Hey there ,

This month, we've got three things for you: some important industry changes, some advice on creating content, and some thought-provoking links.

As always, let us know what you think about our new monthly newsletter format!

Enjoy!

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MailPoet News

• The MailPoet 3 Beta is coming very, very soon.  How soon? Less than a month, we hope! We just finished the big last step - a robust security audit. Stay tuned for more announcements!

• Do you have trouble figuring out what to write about? Don’t worry - we’ve got you covered. Our latest post, How to Come Up With Content Ideas, has all the answers.

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Writing and Productivity

• Marc Laidlaw, a novelist and video-game writer, wrote an interesting piece about writing for Half-Life, an immensely popular video game from 1998. His advice is immensely useful for anyone that needs to tell a story (which probably includes you!)

• Need some business motivation? Check out the excellent comments on this Hacker News topic, Ask HN: How do you keep motivated if no one supports you? 

Our favorite tip: Software is never an end but always a means to an end. A bridge isn't metal and concrete, it's something that connect places. Software is about solving problems, and sometimes creating new bridges where no one thought to connect before.

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WordPress and Technology

• Amazon now bans any reviews tied to free or discounted products. That's right - if you currently review products on your blog (and you receive the product for free) your reviews will be deleted.

• Why do companies buy ads when they are already the top result in search results? The short answer: it gets more clicks. Read the long answer on Hacker News and Searchengineland.com.

• Pippin Williamson, a big name in the WordPress world, has written a lengthy critical review of WordPress Page Builder plugins. If you're using a Page Builder plugin on your site (or are thinking about it), you should give it a read.

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Randomly Interesting

• Need to look smart in your next meeting? TechCrunch has 9 Tips for Looking Smart in a Brainstorming Meeting. The best one: Make an Analogy That's So Simple It Sounds Deep 

• This guy quit his job, bought an army truck, and spent nearly 2 years circumnavigating Africa. Read his story on Imgur.

• Esperanto, anyone? The famous constructed language is over a hundred years old. Check out this fascinating story on the history (and current upheaval) of the language and its speakers.

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Happy Emailing!
- Kiefer and the MailPoet Team

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