Writers On The Move

Back Up Your Data

I work as a computer software engineer, and sad experience had taught me that backing up one's data is vital. Not just my own, but that of some of my employers, all of whom should have known better, been better prepared, or both.

The first time I encountered data loss, I shrugged it off as an aberration. I was working for a place in the west 40's in Manhattan, a little hole in the wall that did data processing for one of the large department stores that has since gone belly up. We were at lunch, in one of the many restaurants that peppered the area, when the conversation turned to smoking:

“John had given up smoking,” Colin, my boss, said, “but he took it up again when he deleted our source code. We had to restore it from backup, and he started smoking again.”

“What happened?” I asked.

A backup utility had completed unsuccessfully, leaving the data unreadable.

“But,” Colin added, “If you copy the data out and copy it back, that can't happen.”

I duly made a mental note.

The next time it was my fault. I had moved on to a new job, and I was trying to learn the ins and outs of the backup and restore utilities. I made a mistake, inserting a space before a comma, and ended up deleting the entire data set instead of just one member. My boss covered for me, and restored it from backup.

I duly made a mental note.

The next time, however, convinced me that backing up one's data is vital. I had moved on to yet another job, this time working for a large bank as what today would be called a system administrator. We had a number of specially coded routines that had to be inserted into various spots in each new release of the operating system: accounting utilities designed to keep track of resource usage for billing purposes and others designed to validate privileges for accessing data. They were stored in the same kind of file that the first place had used, and they used the same utility in the same incorrect manner.

They did have procedures that were designed to alert someone (not us) that an error had occurred, and they did back up their data. But by the time someone noticed the problem, all the good backup copies had gone out of retention.They switched to a library package, but the missing programs had to be painfully recoded. There are several lessons from this story:

Don't ever use that utility.

Always make sure that what you're doing really worked.

And consider buying a library package or finding some other way to safeguard your data.

Now a days most of us have laptops. But nothing, not even a laptop, is going to last forever, which is why I resist storing anything vital on mine.

All of which is by way of convincing you, I hope, to find a way, some way, to back up your files. Keep it in a cloud. Back it up onto a thumb drive. Find a service that will back up your data for you.

But back it up.

What do I do? I keep master copies of my work on Google documents, which is available online from any computer I care to use. It's easy to upload files and I can modify them there if I want to. I can download them again. I can share them with others, or email them a copy. I can organize my files into folders, and I can search through them easily.

And yeah, I've had to revert to backup copies.

Don't, repeat, don't, believe that it can't happen to you.

It can.

Readers: Do you back up your data? Pray it will never happen to you? Use a service? Let us know what you do and how you like it.

ROYALTY FREE MUSIC PART II

Where can you find royalty free music at no charge? There are actually quite a few musicians that offer their music under the Creative Commons License, it is sometimes just hard to find them through all the sites that ask a lot of money to use one song.

Recommendations

Some artists allow you to use their music in commercial productions whereas others only allow you to use their music in personal productions. So look at the license agreement carefully. Most music is licensed under Attribution, so in your production you should credit the author of the music. If it is a slideshow or a video presentation then you should include a credit to the artist such as:
Music By Artist Name

To play it safe, contact the artist and let them know how you are using their music. It is great that they allow you to use their music at no cost to you.

I suggest making a donation to the artist. Based on other's recommended donation amounts, I suggest that you send the artist at least $5 for each song that you use.

ROYALTY FREE MUSIC LINKS

http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/

At this website Kevin MacLeod offers his royalty free music creations under the Creative Commons License. There are many different types of instrumental music at this site.

http://www.pacdv.com/sounds/free-music.html

pacdv offers a few instrumentals for you to use royalty free. They just ask that you mention "Music by www.pacdv.com/sounds/" in your credits.

http://www.musopen.com/

Musopen is an online music library of copyright free (public domain) music. At Musopen they obtain recordings of public domain music that have no copyrights so that visitors may listen, re-use, or in any way enjoy music. Most of the music is of classical piano or symphony pieces.

http://www.taylorhayward.org/freemusic.htm

Taylor Hayward offers a few piano songs that are copyright free so you are free to use them in any way, commercial or non-commercial.

http://sonnyboo.com/music/music.htm

Offers a few songs that you can use in your productions as long as you credit the songwriter - Peter John Ross.

http://www.soundclick.com/business/license_list.cfm

I recommend that you sign up with a free account at www.soundclick.com to take full advantage of its many differnent music artsists and genres. To find royalty free music at no charge under the Creative Commons License click on the soundclick link above and then change License Type to Creative Commons (Free), select the Genre and click go.

http://derekaudette.ottawaarts.com/music.php

Derek Audette offers his royalty free music under the Creative Commons License. Most of these are instrumental pieces that are either dark, moody, or hard driving.

GeeksAreSexy.net exclusive created music with Apple Garage Band and Sony Acid that you can use. Download them here.

http://www.publicdomain4u.com/

This site contains recordings of songs that were published prior to 1922 and are now in the public domain which means the public is free to copy and use the works in any way.

http://opsound.org/

This website offers a collection of music from a variety of artists and genres under the Creative Commons License. In the left hand menu click on artists or genres.

http://www.openmusicarchive.org/

Open Music Archive offers recordings of songs that are over 50 years old so their copyright has expired in the UK so the recordings have become Public Domain. However, if you are from another country other than the UK then the recordings may not be Public Domain yet. See the FAQ for more information.

http://www.archive.org/details/audio

Dan-O at Danosongs.com has also released a number of songs, which are free for commercial or non-commercial projects with attribution. There is a pay-what-you-feel-is-fair donate button, however.

FREE MUSIC CLIPS

http://www.internetaudioguy.com/iag/freemusic/freemusic.htm

InernetAudioGuy.com usually sells royalty free audio tracks for a price but they also offer a few instrumental 30 second samples that you can use for free for anything you want.

Kathy Stemke
Award Winning Author/Educator/Freelance Writer

Trouble on Earth Day earned the Children's Literary Classics Seal of Approval

Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep won the Children's Literary Classics Seal of Approval

Royalty Free Music!

Music can spice up your website or serve as background on your book trailer. But you must respect the rights of the artist. There are lots of musical pieces in the public domain that can be used. many artists are willing to give you permission to use their work if you ask them.

If you do a search on "Royalty Free Music" or "Public Domain Music", the search results will give you several sites to explore. Some of the music will be royalty free but there may be a small cost associated with obtaining the music track. In other cases, musical artists may be willing to allow use of their music for free on your website as long as they are credited as the artist. Many of the sites provide the code (.HTML) to install on your website.

Here are some examples a friend of mine used foraccoustic guitar instrumental music. He found a fellow whose music was just what he had in mind. So, he messaged him directly and asked if he could use his music on his website and he granted him permission. He copied the .HTML code from the music site and installed a different selection (along with the widget/logo from the artist's site) on several pages of his website.

http://www.soundclick.com/kurtlewisneufer

Kathy Stemke
Award Winning Author/Educator/Freelance Writer

Trouble on Earth Day earned the Children's Literary Classics Seal of Approval

Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep won the Children's Literary Classics Seal of Approval

Keep Your Writing Goals Front and Center

As a writer, you have to move forward to keep up with the onslaught of books and authors in the book publishing arena. And, you especially need to be sure you're keeping in alignment with your writing goals. This means every now and then you need to stop to evaluate what your core goals are and if you’re actually heading in that direction.

Every marketer will tell you that the beginning of each year you need to create a list of core or major goals. It's important to make your goals realistic and obtainable, and not to burden yourself with too many goals.

Three is a good number of writing goals, not too few, not too many. Then under each goal you can list a few tasks that will you will do on a daily or weekly basis to help you reach your objectives.

In addition to creating and typing your goals down in a document, they need to be printed and kept visible. It's important to put them somewhere you'll be sure to notice on a daily basis. You might put your list on your computer, inside your laptop case, on top of your daily planner, on the inside of a kitchen cabinet you open everyday.

You get the idea, your writing goals need to be visible each and every day. Not just visible though, they need to be read each and every day.

Why is it important to keep your writing goals front and center?

Here's another question to help answer that question: Did you ever hear the expression, ‘Out of sight, out of mind?’

That's your answer.

On January 1st of 'any year,' you may tell yourself, and maybe even write it down, that you will:

1. Write a minimum of five pages of your new book each week
2. Effectively market your published books
3. Submit articles to three paying magazines on a monthly basis

Okay, that's great, but suppose it's now July and you haven't even written 10 pages of your new book, and you haven't gone past the very basics of promoting your published books.

What happened to your writing goals?

Easy. You didn’t keep your goals list front and center, so you got sidetracked.

While you may have had the best of intentions on January 1st, without keeping those writing goals visible, it’s difficult to stay on course.

Maybe you decided to add the writing of unrelated e-books to your workload. Maybe you decided to do book reviews and started a critique group of your own. Maybe you devoted too much time to social networking and your online groups.

These additions may not necessarily be a bad thing, but before you continue on, ask yourself three questions:

1. Are these additions to your workload moving you in the direction of your major writing goals?
2. Are they actually keeping you from attaining your goals?
3. Are they providing some kind of income?

If your answers to these questions are NO, YES, NO, then you need to step back, redirect your steps, and get back on track. If you keep your writing goals front and center, you’ll be amazed at how you automatically work toward achieving them.

Image courtesy of MorgueFile.com / Photographer: Gracey
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Related Articles:

Aim for Writing Success
Determination, Focus, and Perseverance

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Learn about writing and marketing with Karen Cioffi at http://karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com. Sign up for her free newsletter, A Writer’s World, and get TWO free site-related e-books for subscribing, and ONE more just for stopping by. For professional and affordable writing services check out http://dkvwriting4u.com

Teaching Through Books with Molly Nero

What captivates our young people these days? Stories. Yes, stories, but not the stories in books like we remember. Kids today are enamored by the digital device that is held in their hands or sitting in front of them as they play games to a STORY! Every video game made has some kind of plot, conflict, characters, and our kids are in charge of creating the outcome by the video “ability” they possess after hour upon hour of “gaming”. Fight it if you want, but I think relating it to stories you read in books is much more productive. You are creating a bridge between the “old school” reading and the “techno” gaming of today. Teaching lessons through books helps validate their importance and value.

Books give us an amazing teaching tool, especially when dealing with social issues. I’m a big advocate of creating purpose for skills being taught by relating them to real life experiences kids can connect to. Books help you in this process. When teaching the skill of cause and effect, the youngest learners can grasp this concept when reading a story about a boy who jumps on his bed. You ask something as simple as what happened because he jumped on his bed? The answer is he fell through the floor. You have a story that kids are hooked into because what kid doesn’t jump on his bed? But the follow through with the skill is taught through the story; therefore he fell through the floor. Books offer such enrichment to a lesson with their pictures walking the children through a story depicting a needed skill. Social issues, friend problems, acceptance, and rejection are all subjects easier for kids to learn and process with books, since you are reading about someone else and someone else’s problems, not theirs. Teaching division? Drawing cookies on the board is okay, but reading about a boy sharing the cookies on his tray as more and more friends come is relatable to your students. Every kid has to share at some point and who doesn’t want to share with their friends? Another great book helping you teach a difficult skill with a story.

Stories are a huge part of our kids’ lives though media and gaming. Books need to be as predominate, so use them to teach with. No matter what the skill; there is a book to help you teach it.

About the author: Molly Nero loves to sing, dance and read. She spent over 18 years teaching elementary school. Reading to her own children, she was inspired to write. The second book in the Smarty Pig book series Smarty Pig and the Test Taking Terror releases in Spring 2012.

Smarty Pig is the only one in the pig family who hasn’t given up on school and doing her homework. Although she is teased, her report card shows her hard work, while the others fail. The other pigs reach out to her and she becomes their tutor, by creating games in their home. They all realize learning can be fun and that it’s not just for school, it’s for life.

Get a sneak peek of the book at http://youtu.be/E2L_NS2QqgM

You can find out more about Molly Nero’s World of Ink Author/Book Tour schedule at http://storiesforchildrenpublishing.com/MollyNero.aspx. There will be giveaways, reviews, interviews, guest posts and more. Make sure to stop by and interact with Nero and the hosts at the different stops by leaving comments and/or questions.

To Cap or Not to Cap

A couple years ago, I participated in an impromptu editors’ discussion (via email) on the rules for capitalization of titles. We were trying to reach a consensus in terms of our in-house standard (we all worked for a small publisher).

Titles such as president and secretary general can cause much confusion over whether or not to capitalize. However, The Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) contains explicit guidelines on the topic. For instance, consider the president of the United States. The following lists the correct usage of capitalization (or not):

- The president of the United States (unless used formally, such as in a citation or an introduction)

- President Barack Obama

- Barack Obama, president of the United States

- U.S. president Barack Obama

Another variation might be “the president Obama,” although I doubt that particular phrase is ever used.

Now let’s look at Captain Crunch (just for fun). If used as a substitute for Crunch’s name in a direct address, “Captain” is capitalized, e.g. “Hand me the spoon, Captain. We’re taking on milk.” But in general reference, he is simply “the captain.”

One aspect of the online debate that generated some discussion was the question of parents, e.g. when and if you should capitalize “mom” and “dad.” In the end, we agreed to treat the terms as titles. By that standard, when “mom” or “dad” was used in place of a person’s name in direct address, it should be capitalized. By contrast, if a term was used in indirect reference, it should not be capitalized.

- “Hey, mom, where did Sarah’s Dad go?” INCORRECT

- “Hey, Mom, where did Sarah’s dad go?” CORRECT

The CMS contains several pages of examples that can answer most capitalization questions…and any other usage and style questions you might have. The 16^th Edition is currently available from Amazon.com for less than $36 US. That just might be the best $36 you spend this year.

Betty Dobson is an award-winning writer of short fiction, essays and poetry. She also writes newspaper and magazine articles but is still waiting for those awards to materialize. In the meantime, she continues to run InkSpotter Publishing, which has three new books available and several more in the works for 2012.

How to Write and Publish Your Own eBooks with Jim Edwards

I'm a big fan of creating your own information products, as long as it's one of your writing goals, or if it can be profitable. And, while simply writing an ebook is pretty easy, to make it become profitable is another story.

I don't recommend products too often, for ONE primary reason: I have to trust the author of the product. Meaning I have to know the individual provides quality information and fulfills his/her promises.

The second reason I limit my recommendations is I need to make sure the price is reasonable (to the majority of us) and what you receive is worth more than what you pay.

I've been following Jim Edwards, reading his content, attending his webinars, and have purchased his products - he delivers on his promises.

So, I'm recommending How to Write and Publish Your Own eBook… in as Little as 7 Days V2.0

Click Here! to see all the information Jim will teach you on writing, publishing, and selling your own ebooks.

And, here's a bit on Jim's qualifications:

You need a proven expert to guide you straight through the process… with no bull. Jim Edwards has helped well over 1,000 authors write, publish and promote their ebooks, print books, and audio books!

Jim is a 10-year veteran newspaper columnist and author whose reputation for writing and promoting ebooks online is legendary!

•    Just one of Jim’s ebook info-products made him $45,000 in only 3 months!
•    Over the last 14 years, Jim has published several best-selling ebooks – including “Selling Your Home Alone”, “The TEN Dirty Little Secrets of Mortgage Financing”, and “Turn Words Into Traffic”.
•    Jim recently made $7,704.37 in one week with a single ebook… and what makes that even more amazing is he didn’t even promote it – someone else did!
•    Authors have paid Jim as much as $6,000 to consult with him about their ebooks and info-products!
•    In fact, an ebook-based information product Jim created went over $90,000 in sales in less than 5 months!
You need step-by-step details spelled out quickly! … by a real-world expert who can teach you the ropes.

Over the last 14 years, Jim has written, created and sold *millions of dollars* in ebooks and info-products online. He has helped thousands of authors.

ClICK HERE TO CHECK OUT How to Write and Publish Your Own eBook… in as Little as 7 Days V2.0

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While I have my own ebook on 'how to create and sell ebooks,' Jim has lots and lots more information, instructions, and tips to effectively teach you how to quickly and profitably turn out your own best selling ebook through this ground-breaking, completely revised NEW ebook course!

For a more in depth information on what you'll learn and to get your copy now,
CLICK HERE!

This is an introductory offer of $29, and I'm not sure how long it will last. The regular selling price will be $49. So, if you're thinking about it, buy now.

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To check out my writing and marketing ebooks go to:

http://www.karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com/p/karens-books.html
eBooks on Writing

http://www.karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com/p/ebooks-on-marketing.html
eBooks on Marketing

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Learn about writing and marketing with Karen Cioffi at http://karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com. Sign up for her free newsletter, A Writer’s World, and get TWO free site-related e-books for subscribing, and ONE more just for stopping by. For professional and affordable writing services (for businesses and individuals) check out http://dkvwriting4u.com