Posts Tagged ‘publisher spotlight’
I first came into contact with Ronald Lewis when I sent an email to thank him for signing up for and installing a Lijit widget on his blog. This was back in early 2007, and means (if you do your math correctly) that Ronald was an early adopter back when we only had a handful. We appreciate his local support and the fact that Ronald always has wonderful things to say about our service. This post is long overdue and I’m happy to finally be able to sing his praises in proper blogging fashion.
From his professional bio, Ronald Lewis is a Denver-based author, technologist, speaker, blogger, activist, and entrepreneur. On his blog, he writes about how he landed a book deal, his suggestions for improving personal development, and how he’s managed to get so much press coverage. Recently featured by CNN and BusinessWeek for his future outlook on television and opinion of dating, he has advised individuals and businesses on everything from cloud computing to open source software.
From my own personal dealings with Ronald, he’s a super nice guy and just to prove it, brought his mom to the Front Range Blogger Meetup a few months ago. (How cute is that!)
How long have you been blogging and what made you start?
I’ve been blogging for more than thirteen years now (1995), well before the “automated blog” came along with WordPress and other blogging platforms. I was given a Unix shell account at Wayne State University, where I was forced to learn HTML to create my first homepage on the web.
After learning the basics of HTML, I posted random thoughts in chronological order, and so, my blog was officially born!
What has been the greatest thing you’ve gotten from blogging?
The greatest thing I’ve gotten from blogging is the ability to establish my voice and presence around the world. I am always in awe when I view my website’s stats to notice visitors from every corner of the globe. It’s inspiring to know that your thoughts, opinions, desires, and more can be instantly published and read by anyone. That’s powerful!
Of all the posts you’ve written, what has been your favorite and why?
Of all the posts I’ve written, my favorite at the moment is a story about XOShareholders.com, a website I co-launched in 2001 to launch a shareholder revolt against XO Communications. It was a successful grassroots campaign that netted the site some 2,300 shareholders owning 24 million shares in the company. It also landed me my first book deal.
Speaking of your first book deal, your book comes out this June. What is it about and how will you be using your blog to promote the book?
I do have a book coming out in June! It’s my first and I’m quite excited about it! Stick It To The Man is an unconventional how-to guide to leveling the playing field between consumers and the elite that often take everyday people for granted in business, government, and society.
I’m using my blog, Lijit, and other tools to cross-pollinate social networks, Amazon, etc. with timely information about the book, such as its release, events, tour, and more. The Lijit Wijit is especially helpful for visitors searching for information related to the book, because it easily mines disparate information into a single display. This is perfect for a new author like myself, because it prevents “flighty” Internet users from leaving the page to find what they’re looking for.
How has Lijit helped you to become a better blog publisher?
Lijit has helped me become a better blogger by exposing my content to a larger audience. This doesn’t mean you’ll receive a million hits in one day, but knowing there’s one more prominent property for readers to find your content is a compelling reason to use the network.
I appreciate Ronald taking the time to answer my questions and share his blogging experiences with us. Be sure to keep an eye on Ronald’s blog for more information about the arrival of his book. I’m so excited to say that I knew Ronald back when…
I tend to use the word “genius” lightly. However, when I first saw the Craftastrophe blog, that was exactly the word I used to describe it. Who doesn’t love seeing craft projects that have gone horribly wrong?
The idea behind the site is one of those amazing things that sounds good in theory, but is actually an out-of-the-park homerun when you see it in action. Whether it’s the knit hamburger dress, the stuffed log pillow, the recycled beer bottle wind chime, or the Barbie doll key bag necklace, you’re sure to be pleasantly surprised by how awfully wonderful these homemade treasures are. Reading this blog almost makes me want to try my hand at a craft project…if only to have something to submit.
When the women behind Craftastrophe installed Lijit AND agreed to be part of this profile, I was almost giddy. Listen to what the brains behind this masterpiece (Karen and Sam) have to say about their site.
How long have you been blogging and what made you start?
Craftastrophe opened in November 2008, but Sam and I have been blogging separately since 1875, it seems. We each have personal blogs and we each own our own web design companies too. It’s a little nutty.
What has been the greatest thing you’ve gotten from blogging?
Friendships. Lifelong friendships based on relating to people as warped as us. That and cold, hard cash. (It was cold and hard because it’s pocket change, not bills.)
Of all the posts you’ve written, what has been your favorite and why?
Karen: There are so many, but one of my favorites was this post (entitled I Don’t Care How Badly You Want to Save The Earth, There is NO EXCUSE for This Sort of Craft) simply because I found it SO ridiculous that anyone would want a bracelet made from a nasty ol’ toothbrush.
Sam: My favorite post has to be the disgusting pig head bra because seriously? That’s so warped and WRONG.
What are the top 3 things you recommend crafters never do and why?
Use doll parts, use animal parts, and use real human parts because nothing good can ever come from that. (Well, unless you’re us because those items bring GREAT traffic.)
How has Lijit helped you to become a better blog publisher?
The search function is handy, and the stats are comprehensive. Being the stats junkie that we are, they make us all hot and bothered to look at weekly. Seriously, we LOVE stats and having all this information in one place is practically orgasmic.
I sincerely thank both Karen and Sam for providing me with smiles and for taking the time to answer my questions. Be sure to follow them on Twitter and if you’re going to SXSW, cheer loudly for Craftastrophe as they accept their 2009 Bloggie for Best Art, Craft or Design Weblog. Keep those craft disasters coming!
Tags: Lijit publishers, publisher spotlight, wijit | View Comments
This week, we’re proud to have the chance to profile the recipient of the 2008 Best Medical Blog Award. Fortunately for us, he also uses Lijit on his site. Dr. Kevin Pho is a board-certified Internal Medicine doctor who’s been blogging for almost five years. His blog is a platform to inform readers on various health care issues and to provide commentary from a doctor’s point of view. Whether he’s sharing his opinion about what’s really wrong with health care, weighing in on recent medical news, or explaining some of the background behind popular procedures, Dr. Kevin does an effective job of shining a light into the dark corners of the medical community. Enjoy the dose of information that he provides!
How long have you been blogging and what made you start?
I’ve been blogging since May of 2004. I wanted to blog in order to give instant physician opinion on medical news that was reported by mainstream media. Many times, there would be an inaccurate or incomplete interpretation of a study, and the blog allowed me to give a more informed medical commentary to patients.
What has been the greatest thing you’ve gotten from blogging?
The opportunity to promote a physician point of view in the national health care dialogue. Many journalists and mainstream media outlets cite and read my blog, and I have had opportunities to regularly write for USA Today, as well as be interviewed by the CBS Evening News, Wall Street Journal, and Forbes.com. I would not have had these opportunities without journalists reading the blog.
Of all the posts you’ve written, what has been your favorite and why?
It’s hard to pick just one, since there’s over 16,000 to choose from. I’m particularly proud of my Open Letter to Barack Obama and John McCain, which I wrote during the Presidential campaign. I summarize the problems facing primary care doctors (of which I am one), and how important a solid primary care foundation is needed in any health reform initiative.
How do you see blogs helping the medical community?
The strength of blogs is to dynamically provide commentary and opinion on breaking medical news. Scores of studies are released and reported daily, and many reporters do not have the medical background to provide relevance to patients. Blogs can fill that niche, and provide informed medical opinions to patients.
Furthermore, medical blogs provide insight into the problems that physicians face. Often times, what goes on behind closed doors in a doctor’s office and hospital is a mystery. Blogs can pull that curtain back and expose what’s really going on with American health care.
How has Lijit helped you as a blog publisher?
With over 16,000+ posts, Lijit provides a way for both my readers and myself to accurately search through posts. I particularly like the Re-Search feature, as many readers find my blog through a Google search. Using Re-Search, they are able to navigate through more pages than they would have without Lijit.
Be sure to check out KevinMD for even more information about your health concerns. Dr. Pho answers the questions you’re afraid to ask (Does masturbation really cause prostate cancer?) and shares the pictures you’re afraid to look at (When ear piercings lead to keloid formation). Follow him on Twitter and rest assured that this is one Lijit doctor.
We’re honored to help spread the word about one of our favorite tech sites, Crenk. If it’s tech news you’re looking for, you’ll find it covered on this blog. Whether it’s product reviews, mobile apps, or something software-related, this blog has all the resources to guarantee that you’ll make an informed decision.
Steven, the founder of Crenk, was kind enough to write a post about using Lijit on his site, so it only makes sense that we return the favor. Plus, how can you not love a tech site that has a pink widget? I sent Steven some questions about his blogging experiences and I’m excited that he was game to answer them.
- How long have you been blogging and what made you start?
I have been blogging for a bit of a year now, since October 2007. I started blogging because I had a keen interest in startups and wanted to voice my opinions.
- What has been the greatest thing you’ve gotten from blogging?
Blogging has allowed me to actually talk about a topic I love and definitely helped me in learning how to express my thoughts correctly.
- Of all the posts you’ve written, what has been your favorite and why?
This is my favorite post because it actually has meaningful discussion in the comments.
- What are the top 3 tech tools that you love using and why?
Spotify (great for creating playlists and listening to in the office), Tweetdeck (it simplifies Twitter) and Filezilla (the best FTP program I have ever used).
- How has Lijit helped you as a blog publisher?
Lijit has simplified the search process for my blog. It allows me to easily add a great search tool and not have to worry about quality of search tool, plus allows me to focus on content.
In addition to the wonderful content he provides on his blog, Steven (using the Crenk name) is a poweruser on Twitter. You can follow him here and learn more about his blog here. Many thanks to Steven for helping us out with this interview and for using Lijit on his blog. We appreciate both!
This past September, Lijit had the pleasure of attending Blog World and meeting many bloggers who were interested in our widget. One of the nicest guys to stop by our booth was Jay Christensen, who realized our value almost immediately and had lots of questions for us about how to install Lijit on his blogs. With his journalistic background and sharp sense of humor, Jay’s sports blogs (The Wiz of Odds and The March to Madness) do a wonderful job of entertaining and informing.
In addition to bringing his readers news of recent coaching changes, he also covers Bowl chances, recruiting practices, and what other reporters are talking about. All this AND a podcast? Fortunately, Jay was able to make some time in his schedule to answer a few of our questions and shed some light on his experiences blogging.
- How long have you been blogging and what made you start?
My blogging experience began in August 2005. Normal people don’t bring work home, but I’m not a normal person. I’m a journalist by trade and blogging was a natural extension to my skill set, so getting comfortable in front of the computer and pounding out a few paragraphs didn’t feel like work. Now that I look back on it, I realize what a fool I was.
My employer at the time was the Los Angeles Times and having worked at four newspapers–three of which had folded–I knew the business was on the decline. So my reasons for starting were part fun, part trying to figure out what the heck I wanted to do when I lost the gig at the Times, which eventually happened in July of 2008 during something called a “workforce reduction”.
- What has been the greatest thing you’ve gotten from blogging?
Working for myself and not somebody else. I get to make the decisions and then take on all the risks and get all the rewards. I’m still waiting for the awards, by the way. Is being interviewed by Lijit one of them?
- Of all the posts you’ve written, what has been your favorite and why?
I kept my identity a secret when I started blogging for fear my bosses could use it as a reason to cut me loose (conflict of interest or something like that). But the morning after I was laid off, I revealed my identity on the Wiz.
Best thing I ever did.
L.A. Observed, L.A. Business Journal, The Big Lead, Deadspin and Sports Journalists were just a few of the sites that linked to the post. I became the poster boy for the layoffs and the Wiz had instant street cred.
Yes, it’s true, there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
- Since you write about sports, what are some of your favorite teams and why?
Because my sites–The Wiz of Odds and The March to Madness–deal with college football and basketball on a national scale, I’m not a fan of any team. My posts tend to be issue-driven and I try and take an analytical view of each sport. If that fails–usually the case–there is always the humorous approach. If that fails, then I’m out of luck.
- How has Lijit helped you as a blog publisher?
I stumbled on Lijit at BlogWorld in Las Vegas and couldn’t be happier. It was exactly what I was looking for: a customizable search engine that keeps people on the site. It’s fast, offers statistics and is integrating the ability to derive revenue from search results. You must give Lijit a try!
I’ve told countless friends about it and Jacqueline and Tara have always been there to answer my questions. Plus, the operations are based in Boulder, one of my favorite cities. How cool is that?
I appreciate Jay taking the time to answer our questions, for his continued support, and for the kind words. If you enjoy reading about college sports, I highly recommend that you give both of Jay’s blogs a look. With his indepth wisdom and reporting, you’ll have all the team knowledge you need to get you through the season!
(And to answer Jay’s question, yes, being interviewed by Lijit is one of the highest honors that any blogger can hope to accomplish.)
Tags: Lijit publishers, publisher spotlight, wijit | View Comments
It’s always a good thing to know what’s happening in your local community and there’s a new blog in our neck of the woods that is providing even more exposure to the Colorado tech scene. RockyRadar is covering Colorado’s emerging businesses and whether it’s Web 2.0, life sciences, clean tech, or software, this blog will write about it. From posting about local tech events to providing a technology calendar to keep them all straight, this blog is doing everything in their power to keep their readers informed.
While RockyRadar is a new blog, we’re hoping that by profiling them here, we’ll be able to help them grow their readership and share their goodness with others. The people behind RockyRadar were kind enough to answer a few questions for us about the method behind their blogging madness and I couldn’t be happier to share them.
- How long have you been blogging and what made you start?
My partner and I graduated from business school in May and planned to launch a startup in San Francisco after spending the summer tweaking the plan in the mountains of Colorado. By July, the market we’d targeted had shifted substantially with the arrival of a well-funded player, so we decided to pull back and reevaluate. We began researching other ideas–primarily using technology blogs–and eventually it occurred to us to look into the business model behind the blogs themselves.
We eventually found dozens of broad-based technology blogs, but they are largely anchored to the coasts. We also discovered a geographical bias underlying their coverage, as they primarily tend to report on what’s going on in their own backyard. Our analysis revealed that in markets like Colorado and Texas, a significant number of smaller companies were being overlooked entirely by the coastal journals. We then spoke to some folks to verify our findings and–knowing two people in Colorado and zero people in Texas–decided to create a blog focusing exclusively on the technology coming out of the Rocky Mountain region. So we drove down the hill, set up in Boulder, and started knocking on doors. I think our first post was in September, but we really started getting after it in October of 2008.
- What has been the greatest thing you’ve gotten from blogging?
The greatest thing we’ve gotten from blogging has been our exposure to the different technology communities and the people working within them. Colorado has these dense pockets of excellence of which we’ve barely scratched the surface, but the people we’ve met so far have overwhelmed us with their intelligence and magnanimity. You’ve got Brad Bernthal and his associates at Silicon Flatirons making enormous strides in transforming CU Boulder into an engine of entrepreneurship; there are the life science professionals working out of Fitzsimmons Park in Aurora dedicated to projects that will change the face of medicine; there is the Clean Energy Cluster in Fort Collins married to some of the most ambitious alternative energy goals in the country; there is the IT community in Boulder which speaks the language of Silicon Valley but with a much cooler accent.
Blogging has allowed us to meet these talented people and provided the opportunity to learn from them and about them.
- Of all the posts you’ve written in your short blogging life, what has been your favorite and why?
At RockyRadar, we have different formats to fit the context of what we’re covering. In reporting events, like a Crash Course or a Renewable Energy Breakfast, we like to keep the writing spare while capturing the main points. The last New Tech Meetup is probably a good example. But we also write longer form profiles, where we try for a deeper dive to explore both the technology and the business model of a company, like our piece on Tensegrity Prosthetics. Finally, if an event we’re covering is steeped in creativity we might err on the side of the impish, as we did in our piece on Ignite Boulder.
- What’s your 2009 forecast for the Colorado tech scene?
Jason Mendelson of the Foundry Group recently opined that a downturn is a great time to start a business, and no matter the climate, an A+ business will always get funded. I think there’s some contrarian wisdom in this view. However, there is a strong likelihood that Colorado startups may suffer the consequences of problems occurring on the financial side, specifically the ability of institutional investors to continue to invest in venture capital funds. A good explanation of the pension pickle was recently offered by Fortune magazine and can be found here.
Given the constraints on university endowments and pension funds, it could be difficult for some venture capital firms to raise new capital. Venerable players like Foundry won’t have difficulty accessing cash, but new players or less respected shops might find themselves boxed out on a dollar basis. This is concerning because very few entrepreneurs are born an A+ player; it’s more likely they become one through trying, failing, and learning from failure. A significant downturn in VC dollars will likely reduce the number of funded companies (and thus eventual failures), meaning fewer entrepreneurs will get a chance to learn from their mistakes, and fewer Colorado companies will obtain critical seed capital.
I should note, however, that Mendelson has disagreed with the pessimism of this assessment, and any reader who is still with me after three paragraphs should embrace some butchered Kafka: In the struggle between yourself and Mendelson, back Jason Mendelson.
- How has Lijit helped you as a blog publisher?
By covering technology in Colorado we’ve had several points of contact with Lijit employees, from covering the CEO and COO at a University event, laughing with and at some of the hilarious Lijit team at Ignite Boulder, or being schooled in the latest and greatest social networking functionality by Lijit’s ubiquitous intern. The one thing abundantly clear through all of these interactions is how much these people love their jobs. It’s to the point where you want to check the company water cooler for traces of Ecstasy.
Where this helps RockyRadar as a blog publisher comes on the customer service side: At every point of contact there’s been a willingness on the part of everyone at the company to go above and beyond the call in getting us up and running. And let’s make no mistake: At the time we installed the search function, our audience was my partner’s Mom and my high school English teacher, who was checking to see if I still made drug references in my professional writing. Lijit is evangelical in its belief that it is bringing something cool and useful to the world, and as such they seem to have a special place in their hearts for the small-but-promising.
We look forward to seeing much more of RockyRadar and to what they’ll be bringing to our local tech community in the upcoming year. Besides, with a mascot like this, how can they not succeed?
(And just for the record…there are no traces of any type of drug in the Lijit water cooler. Perhaps in the Lijit kool-aid, but definitely not in our water supply…)
Tags: publisher spotlight | View Comments
When our widget showed up on the blog Screen Rant, we couldn’t have been happier. Movies and television are something we have no problem discussing in the office (unlike our times on the race track). Whether it’s information about your favorite TV shows or behind the scenes gossip about movies soon to be made, you can count on Screen Rant to bring you the scoop. There are lots of sites out there covering both topics, but few do it with the intelligence and humor that the authors of Screen Rant do. Fortunately, when I reached out to the main man behind the site, Vic, he was happy to indulge me with some answers about his blogging history.
- How long have you been blogging and why did you start?
I’ve been blogging for almost 5 years now. I started Screen Rant just as a learning experience–my first attempt at this new thing called “blogging”.
I decided to pick two related subjects that were near and dear to my heart: movies and television.
I called the blog Screen Rant because the original purpose of the site was a place to vent about many of the seemingly idiotic decisions made by Hollywood in their approaches to, and choices made when it came to movies and TV projects – bad casting choices, bungled remakes, misleading marketing, etc.
- What has been the greatest thing you’ve gotten from blogging?
A sense of connection to other people who are as passionate about film and television as I am, and a sense that I’m not alone in my strong opinions. I love the discussions on the site between both new and regular visitors. Through moderation, my own comments and those of my authors in response to visitors, I think Screen Rant has the most intelligent and civil conversations of any movie site out there.
- Of all the posts you’ve written, what has been your favorite and why?
Oh boy…that’s a tough one. I’ve written well over a thousand posts and many are my favorites since the vast majority are written from an editorial point of view. I’d have to say that some of my favorites are posts that generate the most discussion long after I published them. Here are probably my 3 favorites after a quick look back:
I wrote an article about the animated kid’s film “Barnyard” asking WHY the bulls in the movies had udders. Two and half years later that post is STILL getting comments from people wondering the same thing.
Then there was the post where I asked Hollywood to PLEASE not make a third “Alien vs Predator” movie. The discussion was so heated (even on the comments that were not outright insulting) that I finally decided to disable comments on that post.
Finally, I wrote a piece asking how radical the redesign of the U.S.S. Enterprise might be in the upcoming “Star Trek” movie by J.J. Abrams. I took readers through the evolution of the venerable NCC-1701 and speculated on what the “reboot” version of the ship might look like in the new film.
- Since you write about movies and television, what are some of your favorites and why?
Even though my site doesn’t explicitly state it anywhere, the focus is mainly on Sci-Fi, superhero, fantasy and action films – all my favorite genres. My all time favorite film would have to be “Aliens”, the second film in that franchise, written and directed by James Cameron. I’m also a huge fan of the Sci-Fi/Western “Serenity” and the TV series that preceded it: “Firefly”. “Stargate SG-1″ was also a long time favorite of mine, and of course classic “Star Trek” with Kirk and company.
- How has Lijit helped you as a blog publisher?
Lijit has increased the number of searches on my site significantly, and gives easy to access and clear stats on search trends, latest searches and even searches that return no results. This helps me determine what movies or TV series should perhaps be given more coverage because people are looking for information about them.
If you want the latest news on movies and television, give Screen Rant a read. And if you can’t find what you’re looking for, give Vic’s Lijit search a try. Whatever you do though, make sure you’re caught up on the Battlestar series BEFORE you read the spoilers about the final episodes.
Tags: profile, publisher spotlight | View Comments
Jill writes a food blog about eating gluten-free, Hey, that tastes good!, and as soon as I saw that she had a recipe for making marshmallows from scratch, I was hooked. In addition to beautiful photography, Jill posts gluten-free product reviews, recommendations for gluten-free restaurants in both Europe and America, and instructions on how to make her favorite rice flour mix. And don’t even get me started on the recipes: jalapeno poppers, pizza, spring rolls, and, my favorite, chocolate overload cookies.
(Plus, she has a cupcake tattoo on her foot. Can you argue with that?)
When I saw her on the recent sign-up list, I wanted to know more about Jill and her passion for food blogging. She was kind enough to take time out from her cooking adventures to answer some questions I had for her.
How long have you been blogging and what got you started?
I started my food blog 2 years ago. Originally I started it because I was bored at work all day (although I couldn’t access the blogger page from my work computer, I could type posts at work and then post them when I got home) and because I was relatively new to being gluten-free. It was around then that I figured out how to bake/cook a lot of things that I’d had pre-gluten-free that I missed, and I had been calling my mom (who is also gluten-free) every day to tell her what I was eating because I was so excited. I stumbled upon a few other gluten-free blogs, and decided that was a good way to share with my mom what I ate, and anyone else who might be interested.
What’s the greatest thing you’ve received or the best lesson learned from blogging?
I think the greatest thing I’ve received are comments from people who say thank you for the recipes I post, that they never thought they would be able to taste whatever it was I was writing about again. Getting a comment like that makes me feel that I’m helping people realize that being gluten-free isn’t terrible, it’s just a different approach to thinking about your food. It’s a challenge!
I know it’s a hard question to answer, but do you have a favorite post?
I think maybe my Thanksgiving post from last year. It was the first year I hosted a Thanksgiving party, and my sister, my roommate and I did all the cooking ourselves. Everything was gluten-free, except for some bread that we got for cheese and pates. My sister did the photography, it has a number of recipes, and I think it really captured the spirit of the party.
What tips do you have for people looking to go gluten-free?
First, and most important, DON’T PANIC. Don’t spend a lot of time dwelling over the things you can’t eat anymore (I’ll never have pizza! I’ll never have cake! I’ll never have lasagna!) and instead think about the things you eat every day that you can still eat. Fruits, vegetables, meats, and many grains are naturally gluten-free.
Also, don’t settle for something you don’t like. If you buy a loaf of gluten-free bread that’s gross (and chances are you will), grind it up in the food processor and use it for bread crumbs, and don’t buy it again. Read gluten-free blogs (I have a big list on the side of my site) and get a good gluten-free cookbook or two. Read the introduction, most have a chapter or two about how to be gluten-free, and tips, and flour mixes and ideas. Also, read Shauna’s book. And, contact me or any other gf blogger, we’re (probably) happy to help.
How has Lijit helped you as a food blogger?
I’m new to Lijit, but hopefully it will give me a sense of what people are interested in so I can focus more on those topics (or ingredients!)
I appreciate all the hard work that Jill puts into her blog and the fact that she has chosen Lijit as her trusted search tool. Be sure to visit Jill’s blog to find out more about eating gluten-free and to read about her delicious kitchen experiences!
[All photos are from Jill's blog.]
Tags: food blog, lijit, profile, publisher spotlight | View Comments
