I Could Write A Book

How To Write Ad Copy

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:57:00 +0000

HOW TO WRITE IRRESISTIBLE AD COPY

When selling through advertising, you're faced with two options,
both of which you will probably use frequently. Those options
are display and classified advertising.

We won't deal here with radio and television copy writing
because it is not something many of you will be using until you
have developed a great deal of mail order experience. Once
you're dealing with that sort of capital investment, you'll
probably have an intimate understanding of the fact that expert
help is essential to the successful launch of any campaign, and
frankly, electronic media are not our field of experience.

Classified ad copy writing is a very exacting craft, not an art
in the way that display advertising is. It involves following a
few simple guidelines and requires little skill. That's why
daily newspapers hire school and college students to take orders
- and write - for their classified section over the telephone.

The first point worth noting is that classified ads are sold by
the word or by the line. This has a bearing on how you write
your ads, because if the ad is sold by the word, you're not
going to write an ad that has a bunch of "a's" and "the's" in
it. But at the same time, if it's sold by the line, it will be
worth your while to include these words in the ad, as they'll
appeal to the better educated segment of the market.

So an ad in at so much a line might read:

"The hottest thing in years. This is a household wonder you'll
cherish for years."

The same ad at so much a word will read:

"Hottest recent development. Cherish this household innovation
for generations."

Both are about the same length. The first reads nicely in
proper English and the second used big, powerful words to make
up for awkward structure.

When you buy by the word, which will be the case in most
markets, use the biggest, most action-packed words you can think
of. And while we're on the subject of word count, the way you
mark your address in a classified is also important.

If you live on Dog Breath Lane, mark your address as 22
Dogbreath, unless in that subdivision, there also happens to be
a Dog Breath circle, a Dog Breath Avenue and so forth, in which
case Dogbreath Lane will do. You can usually get away with this
ploy, since these ridiculous two name streets are there to sell
houses, not to please the Post Office. If you live in Apartment
12, you can usually get away with 12-22 Dogbreath, which saves
you another word. Never leave out the zip code, even a
nine-diget zip code counts as one word and in many publications
doesn't count as a word at all.

The initials of your name or company will also do unless you're
trying to project an image, and this can save you from one to
three words. Even your last name will be all right.

In most magazines and a few newspapers, your first word or line
of type will be set in darker bold letters. Choose that first
word or two very carefully. If you really want good results, do
exactly the opposite of what most other advertisers are doing,
or be different.

If you've got an income opportunity and CASH, MONEYMAKING or
INCOME are the usual first two words, be a bit creative, perhaps
with BROKE (no more! Try selling doogles! or HORRENDOUS)
(budget, a thing of the past.)

The first word or line gets your reader interested, and no
matter how large the circulation of the publication, you'll
suffer terribly if you're not attracting the reader as well as
the other advertisers. Those opening words are crucial. Like
the man said, you don't get a second chance to make a good
impression.

Once you've made the hook, hold the reader by telling him
exactly what you're offering. If it's an ad for more
information, let him know what kind of information and where it
leads. Then drop the cost on him, if any and your name and
address. If it's a product, in words that say a lot. It's fine
to pussyfoot in a display ad if you can afford the space, but
short, sharp, to-the-point is what sells from classifieds.

One minor point or style to remember, if you're offering a
bonus, leave it to the very last. "Bonus with..." won't work.
A bonus or free gift is offered for one reason only: to hook
someone who has not quite been sold by the rest of the ad. The
offer of a bonus won't work UNTIL they know what it comes with.

Writing display ad copy is much more involved and should really
not be undertaken by even the brightest English graduate without
some expert help. As we stated earlier, ad copy writing is one
of the highest-paying of the creative professions, mainly
because it is so difficult to do.

If you must do it yourself, here's a few things you can do to
make the task a bit more successful.

Making use of the techniques we mentioned earlier, determine
which benefit your client is like to be most interested in.

Target the emotion that motivates the need for that benefit in
most people. If you can do that, you'll hook the right person
for the product. If you're selling runless pantyhose for
example, you know the anti-run characteristic motivates the
buyer, and the reason why women want to buy anti-run hose is to
look better longer.

Hey, there's the lead for your copy! In big letters, you're
going to flag your ad with LOOK BETTER LONGER! You might want
to bracket it top or bottom by writing in smaller letters:

"Da-don't-run-run hose will help you "LOOK BETTER LONGER" in the
Da-don't-run-run hose." If the client is interested in runless
hose, you've got her. If not, forget it. Anything else you
could use to get a client who doesn't wear pantyhose will cost
your clients who do use them, and that's a waste.

Once you've got the initial benefit out in the open, either
explain it or be very sneaky about adding another. So say:

"These pantyhose will give you the confidence in your appearance
you won't get with other pantyhose..." or

"LONGER... and without blowing your budget. These will give
you the confidence..."

but the best way to sneak in additional benefits without looking
pushy is to say:

"LONGER! Without blowing your budget, these pantyhose will give
you the..." using the new benefit as a prefix.

And, oh, it's so much more complex than that. It's obviously a
development in synthetic fibers that allows those hose to be
superior, so that must be included too, because the customer
wants to know why they're so good.

Where do you mention it though? It might be just as effective
to get to it right after the heading, in this manner:

"LOOK BETTER LONGER! Thanks to a new development in synthetic
fibers, Da-don't-run-run panty hose will give you the confidence
in your appearance you won't get with other pantyhose."

Then the money aspect. And how do you do that? Do you make the
sentence longer or start a new sentence? YOU MUST WEIGH EVERY
WORD WITH A SURGEON'S CARE! And what about a coupon at the
bottom?

Do you use a small order form or use the address of the company?
How many words do you need, and if you need a lot of words, can
you afford the space it will take to print them?

Get a word count, and fix it within fairly narrow limits or
you'll bore the reader or leave no room for graphics or blank
space, which you must have to some degree for proper esthetic
effect.

Speaking of graphics, what will you have to use? Will you have
to make your own? (Clip art used by most dealers is horribly
tacky.) And heaven forbid, you design an ad based on another
successful campaign by another firm with similar products... and
it works well that it sends their sales rising! It could happen.

There are many firms, probably even in small cities, that
specialize in print media advertising, and many do excellent
jobs.

You in Canada are fortunate, especially if you live in Toronto,
Vancouver, Montreal or Calgary, since talent runs cheap in
Canadian advertising firms and you can get excellent work, and
we're sorry to say this but it will generally be more creative
than American agencies of similar size.

The fact remains, though, that you know your product better than
the agency, and you probably know how you want to sell it.

You might have ideas for wording, graphical layout, any number
of things. If you truly want to make your campaign, and
especially at that crucial first campaign, as profitable as
possible, use the services of a graphics firm that composes
print advertising at the very least, and ad agency at the best.

By the way, we've discovered a lot of graphics houses have some
frustrated ad copy writers who can give you expert direction at
low cost if you'll only ask.

Be ready to take in all your ideas at the time you get your ad
done. Every bit of work you do yourself should come off the
bill you'll be paying for the job, since it cuts the time the
agency or graphics house has to take to prepare the ad.

Guidelines For Reviewing Writing

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:32:00 +0000

Guidelines For Reviewing Writing
by: The StoryMaster

Writing detailed reviews is time well spent.

Reviewing itself is a writing exercise. At Writing.Com, creating detailed feedback for a fellow writer is one of the best tools available for improving your own writing. That said, if you're going to spend the time to do it, helping the author is important. There is a better chance for the ideas in a review to get through to an author if they are well presented.

Key Characteristics For Reviews

* Reviews should be honest. Helping writers improve their craft should be the mission of any reviewer. Honest opinions are what help writers improve. Giving false feedback doesn't help anyone and can lead an author down a long road to bitter disappointment.

* Reviews should be encouraging. Everyone at every level should be encouraged to continue writing! Encouraging reviews are more likely to be used by an author which means the time creating the review was well spent. Whether the author decides to use the reviewer's honest suggestions or not, the review should be motivating and encourage the author to keep writing.

* Reviews should be respectful. Regardless of an author's level of skill or talent, a reviewer should always respect that the author is an individual person. A reviewer flaunting that they are better than the author they're reviewing is not respectful and is counter productive.

* Reviews should be well rounded. While honesty is very important, a review that points out only flaws without any mention of an item's positive points is not nearly as helpful to an author as a well rounded review with both positive and negative remarks. Don't forget, the same goes for reviews that only point out positives! Even the greatest pieces of writing have room for suggestions and opinions.

* The rating should reflect the review. If you're sending a review full of corrections, it's important to consider that with your star rating selection. 5.0's shouldn't need any corrections. On the other extreme, a 1.0 should have endless errors and you couldn't possibly list them all. Offering to return and rerate the item after a round of updates makes it more likely your suggestions will be considered.

* Reviews should make good use of color, bold and italics. When reviewing, presentation is very important! Color can be used to make corrections stand out or quote small portions of the work. Emoticons can highlight important points in the review and can be creatively used to make the review feel more friendly.

The Content Of A Review

Keeping in mind the six (6) points highlighted above, a review should contain your opinion. While grammatical, typographical and other errors can be included within a review, don't forget to tell the author how the piece made you feel. Give them your thoughts about the inside of their writing, not just the outside.

Some example questions you may ask yourself about the piece to help you get your opinion across are as follows: Did the plot interest you? Were the characters believable? Did the story fit the time, place and other setting characteristics? Is there anything you would change within the story?

Incorporating these thoughts within your reviews will expand your own analytical skills allowing you to better analyze your own writing. Whether the author agrees with any of your suggestions or ideas is not relevant. You have given them another perspective on their work they would not have otherwise had. They may hear the same thoughts from a number of different people which may give them a better understanding of their readers as a whole.

Use "copied and pasted" portions of the item you are reviewing as little as possible. Posting sections of an item within your review leads to "review bloating" and takes away from the impact your comments and suggestions will have on the author.

Your Own Review Format

Developing your own format for reviewing can be a great asset. Determine what aspects of writings you like to focus on most, create a short outline to follow and start reviewing. Following this process will help keep your reviews honest and consistent. As your experience grows, you'll find ways to improve your format and your skills.

Get into the good habit of using a custom tag-line of encouragement within your reviews. Including a "Keep Writing!" or something unique and individual within your reviews goes a long way to motivating an author. We know you mean it, so don't forget to say it!

Make Reviewing a Daily Creative Writing Exercise

Remember, reviewing grows your own writing skills unlike any other writing tool. Critically analyzing and reviewing others' writings makes a writer stop and think about what works and what doesn't. Putting that into words and communicating that to another writer, ultimately helps the reviewer to improve his or her own writing skills, as well. So it's about helping others, but it's a valuable way to help ourselves!

Have Fun & Happy Reviewing!

About The Author

The StoryMaster is WebMaster @ Writing.Com ( http://www.Writing.Com/ ). Established in 2000, Writing.Com is the online community for readers and writers of all ages and interests. Whether you're a casual reader searching for a good story or a creative writer looking for the perfect place to improve your skills, Writing.Com is the site for you

7 writing Muse Kickers to fill up a page

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:21:00 +0000

Nothing is more daunting for any writer than having to stare at a blank sheet of paper.

When we stare at a blank sheet of paper, we often think, "What am I going to write?" A few minutes later, it becomes, "Oh my goodness, I can't think of anything to write!" And several minutes later, it turns into something like, "Write, dangnabit! Write! Write! WRITE!"

Some writers call this writer's block. But I call it the "Writing-Muse-Needs-A-Kick" syndrome.

And that's exactly what we're going to do with your writing muse gone truant. We're going to kick her back into gear so you can fill up that blank page.

Here are 7 writing muse kickers for you to try right now:

1. First Line: Begin a story with "There was once a chance I didn't take..."

2. Cliche Starter: Weave a story or poem around the cliche, "keep your powder dry."

3. Power of Metaphor: What does "a string of laughter" make you think of?

4. Proverb Mix: "Beauty breaks the camel's back."

5. Story Words: Use the words "pianist, pencil, high-rise building, running shoes" in a story.

6. What If? Story: What if you're going to write a story about betrayal, with a young man as the main character and a locket as the key object? Set your story on a ranch.

7. Quick Prompt: Write about what you'd say to an uninvited guest.

About The Author

Copyright (c) 2003-2004 Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ

For more similar kickers to help start off your writing or even fill up that page you've been staring at since yesterday, pick up a copy of Shery's software for writers, WriteSparks! Lite for free => http://writesparks.com

Benefits of Journal Writing

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:21:00 +0000

Benefits of Journal Writing
by: Rick Chapo

The benefits of journal writing are fairly well established due to the long history of journal writing. From Anne Frank to Di Vinci, journal writing has proven itself.

Benefits of Journal Writing

When considering the benefits of journal writing, it is important to set a few parameters. First, there is no age limit to using journals. There are distinct benefits for children of all ages, but journal writing is equally valuable to adults. The reason for this is journal writing is an act of personal reflection. Whether it is a teenager reflecting on the social nightmare of high school or an overworked parent taking twenty minutes a night to write is irrelevant. The point is, all age groups benefit from stepping back from their life for a few moments and reflecting on things.

Whether you recognize it or not, journal writing provides you with an anchor in your daily life. In the journal, you are free to write what you want without restrictions, to truly address the issues in your life without fear of criticism. Put another way, one of the benefits of journal writing is it acts as a self-help psychiatrist, but for MUCH cheaper!

As you write in your journal over time, you’ll also start to ascertain a second benefit to doing so. This benefit is one of self-criticism. Inevitably, you’ll read through past entries and review your life. Doing so will lead you to self-reflection as well as thoughts on how you might act differently should certain situations rise again.

Of equal importance, journal writing has health benefits. Before you click away from this article, consider a time in your life when you were extremely frustrated. Hopefully, you spoke to a friend to “get things off your chest.” Didn’t you feel a lot better afterwards? Getting things off your chest helps relieve stress, one of the biggest killers in our modern society. Journal writing acts in much the same way since you are able to write your thoughts without fear of criticism.

There are other benefits to journal writing, but all boil down to one simple fact. Writing in a journal allows you to express yourself without being judged. With the lack of privacy in our modern, digital world, that is hardly a small benefit.

About The Author

Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of writing journals.

Manipulative Psychology

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:13:00 +0000

We've all known "that jerk."
The one that shouts over your witty banter with a bland comment - and gets the laughs. The one that leaves every party with the hottest girl on his arm - while you watch from a lonely corner.
The one that gets the promotion - even though you did all the hard work.
Yes, he's a JERK. But he gets whatever he wants.
How?
Using Manipulative Psychology.
Now, for the first time ever, these "secrets of social control" have been published on an awesome new website.
The ultimate "Jerk of Jerks" has unveiled the methods these guys use - and is showing people how to use Manipulation Psychology to get precisely what THEY want, QUICKLY.
Click this link to learn more:
Manipulative Psychology

Yes, he's a jerk. But I'll be honest: this stuff is solid gold.
Check it out.
Enjoy,

How To Get Your Book Reviewed

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:44:00 +0000

How to Get Your Book Reviewed

by: Caterina Christakos

Imagine your book at the top of the Best Sellers List of the New York Times. Most authors do. The question is, "How do I get it there and sell millions of copies?"

When planing your book, there is one critical thing that most authors forget - marketing. In the case of book reviewers this means pre-marketing.

Most reviewers require a copy of your book at least three months before publication. This is because most book reviewers need time to read it and review it plus publish all the reviews on books that they have reviewed for those who came before you. Also many publications come out on a weekly or monthly basis instead of daily. This means that book reviewers have a huge backlog.

So the best way to get a book reviewers to review your book, is to get them a quality copy of your manuscript or a galley, as soon as possible.

What if my book your already been published?

Is it too late to get a book reviewer to review your book? In some cases yes and in some no. There is an easy way to get your book reviewed without calling it a review.

Send out a press release.

Create a press release about your book and submit it to your local newspapers, magazines and radio stations. Make it interesting. Don't just say Mary Joe Piper has just published her newest book Babes on Parade. Think about your story and what it can teach people. Does it have a theme about love or friendship or settling disputes?

Use the issue in your press release. Teach people how to solve their problems and then have the person interviewing you mention your credits, as a published author. At that point your book will be mentioned, you will have done them a service, and you will have saved thousands of dollars on marketing and query letters to editors.

Here are just a few sites that you can go to to submit your pre - publication book:

Book Reviewers:

Terrie Bittner

Bellaonline.com: Children's Books

childrenbooks@bellaonline.com

http://www.bellaonline.com/entertainment/children.html

Categories: Children, Children’s Religion, Young Adult - Children Query first.

Sandy Cummins

Writers Exchange Book Reviews

PO Box 372

Atherton, QLD 4883

writers@writers-exchange.com

http://www.ozemail.com.au/~pjcsjc/book-review.htm

Categories: Computer/Internet/Technology, Children, Christian, Fiction, How-To, Non-Fiction, Religion, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, eBooks, Writing, promotion & publishing

Anne Douglas

http://www.bookideas.com

emailanned@yahoo.com

http://www.bookideas.com

Categories: Art, Books From Small Presses, Children, Cookbook, Fiction, Literature, Mystery, Pop Culture, Women, Young Adult - Children, Biography, Parenting. Particularly interested in American art and children's books.

Apryl Duncan

FictionAddiction.NET

Box 876

Chattanooga, TN 37343

ReviewRequest@FictionAddiction.NET

http://www.FictionAddiction.NET

Categories: Books From Small Presses, Children, Fiction, Literature, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Young Adult - Children, Thriller/Suspense, Writing, promotion & publishing, Adventure, Horror

Melanie C. Duncan

Bookdragaon Review (ISSN 1527-0157)

444 Forest Hill Road, #813

Macon, GA 31210

MCDuncan@bookdragonreview.com

http://www.bookdragonreview.com

Categories: Fiction, Young Adult - Children Comments: All genres fiction only. Please query before sending an e-book. Attachments are deleted if not specifically requested. Traditional galleys may be sent without a query, however please read the FAQs at the website before sending.

Linda Eberharter

Fiction Forest

7042 Cohasset Ct.

Indianapolis, IN 46226

Phone: 317-549-3038

linda@atlanticbridge.net

http://www.atlanticbridge.net

Categories: Children, Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller/Suspense, eBooks

Detra Fitch

Huntress Book Reviews

205 Dana Drive

Easley, SC 29642

huntress@huntressreviews.com

http://www.huntressreviews.com

Categories: Children, Fiction, General, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Young Adult - Children, Thriller/Suspense, Adventure, Horror

Denise Fleischer

Gotta Write Online

515 E. Thacker

Hoffman Estates, IL 60194

Phone: 847 882-8054

Netera@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/gwnlitmag/

Categories: Mystery, Romance, Young Adult - Children, eBooks, Writing, promotion & publishing. Authors can also make guest appearances on the AOL chat she co-hosts on Tuesdays from 10-11 PM ET. Writers: keyword, chatrooms, Writer's Grill.

Jessica Holmes

Romance At Its Best, Midnight Reviews

owner@romanceatitsbest.com

http://www.romanceatitsbest.com/

Categories: Books From Small Presses, Fiction, General, How-To, Literature, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Women, Young Adult - Children, Biography, Thriller/Suspense, eBooks, Self-help, Writing, promotion & publishing, Inspirational/Motivational, History/Political, Adventure, Horror

Dave Jenkinson

CM/Canadian Review Materials

Faculty of Education,

University of Manitoba

Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2

Phone: 204-474-8780

e-Mail: jenkinson@ms.umanitoba.ca

http://www.umanitoba.ca/cm/

Categories: Audiobooks; General, Children, Young Adults

Jeanne Kelly

1928 Mid Road

Colorado Springs, CO 80906

Phone: 719-291-2309

e-Mail: whitebison@mail.com

Categories: Audiobooks; Children, Health, Metaphysical, Spiritual, Women, Self-help, Writing, Inspirational, Motivational

Jeanette Lambert

Tennessee Tribune

6940 Sunderland Circle

Nashville, TN 37221-4621

Phone: 615-321-3268

jbl96@aol.com

Categories: Children, Cookbook, Fiction, General, How-To, Library, Lifestyle, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Reference, Sociology, Travel/Hospitality, Women, Young Adult - Children, Biography, Thriller/Suspense, African-American Fiction and Nonfiction , Self-help, Writing, promotion & publishing, Education

Jennifer L. B. Leese

AStoryWeaver's Book Reviews

311 Frederick Street

Hagerstown, MD 21740

AStoryWeaver@aol.com

http://www.geocities.com/ladyjiraff/aswbr.html

Categories: Children, Young Adult - Children. Ebooks should be sent to home address on disc or in printed format. Please supply all information needed to properly review your book and where to send the review when done. For faster responses, the review can be sent to you via email.

Cathi Dunn MacRae, Editor

VOYA

Scarecrow Press

4720 Boston Way

Lanham, MD 20706

voya@voya.com

http://www.voya.com

Categories: Young Adult & Children

Sandra J. Morgan

Cloudy Mountain Books/The Fiction Forest

2 Bow Mills Road

Center Barnstead, NH 03225

Phone: 603 776 0123

sandi@fictionforest.com

http://www.fictionforest.com

Categories: Audiobooks, Australian Books, Books From Small Presses, Children, Christian, Cookbook, Features, Fiction, Food, General, Health, How-To, Humanities, Library, Lifestyle, Literature, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Pop Culture, Reference, Religion, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Serials, Travel/Hospitality, Video, Women, Psychology/Mental Health, Biography, Parenting, Thriller/Suspense, eBooks, Theater, Politics, Film History, African-American Fiction and Nonfiction , Financial

Christian Perring, Ph.D.

Metapsychology Online Review

c/o Philosophy Dept

Dowling College

Oakdale , NY 11769

Phone: 631-244-3349

metapsychology@mentalhelp.net

http://mentalhelp.net/books/

Categories: Art, Audiobooks, Books From Small Presses, Fiction, Gay/Lesbian Fiction, Gay/Lesbian Non-Fiction, General, Health, Humanities, Literature, Metaphysical, Mystery, Pop Culture, Sociology, Women, Young Adult - Children, Psychology/Mental Health, Biography, Parenting, Comics, Science

Puala Rohrlick

KLIATT Young Adult Paperback Book Guide

33 Bay State Rd.,

Welesley, MA 02481

Phone: 781-237-7577

kliatt@aol.com

http://www.hometown.aol.com/kliatt

Categories: Young Adult - Children

Geoff Rotunno

the boox review

PO Box 211

Santa Ynez, CA 93460

geoff@thebooxreview.com

http://www.thebooxreview.com

Categories: Art, Audiobooks, Australian Books, Computer/Internet/Technology, Junior College Books, Books From Small Presses, Children, Children’s Religion, Christian, Cookbook, Features, Fiction, Gay/Lesbian Fiction, Gay/Lesbian Non-Fiction, Food, General, Health, How-To, Humanities, Library, Lifestyle, Literature, Marketing, Metaphysical, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Pop Culture, Reference, Religion, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Serials, Sociology, Spiritual, Travel/Hospitality, Video, Women, Young Adult/Children's, Psychology/Mental Health, Biography, Parenting, Thriller/Suspense, Theater, Politics, Film History, African-American Fiction and Nonfiction , Financial, Self-help, Writing, promotion & publishing, Inspirational/Motivational, Business, Comics, Gardening, Science, Education, History/Political Comments: Seeking review copies of all genres except romance.

Beverly J. Rowe

myshelf.com

102 Copper Lane

Kenai, AK 99611

Phone: (907) 283-2840

bevbooks@aol.com

Categories: Children, Cookbook, Fiction, Food, Literature, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Young Adult - Children, Biography, Thriller/Suspense, Writing, promotion & publishing, Education, History/Political. Prefers hard copies.

J.B. Scott

Sydney, NSW 2148

ctf_editor@iprimus.com.au

http://www.geocities.com/ebook_review

Categories: Australian Books, Computer/Internet/Technology, Books From Small Presses, Children, Fiction, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller/Suspense, eBooks

E-mail all review requests to ctf_editor@iprimus.com.au with "REVIEW REQUEST" in the subject header.

Sandra Simmons-Maike

Freelance

Rt. 2 Box 152

Alma, KS 66401

Phone: 785-765-3861

sandcogroup@aol.com

Categories: Audiobooks, Books From Small Presses, Children, Cookbook, Fiction, Food, General, Library, Lifestyle, Marketing, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Serials, Young Adult - Children, Thriller/Suspense, eBooks, Self-help. Include time deadline.

Roger Sutton, Editor

Horn Book Magazine

56 Roland Street, Suite 200

Boston, MA 02129

Phone: 617-628-0225

Categories: Children, Young Adult - Children

Niki Taylor

Freelance

nat0607@hotmail.com

http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/book_reviews

Categories: Books From Small Presses, Children, Christian, Gay/Lesbian Non-Fiction, Health, Non-Fiction, Pop Culture, Sociology, Spiritual, Travel/Hospitality, Women, Young Adult - Children, Psychology/Mental Health, Biography, eBooks, Theater, Film History, Self-help, Writing, promotion & publishing, Inspirational/Motivational, History/Political

Anna Serra i Vidal

Aledaños. Boletín electronico y crítico de literatura

Eiximenis, 6

Sant Pere de Ribes, Barcelona 08810

Phone: + 34 93 896 25 04

aserra@ctv.es

Categories: Children, Cookbook, Fiction, Literature, Mystery, Women, Young Adult - Children, Thriller/Suspense, eBooks, Writing, promotion & publishing, Education

Christopher Warner

EFP - Spratt Publishing

4924 Balboa Blvd

Suite 304

Los Angeles, CA 91316

Phone: 818-881-7053

efp@dslextreme.com

Categories: Art, Audiobooks, Australian Books, Computer/Internet/Technology, Junior College Books, Books From Small Presses, Children's Book, Cookbook, Features, Fiction, Gay/Lesbian Fiction, Gay/Lesbian Non-Fiction, Food, General, Health, How-To, Humanities, Library, Lifestyle, Literature, Marketing, Metaphysical, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Pop Culture, Reference, Religion, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Serials, Sociology, Spiritual, Travel/Hospitality, Video, Women, Young Adult/Children's, Psychology/Mental Health, Biography, Parenting, Thriller/Suspense, eBooks, Theater, Politics, Film History, African-American Fiction and Nonfiction , Financial, Self-help, Writing, promotion & publishing, Inspirational/Motivational, Business, Comics, Gardening, Science, Education, Scholarly, History/Political, Adventure, Nature, Horror, Photography

Brenda Weeaks

MyShelf.Com

reviews@myshelf.com

http://www.myshelf.com

Categories: Audiobooks, Books From Small Presses, Children, Christian, Cookbook, Fiction, Food, General, Health, How-To, Literature, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Reference, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Serials, Women, Young Adult - Children, Thriller/Suspense, Self-help, Writing, promotion & publishing, Inspirational/Motivational, Gardening

Stephanie Zvirin

Booklist/American Library Association

50 E. Huron

Chicago, IL 60611

http://www.ala.org/booklist/

Categories: Young Adult

Once a few book reviewers write about your book, other book reviewers will follow. Be prepared for these subsequent book reviewers. Have copies of your book ready to send out with your author packet.

About The Author

Caterina Christakos is the author of How to Write a Children's Book in 30 Days or Less, How to Blow Your Competition Away at Any Audition and hundreds of freelance articles. For more writing tips and information go to: http://www.howtowriteachildrensbook.com

CChrist896@aol.com

E-Publishing

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:41:00 +0000

The Great, Okay and the Ugly of E-Publishing

by: Shalla de Guzman

SHALLA CHATS with author Tina Gerow about: “The Great, Okay and the Ugly of E-Publishing”

Who’s Tina? Tina Gerow has great passion for romance and anything paranormal. She writes “the weird stuff” with sarcasm. Her debut novel, Into a Dangerous Mind, published by Triskelion, comes out this May.

Shalla: Hi Tina.

Tina: Hi. It’s great to be able to talk with you.

Shalla: So you’re getting e-published. That’s interesting. We’ve heard the great, the okay and the ugly about e-publishing and we like to ask you about your experiences with it.

First of all, what made you decide to go the e-publishing route?

Tina: I heard all of the bad stories too, so as a fresh newbie, I only queried print publishers. I got lots of ‘good’ rejections – the ones that say send more! – the same with agents, but no one offered a contract.

In the meanwhile, I was getting to know authors in my local chapters who are published with Ellora’s Cave and Triskelion and who are all big advocates for e-publishing.

So, since my book wasn’t erotica, I submitted it to Triskelion just to see what would happen. (That’s before Cerridwen Press was well-known.) And within a few weeks, they requested the full.

A month later, they sent me an email offering a contract. I accepted and have had nothing but wonderful, positive experiences with them. My book comes out in May and they have been extremely supportive and helpful in every aspect.

Triskelion is also actively seeking RWA recognition and I’ll be surprised if they don’t make it by the end of 2005. I still tell people to check out e-pubs thoroughly, because I have some friends who are with some e-pubs who are NOT giving them very positive experiences. I keep telling them to come on over to Triskelion.

I’m still going to actively pursue print publishing as well as future e-published books. If you get with the right e-publisher, then the differences are just semantics – especially since some e-pubs now offer your books in print when they sell well in e format.

Shalla: I have lots of respect for e-pubbed authors. It’s still quite a new format. By the way, how are books formatted? Is it a Word File? A PDF?

Tina: It really depends on the individual e-publisher. Triskelion offers PDF, MobiPocket, HTML and LIT. Ellora’s Cave offers Adobe PDF, HTML, MS Reader, Palm PDF, MobiPocket and RocketBook, which is the .rb files that Rocket reader’s accept. So, they really are quite versatile.

Shalla: Since, e-publishing's only electronic, if they publish your novel, can you still sell that manuscript to print publishers? And/or audio downloads?

Tina: Most of the e-publishing contracts I’ve seen cover e rights as well as print rights because if your ebook sells well, some of the houses will print it. Again, it depends on the house.

Shalla: Since the cost of e-publishing is significantly lower than print, do you get higher royalties?

Tina: Yes, most of the e-publishers I know of offer 37% on e-downloads and slightly lower on print, although still better than the single digit percentage offered by most print pubs.

There is no advance for e-pubs, but you get paid monthly. It’s a bit of a trade off, because for e-pubs, you do a lot of your own publicity. Some people think that puts them at a disadvantage, but I’ve found that many people overseas really like the e-books because they are cheaper for them to get than US print books because of shipping etc.

I’ve had emails from people in China, Taiwan, Russia and Germany asking when my book is coming out because they saw me on the Triskelion book loops and liked my excerpt. There is definitely a market for e-publishing out there.

Shalla: When e-querying, what’s the response time like?

Tina: Pretty quick compared to what I’ve experienced with print pubs and even agents. I sent an email query letter and two weeks later got a request for a full. Then a month later, I received an email offering me a contract.

Shalla: How are negotiations conducted? In person? By phone? By email?

Tina: Everything I’ve done with them has been through email.

Shalla: What’s the time line like from sending that manuscript to getting an acceptance then a contract? Then from signing that contract to getting the book out?

Tina: I received an email offering a contract a month after I sent in the full. Then from the time I accepted, it took another three weeks before I received the contract. I took a week to look it over, sign it and get it back to them.

The edits and when the book comes out after that depends on when your book is slated. My book comes out in May, so my edits will start in April. But I know some other authors in other lines whose books came out two months after their contract was signed – it all depends on when it’s slated to come out.

Shalla: Who’s responsible for promotions? You or your e-publisher? Are you doing promotions? Like what?

Tina: My contract states that I’m responsible for promotions, but Triskelion actually helps.

One of our editors sends out our books to a list of review sites and they helped coordinate a group ad in RT magazine for authors writing in the same line – we all chipped in to split the cost.

So, other than the RT ad, I’ve printed up bookmarks to take to RT and RWA Nationals, I’ve signed up for a radio interview on Jewel’s Way weekly radio show, and I signed partials of my book that I had printed up at the Glendale Chocolate Affair.

Shalla: So how long is your book staying on inventory? And where do we find it? Where do we get it?

Tina: I have a two year contract with Triskelion and as long as one sells now and then off the site, it will stay on for the full two years.

I’ve also agreed to let my book be listed on Fictionwise.com if they offer, which would be for five years. Once my book is released in May, it will be available on www.triskelionpublishing.com and I’ll have a link to the Triskelion page from my website.

Shalla: Thanks! For more on Tina Gerow, visit her website www.tinagerow.com Congrats and cyber champagne Tina, we all love that time our work gets out to the world.

We at Shalla Chats send our highest wishes for success and blessings to you and your writing career. Thanks so much for taking this time to talk with us. We look forward to your future books.

About The Author

Shalla de Guzman writes multicultural, fantasy and paranormal novels with a chick lit tone. A former writer and producer of a health and fitness cable show, Shalla now concentrates on publishing her first multi-culti chick lit. She is a member of Chick Lit Writers RWA Chapter and FF&P. Please visit Shalla at www.shalladeguzman.com

PDF or EXE Format

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:39:00 +0000

An eBook Publisher's Dilemma: Should I Use PDF or Exe Format?

by: Michael Southon

If you write and publish eBooks, sooner or later you will probably be faced with a dilemma - should you create your eBooks as .exe files or .pdf files?

PDF, which stands for Portable Document Format, is the file extension for files created with Adobe Acrobat.

Exe, which stands for 'executable', is the extension for files created by eBook compilers.

PDF is widely considered to be the 'industry standard' for eBook publishing, and for good reason. Here are some of the advantages of PDF files over exe files:

   1. With most eBook compilers you have to set up each page of your eBook as a separate web page. With Adobe Acrobat you can use a single MS Word file as the source document.
   2. PDF files automatically number each page - exe files don't.
   3. PDF files are very easy to edit - you can insert pages, replace pages and delete pages (and the page numbering is automatically adjusted).
   4. Printing from a PDF file is much easier than printing from an .exe file.
   5. The 'bookmark' column on the left side of a PDF file makes naviagtion very easy - much easier than in an exe file.
   6. PDF files compress better than exe files, so you end up with a smaller, more manageable file.
   7. It's virtually impossible to transmit a virus through a PDF file - exe files are susceptible to virus transmission and can become corrupted during download.
   8. Finally, by using PDF you automatically expand your potential market because PDF files can be read on both a PC and a Mac (exe files can only be read on a PC). Over 8 percent of the online population in the U.S. are currently Mac users (www.nielsen-netratings.com) - not a huge increase in your market, but nevertheless significant.

But exe files do have some advantages over PDF files, and perhaps the most important of these is price - most eBook compilers are a fraction of the cost of Adobe Acrobat.

Another advantage of exe files over PDF is the rebranding feature. The following eBook compilers all have a built-in rebranding function:

    * http://www.ebookcompiler.com/
    * http://www.ebookgenerator.com/
    * http://www.ebookedit.com/
    * http://www.ebookpaper.com/

If you use free eBooks as a viral marketing tool, rebranding is the key to success, because people are much more likely to promote your free eBook if they can customize it with their own affiliate links.

(c) 2002 by Michael Southon

About The Author

Michael Southon has been writing for the Internet for over 3 years. He has shown hundreds of webmasters how to use this simple technique to get massive free publicity and dramatically increase traffic and sales. Click here to find out more: http://www.ezine-writer.com

A Quick Guide to ISBNs for Self-Publishers

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:38:00 +0000

A Quick Guide to ISBNs for Self-Publishers
by: Jennifer Tribe

A Quick Guide to ISBNs for Self-Publishers

ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. It is a code assigned to every published book that uniquely identifies it in the marketplace. ISBNs make it easier and more efficient for libraries, booksellers and others in the publishing industry to order, distribute and catalog books.

When To Use an ISBN

You need to assign an ISBN to any content you intend to distribute through outside channels such as bookstores, catalogues or libraries. ISBNs should be placed on

-- print books

-- electronic books

-- videos

-- audio cassettes and CDs

-- CD-ROMs, and

-- other items as detailed by the International ISBN Agency.

You need to issue a separate ISBN for each edition of your book and for every format. For example, if you issued the same book as a print book, e-book, audio book and Braille book, you would require a separate identifier for each. If one year later, you updated the manuscript and re-issued the book, you would assign new ISBNs to this second edition in each of its different formats.

Deciphering the Numbering System

All ISBNs are currently 10 digits. (The industry will slowly be transitioning to a 13-digit system starting in 2005. See http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/isbn/transition.asp for more information on the change.)

The digits identify

-- the group (country, area or language area of the publisher)

-- the publisher, and

-- the title of the item.

The last digit is a check digit.

The group number is comprised of one to three digits. Zero is the number for the English language group that includes the United States, English-speaking Canada, the U.K., Australia and other countries.

The publisher number is comprised of two to seven digits. The more ISBNs a publisher uses, the small their publisher number.

Publishers that use more than 100,000 ISBNs are given a publisher number of only two digits. If you apply for 10 or fewer ISBNs, you will be assigned a publisher number with seven digits. Everyone else falls somewhere in the middle.

Thus anyone in the book trade can look at an ISBN and know roughly how big you are as a publisher by the number of ISBNs you have applied to use. This is why self-publishing gurus like Dan Poynter recommend acquiring your ISBNs in blocks of 100 to avoid being labeled “small potatoes.”

Poynter further recommends that you use an ISBN from the middle of your list of 100 for your first book, since a 0 or 1 as your title number will reveal you as a first-timer.

The check digits range from one to 10. Since there is space for only one check digit, the number 10 is represented by an X.

How To Acquire ISBNs

ISBNs in the United States are administered by R.R. Bowker. Bowker charges a fee to process your application. Ten ISBNs cost $225; 100 ISBNs cost $800. Visit www.bowker.com for more information, or to complete an application.

ISBNs in Canada are administered by the National Public Library as a free service. Visit http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/isbn/index-e.html for more information or to apply on-line.

For more information on the ISBN system and how it works, visit www.isbn.org.

About The Author

Juiced Consulting helps business owners package what they know into information products –- such as books, audiotapes and teleclasses –- that they can sell to generate new business revenue. For a free newsletter and other resources, visit www.juicedconsulting.com.
jtribe@juicedconsulting.com

NEW TEMPLATE

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:55:00 +0000

Visit Tomorrow I am to tired to start working on this tonight!

3 Low Cost Ways To Meet Agents & Editors

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:29:00 +0000

These days it's common knowledge that it's hard to meet an agent or an editor through an unsolicited mailing. They are more likely to pay attention to a submission coming from someone they have met in person. To that end, writers flock to conferences so they can get some face time with real live agents and editors. And that's great. I believe writers should get out and network. But those conferences can be pricey. It's best to combine attending conferences with a few other strategies that are easier on your wallet. Here are 3 you may find useful.

1.) Attend Author Readings

Make a point of keeping track of writers who do work similar to yours. When they're in the vicinity go hear them read. Sometimes--not all the time--but sometimes the author's agent and editor will be in the audience. If they aren't, see if you can steal a few moments with the writer and ask with whom he or she works and whether they have been pleased with the experience. You can either ask for an introduction or contact the people on your own. If you're going to do the former, first develop a rapport with the writer and stay in touch. They may not feel comfortable referring you to their agent or editor right off the bat, but in time as they get to know you and your work, an introduction may be a possibility.

2.) Attend Classes Offered by Continuing Education Groups Such As The Learning Annex

Agents and editors are in the business of looking for the next hot writer and making a name for themselves in the publishing world. That's why you'll often find agents and editors teaching classes related to their work at places such as The Learning Annex, which has locations in New York City, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Chicago, Atlanta and Boston (http://www.learningannex.com). Recent instructors include literary agent Katharine Sands, editor Marcela Landres (formerly of Simon & Schuster) and Vickie M. Stringer, founder and CEO of Triple Crown Publications. The courses can cost as little as $30 or $40 and last about three hours so you have some time to find out if the instructor can help you or point you in the direction of someone who can.

Remember the agent or editor probably has aspiring authors handing them manuscripts all the time, so make sure you stand out from the pack. Have a killer query letter and synopsis (if your book is a novel) or book proposal (for non-fiction works) at the ready. You'll make a great impression simply because you're not making them lug a 500-page behemoth home in their briefcase!

3.) Look for Agents and Editors Who Have Their Own Personal Websites

When you come across the name of an agent or editor who may be appropriate for you, Google them to see if they have their own websites with email addresses that may be different from their corporate mailboxes. Some are authors themselves (like literary agent Donald Maass, author of Writing the Breakout Novel) and have books of their own to promote. Email them and, again, try to develop a rapport and get a sense of what they're working on and what they're looking for. It's best to know as specifically as possible before going through the trouble of making a submission. I recently heard about a writer who submitted to an agent looking for African American authors, but in fact the agent was looking for African American authors who wrote urban romance--which was not the writer's genre at all.

One Last Note: These ideas should get you started and I hope they'll inspire you to try other creative routes. It does get easier because you will find that as you go to more events and tell more people what you're doing, the more likely you will be to find the connector that will build the path between you and your future agent or editor.

© 2005 Sophfronia Scott

About The Author

Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is "The Book Sistah" TM. Get her FREE REPORT, "The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published" and her FREE online writing and publishing tips at http://www.TheBookSistah.com The Book Sistah, 230 South Main St. Ste. 319, Newtown, CT 06470 203-426-2036, Info@TheBookSistah.com

Why Self Publish

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:38:00 +0000

Why Self-Publish Your Book?

by: Ceci Miller

When I meet an author with a great book concept, one who’s definitely the right person to write that book, right away I’ll often encourage him or her to self-publish. This is because I know that, if an author is thoroughly invested in what they have to say, and if they’re determined to create a buzz about their message, they’ll discover . . .

5 Fantastic Benefits of Self-publishing

1. Control. When you enter into a contract with a major publishing house, you’re signing an exclusive agreement that prevents your having input into most of the important decisions that will affect your book’s perception by the public, and its sales.

You’ll have very little say about the look and feel of your book cover, the endorsements that appear on the back of your book, or the wording of your press release, for example. And since all of the above elements are critical to giving your book its best chance for bestseller status, such loss of control can pose significant problems. “But don’t publishers know better than I what to do to sell a book?” you may ask. Not necessarily. Authors usually know more about their book’s subject—and hence, about their target audience (market)—than anyone else. Hey, they wrote the book!

More food for thought about signing with a major publishing house: If for some reason your book doesn’t sell quickly and the publisher lets it go out of print, there’s often a “waiting period” before the author is allowed to self-publish the book to get it back on the shelves. In the meantime, the reading public sees that your book is “out of print” and a great deal of word-of-mouth damage is done. Self-publishing means that you are at the helm of your book project. Of course, it also means that the responsibility for its success rests in your hands. But when you believe in your message and know that you’re going to do everything in your power to get that message out to your target audience, isn’t it a good feeling to know that you’re the one driving its success in the marketplace?

I suggest a balance of control and delegation. The right publishing ally can coach you through the process of writing and editing your book, and will also advise you to design and market your message in a way that gets optimum results. Your publishing ally may be a book editor, a publishing consultant, a published author, or all three. If she’s worth her salt, though, she’ll know what it will take to get your book published, and she’ll know how to help you make it happen.

2. Money. Why does it make good business sense to self-publish? Consider the following: a contract with the book publisher doesn't give you an ironclad guarantee that your book will ever and upon the shelves. If you’re a new author, your publisher will allocate zero marketing dollars to promote your book. It's sink or swim! If your book does sell well, it will be due to your own hard work and ingenuity—and your reward will be a tiny fraction of the book’s total profits. Self-publishing admittedly involves more capital risk, but it also means that the extensive footwork you do to market your book will go to producing income for the person who most deserves it. After all, you’re the one who’s doing all the work to ignite word-of-mouth about your book. Not only that, you wrote it! Don’t you deserve to reap 100% of the profit?

3. No Waiting, No Rejection. The Cinderella story of the little book that gets discovered by a publisher and becomes an overnight bestseller is mostly just that—a fairytale. Yes , it happens. But it hasn't been happening a whole lot lately. In the current publishing climate, with major houses paying gigantic advances to celebrity authors—their “cash cows”—not much is left to spend on developing new talent. Let's be honest: a publisher isn't going to spend a dime marketing a book by an as yet unknown author. To get your book considered for publication in the first place, you'll need to have an extremely convincing marketing strategy in place which you intend to implement on your own, at your own expense! Such as the case in every genre from children's books to alternative health to historical novels. First-time authors are being turned away en masse. And since many nonfiction book projects are time-sensitive—well-placed offerings intended to respond to a specific market trend —their authors often while way their precious window of opportunity waiting for agents or publishers to respond to a proposal. It isn't impossible to get a major publishing house interested in a book by a first-time author, but it’s getting more difficult all the time. Self-publishing removes the wait (and the accompanying weight from your shoulders) and the discomfort of rejection from the process of getting your book into print.

4. Independence. Self-published authors are usually people with confidence in their message. Many have already developed a following by giving talks and seminars in areas where they live and work. Experts know when they have a powerful personal message—they don’t need a publisher’s approval to pump themselves up. Such authors, many of whom are already seasoned professionals, self-publish their books because they love being in the driver’s seat of their book project. Rather than gamble that a big corporation will treat their book with the respect it deserves, such an author takes the publishing reins to ensure that her message reaches the widest possible audience. No one cares more about your book than you do.

5. Power of Belief. The power of belief in our words is what makes promises good and turns dreams into reality. Authors who self-publish their books believe deeply that others will benefit from reading what they have to say. They have unshakable conviction. Such authors often tell me, “I had to write this book. I just have to get it out there!” Deep belief is the selfless power that drives all true service and makes a difference in the world. Authors with a strong sense of purpose know that they can make their books succeed. They don't want to wait around for a publishing house to “accept” their work. Aware that time is precious, such authors create their own publishing opportunities. They get behind their own message. They launch a campaign fueled with belief in the creative power of intention.

Every good editor or publishing consultant knows that the best way to make your book a true success is to create and market a message that you will both be proud of for years to come. Creating uplifting books is a passion. Make it yours, and every one of your books sold will be a vote of confidence in yourself and the rest of humanity!

About The Author

Ceci Miller, MFA, President of CeciBooks Editorial & Publishing Consultation, has been writing and editing books with bestselling authors since 1988. A graduate of the University of Iowa Writer’s Workshop, Ceci Miller has written, co-authored and edited numerous published books, and worked as staff editor for an international magazine. For a free initial consultation, or more information, go to www.CeciBooks.com.

Steps To Publishing Success

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:37:00 +0000

Steps to Publishing        Success
by: Zaak O'Conan       Even if your best friend owns a top publishing company, giving you an        immediate "in," this does not guarantee publishing success.
First, you have to write a quality book that has a clear target        audience. And your book must answer a common problem or need that audience        shares. Then you have to develop a marketing plan, and stick to it for at        least two years
.
Let's begin with the process that should commence before you write your        first word. Begin by reading A LOT. Read both books you passionately love        and books you can't seem to make it past page five. Then figure out what        the author did in the book you loved, and what was wrong with in the book        you couldn't finish. Write down these points so they are crystal clear to        you. Read other people's books for inspiration and to discover what you        should avoid as a writer.

The next step is to plan out your book. Narrow down your subject, and        then divide it into chapters. Each chapter should address a specific        aspect of the problem your book is going to solve. In each chapter, break        the specific aspect down into several parts. This will help your readers        take in your information a bit at a time instead of overwhelming them with        every bit of information clogging up the pages until they feel like        they're about to go blind. It's not quite spoon-feeding the information to        your readers, but it's close.
The next two steps are obvious. Write your book and then revise it. And        then revise it again. And perhaps again. Of course, writing is extremely        hard, and writing a book can seem like an impossible task. There are many        books out there that give you guidelines to help you become familiar - and        even love - the process of writing and revision. Find a number of books        about writing. Better yet, find a number of books about writing the        specific type of book you aspire to write. These can serve as roadmaps on        your writing journey.
Once you've written your ebook and revised it at least twice, show it        to someone else whose opinion you respect. If you're lucky enough to know        a good editor, see if you have something to barter for him or her to go        through your manuscript. Or join a writing group and let the other members        critique your work.
Then take all these ideas from other people, and revise your manuscript        one last time. And then stop! Put down that pen! Get your hands off the        keyboard!
One of the most important steps to actually producing a book is to know        when to stop writing and tinkering with it.
You've finally written your ebook! Pop open the bubbly! Give yourself a        night out on the town!
Okay, now that this necessary celebration is out of your system, what        do you do next?
How to turn your ebook into Profits
Ebooks are a revolutionary way to publish your book without incurring        the costs of print production. All you need is a relevant and targeted        subject and some inexpensive software, and you can transform your        manuscript into a book.
The problem, in terms of actually seeing any profits from your ebook,        is that the market is overwhelmed with ebooks, and many of them are not        worth the time it takes to download them. Just because the ability exists        to easily produce an ebook, doesn't make it good writing.
Make sure your book does not simply rehash old material. You will        injure your credibility as an author by claiming to offer valuable new        insights and disappointing your audience with material they've read a        zillion times before. So spend enough time writing and revising your book        to make sure it's of the highest quality and presents the most current        information. A good book will eventually sell itself; false claims about        your book will make it extremely difficult to sell any future books you        may write.
Assuming you have determined that you do indeed have a quality product        that answers some question or need of your target audience with NEW        information, how do you know how much to charge for it? Rule number 1: Set        a price for your book equal to its value. An under-priced book will only        give the impression that your book isn't worth very much.
To figure out a fair price, estimate how much time you put into        creating it and how difficult it was to transform the necessary        information into understandable and engaging writing. Figure out how much        your time and effort is worth, and then price it accordingly. The goal is        for you to be adequately compensated for your talent, your time, and your        effort.
Once you've figured out a price that is high enough to convey the value        of the book, but not so high as to be out of the reach of your target        audience's mean budget, then it's time to offer it for sale on your        website. To attract sales, you will need to develop a promotional        campaign, particularly if you are an unknown author.
There are multitudes of books about self-promotion that will guide you        in your efforts. Choose a plan that is both creative and professional.        Learn how to write a catchy yet informative press release, and send copies        of your ebook to sites that specialize in ebook reviews.
Learn how to write powerful sales copy, or hire someone to write it for        you. This is an essential. You absolutely need excellent sales copy to        sell your book. Make sure the copy includes all the reasons your target        audience needs your book, and the benefits they will derive from buying        it.
Use graphics in your promotional materials. Beautiful graphics have the        power to instantly convey the quality and value of your ebook. Graphics        can also convey the amount of valuable information the book contains, and        your careful attention to detail. Professional graphics sell professional        books. They reassure the customer that the product is what it claims to        be.
Consider excerpting chapters for articles. You can offer these tidbits        for free on your website as a sort of demo of your book. Include an order        form for your ebook at the end of the excerpted articles.
Finally, when you set-up your download link, make sure to simplify the        process. It's a good idea to offer a few bonuses that make your book even        more enticing to purchase, but make sure the bonuses are valuable and high        quality. Too many bonuses that are basically a load of useless stuff will        compromise the impression your audience has of your ebook. The goal is to        convey to your audience that they are getting a quality product for a good        deal. That means applying restraint, especially when it comes to adding        bonus items. Too much free stuff offered diminishes your credibility.
Make sure your book is a quality product. Make sure it is relevant and        current. Develop an effective marketing plan that includes excellent sales        copy and excerpted articles. Then offer your book for sale, and wait for        your audience to discover you!

I have been hacked

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:17:00 +0000

I am P OFF, yup it has happened to me. Again. I had someone steal my links and attach their own. How in the heck do people do this stuff? Hackers. Hide My Ip

I am not messing around with Internet Security anymore. I am also going to be adding Internet security posts more often. Hide My Ip Address, routes your Internet traffic through a high-speed, totally anonymous proxy – meaning the computer at the other end CANNOT figure out who you are. I guess the hackers can't either.

Just a quick post, have to go do some damage control!

Few Quirks

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:53:00 +0000

Much has been touted about the effectiveness of article writing in the promotion of their business. While everyone raves about its benefits I’ll look into a few quirks.

Too much junk- You can’t even imagine the amount of rehash material that is being passed off as something in which the reader can find valuable. Some writers rush to put out their work putting quantity over quality. It pays to be original when you are into article writing. Well, I have slack up sometimes on this one.
Takes Time- Due to the multitude of writers entering this field, it will probably take six months to a year for others to become familiar with you and your writing style. Once this is accomplished you can expect some fans.
High Readership, Low Conversion- There has been times when I have published an article that got good readership but fail to convert into respectable sales or subscribers. The resource box is key I found out if you want to improve your conversions. If you don’t have a quality article the chances of someone reading your resource box is low and their cursor won’t make it to your website link. When you do get them to view your resource box, your message has to highlight its benefits to get that valued click thru.
Loss of Valuable Links- While article writing has been important in boosting my page rank, this has not always been the case as I thought. Doing some research on some of my articles through the search engines, I realized that not every webmaster provides a live link in my resource box. Failing to do so is sure to cost some valuable back links.
You could be a victim- Of what? Copyism. I have seen articles where the writer “lifted” a few paragraphs here and there, did a little editing and presto a new article is born. I guess there is no escaping this as it also happens offline.
Lack of Editing- It might take you just a few minutes to whip up that latest article but those few minutes might affect the quality of your work. Proof reading and editing can sometimes be painstaking not to mention the submission process especially if done by hand.
Woeful Spelings- Got that one? Proper spelling is important as too many mistakes can affect your credibility. You might get away with one but definitely not four.
Grammar- This is in the same vein as spelling. If your grammar sounds like that of a toddler, then don’t expect readers to be impressed. You don’t need to have the writing skills of a poet, but with a little practice and research you can vastly improve.
Sales copy – You know these well. Some authors write articles that belongs in the classifieds. In their articles they blatantly advertise their services with the hope of readers visiting their website. A benefit laden article will always produce the best results.
Too much links- Nothing peeves me than to get an article to run in my newsletter but when I read it through it is littered. These links can confuse the reader and also reduces the potential of your resource box.

These are a few quirks I found to be associated with the writing and promotion of articles. And I did say ten items but I will just throw in an extra. What is it? Go ahead and proceed with your article writing. While there are some negatives it does work. Why would I be writing this one if it didn’t?
© Oceanroc Web Publishing

About The Author

Nicholas Dixon is a Jamaican webmaster. Learn how to automate your article and ezine submissions like the pros at http://WWW.Oceanroc.com/artofwriting.html.
CEO@Oceanroc.com

Subliminal Power-You Got It?

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:32:00 +0000

I'm a big fan of self-improvement books and courses. I think each of us owes it to ourselves to become all that we can be.

But reading a book or following a course is so time-consuming. Sometimes I feel that there are so many aspects of my life I want to improve I'll be an old woman before I've even changed half of them!

That's why I was delighted to discover Bradley Thomson and his incredible 'Subliminal Power' website at Subliminal Power

Bradley's Subliminal Power tool lets you achieve all that you want to achieve in a fraction of the time and with absolutely NO effort whatsoever! It's a little tool that runs in the background on your PC, making carefully constructed 'suggestions' to your subconscious while you get on with your work. It's the mental equivalent of those abdominal exercisers that let you do 3,000 press ups while sitting in a chair!

Backing Up Your Books

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:06:00 +0000

Here's a scary thought.

Can you IMAGINE turning on your PC one day... Only to find ALL of your work completely GONE?

Your novel. Your non-fiction book. Your screenplay. All totally VANISHED.

Maybe you accidentally deleted your Word document. Perhaps a virus attacked your computer files. Maybe Microsoft Windows simply died on you. Or maybe the documents all just DISAPPEARED.

Hey - It happens!

Here's something I learned today too: Hard disks have a FAILURE RATE of 100%!

So even if you survive all of the above, it's still only a MATTER of TIME before your hard disk fails - and you lose absolutely EVERYTHING ON IT.

It's happened to me before on multiple occasions. I can't describe that DEEP, sickening feeling it gives - knowing you've just lost MONTHS worth of work.

Well - there's a NEW backup tool that's just been released SPECIFICALLY to stop that from happening. And it's been designed JUST for writers!

It's called Book Backup - and it'll automatically backup all of your writing throughout the day, to ensure you NEVER lose a single word. It's EASY to USE, and has a TON of advanced features too - such as e-mail backup, "no fuss" recovery, advanced compression, a FREE 1GB FTP account, and much more.

Installing Book Backup is just like having your own "writing insurance" - except you only pay a tiny, one-off premium!

If you're a writer, I'd REALLY suggest you check it out. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Visit the official site online at Book Backup

You'll thank me for it within a couple of months. I guarantee it! :)

About Me

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:09:00 +0000

Welcome To My Blog-My Name Is April Decheine

Make on Snapvine | Copy This

I am married to a wonderful husband and have three young adults, Brandon 24, Justin 21 and Aerial 18. All my life I have thought of writing a book. Many experiences I have gone through could of made me a bitter young woman. I am 43 years old and work out of my home doing projects that excite me and give me a chance to grow.

I lost my job as an IT trainer working for Corporate America in December of 2005, I never went to college and worked my way up to a position that let me travel and work from home. When they downsized our whole department and I watched my boss lose his job after over 20 years, I knew my life had changed.

I believe that life gives you what you ask from it. I have many resources on this site that have helped me and that I hope will encourage you.

Part 1-How To Write Like a Pro Copywriter

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:29:00 +0000

Getting Started
1. Start a swipe file. Good copywriters are always on the lookout for examples of good
copy. When you find them, add them to your “swipe file” for ideas when you get
stumped. Of course it’s never advisable to plagiarize something another copywriter
has written, but you can take a particularly well-written letter or ad and rework it so it
works for what you’re selling.

2. Spend time copying out excellent sales letters. Most of the world’s best copywriters
will tell you that they got started by literally handwriting out some of the best sales
letters of all time. Doing this will help you to learn the flow of a good sales letter and
how to take readers from being mildly interested to pulling out their credit cards.

3. Understand your customers to write more compelling copy. If you want to write
copy that captures the attention of potential customers, you need to know who it is
that you are writing for and what’s important to them. Take the time to clearly define
your target market by researching them in online forums, reading the products they’re
buying and conducting surveys. Who is your ideal customer? How old are there?
Where do they live? What do they want out of life? What do they look for in products
similar to yours? A lot of copywriters assume they are part of their own target market
and don’t spend nearly enough time on this important step. Be sure you’ve researched
your ideal customer inside and out before you ever write a word of copy!

4. Start headline writing by brainstorming several options. No one – not even the
most seasoned copywriters – get a headline right on the first try. So accept this and
get started brainstorming headline ideas. Try creating one around each of the major
benefits of your product. Other great ideas are to write a few in the style of “How
To…” or “Discover….”. You’ll find that the more you write, the easier it becomes to
create great headlines. And when you’re done you can combine them to create the
perfect one.

5. Know where your prospects are in the buying process. There are 5 phases
customers go through when making a purchase. First they IDENTIFY a want. They
then SEARCH for a solution. Once potential solutions are found they EVALUATE
the different options and then DECIDE on one. Finally they make their PURCHASE.
By knowing which phase your customers are in when they arrive at your site you can
better help guide them through the remaining phases.

How To Develop A Dynamic Story

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:09:00 +0000

How to Develop a Dynamic Story

by: Barbara White

Story telling is a very effective way to get your point across. Here are some tips to help you develop a dynamic powerful story.

• Decide on the purpose for the story. What is the main point you want to make? Slant the telling of the story so that that point is clear.

• Create the backdrop. Describe the scene so that the audience can picture it in their minds. What is the time, location, weather? What is going on emotionally, physically, or spiritually?

• Introduce the main characters. Help your audience to picture the important characters through detailed descriptions. Become them; describe their relationships, quirks and personality. Add character voices or mannerisms to make them different from your own.

• Begin the Journey. What is the task, the goal, and the journey to take? What are the challenges that need to be faced?

• Meet the obstacle. To avoid boredom something must happen to get in your way and make it interesting. This could be a person, a self limiting belief, or a challenge to overcome. Exaggeration will add humour.

• Overcome the obstacles. What had to be done to overcome the obstacle? What inner resources did you have to summon? Did someone help you? A hero? Or you? Be specific. Break your solution down into a few steps in sequence. This is where the teaching happens.

• Resolve the story. How did everything turn out? Tie up the loose ends-what happened to the other people? To your hero?

• Make the point. A story needs one clear point to have more points confuses the issue. Write out and memorize the point, work on the words to make it simple and easy to remember. Find “the phrase that pays”.

• Ask the question. Make your story personal to the audience. “Has that ever happened to you?” Turn the main point into a question. Push their buttons!

• Practice, practice, practice. Tell your stories to anyone who is willing to listen. Get feedback, make adjustments, and tell it again. These steps will ignite the WOW in your audience.

Remember the best story you will ever tell is your next story!

Barbara White helps speakers develop dynamic
speaking skills
through workshops, training and coaching. For more articles on speaking skills
visit
http://www.livingbeyondbetter.com and

http://www.articlesbeyondbetter.com

This article is free for republishing

Barbara White has a passion to empower others towards success and excellence in their personal and professional lives.

Barbara has a background of over twenty years in educational leadership, teaching children and adults to be their absolute best and overcome all challenges. Now as President of Beyond Better Development, Barbara works with individuals and organizations to accelerate growth and success. For more information visit her website http://www.livingbeyondbetter.com For more great articles go to http://www.articlesbeyondbetter.com

How The Writer Survives

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:08:00 +0000

How the Writer Survives

by: Seth Mullins

So it’s your dream to write novels? Be a freelance writer and make a living off of your articles? Or maybe you nurture an ambition to write and sell enough short fiction to put bread on the table, like those writers of the golden age of the pulps?

Well, those are all noble dreams to have. I’m smitten by the writer’s glamour myself. Also I’m grateful for the others who were, those authors whom I love to read and return to time and again. I’m grateful that they possessed not only their artistic vision, but also the sheer stubbornness and will to persevere and see their dreams become reality.

So we’ve settled on the fact that we want to be writers, and that no other dream will do. Now let’s take a look at what this is likely to mean in terms of the sacrifices we’ll have to make along the way.

1. Misunderstanding.

Make no doubts about it – even those closest to us may not understand or even sympathize with our dream. Young authors still in school or living at home should prepare themselves for the advice of well-meaning but frightened parents; which typically will be encouragement in ANOTHER direction. With all that time spent on the computer, you could build a career as a typist. How about data entry? Web design? They have a lot of great courses at the college for that.

Adult writers can oftentimes expect a similar reaction from their significant others; though in this case, the motivation might be someone different. Why don’t you pursue something that there’s a FUTURE in?

People who give this sort of advice are doubtlessly well-steeped in all the lore of the suffering artist. Parents don’t want to see their children go through it; husbands and wives aren’t all that eager to see their spouses get caught up in that trap either.

But the real question here is this: are YOU ready to believe in yourself enough to persevere even in the face of this negative (though well-meant, perhaps) feedback?

2. A social life? What’s that?

To finish a novel could easily take up a thousand hours or more of your time. That means almost three hours a day if you want to get it done in a year. And this is a modest estimate. Now maybe you’re willing to give up T.V. time, leisure reading, evenings out with your sweetheart, etc. You want to be a novelist that badly. But wait! The trials don’t stop there.

Your friends and family will want explanations. WHY can’t you go over to Lucky’s and hang out tonight? Why do you never pick up the phone at night (or in the morning or whenever you write)?

Now it’s one thing to have college papers to write, or mid-terms to study for, or overtime hours at work. Those are all socially acceptable obligations. But tell your friends that you’re staying in every evening to write and probably the best reaction you can hope for is a blank stare.

Are you ready to say: “Too bad if they can’t understand”?

3. Rejection upon rejection.

Let’s say we pass the first two hurdles. We don’t listen to people’s attempts (however well-intentioned) to dissuade us, and we plug away at our stories even though it means we can’t enjoy the leisure and down time of “normal” people. We put those thousand-odd hours into our work, and when it’s all done we’re proud of it. We write query letters, mail submissions, and sit back and dream of that fat advance, the book signing tour and the movie offers.

Then the unthinkable happens. We get one return letter after another, and all of them are variations of this: “Thank you for sending us [our work]. It was indeed interesting, but not quite what we’re looking for at this time.”

This happens to everyone. It has happened to me numerous times, and if it never happens to you then you will be entered into the history books of publishing. You may reach the point where a PERSONAL rejection letter instead of a pre-printed rejection feels like an accomplishment.

Remember the dream. Remember the passion that drove you to devote all those hours to writing in the first place, at the expense of your social life and leisure. Then send your work out again, because you didn’t pass the first two tests for nothing. When and if you get feedback, see if there’s anything constructive within it and learn for next time. You’ll be another rung up the ladder to success.

We writers survive and find our way because we weren’t meant to BE anything else.

Seth Mullins is the author of “Song of an Untamed Land”, a novel of speculative fantasy in lawless frontier territory. Visit Seth at http://authorsden.com/sethtmullins

This article is free for republishing

Seth Mullins is the author of "Song of an Untamed Land", a novel of speculative fantasy in lawless frontier territory. His nonfiction includes dissertations on the craft of writing, as well as the inner meanings of mythic and fantasy stories.

Freelance Writing on the Internet

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:06:00 +0000

Freelance Writing on the Internet
by: Mridu Khullar

So, you’ve decided to take up a career in freelance writing. You’ve hooked up the computer, installed the printer, and learnt the nitty-gritty of your word processor. You’ve maybe even been published a couple of times. You’re all set to conquer the world of publishing. But wait. Do you know all the options available to you?

We’ve compiled a list of all the jobs a freelance writer can find on the Internet to keep the cash inflow steady:

Magazines

Most of the freelance writing industry focuses on magazines, so let’s start there. You’ll find magazines on every topic imaginable. From teen issues to running, you’ll find at least one magazine to fit your interests. But while magazine publishing is huge and widespread, don’t try to get published everywhere at once. Find a few niche topics and start your way up from there. As your expertise and interests grow, branch out to other magazines as well. Topics most writers start out with include health and nutrition, computers, parenting, teens, relationships, disability, travel, etc.

Fillers in Magazines and Newspapers

Not all writers make it to the cover pages of magazines. At least not at first. In the beginning, you might just have to make do with fillers. And they pay as much as they’re fun to do. Jokes, opinion pieces, short lists, news items and other short pieces are termed fillers. Editors are always on the lookout for good fillers, so you stand a good chance of breaking through.

Greeting Cards

With e-cards, paper greeting cards seem to have taken a backseat. Nevertheless, the sale of paper cards is still ongoing and they are still preferred when it comes to special occasions. Despite popular myths, greeting card markets are not as easy to break into as they seem, can take a long time to respond and an even longer time to get your card into print. The upside is that greeting card markets pay extremely well for short writing. What’s more, though limited, opportunities exist for e-card writers too. So when you need to take a break from the regular work, dip your fingers into the greeting card pool

Doormats, Magnets, Bumper Stickers, T-shirts, etc

If you’ve wondered how those words made it to t-shirts, stickers, doormats and magnets, think no more. Freelance writers are often required to write the slogans for such material and are paid quite well for it. If you have the ability to coin a catchy or humorous one-liner, this could be your shot to riches. You won’t get a byline, and certainly no fame, but you could be earning as much as $50 per word!

Posters

They’re up in your room, you’ve seen them in your friend’s office, and you often find a funny one at the fast-food place down the street. Someone must have written them. Why not you? A lot of companies sell posters and generate handsome sales from them. In fact, writers of posters are usually paid in royalties, that is, a percentage of each poster sold. So, instead of being paid one-time, you’ll be paid over and over again for something you wrote years ago.

Resumes

Practically every one needs a resume (yes, even us freelance writers). Some people write them up themselves, some prefer to take the help of professionals. Write up a resume for a friend or two at work (even if she doesn’t need one!) as samples and respond to advertisements and calls for resume writers. Keep in mind though that resume writing isn’t your regular every day writing. You’re not supposed to decorate the page with flowery prose or funny anecdotes. You need to be professional, crisp and attention-grabbing. Practice with a few fake ones, and you’ll soon be on your way.

Advertising

Advertisers need writers, commonly known as copywriters. They’re the flesh and blood of the campaign. Getting into advertising can be a tricky business, but with a few credentials and a polished resume, you’ll have no trouble at all showcasing your talent to the world. If you are indeed good at what you do, advertisers will line up to get you to work for them. If you prefer not to work for someone, you could set up your own copywriting business and promote it to get clients.

Website Copy

With the Internet revolution finally having realized in its full form, small and big companies alike are looking for writers to write content for their websites. Not only do these companies pay well, but they also give the writer a much-desired break. If you’ve written website copy, you’ll have no trouble finding more assignments of the same kind. Simply guide the prospective client to the website and he’ll know what kind of work he can expect from you. Aim for start-up companies at first. They’ll usually hand over the whole work to you and you can make a great portfolio.

E-books

E-books are not here to replace print books. They’re here to provide an alternative resource for distribution. However, as opposed to print books, e-books are short, contain lots of web links and usually provide answers to a customer’s immediate needs. They can be downloaded off the Internet in seconds, and you can profit from a single e-book long after you’ve written it. Don’t get fooled though-- writing e-books takes just as much time and dedication as writing print ones. It’s only the mode of delivery that’s different.

E-zines

Online newsletters, or e-zines as they are frequently called, are becoming the rage of the publishing industry. Many of these e-zines are paying markets and run regular features and columns. Many of them have associated website,s too. While the pay in this market is less, you’ll be writing shorter articles in much less time.

Newspapers

Generally, when we think of newspapers, we think news. But newspapers hold a lot more information than that. With regular columns, reviews and updates, latest findings, and point-of-view articles, newspapers are the writer’s best bet. And if you’ve gained entry into one section of the newspaper, the other sections of writing open up to you automatically. Though slow on the income, getting published in your local daily is still a major ego-booster!

Newsletters

There are many households and small companies that publish newsletters. And all the more are springing up each day. These newsletters are a great way to break into freelancing and gather clips. Their requirements are not as tough to meet as those of magazines and most editors are quite quick in their response times. To add to that, some newsletters also pay quite well, sometimes almost as much as small magazines.

Ghostwriting

If it’s the fame you’re after, you won’t get it here. But you can earn a decent amount of money ghostwriting memoirs, books or even articles for people who don’t want to or can’t write themselves. Ghostwriters are quite in demand today with more and more people trying to preserve their family history by getting memoirs or biographies written. However, apart from the money, there’s nothing else. You don’t get the credit, the fame or sometimes, even the byline.

The prospects for writers today are immense provided you’re ready to experiment in different areas. The Internet has made it easier than ever to find writing assignments not only in your own country, but around the world. A simple e-mail is all it takes to apply for a job and send in the assignment.

It’s easy for a freelance writer to get stuck doing the same old thing over and over. It’s not only fun, but sometimes necessary to introduce a little spice into your writing routine. If you’ve been writing articles all your life, try doing some greeting card writing instead. If the money is slow, and you could really use some extra money, apply for a resume writer job. If the book manuscripts are lying unsold, try selling short stories for a change.

With a little variation now and then, you’ll not only find your income shooting up, but also your inspiration. So next time you find yourself waiting for word on that manuscript, send out a few short pieces instead. It’ll definitely be worth the effort.

About The Author

Mridu Khullar is the editor-in-chief of www.WritersCrossing.com, a free online magazine for writers. Sign up for the free weekly newsletter to get a complimentary e-book with 400+ paying markets. Also check out her e-book, "Knock Their Socks Off! A Freelance Writer's Guide to Query Letters That Sell," available at http://www.writerscrossing.com/queries.html

The Writer Store

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 15:41:00 +0000

Search

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 22:45:00 +0000

Search

noreply@blogger.com (April Decheine) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:55:00 +0000