Squidoo Angels

Does an Angel contemplate my fate
And do they know the places where we go?

Robbie Williams - Angels

Well yes, actually. Angels know when a new lens is published. The Squidoo lenses are split up into categories and from April to October 2009, each Angel looked after five categories. My categories were:

Animals & Nature
Business
Health & Medicine
Parenting & Kids
Work at home

However, from October 2009, Angels looked after three categories and from October - December 2009 I looked after:

Green
Humour
SEO

In 2011, the Angels now look after one specific Sub-topic.

"Guardian Angel Raises an Arm in Blessing"
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The Angels are sent lists of all the lenses that have been published (in their categories) for the first time and it is up to them which lenses they visit. When they land on a lens Angels have a choice:

bless the lens
do nothing
ding the lens - *gasp*

Adapted from "Detail of the Sistine Madonna, c.1514"
by Raphael
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You need to be aware that a Blessing is very different from a critique! Read this guideline about critiques posted by Kimberly on the SquidU Forum . While the Angels will give feedback sometimes, if you feel you need a critique then post the request in the Critique Me thread. Unless you can "tick all the boxes" then your lens is certainly nowhere near ready to be considered for a Blessing.

You need to make sure that your lens is as good as you can get it before you ask for a Blessing and if you are publishing about a topic that already has hundreds (and possibly thousands) of lenses on that very same topic, then it is important that yours stands out from all the others.

Squid Etiquette is full of tips about all sorts of Do's and Don'ts on Squidoo, including a section on asking for Blessings.

"Reach for the stars"
by Lisa Jane
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This is what I would look for when I was Squidoo Angel:

I would look for a lens full of ORIGINAL content. Where you are using content that has been written elsewhere then be sure to credit the original author. I can understand that sometimes it is better not to try to re-write a small paragraph of complicated or technical information but CREDIT THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR.

Don't ever be tempted to just cut and paste from a website or a book - you may be surprised at how easy it is to spot suspected plagiarism and to check it out. Rewrite the info in your own words, but still remember to acknowledge where you got the info from.

Lots of good and helpful info will also help your case. Make sure that the Lens will leave me with something that does not depend on me clicking out elsewhere, such as to your website, in order to gain anything. If you are not sure then ask yourself if you took the links out, would the Lens be of any value to ME. It might not be of value to you - but that is not what this is about.

"We Are Never So Lost"
by Jo Moulton
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Personal touches are VERY important to me - for example if you are promoting a product, I prefer personal recommendations. There is a very good post (again from Chef Keem) about "Personal Branding" on SquidLog, which I would recommend you go and have a look at What's your brand? The post was inspired by something Lensmaster Drifter0658 said to The Chef in an email:

"Sometimes, I think people have a misconception about 'branding'. I prefer my soulfelt definition. Branding is not the product, it's not even the company or logo. Branding is the person. Everything else is a product of our brand."

Another phrase that Chef Keem used in his article, which really struck a chord with me was:

"If you let me look into your face - literally and emotionally - while you share your honest experience with that Clickbank product, I might believe you!"

Go and look at the Blog - think about who you are on Squidoo and if you meet the criteria outlined, then you are more likely to get a Blessing from this Angel.

If your lens is:

full of links to affiliates

full of Link lists and not much else

one that has no "heart" - by this I mean something that has been thrown together in order to try to make an affiliate sale

full of typos (that's typos, not typo's)

one of multiple lenses on the same topic. It's one thing to write about a niche but another to flood Squidoo with lenses with different titles but almost exactly the same content

Spam - See this module on Squid Etiquette for a definition of SPAM

then you would not get Blessed by this Angel and AJ may have turned into a "Dark Angel"!

"St. Michael the Archangel Fighting Dragon"
Art Print
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Weight loss is a huuuuge topic on Squidoo. So why did I publish a lens about weight loss?

I wanted to prove that it was possible to actually produce quality lenses about this topic. I also had a PERSONAL story to share and visitors would not have to clickthrough to gain anything.

The lens is doing very well and has been Blessed several times. As a result I formed THE Weight Loss Group and although it is building up very slowly, it has lenses that prove it IS possible to make good lenses on this topic.

"I've been on a diet for two weeks
And all I've lost is two weeks!"
Buy the poster at AllPosters.com

Even if the topic was something I did not like or I did not agree with the points being made, I would still bless the lens if it met my personal criteria.

Squidoo Angels have choices:

They may fly by your lens, bless it and post a message in your Guestbook to say they have given you a Blessing

They may fly by, bless it and say nothing

They may leave a message in response to a request you leave in the Forum, or they may not

If you don't get a message then you may just suspect you have been Blessed, because your Lensrank will increase and you won't be sure why.

They are Lensmasters just like you and they are unpaid volunteers. They have their own lenses to publish, promote and maintain. Some of us have paid jobs, some of us have families - yep, there really is life outside of Squidoo!

Cartoon by Lizzie © aj2008

It takes time to visit other people's lenses and if you know you have been Blessed, then a little thank you doesn't ever go amiss!

Some former Squidoo Angels

Be An Angel
Reach for the stars
Keep your halo polished
Share your favorite things with others
Plant a garden for the butterflies
Say something nice to someone everyday
Be patient with those who don't fly as fast as you do
Talk to the plants to help them grow
Always tell the truth
Think good thoughts
Sprinkle a little stardust wherever you go

Author Unknown