I’m quoted in a new Happen Magazine article (by Match.com) that talks about “Struggling to Stand Out Online.” This is something I did personally when I was online dating. At the time, I really did not know what I should do when it came to writing my profile. What should I include? I didn’t want it to sound too cliche or weird, you know?

If any of you have never tried to write a profile, it’s tough going at first. You want to “sell” yourself without sounding like a moron. So one thing I did was take a look at some of the other profiles women had up on the site. After all, the guys that would be contacting me would also see these other profiles. They were my “competition,” if you could call it that, but I also wanted to learn from them.

I noticed that some of the women had fun profiles that made me want to get to know them better. These were profiles that would probably get a lot of emails from the guys out there. So I looked to see what they were doing right, and tried to apply that approach to my own profile.

So I’m glad Match is running an article like this that will give you some clues as to how to make it work for you as well. Good luck!

Ever get IDD, or the Internet dating doldrums? Everyone that Internet dates for any length of time eventually goes through this thing where they feel burned out. They might be on the system for a few months and not meeting people, or meeting folks that just don’t float their boat, or whatever. Kimberly Dawn Neumann recently wrote an article on this for Match.com’s Happen Magazine. I’m quoted throughout the article, offering my two cents on how Internet daters can get out of the rut and make dating fun again.

And great news, the article was the lead story this week! Check it out.

You know how I’ve got all this knowledge about online dating, right? And I used to work one-on-one with daters for years for a company that hired me after reading one of my books. I worked for them for a few years, and quit to do other things. The entire time I kept thinking that I wanted to start my own online dating profile service instead of working for someone else.

Now I’ve finally done it! I’m very excited. I loved working one-on-one with daters, and I’m glad I’m getting back to it. I still get a ton of email and comments from daters, but there’s nothing like speaking one-on-one with them to find out what their concerns are. More than that, I really enjoyed taking a crummy profile and making it sound like the interesting person who placed it!

In case you’re wondering, what I do is make a profile sound like the person who placed it. So I don’t just write up something that sounds like a professional writer drafted it, but instead I give it the same quirks and personality of the dater. A profile essay that shows off that person’s individual personality is one that will get the kind of responses he or she is looking for. I also go over the other aspects of their ad: the headline, the photos, the search criteria, short answer questions – you name it. I do this through a series of emails and an hour-long phone conversation.

So if you or someone you know needs help with their online ad, have them talk to me.

I’m at the Crazy for Books blog this week talking about the Top 10 Internet Dating Myths. Think you know what they are?

If you come on over and take a look, you can also register to win a copy of my book Internet Dating is Not Like Ordering a Pizza. I’m giving two copies away, so you’ve got a pretty good chance to win!

Kimberly Dawn Neumann recently contacted me for some info on her recent article on AOL called, “Man’s Three-Dates-a-Day Plan Pays Off In Marriage.” It’s about a guy that went on three coffee dates a day until he found his true love. I say, “Good for him!”

Kimberly asked what I thought of the strategy in scheduling lots of dates until you meet the right one. Obviously since I basically did the same thing (smile!) I thought it was a fabulous idea. Do check out her article and let me know if it’s something you would do!

Thanks to Yvonne Perry for having me as a guest on her Writers in the Sky blog yesterday! It was a blast. Yvonne is a wonderful interviewer and has done a lot over the years for writers. I am grateful to know her.