Cheap Ghost Writing Isn’t Easy — But It’s Worthwhile!

You might think that selling yourself short is a sure way to not be a success in the ghost writing field. And your eyes are probably dancing with the large sums of money that youve heard ghost writers pull down, in yearly figures such as $60,000 to $100,000, or amounts such as $15,000 to $60,000 per each book written. Youre a writer, you love to write, and you believe that this is the way to go when it comes to writing.

This is especially so when youve started to break into the field and youre a ghost writer — or ghostwriter — who has never really ghosted a book for someone else before. Youre probably thinking big bucks, major book contracts, large amounts of cash advances from publishers and huge percentages from the books you will be anonymously writing for big time authors.

But lets face some facts. First time authors are often people with no real money or skills to invest in writing a book. They may have fantastic stories to tell, but they dont have the enormous amount of financial capital available to hire any such expensive ghost writers. Theyre bound to enter some psychological difficulties when they see that the payments to you are the whopper figures such as those listed above, and that those are the only sorts of prices accessible to them. By laying out such enormous fees, you could be stuck losing a huge customer base of clients with fantastic stories to tell — but without the major wherewithal to pay you to tell them. What if, say, your potential author, the person hiring you to write his or her story, has only $5000 or less to spend?

I know what Im talking about, and I can create a decent, well-written work of cheap ghost writing in a month or so for around that amount of money. You do that, and theres your $60,000 per year! It really isnt all that hard. You don’t even have to charge as high as $5000 per book.

Most other ghost writers I know are only as capable I am, but many of them do charge the higher amounts. The clients of the high end ghost writers tend to be people with enormous sales potential, not the typical first time authors who have a great story but often dont really go anywhere with it the so called sucker market.

It might be worthwhile to consider charging less, or negotiating a deal with such a first timer. Over the years, I have drawn the conclusion that there are an awful lot of such people out there. I have been ghost writing books for people for as low an amount as $2000 per book, and as I have sources of income from other types of writing, I have been finding an immense amount of personal satisfaction from helping such would be authors actually obtain what they are looking for in a “cheap ghost writer” who charges a reasonable price for the quality and quantity of work done for them. I simply ask for installment payments, usually made in advance, and sometimes I also ask for a percentage of the net book sales.

This works out to be less greedy on my part and more of a service that I provide for authors who are simply yearning to get their books up high on the top of the New York Times Bestseller lists, and who know that such are their dreams, not necessarily their realities. These are often people who have reached the ends of their ropes when it comes to negotiating a lower price for their books. They usually have nowhere else to turn when it comes to putting out their own personal stories, and they need someone with a willing ear and pen to listen and help them set down their tales before its too late for them to be told. And there is still hope for these people to even hit the big time, if they have the right types of stories to tell.

Also, some of these authors simply dont know what theyre doing and need a guiding hand to help them. They need their letters of query written up for them, their brief biographies put together, and their book proposals prepared for them, as they are dipping their toes into the writing field and getting them wet for the first time. A lot of them think they are going to get their book written and then get some kind of major advance, straight from a publisher.

It just isn’t like that 90% of the time. An advance comes after a deal has been negotiated with a reputable literary agent, bids by publishers for the book have been scrutinized, and contracts have been signed. It helps in a major way to have the book in hand, sometimes even having it self published first, to get anywhere near a commercial publisher. This can be a very expensive process for a first time, would be author.

People like that dont need to face down what looks like to them to be a million dollar price tag when they are looking for whats described as a cheap ghost writer. They want an actual inexpensive ghost writer who understands their needs, both budgetary and otherwise, who can sit down with them and negotiate a fairly low amount of money paid out by them so they can figure on at least getting some return from their books. These people are not Presidents of the United States or famous movie actors, whose books are guaranteed to sell, and many of them find themselves stuck with what used to be called vanity publishing, nowadays called self publishing. They wont necessarily find a commercial publisher who wants to take a chance on huge returns from their books in todays multifaceted but still challenging world of publishing.

These clients need literally cheap or inexpensive ghost writers. They dont need to spend a small fortune on their books to find out they all dead ended in a warehouse, didnt sell as widely as they thought they would, or they otherwise came out on the short end of the stick. They need to carefully invest their time and effort on a decent, expert ghost writer. And they could use some material publishing help to get their books “out there” — properly displayed and promoted in today’s modern Internet oriented book market.

Help them. Consider bargaining and bartering at a lower price sometimes, and not at a higher price. It might be worth your while. Try it and see!

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Get Ready For Bathing Suits!

Summer is quickly approaching, and I for one want to be out and enjoying the nice weather as soon as it begins. If you are anything like me, than the winter months always take a bit of a toll on your body. Inspite of my strongest efforts to stay in shape and to not gain extra winter weight, it seems that the cold wins out and too often I choose to curl up with a good book rather than jump on the treadmill for a run. With summer officially comes the season of bathing suits, and I am finally ready to kick it into gear and prepare myself.

If you are wanting to get into some bathing suits within the next few weeks, then here are some simple things you can do to prepare yourself and your body. And don’t worry, I’ll be doing them all too. First, drink water. Drinking water is one of the best ways to purify and cleanse your body, but it also does great things to your skin. No one wants to put on a bathing suit and look ashy and dried out. Try adding a few extra glasses of water each day and you will see improvements in your skin and also a reduction in your appetite. The more water you drink, the less your body craves other things.

Another important way to get ready for bathing suits is to get moving. Regardless of what excuses we all had during the cold winter months, it is too nice out now to not get outside and get active. Go for a brisk walk or at least get into your garden and be moving. Anything you do is better than nothing. Try to get active for a half hour at least four times a week. Exercise is good not only for your bathing suits but also for your heart and your overall health.

Watching what you eat is one the biggest keys to getting ready for bathing suits. We all know by now that sodium intake makes us bloat and retain water, so try to cut down on sodium especially in the days before you want to get out in bathing suits. Also, trying adding as many fruits and vegetables as you possibly can into your diet. They are really healthy and really low in fat. Substitute fresh fruit smoothies for other tempting desserts and you’ll be well on your way to enjoying your bathing suits.

Get your bathing suits out of the closet and hang them in a place you can see. Let them motivate you to drink water, get moving, and eat better. In no time you’ll be ready to slip into your bathing suits and show off.

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Mac Data Recovery Explained

HPS and HFS+ are the Apple Macintosh systems for referencing stored data and hard drives. HFS and HFS+ data recovery methods are uniquely adept for Apple and are not to be confused with NTFS and fat file systems, used by Microsoft.

So what are some examples of errors that might require data recovery for Macs?

- Unreadable disks
- General disk errors
- No Volume (or Volume that isnt HFS)
- An uninstalled drive
- Computer cannot find the directory
- Internal file system errors
- Flawed master directory block
- Non-Macintosh disks
- Improper file names
- Segment Loader Error

If you use a Mac, whether for business or pleasure, you must protect your valuable data from hackers, viruses, human error, power surges, hard drive failures, and other unexpected problems. The most essential step to keeping your data safe is to back up files regularly you should always be prepared for the worst-case scenario. Files, databases, emails, spreadsheets, and all other important data can be easily salvaged if this step is taken.

Macs and PCs both offer limited solutions for data loss. Macs are especially susceptible to data loss! But with data recovery, all bets are on.

When encountering data recovery problems, dont try and fix the problem alone. A hard drive is complicated and repair requires special tools, a clean room environment, and expert technological know-how. If you attempt to take on this task by yourself, not only may you be unable to retrieve the data, but you may also incur further damage on the drive.

But thats okay, because data recovery assistance and service is only a call away. Skilled technicians can evaluate the lost data and instruct you on how to solve the problem. But dont expect the job to be done in one day. This kind of repair is challenging; it can take almost a week before your data is recovered.

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Promising Locations For Metal Detecting Finds

A metal detector should not be bought solely on the suggestion of one person (no matter how good a friend). If you are new to the hobby, you should realize that long time detector users can be very committed to the particular model and brand of detector that they have been using. They are generally unfamiliar with anything newer or different. As you can probably tell metal detectors are very useful not only to find that cherished earring but for our everyday safety and well being. This is a great invention that will be here for years to come.

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Health Dangers Of Asbestos

Mesothelioma and asbestosis are the long term result of prior exposure to asbestos. You have undoubtedly heard of asbestos, and are probably aware of its dangers. But many people are not aware as to exactly what it is and where it can still be found in the environment in which we live.

Asbestos is a type of mineral fiber that used to be utilized in many products for the purpose of making them more resistant to the extremes of heat and cold. For many years asbestos was used widely by the building industry, before it was known that this material releases particles which produce mesothelioma – an aggressive form of lung cancer – when they are inhaled. Asbestos is no longer used, for this reason.

There is also active controversy that some sectors of the building industry continued to exposure their workers to asbestos, with the attendant risks of asbestosis and mesothelioma long after the building industry was in possession of compelling evidence of the dangers of asbestos use.

One issue many people may not realise is that asbestos use was not limited to commercial buildings – it was commonly used in the building of homes, and yours could be one of them. The fibers of asbestos are in some roofs and tiles built up with asbestos cement. They also can be found in paintings and substances to cover holes in walls or ceilings. Some old hot water pipes might be covered with asbestos too. Ask a professional to take a look to your house in order to ascertain if you and your family are in risk.

Certainly, if you are considering demolishing any walls, or renovating or remodelling your home, it is imperative that you have an asbestos expert determine whether or not there is asbestos present in your home. Indeed, it is illegal to demolish or otherwise interfere with any structure containing with asbestos. It is necessary to have the asbestos professionally removed by people who know exactly what precautions to take to remove asbestos containing structures, and how to safely dispose of the asbestos so as not to cause any inadvertent exposure to asbestos, which could well cause the development of mesothelioma some years later.

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On Microsoft (MSFT)

Copyright 2006 Geoff Gannon

Microsoft is a difficult situation for me to evaluate. I think the company still has a lot of growth ahead in some areas. But, that depends on where management wants to take it.

There are three core businesses that are already well developed: Windows, Office, and Servers.

The moat in the first two are wide. The Windows moat is huge.

The business model in operating systems is great. You keep upgrading every few years; the hardware needn’t progress for you to find things to tweak and get people to buy the next step up. It’s insanely profitable.

I think the new launch (Vista) will be bigger than people expect (eventually) in how it allows for cross selling other Microsoft products (but we’ll see about that). I expect the press to be very negative at least until well after the launch, because there will always be some bugs and delays.

Games

Eventually, video games will be a big business for Microsoft. I hate the economics of the console business, but love the economics of the publishing (and development) side of things.

I’m sorry to see that Microsoft didn’t use its cash pile to buy up an established business here (publishers were cheap in the market a few years ago; an all cash deal would have worked well. Now, everyone thinks video games will be the next big thing).

The console wars are going well for Microsoft. The two keys to establishing a dominant console are launching first and getting good games on your platform. We’ll see how Sony (SNE) does this round, but I expect them to be the big loser.

Nintendo may surprise here. I think the Xbox 360 and Nintendo’s new console (Wii) will do very well. It’ll be interesting to see the breakdown of the consoles in both the domestic and foreign markets. I think Sony may still be strong overseas, but could be in a much poorer position at the end of this round than they were with the PS2.

Search

Long-term I am optimistic about search. I think Google’s position is much weaker than most people think. I don’t think Microsoft will be the only one to benefit here.

Search is a very natural cross sell with Windows. That’s the direction everything seems to be headed in (combining online and desktop search). For future growth in terms of market share I think Microsoft is in a better position than either Yahoo (YHOO) or Google (GOOG).

I also think we might see a couple other (largely unknown) search engines gain some share.

I think Google’s strength is its brand. Its dominance helps with advertisers more than users. I don’t think it has a lock on users. Also, I think Google has been poorly positioned for doing much of anything outside of keyword search.

I expect to see a lot more in the way of intelligent, social search inspired stuff. Years from now, much of search will have to be helping you find what you didn’t know you wanted to find.

Google is dominant in a different business: helping you find what you know you want to find (but don’t know the name / location). The two types of search are very different. Both will be important, but the growth in other forms of search will be coming off a smaller base and will likely integrate with keyword search. Google has the most to lose here.

Other Devices

Microsoft wants to perform well on mobile devices and on your TV. Compared to competitors it is very strong in these respects.

The strategy seems to be the one I would favor – to control the point of initial contact wherever software is used and then to only venture into the actual application or content side of the business where it is highly profitable to do so. In video games it will be highly profitable. In other areas it is less likely to be very profitable.

I expect to see more generic, web-based applications. These will be less profitable for everyone. Office should hold up well, but not as well as Windows. Basically, Microsoft needs to take what it has in PCs and import that to TVs, Handheld Devices, Consoles, and the Web.

That should be the strategy. I think that is the strategy. These aren’t unrelated businesses that need to be broken up to unlock creativity (as some have suggested). Rather, the profit potential for each is greatly enhanced by being part of Microsoft. If you take these pieces apart they are worth very little. There would only be the three businesses I started off talking about and the console / games business.

Internationally, there is going to be natural growth for Microsoft’s dominant businesses. It won’t be a tremendous growth rate, but it will be strong and will require virtually no additional investment to secure.

Obsolescence Issues

Overall, I like the future for software a lot more than hardware, because the marginal gains in the quality of hardware will slow greatly in the years ahead.

The question isn’t what can be done mathematically in terms of increasing specs; it’s what that translates to for the user. We are reaching a point where the individual user will not directly see the benefits of increased hardware performance as clearly as he did in the past.

Much of the research that goes in to this area will only serve to bring down prices and benefit memory intensive businesses – it will not provide as much of a “wow” factor for the user anymore.

This is especially true in games. The situation in desktop applications is already such that improving the software design is where most gains will come from.

Computing power is simply not a scarce resource for most individuals sitting at home or in a cubicle. Advances will benefit some users a lot and will trickle down to the end user (often via the web) through fast responses and cheap services. But, that’s a barely noticeable change.

You’ll see something here akin to the kind of thing you see in the brokerage business. It won’t be obvious, because price competition will never be as great in software.

Generally, you’ll just see the prices for doing anything electronically come down. That’s very different from what we’ve seen over the last few decades, where you also had advancements that attracted new users, because they allowed developers to do something differently, not just more cheaply.

This is a very long-term trend I’m worried about. It could weigh heavily on a business like Dell (DELL), because PCs are actually quite durable; once the rate of obsolescence slows, sales will have to slow as the cycle lengthens.

Management

I think Microsoft’s management is absolutely the best in the business. In fact, I think it’s one of the best in any business.

It would be hard for me to find more than a handful of people I’d rather have managing a business I was part owner of. I also think the current arrangement is a good one.

There is enough of a line between current operations and future investments in the Chairman / CEO split that investors will probably get the greatest benefit from the brilliance of the Chairman this way.

Everyone underestimates Bill Gates. It’s easy, because his great triumph came some time ago now. But, he’s interested in building something lasting. I trust him more than anyone in tech without a question. He always impresses me whether he’s talking about his own industry or some other topic. He has exactly the right kind of mind for someone running a business where the long-run is such a concern.

Qualitatively, I think Microsoft scores close to perfectly. I could cite the profitability stats, but I won’t, because you know they’re better than almost any other business on the planet and that’s with a huge siphoning off of resources to investments in the future that aren’t required to maintain the cash cow, wide-moat Windows franchise.

Valuation

Valuation is a bit more troubling. Microsoft is not at the point on an EV/EBIT basis where I’d be buying the stock if there was a risk of no extraordinarily profitable growth in the future. In other words, at the current price, it clearly makes for a bad bond.

The key is earnings growth. I think you have to believe MSFT will have a real future in search, games, and non-PC devices that will fuel future, highly profitable growth.

I think that future is there. As far as a truly large cap stock (say $10 billion or more) it’s about as attractive as anything on the planet right now – and certainly it’s the most attractive stock of any very large U.S. business. Even though Intel (INTC) and Dell are cheap looking, I don’t like them nearly as much. Dell is an interesting situation, but I don’t understand the business well enough.

I have a better idea of where MSFT is headed and I like it.

Conclusion

I don’t own shares of MSFT. I won’t be buying any either. I don’t normally own such large stocks. I prefer much smaller businesses, because the mispricings tend to get more out of whack. You aren’t going to see MSFT trade at an EV/EBIT of 7.5 or something like that, but you do sometimes get those chances in small (high quality) businesses.

There are a lot of chances to find wild mispricings without much of the future being a concern. Those are the situations I prefer to invest in, because businesses like MSFT have an awfully large anchor with the amount of capital they’ve got plus, they tend to be less likely to be wildly mispriced.

However, if I had to own one business with a market cap of more than $10 billion and hold it for a lifetime I would buy Microsoft here without hesitation.

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Flat Panel Computer Monitors Offer Many Benefits to Consumers

Flat panel computer monitors are all the rage these days. We live in an overcrowded world and anything that saves space is a great thing. In fact, many of the newer computer desks are set up to take these monitors into consideration. It wont be long before the flat panel computer monitors are the standard.

In the meantime, those of us with the clunky old huge monitors can look at those with the sleeker slimmer flat panel computer monitors with envy. If you havent seen one you should really check them out. They come in many sizes and with many different price ranges. Depending on what you use your computer for, you may find that you can do quite well with one of the lower end flat panel computer monitors. If you use a lot of high-end graphics intensive functions on your computer you will want one of the better quality (and more expensive flat panel computer monitors).

These flat panel monitors not only save space, but they are much more environmentally friendly. Less parts to get rid of once they need replacing, this means they take up less space in landfills. They consume less energy and they have fewer emissions than traditional CRT monitors. These small favors add up when you consider how many households worldwide own computers.

Not only are these monitors more environmentally friendly, they are also work place friendly. They are easier on the eyes of workers and free up desk space to allow for more productivity in smaller spaces. With larger companies paying a premium for office space every little thing that results in needing less space is a good thing for overhead expenses, not to mention anything that can increase productivity.

Flat panel computer monitors offer many benefits to the average consumer. Check them out and see if one of these might be well on its way to your wish list.

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Oregon Coast Inn Provides Fun & Funky Amenities

Oregon’s coast is known as a treasure trove of pristine beaches – some of the cleanest in the world. Then there’s the Nehalem Bay area, on the northern coast, with its legends of buried treasure around tiny Manzanita, possibly sequestering the real thing in its thick envelope of slightly mysterious forest. It’s an area that seems to never cease in its revelations and hidden delights. No matter that you may be a frequenting regular, the beaches, Neahkahnie Mountain and the three tiny towns of Nehalem, Wheeler and Manzanita which comprise the bay area always yield new discoveries.

The San Dune Inn is one of those, even for addicted veterans of the area like myself, who visit here almost every week from the metropolitan area of Portland, some 100 miles away. While there’s a lovely little local nightlife hotspot called San Dune Tavern just stumbling distance away, the San Dune Inn – a very family-friendly motel – is one of those lurking surprises awaiting.

Not many lodging spots can claim to have a vast array of freebies like bikes, game equipment, popcorn and movies. But San Dune does. Stay at this charming, unassuming place just steps away from Manzanita’s main drag – Laneda Avenue – and you’ll find stuff for volleyball and other games suitable for the sand, as well as beach balls, bikes and simple sandcastle-making gear like buckets. It’s a kid’s dream come true.

At 41, and a kid at heart, all these playthings are a dream come true for me as well.

Perhaps what charmed me the most about this place upon my first few visits was the thick London accent of owner Brian and his down-to-Earth approach, as well as the kids’ stuff available for play. And then there was that really adorable dog: Buddy. This tiny little pup was so fluffy and soft he felt more like a stuffed animal. But he was the real deal, and loves greeting guests as they come in.

On this stay, Brian’s wife, Billie, hooked me up with a lovely little room on the westward end of the motel. From here, you could just barely hear the waves of Manzanita’s beaches in the middle of the night, lulling you to sleep. The room is immaculate, with a color theme of blue, coming complete with a coffee machine, VCR and TV, a blow dryer hooked into the wall, a small fridge and even a shower cap.

The San Dune Inn has 14 such cozy rooms, all of them with VCR’s, cable TV, the small fridge, microwave and access to all the cool freebie amenities for sand play, as well as free movies, games and even books. Six of the rooms feature full kitchens with separate living room and bedroom areas. Plus, the place is pet friendly – and there’s this nifty little barbecue area out back with a tent next to it.

For me, as the middle-aged kid with a surreal sense of exploration, I was interested in playing with the bikes. After a party at a friend’s house nearby, I took one for a joyride on the beach. I’m not sure zipping around at three in the morning is what the Hines had in mind for these, but I was filled with a load of childlike joy. It’s been perhaps 20 years since I rode one, and I discovered the old adage is true: you never forget how.

Subsequent visits found me reveling more in the slight kookiness of this place. Brian has quite a raucous sense of humor, and is great for a fun spot of conversation. I’ve gone on late, nocturnal bike rides with regularity now, thanks to Brian and Billie. Sometime in the last year, they acquired a somewhat wacky statue of a heron made from found junk. Intriguing, pretty and yet delightfully off-kilter.

I’ve also found myself going through their extensive library of flicks, taking in all the M. Night Shaliman movies they have.

In the end, I discover the San Dune is perfect for families with kids – or adults who act like kids. Next time, perhaps I’ll take the more grownup route, take a friend and we’ll stay in and enjoy one of their fairly large selection of movies. Or maybe we’ll both act like kids and play with the beach toys and bikes again. You’ll find it about a block away from Laneda, at 428 Dorcas Lane.

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Are Herbal Diet Pills Right For You?

I took a few herbal diet pills in college once on a whim, and I didnt eat anything for nearly two days afterwards. I also didnt really get much sleep either. Anything that makes you wired like that and kills your appetite so completely just isnt good for you.

While they were ephedra free and were supposedly totally natural and safe, I dont think Id ever felt so polluted and ill in my life. A year later I discovered that the FDA had banned the same herbal diet pills I had taken, and I have to wonder what it was I had put in my body.

Herbal diet pills are very popular these days as an alternative to more traditional methods of weight loss like diet and exercise. Herbal treatments in general are very trendy today, which I find a little worrisome for several reasons.

First of all, just about anything can be in an herbal diet pill. Herbs are a kind of loophole in the FDA system, as they are not classified as drugs and therefore dont have the rigorous standards for testing and safety that drugs normally get.

Make no mistake about it though, herbs can be every bit as potent and harmful as drugs. The difference between medicinal herbs and drugs is really quite vague anyway, as most drugs themselves come from a kind of plant or herb.

Most of the time the herbal classification doesnt last very long; the FDA eventually calls it a drug and brings in the scientists. When that happens herbal diet pills often either become available only by prescription or are banned completely. Snooping around a little from site to site selling herbal diet pills, it is clear that the makers of these things are all too familiar with the FDA.

Many sites even use it to their advantage saying things to the effect of buy it now before the FDA bans it!. You have to ask yourself, if the FDA is likely going to ban an herbal diet pill youre interested in, should you be taking it at all?

I took a few herbal diet pills in college once on a whim, and I didnt eat anything for nearly two days afterwards. I also didnt really get much sleep either. Anything that makes you wired like that and kills your appetite so completely just isnt good for you.

While they were ephedra free and were supposedly totally natural and safe, I dont think Id ever felt so polluted and ill in my life. A year later I discovered that the FDA had banned the same herbal diet pills I had taken, and I have to wonder what it was I had put in my body.

Anyway, just dont be fooled by the word herbal in an herbal diet pill. I would actually trust a regular diet pill that is FDA approved a lot more than some herbal diet pill concoction that has who knows what in it. The words herbal and natural are marketing ploys and should never be confused with the word safe unless theres been some testing to prove it.

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