  Noticing Newbies
This week: Edited by: Puditat  
More Newsletters By This Editor 
1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions
 Welcome to the Noticing Newbies Newsletter!
Our goal is to showcase some of our newest Writing.Com Authors and their items. From poetry and stories to creative polls and interactives, we'll bring you a wide variety of items to enjoy. We will also feature "how to" advice and items that will help to jump start the creation process on Writing.com
We hope all members of the site will take the time to read, rate, review and welcome our new authors. By introducing ourselves, reviewing items and reaching out, we will not only make them feel at home within our community, we just might make new friends!
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Your Advertising Needs
This week's topic comes from feedback to a previous newsletter.
arya asks: "Hey there! I am a regular reader of the noticing newbies. I recently opened a sig shoppe with quite cheap sigs, but noone seems to visit it. what do i do to attract customers? thanx"
We all have a need to advertise, whether you realise it or not. Maybe you do not have a signature shop, cNotes or the like, but advertising your writing is something every writer should consider.
Writing.com has several ways you can advertise, and the majority of them are free!
Free Tools
 An item's Title and Brief Description. Is your title catchy and interesting? An item that describes itself as "my first attempt" or "the best you'll find" are likely to turn away potential customers/readers. A brief description should entice a person into the item. It could provide a teaser or say what is different about the item compared to others. eg. cNote greetings that are anything but mushy.
Use the maximum of three genres when categorising your item. This means your item will appear on three search lists instead of only one or two. If the item fits accurately into more than three, then changing the genres from time to time can also help give varied exposure.
For shops, raffles, cNotes, and similar activities: post to the Activities Page.
For contests, add it to the Contest Listings.
Both of these can be found in the Item Jumps drop-down menu. These are based on an In and Out type format, so you need to keep an eye out for when your activity/contest falls off the page and then repost it. Read the instructions and keep to the rules of posting.
Add a link to the bottom of your review forms, email signatures, and forum posts. If you have an upgraded membership or above, use an image link for a more attractive and appealing lure. To maximise this advertising you need to make sure you do reviews of other people's work and communicate with your fellow Writing.Commers. It will not work it no one has a chance to see your prepared links.
Submit your item to an appropriate newsletter. The 'Contests and Activities' newsletter is ideal for all those contests, raffles, shops, etc. Contests may also be submitted to an applicable genre or type (eg. Poetry) newsletter. Inclusion is not certain, but if you don't try then there's even less chance of being randomly seen and included.
Create a separate item to advertise the thing you want to. For example, to advertise a novel you want read and reviewed, you could create a Word Search or Crossword using names of characters and/or places from the story, and include a link to the item. To advertise a signature shop you could create an In and Out, Survey, or Quiz asking for what people like/want. Include a link to your shop and you've increased potential exposure and sales. You may wish to then advertise the partner item instead, in addition to, or turn-about with the main item.
Easy links. Easy linking is merely a way to link similar items in your portfolio for the benefit of your reader/customer. For example, in your cNotes something like this could work: "None of these what you need? Then check out [item link here] for something different." Similarly adding a link for chapter two at the bottom of chapter one will mean a reader is more likely to continue on reading. It is right there nice and handy. Insert these kinds of 'easy links' in the Item Body from the item's edit menu.
Add the item(s) to your "Highlighted Items" list in your portfolio.
Edit the item regularly to keep it higher up on search lists.
Preferred Authors and above have a billboard which displays on the "Who's Online" page. An 'item' link may be included here as well as a teaser to draw members along to see it.
Purchasable Tools
Sponsor your item using the bid-click system. Look under the My Places drop-down menu for My Bids where you can find more information on how it works and manage your sponsorship. Alternatively, there is a link to BidClick Advertising under the Gift Point Tools drop-down menu.
Offer an auto-reward for reviews. Items offering an auto-reward will not only turn up under the genre search pages, but also when a member clicks on the "Auto-Rewards" link.
Include a reward for completion of a survey. This option ios provided in the editing menu of a survey.
Offer to 'pay' someone to advertise your item from their portfolio.
There are other creative ways to advertise. As long as site guidelines are observed (eg. content ratings, etc) and spamming is a concept far, far away from your experience, advertising is easy and varied.
Thanks for reading.
Puditat
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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 Hi. Is there a special code to get into the WDC Newsletter Quiz? I am unable to open it. Thanks.
mawitty
For anyone else who struck this, my apologies.  I forgot to time the removal of the restricted access with the release of the newsletter. I am still offering a reward for each correct answer, so if you haven't yet had a chance to do the quiz, go try it now. It is open!
I have to say that I’m very happy here in the WDC world. I stumbled upon this site doing a search on my favorite search engine. I clicked on the URL and there before me was exactly what I was looking for. A place for me to write, enter contests and find other like minded people. It was a little confusing at first but as I explored I allowed myself to have fun and urged myself to stop worrying about not being a pro first go round. I am thrilled to be here, I’ve won 3 contests and come in with a couple of honorable mentions. I am part of two groups and love giving reviews. My advice to newbies: keep reading. Read, write, review, and give yourself permission to enjoy it. My most favorite part about WDC is the strict policy against harassment and just plain meanness. I did not want to join just to have someone attack me personally rather than the writing that represents me. I love this website, I love this newsletter so THANK YOU THANK YOU!
PKG
Such lovely feedback! Thank you for sharing your experiences with us all. The site can be overwhelming because of all that it holds, but those same features offered is also what makes it so great. Your attitude is admirable.
Excellent newsletter, Puditat!!! You did a great job of organizing it and the information was on the money. And I got 10 out of 11 on your quiz 
Darkin
And no, I won't tell you which one I missed 
darkin
You tease!  Thank you for the kind words and congrats on the quiz results.
how do you enter your work in competitions
camo2405
Most contests require members to post with a 'bitem' link. For help on how to do this, visit: "Invalid Item" .
Although it be the wee hours of the morning, I am wide awake. I just finished reviewing three of your editor's picks. What a romp through diversity! I am a newbie myself, but I truly enjoy reading all types of stories. Thanks for introducing me to these authors. One wound up on my "favorites" list.
Renee Maciag
Awesome! I'm glad you enjoyed the feature picks. I am sure the authors were thrilled to be read, too. 
First of all I am very grateful to have found this wonderful writing community. This site and all it includes is awesome. In a few days I've been here, I've already made some friends and other writers are reading my work and giving me great feedback that has been helpful in making me a better writer. Thanks for putting out a great newsletter and for welcoming newbies into the fold.
I look forward to many years here.
PolarB ;)
We look forward to many years of your interaction here, too. Thank you for giving us such a lovely relation of your experiences.
Any queries, problems, praise, or advice?
Send it to one of the Editors via the feedback form on this newsletter,
or direct to their email by clicking the wee envelope after their handle.
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Noticing Newbies: August 29, 2007 Issue [#1911]
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