... And Now for Something Completely Different

As erratic of a blogger as I can be, this is what I love to do. I love to write, and I find myself struggling over why I'm not doing more of it. I'm struggling to find out why I'm not making a living out of it when frankly, it's the only thing I have worth giving to a company or a consumer. I'm a jack of all trades in other veins, but I am only a master of one: the written word. I'm tired of pretending I'm not. I've got to surrender to the letters, darlings.

I am doing the best I can by creating relevant social media accounts for the duality of this blog, the spicy (Gonna Girl) and the sweet (Southern Sheek). I update Facebook frequently, I tweet when I find something particularly fun, and I pin my heart out when I find the best of the best photos, crafts, and fashions. I spread my blog by word of mouth, though admittedly, some business cards would help the lengthy domain name stay with peeps a little longer.

Candidly? I just can't do it alone any more. I'm not getting the response I want, the response I've come to find I need to take a real shot at this thing.

This means that while I want to keep my site as personal and interactive as possible, I need the help of all of you to spread the word about my blog. That's right, you! You lovely folks can help me without much effort at all. And did I mention I'd be appreciative beyond compare? I would consider turning you into an item of worship. Oh, and probably find a way to set up some awesome giveaways when we all meet our goals. Eee! I love teamwork.

Ways My Readers, Far and Wide, Can Help My Dream Actualize

1. Talk to me. Tell me what you love, what you hate. Tell me things on other sites and blogs you love that you would really enjoy seeing here. Tell me everything! I have a tab dedicated to Contact Info, and have included a link to my email address in the first sentence of this numerical bullet.

2. Spread the word to FIVE of your friends, family, pets, frenemies, etc. If you just send them a text or an email, or jot down my web address on the back of their Walgreens receipt, we can make this happen. (Don't forget to tell them to pass the word along if they like what they see!) I've even taken a moment to write a very basic template of what your emails could say if you're lost on words:

"Hey there, friends! I know some of us talk everyday. Others of us are catching up! Whatever our status, I'd really appreciate it if you checked out my friend Rachel's blog. I enjoy reading it because [insert your opinions]. You will too! I've included the link below:
The "I'm Gonna Do That" Girl [and/or] Southern Sheek
Thanks for your time and spread the word if you like what you see!
xoxo, [insert your name here]"

3. Promote both blogs if you wish, but no obligation. Most important is to PICK WHICH BLOG YOU WANT TO PROMOTE! While I'd love for it to be this one, I realize Southern Sheek has more appeal as a "themed" blog.

4. If you do want to promote The Gonna Girl, please make sure people understand the kind of language I use and the topics I cover. While you all know most of what I say is from a place of humor or passion, some might not understand without a warning first. If you don't want to bog down your friends with all of this info, just tell them to check out the About page when they first arrive. That's what it's there for!

5. Submit, submit, submit! I love to share the words, photos, jokes, advice, etc. of others. You can do that at the Submit page.

6. Let you blogger pals know that I promote my friends/reads in a lovely area called More Words You'll Love.
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I promise if you work with me a little, we will all feel a great return. I will feel indebted to my readers, which means I'll hook you guys up with some pretty sweet blog features and giveaways. You will get more entries out of me with better material since I will be able to dedicate the amount of time to these partner blogs the way I have been longing to. Together, you, me, and the new arrivals, will create a great, interactive community where we can all support one another in our vast array of creative endeavors.

So please, take the time to help out your friend, the writer of this blog you keep returning to day after day. If you guys love it, there could be more souls out there who are missing it. I can't stand that thought.

I'm kicking off this May with a feature on my Twitter, Photo A Day May by Fat Mum Slim. Follow the experience on my Twitter, and check it out for yourself if you'd like to participate.

Expect many more great things to come.
I know we can all do this. I'm rooting for us!