5 Awesome Things You Can Do Right Now with Blurb.com

5 Awesome Things You Can Do Right Now with Blurb.com Blurb is a self-publishing and marketing platform that allows for amateurs and professionals alike to publish professional quality printed magazines, books, and eBooks. The site was founded by Eileen Gittins in 2005 as a way for individuals to affordably and simply publish books of their own design. She personally desired for a way to publish her own photography in a professionally bound book.Over the next decade the company expanded to provide a variety of services and tools for artists and writers to publish their works. In 2008 the site won a Webby Award for Best Services website and then in 2010 was ranked #47 in the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing U.S. companies. It also earned the honor of ranking #1 in the media category and among the top five fastest-growing companies led by women. In 2018 Rix Kramlich was appointed Chief Executive Officer bringing his experience from his roles in Macromedia, i2 Technologies, and ABB.The site allows for users to design and create their own p hoto books, trade books, magazines, or eBooks. The user can design their own material or use Blurbs book publishing software, Bookwright. The software allows for the user to design their own product and easily submit a document that Blurb can then publish and prepare for sale.The site also provides information and tools for the user to sell their creations either through Blurbs website or through online distributors, such as Amazon, Ingram, and Apple iBooks store. Blurb promotes itself as a one-stop-shop that aids the user in every step of the way from creating the product to printing and selling. The user only needs to bring their ideas and creativity.The site also provides a series of articles that can inform the reader on a variety of subjects. The blog section is organized under three main topics: book-making, selling, and inspiration. It is tempting to go step by step through all of the awe-inspiring ideas included in the site, but rather than ruining your own exploration throu gh all of the information, I will highlight five awesome things you can do on Blurb.Blurb provides information and tools for the user to sell their creations either through Blurbs website or through online distributors, such as Amazon and Ingram.1. Be a better writerWriters block can get the best of any of us. Blurbs blog has several suggestions that can help you jump start your writing process. In the sites writing section, none of the articles are very long, but each of them provides suggestions to help you find a topic and get writing. You can also explore reviews of different apps that can help you focus and organize your work.Under the inspiration section, you can find articles on how different artists and writers created their projects and learn about what inspired them, such as the interview with childrens book author Megan Roy. She talks about her inspirations and what led her to make her own book on Blurb.Another article I really enjoy is Five great ways to combat writers b lock. The author outlines simple ways to get writing. One, just start writing. I like this advice. I use it with my students all the time. Sit down and write. It does not need to be good. It does not need to make sense. Just get words on paper. Two, pretend youre writing for yourself. This one is strange but works. Ignore any specific audience. Just write to you. You can always edit later to match a specific audience. Three, make sure it isnt something else. This one takes some self-reflection, but make sure there is not something else going on in your life that is keeping you from writing. Four, give yourself some space. Dont put too much pressure on yourself. Sometimes sitting and thinking or meditating is a critical part of the writing process. Take a walk or bake cookies. Just be careful you are not using those activities to procrastinate. There is a fine line between taking a mental break and just wasting time. Five, break it into smaller tasks. Focus on one task at a time.I wr ote my dissertation 500 words at a time. Every day I wrote 500 words, and then changed tasks- either edited another section or analyzed some data or even read a book. I felt comfortable writing 500 words. Again, it did not need to be the most perfect 500 words- just 500 words I actually wrote that day. I finished a 300+ page dissertation over time. Dont worry about the whole project at once. Break it down.2. Learn to take a better photoBlurb began as a way for Eileen Gittins to publish her own photography. Throughout the site are lots of tips and advice on how to better your own skills in photography. The topics range from social media photos to taking photos worthy of an art studio. The advice is written in a manner that someone with no or limited knowledge could understand and begin the process of making photography a serious hobby or possibly a career. I particularly enjoyed the essays on the history of photography, which takes the reader on a journey from the invention of film t o Instagram. This section of the site has the most information, which is not surprising considering Blurbs beginnings.3. Promote yourselfOne of the other more developed areas of the site is the section on Promoting and Marketing. The authors help the reader understand the many different ways to promote your own work through self-publishing. The articles range from using Amazon and eBooks to effectively promoting yourself online. I particularly liked the suggestions for using writing communities to help you write and promote yourself as you begin to create your work. By having someone help you be accountable for your writing, people tend to write more and more effectively. I used writing communities all the time during my graduate school years. I am even planning one for this summer to work on another project. By creating a community around yourself, you build a network which builds your own confidence. Your community can help you create more and promote your completed projects.4. Fi nd inspirationThe site as a whole is built to help you find inspiration in your own creativity. There are articles on finding ideas if you need help getting an idea going. There are many interviews and profiles of writers and artists throughout the site that discuss their artistic journey. The scope of the topics covered will allow almost anyone to find something that interests them. Plus, you might find a tip that helps you begin your own passion project. I particularly enjoyed the article From Idea to Book. The author maps out the process from idea to published work. Again, the reader needs to provide the creativity and imagination, but the process is outlined quite clearly.Blurb.com is built to help you find inspiration in your own creativity.5. Get publishedThis one is probably the most obvious. The main goal of the site is to provide a place for creators to self-publish their own projects. As mentioned, the site breaks down each step- design, printing, and selling- or their cu stomers. Blurb makes the process seem easy and simple. If your goal is to publish, Blurb provides a number of guides and tips to making that happen. They provide information on choosing between printing on demand or making a large order. Throughout the whole blog there are a number of suggestions and advice on all aspects of publishing your work, whether it is the next great novel or a photobook for grandma.Final takeawaysAs a writer, I appreciate the efforts that Blurb has taken to provide a space where creators can publish, promote, and sell their work. Blurb provides worthwhile information and services that many people will want to use. The traditional publishing industry is brutal and not the best place for every person to go to when looking to distribute their own work. Blurb meets a need in our 21st century world where people, through social media and other platforms, are self-promoting themselves in ways never before thought of. To quote the site, Blurb is a self-publishing a nd marketing platform that unleashes the creative genius inside everyone. The site almost makes it seem too simple, but what it allows people to do is celebrate the hard work they have put into their creations.I suggest browsing the site and find some inspiration. But the next step must be for you to go out and create. Write, take a picture, paint, draw, dance, act, or do whatever moves you. Blurb is there to help you document and potentially sell your work, but you need to go and create. Find a place to work. I love coffee shops. I like the simple parade of people as they order their coffee or tea and move about their day. I also like quiet old libraries. The smell of books keeps me calm. But no matter where you create, the key is that you do it.

Why you should keep your networking circle small

Why you should keep your networking circle small When it comes to your professional network, the more the merrier, right? After all, more people = more chances for connection, word-of-mouth opportunities, etc. Sounds great in theory, but in reality, it might surprise you to learn that experts are recommending that you scale back your professional network and keep a smaller, more nimble group of people as your inner circle. There’s some debate over what that number actually is- evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar famously did a study and determined that 150 is the magic number of maintainable social/professional relationships in anyone’s life. The reality is that there’s probably no rigid number for each person’s professional network, but your limit should be where you can reasonably maintain a professional relationship with someone.If that sounds counterintuitive to you, here are some of the reasons you should think about downsizing your professional crew.Your network should be carefully curated and t ended.The whole point of networking is the relationships. Think back to your kindergarten class. Can you remember the names all 20 or so kids, or do you remember just a small subset of friends or particularly memorable kids? Our brains are conditioned to keep the most important information and discard the rest, and our social relationships tend to follow suit. You want your network to be people who are the most relevant to your professional growth and goals- not necessarily every person you’ve met since you were an intern at XYZ Corp.You want to focus on quality, not quantity.Some people in your network are, quite simply, going to be more useful and relevant to you than other people will be. Taking a close look at your network and who still aligns with your current professional self and your hoped-for-future professional self can help you define your goals.It’s okay to let people go.An unwieldy network of connections might be a symptom that you have trouble letting go or don’t want to risk hurting anyone’s feelings. Realistically, professional network â€Å"breakups† are easier than other kinds of social pruning. The stakes are low if you stop following someone on Twitter or remove them as a connection on LinkedIn. If you don’t find someone’s insights useful or are not likely to ever have a conversation with them again, why keep them kicking around in the social media ether? You don’t need to be obvious or mean about it or make a dramatic announcement about how you’re making cuts. Plus, it’s unlikely your coworker from three jobs ago is likely to send you a devastated â€Å"whyyyyyyyy?† message afterward. Chances are, they were getting about as much out of the relationship as you were.It gives you more bandwidth for long-term professional growth.Limiting your network to a small inner circle lets you put in more time and energy into building those relationships- emails, occasional hang outs, check-ins, etc. Networking isn’t just about getting something from others; it’s about building yourself as well and finding your people. You want your interactions with your network to be mutually beneficial- not a chore or a one-way transaction for either of you. If you’re hitting up someone in your network only when you’re sniffing for an opportunity, then your calls/texts/emails are likely to start going ignored. On the other hand, if you put time into getting to know someone, you both get the benefit of each other’s expertise and a deeper knowledge of what each person has to offer.When it comes to your network, remember: better, not more. There’s no prize for the number of LinkedIn connections, or the most â€Å"likes† on your latest professional rant on social media. You should be surrounded by people who know and support your goals, and vice versa- not hundreds of people who sort of know your name from scrolling through a newsfeed. You’ll find that your professional life- and your personal one as well- will be all the better for these higher-quality relationships.