Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Journal.
Company Rules That Drive Good Employees Away
If there's one thing I've seen repeatedly, it's dysfunctional offices. Most of the places I have resigned from have closed, and it's not a coincidence, either. A lot of the jobs I quit were too unstable, had toxic workplaces, or just had awful management over the years.
By Ossiana Tepfenhart8 years ago in Journal
Vocal for Beginners. Top Story - April 2018.
Vocal basics are easy to learn, even as a newbie. My advice, by the way, comes from someone new at this as well, but I have had to figure it out for myself. I am hoping to save you time and effort in getting your words read. First of all, read the resource section at Vocal. It is full of information about writing and how Vocal works. Don't be wreaked if a posting is turned down. Fix it until it is accepted. When I first started at Vocal, I read postings to see what type of stuff they published, but I didn't go far enough. Most of what I saw was a walk-down-memory-lane type stuff. I rewrote some stuff I had on a website I made up for my children full of memories of our good times and bad. They were schmaltzy, but they got published. However, nobody was reading them. So I got daring and started posting articles on the sciences I love. I got a few more people reading my words. I have never been on social media of any kind; no Facebook or tweeting at all. I joined both. But I have to say, I am still getting a handle on Twitter. The easiest one suggested by Vocal is StumbleUpon. Go to the site first and learn how to stumble before you post. There are many different categories under which to put your post. You want to determine which category will get you the most views. For instance, I posted an article on evolution. I could have put it under evolution or the more general topic of science. I chose the more general topic. Then, several weeks later, I posted it in evolution. Repostings like this can drive up your readership. I post articles from my science magazines and make sure I stumble other articles every day. It is painless, and I've read some really good stuff. Reddit is a lot more difficult for me because they have so many rules! Their family category doesn't allow any pictures, which leaves out anything suitable for Vocal because pictures are big on this site. The science category only accepts peer-reviewed articles, so that's a dead end for me. The rules are tough to work around and I get hundreds of more reads from StumbleUpon than I do at Reddit. Reddit readers also contact you, and they are not always kind. So your skin must be tough.
By Monica Bennett8 years ago in Journal
The Demonization of Self Publishing Needs to Stop
Sometimes I see something on Facebook and it makes me want to throat somebody. Maybe that's not the best way to start an essay, but it's true! So the other day I was scrolling through Facebook and saw a meme that made my blood boil. No, it wasn't one about Trump, though that is a good guess. This one was about self-publishing and how it's bad for everyone involved because nobody makes money, except for the book cover designers and editors, which I will not only refute but show why that is an asinine argument to make in the first place.
By Edward Anderson8 years ago in Journal
Writing a Novel
Writing a novel is NOT easy. Trust me, I know that. Now I have been writing books since I was thirteen. At the time, I was twenty when I self-published my first book. Some people, probably most people, have been writing for well much longer than I have before they published their first book and honestly, the timeline does not matter. Don't even think about a timeline. Unless you are being published by a traditional publishing house. Then you have to. But if you are self-publishing, take whatever time you need but do NOT procrastinate.
By Just A Girl8 years ago in Journal
How to Make a Profit in Business
Teach. There’s the short, straight, no bullshit answer for all you busy entrepreneurs and workers trying to get a little ahead in the game! For those of you who want more out of business and life, let me take you on a journey. The company I work for, TherapyCable, is a video marketing company for the healthcare industry. For years, we had gone through different business models to try and turn a profit. We created plans and ideas that we THOUGHT our potential clients wanted rather than simply asking them. Does this sound familiar? I’m sure while starting your own business or venture you’ve come across similar struggles and hurdles to cross. Business is not easy by any means. It takes a dedicated and hardworking team to succeed. What finally worked for us? We realized that teaching and giving away all our knowledge for free is what our clients actually needed before contracting us.
By Austin Armstrong8 years ago in Journal
How to Increase Productivity by Meditating at Work
During work, our productivity is almost never consistent. There will be days when we're so interested in what we're doing and utterly determined to get it done. But then there are days when we can't even write out a simple email, because we're either tired or bored out of our minds and can't fine the motivation to do anything. You can certainly say our productivity is always changing depending on the day as well as the work we're assigned. And, come on, we all know it's like the biggest challenge to be productive at work on a Friday.
By Jennifer Violet8 years ago in Journal
How Do You Break the Vicious Circle That Is Hospitality and Retail?
I have had a pencil, crayon, pen, or charred piece of wooden stick in my hand for as long as I can remember. The first thing I ever sat down to draw was an illustration on a McDonald's Happy Meal box —thanks for that, by the way. A simple image of a skittish Tigger barging into Pooh's house and landing on the bear's adorable soft, yellow potbelly. I sat down, captured by the scene, the colours or the simple outlines that possessed me for some reason with the ancient set of crayons I had at the age of about four, and drew it as well as I could.
By Maura Dudas8 years ago in Journal
