storefront to increase profitability.

However, while this update did take a big step in the right direction, Zazzle still has several updates that I would consider to be essential steps in stream-lining the process of product publication, gallery management, and promotional tools. As these updates happen, I'll be sure to let you know.