Register by May 23 for Amphora Blogging Seminar

Mimi and I met with Eran Davidov, who will be speaking at the Amphora Events Seminar on May 26 on “Nice Blog, But Are You Making Any Money?” Eran’s first point was that blogging isn’t philanthropy.

A lot of bloggers, especially Jewish bloggers, start writing for idealistic reasons. But there are legitimate ways to earn from a website, while still serving your readers. Earning money from blogging is just as ethical as teaching a course or marketing a book. What counts is how you do it.

Using data from an Israeli blog, Eran will explain how to analyze and increase incoming traffic. He’ll provide examples of tactics and strategies for writing content that attracts readers, and information and insight from his work at Israel Catalog.

Karin Kloosterman, editor of the Middle Eastern environmental blog Green Prophet and a blogger at the largest blog in the world, Huffington Post, will speak on “The Ethical Line between Blogging and Journalism.”

Full description of sessions and bios

Seminar for Bloggers, Journalists, Writers and Web Publishers

Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2010.

Time: 19:00-22:00

Location: East-West House, Yaffo

Admission: NIS 75 with registration by May 23, NIS 85 at the door.

To register, email amphora.events@gmail.com.

The East-West House, 16 Dr. Paul Erlich St., Jaffa

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Seminar for Bloggers, Journalists, Writers and Web Publishers

An Amophora Events seminar May 26

for serious bloggers, journalists and Web publishers

With speakers

Karin Kloosterman, editor of Green Prophet

The Ethical Line Between Blogging And Journalism

Eran Davidov of Israel Catalog

Nice Blog But Are You Making Any Money?

Join two of Israel’s most experienced Web authors in an interactive seminar on the top challenges for bloggers today:

How can I make a profit and gain credibility at the same time?

Blogs have transformed news gathering: Delve into matching the ethical guidelines of journalism with Green Prophet’s Karin Kloosterman. Then follow Eran Davidov on how to monetize your blog effectively without alienating loyal readers.

• Hear current thinking on these vital topics

• Meet and network with other writers

************

Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Time: 19:00-22:00

Location: East-West House, 16 Erlich St., Yaffo (Directions below)

NIS 75 with pre-registration until May 23

NIS 85 at the door

Register via email to amphora.events@gmail.com

Refreshments will be served.

About the speakers:

Karin Kloosterman is founder and editor of Green Prophet (www.greenprophet.com), an environment news website covering the Middle East. Blogging for Hufffington Post, the world’s most popular blog, and others, she is an experienced freelance journalist with articles published in hundreds of newspapers and magazines worldwide. She is also an associate editor at ISRAEL21c (www.israel21c.org).

Eran Davidov is Director of Marketing at Tal-Shahar Marketing Ltd., home of Israel Catalog (www.israel-catalog.com), and an MBA candidate. Active in the Israeli internet scene since 2003, he has in-depth experience working with bloggers to promote online products through affiliate marketing, SEO and more.

Event Coordinators: Miriam Kresh (Israeli Kitchen) and Hannah Katsman (A Mother in Israel)

The East-West House, 16 Dr. Paul Erlich St., Jaffa

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How I Do It All (Sometimes)

My friend asked for a few posts on time management. “I don’t understand how you find time to cook, raise children, manage the house and write so much.”

The subject has been on my mind since I was asked to speak on time management at the Kishor Social Media Conference for professional Jewish women, organized by Debra Askanese and Sarah Lipman. For a summary see my guest post, Staying in Control of Social Media, at Debra’s site Community Organizer 2.0.

I’m also going to be on the Afternoon Shmooze talk show on the Rusty Mike Internet Radio station this Thursday, March 4,  at 12:30 PM (5:30 AM EST). I’ll be talking with host Nettie Feldman on how to manage your time and get more things done. To listen, go to www.rustymikeradio.com and click on the “Listen Live” button. Podcasts available after the show: http://bit.ly/13R2Lx.

My productivity goes in cycles. For days or weeks everything seems under control, then one or more compartments of my life seems to fall apart. Here are some things that help me stay cheerful and productive:

1. Get enough sleep. For me, this is key. When I go to sleep when I’m tired I’m in a better mood and get more done.
2. Limit outside commitments. I’ve recently had to make a few of out-of-town trips. While stimulating (like Kishor!), too much time away from home throws me off schedule.
3. Eat well. If I eat too much processed or high-fat food, it affects my sleep, mood and productivity. I don’t know whether I ignored this when I was younger, or it just affects me more now.
4. Vary activities. Sitting longer at the computer doesn’t mean I’ll write more. I like to alternate physical chores with mental ones, which is why I often write a lot of blog posts before Pesach. I also need to get outside, walk, volunteer, and socialize (in real life, not social media).
5. Make a hand-written to-do list. Even when I don’t consult the list, I find it a few days later and everything has been completed. It’s magical.
6. Get a buddy. I have a supportive friend with a roughly similar schedule and goals. We talk for a few minutes each morning to solidify plans.
7. Use the Pomodoro Technique. A pomodoro is a 25-minute block of uninterrupted time where you combine smaller tasks into one pomodoro, and break large tasks down into a few. Switching back and forth between tasks ruins my focus.
8. The weather. You’d think I’d be used to the heat by now, but I accomplish more in mild weather. While I can’t control the weather, I can lower my expectations during the worst of it. This applies to anything out of our control, including sick children, broken appliances, or a cranky baby.

What helps make you more productive?

If you enjoyed this post you may also like:

The Indispensable Post-Pesach List

What’s There to Eat? Saving Time in the Kitchen

A Peek at the Inbox of an Influential Blogger with a Loyal Following

Commenting on Comments: Building a Blog Community

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Reviving a Tired Blog: Advice for (Not So Beginning) Bloggers:

At the blogging event last night at Baila’s in Modiin. I promised to help bloggers become more creative. I don’t know whether I kept my promise, but I woke up full of new ideas. I hope the rest of you feel the same.

Some of you mentioned that blogging has gotten harder. Perhaps your interests have changed, or you’re done saying what you wanted to say. Even if you have fresh ideas, your style or approach might be stale. You feel it and your readers do too. It can be hard to break out of a pattern that used to work. Even if you succeed, you worry your readers might resist change.

Here’s a suggestion to get new blogging ideas: Choose a quiet time where you won’t be interrupted. Take a piece of paper, or open a document on the computer. Turn off the internet. Write at the top of the pag: “100 Topics for Blog Posts.” Keep writing until you have 100 ideas.   Don’t censor yourself or worry about repeats. For more details about this exercise, see the Lite Mind website.

When you have finished, look over your list. Even if you don’t end up using most of the ideas, the list should give you a fair idea about what interests you at this point in your life. And that is probably what you should be blogging about.

What will your readers do when they find your blog heading in  a new direction? Some will stay with you. Readers often get attached to bloggers and their writing style, no matter the topic. Don’t worry about the others. Even the most vibrant, successful blogs lose readers all the time. If you are passionate about your subject and put care into your posts, new readers will find you.

It was a pleasure to meet and talk to all of you. Some of us only met for the first time, but we still know each other well through our blogging.  Special thanks to Baila and her family who made us comfortable. I didn’t even mind when Ozzy jumped on me.

Here is the list of attendees:

Baila: Ill Call Baila
Leah Goodman: Trilcat
Mrs. S: Our Shiputzim
Kate: One Tired Ema
Dena Lerner: Israel Restaurant Review
Rachel Ben David: West Bank Mama
Abbi: Confessions of a Startup Wife
Rona Michelson: Dr. Savta’s Weblog

More posts on blogging and writing:

Israeli Bloggers Event with Jacob Share

Blogger’s Evening in Petach Tikva

Advice for Beginning Bloggers: Allow Full RSS Feeds

Advice for Beginning Bloggers: Blog Under Your Real Name

Advice for Beginning Bloggers: Linking to Earlier Posts

Writing Exercise: Show, Don’t Tell

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Last Chance to Sign Up for Modiin Blogging Event

Join bloggers from all over this Sunday at Baila’s in Modiin.

Click here for details and registration.

See you there!

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Israeli Blogger’s Event with Jacob Share of Job Mob

Shira Abel and Jacob Share

When Jacob Share noticed that he had an easier time getting job interviews than his friends, he decided to publish his tips on a blog even though he barely knew what one was. After three years, his Job Mob is among the ten most popular job search blogs, with 1.5 million page views in 2009.

Jacob told his story at the second Israeli Blogger’s Evening at the home of Sarah Melamed of Foodbridge and organized by me along with Miriam Kresh of Israeli Kitchen.

With a large dose of warmth, enthusiasm, and encouragement, Jacob told of his successes and failures.  Here are a few of many suggestions shared from his extensive blogging knowledge and experience:

• Go ahead and start. Your blog doesn’t have to be perfect.
• You don’t have to be a good writer to start a blog, but you do need to improve your skills. Jacob leaves up old posts to show how far he has come.
• All beginnings are hard. That is why so many bloggers fail. It takes time and experience to succeed.
• If you spend a lot of time on something, you will become an expert.
• A WordPress self-hosted site is the best blog platform. It costs less than $100 a year.
  
• Twitter isn’t for telling your readers what you had for lunch. Instead, tweet useful information for your followers.
• Don’t make assumptions. Instead, test different options. Jacob prefers text, but  started making audio and video podcasts when he realized visitors wanted them.
• Don’t blindly follow conventional wisdom. Jacob automatically follows anyone who follows him on Twitter, and sends a direct message asking if they have a job search question. Both techniques are disparaged by experts, but they work for Job Mob. Jacob  filters out spammers with software and focuses on connecting with his audience.
• Keep trying new things. Invest time in learning new ways to promote and monetize, then analyze their effectiveness. Every blogger will need a different approach.
• Give generously of your time and expertise without expecting anything in return. It usually comes back to you in one way or another.

Jacob put that last one into practice throughout the evening, answering questions with barely a break. The next day he emailed us a list of relevant websites.

Afterward, we enjoyed the refreshments and talked one on one. Then we gathered in a circle to introduce ourselves and discuss blogging challenges until late in the evening. Two days after the event, I know that several bloggers have taken his suggestions to heart.

Here’s a list of bloggers who attended:

Jacob Share: JobMob: www.jobmob.co.il and www.groupwritingprojects.com

Sarah Melamed: Foodbridge: www.sarahmelamed.com. Special thanks to Sarah and family for the gracious hospitality at their beautiful home.

Hannah Katsman: A Mother in Israel: www.AMotherInIsrael.com and www.CookingManager.com

Miriam Kresh: Israeli Kitchen: www.israelikitchen.com

David Nordell: Terror Finance: www.terrorfinance.org

Michelle Nordell: Baroness Tapuzina: www.baronesstapuzina.com

Blanche Melamed: Blanche and Guy Designs: www.blancheandguy.blogspot.com

Harry Rubenstein: The View From Here: www.theviewfromhere.net

Dena Lerner: Israel Restaurant Review http://israelrestaurantreview.wordpress.com/

Kate: One Tired Ema: www.onetiredema.wordpress.com

Baila Brecher: I’ll Call Baila: www.illcallbaila.blogspot.com Baila is currently hosting the 249th edition of Haveil Havalim, the Jewish-Israeli blog carnival.

Robin: Around the Island: www.aroundtheisland.blogspot.com

Shira Abel: Tchochkes: www.tchochkes.com

Nissan Ratzlav-Katz: NRK le-israelim baolam ha-asakim: www.nrkonline.wordpress.com (Hebrew)

Scott Piro: Gefilte Fish Out of Water: http://gfishoutofwater.wordpress.com/

Liz Steinberg: Cafe Liz: www.food.lizsteinberg.com

Yael Lee: Apples and Honey (Finnish): http://appelsiinejahunajaa.blogspot.com/

If you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy:

Blogger’s Evening in Petach Tikva

Advice for Beginning Bloggers: Allow Full RSS Feeds

Advice for Beginning Bloggers: Blog Under Your Real Name

Advice for Beginning Bloggers: Linking to Earlier Posts

Reviving a Tired Blog

Israeli bloggers: Tweet a message to @mominisrael so I can add you to my Twitter list of Israeli bloggers.

Photo credit: Miriam Kresh

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