The Effects Of Using Student Self Assessment And Progress...

At RA Jones Middle School, math and reading achievement is low. According to the 2014-2015 School Report Card from the Kentucky Department of Education, 42.2% of Rector A. Jones Middle School students are proficient/distinguished in reading and 26.3% are proficient/distinguished in math. As a middle school math and science teacher, I want to give my students tools that they can use to help them be successful in any subject area, in their current lives and in their futures. It is important that middle school teachers help students develop into independent thinkers that take responsibility for their own learning and achievement (Lines, 1994). One tool that can be beneficial to students as they progress through school and beyond is the use of self-assessment. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of using student self-assessment and progress monitoring strategies on student achievement in sixth grade. Student self-assessment and progress monitoring is a process of formative assessment, during which students reflect on and evaluate the quality of their work and their learning, make judgments on whether they met the stated goals or learning criteria, identify strengths and weaknesses in their work, and revise accordingly (Spiller, 2012). Specific research questions that will be answered after this study concludes are as follows: 1. What is the effect of self-assessment/progress monitoring strategies on student achievement based upon end-of unitShow MoreRelatedLearning And Mastery Based Learning1250 Words   |  5 Pagesuse to ensure that students grow as learners and master content in a timely progression. Nondirective learning and mastery-based learning are two models that are frequently used by teachers to deliver instruction and assess student performance. Nondirective learning is a teaching method from the personal family model of learning; while, mastery learning is part of the behavioral systems family. Both learning methods offer advantages and disadvantages for the teacher and student. It is the teacher’sRead MoreThe Program For Students From Elementary Through High School And Adulthood Essay856 Words   |  4 PagesDescription: Read Naturally is a supplemental literacy program for students from elementary through high school and adulthood. The program is designed to improve fluency, accuracy, and comprehension using text, audio CD and/or computer software. (D.O.E. 2013) Read Naturally allows teachers to individualize student instruction by utilizing story reading and repeated reading of text while allowing teachers and students to monitor their own progress. 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In 2003, a commission established by the National Assessment Governing Board (Governing Board) to review and make suggestions about indicators of academic preparedness for postsecondary education and training recommended the use of the grade 12 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP, 2014). A comb ination of factors were consideredRead MoreThe Extent to Which Teachers Help Their EC Students in Regular Classroom Settings1647 Words   |  7 PagesLiterature Review The main purpose of the study is it to determine the extent to which teachers help their EC students in regular classroom settings. When speaking of EC students I am more addressing the ESL students. Literacy Before children learn to use language to let their needs and wants be known they first learn to read, how can a child communicate without the resources they need to express themselves before they have the skills needed to do so? Studies show how to overcome one challengingRead MoreHow Peer Assessment Can Affect The Progression And Confidence Of My Pupils1882 Words   |  8 PagesIn This essay I am looking at how Peer-assessment can affect the progression and confidence of my pupils in their art classes. I will discuss what researchers have said in their findings and compare it with my own personal experience with my Year 7 Class. Over the course of several weeks I have been using Peer assessment in my classes to engage pupils and as their teacher to evaluate and relate to their understanding and progression in my classes for their own art work and professionals art practiceRead MoreBenefits Of A Tutoring Program1699 Words   |  7 Pagesbased on the following data: Phonological A wareness Literacy Screening (PALS) assessment, Bi-Weekly testing, Benchmark testing, and Standards of Learning (SOL) assess-ments. The purpose of this proposed program is to minimize the amount of stu-dents that are referred to child-study. Bringing a student before the child-study team can lead to that particular student being found eligible for special education services. If a student is labeled under a disability of special education it often be-comes a part

Monetary Policy And Its Effect On Economic Growth

Economics for Business 2 Topic: Recent Monetary Policy in Australia Monetary policy is important to the economic growth, and it involves setting the interest rate on overnight loans in the money market (RBA 2015). This interest rate is also called the cash rate, and it influences other interest rates in economy which include the behaviour of borrowers and lenders, economic activity and ultimately the rate of inflation (RBA 2015). Why do you think that monetary policy is less effective in boosting economic growth than it is in restricting economic growth? How do lower interest rates boost aggregate demand in the economy? According to the most recent monetary policy, which is released on 04 August 2015 by Glenn Stevens, l will investigate all the possible effects in economy those are influenced by the change of monetary policy. After their recent meeting, the Board made a wise decision and maintained the interest rate at 2.0 per cent. And refer to the earlier announcements this year; we all know that the rates have been changed twice in 2015, because RBA decided to support the economy, and wanted to reduce the rise in unemployment. But there are possible growing risks from lower rates. Lower interest rates effect the economy growth in varies ways, it makes cheaper and easier to borrow, which tends to encourage investment, spending and consumption. Thus it directly boosts aggregate demand and economic growth. Bu t at the same time, it also causes inflationary pressures.Show MoreRelatedBrazil s Monetary Policies And Its Effects On Country s Economic Growth3786 Words   |  16 Pages 4 5. Mexico’s Monetary Policies and Its Effects on the Economy 4 - 9 6. Recommendations 10 7. Key Findings 10 8. Conclusion 11 9. References 12 10. Appendix 13 1. Introduction The main purpose of this report is to critically analyse Mexico’s monetary policies in past 15 years and their impact on country’s economic growth. In this report, we mainly focus on ‘exchange rate policy ‘which has been implementedRead MoreThe Effect Of Macroeconomic Indicators On Economic Growth On A Petrol Dollar Economy Essay1391 Words   |  6 PagesTHE EFFECT OF MACROECONOMIC INDICATORS ON ECONOMIC GROWTH IN A PETROL-DOLLAR ECONOMY: THE NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE 1. Introduction The Central Bank of Nigeria Act of 1958(CBN) vested the monetary policy powers of economic stability on the apex regulatory bank (CBN).Since our independence in 1960,CBN has operated a fixed exchange regime which was at various times was at par with the British pounds and later the United States Dollar. This exchange rate regime was operated in additionRead MoreModern Egyptian Economy1526 Words   |  6 Pageswitnessing a series of economic and political reforms since the beginning of the 21st century. 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Some of these economic policies are also developed due to various factors or events that may have occurred in the United States. This paper will discuss some policies that stimulate the economy, their relationRead MoreEconomic Growth During The Great Depression And The Recent Financial Crisis1562 Words   |  7 Pagesgovernment has been implementing policies in the improvement of the growth in the UK. Such as improving economic growth during the Great Depression and the recent financial crisis. A bri ef history by (Pettinger, 2016) on the use of fiscal policy, Keynes promoted the use of fiscal policy as a way of boosting growth. Moreover, during 1970-1980s the government switched to using monetary policy in influencing the economy. However, the government later reverted to using the fiscal policy in the recession of 2008-2013Read MoreEssay about Measuring the Macroeconomic Impact of Monetary Policy1320 Words   |  6 Pages Monetary policy is the method by which the government, central bank, or monetary authority controls the supply of money, or trading foreign exchange markets. This policy is usually called either an expansionary policy, or a contractionary policy. An expansionary policy multiplies the total supply of money in the economy, and a contractionary policy diminishes the total supply. 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In addition, this paper will cover the effect on macroeconomic factors such as GDP, unemployment, inflation, and interest rates. With many combinations of monetary policy, the paper covers the optimal balance between economic growth, low inflation, and a reasonable rate of unemployment. Money is any object that functions as a means of exchange that society accepts social and legal

Risk Associated with Gearing free Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Risk Associated with Gearing. Answer: Gearing meaning In simple terms gearing means borrowing of money by an investor with the motive to invest at higher rate than the rate at which it has been borrowed. So that investor can earn margin amount. Investor can invest in shares, managed investments and properties(Anon., n.d.). Risk involved in gearing: The equation of gearing is such that it involves the risk for investor of ending up having negative gearing. Negative gearing means when the interest amount earned on investments is less than the interest paid on the amount which investor has borrowed to invest. For example: the rental amount earned on the property is less than the interest amount which is required to be paid on the loan which was borrowed to purchase that property. There are several factors which can lead to negative gearing such as: Investor had high expectation of return from the investment but in reality he got low return on investment as expected. Therefore investor should invest carefully, provided investments should be genuine. Investor should keep a proper balance between the borrowed amount and his own capital in respect of making investment. If investor over extend his borrowing then interest rates might increase and that can lead to negative gearing. There might be chances where investments may provide less income, no income or may be capital loss. Investor should plan his portfolio in such a manner that he is able to liquidate few of his investments to pay off loan(Anon., n.d.). Example An investor invested 100000. He borrowed the amount at 7% interest rate: Earned 10% on investment Earned 5% on investment Situation a there is profit of 3% (10-7) = 3000 (3%*100000) Situation b there is loss of 2% (7-5) = 2000 (2%*100000) Bibliography Anon., n.d. Risks and benefits of gearing. [Online] Available at: https://www.dover.com.au/dover-way/part-09-managing-debt/chapter-04-risks-and-benefits-of-gearing/ [Accessed September 2017]. Anon., n.d. Understanding gearing. [Online] Available at: https://www.mlc.com.au/understandingseries/understanding_gearing.pdf [Accessed September 2017].

MAC Cosmetic Strategic Plan

Executive summary The paper analyzes the MAC Cosmetic business strategic plan. The paper has also analyzed the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats of MAC Company. In addition to that, it strengths and weakness have been compared to its competitors. Moreover, recommendations have been provided to ensure effective execution of the business strategic plan.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on MAC Cosmetic Strategic Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Introduction Background Information MAC also referred to as Make-up-Art Cosmetics, is a highly distinct corporation. The business strategies and founding principles of MAC are extremely simple yet very effective in terms of contributing to the success of the company. Mac does not utilize business schemes that are fancy. In addition to that, it is greatly concerned with its consumers. In the initial stages, the company struggled to establish itself. However, at the moment it has gained momentum and it is now a multimillion-dollar enterprise. Furthermore, the company is growing rapidly and has some of the most demanded and popular cosmetics present in the market environment. MAC as a company is remarkably dynamic and produces various products such as hair care, skin care, cosmetics and beauty products. These products are meant for everyone such as the young or old, conservative or trendy, poor or rich, male or female. Given the fact that the company has the ability to easily expand to various locations, the company does not advocate for the idea of expanding. This is because the company believes that, for purposes of maintaining high quality levels, remaining in control is the key to the company success (Anonymous. Fragrance Wholesome, 2012) MAC cosmetics were created with an extremely creative vision. The vision aim was to fill the existing gap between fashion photography and makeup artistry. In order to meet the increasing demand of b eauty and entertainment professionals, Frank Toskan, a fashion photographer and Frank Angelo a salon chain owner, launched in 1985 a fashion frontward line in Toronto. Long before MAC company history, the founders of MAC cosmetics (Toskan and Angelo) diverted their product line towards the fashion and beauty professionals industry that relied heavily on cake makeup, heavy cosmetics and stage makeup. This was done in order to create the visual effects required to endure bright light during their shooting of photos.† Who better rise up to this demand than a fashion photographer†. With a product line that is celebrity endorsed and a glamorous image, MAC cosmetics takes the lead in the beauty industry (Machalack, 2012, p.1).Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Revenue, Global Reach and Company Size Estee Lauder in 1998 bought MAC and helped the company grow globally . Estee Launder generates 6.3billion dollars yearly between their twenty-five distinct brands. MAC is responsible for one hundred and sixty million of the revenue generated by Estee Lauder. Currently, MAC has over one thousand stores and is present in sixty seven countries around the globe (Anonymous, MAC Capaign, 2012) Strategic Options for MAC Cosmetic For the company to remain significant in the highly competitive market, it has to utilize the following modeling tools: Balanced Score Card and SWOT analysis. A SWOT analysis of the company helps in bringing out the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the company as illustrated below MAC SWOT Analysis Strengths Its products are made for all races, sexes and ages Named number two as Forbs† America’s most Admired Company† Its brand name is already known in the Market Cruelty-free Weakness The prices are high than some individuals can afford   Its only the professionals that can access their PRO colors Opportunities Boosting experiences in online shopping Ability to expand internationally- Brazil and India. For instance, the company is working on foundations and blushes in order to fit specifically the Indian Skin tone Exhibit free standing stores in comparison to spots located in departmental stores Threats Increased rate of competition as numerous companies have lip palette and Eye Shadow combinations continuously each season There exist questions on whether their online shopping boost would take over their well-known personal service. Solutions for Each SWOT Analysis Make-Up Art Cosmetic has more strength compared to weakness. The direction being pursued by the Company is quite promising to a future increase in both of its finances and brand name. The company can utilize this increment to their advantage such as creating more demanded products such as lip shade palettes and or/ eye shadows. Despite the MAC Company made for makeup artist, it is being sold to Estee Lauder and the general public. In that case, the MAC owners need to keep their statement in mind† Wanting to touch everyone.† Their major competitor, NARS, a make-up Art Cosmetics won the competition because when they sell their products to consumers, the consumers feel like they are achieving more. In addition to that, they like the compactness of NARS. Given the fact that online shopping creates a great opportunity for the MAC Company, it can also be a great threat to their personal services that are pampering in nature. MAC customers have the urge of purchasing the company’s products online; however, they might also need to try first the product. For instance, majority of individuals often want to try Make Up products to find out if they actually blend with their skin. Similarly, it is mandatory for them to confirm if a product is suitable for their skin. The company should go ahead and promote their online store. However, MAC should continue promotin g celebrity posters on their standing stores that are free for purposes of keeping their personal experience celebrated by its consumers (Joines, 2009, P.12). Balance Score Card A balance scorecard is a management and strategic planning system utilized to align the business activities to an organization vision statement.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on MAC Cosmetic Strategic Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ideally, balance scorecard tries to translate pious and vague hopes of a company’s mission statement/ vision into practicalities of effectively and efficiently managing the business. Therefore, through the use of a balance scorecard, MAC Company needs to look at the following areas in order to improve these areas. As a matter of fact, these areas are seldom exhaustive and in most cases are specific to a company. Department Areas Finance Investment returns Cash flow Return on employed C apital Financial Results(Yearly, quarterly) Internal processes of a business Number of activities per function Across functions duplicate activities Alignment of processes( is the right process being carried in the right department) Process automation Process bottlenecks Growth and Learning Are there expertise needed for the job? Turnover of employees Job satisfaction Learning/ Training opportunities Customer Customer performance delivery Quality performance for clients Market customer percentage Retention rate of customers Once MAC has analyzed its quantifiable and specific outcomes of the above, it should be ready to use the approach of the balanced scorecard in order to improve the deficient areas. Moreover, the metric in place must be specific, achievable, measurable, timely and reliable. This is because an organization cannot improve on what it cannot measure. Generally, the four perspectives of Balanced Scorecard approach are customer, internal business processes, growth and learning and financial. MAC company effective balance scorecard implementation would result in the following: educated/motivated employees, improved processes, information systems that are enhanced, greater customer satisfaction, monitored progress and increased financial utilization (Anonymous. Balance scorecard. N.d) Comparative understanding of the weakness and strength of MAC Cosmetics with its competitors (Revlon L’Oreal†) Currently, the cosmetic industry is in a flux state. Traditional brands such as L’Oreal and Revlon are perceived by customers as being old. In that case, the customers are looking forward to a more healing and holistic benefits from the skin care products. The consumers are no longer contented with the traditional brands thus making it a great challenge to Revlon L’Oreal products. The MAC Cosmetics has been able to supply consumers with awareness of natural and cruelty free products. This has impacted greatly on the knowledge of the consumers. The consumers have become more inquisitive about the benefits of MAC personal care products. MAC Cosmetics protects its consumers from damaging rays of the sun, moisturizing their skin and reducing aging effects. The major limitation with MAC cosmetics is that, it has a great demand, but there is no supply. Whereas the MAC cosmetics are highly demanded than those of its competitors, it has been hectic to find out discounted products (Vasen 2007, p.1). In addition to that, outside United States, there are no media advertisements and most of the people are not aware of MAC products advantages and benefits. According to statics, the effective way of getting MAC products information is via referrals (Bates, 2006, p.2). Given the fact that there is lack of MAC products promotional campaigns with absence of free samples, the company relies majorly on their existing customers to distribute information about their products.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the light of the above, L’ Oreal is a company known internationally and their products are sold everywhere in the globe. Nevertheless, its products are distributed around the globe depending on the economical, social and cultural factors as the demand of women are quite distinct from each other. In addition to that, it offers a variety of products to various countries in order to fulfill the needs of all women. Unlike MAC, L’ Oreal expenses of advertising are fairly high. This is because the company believes that it can only increase its profits via advertising (Uzun 2010, p.1). Just like L’Oreal, Revlon products are sold all over the globe and marketed under various brand names. Their products are meant to satisfy specific needs of the consumers. Creating Options for the Future Organization Strategy The most important thing is to assess the external context of the company, clustering and prioritizing threats and opportunities, developing strategic options, r ating the options in terms of their significance and implementing them. MAC external context Current Legal, economic conditions and regulatory issues Estee Lauders are expanding their niche in countries that are foreign. This has triggered the issue of foreign exchange, interest rates and each and every country individual issue including war and terrorism. In the year 2008, the interest rates for Estee Lauder contracts were thirty-one million dollars. Furthermore, it had a currency forward contract of one million dollars in which the most competitive currency was the Euro’s. Various consequences pose a threat to the establishing up of brand new stores in the Middle East. The threats are such as retaliation and terrorist attack. On the contrary, according to 2008 Estee Lauders annual fiscal report, the sales had increased by 20% in the Middle East and approximately half of the stores net sales emerged from foreign countries. The increased profits were as a result of increased urge of people and their ability to have their personal pampering. In consideration to these sales increase, The Make-up Art Cosmetics (MAC) exhibit an opinion that is optimistic of the economy in its present condition. With this in mind, MAC has been able to expand both regionally and financially (Joines, 2009, p.10). Importance of technology advancement Even though MAC has succeeded tremendously by their word-of –mouth strategy, their online environment boosting will help in improving their sales. With a wide recognition of its brand, MAC should exhibit a positive name and more capability of having wide variety of freestanding stores. Given the fact that MAC is recognized widely by word-of-mouth, channeling more concentration to online will be of great advantage for the company promotional aspects. With more available online shopping, the company will have to incur more advertising expenses. Nevertheless, it should be viewed as a Make-up Art Cosmetic investment (Joines, 200 9, p.11). MAC strategic options Strategies that are effective have an industry and a company point of view. They aid an organization in making fundamental choices and communicating them for purposes of aligning resources appropriately. The MAC company strategic options will be business growth and emphasis on competition. Business growth will help in answering various questions such as, how will MAC as a company generate new growth? At what point will the value chain of MAC â€Å"anchor† and create internal capabilities that supersede those of its competitors? On the other hand, emphasis on competition will help in finding solutions to the questions such as, how will MAC as a company distinct itself in the eyes of its client? Company leaders, who channel their investments to principal competences that align themselves to strategy, help in building market value. As a result, investors will have more confidence in the company. Since they believe the strategy will be executed by the company and deliver earnings in the future. In terms of relevance, identifying a growth strategy comes fast. The growth strategy consists of product service, market/ customer, production capacity, technology and distribution. It is only after a company has chosen its growth option that it can identify its competitive emphasis. This is where the company finds out the tactics to use in order to differentiate themselves in their customer’s eyes. There exist five principal ways in which a company can differentiate itself. These are such as low cost provider, speed, quality, innovation and service (â€Å"Strategic Options†). Suitable structure for MAC Cosmetic The organization design essence is to manipulate various parameters that determine coordination achievement and division of labor. Keeping in mind the needs of the organization of MAC, there is need for a matrix organizational structure that focuses on grouping by functions and the market. This structure will enha nce the MAC company end markets. Furthermore, given the significance of the workflow interdependencies, and the company cannot handle them easily via the use of standardization, using of this structure will highly favor grouping market bases for purposes of encouraging adjustments that are mutual and direct supervision. Through the adoption of the matrix organization structure, the MAC will benefit because, projects cost will be minimized and principal people can easily be shared. The structure minimizes conflict and those in need of referrals that are hierarchical can be resolved easily. It ensures effective balance between performance, cost and time, sharing of responsibility and authority made easier, enhances rapid decentralization of decisions, improved access to a wide range of perspectives and skills that are diverse, improved regional and global projects, increased coordination and communication across the business and lastly reflects the regional customer needs (Scholz 2008 , p.248-249). Criteria for reviewing potential options for a strategy plan For purposes of reviewing organizational structure and management strategy potential options and the environment, MAC Company must make sure that the perfect strategy considers clearly the size and age of the organization, environment and technical system and the governing framework. The structure should elaborate its structure clearly. The prospective strategy should shun technical uncertainties, it should provide to the employees the operation and production strategy which proves to be efficient. In addition to that, it should be free of uncertainty strategically. MAC pressure to come up with products that meets the demands of the customer is so high hence the management strategy proposed should ensure the problems and bottlenecks are dealt with appropriately rather than basing on future conditions analysis. As a matter of fact, new strategy implementation costs an organization millions hence the organizati onal stakeholders should ensure that they reduce the costs of operation and improve on the organization efficiency. For the development of the organization, MAC cosmetics should always undergo a significant change at distinct points in their development. Change management comprises of sensitive implementation and thoughtful planning and the ones mentioned above. It is vital for the company to consult with stakeholders affected by the changes. If MAC forces change on its stakeholders, problems will definitely arise. Organization change must be measurable, achievable and realistic(Huselid, 2005, p.134). In summary, MAC can utilize templates to come up with several principal strategies that can help in addressing the objectives of the organization. Of great significance, the strategies are created based on stakeholder’s inputs, operation and business analysis. A detailed strategic plan that include implication of resources Management strategy is an analysis that is systematic of the factors correlated with internal and external environment. The analysis provides the foundation for rethinking the management practices that are current. The principal objective of a strategic plan is to achieve a perfect alignment of strategic priorities and corporate policies. In the case of MAC, the principal significant points of the agreed strategies that were proposed were concerned with the â€Å"Love YOUR LIPS† campaign. Lipstick has often been viewed as a form of refinement. The LOVE YOUR LIPS â€Å"campaign focuses on a variety of lipstick styles, techniques and looks. The ad campaigns strive to increase MAC customer sales target market. Additionally, it aims to reach a potential group of customers that are untapped. Resource implications The principal components of any strategic plan consist of discussions or analyses of the below named resource implication (Hankin, 2005, p.111-113) Capacity requirements and Human capital: The human skills and capacity needed for strategy implementation, potential and current sources of these resources. Moreover, other capacity such as management structures, internal systems and a legal framework that is supportive is also needed. Financial requirements: The required funding to implement the management strategy proposed, potential and current sources for the funds, funding gaps and the most crucial resource Risk assessment and management strategy: The existing risks and how they can be addressed by the company Estimate of the lifespan of the project, sustainability and its exit strategy: This addresses issues such as how long the stand strategy will be implemented, the time it will take for the strategy to be modified and why if it is only feasible to modify it and how the strategy will ensure corporate objective achievements sustainability. Strategic plan management can only be viewed as complete when the discussed components have been clearly defined in broad terms. As the projects heads to implementa tion, majority of these components are tested in reality and defined deeply. Comparing Core organization values with current business objectives of MAC Cosmetics MAC cosmetic exhibits a significant position on social and corporate responsibility. Furthermore, the business public image is greatly supported as a result of distinct environments. MAC is â€Å"cruelty-free† as it does not use animals as their guinea pig when testing their products. They utilize simple white and black packaging that are recyclable. In addition to that, they advocate for recycling practices with the aid of â€Å"Black-to-Mac† program. Customers are often given a free lipstick in exchange of their returned six blank containers. In comparison to other multinational companies, MAC prices are quite good without empty promises. For instance, miracle creams that reduces an individual’s age. MAC Cosmetics is in the forefront supporting the fight against AIDS with the use of† Viva Glam,à ¢â‚¬  the company’s popular lipstick (Anonymous. Ethics and social responsibility, 2012). MAC environment comprises of all factors that affects the way decision are made within an organization. Therefore, they encompass the forces that can trigger an impact in the organization. Ideally, forces are made up of threats and opportunities which can be divided into external and internal environment. The internal environment comprises of the management team and the shareholders. The external environment constitutes all the outside forces and institutions that the real potential, impact or interest on the ability of the organization to achieve its competitive objective lies. The principal objectives of MAC company are as follows: to increase its yearly sales by at least 15% in 2012 in comparison to 2011. In addition to that, it aims to increase its customer involvement in the year 2012 by 20% and also to diversify their brands by renewing the perception of customers on the company b y 15% or higher. It is evident that the objectives perfectly align with the company core values. Through their involvement in social corporate responsibilities and other ethical issues, the company will enhance their revenues and customer perception. Vision and Mission Statement for MAC Company Mission statement (â€Å"LOVE YOUR LIPS†) The campaign on â€Å"LOVE YOUR LIPS† has been designed for purposes of expanding the image of MAC in the cosmetic industry with a commitment that is continuous to high service, customer satisfaction and service, through the sales and advertisement of MAC lipstick. Vision: To be the leading makeup professional authority in the world among both professional consumers and makeup artist whilst embracing the MAC credo of all age categories, sexes and races. Agreed future objectives of the organization The objective of the MAC Company is to make the company an expert in the industry dealing with cosmetics and also promote the image of MAC and lipstick sales. The LOVE YOUR LIPS† 2011 campaign was designed to increase MAC sales of lipstick, trigger customer involvement and MAC brand diversification. Measures for Evaluating Strategic Plan Sustainability It concerns itself with whether the organization objectives or strategies address the essential issues identified in the acknowledgement of the organization strategic position. To be precise, these needs an assessment of the extent to which the organization strategic option fits with the crucial drivers and the environment expected changes, strategic capabilities exploitation and its appropriateness in stakeholders content of influence and expectations. Tools such as TOWS matrix, strategic options ranking, scenarios and decision tree can be utilized to access sustainability (Thomas 1993, p.g3). Acceptability It deals with the strategy expected performance results. These can be categorized into three: Reactions from stakeholders, returns and risks. The benefits expecte d to be received by company’s stakeholders from the strategy are the returns. They can be computed by cost benefit analysis and financial analysis. Accessing of company risk is through the performing of financial ratios, sensitivity analysis reactions and shareholders’ value analysis. Feasibility Feasibility concerns itself with whether the firm has the needed competence and resources to adequately deliver a strategy. Numerous approaches can be used to acknowledge feasibility. They include resource deployment and financial feasibility among others. Schedule for implementing a strategy plan in an organization No. Action Start Finish 1 Developing a pro forma and guidance for strategic change initial screening for Impact Assessment 1 August 2012 7 September 2012 2 Issuing of report to the board of directors in order to outline the provided proposals and suggest way forward and also obtain the directors view with reference to the proposed strategy 8 September 2012 8 September 2012 3. Updating and briefing on the proposal agreed 5 October 2012 5 October 2012 4 Briefing sessions for regional managers and Head of service 14 October 2012 14 October 2012 5 Carrying out the implementation of the agreed project. Prioritization for all task specific functions, corporate, procedures and functions. 17 October 2012 4 January 2013 6 Benchmarking and reviewing of the actual and desired strategy implementation status 5 January 2013 13 January 2013 7 Strategy completion and implementation 30 January 2013 30 January 2013 8 Consultation 31 January 2012 2 February 2013 9. Monitoring and Reviewing 2 February 2013 28 February 2013 10 Annual Review I March 2013 15 March 2013 Monitoring and Evaluation systems for strategy plan implementation in an organization The above is of great significance when it comes to the identification of organization strategic goals and issues. The advantage of evaluation and monitoring is that, it ensures that an org anization strictly follows the strategic plan established directions. For MAC monitoring and evaluation, the six Henry Mintzberg’s monitoring and evaluation basics will be utilized. According to the model, the strategic plan monitoring and evaluation should strictly follow the below outlined six steps (Armstrong, 2002, p.123-126). Direct supervision: This is whereby a single individual coordinates all the activities via giving orders to other employees. He only plays a role when it is vital for a specific number of individuals need to work together. Standardization of work process: It comprises the direct programming of work content, putting in place the procedures that need to be followed. Standardization of outputs: Focuses on the results rather than what is not supposed to be done, there is predetermination between job interfaces. For instance, the manager of a region is tasked with ensuring that he achieves a 10% sales growth so that the company can meet overall target sa les. The standards often results from the company analysts. Standardization of Skills: Helps in achieving coordination in the company. In this step, it is the worker rather than the outputs or work that gains standardization. The organization teaches its workers are taught a wide range of knowledge and a couple of skills which are consequently applied to the organizations work. The standardization process occurs outside the organization environment. For instance, in a profession school of university prior to job allocation. Unlike the standardization of outputs, these skills do not emanate from the analyst. On the contrary, the operator internalizes them as inputs to the job a worker is in pursuit of. Standardization of norms: This is when the organization employees have a set of belief that is common and coordination of achievement is based on it. Mutual adjustment: Helps in work coordination by the informal process simple communication. Those individuals working can interact in or der to coordinate and achieve results. Paradoxically, mutual adjustment can be utilized in situations that are extremely complex. This is because; it is the only avenue that can be relied upon under circumstances that are extremely difficult. Conclusion The â€Å"LOVE YOUR LIPS† MAC campaign will greatly help in promoting the company lipstick sales. In addition to that, it will assist the company in involving customers in their activities and also in diversification of the MAC image. In comparison to its competitors, the company has numerous strengths and opportunities such as, brand recognition that is positive, customer loyalty, appealing packaging, trend setting, celebrity support and reasonable pricing among others. Recommendations The business strategic plan of MAC should boost online buying and selling for purposes of capturing market outside the United States of America. In addition to that, the company should consider supplying its brand to drug stores just like its c ompetitors. Furthermore, the company should follow the following seven steps in order to make it strategic planning process to be effective. The steps are such as, the developing or reviewing of the company mission and vision statement, analyzing the operation and business analysis (SWOT analysis), developing and selecting strategic options, establishing of strategic objectives, examining a company strategy execution plan, establishing resource allocation and execution of review. The following up of this seven steps will enable MAC Cosmetics that its various options are included as it forms a cycle that is complete for an existing or a new strategy planning initiatives. Bibliography Anonymous 2012, MAC Capaign. Web. Anonymous N.d, Balance Scorecard, Kaplan and Nortion’s organizational performance management tool. Web. Anonymous N.d, Ethics and social responsibility. Web. Anonymous 2012, Fragrance Wholesome, Some history and background on MAC. Web. Bates, G. 2006, MAC Cosmeti cs. Fast Company. Web. Hankin, H. 2005, The new workforce. Harvard Business Press, Harvard. Huselid, M. A. 2005, The workforce scorecard. Harvard Business Press, Harvard. Joines, H. D. 2009, MAC situation and SWOT Analysis. Web. Machalack, J. 2012, Company History MAC Cosmetics. Web. Scholz, C. 2008, Leadership Management in Europe, Journal of Personal and Information Management, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 248-248. Web. Thomas, L. 1992, Quick, successful team building. Web. Uzun, N. 2010, L’Oreal Presentaion. Web. Vasen, D. 2007, Discount Mac cosmetics. Love to Know-makeup. Web. This case study on MAC Cosmetic Strategic Plan was written and submitted by user Rey D. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

How to Become an Author The Ultimate Guide from a Bestseller

How to Become an Author The Ultimate Guide from a Bestseller How to Become an Author: Your Complete Guide So you want to become an author Well, I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news. The bad news first: Writing your book wont be easy. If you’re in the middle of that process, you’re nodding right now. But here’s the good news: All that work isa small price for the amazing possibilities it can open to you: Getting published Enjoying a career you love Impacting people with your writing Media attention Royalty income In this extensive guide, my goal is to give you an honest look at how to become a writer- using lessons I’ve learned from 40+ years working with some of the top publishers in the world. Having written 21 New York Times bestsellers myself, I’m confident these lessons will help you in your writing journey. Ready? Let’s do it. What You Will Learn Here’s the short version of everything I cover in this complete, step-by-step post: DON’T Try toBecome an Author Until Youve Studied the Craft and Polished Your Skills Written Things Shorter Than a Book Plugged Yourself into a Community of Writers Writing Your Book Create a Writing Schedule You Can Stick to Research and Plan Keep Your Day Job Become a Ferocious Self-Editor Trying to Land a Publishing Contract How to Get an Agent Selling a Publisher Editing Your Book Like Crazy (Again) with an Editor Should You Self-Publish? An Overview of Self-Publishing How to Set Your Book Apart Choosing the Right Self-Publishing Company The #1 Killer of Self-Published Books Want to save this 5000-word guide to read later? Click here to get a free PDF version you can read anytime. 1. DON’T Try toBecome a Writer Until You’ve I get it. You’re antsy. You’re ready to pen your bestseller right now. You’ve read or heard of writers who had never written a thing before and yet scored with a million-seller on their first try. Throttle back. Those stories become big news because they’re so rare. Don’t bank on winning the lottery. If you want your book (and your message) to go anywhere, make sure you’ve: Studied the Craft There’s no need to write a compelling story by trial and error anymore. Others have already done it for you- and written books about it. So your best bet is to follow proven methods. Great writers are great readers. Sohere’s a list of my favorite 12 books on writing to get you started. The competition has gotten so fierce, you’ll do yourself a favor if you learn how successful authors write before you try to get a second look from a publisher. Take the time to learn what you’re doing. You’ll thank yourself later. Written Things Shorter Than a Book A book shouldn’t be where you start any more than you should enroll in grad school when you’re a kindergartner. A book is where you arrive. Start small, learn the craft, hone your skills. Do some journaling. Write a newsletter. Start a blog. Get articles published in a couple of magazines, a newspaper, an ezine. Take a night school or online course in journalism or creative writing. Publishers are looking for authors with platforms (in short: audiences, tribes, followers, fans). So start building yours now. Any of the pieces above will start building steam behind your writing, and boost name recognition for you as a writer. If you’re planning to start blogging, check out this post on creating an author website. Bottom line:Work a quarter-million clicheÃŒ s out of your system, learn what it means to be edited, become an expert in something, build your platform, and then start thinking about that book or novel. Plugged Yourself into a Community of Writers Think you can do it alone? Then you’re a better writer than I. Almost every traditionally published author I know is surrounded by a helpful community. How else would they deal with things like: Frustration Discouragement Procrastination Wanting to quit I’ve written over 185 books, yet I often wonder whether I can finish the next one. At this stage for me, community means knowing I can be encouraged by colleagues whenever I need it. When you’re starting out, another pair of eyes on your work can prove to be invaluable. Ten pairs of eyes are even better. Join a writers’ group. Find a mentor. Stay open to criticism. One caveat with writers’ groups: make sure at least one person, preferably the leader, is widely published and understands the publishing landscape. Otherwise you risk the blind leading the blind. 2. Writing Your Book Surprisingly, most people never get this far. Whether it’s fear or procrastination or something else, few writers ever make it to the first page. To avoid becoming part of this sad group, you need a plan. So regardless your personal writing method, be sure to cover these bases: Create a Writing Schedule You Can Stick To When you’re an author, writing becomes your job. So treat it that way. Show up and do the work whether you feel like it or not. Writer’s block is no excuse. In no other profession could you get away with getting out of work by claiming you have worker’s block. Try that and see what it gets you- likely a pink slip. Find at least six hours a week to write. Well, find is the wrong word, of course. You won’t find it, you’ll have to carve out the time. Lock these hours into your calendar and keep them sacred. If you can’t think of what to write, then edit. If you can’t edit, plan. You’ll be astonished at your ability to get stuff done when you finally plant yourself in your chair. Challenge: Don’t move until you have scheduled at least six hours. Research and Plan To give your manuscript the best chance to succeed, skip this step at your peril. Excellent preparation will make or break your book. Two main ways you should be preparing: 1. Outline. Regardless how you feel about outlining, you need an idea of where you’re going before you start. If you’re writing a novel, you’re either an outliner or a pantser- those who write by the seat of their pants. (If you’re writing a nonfiction book, an outline is a given.) On the fiction side, the definition of an outliner is obvious. You plan everything beforehand. But pantsers write by process of discovery- or as Stephen King puts it, they â€Å"put interesting characters in difficult situations and write to find out what happens.† Neither is better or worse. But most writers are one or the other (a few are hybrids, largely one over the other but doing a little of both). But, depending on which you are, you’ll approach the planning phase completely differently. If you’re a hardcore outliner (and a novelist), you’ll enjoy my friend and colleague Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake Method. But if you’re a pantser, check out this post for non-outliners. Itll teach you how to work within a structure while staying free enough to writeon the fly. 2. Do the research. All great stories are rooted in solid research. If your research stinks, your story sinks. If your character drives 10 miles east out of the Chicago Loop, he’d better be in an amphibious vehicle, because he’ll be in Lake Michigan. (And you thought I was joking about sinking.) To avoid such embarrassing errors, do your research. Immerse yourself in the details of your setting. Make sure no characters are wearing ski jackets when it’s 95 degrees outside. Two online research tools that will help you avoid mistakes: The World Atlas A directory of some of the world’s top almanacs Don’t Quit Your Day Job I didn’t become a full-time freelance author until I had written and published nearly 90 books. I had been advised by a veteran author that my freelance income ought to be around three times what I made at my job before I considered going solo. I was stunned. Why so much more? He started listing everything I would have to pay for on my own. Insurance, retirement, all my benefits. I had always been careful to separate my writing and my office work, but during my off hours on business trips I might do some research. No more. Any travel would be on me. Your day job doesn’t have to keep you from writing your book. You might not like this, but I recommend you keep it and spend your after-hours time writing your book. Why? Two reasons: You’ll have steady income- one less thing to worry about- while trying to build your writing career. The structure will force you to be more productive with fewer hours. So, yes, you can have your cake and eat it too- without sacrificing time with family. You lose three hours per night for what, TV? How big a sacrifice is that for your writing dream? How badly do you want to become an author? Become a Writer Ferocious About Self-Editing This section is so important that it has the power to determine whether your book makes a huge splash with readers and publishers- or slides into the editor’s reject pile after the first page or two. Get serious about self-editing. Editors know from the first page whether your manuscript is publishable. I know that doesn’t sound fair or even logical. You’re thinking, It took me months, maybe years, to write hundreds of pages and you didn’t even get to the good stuff! How could they do that to you? Why did they? First, the good stuff ought to be in the first two paragraphs. And if they see 15 adjustments they need to make on the first two pages, they know the cost of editing three or four hundred pages of the same would eat whatever profits they could hope for before even printing the book. To avoid the dreaded â€Å"Thank you, but this doesn’t meet a current need† letter, your manuscript must be lean and mean, besides being a great story and a great read. Here are my 21 rules of ferocious self-editing: Develop a thick skin. Avoid throat-clearing. Choose the normal word over the obtuse. Omit needless words. Avoid subtle redundancies, like: â€Å"She nodded her head in agreement.† Those last four words could be deleted. Avoid the words up and down- unless they’re really needed. Usually delete the word that. Use it only for clarity. Give the reader credit. Once you’ve established something, you don’t need to repeat it. Avoid telling what’s not happening. Avoid being an adjectival maniac. Avoid hedging verbs like smiled slightly, almost laughed, frowned a bit, etc. Avoid the term literally- when you mean figuratively. Avoid too much stage direction. Maintain a single point of view (POV) for every scene. Avoid clichà ©s, and not just words and phrases, but situations. Resist the urge to explain (RUE). Show, don’t tell. People say things; they don’t wheeze, gasp, sigh, laugh, grunt, or retort them. Specifics add the ring of truth, even to fiction. Avoid similar character names. In fact, avoid even the same first initials. Avoid mannerisms of punctuation, typestyles, and sizes. 3. Trying to Land a Publishing Contract Want to save this 5000-word guide to read later? Click here to get a free PDF version you can read anytime. I’m not going to sugarcoat it- this isn’t easy. But if you have a solid plan (and if you’ve followed the guide), you’ve got as good a chance as any. This section will show you how to become an author by revealing the options available. These best practices can vastly increase your likelihood of getting published. How to Get an Agent Your first step in trying to land a traditional publishing deal should be to land an agent- which can be just as difficult, as it should be. There will seem a dichotomy here, because you are likely writing for altruistic reasons- you have a mission, a passion, a message, something burning inside that you must share with the world. Yet agents or publishers will appear to base their decisions solely on the bottom line. If they see sales potential, they will accept it; if they don’t they won’t. But don’t despair. That doesn’t mean they don’t share your passion. It simply means they must make a profit to stay in business- even faith-based publishers who are all about ministry. Though it’s hard to find an agent, it is possible to get traditionally published without one. Most will not consider unsolicited manuscripts, though some will. Check The Writer’s Market Guide and The Christian Writer’s MarketGuide for publishers that don’t require agent-represented manuscript submissions. Some will allow you to submit at writers conferences or through other clients of theirs. Be aware that it’s not unheard of to submit an unsolicited manuscript to dozens of publishers without success. An agent can make your life a lot easier. A plethora of new doors open because of your agent’s connections. Besides the instant credibility of an agent’s approval and the knowledge that your writing has survived a vetting process, you also get valuable input and coaching on how to fashion your query and proposal from someone who understands the publishing industry, knows the players and who’s looking for what, and has experience successfully pitching publishers. Obviously, there are good agents and bad agents. How do you know whom you can trust? The credible agent welcomes scrutiny. So find reviews. Check with other clients. Ask: How did their book turn out? Did they feel taken care of? Were they pleased with the results? Feel free to ask agents: What kinds of books have they succeeded with? Have they succeeded in your genre? Once you compile a list of agents who seem to be a good fit, follow their submission guidelines. They’ll likely ask for a query letter, synopsis, proposal, and perhaps a few chapters. If any ask for any sort of reading fee or other payment up front, eliminate them as candidates and do not respond. Before you do anything else, check out these submission guidelines from two agents I’m familiar with. I’m not necessarily evaluating or endorsing them, except to say that I know them to be ethical and trustworthy and find their guidelines helpful and sound. Their pages will give you a good idea of what typical agents are looking for. Steve Laube’s guidelines Hartline Literary’s guidelines Two things you may be asked for- and which some writers struggle with: 1. A query letter This is an easy way to reach out to an agent, but many prefer more- like a full proposal, which we’ll get to. Most agents prefer submissions of any kind to be electronically submitted as an attachment, not as part of the body of your message. Avoid snail mail. Make your query letter crisp and short. The shorter (while saying what you need to say) the better. A query letter is just what its name implies- it queries the interest of the agent in your book idea. So make it stimulating and intriguing. Remember, you’re selling your book to the agent. Four essential parts of an effective query letter: a. Your elevator pitch This is a summary of your book’s premise, told in the time it would take for the editor to reach his floor if you happened to find yourself in the same elevator car. So it has to be fast and convincing. Here’s the elevator pitch for my very first novel: â€Å"A judge tries a man for a murder the judge committed.† It worked. b. Your synopsis In a paragraph, tell what your nonfiction book is about and what you hope to accomplish with it. Or tell the basic premise of the plot of your novel. The synopsis would naturally go beyond the elevator pitch and tell what happens and how things turn out. (Note: Almost any plot, when reduced to a one- or two-paragraph synopsis, sounds ridiculous.) c. Your target audience and why they’ll enjoy your book Agents need to believe they can sell it before they’ll ask you for more. Help them envision how to pitch it to publishers, but be careful not to oversell. They know the business better than you do and will not be swayed by your assurance that â€Å"everyone will find this amazing.† You can say that your audiences have been enthusiastic or that beta readers have expressed excitement. d. Your personal information Sell the agent on yourself. What qualifies you to write this book? What else have you published? What kind of tribe have you built? Where can they read your blog? Of course you’re including all your contact information. Other query letter tips: Keep it to one page, single-spaced, and 12 pt. sans serif type. Don’t sell too hard- let your premise speak for itself. Follow the agent’s submission guidelines to a T. Proof your letter before sending. Any typo on such a short document makes you look like an amateur. Here’s a great example of a query letter, with a breakdown of why it works, by Brian Klems of Writer’s Digest. 2. A book proposal You’ll find that for most agents, this is the most important document they want to see. Some want only this. Succinctly and completely describe the details of your idea and make them want to read your manuscript in its entirety as soon as it’s ready. Leave nothing out. For nonfiction, include every major issue you’ll cover and the basics of what you’ll say about it. For fiction, rough out the entire plot in a few pages. With a proposal, your query letter becomes a cover letter. Resist the urge to write a long cover letter. Allow your proposal to do the heavy lifting. Three trusted colleagues have produced masterful works on how to write book proposals, so check out what they have to offer: Michael Hyatt: Writing a Winning Book Proposal Jane Friedman: How to Write a Book Proposal (Jane also has some great material on query letters, so search her site for that, too.) Terry Whalin: Book Proposals That Sell Proposals can contain any number of possible components, such as: Premise Elevator pitch Overview Target audience Chapter synopses Marketing ideas Endorsements Your analysis of competing books, and where yours fits Up to three sample chapters More book proposal tips: Tell why you think your book can succeed. Every page in your proposal should make them want to flip to the next page. Despite that a proposal is longer, keep it tight and terse, as short as you can without cutting crucial information. Every word should be designed to pique an agent’s interest, your goal being to be asked to send your entire manuscript. Which should I choose, query or proposal? The competition is so fierce these days, I would lean toward a full proposal almost every time. The only instances when I might fire off a query would be if an incredible opportunity fell in my lap and I thought an agent could help me jump on it before I had time to craft a proposal. For instance, if a major celebrity wanted help with a book and chose you to write it, a fast letter to an agent might get a quick response. Otherwise, take the time to put together a professional proposal that shows an agent you know how to work and can be thorough. But know this: If you spark an agent’s interest, they will immediately ask for more information. So you’ll need a proposal at some point. Keep that in mind and be ready to get busy. Connecting with the Right Publisher Regardless whether you secure an agent, there are five guidelines for submitting your proposal and/or manuscript to publishers: Follow their submission guidelines to a T. Customize your cover letter to each. Know what the publisher wants, and tell them why you believe your book is right for them in light of that. Let it show in your attitude and tone that you realize how few manuscripts are chosen for publication each year, and by the fact that you have done your homework and covered all the bases to ensure you’re giving the publisher everything they need to make a decision on your manuscript. Avoid gushing and flattery, like adding the obvious sentiments, â€Å"I’ll do anything you say, make any changes you want, meet any deadline†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Just present your complete proposal and professionally express that you look forward to hearing from them. A rule of thumb for first-time authors: If you’re writing fiction, while some publishers may ask you to send your completed manuscript after reading your proposal, synopsis, and sample chapters, it’s highly unlikely they will actually offer a contract before they see that completed manuscript. That’s because many people can come up with great ideas, and some can produce promising starts to novels. But few can see their way through to the end. So you’ll have to prove you can do it. If you’re writing nonfiction, you might be able to secure a publishing contract before you have finished your entire manuscript, though that is also rare. Should it happen, the publisher is likely to offer a lot of guidance and input for shaping the rest of the writing- and you’ll have a much better chance of success if you work nicely with your editor. Regardless your genre, publishers won’t take a second look at your manuscript unless it’s presented professionally. Use these submission guidelines: Use Times New Roman font (or at the very least avoid sans serif fonts). Use 12-point type. Left-justify your page. (This means your text should be aligned at the left margin, but not the right. This is also called â€Å"flush left, ragged right.†) Double-space your page with no extra space between paragraphs. Each paragraph should be indented one-half inch. One space between sentences. Microsoft Word .doc or .docx file format. 1† top, bottom, and side margins (or whatever is standard in your Word program). Editing Your Book Like Crazy (Again) with an Editor By the time you get to this point, you’ve already spent hours editing your own work. You’ve rearranged, improved, and cut things that hurt to cut. Be ready to do more. Once a publisher agrees to take your manuscript, you’ll be assigned an editor to make your manuscript the best it can be. This editor will suggest changes, maybe major ones- especially if it’s your first book. Don’t get touchy. Writing is not a solo. It’s a duet between the writer and an editor. Sometimes you’ll have to kill sentences that took hours to write. It’ll feel like disowning your children. Remember, the editor is on your side. Throw a private temper tantrum if you must, but then cool down and listen. Let them to do their job. You can push back respectfully if you feel strongly that they’ve missed your point on something, but do this only when the sting of criticism has worn off and you’re thinking rationally. Keep an open mind and beeasy to work with. They’ll remember. 4. Should You Self-Publish? Want to save this 5000-word guide to read later? Click here to get a free PDF version you can read anytime. If you can score with a traditional publisher, do it. Exhaust your efforts to traditionally publish before resorting to self-publishing. Even honest self-publishing executives will give you this advice. Why? Because with traditional publishing, the publisher takes all the risks, and you’re paid an advance against royalties and royalties based on sales. So nothing comes out of your pocket. With self-publishing, however, you pay for everything from design to editing. Packages can cost upwards of $10,000. Back when self-publishing was referred to as â€Å"vanity publishing,† you could always tell a self-published book from a traditionally published book due to the lack of quality. Schlocky covers, boring titles, the word by before the author’s name on the cover. Too much copy on the front and back covers. Poor typeface and interior design. Lousy writing, editing, and proofreading- sometimes clearly nonexistent. But the game has changed. Publishing your own book is vastly different than it used to be. Your end product can now look much more professional, and your price per book is much more reasonable. Print-on-demand technology now allows for low-cost printing, so you can order as few as two or three books at a time for the same cost per book as you would pay if you were buying hundreds. So, you no longer need to store countless copies in your garage or basement. And self-published books look nicer these days too, because writers have demanded it. How to Set Your Self-Published Book Apart If you resort to this route, realize that you are the publisher now. You have to advertise, promote, and market your own book. But because you’re earning the profits after expenses, not just a royalty, a successful book will net you more money per copy than a traditionally published one. Admittedly, selling enough self-published copies to actually net you more money than you would make selling more traditionally at a lower royalty rate is rare, but it happens. It’s also rare that a self-published book finds its way to bookstore shelves outside the author’s own town. (The hard truth is that it’s not easy for even traditionally published books to place their books in bookstores. Experts say as few as one percent of all published books can be accommodated by bookstores and that the rest must be sold through other channels like the Internet, direct mail, and by hand.) To give your self-published title the best chance to succeed, you need to invest in: A great cover, which will involve purchasing a photo or artwork, type design, and layout Inside layout, type design, and typesetting Editing (resist the urge to use a relative who majored in English or even teaches English; book editing is a specific art) Proofreading (same caveat as above; friends and loved ones who are meticulous spellers are not enough; there are myriad style matters to deal with) Each of these elements will dramatically increase the professional look of your final product and, thus, your hope of selling more books. Do NOT skimp on them. If you’ve ever built a house without a contractor, you have an idea of how complex this will be if you do it right. So despite the fact that many self-published authors swear by it and believe it’s fairer to the author than traditional publishing, I maintain that traditional remains the ideal for authors- except for those unique titles that are targeted to deserving but very limited audiences. Choosing the Right Company to Self-Publish Your Book More than 400,000 books are self-published every year in the United States alone. So there are many companies to choose from. But sadly, many are wolves in sheep’s clothing. They’ll let you create a poor product and tell you it’s great. They’ll â€Å"award† you a contract, telling you their publication board has â€Å"evaluated† your manuscript and â€Å"found it worthy† to be published. They’ll tell you that they’re â€Å"not a subsidy publisher† or â€Å"not a self-publisher† or â€Å"not an independent publisher.† But they’ll use another euphemism to justify the fact that you’re paying â€Å"only for promotion† or â€Å"only for [this many] copies,† or â€Å"only for†¦Ã¢â‚¬  something else, when the fact is that the fee will cover all their costs and will include their profit. They’ll imply they can get your title before the eyes of every bookstore owner and manager in the country. They might even give examples of a few titles of theirs that have sold into some stores or even made some bestseller list. But they can’t guarantee your title will be sold into any store. Because that list your title is on that is â€Å"available† to every store owner and manager is merely a master list of all the books on some distributor’s Internet site of every title in their catalogue. That means your book will get no personal attention from a salesperson and no more emphasis than any of the tens of thousands of other titles on the list. Such companies are using you as little more than a content generator, pretending to have â€Å"chosen† your book from among the many they have to choose from, when the fact is they would publish anything you send them in any form, provided your accompanying check clears the bank. Be wary of any company that: Doesn’t take seriously the editing and proofreading of your book Lets you commit embarrassing typos such as spelling foreword as forward, foreward, or forword Allows the word by before your name on the cover Over-promises what you should expect in the way of personal sales representation, public relations, marketing, distribution, and advertising That said, when you do need to self-publish, legitimate companies with proven track records are ready to assist you. Do your homework and go beyond an Internet search, which will likely turn up beautiful websites for countless companies putting their best foot forward. So find previous customers and ask about their experience. You want a company who will answer every question straightforwardly and without hesitation. If you feel hard-sold, run. A litmus test question for the publisher: Ask if they would advise you to exhaust your efforts to traditionally publish first. I asked this of the head of WestBow Pressâ„ ¢, a division of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan, and he said he always advises customers that this is the ideal route. That kind of refreshing honesty bodes well for a company. The #1 Killer of Self-Published Books When writers run out of money to invest in their book, too often the first place that suffers is the content itself. Writers may understand that they are not experts in cover design, layout and typesetting, marketing and promotion, warehousing, distribution, and sales. But they overrate their writing and editing and proofreading abilities. So, they invest in those other services and cut corners on editing and proofreading. What they wind up with is a handsome product that looks like a real book but reads like the manuscript that made the rounds of the traditional houses and was rejected. You must determine what will set you apart in a noisy marketplace. That certain something that will set you apart is what it has always been: Writing quality. Having been in the writing game for 50 years and the book business for 40, that is something I am able to tell you. To use an ancient adage, cream rises. That may sound like something scratched on a cave wall. But it simply means that readers recognize quality. You or your agent may be looking for a deal from a traditional publisher. Or you may have chosen to self-publish online, in print, or both. Regardless, you want your manuscript to be of the highest editorial quality you can make it. What does that mean? It means you must: Learn the craft and hone your skills. Rigorously study writing, do exercises, write stories. It can all pay off. Just as with physical exercise, the more the better, but anything is better than nothing. Recognize that writing well is much harder and more involved than you ever dreamed. If you thought writing was merely a hobby, this realization could crush you. So, to push through, remember why you wanted to become a writer in the first place: You have a message, and people need to hear it. Dont trust friends’ and relatives’ flattery. Sure, they’re great for keeping you from quitting. But when you need solid input on your writing, their enthusiasm won’t translate to sales. Accept criticism and input from people who know what they’re talking about. Find an experienced writer or editor who’ll offer honest feedback on your work. Join a writers group. Attend writers conferences. Get a mentor. Free Download: Want your own copy of this guide? You can grabthe full PDF version by clicking here or on the image below: If you really want to become an author, it can be done. You’ll know you’re ready when you’re willing to carve the time from your schedule to write. So how badly do you want it? Tell me in the Comments below.

Famous Quotes from Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman

Famous Quotes from Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Willy Loman, the titular character in Death of a Salesman, spent his whole life pursuing what he thought was the American Dream. The play deals with themes of reality and illusion as a family struggles to define their dreams. It is one of Arthur Millers most famous plays and brought  him international acclaim. In 1949, Miller won the Pulitzer  Prize for Drama for this controversial play.    Quotes From Death of a Salesman Im the New England man. Im vital in New England. (Act 1)Hes liked, but hes not well liked. (Act 1)The man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will never want. (Act 1)The man knew what he wanted and went out and got it! Walked into a jungle and comes out, the age of 21, and hes rich! (Act 1)I dont say hes a great man. Willie Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never in the paper. Hes not the finest character that ever lived. But hes a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid. Hes not to be allowed to fall in his grave like an old dog. Attention, attention must finally be paid to such a person. (Act 1)A small man can be just as exhausted as a great man. (Act 1)Before its all over were gonna get a little place out in the country, and Ill raise some vegetables, a couple of chickens... (Act 2)You cant eat the orange and throw the peel away - a man is not a piece of fruit. Act 2 After all the highways, and the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive. (Act 2)I realized what a ridiculous lie my whole life has been. Act 2Ive got to get some seeds. Ive got to get some seeds, right away. Nothings planted. I dont have a thing in the ground. (Act 2)Biff: Pop! Im a dime a dozen, and so are you!Willy: I am not a dime a dozen! I am Willy Loman, and you are Biff Loman! Act 2Im gonna show you and everybody else that Willy Loman did not die in vain. He had a good dream. Its the only dream you can have - to come out No. 1 man. He fought it out here, and this is where Im gonna win it for him. (Act 2)

Colorado Department of Education Website Search and Critique Research Paper - 1

Colorado Department of Education Website Search and Critique - Research Paper Example All questions concerning the organization’s aims, mission, activities, structure are answered in this section. All contact information can be easily accessed. Any visitor can read about the history of organization and even view schedule of every meeting held. In fact, the page contains thorough information about all offices of the organization. There is no doubt in organization’s transparency. There is nothing to be changed in this section because it provides thorough information which can be easily accessed. As far as the second page â€Å"SchoolVIEW† is concerned it is necessary to note that it is a bit confusing and it needs to be improved. The major problem with this page is that it is too informative. There are too many data which are not easy to comprehend. It is necessary to take one’s time to understand what all those data mean. It is a good idea to include section â€Å"learning center† which instructs how to comprehend the data. However, t his section should be in the first place, so that the website viewer step by step learned to use data available and then looked through information presented. It is also a good idea to include â€Å"community connections† section: the organization gets the necessary feedback and can improve the website. The next page â€Å"For Educators† is designed for those who teach and even only thinks about starting their teaching careers. The page is not so easy to navigate.

Overpopulation on Earth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Overpopulation on Earth - Essay Example He leaves a conclusion using this argument: "a planet with relatively few people, each of whom can live with dignity and a high quality of life, is far superior to a world where too many people, awash in pollution, stretch resources to the breaking point, and where billions struggle to survive at mere subsistence levels". Benjamin Zuckerman creates a topic that is really interesting and timely. His purpose of delivering his theme and thesis make the readers understand very well the situation as well as the main idea of the essay. But unfortunately, Benjamin Zuckerman fails to write his essay in a rhetorical manner. Although he uses some of the metaphorical questions and symbolism as he mentioned angels and pin which represent people and the Earth, still, the theme will be loved only by the topic-lover audience, it will not pass to the standard of good writers and keen readers. The style of the essay reflects the writer being a proletarian even though his viewpoint has a great sense. The topic is effective but he placed it inappropriately.

Human motivation Essay Example for Free

Human motivation Essay Sometimes, people are given choices to work within a group or to work alone. As expected, the answers vary. Some prefer to work within groups where they share ideas with some people, get directed at or give instructions. On the other hand, some prefer to work alone. They set their own rules and practice their own rights. Autonomy is giving oneself his right to rule. Autonomy is being applied to other fields of studies like medicine, politics, philosophy and moral studies. In politics, if one wants to be autonomous, then he or she should not be supervised by the government. Autonomy means independence from any higher power. Most autonomous regions in the world are made of the Muslim population. In the field of medicine, however, autonomy is obtained by a patient in which the decision to perform a delicate procedure on him is a choice for him to make. Autonomy in the medicine industry comes in during life-and-death situations. A patient is granted autonomy to decide what he thinks he deserves best. He is made to decide for his own life. Minor patients are not granted autonomy yet, which is why the parents or guardians do the decision-making for the patient. (James, 2000, p. 43). Usually, when autonomy is taken in a philosophical or moral perspective, a man is naturally put into a dilemma where he is against himself. There are rational and un-coerced decisions which he has to make. How does autonomy help in human motivation? Take for example the Muslim rebels who are experiencing autonomy not just from a country but probably from the world. They are pretty much determined to fight for their right and their land. Too bad it has caused plenty of lives. Likewise, autonomy helps a person stick to his goal. It serves as a guide for him to accomplish whatever it is that he intends to do. How one can allow another to decide for himself is a way to get life going. Autonomy is a tool to know the two sides of any issue, discussion or concern. (Adams, 2001, p. 43). Autonomy helps one person to make great decisions. The power to make rational decisions is a big thing. It serves as a guide for him to keep inspired in whatever one is achieving. References Adams, L. (2001). On Rebels and Terrorists. Cambridge: New Life Publishing. Caine, S. (2005). Impact of being Autonomous. Oxford: Oxford Publishers. James, J. (2000). Politics and Ethics. Massachusettes: Sunderland Press. Serendon, R. (2006). Making Great Decisions. Oxford: Oxford Publishers. Zosimo, D. (2006). The Power of Autonomy. New York: Misit Press.

Partial Birth Abortion :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Partial Birth Abortion In the continuing debates on the legality and morality of abortion, "partial birth" abortions have become a hot topic. What exactly is a partial birth abortion? Nebraska state legislation defines it as "an abortion procedure in which the person performing the abortion partially delivers a living unborn child before killing the unborn child and completing delivery" (1). While this definition may be fine for legal purposes, it still does not address the actual procedures; we still do not know what an actual partial birth abortion procedure entails. The most common procedure is called Intact Dilation and Evacuation, or D&E. D&E involves dismembering the fetus inside the uterine cavity and then pulling it out through the already dilated cervix (1) . Another less common, but more controversial method is the dilation and extraction method, or D&X. This procedure requires a woman to take medication several days in advance to dilate the cervix. Once the cervix has dilated, she returns to complete the procedure. When she returns, the physician turns the fetus around in the uterus so that it is positioned feet first, and then delivers the fetus until only the head remains inside the mother's body. At this point, the physician punctures the base if the skull and suctions out the contents of the fetus' head, causing the skull to collapse. The dead fetus is then removed from the woman's body (2). In each case the head (or more) is left inside the woman's body because in order for a birth to have occurred under common law the head of the f etus must leave the mother's body. Under the current interpretation of the United States Constitution, a person must be born in order to be protected by the government, so by leaving the head in the mother's body the procedure is considered to be legally viable (1). Proponents of a ban on partial birth abortions cite what they see as the extreme cruelty of the procedures as violating the constitutional rights of the fetus. They believe that birth should be defined as occurring as soon as any part of the fetus' torso above the navel is visible, or when any of the fetus' body has left the mother (1). Many argue that since the fetus in undoubtedly alive during the procedure, the issue of whether or not an actual birth has occurred should be of little consequence (3).

Maritime Law Final Exam Essay

1.For the past two decades, a number of issues have surfaced on the international scene regarding successive ruthless dictatorships which have been committing egregious and widespread violations of international human rights and humanitarian law in over 60 states. In light of the United Nations Charter and the aims of that international body, it has been suggested to the Legal Committee of the International Maritime Organization to bring about a new convention addressing human rights and accountability for such crimes committed by states and their regimes. It is expected that states will sign and ratify the newly introduced convention to be entitled International Human Rights Convention. You are the government appointed United Nations Representative for the state, Genocidia. The President of Genocidia has been recently inaugurated and is not experienced in the process of ratification of conventions. In fact, Genocidia had only ratified 4 conventions, these being since you were appointed to your present post. You have received a letter from the President of your state requesting that you prepare a detailed presentation on the ratification process and present this at a meeting to be held next week. The other Ministers of State will be in attendance. You are also asked to prepare a written version of your presentation explaining the entire process from the point that the suggestion is made to the committee to point where the convention comes into force; explaining the differences between the steps and what each action signifies, such as signature as opposed to ratification. Prepare the written version of your presentation. (15 marks) 2.One of the vessels under your management has sailed from South America to the United States. Four days after sailing a stowaway is found hiding in one of the lifeboats. Discuss TEN actions you would instruct the master to take following the discovery of the stowaway. (15 marks) 3.In the case of R. v. City of Sault Saint Marie [1978]40 Can. Crim. Cas. (2d) 353 (S.C.C.), Dickson J. of the Supreme Court of Canada held at page 363 that – â€Å"Public welfare offences †¦ lie in a field of conflicting values. It is essential for society to maintain, through effective enforcement, high standards of public health and safety. Potential victims of latently pernicious activities have a strong claim to consideration. On the other hand, there is a generally held revulsion against punishment of the morally innocent.† Discuss the above statement using the relevant international laws currently in place to advise on the issues that may arise in relation to the characterization of an offence under national legislation giving effect to the following provision in Regulation 3 of MARPOL73/78, Annex I: â€Å"REGULATION 3 General Exceptions Regulations of this Annex shall not apply to: (a) any emission necessary for the purpose of securing the safety of a ship or saving life at sea; or (b) any emission resulting from damage to a ship or its equipment: ( i ) provided that all reasonable precautions have been taken after the occurrence of the damage or discovery of the emission for the purpose of preventing or minimizing the emission; and (ii) except if the owner or the master acted either with intent to cause damage, or recklessly and with knowledge that damage would probably result.† (15 marks) 4.†The strait of Polipa, bordered by the State of Andonia, is one of the world’s busiest straits used for international navigation. To get to their fishing grounds, distant-water fishing vessels flagged in the State of Bellotia have to pass through the territorial sea and exclusive economic zone of Andonia and the archipelagic waters of the Republic of Calcali. Moreover, a neighbour of Andonia, the State of Dordora, which is a landlocked State, transports hazardous waste from its territory to reprocessing plants in the Kingdom of Epitam by ships flagged in the State of Flitona. These ships pass through the exclusive economic zones of Andonia and Calcali. As a result of such intense activity through the strait, pirates have started operating in the region. You should note that Andonia, Bellotia, the Republic of Calcali, and the Kingdom of Epitam are States Parties to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Dordora and Flitona are not Parties to the Convention. Please note that the words â€Å"ships† and â€Å"vessels† are synonymous. Please answer the following questions: 1.What are the rights and duties of Bellotia to ensure that it’s fishing vessels can exercise freedom of fishing, and their rights of innocent passage and transit passage? 2.What are the rights and duties of Andonia, the Republic of Calcali, Dordora, and the Kingdom of Epitam to ensure that the vessels of Flitona can exercise their freedom of navigation, and their rights of archipelagic sea lane passage and transit passage? 3.What are the rights and duties of Andonia, the Republic of Calcali and the Kingdom of Epitam to protect themselves from the risks of pollution from the vessels? (15 marks) END OF PAPER

Federalists vs Democrats 18th Century Essay

Throughout the 1790s the birth of American political parties emerged. Many of Americas founding fathers hated the idea of political parties because they represented political parties came about because of the difference in opinions among the population. The newborn constitution brought about issues such as north and south, rich and poor, and agriculture vs. industries that would revolutionize the way people in America thought, and their beliefs, thus giving birth to political parties. The political parties were divided as follows. There was Alexander Hamilton, a Federalist, and his followers who believed in a strong central government that would support their interests in commerce and industry. Amongst the Federalists supporters were some of the most influential men of the time, including: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and John Jay. These men had great opposition to the constitution and wrote about them in their â€Å"Federalist Papers† and were read all across the nation. The Federalists wanted to solve the issues of the nation themselves. Thomas Jefferson was categorized as a Democratic-Republican. The Republicans believed in a decentralized agrarian republic in which federal government had limited powers. The two parties struggled against each other heavily in the beginning. After the ratification of Jays Treaty in 1794, providing a somewhat sugar-coated commercial relationship, awoke differing opinions between the Federalists and the Republicans. In one corner stood John Adams, federalist, supporting the ratification of Jays Treaty because it avoided war and continued trade. On the other side there was Jefferson, Democratic-Republican, who believed the treaty left doors open for the British to continue abuses of power such as impressment. For a long time, opposing political parties consumed what was the â€Å"media† of the era and created an opinion among the people. Although with its great efforts and philosophers, the Federalist party soon seized to exist, and for years the Democratic-Republicans regulated what is the United States.

Pay It Forward (Movie Review) essays

Pay It Forward (Movie Review) essays Pay It Forward is a movie based on a novel written by Catherine Ryan Hyde. It is a movie about a social studies teacher giving his class an assignment, encouraging them to change the world into a better place to live in, and to fill the world with love. Trevor McKinney proposes the idea of paying it forward, that is to do something good for three people. Instead of paying him back, these three people should pay it forward by doing a favour for three more people. There are several themes in this movie. Firstly, the world can be changed into a better place if people are generous, united and when they are willing to help the others and not expecting any rewards from them. In the movie, Trevor does his best to change peoples minds and the world. He offers food and a shelter to a homeless man. He also tries to fix his relationship with his mother, who has broken up with his father. The idea of paying it forward begins to spread in the town. Almost everyone is keen in taking part in this project and wanting to help the others. It reveals that love is growing among people. In our daily life, charity organizes activities to raise money and other materials so as to help people who suffer from poverty and starvation in poor countries. During the SARS period, volunteers gathered and visited old people. They helped cleaning up their places. These generous people and volunteers may not be paying it forward like the characters do in the movie, but they are trying their best to help others, e ven strangers. They change the world and spread love. Secondly, persistence and strong belief towards a certain thing always help us to be successful. We should always be confident in ourselves and to trust ourselves that we can make changes in our lives. In Pay It Forward, Trevor fails a several times in his project. He does a great job in helping people, hoping and believing them that they will pay it forward ...