I Have a Confession to Make…

by Jan Geronimo on May 4, 2009

Image by Leeni! via Flickr

And I’m sorry for keeping things from you.

Let me, however, start by quoting Woody Allen. He says eighty percent of success is showing up. What’s this got to do with my secret? Bear with me as I meander for a while.

Where are we exactly? Yeah, about showing up. I have taken that to heart. I show up every day to write. Even when I’m not scheduled to write I show up. To listen to what you’ve to say. To read your latest posts. And of course to have fun while doing other blogging chores.

Showing up and the compulsion to write

Success is a good thing, but I’m more after the process – to perfect the system of my blogging routine. I need it to be a compulsion and to make it as fundamental as breathing and eating.

Wait – we’re getting to the good part. Almost there.

What do you think makes up the other twenty percent? Passion? Could very well be.

When luck comes in handy

How about luck? Here it is – my little secret.

Luck has dealt me a generous card last May 2. Here’s the deal: I won Rocky’s WordPress blog contest.

This means I’d have a WordPress blog running on Thesis theme anytime soon. This also means I don’t have to run around sa labas ng Mandaluyong anymore as I’d have a new home with my own domain name.

Thank you, guys

Let’s stop the chest-thumping for now. Let me thank the following persons who made this possible:

1. Rocky of WeBlogZone for holding this contest. I’d also like to say thanks to his four friends who helped him pick the winner – John, Rob, Gigi and Pete.

And my friends who refused to join the contest to give me a better chance at winning:

2. Yatot and Elmot – for pointedly giving way so I’d have a fair shot at this.

3. Joji - who thinks tending to her carabao is far more important.

4. Lemuel – can’t take his eyes off environmental issues to bother with blog contests.

5. Adrian – who’d rather obsess with cinematic art.

6. Jade – who can’t be peeled from his new video blogging. thing

7. Earthlingorgeous – who threatened to join, couldn’t wait and moved house all in the same breath.

8. DeepThroat – who offered free webhosting for my blog way before I joined Rocky’s blog contest. I had to ask for more time since I decided to try my luck with this contest. DeepThroat is kind enough to assure me if I did not win our deal is still on. Thank you, DT for your generosity and understanding – even though I demoted you to Plan B.

9. DiTesco – for your brain-friendly SEO tips and most surprisingly your generous invitation. He asked me to consider him as my Plan C.

10. To all of you for wishing me well and keeping me less jittery these last few days. You all rock!

Domain name suggestions

Darn. I still have some problems with my domain name. Should I use my name as my domain name? Will keywords relevant to writing, blogging and the social media be more appropriate?

I’m open to your suggestions. I’m thinking of using my tagline: writing to exhale. Do you like it? Isn’t it a tad obscure? I’d be happy to hear your suggestions. Anything. Be thoughtful. Be ridiculous. I’ll consider everything you’d say.

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jan

Thanks, Viviene. Rocky is now working on my new WP blog. I thought I had already replied to this. But nothing showed on the page! Wow, this JS-kit is kinda strange. lol.

I'll consider your suggestion about not changing my domain name. Thanks a lot! :)
jan

Ah, I see. Gosh, I'm so nosy. lol.

Sometimes it's the opposite that completes us. Perhaps that explains the apparent mystery. :) Maybe, it's not even a mystery - you're just being modest. :)

Is he a gamer, too? Happy are those who have no gamer for a bf. No, it's not an actual aphorism. Just made that up. lol
fedhz

haha, no. kinulit lang nya ko mag blog after 3 years na naging kame, nung nagstart na magboom ung monetizing your blog. ^^
ewan ko super adik lang talaga sa computer si boyfriend. at pero super opposite kame kaya di ko alam pano sya "nainlove" sa kin. haha...

naku, si Doc Z nakilala ko lang din dahil sa contest. di pa kame mashadong close hehe. ^^
jan

Yeah, we scared the living daylights out of some readers there. :) Sencia na, they did not reckon with two determined bloggers eh from blogspot, ganun talaga. :)
jan

Isn't that harassment? The mentor falling for his star student? :) Just kidding. Or were you a couple even before blogging?

Or is it a kind of love brought to you by blogging? Hay sus, showbiz na ire. hahaha.

Ah, friends din pala kayo nina Doc Z. Cool. New friend ko si Doc Z - the poet with a scalpel. :)
elmot

of course. who would ever forget that episode at jaypee's. there started it all :D
fedhz

haha, sorry. maaning is to be/get crazy. hehe
actually may mga posts sya sa blog ko, sya ung unang nagpost dun, ung How to play FLV tsaka about sa protein shake nya. eh un gumawa na lang din sya ng sarili nyang blog. actually, 2000 pa yan nagba-blog kaya kinulit din nya ko gumawa ng sarili ko. ^^ if you may want to read my post why I started blogging, eto po:

http://fedhz.com/archives/1259

yan po ung entry ko kay Lainy kung san nanalo si Doc Z. ^^
jan

Maaning? That's a new word - what does it mean?

Ah, you should ask your boyfriend to guest post in your blog. Paa masaya. Lubusin na nya ang paghelp. Andyan na rin lang naman siya eh, di ba? :)

Thanks, dalawa na kayo ni Holly gusto un writing to exhale. lol
fedhz

yup yup! siguro natuto lang din ako sa mga nababasa ko at sa sinasabi ni boyfriend kong programmer. matigas lang talaga ulo ko at minsan di pumapasok ang mga information, hehe.

yeah, so much love ko ung "writing to exhale". swak na swak. ^^

hmm. pag isipan mo na lang din mabuti bago ka maglagay ng name, tulad nung sakin, di ko na tuloy minsan alam isusulat ko para lang mai-incorporate sa name na "Home buddies". si boyfriend kase ang nag name nun eh.

no worries, buti rest ka rin once in a while from tweeting, baka maaning ka like me. ahahahay.
Lucrecio Emerito

Yes, that compilation from MIT is funny. Imagine, Columbus cursing about the Atlantic!

Yes, I do know that it does not reflect the intelligence of the average American teen. Not even the intelligence of those who made those mistakes. Maybe they were just sleepy or careless when they made their homeworks. :)
jan

Oh, I should have warned you on that one. That's a killer of test. The first time I took that I got 0 out of 3. No kidding! :)

Hush now, I'm giving it a wide berth. But that's just between you and me. Don't tell Holly. :-D
Lucrecio Emerito

I just did. I even took the quiz. I got one out of five. No surprises there. hahaha.
jan

You may have your dark chocolates, but Holly is famous for her hospitality. Every new visitor is treated to her outstanding delicacy - raw tripe. You should try one.

Seriously, she's got a cupboard well-stocked with lovely posts. You had better check out her blog. It's worth your time. :)
jan

Luke, it's Holly's fault. :)
jan

Luke, thanks! That will help in my Alexa Ranking and the other blogs you've been visiting. Every little thing counts. :)
Holly

Thanks, Lucrecio! Ironically, the "misheard lyrics" make almost as much sense as the actual lyrics.

You may enjoy this, too (but remember - it's a joke, compiled from many small mistakes - not a reflection on the intelligence of the average American teen). At least...I hope that's the case.

Any friend of Jan's... y'all should come visit me and leave comments on my blog. I don't bite. Not hard, anyway.

Recent blog post: Learn Something New Every Day (May 6, 2009)
Lucrecio Emerito

:-D Yes, ma'am Holly, salad bar vs. chocolates.

That Numa song was fun! And Paris Hilton was there. (something about a date.)

Those false friends plus the matching pics made me laugh so hard. You're cool. 8-)

I found the real Romanian lyrics with the English translation.
Holly

Uh oh...salad bar vs. chocolate...

You can see why I'm a huge fan of this video; unfortunately, now, I think of it whenever I hear the song.

Recent blog post: Learn Something New Every Day (May 6, 2009)
Lucrecio Emerito

Jan,
So, you now use long salad bars to compete with my chocolate bars? :-D
Lucrecio Emerito

Hi. I read the comments in the previous post. And I just installed an Alexa toolbar for my browser. I hope it is helpful.
jan

Thanks, little bro. Talagang di mo nakakaligtaan mga seers sa Quiapo ha. :)
elmot

hahha! i am so happy for you dear big bro. that contest was really meant for you...i have consulted all the seers in quiapo (remember them) ehhehe! and they all said its yours.

domain name? ah...you won the contest anyway...it is your freedom now to choose... basta suportahan ta ka, ehehe =-X
jan

Thanks, Holly.

Long salad bar man. Love it - very funny. :)
Holly

You're asking me? An American writer?

Hmm, let's see - to me, it's far less obscure and much easier to remember than "salabasngmandaluyong" (I see that and think "long salad bar man," which makes absolutely no sense at all).

I'm afraid I would never advocate substituting numbers for words if the words were available, no matter how much easier it was to remember or to type. I'm just ornery that way. It must be your decision.
jan

Really? Is it easy to remember? Isn't it a tad obscure? Is it good to replace "to" with a number? For example - writing2exhale or write2exhale.

So many questions. Gosh. :)
Holly

Congratulations! I love "writing to exhale." If you don't want it, I may have to steal it. :-P

Recent blog post: Learn Something New Every Day (May 5, 2009)
jan

You did not seem surprised at all. But of course! You're among the first ones to know! :)
Dan Miranda

Here is my suggestions for domain names:

jottedthoughts.com

jangle.com

I'm not sure where I got the second one, it just seemed... brandish.

Recent blog post: Thank The People Who Admire You
Bingkee

Congrats....WP is better than Blogger. I can't wait for your new look. Anyway, changing names is a little bit tricky. Changing your old URL to a new domain name will be confusing such as "salabasngmandaluyong.blogspot.... " to "seoblogfriendly.com" or "writingtips.com". I dunno, but it takes a lot of time to build up new traffic again with changing your name entirely. I must suggest that you stick to your old name "salabasngmandaluyong.com"
I don't believe SEO is very important in your URL. There are a lot of domain names that don't really relateto the topic of their blogs. I really recommend stick to your old name.
jan

George, thanks for your suggestions. I'd add them to my short list. :)
jan

Yeah, diTesco. You're in Europe, but to me you're just a tweet away. Thanks. :)
tumblemoose

Jan,

Congrats and I can't wait to see the new theme!

Domain suggestions:

theexhaledwriter

writerexhaled

Cheers!

George

Recent blog post: Six tips to avoid being an overworked writer
DiTesco

Fire away Jan. Let the questions begin (that can be a Plan C:). I'll be here, there, anywhere, anytime ... you know where to find me and I know where to find you ;)

Recent blog post: Make Money Offering Free Publications and More
jan

Oo nga eh. What's another $10-12 for a non-earning blogger like me. ",)

Well, there's one quick way of finding out - will try it. If it goes through, that means puede! :)
Lucrecio Emerito

Great idea, Jan. That way, you don't have to choose. But I don't know if you have to have verified paypal account.
jan

Yeah, so much for Plan C. Well, I might seek your help someday soon. I plan to keep this blog going - I'm thinking of getting another name for it though. So I'd still be asking lots of questions.

Never seems an end to it, asking you questions. :)
DiTesco

Oh yeah! I like this post. Specially because I am in it :) Thanks again and I am glad you got your plan A on the move, Congrats (so much for plan C), hehe. With regards to domain names, that's tricky. I have a post just for that :) regarding domain names. Anyway, Jan, it really depends on what your topic will be. Domain URL is one of the most important keyword one can use (here I go again with my silly SEO tips). That is your address, your brand, your home, etc. Choose wisely as you will get "stuck" with it. Your name, Jan Geronimo can be a good choice, it is a nice name, but something within the lines of "Writing To Exhale", Writing For Excellence", are also good. If you can identify the key topic of your blog, let me know so I can give you more suggestions.
Jojigirl

You are most welcome, buddy. And congrats! ;)
jan

Perhaps you were looking for this?

http://salabasngmandaluyong.bl...

Okay, a lot of you asked me to keep this blog. I will keep it then. Perhaps posting twice a week is not hard. Will just make some time for it. :)

Come on, Lemuel, give this some serious thought - getting your own domain. Sabi nila mas attractive sa web search traffic pag Wordpress gamit at may sariling domain eh. Not that I have any experience on the matter. :)
jan

oo nga unanimous. napansin mo ba slant nun post? It's what the judges said. Not rocky. Which is just as well. Kasi sabi nga nun 1 commenter: I'm so lucky kasi dun sa best suggestion ako rin nanalo.

It's nice he has this 4 friends who helped him decide. That's a smart move.
jan

Yeah, it's Thesis. The other night I watched a video review of the new features of Thesis 1.5. I don't want to jump the gun on Rocky. Any version will do for me. Any version of Thesis will be heaven for me.

It's so made for the likes of me, Thesis. I don't need to know anything about coding I found out. That's one hurdle out of the way.

Looks clean, elegant, and expensive. Terry Heath's blog is on Thesis and so is Chris Brogan. Darren's Twitip is on Thesis too.

I just hope I don't get stage fright in Thesis. :-D
yatot

i am subscribed to rocky's blog remember...? their discussion is unanimous that's why they have chosen your blog! i cannot make a new blog entry pa eh... still collecting and uplaoding pictures for company profile you know... hehehhe... and oh, one more thing... judai will not marry someone if she's pregnant... she married ryan because she love him not because she was impregnated by ryan... siyempre no... in defense ako! hahhaha :-P

Recent blog post: Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo are now happily married! Yey!
jan

Cool. Thanks for volunteering in laying the cornerstone of that blog. Cornerstone lang? :'(

Focused ba, Roy? Am I so transparent with my blogging? You really can see right through my modus operandi, Roy. :)
jan

I deserve it most? As in binasa mo ang ibang participating blogs. lol. Okay, of course I agree, with your assessment. hehehe.

That's strange. Ever since that Palawan outing you've made yourself scarce. You can't be reached anymore. wahhehee. Will check the pictures tonight.

Oo nga, Juday is pregnant na and you're still showing a post about her wedding. Slacker. ;)
Lemuel Ponce

congrats jan! you deserve it and your top commentator award! what an achievement. i still remember your old post, its something like your blog anniversary after a few months and you wrote your blog accomplishments.. tried looking for it but was unsuccessful. anyway, i think you will like wordpress better. i have been thinking to migrate for 2 months now, plus getting my own domain too. i will certainly miss this blog, sa labas ng mandaluyong. i got a lot of lessons and info here and laughter and smiles too. met new friends too. hope you still maintain this blog, even posting just once a week. pressure? hehehe, ikaw pa kaya mo yun. and thanks for the mention too...

writing to exhale is ok, maybe you could list your choices and let your readers vote... just a suggestion though, anyway, its your domain so you have the last say.

Recent blog post: I Got Featured in Manila Times
jan

Kasi nga po pasaway me. Deepthroat is asking to transfer my blog and it will not cost me a single centavo.

Eh matigas ang ulo ko. May pacontest contest pang nalalaman ang lolo. Hayan. Dapat naka one month na ako sa WP if I just relented to DeepThroat's suggestion.

But that's all water under the Blogger bridge now.

Hey, social climber ang carabao mo ha. Is that Italian - arrivederci, I mean. :)

Lol. Nice punchline again. That almost knocked the wind out of me. Thanks, joji!
jan

Hahaha. I'm glad this little place means something to you. Now that I can get a WP blog, I suddenly come to realize I so love this little corner. And not only because of sheer force of habit.

You're right, I'm going to keep this blog. Two blogs will drive me nuts every now and then, I suspect. But what's the risk. I'm a little nuts already naman eh. :)
jan

Okay, I'm heeding your advice, fedhz. I'd keep this blog. Kaya ko pa rin second blog - alternate posting na lang.

Come on, fedhz. I'm sure you know what you're talking about. You're not exactly a toddler in blogging. ;)

You like "writing to exhale?" Does it convey right away what I meant? Isn't it too long?

I'd love something unique. Along the lines of boing boing. But I don't have much time.

Hey, I was forced last night off twitter. My internet connection gave up on me. :'(
jan

At last, something to call my own. Thanks, Blogger Dad. :)
jan

Thanks, Luke. You really looked it up? You're too modest. :)

Perhaps, I'd get both. Will reg my username and a keyword "enriched" DN. I'm a little paranoid someone else will beat me to it. There's a good chance that might happen. In twitter, I was a bit lucky as there's a jan geronimo out there. I've taken the username for myself, so he's left with jandingo or something. What if he suddenly thinks of blogging and beats me this time in using this username. Hala lagot ako.

My paypal is not yet verified. Can I reg a domain name with an unverified paypal account? Will look into this the soonest.

I so love your input. That's almost a post unto itself. Thanks, Luke for being so helpful. And resourceful. :-D
Roy

wait! did you say Thesis theme?!

darn! I always drool when I see that WP theme... you're indeed very lucky Jan

Congratulations!

Recent blog post: The punch that knocked Hatton out
Roy

Leave this blog?! wait noooooo!!!!!

what's another blog to write at? two blogs won't hurt Jan ;)

but, I do understand. You always wanted to be focused in what you're doing

again, congratulations Jan!

domain name? do you want a serious answer?... sorry, don't have any, lol

but whatever it is (and wherever it is), you know I'll be there even while you're still laying the cornerstone

hey! don't forget in your housewarming... err, blogwarming I mean
yatot

i knew it! you will win this contest because you deserve it most! congrats to you! Offtopic... i will be uploading pictures from my palawan summer outing... meron na pong ibang mga pictures na na-upload sa multiply site ko... soon, i will be writing a blog entry about it... yung last post ko ay yung kay judy ann and ryan wedding pa! hahahaa :-P =-X

Recent blog post: Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo are now happily married! Yey!
Jojigirl

I'm not surprised, just wondered why has this much deserved transition taken so long? Thank you again for including me in your roll of honorable mentions, mooooo! You always have the knack for ruffling the meditative state of this seemingly indifferent sleepyhead. The carabao says Arrivederci! Cheerio! How can I miss you if you won't go away? Hehehehe....

Recent blog post: Hearty Thanks: Mom to Mom
fifi

wow, jan, congrats. (i don't know what happens if you transfer to another domain (*sheepish grin*)). does that mean you are going to leave this blog? im gonna miss this blog so please don't and just heed fedhz's advice above.

Recent blog post: being no. 2 or no. 3 but never no. 1
fedhz

Great! Wow, eh di ibahin mo naman ang style sa isang blog mo. If this is your personal blog, then try other niche. (aw, kala may alam hehe) okay naman tong posts mo dito, I mean very interesting and unique.

I like the sound of "writing to exhale". Successful ka na naman dito sa blog na to. wala na kong masabi, dami na nila na-advise. wala rin naman ako mshadong alam sa SEO na yan. ^^v basta alam ko lang, isipin mo muna kung ano gusto mo, kase diba ang domain for life na yun (kung gano katagal mo binili ung package). ako, vain lang siguro kaya pinangalan ko sa sarili ko hehehe. lande. ^^
Blogger Dad

Congratulations on the new blog! You deserve the showcase for your talents.
Lucrecio Emerito

That is great, Jan! Now with a Wordpress blog, nothing can stop you. You are on your way to the top! You really deserve it.

You are the type who really tends to his blog like adding this JS-Kit stuff. So, a Wordpress blog will be better for you. You will have fewer restrictions than here. You were able to make a Blogger blog this great. So, you can make a much better one with Wordpress.

As to your domain, you will get a .com tld, right? That should be your first priority. The next is the Domain Name. You can choose between keyword-centric approach or brand-centric approach.

Some believe that Keyword Centric DNs help you in search results. The problem is when you want to change keyword in the future. You will be tied. But if you know you will stick to it, then that is not a problem. If you choose this, some say that separating keywords with hypens such as Jan-pogi.com helps keyword parsing of search engines. But the problem is speakability. janpogi dot com is easier to speak than jan hypen pogi dot com.

The other option is brand centric. Your DN does not reflect your keyword but a brand that you will promote. An example of that is fark.com. It is not a keyword. It is not even in my dictionary. But they promote and cultivate it like a plant so that it will grow and be recognizable.

For me, BC is better. You can work on your content for SEO anyway. And you have the flexibility. If you choose Old-shoes.com, (KC) what will happen if you want to sell old socks in the future? Tweaking content has more SEO potential than a DN keyword anyway. But that is just my un expert opinion.

It is better if you can have both KC and BC. Just like engadget.com. Engadget is a unique word which is brandable unlike old and shoes. But the word gadget can also be parsed in it which is a keyword related to the content of the site. Aim for names like that if possible.

P.S. You might be wondering again. I just searched this stuff on the internet before making this comment. ;) That's why Dee got here first. Anyway, this could all be wrong. But I just hope it helps.
jan

I've been so lucky of late. Two weeks ago I won with four other bloggers a free coaching session with a very good writer. A few days ago I won the Top Commmentator Award in a blog which figured prominently in Top 50 Blogs in the Philippines - perhaps you've heard of that uber blogger by now. ;)

And now this rare manna from China. :) Ah, a bonfire of blessings, this.

Thanks, Jaypee!
Jaypee

Congratulations Jan! When I saw Rocky's post and knew that you won, I was so happy and excited as though I was the one who won the contest. LOL

Anyways, you really deserve it. All the best!

Now you don't have to worry about me bugging when you'll be moving to WordPress because you'll soon have it up and running. Now, I can start bugging elmot! Hehe

Recent blog post: Weekend Roundup #46
jan

Aha! You were commenting on my post, while I was at your blog checking up on recent comments. :) Cool!
Dee

Wow! Congrats!!! Such wonderful news. You deserve it. :)
jan

I will bring them all, including the rags and old furniture. :) But come to think of it, what will become of this blog?! That makes me a little sad. I have come to love this place already. Do you think I should continue with this blog? Parang sayang noh? :'(
xprosaic

Naks naman! Congrats you deserve it! Sana hindi mawawala ang mga old posts mo ha! saka balitaan mo kami sa bago mong address para naman maupdate namin ang link sa blog mo...err... site mo...Naks! Burger! Burger! Burger! Hahahahhahaha :-D

Recent blog post: Crossroads

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