Self-publishing is free and marketing can be done on a budget — After reading a story saying you needed a lot of money to self-publish a book, I left a comment giving a different point of view. It was removed, so I’ll share my experiences here. You don’t need a lot of money to publish a book. You don’t need any money…

It made me realise how badly underpaid I was! — If you’ve been working for a company for a while and not had a pay rise, perhaps it’s time for that tricky conversation. Highlight your value to the company, what you’ve achieved, and why you think it’s time for a raise. It might be worthwhile looking at what people in…

Lung and bronchus cancer are now common in the county — Some residents of Belmont County in eastern Ohio have long suffered from headaches, fatigue, nausea and burning sensations in their throats and noses. They suspected these symptoms were the result of air pollution from fracking facilities that dominate the area, but regulators dismissed and downplayed their concerns. Local advocacy groups…

Glorious sunshine means fewer reads — Lots of people are saying their reads are down, and my theory is that it’s because the sun is out and people are spending more time outside. According to MarketingDive.com: “The onset of summer tends to mark a decline in Web traffic as consumers spend less time at their desktops…

Are you making the most of online resources? — Do you find it hard to come up with new story ideas? If so, you’re not alone. When I’m feeling uninspired, I turn to online resources, social groups, and personal experiences. The internet is a brilliant resource and I have a process to keep me up to date and inspired… …

Finding better ways of coping improved her mental health — Penny*, 24, suffers from anxiety disorder and is now working with medical students to help them understand her disorder and why people self harm. She offered to have a chat with me about her condition. “At the age of 13, following years of suffering with severe anxiety, I had a…

How to make your garden hedgehog friendly and help these critters survive — Hedgehogs are under threat in the UK. They are dying out, due to poisoning from slug pellets, and fences stopping them from travelling along their previous wildlife corridors to breed. They need our help. Make a hole in your fence! The first thing you can do to help a hedgehog is to make a hole in…

Find real life stories to write about — Do you ever find it hard to stay inspired and come up with strong ideas? If so, you’re not alone — many writers struggle with inspiration — but help is at hand. …

Is the lottery making you poorer? — I don’t play the lottery. By not playing the lottery, I’ve saved £1456 on weekly £1 lottery tickets since it began in 1994. I consider myself a winner every week! I don’t take part, so I win £1 every week and save £52 every year! It adds up! If you…