Drive Traffic To Your Blog

There are a lot of blogger networking sites out there. Most of them are set up to promote individual blog posts. This blog is different, it promotes the bloggers. It even has a tool to establish a Blogger Search.

The forum will help writers get established as pro bloggers and share ideas, tips, and advice with other bloggers. The site also hopes advertisers will see the benefits of the site and start approaching bloggers.

Get Started: Work At Home Moms

I normally warn people away form the free or buy-in opportunities on the net. Most of them are built for one purpose, to rip of the desperate. There is an old business saying 'if you want to become wealthy than cater to the lowest denominator.' This is true with the opportunities. They all cater to desperate people who need money - now. Unfortunately, these people are so desperate that they will put their grocery money down for the promise that someone will help them succeed.

Of all the WHAM (work at home mom) programs - the only one I ever have - ever will support is WHAM.com. That doesn't mean that I believe their site is 100% danger proof. But, if you need to have your hand held, and to have someone show you how to manage your time, money, and business, then this is the place to find help.




Work at Home Moms Opportunity- are These Hard to Find?


Many mom dream of staying at home and being a full time mom. Money is usually the biggest thing preventing that from happening which is really sad when you think about it.

So in order to be a stay at home Mom you have to find a work at home Moms opportunity that you can start making money with. it does always seem to come back to making money doesn't it!

You can choose to start your home business with many different work at home Moms opportunities. You just have to take the time to do some research to find the opportunities that will be the best for you.

Don't give in and pick the first work at home opportunity you come across. Before you decide you have to thoroughly check out each one.

Most Moms get online to start a business but they want to do something that has to do with kids or with other things that Moms know a lot about. So decide what type of products you would like to sell and then look for a work at home opportunity that has them.

You can also find the opportunity and then look at the products if you don't have any clue about what you want to do. One idea would be to help other moms start their own online business by teaching tips you have learned.

You can find a lot of opportunities that are put together with Moms in mind. In other words, you can find a work at home Moms opportunity that only Moms would be interested in doing.

One website that really caters to work at home moms is WAHM.com. This is a website for moms and helping them make money working at home.

One way many moms choose to do is know as affiliate marketing. This is where you get paid to sell other people's products. There are several good places to elarn more about affiliate marketing.

One website that offers affiliate programs in many different areas is CJ.com. AssociatePrograms.com is another site that has a directory of affiliate programs, affiliate marketing training, and a discussion forum.

This is just a few ideas to start with. Just remember that it is not hard to find a work at home moms opportunity if you are willing to take the time to look for it. The Internet is the perfect place to do just that.

Guy Mendelson invites you to visit his work at home business idea website for hundreds of internet marketing tips. work at home moms opportunity


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If you want to learn the 'ins and outs' of investing in Forex, property, or stocks without feeling pressured to buy, then visit www.getrich.net. Ray has a great website with more than 100 articles to help you learn 'how to invest smart.'

How to Value Back Links

All back links are not created equal. There are several variables that control their value from the number of other outbound links on the host page, the number of inbound links to the host page, the age of the domain name, and how long that domain name is reserved for. The website of both the outbound and inbound links must have similar keyword phrases - at least on the linked pages. The method the keyword is linked- via a track back, a keyword anchored link in content, a signature line, all these will increase or decrease the value of the link.

To understand the full concept demands a SEO course or a SEO marketing course. The course will teach indepth aspects of keywords.



5 Key Elements to the Value of a Backlink

Backlinks are an often-discussed, but rarely fully understood topic. Your site's reputation and Page Rank depend very greatly on backlinks, so knowing what makes your backlink reputation for your site more important and have more value is the next logical step.

So, you might ask then what things affect how much a given backlink is worth towards your reputation, and what can you do to maximize your backlink value.

While there are many things that affect how much a backlink is worth to your website, many are unknown to the world that search engines, especially Google, take into account. Thankfully, we know the 5 main things that make up most of your backlink score.

Page Rank.

The page rank, or reputation, of the webpage that links to you giving you a backlink is the biggest factor. Page is ranked per page, not per website, and page rank is spread through outgoing links.

Anchor text.

This is the text showing as the link text, the underlined text you click on (not always underlined, but you get the point). This text can have a very large impact on your backlinks. Google expects to see varied link texts in a normal situation, and it has been said that Google will only count a certain number of backlinks with the same exact text. Optimally, you want your keywords are you aiming for on your website to be in your backlink text if you can help it.

Relevant sites.

Especially with Google's Jagger update, backlinks from relevant-themed websites is worth more than from unrelated websites. This means if you have a website about cars, backlinks from other car-type sites will give you more value than backlinks from a cooking website. This makes sense, as each backlink is a recommendation or a vote, and related recommendations have more authority or hold more importance.

Location.

The location of the backlink to your website also makes a difference. The farther towards the top of the page, the more the backlink is weighed.

Age.

The age of a backlink makes a difference. It may take up to 6 months to see the full effect of a backlink. This makes it a great reason to exchange backlinks with sites whose PR has not yet gotten to where it will, as you will get even greater advantage once they do reach that level.

So, the question of the day is what stuff can you help in reality.

Page Rank may or may not be an issue, as getting in a backlink while a website is newer will gain you a good advantage in the age category once they have grown to their potential. The main to remember here is to make sure they are a website that you would want to trade links with regardless of page rank.

Location you usually do not have much of a say in, and the age is out of your hands. So, the best concept is to concentrate on trading with websites whose content compliments your own, or is at least similar in theme for the best gain. If you can, try to get your target keywords into the anchor text if at all possible. Google definitely looks at the anchor text and takes this into consideration. Varied link text has been proven to give an added edge to a website and put it over the top into the lead.

Amazon Changes Their POD Listing Rules









There has been a lot of controversy over Amazon’s new rule that books must either be listed through their own POD service, or books must be on the warehouse floor.

Authors are upset because many publishers are refusing to pay to list their books through Amazon’s system.

The confusion is based on a few things. Amazon is a bookstore. And, like any other bookstore, they have a right to choose which books they sell from their outlet.

Being online does not force them to list all books that are in distribution. There are other online bookstores which use the same system of housing books in a warehouse, and few publishers or authors complain if their books are not listed.

The only people who face a serious problem are small POD publishers. They are being forced to pay more money to get their books into channels that sell. While the fee is negligible, in publishing terms, it can severely limit the publishing capabilities of companies that try to release as many books a year as possible.

It has caused a lot of concern for authors. Will their books be removed from Amazon? The answer is probably ‘yes.’ They will need to contact their publishers and find out what their policy will be.

Will it have an effect on books that are listed on the ‘satellite’ Amazon sites such as Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.ca? No, there is no indication that the policy will change how the other Amazon divisions list books.

Third party bookstores list authors books on Amazon. They will continue to list their books on Amazon. So, mid list publishers will continue to have listings on Amazon.

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Have you ever gone down a list of resources for 'make money', 'investing' and 'business start up' only to find that the good ones are gone? Here are a few friends I've made over the summer. Each one has taught me something.Learn how to start an email marketing campaign that works - for less than $100. http://www.waystogetnoticed.com/ is full of articles to help you build an email list, and market emails. This isn't another email list generating company or an affiliate website. The owner of this site actually owns an email marketing host site. He teaches the 'inside' info on email marketing.

Short Story Contest Free to Enter

"And finally, I believe in my whole race. Yellow, white, black, red, brown --in the honesty, courage, intelligence, durability....and goodness.....of the overwhelming majority of my brothers and sisters everywhere on this planet. I am proud to be a human being. I believe that we have come this far by the skin of our teeth, that we always make it just by the skin of our teeth --but that we will always make it....survive....endure. I believe that this hairless embryo with the aching, oversize brain case and the opposable thumb, this animal barely up from the apes, will endure --will endure longer than his home planet, will spread out to the other planets, to the stars, and beyond, carrying with him his honesty, his insatiable curiosity, his unlimited courage --and his noble essential decency."

"This I believe with all my heart."

As read by Mrs. Heinlein received a standing ovation.

If you can relate to this, then there is a short story contest you need to consider.


The Robert A. Heinlein Centennial Short Story Contest

Three prizes will be given for the best original short storie sreflecting the spirit, ideas, and philosophies of Robert Anson Heinlein.

$5,000 first prize
$2,000 second prize
$1,000 third prize

If you want a short declaration of who the man was and his works, then go to this link http://www.heinleinsociety.org/rah/thisibelieve.html





Learn more about blogging and making money online at wealthy-writer website.

Internet Marketing: Low Cost

Buying Web Traffic

There are several ways for a small business to buy web traffic. I examined several different methods and found a couple that will work for the work-at-home freelance professional.

Buy Hits

This is very tricky. Some companies say they sell hits but there are a few things to ask. First, a hit may not always mean viewing your web page. One company that I worked with charged for every ‘load’ meaning that the page load, scripts, video, and each image all counted as one. Every time someone clicked to my site, the company counted that as 11 hits.

Another problem to watch out for is the impression. The best method I’ve found is the full sized pop-under. This puts a full view of your landing page on their computer screen. The landing page needs to be a specially written article that will ‘hook’ the reader’s interest. Do not send users to your home page.
The average cost is $15 - $50 per 10 000 ‘hits.’

Expired Domain Names and Redirects

Millions of domain names have expired, but they are still active. Expired domain names still retain some traffic from their search engine placement. A redirect is a great way to take advantage of ‘targeted traffic.’

I Find that 10 000 targeted hits easily earns back the cost, depending on the topic. My health topics earn the most money – small business earns the least. It takes some tweaking and experimenting before the right combination is found. Take your time. It can take several tries before you find a good landing page article.

How to Run a Campaign

There are several ways to run a campaign. I have one First article. The next time I run a campaign from that company I use a second landing page. This way I am not continually sending potential subscribers to the same page.

Win Money To Promote Your Favorite Vacation Spot


I found a great new vacation promotion site that is offering prizes for reviews of 'small' and off-beat vacation destinations.
The picture to the right is of Grand Bend, Ontario. I swim at this beach every summer. No, it is not in the south. It is a real beach on the Eastern Shores of Lake Huron. The water is clear. The air warm. And the experience is one of 'fun in the sun.'
The prize will be $25.00. However, if Josh and Jen receive 25 ranking a month, they will pay out $50. This is a great way to post your own review and earn a little for it. You don't need to give them any private information - this is not a marketing project. They pay through paypal.com (international bank owned by eBay) which is more secure than an ATM and deals in more than 30 currencies.


Visit their site to view an Example of a good post, not a winner but good. Then write your own and send it in using their online form.

For additional information please visit: http://www.vacationranking.com/index.html www.vacationranking.com/the-stone-cellar-brew-pub-has-great-food-and-make-the-best-beer-in-town.html

It doesn't matter whether you review a beach, B&B, hotel, tourist spot, or just your favorite view in the desert. Post your review today.



New Stream of Income on YouTube



No one touches the web without learning what YouTube is. Now they are testing a new program in Australia where contributors earn money in exchange for a banner being placed on the ad. This revenue sharing is designed to help contributors who create good content.

http://au.youtube.com/partners

The program has been operating in the United States and United Kingdom for months. Some contributors are already earning thousands of dollars each month.

"It has certainly been an incentive for people to create more content," a YouTube Australia spokesman said.

"There are people overseas who have millions of video views and are earning thousands of dollars."

Many people have worked hard to become celebrities on YouTube. The secret to success is found in building a community and interacting with viewers.


Have you ever gone down a list of resources for 'make money', 'investing' and 'business start up' only to find that the good ones are gone? Here are a few friends I've made over the summer. Each one has taught me something.

Marc S. is a creative director in a NY advertising agency. He has three websites. If you want a NY ad agency to make your logo, website or help with a marketing campaign then visit www.virtualadagency.com, if you have a new business and want to networkwww.scrappyupstarts.com , and if you want the inside scoop on advertising then visit www.madisontomain.com.

Thriving In a Recession: PT 2

How to Survive a Recession

There is one rule for surviving a recession. Eliminate as much debt as possible. The average American pays $5000 a year on credit card and personal loan debt. This is your wealth. Reduce debt and you have $5000 to invest in your business every year.

Financial Investment

Freeing $5000 is only the first step. Step two is to invest that money. Wealth is built upon an investment. Whether the investment is in pet dogs, stocks, a home based business, or marketing your skills.

Time Investment

The average blue collar worker watches television up to 40 hours a week. The average ‘wealth builder’ invests this time more wisely. They use the time to build their business, study stocks, and building their skills.

Knowledge is Power

The key to power is knowledge. JFK’s grandfather survived the stock crash by listening to shoeshine boys sharing the information overheard from their clients. The boys didn’t realize that they were playing a part in establishing one of America’s greatest dynasties.

Constant upgrading and education is one of the ‘7 Habits of Successful People.’

How to Thrive in a Recession
This is the easiest technique to implement. There are a few rules that have worked in the past few recessions. The first is ‘cater to the lowest common denominator.’ This means that you look for a product everyone needs, but isn’t readily available, or can be sold for less money.

The second is to sell skills. The companies that survive will retain the most skilled labor force. This common business fundamental will be challenged in the current recession as the new ‘outsourcing’ trend lets more professionals work from home, saving them time and the company money.

Create Independence

No matter what your skill level, education, debt load, or income level, those with more than one stream of income will not only survive this recession, but they will thrive and continue to build wealth while others struggle.

This recession will balance the economy. The banks will lose billions. They will still profit, but like the stock market, the only thing lost will be artificially inflated profits. Many people who borrowed more than 30% of their income will struggle. A handful people who have multiple streams of income, and employee the basic rules of wealth building, will float through as if there is no recession. A lucky few will become millionaires overnight.

Work At Home Mom Beware

I normally warn people away form the free or buy-in opportunities on the net. Most of them are built for one purpose, to rip of the desparate. There is an old business saying 'if you want to become wealthy than cater to the lowest denominator.' This is true with the opportunities. They all cater to desparate people who need money - now. Unfortunately, these prople are so desparate that they will put their grocery money down for the promise that someone will help them succeed.

Of all the WHAM (work at home mom) programs - the only one I ever have - ever will support is WHAM.com. That doesn't mean that I believe their site is 100% danger proof. But, if you need to have your hand held, and to have someone show you how to manage your time, money, and business, then this is the place to find help.




Work at Home Moms Opportunity- are These Hard to Find?


Many mom dream of staying at home and being a full time mom. Money is usually the biggest thing preventing that from happening which is really sad when you think about it.

So in order to be a stay at home Mom you have to find a work at home Moms opportunity that you can start making money with. it does always seem to come back to making money doesn't it!

You can choose to start your home business with many different work at home Moms opportunities. You just have to take the time to do some research to find the opportunities that will be the best for you.

Don't give in and pcik the first work at home opportunity you come across. Before you decide you have to thoroughly check out each one.

Most Moms get online to start a business but they want to do something that has to do with kids or with other things that Moms know a lot about. So decide what type of products you would like to sell and then look for a work at home opportunity that has them.

You can also find the opportunity and then look at the products if you don't have any clue about what you want to do. One idea would be to help other moms start their own online business by teaching tips you have learned.

You can find a lot of opportunities that are put together with Moms in mind. In other words, you can find a work at home Moms opportunity that only Moms would be interested in doing.

One website that really caters to work at home moms is WAHM.com. This is a website for moms and helping them make money working at home.

One way many moms choose to do is know as affiliate marketing. This is where you get paid to sell other people's products. There are several good places to elarn more about affiliate marketing.

One website that offers affiliate programs in many different areas is CJ.com. AssociatePrograms.com is another site that has a directory of affiliate programs, affiliate marketing training, and a discussion forum.

This is just a few ideas to start with. Just remember that it is not hard to find a work at home moms opportunity if you are willing to take the time to look for it. The internet is the perfect place to do just that.

Guy Mendelson invites you to visit his work at home business idea website for hundreds of internet marketing tips. work at home moms opportunity

Thriving In a Recession: PT 1

I’ve read so many articles on the web offering advice on how to survive the recession. I understand the premise behind them. Give away the basic advice and sell the good information. These sites are trying to cash in on your lack of knowledge.

We all have heard of Black Tuesday, 1929, when $30b dollars disappeared overnight.

That is what the newspaper’s story. If you asked for the Stock Broker’s version they would tell you that money never vanishes, it shifts. The 1929 stock market wouldn’t have hit the rich so hard if they understood the truth that money does not disappear.

Jesse Livermore understood this concept. He made over 100 million dollars! Joseph Kennedy, John F. Kennedy’s father, sold before the crash and kept millions in profit. There are entire books written on the Gold Diggers and Wild Cats of 1929.

Like the woman who went around buying useless stocks. She had no experience in stocks, but she couldn’t understand why the stock was worthless when the factory, radio station, or steel mine was still in operation. Urban myth or not, this woman represented the hundreds or even thousands of wildcats who became millionaires over night in the years following 1929.

Why Don’t They Share This Information?

There is a good reason the pundits and gurus don’t want to let you know this information. If you know how to generate wealth, then you don’t need to buy their books and attend conferences. It has always amazed me that anyone would have the audacity to sell these simple techniques for thousands of dollars.

North Idaho Rebate Team Customer Service

This has nothing to do with earning money as a writer. However, information about a $10 000 rebate is always worth passing on.

This rebate is for both buy and sell real estate transactions. North Idaho Rebates There are not too many real estate agencies offering cash back.

This is not a scheme to get more business. Cash Rewards Inc., http://www.cashrewardsinc.com/, a 10 year old company, has licensed the program. You have to be in the real estate district to earn the money, but your house can be listed with anyone. This program is available in all Provinces and States except 10.

The Cash Rewards System is not a small program. It spans the continent and through different industries. Verifying the North Idaho Rebate Team's claims and statements is easy. Just visit the cashrewardsinc.com site and skim their member's list.

Visit http://www.Northidahorebates.com to find out the full rules. Watch the video to find out how the program works.

The agent will pay homeowners $3,000 at closing and a $10,000 rebate at closing if their home is not sold in 65 days.

Personally, I think this is a great program. I wish it was the industry norm. When we went looking for a house we were treated so bad by real estate agents. I remember having a meeting at 7p.m. in the country. We waited until 9:30p.m. before giving up on the agent. A program like this will ensure that real estate agents treat their clients well.

I've read the website and think this is an ingenious program. It will help real estate agents get more business, and give home owners and buyers more peace of mind when buying or selling a home.

This is just one more reason to use a qualified and certified real estate agent to buy or sell your home. We made some mistakes when buying this home. I guess that is why I like offering advice to others 'work with a good real estate agent.'

The Law Of Attraction in the Business World

Law of Attraction

The secrets of wealth generation and the law of attraction are the same. If you want something bad enough then you will get it. This truth is as old as society itself. However, we replaced this law with complacency and the expectancy that someone will give us hand outs. We want our money now – no matter what the cost. We want to be entertained – regardless of the consequences.

The law of attraction is ‘believe – achieve – receive’ and has been a part of society for thousands of years.. If you believe that a program works, and work to reach goals, you’ll receive the reward.

The opposite is people who want something and wait until it is given to them. They never receive what they are waiting for.

The same works with Google, ecommerce businesses, and Affiliate programs. A person may believe that they can make money from Google. But, without taking action there will not be a reward. There may be belief, but there is no action.
Another person may buy the same program, and work hard – they will receive a reward.

But, only if they do the ‘right’ work. Remember, work smart not hard. You need to learn what the profitable people do.

For example, I am a successful pro blogger. I teach a course at www.writersonlinecourses.com where I’ll teach everything I know. But, not everyone can make the program work a) because they don’t believe, or b) they don’t do the work.

Anything can succeed if you follow the laws of attraction.

New Group for Fiction Writers

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EPIC-eWorkshop/

EPIC eWorkshop is precisely what it sounds like. This is a learning experience for new authors and new-to-e-book authors. List members need not be members of EPIC (The Electronically Published Internet Connection) to join in. We'll be discussing the indie/e industry, publishing in general, submitting, finding an e-publisher, contracts, and any other business aspects of indie/e publishing.

While this is not a critique group, you may post query letters for comment, at any time. When classes involve list members posting excerpts, the excerpt rule will be lifted.

This is not a promotion list. We will certainly share submission successes and heartbreaks, but we won't be advertising anyone's books or services.

This list is for adults only. At the same time, there will be no explicit sexual content allowed on list. This is a workshop for everyone from Inspirational and Children's/YA through erotica, but it's a business/learning group in general and not dedicated to a particular genre. Erotic content is better suited to groups like ERWA (Erotic Readers' and Writers' Association), where the entire group is dedicated to erotic writing.

Please read the full list rules before posting. List cops are available to help you find your feet.


We are also accepting proposals for those who wish to give workshops in their particular area of expertise. Several members, including myself, have non-EPIC-sponsored yahoogroups where erotic content may be presented without offense. If you have an announcement of an online workshop, please feel free to post that as well.

Make Money Online

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks looking over different methods of earning money from my blogs. I took a look around another few blog sites. Pro blogger has a few of the same programs I am involved in, and a few I do not subscribe to: http://www.problogger.net/archives/2007/11/15/how-i-make-money-blogging/

AdSense Google

I cannot rely on Google. Some times I make good money, then they change the rules and my income drops. Their sliding scale is hard to figure out. I’ve read the rules, met the requirements and received as much as 30% CPC. Then, without any word from the net that Google changed the rules, I am back down to 2%. And, I can make several different percentages at the same time.

I make most from Google when I buy targeted traffic.

Adbrite.com
Adbrite.com doesn’t have a sliding scale. I know what I make. It also has the advantage of letting me pick and chose the ads I want to appear on my blog. I don’t use their video or full page ads, just their PPP.

Commission Junction

Worth the mention, but I don’t do well. I find that people are more likely to click a text ad than an image. However, I do find they have social benefit. The blogs that have pictures on them have more click through and RSS subscriptions. The images increase the blog’s credentials.

Amazon Associates

I don’t do well here, but I don’t invest a lot of time optimizing for it. Problogger.com claims that he does well.

Affiliate Programs


I don’t make much from affiliates, but I do make some money.

Paid Posts

I write paid posts – with a twist. I am not locked into a campaign. I only submit my sites to PPP programs that let me choose my sponsors, and which ads to write. In many cases, I can pick an article out of my ‘files’ and post it with the sponsor.
What I don’t do is write ads. If a PPP asks for blatant advertising, I won’t write about it unless it is a service I approve of and would pass on to my subscribers and readers – free. This could be because I come from a magazine background where I am use to having 75% advertising mixed within 20% content, with 5% dead space.

My Books

I make a lot of money selling my own books in either download form and from Amazon.com. These books are in mobi, Kindel, Palm, Adobe, MSReader, and print formats.





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Visit More Learning Sites:
inspiredauthor
Get Your Book Published
Get Paid To Write
How I Built a Career

Does Article Marketing Work? PT 1




I’ve used article marketing to increase hits and build links for several years. Like everything in business there is a right way and a wrong way to build an Internet Marketing Campaign that uses Article Marketing.

SEO marketing

SEO marketing and SEO optimization are different disciplines. The SEO marketer creates a spider web in the Internet with each strand leading Internet Users toward the main website. This web can be made from lenses such as myspace, bebo.com, facebook.com, yahoo groups, and other social networking groups. The web will include blogs and newsletters. It may expand to include podcasts, blog phone interviews, internet radio, live chat, and forums.

They must balance SEO factors with Visitor friendly content. Before I earned my SEO marketing certificate I wrote 80 articles. They didn’t increase my Google Page Rank or traffic. I concluded that article marketing was a total waste of time.

Meeting Publisher Demands

I was reintroduced to article marketing when I took a SEO marketing course. The first thing the instructor told us was to forget everything we thought we knew about Internet Marketing. The instructor explained the secrets to a successful article marketing campaign.

Secret one, is to make the articles publisher friendly. Webmasters who manage content management systems want articles that are relevant, cutting edge, and easy to skim. They are looking for keyword rich headings and titles. Publishers have a list of criteria for a good article:
No more than 5% keyword density
Easy to skim articles
Headings every 150 – 200 words
No evergreen content
Good grammar and sentence structure
No long signature lines
No link stacking in article or signature
No invitations to visit the author’s website

Publishers hate a hard sales pitch which undermines the article’s quality.


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Advice - Tips - Resources

Marc S. is a creative director in a NY advertising agency. He has three websites. If you want a NY ad agency to make your logo, website or help with a marketing campaign then visit www.virtualadagency.com, if you have a new business and want to networkwww.scrappyupstarts.com , and if you want the inside scoop on advertising then visit www.madisontomain.com.

Surfing in The UK



I've been taking in everything I can about the UK lately. I plan on going to England for my writing. I want pictures of hotels and old homes. I want to know what it feels to walk the halls of a country estate. I also want to explore some of the new things.

I was reading about Newquay Short Breaks and found out I could go surfing in the UK. It is hard to think of surfing and the UK at the same time - which makes it even more fascinating.

I've already added the Pentire Hotel to my list of 'must visit' places. Not just because of the stunning lobby and facilities. Or the fact that it is a 4 - 5 star hotel. But because I can stay 4 days for $200.00. This is one of the most reasonable fees I've seen - for a hotel of this quality - since I started planning my trip last year.

I’ve been looking for a great sea side place to add to the itinerary. This is one of the few that bring together the rustic feel of the UK, without forcing me into a drafty, 500 year old home. I love old buildings, but I have read enough to know that many of the old homes are drafty and damp. This modernized hotel has everything I need to be comfortable and explore the countryside.







WHAM.com - The Good - The Bad - The Ugly

I normally warn people away form the free or buy-in opportunities on the net. Most of them are built for one purpose, to rip of the desparate. There is an old business saying 'if you want to become wealthy than cater to the lowest denominator.' This is true with the opportunities. They all cater to desparate people who need money - now. Unfortunately, these prople are so desparate that they will put their grocery money down for the promise that someone will help them succeed.

Of all the WHAM (work at home mom) programs - the only one I ever have - ever will support is WHAM.com. That doesn't mean that I believe their site is 100% danger proof. But, if you need to have your hand held, and to have someone show you how to manage your time, money, and business, then this is the place to find help.




Work at Home Moms Opportunity- are These Hard to Find?


Many mom dream of staying at home and being a full time mom. Money is usually the biggest thing preventing that from happening which is really sad when you think about it.

So in order to be a stay at home Mom you have to find a work at home Moms opportunity that you can start making money with. it does always seem to come back to making money doesn't it!

You can choose to start your home business with many different work at home Moms opportunities. You just have to take the time to do some research to find the opportunities that will be the best for you.

Don't give in and pcik the first work at home opportunity you come across. Before you decide you have to thoroughly check out each one.

Most Moms get online to start a business but they want to do something that has to do with kids or with other things that Moms know a lot about. So decide what type of products you would like to sell and then look for a work at home opportunity that has them.

You can also find the opportunity and then look at the products if you don't have any clue about what you want to do. One idea would be to help other moms start their own online business by teaching tips you have learned.

You can find a lot of opportunities that are put together with Moms in mind. In other words, you can find a work at home Moms opportunity that only Moms would be interested in doing.

One website that really caters to work at home moms is WAHM.com. This is a website for moms and helping them make money working at home.

One way many moms choose to do is know as affiliate marketing. This is where you get paid to sell other people's products. There are several good places to elarn more about affiliate marketing.

One website that offers affiliate programs in many different areas is CJ.com. AssociatePrograms.com is another site that has a directory of affiliate programs, affiliate marketing training, and a discussion forum.

This is just a few ideas to start with. Just remember that it is not hard to find a work at home moms opportunity if you are willing to take the time to look for it. The internet is the perfect place to do just that.

Guy Mendelson invites you to visit his work at home business idea website for hundreds of internet marketing tips. work at home moms opportunity

Should You Try to Control Google’s Adsense Ads?

There is a lot of controversy over whether a blogger should put meta code in their blog templates, and use H1, H2, H3, heading tags to control the ads Google puts on their blog.

I am on the pro side. I find that the meta tags and heading codes gives me the freedom to go a little ‘off topic’ without worrying about having random, low paying, and off topic ads appear in my Google Adsense towers.

That said, many bloggers think they are missing Google’s highest paid opportunities by trying to control the system. They argue that the click through rate may be lower, and that google’s sliding scale will slide farther down in Google’s favor. All – reasonable and realistic possibilities.

The answer to the question is personal, but should also depend on whether you expect to earn most of your revenue from Google. Most bloggers do not.

In fact, most bloggers are lucky to receive one or two checks a year. Not Google’s fault. They tell you how bloggers how to succeed. There are a lot of blogs like this one that teach bloggers how to succeed. The problem is that most bloggers do not get it.

I’ve talked to many new bloggers who think that posting 10 articles a month is horrible, let alone 50 or 100. Yet, they want the same income as bloggers who do post this number of blogs. The facts are clear. Bloggers cannot work on their blog ‘in their spare time’ and expect to earn a full time income.

But, if the blogger does put the work into their blog, I think they should stick with the ads that have proven to pay in the past, the ones which their readers click through most often…and to do that, you need to control Google using legal SEO tricks.




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Reputable Bloggers

It is nice that bloggers are becoming more reputable when they write paid posts. I’ve been to Pay Per Post this week and one post demands that bloggers state they ‘saved money using the online shopping site.’ It is nice to see, four days later, the posts are still there.

Bloggers have gone through a long learning curve. Some changes have been good. Others are not. Honestly, I think the old days when we put an ‘ad’ at the bottom of a pre-selling article was better.

My blogs are always topic related. I may write a sponsored post, but it is relevant to the blog. I won’t change my opinion for the blogger. I do this not to worry about splogging, but because I have a responsibility to my readers and subscribers.





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Eco Conscious Choices For Your Home


When we were young the world was concerned with convenience and easy to use. I remember my mother telling me how special it was to enjoy a T.V. dinner on Saturday night. We had small 'easy to manage' garbage bags that were dispensed from a roller. Packaging was never a concern.

We didn't realize that we were damaging the environment. Now we have five reusable grocery bags. They are eco-friendly. I would easily guess that we've saved 150 grocery bags in the last four or five months. Our bags are 100% cotton, solid sided. I prefer these to the mesh bags.

These bags are fairly easy to clean and can be reused for months. There are differences in quality. www.cozyhomewares.com has some good bags at good prices.

Good bags are made so you don't need to worry about ripping them. We've stuffed them as full as possible, cramming something into every possible space, and they never ripped.



Free Computer Security Software and Advice

Most people do not realize that working on the Internet can slow their computers down. The internet fills your computer with cookies and tracking software scrips. Every time you open a page you add to your cache. Not looking after a computer can lead to all sorts of problems.

I recommend AVG I used the Free AVG for the longest time, about 5 years. It protected me better than Norton did. In fact, I bought a new computer with Norton installed. It was working slow within 3 weeks so I ran AVG and found 250 extra viruses and tracking cookies that were slowing the computer down.

I also use Lavasoft spyware. I do have a fire wall with AVG, and spyware, in my paid version, but nothing beats lavasoft for finding a few 'loose cannons' in the files.

I do not trust Windows Defender - end of story.

I use AVG firewall, but if you can't pay for the full version of AVG then get ZONE ALARM.

Here are some security tips:

1) Set your virus checker to update daily.

2) Scan your computer daily.

3) scan your computer after downloading.

4) Make hidden files visible so you can see virus databases hidden on your computer.

5) Use your adware/spyware weekly.

6) Do not open emails or IM from people you do not know.

7) Do not leave your computer turned on when you are not working on it. Password protect your computer.

8) A virus could spam to everyone in your address book and send emails without your knowledge.

9) Do not download free music

10) Do not download any free games

11) Stay off adult sites

12) Back up c:// a daily basis

13) Do not to save passwords, credit card information, bank info, or your address on your computer.

Protecting Your computer From Viruses

Most people do not realize that working on the Internet can slow their computers down. The internet fills your computer with cookies and tracking software scrips. Every time you open a page you add to your cache. Not looking after a computer can lead to all sorts of problems.

I recommend AVG I used the Free AVG for the longest time, about 5 years. It protected me better than Norton did. In fact, I bought a new computer with Norton installed. It was working slow within 3 weeks so I ran AVG and found 250 extra viruses and tracking cookies that were slowing the computer down.

I also use Lavasoft spyware. I do have a fire wall with AVG, and spyware, in my paid version, but nothing beats lavasoft for finding a few 'loose cannons' in the files.

I do not trust Windows Defender - end of story.

I use AVG firewall, but if you can't pay for the full version of AVG then get ZONE ALARM.

Here are some security tips:

1) Set your virus checker to update daily.

2) Scan your computer daily.

3) scan your computer after downloading.

4) Make hidden files visible so you can see virus databases hidden on your computer.

5) Use your adware/spyware weekly.

6) Do not open emails or IM from people you do not know.

7) Do not leave your computer turned on when you are not working on it. Password protect your computer.

8) A virus could spam to everyone in your address book and send emails without your knowledge.

9) Do not download free music

10) Do not download any free games

11) Stay off adult sites

12) Back up c:// a daily basis

13) Do not to save passwords, credit card information, bank info, or your address on your computer.

The Six Rules of Effective Communication

Effective communication is vital if you wish people to understand your viewpoint. It becomes even more crucial in professional settings, as fierce competition means that customers must be convinced that your products are superior to your rival's. Unless you effectively communicate the features and advantages of your product, your customers are likely to walk out the door. Communication is equally important in your interactions with suppliers, coworkers, managers, and investors.

The following six rules will help you communicate more effectively, reduce conflict in your organization, and become a better leader.

Rule #1: Organize your thoughts.

Jumbled thoughts lead to incoherent speech. Organizing your thoughts systematically is the first step to effective communication. You should be clear about the message that you want to convey, and it is helpful to have a framework for the conversation. Communication is a dynamic process, so you need to organize and re-organize your thoughts accordingly as the conversation progresses. This presence of mind is essential.

Rule #2: Plan the conversation ahead of time.

When you think through a subject, try to envision what sort of reaction you will evoke. Plan out the different directions that the conversation may go, and prepare your ground accordingly. It helps to consider the personality and behavior of the person with whom you are dealing. How does s/he prefer to work, what is his/her behavioral style? Answering these questions allows you to tailor your approach accordingly.

Rule #3: Be aware of your nonverbal signals.

Did you know much of our communication happens through nonverbal signals? The message you convey through your gestures, body language, and facial expressions will play a huge role in the response you elicit. For this reason, your verbal and nonverbal message need to be consistent; otherwise, you will send mixed signals and not achieve the outcome you desire.

Rule #4: Be succinct.

As they say, less is more. This holds true for communication as well. Your goal in communication is to convey a message and create a certain response. Emphasize your key points simply, and respond to questions directly. Repeating yourself and reiterating your points will only detract from your message.

Rule #5: Demonstrate how the other person will benefit.

When you show how the other person will directly benefit from your offer, you are very close to convincing him/her. To do this, you must highlight the rewards of your offer, and explain how they will improve his or her life. For example, instead of explaining that a new product is more efficient, you might emphasize how much time or money the customer will save. This is the fifth great rule for becoming a good communicator.

Rule #6: Be a good listener.

The importance of listening to the other party and understanding his/her viewpoint is often overlooked. Effective communication is two-way process; if you adopt a one-way attitude, you will fail to create a rapport with your counterpart. By making the other person feel that you value their participation in the conversation, and that you are addressing his/her needs, you make him/her much more willing to accommodate your position. In practice, this means that you must listen patiently and converse accordingly.


Barbara Stennes CSP is president and owner of Resources Unlimited a consulting firm based in Des Moines Iowa. She is widely recognized as an expert on team building customer service creativity and innovation. To learn how Barbara can help your organization please visit http://deBonoOnline.com.






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Promoting Your Business At Home


Running a home based business has difficulties that you'd never think of, until it is too late. One of the biggest problems is not having a space to meet with potential clients. They will judge your business by your home. The business owner doesn't need to open their whole home to clients, just one or two rooms.

CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE is the key to successfully designing a classic room. The trick is to use something that says 'prestige' like one or two pieces of Cattelan Italia, Tonin Casa, Calligaris, and Bonaldo, brands of furniture. The rest of the room can be designed simply. Just use simple and elegant as a design style.









Hiring Professional Help: Editors


I work with several excellent editors.

We always come into contact with people who claim to be editors but don’t have a clue what the job entails. I decided to write a short tutorial to help writers learn how to hire an editor.

Why Hire an Editor

A professional editor, whether academic, fiction/publishing, or business editor talks the lingo, knows the trends, understands the styles, and structure demands.

The important thing to remember is that no one can edit all styles, even if they have a BA in English and are multi-published. I work with people who write for academic purposes. They include writing text books, essays for university students, speeches, and content for schools. At the most, editors can memorize 3 or 4 styles: MLA, APA, Harvard, British, New York, Medical, Scientific, Chicago, etc. There are 18 recognized ‘main’ grammar and style in the USA alone. No one can know them all.

There are also various vernaculars. Newspapers and most web writing is written at a grade eight level. Fiction novels have several vocabularies based on the genre.

Thrillers and literary are written at a post secondary level of English. Romance, mystery, fantasy are all written at a high school level. Historical novels bastardise English to mimic ancient dialects.

Structure is vital. Each of the fiction genres have a specific story arc structure that controls the flow of plot and character development through the book. The novel should also explore the human element. A writer who doesn’t have a solid understanding of the trials and pain of human life, different personality types, character archetypes, relationship counseling and shelf growth cannot promise to write a fiction novel which will be received favorably from publishing houses.

Types of Editors

There are different types of editors. A line editor knows all the different grammar styles and can write in several vernaculars. They can fix grammar mistakes without changing the writer’s style. Most of today’s editors are amateur line editors. They will look for tense variations, sentence structure that ventures from the acceptable style, spelling that is ‘wrong’ for the current country of publication, or typos.

Proofreaders do not change grammar, syntax, or prose. They only look for typos, missing periods, homonyms, etc. Most proofreaders can use the tools available with today’s word-processing software and finish a manuscript in less than 3 – 5 hours.

A full length book that is 99.99% accurate can still have 30 mistakes. This is tolerated in fiction, but is not in business or non-fiction writing.

Content editors know all about ACTs and Story Arcs. They can map a novel, outlining the character growth. They know where things should appear, how long conflicts and scenes should be. Ask a content editor who Joseph Campell is and they will talk about the hero’s journey and mythology.

A fiction editor should be a content editor and line editor. A great way to find a good editor is to ask them what story arc they use, do they have a preferred character growth arc, and how many of their client’s books are published.
Never focus on how many of their books are published – because they had a professional editor helping them.

A non-fiction editor should have a basic understanding of the industry. They will prefer the APA or Harvard style of grammar. (Chicago/Showing is for fiction). Just asking an editor what style they use, and why, can separate the pros from the amateurs.

Free Resources to Keep Your Computer Working

Most people do not realize that working on the Internet can slow their computers down. The internet fills your computer with cookies and tracking software scrips. Every time you open a page you add to your cache. Not looking after a computer can lead to all sorts of problems.

I recommend AVG I used the Free AVG for the longest time, about 5 years. It protected me better than Norton did. In fact, I bought a new computer with Norton installed. It was working slow within 3 weeks so I ran AVG and found 250 extra viruses and tracking cookies that were slowing the computer down.

I also use Lavasoft spyware. I do have a fire wall with AVG, and spyware, in my paid version, but nothing beats lavasoft for finding a few 'loose cannons' in the files.

I do not trust Windows Defender - end of story.

I use AVG firewall, but if you can't pay for the full version of AVG then get ZONE ALARM.



--------------------------

Looking After Your Computer


If you are going to work and do a lot of browsing on the Internet, the first thing you need to learn is how to take care of your computer.

It is far better that you take the trouble to look after your computer regularly, rather than have it freeze or crash when you lose everything on it, at which time you’ll have to pay out a lot to have it fixed.

Here are some tips to prevent disasters:

1) Set your virus checker to update itself automatically. This way, it is always updated with the latest protection.

2) Scan your computer daily when you finish working on it.

3) If on a certain day you happen to download many pages, software, programs, zipped files, exe files, etc., immediately after downloading everything, scan your computer. This way, just in case a virus existed in anything you downloaded, you will catch it in time before it infects your entire Hard Drive.

4) Use your online scanner to scan your computer once a week.

5) Use your adware/spyware checker once a week.

6) Do not open any attachments in emails from people you do not know.

7) Do not open any attachments even from people you do know, if you are not expecting anything from them.

8) A virus could replicate itself to everyone on the address book and send itself out by email, without the owner even knowing this has been done.

9) Do not download free music on the Internet – these free sites are always infected.

10) Do not download any free games from the Internet.

11) Adult sites are particularly prone to viruses.

12) Back up all your data on a daily basis. Use floppy disks, flash drives, memory sticks, zip disks, CD-ROMs, etc.

13) Print out contracts, payment forms, agreements and all legal documents and file them away in a ring-binder.

14) Try not to keep anything to do with your finances, payment details, payment processor passwords, credit card details, etc. on your computer.

15) A hacker could easily access all these details, if they are anywhere on your computer.

Sadly, despite all these precautions your computer might still get infected, as the people who invent these malicious programs are getting even sneakier.

When this happens, the easiest way to rid your computer of a virus is by rebooting your computer. This is not as difficult as it may sound, and if you learn how to do this yourself you could save yourself hundreds of dollars in repair bills.

Author: Pooja Rani

Writing The Knockout Query Letter: How To Catch A Book Editor's Attention

You've done it. You've achieved a lifelong dream and penned a book certain to be lauded through the ages as a literary masterpiece. Yet one last obstacle stands between you and publishing success – attracting the attention of someone who can get your book into print.

In reality, catching an editor's attention is not difficult. All you have to do is follow the rules by sending what industry insiders refer to as a "query letter". A query letter is one or two pages written in the format of a formal business letter. It should be brief, and it should pique the interest of any publishing executive who reads it. After all, if you can't sell a single individual on the merits of your book, why should a publishing house believe you can sell to an audience of thousands or millions? If you want some inside secrets to crafting a perfect, attention-grabbing query letter, then you've come to the right place. Cover each of the following points, and I guarantee you'll have an editor calling within one week of sending your query letter.

Point #1: Approach The Right Publisher: This seems obvious, but you wouldn't believe the number of writers who make this mistake. Be certain that the publisher you choose to contact is in the business of publishing your genre. If you write fantasy novels, then don't send a query letter to the editor of a computer manual publisher. It will be thrown in the trash without a second look. The best way to find the right publisher is to find books similar to your own and open them. Who is the publisher of each book? Does one particular publisher's name keep turning up? If so, that's the one you want to contact.

Point #2: Selling To The Right Person: Never mail a query letter addressed to "Editor" or "To Whom It May Concern". Such a letter is destined for the "slush pile," and eventually, the trashcan. Once you've identified your ideal publisher, consult a book such as the latest edition of Jeff Herman's Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents (most libraries or large bookstores will have it). The book will provide a page or two of information on the publisher in question, including the name and contact information of the person to whom all queries should be directed. Usually, this is an executive or managing editor. Address the query letter to that specific person and make sure to use the correct gender and spelling when using their name.

Point #3: Your Opening (Especially the First Sentence): The first paragraph of your query letter should get right to the point. Tell the editor why you are contacting him/her. Did someone they know refer you? Has someone famous praised your work? Either one will capture instant attention. But the most important thing you can do in your opening is to define the audience and market for your book and state why your book is unique or has sales potential in the marketplace. Be specific. Don't say "all women will want to read my book". Say "five million women between the ages of 40 and 55 who watch The Oprah Winfrey Show will want to read my book". The editor will determine within the first sentence or two whether or not to continue reading the rest of your query, so it's extremely important to spend time crafting the best opening possible. If you have any media contacts or a way to position your book so that it will be irresistible for the media to cover, then say so in the first sentence. Media attention sells books, and that's what publishers are in business to do.

Point #4: Describe Your Product: In the second paragraph, provide a brief overview of your book. Give the editor a brief summary just as it might appear on the book's jacket. If possible, reference bestselling books within the same genre and point out why your book is different. Present facts about your work, not opinions. "The potential market is 5.8 million single women" is a fact. "This is the greatest book ever written" is an opinion. Tell the editor why your book will fill an unmet need in the marketplace. Keep it brief, and don't ramble. This is a case where less is more.

Point #5: About The Author: In the third paragraph, talk about yourself. Why are you writing this book? What are your credentials? Are you an expert in the field? Have you ever been published before? Do you have media experience or media contacts? If so, then let the editor know. If you have limited experience, say so. Be honest and straightforward. Experience helps, but lack of experience will not immediately disqualify you. Adding "fluff" to your resume will. Under no circumstances should you include information about your personal life unless such information is pertinent to selling the book.

Point #6: Leave Them Wanting More: Conclude your query letter by thanking the editor for his/her time and by offering to send your full book proposal (for non-fiction) or the first few chapters of your book (for fiction), and don’t forget to provide your contact information. If your query letter sparks the interest of the editor, he/she will contact you and ask for more information. So don't send a book proposal or sample chapters without being asked. Also, if you're sending a query to more than one editor, let them know that you have sent simultaneous queries. Likewise, if you're offering the editor a two week period of exclusivity (the method I recommend), then say so. Finally, don't include a SASE with your query. A SASE is most often used to send a form rejection letter back to the author. Don't leave the impression that you expect rejection. If interested, an editor will contact you immediately by phone or email. They won’t use snail mail.

Point #7: Proofread, Proofread, Proofread: A query letter is the first sample of a prospective author's writing that an editor will see. It should be perfect. If you can't produce a one-page letter professionally and free of error, why should anyone believe you can produce an entire book? Don't rely on spell check programs to find your mistakes, and remember that solid writing is produced by rewriting, rewriting, and rewriting. Rework each individual sentence until it's the best it can be. You've spent countless hours perfecting your manuscript. You can certainly spend a few hours perfecting your query letter.

Point #8: Presentation: You've spent the necessary time to create a knockout query letter. Now you have to present it to the editor in the correct fashion or else risk being dismissed as an amateur. It's important to print your query letter in black ink on 8 1/2 x 11, high quality, plain white paper using a LaserJet printer (no dot-matrix). If you have a letterhead, use it. But don't get too fancy. Don't use border patterns. Anything that detracts from the substance of your letter could trigger a rejection. When it comes time to mail your letter, use FedEx. This serves two purposes. First, because of the expense involved, it signals that you are a professional who obviously isn't sending mass queries to publishers all over the globe. Second, and most importantly, it gets opened. A FedEx envelope simply doesn't get thrown into the "slush pile". Other than concise, professional writing, using FedEx is the #1 way to differentiate yourself from the thousands of authors who query a publisher in any given year. Finally, don't use "gimmicks" or send gifts along with your query letter. Bribery and clever stunts can not replace great writing or a unique product idea. If you compose your letter correctly, you should be confident it will merit the response it deserves.

Utilize each of the 8 points above while drafting your query letter, and I guarantee it will be better than 99.5% of the queries a publisher receives in any given year. In addition, if a market exists for your book, a query letter crafted to the specifications of this outline will almost always generate a request for a book proposal or sample chapters within one week. At that point, you've got an editor interested in your book, and you're already halfway toward seeing it in print. So start working on your knockout query letter today!

Britt Gillette is the author of The Dittohead's Guide To Adult Beverages (Regnery 2005). He also runs The DVD Report (http://www.thedvdreport.com/), a site showcasing his personal reviews of movies and TV shows currently released on DVD.


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Trade Show Time

It is time to start thinking about trade shows and display booths. I know many people who host kiosks in the malls using display booths. I don't need anything fancy for selling books, but I do love to look at what is available, whether I need it - can afford it - or not. The displays shown at high end trade shows can give the small guys some ideas on how to compete.

The first thing is to consider yourself a real business that needs to be nurtured and promoted. Most small business owners never consider trade show booths or designer booths - costing them thousands of dollars in leads.

Show exhibits can be used in travelling trade shows or in a retail store - at a fraction of the cost of hiring a retail store designer. The 'secret of the game' is to give consumers the experience they want. When consumers are happy, they buy, and as the large online shopping stores are teaching us, the consumers don't care where they shop - as long as they get the desired experience.


What is a Professional Editor?

I work with several excellent editors.

We always come into contact with people who claim to be editors but don’t have a clue what the job entails. I decided to write a short tutorial to help writers learn how to hire an editor.

Why Hire an Editor

A professional editor, whether academic, fiction/publishing, or business editor talks the lingo, knows the trends, understands the styles, and structure demands.

The important thing to remember is that no one can edit all styles, even if they have a BA in English and are multi-published. I work with people who write for academic purposes. They include writing text books, essays for university students, speeches, and content for schools. At the most, editors can memorize 3 or 4 styles: MLA, APA, Harvard, British, New York, Medical, Scientific, Chicago, etc. There are 18 recognized ‘main’ grammar and style in the USA alone. No one can know them all.

There are also various vernaculars. Newspapers and most web writing is written at a grade eight level. Fiction novels have several vocabularies based on the genre.

Thrillers and literary are written at a post secondary level of English. Romance, mystery, fantasy are all written at a high school level. Historical novels bastardise English to mimic ancient dialects.

Structure is vital. Each of the fiction genres have a specific story arc structure that controls the flow of plot and character development through the book. The novel should also explore the human element. A writer who doesn’t have a solid understanding of the trials and pain of human life, different personality types, character archetypes, relationship counseling and shelf growth cannot promise to write a fiction novel which will be received favorably from publishing houses.

Types of Editors

There are different types of editors. A line editor knows all the different grammar styles and can write in several vernaculars. They can fix grammar mistakes without changing the writer’s style. Most of today’s editors are amateur line editors. They will look for tense variations, sentence structure that ventures from the acceptable style, spelling that is ‘wrong’ for the current country of publication, or typos.

Proofreaders do not change grammar, syntax, or prose. They only look for typos, missing periods, homonyms, etc. Most proofreaders can use the tools available with today’s word-processing software and finish a manuscript in less than 3 – 5 hours.

A full length book that is 99.99% accurate can still have 30 mistakes. This is tolerated in fiction, but is not in business or non-fiction writing.

Content editors know all about ACTs and Story Arcs. They can map a novel, outlining the character growth. They know where things should appear, how long conflicts and scenes should be. Ask a content editor who Joseph Campell is and they will talk about the hero’s journey and mythology.

A fiction editor should be a content editor and line editor. A great way to find a good editor is to ask them what story arc they use, do they have a preferred character growth arc, and how many of their client’s books are published.
Never focus on how many of their books are published – because they had a professional editor helping them.

A non-fiction editor should have a basic understanding of the industry. They will prefer the APA or Harvard style of grammar. (Chicago/Showing is for fiction). Just asking an editor what style they use, and why, can separate the pros from the amateurs.



----------

Advice-Tips-Resources

If you want to learn the 'ins and outs' of investing in Forex, property, or stocks without feeling pressured to buy, then visit www.getrich.net. Ray has a great website with more than 100 articles to help you learn 'how to invest smart.'

Inbound Links are Like Friends



Page rank is important. But, inbound links should be seen as friends. Good ones will lift you up - bad ones will pull you down.

Ecommerce businesses who have a shopping cart or ebusiness needs to increase traffic. They need more exposure. Pro Bloggers need higher page rank so they earn more money from their blogs. A PR3 blog will earn about $5 a post. A PR6 will earn $40.

This is a good article but I think that #5 can be written in more detail. A blog or website should be built around less than 20 keywords. Keyword phrases are better than keywords. It is also important to make sure that you have keyword anchored text inside the content. This is the best place for link building - inside the article.

This article also tells you that you need to build links but not HOW to build links. I wrote an article a couple days ago on that topic. I've written seven, but you need to know about link quality and link rank before you can build a link building campaign.


Better Search Engine Ranks - 5 Tips to Get In Good with Google

If you want a successful website, then you'll have to take search engine rankings if you want the free traffic that the search engines can provide. As one of the most popular search engines, receives over 300 million searches per day and has literally billions of pages in the Google index. So, you definitely want to get in good with Google for success on the web. Let's talk about how you can get better search engine ranks with Google. Here are a few tips that can help.

Tip #1 - Use Keywords in the URL - If you want better search engine ranks with Google use your primary keywords in the URL. When you make the website name or even when you create other pages to the website, using specific keywords in the URLs can definitely help you get better search engine rankings with Google and other search engines as well.

Tip #2 - Use Keywords in Page Names - As you create content for your site, name each page after the primary keyword for that page without overdoing it. Your visitors should be able to instantly tell what the page is about from the page name. But don't go overboard with long-tail phrases because if they are too long they can get cut off in search engine results. Overly long page names can also be penalized by Google and other search engines as spam.

Tip #3 - Use Keywords in Web Content - While you shouldn't totally jam your content full of keywords, using your keywords throughout your content and articles, will help you achieve better search engine rankings.

Tip #4 - Build Back Links - Link popularity is critically important. You need to make building back links a priority if you want to get in good with Google. There are a variety of different ways that you can build up links that point back to your site. You can use Forum posts and press releases but the method I highly recommend is article marketing.

Tip #5 - Theme of the Page and Entire Site - The theme of your site and each page should be in agreement. Instead of jumping from topic to topic, it is best to keep your site and each page focused on one theme to get better ranks with Google. While your site does not have to be one single, narrowly focused topic, it should not stray from a central theme of related topics.



Want more traffic to your site without paid advertising? Bruce Nolan helps you solve your traffic problems by harnessing the power of article marketing at http://www.bestarticleblog.com/

Free SEO Tool: Keyword Analyzer

It is very hard to learn how to manage keywords properly. Most people either use too many, or two few. The optimum is 3 - 5% keyword density. More than 7% density, repeatedly through a website can seriously damage the Google Page Rank.

However, this is most important when writing free content and press releases. There is a free Press Release SEO Toolthat will help make sure your articles receive the exposure you need.

It is easy to use, nothing to download, and doesn't require HTML knowledge. Just paste your article and let the tool calculate the keyword density percent. That is all. You can adjust the article to fit the search engine rules, and tweak out words that might confuse search engines.

Example, let's say that your keywords should be photography. But, after using this tool, you might find that your highest keyword is your home town. This means that search engines will bring up your press release for people looking for things in your town, and may never bring it up for people looking for photography.

This is one of the most invaluable tools I've found for web marketing and small businesses.


How to Pick a Networking Group

When small businesses work together they can level the playing field, giving each member a chance to survive on the Internet. If you surf the net you’ll find tons of joint ventures and large networking groups. The foundation is solid. Their theories work – to a point.

Most programs fail because they are comprised of thousands of small business owners who are only interested in promoting their products. No one attends meetings to buy, or to help others. They just want someone to help them with their venture.

Make Your Own Networking Group

The best groups are 3 – 12 people. Anything larger attracts the ‘free loaders’ who sap the groups resources and move to the next group. The theory is simple. Each person spends 3 – 5 hours a week marketing their own business, hunting for resources, learning new theories. If each member uses that 3 – 5 hours as part of a group, one person looks for resources, one person learns, one person promotes, they can expand their abilities by x5.

Example: Person A builds 10 inbound links in an hour. Instead of building for themselves, they build 3 links for 4 different members. Each member builds links for each other. 4 people building 3 links for each member, including themselves, equals 16 links ...not the original 10. Each member makes 2 extra links, but they earn 6 extra links.

This can be done using training, building resources, building websites. Each member can bank time into the skills they know best.

A Right Way and A Wrong Way

The biggest mistake is bringing together a few dozen people, charging a fee, and then waiting for something to happen. It won’t. This type of group usually frustrates the members leading them to believe it is a scam.

Large groups will work, but only if everyone book hours. Lets’ say you (member A) want a website made. Member B makes websites. Member B wants marketing, which Member C can do. Member C needs 10 articles written, which member A does.

This will work, but only if there is a forum or group where someone is in charge. Maybe the person in charge can bank their ‘hours’ by helping the others. Keep the group manageable like happens at www.divanetworking.blogspot.com where less than 20 members work to build each other’s page rank and traffic.

Don't Ruin Your Success

Answering these questions will tell you what type of work at home business you will succeed at, and whether you are predestined to run your own business, or work with an organization. Everyone will have some of these to a greater or lesser extent. The ability to succeed is based in our ability to take an honest look at ourselves and prevent our weak personality traits from sabotaging our success.

1. I don’t read self help books, or I read self help books but they don’t help.

If your marriage is on the rocks, then you try to fix what is wrong with your spouse. If you are not being promoted at work, then it is because people are against you. You have lofty goals, but something always gets into the way.

There is no right answer to the above. It is the attitude that is pulling you down. Your boss may be against you, but your unwillingness to admit that you have faults and work ‘hard’ to fix them (no matter how hard it hurts) is what is ruining your chances of success.

2. You let your emotions make decisions for you.

You are going to buy a car. You walk into a lot and walk out with a car. You never sit down and calculate the true, long-term, cost of the car. You drive it and then buy – trusting your 10 minute drive to tell you everything you need to know about the make, model, manufacturer, and resell value of the car.

You stay in an unsatisfactory job for years because you are afraid that you’ll not measure up when you go to interviews. You would rather not try than have your feelings hurt.

These people find it easy to start a project , but they rarely finish them. They may write a book, but they won’t edit it. They will set up a web-business, but won’t do the internet marketing.

3. You are afraid of making choices.

You date for years, always wondering if this is the right one, will something better come along, what happens if they change after marriage.

You won’t leave a bad situation – marriage – job – house – because it is a decision. This is especially dangerous when combined with a person who lets their emotions make decisions for them.

3. You are motivated by an emotional need.

You can be motivated by guilt
Your house is perfect because it makes you feel better than others
You write a book because authors are special
You fix things to keep others from being angry
You do without to keep others from being angry – you don’t like to rock the boat.
You can easily be emotionally blackmailed. You hate saying ‘no’ to anyone.

These emotional needs always pit us against others. We are always striving to be better than others. We may even have a victim complex, where we feel needed even thought we are being victimized.

4. Low Self Esteem

I am never doing enough
I let everyone down
I am always saying sorry

Test Your Ability To Succeed

Can you tell if you are able to run a successful home based business? The answer is yes. There are behavior patterns and a personality type that will make it easy to build a successful home based business. This doesn’t mean that you can’t build a successful home based business without having the ‘personality type for success.’ It just means that you’ll have to make adjustments and focus.

With the work at home professional, it isn’t so much the personality type that predestines someone for success, but their personality traits. These outweigh social status, education, or experience.

Every personality type has the ability to succeed in business. They all have strengths and weaknesses. While the true leader who works independently and is focused on work – not easily distracted – can succeed faster, this doesn’t mean that the artistic or amiable personality types won’t do well.

The first step is to determine what your personality type is. There are several ways to measure personality type, and many titles, but they all break down into 4: logical, driver, amiable, artistic.

Leader

A true leader is someone who brings out the best in others. They are not the type to become loud or abusive if others are not doing things ‘their way.’ They naturally know how to make others feel good. In fact, their goal is productivity, and they are willing to invest in others, mentor, train, and swallow their own frustrations to reach the goal of maximum productivity.

These people often fit well into a network, and have others who are ‘loyal’ to them. They may not know why others ‘flock’ to them, but they can establish a network where everyone succeeds. This is opposite of the ‘salesman’ who drains others for their own success. The salesman uses charisma, and feeds on other’s emotional weakness to get what they want.

Problem Solvers

The driver personality type holds both the leader and problem solving traits. It is important to know that the driver does not define people who bully, manipulate, or coheres people to do a job. The driver refers to someone who can motivate themselves. They do not stop work because it is ‘the end of the day.’ They are organized and can work for 8 hours without being distracted. If they are responsible for home and business, then they work through business hours, and then do the housework – they don’t try to blend both.

Thinkers

The successful entrepreneur doesn’t buy into the emotionally hype. They don’t buy a vacuum because the sales man says ‘how much do you love your wife.’ They don’t buy into a work at home scheme after seeing a picture of a man on a tropical beach doing nothing. They get all the facts and figures.

They don’t look for the easy way. They look for the way that works.

Risk Takers

They are risk takers, high in self confidence, and self motivated. Jumping into a business venture without research is not taking a risk. Building the tools needed to succeed and then jumps into a highly successful fields.

Mature

It is naïve to think that you can start a business and start making money immediately. The successful person will have read enough books on their topic before going into business. You can assess a person’s ability to succeed fairly accurately by asking 2 questions. First, have they read a book on running a business? Two, do they just start working and expect they can succeed on their current knowledge. If the answer is no to the first, and yes to the second, then they will wait a long time to succeed.

The entrepreneur doesn’t waste 3 – 16 months doing ‘what they think is right’ before they (in most cases) accidentally discover why they are failing.

Determined

They are determined. If a program doesn’t work, they start learning. They don’t quit. They will have a set of goals, and even an exit plan. Their projects usually work because they have a plan – in writing. They have created a business plan. They have prepared themselves for success.

Most people push themselves through a business to a certain point and then hit a dead wall because they don’t know what to do next, and they don’t know why their project is not working, so they quit and try the next thing that ‘looks good.’
If you give each of these a 1 – 10 scale, and then put yourself on the scale realistically, then you’ll be able to measure your natural ability to succeed. If you rank lower, then you need ‘aids’ like schedules, books, courses, and networking groups.

Using Writing as a Cancer Theraphy

Writers have long known the health benefits of writing. The medical world is discovering the benefits of writing as a theraphy. Writing can even reduce the stress and severity of cancer, according to the journal The Oncologist. They claim that the younger a person is, and those recently diagnosed, were most likely to benefit.

The key is to write thoughts and feelings, or the cognitive processing and emotions related to cancer. The patients who just wrote about facts showed no health benefits.

Twenty minutes of expressive writing can change 49% of people and how they feel about their thoughts on the illness, while 38% said their feelings towards their situation had changed.


Writing can reduce stress and helps people come to terms with things that happen in their life. This empowers them, brings closure, and helps calm people. Anyone can start writing in a journal. IF you cannot write, then make an audio recording of your journal.

Living Debt Free is Possible

It is possible to live debt free. I did everything the 'right way' the first time and ended up bankrupt. Now, 5 years after buying a house I am only $70k in debt and expect to be out of debt in another 5 years. All this with an income of less than $40k a year. It is possible.

You can pay your mortage off earlier. In fact 1/2 of your mortgage payment is interest. There are ways to pay a mortgage down fast by reducing the interest you must pay. We pay weekly, but we also pay a couple thousand off a year. This doesn't seem like much, but it makes a dramatic difference in the amount we must pay.





Learn How to TERMINATE Your MORTGAGE and Live Debt Free!. You can. All you need to do is learn the ins and outs of a mortgage and how they are managed.




Dangers of Illegal Link Building

Link building will build web popularity, Page Rank, and increase where you appear on the SERPs (search engines results pages). But not all links will benefit you. In fact, some of them can damage your SEO efforts.

Off Topic Websites

Link farms, link exchanges and off-topic websites that are thinking quantity vs. quality can actually damage your efforts. According to the Google webmaster guidelines, reciprocal linking can get you banned.

"get thousands of back links to your website for only $39.95 per month"

Translate this into SEO terms means, pay $39 a month and the company will ensure you will get banned. If your PR is dropped to 0, or if you are banned, then just toss the domain name and start over.

Another way to get banned is to submit to search engines every month. Submitting once every six months is safe.

Buying a high PR domain name can also be dangerous. The Black Hat SEO shysters know how to make money building links. They can sell PR7 links for a few hundred a month. But, they also know when their domain name is about to be banned.

Buying into a high PR domain name before researching it can spell disaster for your Internet Marketing campaign.

If you are banned, file a re-inclusion request and pray. Apologize for violating the terms of service. Eliminate the instances of abuse. Give it a few weeks - but don't hold your breath.

If you even 'think' that something is going wrong, and it isn't your fault, then contact the search engine and throw yourself on their mercy. This is far more successful than waiting until they ban you.

But, as my mother said, 'it's better to be safe than sorry.'