We consider Australia-based Filipina Sheila Ann “Shai” Manuel-Coggins as one of those who have made their mark in the international blogging scene. You can say she is doing one thing she loves the most: writing in front of her computer and getting paid for it. This 31-year old lady has her hands full maintaining her website, two blogging networks, a podcast, and a web TV show, among other concerns. Going through Shai’s sites is highly recommended as it offers bloggers a lot of resources and tips to make the most out of this field. And in all her endeavors, she has made it a point to tap the expertise of her fellow Filipinas who are into blogging too. Get to know more about this global Pinay and why blogging is the way to go in the following interview:

Q.  Please tell us something about yourself.
 
A.  I grew up in Parañaque. And, I was the eldest child in a brood of four. I went to Benedictine Abbey School (Alabang, now St. Benedict's College) from prep until high school. Then, I took up my Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at UST. After one year of work, I went back to UST to start my masters degree.
 
But, I've always had the wanderlust. When an opportunity came for me to go to the U.S., I did. I left work, family and studies to travel in the U.S. for about 9 months. I was thinking of staying, as I had work offers and all. At the time, however, Manila had the greater pull on me. So, I went back home.
 
However, my lovestruck heart fell for an Englishman who was then working as a lecturer in Singapore. So, after a romantic whirlwind courtship, Jeremy and I got married. And, I moved to Singapore to be with him. Since I'm never to stay idle, I decided to start my graduate studies again, and finished my Masters Degree in Applied Psychology from the National University of Singapore. I also worked as a psychologist there, whilst continuously pursuing my freelance career as a writer/artist/consultant.
 
After a little over 3 years in Singapore, hubby and I decided it was time to move on, especially when he received an offer to work in a university here in Australia. We've been living Down Under since 2003. And now, we have a baby boy who was born here in 2004. Cameron Matthew is almost 16 months old.    
 
Q. What are your hobbies and interests?

A. Oh dear! I'm always getting interested in a lot of things. I guess, my main interest is in the arts field. I love to paint, create jewelry, make crafts, do collage, dance... anything, really. I enjoy reading, watching TV, listening to music... and of course, anything that has to do with geeky stuff like gadgets and the Internet.

And, I've also been converted in to watching sports like cricket, rugby union and football (aka 'soccer').

Q. When did you start blogging?

A. Oooohhh.... Long before it was even called blogging, I think! I've been in love with the web since 1997. I think my first official online journal was launched sometime around then.  Mostly hand-coded via Notepad or FrontPage. It was around late 1999 or early 2000 when I started using journaling/blogging software.

Q. Can you tell us something about the projects you are working on right now?

A. One of my major projects is writing for About.com, a division of The New York Times. I'm currently the "Guide" (editor/writer/blogger) for the Web Logs site - http://weblogs.about.com/ . I've been doing this gig since February 2004, although I've been working on the site a bit longer than that. Before this, I used to be the Language Arts for Kids Guide for them, between 2000 - 2001. I love About.com. It's probably my most favourite job.

Another major project I've got is a blogging network called AboutWeblogs.com (not really overly creative, I know) at http://www.aboutweblogs.com/ . It's a blogging collective with a focus on passions, personal growth and lifestyles. You can find several bloggers and topics on the network - from birthdays, scrapbooking and making money online to Europe travel, Asian food, and genetics/public health. It's only started mid-April 2005 and it's growing really well. Very happy with it.
I'm now using this network as the "umbrella" for my other projects including a video blog/webTV show (http://freshwave.tv/ - which is co-hosted/co-produced by a fellow Filipina who's also living here in Oz), a podcast (http://60secondshai.blogspot.com/), a blog/site for writers (http://ewritelife.com/) and a creativity blog/site (http://www.chrysaliscreativity.com/).

All these projects are doing well on their own. In fact, the video blog/webTV show may possibly be shown on "real" TV. But, I can't say more about it at this stage, as it's still being worked out. 

I've got other smaller projects here and there. But, of course, my biggest project of all is a being a mum and a wife to my wonderful boys. 

Q. What advice can you give aspiring bloggers on "blogging for profit?" How to maximize blogging as a web tool?

A.Where do I start? There's really a lot to take in, so the best thing to do is to learn as much as you can about the world of web logs. Perhaps, start with "blogging for fun" and see how you like it. I get people writing to me, asking me for advice on how to become a professional blogger, but they've never even tried to set up a blog. So, sometimes it's good to start from the basics. And, build from there.

You can "blog for profit" in many ways: You can get someone to hire you or pay you to blog, you can do it by yourself, or you can join a network and have other people help you in the process.

There are several uses for blogs. It can be used for communication or personal enjoyment. It can be a marketing or promotional tool or can be a business or educational tool. To maximise blogging as a tool, you have to know exactly WHY you want to blog. WHO you want to blog for. And learn as much as you can about WHERE and WHAT you're going to blog. And, continue improving on HOW you blog. 

Q. Any blogging figures you admire? Filipino websites you often visit?

A.I have a long list of blogging figures I admire from different countries and various backgrounds. My Bloglines subscription is really long and extremely eclectic, especially because of the line of work I'm in.

But, if we're talking about "blogging buddies", some of my 'pinoy' blogging pals include (but not limited to) AnP (pinayexpat.net), Christine (rockindownunder.pansitan.net), bea (not sure if she wants me to put her blog URL, so I won't), and connie v (the girl without a permanent blog residence). I'm really looking forward to meeting these girls in person, as I've known them for a while now and had become good friends with them online. There are others, like Mona (renaissancegirl), Dindin, Junnie, Sassy, etc. - but unfortunately, I don't really get to keep in touch with them that much.

And, of course, my best friend of all time whom I miss very much, Aileen Suquila-Santos - http://www.aileensantos.com/ . I just wish she'd blog MORE!

Q. Can you share with us some blogging trends which will probably catch fire in the Philippines in the future?

A. If anything, I'd like to see blogs be a medium of change in our country. Perhaps, get businesses, schools, organisations, and yes, even the government to start blogging.

Q. From your own observation, how is the Philippine blogging scene (compared for example in Australia) Do you think it will be big in the country someday?

A. Again, I'm not quite sure what the blogging scene is like in Manila. I know a lot of Pinoy bloggers, but not enough to know what it's like in general. As far as I know, apart from multiply.com and friendster.com, most of the people I know in "real life" back home don't have a blog. 

Q. What are your blogging habits?

A. Blogging's part of my life. It's part of my daily routine - but not as much at the weekends.

Blogging helps with the bills. It gives me lots of enjoyment. I learn a lot and I meet a lot of a great interesting people. 

Q. In your own opinion, what makes for a successful blogger?

A. There are lots of factors involved in becoming a successful blogger.

A successful blogger...
1) ... must blog regularly.
2) ... must have great original content, that people would like to read about. Otherwise, the blogger must have a really cool blog that aggregates great content from elsewhere.
3) ... has a personality that shines through, even when not blogging about personal matters.
4) ... must be reliable and trustworthy (never copy, spread rumours, etc.).
5) .... must know how to develop good relationships online.
6) ... Never Gives Up!
 

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