The Dbottino Weblog

Authorization Letters authorize someone to do tasks for you that normally require your presence to get them done. These tasks are more than picking up dry cleaning. They are used to authorize someone else to make important decisions for you. Take writing these letters very seriously. In order to have many important errands in life accomplished by others, a professional authorization must be written. Examples such as signing for important documents on a professional level or picking up children from day care on a personal level will definitely require these letters. Many establishments will have their own but some may ask that you draft one for them.

Wording

1. Our example above words this letter professionally ensuring that whoever the reader happens to be will understand that this is strictly business.
2. In our letter, after the opening paragraph and list of items, we’ve remarked that the named person can make decisions for us but we gave a contact number for us in the event unforeseen events arise.

Format
1. Use the Full Block format arrangement for Authorization Letters:
a. to the left margin of the letter header place the return address
b. make two carriage returns
c. directly below the return address, place the date
d. make two carriage returns
e. directly below the date, place the reader’s address
f. make three carriage returns
g. if necessary, include a reference line
h. begin your letter
i. begin each paragraph at the left margin
j. place the closing, signature and typed signature at the left margin.

Tone
1. Ensure your tone is professional and straightforward throughout the letter.

Email
1. With time being as critical to everyone as it is, sending an Authorization Letter via email is now becoming increasingly more accepted.
a. Send your letter in the same format as you would for snail mail – this conveys to the reader that you took the time to create a professional correspondence.
b. Depending on the circumstances, send the message from the appropriate email account: personal email account for a personal correspondence, professional email account for professional correspondence.

Printing
1. Before printing, decide on what paper to use. For Authorization Letters, common bond paper will work.
2. Print your letter and envelope on the same printer using the same font and an envelope that matches the stationery.

Signature
1. Make three carriage returns between the closing and your typed signature. Inside this space, sign your name for professional correspondence. For personal correspondence, there is no need for a typed signature. Simply, sign your name.

For samples of Authorization Letters, take a look at…

LetterRep.com.

Rob Noyes owns and operates the Internet’s premiere Personal and Business Letter-writing site. LetterRep.com. Contact Rob at admin@letterrep.com for answers and solutions to common letter-writing situations.

The best non-fiction books have a set structure to house their chapters. That structure provides the framework for each chapter. It’s stressful to re-invent the wheel every time with a blank screen.
Most people including the author are intimidated by a blank screen. Instead of starting from scratch each chapter, use repeating elements to create structure. In John Maxwell’s “21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You” foreword by Zig Ziglar contains repeating elements that house each chapter. Each chapter has the same basic form. To build chapters that keep your readers reading include these 8 elements:

1. Chapter title: The title immediately followed by a subtitle emphasizes and explains its meaning.

2. Brief quote: Following the title are one to two quotes from your speeches or other authorities in your field which support the title.

3. Introduction: Each chapter begins with a six to eight paragraph of introduction that may include a story presenting the chapter’s main principle or underlying thesis. For short books 3 to 4 paragraphs sound great.

4. 7 to 10 points: Following the introduction may be lessons or tools used to achieve the goal presented in the introduction. Condense your material as you develop each point. Some lessons may require one paragraph and others may need several.

5. Case studies: Each chapter may include one or more story form case studies that support the chapter’s central idea.

6. Self-evaluation tools: The chapter may include brief questions that permit readers to measure their progress with each of the principles described in the chapters.
7. Conclusion: Each chapter may end with four to eight paragraphs that summarize the central idea and supporting points.

8. Other Engagement Tools: The chapter may include other engagement tools such as worksheets, note sheets, lists that work to engage your readers and make them active participants in the book instead of just observing.

Step out of your comfort zone prepare your marketing plan, mine your existing knowledge and create a framework for each chapter, speed write your book and you’ll be surprised at what you accomplish by following the simple steps of an easy writing program.

Are you a new writer struggling to get ideas for the articles you need to write? If so, you are not alone. It takes time and practice for any writer, no matter how good or how well trained, to learn to come up with good article ideas quickly. So do not be discouraged. Instead, learn from the advice of other writers. I can give advice about article writing because it is what I do.

My first bit of advice is simple: write about what you love. Any time I come to a stand still about things to write about I go back to the things I am passionate about. I may not be able to write a very convincing article about why all children should watch professional wrestling (because I don’t believe it is true) but I may be able to write an amazing article about the importance of families eating dinner together at the end of a long day (because I believe it is true and important). Article writing must come from things that matter to you. Reflect upon the things you value and let those give you ideas for writing.

Another simple piece of advice I’ll give about writing articles is to read. That’s right: read. Every single good writer I know is a consistent reader. Why? Because we can learn from reading the work of other writers. It is one of the most valuable things any writer can do. Reading keeps us involved in language and even fuels new ideas for article writing. So when you’re stuck just pick up a magazine and read an article or two. Don’t be afraid of copying. The more you read the less chance you have of copying something you’ve read.

It is important to think about your audience before you begin writing an article of any kind. It is always wise as a writer to try to write articles that will somehow connect with your audience and affect their lives. Just as you want to write about things that matter to you, so you should write about things that matter to them. No one will read articles that they could care less about. So look for ways to learn what people care about most. Do surveys or talk to your friends that read articles. Readers are the best source for writers.

Article writing can be fun and exciting. Just take your time, relax, and enjoy it. You will never last long at something you hate.

Belina Storrey has been writing articles and giving advice to other article writers for a long time. Learn more at www.articlehelp.info

In my previous article, “Writing: It’s a Crowded, Lonely Business” we discussed briefly what POD, or print-on-demand is, and what to look for in a POD publisher. In this article we will look at the pros and cons of POD publishing. To state it briefly, print-on-demand’s strengths are also print-on-demand’s weaknesses. Let me show you what I mean…

• Anyone can be published — even idiots and crackpots. In the world of POD publishing, the rule of the day is caveat emptor, or “buyer beware.” Because POD allows just about anyone to print just about anything, the books offered by POD publishers are a mixed bag. Some POD sites offer user ratings and reviews with their books, and that’s a definite plus, just pay attention to who is doing the rating and reviewing. It might just be the author himself!
• You can write what you please. Just remember, that doesn’t mean people will be pleased with what you write. Traditional publishers will go with what is safe and proven ninety-nine percent of the time. With POD, the sky’s the limit. Got an experience you want to write about and share with the masses? Have a particular interest you enjoy writing about? Have an experimental style of writing that you’d like to try out? Did you come up with a killer idea for a cool novel? Great! Go for it! Just remember that there is a reason so many manuscripts receive rejection notices from the big-name publishers: they just won’t sell to a wide enough audience. Traditional publishing houses are about taking manuscripts, turning them into books, and making money with them. It’s a gamble. Even with the books they do publish, there’s no guarantee they’ll turn a profit. Given the risks involved, going forward with an unusual, or eccentrically unique book is a rarity amongst traditional publishers.

  Self-publishing through a POD let’s you write pretty much what you want, with a few limitations, but that does not mean people are going to beat the doors down just to get a copy of your book. Sadly, you may learn the hard way why so many “regular” publishers turned you down. But please don’t let that stop you from writing! If one thing doesn’t work, try something else. Keep perfecting your craft and let your mistakes teach you, not discourage you.

• You can write about any topic you please. Their are plenty of folks with specific interests who would love to have just one more book on their topic of interest. You could become their next favorite author. Just remember that niche markets are characterstically small. But a well-written work can garner you a loyal following, and that can spring board you into larger projects.
• You get to be your own editor. The downside of that is that you get to be your own editor. One reason traditional publishers carry more clout than POD publishers is that the authors and manuscripts of books produced by traditional publishers must endure a long and drawn out process before a book ever sees light of day. Beyond the query letters, proposals, rejections, and final acceptance of a manuscript, there is the editing. Then there is the editing. And finally, there is the editing. Did I mention editing? Everything about the manuscript is examined, picked apart, and re-examined. The author may have to do re-writes. He will definitely have to endure the agony of seeing his work ruthlessly scrutinized and questioned. It’s a necessary part of the process. With POD publishing it’s all on you, unless you hire someone to do it for you. If you are your own editor, be sure you know what you are doing.

  If your excuse is, “Well, I’m just a storyteller. I’m not good at grammar,” then you may just be writing your book for yourself. Your command of the written word is a reflection on you as an author whether you care to accept it or not. And that only covers the mechanics. As author you need to be passionate about your writing. As editor you must be brutal. Does everything in your story really belong there? Are all your characters necessary? Does everything they say make sense? Are they and their dialogue believable. Will anybody even care about this particular story? There is more to editing your own work than just spelling and grammar check.

• Brick and mortar stores may or may not be interested in your book. Because POD books do not need to pass through the same filters as books produced by traditional publishers, most bookstores, particularly big-name bookstores, are reluctant to feature POD books on their shelves. Who can blame them? POD books are varied in quality; some are superbly written, some are just no good. Then there is the problem with returns. Most POD’s do not have a return policy except on damaged books. They won’t take a book back simply because a customer decided they didn’t like it. So if a bookstore agrees to sell your book, what are they supposed to do if a customer wants their money back? This is a problem.

  One solution is to offer your books to smaller bookstores on consignment. You provide the books at your own cost, and you split the profits with the bookstore owner, plus you agree to buy back any unbought or returned books. It isn’t the best solution, but who said this was going to be easy? Besides, look on the bright side. People may LOVE your books and want more; and if that happens, the bookstore will want more of your books, too. That could lead to big dividends later.

There is nothing more exciting for an author than to see his name in print. It’s like seeing your name on the marquee for an actor. Having people read your work and like it is an excitement that extends beyond words even for the best of writers. POD publishing is one way to accomplish that dream.

Glenn Haertlein is a teacher at a Christian school for children special needs. He is also a freelance writer. To see his latest work, visit http://www.imglenn.net

From our deconstruction of hundreds of Hollywood blockbusters….

The Hero’s Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the Hollywood movies we have deconstructed are based on this template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

The Hero’s Journey:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.

and more…

Sample Movie Deconstructed: Star Wars (1977)

FADE IN: Context: galaxy far, far away. Empire versus the Rebellion etc.

The Antagonism; Good versus Evil polarization: Darth attacks Leia’s ship; Darth versus Leia; Leia taken hostage (Sword).

Heralds seek a Hero: Herald’s journey dangerous, full of obstacles, near death experience, separation: C3PO and R2 escape Vader’s clutches.

Heralds pursued: Stormtroopers after the droids.

Meeting the Interdictor (Uncle Owen) and the Hero (Luke).

Call to Adventure: Heralds and Hero Sacred Meeting: Luke gets Leia’s message.

Interdiction: Uncle Owen forbids Luke to seek Obi Wan.

Yearning for the Transformation: Luke looking at the moons.

Breaking the Interdiction: Luke forced to pursue R2.

Mentor Guardians / Near Death Experience: the sand people.

Meeting the Mentor : Obi Wan magically appears.

Safe Haven: Obi Wan takes Luke back to his home.

Spiritual guidance, back story and magical gifts (light sabre).

Refusal : Luke cannot go with Obi Wan.

Antagonism Developed (Outer Cave): the Empire has taken control; fear of the Death Star will keep the individual star systems in line.

Unbearable Antagonism: Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru murdered.

Antagonism Developed (Middle Cave): Leia interrogated with needles.

Conscious Decision to Transform: “I want to learn the ways of the force like my father….”

Warning at the Border of the First Threshold: “we must be cautious.”

Entering the New World of the First Threshold : Mos Isley.

New and Magical Creatures: the creatures upon entry.

Threshold Guardian: the storm trooper guards.

Foreboding of the Cave: uncomfortable about entering the bar.

New and Magical Creatures: the aliens in the bar.

Rules by an Authority Figure: the barman.

Outer Cave: confronting the criminal wanted on several star systems.

Foreshadow of the Physical Separation : Storm Troopers outside the bar.

Middle Cave / Meeting Allies: Han and Chewy.

Hero and Shape Shifter relationship: Luke and Han’s relationship antagonistic.

Departing the Old World and the Old Self: “you’ll have to sell you speeder…”"that’s alright, I’m never coming back here again…”

Inner Cave / Shape Shifter’s Back Story: Han shoots the bounty hunter.

Antagonist Developed (Inner Cave): “I think it’s time we demonstrated the full power of this battle station.”

Foreshadow of the Push : Antagonists pursue the Luke et al.

Physical Separation: Forced off the First Threshold: the Storm Troopers chase Luke et al off Mos Isley.

Mid Point: The Antagonist’s threat made explicit: Alderran destroyed.

Road of Trials [not very well developed in this movie] : Luke training and learning about the force.

Developing Characters and Relationships: “let the Wookee win.”

Cynicism: Han skeptical about the force.

Time Pressure to Sieze the Sword: “terminate Leia.”

Fish out of Water: arriving amidst Alderran’s debris.

Pulled In / Miscalculation: following the short range fighter onto that small moon.

Foreboding: I have a bad feeling about this.

Resisting the Pull: “they won’t get me without a fight.”

Resistance Futile: entering a much larger world.

Antagonist Alerted: “the Princess may still be of some use to us.”

Foreshadow of the Atonement: Vader sense the presence of Obi Wan.

Chameleon: Luke et al hide in the smuggler compartments.

Wolves Clothing: Luke et al get the Storm Trooper uniforms.

Guardians: questioned by control; blasting into the control room.

Meeting the Oracle: the database informs of the geography of this World and tells Luke et al that Leia is on board.

Mentor’s Challenge: Obi Wan leaves to release the tractor beam.

Warnings and Refusal to Seize the Sword: Luke has to persuade Han and Chewy.

Separation: R2 and C3PO stay behind.

Journey to the Sword dangerous and pessimistic: “this is not gonna work…”

Foreshadow of the Atonement:: Vader sense Obi Wan.

Threshold Guardian to the Sword: the guards.

Comedic Element: “how are you?”

Seizing the Sword: Luke rescues Leia.

Preparing for the Atonement: Vader knows he must face Obi Wan.

Night Sea Journey: going down into the garbage level.

Serpent Battle: Luke battles the underwater serpent.

Near Death Experience: the garbage compartment contracts.

Celebration at the Rebirth: Like et al rejoice at escaping death.

Mentor’s Challenge: Obi Wan releases the tractor beam.

Separation: Han and chewy chase the Storm Troopers.

Hero’s Inner Challenge conquered: Luke can do it alone.

Reward / Romantic Challenge conquered: Leia kisses Luke.

Convergence: Hero and allies converge.

Shape Shifter’s True Nature: “shall we leave this party?”

Atonement with the Father: Obi Wan faces Vader.

Apotheosis: there is nothing you could have done.

Magic Flight: the Millenium Falcon is pursued.

Celebration: “we did it.”

Push to the Final Conflict : “are you sure the homing beacon is secure aboard their ship…”

Ultimate Boon: they have the plans that can destroy that Death Star.

Refusal” “I’m not going back there again.”

Shape Shifter as Romantic Competition: “you think a princess and a guy like me…”

Returning to the Sponsors: back to the rebel base and meeting senior commanders.

Time Pressure: “no time for our sorrows, commander.”

Time Pressure: the Death Star prepares to orbit.

Rescue from Without: “a small one man fighter should be able to penetrate the outer defense.”

Antagonis’s Confidence: “this will be a day long remembered…”

Shape Shifter’s True Nature: Han won’t stay; Luke…”may the force be with you…”

Romantic Challenge / Encouragement: Leia kisses Luke.

Matching Peers: Luke and Biggs.

Crossing the Return Threshold: viewing the Death Star from a distance; diving in.

Master of the Two Worlds: Destroying the Death Star. See FINAL CONFLICT.

Freedom to Live: Medals; Ceremony; Reward.

Learn more…

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.clickok.co.uk/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://www.clickok.co.uk/

Public speakers don’t usually think of themselves as actors, but to get your message across in the most effective way it’s helpful to think like an actor. Consider, for a moment, who your audience is and what they’re most likely to respond to. With your purpose firmly in mind, think about how you want your audience to perceive you.

Will you be? Dramatic, Easy-going, Professorial, Artistic, Spiritual, Dynamic, Powerful, Interesting, The Specialist, The Funny Person, The Expert, The Educator, The Arbiter, Compassionate, Loving, Altruistic, Biased/Unbiased, Electrifying

As you write your talk, think about the dynamics and the emotions you want to evoke through the faces you display as you speak. Be sure there is congruence between what you’re saying and how you look as you’re saying it. Whatever robes you choose to wear for your presentation, I would suggest that being Real is the one thing you always want to be.

If, for example, you’re trying to motivate people to help in the effort to save an historical building, you might want to be The Educator, The Expert, The Historian. In other words, you present yourself as an educated, knowledgeable and concerned citizen.

In addition, because you’re presenting them with reasons to take action, you will want to hold their interest with more than just facts and figures. Human interest stories and personal anecdotes can be used to tie together important but less riveting material.

Your voice must be sufficiently varied and strong to make people want to listen to you. When you present yourself in a dynamic manner you also come across as powerful, and you can better convey a sense of being part of an important movement. The sense of urgency to join others in a worthwhile project is exactly what you would want as your call to action.

Build into your speech your awareness of the faces which will best serve the purpose of your presentation. Then practice out loud so as to achieve the effects you’ve selected. Stand in front of a mirror and practice your facial and body expressions to match your voice expressions. Practice until you think you’re absolutely wonderful! You’ll be elated at the improvement in your speaking ability!

Carole McMichaels, Speaker, Coach, Author: “Fearless Public Speaking: How to Get Rid of Your Stage Fright and Prepare and Deliver a Winning Presentation”, invites you to join her free newsletter on speaking in public. You may also get your free report, “7 Valuable Tips on Writing a Mind-Gripping Speech”. http://www.getridofpublicspeakingfears.com

Most public speakers I’ve seen tend to operate on the idea that it is entirely up to them to entertain the audience they are presenting to.

This unfortunately leads to some of the following problems:

1. Creates undue pressure and stress on the speaker.

2. Makes the speaker unaware of who their audience really is i.e. their background, their needs, their views etc.

3. It has the tendency to make the presentation more of a lecture which then runs the risk of boring the audience.

4. It fails to engage the audience in an interactive way that could draw out important and valuable resources that might make the entire experience special to all concerned.

It is for these reasons that I attempt to structure my talks in a very interactive manner and use the audience as the main resource for the content of my presentations.

Might it surprise you that by doing it this way I rarely need to spend more than an hour, if that, preparing for my talk?

Might it surprise you that it not only takes any stress away but that it allows me to look forward to being spontaneously myself, to relax and have a great deal of fun as my audience does most of the work for me.

Might it surprise you that when structured this way I really connect with my audience and they with me in such a way that it helps me to know exactly how to guide the conversation so that they will get what they need in each moment.

Might it surprise you that such presentations are extremely well received because that audience is alert, excited, active and has the opportunity to be heard?

In the end the audience finds such presentations very empowering because they have the opportunity to co-create it with the presenter.

Isn’t that what presentations should be all about? To create a new and enlightening experience for all, even the presenter?

If you would like to summon up the courage to present this way kindly visit the web link below.

Dr. Nick Arrizza is trained in Chemical Engineering, Business Management & Leadership, Medicine and Psychiatry. He is an Energy Psychiatrist, Healer, Key Note Speaker,Editor of a New Ezine Called “Spirituality And Science” (which is requesting high quality article submissions) Author of “Esteem for the Self: A Manual for Personal Transformation” (available in ebook format on his web site), Stress Management Coach, Peak Performance Coach & Energy Medicine Researcher, Specializes in Life and Executive Performance Coaching, is the Developer of a powerful new tool called the Mind Resonance Process(TM) that helps build physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being by helping to permanently release negative beliefs, emotions, perceptions and memories. He holds live workshops, international telephone coaching sessions and international teleconference workshops on Physical. Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Well Being.

Web Site: http://www.telecoaching4u.com/PublicSpeaking.htm

Writing articles is one of the fastest ways to build traffic to
your website. Not only that they are great marketing tools and
instant recognition vehicles on the Net.

One of the most overlooked parts of the article is the resource
box – and it is almost as important as the article itself.

What is a Resource Box? It’s an information box at the end of
your article. When your article is read, the reader will see your
name and website link – It’s FREE advertising. Not only that but
when your article is published on other websites, your resource
box that contains your website URL will increase your link
popularity in the search engines. This is called back-end
linking.

The resource box is small (about 4-6 lines) so creating one can
be tricky. Here are the key elements your Resource Box should
contain:

1. Your Name: The first line of your resource box should be a
short sentence that gives your name and tells what you do on the
Internet. One of the perks of writing articles is that they are a
powerful tool that will brand your name and establish your
reputation as an expert.

2. Your Website URL: Listing your website URL will bring visitors
to your website – and even better, whenever your article is
published on another website with a live link, your link-
popularity with the major Search Engines will be boosted.

3. Your Newsletter Subscription Address: Getting an interested
visitor to visit your website is great, but capturing their email
address can assist in beginning the confidence/trust process.
Remember you must show the average person your message seven
times before they will buy your product. Now you have
the opportunity.

When listing your newsletter, do not use an email address.
Include the URL for your newsletter subscription address.

4. You have a couple of options here:

List Something Free – A viral eBook or report, an eCourse. By
offering a free item you’ll greatly increase the chances of a
reader clicking through to your website. You also have the
opportunity for sales thru your free offering.

Sales Pitch/Call To Action – 1 to 3 sentences describing what
makes you and your product offering unique – followed by a call
to action. Make sure your product is relevant to the article.

Tips and Techniques

If your pitching an affiliate product in step 4, do not use your
affiliate link. You can use a redirect page, or better yet write
a review or presell page on your site and send readers there.

Doing this will put them on your site, provide an extra
opportunity to show your “expertise” and allow you to get them
excited about the product before going to the product site.

The resource box is not a place for hype.

If your promoting a product use benefits not features.

Keep it professional. Use spell check and verify your URL’s are
correct. There is nothing less professional than misspelled
words, and if your URL is wrong you have just lost a possible
sale.

Do not list every website you own in you resource box. Use only
one that is related to the topic of your article.

Do not list all of your accomplishments. Listing that your a
Doctor, Lawyer and Indian Chief sounds like hype and no one
really cares. Keep it brief and use accomplishments that are
related to the article.

Writing a resource box is almost an art form. You have a lot to
say in very little space. So put some thought into it and keep in
mind that after writing a great article, the resource box is the
reward for your gift. Use it well.

To Your Success!

©2006

Diane Thomas is the owner of eBook Crossroads and has been
providing resources for writers and publishers for 5 years. She
publishes a monthly newsletter “The Insider”
http://www.ebookcrossroads.com/newsletter.html/ and offers a free eCourse “Working With Private Label Rights Products”. Learn what you can do with Private Label Rights by signing up today: http://www.ebookcrossroads.com/.

How much would you pay to learn the basics of creating a website? How much for finding and buying houses for under $ 50,000? Would you pay for a crash course on acing exams? What about street-wise tips on preventing identity theft? Keep your wallet in your pocket. With the advent of article directories, many how-to topics are conveniently covered in one place and they are free. If you are discerning and diligent, the information you can glean from article directories is priceless.

Some of the larger, popular directories have thousands of articles on hundreds of useful topics. With over 50,000 to 100,000 articles, a few of them rival encyclopedias in the amount of useful content. While the quality and depth of the articles usually do not conform to high academic standards, most directories are chocked full of valuable information. The focus of many of the articles is to provide useful tips on how to complete various tasks. Other articles shed light on how things work. Most articles are very practical, written for the man on the street with little previous knowledge.

So how do you get the most from article directories and the articles that they contain? One approach is to use a directory’s search feature to hone in on interesting topics. Use key words related to the topic to see what emerges. Another way is to choose subcategories where you suspect interesting topics are located. Once you find articles of interest, skim them quickly to see whether they will be useful. Some directories provide article summaries or excerpts written by the authors. These introductions are a great way to get the gist of an article’s content.

Once you find an article of interest, check other articles by the same author. Many authors post several articles examining various aspects of the same topic. Some authors post only a few related articles in a directory, but may have more information at their websites. While many authors use their resource boxes to guide you to information products for sale, some have additional free information and articles at their sites that may be valuable.

If you find an author who provides useful information, it may be worthwhile to perform a Google search for additional content by that author. The author may have posted other articles at other articles directories. If the author has published a book, an e-book, or booklet on a topic of interest, you may decide that the information has enough potential value to warrant a purchase.

While article directories are great sources of valuable information, they do have drawbacks. Some articles are poorly written, devoid of useful content, incorrect or misleading. Not all authors are authoritative or knowledgeable. You may have to wade through a lot of useless information to find information of value. Although the information is free, your time is not.

Some article directories are almost completely deficient of useful information, poorly organized or difficult to navigate. Additionally, since many authors submit to a number of directories, there is often a lot of redundancy among directories.

Notwithstanding the disadvantages, article directories are great places to gather valuable information. Since spending time at some of the better directories, I have gained excellent insights on momentum investing in mutual funds, tax-wise estate planning, guarding against identity thief, where to purchase quality houses for under $ 50,000, how to create customer-oriented booklets using my articles, how to optimize our firm’s website for the search engines, and many other useful topics. If you are looking for an excellent source of useful free information and great ideas, spend some time at a few of the better directories.

George Parker is a co-founder, Director and Executive Vice President of Leasing Technologies International, Inc. (“LTI”). A twenty-five year industry leader, George is a frequent panelist and author of several articles and e-books, including “Using Venture Leasing As A Competitive Weapon” and “101 Equipment Leasing Tips”.

Headquartered in Wilton, CT, LTI is a leasing firm specializing nationally in direct equipment financing and vendor leasing programs for emerging growth and later-stage, venture capital-backed companies. More information about LTI is available at: http://www.ltileasing.com

What do you get when you mix a handful of writers, a hot topic and a snazzy title? You get an anthology–and one of the more popular form of books being published today. A recent article in the Sunday New York Times (see article at http://www.profcs.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=238123) noted “the wave of anthologies has not yet crested” and the phenomenon is still a great seller, especially for women writers. You can take advantage of this trend to get yourself published faster than working on your own. I know it might not be what you dreamed–sharing a byline and being in a book that’s not wholely yours, but it is a way for a first time author to get a foot in the door–and I know of at least one publishing company, Love Your Life Publishing, with a program designed to help you do it in as little as six months! (You can find them at www.loveyourlife.com. Tell them The Book Sistah sent you so they’ll treat you REALLY well!) Here’s how you can start the legwork on your own.

Choose Your Topic

Anthologies are organized and driven by their subject matter. And the title usually makes it crystal clear what that subject is. Examples: “Maybe Baby: 28 Writers Tell the Truth About Skepticism, Infertility, Baby Lust, Childlessness, Ambivalence and How They Made the Biggest Decision of Their Lives”; “The Bastard on the Couch: 27 Men Try Really Hard to Explain Their Feelings About Love, Loss, Fatherhood and Freedom”. When you choose your topic you’ll want it, of course, to be something you’re interested in writing about, but you’ll also want it to feel as though you are responding to what’s on the minds of a particular group or society at large. You’ll want to do your best to plug into the zeitgeist because that’s what will generate buzz about your book and get you interviewed in the media.

Gang Up! Find Your Co-Authors

Next, find other writers interested in participating. You can do this by Googling your subject and seeing what writers are already working in the field. You can also scan online groups, like on Yahoo, to find unpublished writers looking to do their first book as well. Note, if you are not self-publishing, you may need to entice a few known authors onto your list in order to pique a traditional publisher’s interest.

FYI, Love Your Life Publishing is looking for contributors to an anthology they’re assembling entitled “The Spirit of Women Entrepreneurs”. If this is your expertise, contact Love Your Life for more details.

How Will You Publish and Split Costs?

If you self publish your anthology, you’ll have to come up with a plan for how you’ll handle the costs and oversee the project. Will it by “your baby”, in which case you’ll pay for the book’s production (and possibly even pay the bigger name writers if that’s what it takes to get them involved) and marketing costs. If you go in with a group of first timers, you’ll all be able to split the costs, but it might be a good idea to have someone act as the project manager, to keep from having a “too many cooks” scenario develop.

Co-Market For Your Best Results

The best part about working with more than one writer is that you’ll be able to use the muscle of marketing to more than one list. Ideally each writer will have their own list (either their personal contacts or a list they developed as part of a business) and that automatically multiplies the number of people you can reach with the book. You’ll want to put your heads together to develop a good marketing plan so you’re all sending out similar materials with a similar message. Again, you can designate a project manager to handle submitting the book to media markets (your co-authors can handle local media if they already have their own contacts). Hopefully everyone will pitch in and do their share. After all, if the book succeeds it could be the stepping stone the writers need to their own individual book contracts!