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  • Guest Post – The Top 10 WordPress Plug-ins Every Blogger Should Have by Kate Croston

    Guest Post – The Top 10 WordPress Plug-ins Every Blogger Should Have by Kate Croston

    This is a guest post by Kate Croston who is a freelance writer, holds a bachelors degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. She writes guest posts for different sites and loves contributing home internet service related topics. Questions or comments can be sent to:  katecroston.croston09 @ gmail.com.

    WordPress is one of the easiest to use and most functional blogging software suites you can find. One of the advantages of using it is the plethora of plug-ins available for it. Here are the top ten plug-ins that no webmaster should be without:

    1. Google Analytics
      This plug-in allows you to embed your Google Analytics code into every page and post you produce. This allows you to track visitors, links in and a variety of other data.
    2. Google XML Sitemaps
      Search engine indexing is a huge part of having a high search engine results rank. This add-on automatically helps you generate and update an XML map that makes indexing more efficient.
    3. Jetpack by WordPress.com
      Jetpack allows you to connect your domain or hosted blog to your WordPress.com account. Doing so gives you access to features that are normally only available on the WordPress domain.
    4. Pinterest Pin It Button
      This up and coming social media site brags a higher on site time that even Facebook. Using the “Pin It” plug-in, people can automatically feature your site on their Pinterest profile wall.
    5. WP-Polls
      If you want to know what people think of your site, one of your best solutions is to add a poll to your website. WP-Polls is a quick and easy to use way to do so, and polls do not have ads embedded in them with this plug-in.
    6. Akismet
      While getting comments is a great part of running a blog, spam comments are annoying. Use Aksimet to automatically filter out spam from your blog’s comments.
    7. Add Link to Facebook
      This plug-in will automatically publish links to any new content on your blog to your Facebook profile. It can also integrate Facebook “likes” and comments to your blog posts.
    8. Twitter Bird on Site
      If you want to add Twitter options to your blog, install this plug-in. It adds a Twitter bird to your site that allows people to follow you.
    9. Sweet Captcha
      This is a Captcha tool that is not nearly as frustrating to use as most other Captcha services. Instead of verifying words or letters, you are asked to select a picture.
    10. WP-Instaroll
      This plug-in allows you to create blog posts from your Instagram photos. The add-on allows you to select images directly from your photo stream.

    If you want to make sure that you have all the tools you need for a successful site, make sure to install these WordPress plug-ins.

  • Social Media for Authors and Planting a Story Seed. Slideshow fans, get ready to geek out.

    Social Media for Authors and Planting a Story Seed. Slideshow fans, get ready to geek out.

    This past weekend I was fortunate enough to have been invited to be a part of the 2012 Tallgrass Writing Workshop. This thing has been going on every year for the past 27 years; I definitely do not take lightly the privilege of being part of such a legacy.

    Aside from participating in general camaraderie, I taught two sessions. Both of which seem to have been pretty successful (despite my habit of talking WAY too much).

    For the benefit of those who were not able to attend my sessions (due to simultaneous, better sessions), I have uploaded my two original slideshows for the viewing pleasure of all. The social media one even has audio included. Neat!

    Click the links below the images to access the slideshows.

    Watch at Slideshare.net (with audio) | Watch using Google+

    SURVIVING ONLINE: Why Social Media is Not a Waste of Time for Authors

    Some writers claim that time spent engaging in social media is time wasted. But what is an author but a communicator of ideas, and what is social media but a platform for exchanging ideas (primarily by text, I might add). This session will focus on how the entrepreneurial author, even without a book yet to promote, can use social media not just for nurturing a potential readership but for nurturing story ideas as well.

    Watch at Slideshare.net | Watch using Google+

    PLANTING A STORY: How to Grow a Plot from a Single Seed

    Author Stephen Graham Jones has said that many of his story ideas stem from misheard conversations. This session will explore the process of building an entire story from practically nothing, with special consideration given to dismantling the sham known as writer’s block.

  • Book design, Cover Alteration, Slipcases, and Integral Design (Video Blog Ep 013)

    Here, in this part 2 of a 2 part-er, I look at a few examples of book design: Cover Alteration, Slipcases, and Integral Design. Examples include Donna Tartt’s The Secret Friend, Chuck Palahniuk’s Diary, Douglas Coupland’s The Gum Thief, Mark Z. Danielewski’s Only Revolutions and House of Leaves, Adam Novy’s Avian Gospels, Chip Kidd’s The Learners, and a collection of three Tim Hall books.

    View part one here.

  • Recorded live from the “$@!# Authors Say” reading in Kansas City, MO.

    A few nights ago, some Kansas City authors put together a reading at the Czar Bar (which has a damn amazing hamburger, fyi) at which I read my non-fiction piece “Strippers with Your Son.” Extra special to the event is that I began my reading with a sing-along to Jason Webley’s “Drinking Song.” So, if you love true tales about strippers, father/son on stripper action, and bloody strippers, the watch this video.

    Other featured authors from the night include Gordon Highland, Phil Jourdan, Hampton Stevens, Hollie Hayes, and Brandon Tietz.

  • Part Four of Four Dialogues on Literature with Pablo D’Stair and Caleb J. Ross, live at the Sunday Observer

    Part Four of Four Dialogues on Literature with Pablo D’Stair and Caleb J. Ross, live at the Sunday Observer

    Part four of what may be the most interesting dialog I’ve ever had with another human being (I’ve had plenty of good ones with cats) is now live at the Sunday Observer. Pablo D’Stair and I talk all sorts of shop. Seriously, and I say this as objectively as one can when the subject of a piece, this thing is worth reading, all parts, one through four.

    Read part four, here.

    Then, be sure to read part one and part two and part three as well.

  • Book design, Die-cut and Image Wrap book covers (Video Blog Ep 012)

    Book design, Die-cut and Image Wrap book covers (Video Blog Ep 012)

    In this episode I examine two examples of book design: the die-cut cover and the photo finish (or ImageWrap) while touching on the the embossed hardcover. Examples include Denis Johnson’s Nobody Move, Chuck Palahniuk’s Rant, Donna Tartt’s The Little Friend, Tim Etchells’ The Broken World, Brian Evenson’s Baby Leg, and Will Christopher Baer’s Hell’s Half Acre.

  • Live Author Reading will Change Your Life!

    With two Kansas City area readings coming up, and a few people asking me what the heck an author reading is, I decided to make this quick video, as a bumper of sorts, to preface any future events. If this doesn’t get people in the door, what the hell will?

    What are the upcoming events? Glad you asked. Here: