April 2009 Newsletter
An Update from Ed
I need your help. After sending this newsletter, I’m switching to a new service that will make things easier for everyone: both easier to join and to manage. However, I need you to do one thing.

You see, I’ll be sending you a subscription confirmation e-mail in a few days, which is a safety feature with my new service that ensures I’m not spamming anyone. All you need to do is click on the link to confirm that you still want to receive this newsletter. If you don’t want to receive this newsletter, then you don’t have to click on the confirmation link. However, before you unsubscribe…

Keep one thing in mind: As I fine-tune this newsletter, I’ll be providing information about the world of reading and writing: both online and in print. I’ve been amassing collections of links you’ll find helpful, and I look forward to sharing them with you in the coming months. Whether you blog, write, read books, network online, or enjoy my articles, I’ll continue to offer a wide range of feature articles and book previews.

And if you confirm your subscription through the e-mail I’ll be sending over the next few days, you’ll be sent to a page with a nifty batch of slides covering online tools pulled from a recent presentation I gave.

As always, thanks for reading!
Ed Cyzewski

Writing
How to Get Started with Social Networking
Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson, has some great suggestions for jumping into the world of blogs and online networking. This is a great post that will help you figure out what you’d like to do.

E-Books are Coming…
Whether you read and write books, or just read them, e-books are on the horizon and are even making a splash in the publishing world right now. What could this look like and what will readers and writers alike need to know? This Wall Street Journal article gives a brief look at these issues. For those of you who enjoy the fanciful novels of Jasper Fforde, I can only imagine what he’s going to do with e-books…

The Place of Advertising on a blog
I came across this fantastic little blog post that analyzed using Google Adsense on a blog. I had long given up on Adsense because my theology blog, inamirrordimly.com, always showed ads for mirrors no matter how many key-words I placed on the site. I was just thinking of giving them a shot again when I found this article. I think it’s worth reading if you  are considering your advertising options. If you must use ads, check out Text-Link-Ads.

And while we’re talking about advertising on a blog, take two minutes and check out what marketing guru Seth Godin has to say about advertising on his own blog. It will make you look at ad revenue in a new light and may be the most remarkable thing you read today:

Blog Editing Programs
In part of apresentation on blogs I gave this past weekend I spoke highly of Windows Live Writer as THE top blog post editor. It’s free, easy to use, and supported by lots of great add-ons, including an automatic update to Twitter for each new blog post. However, PC user that I am, I overlooked the plight of bloggers who use a Mac...

Theology
Elsewhere on the Internets: Sharing the Faith
I’m not exactly clogging the "tubes" of the internets with material of late because of my recent vacation to Germany and speaking gig at the Manchester Writer’s Weekend. However, I did share an article at the Christian Post. If you’re a Christian and you’ve wondered about the best way to talk to others about your faith, I think you’ll find it welcome food for thought:

A Careful Look at Technology and Faith
With so much talk about blogs, social networks, and all of the other wonderful things on the internet, there aren’t too many people looking at the implications of the online medium. One exception is pastor Shane Hipps, author of Flickering Pixels: How Technology Shapes Your Faith. I received a copy to review and found it a great book. While I think he comes off a bit on the negative side, he brings up a number of valid points that are well worth considering.

My April Fools Joke: Coffeeshack Theology
For my April Fools Day joke, I  created a hybrid of Coffeehouse Theology and The Shack in Coffeeshack Theology. I call it the next GREAT FADNESS. Part of the joke is based on some criticisms of the book by a certain Reformed pastor in Seattle. To my delight William Paul Young, author of The Shack, stopped by to comment. Find out what he said…

Watch a Coffeehouse Theology Book Event
You’ve read my blog posts about Coffeehouse Theology…
You may have heard me speak about it online or on the radio…
Now you can watch and hear me speak about it at Gravity Books and Music.
You can watch the video here.