John McDuffie

Transfer Files Inside Facebook Using Pipe

John McDuffie — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 10:09:12 +0000

[video width="600px" id="42147834" type="vimeo"] Announced at the London Web Summit, Pipe intends to use Adobe's Real-Time Media Flow Protocol (RTMFP) to allow Facebook users to transfer large files. While it is already possible to transfer files via Facebook, there is no method to transfer large files. Using Adobe's RTMFP, Pipe will allows users to transfer files up to 1 gigabyte using the users cache so no Facebook or Pipe server space will be used for file handling. Users can move videos, music, ebooks and the like via the Pipe app while avoiding some of the speed bumps associated with traditional file transfer. However, unlike traditional file sharing, Pipe is not built to share files with multiple peers. Pipe will only transfer files from a single user to another single user using what amounts to drag and drop. In order to share a file with multiple users the process must be repeated for each user. There are a few catches to using cache based file transfer. A user with several browser windows or tabs open will have less cache for Pipe to use to transfer files since the browser tabs and windows will use a portion of the cache for their duties. So watching videos or power browsing will decrease the amount of available cache Pipe can utilize to transfer files. Closing all browser windows and tabs, clearing the browser cache and restarting the browser should free up space for larger file transfers. According to an article on Digital Trends, the limit on file size and absence of cache space should only affect a small portion of users that try to send files larger than 500 megabytes. Facebook recently acquired Caffeinated Mind which dealt in file transfer and browser file transfers and Pipe releases in what appears to be a beta test on March 18, 2013 using Facebook are it's starting point. While Pipe is not limited to Facebook specifically, Facebook's endeavors in browser file transfers might be a hurdle the people behind Pipe should begin planning for soon. If you have good or bad experiences with the Pipe app, please share your experience in the comments below.

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5 Ways To Ruin A Query Letter

John McDuffie — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:12:10 +0000

Do editors ignore or reject your query letter by default? Editors are not evil or mean. Your query letter did not get their attention or warrant a response because it did not get their attention or warrant a response. The query letter is essentially a sales pitch intended to sell an idea to an editor. That does not mean you need to be a marketing professional or have years of writing experience to write a successful query letter. You do need to to follow a few simple rules when composing a query letter to increase your chances of selling the editor your idea. The Five Laws Of Query Letters Law One: Proofread and edit carefully because typos and poor grammar are the fastest ways to loose an editor's attention. A good habit to adopt is write today and edit tomorrow. You will be surprised tomorrow by what you have written today. Law Two: Develop a one sentence hook and keep it short. Your hook is the only reason an editor will finish reading the query letter. Law Three: Get to the point in the first paragraph preferably in three sentences or less. Editors are busy people and this is a sales pitch, so get to the point and do not waste the editors time. Law Four: Do not waste your time or the editor's time showing off your writing skills and vocabulary. Use proper sentence and paragraph structure, but remember this is a sales pitch and not an example of your best writing ability. Law Five: Spell the editors name correctly and make sure you pitch to the correct editor. Many publications, websites and blogs have multiple editors so take the time to find out the editor's name. To whom it may concern or dear sir or madam are two ways to begin a query letter that is destined for the trash can. [box style="note"]Have you written about query letters? Do you have query letter tips or advice to share? I would love to talk about your work or advice in the comments.[/box]

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300 Million Reasons You Should Podcast

John McDuffie — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 12:23:41 +0000

Around 220 million people commute to work, in a car, 30 minutes one way every day and nearly 50 million people have a gym membership in the United States. Alright, that is only 270 million reasons, but let us not forget the people doing housework, gardening, farming or doing some other job that would allow them [...]

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The Ultimate Guide To Podcasting For Writers

John McDuffie — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:57:57 +0000

Podcasting for writers, sounds daunting right? Podcasting is not incredibly difficult, can lead to a massive increase in traffic and you can start podcasting for free. You might ask yourself, free means my podcast will not be as good as many other podcasts? While equipment and experience are important, a freshman podcaster can produce a high quality podcast using only free tools and services. Here is what a basic podcast setup might include:

Laptop with built in microphone (this assumes you purchased a laptop for writing mobility making the laptop free for podcasting use)
Audacity - free software for recording and editing audio

That is a complete podcasting setup. If you cannot record audio without a lot of background noise or if your built in microphone produces static, you can always buy a $20 or $30 microphone or headset from any local electronics store. Visit some of these resources for more information on podcasting equipment:

Podcasting Equipment Guide (2011) - dated but still accurate
A B&H Guide to Podcasting - a guide from an electronics retailer
Podcast Equipment - a list of from the Podcast Answer Man
Podcast Equipment Recommendations - a list of equipment from a podcasting tutorial website
We Grow Media's Equipment List - an expensive set of podcasting gear and technical details

Working out the equipment details is just the start to podcasting for writers. The next part of podcasting for writers is the hardest part- what will your podcast be about? There are no rules or best ideas for this part because your podcast is your podcast. It can be about anything, but I would stick with something you are an authority on or talk about your writing niche or genre. Otherwise, everything you record will sound over-rehearsed, stiff and possibly fake. Some things to consider:

Will your podcast be solo or will you have guests?
How often will you release a new podcast?
Will you use a script or ad lib?
Where will you host your podcast?

Podcasting solo may be your only option as a beginner. Your podcast or website might not have the traffic necessary to entice guests, but you need to decide if you plan on a solo, interview or talk show format. Solo will be the easiest, but may not produce the traffic you want unless you are a best selling author or recognized authority on something. Interview podcasts are harder to arrange, but they get more traffic. A talk show format allows you to have a conversation with your guest instead of a question and answer session like the interview podcast. New podcasts should be released weekly or at least twice a month. Any less and you run the risk of your listeners forgetting about you and anymore carries the risk listeners will get tired of hearing your voice. A script is a necessity. Not a script that you read line by line, but an outline of what you want to talk about at the beginning, middle and end of your podcast. Make sure your podcast outline includes any questions you plan to ask your guests. Try to avoid an ad lib format unless you are sure that format is right for your podcast. Otherwise your podcast will sound like this, "well, ummmm, "ummm," "ok so ummmm," - you get the idea. Hosting your podcast is the last step and you can choose from free or paid services. If you are using Wordpress and want to host your own podcast, try WordPress Audio Player. Using the Wordpress Audio Player is as simple as uploading your podcast and using the correct syntax where you want the player to show up in your blog. Check out my list of free places to host your podcast. [box style="note"]Did I miss anything? Have you written a how-to on podcasting? I would love to hear about your work, podcasts or ideas in the comments below.[/box]

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Free Places To Host Your Podcast

John McDuffie — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 16:42:09 +0000

Will hosting your podcast with a free service mean no one will ever hear my podcast? While that depends a little on the host and a lot on the quality of your podcast, the answer is no. There are plenty of respectable places to host your podcast for free and get traffic at the same [...]

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Time Management Tip For Writers: Turn Off The Internet

John McDuffie — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 14:32:59 +0000

Proper time management is to success what breathing is to life. If you are failing at managing your time, chances are success will elude you. The first step to taking control of your time is turning off the internet periodically. If that did not send you running, let us dig a little deeper into what I [...]

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How To Write Attention Grabbing Headlines

John McDuffie — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 16:05:09 +0000

If a reader had to choose what to read based on headlines only, would they choose your article, blog post or news feature? Can you write attention grabbing headlines for everything you write? If you are honest with yourself, the answer to both questions is no. Otherwise, why are you reading this blog post? Probably [...]

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8 Places To Promote Your Ebook For Free

John McDuffie — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 17:28:00 +0000

Promote your ebook for free may sound too good to be true, but if you are struggling to gain exposure for your self published ebook, this list will help. Be sure to read all the guidelines on each website listed here and make sure the website and your ebook are a good fit. Now on [...]

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How To Become A Better Writer

John McDuffie — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 02:31:49 +0000

To become a better writer you have to start writing and keep writing. Ok, perhaps that seems simple and almost insulting when compared to the huge number of “how to write better” articles on the web, but writing more often is the key to becoming a better writer. Practice makes you better at almost everything [...]

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Writing Tip: Enhance Your Story Writing Skills

John McDuffie — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 02:31:13 +0000

If you have or have not written a novel, book or short story yet; these questions may help you get a better story out of yourself. There are countless tips online and hundreds of books that explain how to write a good story. They detail plot mechanics, character building skills and so much more- often [...]

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