Book promotion woes

Too many new authors believe that once their book is written the sales will just come pouring in and they will make a bundle. Sadly, this disillusionment is shattered when they receive a royalty check. The honest to goodness truth of the matter is that the writer's work is only started when the book is released. Even the huge author names of today began by peddling their books out of the back of their car. Many big-name authors also began by self-publishing because no one recognized their talent. They did not start off their career with a huge bang. They did not have the money to afford publicists and big marketing firms when they started out and yet they are super successful now. Take heart from their examples.

Marketing, promoting and networking must be done every single day, for the life of the book, in balance with your other activities and obligations.

Many new authors feel their only way to success is through book signings and bookstores stocking their book. They are wrong. While in larger centers with good promotion a book signing event or book reading event may result in as much as a couple hundred one-time sales... most smaller venues can only expect less than 10 sales. Is this worth the 2 hours or more that you spend at the event? Not counting all the preperation, marketing the event, promotion materials, time taken from work and any displays that you have designed and possibly paid for ahead of time. These events do not pay authors to host an event so any sales they do have may not even cover the traveling costs, hotel cost, meals, parking or supplies - let alone the time they put into it. Nor do they usually result in long-term sales - sales are often only during the few days around the event.

Bookstores can only realistically stock less than 1% of the 3 million books available on the market. Their discount with the publisher/distributor is large. Authors are paid royalties only on what their publisher has recieved. So is all the time and effort going into attaining spots on bookstore shelves worth it?

While the markets above are valuable and important to any author - what authors need to do is think outside the box. Figure out where your efforts will bring the greatest results. Don't expect immediate and overwhelming acceptance by the media or your audience. Marketing, networking and promoting are long-term efforts that will reap greater rewards as efforts continue.

Many authors live in tiny towns and hold down jobs or have physical limitations that prevent out-of-town promotions; much like ourselves. This can be overcome. Again, think outside the box, use the Internet and your contacts - and be persistant. Newspapers, libraries, and bookstores are only the most obvious markets and also are the most difficult to gain the attention of without a strong image because everyone is vying for their attention. Work on your image and get strong promotion materials that help you stand out among the hundred thousand or more new books released annually.

So develop a long-term marketing plan and stick with it for the full term of your contract with the publisher. The market plan will grow and change as time goes on. And keep good records so you can determine how you will go about marketing the next book.

I just wanted to mention here that some authors get overwhelmed by the immense amount of effort it takes to market a book. If we take one day, one step at a time we will find it is not so overwhelming. I find it works best to figure out what you will concentrate on this week and then set a goal for today. I do this nearly every day. It helps me keep a steady pace going, without taking on too much or too little.

Remember too, that efforts you are making today may not reap immediate results. You may have to hit a market several times before they pick up your proposal. For instance, some contacts from nearly a year ago are now resulting in promotions in their publications. So be patient and professional in all that you do. Again, keep records so that you can follow up.

Newsletters can be small but effective markets for your work. On average, they can range in size from 1000-17,000 readers or more. E-zines typically reach an audience larger than 5000. Get a few of them in one month and you are reaching a wide audience! You don't need to be rich or famous or have a publicist if you are determined and able to committ effort every single day. (Do take some time for yourself, though!)

High roller online casino bonus is tricky

When I first started playing at online casinos few years ago, I was a real bonus whore who tried out every possible way of getting free casino cash, every free dime and gambled it away. I never purchased maximum amount of money back then to receive maximum amount of bonus money, because I always thought: "Hey, I am going to win eventually anyway, I don't want to spend extra $50 for getting more green to my casino account!" Of course, I lost it all and was quickly depositing again, this time without bonus, which clearly meant I was not very good handling my jumpy bankroll.

This is not what I do know. Although nowadays I don't play slots, blackjack and craps very often at online casinos, I still hop by once in a while and give myself a shot. Some might call me a "bonus whore" even now, since I choose casinos by bonus. I don't do that systematically anymore since I run my own gambling website and I keep getting generous bonus offers that I mostly keep for my visitors.

What I do now - I search the most generous bonus amount I can get from a casino with my first purchase and I buy myself that bonus. Searching the generous bonus amount includes reading terms and conditions carefully and doing some research work to make sure I am not getting ripped off.

I call these huge bonuses high roller bonuses, since they are perfect for people who like playing long sessions and who are willing to spend a lot of money in order to win big. High rollers are also aware that they are going to lose in a long term, but if they are going to lose anyway, why not lose the minimum amount of money? This is the root of online casino bonuses that every player should understand.

Since most of these high roller bonuses have similar terms and conditions, I will bring you few examples from random casinos and explain them to you. The following is essential, since if you don't follow the terms you might lose all the winnings and the bonus itself as well.

The first example is from Racetrack Casino, that has 20% first deposit bonus up to $500. In the interests of fair gaming, they require you to have wagered a minimum of six times the total amount deposited plus bonus, up to a maximum wager of $18,000 for each deposit plus bonuses made during the bonus promotion time. The following is extremely important for you to understand! - If you make a withdrawal before wagering six times your deposit and bonus, the bonus money and winnings will be removed from your account.

The other example comes from Europa Casino. This casino claims to have $2400 welcome bonus for all the players, although it isn't quite so. They have one of the trickiest bonus systems. I have personally only used the $500 welcome bonus, which is actually a 25% first deposit bonus. "Low rollers" have to do with 100% first deposit bonus with many times smaller first purchase.

To the bonus: In the interest of fair gaming they're ordered to cash out any amount of money you must wager at least twelve times your play bonus plus deposit. Players depositing in U. K. Pounds must wager at least eighteen times your play bonus plus deposit. If you withdraw before having reached the minimum wagering requirements, your bonus and winnings will be void. So, again the similar bonus structure.

At least now you can understand why casinos offer those bonuses - it's not very likely you have lots of money left when you have wagered at least twelve times your play bonus plus deposit. But you can always get lucky, and this is what we all want when we step in to a casino!

Slot tournaments

The slot machines are a huge part of gambling. Even novices who have no experience with higher stakes games have often had some experience with the slots. However, those who know how to play the slot machines and know how to do it well often participate in slot tournaments.

Held by either actual or virtual casinos, slot tournaments are fun, competitive and anyone’s win. Slots take a certain amount of skill and equal parts of luck, which makes it a fun wager for the average person. The gist of a slot tournament works as such: players either congregate in a certain room of the casino or at the site holding the tournament. They are then assigned to a slot machine, given a certain amount of time to play and the person with the highest number of credits won is the winner.

This is by far the most common tournament held by casinos. It is fun, there is an increased level of excitement surrounding slot tournaments, and the competition is nowhere near as icy as it is surrounding other gambling competitions. There is often a fee to enter the tournament and the winnings are usually considerable. Some casinos (real and virtual) hold slot tournaments as a promotion tool, to draw customers in with the hopes that playing the slot machines will lead to other types of gambling, which is usually correct.

You do not need any prior experience to enter a slot tournament. Just keep in mind that there is many people who do nothing but play the slots, study the odds and figure out the best opportunities to score a victory. There is usually a mix of both types of gamblers in any given slot tournament.

If you elect to participate in a slot tournament online, read over all of the rules and regulations to be sure you are aware of them before entering. While there is usually a fee to enter, be sure to look for any other costs associated with the slot tournament. However, the advantage of being able to participate in a slot tournament from the comfort of your own home, being able to get tips and advice from pros and more. Finally, Slot tournaments are a fun way to get involved with the competition side of gambling. Just be sure you know all you can about the game before getting involved in a tournament of any sort.

Discover the wonders of a tempurpedic mattress

How long have you owned the mattress you presently sleep on? Does it povide you with the quality of sleep you deserve? Do you ever wake up with any type of sleep soreness whatsoever, do you toss and turn or suffer from back pain? Have you ever heard of a Tempurpedic mattress? There are a number of reasons why people might be considering the feasibility of investing in a new sleep system. Maybe you've been considering it yourself for whatever reason.

If you have been or know someone who may be in the market for a new mattress, then a great place to start that comes very highly recommended is a company called Tempurpedic. They have literally revolutionized the sleep industry with their mattresses, pillows and mattress toppers made of viscoelastic memory foam material. To make a long story short, in the 70's, NASA developed a memory foam material to relieve astronauts of the pressures of high levels of "G force" in which they had to endure. Tempur pedic, a Swedish sleep system company, proposed an idea to NASA years later, and were granted permission to bring something new to the sleep world. What came out of this was the Tempurpedic mattress. Because of them, there are millions of people now experiencing a new level of sleep quality night after night.

Many millions of dollars were spent researching and developing this visco elastic memory foam material, and it carries with it, a number of amazing features. For one, it's viscoelastic properties, and for those who are not sure what that means, it simply has the ability to return to it's original shape. For example, you apply a force with your hand to it and it will completely mould to every contour of your hand, but once you remove the force (your hand), it will return to it's exact initial shape. It also carries with it, tempur sensitive qualities, which changes the firmness with varying tempuratures.

Below a certain tempurature, the mattress will become firmer, but your body heat will soften it where it needs to soften in order to relieve all pressure points in your body. Your body will sink into the Tempurpedic mattress evenly. So you guessed it, not only are they temperature sensitive, they are also pressure sensitive. Those are not the only qualities of a tempur pedic mattress. They are also energy absorbing, body conforming, durable, hypoallergenic and considered the most comfortable mattress in the world. Please do not take our word for it, go out and try one out for yourselves. After a decade of these mattresses being on the market, Tempur Pedic wanted to bring an even better product to the table and now introduces the new Nimble Pedic mattresses, claiming to have surpassed the tempurpedic mattress. I haven't had the chance to try one out yet, but when I do, you'll be the first to hear about it.

The Tempurpedic matress sleep system can be a little pricey, but when you consider all the time you spend in bed, and how much your life will improve due to a perfect sleep night after night, how can you deprive yourself of that? You may think you are achieving a perfect night's sleep on your inner-spring mattress, try one of these Tempurpedic beds, and you will be almost sure to change your mind. But be careful, because many foam companies claim to make a top quality visco elastic foam mattress. The difference comes in the density of the foam. Tempurpedic foam has a density of approximately 5.3 lb/cu foot, as opposed to most competitors coming in at about 4 lb/cu foot. This makes a considerable difference in comfort, durability and body conforming quality levels.

I can go on all day about how great these mattresses are, and about how there is never a need to flip them, and how they have a skid proof bottom to prevent shifting and so much more they can offer you to take your sleep quality to levels you never thought were possible. However, nothing will be justified until you take one for a test drive, which will be your first step to achieving optimal sleep quality. You will ba amazed at the effect a quality night's sleep will do for you, your mood, and the overall way you feel all day long.

Advanced artistry photoshop tutorials

If you’re a Photoshop user with a working knowledge of the basics, you may well enjoy the Advanced Artistry Photoshop tutorials. With this intermediate level training package you can hone some very advanced Photoshop skills. Here is what you’ll learn.

The Introductory CD will tell you all about the course and the instructor, including some tips on how best to learn from the Photoshop tutorials. You’ll learn about the technical aspects of the presentation and its variations from Mac to PC.

The next of the Photoshop tutorial CDS is called Utilities. Machine basics are included in this lesson plan, as well as PS preference and essential shortcuts. You’ll learn navigation shortcuts, as well as those for imaging, tools, and workspace.

You’ll get a quick review of all the keystroke and Photoshop super shortcut techniques and help setting up your own workspace.

The next of the Photoshop tutorials tackles the subject of retouching. In this CD you’ll learn the professional retouching techniques, how to assess the Photoshop image, how to analyze the histogram, as well as the contrast, lighting and texture.

You learn how to do an analysis of the focus and to manage the contrast controls. You’ll learn the ins and outs of contrast levels, and the use of each level. You’ll learn to use curves, to enhance color and the advanced techniques to avoid saturation.

These Photoshop tutorials will also teach you to use the patch tool and the healing brush, and to burn and dodge demos without destruction. You’ll also master the technique of red eye reduction.

Advanced artistry tutorials in this Photoshop lesson package will also include a CD that teaches how to adjust for focus and the center of interest, how to sharpen the focus, how to enhance the field depth and how to fish or burn edges.

In the fine art toning CD you learn intermediate and advanced techniques of producing black and white photos from color originals, how to work with and create sepia tones, selenium tones, digital cyanotypes and maps with gradients.

Fine art photograph effects lessons include soft focusing, angelic and dramatic posing, high contrast and high keys and cross processing.

Including in this Photoshop tutorial is mastery of fine techniques for people’s skin, giving them the look of perfect skin, of radiant and dramatically glowing skin, advanced techniques in metal skin looks, infrared and translucent skin, and the use of maps for displacement.

Natural media and landscape techniques are taught in Photoshop advanced artistry tutorials as well.

Enhancing the skies and adding sky from other photos are techniques taught, as well as using the history and art history brushes, and burning and dodging without being destructive.

If you want to create a professional hand drawn look you can master that technique through Photoshop tutorials, and can also learn watercolor, logos, and vector illustration too. Hand tinting lessons are varied and include painting in a color mode and adjusting of layers.

Grid and Tech glows, TV scan lines, pixel drags, and edges and borders that are soft, painted, beveled or burned are all advanced artistry Photoshop tutorial lessons.

Transform your current spending habits

One problem that many of us face on getting that first credit card is that we imagine that the money flows freely. I thought that my salary could handle all the monthly minimum payments; after all I would be paying for the shoes, clothes, and make-up in installments. Was I ever wrong!

After barely a year, I experienced the humiliation of having a credit card payment declined; that too, in front of my family and friends. That should have worked as a wake up call, but did not. I figured if I paid double the minimum payment, I would still be able to go my expensive hairstylist every week. I could not keep up with my rising bills.

Thank goodness, my friends intervened and helped me realize the mistakes I've made with my credit. You see, it is the thought of having so much money at your disposal, money that's not even yours, that makes spending it so much easier. I was offered a huge credit limit. Somehow, I got the idea that I would benefit with maximum use of my card.

I suppose I was naпve when it came to credit cards and other matters pertaining to finance. In fact, not once did I hear my parents complain about finances while I was growing up. And I wish they had, because if they had given me a slight hint of trouble caused by credit cards I would have stopped myself from spending what I can.

Stories about other people filing for bankruptcy were just that for me -- tales that should arouse a little curiosity. Then there is also the fact that finance companies "forget" to tell you about finance charges, late payment charges and other kinds of fees you only thought possible in your nightmares.

Here is a little trick I learned from my mother -- after I was camped in my old bedroom, unable to pay for my rent. It was her advice that I should only use my card when I know that I can back that amount up with cash.

- If you don't need it, don't buy it. This is the slogan you should keep in mind at great sales that offer you unnecessary stuff at half-price.

- Consciously use cash when it comes to petty bills. If you can, pay for your groceries, gas and other small utility bills in cash.

- Train yourself to become a bargain hunter. Even if they're cutting off 25% from the price tag, the other store could have it at 50% off.

- Pay more than your minimum monthly payments. If you have extra cash, put it in your retirement fund or pay off some of your debts.

- You do not need dozens of credit cards. One is enough. You really don't need to be collecting half a dozen unused cards.

- Pay on time! You really cannot get or give better advice than this. Late payment charges will increase your debt and affect your credit rating.

- Banks offer automatic payments for credit card bills from your savings account, and it is best if you avail of this service. Keep a track of your savings and you should have no credit card debt hassles in the future.

Age new spirituality - inspirational stories part 59

Thus the man that has practised control over himself cannot be acted upon by anything outside; there is no more slavery for him. His mind has become free. Such a man alone is fit to live well in the world. We generally find men holding two opinions regarding the world. Some are pessimists and say, "How horrible this world is, how wicked!" Some others are optimists and say, "How beautiful this world is, how wonderful!" To those who have not controlled their own minds, the world is either full of evil or at best a mixture of good and evil. This very world will become to us an optimistic world when we become masters of our own minds. Nothing will then work upon us as good or evil; we shall find everything to be in its proper place, to be harmonious.

Some men, who begin by saying that the world is a hell, often end by saying that it is a heaven when they succeed in the practice of self - control. If we are genuine Karma-Yogis and wish to train ourselves to that attainment of this state, wherever we may begin we are sure to end in perfect self - abnegation; and as soon as this seeming self has gone, the whole world, which at first appears to us to be filled with evil, will appear to be heaven itself and full of blessedness. Its very atmosphere will be blessed; every human face there will be god. Such is the end and aim of Karma - yoga, and such is its perfection in practical life.

Our various Yogas do not conflict with each other; each of them leads us to the same goal and makes us perfect. Only each has to be strenuously practised. The whole secret is in practising. First you have to hear, then think, and then practise. This is true of every Yoga.

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