"Let's talk about Story writing"

Greetings! As we have heard a lot about  story writing . What is story writing actually? Is is about reality?  or  Is it about fiction ? The answer is that they can be both. Story writing is all about your reality or fantasies based  upon what has been embedded in your minds . Its up to you actually that what do you want to write about ? You have a pen in your hand , you have a blank paper in front of you , Perhaps you need to focus about your reality or fantasy based stories  that you have planted  in your mind because writing in a speedy & awful  manner will let your story go in the drain and you don't want that.Time is really precious but your stories are too if they are not copied from any other stories that will let you belief that I have copied this particular idea from this novel  , it will really let you down once people will start praising your for your work , that is not your work actually , it's someone's else work .Think something out of the box . something people generally don't fantasize or don't notice that much in reality,make them realized that they are missing something .Amaze them with your fanatical stories or reality based  stories that will indicate them to their lives and they should think about your story  after they have finishing reading them , now that makes their minds come out from the  reality to the fantasy world .Too much spices can spoil your stomach , so be sure not to exaggerate your story at the level that people would think that I should stop reading here . Things are good when they are presented in quality , quantity and neutral .Take a rest after writing a beautiful story , after all  we are humans not bots . Don't get greedy for money , because then you will lose your passion and quality that made you write such a beautiful story .

courtesy  by : MZS online business promoters 

Robots are learning to say “no” to human orders

It may seem an obvious idea that a robot should do precisely what a human orders it to do at all times. But researchers in Massachusetts are trying something that many a science fiction movie has already anticipated: They’re teaching robots to say “no” to some instructions.

For robots wielding potentially dangerous-to-humans tools on a car production line, it’s pretty clear that the robot should always precisely follow its programming. But we’re building more-clever robots every day and we’re giving them the power to decide what to do all by themselves. This leads to a tricky issue: How exactly do you program a robot to think through its orders and overrule them if it decides they’re wrong or dangerous to either a human or itself?

This is what researchers at Tufts University’s Human-Robot Interaction Lab are tackling, and they’ve come up with at least one strategy for intelligently rejecting human orders.

The strategy works similarly to the process human brains carry out when we’re given spoken orders. It’s all about a long list of trust and ethics questions that we think through when asked to do something. The questions start with “do I know how to do that?” and move through other questions like “do I have to do that based on my job?” before ending with “does it violate any sort of normal principle if I do that?” This last question is the key, of course, since it’s “normal” to not hurt people or damage things.

The Tufts team has simplified this sort of inner human monologue into a set of logical arguments that a robot’s software can understand, and the results seem reassuring. For example, the team’s experimental android said “no” when instructed to walk forward though a wall it could easily smash because the person telling it to try this potentially dangerous trick wasn’t trusted.

Machine ethics like this are becoming a serious matter, as recent newsabout Google’s self-driving cars show. These cars are in effect robots, and on the open road they’re likely to encounter complex situations that could put their riders in danger if they blindly follow instructions.

Imagine yourself working alongside a 6-foot version of the Tufts android in the future. You can see how it would be better for the robot to think and say “I’m sorry I can’t do that” if its orders seemed likely to break it or hurt a human (such as fleshy, vulnerable you).

courtesy by : qz.com

10 best SEO agencies

Whether or not your business or entrepreneurial idea is strictly internet-based, it must keep up with the Information Age by having a cutting edge website. 10 Best SEO is dedicated to providing information and rankings of the 10 Best SEO Firms. We spend innumerable hours analyzing and comparing agencies from all over the world. Each of best SEO companies below are winners because they have shown unique talent within the industry. Ranking order is based on a wide range of qualitative and quantitative statistics, including the payment of variable monthly listing fees to be in our directory. Learn more about our ranking process here.

more --> http://www.10bestseo.com/agencies/

Top 10 Best Advertising Agencies in the World 2015

An advertising agency, also known as ad agency or advert agency, is a service based business that dedicates itself to create, plan, and handle advertising and is purposed to come up with the ideas of promotion of its client businesses. There are countless ad agencies in the world. The companies that are working at large scale have experts to handle the projects of outstanding marketing and branding strategies as well as sales promotions to give best results to their valued customers. Let us take a look at the list of top 10 best advertising agencies in the world 2015.

10. BBDO

BBDO is operating for over 100 years and is a widely reputed ad agency. It is known for its consistently good work for blue chip clients as General Electric, AT&T, Mars, and Federal Express. This company has its branches spread across Europe and America and is always ready to take challenges in the ad industry.

Also Read: Top 10 Best Video Game Developing Companies

9. CP+B

This is an agency with strong creative legacy. It is widely famous for continuous delivery of strong advertising to Domino’s, Kraft’s Mac & Cheese, and Old Navy like clients. This company has its offices in Boulder, LA and Miami.

8. Deutsch

Deutsch is yet another great advertising agency. Its offices are based in NY and LA. This is one of the best advertising agencies in the world. It has a strong global network in parent Lowe, and is known to deliver strong work to its reputed clients like Sony PlayStation, Unilever, and Microsoft.

7. Grey Advertising

Grey Advertising, the giant ad agency, is a market-oriented ad agency. The company is known for its masterminds in the field of media. It is working at global level and has reputable companies as its permanent customers including some fast food chains, IT companies and others. It E-Trade Baby, and the Charlie Sheen commercial for DirecTV have been remarkable.

6. Wieden+Kennedy

It is quite an amazing and one of the best advertising agencies in the world. This company has been constantly in the top lists for over 30 years. It top notch clients include Coke, Nike and P&G (Old Spice).

5. Butler, Shine, Stern

This midsize and highly regarded San Francisco-based creative agency is one of the leading ad agencies of USA. It has worked with famous groups like Columbia outwear, Nokia and MINI.

4. Ogilvy

Under CEO Miles Young, Ogilvy has achieved worldwide recognition in no time. This is an award-winning ad agency. It garnered the most awards in the two most important award shows, the Effie’s and Cannes Lions.

Also Read: Top 10 Best Transhumanist Technologies to Inspire You

3. Martin

This Richmond, Va. agency created one of America’s most loveable critters. The company delivers best ad services to its big ticket clients like Walmart, Kraft Foods and Pizza Hut.

2. Droga5

Droga5 has continued its journey of success and prominence for many years. It is a well-established ad agency. It has been known for its creative and top notch ideas. Some of its clients are Puma, Mondolez, and Unilever.

1. Mullen

Now comes the turn of Mullen, a top notch advert agency. It has been an early adapter of social media, and is known to implement a bundled integrated model that helped it land the “on-trend” clients as Zappos, JetBlue, and Google in recent years.

Also Read: Top 10 Most Powerful Intelligence Agencies

courtesy by : top10for

17 impressive new gadgets from the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show

Speaking of gadgets . Gadgets are everywhere from your household, cars , shopping malls , and yes if you want to attach them on plants and animals you can do that too. 

View this site --> www.oregonlive.com

10 cool things you can do with a USB flash drive

Transporting your data is probably the most common use for a USB flash drive. But there's a world of other things you can do with these handy pocket-size drives. Here are 10 ways you can use that USB flash drive to do more than just move data.

Note: This article is also available as a PDF download.

1: Run portable applications

In addition to storing your data, you can run portable applications from a USB flash drive. For example, OpenOffice, which is a complete office suite that includes a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation tool, drawing package, and database, is available as a portable application. Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird are also available as portable applications. When you combine the office suite with the ability to surf the Web and check email, you'll be able to take your most vital computing applications with you wherever you go — right in your pocket.

If that's not enough, you can choose other applications to install on your USB flash drive from PortableApps.com (Figure A). You can even install an entire prepackaged suite of applications that includes such things as an audio player, games, an antivirus utility, and a handy menu system.

Figure A

The PortableApps.com suite comes with a menu system to allow you to easily access your portable applications.

2: Boot an operating system

If you want to do more than just run your own applications, you might want to consider booting an entire operating system from your USB flash drive. You can boot either Windows or Linux from a USB flash drive; however, the process is not an exact science and you may be in for a technical adventure.

Fortunately, there are some guides you can follow. To learn how to boot Windows XP from a USB flash drive, see the article Creating a bootable USB flash drive for Windows XP. To learn how to boot a version of Linux from a USB flash drive, see the article Puppy Linux teaches an old dog new tricks.

3: Connect to a wireless network

If you have a wireless network, you can use the Wireless Network Setup Wizard in Windows XP or the Windows Connect Now (WCN) feature built into Vista to save wireless network configuration information to a USB flash drive. You can then use your drive to quickly and easily connect another computer or a WCN-compatible device, such as a router or printer, to your wireless network. To learn more about using the Wireless Network Setup Wizard, see the Help And Support Center, which is accessible from Windows XP's Start menu. To learn more about using the Windows Connect Now feature, see Windows Help And Support, which is accessible from Windows Vista's Start menu.

4: Create a password reset disk

A password reset disk can really come in handy if you forget the password to your user account on a Windows system that is not a part of a domain. If you find yourself in that situation, you can use the password reset disk to reset your password and quickly get back into your user account. In Windows Vista, you can use USB flash drive rather than a floppy disk as a password reset disk (Figure B). For details on how to do so, see the article Create a Vista password reset disk using a USB flash drive.

Figure B

You can use your USB flash drive as a password reset disk.

5: Boost performance

If you're running Windows Vista, you can use a USB flash drive to speed up your system with the ReadyBoost technology. ReadyBoost can use the storage space on a USB Flash drive as an additional memory cache to aid the memory cache on your hard disk. And because flash memory is more responsive than a hard disk, with its physical moving parts, the memory cache provided by ReadyBoost can significantly improve system responsiveness.

Using ReadyBoost is easy. You just insert your USB flash drive into your Vista system and follow the onscreen prompts to configure and use ReadyBoost. If you want more details, check out the article How SuperFetch and ReadyBoost work together.

6: Manage it

If all you really want to do with your USB flash drive is transport data, and you're running Windows XP, you can do so more efficiently with the Microsoft USB Flash Drive Manager (Figure C). Once you have installed this manager, you can easily copy files to and from your drive, back up and restore the entire flash drive to and from your hard disk, change the drive label, and even create an autorun.inf file to launch Drive Manager automatically when you plug in the drive. To learn more about and download the USB Flash Drive Manager visit the Microsoft TechNet Magazine site.

Figure C

The Microsoft USB Flash Drive Manager provides you with a host of features, such as drive backup.

7: Use it as an MP3 player

Would you like to be listening to music when you're using a computer at the office, but you don't have an MP3 player? If so, you can use a USB flash drive as an MP3 player along with Windows Media Player and a set of headphones. Just copy your MP3 files to your USB flash drive, plug it into your computer, and direct Windows Media Player to build a library of the songs on your drive. You can use all of Windows Media Player's playback features, such as playlists and favorites, to easily customize your music listening experience. And best of all, you won't have to worry about running low on battery power.

8: Password-protect it

If you use a USB flash drive to transport sensitive data that you would prefer to protect from prying eyes, should you lose the drive, Rohos Mini Drive (Figure D) can safeguard that data. This security tool allows you to create a secret partition on the drive and then password-protect/encrypt that partition, thus protecting any documents you copy to that partition via the utility's file manager. You can download (and read a review of) Rohos Mini Drive at Download.com.

Figure D

Using Rohos Mini Drive, you can secure sensitive files on your USB flash drive.

9: Run a Web site from it

If you are a Web developer, you may be interested to know that with Server2Go, you can easily run a Web server that supports Apache, PHP, MySQL, and Perl right from a USB flash drive. You can use Server2Go right out of the box without any installation. It runs on all versions of Windows, supports most common browsers, and is completely free. To a developer, the benefits of having a portable Web server on a USB drive are numerous. For example, imagine being able to carry a live Web site demo into a sales pitch meeting. For more information about this package, visit the Server2Go site.

10: Lock your PC

Have you ever seen a movie in which a person in some secret government installation simply inserts and removes a card to log in and log out of a PC? If you thought that idea was cool, you'll definitely want to investigate Predator (Figure E). Once installed and configured, this little freeware utility will allow you to turn a USB flash drive into a key you can use to lock and unlock your computer.

Figure E

With Predator, you can use a USB flash drive as a key to lock and unlock your computer.

While the USB flash drive is connected to your computer, everything works as it normally would. Once you remove the USB flash drive, your computer is locked down — the keyboard and mouse are disabled and the screen darkens. To unlock your computer, you just plug in the USB flash drive and the computer will be unlocked and you can begin using it. To learn more about Predator, and/or to download it, visit the developer's Web site.

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courtesy by --> Tech Republic 

10 Weird & Amazing Robot Facts

1. Elektro, the world’s first humanoid robot, debuted in 1939. Built by Westinghouse, the seven-foot-tall walking machine “spoke” more than 700 words. Elektro later appeared in the 1960 B movie Sex Kittens Go to College.

2. The first known case of robot homicide occurred in 1981, when a robotic arm crushed a Japanese Kawasaki factory worker.

3.  Leonardo da Vinci drew up plans for an armored humanoid machine in 1495. Engineer Mark Rosheim has created a functional miniature version for NASA to help colonize Mars

4. Archytas of Tarentum, a pal of Plato’s, built a mechanical bird driven by a jet of steam or compressed air—arguably history’s first robot—in the fifth century B.C.

5. There are currently 4,000 robots serving in the US Military, including reconnaissance Talon bots that scout for roadside bombs in Iraq and PackBots that unsuccessfully poked around for Osama bin Laden’s hideout in Afghanistan.

6. Chris Melhuish of the Bristol Robotics Laboratory created robots that use bacteria-filled fuel cells to produce electricity from rotten apples and dead flies. The goal: robots that forage for their own food- essentially they wouldn’t need humans to survive.

7.  Mini Me: Australian researchers are trying to build a micro robot that would mimic the swim stroke used by E. coli bacteria. It would be injected into a patient so it could take a biopsy from the inside.

8. Cybernetics professor Kevin Warwick calls himself the world’s first cyborg, with computer chips implanted in his left arm. He can remotely operate doors, an artificial hand, and an electronic wheelchair.

9.  Winebot, built by Japan’s NEC System Technologies and Mie University, can ID scads of different wines, cheeses, and hors d’oeuvres . . . up to a point. It recently mistook a reporter’s hand for prosciutto. (In Winebot’s defense, that guy was a pig.)

10. Robotics expert Henrik Christensen predicts humans will be having sex with robots within four years. If you’re thinking, “Finally, no strings attached…” keep in mind that Hans Moravec, founder of Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics Institute, predicts that robots will emerge as their own species by 2040, with feelings and expectations. In other words, if you don’t call your robot fling the next morning, you’ll be disassembled.

courtesy by ---> daily galaxy

10 Marketing Tricks From the Pros

Marketing is the lifeblood of any startup – without it, the company will be sure to sink. So for entrepreneurs looking to boost their productivity with simple tricks, I set out to find answers.

I recently asked some of the smartest and most experienced marketing people I know for their No. 1 marketing hack. While all provided extremely effective solutions, I was amazed at how simple some of them were.

Here is a list comprised of the top ten, categorized by marketing experts.

Social Media

1. Boost your posts. "Give your social media content a boost. Businesses are finding it more and more difficult to get their message heard. By the latest estimates, Facebook is showing only 6 percent of a business' content to their fan base. So give your content a paid boost. If you have more than 100 likes on your page, a 'boost' button will appear at the bottom of each post. Use it. For less than $30, you can get your message out to thousands of unique users."
-Rob Wellman, CEO of Social5

Related: Is Your Marketing Message Getting Muddled?

2. Load up on data, and do it quickly. "Facebook advertising can deliver the cheapest CPM's in online marketing with the ability to test ad efficiency in real-time. Use the power editor "duplicate" tool to create hundreds of ads and change one element per ad. Give these a small budget, and you'll quickly see what works and what doesn't without breaking the bank. Double down on the ones that work, and kill the ones that don't."
-Kyle Ivins, co-founder Envolve Agency

3. Retweet and engage "Don't just tweet out stuff about your company. Engage with other companies, your customers and thought leaders in your market. Retweet their tweets and add your thoughts. Respond to tweets that aren't directed at you and give your thoughts on those. Followers will start flowing your way."
-Jason Barber, co-founder Friendemic

Advertising

4. Explore pay-per-click advertising. Google isn't the only show in town when it comes to pay-per-click advertising.

 "Google has the most volume when it comes to their ad network. But they're far from the only option. Bing provides great results for businesses targeting the baby boomer generation. You can also look into Google Search Partner Networks for other opportunities for higher ROI."
-Jacob Baadsgaard, CEO Disruptive Advertising

5. One ad per keyword. "If you're running a campaign with a dozen keywords and only have one ad, then you're throwing money away. Create specific ad groups that target single keywords. Then create two to three ads for that one keyword. See which ad works best, then run with it."
-Scott Cohen, CEO of 180Fusion

Related: 7 Marketing Truths Every Business Leader Should Know

Public relations

6. Don't brag, give real value. "The greatest secret in media and public relations right now is that the press (and your potential customers) are most interested in the value added information that will help them succeed in a given area—not in hearing promotional information from you. By thinking of your readers' needs first—not your own self-interests—you will receive business traction and audience engagement beyond your dreams."
-Cheryl Snapp Conner, Snapp Conner PR

7. One sentence "Here's a pro tip that's extremely obvious, but often completely ignored by entrepreneurs everywhere: You should be able to explain your startup in one sentence. That's it. No exceptions."
-Harrison Weber, Journalist and News Editor for VentureBeat

SEO

8. Poach your competitors' mentions. "Create a Google Alert for your competitors' brand names. Find out where they are being mentioned and in what context. Then, see if there's opportunities to be mentioned alongside of them. Many times journalists and editors will write about one brand and be open to including a similar brand for parity."
-Nathan Tanner, Foxtail Insights

Email marketing

9. Trim your subjects. "Get an immediate lift in email marketing revenue by reducing your subject lines to only one word. Choose that word carefully. It should induce irresistible curiosity, while staying relevant to your message. With the right word, your open rates will skyrocket. Do some testing to really dial it in."
-Tyler Dixon, Marketing Director for SpinGo

Outdoor advertising

10. Think outside the box. "Get creative when working with a budget and with advertisers. A client of mine recently secured a ‘pay for performance' billboard on one of the busiest stretches of an interstate. They only pay the billboard agency if a sale results from that billboard. You'd be surprised what you can get accomplished if you only ask."
-Matt Frisbie, CEO of ChiefMO

courtesy by --> entrepreneur.com

10 Things You Should Never Do With Your Employees

After spending day in and day out with your employees, it's easy to think of them as more than just employees. However, that thinking can be the downfall of your business. To have an effective team, some rules are not meant to be broken—and when they are, big problems usually follow. Avoid trouble, loss of productivity and lawsuits by never, ever doing the following 10 things with your employees.

Date. Don’t date employees. Period. Many people ignore this advice. What may seem like a harmless thing at the time is a really bad idea, especially when you break up with them. While this may bring short-term joy, the pain can last for a long time.

Get drunk. It can start out as one drink, but for some people, it can get out of control. Both employers and employees say and do things when they drink that they would never do otherwise. Too much alcohol never mixes with a profitable business.

Share a hotel room. Things are more complicated these days. Sexual harassment is one of the most common allegations employees make. Never be in a totally private place with any employee.

Go to the movies. It might seem like less of a landmine than sharing a hotel room, but going to the movies with an employee is a bad idea. I had to fire an employee who had gone to the movies with my business partner. She made untrue allegations about his behavior at the movie, and even though they were untrue, we still had to pay a settlement. Again, stick to semi-private but open places for important conversations, like your office, hotel lobbies or restaurants.

Gossip. Talking behind the backs of other employees can destroy bonds of trust. It is no one’s business what you think of their fellow employee. Be especially careful not to share confidential information about their peers.

Publicly embarrass anyone. You can accomplish a lot more with rewards than with threats. Humiliating people in front of their peers only breeds long-term resentment and is never motivating. You don't want to build a culture of fear instead of trust.

Make negative or "funny" comments on their social media posts. This can be easily misunderstood as another form of public embarrassment. Motivations behind emoticons and text slang can often be misunderstood.

RELATED: Is Your Micromanaging Killing Office Morale

Personally confide in them. This includes sharing non-public details about your professional and personal life. You might share information that an employee could use later against you. If you need support for personal ups and downs, find someone outside of work.

Ask them to lie. Asking an employee to lie personally or professionally is a ticking time bomb. This will always put you in a weaker position later with that employee.

Comment on their appearance, age or other personal details. Again, these types of comments are easily misunderstood. There are myriad human resources rules that can easily be broken. Avoid these landmines by just not saying anything. 

Ask them to run personal errands. This is true even if they are your “personal” assistants. Asking them to run personal errands blurs the distinction between business and personal life. The work they personally do for you could have tax consequences.

 courtesy by --> americanexpress.com

Top 10 Print Copywriting Mistakes to Avoid

It’s so easy to get caught up in designing the visual aesthetics of a document or product (picking out images, fonts, color schemes, and so forth) that we sometimes overlook the actual message we’re presenting. Careless copywriting can lead to embarrassing mistakes. It’s important to give any document an attractive layout and design, but it’s equally important to present your written copy in a clear, professional, and readable way.

Nobody’s perfect, but with a little time and effort, you can avoid the most common mistakes people make when writing print copy.

1. Failing to Proofread and Spellcheck

   Even master typists and spelling bee champions can occasionally make an error without realizing it. A spelling or grammar mistake can shatter the credibility and authority of your entire document. Safeguarding your reputation is certainly worth a few minutes of proofreading, so be sure to check and double-check your writing.

2. Too Long

   Ever seen the abbreviation “tl;dr” online? It stands for “too long; didn’t read.” The same goes for print copywriting – the longer the copy, the more likely the reader is to stop reading. Long copy can be useful for many situations, but it’s best to be quick and concise when you’re writing for a promotional product or brochure. Chances are that you’ve got a limited amount of space, so it’s important to make every sentence count.

3. “Wall of Text”

   Never underestimate the power of paragraphs and line breaks. Writing everything as one big paragraph creates an intimidating “wall of text” that many people won’t bother reading. Break up your text into smaller paragraphs to make it more digestible and easy to skim. Bullet points are handy for highlighting important elements in your writing, and creating a good balance of text and “white space.”
   

   See how the version on the left is almost crushingly dense?
   Using line breaks makes text much more inviting.

4. Too Impersonal

   In an effort to sound professional and authoritative, print writers can sometimes end up sounding excessively formal and stilted. Try having someone read your copywriting out loud. If it’s boring to listen to, it’s likely boring to read.
   A friendly, casual, and conversational tone makes people feel comfortable and much more likely to keep reading.

5. Awkward Phrasing

   Which sounds better: “Well-written copy is the key to success,” or “Having well-written copywriting gives you a successful paradigm so as to succeed”? Simplified sentences have a smoother flow and are easier for your reader to understand. Try to avoid bulky, wordy padding in your copy and cut straight to the point. It’s a good idea to keep most sentences at an average of around 15 words.

6. Passive Voice

   Passive voice is a sentence structure where the subject “is acted” upon as opposed to performing the action itself. “The dog buried the bone” is active voice. “The bone was buried by the dog,” is passive voice.
   Passive voice tends to sound wordy and awkward, and lacks the impact and immediacy of active voice. With some exceptions, it’s usually best to use active voice whenever possible.

7. Not Writing with Your Audience in Mind

   Know who your target audience is. Are they CEOs? Employees? Parents? Children? You should adapt the tone and content of your print writing based on the audience you expect to read it.
   Remember to concentrate your attention on your audience instead of yourself, and talk about benefits instead of features. It’s always tempting to drone on about how great your company is, but readers are more interested in how your company can benefit them. Think about their wants and needs, and speak directly to them by using words like “you.” Focus on ways that your business, service, or event is appealing and attractive to consumers.

8. Forgettable, Unemotional Writing

   Copy is only effective as long as people remember it. We’re so saturated with media these days that bland, boring copywriting gets tuned right out.
   Avoid using clichés such as “cutting edge” and “one stop service.” They’re not very descriptive and people tend to gloss them over. Instead, tap into your audience’s “sense memory” by appealing to their emotions. Use a story or an example that demonstrates what makes your company unique and effective.

9. Burying the Lead

   If the reader has to get halfway through the paragraph before they figure out the main point you’re trying to get across, you’ve probably already lost them. Headlines and subheadings help to hold the reader’s interest and make a document much easier to navigate. Be sure to make each heading catchy, compelling, and descriptive to draw people in, and pay special attention to your opening paragraph.

10. No Call to Action

    Getting a customer to buy a product, visit a website, or perform any other desired action is what those in the ad business call “conversion.” The fundamental way to convert is to tell people what you actually want them to do; a “call to action.” Sounds simple, but you’d be surprised at how many people forget to include this little detail. Don’t bombard your reader with demands, but don’t miss out on achieving the ultimate goal of the document.

Conclusion

It’s often said that the key to writing is rewriting. The best way to prevent all of these print copywriting mistakes and blunders is to simply go back and reread your copy (or even better, have someone else read it), paying close attention to details you may have missed. Refine and improve your writing until it positively sparkles.

courtesy by--> Printwand

15 Copywriting and Content Marketing Blogs that Will Make You More Money

As you may have seen on Tuesday, we were disappointed to see that there were no copywriting blogs in last year’s Top 10 Blogs for Writers.

We think persuasive writers — content marketers and copywriters — are as worthy of cheers and accolades as our fiction-writing brothers and sisters.

So today I put together a list of 15 writing blogs I think you’ll get a lot out of.

I got lots of great suggestions for blogs to check out (thank you all), and it was tough to narrow them down to a manageable few.

When winnowing down the list, I had a few rough criteria.

First, writing advice had to be a key element of the blog.

There are hundreds of terrific social media and business blogs, and they’re wonderful resources, but we wanted to focus on sites that would make you a better writer.

I defined better writer in two ways — either as “a writer who ethically and effectively convinces customers to buy more stuff” or “a writer who’s landing more and better clients.”

We also didn’t include the big “name brand” sites — we wanted to focus on some smaller sites you might not have seen yet. Not surprisingly, we’ve got a good sample of Copyblogger guest writers here, but also plenty of folks you haven’t seen here. (Not yet, anyway).

By the way, when you click through, notice how most of these blogs make great use of their tag lines to tell you exactly how they can help solve a specific problem. Smart copywriters. 

BenSettle.com
Ben Settle
If you’ve heard Ben speak on our radio show or you’ve read his Copyblogger posts, you know he isn’t wishy-washy. He likes to sell, and he likes to make money. He uses email marketing to do those things, and he has a lot of strong, sharp advice for email marketers. If you’re still nervous about selling, reading Ben Settle might freak you out. Which may be a good and useful thing for you.

Copylicious
Kelly Parkinson
A January post makes us optimistic that Kelly will start writing actively again for this smart, funny writing blog. From her bio: “ … this is not really about copy. This is about improving your whole business.” We couldn’t agree more.

Direct Creative
Dean Rieck
Dean has been one of our most popular guest writers here on Copyblogger, because he knows his stuff. His blog delivers no-nonsense tips and advice on how to improve your direct response copy. If you want to improve your persuasive writing chops, Dean’s site is a must-read.

The Domino Project
Seth Godin
This is a small blog around Seth’s Domino Project, a digital publishing experiment. Seth’s published articles here about digital publishing, ebooks, and how they affect writers and publishing. If you’ve considered publishing a book in this century, you should probably take a look at this site.

Ghostwriter Dad
Sean Platt
Sean has gone from a sweet, enthusiastic fledgling ghostwriter to a sweet, enthusiastic, and really, really successful marketing writer (as well as launching a thriving fiction series. He’s a busy dude). He’s publishing lots of great advice about how he made that journey, and how you can, too.

Good Copy, Bad Copy
Clare Lynch and David Pollack
A charming blog about “good business writing and bad. Especially the bad. Because there’s so much more of the bad.” If you ever help corporate clients communicate with their customers, you need this blog.

Harrison Amy Copywriting
Amy Harrison
Amy doles out copywriting advice for professional writers and businesspeople alike. She has some nice resources on the site, including a good guide on getting your sales page done if you aren’t a professional writer. (Or maybe even if you are.)

Jeff Sexton Writes
Jeff Sexton
If you want to get really good as a copywriter, you have to read Jeff Sexton. He’s not afraid to dive into the thorny, complicated tangle of what makes for truly effective copywriting. Jeff’s a pro, and he writes for pros. This is a great site.

Make a Living Writing
Carol Tice
The name of Carol’s blog says it all — she keeps a tight focus on professional writers and how they can make a better living. Her blog’s got writing tips, business, and marketing advice.

Men with Pens
James Chartrand
The times certainly have changed. For example, now there are actual men writing for Men with Pens. What hasn’t changed is a site that mixes business and writing advice for content marketers, pulled together by James Chartrand’s no-nonsense approach to online marketing.

Success Works
Heather Lloyd-Martin
Heather’s bio describes her as “split between watching the search engines dance and pinpointing the exact direct response copywriting strategies that make people buy.” That dual focus shows up consistently in sharp, well-written articles and videos by her and her team about the art and science of SEO copywriting.

The Rant
John Carlton
The name of the blog gives you fair warning — John Carlton does enjoy the sight of his own voice. But he’s also an excellent copywriter and a terrific copywritingteacher. Look to the “Must Read” and “Popular Posts” sidebars for some classic writing advice, given with a healthy dose of … well, ranting.

RicardoBueno.com
Ricardo Bueno
Ricardo specializes in content marketing for real estate professionals, and he’s got lots of resources for using blogs, social media, and content to create effective marketing for that market. I love this example of a content marketer working within a well-defined niche. (If you’re a writer struggling to stand out, think about the niche you could be serving.)

The Well-Fed Writer Blog
Peter Bowerman
Peter’s written some great books on going from being a starving writer to a well-fed one, and his blog continues that tradition with savvy business advice for professional copywriters. No writing advice here — it’s all about how to build your copywriting business, not your writing chops.

Words That Begin With You
Justin Lambert
Justin combines copywriting insights with content marketing advice, wrapped up in a strong writing voice. We like that! Lots of good articles here on becoming a better content marketer.

And one bonus

This isn’t an active blog, but it’s a wonderful resource that no content marketer or copywriter should overlook … Gary Bencivenga’s wonderful Marketing Bullets.

Gary’s one of the most successful copywriters in the history of the business, and he has a lot of simple (but not always easy) advice about mastering the craft of persuasive writing. We’re big Bencivenga fans and we think you will be, too. I have all of these printed out in a binder, and I refer back to them often.

No, this isn’t a complete list!

This is obviously a very partial list of the best copywriting and content marketing blogs out there — what are your must-reads?

We collected some from you in our post on Tuesday, but if we missed your favorite today, let us know in the comments.

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About the Author: Sonia Simone is co-founder and CMO of Copyblogger Media. Share your favorite writing resources with her on twitter.

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