The Latest Facebook Stats

According to Facebook:

• More than 400 million active users
• 50% of users log on to Facebook daily
  
• More than 35 million users update their status daily
• More than 60 million status updates posted daily
• More than 3 billion photos uploaded monthly
• More than 5 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photo albums, etc.) shared each week
• Pages have created more than 5.3 billion fans

Online Paying Opportunities for Writers

I just created an account on HubPages. Writers can earn revenue from their content. What you do is link to your Google Adsense account (or create one to link to). Then your posts are rated. How much you earn is based on traffic to your post, quality of your post and number of comments it accumulated. Helium is another website that allows writers to earn revenue from their posts. For example, click to read an article I came across on Helium, Tips for finding online freelance writing jobs. Writers, readers, please let me know—write a comment—if you'd like to see more of my articles about how to earn money by writing freelance.

What the Heck is Google Buzz?

If you're wondering what Google Buzz is, here's a quick explanation. Google Buzz is a new way to share things. It's built into Gmail. Comments go straight to your inbox and pop up live as the comments come in—like in Tweetdeck. You can import things from Twitter, Picasa, Flickr and Google Reader. You auto follow anybody you're already connected to. Buzz also recommends posts to you that you will most likely be interested based on your account's activity. You can share publically or just with your friends. It works on your phone too. Frankly I'm not totally wowed yet. But there you have it.

The Difference Between Blogs and Newsletters

The word blog comes from a combo of "web" and "log." A newsletter tends to list upcoming events and news related to an organization. Newsletters range from weekly, to monthly to quarterly. Blogs tend to be updated much more frequently. The most popular blogs are updated at least one time per day. Blogs have become a way to connect with and maintain a readership. They don't replace newsletters though. An organization can benefit from having both. As with all social media, the more articles written by an organization—whether included in blogs and/or newsletters—the more they add to the online "brand." Newsletters, blogs, twitter, facebook, video and all other means of social media communications have become excellent tools, especially when used together, to drive more traffic to an organization's website and to promote and advertise a particular service.

Twitter and Me

I can't get enough of reading what writers have to say on social media, marketing, writing articles, driving traffic to websites. I love this stuff! Ok, shuttin down for the night. I wish all tweople happy tweets! ciao4now.

ASJA Sunday, April 25th — SAVE THE DATE!

Hello fellow writers. I hope all of you will consider attending the annual American Society of Journalists and Authors conference. You do not have to be a member to attend the Saturday or Sunday sessions. I'm happy to announce that I will be speaking about web design Sunday 4/25 at 9am. Here's the synopsis:
No need to explain why you need a website. But how to create one? In this hands-on session, designers will explain where to host, which software programs allow users to do what, choosing a name, avoiding the pitfalls, and more.
Here's how I'm listed in the brochure:
Dorri Olds is founder of Manhattan-based website design/management, content writing/editing, branding business; as a writer, she’s contributed to several Chicken Soup for the Soul books, New Woman magazine, New York Press (winner of summer 2009 contest), The Resident, Our Town, West Side Spirit, City Dog and Pomp & Circumstance; contributing author to book anthologies, At Grandmother’s Table and The Ultimate Christmas.

Happy President's Day!

Just finished 3rd article of 4 due. Ahhhh. Nice feeling. Can't stop reading tweets and emails and linked in group messages today. i'm obsessed with this stuff. i learn so much, so fast. Yay for social media!!!

Schlepping to Long Island

Happy Valentine's Day to all. Steve and I are going to visit Mom. I'm almost finished with 3 of the 4 articles due this week for a magazine. One is about stress at tax time and suggestions from both a financial advisor and a therapist. The other is about Laura Fredricks' new book, The ASK: How to Ask for Support for Your Non-Profit Cause, Creative Project, or Business Venture. The third is a preview for Spring exhibitions at New York City galleries. And the 4th will be about an interior designer who helps men build man-caves (or men-dens) in their living space. That should be interesting. I have noticed that men are definitely different and sure like their "caves." :)

Now don't git scared...

It's tax time and I'm writing a coupla articles about stress at tax time to appear in The Resident magazine's March issue. One covered financial advice and emotional help via therapy for stress and fear at tax time. The other is an author profile about Laura Fredricks who writes books (i.e., How to Ask Anyone for Any Amount for Any Purpose). Lately my favorite articles have been author profiles. Love to help us writers!! Let me know if you know any books that are coming out soon.

Internet Statistics

Want to know how many people you can network with on the Internet? I did. Here's what I found out:

Source: sastisfactionsecrets.com

• 126 million – The number of blogs on the Internet (as tracked by BlogPulse).
• 27.3 million – Number of tweets on Twitter per day (November, 2009)
• 57% – Percentage of Twitter’s user base located in the United States.
• 350 million – People on Facebook.
• 50% – Percentage of Facebook users that log in every day.
• 234 million – The number of websites as of December 2009.
• 47 million – Added websites in 2009
• 1 billion – The total number of videos YouTube serves in one day.

Source: Mark Zuckerberg, Harvard alum and one of Facebook's founders
"Today [Feb. 4, 2010] we're celebrating our sixth birthday, and this week there will be 400 million people on Facebook. Just one year ago we served less than half as many people...."

source: Jeff Wiener, CEO, LinkedIn
"LinkedIn has 50 million users worldwide and we’re growing that figure at roughly one new member per second. When LinkedIn launched in 2003, it took 477 days — almost a year and four months — to reach our first million members. This last million took only 12 days"

2 Articles in March Resident now Online

Hi, I'm happy to report that 2 new articles are viewable online now. (You can also view them on this blog by clicking the top 2 pdfs). Online go to http://resident.com. Once there click on the cover thumbnail (Abigail Breslin). Top of page click on icon to left of magnifying glass. Then choose page: 162 to read about Zina Saunders, an illustrator who interviews eccentric, passionate, wonderful New Yorkers. The illos are whimsical, technically excellent, and fun. My travel piece appears on page 85 and continues on 87. Don't forget to come back and comment! I love getting feedback. Happy Reading.Abigail Breslin,

Editing is 75% of a writer's career

I've written a huge amount but now when i go back and read essays I wrote 3-5 years ago it looks completely different and needs editing. As I grow to be a stronger writer my older stuff looks weaker. It's a good metaphor for life. As I get older and better and happier I look back at my life and wince at the memories of some of my clueless follies. Geez, deep thoughts for the wee hours of morning.

Sunday afternoon

Man, i loved today! Worked on an article today about stress during tax season. Went shopping at Whole Foods (or Whole Paycheck as some call it). Came home, cooked, fed dog, chatted on the tel with my pal Janice, read a ton of tweets and said yes to friend requests. A good day. Hope yours was fantastique.

Overlooked New York by Zina Saunders

Click on the February Cover of The Resident (left column) to read my interview with Zina Saunders, Illustrator and Master of Reportage, as we discuss her new book, Overlooked New York. Read it! You're going to love it. Zina is a pistol—a true New York City original.interview,

Caribbean Heaven: Anguilla

Hope you enjoy my latest travel article.

How to Ask Anyone for Any Amount for Any Purpose

Laura Fredricks, bestselling author has written a new book, a sequel. It's called, The Ask: How to Ask for Support for your Nonprofit Cause, Creative Project, or Business Venture. Watch a video of Fredricks on ABC News about how to ask for monetary support in these tough economic times. Learn a step-by-step process.

Best Selling Author book party

Tonight I'm headed to a writer's gathering for Laura Fredricks. This is an event for her new book, The Ask: How to Ask for Support for Your Nonprofit Cause, Creative Project, or Business Venture. Fredricks' previous book, The ASK: How to Ask Anyone for Any Amount for Any Purpose is a bestseller. This woman is a powerhouse of energy and she knows how to get things done! I'll report back after the event.

2010 American Society of Journalists & Authors Conference

This year's conference title is "Inspiration: Finding the Spark, Unlocking the Doors." This is the 39th Annual ASJA writers conference. Open to the Public April 24–25. Members only: April 23–25. Roosevelt Hotel, 45 East 45th Street @ Corner of Madison Avenue, NYC. Click here for more info.

Off to meet my writing buddies

We meet once a week and critique each other's writing. I schlep all the way to the godforsaken upper east side (from Chelsea) because it's so fun. We all have this kooky funny energy that bounces off of each other. I'll never write in a vacuum again. One never has to be alone—especially here in my native New York City. Can i get a woo hoo?

Wondering what to tweet about?

Twitter is about networking. People are far more likely to work with friends, or friends of friends, or referrals. Twitter is a great way to expand your network. Tweet about topics that interest you. Search under "find people" for those topics. Join lists. Invest time. Be interesting. If you're trying to get somewhere with work try to stay away from horridly boring topics like what you ate for lunch, or how you feel. Talk about current events, technology breakthroughs, politics, business. In other words, tweet about things that would interest you. The more time you spend on twitter the more your following will grow. Think of it like going to the gym. If you go for 5 minutes one time per month the results will be practically nil. Same with twitter. Spend some time, read tweets, click on links, read blogs, check out websites and when you join lists see what others tweet about. Have fun!