Christian Fiction Blog January Top Ten List 2007 ScreenShot

During this time of year I began compiling a list of fiction books written with a Christian worldview. One of my purposes for Christian Fiction Blog has always been to champion books written by Christian authors, who for whatever reason weren't published under the Christian Booksellers Association(CBA.) So every year I pull these books together for my readers and people like me who values a compelling and well-written story over any other read.

In the fall I compartmentalize these lists by genre, topic, subscriber feedback, candid book store manager chats and bookclub presidents polling. Some examples of my lists were:

• Christian Fiction's October 2009 Top Ten List
• Best of 2008
  

If you want to take your blog to the next level, then I encourage you to create a list, because:

• Lists are user friendly for your blog subscribers. Simply they are easy to read.
  
• Lists can be downloaded and printed for bookclub presidents and blog readers who need a good booklist before they began purchasing books as Christmas gifts.
  
• List's visual simplicity make it easy to read on a smartphone (Blackberry, Palm, iPhone.)
• Lists build blog credibility because it takes snapshots of your great blog content.
• Lists are media friendly. Media outlets can easily pull your lists for filler items for the publications.
• Lists can be used to bring unique visitor's to your site. I often take my lists and duplicate them on Amazon Lists. Here's an example: The Last Good Reads of the Summer. There a gazillion of other places online to post your lists.
  
• Lists can help decrease your bounce rate. If you embed links in your list that direct readers to other areas and posts on your blog readers will stick around longer and may become curious about what else you have on your blog.
  
• You can monetize your blog using lists. You can become an affiliate member of a bookstore or a book like 31 Days to Build a Better Blog.
• You can turn your blog into an industry source using links. My blog is a source not just for Christian book publishers, but literary publicists, authors, and agents. You may even see my content repackaged on other blogs...(we'll talk about that later.)
• You can use lists in your sidebar to showcase your favorite blogs or books. Check out the CFB sidebar.
  

Your homework assignment for Day 20 is up at the 30 Days...the Facebook Group.

For those of you who aren't members, if you have a great book list on your blog, please drop the link in our comments so that we can take a look at them.

ProBlogger: Why Your Blog isn't Making Money...Passion

Today Daren at Problogger spoke about the potential for blogs to earn revenue:

The reality is that most bloggers never sell their blog for millions…. in fact most bloggers don’t even come close to a full time living from blogging

My response to the post and Daren's great graph is below and on Twitter, and I also have a question for you. Read below...


Blogging does have the potential to make money if you hand around and think long term. I also believe that Passion has a lot to do with it, too.

When a blogger is passionate about their blogging theme or topic they will continue to make the blog better, add better content, upgrade it if you will. While other bloggers fall away because they lose faith or they began blogging for the wrong reasons(no passion for the platform and the theme) you increase in value. There are so many book blogs that have shut down since I began. I still remain. I receive speaking invitations, business ventures that incorporate the blog and so much more, so my blogging income has increased over time.

But to be honest. I would write Christian Fiction Blog for free, as I did in the beginning and that is my mindset.

I love my blog. Don't you?

Share why you love your blog below or on twitter. Hashtag #bloglove

And don't forget to tune into the Dee & Marina Reports Radio Show tonight at 8pm EST.

My Five Fav Killer Titles

This past week I participated in the Problogger Killer Titles Writing Project. Here are my Fave Fives:

1. We Interrupt Your CyberSpace for this Special Report
2. Stop Going to Church
3. Bible proves Obama’s lack of experience, a weak argument
4. 10 Reasons People Don't Like to Read
5. How to Create Characters and make People Love Them

What were yours?

Photo courtesy of asleeponasunbeam

4 Wedding Tips 4 the Bachelorette Taking a Work Spouse

(photo courtesy of kitlin)

For those of you who are subscribers of CFB or know me personally then you know about my new found bachelorette freedom, my unsuccessful summer ManFast, and my capers in single Christian parenting. But you may not know that I am a newly wed. Yeah...I got my business hitched. Yep! I have a work spouse and today--surprisingly--I'm glad I do.

What is a work spouse? A coworker/business partner of the opposite sex that works in the same office or industry and complements your career. My boy, Daren Gayle is CEO of ITG Enterprises, a Christian entertainment artist agency, and I work as a...me.

Oftentimes we share clients, projects, faith and ambition. We escort each other to various events(like I escorted him to the Gospel Music Festival pre-conference dinner two weeks ago and last year he escorted me to the Christys Book Awards Banquet.) And when we don't need each other on the business side we are each others support as brothers and sisters in Christ. Believe this or kick rocks-- our friendship is kinda good. More importantly, our coupling adds value to both are businesses.

Why the opposite sex?

I don' t have a clue. I have BFFs, write-or-die chicks and gal pal counterparts, but this arrangement it works. Could be because I have a twin brother and his best friend is his sister. Perhaps our gender difference gives each other a fresh perspective on what we do. I don't know, but what I know is...what he's good at it I don't want to do, but I know how to help him do it better and vice versa.

But there are pitfalls or things to consider if you are thinking about partnering with a business friend of the opposite sex:

1. Honor the friendship.

Good friends are indeed hard to come by. Friends with business benefits are even harder, so take care of your friend. Be honest in all business arrangements. If that means you won't take a client for conflict of interest, then don't do it. And if you're both brothers and sisters in spirit make sure you place yourself in a position to honor and respect his manhood/her womanhood.

Sometimes I am a bit tomboyish or I get a little too girly with my discussion, but the Daren just ignores or chuckles about my constant slips about mascara and lipgloss, then pulls me back into our world.

2. Sync your calendars.

I owe this tip to Daren. He constantly gets on me about keeping him informed of my calendar and any client's calendars that we share. Schedule a time to sit down and share your work calendar and what needs you may need from each other to be successful on your end.

3. Treat him like family.

Daren is a part of my family. Truth be told I just introduced him to my mom and sister. They thought it was about time and long overdue. I talk to Daren so much I assumed my family had already met him. So make sure you introduce your family and spouse/significant other to your biz bud and become a bridge between the two. Put your family first. Set clear work hour boundaries, so that you two don't run over into family time and respect each other's personal space.

But...which leads to tip #4.

4. Prepare and expect to see the White Elephant in your partnership.

When your best business bud is a single guy and you are a single gal, then expect to deal with the white elephant in the room, "Are you two dating?" the question/the look/the expectation. Believe me. You are not alone there are many work spouses and this relationship continues grow. If this question is an issue for you, then you may need to rethink this partnership. Your biz buddy should make things easier for you not worse. And your real spouse should be comfortable and even welcome the partnership. If not, then I suggest you take a step back and fix the problem.

This relationship should be a burden lifter for you and if you're single like me it sure takes the edge off of having to bring a date at events and it really, truly helps you to remember your self worth. You will choose better men to date, because you're not male companionship and you will see how a man should respectfully treat you and not expect anything less.

Now all this talk has me wondering: How many successful work spouses are out there and are there any writing team spouses? Don't get me wrong I don't want to divorce Daren, but...sh... I would love to collaborate on a book with a guy.

Here are the work couples I found some cornball, but fun(feel free to add to the list:)

Scully and Moulder of the Ex-Files. Right?

2. President George W. Bush & Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice (great insync photo)

3. Queen Latifah and Producer Shakim Compere. White Elephant in the Room on that one.

Others?

This post is my submission to the Problogger Killer Post Titles' Writing Project.

Dee Stewart is a writing diva mother, News Editor for Hope for Women Magazine, inspirational book reviewer for Romantic Times Magazine, Atlanta Satellite Bookseller for Mocha Readers Bookstores, and owner of Christian Fiction Blog and The Christian Fiction Network. Her writings have appeared in: Spirit Led Woman, Gospel Today, Good Girl Book Club, The Dabbling Mum, Atlanta Christian Family, Mosaic Literary, Precious Times, Vertical Fix just a few. Visit her at Christian Fiction. Follow her on Twitter at DeeGospel

Per Darren Rouse's Problogger Post Today:

Has Blogging Lost Its Relational Focus?

This morning I read and commented at Problogger about the question above. I thought I would post it here, and invite you to continue the conversation.

Dee's Response...

Yes. Blogging has lost it''s relational focus.

I have a book niche blog and belong to a blog team of published authors, editors and agents, and we rarely visit each other's blogs. I was guilty of it myself. But this summer I decided to change my mindset about who my blog belongs to. I am the owner but the blog belongs to my subscribers and the writing community.

So I use Darren's Speedlinking idea every other Friday to link other blogs who are having conversations about Christian Fiction or Christian Books. I still ask other bloggers to come on and guest blog. I belong to a book tour blog alliance of 150 bloggers, who blog about the same book on the same day. I comment on many of those blog sites during the blog tour. I have encouraged them to follow me on Twitter. now we are on twitter doing book chats and crazy things. Someone introduced me to ning, so i started a social network (The Christian Fiction Network) based on the blog. I have 40 published authors in this network we feed off each other post are favorite blogposts in the network. Last week I began using utterz to host author chats on their and link them to my blog and then share it with my blog buddies for cross promotion. Christian Fictgion is also on blogtalkradio. I don't have a show, but i hack other radio shows ;)) A great way to read podcast bloggers and find connect with them.

Since I've been playing around with other forms of social media that i can feed into my blog it has kept things interesting and i share these applications with the writing blogging community.

I agree. It's easy to go into your own bubble and create compelling blog posts to find noone is reading. Then you goto your blogfriends blogs to see no one is reading there either, because everyone has a blog now. But rolling back and remembering why blogging was fun back in the day gives you the juice to get creative and back in the game.

My stats have jumped up and so have pr and book opportunities for me as well. I've even been approached by three lit agents and a publisher. Thanks Daren for keeping rich content and opening up problogger for others to share and communicate.

"Hey you...talk to me!!!!!"Photo courtesy of Crafting with Love

Dee Stewart is a writing diva mother, News Editor for Hope for Women Magazine, inspirational book reviewer for Romantic Times Magazine, and owner of Christian Fiction Blog and The Christian Fiction Network. Her writings have appeared in: Spirit Led Woman, Gospel Today, Good Girl Book Club, The Dabbling Mum, Atlanta Christian Family, Mosaic Literary, Precious Times, Vertical Fix just a few. Visit her at Christian Fiction. Follow her on Twitter at DeeGospel

Problogger Guest Post: How to Breathe Life Back into Your Blog

This weekend while I celebrated Selah's eighth birthday and Christ's Resurrection I learned that my article, How to Breathe Life Back into Your Blog was selected as a guest post at Daren Rowse's Problogger. Here's the link and a snippet from the blog.

Updated: Thinking about pulling the plug on your blog?

I almost did last year after I found myself busy with other projects, my Adsense and Chitika checks were waining and especially after I noticed that many of my blog friends had shut down their blogs or were barely using them. At first I wondered was I kissing a dinosaur? Should I stop blogging and move onto something better?

But for some odd reason my blog would not go gentle into that goodnight.

Furthermore, as a host of niche book blog I still had tons of books to review, local and national book events planned, authors penned in my interview calendar and book news to get out. I couldn't end things, if I wanted to.

So I went back through some of the blog comments to get another perspective on the matter. To my surprise, I discovered the blog, had ideas, plans and things to share with me about our future. We began to reconnect and slowly CFB has brought back that blogging feeling to me. Perhaps your blog wants to do that to you.

Here are 5 things your blog comments provide that can help breathe life back into your blog.

Thanks, Daren for the opportunity.

Feedback for CFB: Do you use your comments to build a better blog?

4 Things Bookish Social Networks Do Blessed Well for The Master’s Artists

Recently have you been invited to join a bookish social network: Shelfari, Library Thing, Good Reads, listal, Shelfcentered?

I have, and, girlfriend, it took me every bit of right now to figure out what to do with them all. My hope was to try them all out and write an article about my picks and tips to help you for a writer’s magazine, but instead I discovered something else. These online book nooks(OBs)can serve a special purpose for The Master’s Artist, too.

Want to know what they are? Click here.