Proof that I actually can stick something out to the end. Did I say the end?

Yes.

But, not the end of me posting forever. No way Jose. I’ll still be writing like a mad man, just not writing like a lunatic.

Because, in the last thirty days I published at least 50 posts, wrote and published a free report, created a newsletter, handled any number of requests, built four lenses, wrote a gazillion comments, help drink 3 gallons of tequila.

The beneficiaries of the challenge are the blogger and the blog.

The blogger begins a habit that is hard to break if they make it to thirty day mark. Not only is there the habit, but the author also learns the environment in which they post. There is also the added plus of getting their voice out there.

I think mine is getting hoarse.

The blog gets all the bennies of fresh content posted every day. We all know what Google thinks of fresh relevant content.

I want to express my thanks to everyone who watched to see if I would make it 30 days. And a special thanks to that kind soul who kicked me awake in time to write post 24.

You know who you are.

A very special thank you goes out to post number 29. Post 29, if it hadn’t been for you, I would never have seen 30.

I DID IT!

Day 30.

The post that no one will remember.

This is the transitional post.

Much like March in southwestern Ohio,

This is the post I’ll look past trying to see  April.

The slop of a late hard Winter coming to an end.

This is post 29.

28 posts saw me to March first,

But March 2nd will be full of accolades,

Even if March first had more to say.

Like the mud of early Spring,

Post 29 will be washed away.

Will I miss the lonely post 29?

A helluva lot less than I welcome Post 30.

Day 29

We have a template picked out and a plug-in installed that works well with the template. The plug-in is an e-commerce plug-in and we thought this would be great for those of us who wanted to sell our own ebooks.

Here is a rough outline for the operation.

• Amazon books and ebooks only to start with
• Categories will be general with possible sub-categories in the future
• The store will be set-up as an attachment to a group
• Every one who joins the group will be auto assigned as “Author” at the store
• Each book will have its own post
• There is a single Amazon product link widget style that we will use
• There will be a FaceBook Fan Page
• There will be a Twitter account
• I have three book review lenses that I will dedicate to promoting the bookstore
• I will handle general SEO set-up
• It will be up to the individual to promote their book recommendations

Please, if there are any suggestions, get them in quick. The Sun and Sand Season is nearly here and we want everyone to take advantage of that.

It is entirely possible that the store could be fully operational by one week from today, February 28th, 2010.

Day 28

Squidoo Music, the hot blog sitting over there sportin’ the Ray-Bans has a new partner, and this came about because of the British Invasion.

I noticed that all week, someone named Kelly had been visiting the blog and commenting. Then I get an e-mail from Bambi that said she was contacted by Kelly from Naxos of America. They want to work with us on different promotions as well.

Who is Naxos? Nobody really. Well nearly nobody. They just happen to be that world’s leading Classical Music label. That’s all.

Apparently the offer more than Classical, because Kelly was so impressed that she is allowing us to give away a new CD box set called, The British Invasion. And there will be more goodies in the future.

Look for a contest announcement on Sunday the 28th.

Hats off to the hardworking and dedicated team over at the Squid Music blog.  You are a shining example of what can be done. I realize that the blog now has 9 writers producing content everyday, and your success is accelerated for this, but you provide an inspiration to all of us.

Good luck to all of those who enter the contest. The Box set is a handsome looking piece.

Day 27

I’d venture to guess that over half of us at the Beach have been touched by Michelle in one way or another. I know I have been and continue to be moved by her tireless dedication to the quality of content produced at Squidoo.

There was a time that before my screen would refresh after first publish, Michelle was standing there, arms folded and foot tapping, pointing out my typos. And English is her SECOND language.

Willow ran a Giant Challenge NING group for two turns. The Wi Wonders were not just any Giant Challenge team, they were the Mother of All Giant Challenge teams.

That team didn’t just kick ass, they mopped Squidoo’s floors with kicked asses.

But, after her tours were up, she turned the NING group into the Freah WOnders for her Fresh Squids.

By now, some of you may be wondering what she does for the new lensmasters. Well, she has ushered in over three new Squids and has had 19 graduating classes.

That’s all.

I think it would be a great gesture if all the Beach Bums stopped in at her Fresh Squids blog from time to time and visit some of the new lensmasters featured there.

Believe me, Michelle will know and she’ll thank you for it.

Day 26

I found a plug-in that is the Calgon of interlinking and it is now available here at the Beach.

Once activated, RB Internal Links becomes an icon on your post editor’s visual dashboard. From there, anytime you want to link a post to other content in your blog, you just click the icon to get a tree of your content, pick something relevant to the post you are writing, give it a word or phrase to anchor to, and you’re off!

Let’s take a quick run through on how to use this nifty little tool:

I’ve highlighted the keyword I want to use as the anchor, and will click on the icon to find a post to link to

Now I just click down the tree until I see a post I want to use

I’ll choose that article about Google…as you can see, the keyword I highlighted is in the box. Now I insert the link…

There’s what the link looks like in the editor

Google uses links to find content, and if the content is relevant, they LOVE that. So, intelinking your content inside your blog not only makes it even esier for Google to connect the dots, but whatever PR you have gets bassed around on your blog without any link decay.

This tool just made my life easier, will it make a difference for you?

Day25

These facts are hammered home in a post over at  ProBlogger. Darren’s article, 9 Ways To Become an Exceptional Guest Poster, covers tips on making the experience easier for all involved.

Two of the nine tips really struck a high note with me. Submit your best work, and participate in the community.

As Darren points out, we flinch when we are asked to submit our best stuff to someone else’s blog. We want to shine at ours first.

Well, if we submit second rate content and if it is accepted, we probably don’t want to really post at that blog anyway. Besides, chances are our content won’t be accepted if we don’t craft a solid article that offers a solution.

Monitoring and responding to comments goes a long way in building trust and getting your face out there to gain a bigger following.

For more insights on these two tips, plus an in depth look at seven others, on guest posting, check out Darren’s solution filled article 9 Ways To Become an Exceptional Guest Poster.

Day 24

Friends rock!

Some days I get lost trying to figure one thing or anther out , in fact this week it was two days in a row, and I seemingly forget my dedication to all of you here at the Beach.

Just know this, I will never let you guys down.

The Lens Luau is in full swing with one entry! I am confident there will be more by Friday.

The British Invasion is really rockin’, and I’m telling you that you ain’t seen nothing yet.

And I can see a Pinhead post on the horizon. One full of the grit and passion that you all love.

There is a Wheel that is reaping great attention, as it should be.

We have at least one blogger who is seeing great stats on he young blog. That blogger is making some money too!

Another blogger gets a visit from an “A” lister.

There’s more, much more. A very big move will happen Friday.

None of this is due to me.

You Beach Bums are the best!

I thank you every day for your patience, and hard work.

I thank you now for who you are.

Day 23

But, something, somewhere, in the back of mind nagged at me…..only 8 more….only 8 more…..only 8 more.

I would like to say thank you to everyone for their support of a Beach Bookstore. I also want to ask you to be patient as Kim and I work out the details. We want this thing to be the pride of the Beach.

By making sure that all of our P’s Q’s are in line when we open the doors, we stand a better chance of eventually doing a brisk business.

Some of the details we have worked out are:

• Categories will be general in nature with the possibility to add sub-categories as warranted
• A certain Amazon widget will be used by everyone to give the store a uniform appearance
• Digital Books will be sold at the store as we both see more and more Beach Bums trying their hand at this
• Books only to start with (this will be reviewed often to look at the possibility of operating a full blown media center)

We are trying to maintain a narrow enough focus to compete, yet be wide enough to accommodate everyone at the Beach. After all, this is your baby too.

We are not close to opening the doors, so now is the time for thoughts and suggestions. But, we won’t let drawn out discussions deter our path either.

Any other business you want to talk about?

Day 22

I started to tug at that nagging sensation and reason actually started to fall out of my ears. The first thing that popped out was that there sure are a lot of intelligent Beach Bums who hang out here. A lot of pretty toes in the sand as well.

One thing led to another and it hit me what was missing. Smart people who hang at the beach with their toes in the sand and a drink by their side are generally doing something else…reading.

The light bulb went off and an idea was born.

We need a bookstore. Not just any bookstore either. We need a community bookstore. One where any Beach Bum who wishes to participate stands a chance to make a few pennies.

So, I opened a conversation with Kim Ort and we are currently kicking some thoughts around.

The basic concept, to this point, is to fill the store with YOUR Amazon widgets. Kim would feature books from her SquidLit blog in the store window.

There will be sections, just like the Barnes & Noble down the street, and a Twitter account for the store so that everyone can shout blurbs about their chosen books.

I’ve decided to present it to you all and get some feedback. I don’t need details at this point, I just need to know if you would participate.

Send me a message.

Thanks!

Day 21