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Are you tired of reading misleading blog posts or news stories? Do rampant rumors, written as news, cause problems for your business, government agency, non-profit, or other organization? Then you should contribute to Be a Better Blogger. While the forthcoming book's audience of buyers is writers of every kind, the group of potential contributors is likely larger. That's you. 

Businesses or individuals in the news have the most to lose when rumors run amok and the most to gain from stories that are responsibly reported and factually written. My book will help writers of every kind, not just bloggers, do their jobs better. Your contribution to my crowdfunding campaign is an investment that benefits you, whether someone who reads the news or is subject of it. 

Joe Wilcox is my name. I bring two decades of editing and reporting skills to what I call online contextual journalism. My career started in print but moved to writing exclusively online when CNET News hired me to staff its Washington, DC, bureau in May 1999. I later worked as an analyst for Jupiter Research, then edited and managed the Apple Watch and Microsoft Watch blogs for Ziff Davis Enterprise. More recently, my title is BetaNews executive editor.

I am an authoritative writer who, with this book, plans to fundamentally correct egregious problems debilitating the news industry. That should matter to every organization about which bloggers, journalists, or anyone else writes online.

Your problem is this: Blogs and news organizations participating in the Google-free economy run like hamsters in a wheel. The majority chase revenue they can never catch. There is too much online content, and too much of it is alike, to sustain advertising for all.  There is too much space for advertising and, as such, ad rates are free-falling.

The consequence, as those hamsters fight for food: Reporting standards weaken in pursuit of pageviews and higher search ranking. Rampant rumormongering replaces factual reporting; so-called link-bating and news aggregation acerbate the practices. Tech coverage is glaring example of rumor too often masquerading as news. Stories about Apple is prime example. 

There is too much pressure on everyone to deliver more stories in less time. Post first, fix it later is too common practice. It’s a bloodbath; accuracy is the murder victim and readers are the wonted next of kin.

My original pitch for this crowdfunding campaign.

The Fourth Estate, as the news industry is often referred, has lost its way. Many bloggers don’t know any better, while too many professional journalists forego their training. Someone should show a better way, and one where everyone benefits.

Be a Better Blogger identifies problems with online news writing; sets realistic principles for reporting and writing well; and proposes sensible practices for the new era of contextual journalism.

Because of the Internet and widespread adoption of mobile devices in the so-called post-PC era, change in the news industry is inevitable. But it shouldn't be this. Rather than seek pageviews, news organizations need to return focus on building readership and, with that, trust. Producing original content and adopting proper sourcing standards are tantamount.

News organizations must adapt, too, to the post-PC era. Be a Better Blogger puts this adaptation into four categories of reporting: Advocacy Journalism, Contextual Journalism, Conversational Journalism, and Process Journalism. Behind them all are principles for responsible reporting.

Every rumor and inaccurate news report risks damaging your organization's reputation, or if a public company, share price. Be a Better Blogger creates a baseline standard for all online news writers. Everyone benefits from responsible reporting.

But for you to receive this benefit, I need to complete the book and market it. Be a Better Blogger cannot succeed without your financial assistance. Hence, my crowdfunding campaign, which so far focused too much on potential readers and not enough on the wider audience of contributors.

Please make a contribution or corporate sponsorship. If this book achieves the objectives promised, over the long-term the biggest beneficiary will be you.

Please don't hesitate to contact me with questions or suggestions. I can easily be reached by email: joe at bunnybows dot com.

About Some of the Perks

Anne Wilcox Original. My artist wife has designed beaded jewelry for more than 20 years. These handmade earrings are pewter and stone with sterling silver hooks (promise!); the beads in the photo are bone tone, but additional colors are available upon request.