Who's the Latest Purple Star Queen?

A few days ago, I blogged about the Purple Star contest going on over Memorial Day weekend at Squidoo. I was excited because during the contest non-Giant Squids were eligible to receive purple stars for their lenses. We have so many talented almost-Giants and this would be a great opportunity for them.

I also mentioned that one purple star recipient's name would be drawn from a hat and that person would become Purple Star Queen (or King) for the week. Royal duties would include choosing the week's 20 purple star lenses.

Well, guess whose name was drawn.

It was mine! Can you believe it? I just found out and I can't stop smiling!

For the next week I will wear an imaginary crown (unless there's another perk I don't know about - I'll be watching for a package) and search for 20 of the best lenses in the Squidoo kingdom. Ooh, what fun! Oh, what work! In fact, how will I choose?

It won't be easy narrowing the best down to 20, but I'll manage. I can't wait to get started.

Let the royal festivities begin!

A Purple Star-Studded Opportunity

What are you doing this long Memorial Day weekend? I hope you have something fun planned, but I also hope you can fit making a new Squidoo lens into your schedule. Here's why.

Full details and rules are on the Squidoo blog but, bottom line, if you make a really great new lens between now and midnight Monday, May 31st, 2010, you can also nominate it for a purple star. Then, if the lens is deemed worthy, not only will it receive a purple star, but your name will be entered into a drawing to become Purple Star Queen or King for the week of June 7th and you will get to choose all 20 purple-star lenses for that week. What fun!

The exciting part is that this challenge is open to all lensmasters. It's a rare occasion that non-Giant lenses are considered for purple stars, so if you're not a Giant yet this is a golden, well actually a purple, opportunity for you to get your new lens noticed.

Not familiar with the purple star program on Squidoo? Read all about it here (but remember that you don't have to be a Giant for this event) then put your very best work into a new lens and maybe, just maybe, your lens will receive some of that magic purple stardust.

Giant Squids can play too, of course, but it's particularly exciting that this challenge is open to everyone.

Remember, read the rules first, then get started on your next, or maybe your very first, purple star-worthy lens!

To Do: Get Motivated!

I find that a daily to-do list motivates me to get more done, both on Squidoo and elsewhere.

Be realistic about your time constraints, but make a short list every morning (or better, the night before). Mark things off as you accomplish them. The motivating part is seeing the line marked through the things you've accomplished, but the secret is to keep the list short to start with.

Seeing how much you actually got done at the end of the day will be a motivator for the next day, while helping to avoid the deadly procrastination trap.

Remember: Motivate. Don't procrastinate.

Missing a Squidoo Friend

I wasn't close online friends with Sherry Holder Hunt, but when I found out yesterday that she had died, it hit me hard.

Sherry was one of those people you just loved hearing from. Whenever our paths crossed, usually leaving comments on lenses, her contagious sweet spirit made me smile.

Sherry was an artist, a very talented one, and an encourager. She was also a wife, a mom, a daughter, a friend.

She left a comment on her facebook fan page on April 9th; by the end of the day she was in Heaven. Life is so short and nothing can be taken for granted, especially life itself.

Tributes to Sherry can be left on her facebook page, on this special tribute blog post, or on this thread at SquidU.

Sherry, you touched my life and you will be missed.

Everything You Want to Know About Squidoo Payday

It's Squidoo payday again today. Yee-hah!

Today lensmasters got paid for money earned from ad clicks and commissions on sales made during the month of February, which means that payday is about a month and a half behind earnings. The reason for the delay is to enable Amazon, eBay, and the other sources of our income to pay Squidoo and then to give Squidoo a chance to distribute earnings to the various lensmasters and lenses. That has to be an absolutely huge job no matter how automated it is.

Payday is never promised before the 15th of any given month, although Squidoo almost always beats that by a few days. Anticipation of payday usually rears its head on the SquidU forum by around the 10th of each month with anxious newbie lensmasters hoping to see their first-ever earnings and some veterans waiting for money to pay the rent.

If you're new to Squidoo, or even if you've been around a while, you may have questions about Squidoo payday. If you're wondering just how income is calculated or even where the money comes from, one of the very best sources to find out is Squidoo Payday Questions & Answers, a lens by veteran lensmaster Christene. Christene is always on the job with updates to her lens within minutes (it seems) of payday figures being posted.

If you have questions about tiers, payouts, or how to find the earnings on your own lensmaster dashboard, check out Christene's lens. Then leave her a comment to thank her for her faithful efforts in keeping everyone updated in such a timely manner.

Then go make another lens - for free - in anticipation of a bigger payday next month, and the month after and the month after that.

How to Research Keywords - Learn How Live!

Finding the best keywords is a very hot topic on Squidoo and elsewhere around the web. You've probably read plenty of advice about how to research keywords, but you may still have questions. If so, tune in to Giant Squid Open Mike with Joan, Kate and friends as two of Squidoo's top lensmasters do a keyword research project live on the air. You'll be able to follow along on your own computer and ask questions in real-time.

The program will be broadcast live on Tuesday, April 6, 2010, at 5 p.m. Eastern time. In case you miss it, the show will be recorded and available to listen to, free, in the podcast archives.

Before you make your next lens, select a new domain name, or write your next blog post or article, be sure to listen to this very special edition of Giant Squid Open Mike to learn everything you need to know about how to do keyword research. This 45-minute broadcast could change your keyword research method - and your bottom line - forever.

UPDATE: Here's a direct link to the archived program. Don't miss it!

OMG! New Lensranking System for Squidoo!

News flash! Squidoo has announced a new lensranking system.

Effective today.

Details on this lens.

Should You Own Your Own Blog? Join the Debate

I've been following a rather intense discussion the last couple of days having to do with the differences in owning your own blog versus using a free blogging platform or participating in a multi-user blogging community. It's been a very lively debate and quite informative from a technical standpoint. The two main participants have their own definite preferences, but they've remained quite gentlemanly in the discussion.

The bottom line sticking point between the two is retention of total control of the individual blogger's content, layout, promotion, and rules. One prefers to maintain total and complete control; the other is satisfied that each individual blogger in the community that he established and oversees does have complete control over his or her own blog (within certain guidelines). Both have conceded, while standing firm in his own beliefs, that each method has its benefits and that it's up to the individual to decide which type of hosting arrangement is right for him/her.

So now I'm wondering: What do you think? Do you have experience, good or bad, with multi-user blogs? Are you happy with simply using a free Blogger blog or have you moved on to hosting your own? What is your preference and why? Click on the comment link and join the debate.

Help Me Bump My Lens?

I guess nobody likes eBay videos or eBay humor anymore (and that is entirely possible).

Or maybe I've just ignored my lowest-ranking lens for too long.

Either way, it's number 169 of my 169 published lenses. I just checked and it appears that every single video link is working. That, frankly, is amazing.

I actually kind of like this lens. So I tweaked a few things, put a poll near the top, and twittered it. It'll be on its way to Facebook as soon as I finish here.

Lensrank is 282,491 today. What will it be tomorrow?

Want to help bump it up? Check it out.

Wordless Wednesday (Why Not?)

Turn a Squidoo How-To Lens Into an EHow Article

Do you have a lens that explains how to do something? If so, it will be simple to use that same information to create an article on the how-to site called eHow.

Since you've already done the research and you've written about what you learned, the time-consuming part of the job is already done. Just take that information and rewrite it with an introduction and step-by-step instructions in the required format of an eHow article.

Writing an eHow article is very simple as the form for the article is presented to you in fill-in-the-blank stages. First you'll choose a name for the article (keep your keywords in mind), choose a picture for the article, then you'll list the items that are needed for the project (if that applies). Next, divide the project into logical steps and write those short steps in the boxes that eHow provides on its form. You can add a picture with each step, too, if you want.

Next, add a bulleted list of tips and warnings; again the form makes it easy. At the end you can add resources to provide more information for the reader. It's fine to include your original lens link as a resource.

That's all there is to it! EHow is free to join and they pay you based on the click-outs to ads that your article generates. Of course, hopefully you will also be paid in visits to your Squidoo lens resulting from clicks on your link.

You can join eHow here. Check out this article that I wrote based on a section included in this lens to see what the how-to format looks like, then take a look at your own lenses. I'm guessing you'll find a few topics that can be translated into a money-making article on eHow. Lather, rinse and repeat to create another residual income stream on a platform that's fun and easy to use.

A Lensography by Any Other Name . . .

One of my newest lenses, Essentials for Survival, is being developed as a lensography for my survival series of lenses, of which I have two so far. I don't mention the word "lensography" at all, but each new lens will be incorporated here to support the topic, as well as to support the blog of the same name.

I've never done it this way before, but it's kind of nice to start the lensography early. It'll be easy to keep up, plus it makes my commitment to the niche more serious. I'm determined to keep it up!

Do you have a new niche? Does it have a lensography? Share it here!

Keyword Research for Squidoo - Is It Really Key?

Whew! I've been spending a good deal of the afternoon doing keyword research for some new Squidoo lenses that I'm planning. It's a lot of work!

I've come to the conclusion, though, that even though it's worth the time to do keyword research, sometimes you just have to stop and make the lens already! I knew little to nothing about keyword research when I made some of my most successful lenses and they're still doing well. Of course there are the others that could use a makeover of the "tags" field . . .

There are plenty of resources on Squidoo that help teach how to do keyword research on Squidoo - check out this search if you don't believe me - but certainly it's far more fun to just put a lens together. I think the 80/20 rule applies here: Spend 80 percent of your time researching and 20 percent of your time actually making the lens. Then spend 80 percent of the rest of your time promoting the lens, but that's a subject for another day.

How do you feel about keyword research for Squidoo? Do you bother with it? How much time do you spend researching keywords? Is it worth it? Leave a comment; I'd love to know what you think.

Facebook Fan Pages - Do You Have One?

In order to help separate personal and business on Facebook, many Squidoo lensmasters are creating Facebook fan pages. These fan pages are similar to a regular page; you can add photos, links, discussions, and more while keeping everything oriented to your Squidoo business.

To create a fan page for yourself, start here. Add your Squidoo avatar so people will recognize you, then add other pertinent links and information.

Once you've created your Squidoo-related fan page, feel free to post the link in a comment here. You can also post it to a plexo on this lens, kindly provided by lensmaster JenniferAkers.

Here's my link. I hope you'll become a fan!

Share a Tribute to Someone Special on Squidoo

Does a family member or close friend have a special occasion coming up? For a totally unique gift, one you and they can share with the world, make a tribute page on Squidoo!

Lensmaster SadieCope made this lens as a Christmas gift for her parents. The stories and memories that she shares are interesting to read and, I am positive, precious gifts to her lucky family.

Lensmaster tandemonimom made a special tribute lens for her grandmother's 100th birthday, definitely a noteworthy occasion. The outstanding pictures on this lens help tell Grannie's story, as well as that of the entire family tree. Making it even more special was the fact that this was tandemonimom's 100th lens on Squidoo!

One grandmother on Squidoo that most long-time lensmasters know well is lensmaster JaguarJulie's grandmother, Julia Nagy, who namesake Julie features on this special Superhero lens.

If you're not comfortable sharing your family stories with the world, consider starting with a four-legged family member. This very touching lens by lensmaster mukunda22 features some extra-special family pets.

If you're looking for a topic for your next lens, start by looking at home. Valentine's Day is coming up. Perhaps your beloved would appreciate a special tribute on Squidoo, guaranteed less fattening than any box of chocolates!