How Children Learn To Read

The Blog Factor: Everything you need to know to start blogging - today!
So what is this "blog factor"? Well, what a few thought was a novel idea some years ago has now morphed into something no one expected. There are currently nine million blogs out there with 40,000 new ones being added everyday. Some are informative and some are just downright a waste of your time. And while we hear a lot about blogging these days, what is blogging *really*? Blogging in its simplest term is like an online journal but much, much more powerful. Blogs (short for Web log) is a place where surfers can get up to the minute information on a topic or voyeur into someone's life. Some blogs are nothing more than a daily glimpse into someone's life, while others are so sophisticated, it's hard to tell them apart from an online news service.

Why Blogs Matter

Google, the #1 search engine on the net, loves blogs. So much so that if you do it right Google will spider the heck out of your site. What does it mean to "spider"? Well spidering is when Google, or the like, searches your site's content to establish ranking, and the more content you have (i.e. fresh content) the more Google will do its magic and push your site up the search engine. Another reason blogs matter is that they are interactive and, if you blog on your book's topic, it will help to further your expert status on a particular issue. When we plan "Virtual Tours" for our authors, we include as many blogs as we can into a tour. Why? Because if you can get into a good blog that's seeing a lot of traffic, you can really start to gain some exposure for your book.

What Would You Talk About?

This is the question we get asked most often. "If I start a blog, what on earth would I talk about?" Well if your book is non-fiction it's pretty easy to figure out what your topic would be, but if your book is fiction it could get a bit tricky - but not impossible. An author I work with has a series of books starring one character - a private detective. I recommended that he "blog" this character, meaning that the character (not the author) would have the blog. It could be the character's diary or adventures and stories - a glimpse into the life of a private detective. This would give the reader (and fans of this character) a reason to return to the blog for an update on this ongoing adventure or story.

In another instance, I work with an author who wrote a fiction book about right and wrong with a new age/spirituality spin. I advised him to blog on issues related to that - right and wrong in our society and his own personal "spin" on these issues. Some of his blogs might be controversial but that's okay, you want to create your own "voice," your own take on a certain issue and if that opinion is controversial, all the better for exposure and for getting people to interact on your blog. Getting readers to respond to your posts is a great way to gain interest and momentum for your blog and (more importantly) getting people to talk about it will grow your blog like nothing else!

How to Start a Blog

Starting a blog is super easy. All you have to do is register at a blog site (like http://www.blogger.com) and get started. It's that easy. The blog service will link to your site; you'll need to ask your Webmaster to add a button to your home page so people can find your blog.

How to Blog Effectively

The best bloggers know that the more you add to your blog, the more traffic you'll drive there. Some bloggers I know post daily, sometimes even multiple times a day while others post weekly. How much you post will probably depend on how much time you have to dedicate to this. The challenge will be that if you want to keep driving people to your blog, you'll want fresh content. This doesn't mean you have to create this all yourself, in fact you can invite people onto your blog and interview them, or you can just post a one paragraph "thought" on your topic. It doesn't have to be complicated or long, it just has to be fresh. Also be innovative, as we discussed earlier, be different with your blog, have fun with it. It might seem complicated at first but once you get the hang of it, you'll quickly become a blog expert!

Penny C. Sansevieri: The Cliffhanger was published in June of 2000. After a strategic marketing campaign it quickly climbed the ranks at Amazon.com to the #1 best selling book in San Diego. Her most recent book: From Book to Bestseller was released in 2005 to rave reviews and is being called the “roadmap to publishing success.” Penny is a book marketing and media relations specialist. She also coaches authors on projects, manuscripts and marketing plans and instructs a variety of coursing on publishing and promotion. To learn more about her books or her promotional services, you can visit her web site at http://www.amarketingexpert.com

How to Write a Book and Mine the Gold Called Your Knowledge
Writing can be a joy-filled creative process to some and a drudgery-filled chore to others. According to Roger C. Parker, “Writing is more a process of identification and organization than the relatively mechanical process of selecting words and placing them in sentences an paragraphs. “ My goal is to get you to see writing your book quickly is simply a matter of harvesting your information and recognizing that you probably already possess the majority of the information needed to complete your book. The real test is simply to organize what you know into a database of usable ideas. The beginning steps outlined below will help you identify and organize the information you need (and already have) into chunks of information to write your book. By analyzing your experiences and life observations into building block ideas and using a table to organize them, you will be ready to write sooner. Follow these simple steps, identify and organize your ideas; then easily write and complete your book. To get started do this: 1. Realize You Know More Than You Think. You have gained a certain level of success in your field, career or even hobby. You may be an active consultant, business owner, speaker, or writer. In your field you have been constantly learning and observing. On your path to success through failures, successes and opportunities to learn, you have been accumulating the information you need to complete your book. You have experienced and observed what works and does not work. You have developed over time an understanding of what order things should happen and how it appears out of order when it doesn’t happen in that order. Through the process of continually doing what you do, you have gained a wealth of knowledge and information. The challenge is that your knowledge is unorganized. Once you create a structure for organizing your ideas, your ability to create your book and/or books will quickly take shape. 2. Divide and conquer â€" begin to break your knowledge into chunks of information The beginning point is to begin separate your files, speeches, articles into general topics. For example, I have bodies of information for my inspirational writing and a whole other body or topic for business writing. And of course there’s another topic for the how-tos of writing in my files. When I first started, I went through and separated these chunks of information into different folders and eventually as my chunks of information grew I had to house them in separate file units. After creating topical groups, break your knowledge for your book into individual ideas or chunks of information so you can inventory what you already know on the subject. You’ll notice as you organize and inventory the ideas you already possess; it will uncover some areas that your knowledge is bit weak. Once you identify the weak areas in your knowledge, it becomes easy to locate the information needed to fill in the gap or strengthen the weak area. 3. Create framework for organizing your ideas For a short book, simply create a list of every idea related to your book’s topic. Once you start your list and create a structure you’ll be surprised at how quickly your book takes shape. Now take your list and number them in order of importance. After your ideas have been prioritized, you can easily spot patterns of what will lead to writing a book on what you are most passionate about. 4. Pursue your most passionate idea For now, put aside your list of topics. Take a break and relax. Successful books are based on one central idea. The author concentrates on one main theme to drive their book to success. Textbooks can get away with a list of all kinds of facts. But non-fiction books, especially how-to books are based on one main idea. The central idea provides the focus needed to make your writing compelling. For your book, you need a viewpoint, a position, and a conclusion that you develop fact by fact or step by step as you write your book. Readers look for an easy read. They look for a book that will help them solve their problem step by step. They need interpretation, perspective and sequence. The easiest way to come up with a main idea for your book is to follow your passion. To choose a subject that you will be still be passionate about in a year or so, ask yourself these questions: What ideas am I really passionate about, What ideas do I consistently discuss no matter where I am? What ideas do I really want to share with the world? Where do I see others making the same mistakes I did? How can I help people with my knowledge? What key ideas helped me succeed or caused me to fail? What main idea can make a difference in the lives of others? The main idea for your book may come to you when you least expect it. So over the next few days begin to mull it over in your mind. Spend some quiet time, if only for a few minutes during the day to think about your deep passion, your mission, the idea that really moves you. This is important because if you pinpoint your passion well, the easier it will be to write a book that expresses what you want to express. Readers enjoy and appreciate passion. Choose a topic you are excited by and let your enthusiasm and excitement spread faster than the common cold. Your readers will connect to you and be excited by it. They will reward you by reading your book from cover to cover and then tell all their friends about your wonderful, insightful book. Remember, the more passionate you are about your topic the faster you will be able to write, complete and publish your book. ==========================================

© Earma Brown, 11 year author, business owner, web developer Helps service business owners, professionals and writers who want to write their best book now! Earma mentors other writers and business professionals through her monthly ezine iScribe. Send any email to iscribe@writetowin.org for free 7 lesson mini-course Jumpstart Writing Your Best Book Now! or visit her at http://www.writetowin.org for more easy book writing tips.

PERSONALIZED NOTE CARDS 1
Personalized Note Cards as the name suggests, are customized Note Cards. One can get the option of making Personalized Note Cards in almost any kind of card making store. For making Personalized Note Cards the stores use logos and names. One can use Personalized Note Cards for not only business purpose but also for personal use. People write letters on Personalized Note Cards, pen down important notes etc. We commonly see doctors using Personalized Note Cards for writing prescriptions. As one has to create Personalized Note Cards on special orders, so using Personalized Note Cards can be expensive. One can choose from photos, paintings, art works and various designs templates that are usually offered by the stores making Personalized Note Cards. One can also use his own photos and designs to create the Personalized Note Cards. Personalized Note Cards can be used for various occasions like birthday greetings, holiday greetings etc. Today one can even create his own Personalized Note Cards simply sitting on his computer. This is possible with Personalized Note Cards Software. By using Personalized Note Cards Software one can make his own Personalized Note Cards that too without spending much time and money. All though there are many stores which design Personalized Note Cards, but one should browse around and try to find the best place which offers good quality of Personalized Note Cards that too at right prices. Matched sets of Personalized Note Cards are quite popular and the Personalized Note Cards can be made using so many styles and colors that one can find something that fits his demand. One can make Personalized Note Cards using any type of Paper material. To find more information on Personalized Note Cards one can always visit various online sites giving details about Personalized Note Cards. Normal Note Cards can be boring, so by using Personalized Note Cards one can turn the notes into something special and very personal.

Deepak Bansal is an internet marketing consultant having experience of 4.5 years in search engine optimization industry. We are specialist in search engine optimization, link building, internet marketing, copyrighting and content development. This article is written by content writing team of http://www.deepakbansal.com - <a href="http://www.deepakbansal.com">Internet Marketing</a>

Jan K., The Proofer's Recommended Book List
There are several "must have" reference books for both
aspiring and
established proofreaders and copyeditors. I have these books and
some of them are well thumbed and often used. A few have come in
handy, and the rest I refer to when I am working for clients who are
following specific writing formats (these books are specific to
collegiate papers and dissertations).
I encourage you to add these to your reference bookshelf! For your
convenience, I've included click-through links to an online
bookstore that carries the book listed (as applicable) and the
approximate current price. Don't forget to check out the
possibility
of purchasing used books (Barnes & Noble offers many of these books
in "used" condition). If you prefer to shop at a
brick-and-mortar
store, you should jot down the exact title as I have it here in
order to locate and/or order the book.
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, eleventh edition
Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.
approx. $25.00
The publishing industry, overall, uses spellings and word usages
that follow Webster's. This edition, or the most recent, contains
many computer- and Internet-related terms and terminologies, slang,
and high-tech words. It is not a "doorstop"-sized book, but
rather
the size of a college textbook. Personally, I find it easier to use
a real book than any online dictionary.
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus
Barnes & Noble
approx. $15.00
I don't really have a specific preference for a thesaurus---just
GET
ONE! The thesaurus that is included in your word processing software
is adequate, but there are times when you need just that one certain
word. I often find that I look up a word to find another word to
look up, and then I hunt until I find the perfect word for the
situation. I frequently offer suggested rewrites to my clients, and
I find that I am often able to impress them by having found just
that one perfect word. Your computer's thesaurus just doesn't
cut it.
The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2004
Hardback approx. $25.00
Paperback approx. $15.00
If you've never thought of it as a reference source, then think
again! The Almanac is filled with information about the United
States and the world. Interesting tidbits like state flowers,
mottos, etc., along with a comprehensive listing of cities,
counties, and the like. Maps galore and all sorts of oddities.
I've
reached for my Almanac on more occasions than I can count, to verify
spellings, dates, what other countries call their currency, and the
list goes on.
The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Edition
approx. $50.00
The publishing industry (in general) looks to Chicago for standard
formatting of texts and other printed materials. Chicago establishes
rules for grammar, punctuation, text layout formats, tables, word-
form variations (plurals, capitalization, terms and terminologies),
and styles of within-text citations and references. A comprehensive,
end-of-text indexing section makes it easy to navigate through the
book. Most major publishing houses follow Chicago and if you are
planning on embarking on a career as a copyeditor/proofreader, then
it is a must have.
A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations
Kate L. Turabian
approx. $15.00
Similar to The Chicago Manual of Style, Kate Turabian's book is
one
of two guides for all academic papers. Turabian's Manual is
indexed
similarly to Chicago and it is easy to use the index to direct you
to the section of the book that provides styles for text
presentation. If you will be working in the academia arena, then you
need to be familiar with the standard styles as set forth by
Turabian.
Mastering APA Style, Student's Workbook and Training Guide
approx. $20.00
APA (American Psychological Association) is the other guide for
academic paper style and formats. This workbook guides you through
its style guides with examples and exercises designed to help you
become familiar with the APA style. Although it does not have an end-
of-text index, the Table of Contents is complete enough to help you
find the style/format rules you need.
Webster's New World Pocket Style Guide
approx. $10.00
This slim, pocket-sized guide gives you "concise and definitive
rules of grammar and punctuation" and "clear advice on
writing style
and word usage." I like the book for the extensive glossaries of
often misused words, word usages (when to use affect vs. effect, for
example), and the easy-to-understand grammar rules. Although I do
not suggest that you depend solely on this guidebook for all your
grammar needs, it is a good supplement. It is reasonably priced and
should be added to your library of reference materials.
Cliff's Quick Review, Writing: Grammar, Usage, and Style
approx. $15.00
If you remember "Cliff Notes" from your high school and
academic
years, Cliff's Quick Review is a good supplement to your grammar
stylebooks. Along with grammar rules, Cliff's also includes
guidelines for writing texts of any sort. I find that by having more
than one grammar primer, I can always find a precise, direct answer
for my grammar question. As another reasonably priced resource book,
you should consider adding it to your other reference books.
The Princeton Review, Grammar Smart A Guide to Perfect Usage
approx. $15.00
This is my personal favorite grammar primer. Written in a light-
hearted manner, this book uses humorous example texts to help you
through the muddle of the English language. At the end of each
section, there is a "Quick Quiz" for you to practice the
grammar
rules just reviewed. Grammar Smart's low cost makes it another
appealing resource for your grammar needs.
Powerful Proofreading Skills
$10.00-$15.00
For the novice proofreader, or if you are considering becoming a
proofreader, this slim guidebook will give you a good foundation in
proofreading. It helps you along with what to look for and then how
to mark found errors with standard proofreading marks. This book
also includes short exercises that run you through the topic of that
particular section.
Grammatically Correct, by Anne Stillman
This pocket-sized book contains quite a bit of detail, and I found
it too hard to read. However, I have found a few explanations for
quirky grammar situations that were helpful
Merriam-Webster's Guide to Punctuation and Style, 2nd edition
This book has a very good section on copyediting and proofreading,
although it is oriented toward hardcopy editing/proofing. There is a
three-page section on "Electronic Editing" that you might find
helpful if you are new to editing/proofreading directly to a Word
document. This resource book is also nicely indexed to help you find
the answers you need.
Copyediting, A Practical Guide, 3rd edition
This text is essentially focused on copyediting for major publishing
houses, is hardcopy-oriented, and pays lip service to electronic
copyediting/proofreading. However, it does contain an excellent
review of what is expected at the copyediting level. This text also
contains specialized tips for copyediting/proofreading medical,
math, and science texts.

Jan K., The Proofer is freelance proofreader and copyeditor. Visit http://www.jansportal.com for more information about Jan's proofreading and copyediting services and Jan's other free resources. Please visit Mom's Break (http://www.momsbreak.com/) for free printable crafts and projects. © Copyright 2005. All rights reserved.

With Audiobooks You Can Now Multitask.
New advances in technology have bought with it the evolution of the MP3 player as well as audiobooks. Never before has there been a time when it has been so easy to learn and absorb information and news while performing other various tasks. Small portable MP3 players like iPods have made it easy to carry around a huge database of information to listen to and absorb while performing other daily tasks. Audiobooks can now be enjoyed while exercising. It doesn’t matter whether it’s jogging in the park, riding your bike to work, pounding up and down on equipment in a gym or walking along a beach. Audiobooks allow you the ability to take time out for exercising while at the same being able to listen to and absorb your favourite author or book. All you need to do is place your MP3 player in your pocket, place the earphones in your ears and away you go. Audiobooks are great for learning and studying at the same time. Audiobooks give you the ability to listen to study material and the freedom to take notes at the same time. Audiobooks are great for slow readers as it gives them the extra time to concentrate on studying rather than on the time it takes them to read. Slow reader’s have a huge advantage as well as they are able to take more in while listening. Audiobooks are great for learning while doing mundane house chores or other forms of chores like guttering, painting, cleaning out the shed, moving furniture or the dreaded mowing. Listening to audiobooks while performing mundane chores can improve your overall work performance as it takes the focus off the mundane chore you are performing. It is also a great stress reliever as listening to audiobooks allows you to focus on the positive audiobook not the negative mundane chore you are doing. Relaxing and keeping hygienic at the same time. This is one of my favourite ways to multi task. No more soggy books with this one. You just lay back in a nice bubble filled bath, press play on the iPod and study away. This is a great way to study, you can take more in as you are fully relaxed and the pressure is off the study and onto relaxing and cleaning. It’s also great for reducing stress especially around exam time. You can also learn while sleeping with audiobooks. It has been said that 10 minutes after you go to sleep you brain moves into alpha state which is the state where you take most information in. So plug in the headphones and have a nice peaceful sleep while listening to your favourite audiobook. Audiobooks are great when surfing the internet. You can surf; play games, chat, Skype, or do a whole range of other activities while on your computer. You can download an audiobook and be learning within minutes while doing whatever other task you may need to do on your computer. You can even listen to the audiobook if you happen to take a break away from the computer for a short or long time. Just plug your MP3 player into your computer and download the Audiobook straight to your MP3 player and then listen to it when you want. There are lots of other ways you can multitask with Audiobooks. These are just a few examples of some of the ways you can multitask with audiobooks as well as with such devices as MP3 players and computers.

Jia Hunter is an avid audiobook follower and listener. He runs an information website that provides downloadable audiobooks from the world leading publishers’ titles. He offers regular special bonuses and offers as well as free downloadable audiobooks. So take advantage of this and go to the online audiobook store at www.heartmagik.com

Why Do We Publish?
A major "character" in Mark Salzman's first autobiography is his father. Sometimes his father paints. But his father hates painting. He likes it when his painting is done. He likes having painted. But the act of painting itself is, in his opinion, a big pain in the backside. Nobody reading this approaches writing like that, do they? I know I don't. Of all my experiences as an author, whacking those words down onto the paper is the best of the best. Always has been, always will be. Even though I cut most of them. I like creating. I've quoted Hemingway before. Long periods of thinking, short periods of writing. These days, my thinking takes longer and my periods of writing are getting less frequent, but both still happen, and I still love creating something from nothing. If it weren't for me, you would never read the words you're reading right now. Nobody else would ever write them. And they contain my thoughts. Through time and space, better than telepathy, you hear what I'm saying. So, there's one reason to write, isn't it? The biggie, if you ask me. I write what I do because I can't NOT write it. I may be clarifying my thoughts in my own head. But, most certainly, I'm just so moved by those thoughts that I must put them on paper. They're in me and they have to get out, kinda like those critters in the ALIEN movies. Is this the only reason to write? Because I want to zap my thoughts into your heads? I don't know. But let me change the question. Is this a reason to publish? Why not write your books and stick them in a filing cabinet like Sean Connery did in the film FINDING FORRESTER? Write it, express it, file it away. Why publish it? (It's okay if you haven't seen this obscure little gem. I will explain all.) In fact, there are writers who do exactly that. Some fear rejection or criticism. We hear about them whenever we pop into a writing workshop. But I don't think there are very many of them. I have trouble picturing someone who can spend months (years?) doing something as essentially egotistical as writing a novel, but who is fundamentally lacking in any sort of self-confidence. Naw, they're thinking posterity but lack the stones to admit it. At times I've got an inferiority complex I wouldn't dream of whacking onto your shoulders, but it was absent when I wrote my books. During the act of writing itself, you think, "My words are better than your words." You do. You feel that you must record your thoughts because they're that much better than most. That's what writing is. So, I would say that by definition the author isn't ALWAYS plagued by self-doubt. In FINDING FORRESTER, the Sean Connery character won the Pulitzer with his first book, saw that every reviewer misunderstood him, and decided they could all get stuffed. This is a movie, a work of fiction, but I understand the attitude. I once wrote a true story, where the main character was Michael LaRocca, only to have a critic slam the main character as "unbelievable." Apparently I don't act like real people. I could never shove all my writing in a filing cabinet, unpub- lished, and tell the establishment to get stuffed. But yep, there are stupid people in the world, and some of them review books. So, we've identified two groups who won't be seeking publication. Hopelessly insecure and hopelessly arrogant. But, like Aristotle, I prefer moderation. You still may be wondering why I seek publi- cation. So do I. Let my exploration of this question continue. I've hit best-seller status for two different e-publishers with three different books. Minor thrills at the time, but there's no way I could call them enough of a reward for what I put into writing. You're an author. You know what I'm talking about. We all but kill ourselves to make our books. And let's be blunt here. Unless you're going to throw Rowling/King/Clancy/Grisham money at me -- and you're NOT -- money isn't sufficient reason to publish. Publishing isn't just a case of sending it to a publisher, signing a contract, and being done. Next up is editing, which is a blast. Not at the time, perhaps. Any editor worth a damn will beat you over the head with every bad word choice you ever made. And you made hundreds! But at the end of that gauntlet, you know you are da bomb. Seeing my cover art is almost always awesome. Yes, I did say "almost." One bad experience among eight. It happens. But if you've worked with a publisher, you know what I mean. You log onto the Internet one morning, not fully conscious, amazed that you poured that first cup of coffee without burning off your naughty bits. You pop open an email and see cover art that almost makes your head explode. You get this big rush, thinking, "Someone understands my writing!" What you don't realize, naive little author, is that some artists don't even read the books they do the art for. But still. The art rocks your world. Feel that. I always enjoy clicking those email attachments and seeing MY book covers. Then comes marketing. Biggest pain in the... Well, let's just say it makes me want to not publish sometimes. So why publish? I've entered the EPPIES three times, and been a finalist three times. The second time one of my books was an EPPIE finalist, I made some wisecrack in an author's egroup about how "finalist" is a synonym for "loser" and was raked over the coals. Oops! (Maybe I annoyed entrants who weren't finalists. I'd always wondered if they existed...) So let's say I'm not publishing for money or awards. They sing a siren song to new authors which this jaded old bastard quit hearing long ago. I got all that out of my system in the previous millenium. So why do I still publish? What are my rewards? Let me mention a few. A psychologist turned English teacher formed a women's reading group at the university where we once worked together in China. Her concept was women readers, women writers. But the first book the group ever discussed was my very own RISING FROM THE ASHES, which is about Mom. My only foray into "women's literature." I couldn't attend the reading group, since I'm a guy, but my wife was there. What I learned about my book is priceless, as is knowing what those young students discussed because of my writing. Issues of such depth that I'd be proud to inspire any student, in any country, in any language, to tackle them. I used to work on North Carolina hog farms. I enjoyed the company of some damn fine people at every one of them. Hog farming is hard work. This isn't the backyard family farm, folks, this is 13 people with 98 boars, 3500 sows, and all the babies they can make. One of my toughest coworkers was a lesbian who could break Xena in half, and my one foray into writing horror gave her nightmares. I don't consider myself a poet, and I believe most of the reading world agrees with me. But I have published 6 poems. There is one that a hog farm coworker insists will be read at his funeral. Don't ask me why he was planning his funeral during our lunch break because I have no idea. But, well, I guess I'm invited, in a manner of speaking. Master Pizza, 30th Street, Tampa, Florida. A bunch of drunken Italian relatives reading one of my less-than-serious poems ALOUD between pitchers of beer. It was like a Joe Dolce moment. I was working as a security guard in a particularly unpleasant place. This was 20 years ago, I think. A fellow guard read one of my short stories. It is, by far, the most allegorical thing I've ever written. I can't tell you how many times I've thought about throwing it out. But then, I remember Bob's words. "This is me. This is my life." Me too, old pal, and I don't care if you and I are the only two readers to have any idea what I'm talking about. {Scapegoat Bob!} I've written some pretty heady volumes, but I've also written quite a few short works. I've heard from numerous students here in China that, "This is the first book in English I've ever finished reading." When I write, I certainly never set out to help anyone learn English. (Some of my editors may claim I never learned the language.) And, students will LIE to teachers. But I've decided that at least one was telling the truth. When I left the US, I embarked on several journeys. Learning to live in China. Learning to love again. Taking another shot at the writer dream. And, eventually, teaching. After all that, I tried my hand at writing humor for the first time. Every time I hear my wife laugh at something I've written, I file it away as a reason to keep writing. I've written one play in my life. I was young, and quite hooked on the album (pre-CD days) JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. So, you guessed it, I tackled JC. I wrote something that nobody can read without having a powerful reaction. Readers love it or they hate it. I'm proud of that. And hey, it's only one act long. I have a short attention span. I loaned Clint "Two Dawgs" Hill my very first book. My cousin. He took it to Durham (North Carolina) and loaned it to a bunch of hippie buddies. He asked for another, because the first one fell apart from overuse. That's why we publish. People all but fighting for the chance to read my words. And heck, the book wasn't even good yet. It's 20 years older now. I mention all this for the jaded old bastards who have a few novels and bit of minor success under their belts. Nobody else is reading this anymore, are they? So, maybe this is why we don't just stop when the book is written, stick it in a drawer, and uncork the champagne. Although I do hope you uncorked the champagne. This planet contains far too many people who "want to be authors" but who haven't written a book. Never have, never will. Meanwhile, you and I are sitting here knowing we had no choice. We had to write. Why publish? Heck, why not?

Who Moved My Rice? http://www.chinarice.org You can't eat grits with chopsticks

How To Break Into Print Publishing
The big question. Do you submit directly to publishers, or do you find an agent who will do that for you? Based on anecdotal evidence I've heard, it can work either way. Many publishers refuse to read unagented submissions, but on the other hand Tom Clancy and John Grisham sold their first books without an agent. The bottom line is, if a publisher reads what he can sell, he'll buy it. It doesn't matter if it comes from an author or an agent. The trick is getting him to read it. That's always your focus. Some people swear by agents because they're the ones who will get you larger percentages and advances. I've decided I don't care quite so much about that. In the case of a new author, I sincerely doubt that'll happen anyway. Maybe later. I'd hate to lose my first sale because some greedy agent asked for too much money. Not that I believe that'll happen either. There are also those who swear by agents because many publishers won't look at an "unsolicited manuscript." That's true enough. They ain't got time. They're using agents as a preliminary screening process. A good agent will also know which publishers are most likely to be interested in what YOU write. Someone recommended that once you've selected some potential publishers, phone each one and ask how they would like to be approached. Ask to whom specifically you should address your work. Then you can honestly call it a "solicited manuscript." (Always be honest in your correspondence.) If this doesn't work, because you can't phone or the secretary refuses to cooperate and tells you things like "we only accept material from reputable literary agents," then mail your query letter, bio, synopsis, and sample chapter. They can only say no, or they can say your query looks interesting and they want to see the rest of the manuscript. If you hook a publisher this way, odds are the publisher will like for you to have an agent. So this is when you can call one, after you've hooked the publisher. The agent gets 15% for doing practically nothing, so he'll take the job. The publisher will become more interested when your agent phones saying he's (or she's) looking after your interests in this matter. The most important step is to get your presentation looking as professional as possible. No mistakes. None. Zero. Nada. The vast majority of rejections aren't because the story is bad, but because the Acquisitions Editor concludes that it'll be too much work to make it "ready to read." With new authors, publishers usually lose money. Advertising, print inventory… don't ask them to invest a great deal of editing time as well. They won't do it. It's just that simple. ===== THE SELECTION PROCESS The most important part of getting your error-free manuscript published is choosing the right market. The best way to do this is to read books that are aimed at the same target audience as your own. If you want to approach publishers directly, look at who published those books. Their marketing machine is already positioned to announce your manuscript to your target audience, and they want more books of the type that you write. They're your best bet. Some authors thank their editors. If you're going straight to the publishers, note the editors' names and use those, preferably after a phone call to ensure the editor still works there. If you can, just phone the publisher and tell whoever answers the phone something like "I'm writing a letter to so-and-so, and I want to be sure I'm spelling the name correctly." I used to be a secretary. I liked quick, easy questions. If you want to approach an agent first, look in the acknowledgements sections of those books. Some authors thank their agents. Look up those agents and start with them. Tell how you found them. This might impress them because it makes you look professional. You know they've got a track record in your genre. They know how to sell to publishers who are aimed at your target audience, so let them do it. Whichever method you use, go in fully prepared. Meaning, work through all the steps below before you submit anything. ===== OVERVIEW Your aim is to convince someone who not only does not know you, but does not want to know you, and has read too many bad books, that your book is different. For this you need a cover letter, bio, synopsis, and a sample chapter of such sublime wit, wisdom and genius that even the most jaded and cynical editor can take pleasure in it. Take your time. Don't just whip up something in a day and send it out. You're probably looking at a one or two year gap between acceptance and publication. So in the grand scheme of things, taking the time to make your presentation really shine won't matter. EXCEPT, it'll ensure you get published in the first place. Every publisher should have writers guidelines. Get them. Read them. Follow them. They're using the process of elimination to get out of reading these submissions. The first step in that process is to bump off everyone who can't follow the guidelines. Don't be one of them. ===== PREPARING YOUR QUERY LETTER This will be the first impression they get of you. Make it a good one! Edit that letter as hard as you would a manuscript, and make the damn thing perfect. Make it good writing. Sum up your book in such a way as to make the recipient of the letter say, "Wow, I want to read this book." The first page of your book, along with the jacket text, are what usually determines whether a browser buys your book or puts it back on the shelf. As you write your query letter, think of what you'd put on that book jacket, and work that concept into your letter. Never address your query letter To Whom It May Concern, Dear Editor, or any of that. Get a name. When you find the books that you really like, and are searching them for potential publishers, call those publishers. Ask who edited those books. If you want to approach the publisher directly, write to those editors. You can find more excellent information on the submission and publication process at: http://www.caderbooks.com/pubfaq.html http://www.dsmagency.com/published.html http://www.fictionfactor.com/guests/findagent.html http://www.fictionfactor.com/children/chances.html http://www.hollylisle.com/fm/Articles/scamspotting.html http://www.jkelman.com/publish/ http://www.kerismith.com/WishJarTales/gettingpub.htm http://www.robertaisleib.com/published.htm http://www.sff.net/people/justinvs/howtopub.html With a simple bit of good writing, and we all know you can do that since you've already written and polished your manuscript, you'll make it past this first hurdle. The editor reads your letter, sees nothing in it to stop him from continuing, and has no choice. What would stop him? Typos. Grammar. Spelling. Boredom. Or anything that says "I write so much better than Stephen King that he's not fit to hold my jock strap. Buy my book and we'll both get rich." ===== WRITING YOUR BIO Don't lie. That's the first rule. The second rule is, don't forget any writing credits. List everything relevant you've got. Publications in decent magazines or newspapers. Credits in TV, films, theaters. Any literary prize you've managed to get in adulthood. The fact that you're a professor of English or an editor on a sports journal. If you have no literary background, no education, and no respectable publications, but you spent fifteen years in solitary confinement in a Siberian Work Camp, that might indicate that you have a story to tell. But if you're writing about cuddly koalas to entertain the under-five crowd, this piece of information may be more than anyone needs to know. You can list your credits either chronologically or from most impressive to least impressive. Just whichever puts you in the best light. You want to look like you're already a successful author. You don't want to sound arrogant, but you do want to sound confident. Keep it to a single page. You don't want to waste anybody's time. They don't have enough. (Who does?) If your bio is so bare of details that it's more of a liability than an asset, forget about it. Maybe your "bio" equals a sentence or two, in which case you can work it into your query letter instead of a separate document. Your goal, remember, is to get that editor to read your synopsis or manuscript. To judge it on its own merits. If he reads your writing and rejects it, you gave it your best shot. Try a few more, and if they all reject it, think about improving your writing. But you don't want that editor to stop reading your submission before he gets to your writing. So, take the time to do the query letter and bio correctly. ===== WRITING YOUR SYNOPSIS To quote at least one agent, "There is no such thing as a good synopsis." And how can there be? How do you sum up 50,000 or 100,000 words in a page or two? I'll tell you how I do it. Very badly. Having said that, this is your first chance to show the publisher that you can write. Some publishers want a minimal amount of information on first contact (query letter, bio, synopsis). Others want to see the first chapter or two as well. Nobody wants to see the whole manuscript at first, except those who say so in their writers' guidelines. If you include sample chapters, the chance of them being read depends largely on the quality of your query letter and synopsis. Keep your synopsis short, two pages maximum unless the writers' guidelines say differently. Shorter is better. Pick out the theme and the strengths of your book and, in as clever a fashion as possible, relay these qualities in a brief chronology. The chronology is less important than the theme because, in truth, your only hope with a synopsis is that your theme or concept will strike a chord with the editor or agent reading it. If your story is funny, your synopsis should be funny. If it is a romantic story, then your synopsis should be a romantic synopsis. You are a writer, and here is where you can be creative. Many great works of literature don't have easily defined stories, just fine writing and good characters. If you have no story, then you have to sell your idea. The synopsis must have fine, clear writing. Say how your book starts, how it ends, and the interest in the middle. This isn't the time for cliffhangers. Your sample chapter should do the main talking, but your synopsis should offer up those clever memorable sound bites that will linger in the editor's mind and convince him to read the sample chapter. ===== PREPARING YOUR MANUSCRIPT Did I mention that your manuscript must be flawless? I'll mention it again. Your manuscript must be flawless. Especially be sure that the first chapter(s), the "hook" that you'll submit, will be the type that grabs the reader and makes him/her/it wonder what happens next. Beyond that, some mechanics: If the publisher you're submitting to lists all this information in its guidelines, you're in luck. Do what they say and they'll read the manuscript. Fail to do so and they'll set it down unread, even if you're the next John Grisham. Remember, they're budgeting their time and trying to get out of reading this stuff. Once they read it, they'll be fair. (If not, you don't want them.) If it's good solid writing, you're in. But until they get to the writing, they always expect the worst. If you'd seen some of the crap that comes their way, you'd be just as pessimistic. But in the end they do love good writing or else they'd quit that job. ===== PUBLISHER LIST Publisher Directories at http://www.chinarice.org/publisherlist.html contains the websites of almost 100 publishers, but they do tend to vanish quickly. I recommend visiting this after you've gone through the selection process, either from books you read or from a book such as WRITERS MARKET. ===== AGENT LIST Here's some advice from the Agent Research and Evaluation website. They define an agent as: "...someone who makes a living selling real books to real publishers. No one representing himself as an agent should also claim to be a book doctor, an editor-for-hire, a book 'consultant' of any kind. They shouldn't charge any type of 'upfront' reading fee, marketing fee, evaluation fee or any other fee apart from a commission on work sold. "With the possible exception of certain MINIMAL office expenses, legitimate agents NEVER handle [the expenses connected with submitting manuscripts] as an upfront cost. Only as a billable expense after being shown to have been incurred. "Remember, real agents live off the commissions they make from selling their clients' projects. Scammers live off up-front fees for unnecessary, inadequate, or non-existent services." This is excellent advice. Anyone can call himself an agent, get himself listed somewhere, and tell every author who sends him a manuscript "This is excellent. Send me some money and I'll sell it." Then he can pocket the author's money and do absolutely nothing, or send the manuscript to the same publishers who reject everything else he sends them. Agents work for a percentage of your sales. It's usually 15%. An agent's source of income must be the books he sells. If the author pays him before he closes a sale, where is his incentive to close the sale? Insist that your agent send you copies of all rejection letters. A great agent should offer this without you asking, and those rejection letters shouldn't all be undated "Dear author" or "Dear agent" letters that don't mention you or your agent or your manuscript by name. Your agent should also involve you in the selection process without you asking, even if that just means telling you "I'm sending to this, that, and the other place." Don't let him/her send your gothic romance to a children's publisher, etc. If your agent is sending your stuff to the right places and it's still getting rejected, you've done all you can do, except write better. Literary Agent List at http://www.chinarice.org/usliteraryagentlist.html contains my list of resources for finding an agent in the US. Literary Agent List UK at http://www.chinarice.org/ukliteraryagentlist.html contains my list of resources for finding an agent in the UK. If you've been reading my other advice, you're already talking to other authors. If you know one who's made it into print, especially one who writes in your genre, ask which agent (and which publisher and editor) he used. ===== WARNINGS Once you have narrowed down your list of prospects, visit: National Writers Union (http://www.nwu.org) Be sure to look at "Writer Alerts" Preditors and Editors (http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors) Warnings about all the latest scams. How to Spot the Scam Sharks in the Writing Waters (http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/) Writer Beware (http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/) A wealth of must-read advice from the Science Fiction Writers Association, regardless of the genre you write in.

Who Moved My Rice? http://www.chinarice.org You can't eat grits with chopsticks

NOTE CARDS 5
Note Cards are used to record only one fact or idea from one source of any kind of topic. There are many shops, which sell Note Cards. One should always organize the Note Cards in a proper sequence. While using Note Cards one should put the number of the source on the Note Cards. While reading from the Note Cards one should think of topics, which can be categorized and then put into the Note Cards. After sorting them by topics one should pen down the topic in the Note Cards. One can record different types of notes and sort them creating topics as well as sub topics on the Note Cards. Note Cards are basically used for writing down important facts and notes. Note Cards are used a lot by students and writers, as they are very handy. Note Cards are better than copies and are really amazing not keeping tools. The Note Cards can be customized and one can create templates with different styles. One can design personal Note Cards from the stores with various pictures, photos and art works. The stores keep design templates, thus one can easily choose the type of design he wants to use on his Note Cards. One can use logos or names to make Personalized Note Cards. While using Note Cards one can also easily customize the character templates. Note Cards can be used as per the type of work we have to do and there many different styles of Note Cards. Note Cards are used for several purposes depending on the person’s need. One can use Note Cards for personal and official use. Note Cards are easy to use and they are the best way to maintain important information. Note Cards can be used for writing paragraphs summary about a particular topic. One can also use Online Note Cards. The Online Note Cards are basically available on the Internet and one can take out print outs of the Note Cards and thereafter use it.

Deepak Bansal is an internet marketing consultant having experience of 4.5 years in search engine optimization industry. We are specialist in search engine optimization, link building, internet marketing, copyrighting and content development. This article is written by content writing team of http://www.deepakbansal.com - <a href="http://www.deepakbansal.com/search-engine-optimization.htm">Search Engine Optimization</a>

Your book is your baby, treat it like one...
Your Book is Your Baby. Treat it Like One! by EJ Thornton Most authors refer to their book as their "baby" without really knowing how accurate that comparison is. I found out as I wrote Angel On Board that writing a book is like a pregnancy, long, drawn out and private — only you can do it. It has to grow from the seed of an idea to the actual entity we hold in our hand the first time we see it in print. That first meeting is an incredibly memorable experience! Some people cry, some jump up and down — most just stand in awe that the book is finally real and they can hold it in their hands. Most, women at least, clutch it to their chest and are so proud, they can't hold back the tears.
It's a Book! It's a Baby!
Now, this book, like a baby, needs to be taken to professionals to "check it out." It needs an editor, a baby book doctor, to clean it up, check it out, cure its woes and medicate its weak spots. The editor, like a pediatrician, is on your side and wants what you do - a healthy baby book! Editors can cost you money, but you'd pay a doctor — right? You wouldn't trust your baby's health to an amateur (like your neighbor or your sister — even though they got an "A" in Health), so why would you trust your baby book's well-being to one? If you're smart, you won't.

Next, you want to share your baby with others. You want the world to know how great your baby is. This is where most new book parents go wrong. They think the book can speak for itself. It can't! You're going to be working long hours and sacrificing a lot of sleep. Much like a newborn baby is a full time job, so is a newborn book. New parents don't get a lot of rest because the demands of a baby are so intense - it is that way here too. You've taken on another full time job introducing your baby to the world. A press kit needs to be developed, press releases need to be written and sent, reviews need to requested, interviews need to be scheduled, book clubs and book stores need to be approached, book signings scheduled and networking needs to be done! Don't you send out birth announcements? Don't you schedule christenings and take your baby places to introduce them to the world? It's the same concept. No one knows about your baby has arrived, unless you tell them.

You'll have to invest money to support your new book project, just like you'd support your new baby. They can't support themselves yet — let alone you — it's crazy to expect them to!

Many book parents don't sell out of their first print run because they expect their baby to come out walking and talking. That baby needs carried and dressed and driven everywhere to introduce it to its readers. Then its readers will start to talk about it (a voice of its own). Its readers will recommend it to others (it starts to walk on its own). Now, thanks to your efforts and encouragement, you start to see your baby start to walk and talk on its own. And it's a thrill to start seeing sales come through from efforts beyond your own!

Your first print run will be as much expense as profit and so much work, you'll wonder why you're bothering. Many young parents ask themselves questions like, "Why did we want this again?" But then they pick up their baby, feel the love again, regain their strength and get going again. When the first print run is sold out - it is a milestone. Your baby is growing up and it's taken its first few steps.

When you make it into your second printing, you can see the impact of the first round's efforts and you, as a book parent, mature and enjoy how your book has grown. Now the book can support itself a little. This stage is much akin to when a child starts working odd jobs, like babysitting or lawn mowing. They create their own spending money — and they want to spend it on themselves! Hoorah! So, do — spend that money on the book, invest in advertising or flyers and postage or promotional material, memberships to authors groups or conferences or your own booth at trade show, and entry into catalogs with a good circulation. All these things the book can now do for itself and you can watch these new ventures pay off and ultimately, your second print run is sold out! You baby is growing up (but you're still probably driving them everywhere). You can see the potential of this new family member, you can see their personality develop and how they interact with the world. And you are so proud! During the third and fourth printings, you're dealing with a young adult book. They're out on their own, they're earning their own way, but they still want and need your involvement and encouragement in their lives and you love them so much, you can't imagine not being there for them.

If they make it to this point and you haven't quit on them (because it's only you who can quit), then it can support itself and in return take care of you. It has arrived! Your baby is all grown up, but just like adult children, you're still very involved in their life.

Now, what if you're a prolific writer? Just like that prolific parent, there's a second book on the way, while the first one is barely learning to walk. It happens, and with most authors, it happens A LOT! Like with a second baby, you're not so scared, you're smarter now, and you know without being told or questioning all the things that you need to do for a baby. The older sibling book many times can be helpful in raising the new book (especially if it is a series), but each will always be an individual (even if they look alike). Don't forget that, when you have a little family of books growing up right before your very eyes!

The other main point that new authors forget is that a book is a lifetime commitment — they'll have this beautiful baby all the rest of their lives and frankly, it will live on beyond them, just like our children do. Each one is a new addition to the family and must be nurtured and taken care of. You have the rest of your life to have a relationship with this baby and to watch it grow and become.

Don't rush the process, it is all a wonderful ride!

Angel On Board is now 8 years old and has two non-fiction 'brothers' and a little children's book sister. Its sibling sequel is due out in 2006 as well as more non-fiction reader's stories. To see EJ's finished works, go to Books To Believe in - EJ Thornton's page

EJ Thornton published her first book (Angel On Board) in 1998 and has sold several thousand copies. She currently runs a publishing house in Colorado where she helps other people's publishing careers get started. EJ is a author, speaker, instructor, business owner, publisher. EJ's latest book, Revenue Beyond Royalties teaches authors how to round out their talents to take advantage of all the revenue streams available to them.

How Not To Get Published
How Not To Get Published
Copyright 2001 Michael LaRocca


If someone had told me in 2000 that I'd publish four books in
2001, I'd have called him an eejit.

The last time I'd been published was 1989, and that doesn't
count because I paid someone to do it. I'd long since given up
on getting published again. In fact, I doubted I'd ever write
again.

By now you may wonder how I made it from Point A to Point B.
Or for that matter, why I stopped writing.

The second part is simple. I was chasing money, becoming a
high-powered businessman and losing myself. The first part is
a little more difficult to explain.

In December 1999, I flew to Hong Kong for a vacation. The
first vacation in my life, really. I intended to stay for a
month. Instead, I married an Australian who taught English there.
I quit my job in North Carolina by email.

I found myself unable to legally work in Hong Kong. So what was
I to do with my time? I dusted off a childhood dream and resumed
writing.

I had a slush pile full of old short stories, and I ran them
through the on-line writing workshops. There are two parts to
writing--story and style. I wasn't changing my stories--they came
from me and were what I wanted to write--but my style was
pathetic. Style is also the part that can be learned. So I did.

Then came something that amazed me. New stories. Mixing with the
"writing culture" got my creative juices flowing again. After all
those years. Better than ever, in fact.

Next, I published them. Between March and December 2000, I
published twenty stories in twenty different e-zines. I only
made $6, but I was building my resume. I believed that I had a
short story anthology in me, and I'd decided to try publishing
it. I felt I needed a "track record," so I got one.

I also had a novel in my slush pile. A gripping imaginative
story, badly told. But I'd finally learned about the craft, the
structure, and the hard work that comes after that original
flash of inspiration.

You see where I'm leading by now. I wrote two new novels, and
signed contracts to publish all three novels plus the new
short story collection in 2001.

It's a common sight among new writers, and really it's a bit
sad. People who have the story--the part that can't be
learned--but tell it badly. They rush in on the adrenaline
high that authors know so well, then get rejected and give up.

What defines a great story? That depends on which reader you
ask. If you're writing a story that moves you, someone
somewhere with similar tastes will like it. Some stories will
be more popular than others, but almost every story will be
considered great by someone. But if it's badly written, the
reader will simply put the book down and read something else.

As a teenaged author, gathering up enough rejection slips to
wallpaper the room, I didn't give up. I just got arrogant and
decided "You don't understand me, ya eejit." That's no
solution. Nor is paying to be published.

Nope, if you want to get published, learn how to tell your
story. Spelling, grammar, punctuation, pacing, dialogue... all
that stuff you may have slept through in high school will become
second nature with enough practice.

I did quite well in high school English, by the way, but it's
not like they taught pacing and dialogue and real story-
telling there. To learn those, you've gotta read. But that's no
problem for an author. If you don't enjoy reading, you can't
write something that others will enjoy reading.

Also, you must listen to the criticisms. Accept some and
reject others, but always listen. I believe the Internet makes
it much easier to get those criticisms.

I work as an editor now, and one of my authors told me that he
sees movies inside his head. It shows in his writing! I don't
write that way, unfortunately, but I still know how he feels.
When "the Muse" pays me a visit, I've gotta write it down as
fast as it comes to me. That's the one part that can't be
packaged, taught or mass-produced. That part comes from you,
the author, and no one else can do it the way that you do.

Kurt Vonnegut, whose works I greatly admire, writes one
sentence at a time, and makes each one perfect before he
begins the next. But I don't write like that, nor do most of
the authors I know. We just let it fly, then go back and fix
it later.

But if you don't want to get published, don't go back and fix
it. Pass that raw copy around to your friends and family and
let them tell you how wonderful it is for fear of hurting your
feelings. Then send it to the publishers and collect the
rejection letters. That's what I did in my younger days, and I
wasn't published.

It took me twenty years to learn my lesson. It would genuinely
make me feel good to hear that most writers aren't taking
quite so long.

Michael LaRocca's website at http://www.chinarice.org was chosen by WRITER'S DIGEST as one of The 101 Best Websites For Writers in 2001 and 2002. His response was to throw it out and start over again because he's insane. He teaches English at a university in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, and publishes the free weekly newsletter WHO MOVED MY RICE?