Obviously, traditional publishing does not insure excellent quality. Nor does self-publishing suggest inferior quality. Such a simplistic representation belies the gray area in between. Since anyone can become self-published, regardless of aptitude, it is logical to assume that there are more poor quality self-published books, because there is no doorkeeper to screen out inadequate talent. Taking this a step further, since anyone can self-publish; poor writers receive no independent feedback. All authors require feedback in order to discover and remedy areas in need of improvement. Thus, a self-published author may continue to crank out poor quality writing, unaware that their skills require honing.

Some new authors believe that trade publishers are inaccessible. This concept lacks a logical foundation. The popularity of self-publishing says almost nothing about “the inaccessibility of trade publishers.” Rather, it is an artifact of the transitional state of the industry. I have had two books traditionally published and I did not find publishers “inaccessible.” In fact, although I was an unknown author, I received an advance on my first book. More recently, through message boards and social networking sites, I have discovered many authors who gave up after contacting a few dozen publishers. They, no doubt, could have had the impression that publishers were inaccessible. However, had they learned how to write a descriptive and succinct publishing proposal, and had the dedication to contact hundreds of publishers, they might have been successful.

The publishing industry, along with its distribution, marketing and sales channels is undergoing vast transformation. Competition is fierce, profit margins are diminishing and Internet sales are changing the face of the industry. With current profit margins cut to draconian levels, publishers can take few chances on unknown writers, particularly with fiction. Instead, publishers must insure the quality and marketability of the writing. While it has always been difficult for an unknown author to obtain a contract with trade publishers, it is even more difficult today. And, because of contemporary industry flux, publishers are less interested in the quality of your writing than in its marketability. They lack the financial security to take chances on books with a marginal opportunity for profitability. Thus, many more authors today must rely upon self-publishing, not necessarily because it’s the best way to publish, but rather it’s the only way.

Of course there are many high quality self-published books and some poor quality trade published books. But such a statement cannot be used to boost the reputation of self-published books. This perception runs short on logic. Trade publishers are the gatekeepers of quality, while no talent is required at all to self-publish. Still, many perceptive non-fiction writers who have the time and talent to market and sell their books are heavily influenced by self-publishing’s financial rewards. But, this author must be willing to conduct what amounts to almost a full time job in preparing their book for self-publishing sales.

The self-published author must not only possess excellent writing skills to be successful, he or she must also have excellent graphic art talent for cover design. Although it should not matter, a book’s cover is an important sales criterion. The self-published author must have deep connections with distributors and retailers. Most new authors do not. The book must quickly appear on the Internet sites of Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s, etc. The self-published author must also successfully engage distributors globally, since widespread distribution is a key element of sales success.

Most self-publishing organizations will offer little in the way of marketing, beyond placing the cover and a description in their web site. In reality, books will not sell unless they are distributed internationally, available with all major retail Internet sites and on the shelves of bookstores.

The self-published author must also have the talent and time to create and administer a successful viral marketing campaign. The author must create and maintain Internet web sites, promote their book through dozens of social networking sites and maintain the book at retailers. They must write articles about their book (or a related topic) and have them published on popular Internet sites and Blogs. They must research, collect and use appropriate key words, so that search engines will find the book and related articles. They must Blog and write on others’ Blogs, promoting the book. All of this demands a great deal of time and effort.

Additionally, the self-published author must arrange for book tours, book signings, bookstore visits and create radio and television media exposure. The author must also obtain reviews from pertinent sources and promote the book through organizations, newspapers and magazines. In most cases, the traditional publisher, who already possesses the talent, connections and experience, will accomplish these critical tasks; and they will be accomplished faster than a self-published author can complete the tasks. If a self-published author lacks the time, connections and talent to accomplish all of these critical tasks, they should continue to promote their writing to traditional publishers. Unless, of course, the author only wants a nice book with his or her name on it for their coffee table. If the author desires that people read the book, or they wish to earn revenue from it, then a trade publisher is best.

It is not my intent to condemn self-publishing. For experienced, recognized and talented authors who write non-fiction, and who have the time and ability to accomplish all of the tasks mentioned above, self-publishing might be the best opportunity. However, for an inexperienced writer who works elsewhere full time and who writes fiction, it can be the wrong way to publish. Instead, the author should hone and refine their skills through writing courses and by engaging professional feedback about their skills.

Finally, many new authors give up on trade publishing far too soon. They disregard submission guidelines posted on the publishers’ web site. They send publishers a manuscript instead of a proposal. Or, they send a poor proposal. At a minimum, publishing proposals must include a market study, competitive analysis, biography, synopsis, marketing analysis and sales attributes.

Trade publishers are the industry gatekeeper for a very good reason. It insures that the author under contract will possess marketable skills. Authors who use rejection to their advantage, by refinement and honing of their skills, will be rewarded in the future with a traditional publishing contract and reap the rewards that trade publishers offer.

Charles S. Weinblatt

Author, “Jacob’s Courage”

Have you ever gone to a party not feeling very festive and then had a great time? Or not wanting to go or feeling down, then after being there, feeling good or even great? Or have you done something at first feeling negative, then afterwards thinking, “That wasn’t so bad.” You can change your mood. You can do something without having good feelings, you just do it. You can even do something while having a bad mood or not feeling well.

Research has shown that clutterers and hoarders commonly think that they have to feel like cleaning up to do it. If you are a clutterer, you may think you have to be in a good mood, feel physically up to it, or have wonderful, joyful energy that just wants to clean up!

Well, there are other ways. You can work with your mood. Here are some of the ways you can do it.

You can change your mood.

You may have heard about the research that shows if you smile, it will take less muscles than frowning and can also pick up your mood. Or watch a funny show or movie. You can also put on music that gives you good feelings, whether it be happy and upbeat music or soft and mellow. I’ve known people to listen to classical, reggae, salsa, romantic or new age. Put on whatever music feels good to you.

You can do it with a neutral mood.

Just go through the paces of cleaning up and organizing in whatever speed you want. One way to do this is to clean whatever you want at the moment, just anything that moves you in the right direction. Clean up whatever keeps you in a neutral mood. Even clean up or organize one thing. That is still an accomplishment. Be like the serene Buddha!

You can clean up in a bad mood.

Who says you have to feel good to clean up? Some of the best cleaning I’ve done is when I’m angry. Even depressed, I just move at whatever speed I want and I get work done. I don’t recommend you encourage yourself to feel the negative feelings, but go ahead and use them if that’s what you are feeling! You may find you feel better after taking the actions of cleaning up and organizing.

Remember, even if you clean up or organize just one item, it is better than without that!

Suppose you have silvery hair. The natural assumption of those with whom you live and work would be that you are of an age when the hair begins to lose its color. If your hair turned grey before you were 20 or 30 years of age, it might be a dietary deficiency, a medical concern – or genetics.

A black Labrador Retriever, silver factored with a coat that is something less than black, is claimed by some to be a pure bred dog. Purportedly rare and highly desirable, a black Labrador Retriever that’s silver factored may be offered at a higher than normal price. Does it merit this? Or is it simply a crossbreed – a mongrel?

Black Labrador Retriever Standard

The Labrador Retriever breed standard says: “The Labrador Retriever coat colors are black, yellow, and chocolate. Any other color or a combination of colors is a disqualification.” The breed standard goes on to say that black Labrador Retrievers must be all black. If a black Labrador Retriever has a small white spot on the chest, it is “permissible, but not desirable” according to the breed standard.

A black Labrador Retriever, silver factored or not, must meet that standard. Every purebred black Labrador Retriever must be black.

Genetically Speaking

A black Labrador Retriever, silver factored or otherwise at odds with the standard, apparently has genetics that are not in line with those of the breed. The genetics of a true black Labrador Retriever’s coat color seem to be rather simple. Each dog receives two pairs of genes: one from its mother and one from its father.

You will remember from early science class that there are two types of gene in every living being: dominant and recessive. This is true of you and it is true of black Labrador Retrievers. Genes determine your hair color, just as genes determine the coat color of a black Labrador Retriever. You might have brown, black, red, blond, or a variation of any of those. A Labrador Retriever has only two choices: black and chocolate – although we see black, chocolate, and yellow.

Consider these facts.

1. In Labrador Retrievers, a dominant gene always determines what color the coat will be. Always. It does not matter what other genes are present. The black gene, which we will call “B” for short, is dominant. Therefore, if a “B” gene is present, the pre-selected coat color is black. But read on.

2. We will call the recessive chocolate gene “b” for short. The “b” gene can only produce a chocolate coat if the dog inherits no “B” gene. Those are the only choices: “B” dominant black genes and “b” recessive chocolate genes. There is no gene for yellow, silver, or other colors. A black Labrador Retriever, silver factored or other factored, would have to go against this genetic makeup.

3. In addition to the black and chocolate genes, Labrador Retrievers have two more genes. These genes determine the dogs’ ability to express a dark coat, i.e. to let the dark color show. Let’s call the dominant expression gene “E” for short and the recessive expression gene “e” for short.

4. Labrador Retrievers that have the dominant “E” gene are able to express a dark coat. They can show black or chocolate. If the dog has a “B” gene and an “E” gene, it will be black, no matter what other genes it has. If it has a “b” and an “E” gene, it will be chocolate.

5. Labrador Retrievers that have the recessive “e” gene cannot show a dark coat. They will show neither black nor chocolate. They will show the absence of those by being a shade of yellow. A Labrador Retriever with a combination such as BBee has 2 dominant genes for black, but the recessive “e” genes will not let the color show. The dog will be yellow.

You will see that a black Labrador Retriever, silver factored is not possible with these pairs of genes. There is no scientific data as of this writing (2007) that has found any silver gene in black Labrador Retrievers.

True Nature of So-called Silver Labs

A black Labrador Retriever that is said to be silver factored may be an unusually light yellow or chocolate Lab. There is also, in the U.S., a gray-brown shade similar to that of Weimaraners. It is reported that the U.S. kennel first to report “silver” Labradors also kept Weimaraners, a silvery-gray breed with somewhat similar appearance. It is widely believed that the true nature of a black Labrador Retriever, silver factored, is that of a crossbreed: Labrador Retriever – Weimaraner mix.

The AKC recognizes “silver” Labs only as chocolate, and rejects them because they do not meet the breed standard for chocolate Labs. A black Labrador Retriever that’s silver factored is not an AKC standard purebred dog.

Times are tough for builders and remodelers right now, so preventing expensive damage to carpets, doors, floors and other interior finishes is critical in lowering building costs and reducing completion times. Construction managers can choose from two types of surface protection products; a) disposable protection such as films and papers which can only be used once; or b) reusable protection made from reinforced plastic or cotton textiles. So what should a contractor choose?

Paper products such as rosin paper, Kraft papers and corrugated cardboard can be used for extremely short periods of time on surfaces such as floors and counter tops but are not recommended for longer use. Although these disposable protection products are inexpensive and widely available, they lose effectiveness when applied long-term. When the cost of installation is considered, including taping the seams together and product upkeep due to water penetration or tearing from foot traffic, these paper products are not recommended beyond a day or two of use.

For some short term applications, inexpensive, disposable films are the most economical choice. Low cost, easy-to-install carpet film works most effectively to protect carpets for up to 45 days. The rolls are reverse wound for easy installation and can protect carpets for up to 45 days. Films are also the best choice for vertical protection of stainless steel elevator doors and some plumbing fixtures. When films do not provide enough protection, thicker, disposable adhesive products are necessary. Protecta-foam is thick, disposable, adhesive foam that is easy to install and remove, and can save builders thousands of dollars in costly repairs. It protects cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, counter tops and other vulnerable surfaces.

Wood floors and stairs are two surfaces where thick, long lasting protection makes the most financial sense. The high cost of wood materials and installation coupled with the costs of repairs make them worth the added cost of long lasting protection. While construction managers may be tempted to choose less expensive, disposable protection, the cost savings may not add up when comparing the superior effectiveness of reusable products to protect expensive flooring. They are typically thicker and more durable and have the added convenience of being on hand when needed for a new job.

There are several products on the market to protect wood floors with thicknesses from 30 to 50 mm thick. Clean and Safe™ is a reusable floor protection made from recycled materials. Its skid resistant backing holds it in place on wood floors. For wood stairs, Multi-purpose runner makes sense as it has an adhesive bottom to hold the protection in place and is guaranteed not to leave a sticky residue upon removal. Both these products are available from several distributors throuought the U.S.

A few products on the market combine the low cost of disposable protection with the advantages of thicker, reusable protection. Compressed cardboard door protection such as DoorGuard™, edge protectors and window sill protection are inexpensive and can be reused many times. These products are made from recycled cardboard and can be recycled themselves, making them a great choice for the green building industry.

Recently introduced surface protection products to the market include fire resistant, heavy duty, plastic floor protection such as Coverguard®. With a large portion of the commercial building industry focused on hospital construction, an increased need for fire resistant products was necessary. Bainbridge, the manufacturer of Coverguard® saw the opportunity for their boat deck production in the construction industry and now sells it’s flooring protection through local distributors. Fire resistant plastic sheeting used for dust control is also necessary on hospital remodels. Although fire resistant products are safer on all construction sites, the products are substantially more expensive and thus not cost effective unless absolutely necessary.

How does a construction manager know which products are the most cost effective? The best advice is to contact a local surface protection expert to discuss your particular project including how long the protection will be required and how many workers will be on site. Product specialists work closely with construction managers and remodelers to help them choose products with the best value.

Driving near a school or a school bus can be dangerous if motorists don’t take proper precautions to ensure not just their own safety, but the safety of children in the vicinity. Here’s a guide to help you understand the right protocol to follow as a motorist in a school zone, or near a school bus.

Picking up or dropping off children at school:

• Every school has a system to pick up and drop off children. Make sure you educate yourself on the rules of the school and adhere to them
• Don’t double park because it reduces visibility for other drivers, and can endanger students
• Park in the allotted areas (these have been designed keeping in mind the safety of students), and take permitted turns while navigating the school grounds. Avoid making U-turns and three-point turns.
• While driving, watch out closely for children on bikes coming onto the roadway from between parked cars. Also keep a safe distance of at least 3ft between your vehicle and the motorcycle, and always check your side-view mirror before exiting your car
• As a rule, ensure that your child is safely buckled in with the seat belt or in an age-appropriate child car seat before starting the car. Also, make sure your child enters or exits the car only via the ‘safety door’ which is the rear door on the kerb-side

Driving in a school zone:

• Don’t exceed the 25mph speed limit imposed while driving in school zones. Most often this speed limit is imposed in school zones between 8 a.m. and 9.30 a.m., and 2.30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Motorists must adhere to this speed limit even if there are no children in sight
• Slow down when approaching a school crossing
• Do not proceed past the school crossing until the crossing supervisor’s hand-held sign is no longer displayed, or until he/she indicates that you can continue
• If there is no crossing supervisor, but ‘CHILDREN CROSSING’ flags are displayed, the motorist must stop and wait until all the pedestrians have crossed the road
• While driving through a school zone, avoid honking as it might scare children and cause them to stumble or fall in the way of oncoming traffic

Driving in the vicinity of a school bus:

• Learn to understand the flashing light system on school buses.
• If the overhead lights on the bus are flashing yellow, then prepare to stop. These lights indicate that the bus driver is planning to bring the vehicle to a halt to load or unload children.
• If the overhead lights are flashing red, and the stop sign extended, it means that the bus has stopped and that children are getting on or off the bus. At this time all motorists, regardless of the direction in which they are moving, must come to a halt until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop sign pulled back, and the bus resumes motion. In all 50 states of the U.S., it is mandatory for all vehicles on both sides of the road to come to a halt during this process. However, if a median divides the road, this may not be required.
• If you are passing a school bus, make sure that there is plenty of visibility and space in the next lane. It is illegal in the U.S. to pass a bus on the right side, as this is where the loading and unloading of children occurs. Therefore, vehicles may pass the school bus on the left side on multiple lane roadways
• Remember, though buses have large mirrors to assist the driver in his/her navigation, these vehicles also have huge blind spots. Stay cognizant of this, and pull back and slow down if you see a bus flash its blinkers, and allow it to move into the next lane.
• Be especially vigilant near bus stops. Children may be playing at the bus stop to kill some time, or might be arriving late for their school bus and may inadvertently dart into oncoming traffic.
• Bear in mind that buses stop frequently, so maintain at least 3ft distance between your car and the bus, to allow yourself enough time to come to a halt too
• Do not park at or near a bus stop. In fact, maintain enough distance between your vehicle and the bus stop to allow children to enter and exit the bus with ease
• Always remember that children can behave in an unpredictable, often rash, manner. In their haste or enthusiasm, they may not remember the safety concerns associated with walking on the road or picking up something they’ve dropped on the road. Therefore, it’s important to look very carefully to make sure the way is clear before navigating traffic behind a school bus.

These tips will help you drive in a safe, responsible manner while driving in a school zone, or near a school bus. If you would like to share your thoughts or suggestions of your own, we’d love to hear from you. Leave us a comment below!

As the mother of a 22 year old, I’m at that stage in my life when some styles just aren’t attractive or appropriate anymore. My two biggest fears are looking like my mother and looking like my daughter. 

Stylish, mature women follow the major trends while staying within their own look. As we go along, we have to redefine what constitutes an up to date look and let go of old fashioned ideas, but there is a fine line between looking current and looking like a fashion victim. Everybody has a different idea of what is frumpy. As with most things in my life, I figure out what’s right for me by eliminating what’s wrong. These are on my “no-no” list:

• Wearing your pants too short-this is a look killer that I see often. The modern way to wear pants is very long-almost brushing or brushing the floor. 
• Wearing tucked in blouses and tops-this one is hard for me to resist because I love my belts! Untucked tailored shirts and (layered) t-shirts look modern. If you choose to tuck and wear a belt, don’t do it the old fashioned way-mom jeans that sit on the waist and taper at the ankle with a 1″ belt-yuck! Pants that rest 1″ below the waist are flattering for most of us and a wider belt (around 2″) is slimming
• Dressing too “matchy-matchy”-this is a tough one for women of my generation because when we were growing up the perfect outfit was a plaid skirt picked from a rack with coordinating sweaters and finished off with matching Papagallo shoes and purse. It’s just not that easy anymore. The women who still subscribe to this method of dressing wear a head to toe “look” from one designer. BORING! It takes a little creativity, but basically you want to mix palettes and textures. Look at color combinations in magazines and in stores to keep up to date. You may see color combinations you never though of as “going” together and they look modern and chic. Even the simplest outfit can look great by mixing textures; think nubby wool with velvet or linen with silk. If this is very uncomfortable territory for you, wear suits but update them with shoes and tops
• Wearing sleeveless tops and dresses without the benefit of regular exercise-when I attended my daughter’s high school graduation on a sweltering June day, I saw lots and lots of flabby arms; I was thanking my Total Gym! I don’t mean to say you have to exercise, but if you’re not blessed with toned arms, wear short or long sleeves
• Trying to look too pulled together-if your clothes are sophisticated and impeccable, tone down the hair and make-up-that’s a modern look. And in a similar vein…
• Wearing too much make-up-this is particularly important as we get older. Go for a polished look in neutral colors for day and ramp it up a little with color or a heavier application at night
• Wearing too little make-up-I don’t go anywhere without mascara, blush and lip gloss at a minimum. Most days I add taupe eyeshadow and dark brown liner and a little brow tamer. It takes 5 minutes and makes a world of difference!
• Looking totally un-put together-when I see women at the mall in sweats or shorts and a baggy t-shirt, I wonder why they’re shopping if that’s how they go out of the house. Even when just wearing jeans, you can look pulled together by paying attention to your shoes and other accessories. Or, throw a jacket over just about anything and look instantly pulled together
• Purchasing a dress for “special” for special occasions-of course there are some functions, for example if you’re the mother of the bride, when you have to buy a special dress. But for most semi-formal occasions it’s more chic to collect a wardrobe of fancy separates-silk slacks, blouses and skirts, velvet skirts and jackets, dressy cashmere sweaters, embellished jackets and maybe a tuxedo to mix and match. It makes more sense, too if you don’t dress up often because you can update your pieces one at a time
• Out of date glasses-glasses are a fashion accessory and if you have to wear them you may as well keep them up to date. It’s worth the money when you consider cost per wear!
• Wearing too many “jewels”-I’m not into costume jewelry, I’d rather have a few pieces that reflect my personality and that I’ll love forever. Make one thing your focal point, if you wear too many pieces it’s distracting
• Wearing unflattering silhouettes-there are certain clothes that are not good for some body types. Nobody can escape this, even what we regard as a model body cannot wear every style. Sometimes it’s easier for a good buddy to point out what doesn’t work for you; it’s very difficult to see yourself without prejudice. If you’re going to spend the time and effort to wear nice clothes, be a good editor and stay away from what doesn’t work for you. This has nothing to do with size! 
• Wearing “cheap” clothes-when I shop with my daughters at stores like H&M and Forever 21, I’m tempted by the price tags, but inexpensive clothing looks really bad on mature women. Again, I’d rather have 10 things that I love than 30 things that are so-so
• College hair-if you’re still wearing your hair like you did when you were 19 and you’re over 40, it’s time for a change. And if you got the cut of the moment-the “Dorothy Hamill”, the “Rachel”-and you still have it, it’s time for a change. Trendy haircuts are just that, they are meant to be constantly updated
• Lady-like suits and small stud earrings-I know when women see this look with the “new” Chanel style suits and dresses they think, this is a look I can relate to. Thing is, this is a look for young women-it looks hip on them. Like they say-if you wore it the first time around, think hard about wearing it again. Simple, structured suits with a bend toward avant guarde look much more stylin’ for us over 40’s 

I find that when I follow these guidelines, it reduces my options, making it easier to pull together stylish, ageless outfits.

Have you ever noticed how some cast iron dutch ovens have little legs on the bottom of them and how others don’t? Ever wonder what purpose those little legs serve? Well, believe it or not, those little legs make the difference of how you are going to cook with your cast iron dutch oven.

For those new to cast iron dutch ovens, there are two types of ovens you can buy, ones with three legs and ones with a flat bottom and no legs. Cast iron dutch ovens without legs are best used for indoor cooking because you can use them on your stove top or inside the oven. You can cook some very delicious recipes in these types of ovens, such as roasted chicken and rice, roast beef and potatoes, and the always popular soups and stews. However, flat bottom dutch ovens can be used over a campfire but only if they are hanging from a tripod.

But now, what about those cast iron dutch ovens with the three legs, what are they for and how do I cook with those types of ovens? Well, first things first, these ovens are created and best used for cooking over campfires, or to be more precise, in campfires. The purpose of those three little legs is to create space between the bottom of the oven and the hot coals it is sitting over. That space between the bottom of the oven and the coals is to help create a space for air flow to reach the coals. When using an oven with legs, you will either want to make a separate fire pit for the oven to be placed in or let your original campfire burn down to coals so you have enough room between the bottom of the oven and the coals so air can circulate over the coals. Now, you can use a flat bottom dutch oven over a camp fire but you will need to place it on some rocks so you don’t burn the bottom of the food inside, depending on what you are cooking. But sometimes finding a rock is easier said than done, which is why if you truly are a cast iron dutch oven lover and an avid camper, an oven with three legs works the best.

Just like indoor ovens, there are a ton of delicious recipes you can make with your outdoor oven. The next time you go camping, no longer will hot dogs and hamburgers be the meals of choice. With your new cast iron dutch oven, a world of meal possibilities become available to you. You will be able to cook everything from scrambled eggs for breakfast to a delicious pot roast for dinner. And don’t forget about dessert, you can make desserts like apple cobbler. I’ve even read that you can make a deep dish pizza with your dutch oven!