Publishing (25)

Every aspiring, emerging and established writer should attend at least one writer’s conference a year for not only the need to market your ideas/works, but to stay on top of the changes in the publishing world and, even more importantly, to establish best practices for your business as a writer. That’s right! In today’s world, writers –artists – need to be entrepreneurial in the sense that you need to create and establish methods/skills that will help you to achieve whatever goals and outcomes you have set for your works (your business). I had the pleasure of attending the James River Writer’s annual Writer’s Conference (http://www.jamesriverwriters.org/) October 19-20, 2013 in Richmond, Virginia. Although I was a moderator for a panel on small to mid-sized publishers, I also was there as an author and playwright. And I was there to LEARN. As such, here are 5 takeaways I wish to share with you that I hope will help you navigate not only this difficult terrain of publishing, but to get you thinking strategically and critically about what it takes to be  a successful 21st Century author.

The Publishing World is Ever-Changing

  • First, know the intentions for your work. What do you want to do with it? Sell it to the highest bidder? Get in on the bookshelves? Build credibility?
  • Research which aspects of publishing you wish to delve into that will help you build upon your intentions
  • There 5 significant areas of publishing today:  Traditional, Small Press, DIY (Do-it-Yourself), Partner Publishing, or Assisted Publishing. Take the time to see which one is the best fit for your reality at this moment in time (i.e., your budget, your work/family schedule, etc)
  • Advances are going the way of the dinosaur and yet, you are expected to put in even more work, time and energy to market your book…after you’ve nearly killed yourself writing the book J

Build Your Brand

  • Create a platform – Who are you and what do you write about? Who are your readers and where can they be found?
  • Be consistent in your message  (i.e., the verbage, design, marketing, etc)
  • Put together a team of experts to help you do this (check out freelancing sites or pull from your network)

Social Media Presence is a MUST (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, etc)

  • It’s part of your brand identity
  • It’s a way to reach your intended audience
  • It’s a way to stay connected/available to your audience
  • But know your strengths/weaknesses with this skill set because working social media is a skill. (see bullet 3 in Build Your Brand above)

Create a Pitch for Your Work

  • This is for both conferences and any other social interaction opportunity
  • A pitch is a 30 second to 1 minute blurb which contains 5 essential elements: who you are, what other books your book is similar to, 250 mini-synopsis of the storyline, and the market the book is targeted for
  • Practice, practice, practice delivering your pitch in a mirror
  • Remember, you never know where you’ll meet an agent or publisher. So be prepared!!

Create a Logline for Your Work

  • A logline is 1 sentence descriptor of your storyline.
  • For example, here’s mine for my novel, Murder on Second Street: The Jackson Ward Murders: “It’s October 1929, and WWI veteran and securities specialist Sy Sanford has been hired to find and stop the killer of Negro working class women in the affluent Negro neighborhood of Jackson Ward, but Sy has two big problems: he’s a drunk in the age of Prohibition and the killer has now targeted the love of his life.” It’s a little wordy, but it’s one sentence and it tells the meat of the story as well as the time period of the work: 1929. So you know that this is a work of historical fiction.
  • Commit to memory the logline
  • Remember, you not only never know where you’ll meet an agent or publisher, but a reader! Once you say you have written a book, they will ask the million dollar question: “So what is your book about?” BE PREPARED!!

No one knows your story better than you, so give it the best chance to reach its intended audience and be successful (whatever that means for you). No longer can writers afford to sit behind the computer screen or notepad in anonymity hoping that their agent or publisher will push the work for them. You have to get out there and do the work yourself today. We live in a technologically driven world with many different routes of communication that we expect everyone to use. You simply cannot realistically avoid Facebook or Twitter, I am sad to say. Just learn how to use it strategically – know its place in the marketing of your work.

Surround yourself with hard-working, driven people who believe in your product and get to work. And spend the money to attend a great writer’s conference. It will not only help save your sanity, but thousands of dollars in avoidable mistakes from lack of information/knowledge. Writing is a business.

Rebekah

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This week's feature entrepreneur is Shaneisha Dodson. She is the founder of Mahogney Ink Publications L.L.C. and Black Girlz Productions L.L.C. Currently residing in Virginia, Shaneisha holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Grambling State University, a master's degree in counseling from Dallas Baptist University, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in education. Shaneisha was the first person in her family to graduate from college. In showing  how important education is to her, every year she gives a $500 scholarship to a deserving student. After college, Shaneisha wrote her first novel. It was like so much by friends and family she was encouraged to continue writing. That eventually led to the start of her publishing and production company. Being an accomplished author herself, today Shaneisha publishes 4 authors,  2 poets and has produced one stage play.  Her story is truly one of accomplishment. Find out how Shaneisha started her companies and where her inspiration came from. Enjoy!

1. Tell me your story. What were you doing before you started your own business?

I am a country girl born and raised in Arkansas.  I was raised in a matriarchal household.  I developed a passion for writing at a young age.  I started writing my first book after I graduated from college. Prior to starting my business, my life consisted of school, school, and school. I have been a student my whole life.  I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Grambling State University and a master’s degree in counseling from Dallas Baptist University. Currently, I am pursuing a doctorate degree in education.

2. What made you want to start a business and what is your mission?

I have always had a passion for writing.  After graduating from college, I penned my first novel.  My family and friends loved it so much they encouraged me to continue writing.  Therefore, I decided to take it a step further and started my own publishing company in 2009, Mahogney Ink Publications, LLC. My works have been featured in online magazines, selected as book of the month by numerous organizations, selected as top 25 fiction books of 2009 by Conversations, and earned a spot on an African-American bookstore best sellers list. My first teen book was selected as best book 2011 in literary excellence in the teen self-help category.  In addition, I was nominated for a 2011 African-American literary award.  My publishing company is home to four authors and two poets.  In 2012, I took my love of the writing to the next level and started Black Girlz Productions, LLC.   My company’s motto is “Dream BIG or go Home!”  My first play recently debuted: Cheating on my Mistress “When One Woman is not Enough”.  My mission is to entertain by any means necessary.

3. What inspires you? What keeps you motivated daily to keep growing your business?

Life inspires me. I am passionate about my work. Each day I strive to do better. I believe in taking my time to make sure everything is as close to perfect as possible.  Each year, I can clearly see my companies’ growth. We are moving at a steady pace. I am very satisfied because I believe in quality not quantity.

4. Do you have a mentor? Who is it and why? Do you believe it's important to have one?

I used to have a mentor, but we went our separate ways.  However, I believe it is important to have a mentor because no one has gotten where they are without the help of someone else.  When you choose a mentor, make sure you choose wisely.  Mentors are people who are doing what you want to do in life. They should be full of wisdom and knowledge.

5. What would you tell someone who wants to get involved in your line of business but doesn't know how to get started?

Research. Research. Research. If you want to start a business, learn as much as possible about the business. Don’t depend on other people to give you all the answers.  The biggest issue I have with the publishing company is finding a good editor. You will come across a lot of people who will make numerous false promises in this type of business. They will offer you an opportunity to be a part of a national tour, claim to be the best editor in the business, and will guarantee that their marketing campaigns will take you to the number one spot on the best sellers list. Be leery. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is…

6. What advice would you give to someone with an entrepreneurial spirit?

My advice is to follow your dreams. Don’t be scared to succeed. When you hit a hard spot in the road, keep pushing. Believe in yourself and believe in your abilities.

If you are an up-and-coming author looking to be published, visit Shaniesha's website at Mahogney Ink Publications. For information on her stage play show times and Black Girlz Talk visit Black Girlz Productions. Also follow her on twitter at @blkgirlz I want to thank Shaneisha for sharing her story with us. I hope you have been inspired by her accomplishments.

________________________________________________________________

Be someone’s motivation and tell us your story! To be featured on PeopleWhoProsper.com email Tamara@garrisonprosperitysolutions.com. Put PEOPLEWHOPROSPER in the subject line and share a little about yourself.

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I speak to authors regularly to help them organize their writing and create publishing plans that fit their goals and economic status. While one of the biggest barriers to self-publishing is usually funds, the second usually is lack of information or research. Traditional publishing is nice if you have the patience for it and don't mind letting someone else take over, but for those who like be in charge here are a few good reasons to self-publish, as well as some major pitfalls.

5. No Rejections! This is one that resonates with every author. No one likes to be told no, especially if there is not a clearly identifiable problem with your manuscript. While this is a perfectly good reason to go the self-publishing route, which will ensure your publication, rejections are a motivation for some authors to improve on their work.

Pitfall: Without an honest, third-party assessment of your manuscript before publishing, you can end up with a sub-par product that destroys your reputation as an author.

How to Avoid It: Find a professional editor to provide you with honest feedback. Some have a process for this type of review, while others charge an hourly fee. The goal is to not only get feedback, but also suggestions on how to resolve your issues. Companies like EverFaith Press provide a Rubric with their manuscript assessments which allow you to see your problem areas and how you can fix them.

4. Editorial Control. This perk of self-publishing is great for authors who like to be in the know. You have the ability to interview and select your own editor, or at least set the parameters for success and their interaction with you.

Pitfalls: Selecting the wrong editor by going for the lowest cost only. Another big mistake is ignoring your editor. If you have selected your editor wisely, it is important that you take the time to weigh and value their input.

How to Avoid It: First, make sure that you request a sample edit. Any editor that takes on your book without first reviewing your manuscript is no one you should work with. They need to see your manuscript to determine if they can help you or not. Second. when selecting your editor, have a conversation with them about their editing style and how they work with authors. Vibes are not sufficient, but if you combine your "personality assessment" with their assessment of your manuscript and sample edit, you will have all of the pieces needed to make an educated decision.

3. Design Input. Many traditional publishers work on your design for you, and your input is limited if allowed at all. When self-publishing, depending on how you go about it, you are able to veto covers you do not like and creative control over the design concepts.

Pitfall: Design input is only a plus if you have options and are working with a skilled designer. Using a self-publishing press can be a benefit here, because they typically make deals with quality designers based on book quantities to get you the best pricing. When approaching the same or similar designer, your costs can triple and push you towards a cheaper more sub-par choice.

How to Avoid It: Look for promotional specials when you review the work of graphic designers, and make sure that they have experience with creating at least 5 book covers for print publications. Don't hesitate to interview them, and if you really don't have the time to do the legwork then visit small presses like EverFaith Press and Believers Press. They both have contractors who can provide sample work from established designers for you to choose from.

2. Higher Royalties. It's good to get paid, and it's even better when you can set your own rates. This is the number 2 best reason to self-publish, because you see an immediate return on your investment. It takes a while to recoup the publishing costs, but to many authors it's worth it.

Pitfalls: There are four major pitfalls here 1. Not setting your own royalty rate, 2. Setting your rate too high to reinvest in your work, 3. Not setting your royalties aside for personal use and 4. Not using the book revenue to reinvest.

How to Avoid It: Being a smart business person is one of the key skills you will need to be a successful authorpreneur, but it's not something you can learn overnight. The quick lesson (or reminder) is that you have to both pay yourself and set money aside to further your book marketing plans. Creating your own contract to set your royalty rate lets you make a little money back from your work, while reasonably setting aside the remainder for a business account. You can save that money and use it invest in any future book plans that you may have.

 

1. Access to Final Files. There are no major pitfalls here, and honestly It's the most important reason to self-publish carefully. Many companies are happy for you to pay them to produce your work, and are only satisfied if they can keep you coming back for more. They force your hand by not providing you with your final files so you have to go through their more expensive channels for any print needs. EverFaith Press has the advantage on most self-publishing companies here, as it is in their standard agreement to provide the final files to their authors. They keep you coming back because their print costs are one of the cheapest in the POD world, and the turnaround time is phenomenal.

Pitfalls: If you do get a copy of your final files, make sure not to corrupt it! If you do not have the knowledge of InDesign or whatever layout tool they use, do not try to figure it out using your file. If you destroy it, you most likely will need to pay to have it recreated.

How to Avoid It: Maintain a back-up copy of all publication files, then make a back-up of your back-up. Preferably, you should store your files on a Cloud drive and on an external drive. This protects your investment and ensures that you have a copy of all final files for future changes or editions.

These are just a few good reasons to self-publish, and there are many reasons to traditionally publish as well. In the end it is up to you the author to decide what will work best for you.

Have you been published, or self-published your own book? What helped you to make your decision? Share your answers below!
 

Rochelle Carter is the President/CEO of Ellechor Media, LLC. Ellechor is a Christian media company with three imprints: Ellechor Publishing House- a publisher of Inspirational Christian books, EverFaith Press- a self-publishing imprint offering Coach2Publish, Publishing & Marketing Services, and E2 Books & Co.- an eBook only imprint. She also blogs marketing, publishing and writing tips twice weekly at The Savvy Authorpreneur and runs Christian Books Today- a community for Christian book readers and authors, featuring an independent bookstore.

Contact Me | Write for My Blog | Buy Indie

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Introducing the FIRST "PeopleWhoProsper.com" featured entrepreneur, Rochelle Carter, SPHR. Since starting Ellechor Publishing House in 2009, she has signed 12 authors and released six books! Ellechor is a royalty paying/no author investment, Christian book publishing company. She also started Live.Write.Publish! which is a self-publishing imprint for authors who want to maintain full control. I have had the privilege to ask her a few questions and hear her inspirational story and share it with you!

 

She answered a few questions about herself so that we may get to know her.

1.Tell me your story. What were you doing before you started your own business?

I was, and still am, a Senior Professional in Human Resources and a Project Manager. I had a great job right out of College and was blessed to work with many great people at a great company.

2. What made you want to start a business and what is your mission?

I started this business as an investment and for the long-term satisfaction of a family business. I needed to put myself in a position where I could have a business that I loved and create opportunities for others. I chose publishing because reading is my passion and writing was my hobby for a long time. I thought it was time we made our relationship official, plus I had always wanted to be an editor!
Our mission is to produce quality Christian Fiction and Non-Fiction that changes lives while entertaining, and to provide hope/support to aspiring authors in a company that will dream big with them.

3. What inspires you? What keeps you motivated daily to keep growing your business?

My love for books inspires me, and my authors keep my motivated daily to do my best and to keep growing this cause. They have put their faith in God and in me, and I pray that God continues to bless me so that I can bring inspiration to them. I ask myself daily, what have I done for my authors today? What have I done to promote Christian books today?

4. Do you have a mentor? Who is it and why? Do you believe it's important to have one?

This is a surprisingly tough question! One mentor is Demetria Hayes, because she brought me into Human Resources and the world of helping people. Without her guidance, I may not have been motivated to find my true joy in work. I do a lot of career counseling and resume writing because she showed me how I can use my skills to help others. My second and all-time favorite mentor is my mother. She worked hard to get her Masters while raising four children, started her own business in a time of need, went to the Philippines to gain her PhD later in life. She is always getting things done!! It's so important to have a mentor, because they are the one person you will never compare to and therefore your motivation to keep moving. If you no longer see the value in your mentor, you need a new one! You should never be without a positive influence.

5. What would you tell someone who wants to get involved in your line of business but doesn't know how to get started?

Call me! Or, just jump right in. Thinking about writing a book? Just start! Want to be an editor? There are plenty of college students who need help. Offer your services free of charge to an author with a completed manuscript in exchange for a reference. There is no great starting point. I have met with many professionals in my journey who wanted to set me back, and I refused. I have not regretted it for one moment, because God has blessed me with a great team and we are getting things done right!

6. What advice would you give to someone with an entrepreneurial spirit?

If you are looking for something lasting, forget the get-rich-quick plan. What do you LOVE to do? What can keep you up hours at night with no regrets? Do that! Write the business plan- it doesn't have to be pretty but cover the basics in 4 pages or less. You can refer to it as a basic outline until you work out the details. Find others with your same passion, always keep learning more and be willing to adjust to new situations.

 

I just want to thank Rochelle for stepping up and taking the plunge of telling her story. It is so refreshing to hear other people's stories sometimes for many reasons: 1. to learn from their mistakes. I know, may sound a little harsh but it's true. That's why these people share their stories, so that you don't have to go through some of the same hardships they went through. 2. to gain, rebuild or sustain your motivation. If they can do this, surely you can! So, make sure you're reading successful and prosperous people's stories often to keep your fire burning!

 

Again, thank you Rochelle for sharing how you became so prosperous.

 

Til next time!

Hear Rochelle's story on PeopleWhoProsperTV

We are always looking for people to feature on PeopleWhoProsperTV and garrisonprosperitysolutions.com. So, if you're bold enough and proud enough of yourself and your accomplishments in business, then I dare you to share your story with us! Just email PeopleWhoProsper to Tamara@garrisonprosperitysolutions.com for more details!
Tamara Garrison-Thomas
deut8:18
www.garrisonprosperitysolutions.com

 

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A strong book cover is a necessity when it comes to publishing a High Quality book. As much as we may not like it, books are judged by their cover! According to ‘The Wall Street Journal’, “The average bookstore browser who picks up a book spends eight seconds looking at the front cover and 15 seconds reading the back.”

 

Therefore, the window of opportunity to sell the book by its cover is limited. To attract attention and make a lasting first impression, be ready to do all that you can to be at the top of your game and make that first impression one that last in the mind of the viewer. 

 

Read More: http://wattspublishinggroup.com/the-benefits-of-strong-book-cover-design/

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Today with all of the amazing technology, self publishing a book has become a more attractive option. Gone are the days of someone’s dreams and visions being placed on hold or forced to wait because they are in search of a publisher to accept their book. I remember hearing so many stories of how many attempts, how many companies, and how many rejections it would take before an author could get published. I don’t know about you but I always had this image in my mind of traditional publishers sitting on a throne deciding the fate of the literary world. To me it was like a secret society that allowed a select few to enter and those that did had very little control.


Today that image has changed for me. When I set out to publish my first book, going the traditional route was not a consideration. “Why?” you might ask. As I alluded to earlier technology has revolutionized the publishing world. The internet along with the social media platforms have empowered and given a voice to so many talented authors; many of whom would never have received even a rejection letter from a traditional publisher. Traditional publishers, like so many industries because of technology, have been forced to develop new business models. Major publishers are faced with downsizing and cut backs making it even more difficult for a new kid on the block. Most of the traditional publishers today want authors who have a celebrity size following or a distribution list that equates to immediate ROI.

There are a lot of opportunities in self publishing a book. You can do it completely yourself. When you publish your work yourself you are responsible for the editing, formatting, securing distribution, communicating with the printer, and copyrighting it to name a few. The other option is selecting a publisher that will handle all the previously mentioned items, but allows you to remain in control. If you are a writer and perhaps run another business, the latter option would more than likely be the most beneficial for you. Here are top 5 things you should consider when looking for a self-publishing publisher:

1. Is it a good fit?
Believe it or not personality means everything. Your book is your baby. It’s a project and not a drive-thru menu experience. Ask yourself, “Are you comfortable with their style of communication?” I know its cliché, but communication is the key to everything. Does the publisher make you feel like you are valued and not just a number? Is there a real interest in your project? What’s your publisher’s background? Many times I have seen authors when self publishing their book forfeit the importance of literary and business experience of their publisher. Make sure when selecting a publisher they have literary experience and business acumen.

2. Make sure you maintain all your rights.
In the traditional world of publishing you generally give up a large portion, if not all of the rights to your book. This means all of the control on editing, characters, book cover design, etc, are determined by the publisher. This is primarily because you have received an advance for your book. When you are self publishing a book there are publishers who cater to authors who desire to self publish. In this case if you are not receiving an advance you should maintain all the rights to your book. All of the decisions from editing to the book cover design as mentioned before should be your final say. You should also have the option of taking your book with you if you decided to leave that publisher.

3. Royalties
When self publishing a book it is my opinion that you as the author should receive the higher percentage of royalties. In the traditional world it can be viewed slightly different because they have a larger distribution, they have provided you with an advance, and there is more at stake. There are some self publishers who will do a 90/10, 75/25, or 60/40 split, with you receiving the lower percentage. In this case I would make sure you get the higher, because there is no upfront investment in you from the self publishing publisher.

4. What type of services do they offer?
Do they offer various editing services from rewrite to copywriting? Editing is extremely important when self publishing a book. Be mindful of a company that will publish your book that doesn’t offer or require editing. In most cases if they don’t offer editing, your publisher should have a list of editors they can refer. It is true today with technology and a fast paced society the standard grammar has become more relaxed. However, you still want a quality product that will stand the test of time. Other services you should look for are marketing that includes social media, graphic and website design.
When self publishing a book often authors assume the publisher is automatically going to promote your book. This is not the case. You as the author should have an option of acquiring those additional services.

5. Time
Yes, I know everything is done at the speed of light today. We no longer have to wait on the 6 o’clock news to find out what’s happening around the world. We can email a document that used to have to travel by what we now have labeled “snail mail”. Although this has made our lives easier, when self publishing a book, we still want to value the time it takes to create a quality product. Again, self publishing should not mean you should compromise and produce an inferior product. That’s what the big guys and critics expect and/or automatically assume. I have seen companies that promote one to two week turn-rounds. That might be the case. However, please allow yourself the time for editing, correct formatting, the right cover design, to receive a proof (an actual copy of your book), etc. A reasonable amount of time should be 60 to 90 days, but this is determined by so many variables. How long it takes you to submit your work, and to sign off. You may realize that an entire chapter needs to be deleted. Allow for creativity which is often something that shouldn’t be rushed. Remember experts say today a book is the new business card. What do you want yours to say?


Deborah Hardnett is the Founder and CEO of Wealthy Sistas® Publishing House. Wealthy Sistas® Publishing House focus is to help authors self publish their books. If you are considering self publishing a book,  visit www.wealthysistaspublishing.com Wealthy Sistas® Publishing House website today and get more details on how you can achieve this without the exorbitant fees and retain all your rights to your intellectual property. Deborah and her staff are strong advocates of the self-publishing industry and offer an extensive variety self publishing book services.
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Blogging is a personal publishing format that allows you to be able to have your own platform for sharing your ideas with the world. Reading feedback from visitors is quite rewarding and makes it worth all of the work and effort that goes into producing a quality blog.

But sometimes there are those days that your Mamma warned you about. There are days when life gets to be overwhelming, you’re exhausted and beaten down and the baby needs a new pair of shoes. Sometimes you wonder what the heck you were thinking when you started that blog. What made you think you’d have time to post every day or least every week?

I’ve come up with some tricks and strategies that you can use to develop productive habits, which will allow you to make the most of those little snippets of time in your day to get your blogging tasks done. Please visit my blog to learn some creative ways to keep fresh content on your blog: http://bit.ly/c8PIfW

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The first post of this blog was published originally in January of 2007, but a catastrophic crash in October of 2008 (before I knew about the importance of backing up my database) caused me to lose all of those
early posts. Prior to this blog for my consulting business I had a personal blogthat I began in the fall of 1998 (before they were actually even called ‘blogs’). So with 12 years of blogging experience under my belt, I
thought I’d write a post about what being a blogger has taught me about life.

1. Don’t write anything you wouldn’t want your parents or your children to see.

In the early days, I didn’t tell my parents that I kept a blog. I felt far more free to write whatever I felt like writing when I was pretty sure that they weren’t reading it. Well, the day eventually came when my dad, bless his heart, discovered my blog one day when he googled me. Thank goodness he didn’t find anything embarrassing, but it might have been a more awkward conversation had I been writing about something that they would not have approved of, or would be embarrassing.


Aside from your parents and off-spring, be mindful that your employer or colleagues might also discover your blog, so be mindful of what you write and publish online.

2. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind.

Your blog provides you with the opportunity to stand up for what you believe in, to take a stand for your beliefs and defend the ideals that you hold dear. There will be people who will agree and there will be people who will disagree with what you have to say, but don’t let that dissuade you from writing from your heart.

3. Be authentic.

One of my favorite quotes on this topic is by Dr. Suess, and he said, “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter won’t mind.” Authenticity totally shines through in everything you write. Don’t try too hard to sound witty, or take on a fake persona. Your individuality is the gift that you offer to the world. Let it shine through.


4. Always publish your best work.
Don’t fall into the trap of waiting until you “get discovered” before you start coming up with fabulous content because it’s the fabulous content that will get you discovered. Write your posts like everyone’s watching. Edit ruthlessly. Find a writing partner to edit and/or proofread for you. Ask for feedback from your readers, and strive to always improve your writing.


5. Having a platform is powerful.
As your blog readership grows you will discover that you are creating a platform for yourself. Your blog is your own media outlet. Don’t squander your chance to put forth your message. Take your blog seriously and others will do the same.


6. Avoid negative posts and bashing or flaming.
Avoid writing scathing posts and railing with negativity about a person or a group. If something has gotten you angry and upset, you might want to take some time and process it and choose the most intelligent course
of action rather than firing off a vitriolic post that you may regret sooner than later.


7. It takes a village.
The blogoshpere is a community, so reach out to other bloggers and create relationships. Offer to guest post on your favorite blogs. Link to your blogging buddies from your blog. Be as supportive as you can of other bloggers within your community.


8. Encourage other bloggers.
Be sure to leave positive comments on other blogs. Find something encouraging to say that goes beyond, “great post.” Show that you read the post and write a comment that adds value and builds up the blogger.

9. It takes commitment.

Maintaining a blog is not easy. With all of the other responsibilities in your life, it can be a challenge to commit to writing three to five blog posts each week and managing all of the other tasks inherent with the job. Determine at the outset if you think you can be committed to maintaining the publishing schedule before you begin.


10. Persistence pays off.
In the end persistence definitely pays off. When you have a blog that is getting decent traffic, a steady flow of comments and good reviews you’ve really got something to be proud of. Don’t give up when things get challenging because the only way to fail is to give up.


If you’re a blogger, please feel free to leave a comment that shares a life lesson you’ve learned from blogging. You are welcome to visit my blog, http://www.productivepen.com, for more posts about writing, online marketing and personal development.


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Writing and publishing articles online is a highly effective way to promote your business.

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Here's to your success!
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For Immediate Release:It is rare that you find a company that truly believes in an author's success. You find individuals and companies with claims, but rarely do you find a company that not only walks the walk, but talks the talk. ZLS Publishing is that kind of company. Take a look at their blog, and you will see they provide publishing tips for authors that other publishing companies won't reveal.Take a look through their website and you will see they are very pro-author. They work with authors, regardless of whether they have published with them or not, something that no other publishing company offers. In the spirit of their pro-authorship, they have decided to do what no other publishing company has done-Open a store for authors. This store is a store exclusively for authors. It provides everything an author needs to help promote their book."We believe that while bookmarks, business cards and postcards are important, we also believe that long standing items are equally as important. In order for an author to be successful, they have to stay in the minds of their customers. We also believe that it is important to provide authors with the supplies they need to set the tone inside their customers minds that say, "why didn't I hear about you before."Everything inside of the ZLS Store is completely customizable and easy to order. They take your book cover and place it on anything and everything you like. Items such as balloons, crayons, pens, pencils, enviornmental pens, tote bags and plaques are just some of the items that are completely customizable. "Our Author Plaques, Literacy Calendar, and $1 menu are a big hit. We provided these items locally and when they did really well, we decide to provide them to all authors nationwide. "For authors looking for that extra something to make you stand out, particularly at a book signing, there author store is for you. It is exactly what an author needs. It is what the industry is missing and ZLS has found.To shop at the Exclusive Author Only store, go to: www.zlspublishing.com/shop. You can also visit their author friendly website at: www.zlspublishing.com###
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Look at me, take a long, hard stare.I'm the face of HIV. I represent every woman 25-34 who has died or is dying from AIDS.AIDS is the leading cause of death in African American women in this age group.So, LOOK at me!Do you think I'm ready to die? I'm not ready. I don't want to leave my children, family, and friends. LOOK at me!Can you honestly tell me we can't change the statistics by raising awareness? Can we not see the Consequences of our actions? Oh God, is anybody even listening to me? LOOK at me!Now, take a long hard look at yourself and answer this question:What am I going to do today to raise awareness of HIV & AIDS?To learn more about Linda R. Herman and her passion for saving lives by raising awareness, please visit www.LindaRHerman.org.
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Become a Published Author in 30 days or less

Did you know that the number 1 marketing tool for your business is a Book?As an expert you have the opportunity for people to remember you. Fliersand business cards will come and go. A book is forever. It is a self generatedmarketing tool. It does most of the work for you. Are you interested in beinga speaker, coach and consultant? A book is key to generating more income.If you would like to learn about a method in which you can publish your bookin under 30days with low cost. Literally you can have your book completed fromstart to finish- for $247.00. You can write all the books that your heart desiresjust for that $247.00.If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity to explode your business,Feel Free to contact meNatosha McCrayStop and Pause, Incinfo@stopandpauseinc.com(347) 247-2093Here's to your success!
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Using Squidoo To Promote Your Website

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A lens maker can create numerous lenses on a subject, focusing attention on a different aspect of the subject with each lens. On the other had, a lens maker can make numerous lenses that cover many different topics, reflecting the lens makers' different interests and expertise. Internet MarketingOne of the many good uses for Squidoo lenses is to use the lens as part of an overall internet marketing strategy. One or more good lenses can help to bring attention, traffic, and credibility to a product or business by providing valuable information and resources. Additionally, the lens can help to establish the author as an expert in their field and a person whose advice should be taken seriously.The single page websites that Squidoo allows an author to create are called lenses because the finished website focuses on a single subject or idea. This focused attention on a subject is very attractive to users of the internet who are constantly searching for answers to questions or problems. The internet search engines whose job it is to find good, focused websites that will answer the questions or problems are attracted to the lenses.Therefore, the use of Squidoo lenses has become a valuable internet resource for building and marketing a business.Traffic. I started out with Squidoo simply to promote my various internet ventures -- web sites, blogs and ezines. Due to the way Squidoo is organized it makes a great system to capture and redirect traffic. Traffic arrives both from search engines and internally generated traffic. I have found this to be a great traffic generation tool. I have some profitable web sites that I do nothing else to promote except through Squidoo.Money. While I started out simply to drive traffic to my other money-making enterprises I soon realized there is a number of ways to benefit financially from Squidoo. I can earn income directly from Squidoo based on the internal rank of my Squidoo page as well as from a variety of internal and external affiliate programs. Squidoo has several different affiliate programs programmed in and you are welcome to add as many other income sources to your lens as you want. I earn income every month from Squidoo and I have not even begun to fully capitalize on all my options.Addiction. I fully admit that I am a Squidoo addict. I check in several times a day on the various lenses (the Squidoo term for a web page) and groups I maintain, I eye my dashboard stats, I haunt the Squidoo forum, and I'm constantly creating new lenses. I don't think there is a 12-step program for Squidoo addiction yet but there might need to be. I am constantly tweaking, fixing, adding, and altering my existing lenses as well as creating new lenses. Do I have a problem?Friends. Squidoo is a friendly place. While there are certainly people here ready and eager to make a buck they don't seem to dominate this network as much as some of the others. Perhaps it is because Squidoo makes it so easy to donate all or a portion of your proceeds to a charity of your choice -- and so many Squidoo lens creators are dedicated to supporting a huge range of charities -- that makes Squidoo people a nicer group as a whole. Yes, there are people like myself using Squidoo to support or promote a business, but it is not all about money. It is about people and ideas and community. That is what keeps me coming back day after day. I find myself not just checking up on my projects but the projects of various people that interest me -- and Squidoo makes it super easy to do just that!

Squidoo : Lenses by Desiree_Richardson

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Desiree RichardsonMake Your Own Squidoo Lens Today
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Let’s clear up a source of a lot of confusion for authors new to the publishing industry: What is a “publisher” versus a “publishing services company”?An author is the one who comes up with the intellectual property in manuscript form. The publisher is the one who adds the money and expertise to leverage the intellectual property into a successful book by providing a great title, cover, interior, setting the price and then cost-effectively printing the book and getting distribution for it into the bookstore market.By this definition, so many of the entities calling themselves “publishers” are instead, “publishing services” or “author services” companies.Here is the bottom line: IF A COMPANY ASKS YOU TO PAY FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF PUBLISHING YOUR BOOK, IT IS NOT A PUBLISHER. Publishers make investments. If the author is both making the investment and bringing in the intellectual property, then that is not a publishing deal. What you are doing is buying publishing services.There is nothing wrong with that if you know what you are paying for and what you are getting. I hear so many people tell me what their “publisher” said, only to find out they aren’t working with a publisher at all.If you are thinking of doing business with a publishing services company, (sometimes called a POD publisher) – a company that calls itself a publisher but charges you a fee up front – make sure they are right for you.You have a right to know what to expect, so you need to have a contract to document the agreement. The services provider should provide you with the contract and you would expect to see provisions regarding who does what, what the flow of money is, in and out, termination provisions, and what liability each party is assuming.But beyond the standard, there are some provisions that are especially important in publishing services contracts. We’ve developed a eight-point checklist of these essential points. If they can say “yes” to each of these, then you’ve found a great company to work with. If there are any “no” answers, please think twice!1. Author retains all intellectual property rights – if you have to pay up front, there is absolutely no reason you should be selling your rights to your intellectual property in the bargain. You are licensing your rights to print, perhaps exclusively, for only a designated period of time.2. Author benefits from book profits (isn’t just paid royalties or a commission) – again, if you have to pay the full cost of producing the book up front, the publishing services firm might get a percentage of what you sell, but you should retain the lion’s share. If they only want a percentage from the books they are able to sell, that would be a reasonable exchange. If they are able to generate bookstore orders (unlikely, but not impossible), then they should take a percentage from those sales. Otherwise, the profits from the book sales, minus the costs to print, should be yours.3. Author has the right to terminate the publishing services contract, preferably in 30 days, but no more than 60 days - if you get a great offer from an established commercial publisher, you will be kicking yourself if you can’t take it because you are stuck with a bad contract you can’t get out of.4. Timeline the author can live with - many publishing services companies do not specify how quickly they will publish your book. There is no reason they cannot create the cover and interior and have the book printed within 90 days of when they receive the manuscript. Anything much outside of that time frame is unacceptable and you should only sign a contract that gives you a full refund if they do not have books in your hands within 90 days, unless you specifically agree otherwise for some reason.5. Professional quality cover, interior and printing – I have seen way too many books with completely unprofessional covers and a book binding that is falling apart. A professionally-designed cover is easy to spot a mile away and if you aren’t sure of what you are getting, call in a professional to take a look for you. Many of the publishing services firms outsource their printing to LightningSource.com (just another reason for you to go direct), but if they do, at least you can be sure that the quality of the printing and binding will be good.6. Author is given cover and interior design files if contract is terminated - if you have had to pay to have your book cover designed and the interior typeset, then you want the right to get the design files back (not just a PDF) if you terminate the contract. Most POD publishers do not allow this as a way to keep you tied to them.7. Reasonable prices for books – if part of your contract is for the publishing services firm to print your books on-demand, then you want no more than a 25% mark-up to cover their administrative costs than if you took your book to your own printer. The on-demand printer you would be smart to use is LightningSource.com (for more reasons than I can detail here). The formula Lightning Source uses to determine the price of printing a book is $.90 x .015 x the number of pages in the book. So for instance, if your book were 183 page, the price per book would be 183 x $.015 = $2.75 + $.90, which equals $3.65 per book. Again, using this example, if the price quoted to you by the POD publisher were more than $4.56 per book, you are paying too much.Too many publishing services companies charge a percentage of retail for you to buy your own book; for instance, 50% of a $20 book, or $10 a book. This is how established commercial publishers work, but they do it because you haven’t paid for publishing up front – that is a whole different story. Don’t ever sign a contract that requires you buy a minimum number of books. Regardless of what the POD publisher tells you, they are printing on demand, which means they don’t have to buy a certain quantity from their printer, so you should not have to either.8. Reasonable prices for other services – many of the publishing services companies want you to buy marketing or other services and they will offer you a menu that you feel like you need to be successful. Much better to interview qualified professionals and choose your own after talking to other authors and others in the industry. Don’t sign a contract that requires you to buy any additional services.The bottom line is this: You can easily self publish without a POD publisher, but if you decide you want someone to handle all the details, be sure you get what you are paying for. There are hundreds, if not thousands of POD publishers so you have plenty to choose from. As in all other things, make sure and read the contract and get the terms that work for you and your book.Article written by Jan King. The Publishing Store
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Once again, we’re back with another episode of Bad Book Marketing. This one is about the writers state of mind. Too many writers make the following mistakes and I believe it’s mental:1)Thinking that marketing is the publishers job.2) Thinking that it is smart to market after your book has been written.3) Thinking that marketing and selling are the same thing.4) Thinking that people are interested in your book.5) Thinking they come first and their readers last.Think long, think wrong. Your own mental state of mind affects your sales. The writers who sell well and even become best-selling authors know that the mind equates actions. You act how you think.If you think wrong....To read the rest visit: www.zlspublishing.com/blog
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“911 what’s your emergency?” the operator asked.“It’s my daughter Tiffany! I just came over and found her unconscious in her bed! Please send someone over here right away! She can’t die!” Tiffany’s mother cried hysterically.“Ma’am, I need you to calm down. What’s the address there?”“Hold on, let me find something with the address on it.” Tiffany’s mother ran into the kitchen and found a letter with her address on it. “Okay, I found it. The address is 2792 Edgewater Way, Apt 2.”“Okay, now is your daughter breathing?” Tiffany’s mother placed her hand over her mouth and nose to feel for air. Nothing...“No! She’s not breathing! Oh Lord, she’s not breathing! You have to hurry! She can’t die! Please hurry!”“Ma’am, we are getting there as fast as we can. I need you to calm down. Do you know CPR?”“No!”“That’s okay, I can walk you through it. Tilt your daughter’s head back and lift her chin.”“Okay.”“Now check and make sure nothing is blocking her airway. If there’s nothing there, hold her nose shut, cover her mouth with yours, and give two breaths.”“Okay, I have to put you on speaker phone.” Tiffany’s mother put the phone on speaker and placed it on the bed next to her. She put her mouth over hers and gave her two full breaths. “Now what else do I do?” she asked.“Place your hands one on top of the other on her chest between her breasts. Push down thirty times to a depth of about two inches, at the rate of about two seconds.” Her mother counted aloud until she reached thirty. “Now give her two breaths again and thirty more chest compressions.” Tiffany’s mother continued to perform CPR until the paramedics arrived, then she stepped to the side and let them take over. She continued to cry and pray as the paramedics tried to revive Tiffany.“Lord, I know my daughter has done some things that were wrong but she is trying to change. Lord, please don’t let her leave this Earth without the opportunity to show You that she can do better. Lord, please save Tiffany, don’t let her die. Give her another chance to show You that she will put You first and will overcome this addiction she has. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.”*****Before I went to bed my mother called me into her bedroom. At first I was scared she found out I was in her make up earlier that day when she left me alone to go to the store. When I didn’t see the belt sitting next to her on the bed, I knew she hadn’t figured it out and I prayed she never would. My mother had already warned me on more than one occasion that if she ever found out that I went in her stuff without asking, she would beat the black off me. I didn’t understand how you could do that, but I wasn’t about to find out so I made sure I put everything back exactly as I had found it so she wouldn’t suspect anything.My mother was lying in her bed with her favorite black nightdress on. It was long and sheer. She wore her matching bra and panty set underneath. Her hair was neatly combed straight and reached the middle of her back. Her skin was a few shades lighter than mine and her eyes were light brown. She had freckles placed perfectly on her cheeks, giving her an innocent look. My mother was beautiful. One of my mother’s men friends must have been coming over later because that was the only time she put on one of her most revealing nightdresses and wore her hair down.“Yes, mommy, you called me?” I asked, as I stood at the foot of her bed.“Tomorrow Ms. Yvette is bringing her boys, Tony and Wade, over to stay while we go out. I know you haven’t met them before but I want you to be on your best behavior. Be nice and make sure you share your toys,” she said, while getting up to light the candles around her bedroom.“Yes ma’am, I will,” I said. I really wasn’t up to sharing my stuff. I was the only child and never had to share any of my things except for when my aunt Kelly came over. She was my aunt but I am ten months older than she is. She always tried to steal my dolls so I hated when she came over to visit.“Tony is eight, the same age as you, so ya’ll should have a lot in common. You know the rule. Don’t let them get you in trouble. You understand me?” she said.“Yes ma’am, I promise I will be on my best behavior,” I said with a fake smile on my face. I really wasn’t up for entertaining Ms. Yvette’s sons, but who knew; maybe they would be fun to play with.“Okay, go on and go to bed. I have company coming over in a little bit,” she said as she sprayed some perfume on her body and around the room.The next day when Ms. Yvette arrived with her sons, part of me was excited; it wasn’t often that I had someone to play with. I always looked forward to Saturdays because it was the day Mother and Ms. Yvette would leave and I’d be home alone until almost midnight. But, I’d often be afraid to be left alone because I would hear noises all throughout the house. Every squeak and crack would cause me to run into my bedroom and hide under the covers until they came back.One Saturday I asked my mother why she couldn’t get my aunt to watch me while she went out.“Mommy, why can’t Aunt Susan watch me when you go out?” I asked one Saturday, as she was getting dressed.“Because your auntie won’t watch you for free and I don’t want to pay her. That’s my club money. Plus, you’re a big girl. You can watch yourself.” She had a point, I was a big girl and I never got into any trouble while she was away.When the boys arrived, I saw that Tony was much taller than me. He was very skinny, like the poor kids you see on TV in Africa. I wanted to fix him a grilled cheese sandwich as soon as he walked through the door. I could tell he had been playing outside before he came over because he had dirt all over his clothes. I couldn’t tell the last time he combed his hair because his little afro was matted to his head. Wade, who was five, was a chubby little thing. He reminded me of the Pillsbury Dough Boy.Tony and Wade seemed to be shy at first, but as soon as our parents left they began arguing over what cartoon we were going to watch. Wade wanted to watch Bugs Bunny and Tony wanted to watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I didn’t care for neither of the cartoons they wanted to watch and since it was my house, I turned to Strawberry Shortcake. Both of the boys whined about how they didn’t want to watch a girly cartoon, but I didn’t care.While we sat on the floor watching cartoons, Tony began rub-bing on my hand. I wasn’t sure if that’s what kids did when they watched TV together, but I noticed he wasn’t rubbing Wade’s hand. When I moved my hand back, he reached over and started rubbing on it again. I pulled my hand away again, but this time I placed it in my lap. After Strawberry Shortcake went off Tony suggested that we go play hide and seek.“Not it,” I said before anyone else did.“Not it,” Tony shouted, leaving Wade to be the one to find us.Tony and I whispered to each other about places to hide. I told him that we could hide in the laundry room, my mom’s closet, or in my room under the bed. Tony told me that he wanted to hide in my mom’s closet and I told him I was going to hide in the laundry room. I really wanted to hide in my mother’s closet because I could cover myself with the pile of clothes that she always kept in there, but I didn’t want to hide in there. I knew that if Wade did look in there, we both would be caught.I told Wade to close his eyes and count to a hundred but being only five years old, he could only count to ten. I just told him to count until he couldn’t count any more. Wade went to the far corner of the living room and began counting. As I headed for the laundry room, Tony grabbed my arm and led me to my mother’s bedroom closet. I tried to pull away but he kept insisting that I come in there with him so I did. It was really dark in the closet when Tony shut the door so I cracked it so we could get some light. As I stood in the nearly dark closet waiting for Wade to try to find us, I couldn’t help but wonder why Tony wanted me to go in there with him. Something about him was a little weird to me but I just brushed it off.When I wasn’t paying attention, Tony snuck up on me and kissed me on my lips. My initial reaction was to slap the crap out of him but instead, I just pushed him away. I had never been kissed before and wasn’t sure if I wanted Tony to be first to do it. Tony pulled me close to him and kissed me again. When I tried to pull away he held me tighter. I stopped fighting and just let him kiss me. His lips were soft but I didn’t see what the big deal was about kissing. I heard Wade crying so I pulled away from Tony and ran to see what was wrong. Wade was standing in the living room crying because he got scared. Tony teased him for being such a crybaby. I went to the kitchen, got Wade some cookies, and calmed him down. I let Wade pick the next cartoon we watched on TV. Tony didn’t like that but I didn’t like how he picked on Wade, so he could go to hell for all I cared.Wade began drifting off to sleep about ten minutes into the show. Tony went to go change the channel but I grabbed him by the arm before he could reach the TV.“What do you think you are doing?” I said, as I yanked on Tony’s arm, pulling him down to the floor.“I’m turning the TV. I don’t want to watch this crap,” he said, as he tried to get back up to turn the TV. Again I pulled him back down, but this time I pulled him much harder than before.“Ouch! You’re going to pull my arm off. Let me go, Tiffany,” he said, trying to free him self from my grip.“No. I’m watching this so you better just sit down and watch it too. You’re not turning my TV,” I told him. Tony just looked at me and smiled.I was really beginning to think this boy was getting weirder and weirder. I let go of his arm. As soon as I did, he jumped on top of me and we began to wrestle. I wasn’t in the mood to play with him but he kept laughing and wrestling me. Eventually, I gave in and gave him a run for his money. We rolled around on the living room floor until we grew tired. Wade somehow managed to sleep through all the noise. I pushed Tony off me and sat up to catch my breath.“Hey, Tiffany, I have another game we can play,” Tony said, getting up from the floor.“What game?” I asked. I got up and went into the kitchen to fix me something to drink. Tony followed me.“I don’t know what it’s called, but I know you will like it,” he said, with a huge grin on his face.“Okay, show me,” I said, finishing the last of my juice. I placed my glass in the sink and headed back toward the living room and Tony followed.“Let’s go in the room ‘cause I don’t want to wake Wade up,” he said. He grabbed me by the hand and led me into my bedroom. Tony closed the door behind us and told me to get in my bed.“What I need to get in the bed for?” I asked him.“Because that’s where the game is played,” he said. I followed his instructions and got in the bed. Once I was in all the way he joined me. He told me to lay flat on my back and I did. Tony climbed on top of me and began rubbing his body on mine.“What are you doing?” I asked.“This is the game. I saw it on TV last night and the people seemed to really like it,” he said. He continued to move his body up and down on mine. I could feel his pee pee on my private through our clothes and it felt weird. I didn’t understand the game but since it wasn’t hurting me, I didn’t see any harm in playing.As Tony rubbed himself on me, he kissed me as he had earlier in my mother’s bedroom closet. His kiss was nice and I didn’t want him to stop. I heard my bedroom door squeak and I quickly pushed Tony off me. I thought that maybe my mother had came home early and I didn’t want her to see what we were doing. I knew he said it was only a game but I wasn’t sure if it was a game I was allowed to play.Wade walked into my bedroom rubbing his eyes. You could tell he had just woke up by how slow he was moving. Tony and I got out of the bed and led Wade back into the living room. I turned on cartoons and all three of us sat directly in front of the TV. I felt Tony watching me but I was too scared to give him eye contact. The game he had introduced me to was different and made me feel weird. I wasn’t sure what to think of it but I knew I wanted to play it again.At some point, we all fell asleep while watching cartoons. I woke up when I heard my mother’s key unlocking the door. I woke Tony and Wade up to let them know their mother was there to get them. They both grabbed their shoes and headed toward the door. My mother and I walked Ms. Yvette and her sons out to the car and said our goodbyes, then headed back into our house. Mama instructed me to go take a bath and get ready for bed. I obeyed her orders and got right to it.As I lay in bed, I began to think about the game Tony and I played. I had never seen anyone on TV play such a game and I was beginning to wonder what the purpose of the game was. Tony’s pee pee felt weird rubbing up against my privates, but it was a good weird. I had never felt anything like that before. When I wiped myself as I bathe or used the bathroom, I never got that kind of feeling. Maybe only he could make me feel that way?Saturday came again and my mother announced that Tony and Wade wouldn’t be coming over that weekend; I would be going to their house. Gathering my things, I prepared myself for the long car ride over. Ms. Yvette lived on the other side of town. My mother always teased me about falling asleep. Whenever we took long car rides I would fall asleep like I use to do when I was younger.We arrived at Ms. Yvette’s house thirty minutes later. My mother walked right into the apartment without knocking. Ms. Yvette stood in the kitchen drinking a glass of water. She wore a pretty purple dress with shoes to match. Her hair was pulled back into a neat bun with soft curls in the front.“Yvette, I’m going to go change in your bathroom, is that okay?” my mother asked. She held up her duffel bag of clothes.‘Yeah, girl, go ahead,” Ms. Yvette told her. Mama went into the bathroom to get dressed.Tony and Wade sat on the living room floor in front of the TV. I took a seat on the floor next to Tony and put my bag filled with dolls next to me. Ms. Yvette brought us some snacks to eat while we watched cartoons.“Now don’t make a mess ‘cause I just vacuumed the floorearlier,” she said.“Yes ma’am,” we all said in unison.There was a knock at the door and Ms. Yvette went to answer it. When she opened the door, two men entered and she told them to take a seat at the dining room table.My mother came out of the bathroom looking like a movie star. She wore a tight, black dress with black and gold heels. Her make- up and hair was flawless. She had twisted it into a neat French roll with spirals in the front. Just the day before she’d gotten her nails manicured. They were painted red with black rhinestones and her toes matched. My mother was fierce and no one could tell her otherwise.One of the men at the table said, “Damn, you look good enough to eat!”The other guy sitting next to him burst out laughing. I really didn’t understand what was so funny. If that man dared try to eat my mother I was going to kick him in his knees.My mother politely smiled, walked over to him, and gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek. The men rose from the table and walked toward the door. My mother and Ms. Yvette followed. Before Ms. Yvette closed the door she stopped and looked back at us.“There’s some fried chicken in the kitchen if ya’ll get hungry. Don’t answer the door for anyone, not even the police, you hear me?”“Yes ma’am,” we said in unison again. Ms. Yvette blew her boys some kisses and closed the door behind her.Once our parents left, Tony suggested we go into their room so that we could play video games. Wade was the first to hop up and run in the room. We entered the room more slowly. Tony and I sat on the bed and Wade sat on the floor. Tony took his cover from behind us and put it on our laps. I wasn’t cold and wasn’t sure why we needed cover, but I let it stay. As Wade started to play the video game, I watched as Tony rubbed on my thigh. I nervously looked over at Wade. He didn’t see anything that Tony was doing because he was so into the game. Tony continued to rub on my leg for a while.“I have to use the bathroom,” Tony said. He removed the cover and stood up. He left the room, heading in the direction of the bathroom.After Tony didn’t come back for a while I went in search of him. I wondered what was taking him so long. When I opened the bathroom door Tony grabbed me and pulled me in.“Hey, what’s going on?” I said, slightly startled.“Nothing, I’ve been waiting for you. I knew you would come looking for me sooner or later,” he said, closing and locking the door behind me.“Well, yeah I did. You were taking forever. I came looking to see if you fell in the toilet or something,” I said, knowing that wasn’t the real reason I went looking for him. I wanted to play the game again.“Come here,” he said, holding his arms out. I walked into his arms and he wrapped them around me, and kissed me. This time, he put his tongue in my mouth so I backed away.“Why did you put your tongue in my mouth? That’s gross,” I said, while wiping my lips.“That’s what the people were doing on TV. What’s wrong? You didn’t like it?” he asked.“No, it was nasty. I don’t want your tongue in my mouth. Are you crazy?” I said with a look of disgust on my face. I knew the boy was weird but that took the cake.“Come on, Tiffany, I’m sorry. I won’t do it again,” he promised. He walked towards me. Before he reached me we heard a knock on the door.“Hey, what are ya’ll doing in there? I have to pee really bad,” Wade said from outside the door. I quickly opened the door letting him in.Tony and I gave him his privacy and went back into the bedroom. I hopped on the bed and Tony did the same. He reached on the floor and picked up the cover we had on our laps earlier and covered us again. Wade came back from the bathroom and sat in front of the TV. He didn’t waste any time before he started playing video games again. Tony continued to rub on my thigh under the cover without Wade noticing.By the time our parents came back that night we were already asleep in the boys’ room. My mother woke me up and told me to get my things so that we could go home. I grabbed my book bag full of dolls and my sandals and headed out the room. I looked back and saw Wade asleep in front of the video game while it was still on. Tony was lying on the floor next to him under the cover that he had used earlier to rub on my thigh. Half asleep, I walked to the door as my mother and Ms. Yvette said their goodbyes. I hopped in the backseat of the car and lay down to go to sleep on the long ride home.For the next three years I spent time with Tony and Wade while our parents hung out. Tony and I continued to play our game. At some point, I found out that what we were doing was called “hunching”. Whenever we were alone, we would start to kiss one another and hunch. We hunched outside, in my mother’s room, in Ms. Yvette’s room, and in the laundry room of my house.On one occasion in particular, Tony told me that he wanted to hunch but this time he wanted to do it differently. Tony told me how he had been watching some movies on TV late at night. He said the men and women in the movies didn’t have any clothes. He said we shouldn’t wear any either. I went along with it. Tony and I got undressed but left on our underwear. Pressing up against him, I could feel his pee pee getting hard as it rubbed up against my private area. It wasn’t the first time that I felt his pee pee, but it felt much different than before. I guess since we didn’t have the layers of clothes between us I could really feel him. I liked the way his pee pee felt on my private so much that I didn’t want him to stop, but we knew Wade would be coming in from outside at any moment so we quickly got dressed.Tony told me that the next time we hunched that he wanted to do it completely naked. I was nervous because I knew how good it felt when we just had on our underwear, so being completely naked had to be even better.Since Tony watched people on TV doing the things he did to me, I was curious to see for myself. Late at night, when my mother was out with one of her men friends, I found a sex channel on TV. I watched men and women having sex with each other. There were also women having sex with other women, too. As I watched the two women together, it made me feel really good. They both looked as if they really enjoyed each other. Some of the things they did grossed me out, but I couldn’t stop watching it. At the end of every scene the people would make a really loud noise and would get an ugly look on their face. For some reason, that was funny to me. There was no way I was going to look as silly as they did so I knew I had to practice because I didn’t want Tony picking on me.After watching the sex shows on TV, I practiced how I would groan when Tony and I hunched again. I wanted to really get it right so I grinded on the pillows from my bed. I couldn’t get that feeling in my private like I would get when Tony rubbed his pee pee on me. I needed something firm that I could hunch on so I decided to get the pillows off the couch in the living room. Those pillows had hard edges and I knew it would do the job. Taking the hard end of the pillow, I rubbed it up against my private area. I kept rubbing it until I felt an explosion inside my stomach. I had never felt anything like that before, not even with Tony. I knew what I felt was what the people on TV had felt when they were groaning and screaming.For months I continued to use the pillows to make myself get the good feeling. I used the pillows so much that the end began to get soft and they weren’t doing the job anymore. I knew I had to figure out something else before I lost my mind. I desperately needed that good feeling.One day while I was in the bathroom, the toilet seat lid came off and I noticed that the two pieces that snapped the lid on the toilet were hard. I began to think about the hard ends on the toilet seat, how I could put something soft over them and use that to rub up against myself so I could get that feeling again.I took the lid off and lay it on the bathroom floor. I ran into my room, took a pillow off my bed, and returned to the bathroom. I placed the pillow over the lid and positioning my private part on the hard piece of the lid as I lay on my stomach. The pillow was to keep the rough part of the lid from hurting me. In an up and down motion, I rubbed my private part on the pillow that was over the lid until I had that good feeling that I liked so much. Afterwards, I lay on the bathroom floor until the feeling left.After a while, I couldn’t use the toilet seat anymore because it started to hurt my private. I would also get sore because I used it too much. Not being able to use the pillows or the toilet seat, I started using my hands. Taking all my fingers, I rubbed in a circular motion until I got that good feeling. I would stay up late at night and watch sex movies on TV while rubbing my private parts until I got that good feeling. When I watched the movies I focused really hard on the women’s bodies. I liked to look at their breasts and private areas. I liked to watch the women strippers on the adult channel as they took off their clothes. If I wasn’t watching the movies I wasn’t able to get that good feeling as quick as I would when I did watch them.Tony and I never hunched again and my mother and Ms. Yvette saw each other less and less. Ms. Yvette ended up getting engaged to a man she met at the bar and didn’t hang out with my mother anymore.For months I used my hands to get that good feeling. It became obvious to me that it was something I needed, because I couldn’t stop. I began to think that something was wrong with me. Sitting in my room at night, I would cry because I feared that I was going to go to hell. I knew the feeling had something to do with sex. I thought I was the only person that had this feeling. Something about it had to be wrong.Whenever I went to church on Sundays with my mom, I made sure that I stayed away from the pastor. I didn’t want to get close to him. I felt that somehow, he would know about the feeling that I was having and would go around telling everybody. Knowing that I would probably go to hell for having this feeling, I couldn’t risk anyone else finding out about it.I kept my head down most of the time while I was in church. I didn’t want other people to look into my eyes and be able to tell what I was thinking. I thought they’d figure out what I was doing when I wasn’t in church. My mother would kill me if she ever found out.Every night I prayed that God would make me stop but I just couldn’t. I often wondered what was wrong with me. Was the devil making me do it or was what I was doing even a sin?
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How to Turn Your Financial Troubles Around

Money worries have many different voices: “How am I going to pay my phone bill? My lights are almost two months behind. The rent is due. What are we going to do about the mortgage? We don’t have money for football uniforms. No field trip. That cost money. No, you can’t have that, it cost more than what we have in our budget. They’re coming to take the furniture back; our payment is overdue. The kid needs her braces removed but the dentist won’t do it unless we pay the rest of the money we owe. I’ve lost my job. I’m sorry, honey, they have downsized my position. If I want to keep my job I will have to take a cut in pay. How can I afford these child support payments? I can’t take this any more. What are we going to do?”A mind that is cluttered with money worries may be flooded with one or two or all of these thoughts at one time or another. Maybe you were there once in your life, maybe not. Most people with financial troubles are anxious, confused, angry, harbor feelings of hopelessness, insecurity, and uncertainty about future financial outcomes. Consequently, this state of mind affects everything, including work performance.It’s time for a financial assessment. Is your trouble because you have maxed out your credit cards? Maybe you have more month than money. Do you have medical expenses? Are you sick and can’t work? Have you lost your job, or been downsized? Where did the shortage originate?Once you have assessed where the problem lie, then you can look at remedies. Money troubles in plain simple English are not enough money to cover your present lifestyle. The causes may or may not be within your control.When the funds are low, the logical answer would be to make more but what most people do is fret about it. Some spend more time worrying about what they don’t have while others add on a second job.Money troubles are not going to go away without something changing. Worry will not make up the deficit but initiating a plan of action will.Step IMake a list of all of your monthly household livingexpenses: mortgage, rent, utility bills, etc.Step IIList Your Debts (creditors you owe)Step IIIList your entertainmentStep IVList miscellaneous (lunch, coffee, snacks, etc.)Step VWrite in how much you pay on each. Total thatamount.Step VIList your sources of income (job, spouse, etc.). Takethe total from this and subtract it from what you spend onhousehold, debts and entertainment. If that figure showsyou are not covering your expenses, look back at yourexpenses; see what you can eliminate from entertainment.Make a list of other areas you are expending money,such as lunch, dry cleaning, hair cuts, etc.Try taking your lunch from home rather than buying lunch. The average lunch cost about $7.00. That $7.00 for five days comes to $35.00 a week, totaling $140.00 a month. Imagine if you, your wife and children spent the same amount weekly,that would amount to a partial mortgage or rental payment.Take a look at your Debt. Began to work from the smallest to the largest. Take the money you saved from not buying, let’s say lunch, and redirect the total amount towards paying off the smallest debt first.As you pay off each debt, take that money and add it to the next smallest debt, working your way to the largest, until you have eliminated your debt completely. While you are doing this, examine your household budget.Look at how to eliminate some of your other expenditures; for example, if you have a high cell phone bill, you might want to exchange that cell phone for one with a more fixed rate. Maybe instead of hiring a lawn service, you could cut the grass yourself. Perhaps you might visit Barber or cosmetology trade schools to obtain these services at a reduced rate.Look at what you are already doing first to find the extra money. If you still need more to make up the deficit, then you might look at your skills and talents: start a home-based business. It’s something you could do as a family.Money troubles can be conquered, if you are willing to take a few extra steps. Don’t look at the impossible debt mountain, began the climb one step at a time. And, yes, it is okay to reward yourself along the way but keep in mind where you are headed. Don’t overdo it. Once your debt is eliminated, don’t spend the excess money; instead, add it to your future savings options.Understand that paying your debts down will not take place overnight but if you are consistent it will happen.Blondie L. Clayton is a Realization Strategist™, Publishing Coach, Author of several books, Freelance Writer, hosts of several radio talk shows online. Download your free debt free starter kit at debtfree.print2publish.com
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