'The World'

By Simon Barrett

This is James Ross' first exploration into the literary world, and he should pat himself on the back for producing a very well designed and executed story. I like my heroes heroic and my villains villainous, and Ross delivers.

Being a book reviewer, I maybe treat reading a little different from most people. I pick up a book, check the number of pages, the typeface, and font size. Lifetime Loser based on my reading criteria looked like a two, or at most 3 day adventure.

How wrong I was, it took me over a week to read this book. The plot lines are intricate, and the character development intricately and cleverly handled. I knew I was in trouble when at the end of my first day of reading I had barely scratched the first 50 pages. I took some time out to think about this shocking statistic. It wasn’t that I had lost my touch at the art of reading, it was just that there was so much detail that was so well written, it took time to assemble and file the information.

OK, I suppose you want to know what the book is about?

Our hero is J. W. Schroeder (aka J Dub), we meet him as a young man who has a flair for the game of golf, his father having taught him all he can about this gentleman’s game. J Dub has a chance to make it to the big league, a player on the PGA. One momentary lapse of concentration wrenches defeat from the jaws of victory, and J Dub loses his
opportunity. What next for this young man and his pregnant wife? A life giving golf
lessons at the local driving range?

J Dub's angel comes in the form of one Lewford E. Zerrmann. Lew is a 'land man' and has recently purchased a rather run down golf course, he needs someone with a knowledge of the game to run it for him. Better still, because Lew is such a nice guy he will offer a partnership, J Dub can have have 20% of the business, and a first option to buy should J Dub wish to become a sole owner.

15 years elapse, and about the only thing J Dub knows for sure is that his partner is no gentleman, he has no people skills, and seems to be hell bent of driving customers away. The golf course on the other hand is a popular spot, cash flow is great, yet their never seems to be any money left in the bank after expenses have been paid.

As the relationship becomes increasing strained J Dub is forced to start looking around, and talking to people. What he hears and sees does not make for a pretty picture. He must know make a decision, to walk away from 15 years of sweat equity or stay and fight?

This is a great book, it has murder, swindles, forgery, tax evasion, pretty much everything you could want in a great read. Lew has all of the social skills of Rattle Snake, while naive J Dub plods gently along at his own pace. In a David Vs. Goliath battle who will win?

I will not give the intricacies of the plot away, and neither will I spoil the ending, but I will whet your appetite with the fact that the ending will come as a big surprise.

You can pick up your copy from Amazon.

By Jinger Jarrett

We all have nightmares of high school English teachers.

Improper grammar, bad spelling, and problems with writing a paragraph may just be a few of the problems you had in writing in school.

However, writing for the business world is a little different. Yes, you should still learn how to spell. Use capital letters in the appropriate places, and make your writing look professional.



The rules of grammar can be broken though to make your writing more clear, as well as making your writing more conversational.

Regardless of what type of writing you need to do for your business, these tips will help you write better. They may not help you get an A in English class, but they could help you write better copy and improve your conversion.

1. Write and then edit.
If you're having trouble getting started, the problem may be that you are trying to write your piece perfectly the first time.

The easiest way to correct writer's block is to simply say what you have to say. Write it down as it comes to you. Once you've written down everything you need to say, set it aside for awhile. Then go back and edit. Do you rewrites after you have written it.

2. Read it out loud.
You can catch up to 70 percent of your grammar and writing mistakes by reading your piece aloud. Check for flow. You'll get clearer writing by hearing how the piece sounds.

3. Do a good spell check.

If you're not very good at spelling, you
can use your spell check to help you find many spelling mistakes. However, a good spell check won't catch words that sound alike. If a spell check isn't enough to help you find all of your errors, find someone who spells well and get him/her to read it and check for mistakes for you.

4. Study good sales materials.
If you don't have a swipe file, you should keep one. This should include a text document of great headlines you have found, great sales letters, email sales letters, ads, etc.

Include pieces that appeal to you. This can also include the sales materials for things you have bought.

Study these pieces and incorporate what you learn into your own writing. However, don't copy. Rewrite elements in your own words.

5. Focus on the benefits not the features of your product or service.
What is the most important benefit of your product? This isn't what a product will do, it is what it will do for the customer.

For example, if you are selling shampoo, perhaps the shampoo gets hair really clean. The major benefit for the customer could be that this shampoo creates shiny, luxurious, and thicker hair that makes him/her look like he/she stepped out of a salon.

When writing for the Internet, think about your reader. Use short words, short paragraphs, and only write your piece as long as it needs to be to explain your offer. Readers online read 25 percent slower than when they are reading in print.

You'll get a better sales piece, and your reader is more likely to respond to your offer.

By Michelle Howe

Imagine; you spend thousands of dollars designing your website and no one comes. Why?

It could be that you forgot about the content or you didn't invest enough in the message. Good website content delivers the right message in the right way.

Tip #1 -The most important rule to remember is that writing for the web is not like writing for print.



Tip #2 - Brochures contain a tremendous amount of information in a small amount of space. You can't successfully post the wording from a
brochure on your website - that is too much text.

Tip #3 - As a rule, cut print copy 50 percent before posting it on your website. If all the information is necessary, reformat it. Keep the
content short and simple. People tend to scan websites, seldom reading through long blocks of text.

Tip #4 - Headings are an effective tool in letting people see your message as they scan through your website. To break up copy, consider using subheadings. Make it easy for your visitor to jump around your website and get key information. Additionally, as search engines often use headings to find your page, use keywords.

Tip #5 - Get used to counting words. Headings should be under eight words. Sentences should range from 15 to 20 words and paragraphs from 40 to 70 words.

Tip #6 - Bullets are an excellent way to quickly present information to someone scanning your website. Consider using bulleted information as links to more detailed descriptions, rather than trying to put all the information on one page.

For instance, if you are writing Web content for a restaurant and want to offer potential customers suggestions on dining occasions, you might try:


The Lost in The 60's Restaurant is a
fun place to celebrate:
•Birthdays
•Anniversaries
•Group Events
•Corporate Events and Parties
•Company Parties

Now all the information is only a click away. And it's easy to search, thereby saving patrons time and you a cluttered Web space.

Tip #7 - Another rule of thumb is to avoid industry jargon. Be considerate of your website visitor and don't assume they know what you know. Using unfamiliar words could confuse visitors and influence them to leave your site. Also, make sure your phrasing is easy-to-understand. Consider asking someone outside your industry to
review your writing.

Tip #8 - Remember, people use the Internet to find information. You need to be direct and to the point to attract attention immediately. Always begin paragraphs with the most important information and then provide other relevant details.

Tip #9 - Use a conversational style. Write as though you were speaking with someone, not at them.

In a face-to-face encounter, a salesperson tries to immediately establish a rapport with a customer. It is much easier to make a sale if
someone feels comfortable and trusts you. With the Internet, you have to establish that same rapport with words.

Tip #10 - The best way to converse with your reader is to write from their point of view, not yours. Don't simply write, "The XY2 Widget is the best product on the market." Rather, explain the benefits of the XY2 Widget; " By purchasing the XY2 Widget you will save time and money." Then, illustrate how the widget saves time and money.

Tip #11 - Finally, show some enthusiasm in your writing! People want to be entertained. Corporate-speak is not going to do it. Have some personality and create a voice for your company that people recognize. It truly is OK to entertain and inform on the Web