8 Advantages to Writing a Book as an Entrepreneur

8 Advantages to Writing a Book as an Entrepreneur
by: Denise Hamilton


As an aspiring or an established entrepreneur, you are an expert in something, but does the rest of the world know? You have a wealth of information, experience and knowledge that you can package into a book that will benefit others. This truly is the information age and people want to know what you know.

1. A book will give you unbelievable credibility which increases the respect you will receive from customers and business associates. Wouldn’t you be more likely to purchase widgets from the business person who wrote the book on widgets? New customers are more likely to take advice from, or purchase the services/products from, an established author. Many consultants increase the levels of their business simply by writing a book on their area of expertise.

2. The typical business person might run into roadblocks when seeking media recognition and publicity for their product or service because the media tend to see this kind of exposure as advertising. However, books receive exposure in the form of reviews or features all the time. Books make great print stories and authors make great featured guests on radio and television shows. Sure beats pulling together an advertising budget.

3. Writing a book gives you instant expert status. If you wrote the book, you are now seen as the authority on that subject by others. And you are! You will have now proven that you know what you’re talking about. You will show, in writing, that you know your business area inside and out.

4. Most entrepreneurs love to hear that publishing a book can easily lead to increased fees. People will pay more to work with an established expert then someone who seems less established in a business. Your book has just given you instant added credentials. It would be nice to add “author of…” behind your name, wouldn’t it?

5. If you are not already a consultant, a book along with your proven expert status could bring you new consulting opportunities where you can bill for your time to educate, speak to and work with other companies and individuals helping them succeed through what you know.

6. If you have a service business or you are selling products already, a book will allow you to add a product to your existing business. Expanding your line is never a bad thing and will open up all kinds of doors in your marketing plan.

7. If you aren’t already on the internet (and you should be, but that’s another article), you can add online marketing to your marketing plan with your book. There are loads of places to sell your book online and having an information product to offer will give you a second stream of revenue with huge potential.

8. Expanding your marketing opportunities and focusing on opportunities for residual income is what you should be focusing on as an entrepreneur. Quit trading your hours for dollars and start working smarter.

Your own book will be a complement and a supplement to your current business. It will also mean an additional source of revenue added to your bottom line. I’d be willing to bet that you’ve thought of writing a book at some point in your career. Almost every single person has. Use your passion. Take your knowledge, package it and sell it. People are willing to pay for what you already know.

About The Author

Copyright Denise Hamilton (2004)

Denise Hamilton is VP Sales for Ink Tree Ltd. Ink Tree Ltd. provides authors and publishers with innovative opportunities to maximize success. If there is a book inside you – profit from it. Learn everything you need to guide you from Idea to Book… to Success – the fast, easy, simple way. Publish your own book with one-on-one expert help from publishing professionals who have created numerous bestsellers and sold hundreds of thousands of books.
http://www.inktreemarketing.com
Http://www.moneyinpublishing.com
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info@inktreemarketing.com
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Seven Compelling Reasons to Get Your Name on a Book Cover

Seven Compelling Reasons to Get Your Name on a Book Cover
by: Michelle McGee-Jones


Have you ever considered writing a book? If so, maybe you’ve already established firmly in mind your exact purpose for becoming an author. Your reasons may match one or more of those below. Or perhaps you could add yours to the list. Nevertheless, with some 65,000 books being published in the United States yearly, there is overwhelming attraction to joining the ranks of authors.



Reason 1: Renown- Did you know that Martha Stewart (“Entertaining”), Harvey McKay (“Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive”), and Tom Peters (“In Search of Excellence”), were virtually unknown until they became authors? It’s no wonder. Authoring a book heightens your credibility, elevates your prestige and dubs you an expert. It could open the door to television, radio, and newspaper interviews. (You will, however, have to get out there and stimulate media attention). Having a book with your name on it may also attract public speaking engagements and other business opportunities. It affords you a chance to bask in the spotlight!

Reason 2: Wealth- Certainly not every book brings its author riches, but some do. In his book, "Damn! Why Didn’t I Write That?" Marc McCutcheon lists 71 titles that sold 1 million or more copies, some many more, not to mention the multitude of books that sold tens and hundreds of thousands of copies. Yours could be added to the list. Of course it’s going to take a hot topic, an attention-grabbing title, a well-written book and some strategic marketing, but the effort is going to be worth it.

Reason 3: Legacy- Depending on how good your book is, it may be read by generations to come. Your descendants, whom you may never see, may come to know you by your work. Family photographs are fine. They show the person. A book, however, shows what’s inside the person: their knowledge, findings, experiences, and beliefs. Let your book be their heritage – and a legacy for readers everywhere.

Reason 4: Heroism- As a result of having read a book, people have saved their marriages, improved their health, fixed their finances, boosted their self-esteem, beautified their homes, gotten their souls redeemed, lost weight, roared with laughter, become better lovers, developed their computer skills. Books have improved businesses, inspired dreams, polished parenting abilities, brought history to life, and incited million dollar ideas. The list goes on and on. Your book is undoubtedly going to make a contribution too and it’s no telling the impact it is going to have.

Reason 5: Personal Fulfillment- God put each of us here on earth for a purpose. That is, we each have unique gifts and abilities for which we cannot truly feel complete until we have used them. In setting out to have a book written, you have almost certainly developed a passion about whatever it is that you want to communicate. Good. Your passions reveal something about what your talents are. But until you actually get those words out, you may continually have that nudging. You are a unique being with something that only you can say. Have a book written and you will be well on the way to fulfilling your life purpose.

Reason 6: Adventure- Even if you, as a collaborator, are only casually involved in producing your book, the experience is an exploration into uncharted territory. It’s quite likely that you and your ghost may come across amazing facts about your chosen topic that you were previously unaware of. You may unexpectedly meet people who could be valuable to your research or to the sales of your book. Even in the process of marketing a book, your tour may lead to exotic places. Being an author could very well be -- in a nutshell -- fun.

Reason 7: Economic Boost- Because a horde of people will be involved in the writing, publishing, sales and distribution of your book, you can take pride in the fact that your book is contributing to the wealth of the nation. That’s especially significant in times of mass layoffs, rising taxes, and poverty. I applaud you!

There you have it – seven surefire reasons to become an author, a worthy investment in your business, your career, your life and the lives of your readers.

About The Author

Michelle McGee-Jones is a freelance business writer, marketing consultant and workshop conductor. She is the author of “The Art of Hiring Someone to Write Your Book: A Step by Step Guide to Successfully Collaborating.” The book is available for $9.95 plus shipping by calling toll free 1-800-673-5771 or by ordering online at Amazon.com. Copyright © 2004 Michelle McGee-Jones. All rights reserved. This article may be freely reprinted provided this entire byline is included.
mmcgee@cseop.org
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I'm Just The Writer

Let's read a story about a writer. Let's see what's his dilemma.

I'm Just The Writer
by: Stephen Schochet


Writers are often are greatly surprised or disappointed by how their work is changed when it is adapted for the big screen. When Irwin Shaw's World War II novel The Young Lions was shot in Paris in 1958, the Nazi character was played by Marlon Brando. Ever the method actor, Brando provoked an uproar by strutting around town in his SS uniform, even going into restaurants to dine. The thirty three year old star was unsure if the Parisians ripping his clothes were doing it out of adulation or disdain. Like most actors Brando wanted to be loved and he took his concern to Shaw that the Nazi be made sympathetic. "You just don't understand the character", Brando told the amazed writer. "It's my character," replied Shaw. "Not anymore", replied the actor.

Some writers grow resigned to their voices being lost. George S. Kaufman wrote the screenplay for the Marx Brother's comedy Animal Crackers in 1930. He attended rehearsals and realized that nothing Groucho, Chico and Harpo were doing resembled his original draft. He watched as the director Victor Heerman was driven to distraction by the brothers showing up late, placing bets on horses, playing the stock market and never sticking to the script. Heeman literally threatened to imprison them in cages till they behaved. Kaufman took it in stride falling asleep through much of the tomfoolery. At one point the writer woke up with a start and shouted," Oh my God! I thought I heard one of my lines."

A few years ago comedy playwright Neil Simon announced he was moving from Los Angeles to New York. In Los Angeles he was isolated in his car all the time and he felt it is was hurting his writing. Better to be in New York where you walked everywhere and met people. His departure may have been hastened by writing and showing up to the set of The Marrying Man (1991). He got to witness Kim Basinger holding up the production with tardiness, temper tantrums and her much publicized love affair with co-star Alec Baldwin. Simon was humiliated when she held up her copy of the script and stated for all to hear," Whoever wrote this knows nothing about comedy!" The Odd Couple writer was too insulted to help fix the plot problems and the picture bombed.

Some writers are amazed to see their words turn into movie reality. When Margaret Mitchell (1900 -1949) was a young girl in Atlanta, various relatives took her on tours of Confederate battle sites, describing the Civil War so vividly that she imagined she was part of it. It took her ten years to write the text for Gone With The Wind which she scribbled on yellow legal pads, shoving them under her couch when friends would come over to visit her. The best-seller was turned into a movie in 1939 and Mitchell showed up in Hollywood for the fiming of Scarlett O'Hara (Vivian Leigh) nursing wounded soldiers at the Atlanta railway station. The author was overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of the scene. "My God", she told producer David O. Selznick. "If we would have had this many soldiers we would have won the war."

Some writers have strong ideas about who should play their characters. Novelist Tom Clancy was initially unhappy with the fifty year old Harrison Ford cast as the thirty something CIA agent Jack Ryan in Patriot Games (1992) and Clear And Present Danger (1994). He also berated the actor for suggesting plot changes to his stories. Ford angrily retorted that writers who sell their work to the big screen have to expect it to be changed, otherwise don't sell it. After the two films did great at the box office, Clancy hinted that he would be willing to bury the hatchet to get Ford to star in the next Jack Ryan installment, The Sum Of All Fears (eventually made with Ben Affleck in 2002). Ford demurred by saying," Maybe when I'm sixty."

Sometimes stars are better off just following the writer's instincts. Lou Holtz Jr. was disappointed that Jim Carrey brought in a team of writers to change his lighthearted script The Cable Guy (1996) into a dark tale about stalking. Despite Carrey winning the MTV award for best villain, the movie was panned by critics, led to several executives being fired at Sony pictures and became known in Hollywood as "The Straight To Cable Guy".

About The Author

Stephen Schochet is the author and narrator of the audiobooks Fascinating Walt Disney and Tales Of Hollywood. The Saint Louis Post Dispatch says," these two elaborate productions are exceptionally entertaining." Hear realaudio samples of these great, unique gifts at www.hollywoodstories.com.
orgofhlly@aol.com >>Read more...

Vital Verbs

Vital Verbs
by: Joseph E. Wright

Remember back in the dark days of your school years when you had to learn the parts of speech? A noun is the name of a person, place, or thing. When asked what a verb was, you smugly answered, A verb is a word that indicates action, or some such definition. Fine. You got that straight. Since then, you've uttered or written verbs in the hundreds of thousands.

Verbs are great words. They enable us to describe actions or states of being or feelings we'd be hard pressed to convey without them. "John outside the house. John inside the house. John in bed." Primitive, to say the least. With the help of verbs, we can say, "John came home and went directly to bed." Still, if verbs are indispensable in our speech and in our writing, why do we neglect them so?

Yes, we neglect them terribly. There are countless verbs just sitting in our dictionaries that are rarely taken out and used, seldom get to feel themselves flowing out of our mouths or proudly sitting on the paper on which we write. You have to feel sorry for them.

Why are they neglected? You can blame it on the nouns and adjectives. They're the real culprits. We can't express a worthwhile thought without a noun. Without a noun (or pronoun), how do we indicate the very subject we are talking/writing about? In the example above, without nouns, you'd have, "outside the," "inside the," and "in ." It wouldn't make any sense.

Adjectives we can sometimes live without, but for the most part we have been brainwashed since those same school days to use adjectives. As writers, we use them extensively, carefully choosing, then eliminating, then choosing again, until we feel we have the perfect adjectives to describe our protagonist, our settings, our emotions. I suspect much of your time as a writer is devoted to being so very particular in the adjectives you use. That's great. That's important.

To get back to the poor, neglected verbs. Oh, we use them all right. We use the few hundred (if that many) in our vocabulary. We use what we need, we use the ones we're comfortable with, we use the same old, tired, hackneyed verbs day in and day out. What are those verbs? They're the dead verbs. The ones which may tell others that something happened, but never tell anything more than that, never give the reader an image of a special kind of action.

Let's go back to the example above. I used two verbs, "came" and "went." All those two verbs tell you is that John was no longer outside his house, and is now in his bed. What if I had said, "John flew though the front door and dashed upstairs to his bed."? You get a picture: for whatever reason, John was in a hurry. How about this: "John staggered through the front door and crawled up the stairs to his bed." Do you get the impression John is intoxicated or sick or injured?

Let's try a few other simple examples. "Mary entered the room" vs. "Mary glided into the room" or "Mary stumbled into the room" or "Mary inched her way into the room." Each of these paints a picture of more than mere transference of locale.

It's cruel for your heroes and villains to be limited to listless verbs. These characters are the very essence of your action. They should barge into, seldom just come into; they may sometimes snarl, snap, snicker, smirk, or shout, instead of just say; they're also able to punch, plunder, pillage, plow under, or pelt, but seldom merely touch. Even your minor characters should be as colorful in their actions. Just because they are not the stars of your masterpiece doesn't mean they don't play important and exciting parts. Charles Dickens knew that probably better than any other writer. His most minor characters are sometimes as unforgettable as his major players.

A suggestion: On the following list of dead verbs, notice the alternatives:
action: walk
alternatives: stroll, amble, jog, dash, sprint, stagger,
action: lie (down)
alternatives: sprawl, lounge, curl up, stretch out
action: say
alternatives: mumble, stutter, spew, shout, protest
action: look
alternatives: scan, squint, glare, study
You get the idea.

Now, try this. Go to something you've written recently. Scan through and pick out a number of dead verbs. You know the kind, the ones which just sit there and don't tell you much of anything about the action. Try replacing them with verbs which tell the reader precisely what just happened. Reread, and you'll see how your writing comes out of its coma, and begins to take on a new, interesting life.

Finally, keep in mind that in writing as in all of life, moderation and common sense should prevail. Don't have your work look like a thesaurus, using every verb ever conceived. This is especially true in sentences where you use other descriptive words. Don't let your heroine always float into a room, squeal with delight, or wither others with her sarcasm. The villains should not always bluster, rampage, or bulldoze. Remember, there are plenty of times when it's preferable for your characters to merely say, just come or go, or quietly nod, but use enough real action verbs to add color to your writing, and use them when appropriate. Those poor, listless verbs do, after all, serve a purpose, and that purpose is to vitalize your other verbs.

copyright Joseph E. Wright

Joseph E. Wright is the author of Tales from the Wrecktory (http://www.metropolisink.com}, The Bodies Out Back (A Murder Mystery) and The Remigrants (Those who come back from the dead), both published by http://www.booksunbound.com. His writing has appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.

About The Author

Joseph E. Wright was born and wemt to school in New England and later moved to Philadelphia. He considers Philly his home town.

Joe grew up addicted to the British cozies of Christie and Sayres and the American counterparts of Queen and Stout. He was a fan of the film noir of Hammett and Chandler.

His first published novel, Memorandum of a Murder (Manor Books) confirmed his determination to become a writer. A short story of his appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.

While writing, Joe had to make a living, which he did in many ways. One period of his life, he lived in a dark, rambling, nineteenth century rectory in downtown Philadelphia. It inspired his Tales from the Wrecktory (MetropolisInk) which appeared last year.

Somewhat different from the whodunit style of novel, Joe's The Remigrants, the story of those who return from the dead, is currently in the editorial stage.

The Bodies Out Back is the first in a completed trilogy starring Pat Montgomary and Phillis Toner. The next two, The Maris Cove Murders and Aisle of the Dead should be published this coming year.

Joe and his life partner spend most of the year in sunny Florida.

glpjew@excite.com
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How to Come Up with Fresh Story Ideas

If you were facing a dead end in your story, I hope this post will help you. :)

How to Come Up with Fresh Story Ideas
by: Caterina Christakos

How to Come Up with Fresh Story Ideas When Your Well has Been Tapped Dry

When I face the desolate impossibility of writing 500 pages, a sick sense of failure falls on me, and I know I can never do it. Then gradually, I write one page and then another. One day’s works is all I can permit myself to contemplate.

—John Steinbeck

I know that it seems easier to make that extra pot of coffee, read that good book, that you have had in storage for the last ten years, and suddenly decide to make the kids that Halloween costume by hand, than it can be to make yourself sit down and write. Believe me, I have been there.

Here are some brainstorming techniques to get your brain pumping again and churning out ideas.

1) If you are having trouble coming up with characters or even a story line, try developing an action scene. One good scene to kick off your book can get the rest flowing. Develop the characters and story line around that scene.

2) Come up with a problem to solve. Is your main character the class clown or the brainiest kid in school. What type of problem would your character face in his or her normal life? Write your story around the problem and a unique way of solving it.

3)For character development use common sense. Use what is in front of you.

Look at your family and friends and see if they remind you of anything. My first Shakespearean teacher reminded me of a caveman or a husky walrus because of his whiskers. Does your Uncle Arthur have whiskers, wear glasses, and walk with a little bit of a waddle? Turn him into a know it all beaver or a store clerk, at a bookstore that sells books that you can actually climb into and live out an adventure.

Does your sister have a talent for jumping rope and blowing bubbles, with purple bubble gum? Maybe the heroine for your next book could do the same.Is their a kid in your neighborhood that is always getting into trouble? Hmm, do you think that the creator of Dennis the Mennis might have known one?

You can use your family and friend’s talents and their physical characteristics to come up with tons of characters. One hint though- if you choose to make Uncle Charlie a slug or Aunt Emma a rhinoceros, keep it to yourself. They may not be thrilled with their induction into literary history.

Inspiration is all around you, waiting for you to reach out and grab for your next storyline or character. Use stories from the news, jokes that your neighbors tell you, the quirky things that your dog Buster does in the morning.

One final word - stop criticizing what you have written down. In these first stages, no one cares if you have misspelled words or if your grammar isn’t perfect. Just write. The rest will follow, after your story is done.

About The Author

Caterina Christakos is the author of How to Write a Children's Book in 30 Days or Less. To get more writing tips please go to: http://www.howtowriteachildrensbook.com
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Editing Secrets

Editing Secrets
by: Laura Backes

Once you've plotted out your book, developed the characters and written the last word of text, the real work begins. As busy editors are bombarded with hundreds or even thousands of submissions a year, it's more important than ever that authors apply their own editing skills to their manuscripts before putting them in the mail. Checking your basic grammar and spelling are of course important, but authors need to go beyond surface editing if their work has a chance of catching an editor's eye.

* Trim, tighten, hack away. First, second and even third drafts of manuscripts are almost always laden with extra words and scenes. Take a break from your book and then read it through with a fresh eye. Write down your theme in one sentence (what the book is about, such as working through shyness on the first day of school or showing how Thomas Edison's childhood experiences influenced his adult life). The plot (or progression of facts and events in nonfiction) is your vehicle for conveying the theme to the reader. Ask yourself if each character and scene advance the plot toward communicating this theme. And decide at the beginning that you will give up your precious words and finely-crafted scenes for the betterment of the book. Pithy dialogue may be fun to read, but if it pushes your story off track, it's just a literary dead end. Take the publishers' suggested word limits seriously: no, you don't really need 3000 words to tell your picture book story about Freddy the Frog's adventures in the Big Pond.

* The elements of speech. Well-crafted dialogue can be a writer's most important tool. Dialogue is not just there to break up the paragraphs or show that your characters know how to talk; ideally, it adds to character development, moves the plot along and replaces sections of narrative. Each character should sound like himself, with speech patterns and phrasing that are unique. This is especially true with talking animal books. I see many of these manuscripts where, if I took away the words that identify the speakers, each character would sound exactly the same. Don't have dialogue repeat the narrative and vice versa; "Did you hear that? Someone's at the door!" does not have to be preceded by "They heard a sound at the door".

* Show don't tell. How many times have you heard this? It's still true. Comb through your manuscript for sentences that tell the reader how a character felt (Sara was sad) and replace with sensory descriptions (Hot tears sprang to Sara's eyes and rolled down her cheeks.) Avoid telling the reader what to think about the story (Jason foolishly decided to trust Mike one more time.) Instead, present your character's actions and decisions to the reader, and let the reader draw his or her own conclusions (incidentally, this is how you "teach" without preaching).

* Wipe out passive writing. Search for verbs preceded by "would" (would go, would sleep, would eat) replace with the past tense (went, slept, ate). Also look for actions that seem to happen out of thin air. "The door was opened" is passive, because the sentence lacks a "doer". Remember, the reader needs to visualize what's happening in the story. "The wind blew the door open" is better, because the action can be attributed to something, and it puts the most important element (strong wind) at the beginning of the sentence. Simply rearranging the words ("The door blew open from the wind") puts emphasis on a door that won't stay closed, making that the subject of the sentence.

* Be precise. One of the best ways to make your writing come alive for the reader is to use exact nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs. One well-chosen word is always better than three vague ones. Adjectives like big, little, cold, hot, beautiful, scary and silly; adverbs such as quickly, slowly, loudly, and softly; and general verbs like walk, went, stayed and ate don't draw a vivid picture for your reader. Of course, sometimes these words are appropriate, but try as a rule choosing words that describe specifically what you want to communicate. Words that sound and look interesting are also a plus. Tremendous, tiny, frigid, scorching, plodded, sauntered and gulped are more fun to read, and they each lend an emotional overtone to the sentence (if your character gulps his food, you don't have to tell the reader he's in a hurry).

And finally, make sure there's a logical cause and effect relationship between the scenes of your book. Each event should build upon the ones that came before. The plot should spring intrinsically from your characters; nonfiction should unfold because of the nature of your subject and your slant on the material. It's when everything comes seamlessly together that you have a winning book. Make it look easy, but don't skimp on all the hard work it takes to get there.

About The Author

Laura Backes is the publisher of Children's Book Insider, the Newsletter for Children's Writers. For more information about writing children's books, including free articles, market tips, insider secrets and much more, visit Children's Book Insider's home on the web at http://write4kids.com

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An Inside Look at Proofreading

by: Donna Sweat

This is the ideal topic for us all to think about. We do it everyday, especially those of us that use the Internet the majority of the time. Web pages, business letters, articles, news releases, documentation and most certainly, advertisements.

I have at times found myself proofreading our local newspaper..and suspect their proofreader isn't necessarily paying attention to his or her work. I have found scores of web sites with the same problem. Terrible spelling and common grammatical errors are high on the list. Of course, some of us do not pay attention to these little details, but entrepreneurs look for imperfections in a web page.

Do we all know how to proofread? Not necessarily. Looking for misspelled words is scarcely enough to polish your workmanship and neither is applying capital letters where needed.

I am touching the surface with the most common proofreading DO's. You might think a little differently the next time you do the job.

1] Always proofread when you are at your daily peak. In other words, do not try it, if you are sleepy or distracted.You will definitely miss a number of errors. Proofreading requires concentration.

2] Read the selection through and then read it aloud. Read it to a friend and have them read it to you. Read it backwards..that's what I said. You'll be amazed at the errors in spelling you will encounter.

3] Use your computer's spell checker,but do not rely on it.Often, there are times the checker will find errors but the word meaning is different, such as "there" and "their". Use a dictionary to be sure of the correct meaning of a word. 4] The thesaurus is helpful,but again the range of words are limited,a book offers a broader list. Your choice of words does make a difference when others read what you have to offer, so go ahead and be choosy.

5] Be sure all beginning letters of a sentence are capitalized.Names of importance, within the sentence are a must to remember.

6] Look for sentence fragments, run ons and match subjects with verbs.

7] Check those simple small words, such as: of, it, in, is,for, be, and I.[I, should be a capital, regardless of where it is.]

Other important points in addition to the ones above are included below. These are not to be excluded and you may think this is a lot of unnecessary work, but isn't your piece important. You wouldn't be writing it, if it wasn't.

1] Do you have enough ideas incorporated into your selection?

2] Be sure you are not wandering away from the thesis.

3] Are you proving your point and is it interesting?

4] Is the content in order and does it flow smoothly?

5] Answer the following questions when you are proofreading.
A. Who?
B. What?
C. Where?
D. When?
E. Why?
If one of these are missing, then you need to go back and revise.

All of the above tips for proofreading are of the upmost importance even on a web page of your web site. The following tips are also helpful in the finishing touches of your site.

1] Start your inspection by checking to make sure all links work.

2] Look at the text and see if it is readable. If you can't see it,others cannot read it. The background may not be suitable.

3] Verify that all your information is up to date.

4] Is all the information in a sensible order, and delete or add information.

5] Use the scroll bar on the side to view one line at a time, either from the bottom or top. I find this very useful when reading, etc.

Proofreading has a nature of time consumption and if you do not have the time, find someone that does. It will boost your sales and your site will have a look of a professional.

I am not a professional and never claim to be, but I will proofread the following types of content, sent by email if you want a little help. I am not charging a enormous fee for the service. I have an Associate Degree in Accounting, and extensive courses in English, Business Communications, Ethics, and Public Speaking.

About The Author

Copyright © Donna Sweat
Publisher/Editor
Dee's Helpful Info. Newsletter
dsweat.bizland.com
donna@sosbbs.com
New Albany, Pa. >>Read more...

The Secret “Why” For Writing

by: Gary Crow


"The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error." -- John Stuart Mill

When to write? Where to write? What to write? How to write? These four simple questions prompt enough complexity in their answers to fill articles and magazines, books and libraries. They stimulate enough interest and mental energy to fuel casual discussions and writers' groups, conferences and university courses. They hint at profound mysteries and hidden wisdom, secrets known only by the literary elite, the potential for sudden insight and heretofore elusive discoveries.

We think about these questions. We dream about them. We talk about them. We listen. We read. We ponder and then we try to push the questions away so we can focus on the hundred more important things we absolutely have to do. We try and then there we go again. We think about these questions. We dream about them. We….

Is this behavior normal? Is our preoccupation with when, where, what, and how within the acceptable range so we don't have to guard against others learning our little secret? Sad but true. It's definitely not normal and is so unimportant that it falls far outside any range of interest to most people so it doesn't even make it on the scale where acceptable and unacceptable issues are considered.

I randomly stopped twelve people and posed the questions to them. When should one write? Where should one write? What should one write? How should one write? Three just stared, shook their heads, and walked away. Four didn't bother to shake their heads. That left five, two of whom asked, "What are you talking about?" Of the remaining three, two said, "Whatever," and the one still seeming interested thought for a few seconds and said, "It would be easier to just leave a voice mail. Why do you want to write anything?"

Why? Why do I want to write anything? Here I am worrying, nigh obsessing, about when, where, what, and how and then the one person in a dozen asks why. How frustrating is that? What do I say to someone who thinks that leaving a voice mail is preferable to writing? It might work if I can write the message and then read it onto the voice mail, but maybe not.

It's tempting to dismiss the why question as the query of an idiot but, of course, it is much more fun to write about it and certainly we all know about the attraction of fun. Let's take another pass at those four questions and add the why question to the list just for fun.

I'll take a few editorial liberties with the questions since it's my piece and we all know about editors and their taking liberties. I'll start with what to write. The best advice as measured by how many times I have read it is to write about what you know. An alternative thought worth considering measured by my experience is to write about what I don't know but really want to know. When I have done enough research and have given it enough thought so I can clearly explain it to me, writing about it is fun.

Sure, I know. You got me there. When I write about it, it's writing about what I then know. Those writing gurus, they always seem to get the last word.

Maybe the going will go a tad easier with the where question. Measuring by how often I have read it, the best advice is to have a quiet place where I won't be interrupted and everything I need is at hand. -- Not in my lifetime. -- Do you realize how organized I would have to be to pull that one off? Suffice it to say that, if I wait until I achieve that level of environmental control and self-discipline, writing would be merely one of those "wish I had" laments. I'll have to be satisfied with wherever the keyboard is and hope for the best. Maybe I will find the piece and quiet somewhere inside me.

When to write? The writing gurus strongly recommend a regular daily schedule. That's just fine so long as they don't mean every day at the same time for the same amount of time or even most days at about the same time for nearly the same amount of time. You don't suppose they mean that, do you? Sad but true. That's exactly what they mean and they are very serious about it. It's sort of like responsible drinking. Only have one or two drinks, always after 5:00, and then doing it most days should work out okay.

Unfortunately, I happen to be one of those binge writers. I can go for weeks without so much as a complete sentence and then there is a day or a week or a month where I can hardly stop writing long enough to get anything else done. Sure, I come staggering back to reality sooner or later but the binge has to run its course. Is it an addiction? Is it a compulsion? Is it an obsession? I don't have a clue but know that it's way too much fun to stop or to want to stop. I'll just keep bingeing.

That brings us to the how question. This may be the most guru-answered of the four questions. The obvious advice is to decide what you want to say and then say it, in writing. Perhaps the next most obvious advice is to write what you think you want to say and then read it. It probably isn't quite what you had in mind so write it again. Maybe by the third or tenth or twenty-fifth pass at it, you will read what you want to say. There you go. You're a writer. It's sure fun, isn't it?

That does it for the what, where, when, and how questions. Nothing to do now but take a crack at that why question. Here we go. It's not profound and I already let that cat out of the bag. I'm a binge writer, am having too much fun to stop, and way too much fun to wonder why. One of the twelve people in my survey came up to me later and asked, "You spend a lot of time writing but what else do you do?" I didn't hesitate, "I write and then everything else is research!"

About The Author
Gary A. Crow, Ph.D. is the Executive Editor of Leadership Village Press and Leadership Village, a network of sites focusing on leadership, interpersonal excellence, personal success, family and parenting matters, and related topics. Learn more about Dr. Crow at http://www.LeadershipVillage.com

Subscribe to the Leadership Village Press monthly Articles By Email! Service for FREE at http://www.ArticlesByEmail.com >>Read more...

The Desire To Not Write

by: Wendy Keller

A new client made an off-handed comment today. She wondered why almost every writer gets strong urges not to write. "Suddenly, the plants need watering, the dog needs petting, the laundry needs folding at that very moment." She laughed sheepishly. "I find in the moments that fall into my lap and announce they could be used for writing, I am suddenly possessed by an irresistible urge desire to clean closets, skim the internet for some obscure fact, or finally finish reading that book I started last month. It's worse than craving chocolate, and just as narcotic!"

Writers have it tough. The very thing we most want to do, we don't do. My ex-husband, who was a journalist at the time, dragged home a snippet of a quote. "No one likes writing, but everyone likes having written." I am not sure to whom attribution belongs, but I'd wager it's a professional writer. I am disinclined to write unless there's a deadline looming. Perhaps this is why so few authors actually get published. Finishing a proposal or the first draft of a fiction work is usually a self-imposed deadline.

I used to think it was the fear of criticism or rejection that kept most writers from writing. But now having been a writer all my life, and working with thousands of them as an agent, I think that is just the tip of the, well, the tip of the pool cue, to avoid a cliché. My dad, an old pool shark legendary only in his own mind, remembers people who were nervous about taking the shot who endlessly chalked their cue stick. It's the same with us, isn't it? We fuss and distract and whine that we don't have time or the right circumstances to write. As for me, if I'm not alone in a cabin in Big Bear with a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies (or in a pinch, oatmeal raisin), in front of the fieldstone fireplace with snow falling outside, in my favorite faux leopard skin slippers, how could I possibly be expected to turn out prose of any value? Quite simply, I cannot write unless conditions are perfect. That's what I tell myself. That's what my writers tell me.

The question in my mind is always "Why don't writers just force themselves to do it?" I gave a seminar some years ago, when I was naïve. I taught a class to eight professional speakers. I charged exorbitant rates to force them through a proposal creation process in just three days. They were limp when we finished. I sent them home edited and complete, with only one sample chapter to finish. Six of them had had sample chapters coming into the event - we'd edited them on site. All they had to do was incorporate those edits! Five years later, I have yet to get a completed proposal from any of them. What's worse is that I happen to know that no other agent or publisher has seen their work either in all this time!

Upon deep introspection and a cup of peppermint tea, I have determined once and for all that the reason writers don't write is because we simply know that language cannot begin to convey accurately the words in our hearts, minds and spirits. Like the Inuit who allegedly have hundreds of words to describe snow, or the ancient Greeks who had six words for love, we are immediately restrained by our limited language skills. The first words we type will instantly disappoint us, because they cannot perfectly convey straight into the heart and mind of another the precise message we wish to send.

And this is utter failure. And complete success. It is failure in all the obvious ways, but the way it is success is valuable to consider. For in our failure to direct our message perfectly, we leave it flayed open, exposed to any reader's interpretation. Each reader sees in the work precisely what he or she needs to take from it. They get what they wanted to get, nothing more or less. The critic who dices a book gets another paycheck next month for being pithy and curt. The reader who skims only the first few chapters and carries away a wholly different message from that intended needs that skewed message to verify his or her own opinion, pro or con. If fifty people read our work, there will be fifty interpretations of the same work.

We should have learned this in college English classes, for therein is the beauty of the craft and the release from the "Writer's Procrastination" malaise. Each person sees something different in the book, even the author upon rereading it later. We are perfectly met by words, because the words mean something different to each of us. Themselves, they are merely symbols for meanings, and meanings are wholly subjective. In California, the yellow stoplight means "hurry up!" In Chicago, it means, "slow down!" The words we see come to us in their own stark beauty, they adhere to our own vision of what we want and need from the text we are consuming.

When you next set fingertips to keyboard, or quill to parchment, remember that your efforts to convey a distinct message are only and sublimely your efforts. A whole world of possible interpretations exists behind each phrase you turn, each word picture you sketch. Resolve to allow all who choose to indulge in your writing take what they prefer, like a bountiful banquet table. Then you are liberated to write what is true and has meaning for you, what is real, in the best language you are capable of using. With clarity, logic and precision, you are freed to let the words flow onto the page. Those who take them up will see your work only from their own myopia. Your job is complete when the words have been spent and they lie there, self-satisfied and heaving on the page.

(c) 2007, Keller Media, Inc. Want to use this article in your publication? Reprints welcome so long as the article and by-line are reprinted intact and all links made live.

About The Author
Wendy Keller is Senior Agent at Keller Media, Inc. She's been selling books for other writers since 1989 and meanwhile has had 29 of her own books published under 8 pseudonyms. To get her and her staff on your side, go to http://www.KellerMedia.com. >>Read more...

Writing for Writing

by: Thanaseelan Vengadasalam

Writers writing about writing may seem to be a highly conceited act. Since I am not reeaaally a writer, or at least I don't claim myself to be one, I guess me giving tips on writing can be taken casually. Preferably with a pinch of salt. I may not have contributed much to the world of print but I do know a thing or two about being a connoisseur for writing. Apart from blogging and writing articles currently, I used to write award winning poems and short stories during my earlier days. Overtime everyone develops a style of doing something; anything. For writing, I know I have a certain style by now, though there is way too much room for polishing up.

The initial stage is the creative process which is something that we do not need to understand. There is nothing to understand because creativity does not have to make sense.

Creativity starts with a feeling. The kind of feeling to do something on an instinct. Artists, just like writers, start off by doing a piece of work randomly. It may not make any sense for a start, but at most times it triggers off a new idea in the artist's mind to create something creative. Same thing happens to writers, initial works may be shown the path to recycle bins but end up being useful by sparking off something of value in the writer's mind. Probably that is why recycle bins are named as such, to be recycled. Anyway, once we get an idea, we have to grab it quickly, just like grabbing a seat in an extremely crowded bus, and hold on to it in order to use it.

The creative process may seem complex. To ease the complexity we can simply develop the good old habit of reading. Actually not can, but we should read. Unless we read, we can't write. It is as simple as it gets.

The next simple, or maybe not so simple, task is to write frequently. As frequently as possible as much as time permits. Okay that seemed like a redundant statement but you get the point. The more we write the lesser the chances of getting a writer's block. When I mention writer's block, I don't mean getting some column to write in a magazine but I am refering to a mental block in terms of writing. The more we write, the more we learn to write in a fluid manner and develop a style of our own along the way if we have not got one already.

As we continue writing, we will slowly discover our voice. When that happens, we get to know about ourselves better.

Oh and one more thing, of course the nitty gritty details like grammar and spelling errors have to be avoided. That's right, totally avoided. For people like me *ahem*, it has become a habit long ago but that is because I made sure I was conscious of that. Proofreading is of high importance. Proofreading one more time after proofreading is of high recommendation. Most people don't enjoy it but fortunately I do.

Speaking of which, I just got to know some time back that there is actually a job for proofreading alone. Hmm, I am seriously considering it. Anyway, if you find the above useful, try it. If you don't, hmm, try it anyway because there is something to be gained along the way I am sure.

About The Author
Thanaseelan Vengadasalam, click here to view his profile and click on http://www.worthofwordplay.blogspot.com to visit his main blog. Also check out the categories on his blog. >>Read more...

The Role of the Book Publisher

by: Russell Clark

A book publisher is a group or person who is responsible for bringing the book to the public for reading purposes. The book publisher is involved in the major steps of developing, marketing, producing, printing, and distributing the book. The book publisher negotiates with authors over intellectual property rights, rights to distribute, and rights to change the book. The publisher also offers the author a bonus, royalties, or a percentage of sales. See self-publishing-steps.com for the steps required to publish a book yourself.

Book publishers must go through an initial process of negotiation with the author. Intellectual rights must be negotiated. The intellectual rights laws for every country is different, so the author must demonstrate which countries he/she would like to market the book in, and what his/her desires are for the rights of the book in each country. If there is a digital printing of the book, the author would also discuss which rights would be allowed with the internet. There have been many issues of download copyright protected material from the internet, however this is a complicated issue, as many countries have not yet passed laws against this act, or do not enforce already present legislation on downloading copyrighted material from the internet.

The book publisher also deals with the editorial phase of book creation. This phase involves utilizing a large staff of editors, artists, copyeditors, writers, and other members to change and alter the book to the chief executive editor’s preferences, as well as the author’s preferences. The amount of editing that takes place, as well as the different levels of editing depends on how large the book publisher is. Larger publishers may go through several rounds of editing before the book is finally released, and there is more of a lengthy process involved. The more clout that an author has, the less that the editor can alter the book.

Finally, the book publisher will produce and distribute the book. The production process is the process of physically creating the book. This process may be accomplished using onsite facilities, or the publisher may go to a third party production company to fulfill this need. The book is then wrapped and shipped to a variety of bookstores where it is displayed to the public. The publisher usually has negotiated some kind of deal with the bookstore to get their books displayed.

About The Author
Russell Clark owns and operates http://self-publishing-steps.com. >>Read more...

Tap Into the Book Writer Inside You

by: Earma Brown


Have you given up on writing your book? Don't give up! Others have taken their dream off the shelf this year. You can too! First, let's get rid of the top two book writer blocks. You don't like to write that much and think you have to hire a ghostwriter. You hate research and think you have to do tons of research. The good news is you don't have to hire a ghostwriter or do tons of research.

Your readers just want solutions to their questions and challenges. If you have the answers, you are on your way to writing an easy to read, well organized, compelling book. Don't hold back any longer; tap into your natural book writer. Your audience will love reading your book full of solutions to their challenges.


Here are some tips to help you tap into the natural book writer inside you:

1. List top questions and topics of your audience.

For instance, if you want to write a book to help those in your work field, what questions do you hear the most in your daily work? What concerns and topics always come up in your area of expertise? In a book about dieting versus life style eating changes, my dietician friend asked questions like: where are you now in dieting? Why do you go from diet to diet with little success? What are your weight goals? Her topics included 7 solutions through life style eating changes and exercise.

2. Write the number one challenge your book will solve.

Successful book writers focus on one topic per book. Each chapter of information must support this number one challenge. Again, my dietician friend's audience number one challenge was how to lose weight naturally through lifestyle change eating and exercise without pills, surgeries, etc. All of her chapters are solutions supporting that one goal.

3. Develop a working title.

Speak to your audience in this title. In a few words let them know how your book will help them. "Lose Weight Naturally in 7 Easy Steps" could have been a working title for my dietician friend. Even if this working title is not quite the one you end up with. It will serve to help keep you inspired and your writing focused. Focused writing becomes a compelling book. If your writing becomes scattered and unfocused your reader's attention may scatter as well. If you lose their attention, they may never finish your book.

4. Group your top questions and topics into categories.

Your categories are actually your chapters. Give each category/chapter a working title. When you start writing the solutions to each chapter, you don't have to start with chapter one. Start with whatever topic you feel passion bubbling at the moment. Better yet, start with the easiest to build momentum. Load benefits into your chapter titles.

5. Write your chapter introduction.

The introduction should include a hook and a short statement about why your audience will read the chapter (thesis statement). The hook need only be 1-2 sentences like a powerful quote or 2-3 questions that lead the reader into the content. Though short, your thesis statement should include benefits. Remember keep answering the question for your reader, "What's in it for me?"

6. Assign one question per chapter.

Focus on one question or challenge in each chapter. After asking the question, write the solution with your tips, how-tos, inspiration and stories. This will become the bulk of your chapter. Don't forget to use engagement and interest tools like headings, sub-headings, list, pull quotes, side-bars, worksheets to keep your reader engaged and reading. A straight page of text may put your reader to sleep. When they wake up they may never pick your book up again.

7. Write your chapter ending.

Your non-fiction chapters should always have a summary. Give each chapter an ending of about the same length. After the ending, you can include action steps or thought prompters followed by a 1-2 sentence enticer statement leading your reader to the next chapter. Make it your mission to get your reader to want to keep reading to the next chapter. Include a couple benefits that they can look forward to in the next chapter.

If you don't use the above principles, you may be this time next year still wondering if you can make your book dream a reality. My vote says you can do it. You know the problems your audience face; now write the solution. Your audience will reward you by buying your easy to read, compelling book and telling all their friends about it. Go ahead tap into the book writer inside you and make your dream a reality.

About The Author
Earma Brown, 12 year author, business owner, web developer helps service business owners, professionals and writers who want to write their best book now! Earma mentors other writers and business professionals through her monthly ezine "iScribe" Send any email to iscribe@bookwritinghelp.com for free 7 lesson mini-course "Jumpstart Writing Your Book" or visit her at http://www.bookwritinghelp.com for more book writing tips. >>Read more...

Why Anyone Can Write A Book

by: Bob Burnham


Ask anyone that you meet if they’ve ever had an idea to write a book and I bet that 99% of the time their eyes light up and they say ‘Yes.’

Everyone has numerous wonderful book ideas. My experience and conversations with thousands of people tell me that this is true. The difference between those that actually write a book and those that don’t is simple. Those that don’t write a book don’t believe that they can.

That’s simply not true. Anyone can write a book.

If you can talk, you can write.

Take a look at 5 of your favorite books, fiction or Non-fiction it doesn’t matter. In fact, grab a few of each. Now, open each book and read a few paragraphs. What do you see? What you’ll likely notice is that there is a common theme running in all of them.

They’re written conversationally. They’re written like you talk. Conversational style is the best style because it is easy to read, easy to understand and easy to write.

Take a look at some of the most prolific authors, both fiction and Non-fiction. Stephen King comes to mind as a very prolific fiction writer. Non-fiction writers might include the Chicken Soup series and co writers Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. All of those books are written conversationally. They’re accessible to readers of all ages, income levels, and IQ's.

Conversational style eliminates jargon. It eliminates large words that people have to rely on a dictionary to understand. Conversational style also uses the word ‘you’ often. It’s written as if you were writing a letter or telling a story to a friend.

Basically, if you can write a letter to a friend, then you can write a book—I promise. Of course you need to be able to plan a book too but all that requires is a plan or an outline. Once your outline is established, writing the book can take as little as a month to complete.

About The Author
Bob Burnham
Entrepreneur, Consultant and Author of ‘101 Reasons Why You Must Write A Book’

For Your FREE MP3 (Value $97.00)
‘How To Make A 6 Figure Income Writing & Publishing Your Own Book’ Go To: http://www.expertauthorpublishing.com/eap/ >>Read more...

Five Things Not To Do When Trying To Write Your First Novel

by: Susan Schaab

Some people suppress an insistent urge to attempt novel-length fiction all their lives. That’s like giving yourself permission to hide from who you are. If your soul is that of a writer, to write is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Like many novice writers, you may be overwhelmed with the process of producing a novel. Here are five suggestions for your journey.

*ONE - Don’t force your writing, but DO write often, even if you’re just making notes.*

You will often hear practitioners advise you to “write every day.” Some sit down and consort with their muse at five o’clock every morning without fail, and some work from an outline. If these techniques work for you, that’s great, but don’t berate yourself if you tend to write sporadically and randomly.

In the book, The Writer’s Desk, by Jill Krementz, Stephen King was quoted as saying that he doesn’t take notes, doesn’t outline and tends to just “flail away” at the thing.

You will find that when you reach a certain point in a story and the pieces are starting to assemble, you will have a natural desire to spend time at the keyboard. But some days, the words and ideas will hide behind cement walls. You should just let them hide. They will come out when they’re ready; just present them with plenty of opportunities.

You’ve probably heard the suggestion to keep a notepad, electronic device, or some other method for capturing those juicy little snippets and fragments at impact, to be sorted and scrutinized later. They come from reading, watching, eavesdropping and experiencing life, and they come without warning.

My own experience has been that those little scraps of paper or digital bytes do lead to plot ideas, character profiles and dialogue passages. I had a large file box of such material when I sat down to work on the first draft of Wearing the Spider. The concept for the title came to me while hiking on a remote tropical island, and I jotted down my thoughts on a trail map.

* TWO - Don’t stop reading and viewing others’ writings. *

Writing instructors will tell you that you must read with almost the same intensity with which you write. You must learn to see, hear, observe and absorb your environment like a writer. The other day, my three-year-old asked me, “Can you wonder…?” Indeed. It occurred to me that the answer to this question may be the primary pre-requisite for any kind of creative writing.

You will experience the written word in a new way once you’ve tried writing. The novelist illuminates the level of consciousness that is sensed, felt and heard only by the heart. Novelists give voice to the unspoken and good ones do it with a rich serenade of words. To fully understand this concept, you must make reading other fiction a large component of your ongoing education. Synapses in our minds network in ways we can only speculate about. Components of others’ stories, plots and characters ignite epiphanies and stir emotions in our own subconscious mind, where the best stories originate.

While viewing the work of another writer, however, keep in mind the parameters of general copyright law. The original expression of an idea is protected under U.S. and international copyright laws the moment it is captured in a fixed medium of expression. You cannot legally copy any amount of another’s writing and call it your own. And, if you do use the words of another, you must attribute and, in most cases, seek permission from the copyright holder.

Even when a writer borrows small quantities, but also utilizes the same theme or format, or follows the pattern of expression, he or she can run afoul of copyright law. There are exceptions under various categories of “fair use,” but one should contact an attorney who specializes in copyright law for specific guidance.

While taking notes from someone else’s work, you must capture enough information for attributions and permissions that may be necessary, depending upon the portions you use. If you are simply tracking your inspirations and free thoughts that come from the stimulation of another’s writings, you should jot down that fact in your notes so that you won’t wonder whether a particular passage was a summary or paraphrase months later when sorting through a miscellaneous stack.

* THREE - Don’t cloister yourself. *

You must be in the presence of life to editorialize about it. The richness of life and the serendipity of social interaction are crucial to the evolution of your novel. The natural flow of conflict, resolution, affinity and antipathy make for interesting characters. Don’t take yourself out of circulation while penning stories, as you may be missing an influence of great importance. And, it’s not uncommon to find valuable storylines in the troughs of life. Conflict is good.

The development of a good story can be compared to the creation of a pearl in the “womb” of an oyster. An irritating grain of sand prompts the oyster to surround the intruding particle with mother of pearl. So, that irritant is the nucleus of enduring beauty, just as the challenges a character embraces in a tale can gracefully illustrate strength of conviction.

As a novelist, you will be courting conflict at every juncture of the writing process. Harvesting the obstacles in your own life is a suitable means by which to find it.

* FOUR - Don’t be afraid of where the story takes you. *

I’ve heard many writers say that well-crafted characters, with whom you’ve let yourself become properly acquainted, will actually tell you their story. Many have written about the “voyeuristic” role of the writer.

When I started writing Wearing the Spider, I didn’t really believe this. I tried to be in control of the direction of the plot, but I discovered that I was sacrificing some level of authenticity. The more time I spent thinking and writing about the characters I’d created, and the more I “watched” them in my mind, the more vocal they became, informing me when I’d committed a misstep in the telling of their story. When I decided to let myself truly follow the course of action that a character seemed to be dictating, the story became much more authentic and interesting.

For example, in Wearing the Spider, against the common wisdom, I let my lead character “decide” how to handle an incident of sexual harassment. Most people would advise a victim to report such an episode. But, having had such experiences myself, I know it is not so black and white.

How one reacts or doesn’t react is quite complex. A victim, who is frequently a female, must grapple with a number of unknowns: Will she be believed?; Does she have proof?; Did she do anything that might be interpreted as encouragement?; Could she have misunderstood the actions of the harasser?; What will they think she is expecting to gain by reporting the situation? And, even if she successfully neutralizes her harasser, how will she be treated by other men after the incident is documented, investigated and publicly-known?

* FIVE - Don’t send manuscripts out too early. *

Everyone needs an editor, even the most skilled and experienced of writers. There is simply no way to view your manuscripts objectively after you’ve spent hundreds of hours immersed in them. And, when you are just starting out, you must find your own. There are wonderful free-lance editors who will not only help you shape your vision, but teach you many things about your craft (and yourself). You can search any number of online writing resource sites, such as Preditors and Editors: http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/index.htm. You might also try contacting these New York based organizations: Words into Print at http://www.wordsintoprint.org and The Editors Circle at http://www.theeditorscircle.com.

Writing is not just putting words on paper. A good writer must develop artistic discernment - the ability to recognize whether or not a passage “has legs.” A good editor can help you develop this judgment, but it may take time. Be patient.

Good writing does not happen with the first draft and may not happen with the second or third. Anne Lamott wrote in Bird by Bird that “Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts.”

If you are destined to be a writer, you will feel the need to express yourself with words no matter what the outcome. Time will reveal whether or not your novel will find a home with a publisher, but no one can deny to you a feeling of triumph when you’re staring at a final manuscript bearing your name.


About The Author
Susan Schaab, the author of Wearing the Spider, is an attorney who, for more than eight years, practiced technology and intellectual property law with various firms and as in-house counsel in New York, Texas and California. She can be contacted through her website: http://www.susanschaab.com. >>Read more...

What Not To Do When Submitting Your Manuscript To A Publisher

by: Jordana Ryan


Once your manuscript is complete you are ready to begin your search for the publisher that will best meet your needs. Research your genre to find publishers who accept what you have written. Look at books that they have already published and determine where your story will fit in.

Once you have found a publisher who catches your eye, make sure that you take the time to carefully read their submission guidelines. You may have written the most wonderful story in the world, but if you do not follow the publishers specifications, you may find that your manuscript will lie untouched at the bottom of a pile of submissions from authors who did follow the rules.


Once you have read the guidelines, you are ready to work on preparing your submission. You might need to go back and fix your spacing and indentations to the specifications of whatever publisher you are submitting to. You need to now write a query letter that introduces you as an author, your novel and your level of experience in writing. This should include a brief biography and a list of publishing credits. In the query letter, let the publisher know why your story is different, who will be your target audience and how do you plan to market your novel.

The synopsis should be a 2-4 page summary of the story including the ending. It should be well thought out and follow your plot line from beginning to end. Often this is the first sample of writing that a publisher looks at. A publisher knows if it was thrown together at the last minute. You should take as much time and care with your synopsis as you would with any scene of your novel.

Having a plan of action should your novel get published is an important tool of preparation for you. Let your potential publisher know how you plan to get your name out there. Will you do book signings, contests, chats, online signings, book club readings or placement into independent bookstores. Do you have a website? Do you have any special groups that you know would be interested in this type of novel. This is called a promotional plan and some publisher require it. Whether it is required or not, this is a good tool to develop prior to submission.

There are also a number of things that you should not do when submitting a manuscript. First is to send a manuscript with no query letter or synopsis. Publishers like to get an idea of what the story is about before plunging into a novel.

Second, make sure that the guidelines are followed. If the publisher specifies that all submissions should be double spaced in times new roman font, saved as an RTF file. Do not send something that is single spaced in a gothic font saved as a PDF.

Third, do not tell the publisher how wonderful your work is, or how much you think he or she will enjoy it. Stick strictly to the facts.

Fourth, do not write the publisher over and over again asking if they have yet read your manuscript. Most publishers will list an average response time. Only after that time has passed should you contact the publisher for an update.

Finally, when your Manuscript, make sure that your document is appropriately labeled with your name, pen name, title of the book, word count and email address. When manuscripts are sent by email, your document is often saved in another location. This manuscript could quite possibly be passed to various staff within the company in order to find the line that best fits your title. If there is not identifying information on the Manuscript itself, a publisher can not respond to you.

Overall, when you are submitting your work, remember be professional, be kind, be respectful and be patient. The publisher is working hard to review works and put out the best quality pieces to our public. As an author, it is your job to follow some simple guidelines when submitting a manuscript in order to allow the process to go smoothly and your work to be accepted.


About The Author
Jordana Ryan is the author of the new romance novel, No Matter What (Amira Press). Learn more about writing romance at http://jordanaryan.tripod.com/ >>Read more...

Writing Articles - Can put money in your pocket

by: John Arrington


Writing articles has one purpose and that is to generate traffic, not to be written as a sales letter.

Writing and submitting articles can generate huge amounts of traffic and create a very nice income for you, if done correctly.

If you are starting a Home Business and want to make money online than articles are the way to go. Why? Because

traffic generated from submitting articles is all targeted traffic. Because those who search online for information click on your article are searching for what you have to offer.

To see the amounts of traffic and sells needed to become successful online you must write at least one article a day.

More the better you must have at least 200 or more articles submitted to top quality article Directories before you start seeing results from your efforts.

The process is slow at first and than in about six months you'll start to notice an increase in traffic and sells generated from all those articles you have submitted.

Just stay focused and continue writing more and more articles and you'll reap the rewards later, in some cases for years to come.

There is money to be made writing and submitting articles. If you don't give up and quit.

If you are looking for a quick buck, writing and submitting articles is not the answer. You must be committed for the long haul. And sooner or later you'll profit big.

NOTE: Work hard now and relax later. Or work hard all your life and have nothing to show for it.

Copyright © 2007 & Beyond All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.



About The Author
John Arrington has 12 years experience in the marketing business. And has helped countless of people to become successful. Blog site: http://jarrington.blogspot.com/

If you want to learn how I do it. I just released a new ebook loaded with all the techniques you'll ever need to know about making money submitting articles. It's called "Article Marketing Masterminds" Get it here: http://tiptopwebsite.com/johna >>Read more...

Understanding The First Rule Of Writing—Before You Start The Great Bestselling Book

Chaos and confusion come when established rules and procedures are not followed. Even mixing and matching systems to favor one’s own position can cause a great deal of consternation. In writing a book, the first rule is to know and understand why you want to write in the first place.

In other words, you need to develop a theme that will answer the question of why you want to write. I usually get a blank stare when I ask a budding author, “What is your book’s theme?” Eventually the answer I get may be the title of a manuscript.

When I explain that a title isn’t a theme, I then may hear, “It’s the story of my life.” That is unquestionably the number-one answer I get. There is a big difference between the title of your book and your theme.

While your title may be the sizzle, the theme is the flavor and is formally defined as a “recurring, unifying subject or idea.” This is the aim or the main message of your book. Generally speaking, in writing there are two themes: the author’s theme and the book’s theme.

The author’s theme is the usual subject matter the writer handles, or the one the writer is most comfortable with. For example, a writer may find his forte in the subject matter of healing or forgiveness. Another may write most of the time in the area of spirituality or motivation.

Don’t confuse the author’s theme with genre, which is the category of writing. In addition to establishing if you are writing fiction or non-fiction, there are several categories your book may fall into. Some of the most popular ones today are biography, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, romance, thriller/espionage, horror, inspirational, historical, and courtroom drama.

Your book’s theme is what the reader should learn most after reading your story. There are two answers that you as a writer shouldn’t give when questioned about your theme: 1) This book is about me and the things that have happened to me; and 2) A rambling, almost incoherent dissertation that leaves one asking, “Huh?” Every author should ask and answer the following questions: “Why am I writing? What am I trying to articulate? What kind of outcome will the story have on the reader and what is the outcome I’m aiming for?”

In other words, what is the rationale behind your book? For example in his bestseller, The Purpose-Driven® Life(Zondervan), author Rick Warren, founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, takes readers on a “personal 40-day spiritual journey” to find the answer to the question, “What on earth am I here for?” To me, the most important element of your book is its theme.

Writing professors will probably disagree with me, and that is their right. In fact, some say the title is the most important. I understand, because all of this is subjective and mostly based upon personal preference. After all, there are many elements to creating a successful manuscript. But after years of trying to get would-be writers to complete their novels, short stories or even church talks, I’ve discovered that nothing has helped to move them “off the pot” quicker than having a well-developed theme.

About The Author


Marvin D. Cloud is founder of mybestseller.com and author of "Get Off The Pot: How to Stop Procrastinating and Write Your Personal Bestseller in 90 Days." Visit http://www.mybestseller.com and grab a free copy of the "Get Off The Pot" newsletter, dedicated to motivating ordinary people to write, publish and sell their books faster, efficient, and more cost-effective.

marvindcloud@mybestseller.com

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Great Technical Writing: Beware Of Your Editor/Love Your Editor

Great Technical Writing: Beware Of Your Editor/Love Your Editor
by: Barry Millman

Overview

Your editor should be an integral part of your writing team. Do not think of him/her as a judge, but rather as a resource to help you in all phases of the writing project. This article will help you overcome any fear of your editor, and how to effectively use your editor during the writing process.


Beware of Your Editor

Some of the changes that an editor might suggest could make the User Document more difficult for your Reader to understand.

Improving Your Writing

Once your editor has gotten past the basic mechanical editing tasks of:

* grammar

* punctuation

* spelling

* editing to a Style Sheet,

he/she may work on "improving your writing."

Your editor may believe that one way to make the writing more interesting is to use synonyms when you refer back to something. Thus you might call something a "chip bin" in one part of your text, and your editor might suggest using a different term, such as "waste trap," later in the document. This should make your writing "more interesting."

You do not want interesting writing in your User Documents! You want clear, simple, very easy to understand writing. If you make your writing more interesting by using the synonym ("waste trap") then you force your reader to have to think about whether or not these are the same thing. I recommend that you use the exact same wording every place in your User Document where you are referring to the same thing. No synonyms here!

If your Reader wanted to be entertained or have his/her thoughts provoked, then he/she would be reading a novel.

Don't let your editor make your writing more interesting or more clever if those efforts makes the material harder for your Reader to understand.

Erudition

Another place to beware of your editor is "erudition." That is, when an editor that tries to make your User Documentation sound more formal. Other than disclaimer, legal, and safety information, the User Document should sound friendly, with a conversational tone.

For example, an editor might suggest changing contractions (such as "don't") into their more formal form ("do not"). Don't do it! Contractions are conversational and they should not be avoided.

If you think about it, most people reading the User Documentation for any product are under some form of stress:

* they either want to get on with using the product, or

* something has gone wrong.

A formal document will put the User off. The document should not be silly or flippant; however, it should provide the information that the User needs in a conversational, easily understood style. The needed information should be easy to find.

Although most word processor grammar checkers are woefully inadequate, many of these checkers can be made to provide a readability score (you may have to set an option to enable this feature). Editing should help increase the readability (indicated by a decrease in the reading grade level) of the document. If editing increases the reading grade level, ask your editor why that score has changed.

What to Do

Provide your editor with the information that will enable him/her to do the best job. Here are some things to tell your editor:

* The intended audience for the User Document

* Tell your editor that you want an informal style of User Document

* What style manual or guide to be used in editing

* Scheduling and progress of the project

* Format for sharing and editing the text (make sure the editor can read your electronic documents -- do this when you hire the editor)

(Whenever you are dealing with someone outside your organization, you must have a signed non-disclosure agreement. This is in addition to any other contractual items between the outsider and your organization.)

Get to Know Your Editor

Your editor is NOT your school teacher. In your school days, your teacher-as-editor was a judge. Your goal was to impress your teacher with your writing. You were working for a grade. Thus you may have come to fear your editor.

Change your thinking! Now, your editor is on your side. Your editor will work with you to produce the best possible writing. You will not have to worry excessively about grammar. You goal is to get the information "on paper" as clearly and completely as you can. Your editor will suggest changes to polish the text.

So don't fear your editor. Make your editor part of your writing team.

Love Your Editor

Hire Your Editor Early in the Project

Hire your editor early in the life of the project. There are at least two benefits to hiring the editor early:

* First, your editor will be prepared for the editing task. He/she will have had time to get to know the product, target audience, and your organization's style guide.

* Second, your editor can help you with your writing, as I describe below...

Let Your Editor Help You

If you run into problems about how to write something, call on your editor. Most likely your editor can provide an effective wording to get you around your block. That's one reason why you got the editor on the project early. Here's another...

A Recommendation

I recommend that you work on small pieces of the User Document, and circulate these small pieces (rough drafts) to the development team for comments. Then use their comments to improve the writing, and re-circulate the improved material. Continue this for a few cycles. I call this "Iterative, Interactive Writing." This is an effective method for writing quickly and accurately.

If you feel uncomfortable about circulating rough drafts to the product development team for review, here's a solution. Have your editor perform a quick edit of the rough draft before you circulate it for comments. Your "drafts" will look quite good, and the development team will concentrate on the content, not the wording or grammar (and comments about content are you want from the team).

The Bottom Line

Don't think of your editor as an enemy lurking at the end of your document production path. Instead, realize that your editor can be a valuable member of your writing team, and is on your side. He/she should:

* Be brought onto the writing project early

* Be kept aware of the status of the writing project

* Be used as a writing, as well as an editing, resource

TIP: It is much more enjoyable for the writer (you) to work with "marked-up" electronic documents, rather than marked-up printed documents. Investigate your word processor's "multiple reviewers" capability. To employ this capability requires that you and your editor use the same or compatible word processing software.

NOTE: I am not an editor, nor do I represent any editors. But as a writer, I value editing.


About The Author

Barry Millman, Ph.D., has been a consultant for over 25 years, an instructor, course developer, and award-winning speaker.Visit: http://www.greatuserdocs.com/ for resources to help you create the content and access that your Users want and need.
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