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CREATIVE SMALL BIZ

Turn your talent into a flourishing business.

For freelance writers and other creative professionals.

Published monthly, on the 15th of each month.

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Issue 107: July 15, 2005

Read this issue online at:

http://www.digital-e.biz/newsletter.html


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WRITING NEWS, VIEWS AND TIPS:

Angela Booth's Writing Blog:

http://copywriter.typepad.com/copywriter/

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(For instructions to join or leave the ezine's mailing list,
scroll to the end.)

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In this issue:


* EDITORIAL: PODCASTING -- FAD OR TREND?

* ARTICLE: PODCASTING: WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW COULD HURT YOUR
BUSINESS

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=> Enter the world of professional writing <=

PRO WRITE: PROFESSIONAL WRITING SECRETS

For novelists, nonfiction writers, copywriters. Join our
community of professional writers today.

http://www.prowrite.biz/

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=> EDITORIAL: PODCASTING -- FAD OR TREND?

It's hard to believe, but we're more than halfway through 2005.
How's your year been so far? I hope you're working successfully
at your creative small business and getting lots of clients, both
online and off.

The latest Internet trend - I think it's more than a fad at this
stage - is podcasting. Podcasts are Internet audio programs,
which you can download and play on your computer, your MP3
player, or burn to CD. If you've yet to discover podcasts,
download the iTunes player at http://www.apple.com/itunes/ .
Apple has included the ability to search for, and download
podcasts right into its player. You can find podcasts for any
topic or interest.

If you've got a Web site or blog, consider offering podcasts to
your site visitors to build your online audience.

We'll be offering podcasts for Pro Write members later in the
year. I've been looking for multimedia options for the site, and
podcasts offer a way to make the tutorials on Pro Write more
accessible, and more fun too. The big benefits of podcasts is
that you don't need to listen to them at your computer, you can
take them with you.

This month's article will get you up to speed on podcasts.

Have a great month. Don't forget that you can get in touch at any
time, using the feedback forms on Digital-e and Pro Write. Please
let me know what you'd like to see in CSB, and if you have any
questions, please ask.

Angela

P.S. Don't forget to visit our blog at:

http://copywriter.typepad.com/copywriter/


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=> Article: Podcasting - What You Don't Know Could Hurt Your
Business

By Steve Humphrey

If you've been online recently, I'm sure you've heard about
podcasting. You might be wondering "What's in it for me?" Or
perhaps "Why should I care about that?" There are many valid
reasons for you to get informed about this hot new technology.

Think of a podcast as a way to deliver audio content to a very
large worldwide audience. The easiest analogy is to think of this
technology as giving you the power to create your own online
radio program.

First, the name is a little misleading. It comes from 'iPod' and
"broadcasting". It doesn't mean you need an iPod to get involved.
You can listen right on your computer. Podcasting is made
possible by RSS (a type of XML computer code). But have no fear!
You don't need to know programming at all. RSS is simply a
delivery system that allows people to subscribe and stay up to
date any time you add a new podcast show.

Having an iPod or similar digital MP3 Audio player is not
required. You can download audio files to your device and take
the audio shows with you. Or you can simply stream the audio and
listen to the podcast show on your computer. There is a lot of
free podcast audio for you to listen to online. Do a search for
"podcast" or "MP3" and you'll see what I mean.

What's out there? Music, interviews, seminars, educational shows,
technology shows, news, sports...the list of topics is amazing.
Some people say that podcasting it's going to replace radio and
TV.

Not True. However, podcasting is changing the face of online
audio and traditional radio. Podcasters already number in the
thousands. The number of businesses and individuals making
podcasts is growing at a rapid pace. So where can you find these
podcasts? Check out any of these sites:

http://www.podblaze.com

http://www.podcastalley.com

http://www.podcastbunker.com

Or search for more of these directories with Google, Yahoo, and
other search engines and directories.

What about making your own podcast for your own business or
website? That's not exactly rocket science. Get some sound
recording software (Audacity or WavePad, for example) and a
microphone. Then record some MP3 files yourself. All that's left
is to get them up on the web somewhere and have them formatted
into RSS. Some blogging software and services allow you to attach
audio to a blog post. There's even free programs you can use.

For example, you could open a Producer account at:

http://www.podblaze.com

You can start with the free account, which lets you store up to
40MB of MP3 files on their server. It's enough for about four
half-hour shows. That's an easy and risk-free way to try out
podcasting. They also have paid accounts for people who want to
do more than experiment with this new media. Now why would you
want to podcast? I can think of many good reasons. Here's a few:
Put some recordings of your band up and maybe you'll get a
recording contract. Sweet!

If you did a teleseminar, make it available to the world.
Position yourself as an expert and people will take you more
seriously. Maybe you know about news items that the local and
national media won't pick up. Podcasting gives your story a
chance to be heard. Maybe you just want to share something
personal with the world.

Whatever your reason for wanting to put your music or voice on
the web, podcasting is an easy and inexpensive way to do it. So
pick up that microphone and record your thoughts. I'm waiting to
hear it.

Steve Humphrey is an author, programmer & Certified Guerilla
Marketer. His new web site makes podcasting technology easy
enough for anyone to use.

Find, create & listen to podcasts: http://www.podblaze.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

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Please note, we're having problems with sp#mmers spoofing our
digital-e email addresses. The easiest way to make contact with
us is to use the online feedback forms on Digital-e and Pro Write
until the situation resolves itself.

Please contact us at:

http://www.digital-e.biz/feedback.html

http://www.prowrite.biz/contact.htm

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Holiday writing profits start now

Looking forward to Christmas? If you're a writer, you're readying
your Christmas lists --- NOW.

No, not your lists of cards and gifts. :-)

You're making lists of all the material you'll be publishing over
the holidays. You're sending out magazine article proposals, and
shorties and essays for holiday/ New Year publication.

Most monthly magazines have a six to eight-month lead time, so
you're actually a bit late. You need get started NOW, to have the
checks rolling in in the coming months.

It's your choice of how you'll spend the holiday season. Just
think, you could be taking a holiday in the sun or in the snow,
plus buying your children and spouse (and yourself) the gifts you
want and need. A new big-screen TV. A stack of 50 DVDs. A new
notebook computer.

If you want to get started NOW writing and selling, I recommend
Pro Write's "Write and Sell Shorties --- mini essays and
articles, product reviews and more".

Here's an excerpt:

>>>>

=> Ten minutes equals $100

What would you think if someone approached you, and whispered:
"Psst! Got ten minutes? Want to make a hundred bucks?"

No, it's not what you think. :-) Let's add "writing" to the last
sentence. Yes, you can easily make a hundred dollars in ten
minutes.

Lest you think I've completely lost it, Reader's Digest pays MORE
than a hundred dollars for a hundred words, which will take you
much less than ten minutes to type. Reader's Digest at
http://www.rd.com/ pays $300 for a short snippet of around a
hundred words. That's three dollars a word for around ten minutes
of work. Not bad.

Reader's Digest is admittedly at the top of the Shorties tree.
Most markets which accept shorties (also known as news items,
briefs, and fillers) pay around what Yoga Journal at
http://www.yogajournal.com/ pays. For its brief yoga and healthy
living news items, events write-ups, and fillers, consisting of
150 to 600 words, YJ pays $50-150.

Yes, it's possible to make large sums of money tapping the
keyboard for short periods of time, and you don't need to be a
talented wordsmith, you just need to be aware and well-organized.
Many freelance writers make a career of writing short material
for publications. They make as much money and more as writers in
other fields. If you'd like to join this group of productive and
well-paid writers, read on.

You'll find publications which buy Shorties everywhere.

>>>

Start writing today for your best holiday season ever in
2004/2005. Join Pro Write for the " Write and Sell Shorties" and
other writing workshops. You CAN write, and sell.

Enjoy. See you on Pro Write.

http://www.prowrite.biz/


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Creative Small Biz: Copyright C 2005 by Angela Booth. All rights
reserved.


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