(www.inkthinkerblog.com) — Well, folks, we’re 8 full months into the 2008 Inkthinker Query Challenge, and despite the fact that we’ve got over 100 people signed up, I’m getting maybe 8 query totals a month, even when I send out frequent reminders. So, with that in mind, I’m going to go ahead and officially discontinue the Query Challenge.

This is a decision I’ve been wrestling with for months, and I do think it’s the right one. The Challenge takes up a huge amount of time on this end administratively, and with the small number of active participants, I just don’t think it’s worth it. The folks reporting their totals are going to write their queries with or without the Challenge, and the folks who aren’t reporting their numbers will write or not write queries and that’s fine.

The big thing I will miss is celebrating your accomplishments with you when you report your success stories, so I hope we can continue that aspect of the Challenge in a different format. (I will post more about that another day.)

For those who continue to report religiously on their totals, I encourage you to shoot me an e-mail and let me know what you’re working on even though we’re not keeping track for the competition anymore. I love to hear how you’re doing with reaching your writing goals. And now, I’ll look forward to it even more because it won’t mean more work when I am swamped. ;)

Thanks to all for understanding and for your great support of the Challenge and its participants. Inkthinker readers rock.

Tags: freelance writing blog, freelance communications, freelance writing, freelance, writing, query, queries, challenge, inkthinker, kristen king

Contents Copyright © 2006-2014 Kristen King

(www.inkthinkerblog.com) — Welcome to Branding Bootcamp. I’m Erin Blakemore, your drill sergeant/trusty instructor, and I like to think I walk the walk…after all, I’ve been helping clients in different industries with brand strategy and marketing for years. My current company, VOCO Creative, takes brands seriously…and encourages our clients to have fun with their personal brand.

What’s a brand, anyway?

The quick answer: identity. A company’s brand includes its logo, its name, the taglines from any campaigns, its design strategy, the accumulation of news reports, its professional reputation. Think of Apple…with their sleek design, unforgettably simple logo, and two-word catchphrases, they’re easy to spot and hard to forget. That, my friends, is a brand.

But I don’t need a brand…do I?

I hear you, I really do. Why commodify yourself or succumb to a corporate view of your internal truths? Like it or not, it’s time for a reality check. If you’re going to differentiate yourself from the next writer, mom, accountant, or truck driver, you’re going to need to put some thought, intention, and soul-searching into what separates you from the pack. Good news: you can take control over your personal brand…and manage the impressions and expectations of others. Better yet, you probably already have a stronger personal brand than you think.

For the rest of this session, I’m going to pose an extremely simple question. No, it’s not a Zen koan or a mantra. I’m going to ask you: Who do you think you are?

Scared yet? I thought so. Give it some thought. This could be the most important question you ever ask yourself. That’s because your personal brand – as a writer, as a person, as a friend – is built on the very foundations of your values and character. Your language, culture, memories, influences, friends, interests, hobbies, dislikes…all of these can be drawn upon to create a memorable brand. No matter who you are.

Why does it matter? If years of marketing and branding experience have taught me one thing, it’s this: you can’t move forward unless you know where you are. Even if your brand is that of an alter-ego or superhuman, you can’t escape from yourself. And why should you want to? I guarantee that you have the answer.

This week’s drill: Take 15 minutes and go to a quiet place. Take a deep breath and ask yourself the million-dollar question. Who Do I Think I Am? Then write down a description of what you value in 50 words or less. Will this be hard? Hell yes. Will it be worth it? You be the judge. Join me next week as I tell you how to turn your personal values into an unforgettable external brand. And feel free to post your summary in the comments…I want to know what you’re thinking!

– Erin Blakemore

Contents Copyright © 2006-2014 Kristen King

(www.inkthinkerblog.com) — Do you ever feel completely uninspired? Sometimes you just need to take a break from the writing and the thinking and the brainstorming and veg out for a little bit to recharge your creative juices.

Enter the best YouTube video I have ever seen:

Think of it as a brain break.

Tags: freelance writing blog, freelance writing, freelance, writing communications, thriller, video, prison, philippines, Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, Cebu, kristen king, inkthinker

Contents Copyright © 2006-2014 Kristen King

(www.inkthinkerblog.com) — Sick of fading into the woodwork?

Ready to take on a more lucrative client base or even just upgrade your public image?

Don’t let your brand…or lack thereof…hold you back!

Join Erin Blakemore (pictured at right) of VOCO Creative as she whips your personal (and professional) brand into shape in this 4-week series, which features exercises, wisdom, and innovative tips from a branding and marketing pro. Drop and give me 10…or just drop by for this great Inkthinker exclusive!

Tags: freelance writing blog, freelance writing, freelance, writing, communications, branding, entrepreneur, small business, erin blakemore, voco creative, inkthinker, kristen king

Contents Copyright © 2006-2014 Kristen King