Author Archives: Gabe Goldberg Gabe Goldberg Computers and Publishing Inc.
Battered Writers Syndrome
November 15, 2008
Ever wonder why your freelancers are hypersensitive to changes in explicit agreements about payment, deadlines, or, really, anything? There’s a good reason for their mistrust. Too many companies try to take advantage of them.
It happened to me recently. I was solicited to write for a nationwide Web site. There were several red flags, the reddest [...]
More Ways to Get Writers on Your Side
November 10, 2008
Publishers who need to do more with less—that’s just about everyone nowadays—can get help from an unlikely source, writers. Many of today’s most competitive freelancers survive hard times by delivering more value than the competition.
Washington, DC-based American Independent Writers (formerly Washington Independent Writers) recently gave successful writers an opportunity to share how it’s done.
First and [...]
Make Green Your Favorite Publishing Color
November 3, 2008
A hazard of home decorating is being asked by a spouse to pick a favorite from 30 shades of white.
Similar difficulties emerge when researching requirements—or even definitions—for green (environment-friendly) publishing and having to understand subtle differences among suppliers, service providers, and certifications. In this context, the risk is worse than picking the wrong wall shade, [...]
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TaxRap and Rapper Vanilla Ice Take Intuit’s TurboTax to the Streets
October 26, 2008
Viral marketing—using random, uncompensated real people to spread your message—has become a cliché, often simply meaning, “We told two people and hope THEY tell two people, and so on, and so on.”
But this technique, also called “word of mouth marketing,” has a lot to recommend it. As a publications or Web content manager you can [...]
Posted in Marketing and promotion Leave a comment
Why Is an Online Community Like a Barbecue?
September 8, 2008
It’s not the flame wars. It’s because even the most rewarding discussion list, Web board, wiki, or other online community can take forever to start. Like soggy charcoal briquettes.
For decades, I’ve been part of a world-wide community of professionals/developers who got our start in the pre-Internet days, when we used CONTACT, sophisticated collaboration software for [...]
How Do You Tell a Professional?
August 22, 2008
Holiday Inn Express TV commercials notwithstanding, there’s no such thing as instant expertise. Not even—or especially—when it’s alleged to come from purchasing a complex editing or design tool it can take years to fully master.
Accomplished writers, editors, and designers are out there, but distinguishing the best from the rest can be a challenge. Objective measures [...]
Make Every Page a Welcome Mat
August 14, 2008
Anyone creating Web sites should have long ago abandoned the idea that a home page is the only way visitors enter a site.
In this age of search engines, any page can give a visitor the all-important first impression and also do the work of selling, educating or entertaining.
Many sites, if they monitor traffic at all, [...]
Posted in Design Leave a comment
Who’s Nibbling at Your Web Site?
August 9, 2008
Most Web sites brag about products, services, or programs. Better sites offer proof in the form of success stories or case studies. They may also toss in analytical white papers. These real-world resources give site visitors a reason for feeling confident in whatever is being sold.
But, as Jakob Nielsen points out in “Writing Style for [...]
Which Way to the Virtual Press Room?
July 28, 2008
No matter how much great content you’ve created for your website, if you’ve omitted or skimped on one crucial area, you’re not getting full value for your investment.
That essential bit of Web space is a Press Room. Consider the plight of a journalist who visits your site—often on deadline—intending to give you much desired publicity. [...]
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Negotiate Your Way to Freelancer Teamwork