Writing – Page 90 – Jean's Writing

It’s that wonderful time of the year!

Published on December 12, 2016November 19, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell5 Comments

Time for joy and cheer.

Thank Y’all for a wonderful year. With the encouragement, feedback, reviews and great writing tips from so many incredible writers and bloggers I managed to produce two children’s picture books.

But now it’s time to relax and enjoy family and friends.

So eat, drink and be merry! Read, rest and relax. That’s what I plan to do.

And as you’re catching up on your reading, I hope you’ll enjoy the “Best of Jean’s Writing.”

To each and everyone, have a fabulous holiday and a very Merry Christmas! – Jean

Do you have any special holiday plans?

I’d love to hear about them. Leave a comment or click the “write me” tab or look for me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on, and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

PS:

If you’re still in need of a gift for a special kid, buy a book! Click this link for a list of Amazon Best Children’s books. Or, click on the images below for my three books.

How to find the best keywords and tags

Published on December 9, 2016December 8, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell12 Comments

The shopping frenzy has started.

If you’re like me, you’ve burned up Google and Amazon, searching for just the right gifts.

Late last night I was doing just that as I hunted for just the right gift. After a lot of junk popped up, unrelated to the item I wanted, a question began to germinate in my brain.

What pops up when someone Googles a subject I’ve blogged about? Or me, or my books?

If someone wants to know about ISBNs, will they find my blog?

Every writer hopes their books will appear on the first page of Amazon, and every blogger wants their blog to appear on the first page of Google search.

So how do we accomplish this?

Tag Words!

These little devils are more important than I ever realized. But don’t let the thought of the dreaded SEO scare you. Think of it more as waving at the internet shouting, “look, I’m over here.”

Picking the right keyword or tag for each blog and your book determines how quickly someone can find them.

After a lot of reading and research here’s what I’ve figured out.

Keywords and tags are the same things.
But categories are not the same as tags or keywords.
Tag your title. (If you’re writing about book reviews, make sure to use the keywords “book reviews.”
It’s important to research keywords. This doesn’t take a lot of work, simply use Google to see which words are busy or if your blog is popping. Or go to SEO Book Keyword Research Tool for more help.
Compound and plural words research different from simple and singular words. Such as, key word vs. keyword or keywords.

Now go Google yourself, your blog, and your keywords.

What did you find?

Are you set? Can people locate you easily?

Leave a comment or click the “write me” tab or look for me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on, and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

Want to know more? Click and read.

Keyword Research 101: How to Choose The Best Tags & Keywords For Your Blog Posts – And Why This Matters

Do you understand the need for an ISBN?

Published on December 5, 2016December 8, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell4 Comments

The link below from Kristen Twardowski is filled with information about the ISBN (International Standard Book Number.)

I’ve always thought of the ISBN like a sort of phone number incorporating the country, area code, full name, etc.

Kristen explains in detail what each part of the number stands for, where to get one and why you need it.

I’ve used the free ones provided by Createspace and I’ve bought Universal numbers through Bowker. Why did I purchase numbers? Because with my own numbers, I can publish through IngramSpark and Createspace which opens up distribution to bookstores and libraries. At least, I hope so.

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Did you know what all the digits stood for?

Where do you get your ISBN?

After you read Kristen’s article, let me know what you think.

Leave a comment or click the “write me” tab or look for me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on, and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

ISBN: What It Is and Why a Book Needs One by Kristen Twardowski

Book publishing isn’t just about finding great pieces of writing and bringing them out into the world. Sometimes it is about the nitty-gritty. This means that at some point, an author or publ… keep reading

How to encourage your kids to dream big

Published on December 2, 2016December 8, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell

And my oh my, it’s that time of year when kids wish for the moon.

Christmas sale ads are popping up everywhere! But games, new gadgets and brightly wrapped packages are not all kids dream about. christmas-sack-964342_640

Article after article tell us they have great aspirations for their life. They dream and plan to do big things when they grow up. As parents, teachers, grandparents, and writers we need to encourage their dreams.

My books are written to inspire any little boy or girl to reach for the stars.

At long last, A Reluctant Little Prince is available in print!

Give a gift that keeps giving all year-long.

I hope you’ll remember it’s never too early to instill the love of reading to a child.

Give a book for the holidays.

Click on the image and read a sample. They are now available at Amazon.com.

BOGO Kindle Matchbook is free with the purchase of a print copy.

What Kids In 2015 Want To Be When They Grow Up by Susan Adams at Forbes.

Top 15 Kids’ Dream Jobs by Alison Doyle

Check out this eclectic list from Mommy.me – What do you want to be when you grow up?

SURVEY SAYS! WHAT MOST KIDS WANT TO BE WHEN THEY GROW UP by Buzz Bishop

Thank you to everyone for your encouragement and kind reviews.

Are you giving books this holiday?

Who are you giving books to? Kids or adults?

I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment or click the “write me” tab or look for me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on, and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.