Posts tagged: business

Nov 27 2009

The Real Truth on How to Write an Ebook

The hardest part of writing is the first sentence. When you look at the whole project, it seems like an impossible task. That’s why you have to break it down into manageable tasks. Think of climbing a mountain.

You are standing at the foot of it and looking up at its summit vanishing into the clouds. How can you possibly scale such an immense and dangerous mountain? There is only one way to climb a mountain? Step by step.

Now think of writing your eBook in the same light. You must create it step by step, and one day, you will take that last step and find yourself standing on the summit with your head in the clouds.

The first thing you have to do, as if you actually were a mountain climber, is to get organized. Instead of climbing gear, however, you must organize your thoughts. There are some steps you should take before you begin. Once you’ve gone through the following list, you will be ready to actually begin writing your eBook.

Beginning Steps to Writing an eBook:

First, figure out your eBooks’ working title. Jot down a few different titles, and eventually, you’ll find that one that will grow on you. Titles help you to focus your writing on your topic; they guide you in anticipating and answering your reader’s queries. Many non-fiction books also have subtitles. Aim for clarity in your titles, but cleverness always helps to sell books? As long as it’s not too cute. For example, Remedies for Insomnia: twenty different ways to count sheep. Or: Get off that couch: fifteen exercise plans to whip you into shape.

Next, write out a thesis statement. Your thesis is a sentence or two stating exactly what problem you are addressing and how your book will solve that problem. All chapters spring forth from your thesis statement. Once you’ve got your thesis statement fine-tuned, you’ve built your foundation. From that foundation, your book will grow, chapter by chapter.

Your thesis will keep you focused while you write your eBook. Remember: all chapters must support your thesis statement. If they don’t, they don’t belong in your book. For example, your thesis statement could read: We’ve all experienced insomnia at times in our lives, but there are twenty proven techniques and methods to give you back a good night’s sleep.

Once you have your thesis, before you start to write, make sure there is a good reason to write your book. Ask yourself some questions:

* Does your book present useful information and is that information currently relevant?

* Will you book positively affect the lives of your readers?

Is your book dynamic and will it keep the reader’s attention?

* Does you book answer questions that are meaningful and significant?

If you can answer yes to these questions, you can feel confident about the potential of your eBook.

Another important step is to figure out who your target audience is. It is this group of people you will be writing to, and this group will dictate many elements of your book, such as style, tone, diction, and even length.

Figure out the age range of your readers, their general gender, what they are most interested in, and even the socio-economic group they primarily come from. Are they people who read fashion magazines or book reviews? Do they write letters in longhand or spend hours every day online. The more you can pin down your target audience, the easier it will be to write your book for them.

Next, make a list of the reasons you are writing your eBook. Do you want to promote your business? Do you want to bring quality traffic to your website? Do you want to enhance your reputation?

Then write down your goals in terms of publishing. Do you want to sell it as a product on your website, or do you want to offer it as a free gift for filling out a survey or for ordering a product? Do you want to use the chapters to create an e-course, or use your eBook to attract affiliates around the world? The more you know upfront, the easier the actual writing will be.

Decide on the format of your chapters. In non-fiction, keep the format from chapter to chapter fairly consistent. Perhaps you plan to use an introduction to your chapter topic, and then divide it into four subhead topics. Or you may plan to divide it into five parts, each one beginning with a relevant anecdote.

How to make your eBook “user friendly”.

You must figure out how to keep your writing engaging. Often anecdotes, testimonials, little stories, photos, graphs, advice, and tips will keep the reader turning the pages. Sidebars are useful for quick, accessible information and they break up the density of the page.

Write with a casual, conversational tone rather than a formal tone such as textbook diction. Reader’s respond to the feeling that you are having a conversation with them. Break up the length and structure of your sentences so you don’t hypnotize your readers into sleep. Sentences that are all the same length and structure tend to be a good aid for insomnia!

Good writing takes practice. It takes lots and lots of practice. Make a schedule to write at least a page a day. Read books and magazines about the process of writing, and jot down tips that jump out at you. The art of writing is a lifetime process; the more you write (and read), the better your writing will become. The better your writing becomes, the bigger your sales figures.

In an eBook that is read on the screen, be aware that you must give your reader’s eye a break. You can do this by utilizing white space. In art classes, white space is usually referred to as “negative space.” Reader’s eyes need to rest in the cool white oasis’s you create on your page. If your page is too dense, your reader will quit out of it as soon as their eyes begin to tear.

Make use of lists, both bulleted and numbered. This makes your information easy to absorb, and gives the reader a mental break from dissecting your paragraphs one after the other.

Finally, decide on an easy-to-read design. Find a font that’s easy on the eyes, and stick to that font family. Using dozens of fonts will only tire your readers out before they’ve gotten past your introduction. Use at least one and a half line spacing, and text large enough to be read easily on the screen, but small enough so that the whole page can be seen on a computer screen. You will have to experiment with this to find the right combination.

Of course, don’t forget to run a spell and grammar check. You are judged by something as minor as correct punctuation, so don’t mess up a great book by tossing out semicolons randomly, or stringing sentences together with commas. (By the way, that’s called a “comma splice”.)

Last of all; create an index and a bibliography. That’s it! You’ve written a book! Now all you have to do is publish your eBook online, and wait for download request from your website visitors.

This article is part of a 6 part series on eBook writing, compiling and pricing structure. You can find all articles here over the next couple of days or see them all, along it other great and informative articles on “The TRUTH” about Internet and affiliate marketing on my website listed below.

Nov 21 2009

What’s in a Hobby?

HOBBY stemmed from the time when people would ride a wooden horse as an actual pastime. Subsequently, the expression “to ride one’s hobby – horse” became known. It means, “to follow a favorite pastime”. In the modern times it is popularly called HOBBY.

There are various forms of hobby, collecting is one. The value of collecting involves purchasing or getting a hold of a particular item anchored in the fascination and inclination of the collector. These possessions are well categorized and beautifully showcased. The intensity and extensiveness of the collection may differ from one collector to another. Some collectors may focus on a very specific collection like old postal stamps of Manchester, coins from Bhutan, or antique diamond earrings set on platinum. Others may rather hold more common collection like antique furniture, jewelries, sports cards and the like. Sometimes there are people who collect experiences. They gather experiences of special kinds like when they travel. They may capture these experiences through videos or photos.

Games are also form of hobby. A game is a recreational activity carried out for pleasure, it is either partially or totally controlled. The target and the rules of the game create the challenge and structure. Games existed as far back as primeval age. Because of the enjoyment that games brought about – various selections of games were developed corresponding the unique interest of different individuals. There are several aspects to consider in determining what game should a person engage in. Age, intelligence level, stamina and personality are to be taken into account. The games and its rules vary as well as the involvedness of the participant in attaining the target. Games commonly entail physical as well as mental drive. Hence, they may well help people to be generally sound.

Outdoor recreation is another popular form of recreation. These are activities that are greatly dependent in the open air. Examples would be mountain climbing, trekking, rock climbing, and the like. While apparently relished by some as an adrenalin rush – it is very effective method in education and teambuilding. There are other hobbies that people enjoy – like cooking, gardening, painting composing, software developing etc.

Now what are hobbyists? Hobbyists make hobbies concrete. Hobbyists are people who are passionate about a specific material or an activity. They get captivated with anything that is associated with their hobby. Their collection ranges from magazines and books to different sorts of hobby equipments, gears and accessories. These possessions may well be meticulously arranged and stored in a room dedicated only for the stuff. Hobbyists are ready and willing to invest time and money for their hobbies. They avail of club memberships in places that they can frequent. They allocate a particular time to carry out their leisure pursuits. Their enthusiasm to learn and explore new things gave them a deeper understanding in the field.

Hobbyists are also categorized into different levels depending on the degree of their involvement in their hobbies. Level one is what we would call the Beginner. The Beginner would be someone who buys the “basics.” Basics would mean outfit, equipments and even instructional materials. He would watch the television and tune in to the channel that features his interest. He would start researching about the icons of that particular hobby. Icons could be a person, a team, brand of equipment and the like. He would also get himself familiar with the jargons of the hobby and start speaking them.

Level two would be the Mainstream hobbyist. He would be someone who is more familiar with the hobby. Meaning, he knows the “spots”. Spots could be the places where there are good finds and enjoyable facilities. The mainstream may already belong to a league of hobbyists that pursue the same interest as him. He is comfortable with the jargons of his hobby. He has won competitions. In other words, he is more intense in terms of equipments, knowledge and experience.

Finally, we have the Total hobbyist. The total hobbyist has an unyielding conviction in every aspect of the hobby. He has become an authority and an expert. He knows every detail of the hobby by heart. He could come up with a jargon that would indeed hit in his league. He has been the president of a national club or confederation if not one of the board of directors or the chairman of the board. He speaks in a national tournament and is considered an icon. He is someone who’s got nothing more to prove in terms of the depth of experience or possessions, yet still striving not only to improve himself but the industry as well.

However, there is a sheer wedge between profession and hobbies. A sport or an artistic interest may be a hobby to one person but a profession to another. A teacher may love to paint, while a painter may love to cook. People engage in hobbies to stimulate an interest and derive enjoyment from it as well. Hobby focuses more on self – fulfillment rather than financial return. The irony of it is that, it is easier to make a living out of a hobby than out of a profession. This is because hard work and fatigue is unnoticed when people love what they do. Some traders started from hobbying. Collectors who attempt to pull off a certain line of collection and build it up to integrate connected stuff then they trade in the items. Many of these merchants started as collectors themselves and then turned their hobby into a profession. Just like when games are carried out for the wage. Even creative hobbies can be a potential small business especially when people close to the hobbyist appreciate his work and start requesting to pay him just to own a piece of his work and intend it for a gift. As the appeal of an activity increases, the commercial ventures rise as well. There are a lot of hobby shops opening up in large numbers and thriving both on the local market and online.

Hobbyists and professionals may actually work out a fusion to attain a mutual advantage. Hobbyists and professionals can benefit and learn from each other’s ideas and experiences. But what matters is, that they could facilitate development in whatever field of interest they are engaged in. So what’s in a hobby? OPPORTUNITES! www.zerosightaccessories.com

We provide business opportunities to those who welcome them!

Nov 05 2009

Now looking Golf in Lofoten is a Mystical Experience

Golfers looking for a golf holiday usually don’t think of heading north above the Arctic Circle and I have to admit golf was not the main reason for traveling to the stunning Lofoten Islands off the coast of northern Norway. But sometimes, the unexpected is the most rewarding and we were rewarded indeed with a round of golf at a beautiful and intriguing golf course.Lofoten is a chain of small islands that are distinguished by high mountain peaks, which provide spectacular views. The craggy rocks, often covered in mist, jut out from the clear blue north Atlantic, providing a unique landscape. Dotted with small fishing villages and rugged little farms, Lofoten is a popular tourist destination in the warm summer months.We took a flight north from Oslo, which lasted a bit over two hours, to the port city of Bodo, just above the Arctic Circle. This city is underwent a complete rebuilding after World War II, so is quite modern, with several nice new hotels that overlook the harbor. Even in early May, the sun was still quite bright at midnight and barely dusk by 2:00 A.M.Lofoten is accessible by the coastal ferries and it is possible to walk on a ferry in Bodo, but we opted to rent a car and drive north on the mainland, loping around to access Lofoten by a shorter ferry ride from the north. We had no problem finding a nice hotel in the fishing town of Svalvaer, where the winter catch of cod fish was still out drying in the sun on huge racks, about three stories high.The golf course in Lofoten is about a half-hour drive from Salver. At that time of year, it is possible to play at midnight or at 4:00 A.M., and one can opt to pay for a twenty-four hour day and come back at different times, rather than the typical green fee for 9 or 18 holes. Rather than disrupt our schedule, we went at the more conventional time of mid-morning and had the course to ourselves for most of our game. There are no power carts to rent, as they would not be of much use in climbing the narrow trails through the rocks to the elevated tees. Club rental is available and once we were suitably fixed up, we struck off. The fairways were surprisingly lush but the greens struggle a bit in the harsh climate. Many of the tee boxes were back in the rocks and many of the greens were protected by natural gorse or the ocean waves. The third hole was particularly interesting with a high elevated tee, set back in the craggy rocks, requiring a shot over the ocean or beach, depending whether the tide was in or out.Looking out over the endless vista of the ocean and the mist covered mountains, feeling the freshness of the sea air and the sun shining through the spectacular clouds, I felt very insignificant playing my meaningless little game. Yet, at the same time, there was a tremendous sense of peace that comes with an acceptance of ones own insignificance in the face of nature and the total humanness of frivolous pursuits in such a spectacular setting. It was as close to a mystical experience as I have ever experienced on a golf course, or anywhere.

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