Writers and Photographers Wanted

Are you a creative writer looking for more readers? Or maybe you really love to take photos and would like a place to showcase them. Well, have I got news for you.

Words of Wisdom (WOW), the new blog that Sandy and I started three weeks ago to highlight bloggers whose main focus is great content, have added two new features to WOW's menu. We will still be featuring Bloggers of Note (BON) Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but now we will also be hosting Photo Gallery and Writer's Forum on Sundays. So if you have some great photos, short stories, essays or poetry to share, please come on by and add your link. Both the Photo Gallery and Writer's Forum are available now. Head on over to add your work and to check out the great photos and writings of other WOW members (WOWers?, WOWzers?, WOWies?).


Wondering what the heck I'm talking about? Haven't heard of WOW? Learn more at What is WOW.

WOW!

Did we hit a few nerves out there or what? In case you don’t know what I’m referring to, last weekend Sandy of It's a Jungle Out There and I launched a new blog called Words of Wisdom……Join the Conversation. Our hope in starting this adventure is to create a place for bloggers who enjoy reading and writing posts with great content to find each other and to share.

As of this writing we have 40 followers which seems pretty good for only a couple days. I’ve been cruising around the blogosphere this week checking out the posts written about WOW and especially focusing on the comments left on those blogs. There have been two recurring themes among those comments.

One is that many of you are questioning whether you are what we are “looking for;” if you “qualify.” Again, I want to stress that we are NOT looking for “great” authors. Who or what is that anyway? A great author/writer means different things to different people.

To those of you who are asking if you are who we are looking for I say, follow our format, submit your posts and let’s see what happens. I can tell you that at WOW we definitely want people who have something to say. While we don’t mean to criticize or eliminate the occasional product review giveaway or meme, we are just hoping to appeal to those who write more with “great content” and definitely with less commercialism.

It’s difficult to sum that up in a few words. Basically, we are looking for people who write blog posts that make the reader think or sit up and take notice. They can be funny or serious.

And secondly, we want to stress that in no way are we bashing "Mommy Bloggers." I was a SAHM for 17 years, 5 months and 15 days. I don’t think of myself as "Mommy Blogger", even though I sometimes write about my kids and family. And while Sandy is not a mother, she often writes about family. And I plan to continue writing about my family occasionally; sometimes in a serious way, sometimes not so serious. Both Sandy and I followed the particular blog that people have mentioned and who, quite frankly, have taken some shots at. We both followed that blog for months and overall it was a positive experience. I found several blogs and bloggers there that I enjoy and continue to follow. WOW is just our way of branching off into something of our own that we thought (and now know) certain bloggers might be looking for.

So if you haven’t stopped by WOW, please do and let us know what you think.

Content is King

Not too long ago, I posted about things I've learned in the year since I began blogging. One thing I mentioned is that I most enjoy blogs with great content. I enjoy reading blog posts that make me think or sit up and take notice. Blog posts that make me itch to leave a comment and become part of the conversation on that person's blog. And I enjoy writing those types of posts, too. I love it when I get a conversation started on my blog that continues behind the scenes.

Another thing I learned is that it's very difficult to find these blogs I call "blogs of substance". I have found some (all of you!), but it's been a trial and error process. Many of you have expressed similar feelings. For a while I thought about starting a blog that would serve as a venue for Blogs of Substance to find each other and to have a chance to be highlighted. I spent a lot of time talking this over with my fellow blogger, friend and step mom, Sandy of It's a Jungle Out There. Well, guess what? We did it! (Actually, Sandy really did it. She created the site, even though she's never done anything remotely like that before. I did, however, cheer her on!).

So, if like me, you are a little tired of blogs full of giveaways and ads that seem to have overridden the "meat" of the blog, please check out our new blog Words of Wisdom (WOW). We will be highlighting blogs of substance to help you find them and also to help draw interested traffic to your great blog. All you have to do is follow WOW, grab our button, "join the conversation" by checking in regularly and leaving a comment and of course, visiting and commenting on the highlighted blog, the Blog of Note. Want to become a Blog of Note? Let us know. There is more information on how to do that on WOW.

Please join us. And if this sounds like something you are interested in, please feel free to post about it on your own blog. The key to WOW's success is going to be by spreading the word. I hope you will all decide to become a WOW Blogger of Note. You all write such thoughtful and insightful posts. Let's help each other find other like-minded blogs.

UPDATE: I'm beyond thrilled to announce that WOW will be highlighting its inaugural Blogger of Note (BON) on Monday! Please be sure to stop by and visit this extemely eloquent blogger. And be sure to "join the conversation" by commenting on Monday's WOW post so that other bloggers can find you, too.

(So, who wants to be next? Let me know).