About Writing: Just Get Started!
I rarely suffer from what writer’s complain about the most and that is: writer’s block. Oh, sure, if I must write on a subject that I am not familiar with, then a certain amount of trepidation and the occasional blankness will set in. Still, if I accept a project I do so believing that I know enough about the topic to produce a compelling piece. Writing isn’t difficult for most accomplished writers, but you must get started. Here are some things that help get me going:
If I am stuck, I write some sort of outline. Okay, maybe not a formal outline but something containing a topic sentence; 2, 3, or 4 main points; followed by a conclusion. As you can read there are three parts to any article: an introduction, the body, and a conclusion. Sometimes certain parts of the article I have more to write about than others. For example, I may have my main points for the body, but I don’t have the introductory part down just yet. No matter, I keep working on my outline until I get something solid.
Once I have all three pieces together, I start to write. Okay, I start to “type” as almost all of my writings are created from scratch via Microsoft Word. There was a time when I had to write on legal sized lined paper and then move it over to a word processor. No more. Today, I rarely “write” anything as I have gotten so accustomed to my laptop computer. Thanks, Dell!
When I am done writing, I check my work to see if it makes sense. Sometimes nothing I write is all that sensible, so I delete what I write and start over again. This is a rare occurrence, but it does happen.
After I come up with a reasonable draft, I scour it to check for misspellings, grammar usage, prose, etc. Many times I have the “bones” of the article, but it lacks “meat” or substance. In these particular cases I “flesh out” the article which usually involves refining sentence structure, clarifying a thought, swapping out words, or inserting or deleting entire sentences or paragraphs.
If I feel reasonably certain about what I wrote, I will do a final run through it to make sure it sits well with me. Occasionally, I put an article to the side and go do something else or I “sleep on it” and take a fresh look at the article the next day.
So, if you are having difficulty writing, simply get started. At least if you start your writing assignment you will have less to do later and you will no longer feel as if your undone article is some sort of albatross around your neck.
Now get started.
Copyright 2006 — Matthew Keegan is The Article Writer who writes on a variety of topics including: advocacy, automobiles, aviation, business, Christian themes, family, news, product reviews, travel, writing, and more. Please visit Matt’s blog for absolutely stunning and humorous writings from the master himself!
Nip and Tuck - Three Quick Tricks for Writing SEO Copy
by Karon Thackston © 2003
http://www.copywritingcourse.com
Have you ever been to one of those sites that has obviously been written to get high search engine rankings? You know the ones… they have copy that sounds like this:
“When you buy quality silver jewelry from us, you know your quality silver jewelry is of the highest quality because we only sell quality silver jewelry that is top-notch. No other quality silver jewelry site on the Web offers the selection of quality silver jewelry that we do!”
Want to take a wild guess at what keyphrase they’re targeting?
Copy like this simply doesn’t sound “real.” It’s very forced. Yes, it may very well get ranked high in the search engines, but what then? When visitors click to your site they’ll be faced with stiff copy that sounds like a robot. It doesn’t flow… and it doesn’t sell, either! With a little nip and tuck, you can create copy that appeals to your target audience AND ranks high with the engines.
So just how do you get your keywords and phrases into your copy and still have a nice, flowing sales message? It’s really easier than you might think.
Here are a couple of strategies I use when writing SEO copy.
Headlines and Subheadlines
These make the ideal place for keywords. Why? Because keywords are normally descriptive by nature. Since headlines describe what the site visitor is about to read, it makes perfect sense to include keywords within them.
Titles
Create a chart, or a list, and give it a keyword-rich title. Just as with headlines, titles should be descriptive… another perfect keyword/copy match.
Lists
In your chart or list, include keywords in the headers and within the list descriptions. For example, if your keywords include softball trading pins, employee recognition awards, lapel pins, and lapel pin you could create a list that reads like this:
Baseball and Softball Trading Pins - Lapel pin trading among baseball and softball teams has dramatically grown in popularity… be sure to support your team with custom-created baseball and softball trading pins.
Employee Recognition Awards - Employees take great pride in wearing lapel pins that show their achievements, and they will treasure employee recognition awards that they can frequently show to others.
See how the list uses keyphrases within the headers and again within the list description itself?
Using keywords in carefully chosen places allows you to have more freedom with your copy itself. So now, instead of the forced, unappealing copy we read in the first example, you can have something more relaxed like this:
Quality Silver Jewelry Is A Rare Find!
If you’ve been looking for quality silver jewelry long, you know that quality is, in fact, a major issue. Unfortunately, many companies combine low-cost metals with their silver. That compromises the quality and the appearance. That’s a practice we never participate in!
How To Recognize Quality Silver Jewelry
When shopping for the best, look for these tell-tell signs of excellence.
Quality silver jewelry that is truly created of pure silver will display a radiant sheen.
When you touch the surface, quality silver jewelry will immediately show a fingerprint.
Breathing on the finish of quality silver jewelry will produce a fog, while breathing on the finish of poor-quality silver will not.
And so on, and so on.
So you see, you can have copy that makes sense, provides solutions for your site visitors, and ranks high with the search engines. It’s not impossible… it just takes a bit of training and practice. Before long, you’ll be tucking keywords in all the right places!
About the Author
Want to become more effective at writing SEO copy? Karon has lots of other tips to get your customers drooling and your rankings soaring! Visit http://www.copywritingcourse.com today for all the details.
"The Lowdown: How To Create And Send HTML Email"
The Lowdown: How To Create And Send HTML Email
Copyright © 2004 Steve Shaw
I am frequently asked how to create and send HTML email, usually with regard to how to broadcast it to a mailing list. This article presents the various options available to you.
How to create HTML email:
Creating the content of an HTML email is very similar to how you would create a basic web page. Just use your normal web page editor, such as FrontPage or Dreamweaver (or even Notepad can be used, in conjunction with a browser to preview the code), and construct a web page in the normal way, saving it as an .html or .htm file.
You may consider creating an HTML email template that you can use as a basis for all your future HTML emails. If so, once you’re happy with the basic look, save it and then just open and re-edit for your future emails.
There is an important difference that you need to remember between writing HTML for your web site, and writing HTML for email.
All the URLs in your code need to be absolute, rather than relative, for all links and images, eg. http://www.yourdomain.com/image.gif, rather than something like just image.gif. This also means of course that any images used in your HTML email need to be stored on a web server, the same as when you use images on a web site.
How to send HTML email:
To send the HTML email to an individual, such as to yourself in order to check on its appearance, you can open the web page (i.e. the HTML email) you have created in the latest version of IE (File -> Open…), and then click File -> Send.
However, if you’re creating HTML email for use in email marketing, you will normally want to use a completely different tool in order to send it to numerous recipients.
There are two main options to enable you to send email to a mailing list - you can either use some special software on your own computer; or use a web-based solution, either on your own web site, or via a service run by a third party.
If you are looking for software, you can find a variety of solutions by going to somewhere like download.com, and searching for ’send email’.
You can also install some software onto your own web site, which can give you more control but also gives you all the responsibility for maintenance of the software/script if things go wrong.
However, I personally have a preference for using a third-party web-based service when sending out my newsletter. For one, it means my broadcasts are not reliant on my own Internet connection or PC, and it also let’s someone else take care of delivering my messages to several thousand recipients.
There are literally hundreds of third-party web-based services available, all varying widely in quality and ease of use, and suiting different budgets and email requirements. One of the best ways to do your research on this is to check out your competitors or your favourite newsletters and ezines, and, if they send out HTML email, find out what service they use. Often the unsubscribe link, that should be at the bottom of their messages, will point towards the relevant web site.
(HINT: By signing up to my own newsletter at http:/ akanomi.com/newsletter, you will be able to find out which service I personally use.)
Finally, and importantly, should you send out HTML email? It entirely depends on the preferences of your own list. But, in general, look towards big business. Most big businesses tend to send out HTML email, and there’s only going to be one main reason for that - response rates. But you do need to ensure that your HTML email is professional, easy to read, and has an attractive layout.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Steve Shaw creates systems and software for effective e-marketing. His powerful PopUpMaster Pro software creates popups that beat the popup blockers and can significantly increase your conversion rates.
For more information:
http://www.popupmaster.com
How a Book is Born: One Author’s Story
How a Book is Born: One Author’s Story
Judy Cullins © 2003 All Rights Reserved
Not all books come out whole, all at once. In fact, most books
ease out little by little. They have strange and wondrous
beginnings. Some come from speeches, some come from articles
or short stories. The saying goes if you write a short story or
article every day, at the end of a year you’ll have a book–a big
book at that! But then, why think so big?
Twenty five years ago, I gave Speedreading and Memory seminars.
I thought of myself as a teacher or trainer, not an author. I
joined Toastmasters and National Speakers Association and
learned enough to strengthen my presentations so I could speak
to promote my personal growth skills business.
My audiences from corporate and community education wanted
handouts to take home with them. Seeing a need I revised and
edited my how-to articles, then bundled them into short books.
The articles came from my talks, wide research, and my own
experiences. I wrote the books I needed and wanted to read.
So can you! Check out your files today, and see what undiscovered
gems are there.
Only 10-60 pages long, these books were quick and easy to write.
I priced them for my health and personal growth audiences as well
as offering my proven expertise to corporations.
Presenting 15 public seminars a month, these stapled simple short
books sold well at the back of the room as well as leveraged
higher priced corporate training, all .enough to make two-thirds
my income for the next 15 years.
The irony of this story is that I did write a long book–sort of. At
160 pages, Passion at Any Age is complete, but my passion for
it has waned. Following the traditional route, I submitted a book
proposal to 30 agents. Five liked it, but their small offers and
knowing I’d still have to promote it myself, made me think. Too
long a time to publish and too little publisher support, led me
to give away a chapter at a time to my email lists.
Since my book writing, publishing and promotion knowledge made
me the expert, I now offer nine new eBooks on Online promotion,
Web marketing and copywriting, and ePublishing. I prefer to write,
promote and sell eBooks to help emerging authors, coaches, speakers,
and other entrepreneurs write and sell profitable books as well
as services.
My 20 years research into how to write a book has come full
circle. As a book coach, now, I encourage professionals to write
a book–just write a short book! Make it an eBook. Think
10-30 pages. You need to write your book and share your unique
message, but you also don’t want to spend all of your time on it.
Begin your book today by writing an article that answers one of
your book audience’s challenges or problems. You can then,
string the articles together. Include more stories, examples, how-to’s
or exercises in your new book’s chapter formats.
Before you know it, your book will grow. They always grow
longer than you think they will. You will have plenty of pages,
and each page will deliver practical, inspirational material to your
new clients and customers concisely and directly–the way they
want it.
Remember, Offline and Online potential book buyers want information.
But, they no longer want to read hundreds of pages. They don’t want to
spend time reading a long book.
Will business people buy your book? Yes! They are hungry for
information–information that only you have and can say in your
unique way. Will your book sell? Yes! With just a few
significances such as “presenting useful, practical information,” or
“presenting material that could change a life,” or “creating a
deeper understanding of human nature,” your book will be a
great seller.
Since book coaching for 20 years, one thing for sure, my
clients have many more ideas than they have time to write a
book. Take one idea; write an article. You’ll feel a sense
of completion. Don’t worry how long it is or its format. After you
get four to ten of your articles edited, you can bundle the related
ones into a fine book–to sell electronically or through print.
About the Author
Judy Cullins: 20-year author, publisher, book coach
Helps entrepreneurs manifest their book and web dreams
eBk: Ten Non-techie Ways to Market Your Book Online
www.bookcoaching.com/products.shtml
Send an email to Subscribe@bookcoaching.com
FREE The Book Coach Says… includes 2 free eReports
Judy@bookcoaching.com
Ph:619/466/0622
Durom Cup Hip Legal Issues Is Unfavorable News
Many of the patients who experienced zimmer lawyer applied in their hip replacement surgical processes are discovering that there are complications that far exceed the natural expectations for recovery. These people are experiencing a lot of needless anguish for longer periods of time, expecting revision surgical processes and elevated medical expenses, and losing revenue by being taken out of the workplace at their normal occupations. Although Zimmer Holdings, Inc. is laying claim that that their implant could never be flawed and not to blame for the faulth cup hip implants, several implant recipients are filing lawsuits against them and receiving settlements.
These hurting individuals definitely deserve some aid and compensation which is the main reason product liability attorneys are suggesting and telling them to file lawsuits. larry dorr has been paying out of court for some of these claims. All The Same, even if the money they are being offered seems like a fair amount, in many cases unfortunate people are deciding too fast and with no clause put in place for reoccuring problems if they happen down the road. Without waiting to find out what an actual case is worth, individuals may find themselves paying thousands of dollars out of their own funds when further complications arise.
Anyone who realizes they probably have a claim against Zimmer may consider looking into it. If you imagine you might qualify, you should probably visit a lawyer to verify this info. Look for one that operates countrywide and who has a main focus on litigation against malfunctioning medical devices. This law firm has gone so far as to setup a special division to uncover the details and process claims against Zimmer and secure equitable settlements for their clients.
If your orthopedic surgeon lets you know that you require a revision surgical process to fix your Zimmer Durom hip replacement device, contact an lawyer right now.
Once your lawyer realizes that you have a good case, be prepared to spend some time waiting it out for the best possible settlement that you could possible get. Heed the good advice that your attorney offers you and dont demand speedy restitution. Being patient at this stage of the case can pay off vs. just rushing the process.
“Ten Questions To Ask Before Hiring a Freelance Writer”
Finding quality writers is not easy. As with hiring any employee or contractor, be sure to get the facts first.
1. What am I looking for?
Before you begin your search for a writer, make sure to outline your needs. Do you need a marketing writer that does brochures? A technical writer who knows Visual Basic?
2. How do you charge?
Many freelancers work on a per-project basis and require one-third to one-half of the fee upfront. Others work on an hourly, per-day or per-week basis. Make sure you get the details before you hire the writer.
3. When will payment be due?
It is a good idea to check with the writer about payment scheduling. Freelance writers are often sole proprietors and reluctant to extend credit to new clients. If your accounting department has a history of late payments, you will lose a talented writer quickly.
4. How will you communicate and deliver?
Be prepared for a virtual relationship with your writer. These days, more and more writers are working via email and instant messaging. In fact, you may not deal with the writer face to face at all! Most writers also work by phone, fax and overnight mail.
Since it is not often profitable to meet in person, writers may not be willing to come to your office. However, they should be flexible enough to attend meetings if it is necessary for the project. If you require it, be ready to be charged for the writer’s time.
5. What type of writing do you do?
Ask to see samples of the writer’s work. While most professional writers are talented, they may not have the experience needed to complete the project you need.
If you are confident in the writer’s abilities and are willing to give them a shot at your project anyway, be sure to get references. Past clients will be able to confirm that the writer is professional, prompt, and courteous, keeping in close touch with the client throughout the project.
6. What is your turnaround time?
Let’s face it, deadlines rule. If writers cannot meet your deadline or fit you in, they are probably too busy to handle your project with care. True, you may have to wait for a qualified writer who is in demand - and it will be worth it if you have a flexible deadline. But if you are on a time limit and the writer cannot meet it, do not expect a miracle.
7. Who will be doing the writing?
Busy, successful writers often outsource writing projects to other writers. Any businessperson who does this will be sure to send the work to someone he or she trusts to do the work to your specifications. However, if you are used to working with one particular writer you may not want your job farmed out. Think about it before you decide.
8. What is included in the price?
Revisions? How many? Will the writer expect to get reimbursed for travel time or long distance phone calls for research? Will s/he charge for meeting in person?
9. What other services do you provide?
Sometimes writers offer graphic design services as well as freelance writing. If this is the case, they might be focused on more than writing your piece - they also have to worry about design, layout and production. If you want a top-notch copywriter, stick with someone who concentrates on writing.
If, however, the writer is teamed up with other professionals or can refer you to designers or printers, feel free to take advantage of this service.
10. I have another project for you. Will you accept?
If you like the writer’s work, by all means, hire her/him again! It is good to establish long term relationships with writers for several reasons:
*Reliability and dependability are hard to come by. If you find somebody that works well with you, that you can count on to be professional and meet your deadlines, it is wise to hire that person again.
*Style. A writer, or any contracted vendor, will get to know your company and its products over time. The better they know you and your needs, the better able they are to help you.
*Consistency. If you are using the same person to write all your materials, you will send a consistent message throughout your internal and external communications. Your corporate image will flourish as a result.
Ask these questions and you are sure to find a talented, hard working, creative and dependable freelance writer with whom you can build a lucrative relationship.
Linda Elizabeth Alexander is a business writer and marketing consultant based in Longmont, Colorado, USA. Improve your writing skills at work! Subscribe to her FREE ezine. Write to the Point at lalexander@write2thepointcom.com or visit http://www.write2thepointcom.com/articles.html.
Dearest Mankind
Start your life well
And do not dwell
On the swell
From the times you fell
Move on and try to forget about the hurt
But never forget all you’ve learned
Because from it you’ll be stronger and smarter
And surely your life and decisions will be better
About the Author: hi! i’m a high school student in de le salle zobel school. I enjoy writting poems and i would like to publish them… hopefully, someday, i would like to have a book containning all poems published… hope you like my poems
Source: www.isnare.com
Pass Swab Test
Pass Swab Test
Drug examine has become a frequent phenomena round the globe. Some parties perform drug trials on freshly employed people or existing employees to insure a drug-free environment at work.
Insurance agencies and courts direct drug screens on a regular ground on distrusted people. The essential query that comes to your brain, when you go for some exam is how to beat any drug exam?
Online sites such as Pass A Thc Test proposes the up-to-the-minute detox products including permanent cleaners, phony urine products, and saliva purifying products, cleaning drinks and home drug examination kits.
Drug Testing In The Work Place
Passing The Drug Test offers up master support for every product, with support supplied by drug test counselors which are extremely seasoned with unique types of drug testing types and effects. Support is available by email and telephone. Transportation is immediate, with complete privacy assured, using plainly and discrete boxing materials to conserve undivided customer privateness.
Free Ways To Pass A Drug Test
Involved on the new website is a gigantic order of products for cleansing and screening aims. Permanent cleansers are provided in 3, 5 and 7, 10, 14, 21 and 30 day systems, with a variety of herbs, roots, barks and minerals that are well-known lipids destroyers which process to break down fat cells and do away with toxins wholly. Synthetic piss is proposed, which accommodates all factors commonly incurred in weewee, especially balanced for pH with specific gravity, creatine and other urine characteristics. A saliva cleansing mouthwash is offered up which cleanses toxins from your mouth with merely 3 minutes of use. We offer a range of health drinks, every carrying the most efficient herbs and fiber to help rid the body of toxins that may have accrued.
If you use MSN to research the internet for us here are 10 Great words to use to obtain our web site.
How To Pass A Mouth Swab Drug Test
Hair Follicle Drug Test also offers drug test kits including saliva, hair and piss based tests to insure that detoxify efforts are effective. For more information, visit Workplace Random Drug Testing If you have any questions, please call us at: 800-616-6287
Leafing a Good Way to Promote Your Business throughout the Recession. How to Deal with the Gloom
Doing leaflet distribution services are some of the unsurpassed means to derive upper hand over your competitors. How? Direct Mailing is the answer. By applying a sustained leaflet distribution promotion you can attain maximal
exposure via the letterbox. Its a very over looked advertising scheme which always work very good, that is ofcourse is using leaflet distribution services
If your merchandise is designed to attract to a large market and you want to focus on a very special country, letterbox advertising is a good, cut-price way of contacting your target market place.
But certain in the preparation of your leaflet distribution runs as this is fundamental if you are to make the best of your investment.
Leaflet distribution permits you to bring forth specified answer from directed groups of customers. It’s a peculiarly
useful tool for small business organisations because it permits you to direct moderate resources where they are most probably to bring on result and measure the success of campaigns accurately by analysing responses. But remember that the results of leaflet distributoin aren’t secured. A badly projected or aimed adverting campaign will be a waste of cash
There are a number of different methods in which leaflet distribution has been utilized in a policy-making capacity. Several of these causes are as follows. One of the most standard purposes of leaflet distribution is to supply people with data to return data that has been delivered by the opposition. The leaflets can also be used to threaten individuals with an attack. This is peculiarly likely in battles in which regular armies can inform opposition military personnels that they will occupy if no action is taken. The leaflets in war situations are often used to encourage the opposition to surrender and if how to go about surrendering without facilitating a retaliation.
If you have determined that a leaflet distribution will be a great form of advertisement in order to bring in some much required future work, then you need to set about the task of selecting the best business to carry out the promotion for you.
There are alot of factors to be deliberated when doing this, these are all important in incurring the best results from your campaign.
You need to study where you are going to direct your leaflets and the coverage and penetration that you want to attain. If you are just thinking of a low-level promotion in the local area, it may be provident to select a small local company who just manage the smaller distributions in one region. They are quite in all likelihood to be cost effective, and have lower lead times. Accountability may be a problem if matters do not go according to plan, so this requires to be counted against the quantity of financial outlay.
How Do We Search for Formatting in Microsoft Excel?
Microsoft Excel is one of the most diverse tools you can get for spreadsheeting. Whilst I am slightly biased because I’m a Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor, never the less, Microsoft Excel is one of the most powerful tools you can use and in reality most people only use about 5% of the functionality that is actually in the application. One of the nifty tools I stumbled on many years ago when I first sat my Microsoft Office 2000 Master Instructor Exams was the ability in Microsoft Excel to utilise the Find command to actually search for text or cells with a specific format such as a cell that has a Yellow background or text with bold formatting.
That’s right …
you can use the Find command to search for specific formatting in a cell.
To begin with we need to setup a few cells in a spreadsheet to demonstrate this tool. First of all open Microsoft Excel and a new workbook should open. If it does not simply choose the shortcut keystroke [Ctrl] + [N] and a new work book should be visible.
Okay so what we need to do is to select a couple of cells and change their formatting. Lets choose the cell address C8 and apply a yellow background. To do this simply choose the Format menu and choose Cells from the drop down menu and then choose the Patterns tab. Now its time to choose a colour and lets choose a Yellow colour. Then go through and make three other cell addresses yellow such as F9, E10 and G42.
Now follow the same steps outlined in the previous paragraph and choose a second colour for the background of the cells like a blue. Make sure that you don’t put any text in the cells as we want to simply move through the cells by the formatting.
Alright, to start off, let us look at how to access the Find command. There are two ways to access this command and the first techniques is pretty straight forward, you simply go to the Edit menu and choose Find from the drop down menu and the Find and Replace dialog box will appear.
Alternatively, you can bring up the Find and Replace dialog box by using the shortcut keystroke [Ctrl]+ [F]. If the Find tab is not visible, mind you it should be, simply choose the Find tab. Press the Options but you will notice that a Format button will appear next to the Find What text box. Simply click on the Format button.
You will notice a dialog box pops up similar to the Cells dialog box. What you need to do at this point is to choose the same Yellow colour that you used for cell address, C8, F9, E10 and G42 and then press the OK button. Make sure that you do not have any text in the Find What text box. It is now time to find all those cells that have a background formatting of yellow. To do this, simply choose the Find Next button. What will happen is that it will go to the first cell that has the background colour of yellow. If you keep pressing the Find Next button it will go to each of the cells where you have used the background colour of yellow.
By using the Find function, you can literally search your whole document for any formatting that you require. Note also that whilst we did not have any text in the cells, you could do a similar Find command for looking for text with a certain Font Type, a certain Font Size or border type. You could even search for a certain number format as well.
Why not try a different background colour.…Try searching for the blue colour background and see what results you get.
The Find command is a very useful tool as it allows you to search not just for text but text with certain formatting or simply for certain formatting on cells. One of the key advantages of using this technique in your spreadsheets is to help speed up your ability to find the data you are looking for.
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Chris Le Roy is a Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor and has available Microsoft Excel Shortcuts to help you with Microsoft Excel. He also offers a correspondence course where you can earn yourself Microsoft Excel Certificates issued by his company without even leaving your home - Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet Training. Tips on Microsoft Excel are also Available |