Inside the Yahoo! Style Guide

Associated Content Contributor Sabah Karimi recently had an opportunity to interview Chris Barr, Yahoo!'s Senior Editorial Director, about one of his big projects: The Yahoo! Style Guide.

This brand new book, dubbed "the ultimate sourcebook for writing, editing and creating content for the digital world," assembles the collective wisdom of more than 40 experts and influencers in the realm of online communication. It's great advice for AC Contributors, and we're looking forward to sharing it with the community in a variety of formats.

For now, you can check out Sabah's interview with Chris Barr on her blog, The AC Weekly, to learn about the origins of the Style Guide, and figure out the best starting points for diving into the material that's currently available online.

After you read the Q&A, check your AC Assignment Desk for a special opportunity to win 1 of 15 free copies of the exclusive hardbound print edition!

OMG!

Yahoo's omg! has been the #1 online destination for entertainment & celebrity news for two years running, and soon there will be opportunities for Associated Content's Arts & Entertainment writers to add their perspectives into the mix!

Check out managing editor Rebecca Detken's open letter to the AC community, to get a sense of omg!'s sassy style and a preview some creative collaborations that may be coming your way!

Contributors Featured Throughout the Yahoo! Network

Compelling personal stories and expert insights from some outstanding Associated Content Contributors are appearing across the Yahoo! network.

Pam Gaulin was published on Yahoo! News when she wrote a great first-person editorial about indecent language on television. Her smart and compelling piece drew lots of comments on both sides of the issue!

Mary Carol Herwood, Mike Spain, and Mary DeBerry were featured on Yahoo! Finance after sharing their personal stories about retirement with us. Their wisdom and experiences can help young people today plan for retirement in the future, while retirees can relate both to the challenges these Contributors experienced and to the rewards of saving and planning ahead.

Lifelong Cleveland sports fanatic Zac Wassink shared a personal account of perpetual heartbreak over the failures of his beloved teams with the readers of Yahoo! Sports. Wade Souza was also featured on Y! Sports, commenting on the 2010 NFL draft.

Paranormal enthusiast Tamara L. Waters recounts lessons learned by watching Ghost Hunters International on the Yahoo! TV Blog.

Meg G. suggests 10 things that you should do before the summer ends in her first contribution to "Manage Your Life" on Yahoo! Shine.

Finally, Rebecca LaPole got her spot on Yahoo! Music by writing a great summary of the history of Ace of Base and their reasons for coming out of retirement without the two most recognizable voices in the original group.

If you haven't had the opportunity to create content for Yahoo! yet, keep your eyes peeled on the Assignment Desk and make sure your profile showcases your passions, writing talent, education and expertise.

The Best of AC: June 2010

Every month, our Best of AC Awards honor some of the most accomplished Contributors in three distinct categories. Today, we're giving a shout out to the talented winners of June awards for Music, Summer Travel and Web Technology!

Best of AC: Music – Shamontiel
Freelance writer and novelist Shamontiel has been publishing impassioned, insightful Arts & Entertainment content on AC since 2005. Her library includes well over 100 A&E pieces, with more than 20 music articles written in June 2010 alone. June is "Black Music Month" in the US, and Shamontiel observed the occasion by profiling some of her favorite African American groups and musicians. Check out her Top 30!

Best of AC: Summer Travel – Sabah Karimi
Since 2006, Sabah Karimi has published close to 1,000 well-researched and detailed Travel guides on Associated Content, including more than 50 in June 2010 alone! If you're planning a Florida vacation, you'll definitely want to be sure and consult this Orlando resident's library to find out when to travel, where to stay, what to eat and how to get the most out of your vacation. This is Sabah's third AC Award; she previously won a 2008 Best of AC Award for Fashion and was named the 2008 Content Producer of the Year.

Best of AC: Web Tech – JC Torpey
Tech blogger and Web design student JC Torpey has been covering the technology industry from many angles since joining the Associated Content community in 2009. Her library is full of insightful reviews and buying guides, as well as commentary on the most important Web news of the day. Click here to read her recap of the Yahoo! sponsored Internet Week festivities in New York City.

Be sure to stop by the winners' profiles, check out some of their content and say Congrats!

The categories for the July Best of AC Awards are Health & Wellness, Local and Video Games. If you know of any Contributors who deserve to be considered for any of these awards - yourself included - head over to the Forum to log your nomination!

June 2010 Rising Stars

Our June 2010 Rising Stars are an impressive bunch! From vampire facts to flood damage help, readers can learn a lot from these Contributors. They may be new to Associated Content, but they're already standing out.

June's rising stars include Jennifer Sale, who focuses on humor and pop culture; Briana Blair, an artist who writes about everything from vampires to healthy food choices; Featured Sports Contributor Adam Spencer; Beauty Featured Contributor Whitney Laurence; and Ebie Harris, a Featured Contributor for our Parenting and Travel categories.

Please congratulate our June Rising Stars! It takes courage to jump into a new writing site and succeed. These five Contributors are doing a great job.

Don't forget--we reward five Rising Stars each month with a cash prize, nifty profile badge and infinite bragging rights. Nominate your favorites in the Contests and Nominations forum!

"Why I Like Associated Content" Facebook Contest Gives Us the Warm Fuzzies!

We recently hosted a contest on our Facebook page, celebrating the milestone of 3,000 Facebookers "liking" our page. Participants were asked to post a status beginning telling us why they "like" Associated Content in order to win one of three $15 open assignments, which of course will also earn unlimited Performance Pay.

The responses were touching, poignant and sometimes funny. Our three winners, Kyla Matton Osborne, Patricia B. Hill and Wendy Dawn stood out, but every entry made us smile. We like you all, too! Here are the winning reasons to like AC:

From Kyla Matton Osborne:

I like Associated Content because of all the warm, generous, talented people I have met, because it offers me the chance to work from home at something I love doing, and because it has challenged me to stretch myself and write about things I never would have thought to tackle in the past. Thanks AC!

From Patricia B. Hill:

I like Associated Content because it was the alpha to freelance writing for me. AC's platform design allowed me to get articles into the mainstream while building a portfolio of content; necessary when applying to other writing venues. Associated Content has been my connection to other writers, writing opportunities, extra income, and provides me with a peace of mind during tough economic times. Thank you AC!

From Wendy Dawn:

I like AC and it aint no lie - though other writers might deny - It's good for my mind and good for my brain -- Join us there if you got game!

Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to everyone who participated!

Want to get in on the next contest? Make sure you like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!