Reflections on Meditation by Charles T. Tart Part 9 of 9
Charles T. Tart of the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology and the University of California (Davis) reflects on the nature of meditation, what it does, how to make it more effective, how to understand it. Tart is a pioneer in the study of consciousness, having published such classic books as his “Altered States of Consciousness” and “Transpersonal Psychologies.” Articles of his are available at www.paradigm-sys.com/cttart/ … Meditation consciousness altered states of insight meditation …
Brenda
Want A Website?: Your Quick Guide to Getting Started
Nowadays, there are numerous reasons to have your own website. Maybe you’re intentions are to promote your services or expand your business to reach a worldwide client base. Maybe you’d like to showcase your photography, literature, art, or other work. Or maybe your real interest lies in using a website to generate quick profit through advertising and internet marketing strategies. Whatever your personal incentive may be, one question is the same for all: how and where should you start? The answer to this will vary for everyone. We’ll examine your options and the questions you should ask yourself in order to make the best decision to fit your personal website needs.
Your Options
There are a total of three main options you can choose from as a means of getting your own website. The first of these, the longest and most time consuming, is to learn how to create and manage your website on your own. This path is suitable for anyone attracted to the idea of eventually starting your own web development business or possibly performing freelance work as a web developer. Keep in mind that developing these skills can take years, depending on the effort you put forth.
The second route available, a much shorter process, is to use a web design/development company’s services. This will give you the freedom of endless web functionalities and advanced design created to fit your exact wants. Your website could be created and launched in just a matter of months. The downside here would be the price, which would rise with your website needs and can often range from $500 to $6,000+. In order to get a better idea of the kind of costs you’d be looking at or your personal web needs, you will need to visit the websites of various web design/development companies and request a free quote if they do not already supply their general pricing.
The third and final optional route, the quickest and cheapest, is to use an “easy as 1-2-3” website builder. The expense for this kind of service can be as low as five dollars per month. The first thing you’ll need to do in this “1-2-3″ method, is select a pre-made professionally designed template. Next, you customize it using your text and graphics, and logo, if you have one. Lastly, you publish it, and there it is–your own website and in only a matter of minutes. Yet, as with anything, there is always a drawback–this approach is limited on both advanced web functionality and design.
Which Option is For You?
Now that you know what your options are, there are some questions you should ask yourself to help you decide which option is the best for you.
You should be aware of your budget and ask yourself what amount of money you are inclined to spend and consequently, what degree of creative control on your website design you would be able to forgo in exchange for saving time and money.
If you have a limited amount of money you may consider using the simple and cost effective “1-2-3” website builder approach. Although, if you are not willing to compromise absolute design control, your only possible option will be to take the time to hunt down the more suitable deal with numerous web design/development companies.
You’ll have to consider what kind of functionality your website will need. For instance, do you need to provide a newsletter email sign-up form or need to sell services or products? Once again, if costs are of little or no concern, the more fitting option is to go with a web design/development company. However, if you are interested in saving money, you can first determine whether or not a “1-2-3” website builder can fulfill your web needs. These days it is even possible to handle an online store using a simple website builder. Rather than jumping to conclusions about the limitations of a website builder, it is best to do some investigation to determine whether or not your website’s needs could be fulfilled.
As with anything, you always have the option to learn how to make a website on your own. If you are willing to put in the work to achieve this, the benefits will prove to be worthwhile. Learning these skills can enable you to become a freelance web developer, work for a web design/development company, give you that technical edge that any company is looking for in a prospective employee, make money with advertising on your websites, and more.
Whether you want to attain fresh skills, give your business a web presence to escalate sales, or just have the power to post your content, having a website can open up many opportunities for your venture. Take a moment to recognize your needs and decide on the better approach to serve your website purpose.
Reflections on Meditation by Charles T. Tart Part 3 of 9
Charles T. Tart of the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology and the University of California (Davis) reflects on the nature of meditation, what it does, how to make it more effective, how to understand it. Tart is a pioneer in the study of consciousness, having published such classic books as his “Altered States of Consciousness” and “Transpersonal Psychologies.” Articles of his are available at www.paradigm-sys.com/cttart/ … Meditation consciousness altered states of insight meditation …
Dane
The Perks of Writing a Novel
Let’s be honest here: Writing a new fiction book is no small task. Yes, I know that e-books have claimed to show you how to complete a new 30 days, but it can not do, at least not a new novels. Producing 70-odd thousand words is a big enough challenge alone. But to learn the rules of how to plot a novel and how to create characters and all the rest of it (which is the position a newcomer would find themselves in)…well, let’s just say that two or three years is a more realistic estimate of how long writing a new fiction book will take you.
What is the payback period for all the hard work? You can look forward to coming out it?
To be honest, the perks of writing a novel will be different for everyone. For some, their prize will be novel to make money is that they keep their eyes. For others, it might be the promise of fame (or, God help you, celebrity). For many more, the creative challenge alone will be sufficient.
For what it is worth, here is what motivates me (and what doesn’t)…
First up, it isn’t the money (honestly!) Not that the riches that a bestselling novel might bring wouldn’t be welcome in my bank account, but I would be lying if I claimed it was money that motivated me to write.
The same thing may happen fame. (I will be happy to the glare of the spotlight, thank you very much for.) And may even write a truly great novels, and literary history will not do this for me (Well, maybe a little). You see, all of these things are rewards that you receive only after your novel is published. Before this can occur, you face many years of hard work, there is no guarantee that any publication. And even if your fiction books is published, it is unlikely to be successful enough to enable you to quit the day job (sorry, but those are the cold facts). To put it simply, if the fame and wealth, and then seek to write your novel may not be the best climb aboard the train.
How to write a novel - to share your words with the world
Everyone has a story - it does not matter, if the story is fictional, fantasy or how to manual - everyone has a story. So if you are stuck on one small, insignificant detail - namely, that you do not think you know how to write new fiction book, there is hope just over the horizon. Carry on, brave writer, and you too will be published one day! There are a number of online resources available to would-be writers, so get on the Internet and get started today - after all, there is a novel inside you, just waiting to be born. Be a midwife of words and bring forth your brainchild!
Of course, you want to write new fiction book, not just keep a journal, so you will need a plan to follow, because the curse of a writer is lack of discipline. Set a time and place to learn how to write novels, adhere to it no matter what happens. Write a certain number of words every day and resist the urge to edit any of it. Wait until you have finished your fiction novel and only then should you edit - or better yet, have someone else read it over and make suggestions.
Now, you will need to develop a story, a plot, characters, and decide what sort of story you want to tell. Many writers suggest starting with something that you actually know first hand as the best way to learn how to write a novel. Do you know how to ride a horse? You have a horse race? Some writers have made their careers by writing about what they know. You can do this also! Try starting with a specific program, one that helps you structure your writing schedule to accomplish a novel in 30 days or perhaps 100 days. Regardless of what method you choose, just get started and write - every day!
Kids’ Books Are Reviewed Too!
There are many kids story books around so parents have lots of choices. Parents can read with their children or the children can read by themselves. Reading is fun both alone as well as together. Books can be expensive, though, so you may want to find a way to save money such as joining the local libraries or buying from discount stores. Your local library should have lots of kids books to choose from. If they do not, they may be able to borrow from other libraries, even from out of state libraries.
Choosing the right books to get your children to start off with can be a tough job. You mustchoose suitable books that are also fun to read so that your kids will not get bored and will want to read more books. At your library, you are going to find books that are age appropriate for your children and books that are not appropriate. Some parents just let their children loose in the children’s room of the library and let them choose and pick what they want to read. Other parents prefer to read kids book reviews and only expose their kids to books that are appropriate. There are many kids’ book reviews online, in newspapers, and in parents’ magazines. Your local library might also have a list of good books that are recommended for children to read.
For toddlers and babies, board books are great. They are usually small books that are made of cardboard. They can withstand rough handling and can withstand being thrown around. You can also clean the pages quite easily because many of them are glossy. There is usually a lot of board books in stores and they can be as cheap as $1 or less. Board books often have colorful pictures and simple storylines with small words so that babies and toddlers can get used to reading even when they cannot read yet.
Some important Science Fiction Books
Science Fiction doesn’t get much better then this. Dune is the wet dream of every sci-fi lovers.
# 1: Dune (Frank Herbert)
Science Fiction doesn’t get much better then this. Dune is every Science Fiction aficionado’s wet dream. Many people claim Dune is Science Fiction’s answer to “Lord of the Rings” and I have to agree: it sure is. For more information www.be-a-stargazer.com There are many good science fiction books, but Dune is indeed a giant among giants. It truly is a pinnacle of Science Fiction literary achievement. If you haven’t read Dune, doesn’t waste any more time. Read it now!
# 2: Starship Troopers (Robert Heinlein)
War is beautiful according to Robert Heinlein. This is a fiction novel about the glorification of war. The premise: space-marines wearing special armor battle vicious alien insect aliens. This is the typical “old school” sci-fi in the best. It’s a rip-roaring ride through the galaxy that you don’t want to miss.
# 3: Andre’s game (Orson Scott Card)
This is one of the corner stones of science fiction and new fiction book that you shouldn’t miss. Criticism of society, the story of a boy who refused to give up, a destiny to save humanity - this book combines science fiction and have become addicted to a combination of persuasive and should not be missed.
# 4: The Foundation (Isaac Asimov)
This is undoubtedly the most outstanding works of science fiction writing. If you a fan of science fiction with grandiose and epic storylines, get your hand on this book. A corollary: Foundation is a series for people who love grand and complex ideas. If you are looking for a book heavy on the action but thin on concepts, this may not be the book for you. The strength of the views put forward by the focus on the story, rather than characterization. Regardless, this is one of those Science Fiction books that you just need to read. You will never think about Science Fiction the same way after reading the Foundation series.
Urdu Literature - Funny - Merhoom Ki Yaad Main - Part 2
Urdu Literature Adab Classic Books Pakistani Literature. Salees Urdu … Urdu Literature Adab Classic Books Pakistani Literature. Salees Urdu
Sage
Woot Magic #72 - A Christmas Carol by A. Black and T. Cherry
Christmas Carol Test by A. Black and T. Cherry It is that time of the year again! A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is one of the all-time best selling classic books about the holiday season ever written and now, for the first time ever, it is also a professionally designed book test! Here’s the best part… it is TOTALLY readable from front to back; you’ll NEVER find the gaff. Yet, there it is, right in the text, on ever single page; powerful, simple, and immediately useable by novice and …
Michelle
Online Book Marketing - Why Authors Are Getting it All Wrong
How to Market a Book on the Internet
The more I work with writers to help them grasp the ins and outs of online book marketing, the more I realize that there are five basic and fundamental mistakes that 9 out of 10 authors make over and over again.
Just by avoiding these five mistakes, you’ll be ahead of the game…miles ahead. So, here are five things to avoid when marketing your books online:
1. Flawed Keyword Research
This is the #1 big kahuna and the place where 99% of authors quite simply stuff it up.
Most of the authors I work with have had little to no success marketing themselves and their books online because they’re not thinking the way Internet marketers think — they have no systematic plan for finding, targeting and ultimately dominating a list of keywords and phrases related to their book or expertise.
Success online ultimately depends on your ability to determine which keywords are worth targeting, which aren’t, and how much traffic you can expect from what you are going to go after.
Lucky for us there are tools available that will do all three. You can find them at the links at the end of this article. Be sure to to take a look.
2. Lack of Content
Surprisingly enough, even prolific writers with dozens of books under their belt — gifted writers who can write volumes on their topic — somehow think that they can skate by on the Internet with just a few pages (or even paragraphs!) of content.
Simply untrue.
Here’s the truth — every search engine, Google included, loves to see lots, and lots, and lots of content.
This is why giant sites like Wikipedia get so much love — and traffic — from Google. There are millions of their pages in Google’s index.
How many pages would you say are in Google’s index from your site? My best guess would put it somewhere between two and five.
The only thing you’ll ever get rankings for with a site like that is probably your name. Bottom line: you can’t expect to shortchange people on the Internet (or anywhere else) and not have it come back to bite you.
If you want your site found, and you want potential readers to care about your book, demonstrate why they should by providing great free content upfront.
3. Ignoring Social Marketing and Web 2.0
If you haven’t noticed, the Internet is changing. In only the past few years, sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr.com — and let’s not forget something like Twitter — have radically altered the way we communicate online.
The old style media formula of editors deciding what people would read and see is gone — now we have a bottom-up approach where real people decide what makes news.
In addition to the sites I talk about above, there are dozens of others that, collectively, represent one of the most remarkable opportunities for authors we’ve ever seen.
(You can check out the links down below for lots of resources that will definitely help you find a heap of sites where you should be getting the word out about your books.)
4. Ignoring the Importance of Building a Fan Base
It’s incredible how many authors don’t jump on the most powerful online marketing tool there is — the ability to build a base of support and loyal fans through tools like mailing lists, or “followers” on Twitter, or subscribers to an RSS feed, or any number of other strategies that traditional Internet marketers simply take for granted.
It’s pretty obvious why this is so important — people who already know your work and trust you are already going to be predisposed to buying from you.
If someone buys one of your books, they’re an ideal customer for your second, third, and fourth books.
But if you have no way to reach the people who bought your first book, you’re going to have to go through the entire “customer-acquisition” process each and every time for every new book.
Wouldn’t you say it would be a lot easier to just send an email or two to your existing fans?
Or just to put up a new blog post to announce your latest book?
This is exactly the way an author can build an empire.
5. Trying to Sell Your Book
Huh? That’s definitely a mistake? But that’s the main point, right?
Yes and no.
The basic argument I’m making here is that simply focusing only on book sales — and ignoring the other stuff, like #4 above — means that you’re shortchanging yourself when it comes to building a loyal base of fans online. And it’s this “base” that can be relied on to buy things from you over and over again.
What’s better — being lucky to sell one or two copies of your book a day now, or selling thousands of books every day a year from now, and considering that an “average” day?
You don’t have to struggle.
If an Internet marketer can build an information empire, so can you. Stop trying to sell a book or two here and there. There are people out there who desperately need your expertise — so start concentrating on getting it out to them.
Sales (at the kind of level you couldn’t have dreamed of before!) will no doubt follow.
If you’re not selling enough books online to make a comfortable full-time income, you’re not doing it right.
I know for a fact that at least 9 out of 10 authors make crucial — but ultimately avoidable — mistakes when trying to market books online.
Want to see if you’re one of them? Visit my free online book marketing blog and find out what the “Ten-Percenters” know that you don’t.