The Revolution That Turned Writers into Publishers (and How You Might Not Realize It!)

By Jo Ann LeQuang

This is a short history of media. Bear with me, it's worth it. The thing is, a revolution just happened, and I wanted to be sure you were awake.

In the beginning, books were handwritten on scrolls made of leather. They were extremely rare, precious, and expensive. People were mostly illiterate, since books were priceless as diamonds. The only things that got into books were very important things, like sacred texts or royal decrees.

People mainly clustered in groups to hear what these texts said when an authority figure read them aloud.

In the 16th century, Johannes Gutenberg invented the movable type printing presses. To be sure, presses were in existence before that, but the Gutenberg equipment allowed for the relatively cheap and rapid production of books. People started to learn to read. Books were suddenly affordable, even if still expensive.

Books were an individual experience; people read and studied in isolation. Cultures emphasized individualism.

Printing got so cheap in later years (17th, 18th, 19th centuries) that political manifestos, advertising texts, and how-to manuals found their way to print. Then came magazines and novels. Publishing was now an industry.

People mainly still read in isolation.

In the 20th century, TV and radio changed how information got disseminated. Literacy was no longer required, nor was an authority figure. If you owned the right technology (radio or TV set), you got the message, and you could listen alone or in a group.

These "broad"-casters had to develop messages that fit the broadest possible populations. Advertising made this a business and "publishers" got involved in the form of station owners.

Then came the Internet.

Now everything is different. We could talk a lot about the isolation versus community aspects, the resurgence of literacy skills, and the splintering of the broad markets into niches. That's all very nice.

But we're writers. What we have to care about is something I hear almost no writers talking about. What happens to the writer in this revolution?

That's the good news (for writers, at least). In the Internet, podcasting, digital media world, publishers are left out of the equation.

With every other type of media, whether they were papyrus scrolls or satellite radio broadcasts, a commercial or governmental entity had to exist to distribute the message. The Internet basically eliminates that. Anyone can get on the web.

Not only that, I can set up a $20 website tomorrow that has the same exact "reach" as CNN online. That's an industry term that means that it is accessible to the same amount of people. (Granted, they're not all going to tune in to my website, but I have the technological "reach" to communicate with them.)

When I first started writing, writing was all about finding publishers and selling to them. A lot of writers still look at the writing industry that way. A lot of writers are also poor and browbeaten.

The problems with publishers are many. First, publishers determine the content and they are prone to buy the things they can best sell. This means that niche products, specialty markets, and unusual outside-the-norm writing is almost impossible to sell. Second, publishers keep most of the money. Granted, I know they take the risks but the deal is set up so that publishers get rich and writers don't. True, there are exceptions. But for every J. K. Rowling there are dozens of Randolph Hearsts and Rupert Murdochs. Third, publishers call the shots. Writers have very little leverage.

The beauty of the Internet is that it made the publisher obsolete.

Now if you want to publish a novel in hardcover form and have it on the shelves of every brick-and-mortar bookstore on earth simultaneously, you are going to have to try to break in to the traditional publishing model (good luck).

But what if I told you that you could now set up your own online magazine in the form of a website? You make money (or "monetize the site" as the cyber crowd says) by selling products or advertising space. If you'd rather sell a how-to book or a collection of recipes, you can market this directly online as a digital product.

The line between writer and publisher has more than just blurred, it's disappeared.

The first people to recognize the tremendous potential of the Internet as a new publishing venue were the technical geeks. In an ironic twist, they were the very ones who did not care about it.

The next wave of recognition is going on now as professional marketers and former denizens of the infomercial and direct sales world hit the Internet. These marketing gurus realize they can now sell information products and online advertising cheaper, faster, and easier than anything else.

This is the part that I don't want you to sleep through. Writers have a tremendous natural advantage here. Most Internet marketers complain loud and long about one thing: content. That's the new word for articles, podcasts, videos, and all of the other information that people online are seeking.

Content is tough for most Internet marketers. True, these marketing guys and gals have to learn some technical skills and it's no walk in the park to set up a successful website and get traffic, but the overarching worry they all face is this. Content.

As writers, we are natural born content-making machines. Most of us can write well and easily about a wide range of subjects; we know how to do an interview and how to do basic research; we are deft at crafting sentences and we don't flinch when we're asked our opinions--about anything. In short, we're communicators.

Nobody on earth is better poised to take advantage of the Internet than writers.

Yet most writers are not aware of the Internet, don't know a revolution just happened, and even if you could convince them to test the waters online, they would howl in protest at having to learn technology.

It's true. Technology is going to be a bit of a stumbling block, but it can be learned. (Hey, 12-year-old boys have their own websites, why are you in such a panic?)

Another big leap is the realization that the old business model no longer exists. Publishers do not have to be involved in your quest to get your words and ideas in front of your readers.Of course, this takes a knowledge of new business models and paradigms. Even today, these new business models are still being worked out. Ask ten successful Internet entrepreneurs how they make money online and you'll likely get ten different answers, maybe even more, since a lot of these guys dabble in more than one business model.

In short, it's a great day to be a writer. Do you realize what's just happened?

Don't snooze through the revolution! Zip on over to http://www.workingonlinewriter.com and look for more articles by Jo Ann LeQuang here.

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How To Write A Farewell Speech

By Jennie Amit Gandhi

Good byes are touching. The memory of good byes while taking leave from our relatives after a great get together, a yearly meet with friends, reunion good nights and relocation farewells are all emotional experiences. This is one time, when we regale through all the experiences gained from this outset. Farewell speeches are not a compulsion but a gesture of showing your feelings. Farewell tones go on from Thank you notes, recounting experiences shared, first time meetings and also clarifying misunderstandings.

Formal farewell goodbyes are necessary in office culture. Generally the dress code is formal and the ambiance gives it a ceremonial feel. It is highly necessary to Thank all your peers, colleagues, associates and blue collar profiles too. Keep the list minimum and a long list of thank you notes can render the speech as tedious.

Keep a general line, ' I thank all those people who have stood by me, my associates here and other peripheral support, for the recognition I have gained in these twenty years.' Complete by shaking hands with each person, recognize team effort. Go across to senior colleagues and if you notice that someone is an introvert, make the first move to bid goodbye. This is not the time to harbor old grudges and make up with someone you have not been cordial with.

The photographs, send off gift and citation is a life time award and will always be green in your memory. Office farewells, can also be marked with humorous lines enumerating instances. However, it is best to judge the nature of the gathering and if the atmosphere is congenial to such one liners then one can try this example, ' The first day, I entered office, it was pouring and no one was around. I came in dripping wet with a crumpled umbrella to find Mr., Albert squeezing his socks'. This sure will lighten the atmosphere if it has turned serious with your introduction, ' This is an overwhelming moment for me. As many times I have stood in this podium to deliver speeches and presentations to bag a project, this one is a sentimental expression from me.'

Long years of friendship end when students finish their high school studies. The memories reflect sharing, merits and little meaningless fights. This is the time to go forward to someone whom you have disliked or had a brawl with. If you are appointed to give a farewell speech, write a few lines yourself. Make sure to thank all your teachers and helpers in the school. Appreciate the overall support, the extra help at math and the cultural programs.

Be natural, spontaneous with 'I did not realize that I have grown up enough to leave school. Miss Bridget would be happy today, since she always kept telling me to 'Grow up' whenever I whined at homeworks.' 'I remember the support when I my baseball team lost the match and Coach Edward remarked that he could see the fighting spirit in me which is the mark of a sportsman. Looking in the direction of Mr. Edward you could take a bow and say, 'You have been real special.'

Thank your friends. 'I am wondering if I would get lonely at the graduation college, since am so used to leaning on your shoulders (pointing to your group). The base for honing my personality has been this institution and the continuous support of my all my teachers. (addressing the dean). On behalf of all the students, I thank you.'

For writing any kind of farewell speech, it is necessary to have strong command over English speaking, as English is an international language. You can also check our websites on writing farewell speech and quotes by famous people for more information.

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How To Write Effectively

By Francisco Segura

The use of e-books is increasing as they are a great way to promote a service or product but many people are not that confident about writing them. If you have been considering doing this already but are not sure how then read on as some useful information is discussed here. Some people use other writers to help with the content until they feel happy they can do this on their own.

The subject of your e-book is quite easy to work out if you have an interest in a specific area, why not write some articles and get the feed back on whether people are willing to pay for this information. Single articles are an easy place to start and they can also be sued to market your book before you have even completed it. This is a simple process whereby the promotional articles are sent to directories for insertion; the number of views they get will provide a good indication just how much interest there is in the subject.

Once this is complete you can start writing the content of the e-book and work out how you want it to look. Books generally follow a familiar structure of: introduction, main subject content and a conclusion but it is becoming very common to see an additional section on resources. To help increase the number of sales it is often worth adding extra material.

Once each article is written, place it into the e-book so you will have a better idea of how long it will be. E-Books are shorter than print books with the optimum length being around 50 pages so stick to the topic, and offer good, useful information. People do not like reading on compute screens so prefer to have shorter books that do not drift from the subject.

If you want to give further value to your e-book then why not research some additional information which you can add as a bonus. From your point of view this bonus information does not need to be anything more than some extra articles you did not use in the book or a short report you have written. Any extra material you supply will need to be worthwhile on its own and be related to your e-book subject.

Francisco Segura owns and operates http://www.mcsadirect.com Mcsa

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Freelance Writing Jobs - Tips

By Patrick Sia

For a freelancer who wishes to work on the internet and survive, these tips are his lifeline!

For writing ideas, browse the internet and you will find a lot of ideas to write excellent articles. If you are a frequent traveler, then write on the experiences you have had during your travel. Travel related articles are in high demand and can fetch premium payment. If you are passionate about dating, that niche too has a very high demand. To find out what is in demand at the present time, visit sites like the Yahoo! home page, or visit the Bestseller section on Amazon and you will find great themes that are highly sought after. News related articles and product launches are also very highly sought-after items, which can bring you money and instant fame. Celebrities and fashion related articles also have great following, and web magazines are constantly looking for those articles from freelancers.

Create your own website and write on various popular topics. A contact page is a must, and you can also put impressive testimonials on your site. Optimize your website and submit it to all the search engines. A good ranking in the search engines will bring you highly targeted traffic and business with it.

Become a member of niche forums and place your link in the signature space. Help the members on the forums and write short articles as posts, aiming to help those members. This will establish you as an expert in those topics. Places like the DigitalPoint and WarriorForum have a huge database of members, and most of the members require good articles either for their own websites or for their clients. These sites can quickly establish you as a good freelance writer and bring in steady jobs. Sometimes, you will get so many orders that you will need to hire more writers to fulfill the writing schedules. Personally edit each of those articles written by your writing team to maintain the highest quality.

Write passionately and do complete research for each assignment. Work towards creating a great style of writing. Take caution that no grammatical error escapes the quality control scrutiny. Constantly keep up with learning more and more niche topics that are in high demand.

A freelancer must be a master in his topics. Your clients will expect a great article every single time! Give it to them! Once you create a great writing style, it is far easy to embed a great story in any writing job. When there is less workload, utilize that free time to educate yourself more. The internet is a big free library, and you can find a lot of authentic reading material on any topic. You can also utilize your free time to write specimens and sample articles, which you can send to your regular clients. They might need those articles very shortly, and will be very thankful for your "help". Such considerate thinking and actions build great relations!

Create a portfolio page on your website and add your best articles there. Create many different sections and have sufficient samples. These come handy when you approach new clients or apply to the popular magazine websites. As the editors are extremely busy there, they have just enough time to gaze through a physical portfolio. When you leave them a link to your virtual or online portfolio, they can view the portfolio at their leisure. Even if busy, any editor has the knack of spotting great articles and ideas, and if your portfolio has the spark, then you can very shortly get a positive call from the editor. As a freelancer, you have hit the jackpot! That will be your day to rejoice!

Patrick is a passionate believer in the power of technology to better the lives of everyone and his passion and drive are hallmarks of his attitude to doing business.

Get work at home jobs @ http://www.WeWorkAtHomeOnline.com and http://www.MumPassiveIncome.com without the need to pay any upfront fees.

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