
Hey my friends! Welcome back.
Today we're going to look at questions you've sent my way in recent days. Hopefully this will be helpful, maybe even interesting whether you're new to blog reading ... or you're a writer who's been blogging since way back in the day.
I've been writing online since 2008. And more than ever I love it. I do get a little weary of hearing creative types brush it off as 'old school.' The nay-sayers don't know what they're missing. Fresh topics and energizing dialogue that enlarge our borders and push us out of our well-worn comfort zones. Open doors and invitations to be heard and known. Building relationships and growing faith in ways that sometimes catch us surprisingly off guard.
There's absolutely nothing flashy, trendy, or eye-catching about my online home's design. No bells and whistles, no widgets and gizmos. I've kept things pretty bare bones with lots of quiet white space. When all is said and done, it's probably been a good thing.
Looking back, simple has served me pretty well. I've learned the hard way that too much tinkering with the innards quickly robs me of any creativity I may have.
My desire is to offer you a warm and welcoming Christ-centered space. A gentle pause in the busyness of your online travels. A calm haven to catch your breath and be re-filled. An opportunity for you to join in community with other like-minded souls to savor whatever is on the table at the moment.
And an ongoing invitation to safely join in on the conversation at hand. Or silently soak it all in on the sidelines.
Anyway, let's go ...
1. Where can I find your past book recommendations? I love the fiction you've written about.
Oh I'm glad you've found some good stuff!
Right under the brick wall logo, click on
post index.
You'll see the word LABELS on the right side. Scroll down until you find the word bookbag and click on that link.
All the book posts will be at your fingertips. Enjoy!
2. Do you make money when I shop at Amazon after clicking on one of their links here?
Thanks for asking, yes!
It's usually about 4% of your purchase total, depending on what you buy. So if you buy a book for $1.99, I might get 8 cents. But if you continue shopping after you arrive on Amazon, I will receive about 4% {more or less} of your total purchase price. And it doesn't cost you anything extra.
One way to do this is to take advantage of the e-book deals I gather for you. Click here to scroll through my most recent finds. You'll also find this link under the brick logo at the top of LindaStoll.net. This page is updated often and is a great way to sample a number of authors and their work. You'll never know who or what will turn up. Enjoy!
3. I used to get your posts in my email. Now they're not showing up. What happened?
In the past year Blogger slowly faded Feedburner out which is how subscribers received posts in their email inboxes. I moved to Mailchimp about 15 months ago. I'm guessing a number of readers and writers wonder where everyone vanished to.
Please re-subscribe by clicking the subscribe button on the top right under the brick wall logo. You'll most likely find my smiling face in your inbox within the week.
4. You often talk about 'joining the conversation.' How can I leave a comment? Or read what others are saying?
Subscribers, simply click on the title of the post and that will take you over to
LindaStoll.net. Scroll down to the comment section and follow the prompts. When you see
Name/URL, simply put your name there, and speak your mind.
OR
You can hit REPLY and email me your comment. I'll cut and paste it onto the website with the initial of your first name.
Please note that comments are approved by me before they show up on the site. This saves us all from dealing with obnoxious spam and random obscenities. 99% of the time I'll respond to your thoughts ... and if you're a blogger, I'll be dropping by at your place to say, 'hello.'
Honestly, the comment section is the best part. Period.
5. What days do you publish?
I'm keeping a pretty loose schedule these days. This is the 5th month of PORCH, my weekend newsletter. It goes out anywhere from Thursday to Saturday. Some weeks I'll do an essay mid-week.
Subscribers get everything I write. There's no special sign-ups or secret handshakes. Mailchimp sends out anything published soon after 11 am {eastern}.
6. I want to share your work with my friends. How do I do that?
If you're a subscriber reading this on email, simply hit the forward button and send a post to whoever. I'd love that. Really.
If you're reading on
LindaStoll.net, you'll find 4 round aqua share buttons at the end of each post. If you like something, please spread the word to your fans and followers.
7. Are you on social media?
Nope, you won't find me anywhere else except right here. I decided long ago to just stick with blogging. The technology for everything else was daunting and I knew that I was already spending too much time online.
I do post a Scripture verse early mornings on
LinkedIn. I'd love to see you there.
8. Will you do a guest post on my blog, read my manuscript, or connect with me offline?
Email me and we'll talk, ok?
linda stoll @ juno . com
9. Are you still counseling?
And I keep this mental health resources link updated on LindaStoll.net. It's right under the brick wall logo. I hope you'll find some helpful information there. If you're in crisis, please call 911 or head to your local Emergency Room.
What other questions do you have, dear readers? You bloggers, let's talk about your blogging life these days ...
Linda
P.S.
Liked this? Click here for more musings on the wonders and challenges of the blogging life.
Thanks for sharing, Linda, and congratulations on all those years of blogging!
ReplyDeleteDonna, thanks! It's been quite a trip ...
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I enjoyed your answers here, Linda. Thank you for all the encouragement you always offer at your blog!
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
You encourager you!
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I enjoyed reading this and seeing the behind the scene glimpse of your work!
ReplyDeleteI love to hear the nuts and bolts of what's going on behind a blogger's work! We're all students learning from each other ...
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I always enjoy coming by, knowing that there will be encouragement. You have been blogging for a long time. Congrats for hanging in there.
ReplyDeleteInteresting we both offer different kinds of encouragement but it comes from the same heart. Love that, Pam! God is so good ...
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This "warm and welcoming" space that you desire to create....you have done just that! Such a blessing to stop by here. Thanks for your investment in this space - and in this fine community of "old schoolers"!!:)
ReplyDeleteJennifer, yes, we travel in uplifting and encouraging circles. Unlike so much of what goes on in this culture. I'm grateful for people like you who have built me up and taught me so much.
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Brilliant and thoughtful idea, Linda. ððŧ Debby
ReplyDeleteOh thanks, Debby! I appreciate that.
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Linda, blogging has provided so many wonderful conversations and connections. I so agree with you - I hope it stays around. We all need encouragement in these days we are living and your space is a blessing!
ReplyDeleteWe'll keep it staying around ... and hopefully thriving, too. I love to hear stories of writers and creatives who come back to blogging years after leaving. There's nothing quite like this medium, is there.
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Great post, Linda. I always wondered about the $$ people make when you click on their Amazon link. You are not missing much not being on social media :)
ReplyDeleteAs you can see, it's not much money! But I do enjoy the process of ferreting out good reads, the thrill of finding some hidden gems, and sharing them with others!
DeleteAfter all, so much of life is a labor of love, isn't it.
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I agree so wholeheartedly with you about social media. I love the freedom I feel from not being entangled with it at all. The more peaceful I can make my life in these crazy times, the better. I am so thankful we met online, and you are such a steady stream of encouragement in my life. May Jesus bless you always, sweet friend.
ReplyDeleteCheryl, yes, this is what we want - 'The more peaceful I can make my life in these crazy times, the better.' Thanks for saying it so well. Each one does that differently but for those who tend to be addicted to our screens, it's a valid choice.
DeleteThanks for letting me know I'm not the only one.
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Yes, the Amazon affiliation is really a service offered to readers rather than an income stream. ðĪĢ The fiddling around it requires is significant, but it’s great to make good books available.
ReplyDeleteI am wondering if tacking reviews onto the end of a post as I have been doing is really serving anyone very well, so I am pondering a different strategy…
Always pondering ðĪ
Shoot me a quick email ... let's ponder this together, Michele.
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Wow! Congratulations on blogging for many years. I think this a great post answering questions from readers. It's packed full of wonderful information. I've got to tell you that I always glean something and have a takeaway from your messages.
ReplyDeleteThank you again for linking up with Sweet Tea & Friends sweet friend.
Hey Paula, so glad that you found something helpful here. I love good conversations about blogging logistics ...
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I appreciate your blogging insights, and a glimpse into your world, Linda. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank YOU, Lisa!
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Linda, thank you for sharing your years of blogging with us. I love that you only post here.
ReplyDeleteInstagram looks intriguing, but at this point I'd be crazy to even think about it ...
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Thanks for this FAQ post!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome!
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