Archive for January, 2009
I nterviewed Howard Shapiro on October 24 2006
Q: What are you working on now?
At the moment I am marketing my Hanukkah book for the 2nd year
and trying to get my anti-bullying book into schools, foundations etc.
After the first of the year, I am planning to start work on my third
book “Hockey Day’s” which I hope to have out in October, 2007.
Q: Tell us about your two books?
My first book was published in October, 2005. It is called “Hanukkah
Counts Too!” and the premise is that there are a brother (Tom) and a
sister (Tupelo) who are each eight years old and they live in a
predominately non-Jewish area and they are bombarded by Christmas images, shows, movies etc. And Tupelo, questions why they have to be different and why Santa can’t bring her a tree or presents. She runs upstairs on the first night of Hanukkah but has a heart-to-heart talk with her older cousin and after the talk she comes to realize that Hanukkah is an important holiday and that it matters (and counts) too.
My new book which was released on September 12th, is called “Destructo
Boy & Spillerella…We Are Who We Are!” and it is an anti-bullying
story. It again involves Tom and Tupelo, who are being bullied by a big fourth grader. First the bully starts picking on Tom and then Tupelo and Tom has a chat with his Dad who reminds him that he has strength and courage that he doesn’t even know he has. When the bully starts picking on Tupelo, and Tom sees the hurt in her eyes and face, he puts his foot down and tells the bully that his words and actions don’t matter and will not hurt he or Tupelo any more.
Q: Top five tips for raising kids:
1. Parents have to work as a team: I believe that this is the absolute number one tip for raising kids. The Parents must be in sync with each other and cover each other on household tasks. Especially when the child or children are one to three years old. The household tasks like doing the laundry, the dishes, emptying the trash, balancing the checkbook and paying the bills can be overwhelming so those tasks must be divided up and the parents have to WORK at being good teammates.
2. Make time for yourself. Whether it’s going to a movie by yourself
or just walking around the mall or going to a athletic event, couples
need to do some stuff to get them out of the house for a short amount of time.
3. Schedule at least one date night a month. While it helps to
recharge one’s batteries doing something solo, couple’s should make time once a month to get out and see a movie or have dinner or simply get out of the house and be together at least once a month.
4. Be cost and money concious. Everyone wants to make their kids
happy but the $50 or $75 that is spent on a holiday gift or outfit that will be thrown in the closet never to see the light of day could be better used by being put in the bank or towards a college education fund. When I say money concious I mean that the husband and wife should put off luxury purchases and similar purchases like new furniture, drapes a better car etc. in lieu of saving money for the childs education.
5. Keep things “even” between the husband and wife’s families. What
I mean is that if you have to make two Thanksgiving stops, do it. If
the wife’s mother is watching the kids one night, ask the husband’s
mother to watch them the next time. Keeping both families on an even keel will do wonders for the husband and wife in their relationship and won’t cause any friction with their families. If one side is being too agressive or bossy, it is the husband or wife’s obligation to tell them to back off, it’s for the greater good of THEIR marriage/relationship and in the children’s interst to keep things as even as possible between the families.
Q: Where can we find out about your books and website?
I have a website, .howardshapiro.net and my books are both available on Amazon.com. Also, copies can be ordered directly from me and I will autograph each copy. Both books cost $8.95. For more information, please send an email to howard.shapirohotmail.com or go to .howardshapiro.net
Q: Something people must know about you.
Just that I work really hard at the whole “business” or writing and
marketing my books and that I love feedback from people who have read
them. As Louis Ferdinand Celine said “when you write, you should put your skin on the table” and I truly believe this and want my books to make a difference to someone or help them in some way, even if it’s just for a moment. That, and I also believe that we are all capable of greatness in all that we do and we should strive for that.
Imagine the power of a website dedicated to Independent authors and their books. A place where readers could find over a million Independently published books at one online location. The time has come for Independent authors around the world to join together on the Internet at one location to sell our books. There is tremendous strength in numbers and with an estimated five million Independent authors worldwide the power of that one destination would change the face of publishing&ndashforever! Even with just 20% of those titles, that combination of forces would be a serious contender to booksellers around the world.
The key to improving our exposure to readers and increase book sales is to combine the efforts of Independent authors on a global scale at one online marketing platform. This will attract consumers interested in books not found in the traditional major bookstore or mass merchant. The website can market to readers and offer a selection of Independently published titles not found in combination anywhere. The future for book sales is the Internet, the only growth area in publishing is the Independent author, and the market is international.
The biggest problem for Independent book sales is a highly decentralized marketplace. This marketplace includes dozens of websites that sell books and services to other authors, as well as hundreds of thousands of author websites and is exactly the kind of environment that depresses our effort to market and sell books to a mass audience.
The six biggest New York publishers will always control the Barnes & Noble’s and Wal-Mart’s of the traditional bookselling world. They will spend whatever it takes and will never allow an Independent presence into their retail accounts. Let them continue spending their money in a market that has been consistently shrinking since the early 1990’s.
When Independent authors organize and guide readers to a central Internet location where books not found in bookstores are available, we’d start to see changes in the way books are purchased, on a massive scale. We will have created a market that the big publishers can’t touch. This would be an Independent marketplace, not controlled by a single online bookseller who takes up to 60% of our cover price.
There is a website that provides Independent writers and authors an opportunity to market their writing to readers who otherwise would not be exposed to our work and: (1) Offers a single global platform for Independent book sales, and (2) Gives the writer real independence from other online web sites in the traditional marketplace, thus giving the author tremendous exposure to readers and a far higher return on each book sold.
The website exists; in order to attract readers and increase sales we need to add more Independently published authors and their books. It takes lots of titles to draw book consumers to a single online location. That’s why it makes more sense to join forces globally rather than continue to divide an already highly fragmented market.
Are good writing skills required of insurance professionals? That is an interesting question. If good writing skills are not required of most insurance professionals, they should be. As an insurance professional, you have not just set up a stand on the corner of the block. You are not just calling out to passers-by to purchase your insurance policies. True, you are selling a product, but the product you are selling comes with a lot of “the written word” &ndash especially before the sell is made.
How do insurance professionals get the word out about their products? Web sites, billboards, advertisements in newspapers and phone books &ndash the list could go on and on. Each of these forms of advertisement requires some kind of writing. Your insurance company’s Web site and brochures include the most writing. Your goal is to sell insurance policies, but you also want to make sure you clearly explain the different kinds of insurance policies to your potential customers in terms they can understand. The world is your audience &ndash your potential clients &ndash so your writing has to be understood by everyone.
Even if your advertisement simply includes the name of your insurance company, your name and contact information, and a catchy phrase &ndash as most billboard, newspaper, and phone book advertisements do &ndash don’t you want that catchy phrase to be well-written? If you have good writing skills, you will be able to keep it simple and make it pack a punch at the same time.
If you are an insurance professional whose job requirements include writing &ndash any kind, any length &ndash and your writing skills are not quite up to par, you may want to consider taking a writing course. Writing courses are offered online or at a local college. Or, you may want to get your writing down on paper first, then have someone who is skilled at writing take a look at it and offer suggestions or make corrections.
The law essay is one of the most frequently assigned types of the essays in colleges and universities. In spite of the fact that some of tutors provide their student with detailed and comprehensive instructions on how to design and write this type of the essay, many students still face huge problems in the completion of it. Here we provide with some of the most useful, tips on how to organize and compose the law essay.
One of the most common mistakes made by students in the composition of this type of the essay is that main question has not been addressed. Before you start writing this type of the essay, you should develop coherent and comprehensive plan. Try to avoid the generalities and stick to specific facts; logical and critical analysis is extremely important inn the completion of this type of the essay paper. You should not just provide your reader with the list of facts; one must analyze them as well. Apart from this, the main points and assertions of this type of the essay must be backed up by legal facts and footnotes to specific laws. Before you start composing your essay it might be advisable to look though some of the legal articles in order to gain the understating of current legal controversies and certainly to explore how your essay can be completed. Nevertheless you should not succumb to particular point of view, rather you should stress your own, do not be afraid if it differs from the assertion of modern scholars-remember that in legal profession law is always universally obeyed but it is rarely universally liked.
Yet, nevertheless, your law essay is likely to get high marks only if the topic as well as the subject is thoroughly researched and critically analyzed. Try to understand the main points of the arguments of your opponents, focusing on weak and strong points of their contentions. In developing and designing of your arguments stick to several important elements, the most important of which are logical and well-structured style and presenting of strong points in the supporting of your main thesis. In many cases the students try to compose some paper imbued with generalities and platitudes. Such papers might serve as the basic guide for general public, but they would be useless in presenting them to experienced and skilled law tutor. Remember that he is a professional in legal studies and would lie to receive the assignment which critically evaluate existing law problems, rather than informing about basic facts on well-known legal issues. If you follow these simple yet frequently forgotten rules you will bale to write the essay that met the standards set by modern law schools.
The world of publishing is about to change. It’s an exciting time to be an Independent author. This long ignored group is beginning to organize and establish an entirely new marketplace for selling books. A community introducing voices never heard and stories never told to the world.
What they need is an on-line destination created for Independently published writers to promote and sell their books.
It is difficult to be an Independent author. The term “self published” is often used and misunderstood because major components of the publishing industry, including the six largest publishers, have been successful in attaching “poor quality” to the term “self-published.” The term Independent author best describes the decision many writers have made to publish on their own.
The fact that someone decides to become an Independent author does not mean their writing is not good. It means they have made the decision to publish Independently and remain in control of the work creatively and financially. Being an Independent author is hard, doors slam and there are plenty of “do not enter” signs, which is the reason many Independent authors give up in their quest to sell books.
Many Independent authors feel strongly that their pay-for-printing publisher does not care whether they sell a single copy of their book. The printer’s profit is made in the printing itself, not the final sale of the book. These authors cite instances where messages are sent proclaiming, “Buy this service and you will sell books,” only to find the statement hollow and without merit or success. In the end the only thing the Independent author has is an extremely fragmented market.
The hope for increased sales of Independent books is through banding together as a single community speaking from a single platform, authors helping create their own market for readers looking for new voices and interesting stories. As an Independent writer and author, trust in the fact that this community will be an opportunity to sell books and gain respectability in the marketplace we so richly deserve.
The dynamic of the market for book sales is about to shift and the Independent author is in the right place at the right time to take full advantage. There has never been a better time to be an Independent author. Countless opportunities are opening that offer more exposure to a wider audience than ever before.
Strength is in numbers, so we need to have a gathering place for writers and authors, a community where we will be heard by readers searching for voices never heard and stories never told. The world of traditional brick and mortar publishing is struggling, over the course of the past fifteen years the market has been shrinking. The six largest publishers are forced to push more copies of a handful of authors out into stores each and every month. This is negatively impacting overall sales at a time when book retailers, wholesalers, and distributors are consolidating and demanding change. The problem is that the big companies do not have answers.
They constantly search for new writers but the demands of the business make it harder for them to create successful authors. The marketplace has been structured by their own hand to allow only a small window of opportunity for new authors to make their presence known. Retailers are geared towards instant success and immediate sales, while the system is not in place to allow that to happen. As a result the big publishers are in a quandary.
At the same time, Independent authors are about to make a statement that will surely rock the traditional world of publishing. They are on the verge of making a huge impact never before witnessed in the industry. No longer will Independent authors and small publishers have to struggle in the old ways of selling books. A truly limitless, global audience waits.
Independent writers and authors are about to emerge from the shadows and take their rightful place in the market. This is a brave new world for readers clamoring for voices never heard and
stories never told.
They need a site that will introduce readers around the world to books they might never have found, and provide an opportunity for the Independent author to expand their audience like never before. The site exists, and is welcoming Independent authors and their books.
It is extremely difficult for major publishers to sell all of their titles. What chance does an Independent author have of making a real dent and sell enough copies to warrant continuous shelf space and sizable reorders? Not impossible but not probable either. The future for the Independently published book is sales through the Internet. There are tremendous possibilities in those areas without having to fight and scratch for inches inside a traditional bookstore.
The big six have not figured out how to utilize the Internet to their advantage, but when they do, they will monopolize your opportunities. Beat them to it. Join the new community, the online market for your books. The future for substantial sales of Independently published books is not the local bookstore, but at the independent author’s online bookstore.
Indian art material Industry is a vast scattered market consisting of different variety of attractive products like different types of brushes like synthetic brushes, painting brushes, artist brushes, Oil pastels, crayons of different types, painting accessories, poster colours, fabric colours, liquid water colours, colour pencils, drawing books, colouring books, easel boards, canvases, palettes, markers, paints, coloured chalk and many more. The industry is said to capture maximum business from the consumer market directly, which accounts to 70% of their revenue.
The core Indian art material market of around Rs 500 crore is said to be growing at a rate of 4 - 5 % but there is intense competition in this industry as the industry is highly unorganized which proves to be a downfall for this sector. With the duty rates coming down the art material imports have risen sharply in the last couple of years and several Chinese and Korean brands are available in the market. International majors like Faber Castell etc have also ventured into the market. Maximum competition has come in the school colour range where the Indian manufacturers like Camlin Limited who has been in this venture for years, Pidilite Industries who has launched a new range of art materials for children (crayons, water and tube colors, etc) under it’s Acron brand and others had to reduce prices to fight competition. There was almost 15-20% reduction seen in prices since the last 5 years.
The Indian manufacturers have to face a tough time in the market. The threat of new entry affects the firms already existing in an industry and if a new rival can easily get in, then the market becomes more competitive, hence the firms must put some barriers to stop others from entering. Now the Indian firms also have the burden of VAT, which is levied by the Indian government at a flat rate of 4%. The only tools in their hands are manufacturing new, innovative and attractive products in the market that compel the consumers to buy their products. Also branded goods have a hold on top of unbranded goods, as now people prefer to buy branded products expecting satisfaction of a good quality product. But in a developing country like India still this phenomenon is not put much into practice, the middle and lower class still prefer to buy the cheap imported goods as their low price factor is indeed a tempting offer. But with proper awareness and guidance the Indian consumer’s opinion can be reversed. The existing leaders should create a brand identification, the new entrants thus will have to try and take satisfied brand loyal customers away from the leaders which makes it a difficult task for them to conquer.
Also new marketing activities like new products being introduced to serve different market segments are being implemented to strengthen the brands. In the children’s product sector too many brand ambassador products are seem to be working well. For e.g., it is seen that children prefer to buy products with cartoon character’s photographs or gifts attached as compared to others. In 2005 too such products sale show an uptrend curve rather than the normal art material products.
Today the market has expanded and it’s not a child’s play anymore. The threat of substitute products also comes into concern. If substitute products are readily available, then the firms are likely to suffer. The power of buyers should also be taken as a considering factor. The industry keeping in mind the innovation key in their hands can compete with the unorganized sector and imported goods sector that prevail in the market. Though many are of the opinion that through brand building initiatives, good quality and innovation mantra they have managed to survive in the industry in 2005 and plan to do the same in 2006.
Silly grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, typo errors are few mistakes which are common in any content writing. But if they are not rectified then it brings bad name to your company. And the end result is that your potential customer is gone. That’s why foolproof editing and proofreading is an important aspect of all good content writing. This helps you to revise your article before publishing and also make sure that it is error free. Also in today’s world errors are really costly, thus it is must to have a proofreader.
Proofreader makes sure that all the quotation marks and parentheses are in place. After that comes punctuation. While proofreading any content, all the unnecessary crowding or extra spacing should be removed. Also special attention should be given to the addresses and phone numbers and it is wise to double check the addresses, phone numbers, and spellings of proper names. This helps in avoiding any future embarrassment. Furthermore, it is important to update calendar listings and check bullet placements. Photograph placement is one area which requires thorough attention. It is always said that content writing should be done by keeping content placement in mind as it helps in the correct placement. This makes sure that content is in tandem with the photograph and doesn’t give a jarring effect. Proofreading content isn’t tedious and unexciting job and neither time consuming. It’s the interesting one as by this one get know the latest information along with improvement in their vocabulary.
As per the experts the content written should be proofread just to ensure that your site has professional, organized web content especially company brochures, product information or data sheets and other publications intended for your customers as well as, reports in the public domain. By seeing the emergence of content writing, a sudden rise in proofreading is also noticed. That’s why all those companies offering content writing now also offers proofreading services. This makes one stop shop for all your requirements. Almost all the web content writing companies have expert proofreaders who do the editing and proofreading of the content that eliminates grammatical and syntax construction errors, defects in the flow of the text and smoothes out any glitches in the language.
If you already have written articles, then proofreaders in content writing companies can carefully scrutinize it for spelling mistakes, errors in usage of language, grammar, and other inconsistencies. They’ll not only mark the mistakes but also rectify them so that you get the well edited and perfect content. Apart from that they’ll also highlight the problem areas so that you don’t repeat them in the future. So if you’re hunting for a content writing services then proofreader will also be there just to assure you that you’ll be getting the edited and polished content. Moreover you don’t have any doubts when it comes to expertise and attention as these content writing companies will draw on their expertise to for each web content writing project.
Whenever you gather writers together they talk about writing. There are many different types of writers. Those who prefer to compose in long-hand or can only write on an old-fashioned manual typewriter. Those who write to music, demand complete silence, or create best surrounded by noise. You have the writers who must plan and outline before they can begin and those who find even talking about a project before it is drafted can stifle their creativity. But one of the most controversial divisions among writers is about whether writing is a skill, craft, or gift.
I admit that I like to stir the fire a bit because I can argue all three points and depending on how my own writing is going at the moment I may find that one viewpoint carries more weight for me personally.
I know as a teacher of writing that writing is a skill. I have taken people, young and old, who loathed writing and believed they would never be able to write — and provided them with basic tips and tools to become good basic writers. I have taken good basic writers and given them the support and direction they’ve needed to become skilled writers. I’ve watched skilled writers with practice and determination become proficient writers. I have seen this in the classroom, at writing conferences, and in newsrooms. I have witnessed this transformation enough to know that writing is a skill that can be taught and a skill that can be learned.
I know as a writer, editor, and reader that writing is a craft. As the definition reads to craft is “to make or produce with care, skill, or ingenuity”. A skilled writer can capture our interest and convey information, but a writer can also craft a story, poem, or essay that touches our emotions as well as our brains. For those who have gone beyond simply skilled to be craftsmen and craftswomen they can rely on their knowledge, experience, and instinct to create writing that does more than simply delivers — it also sings.
I know as a writer and reader that writing is a gift. Some writers simply possess a special quality that allows them to step beyond and above the huddled masses. For some it is a special ability to shape words into images and ideas and for some it is a unique vision of this world (or another) that speaks to our souls in a way others cannot.
Are writers born or made? Many people argue that some gifted writers are born, but I am not convinced. Perhaps you could have some predisposition but I believe that writers are made. They are made in the rocking chair when Mother reads “Goodnight, Moon”; they are made under the cover with a flashlight when you simply must finish “The Hobbit” for the first time; they are made when you proudly pocket your first library card; they are made when you fill your first notebook; they are made when you submit your first poem, article or story for publication; they are made when you receive your first rejection; and they are made when you turn the computer on every day to write.
I believe some writers are supremely gifted but even so does that mean it was a gift given to them whole or was it a gift developed through years of reading, writing, talking, and thinking about words?
So, I believe, writing is all three — a skill, a craft, and a gift. Some writers find their ability spans all three while others never progress past the level of skill.
Some state that people enjoy speaking about themselves. I should presume such people never sat in front of a blank sheet of paper having to submit their essay next morning. Everything changes when you are left with a crucial question face to face. Instantly all the facts seemed so reasonable before disappear all of a sudden. I understand that application essay may cause you a lot of agitation, as it suggests a deep self analysis. But it should be that way and no other. Yes, I agree with you that the essay will require a lot of effort and concentration of you. Believe me, this effort is worth taking. Because the writing process is so absorbing and rewarding.
Start your work on essay with defining the topic, statement, or the main idea you want to convey to the reader. Choose the topic that is really important for you. The examiners search for students who will contribute greatly to their educational establishment. An ideal applicant should possess some valuable and unique experience. We look for personalities, individuals and exceptional people. And your essay must demonstrate that you are the one.
A good essay is an effective essay. It reveals both professional and personal aspects of applicant’s personality.
We expect people to construct and prove their point of view on some definite subject with the help of the acquired knowledge and experience. If you think you have no valuable experience, write about what you have. But make the reader appreciate the significance of your expertise. You can present something trite and ordinary in a completely new way. Write how your past and your origin influenced your personality development. You may also show how you can contribute to educational process due to the acquired experience. Before writing properly, think of the details and the order of their presentation. One of the pledges of a successful essay is a capturing introduction. It can be a short bright story, quotation, a question or a scene description. In the body of your application essay develop your point of view with well grounded arguments. I also advise you not to give standard answers. And remember that the commission values sincere replies most of all. Be sure to stick to the main pointduring the whole process of narration. Also do your best to make the most of limited length. If you are describing a
concrete situation that influenced you, illustrate it with details. If you are writing about your character features, give an example how you applied them in concrete situations or how you developed them. Don’t forget that examples enliven your essay and too theoretical essays are always so boring to read.
Very often I have to read the essays, where a person gives a lot of opinions on the target subject. But he just forgets to speak his own mind. I want to emphasize that the teachers want to see the reflection of your personality in the essay. Not someone else’s, no matter how great he may be.
Probably it is your first serious written work and that is why mistakes are inevitable. It is natural. But examiners will forgive you some slight mistakes. But after finding some blunders in your work they will give up your essay as a bad job. I strongly recommend not to:
Write about something difficult to prove
Provide the examiner with another version of your autobiography
Pretend to be witty and humorous
Pretend to impress the reader with your rich vocabulary
Make general statements
Rely on computer spelling check.
Write what is not true
Composing a good essay, please also avoid:
• Numerous unnecessary repetitions
• General descriptions without analysis
• Careless interpretation of facts
The essay should end with a conclusion connected with the introduction and proving the main thesis of your work. Writing a conclusion does not mean the end of your work on the essay. Now you are to check your creation in terms of spelling, grammar, punctuation, style, logical structure, etc. It is a good idea to give it for reading to anyone whose opinion is important for you. Their comments may be helpful. And now YOUR application essay is READY, you can share your experiences in writing an essay with everyone! I have been checking applicants’ essays for more than 12 years. I read about 2000 essays every year, but I am in no case tired of it. Because I have an unquenchable interest for people and a good essay gives me an insight into a person’s inner world. I am always stunned by the diversity of the opinions. And one day I will be glad to read what you have to tell me in your essay.
Articles are a great way to make money online. If you are new to the internet, or a pro writing articles can be a great source of income.
Ace are totally several ways that writing articles can make you money. By submitting your articles to article directories, your articles can be used by webmasters who are looking for content to room on their websites.
The articles that you hold submitted to article directories may further be interpret by tribe who jewel them tour searching online. This could deed your writing fairly a bit of exposure.
You can avail the articles that you letter to generate gratis traffic to your website therefore that you can generate spare sales. You can prepare this by placing a link to your website guidance your article or fame your author bio.
You could besides applicability your articles to institute a website. If you occasion a website that consists of informative articles on a specific topic you can sell advertising on your website to related businesses. If you fix upon to initiate a website using your articles, you could again nook Google Adsense ads on your website and stir paid each eternity a visitor clicks on one of your Adsense ads.
You could turn your informative articles into your own ebook and sell them for a profit, or you could calm turn your articles into an email course.
Some internet marketers compose informative articles on topics related to an ally product. They for number among a individual ally link moment their articles to the ally product that they are promoting. When a lecturer clicks on the link and purchases the product the author makes a commission.
When you are writing articles to make money, one important point to remember is that you will be much more successful if your articles are informative and give the reader valuable information. It ‘ s important to build trust with your reader and actually offer the reader something of value in your article.
If you can give the reader valuable information that is useful to them, then you will be building a trusting relationship with that reader. This way when you recommend a product or website, to your reader, they will be much more likely to follow your advice because you have already given them something of value and you have already initiated a trusting relationship with them.
One other point to remember when writing articles is to keep them short. People are bombarded with information every day. Very few people have the time or the interest in reading lengthy articles. If you can give your reader interesting and valuable information in 500 to 700 words, you will find your articles getting read and getting results.