There’s a story about Michelangelo working on the Sistine Chapel that’s fascinated me for years. One day, a friend of the Italian artist was watching him meticulously work on a small, hidden corner of the chapel’s ceiling. Surprised by Michelangelo’s persistence to make that obscure corner as perfect as possible, this friend asked the artist […]
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I’m both excited and proud to announce The Future of Blogging. A weekly podcast and newsletter about shaping the future of blogging, the tools and resources and strategies to build a blog that can be popular in the decade to come. We’ll discuss trends, strategies, content marketing, and content creation strategies, so we can best […]
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There’s a lot of blogging advice being shared all over the web. I’ve written quite a bit of it myself. How to write an amazing blog post, how to earn X amount of money, how to build an audience. Tips, tricks, strategies, how-to guides, and step-by-step tutorials. All of them offering valid advice, all of […]
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A true fan is defined as a fan that will buy anything you produce. These diehard fans will drive 200 miles to see you sing; they will buy the hardback and paperback and audible versions of your book; they will purchase your next figurine sight unseen; they will pay for the “best-of” DVD version of […]
Read moreGreat content is often fascinating because it seems effortless. It appears to be the collective effect of inspiration, genius, and eureka moments. There’s an old Italian word for this, sprezzatura, which Seth Godin describes as, “a combination of elan and grace and class.” It is addictive, in part, because it seems to be the embodiment […]
Read moreEvery morning, it takes me about 7 minutes to get out of bed, make myself a cup of coffee, and sit at my desk to punch those keys. Usually, what I do is this: I take a look at all my drafts. There are hundreds of them. I open and close them, go through what […]
Read morePunch the damn keys. I’m sure you’ve read this line in most of my articles. It’s become a mantra of mine, while also becoming The Art of Blogging’s unofficial tagline. But what does it mean, to punch the keys? Here’s a harsh truth: There’s an art to blogging. This means that those who truly make […]
Read moreYou’ve been working hard on your blog: you put thought and effort into your About page, your site title and tagline, and you’ve even picked a great blog name. You sweat your photography. You read and re-read your drafts to make sure they’re just perfect. With millions of posts published every day, how do you […]
Read moreWhen it comes to sharing your content (and reaching more people) one of the best strategies you can employ is by republishing your content on other platforms. These platforms already have people interested in what you have to say, and you can bring that traffic back to your blog – growing your online influence in the […]
Read moreDoes your blog suck? How do you even know? You write posts, you’re excited about writing them, you publish them, and then… well, some folks do say they like them, but you’re not getting the kind of results you were hoping for. But does this mean your blog sucks? Does this mean your content is […]
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