Want to Win a $100 Amazon Gift Certificate?

We could all use a little extra Amazon spending money. Rebecca Laffar-Smith at Writer’s Round-About is offering visitors a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift certificate — and that’s just first place! Second and third place winners will receive $50 and $25 Amazon certificates, respectively (as long as they turn in their entries by 01/31/08). I knew Rebecca was a generous and supportive blogger because she’s been incredibly kind to Writing Forward, and with this big giveaway, she has certainly sealed her spot among respectable and admired bloggers.

In order to enter, contestants need only help Rebecca promote the contest and post a review of the site and its new design. Rebecca’s strategy is nothing short of brilliant, since she is building visitor loyalty by offering incredibly valuable prizes which suit her niche perfectly. She is also increasing reader respect by hosting a contest that involves more than a random raffle drawing, and she’s providing an incentive for others to promote her blog. Oh, and she’s sure to gain valuable feedback which will help her to fine tune Writer’s Round-About. Nice job, Rebecca! I only wish I’d thought of it myself. Check out Rebecca’s contest details in her post titled WRA’s New Design Launch Contest.

Contest Rules

• Must write a post on their blog that introduces the contest.
• Must invite others to participate in the contest.
• Must mention the contest prizes, rules, and deadline.
• Must include a short review of The Writer’s Round-About.
• Must be a separate and distinct post (not plugged at the end of a regular post).
• Must be unique, original, and at least 200 words long.
• Must include a link to the contest with the contest title.
• Must include a link to The Writer’s Round-About home page.
• Must include a link to rebeccalaffarsmith.com with my name, Rebecca Laffar-Smith.
• Must include link to The Writer’s Round-About RSS feed.
• Must leave a comment on the original contest post sharing a link to your post.

This is one you simply have to participate in!

The Blog

The Writer’s Round-About is a blog which provides thoughtful writerly insights and tips for writers. The blog enjoys a tight-knit community which is built on respect and mutual support. The topics are broad enough that just about any writer (fiction, freelance, or poet) will find value within its pages, yet focused enough that it’s obvious Rebecca takes writing and blogging seriously.

The Design

First, I checked Rebecca’s new design against my own Seven Blog Essentials, and from what I could see, I was not disappointed. Great options for subscribers, open comments, and appropriate widgets that allow visitors to utilize social media sites to help build readership are all readily visible. The theme that Rebecca has chosen is easy to navigate, and the sidebar content is well organized.

What I’m Lovin’

What I love most about Writer’s Round-About is its level of community. Rebecca does a stellar job at rallying her visitors into conversation, and the blog features tons of opportunities for people to join in and reap great benefits (Rebecca is generous with both links and using social media promotion), plus everything is geared toward encouraging comments and general participation.

• Flexible and accessible subscription options.
• Considerate and consistent links to other writing blogs.
• Open and easy to read comments, which are distinguished by alternating background colors.
• Author, date, and category all included with each post.
• Relevant ads that readers will find useful.
• A list of other writing blogs showing community spirit, and this list is above the fold!
• Footer navigation, so readers can easily find their way when they’ve reached the bottom of a longer page.
• Top commentators widget, which encourages conversation and builds community.
• I love the expandable categories!

What I Would Change

As much as I’m lovin’ it, there are a few things that could be tweaked to make the site just a little more streamlined. Here are my ideas for improvement:

• Color scheme - this is definitely a personal preference, but I like a splash of bright color here and there.
• Downsize the menu options in the navigation bar to one word each: home, about, contact, bibliography, services, calendar (or events), sitemap.
• Move personal photo to about page to simplify header (a header needs only one image and it should be the logo).
• Move “add to Technorati favorites” from the header area to the social media options found at the bottom of each post (tip: check out ShareThis).
• The space visible on the screen without having to scroll is the area “above the fold.” The announcements section could take up less of this valuable real estate if it was tightened up. Only first prize and deadline need to be shown here!
• Make some money girl! Move at least one ad above the fold!
• Insert ads in the bottom of posts — these are said to perform better.
• Add archives somewhere; if not in the sidebar, then a link in the navigation menu. Some readers like to go back chronologically, and others will use this to establish how old your blog is.

One thing’s certain - there’s tons to love about Writer’s Round-About! Even if Rebecca doesn’t change a thing, her voice and style will continue to build a dedicated readership and involved community. Congratulations on a job well done, Rebecca!

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