Pity We Don't Live In An Ideal World

In my ideal world, I could shut the whole world out, write until the words rattling around my brain were on the screen, with no outside demands being made on me whatsoever.

But I live in the real world, where editors and clients have expectations, and if these expectations are not met, sooner or later you don't have a writing career to worry about.

So I had to spend most of the morning copy-editing, rewriting, writing fresh copy and chasing people for info and pics. It wasn't art, as writing is sometimes portrayed as, but more as a craft. I didn't mind too much though.

Still running late on projects, but I'm coming to terms with that. I'll just have to keep my head down, keep working until it's all done.

Meanwhile, I'm still soliciting advice for a woman who says she's afraid to break up with her married lover because she relies on him emotionally. She also says she's very unhappy because she's mostly alone, as he is home with his wife. Kind of a paradox there, don't you think? She has a a six year old child with him, so they're never going to have a clean break.

And legal arguments for the case on the property rights of co-habitating parners have been postponed to October. Hopefully, this gives me time to pitch a couple of stories to magazines for their August/National woman's month issues. After I finish the projects I'm working on and have cleaned up the mess in my head:-)

If you want to keep up to date on this issue, and other issues like it, become a fan of my Shukumisa FB page.

48 Hours A Day Would Be Better

But because the day only has 24 hours, I'll keep my post short.

1. I'm doing OK. Writing, reading a lot of new material for corporate web site and Shukumisa web site, worrying about projects I'm late on, not doing enough follow up on stuff, making sure I eat healthy stuff because I need the energy and nutrients...

2. OneLove - updating this web site is a good habit I enjoy waking up to, so all is good. We're talking about what makes a strong, well-respected man. Is it being macho and facing challenges without a single tear? Is a strong man one who is feared by others?

3. Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre ( one of the partners on the sexual violence campaign called Shukumisa campaign, which I'm working on) - Most people assume that if you live with a man for 6 months or more you have all wifely rights. But that's not quite true. The law was never enacted, which means the rights of people who live together have not yet been legally entrenched. Read about it on Business Day.

And if you're looking for a new book to read, check out Kopano Matlwa's Spilt Milk. I haven't read it yet, but Tiah has published an interesting review of the book.

Lotsa Writing

Can't say much today. Writing my heart out, but there's so much writing to do and so little time! A day should have 36 hours, I think.

Anyhoo, I've just published a feature article on OneLove where online readers offer suggestions on how to deal with the problem of young people having sugar mummies and sugar daddies. Please throw your two-cents' worth.

And on READ SA, we're chatting about books you really wanted to read when you were young, but your parents/someone in authority wouldn't let you. And what were the reasons you were not allowed to read this book?

Have a good week!

The Intern You Abuse Today Could Be Your Potential Big Client Tomorrow

Yesterday I had tea with a friend and former colleague. It was nice being able to sit and chat for a while...it's been too long.

Anyhoo, my meeting with her reminded me of a life lesson that we sometimes forget - it's a small world and the intern you treat badly today could be a decision-maker/influencer for an account you want tomorrow.

Our story is, we met when she was still freshly minted from varsity, doing her first journalism job. I was an old horse that had been around the tracks a little more than I liked, and could offer some help and support . We liked each other as colleagues, but there was no mileage to be had for helping her. Except for the fact that, it's the "human" thing to do [Botho in my language Setswana; popularly known as Ubuntu].

And as she moved from journalism to PR and moved up the ranks and agencies, we occassionally chatted on IM, and if she asked for assistance, and "I knew a guy who knew a guy," I was happy to share knowledge and contacts.

As you know, I have recently landed an assignment for corporate client and I suspect it was entirely through her that I was invited to do the job. I know my main liaison there, from back in my fulltime journalism days.

But I find it hard to believe that I was the first person she thought of when she needed a writer. Mostly likely, my old colleague/friend reminded the liaison of my existence and suggested they hire me. And if I'd treated my friend badly when we worked together, I imagine she'd have kept her mouth shut while they sat in a planning meeting, wondering which writer they could hire for the project. Or worse, she could have vetoed my name if it eventually came up. Makes you think, doesn't it?

Anyhoo, today I'm planning to have lunch at my house with Zukiswa Wanner, she who recently launched her third novel Men Of The South, and has also written The Madams (2006) and Behind Every Successful Man (2008).

I'm currently reading her Men Of The South and it's not a the kind of book I'm used to. But I am enjoying it very much.

There's a combination of laughter and that sense of recognition of places and characters because they are going through something similar that I've gone through/someone I know went through. And Zuki's take on the political and social landscape (set in South Africa), as well as human nature, is also unique and interesting. I haven't finished Men of the South yet, but can truthfully say, if you're looking for a new-to-you author, get this book.

After lunch with Zuki, I'm going to spend the afternoon reading source material for client work. The corporate client has finally sent me the source material that I'm going to use to write the content. And basically, the job boils down to 17 printed product brochures and related content for the web site and intranet site.

The client says the information is in English, but that's just a technicality. I say it's mostly written in Geek. My job is going to be to read the stuff, make sense of it, ask questions that a corporate decision-maker would ask without getting bogged down with irrelevant technical jargon and then write the whole thing up in real English.

7 Reasons I Love Blogging

Recently, a number of incidents have reminded me why I like blogging and put effort into it, even when I'm tired or working too hard:

1. Blogging is a way to keep people in my life ( family, friends, colleagues, business associates) up to date on what I'm working on. They don't have to read the blog often, but if I'm busy writing and blogging,I'm not dead.

It also helps old acquintances find me. Yes, usually there are reasons some people do not remain friends, but sometimes we lose touch because we no longer attend the same school/work for the same company etc, and personally, I'm terrible with keeping in touch. But if someone ponders : " I wonder what happened to Damaria ," and does an online search, they can find me.

2. Blogging is an excellent marketing tool
The blog content itself communicates that I can write; the links to other platforms say I understand social media and the links to published articles give you samples of my range. So by the time client contacts me, the issues are:

• am I the right fit for your company/organisation or project
• am I available for the duration of the project
• how much will it cost you.

I also like the fact that I can provide other people with a platform to talk about what they do, to highlight their products and services and to direct traffic to their sites. I don't have a set criteria for choosing people, sites, products etc. It simply has to be something I like and that I feel, is a good fit for me.

3. Blogging is a good way for me to make friends
I've made so many new friends through this blog, or their blogs, or other online forums. And some of these online friends have evolved into real life friends who I have been close to for years now; others are growing to become friends; I've worked with others on writing projects, and it's been lovely.

Strangely enough, I never did meet the dangerously weird ones. Lucky me!

4. Blogging is a good outlet for me to chat with people
Working from home means I'm not surrounded by my friends/peers during the day. And even though I like the quiet ( and lack of interruptions), there are times when I want some social interaction. The other good thing is that, if something interesting happens, I need to only say it once here. Then everyone can read it whenever. Telling a story over and over can start out exciting and grow to be tedious:-)

5. Blogging gives me a platform
Bloggers can write and publish what they want, when they want and how they want.

I believe that decency laws, and I'm not talking about clothing, sex or even swear-words, should apply, But for some people, that's optional. Laura has published a nice post about what freedom means to her.

For me, this freedom to publish what you want means that there is no editor to tell you your chosen story is NOT news even though you know the information is useful /can help improve lives [ the trade off is lots of grammar and punctuation errors:-). You also don't have to listen to some journalist/book reviewer telling you that your book is boring so they're not going to review it. Assuming you were lucky enough to actually get a journalist to actually respond to your pitch:-).

When you have a blog, and have something to say, you just write it up and publish it... and your captive audience will engage with it.

And sometimes this freedom means I can chatter on about boring stuff that I should probably keep to myself, because frankly, no one cares. But, to paraphrase some old time musician, it's my blog and I can write if I want to, write if I want to... you would write too if it happened to you!

6. Blogging is a good tool you can use to take over the world
Not really. But you can use it to change your world/community for the better.Maybe the change will not be large-scale to begin with, you can make a difference in your community through blogging.

You can start a web page or even Facebook group for your community; help them stay connected with each other and to communicate. You can highlight a cause when there is a need in your community.

You can review various services and businesses that you use as a matter of course, so that people can learn more about what's available to them, and where they should be more cautious when doing business. Blogging about your community won't take too much time, and and you can just choose to mention things in your personal blog rather than starting an independent one if time is a factor. Whatever you choose, it's a contribution to society and your eforts are worth it.

BTW, many thanks to the people who took part in the clean up of our local park (above pic is of former 2010 World Cup Soccer fan park). More photos of the event are here. And thanks to Doreen for uploading the pics.

7. Blogging is a way to make money
I intentionally mention this reason last on my list because this is what attracts most people to blogging. The myth is that you can start a blog and make your fortune. And maybe even get some fame in the bargain!

There's so much lousy info out there on how to make money blogging! And the reality is that, most people flake out because it takes hard work and consistency to build up a blog to the extent that it can make money.

And you have to be very interested in the subject to write about it regularly. As for me, I've previously noted that Storypot was never intended to be a source of great revenue. This is my house, where we have coffee and chat. It may end up growing to the extent that I feel comfortable accepting the advertising offers I periodically get, but that's a way off.....

For those who want to know more about blogging for money, I suggest reading this site (guy actually earns more from a niche blog he started rather than the blog about making money site I'm referring you to) and that site. ( She sold the site recently to a network, for an undisclosed sum.)
Anyhoo, talk to me: tell me why you love blogging.

The Crafty Scribe

Congratulations to my friend Tsale Makam, who recently started her own blog. Tsale is a writer and PR consultant, and I've been nagging her since we met to start her own blog. And no, it's not so long ago that we met, but I some days I am persistent. He he!

Anyway, I felt that Tsale can teach us a lot about the writing life and making jewellery and a whole lot of other stuff, if only she'd talk about it. See, she writes for Rhythm City ( weekday soap on etv), is a former journalist, and also works as a PR consultant.

She also makes accessories and made the lovely necklace showcased in the pic on this post, and some unbelievably beautiful pieces I hope she will showcase on her blog as soon as she gets used to using her blogger template.

View her online album ( on Facebook)

And nope, in case you're wondering, I don't get paid to say nice about her, her work or her accessories. You know when I find something I like, I just have to tell everyone who'll listen:-)

Check out Tsale's blog at The Write Side PR and please leave her some words of welcome and encouragement. You know it's the people who make the daily online scribbling worth the effort.

As for me, very little of my daily routine has changed. It's write, write, write.... and then write some more.

My Thoughts On Trashy Books & Reading

I want to share a link to author Ricard de Nooy's pre-emptive rejection letters, which were recently published by ITCH. As a writer, I couldn't help but appreciate the spirit of the article. As a reader, I loved it because it was fun and funny. Anyhoo, get this writer's books when they come out ( he has one out and one in the works).

Speaking of books, I'd decided not to publish a rant about the difference between principle and what actually happens ( re buying books and reading), but the words flowed despite me and eventually I thought, what the heck? I might as well publish it.

Anyway, kept telling my friend Christelle, to whom I ranted for half an hour about how misunderstood readers are, that it's not in me to be confrontational, and that I could be wrong anyway, and I don't have the stamina to challenge wisdom that has worked for a long time, and the principle I'm challenging is true and valid and whatever, but the reality is that I'm just too chicken. That's why I didn't say a lot on the forum, and that's why I didn't want to publish this post. But enough caveats!

So what's this about?

I recently asked for recommendations for book series targeted predominantly at women, written by South African authors. And I got quite a few recommendations, which I hope to compile into an article much like the one I published today on OneLove. And then one of the people whose work I respect highly asked why I'm asking for books that are aimed primarily at women. Why can't women enjoy a darn good read?

And in principle, I agree with her.

The problem is that many women don't read what we think they should read, never mind that it's a darn good read. They BUY and READ what they like. And many times in my experience ( whatever that's worth), it's the stuff that's dismissed as women's fiction or fluff or trash. And how do I know this? Because I'm one of those people/women. Never mind that people expect me to be sensible, to appreciate literature ( because I'm a writer and quite enjoy some literary writers).

Never mind that my writing work mostly deals with real life issues (HIV, AIDS and relationships on OneLove, sexual assault including rape on Shukumisa and volunteering and making a difference to communities in Kwanda and IT business in Africa ). So in terms of character I'm far from fluffy.

But when it comes down to it, my entertainment book budget generally goes to the kind of trash we like to ignore. Except, it does exist. And sensible women do read that kind of trash. And I know many women who do, because they have been borrowing some of my books, and lending me theirs, for years. They have nice responsible jobs. They are very well educated. They read. A LOT! And yes, they are well-read ( for work, to sound intelligent in company or even bacause they enjoy various types of written works).

But, they also read a lot of stuff they would not admit to, except to another person who readers similar trash. And that's sad. Because I am trully committed to encouraging South Africans to read. But, as long as we don't recognise that men and women sometimes like different books, and within those two general groups there are many special interest groups, are we going to be able to help them find what they want to read? Or do we keep reinforcing what they should read (because it's well written, the story is interesting etc,) even though they want something else?

I'm not saying that we should not encourage people to be well-read, and to recommend well-written books that add to poeple's knowledge even as they entertain. I'm just saying, sometimes, no matter how well-meant, people want what they want, and they will bypass us to find it. And as writers and people who want to encourage readers to read, we should be aware of that, and mitigate that risk.

I belong to a number of online reading forums, some of them underground ( don't have to share real ID, so can be freer about views). You'd be shocked by the volume of traffic of people talking about books, recommending books, talking about authors and their last books and what to expect. And the sheer willingness of ordinary people to talk about books.

Granted, in SA, we are restricted by the lack of Internet access for the majority of South Africans. And yes, most of the books bought, recommended and discussed have tired plotlines, and are mostly predictable. But they get read. And talked about. And I wish we had some of that here in SA. And I wish I could easily get a big list of books by South African writers to introduce them to these readers.

Anyhoo, I want to ask you to share your thoughts on what I said. Don't forget I'm sharing my experience; my views. It doesn't make what I say true or the only way. Or that I wouldn't consider changing some of my views given convincing arguments. So talk to me.

Border Problems As An Unintended Consequence Of 2010 World Cup Soccer Tournament

I hadn't really thought about the unintended consequences of having hundreds of thousands of non-South Africans coming through our borders. That is, until this morning when I phoned my mother for a short chat ( it's my younger sister's birthday and I think mothers should also get calls on this day because they're the ones who put in the hard work:-)

Anyhoo, Mma was fine overall. But she also admitted that she hasn't had domestic help for a couple of weeks. I'd known the helper I hired last year to take care of her was from Lesotho, and she goes home about once a month to visit family and buy them groceries etc. Usually, all Ntswaki needs is a work permit to be able to travel between SA and Lesotho ( very legal, I think it's part of SA's arrangement with Lesotho). But border control is now soo tight now with the 2010 tournament that they are now demanding a passport from her. Which Ntswaki didn't have, and even if she does apply for it now, it will be weeks before she gets it. So she's waiting out the soccer tournament, and will come over when things get back to normal. Huh!

It's no great train smash for Mma, who is still active enough to take care of herself, and lives with quite a few adult people who are capable of keeping the house clean, doing laundry and preparing meals. The helper was mostly for my own peace of mind, especially when Mma fell ill last year and didn't eat well ( she's diebetic and has high blood pressure).

Anyway, the annoying thing about this situation is that Mma is trying to use Ntswaki's absence to win the old argument of whether she should have a daily helper or not. Mma argues she can still do for herself. I say the house is too big, and whatever energy she has should be spent doing what she likes, not chasing dust bunnies. And she's a terrible eater. Left to herself, she'll mostly eat sandwiches and fish and chips, not the salads and soups I have the helper make.

Good thing I had the good sense to hire someone from out of town, and to pay the helper myself, even though Mma could easily afford it. She can't fire someone she didn't hire and doesn't pay, can she?

As for work today, I was kinda slow. I have two big meetings tomorrow, and I don't feel ready. It's like there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything that I need to do. The only blessing is that my brain does seem to work:-)

Published a feature article on reasons it's hard to have only one sexual partner and to remain faithful to that partner. Yeah, there were a lot of readers who didn't get why it's difficult. For them it was like, "you're with someone, so you're faithful. If you don't like it, walk!"

But many more readers gave a list....add to it, challenge it or just join the discussion if you have a minute.

Handbag Project Update & Baby Leaves

Just to let you know that they handbags, clothing, toys, toiletry and perfumes that you donated for The Handbag Project are now on the way to Durban, as promised. Many thanks to all of you who either donated something, or blogged about the initiative.

Special thanks to Laura at HarassedMom, who did both, and made time to come over Pretoria to deliver a lot of stuff at my house. Yes I know you had other business in Johannesburg, but still...All I can say is, you rock!

The past week was busy, as Baby and I hung out with people she's known and loved for the past 12 years, whom she no longer sees regularly.

It was lovely, except for the Justin Bieber torture devise, but now that Baby has left, there's a part of me that misses her, and another part that sighs with relief because now I'll have time to catch with writing and enjoy some quiet time and catch up with some writing.....

I think sleep is going to a nice little luxury for a while, because I have a huge load of contracted work to get off my desk.

Enjoy the rest of the week.

Join the conversation

And if you have time, please take part in some of the discussions on my client sites:

• Read SA -What do authors owe their readers? What do readers owe writers? ( the author/reader loyalty dynamic)

• OneLove - Do you think HIV prevention campaigns are working?
• Does polygamy have a place in a democracy?
• Shukumisa - If a woman co-habits with a man for years, without their ever getting married, what is she entitled to when the relationship ends, if she was not earning any income/siginificant income? ( This is a new Facebook page for a client that I've just set up. Please join if the issue interests you.)
  

Introducing Brenda Zulu

Finally finished the quarterly client report that I've been procrastinating on. I'm so happy I don't have crunch numbers and explain traffic stats for a while! Even when I'm explaining good news, it's still hard work to write these reports. Wish I had a project manager that could take care of them for me, but they cost money..

Spent time chatting to Brenda Zulu, a Zambian ICT journo I met while I attending Highway Africa in 2008. Highway Africa is the largest annual gathering of African journos across the globe.

I was keynote speaker for the Digital Citizen Indaba, a major event of preceding the actual Highway Africa conference, and somehow, Brenda and I managed to maintain the connection, even though we saw each other for a couple of launches over a 3-day period. We don't chat often, but I like hearing from her about her side of the world. And she has thrown work my way, and I have tried to do the same too. Anyhoo, if you're into IT and want to know what conferences are being hosted in the industry across Africa, and what is being said there, check out Brenda's blog. I'm also hoping that in time, I will finagle her to write for BizTech Africa:-)

Also, if you have some time, please also take this poll about sex and alcohol. This is especially relevant during the World Cup partying:-)

I love Baby. Really I do.

BUT, I do not love Justin Bieber. And I'm not happy that I have to spend time listening to him in order to spend time with Baby. He sounds like all the other teeny boppers who have come before him. His greatest advantage is that he actually sings - some of them just growl or something. Gah!

Today I have published a nice feature article on Poverty and the decision to have more than one sexual partners on the OneLove web site. As one of the readers says: “A girl who has multiple partners keeps them for financial reasons. One of them could pay her school fees, another takes care of her wardrobe, one other could just be for events and general entertainment(girls like to be proud of a guy that them out), another could be specifically for pocket money and she could have another one who she officially tags boyfriend.”

Read the full article

Also spent some time chatting to an old friend I haven't seen in over 3 years, though we live in the same city. We keep talking about actually meeting, but never get off our butts enough to make it happen. Thank God for email and Skype and mobile phones, because we still talk a lot, as if we see each other in person regularly.

My friend is a digital strategist, and she says: "A colleague of mine wants to meet with editors in the online and magazine world." My first thought was, "I hope there's some advertising revenue to be had from her clients!"

Anyhoo, if you have a South Africa-based IT pub I don't know about send me an email at damariasenne@gmail.com about your pub and I'll pass your details to my friend. The pub can either be print or online.

Now I'm off to arrange a series of interviews for feature articles for GradX. I always feel a sense of accomplishment once the articles are finished, but damn they're work!

And then I'm going spend the rest of the day writing web copy for the new web sites.

Frozen In Johannesburg

OK, maybe that's an exaggeration. But wow! I haven't been cold like this in a very long time. Today I finally gave in turned the heater on,if only for a while. So far I've relied on layers of clothing and blankets and working from bed when it's really cold, but today I thought ENOUGH! Thankfully, I don't need defrosted toes to be able to write, so the writing process continues:-)

I'm also a tad envious of my friends who work in government, especially the one works for the Gauteng Legislature. They've been given a whole week off, and they'll also get a day off on the day Bafana plays with France. Now why don't I have a job like that?

Which reminds me: I agree with my blogger friends Po on her post "I was so disappointed last night" and Pink Hair Girl on "We were the fat kid."

The disappointing thing was not that our boys lost the game. I was disappointed by the fans who failed to support them through the loss. Who needs fair-weather friends?

National Youth Day Post

The fan park is still blissfully quiet. What's up with that anyway? Someone ask them to keep the volvume down or something? Anyway, I managed to get another decent night's sleep. Baby is in Joburg to visit me for a couple of days, so I took her and the daughter of my friend Tsale to see The Prince of Persia.

Tsale and I had drinks at Piatti while we waited for the girls. She's a writer ( writes for a Rhythm City, a soap broadcasting on etv every weekday). She's also a very experienced former journalist for a national paper, and takes on corporate/PR writing work, so we had lots to talk about. I especially loved the part where I suggested story ideas that would benefit my clients and favourite causes. Basically if she likes the ideas, she can pitch them to her editors, and I'd be happy to provide the research materials as well as suggesting potential sources. Yeah, I know I'm being pushy, but it's human interest stories I would pursue if I had the time and my NGO clients will be happy and Tsale ends up with one or 3 stories to sell with people who wouldn't normally talk about their personal business ready to be interviewed:-)

I also nagged Tsale to start blogging. Yeah, I know it's not for everyone, but it's an online portfolio for a writer, and makes it easy for potential clients to learn about you, your work experience and view samples of your work. I'll post a link to her blog; she makes high-quality ( no make that fabulous) jewellery ( beads and metal) and I'm sure you'll want some as soon as you see. I couldn't resist the first time we met. Ended up buying a beautiful set of miracle beads, which change colour depending on the time of day/night and what you're wearing.

In terms of my current projects, we've also finalised the site map and menu structure for the Shukumisa web site, so it's almost time to start writing and loading content. I like this part of the writing process best, and can easily get myself lost in it, because once you start writing and loading content, you can see the vision you had of the site take shape.

I've also received content for the newsletter I'm compiling for a client. Time to edit and send to designer. And to do a quarterly web site report for a client.

Anyhoo, I hope you enjoyed Youth Day celebrations.

Gogos For Mandela

Many thanks to AllDayThoughts for this video. I loved it, and laughed quite a bit a bit listening to the old ladies talk about why they play soccer.

Overwhelmed, But Have Documentary & Short Film For You To Watch Online

On Saturday I met Laura (HarassedMom) and her man David. It was the first time we met in person, but I felt so comfortable. Like we already knew each other. Many thanks Laura for your donation to The Handbag Project.

I'm loving the soccer party spirit in Joburg and all over South Africa, but I'm also feeling a tad overwhelmed by the daily noise coming from the fan park ( music, soccer commentary). The noise is so loud there is no way I can sleep before 11pm at the earliest. It's throwing my schedule off, and leaves me tired. Not sure how well I'll last the whole month.

I''m also overwhelmed by amount of writing I have to do. Lots of web site copy for one corporate web site and one campaign webb site, updating current web sites daily, and a number of feature articles for two major publications.

Major deadlines are end of June and end of July, and I should be able to cope if I just knuckle down and write.

Except, my brain feels frozen and uncapable of pulling together intelligent thoughts.....

And Baby arrives today to visit me for her school holidays ( she's staying a week). Yes, i'm excited about Baby's visit, but where am I going to find the time to spend with her and still write...

Anyhoo, I've uploaded a documentary of "The Making of Untold -Stories in a time of HIV & AIDS" and the whole short film " Umtshato - The Wedding."

You can watch both the documentary and the short film online.

Soul City - The making of the UNTOLD series from Damaria Senne on Vimeo.

Untold - Umtshato from Damaria Senne on Vimeo.

Making The Online Thing Work

Earlier this month I set up a blog and online store for my friend Neo2. So yesterday she emailed me saying asking me to educate her on making her blog and online store financially viable.

As you can imagine, there are no magic answers. Online businesses demand just as much hard work as brick and mortar businesses, and my setting up the blog for her was the easy part.

The hard part is making sure that there is freshh content on a regular basis, that people who could potentially buy her products are informed that her business exists and is online, and that her friends and business associates help her to spread the word about her products.

" I already told my friends and the people at my church about the blog and online store," she said.

That's nice. The question is, did they hear her? Was what she was saying interesting enough for them to visit the site? I certainly didn't see comments from her friends on the site, which tells me that, even if they visited and saw her products, they were still not inspired to say or do anything. Or maybe, they would have, if the knowledge that Neo2 has a blog and online store had managed to stay in their minds. But considering the amount of info we are inundated with daily, there's also a possibility that they've already forgotten that she started a blog and online store.....

Then there's the fact that real world friends are not necessarily interested in reading one's blog. Most of mine don't actually read it, and I'm always fascinated by how suprised they get when they realise that the little blog I told them about back in 2006 is still around and being read:-)

So what were my answers to Neo2's questions?
1. What should I be doing to get sales where the blog is concerned?
Grow the number of people who visit your site daily. Tell them about how you make the jewellery. Showcase your products, offering good reasonable prices. Run promotions and competitions. Make it easy for your visitors to buy. Deliver excellent quality products so that your new customers are so happy they come back to buy more, and they tell their close friends about your products.

Just normal day to day business development? Absolutely! The rules of good business still apply.

2. I haven’t had a nibble since the Canada lady [one sales enquiry when site was launched].
Probably because you're not getting a lot of new traffic. The site needs to buzzing with new visitors everyday, and your online store needs to be buzzing with new products that totally beg the potential buyers to take them home.

3. How do I know when people are interested in buying my products?
They'll buy ( credit cad facility available), or they'll email you to ask for more information about a particular product. The trick is to make it easy for them to buy right there and then, so they don't forget and don't change their minds about buying from you.

5. Do you want more stock? [ so I can take photos, upload them on the blog and online store as part of the online catalogue]
Absolutely. New stock means new content and new products on offer.

5. How can I effectively make this online thing work?
Treat it as a business. Tell everyone you know about your products. Make it attractive for your friends and family and colleagues to tell their networks about your products. Work hard, consistently, invest in the blog and store as you would any other business. And do yourself a favour - don't count on making good returns on investment in the short-term.

8. How being online help me market my products to SA clients?
You have greater reach, because you're not limited to selling to people in your city only. And your potential customers buy by credit card, so it doesn't really matter whether they in SA or another country.

I hope many of my online readers will also find the info useful.

Lots Of Meetings

Had an early morning meeting with the potential client ( for the corporate web site I mentioned earlier that it was in the pipeline), and she knew exactly what she wanted from me and what I can provide her, so it was easy to come to a verbal agreement. Before mid-day she'd sent me a contract, which was nice because:
a) It gives me a measure of security to know the deal is finalised and the work and the terms are spelled out very clearly
b) It's a really BIG project and a nice addition to my portfolio. Many thanks to my friend and former colleague, for the recommendation. Much appreciated!

Sent out interview questions to three more company executives. This whole BizTech Africa thing is turning out to a Q and A series, which is good because all I have to do is study the companand ask relevant questions.

Finally found a service that will host the books I wanted to upload as large files. Tested it and made sure that users will be able to get the download link directly, rather than having to go through the download page for each book that the service offers.

If this service works well for me, I'm going to upload all the other books on it. It would be lovely not to have to worry about a document size before making it available online....

Met with a friend of a friend, who's also a writer, for lunch. This friend of a friend is a scriptwriter for a popular daily soap. No, I'm not looking to change my medium to write for TV! And by the sounds of it, it's a dog eat dog business which I'm not sure I have the nerves for. But my new acquiantance lives 10 minutes from my house & occassionally does magazine and copywriting work, and it never hurts to expand one's network.

Also met with an editor of a magazine soon after the meeting with the writer. ( Yes, I do batch my meetings, so I can get them all over and done with and can spend quiet days at home writing:-). She promised to include me in her roster of potential writers for her pub. Which reminds me, apparently I have an article in last month's issue of REAL magazine. I haven't seen the magazine, so I'm not sure. A friend of mine says she saw it. Huh! Need to buy a copy:-)

Check Out "Men of the South" By Zukiswa Wanner

Spent part of the afternon yesterday with my friend Zukiswa Wanner, who released her third novel Men Of The South on 1 June. Many thanks, Zuki, for the autographed copy. I'm going to read the book, and then review it here.

For more information about Men Of The South, visit the book page on the publisher's web site.

If you are looking for a new (to you) author to try, get yourself a copy of Men Of The South from Exclusive Books and Kalahari.net, among other outlets.

Zukiswa is also the author of "The Madams," and "Behind Every Successful Man"

Zukisa and I also chatted about READ SA ( her brainchild) and some of the activities planned for the rest of the year. You'll be happy to hear that the READ SA campaign is moving forward very rapidly . Now that READ SA is a registered non-profit organisation, we have an office at Wits University, and plans are underway to set up offices in Cape Town and Durban.

If you'd like to volunteer your services at the READ SA office near you, email me at damariasenne@gmail.com and I'll make sure the right people get your details so they can get in touch with you.

Ramblings About My Writing Process & Some Link Love

I couldn't help but laugh reading Po's blog post this morning - she's chatting about crime in her area and mentions that she's been thinking about moving back to SA from the UK. Oh, the irony of a South African being pushed to come home to escape crime! That's just too funny. Not that it's the only reason Po wants to come home.....

As for me, I seem to be spending a lot of time emailing people - not just for BizTeech Africa stuff, but also for my work. Have 3 books that I need to upload to make them available online, but the PDF docs are too big for the web site, and the publisher said the copies I have are the lowest resolution they have. Ho hum! I'm going to have to sort the issue out SOON, because Soul Beat Africa is going to do another HIV & AIDS edition and they plan to link to the books. And I don't want the same disaster I had with the YouTube uploads ( I never did manage to find out why YouTube was rejecting the short films!)

I actually need to set aside some writing time. That is, time that is completely dedicated to drafting and editing copy, with no research, emailing people, interviewing them or even going online involved. I have a lot of stuff that I need to write ( work and my own creative stuff) but there seems to be so many little publishing, promotion and admin stuff that I need to do that the writing process is somehow being pushed back. Which is not good, because ultimately, my work is about writing.

Some interesting stories & links

Anyhoo, check out some posts that I either wrote, or came across while online:

Your Views: Should Couples Tell Each Other About Past Wrongs
Basically, this is a short compilation of some interesting comments from readers when I asked the question. You can still join in by leaving a comment here, on at the site.

Is working from home really cheaper?

This piece by LaToya Irby was published on All Freelance Writing, and looks at the cost of telecommuting. For example, the utility bills go up, you spend more money on food ( seeing you're at home more) and you have to buy your own office supplies. My own phone bill skyrocketed, I'm now responsible for my ADSL and wireless connection costs ( which we know in SA is no small thing) and am responsible for keeping my PC and laptop in good working condition. Anyway, check out this piece; it's really good.

I'm also sad that my friend Laura is closing down Female2female. I understand why she has to do it - she already has a demanding and thriving blog ( HarassedMom), work and family responsibilities, and she's moving into a new house with her partner. But I loved Female2Female, and think there is a need for the kind of content and conversations that were held there. So I will miss it.

And many thanks to author Judy Croome for the heads up about the Notes From Underground,the Literary Lab's Second Annual Contest

"The title [of the competition] comes from a novella by Fyodor Dostoyevsky that is part rambling narrative and part story. It's a piece of writing that is both highly experimental and deeply personal. For the contest, we want you writers to feel that same freedom of expression, taking out the judging process to the best of our ability."

Check out the competition rules.

Emails & Damaged Hands

Spent Saturday morning emailing lots of people I haven't spoken to in at least two years, sourcing story ideas for BizTech Africa. It was bitter-sweet. There are a lot of people I liked and enjoyed wroking when I was working as a fulltime tech biz journalist, but our relationship was just business and I was too shy to keep in touch when I was no longer working the beat, because I wouldn't have known what to say to them. Now I have an excuse to renew relations. Yay!

Also spent a lot of time working in my garden. Rearranged flower pots ( see photo of one of the arrangements that I took on the left), cleared out dead plants, planted more veges (peas, beetroot, carrots, radish) and transplanted more carrots, spinach, lettuce and rocket. I have way too many rocket plants. They grew on their own from the seeds that fell off the last bushes I had, and the plant is now trying to take over my garden.

I also hurt the palm of my right hand - I developed a blister I didn't feel, and then the skin peeled off. It's still not sore, and I can type just fine, thanks, but I've put a elastoplast and then bound the hand loosely, just to make sure the hand stays clean and heals well. I hate wearing gloves when I dig the soil with a fork but I guess I'm going to have to do that next time. Never mind that it feels clumsy....

As for work, it's going along. This week's quiz is about whether we always tell the truth to our partners, lie, or judge the potential impact of the truth first before deciding a course of action.

I am however, a bit worried because I live near a fan park, and can hear the music as they do a sound check. And for now, I don't really mind the music, but it will start t drive me nuts over the month as the soccer games and music festival continue. Gah!

P.S. If you're a Twilight fan, see if you can get a copy of The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer. I read the novella over the weekend and I enjoyed it.

You can read the novella online on www.breetanner.com starting today , or you can buy the hard copy.

You might remember Bree as the girl who surrenders during the big battle in Eclipse, book 3 of the Twilight saga. She's really a blip in there, because she gets killed soon after. But the novella tells the story of who she is, how she ended up in the battle, why she surrendered and her last moments before her death.

I guess it's a good promotion tool for the Eclipse movie, which is coming out later this month.

Update On "The Handbag Project"

Many thanks to the people who blogged about this great initiative and/contacted me to let me know that they'd like do something but are hampered by distance.

My sister, who lives in Durban, is coming up to Joburg some time this month, and she's happy to take the packages, whether they're handbags or items that can be put into the bags, down to Durban with her and drop them off. So please feel free to email me at damariasenne@gmail.com to make collection/delivery arrangements if you would still like to make a donation.

Can You Contribute To "The Handbag Project"

I've been asked to spread the word on a project run by The Jes Foord Foundation. In addition to reading this email, and maybe contributing about it, I'd also like to ask you to either link to the post on your blog, or to publish the message below in its entirety.

Basically, Jes is asking for good condition handbags (i.e. one you no longer use or one you may have received as a gift but will never use.) Not only ladies handbags but children’s and men’s backpacks as it is not only women that are raped.

Here's the message below:

One of the things many people don't know is that rape survivors have to leave their panties and whatever else they are wearing (e.g. shorts, jeans, skirt etc) with the District Surgeon.

Jes is collecting the bags and in each bag she will have put the following: (obviously it would be greatly appreciated if you could hand in a bag with a few items but, even an empty handbag is of great help and Jes will fill it)

• Panties
• Liquid soap (wash away the negativity)
• Body cream
• Sanitary pads
• Face cloth
• Lipstick
• Chocolate

And a little gift e.g. when Mr Price has their sales, buy some earrings, a bracelet or whatever you feel would be a ‘light’ at this awful time.

Anything to make them feel special!

For children:

• Nappies

• Small teddy bear

BUT, THE MOST IMPORTANT FEATURE IN THIS HANDBAG IS:

Please would each of you write a note to the survivor. Jes said it can be a few words or an essay but something from your heart to theirs.

For example, even if you write something like “No matter what has happened you are special, and please don’t let anyone take that away from you. You can, and will, get through this. There are so many people who really care and will help you gain your strength. This gift is given to you with love from (your name)”.

When you are at your lowest, just receiving the bag with all the goodies, a simple gift that can give you hope, and hope is a fundamental step in recovery.

Just so you are aware, Jes monitors the bags she hands to the police stations very carefully (i.e. they will be sealed in a plastic bag and numbered) and, as there have been incidents in the past where the bags have gone missing, a register will be kept.

Approximately 10 bags will be given to each police station with the request that when they are down to their last two, to let Jes know so more will be supplied.

Please Note:

• If you do not have a bag, maybe goodies to fill could be donated.
• All goodies and bags can be dropped off at CHE architects, Unit 8 and 9, 8 Holwood Crescent, Holwood Park La Lucia Ridge (behind Toyota/Lexus in Canegate Drive) marked for the attention of Monty Engelbrecht.

If you're not based in Durban and want to mail your care package to the above address, please contact Glynis Hoaten first at glynishoaten@mac.com

If you want to join The Jes Foord Foundation, in order to make a difference in the lives of rape survivors, click here.

Join The Conversation

There's a lot of coverage in the media about cheating partners today. President Jacob Zuma's second wife is alleged to have had an affair with her bodyguard, and Springbok rugby player Andries Bekker is also alleged to be cheating on his wife of two years. And why do I care? Because stuff like that is grist for the mill for my OneLove campaign blogging.

Currently, I'm asking my readers on several social networks the following questions:

What are your views regarding the possibility that President Jacob Zuma’s second wife was cheating on him?

• Do you think that it’s only natural that she go outside her marriage to get her needs met, considering that she has to share her husband with other wives?
• Is it justice, as some South Africans who are against polygamy, claim?
• Or do you think that she has an obligation to be faithful to her husband, even if he is not monogamous to her?
• And how does her alleged sexual activities impact on South Africa’s HIV prevention campaigns, especially those that encourage people to be faithful to their partners, such as OneLove?
• In general, if the allegation is true and she is having an affair, what does this revelation tell you about polygamy in South Africa, if anything?

Feel free to join the conversation.

Lotsa Work

So more enquiries have started come in, now that I've made it clear I'm open to taking on new projects. So far there's another web site project, in addition to the Shukumisa work ( corporate site this time) and a series of articles for an annual publication I wrote for last year.

Some time last night I started wondering, "what have I done?" Not that I'm afraid of hard work or anything:-) It's just that once you've sold an idea to someone, and they like it, then you have pull up your socks and work hard to deliver on the promise.

Calls for submissions

I also had an equiry by someone who is looking for Black freelance writers. My apologies to my good friends who are also writers here, but don't fit the demographic. They were very specific and I assume they want content AND to fulfill their Black Economic Empowerment obligations. The articles would be journo style, and the editor provides detailed briefs and contact details for sources, so if this is something you could do, email me and i'll pass your details on.

Meawhile, if you are a writer or visual artist, there's a call for submissions on Itch, an online publication where "artists working in any medium and writers expressing themselves in any form or genre." They publish non-fiction, narratives, poetry, visual art and news.

Check out submission guidelines on Itch

BizTech Africa is also still looking for news and views on the technology biz in Africa. Keep in mind that this is NOT a freelance opportunity. Rather, I'd like the companies involved in the business, and the PR professionals that support them, to pitch story ideas. Email me at damariasenne@gmail.com to send your story ideas.

On authors and reading

Yesterday I did an interview with an author I previously mentioned I discovered and like her work, and it went well, and I really liked her. She was fun, funny, very enthusiastic about what she does ( day job and the writing) and I learnt quite a bit from her on how I could handle my own fiction writing processes.

For example, she says she role-plays her characters with a writer friend ( i.e. she and the friend play characters in a book who are then thrown into a situation, and then both role players try to deal with the problem in line with the character's nature). Excellent way to learn more about characters we create, and to push the story forward when you can't think of a way forward in a story. Now all I have to do is write up the interview.

I've also been doing quite a bit of reading on sexual assault and violence against women in general, as part of my prep for the Shukumisa web site. I have to say sometimes it's really depressing - to realise the scope of violence in our society.

And we can all make a difference in small and big ways - and yeah, the Shukumisa web site readers will periodically be asked to take part in campaigns by sending in letter of support, or to offer comments, which will become part of my client's submissions to government ( parliament, government departments etc).

Anyhoo, you can chat about your reading preferences, or even initiate discussions on what you're reading, on READ SA's Facebook page.

And please feel free to visit OneLove and take a poll, take part in a discussion or to send us your story if you haven't done so yet (email it to me at the email above). Your views are very important to me and to the organisations I work for, which seek to improve our communities bit by bit.

I'm also looking for stories about volunteering/working to improve communities, to publish on the Kwanda web site. ( NOT a freelance opportunity either, but an opportunity to talk about causes you support.)

An Old Friend Comes To Stay. For A While.

The interesting news is that I'm going to have a housemate, starting this coming weekend. She's an old friend I've known for almost 20 years. She has lived in Joburg for years, and she's staying with me while she sorts out some things and then starts house-hunting. I think her stay will be good for me - she's someone I know, so it's not a big stressful change and she'll be company when I want some. She's definitely going to make me wake up much earlier: she's a director for a national TV news programme, and starts work at 03h30.

Anyhoo, I'm going to try to synchronise my routine with hers, and get out of bed when she leaves.

Ideally, I'll be able to start work around 4.30, write until 10h30, and then do admin, reports, meetings, social media posts and publishing, finding news clients etc until 13h00.

To push myself even further, I'm also encouraging another friend, who also works from home, to come over to work from my house at least once a week. She can bring her laptop, which has 3G, and we'll keep each other company while we work.

The reason I'm doing the above things is that I need a temporary boost. My daily routine is becoming a mess ( I either work too long hours without accomplishing as much as I should or I start work later than I like) and the winter weather is not helping with my depression issues. Hopefully, being around people for a limited time will help.

Had a long brainstorming session with a client yesterday. Have a better idea of what they want for their site, and they're going to start sending me materials to read so I can start developing the content.

If you haven't take the poll on OneLove, please do so. You can also join a discussion, where we talk about what makes a safe relationship.

P.S. Baby going to see the doctor this afternoon to check on her cast. It's been a month, and she's due to remove it in 2 weeks, if everything works out. I hope the doc is satisfied.....

BizTech Africa Went Live Today; Shaking Things Up

BizTech Africa, the technology publication that I said I was heavily involved in, went live today. It's wonderful, fantastic, such a beauty... and I'm so proud of the people who worked hard to make it happen! ( You know who you are!)

So now, I'd like to ask y'all to tell your friends about BizTech Africa. Please forward the link to your friends, write about the publication, email me story ideas - columns, features, news stories... they're all welcome.

Obviously, I'd also love for you to read it. Regularly. But I'm not holding my breath, as some of you are really not tech inclined:-)

And yes, I will get back to the people who have already sent me news story ideas. (Thank you Tamara. Keep them coming.)

As for work, OneLove is chugging along, If you have a minute, take a poll where I ask whether it's better to have multiple wives (polygamy) or one wife + girlfriends/mistresses. Of course there's a third option:-)

You can also join the conversation, where we talk about whether you'd tell your partner of something you did, if his/her knowing could put your relationship at risk.

And for those who have been following the short film series " Love- Stories in a time of HIV & AIDS" (Wednesdays, SABC1, 20h30), this week's installment is Chaguo - The Choice. The film was developed in Tanzania, and tells the story of lovers Amani and Faraja. One night, Amani stays out all night drinking in a bar with his friends. Faraja is angry but forgives him. However, will Amani have the courage to tell her what really happened that night — and will their relationship survive? ( P.S. That's how I came to do the poll the poll, by the way).

Lastly, I'm working on a client site. The name of the campaign is Shukumisa, and is being spearheaded by Tshwaranang , a legal advocacy centre to end violence against women.

"Shukumisa" means to stir and shake up, and that's what the campaign intends do. Shukumisa will stir and shake up social attitudes to sexual violence and the treatment of survivors in their encounters with state services throughout the criminal justice..

Anyhoo, there was already a Facebook group when I started working with the client, but I'm also starting a Facebook page, because pages allow more interaction by users, and everyone can view what we talk about and forward the links without having to sign on as fans.

And yes, we're also going to do some work on the Tshwaranang web site down the line, to make it more user friendly:-)

This should keep me busy and out of trouble for a while, no? Unfortunately, I've been neglecting the READ SA campaign posts. My apologies. And please, feel free to post links or initiate discussions on the page. The only requirement is that the post is related to reading in some way.

Which reminds me: I'm not done with the quarterly newsletter copy either, and the deadline is coming up soon. Grrrr... I'm really going to have to push that one top of my agenda ASAP. Before I start working on Shukumisa copy. It's going to be a madhouse around here.

And now I'm now I'm off to fight with YouTube. I've uploaded a couple of short films a number of times on the site these past two weeks and 2Gigs later, the films keep being removed. Not sure why, because even though they are current TV shows, I have the authorisation to upload them. Meanwhile, my client is wondering what's up with me ( it's such a small thing to ask me to do) and I've now registered on Vimeo ( as a paid subscriber nogal) so I can keep the videos there until I sort out my YouTube troubles. Aaargh!

Anyhoo, enjoy the rest of your week.