Blogs and Articles

How to Reach 3,000 Views in Less than 24 Hours!

Before I can teach you the secrets about attaining 3,000 views in less than 24 hours, I have a question for you. Do you really believe it is that hard to get people to read your articles, blogs or books? If you believe this is true – I am here to tell you that is a complete lie! It is NOT hard to get views or people buying your books. In all honesty, if you believe that it is hard, should you be surprised your not getting views or book sales? I have had many clients swap their attitude and understand it is not that hard. One client is now reaching over 25,000 impressions over Pinterest in comparison to 100. What does this mean for views? Well, instead of 20-50 views per blog post, she is now getting over 5,000 views per post! The truth is, it’s not hard, you just need to wake up and starting realizing, THIS IS EASY! Let’s break it down into three simple steps. If you want to know how I reach over 3,000 views in less than 24 hours, this is how it works.

Step 1: Question: Answer

One of the reasons why my posts are getting thousands upon thousands of views is because I am providing my viewers with an answer. We live in a culture where people want as many answers as possible. Now, when I say this to my clients, I always hear the response, “Well, I want to write about “x”, but it has already been done.” You see, I don’t care if it has already been done. If it has been done and it worked, why are you complicating it? Write about it! If you have an answer to a question that people are asking – YOU WILL GET VIEWS. It is that simple. Now, this is something I go way more into detail with in my personal Get Witty One-on-Ones. If you are seeking to learn how to master the Question: Answer technique, book me now using the contact form on the side bar.

One of the best sources of knowledge when it comes to blogging is this Best Selling guide

Step 2: HOOK Your Audience

This is where all of the Witty Ones excel at. Those who have taken the Witty One Training Course understand how to develop catchy titles and articles, within their niche, that will drive results. When it comes to driving 3,000 views in less 24 hours, you need to learn to HOOK your audience. How do you do that? Your titles! I don’t care what your content is – well I do, but hold on. If you have a catchy title, people WILL click. If people click, that is a view – if they read, that is a plus. So, let me give you an example of a Weak Title and a Witty Title

WEAK TITLE: It’s Important to Consider Traffic When Blogging to Make Money and Have a Subscription Base

WITTY TITLE: How YOU Can DRIVE Over 1,000 Views in Days

You see, there is a science behind how titles are structured and if your titles are weak or sound like a sales-pitch, they will be invisible to your audiences. I would be much more inclined, as a new blogger, to learn more about DRIVING 1,000 views in a couple of days than things to consider when blogging. That just sounds boring to me – and many others! Trust me, when it comes to blog posts, 95% of your views will come from how catchy your blog title is; the other 5% will come from your actual content. That does not mean though that if your content is weak everything is okay – it is NOT. Content is the building block to all of this. Without high-quality information, you have nothing.  

Hooking Your audience is so important! If you need help generating ideas, check out these stellar books. 

Step 3: Promote Yourself!

Reaching 3,000 views is 50% driven by how you promote yourself. If you did not know, marketing and Social media is a MAJOR source of driving traffic. That sounds like common sense, right? Well, here is the deal, you would think that everyone understands how to use social media to their benefit as a form of marketing. Sadly, people don’t have the first clue what to do or how to promote a post or book. 

If that sounds like you, this is the reason why your view count is low. This is not a bad thing; but a learning thing. Now, in many cases, people are wasting their time trying to “get out there”  using:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Google+
• SnapChat
• Pinterest

Oh my gosh, that is even tiring to type! If you are spending your time trying to connect and get your material out there through 7 different social media outlets, you are wasting so much precious time and energy. The truth is, only focus on TWO social medias at once. 

In my opinion, Pinterest and Facebook have proven to destroy the other social medias in terms of traffic building. If you want to begin driving traffic in thousands, begin narrowing your social media usage to only Facebook and Pinterest.

From just Facebook Groups alone, I receive over 3,000+ views within the first 6-12 hours of a post. Now, I am not even writing about making money off your blog but can you imagine what it’s like when each of your posts are driving over 3,000+ views in the first 24 hours? It is a blessing. So, what can you do today? Join Facebook Groups, begin developing high-quality images for Pinterest and PIN!

Remember this is only 50% of the entire process to driving 3,000 views in 24 hours. If this seems like something you seem lost or confused about – stop freaking out. I am here to help. If you are struggling to drive traffic is most likely because you are lost in promoting yourself. I am currently taking on new clients and would love to help you out! If you want to Get Witty With Me, use the contact form on the side bar and let me know!

Driving Traffic Is Easy

As I told you early, I am tired of people complaining about driving traffic. It is not hard. All you need to do is have an answer to share, a hooking title, and understand how to properly promote yourself. After teaching dozens of clients this formula, I have heard and seen SO much success. What is even cooler is when they have fully adapted their website to make money – they end up freaking out at the amount of money they can make. It’s exciting and wild and I want you to join in on the fun. Optimize your blogs before you post them with these three steps and you are bound for greatness.

If you are seeking more individual guidance or want to talk by hour, please let me know and I would love to help you drive traffic. Could you imagine driving 1,000 of views and making money from doing what you love? Use the contact form on the side bar for more 
information!

If you are seeking an overall guide to blogging, this book will completely change your mindset.

This is Why No One Is Reading Your Blog

Every blogger wants to succeed and make money online. Let’s be honest, who wants to work a 9-5 and listen to some ‘boss’ figure shout directions and dictate your schedule? No one! Now, I want to axe-off a couple of false premises that many bloggers, writers and authors have before we even get into the heart of this post. I don’t care how long you have been blogging, you can reach audiences greater than you ever imagined in less than 24 hours. Take this piece of advice – learn from those who are successful at what they are doing. You are not going to take blogging advice from someone who has ZERO views and makes ZERO dollars. You can’t or else you will be just like them. Hmm, maybe that is why you are here trying to fix your blog? Now, I am not calling you out, I just want you to think and reflect on your blog as a writer, blogger or author as read this article. At the end, I will provide some tips and tricks of the trade; however, if you want to learn all of the secrets, use the contact form and let me know what you need help with.

So, why is no one reading your blog?

Your Blog Posts are BORING

Let me tell you something REAL quick. As an author, writer, blogger and editor, if I find myself reading an article that is dryer than a military history book – I will leave that blog and never visit again. Now trust me, if I am noticing that the post is boring, so has other people. Think of boring blog posts as an automatic repellent towards success. Writing is an art and requires some level of relatability. If you can’t connect with your audience, the game is over. Learning the art is NOT hard though. People always make it seem as if it’s a task that takes years upon years. They LIE! You are capable of writing some of the best blogs in the world. What you need to do is learn how to do it.

If you are wanting to learn how to write blog posts that are effective, check out this awesome and handy-dandy eBook:

Your Titles Are Invisible

What can be worse than a blog post that is boring? Well, a title that is causing readers to scroll in the opposite direction of your post. Let me let you in a little tip that I teach my clients: the human race does not like feeling they are being sold a product. If you are creating titles where you are attempting to sell a product, you should not be surprised the humans are looking in the opposite direction. Essentially, if your titles are not on point, your titles are merely invisible and your post will fail. Don’t fail any longer with awful titles – do some research and study the greatest in the industry. Study someone who is succeeding! If you need help as a blogger, feel free to use the contact form and I will help you drive the traffic you always wanted.

Your Content is Atrocious

Now, let’s be clear, I don’t often like to tell clients that their content is atrocious; however, this is a true reason why no one is reading your blog. If you are blogging about something that is completely irrelevant – should you be shocked that no one is reading it? I am sure YOU are guilty of this next statement – prepare yourself now. So many bloggers often believe that they should not blog about something because, “it’s already been done.” OH MY GOSH! Do you hear yourself?! Why do you think so many people are blogging about affiliate marketing, blogging tips, self-publishing, self-help, food, travel – they are all talking about the SAME EXACT THINGS! I don’t care if it has already been done – if it has been done and it was successful, DO WHAT THEY ARE DOING! It is not that hard. A + B does equal C in this equation.

If you want to develop some of the BEST content in the game, check out these fan-favorites!

Your Attitude is Repelling Success

I am a huge advocate that your success as a blogger, writer, author – ANYTHING, is a pure result of your attitude. I can look at a bloggers website or an author’s book and pinpoint their success or failure based on a five-minute conversation with them. So many people repeat these thoughts:

I am so jealous that they are getting so many views and I am not.
My blog is just so ugly and I don’t know what to do.
Is my content even good?
I am an awful writer.
I was never good with web design.
I will NEVER make money doing this. I am SO stressed out and overwhelmed.

This is tiring just typing it! If you are repeating of these thoughts then your attitude MUST CHANGE. I always guide my clients to fix their attitudes and change their perceptions before they begin writing new article or the same results will keep occurring. It is not hard to begin making the conscious change but if your attitude is poor, it will reflect in your writing and be a repellent towards your success.

Your Missed Some Art Classes

The last thing to take into consideration is, well, let me ask. Did you miss any art classes in school? I see SO many blogs that are EXTREMELY hard to look at. I mean, I have seen it all. For an example, one client had a website where the colors clashed, the text was extraordinarily small, or large, and the graphics were difficult to see unless you squinted your eyes. If you are causing your reader to go through some intense and trippy eye exams, you should not be surprised that no one is visiting your website. These are all factors that VIBRATE towards readers. The truth is, I can sense whether or not a website is even WORTH visiting based on descriptions, titles and all the other fun jazz. So, now, don’t be upset if you feel your website looks ugly. That’s okay, and kind of normal. What is not normal is to allow it to stay that way. If you need help figuring out what needs to be fixed on your website, use my contact form and I will gladly run down my list of services with you.

Designing a website can be confusing without some guidance. These two books are the best in the entire industry. 

A Few Tips and Tricks of the Trade

As I mentioned before, I will provide you with a few tips and tricks of the trade; however, if you are seeking more personal help and direction, please don’t hesitate to message me using the contact form. I will gladly offer my services and prices. My intention is to help all of you reach a level of success you’ve dreamt of. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to be a Witty One!

Tip #1: Get Clear. What is your intention? What is your niche?

If you are unclear as to what your intention is or your niche – you blog will always remain the same: unseen and unread.

Tip #2: Study other successful bloggers, writers and authors

Must I say ANYTHING more on this topic? I can’t stress this enough!

Tip #3: Take a course in whatever field you need help in.

If you are running into brick walls and can’t seem to find your way around the blogging world or writing world – TAKE ACTION. Find a course or find a consultant and begin learning the trade. In many cases their rates are reasonable and are willing to work with you.

Tip #4: Learn to INTRIGUE your readers. Figure out what your readers like to know.

Now, you may be asking how you can learn your readers if you don’t have any viewers. Well, this is a tip that I dive into with my clients. Without giving too much secrets out – begin to look at other bloggers in your niche. Again, if you don’t know your niche, how can you succeed? Do you see how they all mesh together?

Tip #5: Learn to use Social Media to your benefit.

The time that you spend randomly looking at pictures on Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest is such a waste of time. It seems very high schooler-like typing that. If you want to be successful, stop your addiction to the unconscious mindset and feeding the ego with Facebook posts, Snapchats or Instagram pictures. For every minute you are doing that, you could have been re-pinning, studying your niche, or participating in Facebook groups to begin spreading the message about your blog. Those who are successful often 
don’t waste their time on Social Media anymore.

Tip #6: Subscribe to become a Witty One and receive a special gift that will help you on your blogging and writing journey! You will not be disappointed! 

OWN Your Success.

You are responsible for your own success. So, OWN it. Don’t sit back and make excuses to why you are not successful as a blogger, writer or author. The only TRUE reason you are not successful is because of you. If you are taking tips and pointers from those who are in the same boat as you, are you really wondering why you are not cruising with viewers and money? Don’t be silly – OWN your success today. If you want to own it and take control but need some help along the way – that is okay too! People equate help with weakness; however, it is those who seek help that succeed.

If you are seeking any assistance as a writer, blogger or author, PLEASE use the contact form and let me know what is happening. Feel free to comment below and share with me your tips on how you found success as a blogger, writer or author.

Also, don’t forget to subscribe and become the latest Witty One. 

This Is Why Your Book Is NOT Selling!

It is safe to say that self-publishing is no longer a trend but rather a respected publishing avenue. In fact, numerous traditional publishing companies are beginning to discover some of the biggest authors from self-publishing. It is extremely exciting to self-publish your own short-story or book. After days, weeks or months of writing, your next thought is getting the book into the hands of the readers. In many author’s cases, after a month or so of publishing their book, they have not received one sale. While this can be devastating, the truth is, there is probably a reason why. What I have learned is that there are five CLEAR reasons why your self-published book is most-likely not selling. My intention is to guide you and raise your awareness with these reasons and new ideas to start bringing in some sales.

Your Book Cover

When it comes to self-publishing your book, your book cover is one of the driving forces towards your sales. If you are not seeing any sales, take a look at your book cover. Does it look like someone can make it on Microsoft Word? If so, stop in your tracks and hire someone. In my interview with Lizzie Dunalp, a self-published author, she makes it a point to talk about the importance of book covers. For literally less than $25, you can order a brilliant and high-quality book cover from Fiverr. Don’t make the mistake that thousands have done – get a high-quality book cover.

If you want to learn how to design a cover for free, check out these EXTREMELY useful books

What is your price-point?

I know you want to make money but if your book is unreasonably priced, you will never see sales. If you are brand new author charging $21.99 for a book, you can expect ZERO sales. You need to build your reputation as an author and begin receiving reviews. I know you want to make residuals off of your story. We all do! It’s important to know though, people are more inclined to buy eBooks that are priced under the $7.99 marker. As you begin to publish more and build a name for yourself, you can then begin to look at your pricing scale. So, if your book is over-priced that is the CLEAR reason why your self-published book is not selling.

If you need help establishing a price point for your book. Contact me using the contact form for more information on this service. 

Poor Quality

If there are grammatical, punctuation or plot errors in your story, you should not be surprised that your book is not selling. If you were a reader and found multiple errors in a story, do you really think you are going to read it? When a publishing company works with authors, there is a reason why it takes months to produce one book. There is much planning to be done, editing and formatting. There are no shortcuts to getting your book published quickly – don’t even think about short-cuts. Think about quality and insuring that you are getting the best feedback possible. You may want to consider hiring an analysis editor for your project. This is a major reason why your self-published book might not be selling.

No matter what market you write in, you need to make sure your information is flawless. These books are perfect guidance.

Your Attitude is a Reflection

In my opinion, this is a key indicator to how successful a story is going to be: the author’s attitude and belief in the story. I have discussed with many authors their confidence in their story and have heard such awful responses. If your attitude is poor and lack belief in your story, you should not be surprised that no one wants to buy your book. In order to even begin the route towards a profit from your book, you need to realize your attitude is a pure reflection of your sales. Once you begin to shift your perspective towards gratitude and trust, the magic will happen. You will wake up one day and find that your book sold five times what you expected.

What is your book about?

Many times, self-published books that don’t sell are too broad or quite random. One of the benefits of working with a publishing company is that they understand every single market, audience and niche. If you have no knowledge, it’s important to do your research and see what is out there. For an example, a book about freshwater fishing may not sell as well in comparison to a book about fresh water fishing in rivers with live bait. Take the time to look at the angle of your story and find out if it is specific enough for a market and audience.

Secret Tip #6: Your Marketing Campaign is Lacking

I have met so many authors that complained that their self-published book was not selling. That is why you are here, right? Now, I understand that it is frustrating but if your marketing campaign is non-existent, should you be surprised? There are DOZENS of different methods to getting your book out there. All you need to do is research and make it happen. For an example, have you done any of these yet?

· Join Facebook groups?

- Any reviews of your book? (I offer book review services as well, please use the contact form for more information!)

· Given your book for free for reviews?

· Join Google+?

· Done the Amazon Advertising Program?

· Use Facebook Advertising?

· Promoted on Pinterest?

· Called local book stores?

Do you see, there are dozens! That was only 7! Selling your story is SO MUCH EASIER than you are making it to be. Don't listen to the masses complaining. Create your own lane and go!

If you are not really sure on where to go with your marketing campaign these books will give you guidance as to what to do and where to go. Don't waste your time!

It is OKAY!

I think one of the most important things to realize is that it is OKAY if your book is not selling right now. If your self-published book is not selling, there is a reason and you have been lead here. These reasons are meant to make you think and reflect on your story and discover the truth behind your question. The goal now is to learn from the reasons and begin to make a difference. What can you do now? Well, as writer and author, it is always a learning process and you need to accept that. If you are seeking assistance as an author or writer, use the contact form to Work With Me! I will help you get your stories out there and teach you everything you need to know. Don't waste your time any longer. Begin to shift your attitude and perspective. There is a magic in writing a book and you need to tune into that magic. Once you do, the book will sell, the positive reviews will come in, and you will be well on your way to your next successful story.

Don't forget to subscribe to A Spin of Wits and become an official Witty One! The bonuses are endless

How to Reach 1,000 Views On Your Blog In Less Than A Week

So, you want to learn how to reach 1,000 views on your blog in less than a week? Let me tell you a little secret, it is a lot easier than you probably think. In fact, I have been blogging for nearly two weeks and I am already getting thousands of views, follows, comments, likes – you know, the whole blogging package. While many people say it takes months upon months, they lie. It did for them because they didn’t know these tools at their disposal.

1.      Facebook Groups

I don’t care what people say, Facebook Groups are one of the BEST ways to get your message and blog out there. There are hundreds upon hundreds of groups out there for every single niche. Whether you are blogging about writing, entrepreneurs, movies, food, desserts, motherhood – it does not matter! There are groups for every single one of you. Find them, join them, interact with those people! Don’t go blast your blog posts everywhere – be subtle about it. Humans like interaction – they don’t like being marketed to. If you take your time, in less than a week, you can have your blog posts across all of Facebook and generate 1,000 views just from this tool. For more on this, check out this amazing book: 

2.      Pin Your Blogs

I truly feel that everyone underestimates the capability of Pinterest. Do you not realize it is the fourth largest “social” media and used website? Millions of people still use it and it is the source of some major traffic and income for numerous bloggers. All it takes is the time to sit down and pin high-quality images to your links. Don’t forget the 80-20 rule when you are doing this either. For every pin you create, you should pin four other random people’s pins. Try to pin trending pins but also those who are in the same boat as you. The more you can do this, you will begin to gain traction. Also, follow a ton of people in your niche. It’s not hard. Don’t be lazy. Do you want to reach 1,000 views on your blog? Need I even mention the opportunity to promote your pins if you make your account a business account? 

This is one of the best books in the game for learning about Pinterest!

3.      Advertise

Take the time and study the different platforms of advertising. Facebook Advertising is becoming one of the best forms of getting your content out there; however, it is not the only one. Take $5, or more if you can, and market your work! This will be considered paid views, but hey, it is still 1000 views. If you designed your blog properly with different advertising programs and affiliated marketing, you can find yourself reaping much more than your thinking.

4.      Blogging Communities

95% percent of the time, bloggers have never heard of “blogging communities”. Now, these are not specific to your niche but specific to the niche of blogging itself. There are dozens upon dozens of different blogging community websites where you can share your wealth of knowledge and information with others. Keep in mind, humans like interaction. If you are planning on spamming your blog, you are missing the vital reason why you will never each 1,000 views.

5.     THE BEST TIP: StumbleUpon

You might not have ever heard of StumbleUpon, or you have and it as years ago. This website is CRUCIAL and can completely change your entire website and future. If you were to purchase a simple ad space on StumbleUpon, your blog is bound to go viral, if you have high-quality content. The entire website works off of people’s perception of your blog or page. If they like it, they give it a thumbs up. From there, it becomes visible to hundreds, then thousands and then millions of people across all of the social medias. What are you waiting for! Start for free, unless you can do the paid route.

The BEST Way to Capitalize Off StumbleUpon:

If You Can’t Hit 1000 Views…..

The honest truth is: it is extremely easy to hit 1000 views on a high quality blog post. It does require some effort on your behalf. You can’t except to publish an article and expect SEO to do all the work. If you do, that’s why your blog is failing. You need to use the different outlets that are available to you now! My biggest piece of advice to fellow bloggers is to also visualize and see their blog succeeding. If you can see your blog succeed and believe in it, you will succeed. If you doubt yourself even for one ounce, that is a loss view. If you are seeking more information on becoming a successful blogger, check out Miles Reise's book: How to Be a Successful Blogger. 

5 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Self-Published

Interview with Lizzie Dunlap

Writing a book or short-story is one of the greatest feelings in the world to a writer. There are stories brewing inside the mind just begging to be written onto paper or Microsoft Word – whatever your preference is. With that being said, when the book is done, what do you do? Many authors and writers have NO IDEA what to do or where to go. By default, thousands make choices that they wish they never did. This week, I caught up with Lizzie Dunlap to talk about, “The 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Self-Published.” After doing an interview with her on Game of Thrones, author of the recently released, The Knight of the Hunted, we thought we would collaborate once more about a topic many people often ask about: Self-Publishing. 

Whether you are in Facebook writing groups or have writing friends, every writer will ask the same question: Traditional Publishing Route or Self-Publishing Route? With that being said, I decided to interview Lizzie Dunlap, a successful self-published author about her journey in BOTH fields. Our goal is to provide some valuable information that will not only entertain you but also educate you.

We also want to hear FROM YOU! We want to hear your questions, comments and thoughts. That is why there is a beautiful section below called comments, use it! Sign up for emails on the left -hand side and stay-up to date with all of the latest book reviews, blogs, articles and collaborations.

For more details on Lizzie Dunlap, please head to: 

Website - http://www.lizziedunlap.wordpress.com  

Instagram - instagram.com/elizabethdunlapnifty  

Twitter -twitter.com/edunlapnifty  

Facebook -facebook.com/elizabethdunlapnifty

Her most recent book is for sale right now on Amazon, feel free to click the image right here:

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Thank you so much for being so willing to do another interview! After such a successful one, I figured what an opportunity to learn more about you, Lizzie. Today, I am going to interview more about publishing and really giving people some feedback and information that is often unknown. So before we begin, could you tell us a little bit about your writing history? Also, what was your inspiration to write?

I have been writing for a good long while. I published my first story in 2015, it’s a short story. I published two more in 2016. My first novel was published in 2017, which is SUPER exciting. Did I mention, they are ALL self-published.Now, what inspired me? I used to draw little pictures or color pages and I would make up a title for them, like “The Red Dress” or whatever and write my name on it. I was essentially making book covers for fun, and one day, I made one of a lady in a red dress, and I stared at it and I realized that if I Liked the idea of making a book so much, I should learn how!

That is a beautiful story, thank you for sharing. Now, a question many of us are asking, what are the names of these stories?

Well, there’s a two-part short story series about a superhero named Aero, which is the title. The other short story was inspired by the game Dragonvale, which I wrote to be included in a guide for the game that came out last year, that one is called Minerva and the Dragon Park. My novel, which was released this year is called the Knight of the Hunted, which is about a vampire named Lisbeth. Hmm, I just realized, all of them are in different genres.

What a coincidence, eh? So, do you have any other books or series in the works?

SO MANY! I would say around 7. This does not include the others in the series that go with the Knight of the Hunted. One is finished out of the 7 and it is called the Grumpy Fairy. It is a story about a fairy named Drusinella, and basically, her hobby in life is turning princes into frogs. Her front yard is swarming with frogs!

So, yet another new genre? Look at you go! Inspirational. I am curious to learn what makes her so grumpy. When can we expect that?

VERY soon, I am working on the cover now. I will send it out for editing and then publish it. I think it turned out FANTASTIC, it’s a very exciting and funny story.

Very exciting!!!! I am sure all this information is on your website as well (INSERT LINK HERE). So, let me ask, why did you publish self instead of traditional?

The main reason was how difficult it is to actually be traditionally published. You have to submit it to companies, and if you don’t go through a book agent, you’re basically sunk. So finding a book agent is paramount, and they are so overbooked that it takes at least 4 months to get an answer about your sample, which may be a no. I knew that my stories were so special that I could not NOT publish them. There is also the success of many books that were once Self-Published. For an example, Warm Bodies, The Martian, Fifty Shades of Grey. All are now traditional published, and have movies!

Thanks so much for that. I think a lot of people will appreciate that. So, this post is not geared towards traditional publishing; however, if there is someone seeking to take that route, do you have any advice from your experience?

Well, like I said, you have to find a book agent, and there are sites that connect you with them. Two that I know of for an example, querytracker and agentquery. They are both free services, if I remember correctly, but paying for a subscription puts your samples at a higher priority, of course.

So now, you specialize in self-publishing, do you feel like you were prepared for self-publishing?

Absolutely not, haha. I do love challenges though and I always find a solution.

Could you share with us a couple areas that you ran into that were challenging?

Honestly before my novel was published, I used to stress out over covers ALL the time. My first cover for Aero was just awful, and it’s still up on Goodreads, taunting me! Being self-published means you have to be Jerry Lewis.

Now, aside from book covers, did you run into anything that you needed to research or literally had no clue about?

Yes! Formatting my eBook. You Don’t HAVE to, since KDP helps you do that, but I wanted to make sure the chapters were in separate pages, so they wouldn’t overlap. You also put in the title, author summary, and ISBN information. I fiddled with it a lot so I learned some tricks. Doing it that way is the best to ensure there are no blank pages.

Great learning experience for some new writers. Now, I do have a BIG question for you. You just gave writers a new piece of advice on taking the time uploading a formatting their books. Do you have three to five pieces of VITAL advice that you can offer NEW writers and authors in the self-publishing world? Advice that you know is beyond helpful that will assist getting their book up as fast as possible?

Absolutely!

My first one is all about money payout, KDP and CreateSpace.

What is KDP, briefly?

KDP stands for Kindle Direct Publishing. Everything is done through Amazon. In this service, you can also enroll your book to be included in Kindle Unlimited, which is a subscription service people pay of $9.99 a month, or free with Amazon Prime, on Amazon where anyone can read your story or book for free.

What about the money payouts that you mentioned?

Kindle Direct Publishing has a money payout system of 60 days after the end of the month the sale happened. What this means, if you get a sale in January, you will not see those fresh dollar bills until April. There is no express shipping on this one. I would not be surprised if Amazon offered a feature under Amazon Prime to get your payments faster.

KDP also has a restriction on international sales, which you do not receive unless there is $10 in that country in sales, like 10 sales in England. So, let me give you an example. Say someone in Denmark buys your book, you don’t get that money unless enough people in Denmark buy copies and it totals $10.

WHOA! WHAT! I never knew that! Are there any benefits to KDP?

Yes! It is FREE to use. Most companies will charge you for self-publishing, keep that in mind. It is also EXTREMELY user-friendly. On top of this, if there are mistakes after publishing, you can fix it!

Wow! I am learning so much. Let’s move onto Create Space – what is happening there, what is it?

CreateSpace is a free service that prints self-published paperbacks. The thing with Create Space is that it has restrictions on money payout that you need to be careful as. You do not get any money until you’ve earned $20, and you have to wait 30 days after that happens. For an example, you can earn $10 in May, and $15 in June, you will receive a check in July of $25.

So, wait. You’re telling me that Create Space is for paperback publication –

Correct! Their standard size is 6x9 but you can choose which size you want. Personally, I don’t have very many 6x9 books so I found that odd to be the standard size.

So let’s get clear ONE MORE TIME! Create Space is for Paper Back, if someone wants to offer an eBook, is that done through KDP then? Meaning they would have to sign up for Create Space and KDP?

Yes! Well, both sides do both, which is funny, but doing them separately is better in my opinion. KDP for eBooks and CreateSpace for paperbacks. They are designed to cater to that type of format, and therefore are the better option. In other words, KDP does better eBooks, and CreateSpace does better Paperbacks. It is like asking a turkey farmer to grow you a tomato.

                                            

YES! LEARNING MOMENT! Oprah AH-HA moments. Love it! I feel like many writers can appreciate this advice, thank you SO SO SO MUCH!

Knowing is half the battle! Why do you think Tyrion Lannister is still alive and so many other people are dead?

Okay so that was essentially piece of advice number 1, what would be your second piece of advice for new authors and writers?

My second piece of advice comes down to pre-orders. Here’s the situation. If you want to do a pre-order of paperbacks, CreateSpace limits that to only a few days in advance, while KDP lets you pick a much longer time (weeks even) Some people like to fiddle with the system, making an account on Amazon Advantage, and stuff, but that didn’t work for me. It actually messed up my listing for several weeks.

Okay, pause, let’s back this up. What is Amazon Advantage?

There is a site that connects factories that makes products with Amazon, like say you have a factory that makes teddy bears, and you want to connect that to Amazon, you make an account and it links the orders to your factory.

How does that relate to books and publishing?

You can make a listening for anything, like books, and link it to your ISBN so it’ll theoretically tell CreateSpace to print books when people order one, but the work-around is people put the book up for pre-order on Amazon Advantage and then cancel the listening right before the book releases, and that is just so hinky to me. I can’t imagine that actually working without a hitch.

I never knew that! So to all new writers, be wary when you are preparing your pre-order sales!

Oh by the way, this is a private note for CreateSpace if they are reading this: fix the pre-order time limit so people don’t have to do that.

Hey, if enough people, LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE, we can totally get CreateSpace to maybe fix this ;) What is your third piece of advice?

My third piece of advice involves CreateSpace. When you make a book on there, it gives you six channels of distribution, Amazon, Amazon.eu, the CreateSpace Store (because people totally buy from there, NOT!), book stores and online retailers, libraries and academic institutions, and CreateSpace direct. My advice: DO NOT check mark bookstores and online retailers, or CreateSpace Direct. I had to find this out the extremely hard way.

Uh, oh. What happens girl? What happens and why?

If you put those on your distribution channels, that means online retailers can buy your book in bulk, or sell it online in their store, and you do not get full amount of royalties for it. My book is $9.99 normal price. Out of that, I make $2.14 per purchase. If someone buys from retailers, other than the official $9.99, I get $0.14. That is not the best part. The best part is that they can sell their copy for less than the official one, so no one will buy the one that gets you your royalties. I thought it would be fine letting other retailers sell my book, since it theoretically means bookstores will buy it, but it’s not worth it.

I feel like NO ONE is talking about this. I would easily be convinced as well!

It was devastating to my sales. I have no idea how many paperbacks were sold that way, and it will take over a month to rectify after I turned off that sales channel. And yet, there is still a cheaper copy than my official one. Always buy the official one people! PAY THE EXTRA DOLLARS! It matters more than you can ever imagine!

I am BLOWN away by this. I am so grateful for you sharing this message! Do you have a fourth piece of advice?

YES! It is so hard to get a cover made if you lack the skills, which most authors do. We write, we don’t design! Most companies want several hundred dollars up front. Meaning, in order to make any money off of your eBook, you need to sell almost 100 copies to at least break even. So, I discovered this little gem, called Fiverr. It is a website for digital services. Care to guess how much my book cover for Knight of the Hunted costed?

Yes! Please share.

Guess!

$75?

HA! Guess again.

$50?

$30!!!! That included being given the source file and the CreateSpace paperback cover. ARE YOU SHOCKED?

$30 for something SO BEAUTIFUL!

Right? Everything on that site starts at $5, so extras are extra money. You can still get an amazing cover for $5 though.  One like mine is $15, if you don’t need the source file or a paperback cover. Having a good cover is crucial, I really hope more people will learn about Fiverr.

Wow! That is amazing. Does anyone else even know about this!? You are handing down $100,000 worth of advice!

I take PayPal ya’ll ;)

Do you have one last piece of advice? One last piece – for all new writers and authors. Something that is so important and detrimental. Something that you wish you knew.

Page numbers. Do NOT forget to put page numbers on your paperback! I totally forgot to do that. Woops! I ordered one author copy for myself and just, where are the page numbers? OH MY GOSH WHERE ARE THE PAGE NUMBERS? Oh yeah. I forgot them. They’re a little helpful. So you can say, “I was on page 42” instead of “the page where they were doing the thing.”

I can only imagine!

One last tip – don’t give up, ever! I know that this hard, and you feel like you have no idea what you’re doing. Just don’t give up. You will have the copy in your hands one day and it will all be worth it.

I adore that piece of advice. I totally agree with you. Many people often get lost and lose their motivation and confidence. You have to stick with it!

I almost did several times because I just felt so lost. But you can do it, trust in yourself! Once you do it one time, it will be easy peasy!

Yes! I love that piece of advice, I think it’s so important for everyone to let this soak in.

Are you ready for a little fun? What I am going to do is ask you a series of questions, you have to answer with your FIRST answer in your mind. This is all about getting to know the writer, Lizzie Dunlap.

Peanut Butter or Jelly?

Both

Wings or No Wings?

Wings

Game of Thrones or LotR?

Sorry, Legolas, GoT.

Pokemon or Digimon?

Pffft. Pokemon, duh!

Your Favorite Author?

Gail Carson Levine

Your favorite written character?

Claire Danvers from Morganville Vampires

Favorite Color?

Blue

Favorite line or quote?

“I am a man” he told her, “and men do not consume pink beverages. Get thee gone woman, and bring me something brown.” -  Cassandra Clare, City of Glass

Disney or Nickelodeon?

Disney Movies, Nickelodeon TV Shows.

Yes or No?

Yes, it makes me feel like I won someone over!

1 Fun Fact About You!

I collect playing cards!

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Thank you so much for checking out my interview with the ever-so-amazing Lizzie Dunlap. Please take the time to share this information with as many writers as possible. If you have any questions or comments, please comment below! We would love to hear from you! If you are seeking more books on this information, check out the following:

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Game of Thrones Interview with Lizzie Dunlap

To Live and to Die

Cue the music and bake the cupcakes because Game of Thrones Season 7 is ALMOST HERE! Gripping our chairs and constantly seeking the latest fan theories and spoilers – George RR Martin has created a literature addiction. That is write, a literature addiction. Did you catch my witty pun? With Winter just passing, George seems to believe Winter is Coming. We are eagerly awaiting how the white fuzzy people with blue eyes are going to continue spreading their torment and how Cersei will reign as Queen, finally. Better yet, what is going to happen with Sansa and Jon? The mystery awaits behind the veil that is about to be revealed to YOU! So, in efforts to bring forth a new light and new information for the upcoming season, I caught up with Lizzie Dunlap, an avid reader, viewer and writer, to discuss the juicy details. If you are seeking more details on the phenomenal Lizzie Dunlap, please check out my recent post about her, here!

The interview serves to entertain and to forecast what is to come. Her answers WILL shock you and slightly blow your mind. After nearly talking for 2 or more hours, the result is only a couple of sentences away. Don’t skip too fast! If you have not read any of George RR Martin’s installments on A Song of Ice and Fire, please check out the following books to catch up! You don’t have much time!!

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Interview with Lizzie Dunlap

1)  We finally made it to the interview! I am super excited to hear what you’re thinking and what you are anticipating come Season 7. Let’s jump straight in. Why do you like Game of Thrones? What makes it so addicting and good?

I love history of the British Royal Family, especially the Tudor family period. That is how it was pitched to me. So I love that – and the fact it is realistic. I can totally see this being a time in history. It also doesn’t censor itself, it is unpredictable.

TOTALLY! One of George RR Martin’s hidden talents is just that! Did you know that the story was partly based on reality?

Yeah!! I never got a steeper story about that but I knew it was truthy. Minus the dragons though – UNLESS, THERE WERE DRAGONS!!

True to Size Dragon

2)  Wait, were there dragons? Do you think, Nero? Rome? Rome on fire? Are you picking up on what I am putting down?? I digress, Where did we leave off in Season 6?

Simply put, Jon rose from the dead – a TARGARYEN! Cersei make a boom happen – becomes queen. Dany finally got her ships after 6 seasons. Bran is now marked by the White Walkers. Oh – and Ramsy, he dead. The most important thing to note is that Dany got her way, Cersei got hers, and Jamie and Brienne still have not done the dirty-dirty.

3)  That boom was crazy – but I think we knew she was up to something. So, let me ask, who is your favorite character and why?

I really like Tyrion Lannister. I honestly think he’d make the best ruler out of all the possible candidates. He’s really smart and knows how to get what he wants. He is also really kind – something must characters don’t have.

4)  Fair enough – let’s flip the coin over. Who is your least favorite and why?

There are so many obvious answers for this because the show has no shortage of a$$h$%@. I think my least favorite Character is Bran – he has never truly interested me. I was so glad his story was left out in an earlier season. It picked back up again, a little, especially if it goes where I think it’s going.

I am shocked. I have never heard anyone say Bran! Always someone like Ramsey or Sansa or Joffrey. But Bran? Where do you think it’s going?

I hope, and this has some backing with things in the book, but it’s not confirmed either way, just yet, Bran will go back in time and become that thing that drives Aerys II The Mad King, Mad. He kept talking about hearing voices, and bran could be the voices he heard while in the past. He kept repeating “Burn them all,” which is how you kill white walkers. I’d love to see this happen – I think OMG would be on a different level.

"Oh my gosh!"

*SHOCKED* I am shocked by what you just said. This would make total logical sense in every way! That would add such a complexity to the story that is just MIND BLOWING! Lizzie +2 for that one. I need a minute to digest that thought.

6)  What were your thoughts on Jon Snow coming back?

I was glad. Like when the writers kept insisting that he was dead, I was like, oh you’re blowing it out your ass. I was very happy with it. I liked the theory of him warging into Ghost before dying – but they didn’t go that way with it. I am hoping it will Segway somehow into Lady Stone Heart – or they just did the same concept with Jon and won’t have her. That would be disappointing – I would love to see some Starks come back. Like NED! Not Robb though – he can stay dead. He is better off dead than alive. Just saying.

7)  I get a feeling that someone did not like Robb Stark very much….What was that whole deal with Lady Melisandre and the necklace?

When I first saw that, I immediately thought of the common theme with magic in tv now. Magic comes with a price. (Rumpelstiltskin) She did a lot of magic since we last saw her naked, and most of it was not white magic. I think the price of doing black magic is losing your beauty. Or she is the only one aging, since that baby has been a baby for like five seasons now.

Are you talking about little sam?

YES, HOW LONG HAS HE BEEN A BABY!! He should be my daughter’s age!

8)  What about Dany’s epic walking scene coming back with Drogon – wasn’t that intense!

I liked that, but I also liked when she killed all the Khals. She is pure badass. Her coming back with Drogon when everything was going to shit – and then it was like OMG , she’s back okay. 

Do you think she can make it to King’s Landing?

Yes, totally. I think she has the potential to be more-cruel than everyone in King’s Landing and that is saying something. She knows what she wants and she will get it.

9)  She does have some Mad King in her – that sounded wrong. But, wait. If Bran was the voice in the Mad King, could Bran be the calming voice in Dany? BOOM!!!! Let’s move a little North of Dany to King’s Landing. Cersei, Cersei, Cersei. She is finally queen! After 6 seasons, and three dead children – what are your thoughts?

It is obvious she’s a complete bitch, but she’s really strong. She has been through more than everyone realizes. A husband that openly cheated on her, her lover doesn’t want her anymore, really, she lived through her horror of a son, so now she’s finally doing whatever she wants. Her children might have held her back, like “No I shouldn’t do that because my kids would be in danger.” Now there are no stops. All bets are off. She is going to be fully unleashed: MEGA BITCH CERSEI, that is her advanced form.

You are hilarious and I adore your explanations. Now that the high septon is dead as well – the entire cult is gone.

I’m glad, he was really ugh. The entire religion was far too realistic. I would not follow a religion that is so cruel to people.

10) With season 7 around the corner, who is the first character to die?

Well that is hard. I think most of the main characters have too much story ahead for them to die. Just from what we have seen in the past few episodes, maybe those traitor bitches that killed Myrcella, or some minor character that’s been around for a while.

*Very slowly* You mean the ladies of Dorne?

YES! They’re cool and all – but they’re begging to be shafted.

They are currently hanging out with Lady Olena, right?

Yeah, Id love to see her ways to get even. (Evil Grin) Lady O is smarter than people think.

11) Do you think Arya will remove some names from her list?

No, I really don’t see her being the one who actually kills those people.

12) Interesting! I like that perspective, more realistic point of view. Will Cersei and Dany meet this season?

Face to face, if that happens, it will most likely be the last episode of the last minutes, leading into the last season. But I don’t think until Cersei dies. UNLESS, they decide to braid each other’s hair and join forces. Can you imagine that, Cersei and Dany chowing down some crumpets, sipping some tea and wine, braiding each other’s hair. Sounds like a Lifetime movie.

"Yay! Let's Braid Each Other's Hair!"

13) Yess!!!!! Who knows, that could be the plot twist and shocking moment. All of Episode 9, a tea sipping conversation about how life has been? Anyone? So, Lizzie, what can we anticipate from Season 7?

Honestly – expect Sansa to leave the north and to lead her own army. That’s right, Sansa Stark leading an army. I see her stabbing Little finger and taking his army. Evil Bitch Sansa, that is her advanced form.

14) I am not sure what just happened there. I was not expecting that at all! Shocked! As a writer, who do you see having the best time this season?

Arya – she is finally back after all this time. She is going to be a kid in a candy store. I hate you, you’re dead. I hate you, dead, you suck, stab. Her entire story has been leading up to this moment. I can see her trying to kill Cersei and not be able to, not like she stops herself, missing the chance to do so.

15) The infamous question of it all! Who is going to win the Game?

Tyrion. I just had the image of him sitting on the iron throne with the building destroyed. But I don’t see him as a king. He would be the best one – but not king.

So to win the game, do you need to be king?

Hell no!! The Winner is the one still alive at the end of the TV Show. This is like Survivor. Rickon, you are the weakest link, goodbye!

But what happens when they are reborn a white walker? They are no longer the weakest link, so hello?

In that case, maybe the white walker king will be the winner?

If Bran could control time, could he not just rid the world of White Walkers?

That brings up the question of is time changeable or not. Does going back in time truly change things, or has it already been effected before you even went back, like Hodor. Ohhh, snap! What if Bran creates the White Walkers by trying to stop them from being created!!! In which case, why Bran, WHY!

"WHY BRAN, WHY!"

16) What do you think George RR Martin is thinking?

“Finally I have a story where I can do whatever I want and no one bitches about it!” With a tv show, there are set rules and whether people understand that or not, Game of Thrones has no rules. He has absolute control over what happens, that is true writing freedom. Beyond no unicorns popping up. Man, imagine Game of Thrones with Unicorns.

17) They might be possessed given the culture of Westeros. Possessed Unicorns. One of the last questions, If you could play any character who would it be?

Brienne of Tarth, she is loyal and Jamie has the hots for her.

18) WE MADE IT TO THE END!!! We are going to play a rapid-fire game of To Live and to Die. I am going to say a name. As fast as possible, say to live or to die. If you say to die, I need a reason how or why.

Let’s do it!

Cersei -  Dead, I want her to get eaten by a dragon. But, I think what you said about Jamie killing her would be the best option.

Dany – To Live

Jon – To Live, he already died.

Melisandre – To Die, Old age and sickness, magic.

Sansa – To Die, Arya, for being evil.

Littlefinger – To Die, very, very deliciously dead. An accidental death.

Varys – To Live, being right there at the end saying something mildly profound, with his hands in his sleeves.

Tyrion – To Live

Arya – To Live as the Lady of Winterfell or a Wandering Killer.

Bran – To Live. I hope he gets his legs back somehow. Maybe he becomes a white walker or something cool. Maybe he will get stuck in the past and then comes out of nowhere old and a badass. MAYBE the Lord of Winterfell. That is a stretch, he has a long way to go.

Brienne – Alive and fabulous.

Jamie – Alive and with Brienne.

“Brienne and Jamie sitting in a tree.”

Jorah – To Die, still in the friendzone. The disease.

The Mountain – To Die, Dragon

The Hound – To Die, Arya

Sam and little Sam – To live, very cute but still a baby…….

The White Walkers – To die, defeated in battle by the North, dragon glass, dragons.

Drogon and the Dragons – To Live, maybe not all three but Dragons will live. Hopefully they find eggs and have baby dragons. I would not put it past them!

Ghost – To Live, the red eyes, Targaryen blood, OF COURSE!

Nymeria – To Live, with Arya wandering.

 If you were a character – would you be alive or dead – I’d live. I’d find the most remote location and live there safely. If threatened, I would just flash them. Sex is a weapon and Game of Thrones, I would win.

"The Winner of Game of Thrones is..."

That was AMAZING! What an amazing and fun interview with Lizzie Dunlap. I was shocked and surprised by so many of her answers. With such an interesting perspective – she opened my eyes to a whole new way of thought for the future of Game of Thrones. We both did finish the conversation discussing how impressive writer George RR Martin is for creating such a masterpiece. The complexities of the show and book are so beautiful and amazing that any writer looks to him as an inspiration.

Well everyone, that is it for the first official interview on Game of Thrones. We hope you enjoyed this and we would love to hear your thoughts! Stay tuned and up to date with what is to come! Share this post with your friends, comment below and subscribe by email to get constant updates. Lastly, Lizzie and I have a couple more surprises coming down the road – get yourself ready! Grab the books from the Books to Buy or above. Check out Lizzie’s website and her book now on Amazon: 

L - “Winter is Coming! Remember it is going to get cold.”

R- “They say that so much. Geeze. It’s been five seasons of Winter is Coming. It is like their way of saying hello. Like Aye Mate! Winter is Coming! How the heck are ye!”

L - “Totally. Like may the force be with you. Maybe it is an inside joke and they are saying it just for kicks.”

R- “Maybe George’s least favorite season is Winter.

L – “Can you imagine him sitting in the Iron Throne saying, “For all those Winters I was snowed in!””

---- Till Next Time ----

- Lizzie DunlapWebsite - http://www.lizziedunlap.wordpress.comInstagram - instagram.com/elizabethdunlapniftyTwitter - twitter.com/edunlapniftyFacebook -facebook.com/elizabethdunlapnifty

Top 3 Daily Habits of Very Successful People

Everyone wants to be successful in 2016 but in reality the majority of people who want to be successful are incredibly lazy and that probably includes you. It’s the truth and whether you wish to accept this or not – it’s the decision that will catapult you to the next step of your success. Now, people are no longer seeking to work towards their goals and achieve success – they are seeking instant gratification and want the money, success and fame to be handed down to them. Does that sound like you? If you are seeking to reach the success of individuals like Oprah, Richard Branson, or Tony Robbins – you can name any celebrity or individual who has achieved anything great in life and they all live very similar lives. Each very successful individual lives a life based on daily habits that truly brought success into their realm of life. Let me ask you, do you think you can become successful by studying someone who’s poor and does not know how to manage their own life? Drop the excuses, drop the bag of chips and shut off the television. If you are seeking a financial free life full of travels, luxurious cars or homes and 5-star meals, let’s begin by looking not at your efforts but your habits and the 3 daily habits of very successful people.

1. Your Sleep Schedule

The first daily habit that very successful people have is waking up early every single day. What I want you to think about is this concept. If you are sleeping for 8-9 hours every single day, do you realize how much time you are not dedicating towards your passion? While you are sleeping, someone else is out there working that much harder than you towards their goals, dreams and life. Do you really think Oprah or other CEOs are cuddled up in bed until 11AM? No. Any single human being who has ever been successful will tell you to wake up and stop wasting time. Set the intention every single day when you go-to bed and when you wake up for what the day is going to be like. Let me ask you, haven’t you heard of the quote, “the early bird gets the worm?” Wake up early to seize your day or else watch the day seize you.

2. Create Goals and Intentions

Now one of the biggest and most imperative measures and habits that very successful people utilize is the gift of goals. This is such a precious tool to help reach your maximum potential in life. Every successful human being purposefully wakes up early everyday with the intention of creating goals and then accomplishing those goals each and every day. The idea is to know what’s important, what needs to get done and focus until those goals are met knowing it will maximize the results with each check mark. Now the key to this daily habit of very successful people is that they set their goals daily – not weekly or monthly. The reason behind this is you don’t want to get lost paying attention to futuristic steps that have no say or impact on your present step. The only step that matters towards your success and goals is the step you are taking right now. Manny Koshbin, a very successful entrepreneur with a net worth of $40 million, has pin-pointed his success to being goal oriented and writing his goals and intentions every morning. Due to this mentality, recently, he has bought his wife a brand new Rolls-Royce as a gift of love.

3. The Power of Focus

There is one distinct habit that will set any very successful person aside from one that is not: The Power of Focus. I want to accentuate the concept of Power because utilizing the tool of focus comprises such an ability that it’s only comparison in words is that of power. Without focus, your goals, intentions and even waking up early will mean absolutely nothing. Lack of focus results in lack of passion. The idea behind focus is truly being so passionate about your venture that all you see in your eyes is success. Successful people are the ones who are focused and crossing goals off their list while others are unfocused, sitting on their couch and sleeping. When you can harness the power, nothing can stop you from reaching the pinnacle of your success.

Habits Can Make or Break You
Ultimately, your habits can make or break your business venture. Take the time to sit down with your business, brew and brainstorm the ideas that work and the ideas that don’t and figure out what habits are truly working in your life and what you need to change. The first step to any change is recognize that you need to change your habits. Through practicing these daily habits of very successful people, it’s guaranteed and a science that through these daily habits, your business venture has no other option but to succeed. Remember don’t rush towards your success because what you will be rushing towards is nothing. Enjoy each step, focus on each step and watch the magic of life unfold in your benefit.

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The Top 3 Secret and Surprising Ways Your Dog Says, ‘I Love You!’
How many times have you watched the Dog Whisper or have seen the movie Doctor Doolittle and wished you could talk and understand your dog? Trust me – everyone does! Think about it, what do you think your dog is trying to say when it barks at the vacuum cleaner or better yet, when your dog stares at you? Well, with recent studies, scientists and researchers have been able to draw unique connections between a dogs actions and habits and their expression of love. With that being said, whether you know it now or not, your dog has been attempting to you communicate with you in 3 Secret Ways with a heart full of love and gratitude for the love you share with it. Haven’t you ever heard that a dog has the most unconditional love in the entire world? This is the Top 3 Secret Ways Your Dog Says, ‘I Love You!’

1. Where The Dog Sleeps

One of the key ways a dog will secretly say, ‘I Love You!’ is noticed by where they sleep. Can you take a guess at the one spot that is the sign of this? Your bed! While many dog owners and specialist may turn their heads to the thought of their dog sleeping on their bed, this a pure sign that your dog loves you. It’s here that your dog is attempting to demonstrate its loyalty and love because it does not want to separate from you – its pack. Is that you saying Awe?

2. The Eye-Contact 

Have you ever noticed your precious little pup making eye contact with you before? You know a moment where the dog looks at you in the eyes and you’re like, “Whoa!” It’s in that moment that, as Brian Hare says, an infamous dog expert, your dog is giving you the world’s biggest hug with their eyes! In fact, it has been scientifically proven that through eye contact with your dog, it actually releases similar hormones to that of a mother with her baby.

3. The Calm Nature

Have you ever left your home and your dog sort-of acts in a panic? While many dog owners believe this is love – in fact, it’s not. It’s actually anxiety. But what’s more important is the times that you left your dog at home due to a grocery run and your dog stays calm. It’s here where the third top secret way your dog says ‘I Love You’ comes into play. Why? Well, if a dog is calm of your exit, what’s happening through the dogs mind is acceptance, understanding and trust that you will come back. Knowing this, don’t you want to run to the grocery store and buy your precious pup a little toy or treat?

Say I Love You Too!
Dogs are precious creatures that are full of expression of love seeking to share that with its owner. With that being said, what you just learned about were the Top 3 Secret and Surprising Ways Your Dog Says, ‘I Love You,’ so, how do you plan on saying ‘I Love You Too?’ Dogs love playing games, toys, treats and over course, cuddle time!

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The Top 3 Habits That Veil Your Happiness 

Have you ever taken the opportunity to observe your current habits to realize that they have no benefit towards your highest good, goals or, most importantly, your happiness? The reality is, if you were to take the time, you will realize they don’t serve any of your goals and ultimately veil your happiness. With that being said, are you ready to take back your happiness power and create the life of your dreams? Well, it all starts with your habits as your habits will lead to actions and your actions will lead to your goals and desires coming forth. So, with that being said, let’s take a look at the top 3 habits that veil your happiness so you can begin living the life authentically and happily.

1. A Tea Party With The Past and the Future

So many people love to host a tea party with the past – and it’s quite sad. The quote says, “The Past is in the Past,” for a reason. At the same time, does the future really exist? To exist essentially means to stand out. Does the future literally stand out? So, if you want to get your mind blown really quickly and shatter this habit, continue reading. One of the best authors of all time, Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now, has put forth true in saying the past does not exist and through acceptance of this is your true freedom. In context that everything that you will do, have ever done and do currently are all done in the present moment, now. It does not matter how you view it, it’s now and that’s where your power resides. It’s important to reflect and grow from moments from previous Now’s, but in that you are still looking at the moments from essentially, Now. So what is time, Now. Through embracing the habit of living only from the mentality of now, you remove so many paradoxes and contradictions that distract and veil your true happiness – it’s here your awareness of beauty and happiness will soar like an eagle.

2. Being Ungrateful
One of the biggest veils and habits that shrouds your happiness is your attitude on gratitude. The majority of people have such a falsified and surfaced-base view on gratitude. Ask yourself, how grateful are you for the $100 you have in the bank account? How grateful are you for the meal you were able to cook today? While each day presents new opportunities and learning moments, you realize that all of those moments are meant to teach and guide you towards your ultimate level of success. In other words, be just as grateful for all the moments that never worked out as you are for those that did. It’s those moments that allowed you to get you to the step you’re on now. Instead of focusing on the lack of opportunities or mind-based illusions like scarcity, focus on everything you do have. “Start with your breath,” as Oprah says it and your happiness will be revealed like a Sun bursting through the clouds.

3. Procrastination

While you are busying dreaming of some future life, keeping up with the Kardashians, eating a bag of chips or playing some game on your phone, there are others who are actually dedicated to bringing forth their dreams rather than paying attention to some façade, getting overweight or staying poor. The habit that so many people have – and it’s the truth behind why many people fail to reach success – is that of procrastination. Procrastination will keep you poor, eating potato chips and wishing you did something different. Through procrastination, It seeps from being late to work to business tasks to bills to even your goals and dreams. Ultimately, procrastination veils your happiness as it keeps you distracted from your goals and creates stress, which ultimately is the resistance of acceptance of what is in hopes of it being different. The secret to capitalizing and establishing a new habit is taking the step to get started now! Make a to-do list, set goals, and most importantly focus on accomplishing each task at hand – not some potential tasks 4 months down the road.

YOU Control YOUR Happiness

Your happiness is not veiled by anyone or anything else but you. You veil your own happiness with perceptions, contradictions and habits. Through recognizing which habits truly have no benefit towards your success – don’t you think it’s time to embrace the change and become a more authentic and successful individual? Don’t fear which step to take – just take a step! Any moment you waste debating what step to take, you are already taking one step backwards. Life is happiness and happiness is life – don’t get lost in the falsified ideologies of the socially controlled, create your own.

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How to Get Paid Blogging
How many times have you heard about other writers around the world making money by simply writing articles every single day? In some cases, these writers are actually making a living off it too! In 2017, there is a rising trend in the United States of America for online businesses and bloggers. The truth is, millions of people are wanting to become their own boss rather than listening to someone else. Fairly put, the benefits of freelancing writing, monetizing your blog or becoming a writer for popular blog sites are endless. To many, the benefits sound mythical because the opportunity or changes to get paid to blog seems a bit unobtainable. Guess what? You totally can and it is easier than you think. Here is a quick guide on How to Get Paid Blogging.

1. Create Your Own Blog

This is probably one of the simplest routes on how to get paid blogging. In order to get paid to blog, you need a space to write and there are hundreds of free website hosting services. Now, creating your blog is simply the first step of the entire process. Depending on what website host you pick, you are going to want to build your website content with high quality information in a specific niche. In other words, what are you passionate about and whatever the answer may be, become a writer of it. With a website and content, the last part of the trick is to monetize your blog. This is fancy lingo for getting advertisements on your blog. As you write high quality content and begin to properly market it, you will begin to see how easy it is to get paid by blogging.

2. Popular Blog Sites
If you are currently in the process of becoming a writer or involved in freelance writing, you could easily begin getting paid to blog by looking at popular blog sites and submitted your work for publishing. In many cases, numerous popular blog sites are actually constantly hiring contributors and bloggers for a great amount of money. This is an opportunity to gain traction within the blogging community and gain followers. Moreover, it could also be beneficial to look at journals, publications, and magazines. They are all relevant.

3. Freelancing/Independent Contracting

Another path an avenue that has been briefly mentioned thus far is the idea of freelance writing and/or independent contracting. What this essential means is that you offer your writing services to other companies in the form of an independent contractor. This is quite a popular method amongst those seeking to develop their name and becoming a writer. Furthermore, there are numerous websites for freelancers for finding blogging work, content building work and copywriting work. Through utilizing popular websites such as UpWork, freelance writing becomes an immense opportunity. If you are lucky, you might find some high profile writing clients.

Get Paid to Blog
You see, getting paid to blog is not as hard as many people make it seem to be. There are numerous options and opportunities depending on your writing style, flow and preference. With numerous website hosts, freelancing websites and hundreds of infamous and popular blog sites, anyone seeking to become a writer and get paid to blog should not find any struggle. Once you begin putting the energy and effort into either of the three routes, you will instantly begin to see results, whether positive or negative. In either case, they are learning experiences to grow and become the best writer you can be. In this, you will begin to charge more and make more money because of your growth. Always remember that!