This is something I am interested in doing once I get established in my new location, get a new computer, and an "office" that is quiet.
Podcasting has hit the marketing world big time with the recent launch of a new podcast by Simon & Schuster. I was recently involved in a consulting role with a podcasting project with publishing giant Simon and Schuster and their website www.simonsays.com. They are using this podcast RSS feed to interview world famous authors and have authors read excerpts from their books. This is a brilliant marketing strategy for their website, authors, products and brand.
They are actually using the podcast to promote the products that they publish. This is a very innovative business marketing strategy. They are publishing 30 minute podcast shows every week. This allows potential consumers to get exposure to their products. This will create increased interest in their products. This will in turn drive sales and increase the branding for their business. This professionally produced podcast series of shows will undoubtedly become a favorite of many consumers.
It is also noteworthy to mention that you do not need an iPod to listen to a podcast. You can simply listen to podcasts on your desktop computer. You can subscribe to podcast feeds with Yahoo, iTunes, Mozilla Firefox, Google Desktop Search Toolbar 2.0, or any variety of desktop podcast RSS feed reader software tools.
The business benefits of a proper podcast marketing strategy can be quite immense. Podcasting is another business communication and marketing tool that allows businesses to communicate with their target market. Subscribers to the podcasts RSS feed will automatically receive new podcasts when they are published. Businesses that create podcasts can have a direct communication and marketing channel online.
Having a quality professional podcast that delivers value added exclusive content can increase your online visibility. Search engines such as Google will index podcasts feeds, Blog and podcast directories will list podcast feeds, and targeted traffic will subscribe to thos e podcast feeds. Let's also remember that a quality podcast has the opportunity to be listed in the iTunes podcast directory and found by over 40 million users.
Leveraging podcasting as a business promotion and marketing tool is going to be part of the business landscape online for years to come. When media giants such as CBS, Viacom, and countless other business giants such as IBM and Oracle are podcasting; you can bet money that this marketing media format is here to stay.
Your business should give serious consideration to creating a podcast marketing strategy with experienced professionals in this field. This is a marketing and communication medium that your business will want to execute and leverage for maximum marketing and business benefit online.
You may want to read an informative white paper about this new business marketing technology. You can read this white paper at www.leveragedpromotion.com/products.html
Author Bio
Rodney Rumford is the founder of http://www.Podblaze.com and is a business marketing consultant specializing in new media marketing tools such as Podcasting and Business Blogs. He is also co-founder of www.leveragedpromotion.com
Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
Will Work for Books!
The Great Bookstore Job Hunt
OK, I have been burned out in Colorado Springs. The pay is too low, the cost of living too high, along with the temperature, it is so boring, almost to tears. I need a change. I need a better paying job. So I have begun the search.
I have three or four, out of state cities in mind. I will be seeking out opportunities. One major criteria is good public transportation, since my car was stolen back in July. Uh huh.
I'll start with my current employer, the competition, and private books stores. Even if everything else is the same, I won't be here. Colorado Springs truly sucks......LOL.
One thing I find strange about my current employer, but not the first, is they don't utilize me to the fullest. I have over ten years experience in retail, five in management. I have taken 50% of required MBA courses in Management and completed a M. Ed program. I am a bookseller, along with a dozen 21 yr olds who never finished college, and at the same rate of pay. I have been “employee of the month”, got good reviews........my first raise was 7 cents. Uh huh. I get no benefits, because they keep me below 32 hours (usually 30 hours per week). I made twice as much on unemployment! I made twice as much as a temp! Why would employers not utilize employees to their greatest potential? Just to save a few bucks per hour? Are corporations really that cheap?
Or is the fact I just turned 59 the problem? Hmmmmmmmm?
Three years till I turn 62 and get those SS checks..which will be larger than my current paycheck. I'll survive!
Let the job hunt begin!
OK, I have been burned out in Colorado Springs. The pay is too low, the cost of living too high, along with the temperature, it is so boring, almost to tears. I need a change. I need a better paying job. So I have begun the search.
I have three or four, out of state cities in mind. I will be seeking out opportunities. One major criteria is good public transportation, since my car was stolen back in July. Uh huh.
I'll start with my current employer, the competition, and private books stores. Even if everything else is the same, I won't be here. Colorado Springs truly sucks......LOL.
One thing I find strange about my current employer, but not the first, is they don't utilize me to the fullest. I have over ten years experience in retail, five in management. I have taken 50% of required MBA courses in Management and completed a M. Ed program. I am a bookseller, along with a dozen 21 yr olds who never finished college, and at the same rate of pay. I have been “employee of the month”, got good reviews........my first raise was 7 cents. Uh huh. I get no benefits, because they keep me below 32 hours (usually 30 hours per week). I made twice as much on unemployment! I made twice as much as a temp! Why would employers not utilize employees to their greatest potential? Just to save a few bucks per hour? Are corporations really that cheap?
Or is the fact I just turned 59 the problem? Hmmmmmmmm?
Three years till I turn 62 and get those SS checks..which will be larger than my current paycheck. I'll survive!
Let the job hunt begin!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Writing Straight To DVD Movies
Screenplay is a reference to a script for full-length movie. In times past, full-length movies were always distributed to and shown in movie theaters. There's a new strategy, however, for any number of produced full-length movies, and that strategy is bypassing movie theaters completely, and instead being distributed as a home rental DVD.
One of the benefits of straight-to-DVD releases is a reduction in marketing costs. Marketing costs for a theater release film are not at all insignificant. It wouldn't take a great deal for a theater release movie to spend thirty million dollars in advertising.
Consider that virtually every theater release film is advertised in some form of print media, and often on television as well -- mostly at so-called prime time hours, where the greatest reach occurs but where costs are also highest. And costs for television advertising can be astronomical. The cost for a Super Bowl ad is at the million dollar level. Given such a scenario, it's easy to see how a prime-time television show with good market reach could mean an ad spot cost of three hundred thousand dollars or more.
The straight-to-DVD film can spend on advertising, but it's not especially typical. In most cases the main form of advertising for a straight-to-DVD movie is its box cover. The DVD box cover sits on a shelf in a video franchise store, customers walk past, see the DVD box, make some form of a choice about the film, and make a purchase or not. This is why having a name actor can be critical to a straight-to-DVD's commercial success: the name actor serves as a selling point, and will be always featured prominently on the DVD box cover. This sort of leverage makes for potential profit points in addition to a salary.
The screenwriter for a straight-to-DVD production will likely see no profit points, and will receive a lesser salary than the screenwriter writing for a major theater release film. This should not be seen in a pessimistic light. Writing a script for a straight-to-DVD release that has a good amount of push behind it will generate a pay of tens of thousands of dollars, at least. It will also count as project experience, and having project experience counts for a great deal in Hollywood.
Being a screenwriter for a straight-to-DVD production also means becoming part of the straight-to-DVD market. The reality is that straight-to-DVD movie making is a profitable industry, and the proof of this is that straight-to-DVD movies are still being produced. The bottom line in the entertainment industry is profit, and if there's no profit to be made, no product will be made. The writer who writes the script for a straight-to-DVD film is a member of a profit industry, and gets access to all the perks that go along with that.
Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Zinn Jeremiah is a freelance writer. Read more of Zinn's work at article exchange. Find resources about screenwriting at screenplay writing.
One of the benefits of straight-to-DVD releases is a reduction in marketing costs. Marketing costs for a theater release film are not at all insignificant. It wouldn't take a great deal for a theater release movie to spend thirty million dollars in advertising.
Consider that virtually every theater release film is advertised in some form of print media, and often on television as well -- mostly at so-called prime time hours, where the greatest reach occurs but where costs are also highest. And costs for television advertising can be astronomical. The cost for a Super Bowl ad is at the million dollar level. Given such a scenario, it's easy to see how a prime-time television show with good market reach could mean an ad spot cost of three hundred thousand dollars or more.
The straight-to-DVD film can spend on advertising, but it's not especially typical. In most cases the main form of advertising for a straight-to-DVD movie is its box cover. The DVD box cover sits on a shelf in a video franchise store, customers walk past, see the DVD box, make some form of a choice about the film, and make a purchase or not. This is why having a name actor can be critical to a straight-to-DVD's commercial success: the name actor serves as a selling point, and will be always featured prominently on the DVD box cover. This sort of leverage makes for potential profit points in addition to a salary.
The screenwriter for a straight-to-DVD production will likely see no profit points, and will receive a lesser salary than the screenwriter writing for a major theater release film. This should not be seen in a pessimistic light. Writing a script for a straight-to-DVD release that has a good amount of push behind it will generate a pay of tens of thousands of dollars, at least. It will also count as project experience, and having project experience counts for a great deal in Hollywood.
Being a screenwriter for a straight-to-DVD production also means becoming part of the straight-to-DVD market. The reality is that straight-to-DVD movie making is a profitable industry, and the proof of this is that straight-to-DVD movies are still being produced. The bottom line in the entertainment industry is profit, and if there's no profit to be made, no product will be made. The writer who writes the script for a straight-to-DVD film is a member of a profit industry, and gets access to all the perks that go along with that.
Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Zinn Jeremiah is a freelance writer. Read more of Zinn's work at article exchange. Find resources about screenwriting at screenplay writing.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Labor Day Weekend in the Springs
Hey stuff is happening here!
Literary Events
Barnes and Noble Events, 1565 Briargate Blvd., 266-9960, eckankar.org. Author Debbie Johnson will give a 45-minute workshop and sign her book Soul Travel to Find God's Love. Fri., Aug. 31, 7:30 p.m.
Borders Events, Southgate Store, 2120 Southgate Road, 632-6611, bordersstores.com. Featuring Beth Andrews reading and signing I Miss You! A Military Kid's Book about Deployment plus kids' crafts party at Southgate Store. Sat., Sept. 1, 1 p.m.
Great Books Discussions, Penrose Library, 20 N. Cascade Ave., 531-6333, greatbooks.org. Discussing "Planning and Democracy" (from The Road to Serfdom) by Freidrich Hayek and Distributive Justice (from Collected Papers) by John Rawls. Thurs., Sept. 13, 6:45-9 p.m.
http://www.csindy.com/csindy/current/getinvolved.html
There is also a Pikes Peak Writters Conference in October. See web site for details.
http://www.ppwc.net/ppwc07.html
Literary Events
Barnes and Noble Events, 1565 Briargate Blvd., 266-9960, eckankar.org. Author Debbie Johnson will give a 45-minute workshop and sign her book Soul Travel to Find God's Love. Fri., Aug. 31, 7:30 p.m.
Borders Events, Southgate Store, 2120 Southgate Road, 632-6611, bordersstores.com. Featuring Beth Andrews reading and signing I Miss You! A Military Kid's Book about Deployment plus kids' crafts party at Southgate Store. Sat., Sept. 1, 1 p.m.
Great Books Discussions, Penrose Library, 20 N. Cascade Ave., 531-6333, greatbooks.org. Discussing "Planning and Democracy" (from The Road to Serfdom) by Freidrich Hayek and Distributive Justice (from Collected Papers) by John Rawls. Thurs., Sept. 13, 6:45-9 p.m.
http://www.csindy.com/csindy/current/getinvolved.html
There is also a Pikes Peak Writters Conference in October. See web site for details.
http://www.ppwc.net/ppwc07.html
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
What is the best Bookstore Company to work for?
Does anyone work for a major (or minor) chain bookstore?
I work for one. I won't say which one, but while the people are OK, the store clean, etc. The company is one of the cheapest...no, it is the cheapest company I ever worked for!
I have been there almost a year. I make $7.57/hr and have zero benefits. There have me one the border line, hour wise (30) to keep me from getting them. Even If I manage to gain 4 hours per week, then I have to wait another 90 days! I started at $6.25/hr a whole dollar less than my offer from the competitor, but then got a 50 cent raise after two weeks. I had a review in March and got a whole 7 cents an hour merit raise.
Is this crap normal? How can anyone survive on this pittance? Is there any wonder why the turnover is so high?
The even bigger joke is, that the company only made a 35% profit last year! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
I passed on applying for a “supervisor position..required opening at 6:00 AM and working until 10:30 PM several days per week for a measly $9 hr.
Retail really sucks!
I work for one. I won't say which one, but while the people are OK, the store clean, etc. The company is one of the cheapest...no, it is the cheapest company I ever worked for!
I have been there almost a year. I make $7.57/hr and have zero benefits. There have me one the border line, hour wise (30) to keep me from getting them. Even If I manage to gain 4 hours per week, then I have to wait another 90 days! I started at $6.25/hr a whole dollar less than my offer from the competitor, but then got a 50 cent raise after two weeks. I had a review in March and got a whole 7 cents an hour merit raise.
Is this crap normal? How can anyone survive on this pittance? Is there any wonder why the turnover is so high?
The even bigger joke is, that the company only made a 35% profit last year! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
I passed on applying for a “supervisor position..required opening at 6:00 AM and working until 10:30 PM several days per week for a measly $9 hr.
Retail really sucks!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Ebook Marketing: How to Drive Traffic to Your Site With Ebooks
If you're looking for a great way to drive traffic to your web site, creating and distributing free ebooks may be your answer.
Although there are several different types of ebooks, this article will focus on HTML compiled ebooks.
Ebooks or electronic books are compressed files of HTML that are distributed and presented within one downloadable file. This file does not require any installation and will open on your readers desktop simply by clicking on it.
Ebooks are completely interactive with the Internet and can contain just about everything a standard web page contains, such s live links, graphics, forms, JavaScript, and video. They can also be protected with a username and password and can be prevented from being passed around by only displaying on one computer.
What's more, you can even create a shareware version of your ebook that will either expire at a specified time, or only allow your potential customers to view certain pages and prompt them to purchase the full version.
Another great feature ebooks provide is the ability to create special fields within your ebook that can be changed by your readers if you so choose. This provides a great way to create promotional ebooks for your affiliates and allow them to include their own affiliate ID.
The possibilities are endless!
Please note: If you would like to create an ebook with any of the above features, not all ebook software programs offer these features. Please ensure you select an ebook software that will meet your needs.
Creating an Ebook to Use as a Viral Marketing Tool
Although ebooks make great products that you can sell online, they also make great marketing tools.
Offering a quality free ebook on your web site is a great way to get your visitors to come back to your web site and obtain repeat traffic.
This can be accomplished by including links to further information on your web site within your ebook and providing your readers with special offers.
Writing Your Ebook
The key to writing an effective free ebook is to select a subject that will be of interest to your target market. If your web site focuses on web site traffic, you may want to write an ebook on generating traffic.
For example, you could write an ebook, such as, "A Complete 'How To' Guide to Generating Massive Traffic to Your Site." Include several references to your site throughout your ebook, such as 'For even more great traffic generating tips, visit 'Traffic Tips' - Your complete source for generating massive traffic to your web site.
Increasing the Distribution of Your Ebook
Although giving your ebook to your visitors and obtaining repeat traffic is a good marketing strategy, allowing your visitors to distribute your ebook is a great strategy.
If your ebook is good, here is an example of how powerful your ebook can be:
10 of your visitors download your ebook.
Your 10 visitors each give away 10 ebooks - 100
Those 100 each give away 10 ebooks - 1000
Those 1000 each give away 10 ebooks - 10,000
Those 10,000 each give away 10 ebooks - 100,000
Those 100,000 each give away 10 ebooks - 1,000,000
For massive distribution, make sure you include a short paragraph on your main page in regard to your copyrights and distribution. For example, if you're allowing your ebook to be freely distributed, let your readers know by giving them permission. Your text might look something like this:
This ebook may be freely distributed, used as a free bonus with any products you may be selling, included within membership sites and packages, and used as an incentive to gain new subscribers to your publication.
The key to using this technique effectively is to create a quality ebook that contains powerful information that will be of interest to your target market - not just any information, but information that your target market will be absolutely passionate about. Information that they would pay for and are just dying to get their hands on!
Please keep in mind, you can't write a cheap little ebook of little or no value, filled with ads, and expect it to be successful. Your ebook must be good enough to actually sell to be good enough to use as a viral marketing tool.
Ebooks can provide Internet marketers with one of the best viral marketing tools online. By creating a small, quality ebook that contains in-demand information, you can produce an on going promotional tool that will work 24 hours a day, seven days a week for years to come. Your ebook will have the potential to be viewed by millions of Internet users simply by giving it away.
If you would like to see an example of a powerful free ebook, visit http://ebookstarter.com/download/es_ebook.zip to download eBooks: A Complete Guide to Publishing. Note: You must have the ability to view windows files.
Copyright © 2007 Shelley Lowery
About the Author:
Shelley Lowery is the creator of eBook Starter - Give your ebooks the look and feel of a real book, notebook, manual or report with the first ebook software that includes an editor and built in templates. Simply select your template, type or paste in your text & compile. http://www.eBookStarter.com
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Audio Books - from LP to MP3
The technical development of the recording media for audio books has speeded up tremendously. Whereas initially audio books were pressed on LP's, today they are simple digital files that can be downloaded from the internet. Here's the detailed story:
Audio books are a great way to use 'empty' time. Load an audio book into your MP3 player or iPod - you can find audio books for just about any interest, from novels to business books and audio books about self-improvement to even the bible or the coran. You can find them 24 hours a day, just by clicking a few buttons on your computer and an internet shop delivers the contents for your iPod or MP3 player conveniently to you.
Even if they have only become very popular again recently, the concept of audio books goes back about eighty years! Initially books on tape or on LP's were produced for the blind. Here's a short look back in history:
Already in the 1920's, the Royal National Institute for the Blind in England (RNIB) initiate research to find the best way to produce audio books for blind soldiers that were the result of the World War I battles. They finally decide to produce audio books on LP's and the first ones were made in 1926. To play them they were put on the old fashioned LP players that had to be cranked by hand and delivered the sound through the big horn. This was a great development for the blind, but was hardly used by normal consumers. So these audio books from RNIB remained a niche product and never reached the masses.
The concept was successful and in 1936 the Royal National Institute for the Blind launched the 'Talking Book Service'. The first two books they produced were:'The murder of Roger Ackroyd' (Agatha Christie) and 'Thyphoon' (Joseph Conrad). Because the records could only hold 25 minutes of spoken text, an average audio book had to be recorded on an average of ten records.
During WWII, the studio used by the RNIB was bombed, and one month later a replacement studio was bombed as well, destroying much needed equipment to continue the production. The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), who had started to produce audio books in the USA sent replacement parts and equipment to London so that the production could be taken up again.
The old fashioned LP's were replaced by modern LP's and finally cassettes, making listening to audio books more convenient. Sony's Walkman made it possible to take your audio book with you and listen on the go. This is when audio books started to be bought by the general consumers. The next step was to produce these listening books on CD, making them even more convenient.
Over the last few years the audio book technology has made a quantum leap: Digital MP3 files can be packed onto a player that weighs only a few grams and runs on a set of batteries for many hours. The most popular player is without doubt the Apple iPod, but there are many other MP3 players on the market that have helped to make listening to content on the go very popular.
Finding an audio book is as easy as typing an address into your internet browser, consulting the catalog of the audio book shop and then downloading your audio book within minutes. No more need to visit your local library or book shop. If you want to shop at 3 am - no problem, the shop is open 24 hours!
One shop that offers a wide variety of audio books is the AudioBooksCorner Store. High quality audio books from publishers like BBC, Hachette and many others cover a wide variety of topics. Best selling authors offer their books as audio books and the well known foreign language courses by Pimsleur are available for download too.
Article Source: http://www.ArticlesAlley.com/
Audio books are a great way to use 'empty' time. Load an audio book into your MP3 player or iPod - you can find audio books for just about any interest, from novels to business books and audio books about self-improvement to even the bible or the coran. You can find them 24 hours a day, just by clicking a few buttons on your computer and an internet shop delivers the contents for your iPod or MP3 player conveniently to you.
Even if they have only become very popular again recently, the concept of audio books goes back about eighty years! Initially books on tape or on LP's were produced for the blind. Here's a short look back in history:
Already in the 1920's, the Royal National Institute for the Blind in England (RNIB) initiate research to find the best way to produce audio books for blind soldiers that were the result of the World War I battles. They finally decide to produce audio books on LP's and the first ones were made in 1926. To play them they were put on the old fashioned LP players that had to be cranked by hand and delivered the sound through the big horn. This was a great development for the blind, but was hardly used by normal consumers. So these audio books from RNIB remained a niche product and never reached the masses.
The concept was successful and in 1936 the Royal National Institute for the Blind launched the 'Talking Book Service'. The first two books they produced were:'The murder of Roger Ackroyd' (Agatha Christie) and 'Thyphoon' (Joseph Conrad). Because the records could only hold 25 minutes of spoken text, an average audio book had to be recorded on an average of ten records.
During WWII, the studio used by the RNIB was bombed, and one month later a replacement studio was bombed as well, destroying much needed equipment to continue the production. The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), who had started to produce audio books in the USA sent replacement parts and equipment to London so that the production could be taken up again.
The old fashioned LP's were replaced by modern LP's and finally cassettes, making listening to audio books more convenient. Sony's Walkman made it possible to take your audio book with you and listen on the go. This is when audio books started to be bought by the general consumers. The next step was to produce these listening books on CD, making them even more convenient.
Over the last few years the audio book technology has made a quantum leap: Digital MP3 files can be packed onto a player that weighs only a few grams and runs on a set of batteries for many hours. The most popular player is without doubt the Apple iPod, but there are many other MP3 players on the market that have helped to make listening to content on the go very popular.
Finding an audio book is as easy as typing an address into your internet browser, consulting the catalog of the audio book shop and then downloading your audio book within minutes. No more need to visit your local library or book shop. If you want to shop at 3 am - no problem, the shop is open 24 hours!
One shop that offers a wide variety of audio books is the AudioBooksCorner Store. High quality audio books from publishers like BBC, Hachette and many others cover a wide variety of topics. Best selling authors offer their books as audio books and the well known foreign language courses by Pimsleur are available for download too.
Article Source: http://www.ArticlesAlley.com/
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
The MBA Essay
I completed 50% of an MBA in Management at Colorado State University in the early 1990's. I wrote many project papers and did fairly well since I was in my late 40's and early 50's at the time.
The MBA essay is what distinguishes you from thousands upon thousands of other applicants. A well-crafted MBA essay will represent who you are, allowing the admissions board to see you as a person, rather than just another number. After all, a GPA is just a number, a GMAT score is just a number, and every recommendation letter paints every applicant in the same glowing light. A good MBA essay will tell your story, and allow the admissions board to see why they should pick you from the crowd.
Business school students face a uniquely difficult challenge, because most programs require a series of essays rather than a single business paper with comprehensive personal statement. This fact alone should indicate the importance that business schools place on your written responses in your business papers. Part of the reason for this extra required writing is that business schools also place a stronger emphasis on practical experience.
Thus your admission will depend largely on your ability to convey your experiences and goals in business papers. Self-assessment is a significant part of this process, as is a careful review of both your life and what you have done professionally. Many successful professionals have simply never had to articulate their accomplishments before in business papers. Now for the first time, the applicants must communicate this information in a very clear, concise, powerful manner of business papers that is accessible to anyone, even without knowledge of their field. Being able to convey both the substance and significance of one's work life in the business papers is crucial for all applicants.
You have two objectives when you are preparing your business papers as part of the admission process. Firstly, you need to persuade the admissions officer that you are worthy of admission. Secondly, you need to bring your application to life to make the admissions officer or committee aware that you are not just another "standard" applicant. Whilst this can be easier said than done, every prospective business student should be able to write an business paper that catches an admissions officer's attention.
Nearly all applications will feature a question that asks about your reasons for wanting to obtain an MBA at this stage of your career. Some will explicitly ask you to tie these reasons into your background and your goals in your business papers. Even for schools that don't offer this specific direction, you should plan on such a discussion of past and future, as it provides essential context for your application in your business paper.
"Why MBA?" is often the first question asked and without a doubt the most important essay you will write. The MBA essay includes essential information about whether you're qualified, whether you're prepared, and where you're headed. The other essays fill in details about these fundamental points, but a strong answer about, for example, how you overcame a failure will not revive a candidacy that failed based on a lack of career focus.
There are no groundbreaking reasons for pursuing an MBA. This is not a place to aim for bold originality. Rather, you should focus on articulating detailed reasons that are specific to your situation.
About the Author
Sharon White is a senior writer and writers consultant at essays help. Get some useful tips for MBA essay and MBA dissertation.
The MBA essay is what distinguishes you from thousands upon thousands of other applicants. A well-crafted MBA essay will represent who you are, allowing the admissions board to see you as a person, rather than just another number. After all, a GPA is just a number, a GMAT score is just a number, and every recommendation letter paints every applicant in the same glowing light. A good MBA essay will tell your story, and allow the admissions board to see why they should pick you from the crowd.
Business school students face a uniquely difficult challenge, because most programs require a series of essays rather than a single business paper with comprehensive personal statement. This fact alone should indicate the importance that business schools place on your written responses in your business papers. Part of the reason for this extra required writing is that business schools also place a stronger emphasis on practical experience.
Thus your admission will depend largely on your ability to convey your experiences and goals in business papers. Self-assessment is a significant part of this process, as is a careful review of both your life and what you have done professionally. Many successful professionals have simply never had to articulate their accomplishments before in business papers. Now for the first time, the applicants must communicate this information in a very clear, concise, powerful manner of business papers that is accessible to anyone, even without knowledge of their field. Being able to convey both the substance and significance of one's work life in the business papers is crucial for all applicants.
You have two objectives when you are preparing your business papers as part of the admission process. Firstly, you need to persuade the admissions officer that you are worthy of admission. Secondly, you need to bring your application to life to make the admissions officer or committee aware that you are not just another "standard" applicant. Whilst this can be easier said than done, every prospective business student should be able to write an business paper that catches an admissions officer's attention.
Nearly all applications will feature a question that asks about your reasons for wanting to obtain an MBA at this stage of your career. Some will explicitly ask you to tie these reasons into your background and your goals in your business papers. Even for schools that don't offer this specific direction, you should plan on such a discussion of past and future, as it provides essential context for your application in your business paper.
"Why MBA?" is often the first question asked and without a doubt the most important essay you will write. The MBA essay includes essential information about whether you're qualified, whether you're prepared, and where you're headed. The other essays fill in details about these fundamental points, but a strong answer about, for example, how you overcame a failure will not revive a candidacy that failed based on a lack of career focus.
There are no groundbreaking reasons for pursuing an MBA. This is not a place to aim for bold originality. Rather, you should focus on articulating detailed reasons that are specific to your situation.
About the Author
Sharon White is a senior writer and writers consultant at essays help. Get some useful tips for MBA essay and MBA dissertation.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Better Thinking Skills Through Writing
Better thinking skills come from practice. What are some good ways to practice? You can sit and think, for starters, you can work on specific puzzles and problems. You can have interesting discussions with others. There may not be a "best" way to practice your thinking skills and boost your brainpower, but one of the most powerful is to write.
Why writing? Because unless you are just copying words, to write is to think. There are three basic ways in which writing helps your thinking skills.
1. Writing clarifies your thoughts.
You may have noticed how much clearer an argument or opinion becomes to you once you express it. Talking forces you to clarify your thoughts, but not just to the other person. Putting thoughts into words is also a process of telling yourself the logic behind what you "felt" or what you only partly understood. You try to make the other person understand, but you are often also bringing yourself to that understanding, or at least a better one. You are thinking aloud.
Writing accomplishes the same thing. It is essentially like talking to the paper or computer screen. Compared to talking, it has the disadvantage of not giving you outside feedback. On the other hand, you get to express and develop your thoughts without interruption. This is a great way to work on your thinking skills. Boost your brainpower by exercising your "explain power."
2. Writing establishes firmer memories.
We cannot use what we cannot remember. This isn't entirely true, because we are often using a lot of information from our unconscious minds in decision making and everyday life. However, to consciously think about a topic effectively, we need to have the knowledge and ideas we have gained available. This means we need to remember things. Better memory equals better thinking skills.
Writing helps with this. This is why we were all advised in school to take notes. It wasn't just to have the notes for later, but also because the process of writing things down helps us remember them. By the way, a piece of paper and a pen in your pocket is a good idea if you want to remember new people's names. Just write them down as soon as you learn them.
3. Writing gives you new insight.
Do you want to understand a topic? Write a book or ten articles about it. Okay, you may not have the time, but if you are learning about behavioral economics, for example, you can write a letter to a friend about it, and you will understand it better.
Do you want to invent a new product? Write down an explanation of the problem you are trying to solve (ex: create a better chair). Include an explanation of the good and bad points of the current solutions. Write about some possible approaches, and write about anything else you can think of. Do this exercise, and you're half-way to your new invention.
People don't necessarily write about something because they understand it already. They often start writing about something because they want to understand it, and the process of writing is what brings about their understanding. Why not start a journal today and improve your thinking skills by writing?
About the Author:
Steve Gillman has been studying brainpower and related topics for years. For more on How To Increase Brain Power, and to get the Brain Power Newsletter and other free gifts, visit: http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com
Read more articles by: Steve Gillman
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
Why writing? Because unless you are just copying words, to write is to think. There are three basic ways in which writing helps your thinking skills.
1. Writing clarifies your thoughts.
You may have noticed how much clearer an argument or opinion becomes to you once you express it. Talking forces you to clarify your thoughts, but not just to the other person. Putting thoughts into words is also a process of telling yourself the logic behind what you "felt" or what you only partly understood. You try to make the other person understand, but you are often also bringing yourself to that understanding, or at least a better one. You are thinking aloud.
Writing accomplishes the same thing. It is essentially like talking to the paper or computer screen. Compared to talking, it has the disadvantage of not giving you outside feedback. On the other hand, you get to express and develop your thoughts without interruption. This is a great way to work on your thinking skills. Boost your brainpower by exercising your "explain power."
2. Writing establishes firmer memories.
We cannot use what we cannot remember. This isn't entirely true, because we are often using a lot of information from our unconscious minds in decision making and everyday life. However, to consciously think about a topic effectively, we need to have the knowledge and ideas we have gained available. This means we need to remember things. Better memory equals better thinking skills.
Writing helps with this. This is why we were all advised in school to take notes. It wasn't just to have the notes for later, but also because the process of writing things down helps us remember them. By the way, a piece of paper and a pen in your pocket is a good idea if you want to remember new people's names. Just write them down as soon as you learn them.
3. Writing gives you new insight.
Do you want to understand a topic? Write a book or ten articles about it. Okay, you may not have the time, but if you are learning about behavioral economics, for example, you can write a letter to a friend about it, and you will understand it better.
Do you want to invent a new product? Write down an explanation of the problem you are trying to solve (ex: create a better chair). Include an explanation of the good and bad points of the current solutions. Write about some possible approaches, and write about anything else you can think of. Do this exercise, and you're half-way to your new invention.
People don't necessarily write about something because they understand it already. They often start writing about something because they want to understand it, and the process of writing is what brings about their understanding. Why not start a journal today and improve your thinking skills by writing?
About the Author:
Steve Gillman has been studying brainpower and related topics for years. For more on How To Increase Brain Power, and to get the Brain Power Newsletter and other free gifts, visit: http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com
Read more articles by: Steve Gillman
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
Friday, July 13, 2007
The Sound Of Your Book
In his Entertainment Weekly column Stephen King recently extolled the virtues of the audiobook. I agreed with his take, especially the stressing that most writing is, after all, about story-TELLING. But it's interesting to me how many writers go about their work without considering how their words will sound as spoken words. We're so used to reading silently in our heads and, of course, that's what most of our readers will do. But thinking about how your book will sound is an important key to ensure that you're writing well. Usually if it sounds good, it is good. Here are a few things to consider...
How Do You Want to Be Heard?
We think so much about story, plot, characters, as we're planning a book, but just as important is this: What do you want your book to sound like? Will your characters speak in dialect? Will your narrator have a unique voice or will he/she sound like all the other characters? Does your book sound right for the time? My current manuscript is a historical novel and my concern is using the correct slang and general tone for the time period. I also want it to have the feel of a woman sitting in a room telling me this story in one sitting in an intimate setting. I always asking myself if that is indeed what is happening with what I'm writing.
Listen Up!
If you're confused about how you want your book to sound, listen to a recording of one of your favorite novels. The beauty of audiobooks is that we have so much to choose from when we want to hear what great writing sounds like. As I searched for examples to inspire my own work, I discovered (on iTunes!) a recording of the great actress Ruby Dee reading "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston. Ms. Dee's reading conjured the magic and soul of the book and it gave me great ideas on what I could try to bring that kind of depth to my writing. I'm not sure I would have heard the same thing reading the novel on my own.
For Non-Fiction: Your Voice
Sound is just as important for non-fiction writers. With non-fiction, the sound of the book is your own personal voice. How do you want to sound to your readers? Authoritative? Friendly? Professorial? Humorous? Keep your answers in mind as you write and edit your manuscript. Is your tone consistent or are you changing it again and again? Does it make readers want to know you and stay with your book? Or does your too-serious tone keep readers at a distance or--even worse--drive them away? Your information and personality can't help but mingle to create your tone. But is the mix a good one?
When in Doubt, Read It Out (Loud)!
When I worked at Time Inc. my editors endlessly stressed reading a piece out loud during the writing process. If you didn't, you risked the embarassment of standing next to an editor while they read a few sentences of your story out loud and then turn to you and say, "Does that sound right to you?" It's amazing how ghastly different something can sound in your head versus reading it out loud. Don't be afraid to do it. Find yourself a quiet spot and really speak the speech as though you were giving one. Does it sound awkward? Boring? Totally engaging? If you can't tell, get a friend to read it out loud for you. If they stumble often or if the words seem lifeless, you'll know your marching orders. Time to rewrite!
About the Author:
© 2006 Sophfronia Scott Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is "The Book Sistah" TM. Get her FREE REPORT, "The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published" and her FREE online writing and book publishing tips at http://www.TheBookSistah.com
Read more articles by: Sophfronia Scott
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
How Do You Want to Be Heard?
We think so much about story, plot, characters, as we're planning a book, but just as important is this: What do you want your book to sound like? Will your characters speak in dialect? Will your narrator have a unique voice or will he/she sound like all the other characters? Does your book sound right for the time? My current manuscript is a historical novel and my concern is using the correct slang and general tone for the time period. I also want it to have the feel of a woman sitting in a room telling me this story in one sitting in an intimate setting. I always asking myself if that is indeed what is happening with what I'm writing.
Listen Up!
If you're confused about how you want your book to sound, listen to a recording of one of your favorite novels. The beauty of audiobooks is that we have so much to choose from when we want to hear what great writing sounds like. As I searched for examples to inspire my own work, I discovered (on iTunes!) a recording of the great actress Ruby Dee reading "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston. Ms. Dee's reading conjured the magic and soul of the book and it gave me great ideas on what I could try to bring that kind of depth to my writing. I'm not sure I would have heard the same thing reading the novel on my own.
For Non-Fiction: Your Voice
Sound is just as important for non-fiction writers. With non-fiction, the sound of the book is your own personal voice. How do you want to sound to your readers? Authoritative? Friendly? Professorial? Humorous? Keep your answers in mind as you write and edit your manuscript. Is your tone consistent or are you changing it again and again? Does it make readers want to know you and stay with your book? Or does your too-serious tone keep readers at a distance or--even worse--drive them away? Your information and personality can't help but mingle to create your tone. But is the mix a good one?
When in Doubt, Read It Out (Loud)!
When I worked at Time Inc. my editors endlessly stressed reading a piece out loud during the writing process. If you didn't, you risked the embarassment of standing next to an editor while they read a few sentences of your story out loud and then turn to you and say, "Does that sound right to you?" It's amazing how ghastly different something can sound in your head versus reading it out loud. Don't be afraid to do it. Find yourself a quiet spot and really speak the speech as though you were giving one. Does it sound awkward? Boring? Totally engaging? If you can't tell, get a friend to read it out loud for you. If they stumble often or if the words seem lifeless, you'll know your marching orders. Time to rewrite!
About the Author:
© 2006 Sophfronia Scott Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is "The Book Sistah" TM. Get her FREE REPORT, "The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published" and her FREE online writing and book publishing tips at http://www.TheBookSistah.com
Read more articles by: Sophfronia Scott
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
Sunday, July 8, 2007
The Art of Antique World Maps
Since antiquity we have tried to make sense of the world around us. The development of charts and maps has echoed this desire as well as providing an insight into the knowledge possessed by humans at different times throughout history.
Given that maps in the past were very valuable objects, it is no surprise that they were treated in much the same way as art, as objects to be cherished by their owners. Over time items that were initially functional objects soon attracted the attention of skilled artists and draftsmen whose efforts reflected the growing importance of maps as not only useful objects but as works of art in their own right.
Until relatively recently our curiosity of the world around us outpaced our knowledge of geography. Early attempts at extending this knowledge were limited to oral tradition and based squarely on what people could see for themselves. This knowledge of a landscape and local environment, often combined with lore and myth, helped create “living maps” communicated from person to person and generation to generation.
The need for more reliable methods of communicating this local knowledge led to the development of topographical maps. These captured the salient elements of a terrain to more reliably record and pass on knowledge. These early maps tended to concentrate on the relationships between obvious topographical features, with little attention paid to true measurement or accuracy.
However these early attempts were successful in that they stored knowledge for future generations and, although inaccurate by the standards employed today, it did standardize the kind of knowledge passed between generations and helped sow the seeds for early cartography. They also offer historians a unique glimpse into the lives and preoccupations of these primitive societies.
Although maps and cartography continued to develop by the Middle Ages things had slowed down. During the Medieval era accuracy, and the desire to create realistic maps, declined. Philosophical thought was much more concentrated on religious matters, and this was reflected in maps. Many maps during this period had strong religious overtones, often warping the reality of geography to represent some religious bias – such as the Holy Land represented as the center of the earth.
By the 16th and 17th centuries however things began to change. With many European nations, in particular the Dutch and the British, taking to the high seas mapmaking became important.It is at this time we see maps moving beyond simple functionality to art. Although initially fulfilling a technical need the role of the cartographer soon developed along similar lines to other crafts. By the 17th century skilled cartographers were in great demand. This recognition of the profession soon gave rise to some leading lights who took cartography from drawing functional charts to creating unique works of art.
In addition many cartographers were accomplished draftsmen due to the nature of their profession, and often embellished their work with decorative details such as sea creatures and mythical gods. It was commonplace to see maps designed by Abraham Ortelius (1528 – 1598) or Petrus Plancius (1552 - 1622) decorated with elaborate pictorial detail.
A good example is Obis Terrae Compendiosa, designed by Dutch cartographer Jan Baptist Vrients (1552 - 1612), a successor to Abraham Ortelius. Like many maps of the day it is decorated with numerous details including symbolic figures at each corner, landscape vignettes and exotic animals and fauna from the far-off shores it represents.
One of the most famous examples is Typus orbis terrarum, designed by Abraham Ortelius. It is replete with an astonishing level of detail matched only by the breadth of its knowledge. Like many antique world maps dating from the period it reflects a perfect fusion of geographical knowledge and artistic endeavor.
Nowadays many people are looking to antique maps to add some charm and history to their home decor. With a vast array of options to choose from, including posters, prints and wall tapestries, there's never been a better time to appreciate these unique works of art.
Copyright © The Tapestry House, all rights reserved.
This is Free-Reprint article from The Tapestry House. Our terms are: Please leave copyright statement intact Please publish author info including links Please do not use the article in unsolicited emails Please keep all links intact and "as is" - no embedded keyword advertising
You can contact us at articles@thetapestryhouse.com
Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/
Given that maps in the past were very valuable objects, it is no surprise that they were treated in much the same way as art, as objects to be cherished by their owners. Over time items that were initially functional objects soon attracted the attention of skilled artists and draftsmen whose efforts reflected the growing importance of maps as not only useful objects but as works of art in their own right.
Until relatively recently our curiosity of the world around us outpaced our knowledge of geography. Early attempts at extending this knowledge were limited to oral tradition and based squarely on what people could see for themselves. This knowledge of a landscape and local environment, often combined with lore and myth, helped create “living maps” communicated from person to person and generation to generation.
The need for more reliable methods of communicating this local knowledge led to the development of topographical maps. These captured the salient elements of a terrain to more reliably record and pass on knowledge. These early maps tended to concentrate on the relationships between obvious topographical features, with little attention paid to true measurement or accuracy.
However these early attempts were successful in that they stored knowledge for future generations and, although inaccurate by the standards employed today, it did standardize the kind of knowledge passed between generations and helped sow the seeds for early cartography. They also offer historians a unique glimpse into the lives and preoccupations of these primitive societies.
Although maps and cartography continued to develop by the Middle Ages things had slowed down. During the Medieval era accuracy, and the desire to create realistic maps, declined. Philosophical thought was much more concentrated on religious matters, and this was reflected in maps. Many maps during this period had strong religious overtones, often warping the reality of geography to represent some religious bias – such as the Holy Land represented as the center of the earth.
By the 16th and 17th centuries however things began to change. With many European nations, in particular the Dutch and the British, taking to the high seas mapmaking became important.It is at this time we see maps moving beyond simple functionality to art. Although initially fulfilling a technical need the role of the cartographer soon developed along similar lines to other crafts. By the 17th century skilled cartographers were in great demand. This recognition of the profession soon gave rise to some leading lights who took cartography from drawing functional charts to creating unique works of art.
In addition many cartographers were accomplished draftsmen due to the nature of their profession, and often embellished their work with decorative details such as sea creatures and mythical gods. It was commonplace to see maps designed by Abraham Ortelius (1528 – 1598) or Petrus Plancius (1552 - 1622) decorated with elaborate pictorial detail.
A good example is Obis Terrae Compendiosa, designed by Dutch cartographer Jan Baptist Vrients (1552 - 1612), a successor to Abraham Ortelius. Like many maps of the day it is decorated with numerous details including symbolic figures at each corner, landscape vignettes and exotic animals and fauna from the far-off shores it represents.
One of the most famous examples is Typus orbis terrarum, designed by Abraham Ortelius. It is replete with an astonishing level of detail matched only by the breadth of its knowledge. Like many antique world maps dating from the period it reflects a perfect fusion of geographical knowledge and artistic endeavor.
Nowadays many people are looking to antique maps to add some charm and history to their home decor. With a vast array of options to choose from, including posters, prints and wall tapestries, there's never been a better time to appreciate these unique works of art.
Copyright © The Tapestry House, all rights reserved.
This is Free-Reprint article from The Tapestry House. Our terms are: Please leave copyright statement intact Please publish author info including links Please do not use the article in unsolicited emails Please keep all links intact and "as is" - no embedded keyword advertising
You can contact us at articles@thetapestryhouse.com
Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!
Geeeeee, you think there was "hype" about the iPhone? That was nothing compared to the last and newest "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" book!
Security is high, books must be sealed and secured. No talking to the press....no really!
Parties at major & minor book stores abound. Will people "camp out" for the book? Who the hell knows? It's crazy. The local public library claims a 6-12 month wait on reserve.....uh huh. I have a copy reserved, maybe I'll sell it on EBay for $500...haha!
OMG, the web sites devoted to this and the secondary marketing of toys, the movies, they even publish "Harry Potter" in brail! All types of media including, print, web, video, etc. are in play. Thanks to the internet, fan fanaticism, much of the "hype" and coverage is free marketing...........the real reason she allows "unofficial" books, etc.
Here are just two sites:
http://www.mugglenet.com/
http://www.jkrowling.com/en/
Can there be any doubt on why the author is a "Billionaire"? I am surprised though at all the "un-official" products and books out there. Unlike Microsoft who sues anyone who remotely uses their trademarks or ones that are similar, Rowling, appears to just "feed the beast", and allow copycats. Strange but true.
Monday, July 2, 2007
OK, I once worked at a college bookstore and recently stumbled upon a "Norton Anthologies of Poetry" in the Bookstore where I work. These were the mainstay of almost every college English class.
Seems like if you were "exploring" poetry or literature, that may be a good place to start.
Our bookstore, a chain, is pretty large ....but the "poetry" sections is only a few shelves. Literature comprises about 20% of the store, so an anthology would allow a broader scope of styles.
Of course a bookstore, is not a Library, yet many people feel this way. Our major chain store only has perhaps the top 25% of available "New" or even "Classic" Literature available. A Library probably has more, but books published more than 5-10 years ago, may only be available on-line or at a used bookstore..
http://www.wwnorton.com/
http://www2.wwnorton.com/college/english/
Anthologies: Your Shortcut To Getting Published
By: Sophfronia Scott
What do you get when you mix a handful of writers, a hot topic and a snazzy title? You get an anthology--and one of the more popular form of books being published today. A recent article in the Sunday New York Times (see article at http://www.profcs.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=238123) noted "the wave of anthologies has not yet crested" and the phenomenon is still a great seller, especially for women writers. You can take advantage of this trend to get yourself published faster than working on your own. I know it might not be what you dreamed--sharing a byline and being in a book that's not wholely yours, but it is a way for a first time author to get a foot in the door--and I know of at least one publishing company, Love Your Life Publishing, with a program designed to help you do it in as little as six months! (You can find them at www.loveyourlife.com. Tell them The Book Sistah sent you so they'll treat you REALLY well!) Here's how you can start the legwork on your own.
Choose Your Topic
Anthologies are organized and driven by their subject matter. And the title usually makes it crystal clear what that subject is. Examples: "Maybe Baby: 28 Writers Tell the Truth About Skepticism, Infertility, Baby Lust, Childlessness, Ambivalence and How They Made the Biggest Decision of Their Lives"; "The Bastard on the Couch: 27 Men Try Really Hard to Explain Their Feelings About Love, Loss, Fatherhood and Freedom". When you choose your topic you'll want it, of course, to be something you're interested in writing about, but you'll also want it to feel as though you are responding to what's on the minds of a particular group or society at large. You'll want to do your best to plug into the zeitgeist because that's what will generate buzz about your book and get you interviewed in the media.
Gang Up! Find Your Co-Authors
Next, find other writers interested in participating. You can do this by Googling your subject and seeing what writers are already working in the field. You can also scan online groups, like on Yahoo, to find unpublished writers looking to do their first book as well. Note, if you are not self-publishing, you may need to entice a few known authors onto your list in order to pique a traditional publisher's interest.
FYI, Love Your Life Publishing is looking for contributors to an anthology they're assembling entitled "The Spirit of Women Entrepreneurs". If this is your expertise, contact Love Your Life for more details.
How Will You Publish and Split Costs?
If you self publish your anthology, you'll have to come up with a plan for how you'll handle the costs and oversee the project. Will it by "your baby", in which case you'll pay for the book's production (and possibly even pay the bigger name writers if that's what it takes to get them involved) and marketing costs. If you go in with a group of first timers, you'll all be able to split the costs, but it might be a good idea to have someone act as the project manager, to keep from having a "too many cooks" scenario develop.
Co-Market For Your Best Results
The best part about working with more than one writer is that you'll be able to use the muscle of marketing to more than one list. Ideally each writer will have their own list (either their personal contacts or a list they developed as part of a business) and that automatically multiplies the number of people you can reach with the book. You'll want to put your heads together to develop a good marketing plan so you're all sending out similar materials with a similar message. Again, you can designate a project manager to handle submitting the book to media markets (your co-authors can handle local media if they already have their own contacts). Hopefully everyone will pitch in and do their share. After all, if the book succeeds it could be the stepping stone the writers need to their own individual book contracts!
© 2006 Sophfronia Scott
About the Author:
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE? See Sophfronia's The Book Sistah Blog, category "Articles". Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is "The Book Sistah" TM. Get her FREE REPORT, "The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published" and her FREE online writing and publishing tips at http://www.TheBookSistah.com
Read more articles by: Sophfronia Scott
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Six Steps To Better Editing And Writing
Proofreading and editing one’s own writing is very difficult. A quick reread seldom exposes the errors inherent in the work, but following the steps discussed in this article, should help you develop an efficient and effective method of proofing and editing your writing. These steps will help you become a better editor and in turn a better writer.
1. Spacing after punctuation. Make sure to use only one space between sentences. The double space was used on the typewriter to help the reader differentiate between sentences. It is not necessary to add the extra space when using a word processing program and many offer the option of alerting you when you’ve added an extra space. The first thing I do when I edit a piece is a search and replace of all the double spaces.
2. Web site versus website. The second thing I do is a search and replace of all the incorrect and often inconsistent uses of Web site. The World Wide Web, or the Web as it is more commonly referred to, is a proper noun, hence it should be capitalized. Site or host or any other word that we try to combine with Web is in fact its own word.
3. Internet versus internet. The third thing I do before I begin to edit a piece of writing is to perform a search and replace for the incorrect and again often inconsistent uses of Internet. The same principle applies here. Internet is a proper noun and therefore is always capitalized.
4. Apostrophes. Next, I actually read the piece with an eye out for certain apostrophe errors – in particular, your and you’re, they’re and their as well as possession issues. Some industries identify themselves by using an acronym. For instance, a CPA is a certified public accountant, a VA is a virtual assistant, and there are many more. Many writers mistakenly use an apostrophe when they actually intend to form a plural of the word. VAs is correct as is CPAs when referring to virtual assistants or certified public accountants. An apostrophe would only be used for possession. The VA’s services were superior represents a correct use of the apostrophe.
5. The wrong word – make sure you’re using the right word. When do you use then as opposed to than, or effect instead of affect? How about it’s and its? If you’re not sure – look it up.
6. Consistency – some errors can be excused, as long as you’re consistent. I say that with some degree of sarcasm. Pay attention to Web sites, advertisements and other marketing pieces currently used by businesses of all size and reputations and see if you can notice the inconsistencies that exist. Does it affect the way you see the company? How about if they were offering editing and proofreading services? If you’re going to capitalize Client – make sure you do it throughout all your materials.
In order to spot errors in your writing, you need to slow down your reading speed. Your normal reading speed will not give your eyes the opportunity to pick up the error and will allow your mind to fill in the gap or correct it automatically. Read your piece aloud – slowly. This encourages you to look at every word. You can also use a ruler or another piece of paper to force your eyes to review each line. When reading, put yourself in your reader’s shoes and listen as your audience might. If you follow these tips, you’ll be editing and writing wisely.
About the Author:
Laurie Dart, author and owner of Writing Wisely provides writing and editing services to entrepreneurs and small business owners. To improve your writing, visit the Web site: http://www.writingwisely.com.
Read more articles by: Laurie Dart
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
Friday, June 29, 2007
Online Poetry Communities: 10 Tips to Finding the Right One for You
In my job as a "Bookseller", I find our stores section of poetry to be very small......only slightly larger than our "Large Print" section , which is only four shelves! I doubt there is 200 volumes in Poetry. Yates, Frost, Poe, E.E. Cummings, Browning, and a few more modern poets. It is rather sad.
Online poetry communities, in their simplest sense, are sites you join to share poems and to meet other poets who also share an interest in poetry. However, finding an exceptional poetry site, dedicated to its poets, is not quite that simple. With so many poetry sites out there, how do you choose which one is best for you?
1. Membership Fees: Some poetry communities say they are free, once you join, however, you have to “upgrade” for additional features. Other poetry sites rely on donations, and advertisements. Look for a site that is no more than $35.00 annually.
Bottom Line: Find a site that only charges you ONE fee to use EVERY feature on the site.
2. Site Features: Look for a site that has tons of features, not just a few lame areas of posting and reading poetry. A good rule of thumb is this: For every $2.00 you spend annually, you should find ONE UNIQUE Feature of the site. If you are willing to spend $40.00, then you should get at least 20 UNIQUE Features.
Bottom Line: Find a poetry site that offers as much bang for your buck as possible.
3. Communication System: An online poetry community should be a community. An internal mail system, and an active Bulletin Board—a place where poets share ideas—is a must.
Bottom Line: Find a site that has a few ways poets can communicate.
4. Feedback System: Examine not only HOW you receive feedback, but the QUALITY of that feedback. Will you simply be getting brief comments? Is there a point system in place? Does that point system address areas of analysis that are important to you?
Bottom Line: Find a site that has a quality review system that provides you the feedback you are looking for.
5. Recognition Programs: Most poetry sites function as a fancy bulletin board for posting poetry. A solid poetry site encourages friendly competition, and a way for you to measure your progress. Being able to rise up the ranks, gain recognition from your fellow poets is not only fun, but rewarding.
Bottom Line: Find a site that encourages several recognition programs and poet rankings.
6. Site Layout: A poetry site should be clean, inviting, friendly, and easy to navigate. Many sites are just the opposite: laden with ads, thousands of words, and links that bring you everywhere but where you ought to be.
Bottom Line: Find a site that is clean, fairly devoid of ads, strong linking and ease of organization.
7. Poetry Database: Most online poetry communities lack meaningful poetry research tools. A site that provides its poets with as many links to resources as possible, is one has your best interests at heart. Bottom Line: Find a site that helps you learn poetry forms, movements, history, poets, etc., one stop shopping if you will.
8. Awards: Poor sites have either no award system, or a poor awards system. Quality sites invest in their members. Would you rather win a quality award, or receive certificates, magnets and bumper stickers in the mail?
Bottom Line: Find a site that is dedicated to giving back to its community in the form of quality, timely awards.
9. Support: So often I hear poets lament the fact that “no one seems to be behind the wheel.” A quality site responds promptly to its members, usually less than 48 hours. Send a trial email, see how long it takes to hear back.
Bottom Line: Find a site that responds to your concerns, questions, or suggestions within 48 hours.
10. Free Trial: Avoid any poetry site that does not give you AT LEAST a 7 day free trial. You should be able to access ALL the site features, not just a few teasers.
Bottom Line: Find a site that allows you a generous, all access FREE TRIAL, so you can fully understand its community.
Finding the right online poetry community doesn’t have to be difficult. If you asked me what ONE thing I would look for it is this: The more features a poetry site offers its poets, the more likely your experience is going to be a great one.
Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com
About the Author:
About The Author:
Rob Levasseur is a former English Teacher, published poet, owner, creator, and operator of WorldofPoets.coman online poetry community built for, and by, its online poets. To learn more, email Rob at admin@worldofpoets.com.
Online poetry communities, in their simplest sense, are sites you join to share poems and to meet other poets who also share an interest in poetry. However, finding an exceptional poetry site, dedicated to its poets, is not quite that simple. With so many poetry sites out there, how do you choose which one is best for you?
1. Membership Fees: Some poetry communities say they are free, once you join, however, you have to “upgrade” for additional features. Other poetry sites rely on donations, and advertisements. Look for a site that is no more than $35.00 annually.
Bottom Line: Find a site that only charges you ONE fee to use EVERY feature on the site.
2. Site Features: Look for a site that has tons of features, not just a few lame areas of posting and reading poetry. A good rule of thumb is this: For every $2.00 you spend annually, you should find ONE UNIQUE Feature of the site. If you are willing to spend $40.00, then you should get at least 20 UNIQUE Features.
Bottom Line: Find a poetry site that offers as much bang for your buck as possible.
3. Communication System: An online poetry community should be a community. An internal mail system, and an active Bulletin Board—a place where poets share ideas—is a must.
Bottom Line: Find a site that has a few ways poets can communicate.
4. Feedback System: Examine not only HOW you receive feedback, but the QUALITY of that feedback. Will you simply be getting brief comments? Is there a point system in place? Does that point system address areas of analysis that are important to you?
Bottom Line: Find a site that has a quality review system that provides you the feedback you are looking for.
5. Recognition Programs: Most poetry sites function as a fancy bulletin board for posting poetry. A solid poetry site encourages friendly competition, and a way for you to measure your progress. Being able to rise up the ranks, gain recognition from your fellow poets is not only fun, but rewarding.
Bottom Line: Find a site that encourages several recognition programs and poet rankings.
6. Site Layout: A poetry site should be clean, inviting, friendly, and easy to navigate. Many sites are just the opposite: laden with ads, thousands of words, and links that bring you everywhere but where you ought to be.
Bottom Line: Find a site that is clean, fairly devoid of ads, strong linking and ease of organization.
7. Poetry Database: Most online poetry communities lack meaningful poetry research tools. A site that provides its poets with as many links to resources as possible, is one has your best interests at heart. Bottom Line: Find a site that helps you learn poetry forms, movements, history, poets, etc., one stop shopping if you will.
8. Awards: Poor sites have either no award system, or a poor awards system. Quality sites invest in their members. Would you rather win a quality award, or receive certificates, magnets and bumper stickers in the mail?
Bottom Line: Find a site that is dedicated to giving back to its community in the form of quality, timely awards.
9. Support: So often I hear poets lament the fact that “no one seems to be behind the wheel.” A quality site responds promptly to its members, usually less than 48 hours. Send a trial email, see how long it takes to hear back.
Bottom Line: Find a site that responds to your concerns, questions, or suggestions within 48 hours.
10. Free Trial: Avoid any poetry site that does not give you AT LEAST a 7 day free trial. You should be able to access ALL the site features, not just a few teasers.
Bottom Line: Find a site that allows you a generous, all access FREE TRIAL, so you can fully understand its community.
Finding the right online poetry community doesn’t have to be difficult. If you asked me what ONE thing I would look for it is this: The more features a poetry site offers its poets, the more likely your experience is going to be a great one.
Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com
About the Author:
About The Author:
Rob Levasseur is a former English Teacher, published poet, owner, creator, and operator of WorldofPoets.coman online poetry community built for, and by, its online poets. To learn more, email Rob at admin@worldofpoets.com.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Get Rich, Retire Rich Books.......Do They Work?
OMG, so many books, so little brains. Initially, my reaction is the way to get rich is write a "Get Rich Book". I mean, come on, if all it took was reading a book, we would all be rich.
Personally, I believe it takes a certain personality type to pursue wealth for the sake of wealth, definitely a "Type A" personality. Someone who enjoys competition, crowds, a fraternity/sorority type...someone who "networks". And that is just to read the books!
I am sure all those who compete on the Donald Trump Show, "The Apprentice", qualify. I remember a Business Law class I took at Colorado State University, as part of my MBA program. The Professor asked the students, at least 90% who were 21-23 years of age, "How many think they will be making $50,000/yr by the time they are 30 yrs old?" At least 90% raised their hands! Uh huh.
In my present "job" as a "Bookseller", I see many people seeking these types of books. Here are some on-line lists of the "Top 10"........most are none of the ones that I see daily.
http://www.helpyourmoney.com/180/most-recommended-personal-finance-books
http://www.amazon.com/Favorite-Get-Rich-Books/lm/2QKVEZ32R9XNB
People seem to like the "Rich Dad" series......unfortunately for my kids, I was the "Poor Dad". The best way to get rich is for dad or grandpa to have been a "Robber Baron" and leave you all his money!
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/104-9703033-7055953?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=how+to+get+rich&Go.x=7&Go.y=8
I suppose all the above are for what I still call "Yuppies or "Yuppie Puppies". Conventional, conservative "wannabes".
Then there are the Evangelical Christan.............."God will Bless Me with Wealth" types who actually believe that "GOD" will reward their Christian beliefs with money, power, etc. Uh huh. What happened to that bible verse "A rich man has as much chance of getting into heavens as a camel going through an eye of a needle?"
I guess I am just pessimistic...........you inherent wealth or you "get lucky". As the movie "Wall Street" stated "Greed is Good!"
Personally, I believe it takes a certain personality type to pursue wealth for the sake of wealth, definitely a "Type A" personality. Someone who enjoys competition, crowds, a fraternity/sorority type...someone who "networks". And that is just to read the books!
I am sure all those who compete on the Donald Trump Show, "The Apprentice", qualify. I remember a Business Law class I took at Colorado State University, as part of my MBA program. The Professor asked the students, at least 90% who were 21-23 years of age, "How many think they will be making $50,000/yr by the time they are 30 yrs old?" At least 90% raised their hands! Uh huh.
In my present "job" as a "Bookseller", I see many people seeking these types of books. Here are some on-line lists of the "Top 10"........most are none of the ones that I see daily.
http://www.helpyourmoney.com/180/most-recommended-personal-finance-books
http://www.amazon.com/Favorite-Get-Rich-Books/lm/2QKVEZ32R9XNB
People seem to like the "Rich Dad" series......unfortunately for my kids, I was the "Poor Dad". The best way to get rich is for dad or grandpa to have been a "Robber Baron" and leave you all his money!
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/104-9703033-7055953?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=how+to+get+rich&Go.x=7&Go.y=8
I suppose all the above are for what I still call "Yuppies or "Yuppie Puppies". Conventional, conservative "wannabes".
Then there are the Evangelical Christan.............."God will Bless Me with Wealth" types who actually believe that "GOD" will reward their Christian beliefs with money, power, etc. Uh huh. What happened to that bible verse "A rich man has as much chance of getting into heavens as a camel going through an eye of a needle?"
I guess I am just pessimistic...........you inherent wealth or you "get lucky". As the movie "Wall Street" stated "Greed is Good!"
Sunday, June 24, 2007
A Trilogy Review
A Trilogy of fiction, of sudden climate change, due to "Global Warming". For some strange reason, I started reading Fifty Degrees Below first, thinking it was a "stand alone" novel, then recently found Sixty Days and Counting. They are good reads, and entirely plausible scenarios.
The characters are interesting and believable. There is also a "conspiracy" and "black ops" back story which , I personally like. While many do not believe in "Global Warming" caused by the almost 7 Billion Human beings on this planet (their heads must have been buried in the sand for the last 50 years!)....."something" is going on. I know the climate has changed in my lifetime........somehow!
These books, while entertaining, also give room for some thought. Here are some reviews from one of my affiliate advertisers, Amazon.
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Forty Signs of Rain In this cerebral near-future novel, the first in a trilogy, Robinson (The Years of Rice and Salt) explores the events leading up to a worldwide catastrophe brought on by global warming. Each of his various viewpoint characters holds a small piece of the puzzle and can see calamity coming, but is helpless before the indifference of the politicians and capitalists who run America. Anna Quibler, a National Science Foundation official in Washington, D.C., sifts through dozens of funding proposals each day, while her husband, Charlie, handles life as a stay-at-home dad and telecommutes to his job as an environmental adviser to a liberal senator. Another scientist, Frank Vanderwal, finds his sterile worldview turned upside down after attending a lecture on Buddhist attitudes toward science given by the ambassador from Khembalung, a nation virtually inundated by the rising Indian Ocean. Robinson's tale lacks the drama and excitement of such other novels dealing with global climate change as Bruce Sterling's Heavy Weather and John Barnes's Mother of Storms, but his portrayal of how actual scientists would deal with this disaster-in-the-making is utterly convincing. Robinson clearly cares deeply about our planet's future, and he makes the reader care as well. FYI:Robinson's Mars trilogy (Red Mars, etc.) received one Nebula and two Hugo awards.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
Fifty Degrees Below Earth continues its relentless plunge toward environmental collapse in Robinson's well-done if intensely didactic follow-up to Forty Signs of Rain (2004). As a result of global warming, the Gulf Stream has stalled, and when winter comes, impossibly frigid temperatures hit the Eastern Seaboard and Western Europe. As people starve, multinational corporations explore ways of making a profit from the disaster. When Antarctica's ice shelves collapse, low-lying island nations quite literally slip beneath the rising waters. In Washington, D.C., clear-sighted scientists must overcome government inertia and stupidity to put into effect policies that may begin to salvage the situation. An enormous fleet of ships is dispatched to the North Atlantic to dump millions of tons of salt into the ocean in the hope of restarting the Gulf Stream. This ecological disaster tale is guaranteed to anger political and economic conservatives of every stripe, but it provides perhaps the most realistic portrayal ever created of the environmental changes that are already occurring on our planet. It should be required reading for anyone concerned about our world's future.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
Sixty Days and Counting Inside-the-Beltway policy wonks and government scientists strive to save the world from environmental collapse in the well-written third installment (after 2005's Fifty Degrees Below) of this hyper realistic, near-future SF series. The Gulf Stream-slowed by global warming-has been restarted and nuclear-powered naval ships stand by to generate electricity for frigid coastal cities. Phil Chase, an ecologically minded Democrat from California in the Al Gore mold, has won the presidency, due in part to the efforts of NSA scientist Frank Vanderwal and his spook girlfriend, Caroline Barr, who helped foil a right-wing attempt to fix the election. But only time will tell if the world has both the scientific know-how and the political will to reverse the ongoing rush toward an ecological precipice. Combining surprisingly interesting discussions of environmental science with Robinson's trademark tramps through nature and an exciting espionage subplot, this novel should appeal to both the author's regular SF audience and anyone concerned with the ecological health of our planet (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
http://www.amazon.com
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
The Basics of Genealogy Research
I became extreamly interested in genealogy research, when I had to write a paper in Graduate School about my ancestory. Thanks to the Morman Church, whose record keeping is without par, I was able to trace my lineage back to the early 1700's.
I had help from several distant relatives to fill in the missing spaces. I even found several new "cousins" in the process. Unfortunately I began this project after most relatives had passed away!
When it comes to genealogy research, there are many different tricks of the trade that you can use to find and gather the information that you need. No matter what methods you choose to follow, however, there are a few basics that always remain the same if you hope to have a successful and fulfilling search.
Record Information
One of the most important steps you should take when conducting genealogy research is also one of the most overlooked: make sure to maintain accurate logs of the information you have collected. In order to keep accurate loges, you need to document the resources you used for each piece of information you collect. This makes it far easier to do cross-references down the road and to verify information that you may collect elsewhere.
Gather Evidence
When conducting genealogy research, it will be necessary for you to create your own hypotheses when it comes to piecing information about your family together. Don't get carried away with romantic ideas of your lineage and fool yourself into believing them. Make sure to test every hypothesis and theory you develop by finding credible evidence to back it up. If your hypothesis is not supported by the evidence, reject it and move on to another hypothesis.
Go Original
As much as possible, always use original documents when researching your genealogy. If you use ones that have been reproduced, you run the risk of having documents that have been altered. This, of course, may cause you to have inaccurate information. When it comes to published works, compilations, communications, and other electronic or paper guides, you should use them as guides in order to help you find the original documents.
Never Stretch the Truth
Never communicate something as a fact when it comes to your genealogy until you are completely sure it really is a fact. You should never mislead another researchers - either purposely or out of carelessness - when stating information. If you communicate information as facts to other genealogists and have your "fact" disproved, you will lose respect within the community and others will be less likely to help you in your search. Also, site your reference when providing information as fact.
If you are still uncertain as to whether or not a piece of information you gathered is fact, then you should state that the information is probable or possible. Once again, cite your resource for the information that has led you to believe the information may be true. Be sure to acknowledge the research that others may have conducted for you.
Work Together
Genealogy research is a collegial interest. Therefore, you should openly and freely communicate with other researchers and share the information you have gathered. In order to do this, you should publish your work in some manner so it is available to others. You might also place copies of your research in repositories and libraries. In addition, you must be open to constructive criticism.
Since genealogy research is collegial, you should also feel free to read the information that has been gathered by other researchers. Never feel afraid to ask questions or to ask others to share the information they have gathered with you.
Keep an Open Mind
Since genealogy research is a process that involves formulating and testing a variety of hypotheses, it is important to always keep an open mind. New evidence may appear that discredits other evidence you once had and proves something other than what you had thought to be true. Do not set preconceived ideas about your genealogy and then refuse to change them. Also, be open when listening to the conclusions others have drawn and when they make comments on your work. If you listen with an open mind, you just might discover new ideas you had never thought about before.
Genealogy research is a rewarding, fun, and interesting experience. Just be sure to go into it with an open mind, with flexibility, and honesty. Be willing to share your information with others and to listen to their information without being judgmental or by taking offense to their thoughts. Unraveling the mysteries of the past is like a large puzzle, and the more ideas and help you have solving the puzzle, the great the chance of creating a beautiful family picture.
Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com
About the Author:
Marie Christianson is a senior business analyst at www.FamilyDetails.com. Visit the FamilyDetails.com Genealogy Info Center for more articles and resources!
I had help from several distant relatives to fill in the missing spaces. I even found several new "cousins" in the process. Unfortunately I began this project after most relatives had passed away!
When it comes to genealogy research, there are many different tricks of the trade that you can use to find and gather the information that you need. No matter what methods you choose to follow, however, there are a few basics that always remain the same if you hope to have a successful and fulfilling search.
Record Information
One of the most important steps you should take when conducting genealogy research is also one of the most overlooked: make sure to maintain accurate logs of the information you have collected. In order to keep accurate loges, you need to document the resources you used for each piece of information you collect. This makes it far easier to do cross-references down the road and to verify information that you may collect elsewhere.
Gather Evidence
When conducting genealogy research, it will be necessary for you to create your own hypotheses when it comes to piecing information about your family together. Don't get carried away with romantic ideas of your lineage and fool yourself into believing them. Make sure to test every hypothesis and theory you develop by finding credible evidence to back it up. If your hypothesis is not supported by the evidence, reject it and move on to another hypothesis.
Go Original
As much as possible, always use original documents when researching your genealogy. If you use ones that have been reproduced, you run the risk of having documents that have been altered. This, of course, may cause you to have inaccurate information. When it comes to published works, compilations, communications, and other electronic or paper guides, you should use them as guides in order to help you find the original documents.
Never Stretch the Truth
Never communicate something as a fact when it comes to your genealogy until you are completely sure it really is a fact. You should never mislead another researchers - either purposely or out of carelessness - when stating information. If you communicate information as facts to other genealogists and have your "fact" disproved, you will lose respect within the community and others will be less likely to help you in your search. Also, site your reference when providing information as fact.
If you are still uncertain as to whether or not a piece of information you gathered is fact, then you should state that the information is probable or possible. Once again, cite your resource for the information that has led you to believe the information may be true. Be sure to acknowledge the research that others may have conducted for you.
Work Together
Genealogy research is a collegial interest. Therefore, you should openly and freely communicate with other researchers and share the information you have gathered. In order to do this, you should publish your work in some manner so it is available to others. You might also place copies of your research in repositories and libraries. In addition, you must be open to constructive criticism.
Since genealogy research is collegial, you should also feel free to read the information that has been gathered by other researchers. Never feel afraid to ask questions or to ask others to share the information they have gathered with you.
Keep an Open Mind
Since genealogy research is a process that involves formulating and testing a variety of hypotheses, it is important to always keep an open mind. New evidence may appear that discredits other evidence you once had and proves something other than what you had thought to be true. Do not set preconceived ideas about your genealogy and then refuse to change them. Also, be open when listening to the conclusions others have drawn and when they make comments on your work. If you listen with an open mind, you just might discover new ideas you had never thought about before.
Genealogy research is a rewarding, fun, and interesting experience. Just be sure to go into it with an open mind, with flexibility, and honesty. Be willing to share your information with others and to listen to their information without being judgmental or by taking offense to their thoughts. Unraveling the mysteries of the past is like a large puzzle, and the more ideas and help you have solving the puzzle, the great the chance of creating a beautiful family picture.
Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com
About the Author:
Marie Christianson is a senior business analyst at www.FamilyDetails.com. Visit the FamilyDetails.com Genealogy Info Center for more articles and resources!
Freelance Writing On The Internet
I've written many a paper and research project, both in Graduate Business and Education classes. Depending on the Department, the Writing Style Manual impacts the style of the writing.
In Graduate Education classes, The APA Style Manual was required. I used the same style for History classes and was taken to task. Other Departments require The MLA Style Manual or The Chicago Style Manual. Each one has it's quirks and similarities. Decide the market or audience your writing for and choose the correct style manual. All are available from major bookstores and Amazon.
So, you’ve decided to take up a career in freelance writing. You’ve hooked up the computer, installed the printer, and learnt the nitty-gritty of your word processor. You’ve maybe even been published a couple of times. You’re all set to conquer the world of publishing. But wait. Do you know all the options available to you?
We’ve compiled a list of all the jobs a freelance writer can find on the Internet to keep the cash inflow steady:
Magazines
Most of the freelance writing industry focuses on magazines, so let’s start there. You’ll find magazines on every topic imaginable. From teen issues to running, you’ll find at least one magazine to fit your interests. But while magazine publishing is huge and widespread, don’t try to get published everywhere at once. Find a few niche topics and start your way up from there. As your expertise and interests grow, branch out to other magazines as well. Topics most writers start out with include health and nutrition, computers, parenting, teens, relationships, disability, travel, etc.
Fillers in Magazines and Newspapers
Not all writers make it to the cover pages of magazines. At least not at first. In the beginning, you might just have to make do with fillers. And they pay as much as they’re fun to do. Jokes, opinion pieces, short lists, news items and other short pieces are termed fillers. Editors are always on the lookout for good fillers, so you stand a good chance of breaking through.
Greeting Cards
With e-cards, paper greeting cards seem to have taken a backseat. Nevertheless, the sale of paper cards is still ongoing and they are still preferred when it comes to special occasions. Despite popular myths, greeting card markets are not as easy to break into as they seem, can take a long time to respond and an even longer time to get your card into print. The upside is that greeting card markets pay extremely well for short writing. What’s more, though limited, opportunities exist for e-card writers too. So when you need to take a break from the regular work, dip your fingers into the greeting card pool
Doormats, Magnets, Bumper Stickers, T-shirts, etc
If you’ve wondered how those words made it to t-shirts, stickers, doormats and magnets, think no more. Freelance writers are often required to write the slogans for such material and are paid quite well for it. If you have the ability to coin a catchy or humorous one-liner, this could be your shot to riches. You won’t get a byline, and certainly no fame, but you could be earning as much as $50 per word!
Posters
They’re up in your room, you’ve seen them in your friend’s office, and you often find a funny one at the fast-food place down the street. Someone must have written them. Why not you? A lot of companies sell posters and generate handsome sales from them. In fact, writers of posters are usually paid in royalties, that is, a percentage of each poster sold. So, instead of being paid one-time, you’ll be paid over and over again for something you wrote years ago.
Resumes
Practically every one needs a resume (yes, even us freelance writers). Some people write them up themselves, some prefer to take the help of professionals. Write up a resume for a friend or two at work (even if she doesn’t need one!) as samples and respond to advertisements and calls for resume writers. Keep in mind though that resume writing isn’t your regular every day writing. You’re not supposed to decorate the page with flowery prose or funny anecdotes. You need to be professional, crisp and attention-grabbing. Practice with a few fake ones, and you’ll soon be on your way.
Advertising
Advertisers need writers, commonly known as copywriters. They’re the flesh and blood of the campaign. Getting into advertising can be a tricky business, but with a few credentials and a polished resume, you’ll have no trouble at all showcasing your talent to the world. If you are indeed good at what you do, advertisers will line up to get you to work for them. If you prefer not to work for someone, you could set up your own copywriting business and promote it to get clients.
Website Copy
With the Internet revolution finally having realized in its full form, small and big companies alike are looking for writers to write content for their websites. Not only do these companies pay well, but they also give the writer a much-desired break. If you’ve written website copy, you’ll have no trouble finding more assignments of the same kind. Simply guide the prospective client to the website and he’ll know what kind of work he can expect from you. Aim for start-up companies at first. They’ll usually hand over the whole work to you and you can make a great portfolio.
E-books
E-books are not here to replace print books. They’re here to provide an alternative resource for distribution. However, as opposed to print books, e-books are short, contain lots of web links and usually provide answers to a customer’s immediate needs. They can be downloaded off the Internet in seconds, and you can profit from a single e-book long after you’ve written it. Don’t get fooled though-- writing e-books takes just as much time and dedication as writing print ones. It’s only the mode of delivery that’s different.
E-zines
Online newsletters, or e-zines as they are frequently called, are becoming the rage of the publishing industry. Many of these e-zines are paying markets and run regular features and columns. Many of them have associated website,s too. While the pay in this market is less, you’ll be writing shorter articles in much less time.
Newspapers
Generally, when we think of newspapers, we think news. But newspapers hold a lot more information than that. With regular columns, reviews and updates, latest findings, and point-of-view articles, newspapers are the writer’s best bet. And if you’ve gained entry into one section of the newspaper, the other sections of writing open up to you automatically. Though slow on the income, getting published in your local daily is still a major ego-booster!
Newsletters
There are many households and small companies that publish newsletters. And all the more are springing up each day. These newsletters are a great way to break into freelancing and gather clips. Their requirements are not as tough to meet as those of magazines and most editors are quite quick in their response times. To add to that, some newsletters also pay quite well, sometimes almost as much as small magazines.
Ghostwriting
If it’s the fame you’re after, you won’t get it here. But you can earn a decent amount of money ghostwriting memoirs, books or even articles for people who don’t want to or can’t write themselves. Ghostwriters are quite in demand today with more and more people trying to preserve their family history by getting memoirs or biographies written. However, apart from the money, there’s nothing else. You don’t get the credit, the fame or sometimes, even the byline.
The prospects for writers today are immense provided you’re ready to experiment in different areas. The Internet has made it easier than ever to find writing assignments not only in your own country, but around the world. A simple e-mail is all it takes to apply for a job and send in the assignment.
It’s easy for a freelance writer to get stuck doing the same old thing over and over. It’s not only fun, but sometimes necessary to introduce a little spice into your writing routine. If you’ve been writing articles all your life, try doing some greeting card writing instead. If the money is slow, and you could really use some extra money, apply for a resume writer job. If the book manuscripts are lying unsold, try selling short stories for a change.
With a little variation now and then, you’ll not only find your income shooting up, but also your inspiration. So next time you find yourself waiting for word on that manuscript, send out a few short pieces instead. It’ll definitely be worth the effort.
About the Author:
Mridu Khullar is the editor-in-chief of www.WritersCrossing.com, a free online magazine for writers. Sign up for the free weekly newsletter to get a complimentary e-book with 400+ paying markets. Also check out her e-book, "Knock Their Socks Off! A Freelance Writer's Guide to Query Letters That Sell," available at http://www.writerscrossing.com/queries.html
Read more articles by: Mridu Khullar
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
In Graduate Education classes, The APA Style Manual was required. I used the same style for History classes and was taken to task. Other Departments require The MLA Style Manual or The Chicago Style Manual. Each one has it's quirks and similarities. Decide the market or audience your writing for and choose the correct style manual. All are available from major bookstores and Amazon.
So, you’ve decided to take up a career in freelance writing. You’ve hooked up the computer, installed the printer, and learnt the nitty-gritty of your word processor. You’ve maybe even been published a couple of times. You’re all set to conquer the world of publishing. But wait. Do you know all the options available to you?
We’ve compiled a list of all the jobs a freelance writer can find on the Internet to keep the cash inflow steady:
Magazines
Most of the freelance writing industry focuses on magazines, so let’s start there. You’ll find magazines on every topic imaginable. From teen issues to running, you’ll find at least one magazine to fit your interests. But while magazine publishing is huge and widespread, don’t try to get published everywhere at once. Find a few niche topics and start your way up from there. As your expertise and interests grow, branch out to other magazines as well. Topics most writers start out with include health and nutrition, computers, parenting, teens, relationships, disability, travel, etc.
Fillers in Magazines and Newspapers
Not all writers make it to the cover pages of magazines. At least not at first. In the beginning, you might just have to make do with fillers. And they pay as much as they’re fun to do. Jokes, opinion pieces, short lists, news items and other short pieces are termed fillers. Editors are always on the lookout for good fillers, so you stand a good chance of breaking through.
Greeting Cards
With e-cards, paper greeting cards seem to have taken a backseat. Nevertheless, the sale of paper cards is still ongoing and they are still preferred when it comes to special occasions. Despite popular myths, greeting card markets are not as easy to break into as they seem, can take a long time to respond and an even longer time to get your card into print. The upside is that greeting card markets pay extremely well for short writing. What’s more, though limited, opportunities exist for e-card writers too. So when you need to take a break from the regular work, dip your fingers into the greeting card pool
Doormats, Magnets, Bumper Stickers, T-shirts, etc
If you’ve wondered how those words made it to t-shirts, stickers, doormats and magnets, think no more. Freelance writers are often required to write the slogans for such material and are paid quite well for it. If you have the ability to coin a catchy or humorous one-liner, this could be your shot to riches. You won’t get a byline, and certainly no fame, but you could be earning as much as $50 per word!
Posters
They’re up in your room, you’ve seen them in your friend’s office, and you often find a funny one at the fast-food place down the street. Someone must have written them. Why not you? A lot of companies sell posters and generate handsome sales from them. In fact, writers of posters are usually paid in royalties, that is, a percentage of each poster sold. So, instead of being paid one-time, you’ll be paid over and over again for something you wrote years ago.
Resumes
Practically every one needs a resume (yes, even us freelance writers). Some people write them up themselves, some prefer to take the help of professionals. Write up a resume for a friend or two at work (even if she doesn’t need one!) as samples and respond to advertisements and calls for resume writers. Keep in mind though that resume writing isn’t your regular every day writing. You’re not supposed to decorate the page with flowery prose or funny anecdotes. You need to be professional, crisp and attention-grabbing. Practice with a few fake ones, and you’ll soon be on your way.
Advertising
Advertisers need writers, commonly known as copywriters. They’re the flesh and blood of the campaign. Getting into advertising can be a tricky business, but with a few credentials and a polished resume, you’ll have no trouble at all showcasing your talent to the world. If you are indeed good at what you do, advertisers will line up to get you to work for them. If you prefer not to work for someone, you could set up your own copywriting business and promote it to get clients.
Website Copy
With the Internet revolution finally having realized in its full form, small and big companies alike are looking for writers to write content for their websites. Not only do these companies pay well, but they also give the writer a much-desired break. If you’ve written website copy, you’ll have no trouble finding more assignments of the same kind. Simply guide the prospective client to the website and he’ll know what kind of work he can expect from you. Aim for start-up companies at first. They’ll usually hand over the whole work to you and you can make a great portfolio.
E-books
E-books are not here to replace print books. They’re here to provide an alternative resource for distribution. However, as opposed to print books, e-books are short, contain lots of web links and usually provide answers to a customer’s immediate needs. They can be downloaded off the Internet in seconds, and you can profit from a single e-book long after you’ve written it. Don’t get fooled though-- writing e-books takes just as much time and dedication as writing print ones. It’s only the mode of delivery that’s different.
E-zines
Online newsletters, or e-zines as they are frequently called, are becoming the rage of the publishing industry. Many of these e-zines are paying markets and run regular features and columns. Many of them have associated website,s too. While the pay in this market is less, you’ll be writing shorter articles in much less time.
Newspapers
Generally, when we think of newspapers, we think news. But newspapers hold a lot more information than that. With regular columns, reviews and updates, latest findings, and point-of-view articles, newspapers are the writer’s best bet. And if you’ve gained entry into one section of the newspaper, the other sections of writing open up to you automatically. Though slow on the income, getting published in your local daily is still a major ego-booster!
Newsletters
There are many households and small companies that publish newsletters. And all the more are springing up each day. These newsletters are a great way to break into freelancing and gather clips. Their requirements are not as tough to meet as those of magazines and most editors are quite quick in their response times. To add to that, some newsletters also pay quite well, sometimes almost as much as small magazines.
Ghostwriting
If it’s the fame you’re after, you won’t get it here. But you can earn a decent amount of money ghostwriting memoirs, books or even articles for people who don’t want to or can’t write themselves. Ghostwriters are quite in demand today with more and more people trying to preserve their family history by getting memoirs or biographies written. However, apart from the money, there’s nothing else. You don’t get the credit, the fame or sometimes, even the byline.
The prospects for writers today are immense provided you’re ready to experiment in different areas. The Internet has made it easier than ever to find writing assignments not only in your own country, but around the world. A simple e-mail is all it takes to apply for a job and send in the assignment.
It’s easy for a freelance writer to get stuck doing the same old thing over and over. It’s not only fun, but sometimes necessary to introduce a little spice into your writing routine. If you’ve been writing articles all your life, try doing some greeting card writing instead. If the money is slow, and you could really use some extra money, apply for a resume writer job. If the book manuscripts are lying unsold, try selling short stories for a change.
With a little variation now and then, you’ll not only find your income shooting up, but also your inspiration. So next time you find yourself waiting for word on that manuscript, send out a few short pieces instead. It’ll definitely be worth the effort.
About the Author:
Mridu Khullar is the editor-in-chief of www.WritersCrossing.com, a free online magazine for writers. Sign up for the free weekly newsletter to get a complimentary e-book with 400+ paying markets. Also check out her e-book, "Knock Their Socks Off! A Freelance Writer's Guide to Query Letters That Sell," available at http://www.writerscrossing.com/queries.html
Read more articles by: Mridu Khullar
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
Sunday, June 17, 2007
In The Mirror
As I look kindly upon this complex visage,
I reflect.
I see the joy,
The grace
And the mystery that is motherhood.
Behold a face that has felt every feeling
And lived so many emotions!
I survey the lines,
Notice the imperfections
And ponder the passage of time.
My eyes are filled with wonder.
They have gazed upon you as you slept,
Watched you grow
And witnessed the miracles of life.
Lips that once brushed your newborn cheek
Now smile with the secrets
That only a mother can know.
This mouth
Has imparted many pearls of parental wisdom.
I did not always say the right thing or use the right words.
I raised my voice to scold you,
Tempered it to praise you
And softly whispered lullabies for only you to hear.
I have never stopped listening for you.
With these ears I heard your thoughts.
My intuition guided me as I responded to your cries.
I brush back my hair.
It was so often neglected in the name of motherhood.
My head would spin with all that I had to do for you.
Now I hold it high and commend myself.
And what of this impressive figure I see before me?
I celebrate how it has stood the test of time.
These shoulders have carried themselves well.
They shrugged in resignation
And sagged under the strains of family life.
I now throw them back with pride
In honor of a job well done.
I think of you
And my chest swells with devotion.
How I embraced you!
These breasts that nurtured you
Were once your sanctuary.
My arms have been your comfort and support.
They cuddled and cradled
And ached to hold you when we were apart.
They now have the power to hug from afar.
I reach out my hands.
They tied your shoes, tussled your hair
And earnestly folded in prayer to beseech your well- being.
These fingers washed, ironed and held you tight.
They lovingly molded you into a person of substance.
You flourished
Under the deftness of a mother’s touch.
I stand resolute with a stalwart back
That bore such pain as I brought you into the world.
I persevered
And have carried the mantle of motherhood with dignity.
Look at these noble hips!
You sat securely on your perch
While I toted you around,
Shifting you from left side to right…
Right side to left…
And we went happily about our days together.
You kept me on my toes.
These nimble feet
Paced, ran and treaded lightly
To keep up with your life.
On tireless legs I strode ahead to guide you
And followed close behind to catch you.
Now I walk beside you as a friend.
I remember.
I reflect.
The mirror does not lie.
The humanity, the magic and the passion
Of being a mother
Is there for everyone to see.
I rejoice!
About the Author:
Maria Macfarlane is a mother of two and publishes the mom-e-news Newsletter, providing insight and information for the proactive mom. To subscribe to the newsletter or for more articles please contact info@mom-e-news.com
Read more articles by: Maria Macfarlane
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Dissertation Guide
I completed a graduate program at Colorado State University with a GPA of 4.0 in all required courses, unfortunately, I moved to Michigan for a job interview and only submitted the first draft and first rewrite of my research paper, by then all my professors on my Graduate Committee had retired. I never graduated.
Our graduate or undergraduate curricula require us to submit a dissertation for the completion of our degree. A dissertation helps us to get an in-depth understanding of the topic that we are writing upon. We need to thoroughly research the topic that we are writing upon, form convincing points in favor of the topic, structure the essay appropriately and finally conclude the essay. This is the essence of a quality dissertation. A thesis represents one’s idea on a topic and hence requires a great deal of thinking on his part. It is not necessary that a thesis is only in the form of an essay. In certain disciplines such as performing arts the thesis may be completed in the form of performance.
A dissertation or a thesis has different scopes. A thesis written for a PhD. will be different from the thesis that is written for an undergraduate or a graduate degree. The length of a thesis may depend on the number of pages or words. If the thesis is written in language such as Japanese or Chinese the length may depend on the number of characters. The thesis is generally written in the main language of instruction at the university. If the student writing the thesis is a student of languages it may be possible that the thesis is completed in his chosen language.
A thesis leads to the culmination of a particular course of academic curricula. Hence a thesis normally starts when a student has completed all other requirements of the course. The topic of the thesis is generally decided in consultation with the supervisor. The student starts the research on the mutually agreed topic and concludes the topic within a decided timeframe. The timeframe that is required for a PhD. dissertation may be different from the ones that are allowed for an undergraduate or graduate topic. In a PhD. essay there are is generally no timeframe to complete the thesis. The scholar starts the research in consultation with their advisor and culminates the thesis after many iterations and modifications. A PhD. scholar will not have any pressure from their professors on the submission date and he will receive guidance from them on how best the thesis can be completed.
A dissertation work may have some typical components. These are the title page, an abstract, table of contents and a bibliography. The other components of a dissertation work may include introduction, the research done, the results that were derived, discussions, acknowledgements and abbreviations. A dissertation is called by different names in different countries. If the dissertation work is done in a Canadian University it may be called as a term paper, papers or essay. If the paper is done for the fulfillment of an honors degree then the dissertation may be called as a major paper. At universities in the United Kingdom a dissertation is associated with an undergraduate degree, while the term thesis is associated with a PhD. degree.
A dissertation or a thesis helps a scholar to develop a mastery over the subject. This helps to develop a career in their chosen fields.
Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com
About the Author:
Sharon White is a senior writer and writers consultant at Dissertation writing. Get some useful tips for www.masterpapers.com/dissertation_writing.php
Our graduate or undergraduate curricula require us to submit a dissertation for the completion of our degree. A dissertation helps us to get an in-depth understanding of the topic that we are writing upon. We need to thoroughly research the topic that we are writing upon, form convincing points in favor of the topic, structure the essay appropriately and finally conclude the essay. This is the essence of a quality dissertation. A thesis represents one’s idea on a topic and hence requires a great deal of thinking on his part. It is not necessary that a thesis is only in the form of an essay. In certain disciplines such as performing arts the thesis may be completed in the form of performance.
A dissertation or a thesis has different scopes. A thesis written for a PhD. will be different from the thesis that is written for an undergraduate or a graduate degree. The length of a thesis may depend on the number of pages or words. If the thesis is written in language such as Japanese or Chinese the length may depend on the number of characters. The thesis is generally written in the main language of instruction at the university. If the student writing the thesis is a student of languages it may be possible that the thesis is completed in his chosen language.
A thesis leads to the culmination of a particular course of academic curricula. Hence a thesis normally starts when a student has completed all other requirements of the course. The topic of the thesis is generally decided in consultation with the supervisor. The student starts the research on the mutually agreed topic and concludes the topic within a decided timeframe. The timeframe that is required for a PhD. dissertation may be different from the ones that are allowed for an undergraduate or graduate topic. In a PhD. essay there are is generally no timeframe to complete the thesis. The scholar starts the research in consultation with their advisor and culminates the thesis after many iterations and modifications. A PhD. scholar will not have any pressure from their professors on the submission date and he will receive guidance from them on how best the thesis can be completed.
A dissertation work may have some typical components. These are the title page, an abstract, table of contents and a bibliography. The other components of a dissertation work may include introduction, the research done, the results that were derived, discussions, acknowledgements and abbreviations. A dissertation is called by different names in different countries. If the dissertation work is done in a Canadian University it may be called as a term paper, papers or essay. If the paper is done for the fulfillment of an honors degree then the dissertation may be called as a major paper. At universities in the United Kingdom a dissertation is associated with an undergraduate degree, while the term thesis is associated with a PhD. degree.
A dissertation or a thesis helps a scholar to develop a mastery over the subject. This helps to develop a career in their chosen fields.
Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com
About the Author:
Sharon White is a senior writer and writers consultant at Dissertation writing. Get some useful tips for www.masterpapers.com/dissertation_writing.php
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Truth or Lie: Fiction vs. Memoir - How Memoir Writers Can Approach Truth and Healing
The recent flap about James Frey’s A Million Little Pieces has hit the media with a big bang, bringing the age-old debate about what is acceptable when writing memoir--a “real” story. Every time a memoir is released that gains media attention this debate is raised. Mary Karr, The Liar’s Club, Jennifer Lauck, Blackbird, and Vivian Gornick, Fierce Attachments, all defended their memoirs in various medias, and all said that some recreations of actual reality had to occur in order to write the story and make it interesting.
As a memoir teacher, I find that people are very worried about the ethical issues involved in memoir writing. For example, the writers ask such questions as, “what if I don’t remember the exact conversation when my mother died,” or “I don’t know what clothes I was wearing the day my father went away forever.” I am always moved by these innocent, caring questions, because the writer is trying very hard to be truthful and accurate, and not leave any room to be accused of dishonesty.
In my memoir Don't Call Me Mother I researched the time the train arrived in Perry, Oklahoma to make sure the scene I was painting and the conflict with my grandmother about how long she'd kept my father waiting at the train station--three hours! was accurate. My memory told me it was a long time, but finding the time of scheduled arrival made me feel great--memory was not all I was drawing upon to create a story that would be taken seriously as "real." In fact, when I began writing the stories that eventually turned into my memoir, I was calling it "fiction," but the writing group challenged me about how unrealistic it was that a mother would act the way my mother acted, and that my grandmother was portrayed as "too over the top," thus unbelievable. My answer was, "but it was all true." Their response: "It doesn't matter what is true in fiction, but it does for memoir."
I realized that the power of the story I was going to tell was that it was true, and I did my best to recreate scenes that delivered the truth. Naturally, childhood memory is subjective, any memory is subjective, but over the years, as I talked with people who knew parts of the story and visited locations where the story took place, I discovered that indeed I had remembered very well, and I had not made things up in my mind. However, I am sure that if my grandmother and mother were alive to challenge what I wrote, they would have another point of view.
In order to reach out to the reading public and go beyond private journaling, a memoir writer must create a story that has a shape, drama, and story arc. This may mean constructing a scene that conflates time, or adds costumes to our characters that they may or may not have worn, but our job is to be as accurate and as honest as we can be. If we change the plot of our lives because another plot would be more interesting to the publisher, we are in the realm of fiction. If we say we had relationships we didn't have because it would make a better story, we need to call it fiction.
A memoir writer needs to write a first draft that sifts through the happenings, feelings, and challenges and get them down on the page--a draft that is healing and purging--and important work.
Publishing is another stage. The writer must ask many questions of the work--how much to include, what is the shape of the book, and how to write it so others can identify and understand.
What to say about James Frey? None of us can know for sure what went on for him as he constructed his book, and what he remembered. On January 15, Mary Karr wrote a piece in the New York Times about memoir writing and she had this to say,
"Call me outdated, but I want to stay hamstrung by objective truth, when the very notion has been eroding for at least a century. When Mary McCarthy wrote 'Memoirs of a Catholic Girlhood' in 1957, she felt obliged to clarify how she recreated dialogue. In her preface, she wrote: 'This record lays a claim to being historical - that is, much of it can be checked. If there is more fiction in it than I know, I should like to be set right.'"
Mary went on to talk about how much she learned, and how healing it was when she didn't make passages in her book more "interesting" or shape them into a slightly different story. "If I'd hung on to my assumptions, believing my drama came from obstacles I'd never had to overcome - a portrait of myself as scrappy survivor of unearned cruelties - I wouldn't have learned what really happened. Which is what I mean when I say God is in the truth."
What a great idea—as we write memoir we are reaching for something beyond our conscious selves. In the river of creativity and the search for truth, there are forces beyond us moving us along to a place we didn't even know about, a place of healing and resolution. We can hope that James Frey also has found, or is finding, a resolution for his suffering, and that all memoir writers do the same, by wrestling with what truth is, and writing it out with a full voice.
Linda Joy Myers
Linda Joy Myers Ph. D. prize winning author of Becoming Whole: Writing Your Healing Story is a Marriage and Family therapist and teaches memoir-as-healing workshops in the San Francisco Bay Area and nationally. Lindas work has been praised by reviewers healers and radio and television interviewers. You can visit her web site at: http://www.lindajoymyers.com
View all articles by Linda Joy Myers
As a memoir teacher, I find that people are very worried about the ethical issues involved in memoir writing. For example, the writers ask such questions as, “what if I don’t remember the exact conversation when my mother died,” or “I don’t know what clothes I was wearing the day my father went away forever.” I am always moved by these innocent, caring questions, because the writer is trying very hard to be truthful and accurate, and not leave any room to be accused of dishonesty.
In my memoir Don't Call Me Mother I researched the time the train arrived in Perry, Oklahoma to make sure the scene I was painting and the conflict with my grandmother about how long she'd kept my father waiting at the train station--three hours! was accurate. My memory told me it was a long time, but finding the time of scheduled arrival made me feel great--memory was not all I was drawing upon to create a story that would be taken seriously as "real." In fact, when I began writing the stories that eventually turned into my memoir, I was calling it "fiction," but the writing group challenged me about how unrealistic it was that a mother would act the way my mother acted, and that my grandmother was portrayed as "too over the top," thus unbelievable. My answer was, "but it was all true." Their response: "It doesn't matter what is true in fiction, but it does for memoir."
I realized that the power of the story I was going to tell was that it was true, and I did my best to recreate scenes that delivered the truth. Naturally, childhood memory is subjective, any memory is subjective, but over the years, as I talked with people who knew parts of the story and visited locations where the story took place, I discovered that indeed I had remembered very well, and I had not made things up in my mind. However, I am sure that if my grandmother and mother were alive to challenge what I wrote, they would have another point of view.
In order to reach out to the reading public and go beyond private journaling, a memoir writer must create a story that has a shape, drama, and story arc. This may mean constructing a scene that conflates time, or adds costumes to our characters that they may or may not have worn, but our job is to be as accurate and as honest as we can be. If we change the plot of our lives because another plot would be more interesting to the publisher, we are in the realm of fiction. If we say we had relationships we didn't have because it would make a better story, we need to call it fiction.
A memoir writer needs to write a first draft that sifts through the happenings, feelings, and challenges and get them down on the page--a draft that is healing and purging--and important work.
Publishing is another stage. The writer must ask many questions of the work--how much to include, what is the shape of the book, and how to write it so others can identify and understand.
What to say about James Frey? None of us can know for sure what went on for him as he constructed his book, and what he remembered. On January 15, Mary Karr wrote a piece in the New York Times about memoir writing and she had this to say,
"Call me outdated, but I want to stay hamstrung by objective truth, when the very notion has been eroding for at least a century. When Mary McCarthy wrote 'Memoirs of a Catholic Girlhood' in 1957, she felt obliged to clarify how she recreated dialogue. In her preface, she wrote: 'This record lays a claim to being historical - that is, much of it can be checked. If there is more fiction in it than I know, I should like to be set right.'"
Mary went on to talk about how much she learned, and how healing it was when she didn't make passages in her book more "interesting" or shape them into a slightly different story. "If I'd hung on to my assumptions, believing my drama came from obstacles I'd never had to overcome - a portrait of myself as scrappy survivor of unearned cruelties - I wouldn't have learned what really happened. Which is what I mean when I say God is in the truth."
What a great idea—as we write memoir we are reaching for something beyond our conscious selves. In the river of creativity and the search for truth, there are forces beyond us moving us along to a place we didn't even know about, a place of healing and resolution. We can hope that James Frey also has found, or is finding, a resolution for his suffering, and that all memoir writers do the same, by wrestling with what truth is, and writing it out with a full voice.
Linda Joy Myers
Linda Joy Myers Ph. D. prize winning author of Becoming Whole: Writing Your Healing Story is a Marriage and Family therapist and teaches memoir-as-healing workshops in the San Francisco Bay Area and nationally. Lindas work has been praised by reviewers healers and radio and television interviewers. You can visit her web site at: http://www.lindajoymyers.com
View all articles by Linda Joy Myers
Friday, June 8, 2007
Top Four City Museums In Spain
Spain , with its myriad of influences and epic history, is a country with a diverse gamut of sights and sounds to offer its 45 million tourists who visit every year. An area where this can be seen in particular is in its museums and galleries, a rich history of art and culture has left Spain a huge legacy in this department with names such as Dali, Picasso and Miro leading the list:
Guggenheim, Bilbao:
Now one of the most easily recognised buildings in Europe, the Guggenheim in Bilbao is a work of art itself. Opened in 1997 and designed by American architect Frank O. Gehry, the museum has been a lynchpin for the city’s redevelopment programme and in many ways the museum symbolises the new, modern Bilbao.
Standing right in the city centre alongside the river the museum offers 11,000 sqm of exhibition space over three galleries. The museum has a body of permanent work always on display as well as large exhibitions which run for months at a time. Currently on View is the “Aztec Empire” comprising of a huge body of work from the pre-columbian civilization. Previous exhibitions have encompassed an eclectic blend of art with work from the likes of Matisse, Michelangelo, Reubens and Warhol having graced its corridors.
Dali Theatre-Museum, Figueres
Located in Figueres, the Dali Theatre-Museum is the broadest collection of his work in the world tracing his first artistic forays, the surrealist period and even including some of the last works painted before his death. Figueres also happens to be Dali’s hometown and the decision to build the museum from the ruins of the town’s Spanish civil war-damaged theatre, didn’t seem like a difficult one. Indeed, it was here as a boy where Dali first had the chance to display his work so is a fitting place to exhibit the cream of his life’s work. Dali himself supervised the building and creation of the museum turning it into a huge surrealist playground. Dali also created some works specifically for the museum itself – the “Mae West Room”, the “Wind Palace Room” and the “Monument to Francesc Pujols and the Rainy Cadillac” are larger than life and superb examples of Dali’s fertile imagination.
Reina Sofia , Madrid
One of Madrid’s most celebrated museums, the Reina Sofia houses a huge collection of contemporary art. Once the city’s San Carlos hospital, the museum was originally founded in 1986 but underwent a serious revamp in 1990 at the hands of British architect, Ian Ritchie. They envisioned creating something to rival the Tate in London and the Pompidou centre in Paris, and, with 36,000 sqm of exhibition space, it’s one of the world’s largest museums and an extremely impressive place. The most famous painting housed there is undoubtedly Picasso’s Guernica, an immense cubist work and war protest and probably the great painter’s most famous work. Visitors can also see the many preliminary sketches that he made for the work. Other great Spanish artists on display are Dali, Miro and Orteiz to name but a few as well as Spain’s most important artists of the last 20 years.
Fundacio Joan Miro, Barcelona
One of Spain’s most important artists and often overlooked due to the lure of Picasso and Dali, the Fundacio Joan Miro in the Montjuic area of Barcelona is well worth a visit. Spacious and set in its own grounds, the museum is a step away from the regular metropolitan museums and galleries – the white building built around an internal courtyard is typically Mediterranean. Huge amounts of natural light help to bring Miro’s surrealist works to life and the museum also houses some of his sculptures and ceramic works as well as the paintings he’s more famous for. The museum also has a permanent exhibition space in which the foundation gives special attention to Spain’s more experimental artists – not everyone’s cup of tea, granted, but worth a look if you’re visiting the museum.
About the Author:
Mike McDougall works for Babylon Idiomas, a Spanish language institute with schools in Spain [Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Sevilla], Argentina and Costa Rica. Click here for more information about Spanish courses.
Read more articles by: Mike McDougall
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Learning a Language by Listening
Have you ever tried learning Spanish? It used to be difficult but there is now a new, easier and faster way to learn.
One of the biggest problems when learning any new language is pronunciation. This needs to be heard to get all the inflexions and nuances of each word right. One of the worst languages to learn from the viewpoint of nuances is English.
And Australian English is even worse because we have words with two or more meanings. Often these can be very derogative indeed. Some could even say they are ‘fighting words’. Or at best you could get involved in a blue or a scrap from misusing them.
And then there are some words that sound extremely derogative but are actually words of endearment or praise!
But Spanish isn’t far behind. Just ask any person learning Spanish. This is one of those languages that need to be listened to in order to understand all the nuances.
I remember years ago when I tried to learn German. I went to night classes and tried to make sense of the grammar. I had a great deal of trouble with the tenses. Past tense, present tense and future tense eluded me. These are all part and parcel of every language.
And as for trying to tell the time, I simply never got beyond putting the hours past the minute. So I stopped the clock there and then because I never heard the language actually spoken.
But technology has come to the rescue again for anyone wanting to learn English~ Australian or the Queen’s English~ German or Spanish. Now the books talk to you so you hear all the nuances, inflexions and can marvel at the words themselves.
Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com
About the Author:
(c) 2007 J Smith www.books-that-talk.spokennetwork.com From Huckleberry Finn to Hanoi ~ Audiobooks are here for you to Enjoy!
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Tips on Building Revenue for Your Business
(NewsUSA) - It's a dog-eat-dog world. You must be prepared for anything when deciding to open your own practice or small business. And once you become a business owner, you need to know how to make your business grow.
"What keeps business owners, practice owners and partners up at night is likely the challenge of managing and growing the business," says Steven Stralser, clinical professor at Thunderbird: The Garvin School of International Management and author of "MBA In A Day."
In his book, Stralser addresses business professionals who have extensive training in certain industries but want to learn the skills necessary to manage businesses of their own.
Packed with examples, helpful anecdotes and real-world case studies, this straightforward guide gives readers a comprehensive business education without having to spend the time and money on graduate school.
The book covers essential principles and concepts taught at today's top business schools. Topics include negotiation, accounting, marketing, effective communication, information technology and leadership.
Stralser offers the following tips to help your business grow.
* Focus on existing customers. With advertising and other marketing costs, finding new customers can be expensive. Acquiring new business is important, of course, but so is keeping and growing your current clientele.
* Stay in touch. Offer more products or services to existing customers, clients or patients. They will respond with loyalty and future business. Think "greater share" of customers instead of "market share." It's simpler and more profitable in the long-run.
* Develop a Web presence. Developing a Web page puts information on your business right at the fingertips of clients or potential clients. And not only does accessing your Web site save them time, it saves you time as well.
For example, a client can have access to old reports from past projects. By having this information accessible online, you won't have to take time out of your busy schedule to print and ship the reports to that client.
For more information on Stralser's book, visit www.mbainaday.com.
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