This blog is not about what I usually write about…writing.  It’s about what’s going on in our country, the world, and what each of us can…and I believe must…to shape the world in which we live.  Right now, today, we need to step up and speak out.  I am outraged today by the oil futurists’ prognosis that “the sky is falling.”   Nonsense.

My responsibility, as a writer, I believe,  (whatever the topic may be) is to present a point of view convincingly enough that you, the reader  make an informed decision, and decide upon an action, (if any) you will take. Sometimes it’s immediate action.  Sometimes its’  further research.  Sometimes you’ll find yourself stating “I don’t believe this” and taking no further action.

But…if you’re even slightly intrigued by the thought that the sky really isn’t falling,  let your curiosity lead you on.  What I hope you are outraged by, encouraged by…but not passive about…after reading this article, is that you control the futures market, and you determine whether… for the coffee you drink or the gas you use to fuel your vehicle…it protects you…or holds you hostage.  

According to BusinessDictionary.com, the futures market is one ” in which participants can buy and sell commodities and their future delivery contracts.  A futures  market provides a medium for the complementary activities of hedging and speculation, necessary for dampening wild fluctuations in the prices caused by gluts and shortages.”

In other words, this market is supposed to protect you when weather forecasts tell us there won’t be enough rain in the Midwest this year to produce a good corn crop…and suggesting you stock up.  Likewise, the overabundance of rain in Brazil (with an increased number of coffee drinkers) may mean less coffee production.  The futures market is supposed to be your version of your grandparents’ root cellar, a place where staples are stored for “the lean times.”

Now, just for a moment, let’s talk about oil.   The United States happens to have, as described by Amanda Carey in the April 26th, 2011 edition of  The Daily Caller, “the largest oil reserve in the world.”  Let me repeat that..”.in…the…world.”  So, there is no “lean time” for the far foreseeable future. The root cellar is stocked full. Unless you and I have forgotten simple addition and subtraction, even if (and this, you understand is pure speculation, anyway), the futurists were right, and the Mideast Crisis (ongoing now for how many decades?) does result in a temporary oil shortage, …do you think we could handle it?

Better than any other country in the world, could we handle it? According to the article, “…the United States’ resources are larger than Saudi Arabia, China and Canada, combined. The report (if in doubt, follow this all the back to its actual, factual data roots)  estimates that the U.S. has 163 billion barrels of recoverable oil and enough natural gas to meet the country’s demand for 90 years.”

So, what exactly is it that these “experts” in the futures market are doing for you..and me?  Well, what about absolutely nothing…good.  It is power improperly used.  It is, once again, another Bernie Madoff out there, who, emboldened by his/her ability to hide in the wolves’ den of corporate anonymity, wants to convince us “the sky is falling and we had better listen and hide.”     As we are fleeced once again,  of course, the futurists’ and all their clients, are laired in gold-plated penthouses, laughing at our naivety, and convincing themselves of their own invincibility.

Well, I’m not buying it, are you?  Become an active participant in the futures market.  The facts clearly demonstrate that the current futurists’ actions are unconscionable, outrageous, fueled by greed, and goaded by the crowd mentality…”The sky is falling.  What to do, what to do.”

I’m pushing back, in every way I know how…writing,  calling, standing on my soap box, to Congressional members, portfolio managers, neighbors…proclaiming that “enough is enough.”  It’s time that “we the people” took back control of our lives and our finances.  Are you convinced?  If not, or if you choose not to take action, expect the fleecing to continue.

As with many things we try to make too complex, this issue is simple.  We need to remind ourselves that the sky is not falling. We need to demand the key to the root cellar.  After all, it is our root cellar.  We’ve already paid for the oil supplies that are stocked there.  The price of oil is ours to control.

“We the people” must demand that those who hold positions in the marketplace (and the government)  that represents its stockholders (you and me), behave ethically, morally, and in our interest. Call me a bit cynical, but who besides me, believes that the decisions of many futurists in this market are based more on accountability to their own pocket than to yours…and that the funds lining many of those pockets…are  not from the masses, but the wealthy few who also have the most to gain?  Futurists, whose  irresponsible behavior in driving oil prices up need to be held accountable…individually and severally.

The FACTS bear repeating:  the United States has the largest oil reserve in the world.  There has been war and turmoil in the Mideast (and elsewhere)  for many centuries. Yes…the world will run out of oil…someday.  The United States will not be the first affected, and can use responsible stewardship to moderate price and usage worldwide while other energy sources are developed.  It is our responsibility, obligation, and hopefully, our honor.

We do not need to pay more at our gas pumps because there’s a rumor being spread that “the sky is falling.”  We need to remind everyone around us, or within our “six degrees of separation,” that the root cellar is stocked full, and as it runs out, we’ve already planted a new, and more nourishing crop that will be ready for harvest way before the root cellar shelves even begin to look bare.

Take hold.  Take responsibility.  Take care.

He’s not paying me to write a critique.  I won’t make a dime.  In fact, he doesn’t even know I’m doing it.

But…I have to.  I have spent hours reading, re-reading, high-lighting, putting tabs on places I will go back to again and again.  Techniques I will use for myself, clients and prospects.

You can look at all the endorsements in the book…from some of the best web marketers in the world like Alex Mandossian, Armand Morin, Mike Filsaime, Matt Bacak, Joel Comm and Michael Fortin…and know this book will be an instant best-seller.  So my critique is totally unnecessary.

But…it could result in one more book sale, and even more importantly, one more person who benefits from the techniques offered in this book.  Someone who succeeds as a result of what they learned. Right now, the economy sucks.  So one more book sale will make a difference.  One more entrepreneur who succeeds because of the book…makes an even greater difference.

If you are currently marketing on the Web, without the kind of success you want to achieve, here are the top ten reasons this book may be right for you: 

1. You may have found or created the best idea or product in the world, set up a great business plan and built a beautifully designed Web site.  Without customers, however, it’s all for naught.
2. Your sales copy doesn’t have the right building blocks to sell your product and you’re not pulling customers in.
3. Your email marketing campaign doesn’t have an autoresponder sequence that effectively sells by using your well-crafted sales copy.
4. The bullet points in your sales copy don’t highlight or emphasize the benefits the prospect will get from your product.
5. You may have a great offer, but some element of the “triad of sales” elements…the offer, close and risk reversal, is missing, and as a result, you’re not closing the deal.
6. You haven’t moved into audio/video delivery or your delivery isn’t working.    High quality audio and video will help your prospects get to know you and trust you.  If your audio or video is substandard, hard to hear or see, or…if your delivery doesn’t move the prospect to the sale, your prospect is gone…along with the sale.
7. You’re not marketing to targeted traffic.  Are you using Google AdWords…in a way that succinctly helps your prospect literally see the benefit of your product or service?
8. There’s no story on your website or in your sales copy that compels your prospect to look for the great opportunity or solution only you have.  “Oh, yeah, one more thing…”  This Steve Jobs’ quote is synonymous with a yearly product launch that triggers the human emotion to “close the loop”, to be the first one to get whatever it is that he’s about to sell.  Are you setting a framework for your product that employs the psychology of influence to create intense curiosity and drive the need for closure?
9. Do you have a “dominant story idea” and do you know how to make it work for you? Everyone loves a hero or heroine, a risk scenario, and a “just in time” rescue.  Believe it or not, most products and services contain a dominant story idea that can be described so the prospect “sees” himself…all the way through the story…up to and including the rescue…which of course your product or service provides.
10. Time and money are of the essence…you need help now.  You’ve invested so much time and money in your product or service you don’t want to quit…and you don’t want to fail.  For under $20, you could, with just a little more effort, find the secrets to turning your Web venture around.  Are you the hero or heroine who has risked everything to create a new life for yourself…doing work you love…who could fail…unless you find a rescue plan that works?

If one or all of these elements applies to you, Ray Edwards’ Writing Riches: Learn How to Boost Profits, Drive Sales, and Master Your Financial Destiny with Results-Based Web Copy…is right for you. There is a solution for every one of the ten challenges mentioned above… and more.  I recommend it highly.  But don’t rely on my recommendation.  Read the recommendations of the top marketers in the world who’ve endorsed it, and who have paid Ray Edwards ‘big bucks’ to write copy for them.  His techniques work…and he’s shared everything…spared nothing.

Learn…and earn.  Help build the story of economic recovery (rescue) from the brink of disaster (the news certainly says we’re there right now) with one simple step by one entrepreneur…you. (hero or heroine). Buy the book today…read it and put the techniques into practice immediately.

P. S.  I just checked Amazon…better get a copy NOW…or you’ll have to wait as the current printing is almost gone!

How do I know?  Because I am one.  I make notes all the time…sometimes it’s a header topic that pops into my brain.  Sometimes it’s just 140 characters for a ‘tweet.” Sometimes it’s a brainstorm of ideas that I know I have to get down on paper because I want to share my thoughts on them, or figure out how to use them to help someone else improve their business…or their life. 

Some of the stuff I write down is really worthwhile.  Ideas that can help generate income.  Information shared in a different way that helps increase understanding of a concept.  Sometimes it’s about connections from old marketing ideas that can and should be used with today’s new social media tools to increase knowledge, awareness, and business.

And…some of the stuff I write down…is totally worthless.  Throw-away thoughts and ideas that either, upon reflection really don’t make much sense, or aren’t in any way new, novel, or helpful.

The point is, though, when you’re a serial writer, the pencil or pen is never far from your hand.  Articles you read, old or new movies, television programs and news….you look for and see connections that relate to how the world works, and how to communicate those connections in meaningful ways.  When you sit down to write, your fingers fly over the keyboard as the ideas spill out, and then get refined…over and over…until they’re ready to publish.

I have another confession to make.  Several months ago I was diagnosed with cancer.  This pronouncement has been life-changing.  The last few months have been at best what I would describe as a rocky road.  My life schedule…my work schedule…is different.  My writing is…different.

What isn’t different, though, is my compulsion to write.  I am still writing ideas, thoughts, and notes here and there…on a napkin, on a scrap of paper, or the laptop notepad.  I haven’t had much opportunity to refine and reflect on how some of the recorded thoughts might be useful for others.  Or at least I haven’t had an opportunity to make the cogent connections that others might gain an “aha” insight from. 

 It will, however, come.  I know.  I can feel it.  There are already lessons I’ve learned, strengths I’ve gained, and friendships I’ve made since detouring onto this rocky road that I can…and will…find words to describe.  Those words will help me to help others build relationship…and to understand the importance of caring…24 x 7…whether it’s customers, friends or family.

What about you?  Are you, in the grand scheme of things, or as a part of your internet business, a serial writer?  Serial writers can’t help themselves.  They write.  All the time…compulsively.   Whether it’s really good material, or ends up in the garbage can, notes collect everywhere.  Words have meaning.  They express feelings.  It’s how we connect and how we make a living…helping others. 

I confess…for me it’s much more than a profession…it’s a work of love…and now more than ever I am glad it’s what I do, and who I am.  It remains for me a way to express what I think and what I feel.  It will provide for me a new approach to life that I can use and share with others.

And you think that being new, it’s going to take forever to get published…that you’ll have to go through a lot of pain…a lot of rejections before anything happens.

I want you know that hundreds of editors say you’re wrong — that most are more open to new writers than you might think.

And there are a few major benefits to being a new writer too. So before you spend too much time trying to determine how you can appear to be a published professional writer when you’re not, consider taking advantage of your current position as a newcomer.

What are the advantages? Here are four positive points of being a new writer that will help you get work – and they all come direct from editors.

1. Opportunity for a First Impression!

If you claim to be a professional and experienced writer, an editor is likely to expect a lot. It takes more to impress. Even a good article might not be enough to get their attention. But if you tell the truth and admit that you’re a new writer, it takes a lot less to impress.
A new writer with a professional approach is something special – just sending a professional quality submission might even be enough to impress. An well-written article with a unique and interesting viewpoint can go a long way to make a good first impression.
“I really don’t mind new writers at all. If you’re new and act professionally, I’m usually willing to give you a go. I’d suggest that new writers just be honest about who they are.
If I get a fairly good article by a new writer, I’ll be impressed. To me, that’s my chance to discover new talent. That’s when I’ll contact the writer and try to help them. If I get a fairly good article by a new writer pretending to be an experienced writer, I will probably just issue a standard rejection

.” -Evelyn, Magazine Editor

2. The Potential to Grow!

Editors love to spot new talent. If you’re new and right for their publication, you might be taken in, mentored, and shaped to develop a style that fits their publication.

Experienced writers don’t have that advantage. Rather than looking at your potential for growth, they’ll be assuming it’s the best that you can do.
“When I get a good article from a new writer, I’m always very happy. Why? Because new writers with the right skills and attitude are wonderful for our magazine. They can be shaped to suit our style, they listen to instructions, they usually have a positive attitude. That’s the kind of writer I like to take on and mentor.” –Stephanie, Magazine Editor

3. No Credibility Gap!

If you’re a new writer, you’re targeting niche markets in your areas of interest and background. Claiming years of experience, especially if you’re targeting a market that doesn’t pay highly for articles, will make editors question your credibility. They will also assume that what you’re sending is your best, not just the beginning of your potential.
“I would tell writers to be careful if they’re going to exaggerate. I know everyone does it on resumes. But if someone claims to have been a writer for twenty years and is pitching my low-paying mag, I’m going to wonder two things. First, I’m going to wonder if they’re lying. Second, I’m going to wonder why they’re not working for a higher paying magazine if they really have that much experience. If they’re not lying, then I have to assume that they’re just a bad writer. Either way, it doesn’t look good for them.” – Danielle, Magazine Editor

4. “Newbies” bring fresh, new attitudes!

As a beginner, you’ll be going in with enthusiasm ahead of your experience. That might be the big advantage that gets you the job.
“It’s simple. Many seasoned writers pitching me have a bit of an attitude, a hint of suspicion, and often a streak of boredom. Fresh writers pitching me tend to have nothing but positive energy and enthusiasm. I’ll take the enthusiastic writer, please.” –Sam, Editor

Alyice Edrich, a freelance writer, states another potential disadvantage of the “experienced” in her blog, The Dabbling Mum:
“Sometimes, editors simply reject articles from writers who’ve been blacklisted. Yes, you heard correctly. As ugly as it sounds, writers get blacklisted. In other words, whether from personal experience or networking conversations, if a freelance writer (or author) consistently has problems (been a pain to work with, refused to rewrite a piece based on editorial decisions, didn’t follow through on assignment, lied, delivered false information, had an exceptional query letter but delivered a sloppy article, is habitually late on turning in assignments, etc.) that name becomes synonymous with “do not work with.”

So, if you’re new to article marketing, be grateful for being new. Take advantage of it, tout it…along with your talent…and go find an editor who likes your style and is willing to help you shape you writing into something…really professional!

Then, of course, you’ll be an “experienced” writer, and moving into another arena of professional writing. Good luck. I know you can do it…and so do you.

Happens to average…and really smart students, academians, and professionals all the time.

The good news is that anybody can write a research paper!

The first thing to think about is why you’re writing the paper in the first place.

There are three main reasons for research papers:

1. To help you to piece together information from different sources and cohesively put it back together into your unique perspective…looking at “the top of the mountain” from a different vantage point.

2. To help you develop good written and oral communication skills.

3. To help you to figure out how to find information.

Not knowing how to write properly can make your academic life disorganized, stressful and chaotic. By improving your writing skills, you can confidently and quickly finish assignments and write properly throughout your professional career.
Writing a research paper can be quite easy when you follow these basic steps:

1. Choose or Brainstorm Your Topic: Sometimes a topic is given to you, or you may have your own topic that you would like to research. You may be forced to conduct your research with very little direction. Sometimes you are only given a page count, number of sources and a deadline. It is helpful to begin by brainstorming a topic. Writing down a few ideas can be very helpful, and lead you in a certain direction.

2. Determine the Scope: Once you’ve scanned the internet or library and learned a little more about your topic, you need to determine whether you need to broaden or narrow your focus.

3. Research: By now you have an idea of your topic and have scanned the subject area. You have a focus for your research paper, but you also need details to “flesh out” the paper. Start going to your resources, and taking notes on sections that may be pertinent to your paper. Remember to document where you got the research from! This usually includes noting the author’s name, title of book, paper or website, year of publication, publishing house, page numbers and/or date accessed.

4. Outline Your Paper: An outline is an organized plan for your paper. Develop an outline by starting the first section with a broad introduction of the topic, then list several sections that you have read about (or will read about) that pertain to your topic. The general sections are: introduction, literature review, data collection, results and discussion. Writing an outline will help you to feel better about writing your research paper because you will have a sense of organization and direction after you write it.

5. Create the First Draft: The first draft should be written after you have completed your research. By this point, you will probably have numerous sources and many pages of notes written down from each of these sources. You should have enough information to write the entire paper. It is important “just to start writing”, and not to worry too much about the details at this point.

6. Revise, Revise, Revise! Revision of a paper should actually take longer than writing the first draft. This is the time to clean up all of the grammatical mistakes, spelling, run-on sentences, etc, and to make this paper easily readable. This is also the time to add or subtract text when necessary.

7. Proofread: This is the time for nit-picky editing to insure that there are no mistakes. Some things to watch for are: correct verb tenses, punctuation, grammar, spelling, word choice and proper citation. Other details that may be important are: page numbers, correct spacing and correct margins.

By breaking your research paper into small tasks, you can stay focused on the goal of completing it quickly and meticulously!

There you have it…the 7 basic steps for writing a research paper. As with everything, it’s getting started that’s the most difficult. After that, you’re “on the sled and headed downhill.” Remember to steer in the general direction, add a few twists and turns for variation, and first thing you know, you’re at the bottom of the hill.