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Once again, it’s been way too long since my last article (which wasn’t even an article, it was a free WordPress theme release), so I have decide to make public a short list of articles I’m planning on writing. That should help me focus better and give me a roadmap to follow. It should also allow you, the reader, to make an informed decision on whether you should subscribe / unsubscribe from my blog.

I wrote something similar a while ago and never made good on that promise. And quite frankly,  I probably never will (well maybe I will rethink some of those ideas). Why? Because some of those article ideas are really stupid! :) While that article was written a year ago, it sounds like the work of a 14 year old. Still, reading it puts a smile on my face, cause it reminds me of my first blogging steps, it reminds me of the journey. I guess we all have our phases, right?

But back to this list: I will group the article ideas into three main categories and I will try to write them by rotation. That way, you don’t (and I don’t) get bored of the same topic. So here goes:

Design

Some of you will remember my article 8 Common Sense Tips for Creating Clean Designs. It’s been quite popular and I’ve been meaning to write a follow up (actually a series), taking each of the 8 tips and writing an article around the topic, with resources from the web, practical tips from my own experience and projects.

  1. Common Sense Tips for Creating Web Design Layouts
  2. Common Sense Tips for Using Web Design Color Schemes
  3. Common Sense Tips for Using Transparency in Web Design
  4. Common Sense Tips for Using Contrast in Web Design
  5. Common Sense Tips for Using Typography in Web Design
  6. Common Sense Tips for Using Gradients in Web Design
  7. Common Sense Tips for Using Images in Web Design
  8. Common Sense Tips for Using Bling in Web Design

WordPress

I’ve completed lots of WordPress related client projects this year (note to self: update my web design portfolio), some of them involved using WordPress in really creative ways, so I have plenty of tips and tricks to share with you:

  1. Customizing Empty Canvas to Match Your Branding Guidelines
  2. Jump-start Your Blog or Small Business Website With a Free WordPress Theme
  3. Practical Solutions to WordPress Problems (multiple part series, based on things I gather from my projects)
  4. Visual – The WordPress Theme for Passionate Bloggers (surprise!)

I’ll update as I come up with new ideas.

Freelancing

During the last two years, they way I work, the way I handle my freelancing business and ultimately the way I make money and handle my cash flow has changed dramatically! I wouldn’t say I’m richer than I was two years ago, but I’m definitely more relaxed and definitely feeling more confident about being successful as a freelancer! Crisis or no crisis!

I went from running after projects to being overrun by project requests, from pricing that was lower than average (compared to the quality services I provide) to pricing I’m really comfortable with, while providing my clients with a hard to refuse “price / quality” ratio! These are two of the aspects that allowed me to play on my own terms and be able to focus on my personal projects / passions / life as well.

So these are probably the most interesting articles to look forward to. I know I would! I will be talking about:

  1. Tips for Building a Strong Portfolio Without Resorting to Spec Work
  2. Simple Productivity Tips Every Freelancer Should Know
  3. The Art of Seduction: Making Clients Fall in Love With Your Services
  4. The Art of Cash Flow: Freelancing Tips for Achieving Financial Freedom
  5. The Art of Self Promotion: Do It Shamelessly, Do It Now!
  6. The Art of Compromise: Learn to Meet The Client Half Way

Got your attention?

I said in the past that I would deliver some kick-ass articles, but I admit I haven’t always been true to my word. Probably the reason why traffic levels as well as the subscribers number stayed pretty much the same in the last few months. If you read some of my past articles, you’ll know I like seeing more traffic on my website (who doesn’t, right?), but I’m not one of those traffic junkies.

Subscribers and genuine people interacting on the blog are way more important for me! So if there was ever a time to unsusbscribe from my blog (for whatever reason), I’m telling you: this is not it! ;) And if there was ever a time to subscibe to my blog, this is definitely it! So go ahead and tell your friends about this article, tweet it, stumble it or digg it (yeah, I finally fixed those social bookmarking buttons).

I will need all the help I can get, as I’m about to make another bet with myself, one that I intend to win: by the time I finish writing these articles, this blog will reach 1500 subscribers. Bold statement? Probably! Doable? We’ll see… ;)

What would really encourage me to choose a certain draft and turn it into and article would be some feedback from you guys. I don’t know if using a poll is of any use (they didn’t seem to work very well in the past), but feel free to write a comment and motivate your choice.

Thank you for reading!