Q. How exactly does this e-course work?

A. The class is held via a self-paced password protected e-course site and forum. Course material will be posted Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays by 12:00 PM EST (Eastern Standard Time). In addition to helpful information you can expect fun, no-pressure assignments (complete them only if you want to) and a weekly podcast that you can download or listen to directly on the site. There will be a forum where you can not only interact with Holly and Leslie, but with our dedicated techical support administrator, Thorsten, and fellow students. You can log into the e-course anytime you like, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, to participate.

Q. How long is this course and what are the dates?

A. The course will run for four weeks. The e-course site and forum will remain open to you for two additional weeks at the end of the class so that you may revisit materials and connect with fellow classmates in the forum.

Q. What do I need for this class?

A. Here are some things you should have before class begins:
* A blog! If you don’t, please start one during class so you can apply what you’re learning as you go because you’ll benefit the most through applying what you learn right away. This class does not cover topics like choosing a blogging platform or how to publish a post, those are basic skills that you can learn quickly on your own through your blogging platform FAQ section or through the many books about blogging basics out there.
* A basic knowledge of blogging terms like “posting”, “uploading photos”, “links”, “URL” etc.
* A camera (digital, point-and-shoot is fine, nothing fancy) – any type of camera is fine though, as long as you can upload photos.
* Photoshop, Picasa OR Elements – You should have one of those three installed on your computer before we get started. (Picasa is free if you’re on a budget). We’ll be referring to them all frequently to show you how to arrange photos, add text and borders, etc.
* A Flickr.com account (it’s free, just sign up and you’re in!)
* A pen and a journal for note taking

Q. Will this class guarantee my success as a blogger?

A. Consider this: Will signing up for a personal trainer guarantee your success at becoming more physically fit? Only showing up, going through the routine, and seeing how you personally respond to the regime, will determine whether or not you are on the path to better health. The same principles apply to this class. Blogging Your Way will provide plenty of tools but your success depends on you putting those tools to good use. We are eager to provide the guidance and information you need to author a blog that you’re proud of. Please refer to our student testimonials if you’d like to see what others are saying about BYW.

Q. Will this class guarantee that I’ll make money from blogging?

A. No. While we will devote one lesson to blog ads, the focus will be on helping you to develop quality content by tapping into your personal strengths, finding your niche, making your work stand out, networking, overcoming writer’s block and getting out of creative ruts. Of course, bloggers who are passionate and show themselves to be connected with their content and audience often end up generating a second income through blog ads and other means. In that regard this class can certainly be the catalyst for a profitable blog. However, many prefer to write for personal satisfaction, to connect to like-minded people and/or to market their products (art, design, doll making, etc). Hence, this course will not focus solely on money making techniques.

Q. How many students will be in this class?

A. Most classes can be quite large – up to 500 students max - however size doesn’t matter to us so there may be more or less students in the next class. With your two teachers working from two different time zones and a dedicated tech support manager monitoring the site 24/7, we are dedicated to providing quality content within a safe, secure environment and regardless of class size, this is the service that you can always expect! Plus, our experience has shown after teaching BYW for three years that the larger the class, the more dynamic and fun the forums are because you’ll have lots of opportunities to connect with fellow students.

Q: After I sign-up, when will I receive my login credentials?

A. Student login credentials will be emailed to all registered participants 48 hours before class begins. Please note that for security reasons we can, and will, only email username and passwords to the email address provided via PayPal, we cannot use an alternate email address. However, once class starts you are able to change your email address as well as your nickname to use in class and on the forum.

NOTE: If you have attended a BYW course in the past, please note that this is the same format as previous courses with a few new lessons. All of the podcasts and videos are created specifically for each class so those will all be new as well. To see what new content will be featured in this class, please refer to the Course Outline, scroll down, and look for NEW! to see what’s new!