The Traversalist

CCNA / CCNP candidates are going to be drilled by Cisco when it comes to troubleshooting questions. You’re going to have to be able to analyze configurations to see what the problem is (and if there is a problem in the first place), determine the meaning of different debug outputs, and show the ability not just to configure a router or switch, but troubleshoot one.

That’s just as it should be, because CCNAs and CCNPs will find themselves doing a lot of troubleshooting in their careers. Troubleshooting isn’t something that can just be learned from a book; you’ve got to have some experience working with routers and switches. The only real way to learn how to troubleshoot is to develop that ability while working on live equipment.

Of course, your company or client is going to take a very dim view of you developing this skill on their live network. So what can you do?

Assemble a Cisco home lab. When you start working with real Cisco equipment, you’re doing yourself a lot of favors. First, you’re going to be amazed at how well you retain information that will become second nature to you before exam day. But more importantly, both for the exam room and your career, you’re developing invaluable troubleshooting skills.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying knowing the theory of how routers and switches work is unimportant. Quite the opposite – if you don’t know networking theory, you’re not going to become a CCNA or CCNP. But the ability to apply that knowledge is vital – and the only way you can get that is to work on real Cisco routers and switches. As for these “router simulators” on the market today, ask yourself this simple question: “When I walk into a server room, how many router simulators do I see?”

I often tell students that they’ll do their best learning when they screw something up. I’ve had many a student tell me later that I was right – when they misconfigured frame relay, ISDN, or another CCNA / CCNP technology and then had to fix it themselves, it not only gave them the opportunity to apply their knowledge, but it gave them the confidence to know they could do it.

And you can’t put a price on confidence – in the exam room or in the network center!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage (www.thebryantadvantage.com), home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. Video courses and training, binary and subnetting help, and corporate training are also available. Pass the CCNA exam and CCNP exams with Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933!

They say if you wait long enough, a style you liked in almost any genre will come back. This is as true for retail store fixtures as it is for clothing or styles of music. The look of the 1960s came back strong in the early 90s and now it appears as if the 1970s are enjoying a renaissance. This rule of thumb applies not only to the style and type of merchandise being sold, but also to the look and feel of the retail establishments selling them. A good way for a new retail business to save money on start up expenses is to do some research and find vintage store fixtures which can often be purchased for a fraction of their original cost. You may find yourself in a bidding war, however, as vintage store fixtures maintained in good condition are few and far between.

At one time or another in the last 100 years or so, a certain look was popular in retail stores. There was an era when wood was all the rage and in another era the look of choice was brushed metal. When plastics became big business in the 1950s, everybody jumped on the bandwagon and you couldn’t turn around in a store without touching some form of display made out of plastic. Later, it was metal strands coated in rubbery plastic materials with outrageously loud colors such as bright orange spinning book racks or yellow and red clothes hangers made out of steel and coated with colored plastic.

In the retail industry as a whole, 28% of existing establishments close each year and over time almost 80% of stores close up or get bought out by competitors. Though it’s not always good news for the retailer closing shop, it can be good for the new retailer because the old fixtures most likely get sold as scrap or auctioned off. If you are planning on opening your own retail store, start checking the local auctions in the city where you live. If there aren’t enough, check the newspapers in the cities near you and be ready to travel. If all else fails, go online and check out the auction sites. Attractive, vintage store fixtures sometimes go unnoticed and can be purchased for pennies on the dollar if they happen to be just what you’re looking for.

Store Fixtures Info provides detailed information on metal, antique, wholesale, and used store fixtures and store fixture parts. Store Fixtures Info is the sister site of Mannequins Web.

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Everybody will have the desire to see the God, but whether it is possible?

The desire can be definitely conceded. Where and how?

For this you need not go to a shrine to see the God. You can see hundreds of God right from morning till you go to bed. You can see the God through the happy faces of your parents, children, spouse, employee, and employer.

See the children. You can see the God in their innocence.

Respect your teacher. You can see the God through your master.

Be loyal to your employer. Be helpful to your employer for his reasonable and lawful activities. You can see the God through your employer.

Recognize your employee’s loyalty, sincerity, and reward them suitably for their welfare. You can see the God through your employees.

Satisfy your customers with quality and quantity. You can see the God through their happy faces.

Be sincere to your children. Teach them good habits. You can see the God through their good character and behavior.

Be loyal to your wife. See the God through her loyalty shown on you by her.

Be loyal to your husband. See the God through the loyalty shown on you by him.

Be good children to your parents.

Be supportive to your parents always at all the time. Take a pledge not to send them to old age home at any time. You can see the God out of their happy faces.

Help peoples those who come to you for help. Satisfy them and see the God through their happy faces.

Like this we can see the God in every of our good thought, speech and action.

You can go to a shrine and put your prayer.

God cannot consider your prayer when all your thought, speech, and action are not sincere.

If your thought, speech, and action are all sincere then the God through the persons you meet daily will concede your prayer.

Follow these principles then you will get whatever you want in this world very easily.

C.Krishnan Author

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Second step is writing down important information such as how and when you get paid. Some sites will mail you a check for each survey you take, others deposit money into a PayPal account and for others you must accrue a certain amount of money or points in order to get paid. Also pay attention to see if there are any actions required by you to maintain an active membership. Some sites require referrals, while others require opening emails. Getting Sample Teacher Surveys is simple. You must remember that some people use “scam” as a keyword in their advertisement to attract you to visit them, read on more about Sample Teacher Surveys. This just isn’t right. Also see Paid To Take Surveys Online For Games. This is a great way to make extra money in your pajamas.

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The survey companies aren’t hiding their information. More about Sample Teacher Surveys and Paid To Take Surveys Online For Games at our website. Get all the info on Sample Teacher Surveys from our homepage. So what can you do about it? Well it all boils down to switching things up and using another method to find paid survey websites. Get paid survey network list absolutely FREE from our website! Absolutely no charge for joining the industry’s TOP 7 paying survey networks from www.top-paidsurveys.org

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Good Luck!

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Analyze to see if the bank who wants to give you a credit loan is beneficial. A merchant bank in Janesville Wisconsin or so may have a total completely different actual rate for a 17500 dollar money loan then a moneylender in Freeport New York and that makes a huge clear gap in your weekly costs.

The translation says: Woon je in Aalsmeer of Oosterhout en hebt u BKR registratie. Lenen met en BKR codering is nog nooit zo eenvoudig geweest. Koop een nieuw huis met hoe vecht je een bkr codering aan, 435293 euro is altijd mogelijk om te financieren. Van Sint-Michielsgestel tot Menterwolde, financieren met zonder BKR kan hier altijd.

now you really need to investigate and realize if you can have a bank loan at a upright percent interest rate. At this moment you can look into rates quickly online and fancy if there are possible sneaky traps you should know about. 4.6 percent rate of interest may look so bonny but will that be changeless after you’re going to refund your loan. Many of the merchant banks wil show you a rate that looks reasonable but doesn’t feel good or so after a period of time. It doesn’t matter if you live in Manhattan Kansas or in Irvine California a honorable online inspection will salvage you often lots of incommode. Be undimmed today to investigate if you have a nice offer or if you don’t with the merchant bank that offers you a loan.

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The new food guidelines issued by the United States government recommend that all Americans eat between five and nine servings of fruits and vegetables each and every day. When you first hear that number, it may seem like a lot, but it is actually much easier than you think to fit that many servings of fruits and vegetables into your daily diet. For one thing, the shelves of the grocery stores are fairly bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition, vegetables and fruits are some of the least expensive, most nutrient rich, foods in the supermarket. With all these fruits and vegetables to choose from, it is very easy to make these nutritious, delicious foods part of your daily meals and snacks.

When you take into account how much a serving really is, it is actually quite easy to get five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day. For instance, the recommended daily amount actually equates to a quite reasonable two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables every day. When you consider how many fruits and vegetables are available, and how low the prices usually are, it is easy to see how easy to reach this daily goal really is.

One great way to get the nutrients you need from fruits and vegetables every day is to take full advantage of the variety of these foods available. Eating the same thing every day quickly becomes boring, so why not pick a variety of fruits and vegetables, in every color of the rainbow and in every conceivable shape, size and texture, to give yourself a varied diet every day.

When shopping for fruits and vegetables, it is important to choose a variety of different colors. This is for more than purely artistic reasons. Different color fruits and vegetables have different types of nutrients, and choosing a variety of colors will help ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need each and every day.

Finding new recipes is another great way to ensure you get those five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Everyone likes to try out new recipes, and these new recipes may just provide the impetus you need to eat all those fruits and veggies.

New recipes can also provide you the important opportunity to try out some fruits and vegetables you have never tried before. For instance, everyone has eaten oranges, but have you tried kiwi fruit or mangoes? How about spinach or kale? Trying new things is a great way to find new favorites while getting the best nutrition available.

Many people mistakenly think that they do not need to eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day if they just take a vitamin supplement. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. That is because fruits and vegetables contain far more than the micronutrients identified by science and synthesized in vitamin pills. While these micronutrients, such as vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E are important to good health, so too are the hundreds of other elements that are contained in healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. These elements are not available in any pill, they must be ingested through a healthy, balanced diet that contains plenty of fruits and vegetables.

In addition, fruits and vegetables are much less costly than vitamin pills. Fruits and vegetables are very inexpensive, especially when purchased in season and grown locally. In the long run, getting the nutrition you need from the food you eat is much less expensive, and much better for you, than popping those vitamin pills every day.

So don’t forget to get your five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day. It may seem like a lot, but you can meet this quite reasonable goal simply by including fruits and vegetables as snacks, as garnishes, as side dishes and as meals.

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Are you scanning the market place trying to pinpoint the best foreign currency exchange rates? The world wide web is a wonderful way to weigh up and secure the choicest offering. Then again, it’s not solely about looking around the lowest exchange rate – sneaky fees, commission and transfer costs will often all unfortunately make an inviting rate abruptly terrible value.

In this sad era of international economic upheaval you obviously need to do business with with a business which you can really trust – to not only find you the best exchange rate attainable at the time but furthermore to provide you with help and sound advice. Foreign Currency Direct has been mentioned in such respectable news papers as The Sunday unhappy period and The Observer as a market leading business with whom to work when you are thinking about securing foreign currency. So, you can be sure you’ll be working with a professional, reputable & well noted firm. Finding foreign currency exchange rates doesn’t have to be difficult – talk to Foreign Currency Direct and see how easy they can be.

Dealing in foreign currency might be a difficult area of business – the currency rates regularly alter, so, if you don’t appreciate access to the most recently updated numbers and expert knowledge you could wind up forfeiting a notable amount of money. Foreign Currency Direct are without equal when you are dealing with exchange rates – in business since the year two thousand the firm has moved from strength to strength.

Foreign Currency Directs rates are based on live, second by second interbank’ prices (the price at which a bank sells to another) that are constantly given in real time, meaning that they are more competitive than those offered by non-specialist financial institutions and building societies.

All you must do is register your account at Foreign Currency Direct and you could commence trading currency – you can get exchange rate quotations by phone, if you accept the offer you will get an email, fax or postal conformation of the contract.

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Writing to persuade is a tough task, but with a bit of planning it can be made easier and more effective.

When you try to persuade someone, often you’ll be trying to do one of these three things:

* confirm an existing belief;

* challenge an existing belief; or

* change an existing belief.

In order to be as persuasive as possible, it’s important to decide before you begin writing which of these three you’re trying to accomplish as they each need different strategies.

Clearly this is a topic that can have a great deal written about it, but here are a few starting points.

CONFIRMING

If you’re trying to confirm a person’s beliefs through your writing, don’t simply provide them with information; rather, try to validate their beliefs and compliment them on them.

Try to make them feel comfortable, and remove any reason for them to doubt their existing choice. For example, you might say:

I recommend that we continue these environmentally sound procedures.

Words like “sound”, “tried and true”, “trusted”, “fiscally responsible” and “proven” reassure and subtly flatter the reader that their current choices are good ones.

CHALLENGING

If you’re trying to challenge a person’s beliefs, you’ll try to persuade them to question them. You’ll deliberately try to upset the status quo and shake things up a bit. For example:

Our belief that the leach pads are not leaking dangerous contaminants into the groundwater supply may be unfounded. I urgently recommend a research study to investigate this potentially damaging situation.

Here the language is deliberately worrying. Words like “leaking”, “dangerous”, “contaminants”, “unfounded”, “urgently” and “damaging” all combine to persuade the reader that the current situation must be investigated.

CHANGING

If you’re trying to change a belief (the hardest of the three tasks), you’ll have to be especially persuasive as it’s human nature for people to resist such changes.

If the reader is to accept your argument for change then it may require him to admit (even if just to himself) that his current beliefs or practices are in error, and many people are deeply reluctant to do this. There are issues of loss of face, humiliation and status involved.

One approach to this problem is to be diplomatic and emphasise how existing practices were sound in the past but now need to change to meet new circumstances. For example:

Our existing security practices were well suited to conditions in the early to mid-nineties. The changes brought about by networking and the rise of the Internet, however, mean that it is now time to change our attitudes. We need to recognise the mission-critical importance of heightened I.T. security.

Note that this appeal is polite and non-threatening. Also it uses inclusive words like “we”, not “you”. Hopefully, accepting it won’t be perceived as losing face.

You’ll find over 200 tips like this in Tim North’s e-book BUSINESS PROPOSAL WRITING MADE EASY. It’s just $9.95 and comes with a 30-day, money-back guarantee. http://www.scribe.com.au/ebooks.htm

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Humans seem to possess an innate abhorrence of subservience to authoritative figures. Even when someone is subjugated to someone else through the laws of the nation or the customs therein, the person will uncover ways to subvert the authority of the person set above him or her. Most often, these ways are of passive resistance since they are much less confrontational to the dominant person. By studying Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji and Marguerite de Navarre’s The Heptameron as social-historical documents, one can uncover evidence of the limitations imposed upon women by laws and social expectations and the means they undertook to overcome those limitations. The first part of this essay will examine the lives of women in the tenth-century court of Heian Japan, and the second part will discuss women of the court of sixteenth-century France. Although divided by custom, religion, and six hundred years of time, there are many similarities among these Eastern and Western women in their attempts to oppose male authority, along with many differences. In tenth-century Japan, the resistance women displayed was overwhelmingly passive, while in sixteenth-century France women exhibit more assertiveness towards male dominant figures.

Female Code of Conduct in the Court Life of Japan

Women in medieval Japan had little protection against male domination. The customs of the time expected women to be submissive to men, even to the point of rape. Men had no fear that they would be punished for rape, as evidenced in Genji’s attitude:

Quickly and lightly he lifted her down to the gallery and slid the door closed. Her surprise pleased him enormously. Trembling, she called for help. “It will do you no good, I am always allowed my way. Just be quiet, if you will, please.” (Shikibu 137-38)

Although the ‘lady of the misty moon’ is “upset” about Genji’s attack, she is more concerned with not having Genji to think her “wanting in good manners” (Shikibu 138). The implication is that women are expected to give their bodies to men who want them as a token of hospitality.

The personality characteristics that women were expected to possess can be discerned through the specific qualities Genji praises in this novel. The ‘lady of the evening faces’ is the first woman mentioned in the novel that Genji is extremely enamoured of. Genji describes her thus: She was of an extraordinarily gentle and quiet nature. Though there was a certain vagueness about her, and indeed an almost childlike quality, it was clear that she knew something about men. She did not appear to be of very good family. What was there about her, he asked himself over and over again, that so drew him to her? (Shikibu 41)

What Genji finds so appealing about the lady of the evening faces is her pliability and her desire to please, her tendency to submit to the “most outrageous demands” (Shikibu 42). These are the characteristics that women of the Japanese court were praised for.

An extreme example of females being treated as objects can be discovered through Genji’s actions in connection with the child Murasaki. When Genji first sees Murasaki, she is about ten years old. He is struck by her resemblance to Fujitsubo, his father’s consort whom Genji has long desired. Genji decides then and there that Murasaki must “stand in the place of the one whom she so resembled” (Shikibu 72). Though the child is already betrothed to another man, Genji is determined to take her “into his house and make her his ideal” (Shikibu 74).

When Genji learns that Murasaki’s father, Prince Hyōbu, is soon to take Murasaki to his home, Genji acts quickly. Unconcerned with how others would perceive his actions, he kidnaps the child from her guardians and hides her from her father at his home in Nijō. Murasaki is understandably terribly frightened by all this. Genji tells her: You are not to sulk, now, and make me unhappy. Would I have done all this for you if I were not a nice man? Young ladies should do as they are told. (Shikibu 103)

Genji’s ‘lesson’ to Murasaki is that her fear and unhappiness is no more than being ill-natured, that ladies are supposed to do what men tell them and to endeavor to make men happy, and that kidnapping her is not a bad thing, but shows how much Genji cares for her and is willing to do for her. Genji informs Murasaki that she must think of him as her teacher; in this manner Genji begins instructing Murasaki in the characteristics and accomplishments that his ‘ideal’ woman would possess.

Through the character of Genji, one may discern the personality traits that were undesirable for women to have. Genji resents “chilliness” in females (Shikibu 36), women who are “impossibly forceful in [their] demands” (Shikibu 48), and ones who display “jealous ways” (Shikibu 48). Boldness in matters of sexual intercourse was also considered unbecoming feminine conduct. It is significant that the only female character who openly displays her sexuality is an “old lady” of sixty with “dark and muddy” eyelids and “rough and stringy” hair (Shikibu 124). Because Naishi enjoys sex and is unashamed to hide it, she is also portrayed as “not very discriminating” in her sexual partners (Shikibu 124), and “inexhaustibly amorous” (Shikibu 126). Genji dislikes Naishi’s aggressiveness and impatience (Shikibu 127), but being Genji he still finds Naishi suitable for his ‘nocturnal wanderings.’

Female Resistance to Japanese Code of Conduct

Despite female subservience being a pervasive cultural trait, women in medieval Japan managed to find some ways to resist complete dominance by men. These ways can be characterized as passive resistance, e.g. verbal reproaches, feigning sickness and misunderstanding, standoffish behavior, and isolating oneself from men. In The Tale of Genji, most of the female resistance is due to sexual overtures or excesses by Genji.

Through Genji’s wife Aoi, one can understand the extremity of Genji’s sexual conduct. Being busy with his numerous affairs, Genji doesn’t spend much time visiting his wife at her father’s Sanjō mansion, a fact that she does not let him forget when he does come to visit her. Aoi exhibits standoffish behavior to Genji to express her displeasure with his neglect of her, as seen in the following conversation between them:

Genji: It would be nice, I sometimes think, if you could be a little more wifely. I have been very ill, and I am hurt, but not really surprised, that you have not inquired after my health. Aoi: Like the pain, perhaps, of awaiting a visitor who does not come?

Genji: You so rarely speak to me, and when you do you say such unpleasant things. ‘A visitor who does not come’ – that is hardly an appropriate way to describe a husband, and indeed it is hardly civil. I try this approach and I try that, hoping to break through, but you seem intent on defending all the approaches. Well, one of these years, perhaps, if I live long enough. (Shikibu 83, 84)

Genji begins this conversation by trying to remonstrate with his wife for her cold behavior towards him, in not being overjoyed that he has come to see her. She, in turn, reproaches him for his neglect of her by likening him to a “visitor” rather than a husband. Aoi resists Genji in the only manner available to her, that of verbal reproaches and withholding displays of affection from Genji.

The lady at the Akashi shore employs another method of passive resistance to her father and Genji; she feigns sickness and attempts to isolate herself from Genji. When Genji first begins courting her, which her father actively promotes, the lady at first resists answering Genji’s letter and says she is “not feeling well” (Shikibu 296). After being pressured by her father to write back, she pretends not to understand Genji’s poem: “How can you sorrow for someone you have not met?” (Shikibu 297). She reads his letter literally and answers in that sense, not wishing to acknowledge the letter as an attempt at flirtation and seduction. After her father arranges for Genji to visit her, unbeknownst to herself, she flees to “an inner room” and bars the door (Shikibu 303). Although Genji doesn’t force his way through the door, in some manner that the novel does not mention, he does gain access to the inner room where the lady is hiding. There Genji imposes himself upon her (Shikibu 303). To Genji, this encounter with the Akashi lady is a “contest of wills” in which he would “look rather silly” if he lost to the lady (Shikibu 303). Female conquest is, then, a matter of honor among men of the court.

Some women go to extremes to resist male sexual advances, such as when Fujitsubo enters the convent to escape Genji. To Genji, Fujitsubo is the model of “sublime beauty” (Shikibu 26). But, alas, she belongs to his father, the Emperor. Genji pays no heed to that; with the help of one of her ladies, he manages to gain access to Fujitsubo’s room. Fujitsubo is “determined that there would not be another meeting” between Genji and herself and is “shocked” and “distress[ed]” that Genji has come to her again (Shikibu 86). She tries to make Genji leave, but these efforts “delight[ ]” him while causing shame also (Shikibu 86). However Genji still has his way with her, Fujitsubo becomes pregnant, and she passes off the boy as the Emperor’s son and Genji’s brother.

After the death of Genji’s father, Genji attempts to rekindle the affair with Fujitsubo. She had done all she could to avoid Genji and had even “commissioned religious services in hopes of freeing herself from Genji’s attentions” (Shikibu 202). Sadly, her elusiveness just excites more interest for Genji. Fujitsubo is unable to convince Genji to leave, and she begins to experience “chest pains” and “fainting spells” (Shikibu 203). She begins to feel better later, when she believes Genji has left but as soon as he appears before her again, she sinks to the floor in “sheer terror” (Shikibu 204).

Genji tries to obtain compassion from Fujitsubo by asserting that he would die from love of her (Shikibu 205). Genji feels Fujitsubo’s conduct is “cruelty” (Shikibu 207), and decides to make her “feel sorry for him” (Shikibu 206). So he retires to his house at Nijō where he refuses to write to her and sulks. But Fujitsubo is not so filled with pity that she submits to Genji; instead she resolves to give up her title as Empress and “to become a nun” (Shikibu 206). She realizes this is the only path available to her to escape Genji’s sexual advances completely.

While the women of the court in Heian Japan did not enjoy much freedom from masculine authority, they did utilize whatever means were available to them to resist complete subjugation. Women in sixteenth century France fared little better than Eastern women. In the intervening six hundred years from the writing of The Tale of Genji to the writing of The Heptameron, women had made little progress in liberating themselves. Women in France were expected to be subservient to their fathers and husbands as were Japanese women, but in The Heptameron women are depicted as being more aggressive in protesting male abuses.

Bibliography

Navarre, Marguerite de. The Heptameron. Trans. P.A. Chilton. London: Penguin Books, 1984.

Shikibu, Murasaki. The Tale of Genji. Trans. Edward G. Seidensticker. New York: Random House, 1990.

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You did it. You crafted the perfect query letter for your non-fiction book, and as a result, an editor at a large publishing house has requested a full book proposal. At this point, you have a 50/50 chance of seeing your work on a bookstore shelf. The difference maker will be a strong book proposal that exhibits knowledge of your audience, what that audience needs and wants, and how that audience can be reached on a cost-effective basis.

When an editor makes a request to see your book proposal, he/she will most likely send along a brief overview of the publisher’s book proposal guidelines. You might want to make some subtle adjustments to your proposal in order to meet those guidelines. But under no circumstances should you wait for a book proposal to be requested before actually writing one. A well-written, professional book proposal takes several days, oftentimes several weeks, to compose. It should be the first thing you write – before both the query letter and the manuscript itself. Despite the guidelines, each proposal is unique, and the quality of yours will be THE difference maker in determining whether or not the publisher takes a financial risk with your book. So put your best effort into crafting a blockbuster book proposal. Below, you’ll find a list of the basic elements of a book proposal that, if mastered, will all but guarantee the offer of a book contract.

Element #1: The Title Page/Table of Contents: The first page of a book proposal is the title page. The title page states the working title for the book you are proposing along with your contact information (and that of your agent if you have one). Make sure to center the text. Generally, it isn’t wise to use fancy borders or cutesy graphics. You’re writing a business proposal. Make sure it looks like one. On the second page of your proposal, provide a short table of contents for the book proposal itself. List each of the following sections along with their corresponding page numbers: Summary, About The Author, Audience, Competition, Publicity & Promotional Opportunities, Outline, and Sample Chapters. Some will say the Outline and Sample Chapter sections are optional, but remember, you’re trying to sell a book. Providing the publisher with a sample of your writing, especially if you’re a first-time author, might well mean the difference between acceptance and rejection.

Element #2: Summary: In the Summary section of your proposal, provide a brief overview of the proposed book. Try to envision the blurb that will appear on the back cover of your final product. Make that blurb the opening paragraph. Show the editor you can hook him/her on your proposal from the very first sentence, and you’ll convince them of your ability to hook a potential reader as well. Elaborate on the contents of your query letter by addressing the following subjects: the content, the audience, and the author. What is the premise of your book? What does it promise its reader? Who is the market for the book? How large is that market? And, finally, why are you the best person to write this book at this time?

Element #3: About The Author: In the About The Author section of your proposal, go into greater detail about yourself. In general, it’s best to use third person. But it’s okay to use first person if you feel more comfortable doing so. Why are you the best qualified person to write this book? What are your credentials? Are you an expert in the field? Has your previous work been published (not just in books, but newspapers, magazines, ezines, etc.)? Are you a prolific public speaker? If so, how many speeches do you give each year? To what types of audiences do you speak? Do you have media experience or media contacts? If so, let the editor know. If you have limited experience in any or all of these fields, say so. Be honest and direct. Experience helps, but lack of experience itself will not lead to rejection. Misrepresenting yourself will. Never include information about your personal life unless it is essential to your ability to sell the book.

Element #4: Audience: In the Audience section of your proposal, clearly define the market for your book. First, identify the demographic segment you hope to target. Examples of demographic characteristics are gender, age, political ideology, religion, nationality, education level, economic status, etc. Be specific. Research the size of the audience and back up your claims with real numbers. Avoid broad claims such as “everyone will love this book,” and instead use such statements as “4.5 million college-educated Christian men between the ages of 21 and 29 will be drawn to this book because of its unique…” At this point, define the psychographics of your audience. What is the motivation of this demographic to buy your book? What unmet needs and wants do they harbor that your book is sure to satisfy? In short, make certain your Audience section clearly indicates 1) who will buy your book, and 2) why they will buy it.

Element #5: Competition: In the Competition section of your proposal, provide examples of well-known published books similar to yours (or, if your book covers a new niche in a popular subject, list those books that target a similar audience). It’s always best to cite bestsellers. If you can track down the sales figures for these books, provide the number of copies each title sold. The larger the sales figures, the more you strengthen your case that a large market exists for your subject matter. Once you’ve established that a large market exists, explain why your book will be different. In what way will you position your book in order to differentiate it from its peers? Do any demographic trends aid your case for continued demand in this market? State explicitly why your book is unique and why the market is ripe for its release. However, be wary of a bold statement such as “nothing like my book has ever been written before”. You may have uncovered a unique angle for your subject, but in all likelihood, you haven’t invented a new genre or field of study.

Element #6: Publicity and Promotional Opportunities: In this section of your proposal, outline the promotional avenues open to your book. If you’ve already established that a market exists, this section will be the make it or break it section of your proposal. The publisher must know how you intend to reach the audience you’ve identified. Do specific groups exist with a high likelihood of being receptive to your book? Good examples are the audience members of a specific radio or television show, readers of specific magazines or newsletters, book clubs, non-profit organizations, or trade groups. Identify the groups relevant to your book and point out the vehicles a publisher can use to reach those groups in a cost-effective manner. Do you have media connections or experience? Potential exposure on nationally syndicated radio and television shows is the best way to capture a publisher’s attention. Booking the author on such shows is free, and the resulting sales can be astronomical. So publishers are always looking for authors with a media platform. Do you have one? What angle or hook can you provide a producer or editor that will land you a coveted interview or feature story? If you develop a strong enough hook, you might land a book contract based on this aspect of your proposal alone.

Element #7: Outline: For this section of your proposal, provide a list of the proposed chapter titles, along with a brief overview of the contents therein.

Element #8: Sample Chapters: In this section of your proposal, simply attach the first two or three chapters of your proposed manuscript. Providing sample chapters is essential for a first-time author. If your chapters are of high quality, they give the publisher confidence you can produce a publishable manuscript in a timely manner.

Element #9: Presentation: The presentation of your book proposal is as instrumental to its success as the content. Make sure to proofread zealously. If you think you’ve finished, proofread it again. Read, correct, and rewrite your proposal at least twenty times so as to be confident that it’s the best it can possibly be. When it comes time to print the final draft, the body of the proposal should be double-spaced and printed in black ink on clean white paper using a LaserJet printer. Finally, just as with any business document, send your book proposal via FedEx. This will create the immediate impression you are a professional who will be businesslike in his day-to-day dealings with the publisher.

Once you’ve incorporated these nine elements into your book proposal, you will be left with a finished product worthy of commanding the respect of any editor. But in order to create a true blockbuster book proposal, make sure to… Define the book’s concept. Identify the book’s audience. And outline exactly how to reach that audience. Do these three things well, and you’re certain to obtain a book contract. So don’t waste any time. Get to work on your blockbuster book proposal today!

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