You want to express how fortunate you are for having him. His body may not be able to hear all your thoughts about the things that drew you closer to him but his spirit will. And nothing can best express the feelings, love, respect and grief over the loss of a good friend but only through a superbly written eulogy.
In writing a eulogy for a friend especially if it is mean for a younger generation, generally you start off by introducing yourself and how you came to know the deceased. If there are funny instances that you have shared with that friend, you limit your narration of it to those only which would be appropriate to the occasion. This means if you have to tell a story about your friend, make sure that it remains wholesome so as not to offend the members of the family present. There is a practical purpose why it is advised that you start off in a jovial story. This is because to enable you to keep your composure and to gradually boost your confidence in public speaking.
Members of the family listening would also like to hear how their son and daughter as a friend. Hence, it is only proper at this point that you describe the departed in how he dealt with things when you were together, the things that you admired most of him, the things that make him unique with others. You can also state the problems and success you shared together. If there are things that he told you which the other people should know, include that in a eulogy.
There are several ways in how people deliver their eulogy. It maybe expressed in the form of poetry, narration, dance, song or a combination of those things. In making your choice, you must bear in mind the venue of the place and of course, the time allotted to each speakers. Usually, if you are a friend of the deceased, you maybe given a shorter time to speak or nobody expects you to speak lengthily. Hence, it is not necessary to prepare a long eulogy for a friend. Focus on the times you shared with him and leave those parts that although you know, or taken part with him and his family, to the family members to prevent redundancy.
Stating the life lessons you learned from the friend who died will not only honor his memory but will also make the family members proud. They may even be grateful for you for having him as a friend. But always remember not to exaggerate the compliments for the friend. It will appear insincere to those people listening.
If you feel intense grief for the loss of the friend, have someone ready to finish the remaining parts of your speech in case you break down. It will give you relief knowing that you have expressed how sorry you are or how much you will miss him despite the fact that you were not able to finish the eulogy for friend.
About the Author:
Margaret Marquisi is a retired novelist and fulltime grandmother. For tips on http://www.besteulogyspeeches.com/ eulogy for a friend, please visit her http://www.besteulogyspeeches.com/ funeral speech for a friend website.
Keyword tags: eulogy for a friend, funeral speech for a friend
Monday, March 30, 2009
A Father Eulogy They Will Never Forget
A father is considered to be the source of strength in a family. Aside from being the Provider of the family a father in the house could give the family a sense of foundation and a sense of security in many ways. That is why when a father dies, the pain could be unbearable. A loss of a father may be synonymous to a loss of security and strength. All of a sudden, the family will never be the same. The foundation weakens and if the mother is not strong enough to handle things, family members may go astray. The sense of direction and autonomy that a father could demand in the family may be destroyed at a glance with a death of a father. Some children may not understand their father; at times they may view their father as over-strict or too domineering. Understanding a father sometimes takes time. They even say that you have to be a father yourself in order to understand how it feels like to be a father. But regardless of the things one may not understand about his or her father, there is always something that you will admire about your father that you would want to cherish for the rest of your life-something that you would want other people to know about him, that they haven't known when he is still alive.
When a father dies, we often hear a father eulogy that tackles the kind of life the father has lived. During a father's death it is only righteous to render a father eulogy that will be remembered by every living soul present in the gathering. A father eulogy is a tribute to a dad, or a pa, or however one calls his or her father that will let other people know how beautiful his life and yours was when he was still around. (SUMMARY)
Listening to a father eulogy always make other people sad. Whenever a son or a daughter takes the microphone and start speaking about his father people can't help themselves but cry, while the speaker shed his or her own tears. But with every word spoken about the father, the people are given the idea of how well this person has lived his life. It is also a way to make people remember the person and his life, and relive the times he has touched other people's lives. For a daughter or a son who were left behind, a father eulogy is their way of saying thanks to one of the most important persons in his or her life.
One can deliver a loving and heart- touching father eulogy that will mark in the minds of the people who are around during the occasion. If one has to write a father eulogy, he has to make sure that he would only write a heartfelt eulogy that will not bore other people. A father eulogy should effectively convey the sadness for the loss and the happiness for having such a father in one's life.
About the Author:
Margaret Marquisi is a retired novelist and fulltime grandmother. For tips on http://www.besteulogyspeeches.com/ eulogy for a father, please visit her http://www.besteulogyspeeches.com/ funeral speech website.
Keyword tags: funeral speech, funeral speeches, eulogy for father, father eulogy
When a father dies, we often hear a father eulogy that tackles the kind of life the father has lived. During a father's death it is only righteous to render a father eulogy that will be remembered by every living soul present in the gathering. A father eulogy is a tribute to a dad, or a pa, or however one calls his or her father that will let other people know how beautiful his life and yours was when he was still around. (SUMMARY)
Listening to a father eulogy always make other people sad. Whenever a son or a daughter takes the microphone and start speaking about his father people can't help themselves but cry, while the speaker shed his or her own tears. But with every word spoken about the father, the people are given the idea of how well this person has lived his life. It is also a way to make people remember the person and his life, and relive the times he has touched other people's lives. For a daughter or a son who were left behind, a father eulogy is their way of saying thanks to one of the most important persons in his or her life.
One can deliver a loving and heart- touching father eulogy that will mark in the minds of the people who are around during the occasion. If one has to write a father eulogy, he has to make sure that he would only write a heartfelt eulogy that will not bore other people. A father eulogy should effectively convey the sadness for the loss and the happiness for having such a father in one's life.
About the Author:
Margaret Marquisi is a retired novelist and fulltime grandmother. For tips on http://www.besteulogyspeeches.com/ eulogy for a father, please visit her http://www.besteulogyspeeches.com/ funeral speech website.
Keyword tags: funeral speech, funeral speeches, eulogy for father, father eulogy
How to Compare Your Own Eulogy Speech to a Sample Eulogy
In formulating a good eulogy speech, we are often caught in a scrambling situation wherein we would not know how to start and go about with the speech. If we are assigned to deliver a eulogy speech, which would just mean that we are the ones who know the deceased well. Alright, we know everything the deceased, from his or her secrets, attributes, attitudes, favorites and experiences that everyone would not know. But why do we get the feeling of being mentally blocked when the time comes that we need to talk about the deceased? Why do we often freeze every time we attempt to roll our pens? Why do we waste much of our time in scribbling unnecessary notes about the deceased? The answer must be simple. We just do not know how to make an organized eulogy speech.
A sample eulogy can be squeezed out from many available sources just like the Internet. There are a lot of websites that offer free sample eulogy to choose from. Sample eulogies are being published not to be exactly copied. They would just guide us in our woes and dilemmas in making our own eulogy speeches. These samples are made by some writers who have the expertise in creating good eulogy speeches. These would help us draw our own concept in making our own speeches. If you want or aim to deliver a good and well- remembered eulogy speech, then learn how to compare your compositions to a sample eulogy. Be specific with the content. If you want to base your speech from a sample eulogy, just concentrate on the form and not with the content. If you feel that the content of the sample can relate to your own thoughts, make statements which are the same with the sample's thought and idea. Ideally, this does not mean that you copy the entire article. You can rephrase or reword each part and be sure to apply some personal touches to them. If you had just copied what's inside a eulogy sample, you might not deliver the eulogy speech whole heartedly. Adding up to the heartfelt delivery of the speech is to mention the achievements and aspirations of the deceased. Again, read thoroughly through eulogy samples if you want to be guided by them. You might just include unnecessary citations if you would pursue on just copying the sample's content. You will be able to find yourself uneasy during the delivery if you have mistakenly imparted wrong information.
By using the information above, you should be well on your way to creating a great eulogy. Just remember to always think ahead and plan your speech well. Think about the great times you spent with the person, and the things that the person left with you here on earth. In the end, speaking from your heart will be for more impacting than studying samples and trying to come up with something that impresses the audience. I wish you my very best of luck.
About the Author:
Margaret Marquisi is a retired novelist and fulltime grandmother. For tips on using a http://www.besteulogyspeeches.com/ sample eulogy, please visit her http://www.besteulogyspeeches.com/ funeral speech website.
Keyword tags: funeral speech, funeral speeches, sample eulogy, sample eulogies
A sample eulogy can be squeezed out from many available sources just like the Internet. There are a lot of websites that offer free sample eulogy to choose from. Sample eulogies are being published not to be exactly copied. They would just guide us in our woes and dilemmas in making our own eulogy speeches. These samples are made by some writers who have the expertise in creating good eulogy speeches. These would help us draw our own concept in making our own speeches. If you want or aim to deliver a good and well- remembered eulogy speech, then learn how to compare your compositions to a sample eulogy. Be specific with the content. If you want to base your speech from a sample eulogy, just concentrate on the form and not with the content. If you feel that the content of the sample can relate to your own thoughts, make statements which are the same with the sample's thought and idea. Ideally, this does not mean that you copy the entire article. You can rephrase or reword each part and be sure to apply some personal touches to them. If you had just copied what's inside a eulogy sample, you might not deliver the eulogy speech whole heartedly. Adding up to the heartfelt delivery of the speech is to mention the achievements and aspirations of the deceased. Again, read thoroughly through eulogy samples if you want to be guided by them. You might just include unnecessary citations if you would pursue on just copying the sample's content. You will be able to find yourself uneasy during the delivery if you have mistakenly imparted wrong information.
By using the information above, you should be well on your way to creating a great eulogy. Just remember to always think ahead and plan your speech well. Think about the great times you spent with the person, and the things that the person left with you here on earth. In the end, speaking from your heart will be for more impacting than studying samples and trying to come up with something that impresses the audience. I wish you my very best of luck.
About the Author:
Margaret Marquisi is a retired novelist and fulltime grandmother. For tips on using a http://www.besteulogyspeeches.com/ sample eulogy, please visit her http://www.besteulogyspeeches.com/ funeral speech website.
Keyword tags: funeral speech, funeral speeches, sample eulogy, sample eulogies
Funeral Speeches - A Few Words on Eulogies
Funeral speeches are personalized speeches used in memorial ceremonies to commemorate the life of the dead person. They are usually written and recited by a relative or a friend of the departed. They serve as final gifts to the deceased from the person who cares for him or her most.
When a loved one dies, the last thing you would want to do is gathering up all guts, courage and willpower to speak at his or her funeral. The departing of someone close to your heart brings you fear, grief, and astonishment. Even if the death was expected, the pain still robs from you your normal way of thinking and speaking. You may not be overwhelmed just emotionally, but also physically.
But if you are capable of doing, delivering one of the funeral speeches is a privilege for you to finally say your goodbyes to your loved one and have your finality with the person you just lost. Funeral speeches are a way to let people know how much you treasure the person you lost and how wonderful life was while the person was still around.
If you get enough courage to speak at a funeral, following these guidelines will help you come up with a touching and heartfelt eulogy.
1. Ask the help of people. When you attempt to plan your speech, you may encounter raw emotions and mind reels that is why it is always best to consult others of their opinions. Talk to your family, the friends and colleagues of the person who has just died and ask them for suggestions and their memories with the deceased.
2. Be positive. Think of funerals as a great time to remember your loved one warmheartedly with stories and memories of his or her personality traits and lifestyle. But make sure you avoid including negativity and judgment in your speech. If you have issues with the deceased, the funeral is not the right place to make them go public. Focus on talking about the goodness of the person and how he or she has influenced the lives of other people. Talk about his or her dreams, ambitions, and achievements. Include an explanation on how he or she made an impact to your life.
3. Add humor. Do not be embarrassed about laughing and making others laugh with funeral speeches. Because there is a plenty of pain and grief, you and the audience will find it easier to relax if you remember the person fondly and laugh a little about his or her misadventures the time he or she was still alive. Include in your speech something funny about the person – a thing he or she said or did.
4. Be authentic. Share the feelings you have in your heart and do not be afraid to show people how special the departed is to you. Talk about the things other people may not be aware of and tell them how these things affect you.
5. Use props if necessary. You may need to use photos, drawings and writings of the deceased. The audience will appreciate the speech more if they see something real about the dead person.
6. Say your final words. Give your goodbyes to the dearly departed. The funeral is the perfect chance of closure and goodbyes. End your speech by wishing the family good and hoping that things will be better in time. Say your goodbye to the person who passed away.
About the Author:
Margaret Marquisi is a retired novelist and fulltime grandmother. For tips on http://www.besteulogyspeeches.com, please visit her http://www.besteulogyspeeches.com/ website.
Keyword tags: funeral speech, funeral speeches, sample eulogy, sample eulogies
When a loved one dies, the last thing you would want to do is gathering up all guts, courage and willpower to speak at his or her funeral. The departing of someone close to your heart brings you fear, grief, and astonishment. Even if the death was expected, the pain still robs from you your normal way of thinking and speaking. You may not be overwhelmed just emotionally, but also physically.
But if you are capable of doing, delivering one of the funeral speeches is a privilege for you to finally say your goodbyes to your loved one and have your finality with the person you just lost. Funeral speeches are a way to let people know how much you treasure the person you lost and how wonderful life was while the person was still around.
If you get enough courage to speak at a funeral, following these guidelines will help you come up with a touching and heartfelt eulogy.
1. Ask the help of people. When you attempt to plan your speech, you may encounter raw emotions and mind reels that is why it is always best to consult others of their opinions. Talk to your family, the friends and colleagues of the person who has just died and ask them for suggestions and their memories with the deceased.
2. Be positive. Think of funerals as a great time to remember your loved one warmheartedly with stories and memories of his or her personality traits and lifestyle. But make sure you avoid including negativity and judgment in your speech. If you have issues with the deceased, the funeral is not the right place to make them go public. Focus on talking about the goodness of the person and how he or she has influenced the lives of other people. Talk about his or her dreams, ambitions, and achievements. Include an explanation on how he or she made an impact to your life.
3. Add humor. Do not be embarrassed about laughing and making others laugh with funeral speeches. Because there is a plenty of pain and grief, you and the audience will find it easier to relax if you remember the person fondly and laugh a little about his or her misadventures the time he or she was still alive. Include in your speech something funny about the person – a thing he or she said or did.
4. Be authentic. Share the feelings you have in your heart and do not be afraid to show people how special the departed is to you. Talk about the things other people may not be aware of and tell them how these things affect you.
5. Use props if necessary. You may need to use photos, drawings and writings of the deceased. The audience will appreciate the speech more if they see something real about the dead person.
6. Say your final words. Give your goodbyes to the dearly departed. The funeral is the perfect chance of closure and goodbyes. End your speech by wishing the family good and hoping that things will be better in time. Say your goodbye to the person who passed away.
About the Author:
Margaret Marquisi is a retired novelist and fulltime grandmother. For tips on http://www.besteulogyspeeches.com, please visit her http://www.besteulogyspeeches.com/ website.
Keyword tags: funeral speech, funeral speeches, sample eulogy, sample eulogies
Saturday, March 21, 2009
How to Blog – Get Started Today
If you have something to say and know how to put them into writing, then there is a high probability that you know how to blog. Blogging is simply the modern technology version of keeping a diary or a journal. And with the immense capacity it has for being accessible online, this platform for information sharing has been tapped on a wide scale business venture. Advertisers are now willing to pay weblog site that can become their medium for exposure. On this perspective, the need to learn how to blog for money comes into view.
The first step in blog creation is choosing a webhost provider. Livejournal, WordPress and Blogger are some sites offering free hosting that can be useful for blogs at the exploratory stage. Once you get the skill and know the different techniques in keeping a blog running and earning, a paid hosting service can be chosen. Paying for blog hosting will allow you more flexibility and options depending on your site's requirements.
At the initial stage of practicing how to blog, start with a personal blog about something that interests you. This is the best way for you to be able to create articles continuously with quality content. As you learn how to create posts for your blog, you will also eventually get acquainted with your own inclinations. A good blog can be maintained only with passion and sincerity, and people will easily get interested if you sincerely share about topics which you consider important. Writing for the sake of getting search hits through keywords can easily be detected and is a big turn off. Not only will you lose readers in this way, but your site will also most likely be cancelled for keyword spamming.
Knowing how to blog entails being responsible also for the physical appearance of your site. Make use of the right template structure and choose the appropriate colors and designs. Avoid using loud hues in order to capture the visitor's attention. This tactic may be effective at first instance but can cause visual discomfort irritating enough to make the visitor leave your blog.
A good blog is like a good friend that needs to be appreciated. Actively introduce your blog to your friends and relatives. Encourage linking to your sites to gain additional exposure from each of the individual's circle of internet connections. Join communities and respond by sharing useful information in several forums. Do not forget to attach your site link to your signature and make sure that you leave a good trace of your blogsite in your every internet move. Once you master the tricks in securing popularity and following, you will then be ready to create a site intended for marketing. You can start writing reviews for products you have used with the goal of securing paid advertisements in your blog.
Learning how to blog effectively to bring in the revenues is not a bad idea. Having a passive income with unlimited potential for growth is something everyone will appreciate. And considering that there is no need for a start up capital, you will definitely give it a shot.
About the Author:
Trying to learn about a blog directory? We can show you the easiest way to market your blog and bring in consistent profits day after day. Go to http://www.blogrebirth.com now!
Keyword tags: How to Blog, blog book marketing, marketing my blog, website marketing success blog
The first step in blog creation is choosing a webhost provider. Livejournal, WordPress and Blogger are some sites offering free hosting that can be useful for blogs at the exploratory stage. Once you get the skill and know the different techniques in keeping a blog running and earning, a paid hosting service can be chosen. Paying for blog hosting will allow you more flexibility and options depending on your site's requirements.
At the initial stage of practicing how to blog, start with a personal blog about something that interests you. This is the best way for you to be able to create articles continuously with quality content. As you learn how to create posts for your blog, you will also eventually get acquainted with your own inclinations. A good blog can be maintained only with passion and sincerity, and people will easily get interested if you sincerely share about topics which you consider important. Writing for the sake of getting search hits through keywords can easily be detected and is a big turn off. Not only will you lose readers in this way, but your site will also most likely be cancelled for keyword spamming.
Knowing how to blog entails being responsible also for the physical appearance of your site. Make use of the right template structure and choose the appropriate colors and designs. Avoid using loud hues in order to capture the visitor's attention. This tactic may be effective at first instance but can cause visual discomfort irritating enough to make the visitor leave your blog.
A good blog is like a good friend that needs to be appreciated. Actively introduce your blog to your friends and relatives. Encourage linking to your sites to gain additional exposure from each of the individual's circle of internet connections. Join communities and respond by sharing useful information in several forums. Do not forget to attach your site link to your signature and make sure that you leave a good trace of your blogsite in your every internet move. Once you master the tricks in securing popularity and following, you will then be ready to create a site intended for marketing. You can start writing reviews for products you have used with the goal of securing paid advertisements in your blog.
Learning how to blog effectively to bring in the revenues is not a bad idea. Having a passive income with unlimited potential for growth is something everyone will appreciate. And considering that there is no need for a start up capital, you will definitely give it a shot.
About the Author:
Trying to learn about a blog directory? We can show you the easiest way to market your blog and bring in consistent profits day after day. Go to http://www.blogrebirth.com now!
Keyword tags: How to Blog, blog book marketing, marketing my blog, website marketing success blog
Can You Make a Living Doing Freelance Article Writing For Magazines?
Go to any newsstand, bookstore or drugstore and you'll see rows of magazines lined up with enticing titles and intriguing articles. After standing there for a few minutes, you'll feel yourself drawn to one or two that capture your attention. You browse through them and land on a few interesting articles – maybe you quickly read through them.
The power of magazine articles is what brings in the bacon for major publishers, and all magazines thrive on getting people to buy a copy in order to read the articles. This means that each publication must find talented writers who can create articles for their particular theme.
Freelance article writing for magazines has been the staple of independent writers for decades, and it's still going strong. The upside for writers is that there are hundreds of magazines to submit articles to. The downside is that there is fierce competition from thousands of quality writers who also want to see their names featured in these glossies.
If you are lucky enough to have your article accepted by a magazine then you will be in privileged company. The magazine will send you a nice check and, after a few months, you'll get to see your article in all of its full, graphic glory. Great!
Now what?
Well, you've got to do it all over again. Research magazines and topics, work on your article for hours on end to get it just right. Submit it to the magazine and hope it gets a serious look.
Can you make money writing articles for magazines?
Absolutely.
Can you make enough each month to pay your rent, food expenses and bills?
Hmmm. Maybe not. For many people, writing for magazines is more like a nice hobby. The pay can be really good, when you get an article accepted, but it sure isn't going to be enough steady work to keep you afloat.
Okay. Does that mean you have to give up your dream of pursuing magazine freelance writing positions?
No, but you do need to adjust your thinking about freelance writing in order to make a realistic income from this type of career. Open yourself up to doing other types of writing jobs like: online article writing, web site content writing, blog writing and even ghostwriting books. There's a world of writing for pay opportunities that exists in addition to magazines.
If you just limit yourself to magazines, you may find yourself slaving away in a cubicle or other work type situation where you don't get to spend the majority of your time doing what you love.
If you are willing to become a real professional freelance writer and establish a business around your writing, then you can build up a clientele that will pay you again and again for doing something that comes natural to you. Oh yeah, and you can still get your work published in magazines, which will only serve to build up your reputation as an excellent writer worth your weight in gold.
About the Author:
Discover the secrets to making big money as a Freelance Writer. Click here: http://www.writing4pay.com
Keyword tags: freelance, freelancing, writing, write, writer, articles, article, how, make, money, magazines
The power of magazine articles is what brings in the bacon for major publishers, and all magazines thrive on getting people to buy a copy in order to read the articles. This means that each publication must find talented writers who can create articles for their particular theme.
Freelance article writing for magazines has been the staple of independent writers for decades, and it's still going strong. The upside for writers is that there are hundreds of magazines to submit articles to. The downside is that there is fierce competition from thousands of quality writers who also want to see their names featured in these glossies.
If you are lucky enough to have your article accepted by a magazine then you will be in privileged company. The magazine will send you a nice check and, after a few months, you'll get to see your article in all of its full, graphic glory. Great!
Now what?
Well, you've got to do it all over again. Research magazines and topics, work on your article for hours on end to get it just right. Submit it to the magazine and hope it gets a serious look.
Can you make money writing articles for magazines?
Absolutely.
Can you make enough each month to pay your rent, food expenses and bills?
Hmmm. Maybe not. For many people, writing for magazines is more like a nice hobby. The pay can be really good, when you get an article accepted, but it sure isn't going to be enough steady work to keep you afloat.
Okay. Does that mean you have to give up your dream of pursuing magazine freelance writing positions?
No, but you do need to adjust your thinking about freelance writing in order to make a realistic income from this type of career. Open yourself up to doing other types of writing jobs like: online article writing, web site content writing, blog writing and even ghostwriting books. There's a world of writing for pay opportunities that exists in addition to magazines.
If you just limit yourself to magazines, you may find yourself slaving away in a cubicle or other work type situation where you don't get to spend the majority of your time doing what you love.
If you are willing to become a real professional freelance writer and establish a business around your writing, then you can build up a clientele that will pay you again and again for doing something that comes natural to you. Oh yeah, and you can still get your work published in magazines, which will only serve to build up your reputation as an excellent writer worth your weight in gold.
About the Author:
Discover the secrets to making big money as a Freelance Writer. Click here: http://www.writing4pay.com
Keyword tags: freelance, freelancing, writing, write, writer, articles, article, how, make, money, magazines
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The Greatest Book Publishing Templates Around
Book publishing templates are cover templates that are generally used by self publishing companies. Most mainstream publishers tend to use different cover designs for every book that they publish, but that is not to say that they won"t have generalized templates for certain genres. Mysteries and romances are subjects that respond well to the template form as this makes it easier for genre aficionado to pick out the books they want to read from a shelf full of assorted titles. People don"t seem to be put off by the fact that some publishing houses do work with book publishing templates so long as their work is out in the public domain.
While templates used to be something that only regular publishers and self publishing companies worked with, there is now a plethora of websites offering downloadable book publishing templates. If you are self publishing then there are now websites aimed specifically at the self publisher; these sites provide a huge choice of cover designs and it is relatively easy to find something that suits your particular genre or niche - a major consideration when you are publishing something you hope will be popular.
Most book publishing templates are designed to work with manuscripts that have already been converted to PDF format, although it is possible to load your template and then send the whole thing to PDF. There is an increasing tendency for authors who may have had their manuscript rejected by mainstream publishing houses to go the self-publishing route.
Normal book publishing templates are slightly different to the templates that are aimed at those people seeking to publish an E-book. When people go down this route,it is not because they have been rejected by a mainstream publisher, but because their manuscript is aimed at online reader. Books that are designed to be read online are set out differently to books that may be downloadable, but that are primarily aimed at the print market.
Some sites offer book publishing templates for free, but these are generally quite limited in terms of choice and design. If you do intend to self-publish and you want your book to sell well then it is worth paying out that little bit extra to get a wider choice of template designs and styles. Online self-publishing companies often have book templates that are aimed at specific genres, the best of these companies will also provide you with information on best pricing and how to publicize your manuscript. If you are thinking of self publishing your novel, then it is always a good idea to keep as close as possible to the guidelines that are offered by mainstream publishing houses as this is a format that works for the reader.
If you publish an your manuscript online and it sells well, you may want to think about revising it a little and resubmitting to a mainline publisher, especially if you have had some really positive reader reviews of your book. You never know, for many authors a second submission has proved out to be the lucky one and they can see their book in print and on the shelves of bookstores.
Book publishing templates and self publishing may not be the route that every author wants to take, but it is a niche where people are at least reading what you have written, and surely this is the major aim of every successful author.
About the Author:
Jason Creation wants you to have the greatest experience ever. We are located at, http://www.book-template.com and http://www.learn-how-to-publish-a-book.com
Keyword tags: book template, publish book, how to publish a book, book publish, write a book, how to write
While templates used to be something that only regular publishers and self publishing companies worked with, there is now a plethora of websites offering downloadable book publishing templates. If you are self publishing then there are now websites aimed specifically at the self publisher; these sites provide a huge choice of cover designs and it is relatively easy to find something that suits your particular genre or niche - a major consideration when you are publishing something you hope will be popular.
Most book publishing templates are designed to work with manuscripts that have already been converted to PDF format, although it is possible to load your template and then send the whole thing to PDF. There is an increasing tendency for authors who may have had their manuscript rejected by mainstream publishing houses to go the self-publishing route.
Normal book publishing templates are slightly different to the templates that are aimed at those people seeking to publish an E-book. When people go down this route,it is not because they have been rejected by a mainstream publisher, but because their manuscript is aimed at online reader. Books that are designed to be read online are set out differently to books that may be downloadable, but that are primarily aimed at the print market.
Some sites offer book publishing templates for free, but these are generally quite limited in terms of choice and design. If you do intend to self-publish and you want your book to sell well then it is worth paying out that little bit extra to get a wider choice of template designs and styles. Online self-publishing companies often have book templates that are aimed at specific genres, the best of these companies will also provide you with information on best pricing and how to publicize your manuscript. If you are thinking of self publishing your novel, then it is always a good idea to keep as close as possible to the guidelines that are offered by mainstream publishing houses as this is a format that works for the reader.
If you publish an your manuscript online and it sells well, you may want to think about revising it a little and resubmitting to a mainline publisher, especially if you have had some really positive reader reviews of your book. You never know, for many authors a second submission has proved out to be the lucky one and they can see their book in print and on the shelves of bookstores.
Book publishing templates and self publishing may not be the route that every author wants to take, but it is a niche where people are at least reading what you have written, and surely this is the major aim of every successful author.
About the Author:
Jason Creation wants you to have the greatest experience ever. We are located at, http://www.book-template.com and http://www.learn-how-to-publish-a-book.com
Keyword tags: book template, publish book, how to publish a book, book publish, write a book, how to write
Monday, March 16, 2009
Common Mistakes When Writing a Resume
With so many people competing for jobs, employers are finding themselves swamped with stacks of resumes. Employers are now looking for resumes that standout from the pile. The key to landing a job interview is to present a strong and effective resume. A resume that is filled with errors will only end up in the waste basket. The following is a list of common mistakes people make when writing a resume:
1) No Cover Letter: Employers want to see a cover letter with a resume. A cover letter is your introduction and summarizes your job intentions.
2) Typing Errors: A resume with typos and grammatical errors will make an employer think that you do not pay attention to details. A computer spell check does not always pick up every mistake. Proofread your resume and then have a friend read it.
3) Disorganized Content: It is important to list the most important information at the top of the resume. Experience and employment history are the most important parts of the resume. Your hobbies should be placed near the end of the resume. Make sure your information is easy to read. Filter out information that is not relevant to the job.
4) Unprofessional email address: Email addresses should not be amateurish. For instance, happyguy104@hotmail.com is not appropriate. A better email would be JohnDoe@hotmail.com.
5) Layout Lacking Consistency: You should have equal spacing between headings. Your margins should be equal. Include dates on your resume. A recommended font size is 11 or 12. When using verbs, make sure you are using the correct verb tense. Use different action verbs when highlighting your skills. Do not use abbreviations or contractions.
6) Unclear Focus: Your resume should be written to match your experience and education with the job you are seeking. You want the employer to think that you are the best person for the job.
7) Boring Content: Your resume should tell a mini story about your experience and education. Don't just list your duties. Highlight valuable experience to show why you should be chosen for the job. Do not use phrases such as "responsibilities included" or "duties included."
8) Lacking Extracurricular Activities: Employers want to read about additional activities such as certificates of achievement, training, volunteer experience, and awards. This will show employers that you are out going and well-rounded. When listing your achievements, make sure you emphasize the results of your work.
9) Key skills Do Not Stand Out: Use a format such as 'bullets' to highlight skills the employer will like. You want to show the employer that you will be an asset to the business.
10) Inappropriate Personal Information: Don't put in personal information such as gender and age. Do not include a picture of yourself. . Keep your personal and professional life separate in order to be taken seriously.
11) Inaccurate Information: It is important that you do not lie or embellish. It would be embarrassing if you were caught lying. Your resume should be truthful.
12) Job Experience Too Old: It is important not to go back too far when listing your employment experience. If you are older, employers will not want to see what summer job you had in high school.
A resume is the entryway to a job interview. It is important to understand that your resume is a marketing tool, not an autobiography. Make your resume an interesting read. A resume should be written so that it is focused on the job position. When you write a professional resume that stands out from the others in the pile, you will have a better chance of getting your dream job.
About the Author:
Do you want to advance in your career? Improve your English speaking and pronunciation skills with our online free English lessons. http://www.englishlink.com
Keyword tags: writing a resume, job interview, resume format, english speaking
1) No Cover Letter: Employers want to see a cover letter with a resume. A cover letter is your introduction and summarizes your job intentions.
2) Typing Errors: A resume with typos and grammatical errors will make an employer think that you do not pay attention to details. A computer spell check does not always pick up every mistake. Proofread your resume and then have a friend read it.
3) Disorganized Content: It is important to list the most important information at the top of the resume. Experience and employment history are the most important parts of the resume. Your hobbies should be placed near the end of the resume. Make sure your information is easy to read. Filter out information that is not relevant to the job.
4) Unprofessional email address: Email addresses should not be amateurish. For instance, happyguy104@hotmail.com is not appropriate. A better email would be JohnDoe@hotmail.com.
5) Layout Lacking Consistency: You should have equal spacing between headings. Your margins should be equal. Include dates on your resume. A recommended font size is 11 or 12. When using verbs, make sure you are using the correct verb tense. Use different action verbs when highlighting your skills. Do not use abbreviations or contractions.
6) Unclear Focus: Your resume should be written to match your experience and education with the job you are seeking. You want the employer to think that you are the best person for the job.
7) Boring Content: Your resume should tell a mini story about your experience and education. Don't just list your duties. Highlight valuable experience to show why you should be chosen for the job. Do not use phrases such as "responsibilities included" or "duties included."
8) Lacking Extracurricular Activities: Employers want to read about additional activities such as certificates of achievement, training, volunteer experience, and awards. This will show employers that you are out going and well-rounded. When listing your achievements, make sure you emphasize the results of your work.
9) Key skills Do Not Stand Out: Use a format such as 'bullets' to highlight skills the employer will like. You want to show the employer that you will be an asset to the business.
10) Inappropriate Personal Information: Don't put in personal information such as gender and age. Do not include a picture of yourself. . Keep your personal and professional life separate in order to be taken seriously.
11) Inaccurate Information: It is important that you do not lie or embellish. It would be embarrassing if you were caught lying. Your resume should be truthful.
12) Job Experience Too Old: It is important not to go back too far when listing your employment experience. If you are older, employers will not want to see what summer job you had in high school.
A resume is the entryway to a job interview. It is important to understand that your resume is a marketing tool, not an autobiography. Make your resume an interesting read. A resume should be written so that it is focused on the job position. When you write a professional resume that stands out from the others in the pile, you will have a better chance of getting your dream job.
About the Author:
Do you want to advance in your career? Improve your English speaking and pronunciation skills with our online free English lessons. http://www.englishlink.com
Keyword tags: writing a resume, job interview, resume format, english speaking
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Getting Published - Second Steps
I have suggested a couple of ways to get published in earlier articles. There is the standard route of submitting endlessly to publishers. Or there is the less orthodox route, described in the previous article, of impersonating a famous author. There are no doubt several other still less orthodox routes than this last, each of them with their attendant requirements for luck, finite or vanishing probability of success and associated risk of arrest and imprisonment (or at least a hefty fine).
I have not yet mentioned the acquisition of an agent. It turns out that an agent is about as difficult to acquire as a publisher. It used to be the standard wisdom that you had to have an agent to get to a publisher. One may imagine that if a book comes through a familiar agent, then a publisher may be more likely to look at it. The work has been pre-vetted to some extent. Therefore, it's obvious: try to acquire an agent. But if an agent is as tricky to find as a publisher, then what's the difference? You might as well go to a publisher directly. After that you might, I suppose, get an agent! It is just one more eternal chicken and egg problem for authors.
Let's say that you do decide, as I did a couple of years or so ago, that you should try to get an agent. There is a book called the Writer's Handbook. This is a book which every writer must have. At least that is what the publishers of the Writer's Handbook say and various authors and others whom they quote. For the life of me I cannot see what use it is for the unpublished writer. The basic message emerging from that book is very simple. If you know someone in publishing or you are somehow connected to the publishing world, you should exploit that connection for all that it is worth. If you do not know anybody, then you are doomed (to something - lots of disappointments, I suppose). You hardly need a book to tell you that. In fairness, you may find it fun to read how J.K.Rowling, or whoever, made it. Actually, all these famous writers made it in different ways! By the way, for this latter stuff, the rival Writers' and Artists' Yearbook is better than the Writer's Handbook.
Let's return to getting an agent. I wrote to a dozen agents, culled from the Writer's Handbook. You are told in that book that it is terrifically important to choose to write to agents who handle the sort of book that you write. I could only find about twelve that apparently handle young adult literature, my area. I was a bit surprised that the world over - UK, USA, Canada, Australia for my purposes - there are only about twelve, but there you are. You can probably find them all on the internet without spending money on the Writer's Handbook. You need to write a ghastly 'query letter' which is basically a letter introducing yourself and your work. You are expected to 'sell yourself'. This is horrid stuff and used to go under another name. Since this is the only writing that you are likely to get any professionals to read - although it is not put to you in that way in the Writer's Handbook - you are told that you had better be very careful how you write this 'query letter'. As we say in the world of physics and astronomy, in which I work, if you have nothing to say, you must be very careful how you say it. The advice to 'sell yourself' is almost an incitement to dress up the truth to such an extent that you are telling porkies - fibs, lies, showing economy with the truth, call it what you like!
At all events, I used the following prescription:
1. Phone up an agent to ask whom you should be making an approach to in the company. Ask if they are actively looking for new authors at the moment? Recently founded agencies may be a better bet. Be ready to answer questions. Research the firm first. See whom they already have on their books, whom they are already agents for. Look at what a few of these authors have written (synopses on Amazon, say). You could even mention how this or that book fits in well with yours and therefore with their profile as agents for you etc.
2. Ask what you should submit (i.e. whole manuscript, a chapter etc.).
3. Ask how would they would like your submission to be made? (e-mail attachment or snail-mail? Do they want single sided A4? Agents seem to be very fussy and as bad as scientific journals - single spaced double column for submission, double spaced single column for proofs and must be in tex.)
4. Having done 1,2,3, we come to the Short Covering Letter - the 'query letter' mentioned above: this should contain (i) what the book is (ii) why did you write it (iii) intended audience (iv) why you are uniquely placed and qualified to write the book (!) (v) CV – keep it relevant! i.e. photos of your children should not be included, or at least, probably not.
Another bit of advice was that the query letter should be short and snappy despite the enormous amount of material it is intended to encompass. Presumably it should be short and snappy to give the impression that you realise that these agents are terribly overworked and you do not want to impose on their time more than absolutely necessary. Also there was an additional suggestion that you should make sure that the query letter mentions (briefly, of course) every promotion angle that you can think of. This last one had me puzzled. I thought that it was their job to promote your book. Perhaps they just meant more window dressing on your part.
Having followed all this professional advice, I then received over a period of a couple of months twelve rejections. It is interesting in this respect that agents will sometimes ask that you submit to them alone and not make multiple submissions. If I had adhered to that request, it would have taken me a couple of years or more to fail to find an agent instead of a few months. Of the twelve rejections that I received, it was pretty clear that there was only one agent who had actually looked at my work. Nice comments were made but they said that they were too full up at the moment to take on anybody. All the rest issued standard rejection slips with which many will be familiar from publishers. In fact it was just like dealing with publishers. A long delay and then a printed card saying 'no thank you.' You may now be asking yourself, why follow the advice in this article since it didn't work? My only excuse is, I'm just telling you what I found out! Advice is a supermarket. You may see something that you want.
My feeling therefore is that, while it would nice to have an agent, this is just one more water jump for the unpublished author. Try to find an agent perhaps, but do not make it a pre-requisite. A good agent must surely be a great asset, but since I have neither a good or even a bad agent, I cannot say more.
About the Author:
David Field is a professor of Astrophysics at the University of Aarhus, Denmark. His most recent novel, The Fairest Star, the third installment of his Friends and Enemies Trilogy, has just been published. For more information, please visit: http://www.davidfield.co.uk
Keyword tags: writing, fiction, published
I have not yet mentioned the acquisition of an agent. It turns out that an agent is about as difficult to acquire as a publisher. It used to be the standard wisdom that you had to have an agent to get to a publisher. One may imagine that if a book comes through a familiar agent, then a publisher may be more likely to look at it. The work has been pre-vetted to some extent. Therefore, it's obvious: try to acquire an agent. But if an agent is as tricky to find as a publisher, then what's the difference? You might as well go to a publisher directly. After that you might, I suppose, get an agent! It is just one more eternal chicken and egg problem for authors.
Let's say that you do decide, as I did a couple of years or so ago, that you should try to get an agent. There is a book called the Writer's Handbook. This is a book which every writer must have. At least that is what the publishers of the Writer's Handbook say and various authors and others whom they quote. For the life of me I cannot see what use it is for the unpublished writer. The basic message emerging from that book is very simple. If you know someone in publishing or you are somehow connected to the publishing world, you should exploit that connection for all that it is worth. If you do not know anybody, then you are doomed (to something - lots of disappointments, I suppose). You hardly need a book to tell you that. In fairness, you may find it fun to read how J.K.Rowling, or whoever, made it. Actually, all these famous writers made it in different ways! By the way, for this latter stuff, the rival Writers' and Artists' Yearbook is better than the Writer's Handbook.
Let's return to getting an agent. I wrote to a dozen agents, culled from the Writer's Handbook. You are told in that book that it is terrifically important to choose to write to agents who handle the sort of book that you write. I could only find about twelve that apparently handle young adult literature, my area. I was a bit surprised that the world over - UK, USA, Canada, Australia for my purposes - there are only about twelve, but there you are. You can probably find them all on the internet without spending money on the Writer's Handbook. You need to write a ghastly 'query letter' which is basically a letter introducing yourself and your work. You are expected to 'sell yourself'. This is horrid stuff and used to go under another name. Since this is the only writing that you are likely to get any professionals to read - although it is not put to you in that way in the Writer's Handbook - you are told that you had better be very careful how you write this 'query letter'. As we say in the world of physics and astronomy, in which I work, if you have nothing to say, you must be very careful how you say it. The advice to 'sell yourself' is almost an incitement to dress up the truth to such an extent that you are telling porkies - fibs, lies, showing economy with the truth, call it what you like!
At all events, I used the following prescription:
1. Phone up an agent to ask whom you should be making an approach to in the company. Ask if they are actively looking for new authors at the moment? Recently founded agencies may be a better bet. Be ready to answer questions. Research the firm first. See whom they already have on their books, whom they are already agents for. Look at what a few of these authors have written (synopses on Amazon, say). You could even mention how this or that book fits in well with yours and therefore with their profile as agents for you etc.
2. Ask what you should submit (i.e. whole manuscript, a chapter etc.).
3. Ask how would they would like your submission to be made? (e-mail attachment or snail-mail? Do they want single sided A4? Agents seem to be very fussy and as bad as scientific journals - single spaced double column for submission, double spaced single column for proofs and must be in tex.)
4. Having done 1,2,3, we come to the Short Covering Letter - the 'query letter' mentioned above: this should contain (i) what the book is (ii) why did you write it (iii) intended audience (iv) why you are uniquely placed and qualified to write the book (!) (v) CV – keep it relevant! i.e. photos of your children should not be included, or at least, probably not.
Another bit of advice was that the query letter should be short and snappy despite the enormous amount of material it is intended to encompass. Presumably it should be short and snappy to give the impression that you realise that these agents are terribly overworked and you do not want to impose on their time more than absolutely necessary. Also there was an additional suggestion that you should make sure that the query letter mentions (briefly, of course) every promotion angle that you can think of. This last one had me puzzled. I thought that it was their job to promote your book. Perhaps they just meant more window dressing on your part.
Having followed all this professional advice, I then received over a period of a couple of months twelve rejections. It is interesting in this respect that agents will sometimes ask that you submit to them alone and not make multiple submissions. If I had adhered to that request, it would have taken me a couple of years or more to fail to find an agent instead of a few months. Of the twelve rejections that I received, it was pretty clear that there was only one agent who had actually looked at my work. Nice comments were made but they said that they were too full up at the moment to take on anybody. All the rest issued standard rejection slips with which many will be familiar from publishers. In fact it was just like dealing with publishers. A long delay and then a printed card saying 'no thank you.' You may now be asking yourself, why follow the advice in this article since it didn't work? My only excuse is, I'm just telling you what I found out! Advice is a supermarket. You may see something that you want.
My feeling therefore is that, while it would nice to have an agent, this is just one more water jump for the unpublished author. Try to find an agent perhaps, but do not make it a pre-requisite. A good agent must surely be a great asset, but since I have neither a good or even a bad agent, I cannot say more.
About the Author:
David Field is a professor of Astrophysics at the University of Aarhus, Denmark. His most recent novel, The Fairest Star, the third installment of his Friends and Enemies Trilogy, has just been published. For more information, please visit: http://www.davidfield.co.uk
Keyword tags: writing, fiction, published
Extreme Branding
Extreme branding in fiction
There is nothing better than a good biography and there is nothing worse than a book which poses as biography, has a smattering of truth in it and then sells itself as fact – pseudobiography, usually with conversation. We are all wary of the peddling of lies by the media, by politicians, by financial advisers and by realtors. But we are not wary enough of the invention of false history by writers of fiction. Perhaps the reason is that self-interest is not so obviously at play and, in seeking to be entertained, we are off our guard. Moreover writers are not so much economical with the truth but rather over-generous with a beguiling and manufactured truth. We forget that authors are generally trying to write books that sell and their publishers are leaning on them to do this. Pseudobiography (with conversation) is a great vehicle for sales.
Of course all books, except way-out fantasy, are somehow inserted into a true world, past, present or future. The question is, how true does it have to be and how far do authors have to go out of their way into misleading you that their story is a reflection of a real world? They go very far, it seems, in some cases – especially if the story line is weak or the subject barely worthy of even a pseudobiography. The illusion of reality is often created by a barrage of facts which lull the reader into a false sense of security. An image of an all-knowing writer looms large from the pages of such books. Contact with the real world is often made through brand names and a false air of authenticity created by branding products, cars, guns, the exact location of this or that secret agency, expensive clothes (always expensive!) and innumerable other tricks culled, one suspects, in five minutes from the internet. Mind you, it is not always like this. Product branding does not feature in the best modern works such as Philip Pullman's or Roald Dahl's books or in Harry Potter. Harry does not use Boss deodorant or Hermione Chanel no 5. Nor does the Dahl's Big Friendly Giant caper about in Gucci boots.
But there is something else called 'extreme branding' and it is much worse than mere product branding. Extreme branding is the kidnapping of an historical character and branding her (say) in your novel (or pseudobiography) as a misjudged or forgotten heroine, recreating her life with little respect for history. The whole book becomes a vehicle for perpetrating the brand name of the heroine. Recent examples of extreme branding are attempts to show the importance of Galileo's daughter or of the 'other Boleyn' or the historically false portrayal of the last empress of China or attempts to represent Mileva Einstein, Einstein's first wife, as a significant contributor to Einstein's work. This is not history expressed in fiction but fiction posing as history. Extreme branding is an irresponsible, manipulative practice and a pity too, because proper history could be read by everyone with pleasure. The three volumes of the History of the Crusades, by Runciman, read like an epic novel while still being a work of history. The Arabian Nights are another form of history, history by example. These stories recreate the historical atmosphere of early Islamic society by telling stories which illustrate life. These and other works, like the classics of Chinese literature, for example the Heroes of the Marsh, bask in being stories but inform you in depth of the society in which they are embedded. Nothing could be further removed from the extreme branding of many bestsellers.
So what can we say for ourselves as writers when we invent people, things, places, events? Are we just grand liars? How can we excuse ourselves for creating towns that do not exist, gangsters who have never lived, heroes and heroines who strut about only in the pages of our books, when they are so many real heroes and heroines – and gangsters? Are we trying to rip apart the fabric of society to show its inner workings? (sounds like a quote but I can't find it on Google). Or are we just having a good time playing with the world as if it was made of Lego, taking it apart and putting it together again in a slightly different shape?
If you write books for young adults, as I do, you are writing for an age group who will remember a great deal. Think of what you personally know by the way of facts; I am sure that you will find that a very great many of these facts were brought to you and got stuck in your head between the ages of 13 and 20. So it is especially important not to mislead, to distort and to lie in books for people in that age group. So what rules do I lay down for myself? Please realise that I do not want to be prescriptive - you may well have a very different way of looking at things and I should be pleased to hear about it.
I am governed by an overriding rule that one should try to recreate the consciousness of the times of which you write, without propagating the falsehood that the story told really took place or that the people in it are real individuals in history. Even locations and geography may be distorted – though preferably not with the abandon of that remarkable film of Robin Hood which showed him one moment on the Roman Wall and in the next pan on the cliffs of Dover (causing much laughter among a British audience). At all events, writing of the period at the end of the 16th century in France, as I have done, means that you must enter under the skin of the people of that time, try to find out how they think and to discover what preoccupies them, what are their motives, what their priorities. You must judge where power lies and the action must echo the social relations which existed then. Of course it is no different from writing of modern times in these respects but there is much less material to go on, with more pitfalls. So you must try to create the framework. Either you can, like Victor Hugo in the Hunchback of Notre Dame, laboriously erect a framework through a wonderful, expansive description of mediaeval Paris, or you can let it self-organise from the fragments of life which you describe. But gel it must into something pretty sturdy, because a flimsy structure cannot bear a great story. Within this framework, if truly representative of the period of which you write, you can weave any story that you wish and it will have credibility however zany it may be.
Naturally you have to pay attention to detail sometimes, as well as paint the picture with a broad brush. You want to avoid obvious anachronisms. It would stretch the patience of your public if you put the Roman Legions on bicycles or the Vikings on motorbikes (though this last is less of anachronism than giving them horned helmets, purely in terms of how many centuries your are wrong by!). Very many things which would have taken trips to the library a few years ago can be rapidly checked on the internet. I remember checking if it is okay to write about etchings in 1599 and I needed to discover what sort of guns they had then. I also remember finding the coat of arms for the de Montfort family in five seconds flat, without having to write a letter to the College of Arms. But detail of this sort, so easy to acquire, should not be there for its own sake, as in novels which brand half the objects mentioned. And certainly you want to avoid the accumulation of a mass of irrelevant detail – even if it is correct. Keep to the minimum which is necessary. Read an Agatha Christie: there is nothing superfluous there. What is more, I try to follow the advice that I give to my own PhD students: keep your thesis short. The more you write, the more chance of making some unnecessary mistake and irritating a reader – your examiner in the case of a PhD student! Extreme branding apart, many books (including mine) get too long – as this article is in danger of becoming.
About the Author:
David Field is a professor of Astrophysics at the University of Aarhus, Denmark. His most recent novel, The Fairest Star, the third installment of his Friends and Enemies Trilogy, has just been published. For more information, please visit: http://www.davidfield.co.uk
Keyword tags: writing, fiction, published
There is nothing better than a good biography and there is nothing worse than a book which poses as biography, has a smattering of truth in it and then sells itself as fact – pseudobiography, usually with conversation. We are all wary of the peddling of lies by the media, by politicians, by financial advisers and by realtors. But we are not wary enough of the invention of false history by writers of fiction. Perhaps the reason is that self-interest is not so obviously at play and, in seeking to be entertained, we are off our guard. Moreover writers are not so much economical with the truth but rather over-generous with a beguiling and manufactured truth. We forget that authors are generally trying to write books that sell and their publishers are leaning on them to do this. Pseudobiography (with conversation) is a great vehicle for sales.
Of course all books, except way-out fantasy, are somehow inserted into a true world, past, present or future. The question is, how true does it have to be and how far do authors have to go out of their way into misleading you that their story is a reflection of a real world? They go very far, it seems, in some cases – especially if the story line is weak or the subject barely worthy of even a pseudobiography. The illusion of reality is often created by a barrage of facts which lull the reader into a false sense of security. An image of an all-knowing writer looms large from the pages of such books. Contact with the real world is often made through brand names and a false air of authenticity created by branding products, cars, guns, the exact location of this or that secret agency, expensive clothes (always expensive!) and innumerable other tricks culled, one suspects, in five minutes from the internet. Mind you, it is not always like this. Product branding does not feature in the best modern works such as Philip Pullman's or Roald Dahl's books or in Harry Potter. Harry does not use Boss deodorant or Hermione Chanel no 5. Nor does the Dahl's Big Friendly Giant caper about in Gucci boots.
But there is something else called 'extreme branding' and it is much worse than mere product branding. Extreme branding is the kidnapping of an historical character and branding her (say) in your novel (or pseudobiography) as a misjudged or forgotten heroine, recreating her life with little respect for history. The whole book becomes a vehicle for perpetrating the brand name of the heroine. Recent examples of extreme branding are attempts to show the importance of Galileo's daughter or of the 'other Boleyn' or the historically false portrayal of the last empress of China or attempts to represent Mileva Einstein, Einstein's first wife, as a significant contributor to Einstein's work. This is not history expressed in fiction but fiction posing as history. Extreme branding is an irresponsible, manipulative practice and a pity too, because proper history could be read by everyone with pleasure. The three volumes of the History of the Crusades, by Runciman, read like an epic novel while still being a work of history. The Arabian Nights are another form of history, history by example. These stories recreate the historical atmosphere of early Islamic society by telling stories which illustrate life. These and other works, like the classics of Chinese literature, for example the Heroes of the Marsh, bask in being stories but inform you in depth of the society in which they are embedded. Nothing could be further removed from the extreme branding of many bestsellers.
So what can we say for ourselves as writers when we invent people, things, places, events? Are we just grand liars? How can we excuse ourselves for creating towns that do not exist, gangsters who have never lived, heroes and heroines who strut about only in the pages of our books, when they are so many real heroes and heroines – and gangsters? Are we trying to rip apart the fabric of society to show its inner workings? (sounds like a quote but I can't find it on Google). Or are we just having a good time playing with the world as if it was made of Lego, taking it apart and putting it together again in a slightly different shape?
If you write books for young adults, as I do, you are writing for an age group who will remember a great deal. Think of what you personally know by the way of facts; I am sure that you will find that a very great many of these facts were brought to you and got stuck in your head between the ages of 13 and 20. So it is especially important not to mislead, to distort and to lie in books for people in that age group. So what rules do I lay down for myself? Please realise that I do not want to be prescriptive - you may well have a very different way of looking at things and I should be pleased to hear about it.
I am governed by an overriding rule that one should try to recreate the consciousness of the times of which you write, without propagating the falsehood that the story told really took place or that the people in it are real individuals in history. Even locations and geography may be distorted – though preferably not with the abandon of that remarkable film of Robin Hood which showed him one moment on the Roman Wall and in the next pan on the cliffs of Dover (causing much laughter among a British audience). At all events, writing of the period at the end of the 16th century in France, as I have done, means that you must enter under the skin of the people of that time, try to find out how they think and to discover what preoccupies them, what are their motives, what their priorities. You must judge where power lies and the action must echo the social relations which existed then. Of course it is no different from writing of modern times in these respects but there is much less material to go on, with more pitfalls. So you must try to create the framework. Either you can, like Victor Hugo in the Hunchback of Notre Dame, laboriously erect a framework through a wonderful, expansive description of mediaeval Paris, or you can let it self-organise from the fragments of life which you describe. But gel it must into something pretty sturdy, because a flimsy structure cannot bear a great story. Within this framework, if truly representative of the period of which you write, you can weave any story that you wish and it will have credibility however zany it may be.
Naturally you have to pay attention to detail sometimes, as well as paint the picture with a broad brush. You want to avoid obvious anachronisms. It would stretch the patience of your public if you put the Roman Legions on bicycles or the Vikings on motorbikes (though this last is less of anachronism than giving them horned helmets, purely in terms of how many centuries your are wrong by!). Very many things which would have taken trips to the library a few years ago can be rapidly checked on the internet. I remember checking if it is okay to write about etchings in 1599 and I needed to discover what sort of guns they had then. I also remember finding the coat of arms for the de Montfort family in five seconds flat, without having to write a letter to the College of Arms. But detail of this sort, so easy to acquire, should not be there for its own sake, as in novels which brand half the objects mentioned. And certainly you want to avoid the accumulation of a mass of irrelevant detail – even if it is correct. Keep to the minimum which is necessary. Read an Agatha Christie: there is nothing superfluous there. What is more, I try to follow the advice that I give to my own PhD students: keep your thesis short. The more you write, the more chance of making some unnecessary mistake and irritating a reader – your examiner in the case of a PhD student! Extreme branding apart, many books (including mine) get too long – as this article is in danger of becoming.
About the Author:
David Field is a professor of Astrophysics at the University of Aarhus, Denmark. His most recent novel, The Fairest Star, the third installment of his Friends and Enemies Trilogy, has just been published. For more information, please visit: http://www.davidfield.co.uk
Keyword tags: writing, fiction, published
Friday, March 6, 2009
5 Easy Steps to Publishing Your EBook
Publishing an eBook isn't as difficult as it sounds. Thousands of people have made a lot of money by publishing their eBook already. You can do it too. All you have to do is follow an easy step by step process. Read on to learn what the 5 steps to publishing an eBook are.
Step 1 – Research Your Market
You could write the best book on underwater basket weaving in the world, but chances are nobody would buy it. It's important that before you even write the book, you pick a topic that people are truly curious about. Once you've done your market research and know the book will sell, you can start to write.
Step 2 – Write and Package Your eBook
The next step is obviously to write the eBook. You can write it yourself, hire it out or just buy PLR rights and put it together into an eBook.
Once you have your eBook, save the file as a .PDF file. The PDF file type is the most commonly accepted method of distributing eBooks.
Step 3 – Setting Up a Persuasive Website
The next step is to build a website that's persuasive and gets your visitors to buy your eBook. This is perhaps the most time intensive part of the process. Learn to flush out every compelling argument you have for your eBook and put it all on your website.
Your visitors should feel like they just can't help buy take out their credit card and buy right now. Your page should catch their attention from the beginning of the page and get them all the way to the bottom until they buy.
Step 4 – Setup a Payment System
The next step is to setup your website so you can take payments. There are many ways you can do this. The most common way to take payments among beginning internet marketers is to just take payment with PayPal. Others choose to use other online processing systems that don't require a real merchant account.
If you plan on building a large business then you might want to go ahead and setup a real merchant account and use a real shopping cart system. How you choose to take payments can make a big impact down the line. For example, to setup continuity PayPal will insist on emailing your customers every time you're billed. If you want to do follow-up email marketing, PayPal will be a big hassle. For most marketers setting up a merchant account and shopping cart system just isn't worth the effort at this point.
Step 5 – Generate Traffic
The last step is to generate traffic to your website. There are many ways to go about getting traffic to your website. You can generally pay for the traffic, get it for free or borrow traffic from someone else. If you pay for traffic, you'll usually be getting traffic from Pay Per Click, banner ads, etc.
If you get it for free, you're generally getting traffic from the search engines. If you get traffic from someone else, you're usually getting traffic from affiliates who take a commission from your product. There are many ways you can go about getting traffic for your eBook. The most important thing is you get targeted traffic that's ready to buy.
If you follow these 5 steps, then you have a very good chance of having your eBook take off and make you thousands of dollars.
About the Author:
Looking for ready-made ebooks? Get free lifetime access to a huge library of hard-to-find private label rights ebooks and more at http://www.plrwholesaler.com/n/go.php?c=ea - Plus, you'll receive instant access to over 100 training videos so you can start making money with PLR right away.
Keyword tags: ebook, writing, market research, persuasive website, pdf, ebook distribution
Step 1 – Research Your Market
You could write the best book on underwater basket weaving in the world, but chances are nobody would buy it. It's important that before you even write the book, you pick a topic that people are truly curious about. Once you've done your market research and know the book will sell, you can start to write.
Step 2 – Write and Package Your eBook
The next step is obviously to write the eBook. You can write it yourself, hire it out or just buy PLR rights and put it together into an eBook.
Once you have your eBook, save the file as a .PDF file. The PDF file type is the most commonly accepted method of distributing eBooks.
Step 3 – Setting Up a Persuasive Website
The next step is to build a website that's persuasive and gets your visitors to buy your eBook. This is perhaps the most time intensive part of the process. Learn to flush out every compelling argument you have for your eBook and put it all on your website.
Your visitors should feel like they just can't help buy take out their credit card and buy right now. Your page should catch their attention from the beginning of the page and get them all the way to the bottom until they buy.
Step 4 – Setup a Payment System
The next step is to setup your website so you can take payments. There are many ways you can do this. The most common way to take payments among beginning internet marketers is to just take payment with PayPal. Others choose to use other online processing systems that don't require a real merchant account.
If you plan on building a large business then you might want to go ahead and setup a real merchant account and use a real shopping cart system. How you choose to take payments can make a big impact down the line. For example, to setup continuity PayPal will insist on emailing your customers every time you're billed. If you want to do follow-up email marketing, PayPal will be a big hassle. For most marketers setting up a merchant account and shopping cart system just isn't worth the effort at this point.
Step 5 – Generate Traffic
The last step is to generate traffic to your website. There are many ways to go about getting traffic to your website. You can generally pay for the traffic, get it for free or borrow traffic from someone else. If you pay for traffic, you'll usually be getting traffic from Pay Per Click, banner ads, etc.
If you get it for free, you're generally getting traffic from the search engines. If you get traffic from someone else, you're usually getting traffic from affiliates who take a commission from your product. There are many ways you can go about getting traffic for your eBook. The most important thing is you get targeted traffic that's ready to buy.
If you follow these 5 steps, then you have a very good chance of having your eBook take off and make you thousands of dollars.
About the Author:
Looking for ready-made ebooks? Get free lifetime access to a huge library of hard-to-find private label rights ebooks and more at http://www.plrwholesaler.com/n/go.php?c=ea - Plus, you'll receive instant access to over 100 training videos so you can start making money with PLR right away.
Keyword tags: ebook, writing, market research, persuasive website, pdf, ebook distribution
Need a Copywriter? Avoid These Three Deadly Mistakes
A copywriter is different from other writers. We don't just describe, we excite, inspire and motivate people to find out more about your business, and ultimately, to hire you. Whether you want a new website, revamped content, or a tagline for your business name, a copywriter can help you find the words to make your message sing. The right copywriter, that is.
Sometimes, in their eagerness to move forward with promoting their business, managers and entrepreneurs make predictable mistakes with hiring writers. Here three big ones and how to avoid them:
1) Signing on wholesale before you've tried someone out.
If you hire someone for a big job before you've had a chance to try them out on a small job, your whole project could go in a direction you don't want.
Instead: Hire someone for a small job before you hire them for a big job. This way you can see whether you like their work, and whether you have enough of a connection where you could imagine working with them over the long haul.
2) Giving up after the first try.
Great copy usually takes multiple feedback loops. This means you say what you want, the writer cranks out a sample or several, you give feedback, and the writer begins again with your most recent feedback in mind. Repeat, and repeat again.
Through this process, you get clearer and clearer about what you want, and the writer gets closer and closer to giving it to you. At least, if you've got a good connection with a skilled writer. Rarely will even the best writer hit the nail on the head the first time. If you kick a writer to the curb because they didn't get it right after one try, you could wind up missing out on some great writing for your business.
Instead: Give the process a chance. Agree ahead of time on the number of revisions you'll build in (I usually recommend at least three). By the third revision, you should get a clear sense of whether you're heading in a direction that makes sense to you. With a newer business or project, it could take many more iterations before you get it just right. Not only was Rome not built in a day, it took multiple drafts. So should your project.
3) Hiring just any writer
So your spouse's coworker's nephew just graduated from Princeton with an English degree and wants some work? Great! You decide, heck, it's an Ivy League school, how bad could his copy be?
Seven pages of overwrought prose later, you start to think that writers having specialties might not be such a bad thing after all.
Here's why: The kind of writing required in most arenas—universities, nonprofits, tech environments, etcetera—isn't what you need for your business. You want a writer who knows how to take the essence of what you're offering, distinguish you from the competition, and get your clients to call.
Instead: Find someone whose samples excite you. Though some writers are multitalented, don't assume that the grant proposal writer, journalist or ghostwriter's skills automatically translate into good copy. Most don't.
Good luck!
About the Author:
Jill Nagle is a widely published author, screenwriter, ghostwriter and former book coach who now works for a select number of copywriting clients. You can see her work at http://www.copywritingetc.com.
Keyword tags: websites, copywriting, content, copywriter
Sometimes, in their eagerness to move forward with promoting their business, managers and entrepreneurs make predictable mistakes with hiring writers. Here three big ones and how to avoid them:
1) Signing on wholesale before you've tried someone out.
If you hire someone for a big job before you've had a chance to try them out on a small job, your whole project could go in a direction you don't want.
Instead: Hire someone for a small job before you hire them for a big job. This way you can see whether you like their work, and whether you have enough of a connection where you could imagine working with them over the long haul.
2) Giving up after the first try.
Great copy usually takes multiple feedback loops. This means you say what you want, the writer cranks out a sample or several, you give feedback, and the writer begins again with your most recent feedback in mind. Repeat, and repeat again.
Through this process, you get clearer and clearer about what you want, and the writer gets closer and closer to giving it to you. At least, if you've got a good connection with a skilled writer. Rarely will even the best writer hit the nail on the head the first time. If you kick a writer to the curb because they didn't get it right after one try, you could wind up missing out on some great writing for your business.
Instead: Give the process a chance. Agree ahead of time on the number of revisions you'll build in (I usually recommend at least three). By the third revision, you should get a clear sense of whether you're heading in a direction that makes sense to you. With a newer business or project, it could take many more iterations before you get it just right. Not only was Rome not built in a day, it took multiple drafts. So should your project.
3) Hiring just any writer
So your spouse's coworker's nephew just graduated from Princeton with an English degree and wants some work? Great! You decide, heck, it's an Ivy League school, how bad could his copy be?
Seven pages of overwrought prose later, you start to think that writers having specialties might not be such a bad thing after all.
Here's why: The kind of writing required in most arenas—universities, nonprofits, tech environments, etcetera—isn't what you need for your business. You want a writer who knows how to take the essence of what you're offering, distinguish you from the competition, and get your clients to call.
Instead: Find someone whose samples excite you. Though some writers are multitalented, don't assume that the grant proposal writer, journalist or ghostwriter's skills automatically translate into good copy. Most don't.
Good luck!
About the Author:
Jill Nagle is a widely published author, screenwriter, ghostwriter and former book coach who now works for a select number of copywriting clients. You can see her work at http://www.copywritingetc.com.
Keyword tags: websites, copywriting, content, copywriter
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