Archive for July, 2009

Stop Wasting Time And Money

July 31, 2009 - 2:22 pm

Getting a manuscript published has never been easier; marketing and selling books has never been harder. Authors who pursue the smallest place for their Independent book on the shelf of a traditional bookseller is wasting valuable time and resources.

The six largest publishers in the world, all based in New York (five owned by foreign corporations), tightly controls the traditional world of retail bookselling. They pay an enormous price for prime retail space for all their titles. Space that is not only cost prohibitive, but space that also carries a huge financial risk for the successful Independent author.

Even if that retail shelf space was within the marketing budget of most Independent publishers or authors, the risk in returned product, shipping and handling charges, advertising allowances, and other assorted fees could bankrupt even the savviest small company.

Marketing is about finding ways to reach your audience with minimal cost and maximum exposure. Finding readers interested in your book is the essence of marketing. Why then would any Independent author concentrate on scratching out even the tiniest of space in the traditional world of bookselling?

The key for the Independent author to reach a global audience is to become a part of a growing movement, developing a community that will provide an online platform to market books and authors. A place where a global audience can easily find books not found in the typical neighborhood bookstore.

The only way to successfully market Independent titles to readers on a global scale is via the Internet with the creation of a single location for these books. The creation of an Independent marketplace on the web would substantially increase the exposure, availability, and eventual sales of these books worldwide.

I’m a 25-year veteran of New York publishing who became tired of the old model for bookselling. I love books, admire writers, and felt there had to be a better way to introduce new writers to readers. My goal is to help create a marketplace for Independent titles. Anyone involved with the Independent author marketplace cannot help but recognize the enormous opportunity for marketing and selling these titles to readers worldwide.

When I began speaking to writing groups and at writing seminars I quickly realized that an opportunity existed for the sale of Independent books. If an online marketplace could be developed that would present those titles and their authors in the right format to readers around the globe, the chances for success would increase substantially. An online platform representing a million Independently published titles would be an enormous advantage for the consumer, not to mention the author and small publisher.

Traditional publishers send authors on book tours to meet their audience and hopefully create a personal connection. Without the benefit of a book tour an Independent author can do the same by utilizing inexpensive audio and video. This would be the single most cost effective way for the Independent author to expand their readership. The technology exists, we just need to take advantage of the opportunities.

Let us join together to change the face of publishing and become a part of the new wave in Independent publishing; we will establish a voice for the Independent author.

How to write it?

July 30, 2009 - 2:31 pm

Everything seems fine, no mistakes, no false statements, no taboo ideologies expressed but still you get “satisfactory” and think about what a looser you are. It seems unfair. After getting the same result each time you ask yourself, what is that I do wrong? How to write it? Here are some hints for you to get the general idea of how to do it. First of all, you are to choose, what kind of essay it will be (for and against, persuasive, description essay). Each of them has its own peculiarities and requires different style. Then you have to structure your essay properly in order to highlight the theme you were given or you have chosen. There has to be an introduction, where you introduce the main idea and the statement around which you are going to make your essay. Then goes a main body where you state all the necessary facts to prove your idea, express your opinion, and make an impression. Use as many facts as it is only possible. This will make your essay more interesting and serve the right aim, to impress the reader by your intelligence and writing skills. Then conclusion comes, where you summarize everything mentioned in the main body and make the necessary statements, according to the type of essay you are going to write.

If you consider at least some of the above mentioned you will not have to do this term paper research, spend hours to compose it, check it hundred times, than give it to a friend to check, and see that the result stays the same and you hide the paper with disgust and swear that it will never happen again. Your research paper has to be next to perfect. Language you use is also very important. Your idea may seem great and the facts that you’ve stated are proper, but the way you have represented them leaves something more to be desired. You are to be careful with words, not to use strong verbs unless it is absolutely necessary. There has to be no offence, no matter how emotional your essay is. There have to be some introductory words like “all the things considered”, “actually” etc. This shows your excellent knowledge of the literary language. This is an additional plus to your nicely composed and well-written essay. It is also a big plus for you to use quotations and extracts out of famous writers’ masterpieces. It makes your language more emphatic and makes very good impression on those who read it.

And finally, you are to use some psychology. You may know a person you turn the paper in to. It is your teacher or a lecturer so one way or another you may get acquainted with some of her/his basic ideas and principles. Even if your essay is perfect and there is nothing to add and to correct, you’ll still be given an “F” for not responding to the ideas of the lectures delivered. So, be careful with what you write and what you express, your reader may not like it. To make a good impression one also has to be very accurate. If you had a task to write an essay on the spot, not to print at home, you have to make a sketch and only then, after looking through it write it to your final paper, with no corrections made. If you read this carefully and follow some of the instructions, you’ll reach success in writing and hang your work graded “A” on the wall above the bed.

What’s Wrong With The Big New York Publishers?

July 29, 2009 - 6:04 pm

The traditional marketplace for book sales is shrinking. The six largest publishers are shipping more books and selling less than ever before, even though the distribution chain is saturated with copies that will eventually be returned. The basic laws of supply and demand are being ignored and no one is trying to do anything about it. What’s wrong with this picture?

Reports show that book sales are falling and have been for almost 15 years. In response, the six largest publishers in the country are romancing retail bookstores to take as much inventory as possible, often more than they can handle.

Experts say more than 800 new titles are published independently and traditionally every single day in the US. That’s over 290,000 new titles per year and the growth rate for the next ten years is predicted to be near 10-15 percent. With a growing number of new titles being published and forced into a shrinking marketplace, the difficulty of marketing and selling books is obvious.

This growth of new authors and books is the direct result of new digital technology, and the ability to print books inexpensively and on demand. This has spawned a new book making industry and a different kind of “publisher,” one whose business model is based on charging writers for printing and marketing, as opposed to selling books to readers.

This turn about in the industry has accelerated the growth of new authors, new books, and the print-on-demand publishing model. These companies make their money by printing books and selling services to writers. The problem with this new kind of publisher is that authors absorb all the cost and pay dearly for an opportunity to market and sell their book in the traditional marketplace.

If you are an Independently published author and your marketing efforts focus primarily on finding shelf space in bookstores, you should refocus your attention, save your money and your time. There is a better way!

There are two major factors that create the perfect ingredients for success of the Independently published book. (1) The only area of growth in publishing today is from the Independent author, and (2) The future for global book sales is the Internet. The key is how to utilize both facts with the creation of a single, online marketplace.

It’s time for the Independent Author to unite behind one goal, to market and sell more Independently published titles &ndash an online platform where you can profile yourself and your book, a place where readers can discover voices never heard and stories never told. The goal is to help the author create that personal connection with their audience, easily and inexpensively. Where readers can find titles they will not find in a typical bookstore right in one location.

This is ideal for writers who are tired of playing a marketing game controlled by the largest publishers in the world. It’s time for Independent authors to unite behind one goal and that is to market and sell more Independently published titles.

The first step toward total independence in the marketplace for bookselling is joining together as Independent writers and authors.

Too Much Sitting Can Cause Disaster

July 28, 2009 - 2:17 pm

Most writers have dangerous issues they pay little or no attention to until it’s too late&ndashtheir health! And yet, health can be more of a problem than Writer’s Block, complications of concentration, writing anxiety, daily output frustration and editor angst. What I’m talking about is sitting related diseases.

It took me five years to write my novel, The Mayor’s Wife Wore Sapphires, and all during that time, I had to work at keeping healthy. First of all, I was gaining weight. Then came cold feet with tingling sensation, mental fog, stiff shoulders, headaches, loneliness and depression. I knew I needed a routine of loving me to ever finish this novel. If you don’t believe me see by bio: .urbanclassicbooks.com. I share how I had to love me enough to be energetic and in good health when my novel was finished.

Sitting from three to five hour stretches at a computer naturally causes obesity, unless it is counterbalanced with an hour of walking, running, stretching, or aerobics. Obesity alone brings along body break down&ndashpoor circulation that causes heart disease, hypertension and mental fog, diabetes, heart failure, and thus kidney failure, stroke and don’t forget sagging skin.

Each hour you sit at your computer causes another part of the body to break down, atrophy, cells to die, muscles to sag. Those are just the results you can see. The body was wired to move. When it doesn’t move it rusts inside, and rust (oxidation) causes health problems. As simple as that.

Now that we’ve identified the possible disasters, let’s talk about how to keep the five-hours-a-day work at your computer from rushing you away from this earth, or debilitating you. Begin by bargaining with time to enjoy and promote your great American novel, or that famous nonfiction book&ndashwithout a potbelly, hunched shoulders, or wrinkled face when you get on Oprah&ndashif you’re able to walk onto that little stage.

Brisk Walking&ndashThis is my favorite. You need no partner, no special time, and no expensive gear. All you need is a will and a habit. Now if you go out at the same time every day for thirty days, you’ll have the walking habit. Brisk walking brings oxygen into lungs that help rid the body of that great destroyer&ndashoxidants. It’s also a weight-bearing activity that keeps the back strong, the neck and legs improving in performance. It pushes blood through your body and washes out harmful things we ingest.

Running&ndashThat’s my next favorite. It gives you the sped-up version of brisk walking.

Dancing&ndashI like dancing because it causes physical and social healing. It moves every part of your body. It gives you interaction with other people to laugh with, make a fool of yourself with and potential new characters to write about. It makes you feel happy.

Yoga&ndash This exercise stretches every muscle in your body and sends blood flowing to your face and brain. Yoga is the only exercise that systematically exercises all of the internal organs of your body&ndashliver, spleen, heart, pancreas, thalamus, and intestines. All three of the above are free, and you know writers often need FREE.

Gym&ndashusually people pay for this, but won’t drive there to exercise. I live in a condo complex and it has a free gym. It’s great for cold days. There are machine and weights for every part of your body. I love the weights and pull down machines that relieve my shoulders of computer hunching tension.

Drink eight glasses of water per day as an antioxidant…to wash all the poisons from your system&ndashstale indoor air, that fatty snack you took when you left your computer. Oh, by the way, just stock the fridge with green stuff, carrot and celery sticks. When you don’t have any bad stuff to eat you won’t eat it.

Move from your computer every hour. Do something physical. Vaccum, cook, exercise.

Eat lots of green stuff&ndashspinach, greens, cabbage, okra, peas

This is your best bet for being alert and looking strong and healthy when you go on Good Morning America for the entire world to see. Now if you decide you don’t want to choose this lifestyle, or some other daily exercise program, then don’t blame your nurse when she sticks you with a needle or your doctor demands that you have a stay in the hospital. It’s all left up to you.

By the way, I did finish my novel with aplomb, got 5-Star Reviews, and I’m working my way toward the Oprah Show!

THE END ###

You are welcome to publish this article in its entirety, electronically, or in print free of charge, as long as you include my full signature file for ezines and my website address in hyperlink for other sites. Please send a courtesy link of email where you publish to:

bestsellercirclezinester.com,

writelink3yahoo.com

Thank you.

Martha “Marti” Tucker

That

July 27, 2009 - 7:37 pm

There are at least sixty different types of rhetorical devices in English literature. The English language is an odd mixture of truth and symbolism and most often exhibits this propensity in the form of various figures of speech. Of all the types of symbolic or rhetorical devices used, hyperbole is the most common. The use of hyperbole may remind you of William Shatner and his propensity to overact.

Worsley Online School asked visitors to come up with examples of hyperbole. Here are a few of the best examples from school-aged children. (Source: .worsleyschool.net)

“My sister uses so much makeup when she smiles her cheeks fall off.” Ed

“My Teacher’s so old she’s mentioned in the Old Testament.” Kaysie

“My dog is so ugly the fire hydrants disguise themselves!” Cara

“My city is so isolated it takes three days just to get to the grocery store!” Ashley

“Your sister is so dumb, she walked by the YMCA and thought they spelled MACY’S wrong” Alicia

“My history teacher’s so old, he lived through everything we’ve learned about ancient Greece” Ryan

“Saskatchewan is so flat, you can see your dog run away for 4 days!” Jenna

“It was so cold, even the polar bears were wearing jackets.” Elizabeth

The opposite demonstration of this rhetorical device is called ‘Understatement’.

This method draws the reader in by providing a statement that does not seem to fully appreciate the impact of event or situation.

Situation: The temperature outside is 10 below zero.

Hyperbole: It is so cold outside your words freeze. No one can hear you until the spring thaw..

Understatement: It might get a little cool today.

Situation: A chef prepares a wonderful dinner.

Hyperbole: The food was so good it got time off for behavior.

Understatement: The food was tolerable.

Situation: Viewing a NASCAR race.

Hyperbole: The car was so fast I heard a sonic boom.

Understatement: The cars drove at a fair clip.

Authors use hyperbole and understatement in both fiction and non-fiction writing, however it is safe to say that the use of hyperbole is much more widely used. Hyperbole is often used excessively and may not be as clever for the reader as we imagined when we devised the hyperbolic line.

As with almost everything in life the use of hyperbole and understatement are best used in moderation. The use of hyperbole may help define a character in a storyline but there is a significant amount of hyperbole that has been relegated to colloquialism and often becomes clich

Indispensable elements of a powerful law essay

July 26, 2009 - 8:08 am

The law essay is one of the most frequently assigned types of the essays in colleges and universities. In spite of the fact that some of tutors provide their student with detailed and comprehensive instructions on how to design and write this type of the essay, many students still face huge problems in the completion of it. Here we provide with some of the most useful, tips on how to organize and compose the law essay.

One of the most common mistakes made by students in the composition of this type of the essay is that main question has not been addressed. Before you start writing this type of the essay, you should develop coherent and comprehensive plan. Try to avoid the generalities and stick to specific facts; logical and critical analysis is extremely important inn the completion of this type of the essay paper. You should not just provide your reader with the list of facts; one must analyze them as well. Apart from this, the main points and assertions of this type of the essay must be backed up by legal facts and footnotes to specific laws. Before you start composing your essay it might be advisable to look though some of the legal articles in order to gain the understating of current legal controversies and certainly to explore how your essay can be completed. Nevertheless you should not succumb to particular point of view, rather you should stress your own, do not be afraid if it differs from the assertion of modern scholars-remember that in legal profession law is always universally obeyed but it is rarely universally liked.

Yet, nevertheless, your law essay is likely to get high marks only if the topic as well as the subject is thoroughly researched and critically analyzed. Try to understand the main points of the arguments of your opponents, focusing on weak and strong points of their contentions. In developing and designing of your arguments stick to several important elements, the most important of which are logical and well-structured style and presenting of strong points in the supporting of your main thesis. In many cases the students try to compose some paper imbued with generalities and platitudes. Such papers might serve as the basic guide for general public, but they would be useless in presenting them to experienced and skilled law tutor. Remember that he is a professional in legal studies and would lie to receive the assignment which critically evaluate existing law problems, rather than informing about basic facts on well-known legal issues. If you follow these simple yet frequently forgotten rules you will bale to write the essay that met the standards set by modern law schools.

Writing Resources: 7 Books For Improving Your Manuscript

July 25, 2009 - 4:26 pm

Whether a crawling novice or polished professional, writers from every walk of life have room for improvement in their work. An endless array of rules and techniques must be kept in mind when writing &ndash punctuation, grammar, transition, show don’t tell, etc. As a result, it’s extremely important to have a firm grasp on the fundamentals. By stressing the fundamentals, coaches and trainers have transformed individuals of modest talent into world class competitors. Why should writing be any different? Focus on the fundamentals and success will follow.

Below is a list of seven books I believe every writer should read and re-read. Some of these books focus on writing fiction. But even if your exclusive domain is as a nonfiction writer, you can benefit enormously from the tips in these books. Remember, the best writers show instead of tell. And there’s no better way to paint a vivid picture in the mind of a reader than by employing some of the basic principles of fiction writing. So keep an open mind. And if you long to improve your writing skills, devour these books with the utmost enthusiasm.

The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White

A classic moving into its eighth decade, The Elements of Style should be second only to the dictionary in the life of a writer. In a clear and concise manner, it spells out the rules of usage, explains the principles of composition, provides commentary on matters of form, and gives twenty-one ground rules for creating written words that harbor universal appeal.

The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman

Written by a successful literary agent, The First Five Pages speaks directly to writers aspiring to see their words appear in print. The author stresses the importance of not only the first five pages, but the first five words. The book teaches writers how to refine a manuscript so that it’s an instant attention-grabber &ndash one that hooks not only agents and editors, but the end reader himself.

The Plot Thickens by Noah Lukeman

Lukeman’s follow-up book, The Plot Thickens promises “8 ways to bring fiction to life”. And if you follow the rules in this book, your fiction writing will improve dramatically. Lukeman explains that great fiction is more than just a good storyline. Great fiction stems from well-developed characters, motivations, suspense, and conflict.

How to Write a Damn Good Novel by James Frey

A classic bestseller that caters to the aspiring fiction writer, How to Write a Damn Good Novel delivers on its promise to provide “a step-by-step no nonsense guide to dramatic storytelling”. Author James Frey creates an A-to-Z, easy-to-follow roadmap for success in fiction by stressing the fundamentals of excellent writing.

On Writing by Stephen King

Written more as “a memoir of the craft” than a “how to” book, Stephen King’s On Writing provides readers with a unique glimpse into the mind and work habits of one of the bestselling writers of all-time. How many “how to” books can do that? Trust me on this one, you’re bound to find a few tips you can apply to your own writing.

Stein on Writing by Sol Stein

As editor to some of the most successful authors of the 20th Century, and a bestselling author himself, Sol Stein provides valuable insight into the secrets of the trade. Each chapter is a brief lesson on how to improve at least one aspect of your work. Stein even provides a chapter titled “Using the Techniques of Fiction to Enhance Nonfiction”. This is an excellent resource for writers.

How to Grow a Novel by Sol Stein

In this book, Stein focuses more on the fiction writer and the specific process of writing a novel. But writers from every walk of life can benefit as Stein explores common mistakes of writers and offers a blueprint for bringing a story to life.

Commit to memory the principles espoused in these books, and your writing skills will improve by leaps and bounds. You’ll experience success in almost every area of your life due to your improved ability to communicate. So what are you waiting for? Start reading now!

Writing An A+ Resume For Teachers

July 24, 2009 - 6:32 pm

When you think of a teacher, you think of someone who is very well educated and knows how to pretty much do everything. They know how to read well, draw well, deal with kids well, and deal with parents of kids even better. Most importantly they know how to write well. The idea that a teacher might have a problem writing cover letter is unthinkable. Lo and behold, you’re a teacher and you have no idea where to begin with your cover letter.

First, try not to panic. Essentially a cover letter for teachers serves the same purpose as a cover letter for someone applying to a job at American Express. It is there to get your foot in the door for that interview. A teacher’s cover letter just needs to have a little more flair than your average cover letter. Having an A+ cover is the key to getting your resume read. The cover letter won’t get you the job, but it gives your resume a chance to be read. Read on to get some points on writing an A+ cover letter.

Writing an A+ cover letter for a teacher is a little more challenging than writing a cover letter for any other job. These cover letters need to stand out a little more than the norm because of the stiff completion for teaching positions. Teaching positions are limited, so when one does open up it’s like the mall rush on black Friday. Most of the time a teaching position arises once a year like Christmas. Usually you will only get one shot at a job. These cover letters have to really prove you are better than all the rest and have a real passion for what you do.

So what makes up an A+ cover letter? First and foremost it has to be grammatically correct and have no spelling errors. While it’s a good idea for any cover letter to follow this, it is essential for a teacher’s cover letter to implement this. Second, make sure you are accurate on the name of the person whose attention the letter goes to and make sure you has the school’s name in there. Take it a step further and research that school. Include points about the school and say why you want to be employed there. This works wonders because it shows you have a real interest in the school.

To write an A+ cover letter for a teacher, another one of the biggest things that needs to come across in your cover letter is how skilled and capable you are at shaping young minds. This should be included because let’s face it; this is going to be your job. A teacher is one of the most important jobs out there. It’s also one of the toughest and your cover letter needs to reflect that you are up for that challenge. Your cover letter should also include how passionate you are about your work and what impact you are having on the future. An A+ resume can include your emotions. Especially how passionate you are about your career and how much it means to you.

Lastly, you have to have creativity. While with an everyday cover letter, you shouldn’t pay too much attention to fancy fonts, page styles etc etc. When it comes to a teacher’s cover letter these details can be the difference between your resume and the one after you. Your cover letter’s style should be adventurous, bold and even a tiny bit daring. Take the initiative of being creative. You want to grab their attention from the beginning and show you how creative you are. When it comes to a teacher’s cover letter, you can go that extra mile and be adventurous, be bold, but know where to draw the line. You do not need to have pictures of stars all over your cover letter to get noticed.

Lastly, please don’t forget that the whole point of the cover letter it to get your foot in the door. So don’t forget to give them an easy way to reach out to you. How can they bring you in for an interview if they have no way to get in touch with you? You can take it a step further and reach out to them. Offer to follow up with them in a few days and make sure you follow up. Again, you are taking the initiative and that is a key characteristic in teachers.

Being a teacher is such demanding yet fulfilling career. You can understand why schools are so picky. If you have a great resume, and the determination to be a great teacher, why risk having your resume passed over? Having an A+ cover letter is a surefire way to get your foot right into that door.

What Kind Of Things Do Successful Headlines Offer?

July 23, 2009 - 9:57 am

making similar claims, find a unique, underused advantage and base your headline on this particular point. Doing so gives you an authentic and original position in the minds of your consumers.

Simplify life by offering a solution that’s both quick and easy to apply. With time being the most precious current resource, anytime you can offer a time saving bonus feature in your headline, you should do so. Your prospects and customers work long and hard. They’re pulled this way and that way. By the end of the day, they’re exhausted &ndash physically and mentally.

Now imagine your prospect scouring the Internet for information on a particular topic. Various solutions are available but most require an investment of time and energy, something that’s in short supply. Suddenly, your headline leaps off the screen, offering a near-instant solution that’s virtually effort free. Your headline is too tempting to ignore. So your prospect is captivated from the start… giving you a much better chance of making the sale.

Now if you can guarantee a particular result, that’s even better. But if you’re going to mention your guarantee in the headline, it should be a powerful, ‘no holds barred’ type of guarantee — a guarantee with teeth.

In short…

The most important thing a headline delivers is a relevant benefit — preferably a benefit no one else can match. Add fast action, convenience and a guarantee.

Big New Benefit + Quick & Easy Solution + Guaranteed Results = Powerful and Appealing Headline

Here are a few examples of strong headlines with a combination of appeals:

“How To Create Your Own Hot, Best-Selling Information Product On Your Favorite Subject In Less Than 3 Hours &ndash Guaranteed 100%!”

“Want To Write Copy That Can Make You Rich? Here’s My GUARANTEED, Market-Tested, A-Z Formula For Writing Words That SELL — Plus $979 Worth Of FREE BONUSES — If You’re One Of The First 47 People To Respond To This One-Time-Only Offer!”

“Sell More Suits At Full Price TODAY Than You’ve Ever Sold In A Single Day Before! Remarkable Quick New ABC Technique Fills Your Store With Customers Eager To Buy More Suits, Shirts, Dress Pants, and Ties Than Ever… And At Full Price &ndash Guaranteed!”

Tips For Dealing With Used Car Repair Shops

July 22, 2009 - 7:36 am

Communication is the key to a successful result when dealing with used car repair shops. The first, and most important, aspect is for the car owner to be prepared to explain the problem in detail. It may be helpful to have an idea when the problem first began and whether it is a constant or sporadic occurrence. The technicians at the used car repair shop will be able to better understand the problem and possibly locate it faster with the help of the car owner. For instance, if the problem is most noticeable when the brakes are applied or during acceleration, this will be important information for the used car repair shop.

While explaining the automobile’s problem to a used car repair shop, it will be ideal if the car owner could provide a written list of the symptoms that their car is experiencing. It is also important that the car owner not suggest a remedy, but rather allow the used car repair shop technician to diagnose the problem and offer a suggested course of action to repair the problem. The technician is a professional who is knowledgeable with cars and what to look for, so it will not make the process any quicker if the car owner is suggesting a remedy before the technician has had an opportunity to inspect the car.

The car owner should not be embarrassed to ask questions or request more detailed information regarding automotive terms. There is truth in the adage that indicates, “there is no such thing as a stupid question.” While it is important to ask plenty of questions, it is equally important for a car owner to refrain from demanding an immediate diagnosis. It is best for the owner to leave a telephone number, at which he/she may be contacted, with the used car repair shop. The best idea is to request an update, cost estimate and approximate time of completion prior to the actual work beginning.

If the used car repair shop informs the car owner that new equipment must be installed, the owner should inquire about warranties and any available guarantee. If either exists, the information should be provided in writing and a copy given to the car owner for his/her records. It is also a good idea to inquire about payment options. Some used car repair shops may allow their customers to make convenient monthly payments after the work has been done, while many require immediate payment in the form of cash, money order, check or credit card.