I’ve been away on vacation (thought working a bit while we were gone), and the break really did me good. I needed to relax and take my mind off of work for a few days.

While I was away, a piece I did for Redbook went live both in the just-released August issue and online, and so over the last few days I’ve once again experienced an influx of readers who are reaching out to me to ask for guidance on how they, too, can make a living blogging. Fortunately, my last experience with this has more or less prepared me to handle it, but I’m always a little surprised by it, nonetheless. For the most part, though, people who approach me are well-meaning and kind and sincere, and I don’t mind taking some time out of my day to talk with those sorts of folks if I can share some useful information.

No, that’s not my problem. My problem is that even when I get email from morons, I can’t resist responding. Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday I went on an adventure! I got up in the wee hours and flew to New York City so that I could have my 15 seconds of fame, and also because I have always wanted to see if I could apply eyeliner in a cab without puncturing my eyeball.

Do you know what I did? Here’s a hint:

Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve talked here before about the relative importance of attending conferences when you’re a solopreneur. In fact, the last time I talked about it, I was busy justifying the cost of such an excursion when balanced against the potential advantages. And I mentioned that last year I was a volunteer, which meant that my conference registration was comped—that’s a great way to keep costs down.

You know another good way to keep costs down? Find a way to get yourself invited to attend. That works well, too. Oh, um, hey! Guess what! I’m speaking at BlogHer Business this year. Because I’m incredibly cheap. Because I have important things to say. Read the rest of this entry »

My parents were here for a visit this past week, and I felt a fair amount of guilt about having to spend some of what I felt should’ve been quality visiting time sitting at my desk, working. My father would periodically rib me about how fast I type, and how constant the “tappity tap tap” refrain wafts out from my office.

One night at dinner he turned to me and asked, “How do you keep coming up with things to write about?”

“What do you mean?” I responded. “I have assignments and obligations. So I do them. It’s no different than what you do.”

“I could never write, day after day, the way you do! I’d run out of things to say after the first hour!” he insisted.

“I could never design a building that doesn’t fall down,” I answered. (My dad is an architect.) Read the rest of this entry »

Online, I hang out with plenty of people who do what I do. I know lots of writers. I know a seemingly inexhaustible supply of bloggers. Women who’ve branched out from personal blogging into a bona fide professional writing career, usually after having had a different career but then becoming a mom and staying home for a while? I’m not unique. I know lots of ‘em. Online.

In “real life,” it’s not as though I go to PTA meetings and when I tell someone what I do, they respond, “Really? Me too!” I’ve never had that conversation, in fact. The conversation I usually have involves me trying to explain what I do and the other person nodding slowly and maybe asking a question or two, and then eventually I change the subject or point out something shiny or run away.

If pressed to offer up a website, I generally point people to Want Not or Ty’s Toy Box. Read the rest of this entry »