Archives for May, 2008
Posted on May 16, 2008 under Uncategorized |
Cherie Blair insists she will not quit as a judge after a senior barrister says her memoirs are bringing the law into disrepute.
If you are looking for a compact SUV that is a luxury vehicle, you likely discovered the BMW X3. BMW actually doesn’t refer to them as an SUV, but rather as SAV, or sport activity vehicle. The latest versions of the X3 come equipped with heated seats, adaptive headlamps, panoramic sunroof, and an 3.0si engine with 260 horsepower. For improved safety, the BMW X3 also comes equipped with xDrive, which allows the vehicle to compensate before the driver might be aware of an unstable situation, thus improving your safety in potentially dangerous driving conditions. When you are looking at your options for satellite radio for BMW X3, integrating XM satellite radio into your BMW is a great choice. BMW X3 and satellite radio offers you all of your favorite radio stations with perfect reception no matter where you might be traveling in your BMW.
If you enjoy rock, then you will like the fact that XM’s two powerful satellites are nicknamed “Rock” and “Roll.” They are orbiting Earth in a similar manner as other communications satellites.
Satellite Radio gives you so many options. With 100 channels of music, talk radio, news and entertainment, you are sure to find something great to listen to while in your car, even if you are no where close to a radio station transmitter. Your locale, no matter where that might be, is no obstacle to XM’s two Hughes HS 702 satellites. Those two powerhouses send any XM channel you wish right to your car’s radio. The satellite radio’s lineup of outstanding radio begins at a ground station located near Washington, D.C., which sends their signal to the satellites, which then beam the signals down to Earth, and those signals are picked up by radio receivers designed to play the digital data they receive from the satellites.
If you are traveling in an urban area where there are a lot of tall buildings, you might have experienced intermittent gaps in your traditional radio reception. All of that is a thing of the past with XM Satellite Radio, because there are also transmitters placed strategically on the ground so you will always have great reception in your BMW X3 SAV.
XM Satellite Radio is a subscription service. For a small monthly fee you receive 100 channels of all your favorite programming that plays crystal clear no matter where you might be driving in your BMW X3. No traditional terrestrial radio can offer you the same listening excellence as can satellite radio.
Another aspect that many drivers favor when it comes to listening to their bmw x3 satellite radio is the lack of commercials that play on the channels. On terrestrial radio, commercials can really break up the flow of the music or other programming. That annoyance is taken away with XM, when you can choose your favorite channels that feature your favorite artists or speakers.
Wayne Hemrick is an audio technician specializing in the installation of satellite radio. Wayne is knowledgeable about the many audio options and upgrades for your BMW, including the satellite radio. If you have ever considered upgrading to xm stereo, this clear explanation of satellite radio will help you get started.
Gadget Articles
www.goodbetterbestaudio.com
Chess Web Optimisation Specialists
Posted on May 15, 2008 under Uncategorized |
No Moon landing and Cold War nearly over - experts got it wrong
OK, say you’ve got one thousand of your favorite MP3 songs sitting in your hard disk. What’s the best way to enjoy those files? Most of us probably will use the Windows Media Player to listen to those files. but did you know there are other more innovative and interesting ways playback MP3, WMA and WAV files?
Let’s take a look at the five methods.
Use MusicMatch Jukebox
If you think most that most PC programs for playing digital music look like the built-in Windows Media Player, think again. There are programs out there that go far beyond the Windows Media Player in functionality. One great example is Musicmatch Jukebox from Musicmatch. Musicmatch Jukebox is quite simply the world’s best digital music player. It supports playback of various music formats like audio CDs, MP3s, Internet streams, WMAs, WAV files and more. You also get CD burning, music ripping and music organizing capabilities. The Plus version even allows you to automatically tag your music files with detailed info and album art!
Use a Portable MP3 Player
Portable music players like the Apple iPod, Creative Nomad and Rio Nitrus have taken the market by storm. You don’t have to be confined to your desktop PC or laptop to listen to digital music! The portable music players can allow you to take your music anywhere. The compact size of MP3 and WMA music formats means that you can literally take a jukebox of thousands of songs whereever you go! You may also want to check out my review of the top 5 portable music players here. There are also other portable music options, including handphones with MP3 support.
Use a PDA
The latest Pocket PC or Palm-based personal digital assistants (PDAs) can also act as music players. Pop in a large memory card (e.g. 64 MB) and you can store many MP3 or WMA files. Then hook up a headphone, launch the music software in the PDA and you’re good to go! I personally own a HP iPaq 2210 which effectively keeps track of my appointments and doubles up as a music player.
Use Your Car Stereo
This is my favorite way of listening to my MP3 collection. I recently bought a car stereo that can playback native MP3 songs. This means that I can pop in a data CD containing hundreds of MP3 files and the car stereo will play them! This does not work on conventional car stereos. If you own a conventional car stereo, but still want to listen to your MP3 songs, one way is to create an audio CD from your music files first. The car stereo will then have no problem interpreting and playing back the audio CD. Of course, in this case, you’ll be limited to about 14 to 17 tracks of music only.
Use Your Home Stereo
If you’re a music lover, you probably already have a home stereo. Use it to listen to your MP3 music files! However, take note that Like car stereos, conventional home stereos will not be able to play back native MP3 songs. You will need a newer home stereo set with MP3 playback capability. New models from Kenwood, Panasonic, Pioneer and Sony usually have MP3 support.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many ways to enjoy that digital music collection of yours. My favorite methods of listening to digital audio files is via a portable music player or the car stereo. Of course, you may have your own preference - some people like to listen to music off their desktop PC or laptop. Decide which method(s) is suitable for you and go for it!
About The Author
Gary Hendricks - http://digital-music-guide.com
gary_hendricks@digital-music-guide.com
Computer that - SEO, SEM
Return of Web Investment
www.roiweb.biz
Posted on May 15, 2008 under Uncategorized |
Visit BBC News for up-to-the-minute news, breaking news, video, audio and feature stories. BBC News provides trusted World and UK news as well as local and regional perspectives. Also entertainment, business, science, technology and health news.
Audio is a great tool for your lead generation and relationship building, and it also makes a relatively easy-to-produce info-product that you can use to generate revenue. If you have a service business, especially any service that is very personal or intimate, or if it’s very important that your prospects trust you and really feel comfortable with you before they would consider becoming your client, then audio would be a great asset to your marketing mix.
Audio adds the human factor to your business and, as we all know, people do not do business with businesses, they do business with other people. By using audio, you become a “real person” instead of a total stranger and you start the rapport building process.
With audio, you can convert most prospects into customers. In general, audio is much more entertaining than, say, a brochure or a sales letter, so it allows you to elicit more of a response from your prospects. Because you’re tapping into the listener’s senses, your prospect becomes more engaged in your message. As you know, it’s impossible to convert a prospect into a customer if he’s not receiving your message, and audio delivers your message in a more intimate way. Studies show that people remember only 20% of what they read but they’ll remember up to 70% of what they hear. If you want your prospects to act on your message, they’ll need to remember it!
Audio also allows you to distinguish yourself from your competition. Because even though audio is easily available to even the smallest businesses, most companies are still not taking advantage of this unique marketing opportunity. So by adding audio into your own marketing mix you’re really differentiating yourself from the others in your industry.
You can use your audio, whether it’s a CD or a podcast or web-based, as a means of introducing yourself to your prospects, and explaining the products and services you offer. If you offer a product or service that is technical or somehow requires training for your customers, audio is a great way to provide this training, or this in-depth information. It’s much more personal than a written instruction manual, and it can also be used in conjunction with a written manual.
According to educational psychologists, up to half of the population learns best by listening. Now consider this - according to those same educational psychologists, learning is increased exponentially with repetition. So when you’re using audio to present any technical aspect, your prospects can listen to it over and over again, and this repetition aids in learning. And since you, in effect, are the one who taught them, you become the expert.
You can use audio to present your client testimonials. You can have a full CD of client testimonials, or you can include audio testimonials on your web site. Similar to testimonials are audio product reviews, we’ve been using audio testimonials for a few years now, but even more powerful than testimonials is the audio product review.
You can also use audio to present tips, or frequently asked questions, and it’s a great branding tool. Plus, it’s portable, so your prospects can take your marketing message with them. They can pop your CD into their car stereo or download your mp3 onto their ipod. Distribution is very easy.
By using audio as a marketing vehicle you can free up your time and reduce the number of hours you work. Audio allows you to automate your sales process, because you create your presentation one time and it gets delivered over and over again. You make multiple copies of your CD or upload an mp3 to your web site and the audio is distributed to tons of different customers. And each time, it’s a very personal, rapport-building presentation.
Another way audio allows you to leverage your time is because it helps filter out your prospects. Through your CD or your mp3 not only are you presenting your marketing message, but you’re also presenting yourself. Your prospect gets to know you on a more personal level and he can then decide if you and your services are a good fit for his needs. The prospects who respond to your audio message already feels a bond with you - you don’t need to waste a lot of your time trying to personally convince your prospect. He’s already made up his mind by listening to your audio. So you end up with more time to work with prospects who are, in a sense, pre-qualified.
In general, adding audio to your marketing mix helps:
- reinforce your brand
- create “top-of-mind” awareness of your products and services
- intensify your exposure with your prospects
- increase impulse purchases
- provide greater reach than display ads
- free up staff by presenting your sales and marketing messages an unlimited number of time
Ready to take advantage of this great marketing medium? Be sure to request a copy of my FREE Quick Start Guide To Using Audio In Your Marketing Mix at http://www.modernimage.com/freereports/audio.htm.
Karen Scharf helps small business owners attract and retain more clients. Karen coaches and trains website owners on various tricks and techniques that have been proven to increase website conversion. She offers coaching programs and a Marketing Makeover to turn your ineffective advertising into a profit-pulling system. Grab your FREE checklists, whitepapers and reports, You can also get a FREE subscription to Successful Site Secrets at http://www.SuccessfulSiteSecrets.com
http://www.thecommuter.co.uk
http://www.thecommuter.co.uk
Good Better Best Car Audio
Posted on May 14, 2008 under Uncategorized |
The use of beta blocker drugs before surgery to cut the risk of heart problems may be counter-productive, research suggests.
Car enthusiasts agree that one of the most pleasurable automobiles available is the BMW. Known for their distinctive kidney-shaped grills, four headlights, and a sleek aerodynamic shape, drivers know BMWs offer a reliable ride every time you sit behind the wheel. There are so many models to choose from, and body styles range from sedans, sports wagons, coupe, convertible, roadster and sport activity vehicles, so you will be sure to find exactly the right car to meet your specific desires as well as needs. When it comes to your car’s audio system, there is nothing like listening to your music from your iPod. With a BMW iPod kit, you can always have the exact tunes or podcasts that you want to listen to, anytime you want to go for a drive.
There are iPod car audio adapters, as well as iPod holders for use in your vehicle. Excellent integration kits offer great sound and flexible control for the iPod. You can direct its actions from the iPod unit itself, the steering wheel or your car’s radio. Some of the best adaptors will also charge your iPod so that it is always ready to play. Some BMW iPod kits also come with a cradle that allows for a video out function, so you can watch video on your iPod. A good cradle will allow you to rotate, tilt and angle your iPod for the best position.
Some kits can be installed fairly quickly as well. A cable connects to the iPod on one end and the adapter on the other. The adapter then is connected to your car’s radio through the vehicle’s CD changer connection. That’s it. Whether you have a 3G, 4G with color and monochrome, a 5G with photo and video, a mini or a Nano, you will find it a simple matter to connect your iPod to your BMW’s existing audio system.
You will be pleased to know that many BMW iPod kits run very well on the factory radio already installed in your BMW. You should be able to browse your song list from your car’s radio.
You will also have the capability of fine-tuning the treble, mid and bass to the levels you most prefer for the type of music you listen to in your vehicle. It is important to note that if the equalizer and bass boost are turned on on your iPod, this can distort the sound that it produces when it is played through your car’s audio system, so it is best to turn both off, and experience the clean sounds that you have come to expect from your digital music on your iPod.
Wayne Hemrick is an audiophile and BMW driver who appreciates audio excellence. In this article Wayne reveiws the BMW iPod kit. Offering customized placement, the BMW iPod kit lets you always have the exact tunes and podcasts to listen to anytime you go for a drive. Drives in your BMW just got more fun when you have the bmw ipod kit installed in your car.
Reviw of Car Audio Systems
Chess Web Optimisation Specialists
http://www.tooboring.com
Posted on May 14, 2008 under Uncategorized |
The disease tends to affect older people - but can strike at any time.
Most televisions do not come packaged with their own mounting frames and it can sometimes be a daunting task selecting the right one for your needs let alone trying to actually mount it on a wall.
Fixing lcd or plasma tv frames to walls can be a tricky business especially if the fitter has little or no previous experience with do it yourself projects. Also sufficient time should be set aside to carefully plan and consider where in the room you are going to place the television set.
Choosing the right frame
The television is more often than not the focal point of the family sitting room and there is nothing better than watching a great movie in the company of loved ones. That said when the television is not switched on, your gaze will still unfortunately be drawn to it but instead it will now be a depressing empty back square
Fortunately you can buy custom plasma tv frames that smartly conceal the set in a number of different ways:-
Firstly and probably the oldest method is to hide the screen in a self contained unit looking not dissimilar to a wooden cabinet. The motorised mechanism allows the screen when switched on to rise from the cabinet. This is best suited as at the foot of the bed in the style of an ottoman.
You can also hang plasma tv frames from the ceiling! These ingenious motorised designs allow for the tv to either drop or fold down from a concealed panel in the ceiling. These are probably the most costly plasma tv frames on the market and careful consideration needs to be taken into account when assessing the structure of the building bearing in mind the weight of a large plasma screen.
The most popular and fashionable art of camouflage is to hide the screen from view behind a picture. Again, there are various ways this can be done. Typically the screen would be hidden from view by a hand picked piece of artwork complete with frame. This would either roll or rise up or slide to the side. This is probably the cheapest and most practical method to hide your screen and would be ideally suited to the sitting room above a mantelpiece.
Many of the specialised plasma tv frames will also allow the screen to be tilted or swivelled to achieve the optimum viewing angle. The design opportunities are endless and you can even buy a plasma that turns into a mirror! How cool would that be to be brushing your teeth in the bathroom whilst watching the breakfast show picture in picture!
Groundwork and Preparation
The majority of us will simply be installing standard wall mounted plasma tv frames which the average Joe should be quite capable of fitting if the correct planning and preparation is adhered to.
Read your tv manual for mounting guidelines. Some models require the use of specific plasma tv frames whilst others will be compatible with a range of third party frames.
Make sure the spot where you intend to hang the screen is not in direct sunlight making it difficult to view.
Also check the maximum weight capacity of the frame and that it will support your television set. Make sure the wall is free from any obstacles and certainly check for electrical wires and pipe work that may be hidden in the wall.
Ensure you have the right tools to hand. A power drill, tape measure, screwdriver, pencil and spirit level will all be essentials.
Finally make sure you have a friend available with strong and steady hands to assist you as these sets can weigh in excess of 90lbs. Trying to hang anything straight on a wall single-handed is difficult enough let alone a plasma television.
If careful planning and preparation together with accurate measurements made, you will have the job done in no time at all!
Vicki Churchill writes for several sites including a sites that specializes in plasma tv frames and designer car interiors and wedding table ideas, a great source for wedding table ideas and special occasions.
Chess Web Optimisation Specialists
Chess Articles
Web Optimisation, Search Engine Optimisation, Search Engine Marketing
Posted on May 13, 2008 under Uncategorized |
Gordon Brown pledges to reform the social care system to cope with England’s ageing population.
How much does your car weighs? 1 ton? 2 tons?
What if I say your car can weigh as much as 15 tons and as little as 100 grams?
People mistake mass for weight.
The weight is but the multiplication of a mass by a force, a momentum of that force to be more precise.
Gravity is a force that pulls you towards the center of the Earth, inertia is another force that makes you offer resistance to trajectory shifts and so on. On Earth, gravity momentum provides all objects a constant vertical force, which multiplied by our mass, results in our weight.
In space, you have the same mass, but your weight is zero.
But we are not in space
Correct, we are in Earth’s atmosphere and subject to Earth gravity.
As I said before, the mass never changes which means our weight is always the same… well, not exactly. If you remember right, I said weight implies an acceleration (or momentum) so, our weight would remain the same if and only if the only force (gravity acceleration) would be the Earth’s gravity, but it’s not.
Weight… Shifts!
Indeed it shifts. Cutting the chase lets go down to driving.
When you hit the gas the weight of your car “shifts” to the back, the back tires, the back chassis, the car “squats”.
If the acceleration is amazingly violent, the front will be so light the front tires may be unable to steer from being almost up in the air. When you hit the brakes the weight shifts forward - on a extremely rough breaking maneuver, your rear gets so light that in that moment a little kid could turn your car over by raising it’s tail effortlessly.
That’s not all…
The seat belt
The weight not only “shifts” but also increases in the movement direction, you may weigh 77 kilograms in the vertical but you will also weigh in the horizontal…
If you are accompanied by a woman on your side with a seat belt, but that same women is holding a 5 kilogram baby in the arms, in a crash, at the crash momentum, the baby can weigh up to 5000 kilograms or more, now, can any women hold on to 5 tons?
The same goes for heavy sharp objects in your car. An Innocent hydraulic lifter in the trunk may turn into a 50000 kg per inch pressure bullet trespassing all the car in a crash. So, do you still think you drive well?
Ok, that might be, but that’s not all. “G’s” are not just up in the curves and on them, you have weight shift in multiple directions… on we go.
Braking
Modern electronics have made it easy to brake nicely by stopping tire locking and shifting the brakes balance on all four wheels, so I’m going to assume your car is geared with ABS and some sort of EDB (braking stability control).
I’d say most cars are quite safe to drive beyond limits unthinkable 20 years ago, but braking still needs some issues approach.
While turning, the weight also shifts to the tires in the turn opposite direction, as does suspension, the car “lays down” towards the opposite direction you are turning to, the car’s side on the inside of the turn will be amazingly light… a little wind is all it may take to turn it over, and if you have people on the “lay ed” side of the car, their weight increases also, as does the stress on their side.
If you brake while turning hard, the weight will go forward and towards the opposite side of the turn direction, that means most of the “stress” will be on one tire alone, the front one opposite to the side you are turning too, what does this mean?
Control
By knowing where the weight is you can act/react correctly. If your tail starts to shift when you break hard in a turn (curve), all you need is more weight in the back, hence, throttle press or brake release BUT there are more variables to consider…
Power issues
You have certainly seen “burnouts” with rear-traction vehicles where the drive gives way to much power to the rear wheels and the ground surface resistance is not enough for the wheels to grip - once they grip, the squat is so hard the front of the car ceases to exist and you have uncontrollable slides all the way.
I’m only talking weight here, so we are not going yet into traction matters - I’ll go into front and rear drives under/overstear/counter-breaking issues later - which only add more forces to the equation.
If you brake very hard, remember that your tail will be light as a feather and if it “slips” you need to get weight into it to control it, hence, hit the gas or release the brakes. Then again, if you hit the gas pedal hard - specially with a lot of horse power - remember the front will be lighter and you may loose turning grip, so all it takes is pressing the brakes gently or relieving the gas pedal slightly for the weight to return to the front tires and you get traction back so you can turn.
If you are turning remember the stress goes to the side of the car opposite to the turn direction, if it threats to “turn over” all you need is to counter the massive weight shift by re balancing the car (ending the turn or turn the opposite way - which means turn into the direction the car’s weight is shifting to - this in extreme situations) so that the weight gets back on all tires.
Many professional drivers “cut” the turns with the wheel, thus means they slightly turn/straight/turn/straight the wheel in a “zig-zag’ish” way during the turn to avoid the super-stress on one side of the car and lack of weight on the other, this in very extreme “G”-force conditions.
Also remember that having one more person in the car adds mass to it, not well balanced nor fixed mass, and when accelerating and breaking, the harder you do it, the more that same mass weighs and unbalances the full car weight set leading to strange weight shifts - four people in your car mean a lot more stress on your brakes at violent stops, same goes for violent turns and so on.
This all results in the second most important thing you must achieve when driving (the first is the “Don’t” I wrote about in another post): being as smooth as humanly possible, no matter how fast you go, be smooth - the most risk inducing factor is lack of smoothness, be smooth, gen til, a harder maneuver may result in fatal weight shifts, even at low speeds, enough for you to loose control.
With a good traction stability control system - most don’t have this yet - your car usually does all this for you when you go nearly over it’s dynamic limits.
I think we’ve grasped the subject, but there’s a whole lot more to be said about it.
Stay tuned, drive safe. Article featured at: http://www.alvaromrocha.com/en/2007/10/driving-is-heavy.html
© Alvaro M. Rocha
Alvaro M. Rocha. IT and audio engineer, composer, producer, performer: a professional musician.
He is also a martial arts instructor, skilled driver, agressive (stock)market daytrader and mentor available for pre-selected hire.
That, among other things.
Learn more at: http://www.alvaromrocha.com
www.goodbetterbestaudio.com
Return of Web Investment
Chess Blog
Posted on May 13, 2008 under Uncategorized |
Channel 4 drama Boy A wins three Bafta Craft Awards, which celebrates the work of those behind the scenes of TV shows.
As someone in the business of selling Internet marketing services, I also am concerned with maximizing the value of each article for my own business. In other words, how can I increase the number of potential prospects who read my articles?
Publication of my articles at Search Engine Guide is only the first step of capitalizing on each article’s lead generation potential. Over time, I have developed a multi-step process for ensuring that each of my sales messages is seen by the widest number of potential prospects.
Article gets published at Search Engine Guide. I don’t do anything until this happens.
Article gets posted on company website. Nothing earth-shattering here…but I am amazed how many article writers don’t do this.
Use Tristana Writer to create RSS Feed of article and place the feed on company website. Use RSS Submit to submit the RSS Feed to several dozen RSS Feed Directories. To be sure, RSS is the new frontier for website promotion. My logs tell the story…submitting your web feed widely will bring solid traffic to your website. Not bad for a step that might take 3 minutes to complete.
Create press releases announcing publication of my article in Search Engine Guide.
PRWeb: Still the “Big Daddy” of press release sites. Many of the press releases that I submit here get in excess of 100,000 reads through their extensive network. They do accept free press releases…however, I have found that to get optimum results, you need to contribute at the $40 level. I don’t know whether the features available at their “Basic,” “Eyecaster”, or “SEO Tools” levels are worth the expense.
PRLeap: Certainly not as popular as PRWeb…but I have found that when I check the search engines for my press releases, I see PRLeap results as often as I see them on PRWeb. Like PRWeb, you can submit your releases for free or pay for preferred placement. PRLeap gives preference to the top 30 press releases each day…I have learned that if I push my release out several days, I can get into the top 30 without paying. I assume that’s not going to go on much longer.
Arrivenet: The newest entry in effective press release sites. For converting visitors, I find Arrivenet to be on par with PRLeap and behind PRWeb. However, one beneficial feature of Arrivenet is that you have the option of deviating from the typical “press release format”. PRWeb and PRLeap will bounce press releases that they feel are too sales-oriented. Arrivenet seems to run anything that I send them. In fact, they will run not only the press release, but the article too. All press releases are free, though you can pay for embedded text links within your release…I have yet to do this. Arrivenet releases also do well in the search engines.
Submit Articles to Article Submission Sites. I admit I didn’t turn on to this until the Jagger update. I should have. Article submission brings me both targeted traffic and non-reciprocal on-topic inbound links. I believe that article submission will be the top white-hat SEO technique of 2006.
Ezine Articles. Andy Hagans blog post about Ezine Articles is an excellent argument for why this is a superior site. My Ezine Articles page ranks very high in the SERPS when someone does a Google / Yahoo / MSN on my name, which is further evidence of site strength.
Article City. This site only produces about 20% of the traffic and conversions of Ezine Articles and I don’t like their site submission form…however, it is worth the time and effort to submit my articles here.
To sum up, when you’ve spent a lot of time crafting an article for lead generation, take a little extra to make sure it’s bringing your company maximum visibility.
Todd Mintz is the Director of Internet Marketing & Information Systems for S.R. Clarke Inc., a .
Return of Web Investment
Seo External Links That Work
RSS, SEO
Posted on May 11, 2008 under Uncategorized |
Nasa has unveiled a plan to boost its supercomputer power to help plan and model future missions.
Find definitions from A to G!
~~~~~~~~~~~ A ~~~~~~~~~~~
About the Author -
usually a few paragraphs to one page that describes the author. Written in 3rd person. Used for books, book proposals and sometimes articles.
Advance -
The amount of money paid to a writer by a publisher before a book is published. The amount varies depending upon a variety of factors like: the publisher; the writer’s background; and the type of book. Advances are sometimes paid in installments as the writer works toward publication. The payments come from the projected royalties of the book.
Advertorial -
An article or copy created by a writer that is being paid for by an advertiser (or “advertiser driven”). This definition can be complicated because while they may pay well, a writer must protect herself ethically by making sure her work is marked as advertising in some way or making sure her name does not appear on it. It is also to your benefit to specify from the beginning how many rewrites you’re willing to do.
Agent -
a liason between a writer and their publisher or editor. They try to sell the manuscript to a publisher or editor and they usually take a 10-15% fee from the royalties and the advance.
All Rights or Work-for-Hire -
This means that the publication you’re writing a piece for owns your work once it is submitted to them. Unlike “First Rights” - this type of deal prevents you from ever reselling your work and/or making money on it other than the one time payment you receive from them.
Anthology -
a collection of short stories written by various authors, compiled in a journal or a book, or a gathering of works by one author.
Assignment -
an article the publisher or editor has assigned to a writer for an agreed upon fee.
Attachments -
clips attached to an e-mail query. -(2) -research, photos, or charts, usually attached to a nonfiction book.
~~~~~~~~~~ B ~~~~~~~~~~
Backlist -
Books that are still in print, but are not being published during the current season.
Bio -
A short paragraph, usually less than 100 words, that tells about the writer.
Biography -
A life story of someone other than the writer.
Blank Verse -
Nonrhyming poetry, usually written in iambic pentameter.
Boilerplate -
A standard contract. Most agents and/or authors make many changes on the boilerplate.
Business size envelope -
A #10 envelope which is the standard size for sending business correspondence.
Byline -
The line (usually printed below the title of a published article) that states the name of the writer and to credit her with writing the piece.
~~~~~~~~~~~ C ~~~~~~~~~~~
C.V. or curriculum vitae -
Simply put - your resume.
CC or Contributor’s copy -
This usually means a copy or copies of a book or magazine sent to a writer whose work appears in that publication. Sometimes publishers offer this as a form of compensation instead of monetary payment to a writer whose work they choose to publish.
Category Fiction -
Includes all types of fiction. See also genre.
Chapbook -
A small booklet of poetry, ballads, or tales.
Clean copy -
a manuscript free of wrinkles, smudges, cross-outs, and errors.
Clips -
Copies of a writer’s published work, usually taken from newspapers or magazines, which serve as samples for prospective editors.
Column Inch -
The amount of space in one column inch of typeset for newspapers.
Commercial novels -
A general term referring to novels designed to appeal to a large audience. Often broken into categories such as romance, mystery, western, etc. See genre.
Copyediting -
Editing a manuscript for printing style, punctuation, and grammar, but not for the subject matter.
Copyright -
A means to designate ownership, and protect an author’s work. Most publishers will copyright the text in the name of the author so that when the work goes out of print, all rights return to the author and the book can be sold to another publisher.
Cover Letter -
A short (usually one page) introduction letter usually sent with a manuscript to remind the editor that the manuscript was requested. A cover letter may also be sent with a book proposal. It is not the same as a query letter.
Creative Nonfiction -
Nonfiction in the 1st person, that uses creative language and an innovative approach to the subject.
~~~~~~~~~~ D ~~~~~~~~~~
DF -
An abbreviation for dark fiction usually meaning the genre of dark fantasy.
Derivative Work -
An alteration of a previous work by annotating, condensing, adapted, translated, abridged, etc… This must have the written permission of the copyright owner of the original work.
Desktop Publishing -
A publishing method for a personal computer that can illustrate, layout, print, design, and typeset for distribution.
Distributor -
A company that provides services to publishers like - warehousing, fullfillment and marketing to bookstores.
Dummy -
Mock-up of a book with that includes: page breaks; illustrations; and text.
~~~~~~~~~~~ E ~~~~~~~~~~~
Eclectic -
A variety of different genres or writing styles.
Editor -
Chooses articles or novels and edits writing.
Editing Service -
A company that offers to copyedit, rewrite or provide similar assistance (for a fee) to writers. Many organizations for writers supply information on the quality and legitimacy of such companies.
Electronic Rights -
The definition of electronic rights or Web rights is not clear-cut at this point. Many publishers feel they have electronic rights when they buy “First Rights.” Most freelance writers disagree. The courts are going back and forth on the definition of this term. If a publisher’s contract includes “electronic rights” - you may want to specify how long you give them permission to keep your work published on the Web and/or try to negotiate additional payment for giving them “electronic rights.”
Electronic Submission -
A submission of an article or book proposal, manuscript or similar work sent to the editor electronically (usually by e-mail or on computer disk).
Experimental Fiction -
A term that usually applies to fiction that can be defined as innovative in content or style.
E-zine -
A magazine published online.
~~~~~~~~~~ F ~~~~~~~~~~
Fair Use -
A portion of the copyright law stating small passages from copyrighted material may be used without the owner’s permission.
First Rights or First American Serial Rights -
This usually means the rights that you sell, even if you do a story on assignment. It means you give the publication the right to run your piece one time and then the rights come back to you. It is to your benefit to specify “First Rights” on your work as this allows you to resell your work after the initial publication.
Fanzine -
Usually refers to a publication produced by speculative fiction fans, which features fan-written stories about characters from popular published stories.
Feature -
An article about human interests instead of news. Used in magazines to describe a distinctive department or a lead article.
Filler -
A short item used to complete a magazine or newspaper page such as: short humor, an anecdote, a timeless news item or light verse.
First person point of view -
The author reports or narrates the story from his or her point of view.
Flash Fiction -
Very short fiction pieces that vary in length from 100 words to 1,000 words depending upon the genre.
Flat Fee -
Same as “work-for-hire.” The illustrator or author is paid a lump sum for their work, and gets no royalties.
Formulaic Fiction -
Fiction that tells a story following a pre-formatted formula.
Frontlist -
Books published in the current season and shown in the publisher’s current catalogue.
~~~~~~~~~~ G ~~~~~~~~~~~
Galleys -
The first typeset of a manuscript before it’s been divided.
Genre/Category -
A term used to classify a writer’s work according to its content. Some examples of different types of genres include - erotica, gothic, mystery, poetry, romance, science fiction, and western.
Ghost Writer-
A book, story, article, or speech that is based on another person’s experience or ideas. No byline given for the writer.
GL or Guidelines -
The publisher’s instructions for writers to follow in order to submit their work to that publication.
Gothic Novel -
A genre or category of fiction that usually has a pretty young woman, a castle or mansion, a menace, and a hero.
© Danielle Hollister (2004) is the Publisher of the Free Ezine for Writers featuring news, reviews, and continuously updated links to the best resources for writers online like - freelancing & jobs, markets & publishers, literary agents, classes & contests, and more… Read it online at -
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Posted on May 11, 2008 under Uncategorized |
James Nesbitt is to star in a new drama about the Northern Ireland Troubles.
Being a business takes a lot of hard work, to put it mildly. Artists generally have experience in creating beauty, but are usually less than knowledgeable about the world of business and self-employment. It pays to work hard, to avoid that horrible starving artist cliche. Who needs to starve? By spending a lot of time building a reputation and trust in clients, the business will grow all by itself. The trick is to think like a savvy businessperson, not a fine artist.
First of all, advertising is very important. Without it, nobody knows who you are and what you have to sell. Learn how to sell, read, and absorb as much marketing knowledge as possible. The internet is a wealth of information. Focus your study on basic business building and marketing concepts, and then grow that knowledge by adding more study on it, later.
Join many clubs and organizations. Think like a business not a hobby. Don’t go crazy with fees and big titles. Just get your name out there, and do it as cheaply as possible. Word travels fast if you’re good and have products that people like.
Be realistic. Don’t expect to take over the marketing world overnight. Build on your knowledge. It may take years but that’s ok, it’s to be expected unless you have an unlimited marketing budget or an MBA to move ahead quicker.
Be professional. Copyright everything. Keep up with the legal side of everything. It pays to be professional and expect nothing but professionalism back from others you deal with. Customers will try to get something for nothing. Don’t take it personally but don’t cave in, be firm with what you think your items are worth, document everything and believe in yourself. Don’t let others control your business decisions unless you hire them to do so.
Put out a quality product. That goes without saying. Lousy product, no repeat customers, and your reputation suffers. Craftsmanship and professionalism. Don’t be late in delivering items, dress appropriately when meeting clients and be businesslike. Sloppy presentations will put you at a disadvantage. To stand out you must be a class act and so must your products.
Network, network, network. Attend functions, luncheons, fairs, whatever fits your niche in the world. Get to know others. Big executives do their networking on golf courses. You can network yourself anywhere. Keep business cards on hand and pass them out, don’t be shy.
Be picky about assignments. Don’t accept anything that comes along. This keeps your standard of work high and uncompromised. It’s good to get exposure but don’t give your work away to anyone who asks for it. If you do, you’ll be inundated with those who will tell you “I don’t have any money, but I can give you exposure if you just do ___ for me”. Nope. Get exposure on your own. You can bog yourself down with these kinds of projects and make nothing from it. If you want to donate work then be discriminating about it.
Have a budget and stick to it. Don’t get extravagant with spending or you’ll end up broke. The income of a freelance artist can be a windfall of cash one minute, and absolutely nothing, the next. Work towards more steady income without wild peaks and valleys. It pays to be sensible with money. Save a little whenever possible, to be used for strictly business purposes in the future. It takes practise.
Paying for a separate studio is great if you’re independently wealthy, if you aren’t, having one room of your living space for your art is best. It pays off not to have an extra rent to pay for. It’s all about the profit at the end of each month.
Promote others, and they will in turn promote you. Spread the word about yourself and others, and it’s amazing how fast good news travels.
If you aren’t fully self-supporting, get a side job. It’s part of paying your dues. Learn from any part-time job you have, try to get something that will teach you something about marketing, art or whatever your business is about.
The key is persistence, discipline and never to stop learning. If you’re an artist, it’s fun to do art you like doing, but also keep in mind, if you plan to sell what you do, you must appeal to your audience. Who is your audience? Target your work to them. You can still be yourself, you still call the shots. In art, whatever you do is your right. Artistic license. To be successful it is important to balance your uniqueness with being appealing to your customers. Make it work for you.
Carolyn McFann is a scientific and nature illustrator, who owns Two Purring Cats Design Studio. Educated at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, Carolyn is a seasoned, well-traveled artist and photographer. She has lived and worked in Cancun, Mexico for two years, among other interesting professional assignments in other countries. Clients include nature parks, museums, scientists, corporations and private owners. Her focus is on realistic, natural artwork and illustration through her agent and her website, . She has been the subject of tv interviews, articles for newspapers and other popular media venues.
http://www.beerandyoung.com
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Posted on May 09, 2008 under Uncategorized |
Mangrove deforestation in Burma left coastal areas exposed to Cyclone Nagris, a top politician suggests.
Fixing A Slow PC
If your PC is slow, investing in a top registry cleaner could be the solution to your computer problems.
The Windows operating system is centered around the Windows registry. It’s like the central nervous system of your computer. It contains the preference and settings files for all your software and hardware, and Windows constantly references the registry as you work on your PC.
The registry is structured in a system of HKEY’s and hives, but just like any filing system it’s prone to getting disorganized, cluttered, and even damaged.
How Does It Get Damaged?
There are many causes for damages to the registry. A few are:
- Viruses
- Spyware
- Incomplete Un-Installations of Programs and Drivers
There are several other causes, but those are the most common. The dynamic usage of Windows causes the registry to become cluttered over time with obsolete entries. By themselves these invalid entries are no cause for concern, however once they build up into the hundreds they start to cause problems.
Signs Of Registry Corruption
Some common signs of PC problems caused by the registry are:
- Slow Bootups
- Sluggish Performance
- Frequent Error Message (.dll and runtime errors are common)
- Crashes
- Freezes
- The Blue Screen Of Death
If you are experiencing some of those problems, you might want to scan your PC with a professional repair program.
The Top Registry Cleaner
The best software for the job is RegCure by ParetoLogic. We reviewed this software on an IBM Thinkpad T42 laptop. The software removed 728 invalid entries, and improved to boot speed of the laptop from 4 minutes 42 seconds to 2 minutes 44 seconds. The laptop also runs much faster with no errors or crashes.
It is highly recommended that you scan your computer with a free scan utility to determine if you need to clean the registry. We recommend cleaning it if you have over 300 errors.
For more information on the .
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