Guest post by Cherie Burbach, author of Internet Dating is Not Like Ordering a Pizza.

While there is no magic trick to meeting someone special through the Internet, there are a few common mistakes that are shared by almost every person who has tried online dating and given up.

Bouncing In and Out of the System

People sign up, pull profiles, and basically come and go quite frequently when it comes to online dating. So if you're someone who is never on the system for any given length of time, chances are you will miss out on meeting a majority of folks. Who knows? One of those people may have been the right one for you.

In order for online dating to truly work, you need to devote some time to it. The typical person who becomes frustrated with online dating does so because they don't meet anyone special. But in order to meet a great guy or girl, you need to devote at least six months to a site.

Writing an Essay That Doesn't Reflect Who You Are

Sometimes in the haste of trying to get signed up on a dating site you don't spend enough time putting your profile together. Your essay is a large part of your profile because it's the space to show some of your personality. Your unique qualities will be the thing that will attract the right person to you, but if your essay lists a bunch of facts about you rather than illustrates your personality, you aren't going to get the right matches. You've got to do all you can to attract the right kind of people for you, and a lackluster profile won't cut it.

Jumping Online Before You Are Ready to Date

Let's face it, when you first end a relationship it takes time to get over what has happened. Many people jump online immediately after a break up as a way to "get out there" again right away. The problem is that in doing this you don't give yourself proper time to heal and reflect back on your relationship.

Additionally, sometimes when people know they are about to end a relationship, they actually start emailing people online before they break up with the current person they are dating. Some folks do this because they don't want to spend any amount of time alone. But to jump online before you are even out of a relationship is an especially poor judgment call. It isn't fair to the person online, and it's disrespectful to the person you are dating.

More than that, however, it sets up a pattern of going from relationship to relationship without proper time to reflect back on the lessons you've learned. Part of dating is learning about yourself and the world around you. When you don't allow enough time between relationships you are bound to make the same mistakes again and again.

Online dating is a wonderful tool to be introduced to like-minded singles. But it isn't something casual. In order to meet a truly wonderful person that you can have a special relationship with, you've got to devote a good amount of time to the site and treat the other daters with respect.

About the author
Cherie Burbach used her experience with meeting her husband online to pen At the Coffee Shop, a humorous look at the world of Internet dating. Cherie went on over 60 coffee dates in just six months. She met lots of great people and one of those turned out to be the guy she would marry just one year later.

She is the Dating Feature Writer for Suite101, an online magazine with over 10 million views monthly, andalso the author of three poetry books, including A New Dish and The Difference Now. Her latest, Father's Eyes, has received the 2008 Editor's Choice Award by Allbooks Review.

About the book
Have you become frustrated with Internet dating?

If you've tried online dating and given up, or even if you thought the Internet wasn't right for you, this book will give you thecourage to try again, this time armed with specific illustrations onwhat really works - from the profile through the dating stage.Don't waste another minute wondering why some people seemto have Internet dating success while you're still waiting for aresponse to your online ad. Through dozens of concrete examples,dating expert Cherie Burbach will show you how to write aneye-catching profile, search for, and meet the right person online.

Internet Dating is Not Like Buying a Pizza may be purchased online or through your local bookstore.

For more information to to http://thedifferencenow.blogspot.com/