Thinking about self-publishing? The idea can be daunting, but it is nowhere near impossible. It’s being done all around the globe, more and more often, by more and more writers.I kind of backed into self-publishing. My first five books were traditionally published, two by a New York house, three by small presses. When my first two books went out of print and the rights reverted back to me, I paid to have them published by iUniverse just to keep them active. Sometime later I began to hear about self-publishing and I realized that opened up a whole new ballgame. I have since self-published my last five books, and I absolutely love it!However, it is not easy. It takes a lot of work as you, the author, are now either doing or contracting the jobs of copy editor, formatter, cover designer, blurb-writer and promotional packager. How much you do yourself and how much (if any) you contract out is entirely up to you. There are no hard and fast rules about that, but there are plenty of pitfalls along the way. In the interest of easing the learning curve for up-and-coming authors, I’ve got a list of five lessons learned through my own experience with self-publishing.1. Be meticulousAs you start looking into self-publishing, you may run into some diatribes (mostly from publishing houses) about how self-published books are low quality, error-ridden tripe slapped together by people too lazy to pursue professional channels. There was a time in the distant past when that may have been true, when Uncle Frank paid through the nose for a vanity press to publish his 600-page grammatically-challenged book about his life as a beer-can collector.That was then, this is now.Nowadays, all manner of authors are choosing self-publishing. The writing is top-notch, the books are quality and most people would be hard pressed to tell without looking whether a book came from an East Coast house or Create Space (Amazon’s self-publishing subsidy). But because of that legacy of unprofessionalism, today’s self-published author needs to be absolutely meticulous in his/her approach. It’s a little like the red-haired stepchild having to do everything twice as well in order to be thought half as good. That means paying attention to those wavy red and green lines that appear in your Word document. That means remembering all your high school rules of grammar, punctuation, and word usage. That means reading and re-reading and re-reading again to catch the spelling errors, the missed commas, the unequal quotes. Blowing off the rules of writing shows a blatant disrespect for the reader and–worse–it’s the easiest way to lose the reader. Nothing takes me out of a story faster than confusing punctuation or a misspelled word. If I have to go back and re-read a sentence in order to understand it, I’m no longer in the story. The words on the page should be the effortless and almost transparent vehicle that carries the reader along; if the reader has to stop and fix a flat tire, he’s not going to be happy about that and he’s not going to be charitable about the rest of the book.2. Call for supportWhether you elect to hire editorial help or not, it’s a good idea to have others read your book and comment on it. Oh, sure, your mother will read it, and she’ll love it and not have a single bit of constructive criticism (“It’s lovely just the way it is, dear.”), but you need more than that. I try to get as broad a spectrum of readers as I can, both my writerly-type friends and my not-so-writerly reading friends. This way I can get both levels of feedback, from the “you’re mixing your metaphors” comments to the “describe your character more” comments. If you do hire a professional editor, you will likely get a third level of feedback that can be both helpful and insightful. However, I advise a bit of caution here. Never forget that you are the authority on your book, no one else. Even a hired professional editor may have ideas about your book that just don’t fit. I had one editor make suggestions about my character that I thought seriously about but had to reject; the suggestions were things my character would not have done. Your ultimate guideline for the book is staying true to your characters and telling their story in the best way you can.3. Don’t re-invent the wheelWhat’s great about the industry right now is that there are lots of great writer’s support networks online. Join Goodreads.com and LinkedIn.com, and start following and interacting in the various forums there. Read blogs by other writers; many of us are happy to share our experiences. If we can save you from some of the pitfalls, we will. The indie writer community is happily turning from competition to cooperation. And if you don’t see a particular issue addressed, ask. You do not need to suffer in silence or work out the bugs alone. Pioneers have already done that, and you can benefit from their experience.4. Don’t be fooled by vanity pressesVanity presses (pay-to-publish) are not the same as self-publishers. If you’re new to publishing and you come across a deal that you’re not sure about, check out Predators and Editors. If there’s anything about the offer that doesn’t sound right, Google it or go into the online forums and ask about it. You could save yourself a whole bunch of pain and frustration.5. Get the word outThe last piece of the puzzle that you’ll need to address is marketing. Make yourself-and your book-visible. In this day and age, you do that by increasing your online presence. Start a webpage (for you, not your book; you’re going to write more masterpieces, right?), start a blog, be active on social media and online forums. There is an excellent book on this called We Are Not Alone by Kristen Lamb. She does a great job of breaking down all these tools, guiding you step-by-step as you create and grow your web page, your blog, your Facebook page(s), your Twitter account. It’s better to read this book or one like it sooner rather than later to save yourself a few missteps.That said, don’t worry if you’ve jumped the gun and made a few mistakes. We all do. But that’s a good thing; we grow from our mistakes. Just keep moving forward.

Golf Etiquette is Very Important!Experienced golf players follow a set of unwritten rules while on the course. These rules are typically referred to as golf etiquette. When beginners golf it is important for them to learn proper golf etiquette from the more seasoned its players in their group. As a beginners golf game improves they must begin to incorporate these rules into their usual routine on the golf course. Most country clubs don’t demand that player’s golf with courtesy, but it is expected. Following the commonly accepted rules of golf etiquette will create a congenial atmosphere in which the game of golf can be fully enjoyed by all.Beginners Golf – Maintain a Good Pace in Your Golf GameIf you have ever been stuck behind a slow moving group ahead of you on the golf course then you know how frustrating it can be. Not only does a slow group eat up a lot of time, but they can also cost other golfers strokes by throwing off the natural rhythm of their game. When beginners golf they need to keep in mind the fact that it will take them a longer time to reach the green than it will a more experienced player.If you find that your group is holding up another it is a common its courtesy to allow the other group to play through. You can also speed up your golf game by not spending an excessive amount of time looking for a lost golf ball. Another great time saver is simple preparation. Instead of admiring the clouds while your companions are taking their shots, spend that time planning your own upcoming shot.Beginners Golf – Golf Etiquette Also Involves SafetySafety is an important consideration in any sport and golf is no different. The use of golf carts is an area of safety where many golfers would receive a failing grade. Make sure to read all of the rules posted in the clubhouse, cart, and on the course. Keep golf carts in designated areas only!Beginner golfers must also be on alert when preparing to make a swing. Always look around before taking a swing; this will go a long way in promoting the safety of the other golf players in your group. You should keep your eye on the ball after making a shot and call out a warning if others are in danger of being struck.Beginners Golf – Good Golf Etiquette Requires the Consideration of Other Golfers Your actions toward other golfers are perhaps the most important part of golf etiquette. Golfers must focus when making a shot and that requires quiet. When beginners golf they must remember not to speak or make unexpected noises while others prepare to take their shots. There are a few specific rules for conduct on the green as well. When beginners golf if is very important that they are conscious of where their shadow falls on the green. All shadows must be kept well away from the putting line.

There’s nothing more interesting and more exciting than journey. Through journey, you are able to not only see the world but adventure it: whether you are going to the hills of China and into the Himalayas, or exploring the Australian outback, there are so many ways that you can learn by simply being in the right place. You can add to the exhilaration of your global journey endeavor by doing it at the last minute. Of course, this can be unmanageable, but if you are inclined for some mind blowing exhilaration, then go ahead!Here are a few tips that will help you in last minute world journey.- Never disregard the importance of a passport. Some people will take for granted the importance of their passport and will journey around without it, thinking that they can go into any nation without their nationality or citizenship. However, you may get robbed, a lot of things can get stolen from you, and if you are working at the last minute, things can get quite messy. If you lose something, you need to go to your consulate if it’s important, and you need to show that you are a citizen of your nation through your passport.- Before you ever journey anywhere, no matter how last minute your trip is, always check for the address of your consulate or embassy in the nation that you are going to. Take note of this address and all contact numbers, and keep this information in a safe place. You will need this information just in case something goes wrong during your trip.- When you are able to log on to the Cyberspace, do two big things: look for information on your destination, such as the places where you want to go, how to get around, currency rates from your currency to your destination’s currency, and other important things; and second, book a accommodations. The first task will allow you to predict any events and know where to go beforehand so that you don’t walk around blindly in your destination. The second may very well get you various discounts so make sure that you get a good accommodations deal!- If all else fails for your pursuit for good discounts on accommodations, then you may have to simply wing it. When you arrive at your destination, track down for a inexpensive but decent and clean pension house or hostel. Get some rest, and when you start moving around the next day, stop by at a number of hotels and ask for information on bookings and inexpensive rates. This way, you can still get around and get the accommodations that you want!- Ask for recommendations from your associates. They may be able to offer you tips from their own global journey trip. In fact, when your associates start talking about their adventure, you should start listening and asking questions! Don’t ever brush aside the value of good research, not to mention good associates.- Always have a good authentic journey agent on hand who can handle last minute accommodations and arrangements. The trouble with a lot of journey bureaus is that they offer no discounts for last minute journey, but if you are able to find a good agent, then you should keep that agent.- Keep on doing research. On your free time, surf the Net for interesting places to visit, so that when the time comes for you to journey, you know just where to go.

When you list a commercial property as a real estate agent you have to get the price just right. The market buyers know what they want and what they should pay for particular property types. Pricing a property well is part of your selling strategy.When you make a mistake in the property method of sale and or the price, you can be wasting your time in the marketing of the property. Not a good option when the listing is to make a good impression in the local property market. You need good enquiry from the first release of the marketing campaign.Obviously the seller wants the highest price, but setting a price that is too high will kill the enquiry on the property in the early stages of the property marketing campaign. So you have to get the price just right.There are some clear rules when it comes to considering the price you set on a property. Help the client to understand the property market and the recent sales. Here is a checklist of the key issues that will help the listing process and the price setting for the property.What are the comparable properties on the local market now and what are their prices? How are they being marketed? Will they clash with your marketing campaign?
What are the sale results in the last 12 months of properties of similar type in the same local area?
What interest is there in the relative property type today? Is the property unique or special in any way that can impact the price?
How old is the property and has it been well maintained? Given that fact, how suitable is the property for further occupation and performance as a property investment?
Where will the buyer come from? Are they likely to be local or from outside the local area?
What specifically is the profile of the typical buyer of the property?
What is the supply and demand for space to occupy in the local area?
How much other space is coming on the market by way of new projects and properties in the next 24 months?
What are the services and amenities in and around the subject property and how capable are they of continued performance for the building occupants or owners?
What is the best method of sale for the market today given the particular property type?
What is the time on market at the moment in the sale of this type of property?These questions will help you with pricing the property. It pays to discuss these points with the seller of the property so they know the key issues that underpin and support the sales strategy that you choose.