• Easy on the Hooptedoodle: How to be invisible when writing a book. You know… show instead of tell. [Link: The Blood-Red Pencil]
• Exposing Some Myths About Blogging Pay Rates
• 7 Ways to Rediscover Your Dreams
• Book Marketing 2.0: 5 ways you can use Web 2.0 tools to promote your book
• Namechk: See if a user name is available across many social networks.
• Twitter Logo Generator [Link: Crenk]

• Best Sites for Used Cars: Daughter has driver’s permit. Not gonna get her a new car. If anything, she’ll inherit hubby’s car once he gets a replacement.
• Star Trek does opera: Khannnnn! in Italian.
• Emo Babies: Not emo as in wearing black, but showing their feelings and emotions. Very cute.
• Wanna See a Kindle 2?

• Social Media and “The Flight Attendant Effect”: Excellent analogy that makes great sense. [Link: Scott Blitstein
• Five Levels Of Social Media Responses [Link: Dawn Foster]
• Children’s book writing month at Tumblemoose: Lots of advice, articles, videos and guests.
• Tweeting for profits: How retailers and other businesses are taking advantage of Twitter.

And for fun because we’re allowed…

• Darth McVader: This link is in memory of my dear friend Glenn.
• The Stapler Caper: Adorable wordless children’s book that encourages children to write the story. YouTube video tells more. Disclaimer: Creator is a dear friend of mine. Heard great story about a kid who hated writing. He actually produced an incredible story using this book as a tool. Wow.
• Tilt-shift Photos of London: Just makes me wanna get there ASAP! I love the UK and am eager to visit there as one of my first stops on the other side of the world.

Image credit Vincent Abry

Update: Updated list of twitter chats here.

Twitter chats are growing faster than one person can keep up with them as there are hundreds today. That’s incredible.

This editable Google spreadsheet of chats came to be as a result of this list so people can enter and delete their own chats. That should be your go to resource for chats. Thanks for all your support.

ShortURL to this post: http://bit.ly/twitterchats

Twitter group chats offer a clever and effective way to meet people with like interests and to share insights into the topic of discussion. Chatters track their conversations using hashtags (#) followed by the name of the chat, i.e. #journchat.

While we can search for these groups by their names as in “journchat” and “editorchat,” the reason we had the # in front is to separate them from those just mentioning those words in conversation. It’s not as if we’re going to mention “journchat” in our conversation without a reference to the chat, but there are other names like “Star Wars” that can mean the difference between # and no #.

Here’s a list of Twitter chats in alphabetical order. A detailed list appears after the list sorted by the day of the week. Please add chats, more information and corrections in the comments and I’ll update the list. To join a chat, check the post on how to join Twitter chats.

Note: these are organized chats with a set time, not just conversations that happen anytime someone uses the hashtag. While this list would love to include them, it’d turn it into a lengthy one. Here’s a great example of such a chat (even I use it):

#amwritiing: A slow chat where you’re not expected to stay tuned-in constantly. The chat happens in the background of your writing day. It is a virtual watercooler for writers, a place you can hang out and talk to other writers about your current writing projects (and theirs) and then you get back to work. The energy of writers who post here is amazing. Chat details. #amwriting is not a one-person endeavor. A lot of amazing people have jumped in and made the hashtag their own.

Note: All times listed in Central Time with a couple of noted exceptions. Find out what time the chat occurs in your area with the time zone converter.

Alphabet List of Chats

#4sqchat: Mondays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

#agchat: Tuesdays, 7:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

#agencychat: Fridays, 1:00pm – 2:00pm CT.

#AgeOp: Thursdays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

#amwriting: Slow chat that runs in background.

#ARChat: Tuesdays, 11:00am to 12:00pm CT.

#assnchat: Tuesdays, 1:00pm-2:00pm CT.

#b2bchat: Thursdays, 7:00pm-8:00pm CT.

#bizforum: Wednesdays, 7:00pm-8:00pm CT.

#blogchat: Sundays, 8:00pm to 10:00pm CT.

#bookmarket: Thursdays, 3:00pm to 4:00pm CT.

#brandchat: Wednesdays, 10:00am to 11:00am CT.

#carchat: Wednesdays, 7:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

#careerchat: Tuesdays, 12:00pm to 1:00pm CST.

#collegechat: First and third Tuesdays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

#commschat: Mondays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm UK.

#custserv: Tuesdays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

#digicar: Fridays, 12:00pm to 1:00pm CT.

#dogtalk: Mondays, 8:15pm to 9:15pm CT.

#educhat: No set schedule.

#eeochat: Wednesdays, 6:00pm to 7:00pm CT.

#eventprofs: Tuesdays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CT and Thursdays, 11:00am to 12:00pm CT.

#ffparty: Fridays.

#followreader: Fridays, 3:00pm to 4:00pm CT. (Thursdays in the summer.)

#foodchat: Third Tuesday of the month, 7:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

#HBRchat: Thursdays, 12:00pm to 1:00pm CT.

#hcsm: Sundays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

#hcmktg: Fridays, 12:00pm to 1:00pm CT.

#herchat. Ever other Wednesday, 7:00pm to 8:00pm CT.

#imcchat: Wednesdays, 7:00pm to 8:00pm CT.

#innochat: Thursdays, 11:00am to 12:00pm CT.

#internchat: Every other Tuesday, 7:00pm to 8:00pm CT.

#IRChat: Thursdays, 10:00am to 11:00am CT.

#jobchat: Tuesdays, 7:00 to 8:00pm CT.

#journ2journ: Thursdays, 7:00pm to 8:30pm CT.

#journchat: Mondays, 7:00pm to 10:00pm CT.

#kaizenblog: Thursdays, 11:00am to 12:00pm CT.

#kidlitchat: Tuesdays, 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm CT.

#latism: Thursdays, 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm CT.

#lbschat: Thursdays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

#leadershipchat: Tuesdays, 7:00pm to 8:00pm CT.

#litchat: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm CT.

#lrnchat: Thursdays, 7:30pm to 9:00pm CT.

#MBizChat: Mondays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

#MedDevice: Thursdays, 7:00pm to 8:00pm CT.

#nacersano: No set dates. Always midweek at 2:00 pm CT.

#poetry: Thursdays, 8:00pm to 9:00 pm CT.

#pr20chat: Tuesdays, 7:00pm to 8:00pm CT.

#pregnancychat: No set dates. Always midweek at 2:00 pm CT.

#prstudchat: Monthly.

#prwebchat: Every other Thursday, 1:00pm to 1:30pm CT.

#queryday: No set schedule.

#runchat: Thursdays, 7:00pm – 8:00pm CT.

#sbbuzz: Tuesdays, 7:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

#sbt10: Tuesdays, 7:00pm to 8:00pm CT.

#scifichat: Fridays, 1:00pm to 3:00pm CT.

#scribechat: Thursdays, 8:00pm to 9:15pm CT.

#scriptchat: Sundays, 8:00 GMT for Euro and 7:00pm CT for U.S.

#smallbizchat: Wednesdays, 7:00pm to 8:00pm CT.

#smbiz: Tuesdays, 7:00pm to 8:00pm CT.

#smchat: Wednesdays, 12:00pm to 1:00pm CT.

#spjchat: Thursdays, 7:00pm to 8:00pm CT.

#socpharm: Wednesdays, 7:00pm to 8:00pm CT.

#solorpr: Wednesdays, 12:00pm to 1:00pm CT.

#somechat: Mondays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

#spbkchat: Thursdays, 5:00am to 7:00am CT.

#talentnet: last Wednesday of the month, 8:00pm to 10:00pm CT.

#tbc: generally second Monday of the month, 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm CT.

#tchat: Tuesdays, 7:00 to 8:00pm CT.

#techchat: Tuesdays, 7:00pm – 8:00pm CT.

#tni: Thursdays, 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm CT.

#travelchat: Mondays, 11:00am to 12:00pm CT.

#u30pro: Thursdays, 7:00pm to 10:00pm CT.

#UFchat: Saturdays, 6:00pm to 7:00pm CT.

#vikingschat: During Minneosta Viking games.

#wclw: Last Wednesday of the month, 12:00pm to 1:00pm CT.

#writechat: Sundays, 2:00pm to 5:00pm CT.

#writersmovement: Saturdays, 5:00pm to 6:00pm CT.

#yalitchat: Wednesdays, 8:00pm CT.

Sunday

#writechat: Moderated by @WritingSpirit. When: Sundays, 2:00pm to 5:00pm CT.

#blogchat: Bettering your blog. Moderated by . Blogchat recaps. Moderated by @MackCollier. When: Sundays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

#hcsm: “The Healthcare Communication & Social Media community hosts a weekly Twitter conversation about communication and marketing practices by healthcare organizations, including use of social media.” Moderated by @HealthSocMed and #danamlewis. Chat web site. When: Sundays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

#scriptchat: Connects aspiring and seasoned screenwriters to learn and grow. Moderated by @jeannevb (US) and @DreamsGrafter (EURO). Screenchat web site. Also follow @scriptchat. When: Sundays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CT (US) and 8:00 GMT (EURO).

Monday

#travelchat: Discuss travel including location, transportation, inexpensive travel, sightseeing and more. Moderated by @newyorkhotel. (Moderators will rotate, but @newyorkhotel can provide details.) Details on New Yorker Facebook page.When: Mondays, 11:00am to 12:00pm CT.

#commschat: “Based out of the UK that looks at all aspects relating to communications, including PR, traditional and social media, journalism, blogging, marketing and more. Part of the rationale behind the launch of the Twitter chat is to compliment the chats based out of the USA but staged at a more European-friendly time.” Visit #commchat blog for information and transcripts. Moderated by @AdamVincenzini and @EmilyCagle. When: Mondays, 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm UK.

#litchat: “Mission is to connect readers with books and authors.” Transcripts available on blog. Moderated by @litchat. When: Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm CT.

#journchat: “Conversation between journalists, bloggers and public relations folks. Moderated by @PRsarahevans.” When: 7:00pm to 10pm CT.

#dogtalk: A weekly discussion on dogs. Moderators: @fangshuicanines and @turtlelady81. When: Mondays, 8:15pm to 9:15pm CT.

#tbc: The Book Club discusses a specific book and drink wine. We have our priorities straight! Moderated by @thebookmaven. When: Generally second Monday of the month, 8:00 pm-9:00 pm CT.

#MBizChat: It’s a music business chat with special attention paid to marketing, public relations, distribution, and developments in the digital landscape. Moderated by @SincerelyJane and #mbizchat. Chat page. When: Mondays, 8:00 pm-9:00 pm CT.

#4sqchat: Discusses Foursquare. Moderated by #4SqINDY. Chat page. When: Mondays, 8:00 pm-9:00 pm CT.

#somechat: Talking social media. SoMeChat page. Moderated by @SoMeChat. When: Mondays, 8:00 pm-9:00 pm CT.

Tuesday

#ARChat: “Weekly themed conversation for business professionals that deal with industry analysts (IA) and influencers. This includes analyst relations (AR), public relations (PR), investor relations (IR) and marketing professionals and IAs themselves. Focus is both best practices and pressing issues or trends. Moderator @MyPath_MP and @ARChat. When: Tuesdays, 11:00am-12:00pm CT.

#careerchat: “Weekly discussion for professionals looking for career advice. Discuss how to move your career forward, improve your skills, or just find out if you should friend your boss on Facebook.” Post all career questions and watch for upcoming topics by following moderators @MyPath_MP and @bizMebizgal. When: Tuesdays, 12:00pm-1:00pm CT.

#assnchat: “Open to any all members of the association community, including staff, consultants, volunteer leaders and members. Explore the present and future of associations. Bring your issues and questions!” Moderated by @kikilitalien with assistance from others. When: Tuesdays, 1:00 pm-2:00 pm CT.

#sbbuzz: “A weekly chat about small businesses for small business owners, techies, social media mavens and folks who love ‘em.” More focused on tech in small business. Moderated by @sbbuzz, @pmohara and @mriggen. Chat web site. When: Tuesdays, 7:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

#smbiz: “Open chat session where small businesses of every kind can meet, network and ask all kinds of questions in any of the aforementioned areas.” Moderated by @smbiz, @sternalpr, @sternalmrktg. Details about #smbiz. When: Tuesdays, 7:00pm to 8:00pm CT.

#pr20chat: Discussion of where PR is heading. Web site. Moderated by @jgoldsborough and @prtini.” When: 7:00pm to 8:00pm CT.

#jobchat: Serving job seekers looking for advice on finding a job and making social media part of their job search. #jobchat details. Moderated by @BeTheButterfly and @nealschaffer. When: Tuesdays, 7:00 to 8:00pm CT.

#internchat: Discusses internships and advice. I Am Intern has more info. Moderated by @internqueen and @heatherhuhman. Submit questions ahead of time through Twitter or formspring. When: Every other Tuesdays, 7:00 to 8:00pm CT.

#techchat: Chat with experts about social media for high-tech and B2B marketing. See What the Hash page for transcripts and info. Moderated by @marketingprofs. When: Tuesdays, 7:00pm to 8:00pm CT.

#sbt10: Start Blogging Today covers blogging for business. Moderated by @GrantGriffiths. Details and transcript for #sbt10. When: Tuesdays, 7:00pm to 8:00pm CST.

#agchat: “The mission of #agchat is to keep an ongoing, open dialogue amongst the various players in the agriculture, farming and ranching worlds. For people in agriculture, including those in the business of producing food, feed, fuel and fiber.” Moderated by @mpaynknoper. When: Tuesdays, 7:00 to 9:00 pm CT.

#leadershipchat: Discusses most current leadership challenges of the day. Leadership Chat information. Moderators @LisaPetrilli and @swoodruff. When: Tuesdays, 7:00 to 8:00 pm CT.

#tchat: World of Work. Diverse community blogging recruiting + careers/workplace + leadership + innovation + 3.0. More info on #tchat. Moderated by @talentculture / @MeghanMBiro. When: Tuesdays, 7:00 to 8:00 pm CT.

#foodchat: “Monthly conversation Designed to bring consumers together with agriculture on the third Tuesday of each month to bridge the farm gate to the consumer plate.” Moderated by #foodchat and #mpaynknoper. When: Third Tuesday of the month, 7:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

#kidlitchat: Discussion on writing books for children and young adults. Moderated by @BonnieAdamson and @gregpincus. When: Tuesdays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

#custserv: Discussion on customer service. Chat archives. Moderated by @MarshaCollier and @JeffreyJKingman. When: Tuesdays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

#eventprofs: Gathering of event professionals. Wiki of chat topics and archives of past chats, schedule and moderators. Chat details. Moderated by @ready2spark and @eventprofs. When: Tuesdays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CST and Thursdays, 11:00am to 12:00pm CT.

#collegechat: Bi-monthly discussion for teens, college students, parents and high education experts. Chats cover the college admissions process, college life, interrnships, course work, majors, grad school and careers after graduation. Moderated by @collegechat. More info on #collegechat. When: First and third Tuesdays of the month, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

Wednesday

#brandchat: A discussion between experts, strategists, and those interested in learning more about personal branding and managing brands. Brandchat site and Twitter ID. Moderated by #mariaduron and #davidsandusky. When: Wednesdays, 10:00am to 11:00am CST.

#smchat: A discussion on the power of social media among active practitioners and strategists. Anyone interested in driving value from online interaction and collaboration is welcome. Be ready for a discussion that’s sometimes technical but always lively. We explore dynamics of social & professional interaction, twitter, online communities, and the evolution of knowledge networks. Moderated by @sourcepov. See #smchat page on What the Hashtag? for more details. Members should watch #socialmedia #collaboration and #km for insight. When: Wednesdays, 12:00pm – 1:00pm CST.

#solopr: “Open discussions that serve as a companion to the SoloPRpro.com blog, designed for independent PR and MarCom pros – and those who’d like to be.” See #SoloPR whashtag page. Moderated by @kellyeCrane. When: Wednesdays, 12:00pm – 1:00pm CST.

#litchat: “Mission is to connect readers with books and authors.” Transcripts available on blog. Moderated by @litchat. When: Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, 3:00 pm-4:00 pm CST.

#eeochat: EEOChat is the only chat focusing exclusively on EEO compliance and employment litigation risk management. Brought to you by the folks at The Proactive Employer. #EEOChat provides practical tips and easy-to-implement suggestions to help you get – and stay – EEO compliant and manage your risk of employment litigation. Moderated by Stephanie R. Thomas (@ProactiveStats). When: Wednesdays, 6:00pm to 7:00pm CST.

#carchat: Discussion about cars and the automotive industry. Facebook group. Moderated by @michaelbanovsky. When: Wednesdays, 7:00pm to 9:00pm CST.

#imcchat: “For marketers who want to discuss or debate integrated marketing communications.” Moderated by @bethharte and @abarcelos. Follow IMCchat and see Facebook Page. When: Wednesdays, 7:00pm to 8:00pm CST.

#smallbizchat: “Helpful tips and advice geared toward small business startups and those that have been in business for less than five years.” Follow @smallbizchat for weekly details. Moderated by @smallbizlady and cohost @CathyWebSavvyPR. When: Wednesdays, 7:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

#socpharm: Talks pharma marketing and social media. Moderated by @eileenobrien. When: Wednesdays, 7:00 to 8:00pm CT.

#bizforum: Weekly debate developed to provide a forum where people with varying points of view on trending business-related topics can present those views and debate the pros and cons with other business leaders. There are no right or wrong answers, only points of view backed up by the experiences of various business professionals. More info. Moderated by @samfiorella.

#herchat: Women’s health. Moderated by @empowher. When: Every other Wednesday, 7:00 to 8:00pm CT.

#yalitchat: Talking young adult literature. Moderated by @georgia_mcbride. YAlitchat page. When: Wednesdays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

#talentnet: “Chat is for an audience of recruiters, sourcers, researchers and other HR professionals interested in social media for recruiting and branding.” More details on chat and Facebook page. Moderated by @fishdogs and @pinkolivefamily. When: last Wednesday of the month, 8:00pm to 10:00pm CT.

#yalitchat: Talking young adult literature. Moderated by @georgia_mcbride. YAlitchat page. When: Wednesdays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

#wclw: Chats for writers and bloggers. Chat info and scripts. Moderated by @MichelleRafter. When: Last Wednesday of the month, 12:00pm to 1:00pm CT.

Thursday

#IRChat: Chat for investor relations professionals to discuss best practices, current hot topics, regulatory issues, implementation of social media for investor relations, etc. Participants are global. Moderated by @MeetTheStreet and @Q4WebSystems. When: Thursdays, 10:00am to 11:00pm CT.

#kaizenblog: How to practice Kaizen based on Kaizen and Blogging. Moderated by @ConversationAge. When: Thursdays, 11:00am to 12:00pm CT.

#eventprofs: Gathering of event professionals. Wiki of chat topics and archives of past chats, schedule and moderators. Moderated by @ready2spark and @eventprofs. When: Mondays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CST and Thursdays, 11:00am to 12:00pm CST.

#innochat: Discusses the “what” of innovation. Innochat website. Moderated by @renne_hopkins and @gwen_ishmael. When: Thursdays, 11:00am to 12:00pm CT.

#HBRchat: Chat run by Harvard Business Review magazine, HBR.org. Chat updates available on HBR Facebook page and What the Hashtag page. Moderated by @hbrexchange. When: Thursdays, 12:00pm to 1:00pm CT.

#prwebchat: Chat with influencers and learn about their PR techniques, online marketing strategies, social media strategies and similar topics. Topics include PR, SEO, social media and the like for individuals, agencies and small businesses. Moderated by @prweb. #prweb What the Hashtag page. When: Every other Thursday, 1:00pm to 1:30pm CT.

#tni: Travelers’ Night In, a weekly travel chat. Chat with travel experts and addicts alike and learn about the latest ideas in the travel world. Chat info. Moderated by @GoApril @ZipSetAndrea @GoSaraBeth @ZipSetRachel @ZipSetGo. When: Thursdays, 2:30pm to 3:30pm CT.

#bookmarket: Book marketing. Moderated by @ClaudiaC/ / @BookMarketChat. Book market chat website. When: Thursdays, 3:00pm to 4:00pm CT.

#b2bchat: “The objective is to bring the B2B marketing community together every week covering a full range of topics from demand generation to print to direct mail to social media. Participate and share your thoughts, questions, opinions and best practices that will help you do your job better, while connecting you with the business to business marketers on Twitter.” Moderated by @KseniaCoffman, @AndrewSpoeth, @KentHuffman and @JeremyVictor. When: Thursdays, 7:00pm – 8:00pm CT.

#runchat: A chat for runners of all levels and distances. Moderated by @iRunnerBlog and @RunningBecause. See Runchat web page. When: Thursdays, 7:00pm to 8:00pm CT.

#spjchat: Society of Professional Journalists chat. Moderated by @spjchat. When: Thursdays, 7:00pm to 8:00pm CT.

#MedDevice: Covers topics affecting medical device industry participants including healthcare reform, reimbursement and insurance, selling through medical distribution or directly to physicians, commercialization and FDA, electronic medical records and connectivity, marketing and sales, and more. Join the LinkedIn group for transcripts and a chance to feature your business in the discussion. Moderated by @medicalmarcom.

#journ2journ: Reporters help other reporters in some manner and discuss journalism challenges. Moderated by @journ2journ. Chat recaps on Poynter. When: Thursdays, 7:00pm to 8:30pm CT.

#tweetin: Moderated by @LinkedInExpert. See Linked in to Business. When: Thursdays (not weekly, check site), 7:00pm to 8:30pm CT.

#u30pro: Discusses how to bridge the generational gap, demolish stereotypes and break down differences in the professional workplace. Open to all ages. Moderated by @u30pro, @davidspinks and @CubanaLAF. When: Thursdays, 7:00pm to 8:00pm CT.

#lrnchat for people interested in the topic of learning who use the social messaging service Twitter to learn from one another and discuss how to help other people learn. Moderated by @marciamarcia. When: Thursdays, 7:30pm – 9:00pm CT.

#AgeOp: “For those interested in getting more out of life, marketing to the 50+ demographic, interested in the politics of aging, the tragedy of ageism, the explosion of masters athletics, the value of experience, the key to health and vitality, how the 50+ market uses the internet, and on and on.” Moderated by @kwidrick and @ageopportunity. When: Thursdays, 8:00pm – 9:00pm CT.

#poetry: “We talk poetry. Readers, writers, and all others encouraged to join.” Moderated by @gregpincus. When: Thursdays, 8:00pm – 9:00pm CT.

#scribechat: General chat across all genres about writing craft and publishing industry. Published guest hosts, agents, editors, etc. all join in the fun. Transcripts and chat info. Moderated by @liakeyes. When: Thursdays, 8:00pm – 9:15pm CT.

#latism: Largest non-profit organization of Latinos involved in social media chats all things that matter to Latinos. #latinsm What the Hashtag?! chat info page and transcripts. Moderated by @ergeekgoddess. When: Thursdays, 8:00pm – 10:00pm CT.

#lbschat: Explores location-based social media and technology. Moderated by @LBSchat. Chat page. When: Thursdays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CT.

#spbkchat: #spbkchat is a weekly Twitter chat aimed at providing people within the South Pacific and surrounding Asian countries a time zone friendly bookish conversation. Moderated by @justaddbooks. Chat page and times. When: Thursdays, 5:00am to 7:00am CST.

Friday

#ffparty: “A virtual nightclub on Twitter where the creative class gathers from all over the world for a Friday Art Party. Artists of all types share creative expression. Guests at #ffparty drape themselves in beautiful clothes, listen to cool music, mingle with contemporaries, and bring their work, or share other’s work, displaying their creative and original flair.” Moderated by @blogbrevity. #ffparty explained. When: Fridays.

#hcmktg: Chat related to healthcare marketing. Moderated by @hcmktg, @IntervalChris, @TalstoneDJ and @reedsmith. Chat web site. When: Fridays, 12:00pm to 1:00pm CST.

#digicar: Chat on connected vehicles, telematics, and digital car trends, policies and more. Moderated by @connectedcar. When: Fridays, 12:00pm to 1:00pm CST.

#agencychat: Chat for those working or interested in ad agencies. Moderated by @craigritchie. Facebook page. When: Fridays, 1:00pm to 2:00pm CST.

#scifichat: A weekly chat about science fiction and fantasy, coering books, TV, film and games. Moderated by @DavidRozansky / @scifichat. When: Fridays, 1:00pm to 3:00pm CST.

#litchat: “Mission is to connect readers with books and authors.” Transcripts available on blog. Moderated by @litchat. When: Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, 3:00 pm-4:00 pm CST.

#followreader: Digital publishing. Chat info on Follow the Reader blog. Moderated by @charabbott/. When: Fridays, 3:00pm to 4:00pm CST. (Thursdays in the summer.)

Saturday

#writersmovement: “An online community where writers and aspiring authors meet for chat, exchange of knowledge and ideas, and promotion.” More info on #writersmovement website. Moderated by Tiffanie Minnis (@authortiffanie) and Benjamin Jones (@maddwriter). When: Saturdays, 5:00pm to 6:00pm CST

#ufchat: Discussion for urban fantasy writers and readers. More info on #UFChat blog. Moderated by @inkgypsy and @snowppl. When: Saturdays, 6:00pm to 7:00pm CST

No Set Schedule

#educhat: “While we could discuss many topics in a given evening, it is currently thought that each week would see discussions focused on a single broad topic” surrounding education. #educhat web site and information. Moderated by @educhat. When: No set schedule.

#nacersano: Spanish version of #pregnancychat. Check @marchofdimes for details and dates. No set schedule, but it’s once a month and midweek at 2:00 pm CST.

#pregnancychat: Chat on pregnancy-related topics. Check @marchofdimes for details and dates. No set schedule, but it’s once a month and midweek at 2:00 pm CST.

#prstudchat: “Monthly Twitter chat designed to bring together PR students, professionals,and educators for a dynamic conversation about the Public Relations Industry and to provide opportunities for learning, networking and mentoring relationships.” #PRStudChat LinkedIn page lists info for upcoming chats. Moderated by @dbreakenridge and @valeriesimon. When: Monthly.

#queryday: Discusses how to query well. Held every other month and moderated by Colleen Lindsay. When: No set schedule.

#vikingschat: Discusses Minnesota Vikings football team during every Vikings game. Typically on Sundays at 12pm CST or 3pm CST. Moderated by #mnvikingschat. Visit Minnesota Vikings Chat for more info. When: During Minnesota Vikings games.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Meryl Evans

Photo credit Deniz Ongar

In #editorchat, Lydia (moderator) asked, “authors: have your editors and publishing companies ask that you ‘brand yourself’ by blogging, twittering, or using other SM #editorchat”

It doesn’t matter if you work for a corporation, nonprofit, government or small business. Don’t wait for someone to tell you to “brand yourself.”

You must develop and promote brand YOU. Whether you work with a company for five years or ten, it will never look out for you. Only you can look out for you.

So how do you build brand YOU?

1. Establish yourself in social media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs and so on) prepares you for the time you need to tap into it whether it’s to promote a client, your brand, your platform or your product.

2. Build relationships. Don’t wait until you have something you want to promote — then you’ll lose credibility because you won’t have built your relationships first.

3. Participate. Signing up and creating a page in Facebook and LinkedIn isn’t enough. Respond to people’s questions and comments. Visit blogs and leave thoughtful responses.

4. Set up alerts. Receive an email every time someone mentions your name, your blog, your site, anything you. Yes, this is ego surfing. Alerts: Google Alerts, Twilerts, Tweetbeep.

5. Respond when someone mentions you. A link, an @you in Twitter, whatever. Respond. People love it when you notice. I don’t thank everyone who #followfriday and links to me. I use my best judgment or return the favor by commenting in their own blogs.

6. Create a web site. Even if you don’t sell anything or offer services, a basic web site with your background is always wise. It’s your calling card. Sometimes people don’t respect those who only list a Facebook, Myspace or LinkedIn URL in a Twitter profile. You don’t need tech knowledge to build a web site. If you can use a word processor, you can handle a web site.

7. Respond in different ways. Link to them, quote them, retweet (RT) them, reply to them. Do share your own thoughts with no link, RT or names. People who do nothing, but post links in Twitter lower their chances of getting followers. People who RT every time give the impression they can’t think for themselves.

8. Think variety. It’s good to participate in the same group of blogs, but it’s better if you visit a new blog a couple of times a week and leave a comment. Stretch yourself and your presence.

9. Post carefully. If you don’t want kids or a future client or boss to read something you write, don’t post it.

Hillel’s pre-techie days quote still applies:

“If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?”

How do you brand YOU?

• 64 B2B Marketing Tools and Resources
• Inigo Montoya Guide to 27 Commonly Misused Words: No preparing to die… just to know the difference between lay and lie (not included… just had to rhyme). The Princess Bride, like Copyblogger says, icky title — great movie.
• Wiki of Social Media Marketing Examples
• GovTwit Directory: List of government peeps who use Twitter. I worked for US government right out of college. Wonder if I could’ve Twittered? Probably from home and not work. Didn’t find any from my agency in list. Nice name… “GovTwit.”
• Comment Forms Designs: Nice collection. Sure makes mine feel so 1990s.
• 2008 Eddies: Edublog awards.

And for fun because we’re allowed…

• Cake Wrecks: I could spend too much time on this blog.
• Coffee Art [Link: Nancy Duarte]
• 6 EXTREMEly overused game titles: Good stuff. I’d add “Deluxe.”
• Best Free Games to Play This Holiday: Games are a wonderful way to spend holiday time especially when playing with family.
• jackassletters.com: Real letters. Real replies.
• Top 12 Tech Embarrassments in 2008.

• Twitter PR: Fabulous and easy to get presentation without sounding dumbed-down. I’d love to take Corrine Weisgerber’s social media PR class.
• Social media will not kill PR, but it does expose industry weaknesses.
• What’s Your Least Favorite Part of Freelance Writing? Mine: Phone interviews.
• Your First Steps to Becoming a Writer: Mine was submitting an article in a newsletter contest. Today — I suggest blogging and contributing articles to article sites, blogs, and non-profit organizations.
• PR Pap of the Day: Funny, but serious.
• Do You Know Your Style Guides? Some, yes. Some, no. Most familiar with AP and Harvard styles.
• Dumb Things Small Businesses Do That You Can’t Afford: One is the worst number.
• 10 Tips on Querying Magazines and Websites.

And for fun because we’re allowed…

• 911 is serious business, but these callers abuse the service. 911callers posts recordings of legitimate calls and wacky calls as a lesson in what to do and not to when calling 911.
• delivr: Create free ecards from thousands of photos.
• Old-school Nintendo game done in paper.
• Smub.it instead of use URL shortening services.
• Argh! Guess Your Number figures out my number [Thanks, Steve].
• One Sentence: True stories in one sentence. Funny stuff. Steve’s fault, too.
• Guitar Hero by bike. Hot damn! [Link: Jason]
• Top 5 Black Friday Shopping Tips.

• 25 Ways Social Media Prepares You for the Downturn
• Twitter source: Who is following you that you’re not following and vice versa: www.mytweeple.com, www.friendorfollow.com, www.lessfriends.com.
• When a Client Can’t Afford You: Why It’s Still Better to Bid High: Sound advice.
• How to Write a 50,000 Word Novel in a Month
• Sucking the Suck Out of Presentations
• How to Start a Freelance Writing Business: Building Your Portfolio
• Why Companies Should Outsource Web Content
  

And for fun because we’re allowed…

• xkcd: A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math and language. Be warned that some strips are not suitable for young’uns. Strong language, adult situations.
• Ever struggle to accept a friend request? Here’s a great Offbase comic.
• Upside Down Dogs: Aww…
• Lego Artist: Wow!
• Duarte’s 2007 Pumpkin Contest Entries: 2008′s contest is coming soon. Too cute and creative! I’d love to enter… but I couldn’t come close to 1 Up, Feed Me! (love the movie), Identity Theft, Infern O’ Lantern, The Hand Cramp (I hope its creator is over it… although I can see why)… just to list a few.

• Liz Strauss on creating a successful blog with community. Long transcript (we deafies thank you), but great conversation. You can download the PDF for reading a bit at a time.
• Fail frequently. Edison didn’t fail 1000 times, he found 1000 steps to creating the light bulb. Also, think about how you deal with mistakes.
• Making Headlines: This takes time, but it will pay off.
• Online Writing: How one teacher uses social media in teaching a writing class.

And for fun because you’re allowed

• Bored people find x-ray machine
• Toddler sings The Beatles’ “Hey, Jude” [Link: Buzz Bishop]
• Traveling to a subway city? Hop to HopStop to get all the bus and subway guides. Washington, DC’s metro system is amazing — complete with information visualization through its maps. New York City? It only confused me. I’m underground, how am I supposed to know which way is north?

Geeky couple’s rings [Link: Chris Kieff] looks almost obscene. Chris and I were joking in Twitter. He said, “… I think it would be a little awkard to have them plugged together… God what a geek I am to think that!”

I replied, “Yeah, just amazing hooking ‘em up and trying to walk together side-by-side… ohhh, carpal tunnel!”

Recently, I lamented about the many blogging features available. I interacted with the blogosphere more than I usually do to see what works and what doesn’t. What took me so long to discover CommentLuv, I don’t know. But I did.

Since I use WordPress, it was a breeze to install. The plugin doesn’t even need you to copy code into your template or anything. If you’re not familiar with the plugin, just scroll down to the comment form to see it.

The CommentLuv automatically appears in the comments. The plugin retrieves the commenter’s latest blog post (if they have a blog), and links to it. Cool, eh? It’s nice to reward commenters.

I also added ShareThis, but not sure if it’s worth keeping. MenWithPens believes ShareThis should be replaced by Sociables. I asked why because ShareThis has one little low profile icon while Sociables contains however many social sites you pick, which can build a small crowd at the bottom of the post. James explained why use Sociables:

Social Media is for both the blog and the reader. Readers who use social media to find better content referred by others means they want to see their preferred social media icon so they can click and share.

The problem with Share This is that it’s one click too many. Every click you force a reader to take reduces the chance that they’ll actually take action and follow through. I think the numbers are something like 7% of potential loss with each click (don’t quote me).

So Share This means one click to open and one click to search for your social media and one click to send. With Sociables, you eliminate that. One click. That’s all you need. It’s right there for you.

Also, how many people actually email blog posts to friends? It’s more common to share links or URLS, which makes Share this a little unnecessary.

Excellent point, Gangbanger James (he goes on drive through shootings — legal ones… you know… shooting blog problems). Now I wonder if I should even use anything because ShareThis and Sociables benefit the blogger more than the reader (promoting a blog entry).

What y’all think? Shoot ShareThis? Add Sociables? Forget social anything?

What about the fact if you come here (thank you!!) on the blog’s main page or the home page and you have to click once or twice (from the home page) to see the full entry? I thought I was doing y’all a favor by keeping the entries short on the blog’s home page so you can scan. But then it adds a click if you want to see the full entry.

Comments. Trackback. Blogroll. E-mail updates. Digg This. Social Media links like Digg, Facebook, Reddit. Subscribe to this using one of many services. Top commenters. Most popular entries.

It can get messy and crowded. I was relieved to find the Share This, which compiles many social media sites along with an e-mail this feature into one nice box. The box only appears when you click on it, so it keeps the blog neat.

When reading blogs, I like these features:

• Comment: Leave it off and it sends a message that your readers’ opinions don’t matter.
• Subscribe: Both RSS link and by e-mail.
• Permalink: So I can directly link to the post instead of making people look for it. I’d rather not reference it than have people search for the post.
• About: Sometimes I want to know more about the site, blog, and person(s) behind it.
• Categories: Great for research and finding more content covering a specific topic without digging through all the posts.
• Archives: I do look at older posts when conducting research or trying to find something, but not specific enough to enter a keyword into a search box.

Just my opinion after almost eight years a blogging. Others may love the social media linking, tagging, digging, and top posts. I’ve been trying to research what feature are must haves for a blog and the opinions vary.

Not all blogs stand alone. This blog makes up a part of my business site. That’s why random testimonials appear on the side along with a subscription box for my monthly newsletter.

Some say the blog should be the home page for sites that contain content not related to blogging. I choose not to do this because not all prospective clients care about blogs. As a compromise, the latest blog entries appear on the home page. Of my current clients, only two have blogs and they’re not big on blogging.

People find a business site in many ways and landing on the home page with a blog might confuse the visitor. Although many have heard of blogging, they don’t all want to read blogs and get involved in the blogosphere.

What blog features do you like? Don’t like?