David Carnes reports:
"Filing a formal patent application is expensive and time-consuming, and usually requires the services of an experienced patent attorney. You can, however, file a provisional patent application with much less effort and without retaining an attorney. Filing a provisional patent application will put your invention in 'patent pending' status for 12 months, preventing anyone else from filing for patent protection for the same invention. This 12-month window will buy you time to file a formal application...Complete the cover sheet, fee transmittal form and application data sheet. These can be obtained on the website of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. You must supply basic information such as the names and residence addresses of the inventors, the name of the invention and a correspondence address...Create specifications. Specifications constitute a precise description of your invention using as much technical language as necessary. Specifications can be dozens of pages long in some cases...Make drawings, graphs, diagrams and any other visual aids that are necessary to supplement your specifications. Your specifications and visual aids, taken together, should allow a person skilled in the field to which your invention belongs to manufacture your invention himself...Convert all your documents to PDF files, if you intend to file your application online...Calculate your filing fee by referring to the fee transmittal form. The filing fee varies according to several factors. Obtain a certified check or money order made out to the USPTO, if you are submitting your application by surface mail...Submit the cover sheet, fee transmittal form, application data sheet, specifications, visual aids and filing fee by surface mail to the Commissioner for Patents...or online using the USPTO's EFS-Web electronic filing system. The USPTO will respond by sending you an application tracking number, and will confirm your filing date...The USPTO grants patents protection retroactively. After your patent is granted, you can sue for any infringement that occurred after your initial filing date." Lisa Kimrey reports:
"[Any time] we write, we should consider our audience...Think about popular lifestyle, current events, pop culture or opinion websites...Look for the posts that were shared the highest number of times on social media...The more topics, the easier it is to apply your niche to the audience. It is also possible to see some ‘edgy’ content or titles. Take note of any trends...First, [notice whether] the [article's] comments are supportive of the topic. Or maybe they have a negative tone? Look for what is being considered to be positive topics by the audience. Conflict can be scary for a new writer so if that bothers you (it bothered me), pay attention to the topics that promote positive feedback. The response will have a greater shot at being positive if you know what makes your audience happy (versus upset)...Typically, the website will have submission guidelines, but look at the flow of the top shared articles. Note any commonalities...Are they written as letters, personal essays, biographies, etc.?...As mentioned above, read through all of the comments. Be absolutely sure to read the replies and comments under the comments. The most valuable treasures are in this section right here...I found the audience’s language jargon, age ranges, life experiences, passions and beliefs in the responses to comments. People were justifying their positions, all the while teaching me to listen to and learn their ‘voice.’...To write in a different voice, use whatever phrases and jargon that you see the audience using in your article. Put those words into your subject line to the editor. Put them in the title of your article...[T]he way I started thinking differently about how I could gain a new or different perspective on my niche was by imagining my niche topic in the center of a bull’s-eye target. I then worked from the very center to the last ring on the outside. To move outward, I looked at my niche topic using the different voices or perspectives that learned about the audience from the comments. Specifically, I looked through the eyes of people in other roles, genders, ages or job titles. Then I looked through the eyes of people who had different passions, values or beliefs. Other ideas formed as I moved away from my original idea to the outside ring of the bull’s-eye target. You will be surprised at what you come up with if you spend a few minutes doing this! Finally, I had to start writing the article outline with my best. I started with an article outline that allowed me to write my best content for my typical audience, and then edited my best work into the format, architecture, jargon or phrases for the intended audience. I did all of the above on that first article. To be truly transparent, my article’s title was so edgy to me that I was embarrassed to post my published article on my social media site. That is, until the post started to get shared over and over again. And something funny happened. The comments on my article were about the edgy title and how the title made the audience want to read my article! Some of the readers blamed the website for changing my title to increase their ratings. No doubt, it can be intimidating to write outside of your niche, but I have found that taking the risk and doing a little drilling can have a big payoff. If you adjust your niche for a different audience, a different voice and a different perspective you can find hidden jewels in different writing sources and yet still stay safely within your comfort zone." Scott Kuhn reports:
"You’re finally just weeks away from your new store opening. The paid advertising is already on-air. Now it’s time to do what you can to get a little free media exposure. That process starts with the creation of a professional press release...I’ve seen a new trend where contact information is moved to the bottom of a release (like the signature of an email). Call me old-fashioned, but don’t do it! Make it easy for the assignment editor or reporter to find you...Take the main subject of your press release – the one[-]line takeaway – and put it in an all-caps, bold headline. Then, use a subhead (in upper and lower case) to further pitch your story angle...[B]e sure to type your release and double-space it (or at least use the 1.5 line spacing in your word processing program). Be sure to use page numbers (if necessary) and include a notation ('# # #' or 'END') at the end of the document, so the reader knows they’ve seen all of your information...Think like a reporter. Relevancy is the key. What is it about your opening that will be of interest to his/her readers or viewers? If you can present them upfront with a potentially newsworthy aspect of your grand opening, you’ve already won half the battle...In the very first paragraph, address the five 'W’s' and one 'H' of good journalistic writing – WHO (is it about), WHAT (will happen), WHERE (will it take place), WHEN (will it take place), WHY (should I care) and HOW (will it happen)...Make sure you’re still communicating the story of your grand opening...Initially, write your release with the words of Officer Joe Friday from the Dragnet television series ringing in your ears – 'all we want are the facts.' Avoid the use of sales jargon and superlatives (e.g., the best, the greatest, the most, etc.) in the basic text of the release. These are the kind[s] of terms business owners love to use when they talk about their brand. So, let them; but do it in quotes! Spokespeople can wax poetic about your new store all they want – as long as their comments are presented as personal opinions, rather than facts. Placed into the body of the release, the claims become 'puffery.' And, puffery is one of the surest ways to discourage a reporter from reading the rest of your release. It masks any potential for a real story that your new store opening may represent...If you don’t already have one, I would encourage you to buy a copy of The AP (Associated Press) Style Book. As the AP describes it, the book is 'part dictionary, part encyclopedia and part textbook.' The bulk of the content is an alphabetical listing of common terms (often misused) that will help you polish your final documents. And, if you’re feeling a little lazy, they have created a plug-in for Microsoft Word, StyleGuard, that will automatically check your writing as you type – making sure you’re following the AP style...In my opinion, there’s no excuse for typos or grammatical errors in materials that you send to the media. It’s sloppy and demonstrates you just didn’t take the extra time to honor your grand opening with the professionalism it deserves. Plus, contrary to popular belief, you CANNOT review your own work. Period...The 21st-century 'rule,' and one of the few things PR practitioners seem to agree upon these days, is not to send it as an attachment. More and more news organizations are blocking emails with attachments, out of fear of being infected by computer viruses. The classic, 'anatomically correct' press release can still be mailed, faxed (to those who still have fax machines) or hand-delivered to the media. Plus, be sure to include it on your store’s website. But, if email is your ideal delivery method, copy the text of your release and paste it into a new message – one for each of your media contacts. Writing a great press release doesn’t have to be hard. But, it does need to be thoughtful and intentional. That’s my story. And, as they say, I’m sticking to it." Kevin Lee reports:
"Advertisers often use special effects to draw attention to their products. You can add similar interest to your PowerPoint presentations by learning to use WordArt and PowerPoint transformation effects. If you’ve ever seen text shaped like a circle, you may have seen these types of effects in action. You don’t have to know how to type circular text because PowerPoint creates it for you when you find the right button to click. Open a PowerPoint presentation, click one of your slides and then click 'Insert.' Click 'WordArt' to view a list of WordArt styles. Click the style you like. PowerPoint adds text box to your slide that contains sample text in it. Click inside the text box, and press 'Ctrl-A' to select all of the text. Type your own text in the text box, and then press 'Ctrl-A' again to select the text you typed. Ensure that your cursor is inside the text box before you click 'Ctrl-A.' Move to the ribbon's Drawing Tools Format tab, and then click the 'Text Effects' button. Click 'Transform' followed by the 'Circle' effect. PowerPoint converts your text into a circle...You may see an incomplete semicircle the first time you try this if your text string does not have enough words to form a complete circle. Fix that by clicking the text to make its text appear and dragging the text box's lower-right handle up towards the left diagonally. When you do that, you make the text box smaller. Continue making it smaller until your text forms a circle. You also have the option to make the text itself bigger or smaller by clicking the 'Size and Position' button on the Drawing Tools Format tab. Type different values in the 'Height' and 'Width' text boxes to see how different text sizes affect the circle's shape...Try different [WordArt] styles if you’d like to experiment -- you may find one that works best with your circular text...Microsoft notes that you'll need to use a third-party graphics program if you need precise control or if you are creating a complex combination of text and shapes." TradeKing reports:
"Writing covered calls works best on stocks with options that are exhibiting medium implied volatility. This means you want to use a stock that has the ability to move, but in a somewhat predictable way. If implied volatility is too low, the option premium you collect will also likely be low. If implied volatility is high, the premiums will also be higher, but there is a trade-off. The higher the implied volatility, the greater the likelihood for the stock to move significantly in either direction. This could mean you have a higher chance of having your stock called away if the price increases, or of taking a loss if the stock drops sharply. Remember: If the price rises enough that the call buyer exercises the option and calls your stock position away from you, you’ll no longer be a stockholder – precluding you from participating in future gains in the stock beyond the strike price. In other words, medium volatility should provide enough premium to make the trade worthwhile, while reducing the amount of unpredictability found with high-volatility stocks. Only you can decide what kind of option premium will make this strategy worth executing...[I]mplied volatility can only be determined using an options pricing model. While this information can be helpful in your decision making process, it’s still hypothetical. Again, implied volatility tends to indicate the likelihood of a stock fluctuating. But bear in mind, this may not turn out to be the case in the real world...If you’re called upon to deliver stock, it can come as a surprise. Some covered call writers worry about losing a long-held stock position this way. But you have more choices in this situation than you may realize...If you’d rather not let go of any of the stock you’re holding, that’s also okay. It’s possible to buy the stock on margin in the open market and deliver those shares instead. This will give you better control of the tax consequences and your long-term positions. However, take into account that if you want to deliver newly acquired shares you’ll need to anticipate your assignment and buy the shares in advance of receiving the assignment notice. Furthermore, buying stock on margin has its own risks. Margin is essentially a line of credit for purchasing stock, for which you make a minimum down payment and pay your broker an interest rate. If the market moves against you suddenly, you may be required to quickly add to this down payment in what’s termed a 'margin call'. Read up on the risks of margin to use this tool wisely...You’d typically write a covered call on a stock on which you’re bullish in the [long term]. If the stock goes south, it helps to have a plan in place. After all, nobody likes it when stocks go down. But once again, you have more choices than you think. Contrary to what many investors assume, selling a call doesn’t lock you into your position until expiration. You can always buy back the call and remove your obligation to deliver stock. If the stock has dropped since you sold the call, you may be able to buy the call back at a lower cost than the initial sale price, making a profit on the option position. The buy-back also removes your obligation to deliver stock if assigned. If you choose, you can then dump your long stock position, preventing further losses if the stock continues to drop...If you’re attracted to covered calls as an ongoing income strategy, you can buy the stock and sell the call option in a single transaction. This is called a 'buy-write'...Buy-writes offer more than convenience. For one thing, you reduce your market risk by not legging into the strategy. (When you get into a multi-leg option position in more than one transaction, that’s called 'legging' into the trade.) Because a lot can happen between one trade and the next, even if they’re just a few moments apart, legging into a position can pose some additional risks. That being said, using a multi-leg position can also be tricky. You’ll incur two commissions and it may involve complex tax treatment depending on your personal situation. Be sure to check with a tax advisor before trading a buy-write...Covered calls are a way to earn income on your long stock positions above and beyond any dividends the stock may pay. 'Static' and 'if-called' returns help you figure out if selling the call makes sense for your investment strategy. 'Static return' on a covered call refers to the scenario in which you sell a covered call and the stock doesn’t budge – allowing you, as the writer, to keep the premium as income. 'If-called return' assumes assignment does occur and you deliver the stock at the strike price. You should do the math for both of these scenarios before diving into covered call writing. These numbers are important to ensure you’re working towards your investing goals when implementing this strategy, and that you’ll be satisfied with your returns in the event of either outcome...Covered calls can be a handy strategy to generate income on your holdings above and beyond any dividends. Typically, you’ll write covered calls on stocks toward which you’re long-term bullish, but not expecting large gains in the immediate future. They can be particularly useful on stocks that are stagnant or experiencing a small dip in the short term. But be careful. As with any other option strategy, covered calls are never a sure thing. You need to understand your risks and enter the trade with a plan for all possible outcomes." Terry White reports:
"Executives are the public faces of a company. When you think of Microsoft, Bill Gates naturally comes to mind. Unlike Microsoft, a small business won’t have hundreds of leaders in the executive suite. But the list of a company’s key principals, even if only two or three, is just as important to the success of a small business. It is a marketing vehicle to sell your company’s vision...A list of key company principals is ordinarily presented in descending order according to title, starting with the Chief Executive Officer. Depending on company size and practice, you’ll want to list presidents and vice presidents, including the Chief Operating Officer and the leaders of Finance, Legal, Communications, Marketing and Human Resources. All titles won’t be available in all companies, especially those that are true small businesses. But you can bet someone at the company is handling those jobs. Make sure your list includes them...A list of key principals should be accompanied by short biographies of each executive. It should be personal and reflect the choices, culture and style of the company and its leadership. The executive will most likely want certain facts included and others excluded, but a few things like education and professional accomplishments are standard. If you’re writing a list of key company principals, spend some time with each one. Talk to their colleagues...Paint the principals as 'ordinary' people. This can help counter the remoteness of ivory tower stereotypes...Use the culture of your small business to set the tone of your list. An accounting firm's list of key principals would read much differently than one for a family-owned furniture manufacturer. Use sophisticated, yet casual language that generates good vibes with your target audiences -- your customers and investors. Avoid hyperbole and worn out expressions such as best, groundbreaking, cutting-edge and world class. Investors see those words every day and they’ve become generic filler. Formal corporate bios should be polished, but never boring. A trendsetting company should present its leaders as hip. Less formal lists can include kids, hobbies and special interests to humanize the subject...Your list can range anywhere from a hundred to several hundred words, but shorter is always better. Otherwise, fluff gets in the way and could turn readers off. Worse, the person could come across as pretentious. Remember your goals: [P]ut a human face on the company and sell the product. It should be a glimpse of the principals and the company, not a thesis. Ask yourself what's unique and exciting about the company. Don’t regurgitate an executive’s resume. The important thing is to keep in mind the points that matter to the people who are interested in your list of key principals." Kristen Pope reports:
"If you have work to get done, make sure you have a comfortable chair that will get you in a productive mood — and not tempt you to take a midday nap when you’re on deadline. Some freelancers prefer working at an outdoor desk, small table, or even...lap desk. Experiment with a few options until you find a set-up that works for you...From an unexpected sprinkler mishap to a gust of wind throwing leaves (or maybe even your coffee) all over your laptop, working outside is not the most hazard-free environment for electronics. For this reason, I don’t bring my regular work computer outside. Instead, I have a small, inexpensive laptop that I use for travel and outdoor work. I got the machine for a steal, and I’d be pretty bummed if something happened to it — but not nearly as upset as if a cloudburst destroyed my main work machine. In case you need another reminder[,] back up your work frequently...Everyone finds different ways to work, [but] I prefer my outdoor time to be free of the distractions of email[.] Having a travel laptop actually helps with this: [T]he small screen isn’t great for toggling between open windows and other online tasks...Glare is the arch-nemesis of the outdoor-loving freelancer...One option is to face towards the sun and reduce glare on your screen. Another option is just moving to the shade, whether it’s under a tree or umbrella or even in the shade of a building. Be sure to tinker with your screen settings and the brightness and contrast levels. Increasing these will likely make it easier to see the screen. Or consider buying a laptop hood or sunscreen — or make your own out of an Ikea storage box...You don’t need to haul your laptop outside to get work done. Spending time outdoors can boost your creativity and inspiration, and that’s why it’s a great time for brainstorming, outlining, and other tasks that don’t require being glued to a monitor...[T]he beach is not a great place to get work done. Never mind the distractions of surf, sand, sun, and swimsuits. While those are a fun combination, they’re the enemy of your electronics. No matter how careful you are, it seems like sand and water have their way of getting everywhere. And what happens when you’re getting too hot on the beach and want to jump in the water for a quick dip? Or if you need a bathroom break? Unless you have someone there with you to watch over your things, it’s a huge hassle to safeguard your business-essential valuables when you step away for a minute...In some neighborhoods, if you plop yourself on your porch, people will soon come over to chat. While friendly neighborhoods are great for socializing, they’re not the best spots to get work done outside. When you’re selecting your spot to work outdoors, be sure to keep the distraction factor in mind. If your sweet next door neighbor just can’t leave you alone (even after you kindly ask them to come back after working hours), consider bringing your outdoor office to a local park or other place where you can work uninterrupted...Internet and electricity are two of the most important things to freelancers. Select your work spot with these needs in mind. If you’re outside your own home, you may be able to have easy access to both by moving your router closer to where you’re working and running an extension cord. But if those aren’t options, consider turning your phone into a WiFi hotspot or bringing a spare battery for your laptop...Just because you’re outside working doesn’t mean you’re immune to the inconveniences of being outside. Be sure to slather on the sunscreen, don a hat, and grab the bug spray if the critters are biting. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, [and] be sure to take breaks and follow other healthy freelancer habits." Meghan Drummond reports:
"Writing outside of your experience is a challenge, but one with rewards...A cast of characters with differences creates a dynamic and exciting read with dialogue that pops and wants and needs that are often at odds...So, what are some steps you can take to writing outside of your own perspective?...You need to have a link to the inside of all of your characters. This is a place of commonality that allows you to understand what they’re thinking or feeling...Take honest emotions and use them to write your character. Real people make the worst characters, but every character should have a touch of real in them. People that have changed your world are a great place to start...As writers, our urge is to connect and unite. Writers are great at building commonality. But as a result, we often shy away from exposing the things about us that we think people won’t find appealing...And we shouldn’t. When Allie Brosh, author of the webcomic series Hyperbole and a Half, did a series of comics on depression, her readership exploded...Brosh’s comics were always amazing, but the episodes about her struggle with depression quickly became among her most popular. The Bloggess likewise has generously shared her experiences with anxiety, and has found an eager audience. Think about it this way[:] [A]re you more likely to make friends with...the person who says they like pizza or the person who loves the same strange cult classic movie as you? People bond over unique experiences and shared weirdness, so let your sparkle show...Too often writers build characters based on stereotypes and characters that they’ve found in popular media. This is like building your house on a foundation of sand. Not only is it unbearably difficult, but one wrong move and the entire thing is going to crumble. Instead, do two of the things that authors are amazing at. Research and lose your mind. Research what the life of your character would be like. Read books, read blogs, read novels outside of your usual repertoire. Then get out of your mind and into the mind of this character. Explore them the way you would any new character, figuring out their deepest wants, fears, and formative experiences. Once they feel real to you, start writing...[D]on’t include diverse characters just because you don’t want to be accused of having a white heteronormative cast; do it because that’s the way our world actually is. Look around next time you’re in the grocery store or taking public transit...(that fount of writer inspiration) and tell me that the world you see looks anything like the world portrayed in books or in movies. So, don’t be afraid to write outside of your experience, but like all things in writing, do it well." Alasdair Smith reports:
"It’s not always necessary to address your career goals and objectives on your resume if you’re already established in your field and are just looking for another position that will require the same skill set. However, if you’re just starting out, or changing your career direction, stating your goals and objectives on your resume is useful and appropriate. Presenting this information in a short personal statement will give a prospective employer a good sense of your direction and why you would be an asset to their company. Write down all your thoughts concerning you[r] future career goals. At this stage, be as open as possible to even the most outlandish ideas, ruling nothing out. Use this as an opportunity to reflect on what would make you truly happy and fulfilled in your professional life in the long term. Creating an ambitious vision is the first step in pursuing a fulfilling career and lifestyle that complements your interests. Review your list and narrow it down to those that most closely reflect your main interests. Focus on those that stir your passions will both stretch and satisfy you professionally...[Y]ou should set goals that are realistically attainable within a certain time period. If you set an impossible goal, you will quickly become disinterested and less effective. Your goals should motivate and inspire you to work hard towards your desired outcome. Identify individual career objectives that will help you to achieve your long-term goals. Consider individual objectives [a]s stepping stones towards your ultimate career goal...Combine the elements of your career goals and objectives into a powerful paragraph to head up your resume. This will help attract the interest of potential employers when recruiting. Keep it to no more than two or three sentences. This personal statement should set out what you're immediately seeking in a new job, the skills you bring, and your ultimate objective...Revisit and refresh your goals and objectives regularly as your circumstances and experiences change. Tailor your personal statement to each position and company to which you apply to maximize your chances of securing an interview." C. Patrick Schulze reports:
"Many new authors write descriptions but often miss the concept of imagery altogether. Think of a description as a photograph, if you will. The average writer looks over the photo and writes the various things he sees. This is not necessarily the best way to convey what you wish your readers to envision...[Y]ou might try to write in a way that incorporates the images you see into the action...[Y]ou should avoid writing descriptions of setting in long narratives. A rule, and we all know rules are created for us to break, says to put no more than two sentences together when describing your scene. Try not to fall into the trap where long descriptions will draw your reader’s attention from the main story. Use your characters’ senses. The following example will demonstrate this concept. Once inside, he noticed a soft clanging that drifted through the building. It sounded somewhat like someone hammered on bronze. He tiptoed farther in and noticed an odor waft up from beneath the floorboards. Old food, perhaps?...[Y]ou might consider allowing your characters to impart images of things happening when they speak...Use verbs that convey action...Use adverbs that convey action. An example might be a character’s shredded credit card. 'Shredded' shows an action but is used to describe the noun. Another example is a groaning piece of equipment. Use ordinary things in other than ordinary ways. For example, what about using an automobile to pull a tow truck or having a car chase a dog? Think small. Have your characters take note of some of the smallest of details in your setting. Could you make use of the tiny nubs on the treads of a new tire? When might you point out the indentation at the bottom of a wine bottle? Can you imagine ever employing the scratches on a cell phone screen in your novel?" |
Writing and editing can be pretty rigorous processes if you want to do them well, but that's what this page is here for. Check out the latest tips here. Archives
March 2024
CategoriesJ.D. Parsons
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