Blake Snow

writer-for-hire, content guy, bestselling author

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Tagged mailbag

Mailbag: “Are you a National League or American League baseball fan?”

My kid sister living in Atlanta Braves territory writes:

“Are you an NL fan or AL fan? What are some of your favorite teams? And is baseball your favorite sport?”

Because I can, let me answer your questions in reverse, Sara. While I find college football, World Cup soccer, and Grand Slam Tennis slightly more exciting, I think baseball is the greatest American professional sport. I say that because I like it better than the more popular NFL or NBA, for several reasons: Continue reading…

How I became an entrepreneur (aka self-employed)

Credit: Lindsey Snow

Credit: Lindsey Snow

Blog reader Derek Bobo asks via email:

I was wondering when and how you made the leap of faith to work for yourself. When did you know you were safe financially? What was the deciding factor, etc? I’m right on the brink but can’t seem to get myself to take the leap of faith.

Excellent question. Here’s my answer:

Continue reading…

Mailbag: Does social networking really work?

Smooth Harold reader Scott Daniel asks via email:

Does social networking really work as a marketing tool? My CIO is standing firm that it does not.

Yes, it does, provided you have something interesting to say. For example, my blogging efforts on Smooth Harold alone have directly resulted in checks amounting to around $17,000 over the last four years, excluding advertising. Continue reading…

Smooth Harold mailbag: Italicizing quotes?

I received the below reader email Thursday, inquiring about the best way to highlight text within a paragraph.

I’m a design student working on a book layout and wanted to add some texture to my text, but not if it impedes readability. One of your articles deplored in-line bolding, but what about italicizing? And if that’s acceptable, are the commas, quotation marks, and the speaker’s name (“______,” says Mr. X, “_______.”) also italicized? — Jo

Thanks for reaching out, Jo. I’m in no way the authority on typography design, but I don’t think italics are the readable friendly design answer. Continue reading…