I used to do a ton of giveaways here, and while I still think they can be a really great source of traffic on some blogs, they really weren’t working here. Let me tell you why.

Feedback!

You guys tell me what you like and don’t like. I love that about you. You let me know when you disagree with mine or a guest author’s advice, when I misspell a word, or when you really love an interview. You’ve also given me feedback on giveaways. What I’ve found is that many people here liked the free articles, and they enjoy my ebooks related to writing and promoting your work, but the giveaways were always hit or miss. You’ve let me know this by participation, comments, and traffic. (And I thank you for being the group of attentive, engaging readers you are.)

Some Products Do Better Than Others

Some books (which was primarily what we gave away) did really great with giveaways, but most didn’t. If you really loved an author, you entered. But I found that some people took a “wait and see” approach with new authors, and let’s face it – I love highlighting them here. I think new writers deserve a fighting chance and I like giving them a place. I found it interesting that even when the book was free, you waited to see until you heard more about the author.

Also, the people who did enter were folks who would have bought the book anyways. And why not give an author his due by making a sale?

Information Over Free Stuff

Overwhelmingly here, you have told me you enjoy the info but the free stuff you could take or leave. In fact, if the info was valuable you bought it. But free just to give away? Not so much.

I’ve received wonderful feedback on the guest posts and interviews here, and plan to do more of them. Many of you like finding a new author that you “keep an eye on.” So you might see them here and there and then put them on your radar. I think this is good info and should prompt all new writers to keep marketing themselves so readers can get to know them.

Should You Do Giveaways?

Giveaways are still a good traffic building tool for some blogs, and a wonderful way to give back to readers. What we’ve learned about blogging is that, while there are some “best practices,” it’s not a one-sized fits all solution. Some affiliates work great on certain blogs and bomb on others. The same goes for giveaways. Should you do a giveaway? Here are some tips:

• Test it out! Sometimes the only way to know whether it will work for your blog is to give it a test. See how many enter and what kind of feedback you get.

• If you enjoy giveaways, do them anyways. Even if giveaways don’t drive traffic, if your readers enjoy them go ahead and do them.

• Be sure to promote them. There are numerous places to promote giveaways online, and if you can get the word out about them you’ll be better off in the long run.

See who enters. Sometimes it isn’t the number of entries you get but who is doing the entering. If you’re getting lots of entries and no additional traffic, you may have a case where people are coming to your blog for the giveaways only. Is that what you want? If yes, then great. If not, do some more testing to determine if giveaways are right for you.

More blogging and promotion resources:

• Blogging All-in-One For Dummies
• Your Blog, Your Business: A Retailer’s Frugal Guide to Getting Customer Loyalty and Sales-Both In-Store and Online (Survive and Thrive Series)
• 21 Ways to Promote Your Book on Twitter

Image: Morguefile

We’re thrilled to have author Debby Mayne here visiting us while on her virtual tour for her book, Sweet Baklava. Debby was kind enough to answer some interview questions for us, so be sure to check those out.

As for the book, doesn’t the cover just make you want to snatch a piece of that baklava? Here’s a description of the book from Amazon:

The product of a split home, Paula Andrews is conflicted about the only guy she’s ever loved, Nick Papadopoulos, on leave from the military. When the two see each other after years of separation, the awkwardness is replaced by pounding hearts and memories sweeter than the baklava in Nick’s aunt’s bakery.

Nick’s dad begs him to leave the military and join the family to keep their struggling sponge-diving business alive. Although Nick loves the military, he’s willing to put it aside to be with Paula. However, she doesn’t want to do anything that will make him resent her.

Paula experiences all sorts of emotional tugs – from Nick going back to his base in Texas to her mother coming to her for emotional support. Nick’s cousins are relentless in their scheming to keep the flame burning.

Years later, and after their lives have grown apart, is it possible for these two people to rekindle what they once had?

Want some more info? Here’s a book trailer that gives a flavor of the story:

Here’s my review:

I loved this book so much. So many couples go through exactly what Paula and Nick do: they have their own goals and passions and giving it up for a chance to be with someone they love is risky. Perhaps the timing hasn’t been right before, perhaps they each have been working for something and aren’t sure if the other person is ready to commit, or perhaps the couple has been on and off. There are so many times I hear about something like this, and I thought Debby Mayne did a wonderful job capturing what is a real-life situation for many couples.

The characters are really lovely. I so enjoyed coming back to this book every day and seeing what was going to happen. Paula runs a soap and candle store, and the descriptions of her business made me smelling those candles every time I cracked open the book. I liked the backdrop of Tarpon Springs, Florida, and could picture the sights of the town and just about smell the ocean air from the descriptions of the restaurants and shops.

I especially loved the Papadopoulos family with their generosity and endless supply of food! In fact, if you aren’t hungry by the time you finish Sweet Baklava, you will be when you see the small collection of recipes at the end.

I could so relate to Paula, who loves Nick but isn’t sure if she can give up her business and the stability that Tarpon Springs has provided. I also found her a wonderful example of what God’s grace can do. This was the first Debby Mayne novel I read, and would recommend it. (I’m also going to pick up a few more from her.)

Best of all? I have a copy to giveaway! So if you want to win, just leave a comment on this post by Sunday, March 13th. I’ll choose a winner at random and announce the lucky guy or gal the following day. Good luck!

Review copy provided by author.

One thing I learned from hosting giveaways here is that people need words of encouragement. All the time. We get beaten down at times, don’t we? We hear negative thoughts, pissy comments, and other not helpful statements from folks that can make us feel like we’re just spinning our wheels for nothing. I try and let negative comments and rejections roll off my back, but hey, there are times when I swear I’m quitting this freelance thing and going back to corporate land. (I know, it’s just as bad there.)

To that end, however, I have a book to give away that I think you’ll really like. It’s Dr. Ian Smith’s Happy: Simple Steps to Get the Most Out of Life. You’ve seen Ian on Celebrity Fit Camp. He’s got no nonsense advice on getting in shape, which leads me to believe that his advice on happiness will be the same. No BS, helpful, and inspiring.

Here’s a description of the book from Amazon:

Happiness isn’t the too-brief rush that comes from getting something you’ve wanted—it’s the lasting great feeling that comes from becoming someone you want to be…..

And someone others want to be with, too. No matter where you start, Happy can help you improve your life and permanently alter your happiness set point.

Dr. Ian has inspired millions to lose weight. In counseling dieters, Smith learned that while achieving hard-fought and worthy goals can help make a person happy, even these real accomplishments aren’t what make happiness stick.

In Happy, Ian Smith presents a program that motivates readers to understand the behaviors and mind-sets that work and last, including:

–How to be optimistic

–Why optimism and realism are not opposites

–How to get outside yourself

–The importance of family and community

–Why involvement leads to contentment

–Shedding the treadmill mentality of getting and spending

–Tapping the power of simple pleasures

–Mastering modern life to live in the moment

–What we can learn from the Danish people

–How to be, not just to do

Happy is a life-changing book from one of America’s most trusted voices.

I like the first one in this list alone: How to be optimistic. It’s the first step in everything.

Want to win? Leave a comment on this post by Tuesday, November 30th. I’ll choose a winner at random and announce the lucky guy or gal the next day.

Other books on happiness you might like:

• Happy for No Reason: 7 Steps to Being Happy from the Inside Out
• How We Choose to Be Happy: The 9 Choices of Extremely Happy People–Their Secrets, Their Stories
• What Happy People Know: How the New Science of Happiness Can Change Your Life for the Better

Additional Writing Resources:

• Make Money From Home – Real Jobs You Can Do by Telecommuting
• Reuse Your Articles by Creating New Content
• How to Write Your Own Ebook in 7 Days
• Freelance Writing Jobs

I’ve got the best possible gift for any Mad Men fan: Sterling’s Gold: Wit and Wisdom of an Ad Man. Details on the giveaway are below, but first, here is my review.

I was thrilled to get Sterling’s Gold: Wit and Wisdom of an Ad Man because like many TV viewers, I’m a big fan of Mad Men. I wasn’t sure what “story” Roger Sterling was really going to tell. On the show, we hear him making notes into a recorder about his life, but it’s really Sterling’s great one-liners that endear him to us. He’s got the best lines, and always delivered at just the right time.

Well imagine getting those lines back-to-back? It would make you feel as if Sterling was in the room, smoking away and making you giggle, take pause, and shake your head at the incorrigible-ness he projects. We love Roger because he says the things we didn’t think to say, at a time when we would never dream of saying it out loud.

One thing I appreciated about this book is that in delivering Sterling’s story this way (rather than a straight autobiography) was that it gives you Sterling’s essence much more completely than a longer, more traditional book. Kudos to the writers!

This book is filled with great one liners like “The day you sign a client is the day you start losing him,” “Being with a client is like being in a marriage. Sometimes you get into it for the wrong reasons, and eventually they hit you in the face,” and “When God closes a door, he opens a dress.” The book is divided into sections on business, marriage, life, his coworkers, and more. It has pictures from the show at the start of each section, which make it that much more of a fabulous gift for Mad Men fans. The book is short and will take you no more than fifteen minutes to read. And guess what? You will enjoy every single minute.

Thanks to Grove Press for the review copy.

Want to win Sterling’s Gold? Leave a comment on this post by Monday, November 29th. (We’ve got a longer contest this time since the Thanksgiving holiday will be coming up.) I’ll choose the winner on November 30th and announce the lucky guy or gal the next day. Good luck!

Additional Writing Resources:

• Make Money From Home – Real Jobs You Can Do by Telecommuting
• How to Write Your Own Ebook in 7 Days
• Freelance Writing Jobs

Book provided by publisher.

Sometimes I think writers can get a little cranky. Or, more to the point, they see things a bit negatively. Now, I don’t blame them (especially because I fall into the cranky category a time or two myself) but how can we cheer ourselves up? How can we motivate ourselves to go out and get new jobs, approach new clients, keep querying?

Maybe this book (Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive: 101 Inspirational Stories about Counting Your Blessings and Having a Positive Attitude) could help. It’s all about positive thinking. Sometimes just a reminder about how to think more positively can help turn a negative attitude around. Here’s a review from Amazon:

Every cloud has a silver lining. And the stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive will encourage readers to stay positive, because there is always a bright side. This book continues Chicken Soup for the Soul’s focus on inspiration and hope, reminding us that each day holds something to be thankful for.

To enter to win this book, please leave a comment on this post by Sunday, November 14th. I’ll choose a winner at random and announce the lucky guy or gal the next day. I think a little positive thinking right before Thanksgiving could be a good thing, don’t you?

Additional Writing Resources:

• Make Money From Home – Real Jobs You Can Do by Telecommuting
• Create Multiple Articles from Just One
• How to Write Your Own Ebook in 7 Days
• Freelance Writing Jobs

If you read our interview with author Naseem Rakha today you know what great reviews her book The Crying Tree: A Novel has received. When I asked Naseem about it, she said:

I’m *extremely* grateful for the positive feedback and attention The Crying Tree has received. It’s an international best seller; won the Pacific NW Booksellers Award; was a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers selection; a Book Expo America Emerging Author pick; a Target Breakout Book, as well as the only American selection for the UK’s Richard and Judy Book club (think Oprah, but with an accent). I still wake up some mornings and pinch myself.

And guess what? She has graciously given us a copy of The Crying Tree to give to one lucky reader!

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post by Thursday, November 4th. I’ll choose a winner at random and announce the lucky guy or gal the next day.

Keeping track of your time is one of the key parts to running a successful freelance writing business. That’s why I’m really excited about this giveaway. It’s for one free subscription to Fanurio time tracking software for freelancers. Here’s a description:

Fanurio is a time tracking and billing software application, highly appreciated by freelancers for its intuitive interface, flexible timer and ability to produce detailed invoices. Whether you need to round time, use multiple currencies or create invoices with your own layout, Fanurio has the right tools to help you get paid.

Track time with little effort

Fanurio provides multiple methods to help you track time with little effort. You can track time manually or using the timer. It also has a few reminders to help you start, resume or stop the timer automatically.

Get paid for all your work

From the moment you get a new contract until you are paid in full, Fanurio offers you the right tools to manage and bill all your work down to the penny.

Analyze your performance

Fanurio comes with powerful time and money reports. They can help you understand how your business is doing so that you can make well-informed decisions about your projects and clients.

Runs on multiple platforms

Fanurio is built using Java technology which enables it to run on Windows, Mac OS X including Leopard, Linux and other flavors of Unix.

You can track time manually or using the timer. It also has a few reminders to help you start, resume or stop the timer automatically.

I love this idea, and know that the freelancers out there can really appreciate it. Time is so important for us, in every sense (tracking, organizing, making the best use of) and this software helps on all fronts. Additional features of the software can be found on the company’s website.

To enter to win, leave a comment on this post by Thursday, October 14th. I’ll choose a winner at random and announce the lucky guy or gal the next day.

We haven’t had a giveaway in awhile here, so why not start that practice again, this time with a book we can all use. I’ve got Chicken Soup for the Soul: A Book of Miracles: 101 True Stories of Healing, Faith, Divine Intervention, and Answered Prayers to giveaway to one lucky reader. I browsed through this book, and I can say that if you’re feeling a bit down or in need of hope, there are so many wonderful stories in here that there is bound to be at least one that lifts your spirit.

Here’s a description of the book from Amazon:

Everyone loves a good miracle story, and this book provides 101 true stories of healing, divine intervention, and answered prayers. These amazing, personal stories prove that God is alive and active in the world today, working miracles on our behalf. The incredible accounts show His love and involvement in our lives. This book of miracles will encourage, uplift, and recharge the faith of Catholics and all Christian readers.

To enter, leave a comment on this post by Wednesday, October 13th. I’ll choose a winner at random and announce the lucky guy or gal the next day. (U.S. and Canada entries only.)

I have another great Chicken Soup for the Soul book to giveaway. This time it’s about love, and isn’t that the most perfect subject this time of year? This “true love” edition has “101 heartwarming and humorous stories about dating, romance, love, and marriage.” Heartwarming stories are something we all could use a little bit more of.

Here’s a description from Amazon:

Everyone loves a good love story. And we all love stories about how the love started and blossomed. This fun new book about dating, romance, love, and marriage, will make you laugh and make you cry, and is guaranteed to inspire you to renew that search for your soul mate or open your heart a little more to the one you already have. Read about how couples met, when “they knew”, good and bad dates, proposals, maintaining the relationship, second chances, and all the other ups and downs of love, romance and marriage.

To enter, leave a comment on this post by Monday, March 1st. I’ll choose a winner at random and announce the lucky guy or gal the next day. Good luck!

Who doesn’t love the Chicken Soup for the Soul books? Seriously, they provide a smile on those days when you really need it. I’ve got the Chicken Soup for the Soul Teacher Tales to giveaway. The book has 101 inspirational stories from great teachers and appreciative students. Here’s a description from Amazon:

This is a great gift for new and experienced teachers, providing them a morale boost and the knowledge they are appreciated. The teaching industry has embraced this book, and more than half the stories are from “celebrity” teachers, including all of the 2009 State Teachers of the Year and the 2009 National Teacher of the Year. There is a lot of buzz about this book in the teaching industry and those teachers who don’t receive it as a gift are sure to buy it for themselves, to read these 101 true stories by great teachers and appreciative students, with lots of laughs, poignant moments, and some tears too.

To enter, leave a comment on this post by Thursday, February 25th. I’ll choose a winner at random and announce the lucky guy or girl the next day. Good luck!