Belinda Pepper |

Stop Bashing Hugh Howey, Or I’ll Grab My Crotch And Call You A Bad Word

Written by Belinda on May 17, 2013

I’ve come out of blogging hibernation because I’ve realised that people are STILL talking about the “Hugh Howey Incident”, and that means it’s time for… *trumpets blaring* BELINDA’S SOAPBOX *trumpets blaring* But before I get started, here’s two facts to bring the hermits up to speed: Hugh Howey is the self-published author who has achieved crazy levels of success over his WOOL series (which is flippin’ brilliant, I might add). He’s now earning highly enviable amounts of money. Ridley Scott has dibs on making the movie. Major publishers have begged him to sign on with them. He’s successful. Got [...]

Entrepreneurs, Analyse Your Pursuits

Written by Belinda on December 12, 2012

Please excuse me while I grab my soapbox… *sccrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaape* *climbs onto box* There. Now let’s begin, shall we? Given that most of the peeps I associate with online are entrepreneurs of some description, mostly internet marketers, I can’t help but to notice a disturbing trend. Sheephood. Now, I don’t profess to be original in my pursuits- web app development, blogging, and book publishing aren’t exactly new ideas. But I do think people should be wary of copying the pursuits of others, with no consideration whether said pursuits are suited to your personality and lifestyle. “Whatchu talkin bout, Willis??” I [...]

Musings Of A Sustainable Lifestyle

Written by Belinda on November 23, 2012

Be warned; late night ramblings ahead. I haven’t spoken about it before on this blog, but I sometimes feel like I’m arguing with myself. One part of me grew up with computers, lives and breathes technology, finds it difficult to “switch off”, hates the idea of camping. The other part of me is concerned about my health, about the fact that at 24, I beat my older aunts and uncles to the “falling apart” stage. Modern life; it’s a killer. And a lot of it has to do with what we put in our mouths. While a lot of my [...]

Is Google Evil?

Written by Belinda on November 21, 2012

When I first entered the realm of internet marketing, Google was already a sore spot for many small business owners. I didn’t know it at the time, but Google is a raging psychopath, particularly adept in the art of emotional abuse. No? Don’t agree with me? Hear me out. “Do No Evil” I find it interesting how this core philosophy has evolved over the years. At one stage, Google’s founders simply expressed their desire as, “don’t be evil”. How very bohemian of them! The problem, many pointed out, was that the catch-all phrase of “do no evil” could be interpreted in [...]

My Brain Just Exploded, The Bits Are Everywhere

Written by Belinda on October 19, 2012

Bit of a dramatic title, but let me explain. Ever since I was a scrawny, knobby-kneed child, I had a tendency to lump too much on my plate. Overachiever? Perfectionist? Anal-retentive workaholic? Maybe all of the above. But I guess that’s just my flavour of crazy. I have a whiteboard next to my computer. It has two columns- one is for client work (mostly graphic design stuff), and the other is for personal work. Both columns are full. I dunno why it took me so long to realise the enormity of that. What I’ve Been Working On SHORT STORY ANTHOLOGIES If [...]

Going The E-Commerce Route- Interview With Dave Huckabay

Written by Belinda on October 8, 2012

The days of Made For Adsense sites are over (or at least, quickly heading that way). Google’s cutesy algo changes have most internet marketers scrambling for alternate cash sources. Some marketers are racing into social media, while others are spamming the brains out of Squidoo. Some folks, like Dave Huckabay, aren’t scrambling at all. They’re just calmly raking it in. I would hesitate to call Dave a guru, because he doesn’t behave like one. But if you define “guru” as a person who is a recognized leader of their field, that’s precisely what Dave is. But unlike slimebags like Ryan [...]

Kindle Publishing Revolution by Ryan Deiss- Expert Advice Or Marketing Ploy?

Written by Belinda on August 31, 2012

In an effort to describe just how I feel about Ryan Deiss’s new book “Kindle Publishing Revolution”, here’s a list of five things I would rather do than read that book again: Listen to Justin Bieber tell me how great he is. Systematically gain so much weight that I can open my own freak show. Dress up as the Easter Bunny and enter a kindergarten. Take acting lessons from Kristen Stewart. Have my head humped by a rabid koala. Just in case I’ve lost you… Before I “purchased” Kindle Publishing Revolution from Amazon for the grand total of $0.00, I [...]

Self Publishing- Only For Amateurs And The Lazy?

Written by Belinda on August 22, 2012

When I was younger, I used to believe that “real” writers avoided self-publishing like it was a greasy, plague-infested rat. Real writers sent queries out to agents, landed themselves a contract, and got published through one of the big publishing houses. Self-publishing was reserved for writers who refused to take the hint after receiving 400 rejection letters. Self-publishing was for amateurs. Boy, times sure have changed! But it seems that some people haven’t got the memo. Take American author Sue Grafton, for instance. In an interview with journalist Leslea Tash, Sue Grafton made her stance (and ignorance) regarding self-publishing blatantly [...]

A Trial In Creativity

Written by Belinda on August 19, 2012

Recently, I was scouting around for writers who could shoulder some of my workload- namely writers who could churn out internet marketing articles for some of my graphic/website design clients. Amongst the torrent of dry applications, I received a chipper little email from a bloke name Brian Bainbridge. Something about his application got my attention (“I is got good grammar and spilling skills…”), so even though I’d already filled the article writing position, I offered Brian a trial. I’ve been kicking around the idea of writing a book on creativity for quite some time now. As usual, my graphic design [...]

Call For Submissions: Short Story Anthologies

Written by Belinda on August 11, 2012

UPDATE ON THIS PROJECT HERE: “My Brain Just Exploded, The Bits Are Everywhere” I’m looking for short story submissions to be included in a series of anthologies. Would you like to participate in a mass experiment that will benefit you and other writers? Think you’ve got what it takes to write a kickass short story? Read on! ANTHOLOGY INFO AND UPDATES WILL BE POSTED BELOW, SO PLEASE BOOKMARK THIS POST SUBMISSIONS OPEN: September 1st, 2012 SUBMISSIONS CLOSE: Once anthology positions are filled EXPECTED ANTHOLOGY RELEASE DATE: December 1st, 2012 What Are My Goals? I’d like to establish the best way [...]