Last Chance: Join the A-List Blogging Bootcamp

Enrollment ends Saturday, May 15 at 6:00 pm.

My best selling point for the A-List Blogging Bootcamp which starts on May 16 would be Before and After pictures of my blog, like those pictures for a questionable weight-loss product.

Fortunately, my Before Blog is long gone, and I probably wouldn’t show it to you even if I could. The good thing was that I’d actually done what I committed to do:  I’d started a blog on a topic which I was passionate about. As I soon came to realize, however, passion alone is not enough. (Is it ever?)

I had lots of questions about what to do with my blog and how to do it. But I had nowhere to turn for answers. That is until I saw a notice for the A-List Blogging Bootcamp, called “How to Skyrocket Your Subscriber Count.” It  was offered by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits  and Mary Jaksch of Goodlife Zen . This sounded like just what I needed, and I didn’t waste any time signing up. I began to see benefits right from the start.

What the A-List Blogging Bootcamp Offers

• The A-List Blogging Bootcamp is a community which knows what you–as a blogger–are going through and provides essential support and encouragement. If you’re working at home as a writer, not always certain whether anyone cares what you’re writing about, being part of such a community is vital. It makes all the difference! For me the A-List Blogging Bootcamp provided that during the first two bootcamps and continues to do so today through its active Forum.
• It provides connection to individual bloggers throughout the world who offer one-on-one comments, suggestions, and encouragement. This has meant more to me than I can say, even in the realm of Life Beyond My Blog.
• The A-List Blogging Bootcamp provides access to experts in all aspects of blogging from detailed technical questions to fundamental big-picture issues about the potential audience for one’s blog, how to write content for that audience, and how to attract an ever larger audience.

What I gained from the Bootcamp 

• Like many beginning bloggers, I changed my initial, too-limited concept of the  potential audience and hence the name and tagline for my blog. The A-List Blogging Bootcamps  and the ongoing Forum have been invaluable in helping me rethink this critical question.
• I changed the design from bare-bones WordPress to Thesis theme and began using eye-catching graphics, thanks in large part to a great session (and video by Leo which I reviewed over and over) on searching for good images.

Both Leo and Mary are masters of supportive and thoughtful suggestions for improvement as opposed to scary “criticism.” As a long-time member of Toastmasters, I’m positively evangelical about this approach which says:

“This is what you’re doing well, and here are some suggestions to make it even better.” 

In fact, Leo’s exact words about my blog’s design or lack thereof were “…as it is, it looks a bit generic, which doesn’t help you stand out from the crowd.” If that’s not tactful, I don’t know what is!

• I added various Plug-ins to improve the look and functionality of my blog, one of the latest being Apture. It was so reassuring to know that if I needed help at any point along the way, all I had to do was ask.

You Can Join the Bootcamp Too

Any blog is a work in progress, and there is always more to learn. The next A-List Blooging Bootcamp runs from May 16-20. Its focus is ”How to Make Your Blog Pay the Bills.” Enrollment will end May 15 at 6:00 pm Eastern time.  You can enroll here http://www.alistbloggingbootcamps.com/how-to-make-your-blog-pay-the-bills/

If you enroll in the Bootcamp through this blog, I will give you a one-hour consulting session for free via Skype. Just click on Contact Me on this blog and leave your name and contact information once you enroll.