Incommendation

Ready to jump on the keyword article bandwagon? Billions of companies are using keyword articles to gain free exposure on the internet. Whether you’re a netpreneur marketing a product or a writer seeking freelance work, odds are you can benefit tremendously from keyword articles.

Why use keywords? The point is to be “found.” Internet users across the globe are searching for information. How are they searching? The same way you do; they type specific words into a search engine. If you don’t incorporate these words into your web content, the other guy will… and then your reader is lost on someone else’s copy. Help them find you… with keywords!

Never written a keyword article before? Have no fear. The process isn’t much different from writing regular articles. Don’t let lack of experience stop you from profiting through keyword-rich content. Just follow these easy keyword-writing guidelines, and get ready to key in some great article copy!

1. Learn the buzzwords. Every industry has its own jargon. If you’re well-versed in a particular subject, it’s likely that you already know the buzzwords and you don’t need to read up on it. If it’s a relatively new topic for you, do some research. Read four or five different articles to get an idea of the lingo used and the most popular sub-categories of the industry. I’ll give you an example. Let’s say your article is going to be about… keyword articles. Some of your keywords might be: keyword, “keyword article”, keyword-rich, “web content,” “web article,” RSS-feed, “keyword writing.” How do I know this? Not because I did a keyword lookup. Because I read lots of articles! Reading is a great way to load up on catch-phrases and terminology. You can get your fill of keywords without even trying!

2. Write the article without paying attention to keywords. Don’t bother trying to plug keywords into an article the first time you write it. Just write it, period. Keep the flow going, craft your sentences without paying particular mind to word selection. It’s likely that if you know what you’re talking about, keywords will very naturally fall into place as you write. Those sneaky keywords… they tend to just slip right in without your even knowing it happened!

3. Select your keywords. Once your first draft is written, you can concentrate on building a list of keywords to insert throughout your text. Sit down with a pen and paper (or a blank document if you prefer) and write down words that you frequently come across in the industry you’re covering. Imagine if someone were doing a search on the web for your topic. What words and phrases might they key in to the search box? Don’t forget search terms that contain two or more words. Such words work together and would be placed in quotes if someone were typing them into a search engine box. Suppose you were writing an article on email marketing. You would include terms like “drip list” and “email newsletter” to name just two.

4. Assess the popularity of your keywords. Find out how many times internet users searched the web using specific keywords, with the Overture Keyword Selector Tool. The tool is free and available through this link: http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/. Just type in the word and hit return. The higher the rank number, the more popular the keyword, and the more likely you’ll want to use it in your article.

5. Select keywords that are specific rather than general. Let’s say I’m writing an article about negotiating fees with a freelance copywriter. My goal should be to include popular words related to that particular topic, and not just the general category of copywriting. “Freelance copywriting rates” is a much better keyword phrase to use because that’s probably something a user would actually type in when searching for such information. “Freelance copywriting,” on the other hand, is more general and therefore might bring up thousands of higher-ranked sites than yours. Burying your article is no way to be found… so, keep it specific if you can!

6. Scan your existing text for keywords. Your article draft is complete and your keywords have been selected. Now, just put them together. Scan the article copy for the first keyword. Did you find it? Great! If you know your stuff, you probably slipped the keyword into a few places without even realizing it.

7. “Find and Change.” Suppose in your article about copywriting, you included the word “writing” several times throughout the piece. That’s no serious problem by any means, but “copywriting” is the term of choice among marketers and advertisers. Consequently, it should be one of your keywords. Locate where you’ve used the word “writing” or “writer”, and replace with “copywriting” or “copywriter.” Do this for each of your keywords and keyword phrases. You may have to reorder some of the sentences, but this shouldn’t be a big deal.

8. Proofread your article. Now that you’ve added keywords, the article is probably somewhat different from its original form. Do a thorough read-through for mistakes, correcting as needed. Check for spelling errors, grammatical inconsistencies and repeated words. Hey, did she say repeated words?? Yes, even in keyword articles, a good writer should try to vary his vocabulary. Your article should be keyword-rich, not dull and repetitive!

9. Write a keyword-rich headline. Why did I wait until the end of this article to mention the headline? Because the best headlines usually come to the writer at the end of the writing and researching process. With all this talk of keywords, you should be primed to write hard-hitting headlines!

Keyword article headlines waste no time. Get right to the point with a headline that uses your three or four most popular keywords at the beginning, not at the end. Allow me to critique an article from my own collection. The headline: How to Negotiate Rates with a Freelance Copywriting Expert. I confess, this headline could have been better. Why? “Negotiate rates” is not a keyword term that someone might type into a search engine. “Freelance Copywriting,” however, is. The better version of this headline: “Freelance Copywriting: How to Negotiate Rates.” If I had simply reordered the words, this headline would have been that much more powerful and achieved a higher web search ranking. Live and learn!

Feeling a little more comfortable about keyword article-writing? Great! Now get out there and start making money writing keyword-rich content for the world!

Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.

Dina Giolitto is a New-Jersey based Copywriting Consultant with nine years’ industry experience. Her current focus is web content and web marketing for a multitude of products and services although the bulk of her experience lies in retail for big-name companies like Toys”R”Us. Visit http://www.wordfeeder.com for rates and samples.

We are all created with our talents attached to us. We each have characteristics that other people don’t have. We have our own special abilities that make us different from other people. The only thing required of us with respect to these talents is that we should discover them and develop them into advanced skills. Although we are all created with our own special gifts, we also have some gifts in common that can be found in each and every one of us; however, in most cases these common gifts are the things that most of us take for granted. As a result, only a few people have developed the skills in the related fields. One field that we take for granted is the field of writing.

Writing is common to all of us. Most of us know how to write. It was first taught to us when we were children; yet, why is it that only a few people have learned the art of writing? It is because most of us don’t find it as interesting as sports, movies, or music. The art of writing is basically same as the other fields of interest in the following way: It too should also be developed by constant practice and study. And the most important thing is that it should be learned by heart.

Writing, as well as other talents that we have, can also help us earn money. Doing a freelance writing job can develop our skill. The most important aspect of writing work is the development process. We are unable to appreciate what we have done until we develop our skills and perceptions to a much higher degree. So, freelance writing is the opportunity to develop our skills and our perceptions.

Writing can be an outlet for emotion. It can act as a channel from the soul of the author. It can show the reader the real personality and emotion of the writer. It can also show the past, the present and the future of a certain person. Writing can open one’s door to reality. The one thing that you should know to be an effective writer is that you should write from the heart. Although research is needed in writing, one should not pull all of his knowledge from his head but he should pull it also from his heart. One should understand that for writings to be realistic and true, a person should write with her own emotions bound up in the writing. In this way he is communicating his thoughts and feelings not only to himself but also to others.

Clive Green is a writer with expertise in the fields of self-improvement, real estate and finance. Look here for your chance to blog for money.

http://www.writingup.com

Businesses involving work at a height have been cautioned by the Health and Safety Executive and have been asked to display necessary hazard warning signs for gaps in walking areas. HSE Inspector, Jacqueline Ferguson pointed out that the highest number of fatal accidents at workplaces and a large numbers of serious injuries are caused by falls from heights. This necessitates implementation of safety measures in workplaces involving work at heights. It is tragic to note that most of these accidents can be prevented by caution and early action, both of which were absent in a recent accident at a Drax Power Ltd unit.

An employee fell from a ten feet height into the basement when he was on his usual tour of the unit. He fell through a hole left open by removal of a floor plate in the walkway for the purpose of cleaning. No danger warning indicator had been displayed on the fixed scaffolding barrier that was constructed to prevent access to that area. The employee had gone ahead and entered the area from an alternate entry.

The accident could have been easily prevented if the company had replaced the floor plate after the cleaning operation. The cleaning had already been completed and the company had negligently left the hole open for ten days. Due to the accident, the employee has not been able to earn his living because of the severe injuries caused to him.

The Selby Magistrates Court passed an order fining Drax Power Ltd. an amount of £2,000 for non-adherence to Regulation 6(3) and Regulation 11(b) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and asked the company to pay £2,800.20 as costs after the incident.

Keep your staff up to date with health and safety law and avoid accidents like this in the Workplace. Training such as the building regs courses from Workplace Law can help maximise these efforts.

What does it take to become a supremely confident public speaker?

Well it means that you will need to be:

1. Captivating

2. Relaxed

3. Spontaneous

4. Informative

5. Charismatic

6. Funny

7. Compassionate

8. Interactive

9. Empathic

10. Inspiring

11. Coherent

12. Energetic

Now I know that looks like a long list so I don’t just expect you to memorize it or attempt to start working on all of those at once. This is why.

You see, every individual has within them a natural public speaker that already embodies all of those qualities. Now you may find that hard to believe so I’ll show you what I mean.

Just take any of those items in that list and imagine yourself being that way in front of an audience. I can bet that in each case you were able to do that. So what does that mean?

Well it means that you already know how to be all those things already otherwise you wouldn’t have been able to imagine them in your mind.

You see the ability to imagine something means you already have the information required for that particular task. Moreover when combined with feelings of inspiration and action it automatically brings that that way of being out into manifestation.

So in summary there are three main steps to becoming a supremely confident public speaker:

1. Imagination combined with,

2. Inspiration to be that person combined with,

3. Action.

There is one thing that blocks that natural flow, fear!
Fear of looking foolish, fear of being rejected, fear of making mistakes, and fear of being too boring, and so on.

Get rid of the fear and you restart this natural flow. Another name for that natural flow is: “Your Spontaneous Genuine Self”.

The Mind Resonance Process(TM) (MRP) was developed to help restart that natural flow easily, quickly and painlessly.

If you would like to put yourself back in the flow kindly visit the web link below and arrange a telephone Introductory Consultation at no risk to you.

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/IntroConsult.htm

Writing articles for distribution has been done for years both online and offline. It is a very effective way of increasing your client base, establishing you and your company as experts in your field, and online it can drive a lot of traffic to your website if done correctly. That however is the key to success with article distribution – doing it correctly. Unfortunately, far too many people make far too many simple mistakes that result in very poor performance from the articles.

In order for your article to perform its magic for you, you need it to be picked up and republished by as many people as possible. Sure you can simply crank out a generic article and toss it into an article directory and leave it at that. That will end up with your article being redistributed and picked up by some sites and ezine publishers. However, ’some sites’ and ’some ezine publishers’ should not be good enough for you. You want maximum distribution and maximum republication. To have that happen, you need to get people’s attention. Getting people’s attention is the job of your article title.

Because of the way article directories work people looking for content, such as your articles, are first shown article titles, and based on that they must decide if it is worth their time to click and read the article to see if they really want to use the article. This means that the more accurate and informative your headline is, the more likely they are to click through and review your article.

So, how do you make a headline that will attract people’s attention and get them interested enough in your articles to actually read them and then choose to republish them? It is really simple, and only takes a moment of thought. Because article directory searches are keyword based (as is any search engine), you want to include your most important keywords near the start of your headline. This will ensure that your article will show up when people search for articles on your topic. You would be surprised how many people don’t include any keywords in their titles at all. This is a MAJOR mistake.

Having done that, you then need to include a brief bit that explains what the article is about. This information is mostly for human readers and gives them instant information about your article and its possible value to them. What is essential here is that your title gives them a clear understanding of what your article is about and how it will help them reach their goals more quickly and easily.

Let’s take a quick look at a poor article title and how it can be fixed up and made more effective. Since I enjoy fishing, I’ll use that field for the example. Let’s imagine that you own an online tackle shop and want to get more customers buying your fishing lures. So you write up an article that explains how choosing the right lure for the conditions and the type of fishing can make all the difference. For such an article a bad title would be:

Bad title: How to catch more fish

Notice how there is no mention of fishing lures in the title, and how many different things can help you catch more fish? Hundreds. But your article is about fishing lures. This can be made so much better with very little effort. For example:

Better title: Best Bass fishing Lures – Why choosing the wrong bass lure can ruin your fishing trip
Better title: Fishing lures for trout – Your grandpa’s secret trout hook still catches your daily limit

Both better titles start off with essential keyword phrases “Best bass fishing lures” and “fishing lures for trout”. This will ensure they show up when people search for information on those topics. The second portion of both titles gives very clear information about what the reader will learn and gain from the articles.

Put this simple process to work when you write your articles and you will very quickly see improved results as your articles get picked up and republished by more people. Of course your article content must provide useful quality information as well, but that is a subject for another article.

Reprint-content.com makes article distribution easy for anyone from a fumbling Newbie to a saavy online marketer. Visit now for easy reprint article distribution distribution and free website content.

Graduation Gowns

Graduation gowns have evolved from those worn by previous generations. The gowns that were worn then could not be distinguished from those worn by religious leaders. This is because most of the instructors were either bishops, priests or worked in the church. Therefore there was no need to adopt a special gown for graduation ceremonies. The gowns worn were of the same color; black and it was the same for all the graduates. However, as time went on and with the growth of learning institutions the graduation gowns have been modified, according to the institution concerned.
The gowns worn by bachelor graduates used to be open, but this has now changed with most colleges opting for closed gowns. The gowns for those graduating with doctorate and masters degree are not identical to those worn by bachelor graduates. Before deciding on the type of graduation gowns to buy, graduates are advised to first consult with their respective schools. The requirements will differ depending on the traditions of the school and the field of study one is graduating from. The gowns can either be hired from the institution or bought from online shops. The gown is not worn on its own, but one must wear either a suit or a dress (in case of women) underneath the gown.

GraduationSource, a leader in graduation regalia products since 1960.

When purchasing a home in the Dallas Fort Worth area, you will need to get a qualified, ethical home inspector to inspect the property. The certified and highly ethical inspectors of TexInspec will insure that you get the quality Dallas Fort Worth home inspector you come to expect.

You may also ask the following questions:

Why should I have a home inspection?

The purchase of a home or commercial building is one of the largest single investments you will ever make. You should know exactly what to expect — both indoors and out — in terms of needed and future repairs and maintenance. A fresh coat of paint might be hiding serious structural concerns. Stains on the ceiling may indicate a chronic roof leakage condition or may be simply the result of a single incident. The inspector interprets these and other clues, then presents a professional opinion as to the condition of the property so you can avoid unpleasant surprises afterward. Of course, an inspection will also point out the positive aspects of a building, as well as the type of maintenance needed to keep it in good shape. After the inspection, you will have a much clearer understanding of the property you are about to purchase, and be able to make your decision confidently.

As a seller, if you have owned your building for a period of time, an inspection can identify potential concerns in the sale of your building and can recommend preventive measures which might avoid future expensive repairs.

If your Realtor recommended a home inspection, it is because your realtor wants you to be a totally informed purchaser, they can only disclose what has been made known to them. They are looking out for your best interest by suggesting that a qualified home inspector evaluate the property you are about to purchase.

Contact TexInspec if you need a Dallas home inspection, Fort Worth home inspection or a surrounding area home inspection done.

What is a home inspection?

An inspection is a visual examination of the structure and systems of a building. If you are thinking of buying a home, condominium, mobile home, or commercial building, you should have it thoroughly inspected before the final purchase by an experienced and impartial professional Arlington home inspector.

For an Atlanta home inspection or inspection services, contact Atlanta Property Inspections. They have the experience in the Atlanta property market to help you make the best decision concerning property in Atlanta and all surrounding areas.

For highly qualified and ethical inspections and for a San Francisco home inspector, contact your-home-inspector.com and Crampton Inspection services for the best San Francisco Bay and surrounding areas home inspection.

Reading this article does not necessarily mean that if you are married then your marriage is sinking. However, if you believe that living under a single roof means you have to compromise with your spouse then your marriage will definitely sink. The word ‘COMPROMISE’ itself carries a negative energy. You have to eliminate this word from your belief to stop your marriage from sinking.

You and your spouse are the pillars that support the single roof under which you live. Both of you have to be equal to stop the roof from tilting. Here, equal does not mean you have to be of equal heights but you have to be equal in carrying out your responsibilities and duties. If one pillar is slightly higher than other then giving half of the difference of pillar heights will make the two pillars equal. This suggests that you should help your spouse in his/her weaknesses so that the roof does not get tilted.

For the roof to remain stable and in its position, the pillars have to be strong. This in turn requires the base of pillars to be very strong. In the same way, the base of your marriage which is nothing but LOVE has to unconditionally true and strong.

Even the real cement concrete pillars require repairs at many times. Similarly, there may creep some tensions in your marriage and then you need to revive your relationship again. It is infact simpler than repairing a physical pillar. There are so many ways for it. Suppose your spouse is angry and in high-tone, simply be quite and listen instead of following the same track as that of your partner. If you are angry with your spouse on his/her bad habits then simply write few of his/her good points.

You change the color of pillars in your house to keep it lively. Similarly, keep doing different funny things with each other to keep your married life as colorful as a rainbow.

But, if the pillars height difference is too much then it is better to replace it with an equal pillar rather than repairing it. In other words, if all the ways of having a happy married life are exhausted then it is better to get divorce and if you like marry someone with whom you feel you can erect up a stable roof.

To sum up, it can be said that only strong and equal pillars will have a stable roof and those under it will feel lively if pillars are colorful. So, for happy married life, love your spouse immensely and unconditionally. Share responsibilities and duties with each other. Keep doing things that you both enjoy. If the roof of your marriage is stable and colorful then those under it i.e. your kids will get a healthy and positive environment for their growth.

Syed Feroz Zainvi has obtained M.Tech. (Comp Sc & Engg) degree from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (INDIA). His areas of interests are distributed computing, computer graphics and Internet Technologies. He also loves to write on Life, Philosophy and Spirituality. Currently, he is involved in Software Project Planning, Development and Management. His other interests include writing for magazines and contributing utility softwares on Magazine’s CDs. He also have flair for teaching computer science with new teaching methodologies.

His web-page URL is http://zainvi.tophonors.com

Paul Feld is here with us today. He is taking storytelling to a higher art form. Welcome to Reader Views.

Juanita: Paul, you have written a very readable motivational book using sailing as a reference for moving through and succeeding in life. What or who inspired this unique perspective?

Paul: Juanita, thank you for the high compliment. It is a privilege for me to witness others enjoying my work. Although raised in Mystic on the coast of Connecticut and investing lots of time on the river and Long Island Sound, and even later in my decade plus in submarines sailing the oceans of the world and the sailing I have done throughout my life – I didn’t realize I was gaining a unique perspective; it wasn’t until much later, in ‘79 I think, that sailing as a metaphor for life’s lessons was brought to my attention.

I had been working with an insurance company training their sales people nationally and had created my first program from studies of over two hundred significant sales practitioners. I wanted to avoid the “personality cult” type of training that says basically – “Paul did it… therefore you should…” Well, I went out with this wonderfully researched, thoroughly documented process of successful behaviors and the empirical evidence to support the process working for everyone – and the attendees went to sleep!

I discovered that fundamentally studying success is boring. So, I began to spice things up with some of my experiences at sea. “Building a life, or a career is like sailing across an ocean – for over 99.99% of the trip you cannot see the destination.” People began to sit up, pay attention, take notes and apply the behaviors to their practice and obtain great results. It was then that I knew I was on to something and the first program I copyrighted in ‘79 was the five day “Sailing Through Selling” development program now in its sixth revision.

It became so successful for the participants I was able to have an insurance company underwrite a guarantee for the participants that they would double their income in the year after becoming alumni or they would receive their tuition back, and thus far we have never had a claim.
I have been asked to write the books around the “Sailing Through…” theme since the early ’80’s, but have resisted doing it because I didn’t wish to have two things (training & books) doing the same job. It was only when I was finally able to see how to use storytelling (fictionalized autobiography) to make a book separate from the training program, while using the same themes.

Soon, I began to write the books and feel comfortable that each was a stand alone product; and “Sailing Through Life” was the first book released. What I am proudest of is that someone interested in a book or a training program can use either one or the other to lead them to success, but more importantly if they use both they will have uniquely different experiences from each to help them in their search for success.

Juanita: “Sailing Through Life” is in its sixth revision. How has it changed over time?

Paul: Of course, currency and topicality are the most obvious changes. As our culture impacts our language we need to give recognition to those changes as real and adapt the program to the new language (sic. terms) of success. The most difficult part of changing is keeping principles that work as the core values while putting on the new clothes of current language usage. But one of the continuous major change features is the process I enjoy so much, and that is “learning from our clients”. Often I learn as much from a group of significant sales (and executive) people who want to improve themselves and their company as I teach them. Our programs, whether on the Chesapeake Bay in a ‘40 sailboat with four participants, on the Caribbean in a Windjammer with up to sixty people or (my least attractive option) in the classroom are very interactive, even the online portions, and the learning is mutual – as are respect and admiration.

I truly admire folks who always want to be better at what they do and improve who they are… observing and being a small part of personal and professional developing of my clients is one of the perks I enjoy.

Juanita: Please give us an idea of the life lessons we will learn about when reading “Sailing Through Life.”

Paul: Wow – Juanita, it could take me a book to answer that question! I hope you can forgive my tongue in cheek reply, but there are so many lessons woven through the relationship between the Captain and his li’l Salt that it would be hard to chronicle here, so let me share a story.
I had one reader recently, a single mom, who was concerned about her teenaged son going down a dark path and she said she was buying the book to make him read it.

I told her that I had been an obstreperous teen once and wouldn’t have read anything my mom forced on me. I suggested just leaving it on her coffee table and see what happens. Several weeks later, on a Sunday morning, she called me and said her son had just come to her in tears saying how sorry he was for not realizing how great she was to him and he wanted to be a better son. Now, what lessons did he take from that book? I honestly don’t know. But I can say that the lessons are different for each reader and so many have reported back to me on the various lessons they took from the book that most of the time I am left in awe and have to go back and read some of the passages to make sure they are talking about the same book.

The ones I was trying to teach were that you can overcome; and no matter how bad things are – this too will pass, along with goal achieving and others including growing those things most important to you, such as self, family, friends, career and many others.

Juanita: Tell us about the ‘language of sailing’ and how we may apply these terms to daily life.

Paul: There are so many words and phrases in our daily lives that come from sailing it is impossible to document them all, but I have several pages of the ones I have been able to document, which come from sailing, ancient or otherwise.

We use terms like – pooped, rub salt in the wounds, figurehead and chew the fat without knowing that they come from sailing. Others are more obvious, like – run a tight ship, stay the course, and take the wind out of someone’s sails. But more often than not we have terms in our daily vernacular that are derived in one way or another from sailing the seas, in part because they are so obviously connected to the challenges we face every day.

Juanita: You mention that most of us are looking for the ‘Captain’ in our lives. What does that mean exactly?

Paul: Great question, Juanita. I am sure everyone is familiar with the terms mentor and mentoring. The problem with those terms is that a mentor can simply be a well meaning person without the skills to help the person they are mentoring achieve their goal or purpose. Well intentioned is only the first step. What I love about the term “Selecting our Captains in life” is that the word Captain, in and of itself implies competencies. You wouldn’t turn a ship over to a Captain who had not displayed serious levels of competencies required to lead a crew and successfully operate the ship. Why would we turn our lives, careers or business ventures (that are so much more important) over to anyone without demonstrated competencies we need?

In choosing our captains for our lives we need to first understand ourselves and our goals really well, and we describe that as become the Admiral of your life. Second you need to define what you need from a Captain, more particularly, the competencies they should have that are related to your needs. And finally, determine their availability to help you.

In the first book, Sailing Through Life, we meet a Captain who takes a young boy being abused and seemingly lost under his wing and guides and councils him along his path to becoming a well balanced and enthusiastic young man. There have been so many Captains in my life at different points it is hard to document and thank them all, but I can give you one specific example from the book – Sailing Through Selling – coming out in the next quarter.

When I decided to leave the submarine service and go into sales it occurred to me that I wasn’t going to learn excellence in sales from anyone better than those who were already fully engaged in it. So I asked the insurance company who was selling more insurance than anyone else in New England (where I was living and could reach by car). They shared his name but thought he would be too busy to help me. You will have to read the book for the full set of lessons, but basically he not only took the call he let me follow him around for a few days and then worked with me over the next decade to grow the practice into something significant. What I learned was simple – some behaviors work well and lead to success – do lots of them, while other behaviors diminish or take away success – do less of them. The daily application of these simple principles is where it gets tough and requires commitment.

I hasten to add that all of the books are “fictionalized and autobiographical in nature” at the same time. Life isn’t always linear and a good story if it is to teach lessons well while being an enjoyable read must be.

Juanita: ‘Position, Course, Destination, Success.’ Please tell us more.

Paul: I have a free download on our website – www.sailingthroughlife.com – that will help here. It is called simply the three secrets. What this is an excellent example of is how you can use the steps involved with planning and executing a trip across an ocean and apply them to successfully building your life’s journey. The terms above are involved in the last step and briefly they require that when you are set on your journey you must:

1. Always know your position in reality. Not what you think it is, but what it really is.

2. Always know your course and how your current position relates to it. We all make errors and we want to know them while they are still small and easily corrected.

3. Always keep your destination in mind to motivate you through the tough seas of life.

4. And finally – realize that once a destination is achieved it is the harbinger of a need to define a new goal for a continuing success oriented life journey.

Juanita: In your programs you share three steps to a fuller life. Will you tell your readers about these steps?

Paul: The steps: Plan, Commit and Act are at once self evident and easy. However the application of these steps seems to escape most of us in our daily pursuits. One executive told me once that she was “too busy to be effective”, and after a pause began laughing at the profound nature of that simple declaration.

I am often asked to choose which one is the most important step and I always answer that you cannot prioritize them out of the sequence they are in to achieve success. There isn’t any one “more important than the other” and you cannot do the last step successfully without having given the first two your best efforts to complete. To do other wise would be like the cowboy who goes – Ready, Fire, Aim – he probably will miss the target even with the best gun ever made.

I will say that what I find most lacking in our culture is a serious lack of understanding of the need to truly work on step two – Commit. The most recent and glaring example of a lack would have to have been at the Winter Olympics in Turin in the person of the young skier named Body. Projected to get five medals and maybe all of them Gold – he didn’t even finish most of the events and was out of medal contention throughout the games. Later, when interviewed, he said he didn’t care. I remember a time when the Olympic spirit was one of healthy competition to win! Don’t care – an Olympian who doesn’t care that he was an embarrassment to himself (nevertheless his country) on the world stage? Sad.

Juanita: Paul, what is the most rewarding aspect of your work?

Paul: I have a file of hundreds (perhaps thousands over the years) of letters, messages and testimonials from people who tell me I have made a positive impact on their lives; and that, in the final analysis, is truly what we are all here to do. My work, which allows me to improve the lives of clients daily while providing me with personal intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, is a dream come true.

Juanita: Please tell your readers about your next book and when it will be available?

Paul: My editor is working on the last chapter of “Sailing Through Selling” as we speak. When he is done the final steps in the process should be completed and the book will be available within the next second quarter of this year. The third (Sailing Through Relationships and Sailing Through Business) will be later this year and early next.

I have an exclusive arrangement for the distribution of all my books with a firm called, AEPBooks.com, because it is a mission part of my work. This group was founded by and is owned and operated by service connected disabled American Veterans. They are not sitting around feeling sorry for themselves; they are taking on Amazon.com (who I as an author do not appreciate) and by the superior service they provide to our readers will do so someday in the not too distant future (they did 6 million books last year and are only five years old).

Juanita: Any other comments for your readers as they go “Sailing Through Life”?

Paul: Yes. First and foremost as you travel your life journey – be easy about all of this. Life is supposed to be lived well and enjoyed, dare is say – fun. I love Dr. Robert Schuler’s definition of a good Christian Capitalist’s Life – Earn all you can, invest all you can and then give all you can – and I don’t think he was talking about money only.
My wish for you as you travel your wonderful life journey of discovery is that you will have – SMOOTH SAILING AND FOLLOWING SEAS.

Blessings to all,

Paul

Juanita Watson is Assistant Editor of Reader Views
http://www.readerviews.com

Is there some secret number that will unlock the door to your freelance writing career?

Well, if there is, that number is probably “twelve.”

INCREASE YOUR CHANCES FOR SUCCESS

Most writers who have been freelancing for a while are familiar with what is known as “the rule of twelve.” This rule suggests that you will greatly improve your chances of getting published if you manage to have at least twelve manuscripts and/or queries making the rounds at all times. Of course, you still need to study the markets and make sure you are sending your queries and manuscripts to appropriate publishers. But, if you have at least twelve pieces circulating at all times (to appropriate markets) and you have taken the time to develop your craft (by that I mean, you can write well), you can’t help but land some acceptance letters and publishing contracts.

KEEP THOSE MATERIALS CIRCULATING

The tricky part is consistently keeping twelve pieces circulating. Just as you manage to get your twelfth piece out in the mail, one of the first eleven comes back with a rejection slip. Dang!

Well, don’t waste time feeling bad about it. Find another market to target and send the piece back out again.

If a single manuscript receives five rejections (from five different targeted markets), then carefully reread those rejection letters to see if they offer tips for rewriting this piece. If they do, then think about using those tips to revise the story or article, then send it out again to another appropriate market.

CREATE SOME MOMENTUM

If you’ve never followed the rule of twelve, try it and see what happens. For the next twelve days, write something every day that you can submit – a query, a short article, a short story – then send them all out. When one piece is published, write something new to send out. When a rejection letter arrives in the mail, find a new market for that piece and send it out again, so you always have twelve pieces circulating.

Follow the rule of twelve and it won’t be long before you’ve created enough momentum to unlock that door to your freelance writing career and make it fly wide open.

Suzanne Lieurance is a children’s author, freelance writer, writing instructor and mentor, and owner of the Three Angels Gourmet Co. Find out more about Lieurance’s books at http://www.suzannelieurance.com or visit http://www.lieurancegroup.blogspot.com to learn more about her freelance writing services. Read her daily food tips at http://www.threeangelsgourmet.blogspot.com