Author Archives: Anthony Estevez

Submitting Your Show To Be Featured Can Pay Off

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We get quite a few questions from hosts on how they can submit their show to be featured on BlogTalkRadio‘s homepage so we decided to dedicate a whole Planning Committee show on the topic.  Listen in to get some valuable tips and tricks. Tune in.

Why Submit Your Show?

If selected by our Editorial team, your show could appear on the top of the homepage in our Staff Picks section and be seen by millions of visitors to our site.  So remember, every time you schedule a new episode of your show that features a notable guest or trending topic, don’t forget to submit it!

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How To Submit Your Show

1.    Click on “My Account” in your dropdown menu.

2.    Click on “Feature my show” under “My BlogTalkRadio”

3.    In the “Feature my show” tab, fill out the necessary info at the bottom of the form.

4.    Click “Submit”

For more tips on submitting your show, visit this post.

What’s Up With the Weather?

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I don’t know what it’s like in your neck of the woods, but the East Coast has had more of its fair share of rain lately. We’ll have a day of beautiful, summery weather, followed by a week of rain, a pattern I can live without.The recent weather events have found me researching the contents of the BlogTalkRadio vault to see what kinds of weather related programming we had in our archives.  I was almost pleasantly surprised by the results. I say “almost” because it’s true, you really can find all kind of content at BlogTalkRadio!

  • Rockwood Wardrobing gave us the low down on summer essentials with their 2009 Warm Weather Must Haves show.
  • Live in the Tornado Belt? The Tornado Research show brings you all the latest tornado-related news.
  • This past March, Mr. Media interviewed Good Morning America Weatherman, Sam Champion.
  • The Weather Channels VP Programming, Tom Pratt visited with Tracy Swedlow last November.
  • The Pain Reliever featured a fascinating discussion regarding weather and chronic pain – are they related?
  • Ok, so it’s getting warmer now, but bookmark this one for the fall. Burnt Food Dude offered tips for cold-weather cooking.
  • Here’s another one to bookmark – The Lucky Dog show discussed cold weather care tips for our canine best friends.

Hope you enjoy all of our weather-related programming!

Bittersweet: Dangerous Lee’s Last BlogTalkRadio Show

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Dangerous Lee

When I began working for BlogTalkRadio last year, one of the first happy anniversary posts I wrote was for Dangerous Lee. Now, almost exactly  a year later, I’m writing about Dangerous Lee again, only this time it’s bittersweet. Dangerous Lee is taking a hiatus from hosting her own BlogTalkRadio show. Tonight at 8:00, she offers her swan song.

As a writer, no one understands Dangerous Lee’s reason for leaving more than me. Writing is her passion too and she’s taking some time for herself and for her writing. “I suppose it’s been a long time coming.” She told me. “I have done the show for two straight years without a break and quite frankly I need one. I love writing. It’s my passion. And, after trying to get noticed by publishers without any luck it’s time for me to take control and make it happen for myself.” Honey, I hear that. Though she’s vague with the details, Dangerous Lee tells us she is writing a book filled with fictional short stories.

Dangerous Lee has many fond memories of her two years as weekly radio host for BlogTalkRadio and it’s hard for her to pinpoint a favorite moment. “Oh wow! There are so many.” She responded after I asked her to nail down a memory. “I can’t think of any that stick out more than others. It’s been a crazy ride with lots of twists and turns. I’ve had a ball!”

Though it’s sad that we won’t be listening to the Dangerous Lee show every Friday night, you can be assured she’ll still be around. “I will still be a part of The Radio Happy Hour every Tuesday night at 9pm. It’s the #1 comedy show on the network. I’d be a fool to leave Dr. Blogstein and Vinny all alone.” We agree. Some folks need a little supervision.

When asked if she had any final words for her listeners and the BlogTalkRadio community Dangerous Lee responded,”Thanks for listening. Thanks for the love and the support. I’ll miss you!”

We’re going to miss you too!

Summertime….and the Living’s Easy

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hammock

Last weekend marked the unofficial launch of summer. All of the country folks are having backyard barbecues, pool parties or heading down to their favorite picnic areas, campgrounds and beaches. Now would probably be a good time to check out BlogTalkRadio for mobile. Here’s some great summer programming to accompany your warm weather activities.

Stay tuned to BlogTalkRadio all summer long for the best programming of the season.

How to Find Free and Legal Images for Your Blog & Show Pages

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Always have permission to use an image. Failure to do so can result in a removal request...or worse.

More BlogTalkRadio hosts are using their blogs, both at BlogTalkRadio and at their own domains, to promote their shows. We think that’s terrific! Blogs are the perfect accompanyment to an online radio show – and vice versa. While we’re thrilled so many of you are getting your blog on, we’d like to offer a reminder that images are protected by copyright laws. Just because you find an image using Google Images Search doesn’t mean it’s yours to use. Like written content and music, if you don’t have permission to post an image to your blog or BlogTalkRadio show page, it means you’re using it illegally. Fortunately, there are several ways to find legal images.

Creative Commons: Images falling under the creative commons are yours to use. Sometimes there are instructions, for instance, you might be required to provide attribution. Two places to find tons of images falling under the Creative Commons are Wikimedia Commons and Flickr. Before downloading, be sure to follow all the instructions. Failure to comply might result in a request to remove the image or even a lawsuit. Please note that not all images at Flickr fall under the Creative Commons umbrella. Be  sure to research if the image is yours to use.

Morgue File – Lots of amateur photographers post their images to Morgue File and allow you to use them at no charge. You won’t find any celebrity images there, but there’s lots of cool photography happening. Again, with Morguefile be sure to read all the instructions. Do provide image attribution and link to the photographer’s profile.

stock.xchng - stock.xchng offers images from professional and amateur photographers alike. Though it does offer premium content, much of the images are free. As with the other services, it’s best to check all the terms and provide attribution.

PicApp offers free celebrity images – but theres a twist – you have use their captioning, including their advertising. To place an image on your blog, you have to use their javascript. You don’t have to offer attribution because the wording comes up automatically on each post. Also, because you embed the link and don’t upload the photo, you’re not hosting it on your blog.

Newscom - A great service for those blogging about current events or celebrity issues. Newscom offers both free and premium content. The free content is mostly publicity stuff, but most bloggers find images that work.

Ask Deb: BlogTalkRadio’s Community Manager Answers Your Questions

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ask-deb

Every day I receive dozens of emails asking questions about getting started with or using BlogTalkRadio. Since many of the questions are of a similar nature, we thought it might be a nice feature to answer many of your questions here on the BlogTalkRadio blog. Check it out:

Dear Deb,

I want to play popular music on my show but some hosts say I’m not allowed. I hear plenty of shows that play music. Why can some shows have music but others can’t.

Thank you for answering my question.

KS

Hi KS,

My advice for playing music is if you don’t have permission to use the music, don’t. Most music requires expensive licensing to play. While some of our hosts do have the proper license, most don’t. Generally the hosts who play music on BlogTalkRadio find songs that are “podfree” or “podsafe.” Most podsafe music falls under the creative commons or is from Independent Musicians who aren’t contractually obligated to a record company. To learn more about the kind of music you can play on your BlogTalkRadio show, see 17 Places to Find Podsafe Music or see BlogTalkRadio’s FAQ’s in the Learning Center.

Feel free to contact me if you have any more questions!

Deb

Dear Deb,

How come only the same people get their shows featured all the time. How come I’m never featured?

MS

Hi M!

First of all, did you put in for a feature? The first step in being featured is to put in a feature request – you’ll find this at the same place you set up your show pages. If you have a notable guest or topic, make sure to request a feature.

We have a long list of shows requesting features for each day. We look through all those shows to find the best and most interesting for the home page and blog. If we have 50 feature requests and only a dozen spots open, it’s a given we can’t feature everyone. My advice is to use the feature request form when you have a notable show and write a very descriptive paragraph. Many times, we would like to consider a show for a feature, but the show page says nothing.

The reason many of the same hosts have their shows featured is because they often have famous guests. That doesn’t mean we don’t have room for new hosts to be featured, however. We love to feature different hosts all the time. If you have a special guest or noteworthy topic, put in a feature request. You may see yourself on the homepage next!

Hope that helps?

Deb

Do you have a question you’d like to see answered on the BlogTalkRadio blog? Send it to deborahng(at)blogtalkradio(dot)com.

It’s Spring! Gardening Tips from BlogTalkRadio

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If you’re like me, you love spring because the outdoors come alive in a burst of color. As I write this, my crocuses are beginning to fade, while my daffodils and forsythia are in full bloom.  Though I plant flowers and vegetables each year and enjoy working in my garden every day, I still have so much to learn. That’s why I’ve really been getting in to BlogTalkRadio’s gardening programs.  What I especially enjoy is that all of the programming is available for download, so if a current show doesn’t offer the advice I’m looking for, I can find it in the archives.

Today I’m pleased to share some of BlogTalkRadioi’s gardening programming. Hope it adds more color to your life!

  • A Garden Gal offers practical advice all year long. Don’t think you need gardening advice in the late fall? Garden Gal can help you protect your perennials during a harsh winter. In the winter, she helps us prepare for spring. If you’re not sure when to plant certain veggies or what zone you live in, this is the show for you!
  • Audrey Post is Ms. Grow it All and she can sure grow it all! From preparing beds and lawns for spring, to practical growing advice, you’ll find answers to all your questions about gardening.
  • Garden Gossip features gardening tips from Master Gardeners and BigBlend.com Magazine editors Nancy J. Reid and Lisa D. Smith. Whether you’re giving your house more curb appeal or planting for relaxation, the gossip gals can help you out.
  • Just because you live in an apartment, condo or townhouse, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a pretty garden too. AGH Gardening teaches apartment dwellers how to make the most of gardening in small spaces.

How does your garden grow?

Ask MomRN’s One Year Anniversary Festitivies – Featuring Fun and Prizes!

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mom-rn-anniversary

Congratulations are in order. Our own MomRN, Tamara Walker, is celebrating her one year anniversary on BlogTalkRadio.

For those of you who haven’t listened in, the Ask MomRN show features practical advice for raising a happy, healthy family. Guest have included the actor Kirk Cameron and various authors, pediatricians and other experts. Tamra is an expert in her own right. She’s an experienced RN, a parent for 17 years, and she’s worked in childcare for a dozen years. Tamara and I both have something in common too, we’re both from families of six kids!

Today, for the one year anniversary celebration, Ask MomRN will be rocking the prizes and festivities! Look at the list of today’s giveaways:

  • Detail Duster mitt donated by The FlyLady
  • 2 winners will each get a Child Safety Kit donated by My Precious Kid
    (Plus, listeners can get a 10% discount off orders by using coupon code: 10SPR09)
  • 5 winners will get a FIMMology101 e-book on communication donated by Art of Eloquence
  • 1/2 dozen Premium Scented Gourmet Votives, one “Soysational Cleansing Bar”, and one Scented Air Freshener
    donated by LaDonna Loehrke
  • (oopdoo)hug blanket
  • OnTray
  • 3 winners will each get a Name Your Tune CD (personalized with your child’s name)
    (Winners, you will need to include your child’s name in your contact info. or give us your email address so they can contact you for it)
  • 1 winner will get 25 “Mommy Cards” donated by Delightful Invites
  • Green marshmallow colored Babycape donated by Baby Capes Online
  • 3 winners will each get a pair of TieBuddies donated by Tie Buddies
  • 5-IN-1 Tasty Baker donated by PopTart Toaster
  • 1 Lavender Dot Throw blanket donated by Joan Curtis for Private Quarters

Indeed, there is a party going on. However, the true reward is in the content. Listen to Tamara’s show every Monday afternoon for advice every mom can use.