I was so close to reading this sucker.
Too late now. I am curious what chapter has Jesus riding the dinosaurs and the recipe
to make wine from water. No one tell me what happens with Stephen King's Gunslinger Series,
those books are next.

Top 10 Best Free Blog Hosting Providers

1. Blogger – This is one of the more popular widely used blog hosts. Litterally millions of users !! They are free , offer heavy customization as well as themes. Just google the term “Blogger templates” and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Almost forgot to mention that they have street cred to since they are part of Google!
   
   
2. Xanga - This is another popular online blog host which caters to a younger audience such as late teens. It is not as customizable as blogger which may not be such a bad thing if you want to write something quick and easy without worrying about re-arranging this and that.
   
   
3. LiveJournal - This is another great quality blog host that does not charge you a penny. I have personally used it and liked it a lot but it is similar to Xanga that it is not 100% customizable but in my opinion is a notch above Xanga.
   
   
4. Wordpress – Wordpress is the the mecca of blogging origins. If you go on their site and look on the bottom, you can see well known media company names that depend upon wordpress like the New York Times or Yahoo. The great thing about wordpress is that it allows you to host and customize virutally anything. Any first time users will really want to create an account with them to get things rolling.
   
   
5. Tumblr – Now I have not used Tumblr so I would be lying to say that I have first experience. But from what I have noticed most recently is that a lot of great websites out there use the Tumblr platform for blogging. It also looks to be quite as versatile as Wordpress. Check it out!
   
   
6. Weebly - Next up is a website / blog-host called Weebly. It is not well known but it does look promising as it offers free blog hosting and other tools to support you with.
   
   
7. Blog.com – Such an original name , and blunt to the point. I like that , don’t you ? At least it doesn’t sound like a weedwacker compared to the others. This website also follows the suit in offering free webhosting as well as support to help you create your own blog. Setting up an account doesn’t take too long either. So take advantage now !
   
   
8. Thoughts – At the eighth spot I listed Thoughts as another blogging hosting provider. I haven’t checked it out too much. This is definatly great for those of you who want something a little less mainstream.
   
   
9. Experience-Projects – Here is another provider for a person to start blogging away.
   
   
10. Free-Blog-It – Seems to be another promising website to lend bloggers a helping hand.

Inbox Dollars. Make money just by reading E-Mails.

>

Newbies Guide to Ebay

Welcome to eBay and Tons of Income Opportunities!

If you've ever read an article about eBay, you will have seen the kinds of incomes
people make - it isn't unusual to hear of people making thousands of dollars per
month on eBay.

Next time you're on eBay, take a look at how many PowerSellers there are: you'll
find quite a few. Now consider that every single one of one of them must be
making at least $1,000 per month, as that's eBay's requirement for becoming a
PowerSeller.

• Silver PowerSellers make at least $3,000 each month,
• Gold PowerSellers make more than $10,000,
• Platinum Powersellers make more than $25,000, and
• Titanium PowerSellers make at least a whopping $150,000 in sales every
month!

The fact that these people exist gives you come idea of the income possibilities
here. Most of them never set out to even set up a business on eBay - they simply
started selling a few things, and then kept going. There are plenty of people
whose full-time job is selling things on eBay, and some of them have been doing
it for years now.

Can you imagine that? Once they've bought the stock, everything else is pretty
much pure profit for these people - they don't need to pay for any business
premises, staff, or anything else. There are multi-million pound businesses
making less in actual profit than eBay PowerSellers do.

Even if you don't want to quit your job and really go for it, you can still use eBay
to make a significant second income. You can pack up orders during the week and
take them down to the post office for delivery each Saturday. There are few other
things you could be doing with your spare time that have anywhere near that kind
of earning potential.

What's more, eBay doesn't care who you are, where you live, or what you look
like: some PowerSellers are very old, or very young. Some live out in the middle
of nowhere where selling on eBay is one of the few alternatives to farming or
being very poor. eBay tears down the barriers to earning that the real world
constantly puts up. There's no job interview and no commuting involved - if you
can post things, you can do it.

Put it this way: if you know where to get something reasonably cheaply that you
could sell, then you can sell it on eBay - and since you can always get discounts
for bulk at wholesale, that's not exactly difficult. Buy a job lot of something indemand
cheaply, sell it on eBay, and you're making money already, with no setup
costs.

If you want to dip your toe in the water before you commit to actually buying
anything, then you can just sell things that you've got lying around in the house.
Search through that cupboard of stuff you never use, and you'll probably find
you've got a few hundred dollars' worth of stuff lying around in there! This is the
power of eBay: there is always someone who wants what you're selling, whatever
it might be, and since they've come looking for you, you don't even need to do
anything to get them to buy it.

So you want to get started on eBay? Well, that's great! There are only a few little
things you need to learn to get started. Read on!

What You Need to Know Before Getting Started

So you've decided that you want to get started as a seller on eBay. There are a few
things that you really need to know before you go and throw yourself in at the
deep end.

What to Sell:
First off, you need to know what it is you're going to sell: what's your speciality?
You'll do far better on eBay if you become a great source for certain kind of
products, as people who are interested in those products will come back to you
again and again. You won't get any loyalty or real reputation if you just sell
rubbish at random.

When you think about what to sell, there are a few things to consider. The most
important of these is to always sell what you know. If you try to sell something
that you just don't know anything about then you'll never write a good
description and sell it for a good price.

You might think you're not especially interested in anything, but if you think
about what kind of things you usually buy and which websites you go to most
often, I'm sure you'll discover some kind of interest. If all else fails mention it to
your friends and family: they'll almost certainly say "Oh, well why don't you
sell…" and you'll slap your forehead.

Out of the things you know enough about, you should then consider which things
you could actually get for a good enough price to resell, and how suitable they
would be for posting. If you can think of something of that you're knowledgeable
about and it's small and light enough for postage to be relatively cheap, then
that's great!

Don't worry if you think the thing you're selling is too obscure - it isn't. There's a
market for almost everything on eBay, even things that wouldn't sell once in a
year if you stocked them in a shop. You'll probably do even better if you fill a
niche than if you sell something common.

Tax and Legal Matters
If you earn enough money, you should be aware that you're going to have to start
paying tax - this won't be done for you. If you decide to sell on eBay on a full-time
basis, you should probably register as a business.

Prepare Yourself
There are going to be ups and downs when you sell on eBay. Don't pack it in if
something goes a little wrong in your first few sales: the sellers who are successful
on eBay are the ones who enjoy it, and stick at it whatever happens.

Anyone can sell on eBay, if they believe in themselves - and if you do decide it's
not for you, then the start-up costs are so low that you won't really have lost
anything.

If you're ready to start selling, then the next thing you need to know is the
different auction types, so you can decide which ones you will use to sell your
items.

5 Easy Steps to Posting Your First eBay Auction
It's surprisingly simple to get started posting your very first auction on eBay.
Here's what you need to do.

Step 1: Open an eBay seller's account.
If you've bought things on eBay, then you already have an account - just log in
with it and click 'Sell' in the toolbar at the top of the page, then click 'Create a
seller's account'. If you've never used eBay before, then you'll need to open an
account first using the 'register' link underneath the toolbar, and then click 'Sell'
and 'Create a seller's account'. The eBay site will then guide you through the
process. For security, this may involve giving card details and bank information.

Step 2: Decide what to sell.
For your first little experiment with eBay, it doesn't really matter what you sell.
Take a look around the room you're in - I'm sure there's something in there that
you're not all that attached to and could put in the post. Small books and CDs are
ideal first items.

Step 3: Submit your item.
Click 'Sell', and you're on your way to listing your item.
The first thing you need to do is choose a category - it's best to just type in what
the item is and let eBay choose for you. Next, write a title and description.
Include key words you think people will search for in the title box, and all the
information you have about the item in the description box.
Now set a starting price. $0.01 is the best starting price, as it draws people in to
bid who otherwise wouldn't, and items will almost never finish at such a low
price. The next thing to set is the duration of the auction: 3, 5, 7 or 10 days. This
is up to you: longer sales will usually get more bids, but will also seem to drag on
forever. If you've taken a picture, add it now - items with pictures always sell for
more. Finally, tick the payment methods you will accept (just PayPal is best for
now), and where you will post to (limit yourself to your own country to begin
with). Submit and you're done!

Step 4: Wait for it to sell.
This is just a matter of sitting back and letting eBay do its thing - buyers will find
your item and leave bids on it. Some bidders might email you with questions
about the item, and you should do your best to answer these questions as quickly
as you can.
** Remember that if your item doesn't sell then you can list it again for free. **

Step 5: Collect payment and post it.
eBay will sent your buyer emails guiding them through the process of sending you
payment for the item. Make sure you have the money before you send anything.
Once you've got the payment, all you need to do is pack the item for posting
(make sure to use some bubble wrap), take the buyer's address from the
confirmation email eBay sent you, and write it on the parcel. Put some stamps on,
post it, and you're done!

An eBay Seller's Checklist
Being a seller is a lot of responsibility, and sometimes you might feel like you're
not doing everything you should be. This simple checklist will help you keep on
top of things.

Have you found out everything you possibly could about your items? Try typing
their names into a search engine - you might find out something you didn't know.
If someone else is selling the same thing as you, then always try to provide more
information about it than they do.

Do you monitor the competition? Always keep an eye on how much other items
the same as or similar to yours are selling, and what prices they're being offered
at. There's usually little point in starting a fixed price auction for $100 when
someone else is selling the item for $90.

Have you got pictures of the items? It's worth taking the time to photograph your
items, especially if you have a digital camera. If you get serious about eBay but
don't have a camera, then you will probably want to invest in one at some point.

Are you emailing your sellers? It's worth sending a brief email when transactions
go through: something like a simple "Thank you for buying my item, please let
me know when you have sent the payment". Follow this up with "Thanks for your
payment, I have posted your [item name] today". You will be surprised how many
problems you will avoid just by communicating this way.

Also, are you checking your emails? Remember that potential buyers can send
you email about anything at any time, and not answering these emails will just
make them go somewhere else instead of buying from you.

Do your item description pages have everything that buyers need to know? If
you're planning to offer international delivery, then it's good to make a list of the
charges to different counties and display it on each auction. If you have any
special terms and conditions (for example, if you will give a refund on any item as
long as it hasn't been opened), then you should make sure these are displayed
too.

Have you been wrapping your items correctly? Your wrapping should be
professional for the best impression: use appropriately sized envelopes or parcels,
wrap the item in bubble wrap to stop it from getting damaged, and print labels
instead of hand-writing addresses. Oh, and always use first class post - don't be
cheap.

Do you follow up? It is worth sending out an email a few days after you post an
item, saying "Is everything alright with your purchase? I hope you received it and
it was as you expected." This might sound like giving the customer an
opportunity to complain, but you should be trying to help your customers, not
take their money and run.

Being a really good eBay seller, more than anything else, is about providing
genuinely good and honest customer service. That's the only foolproof way to
protect your reputation.

What's Your eBay Reputation Really Worth?
Your eBay reputation is everything you are on eBay - without it, you're nothing.
Your reputation is worth as much as every sale you will ever make.

If you've ever bought anything on eBay (and the chances are you have), then
think about your own behavior. Buying from a seller with a low feedback rating
makes you feel a little nervous and insecure, while buying from a PowerSeller
with their reputation in the thousands doesn't require any thought or fear - it
feels just like buying from a shop.

A Bad Reputation Will Lose You Sales.
In fact, a bad reputation will lose you almost all your sales. If someone leaves you
negative feedback, you will feel the pain straight away, as that rating will go right
at the top of your user page for everyone to see. Who's going to want to do
business with you when they've just read that you "took a month to deliver the
item", or that you had "bad communication and sent a damaged item"? The
answer is no-one.

Your next few items will need to be very cheap things, just to push that negative
down the page. You might have to spend days or even weeks selling cheap stuff to
get enough positive feedback to make anyone deal with you again.

It's even worse if you consistently let buyers leave negative feedback - once you
get below 90% positive ratings, you might as well be invisible.

You Can't Just Open a New Account.
Besides eBay's rules about only having one account, there are far more downsides
than that to getting a new account. You literally have to start all over again from
scratch.

You won't be able to use all the different eBay features. Your existing customers
won't be able to find you any more. Your auctions will finish at a lower price
because of your low feedback rating. Opening a new account is like moving to a
new town to get away from a few people who are spreading rumors about you: it's
throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

A Good Reputation Will Get You Sales.
When a PowerSeller tells me something, I tend to believe them. They can be
selling a pretty unlikely item, but if they guarantee it is what they say it is, then I
trust them - they're not going to risk their reputation, after all. This is the power
of a reputation: people know you want to keep it, and they know you'll go to
almost any lengths to do so.

This is true even to the point that I would sooner buy something for $20 from a
seller I know I can trust than for $15 from someone with average feedback. It's
worth the extra money to feel like the seller knows what they're doing, has all
their systems in place and will get me the item quickly and efficiently.

10 Steps to Successful Selling on eBay
So you want to be a successful seller with your own eBay business, do you? Here's
a simple, ten-step path to eBay enlightenment.

Step 1: Identify your market.
Take a while to sit and watch for what sells and what doesn't out of the items
you're interested in. Any market research data you can collect will be very useful
to you later on. You'll probably see the 'sweet spots' quite quickly - those one or
two items that always seem to sell for a good price.
Step 2: Watch the competition.
Before you invest any money, see what the other sellers in your category are up
to, and what their strategies are. Pay special attention to any flaws their auctions
might have, because this is where you can move in and beat them at their own
game.
Step 3: Find a product.
Get hold of a supplier for whatever it is you want to sell, and see what the best
rates you can get are - don't be afraid to ring round quite a few to get the best
deal. If the eBay prices you've seen are higher than the supplier's, then you're set.
Step 4: Start small.
Don't throw thousands at your idea straight away - get started slowly, see what
works and what doesn't, and learn as you go. Remember that it's very cheap to try
out even the craziest ideas on eBay, and who knows, they might just work!
Step 5: Test and repeat.
Keep trying different strategies until you find something that works, and then
don't be ashamed to keep doing it, again and again. The chances are that you've
just found a good niche.
Step 6: Work out a business plan.
A business plan doesn't need to be anything formal, just a few pages that outline
the market opportunity you've spotted, your strategy, strengths and weaknesses
of the plan and a brief budget. This is more for you than it is for anyone else.
Step 7: Invest and expand.
This is the time to throw money at the problem. Buy inventory, and start
spending more time on your business. Set a goal number of sales each week,
increasing it each time.
Step 8: Make it official.
Once you've made a few thousand dollars worth of sales, you should really
register yourself as a business. Don't worry, it's not expensive or hard to do - a
lawyer is the best person to help you through the process.
Step 9: Automate.
You'll probably find that you're writing the same things again and again in emails
or item descriptions. This is the time to give up on the manual method and turn
to automated software that can create listings for you, and respond to completed
auctions and payments with whatever message you provide.
Step 10: Never give up.
Even when it looks like it's all going wrong, don't stop trying until you succeed. If
you keep working at it then you'll almost always find that you make a real
breakthrough just when things are starting to look desperate.

Once you get into the swing of things, you might start thinking that you should
quit your job and take up eBay selling part time. But it's not always as easy as that
- there are all sorts of factors that you need to consider. The next email will weigh
up the case for and against taking up eBay full-time.

How to Think Like an eBay PowerSeller

As explained earlier in this guide, PowerSellers are the people on eBay who've
made it, recognizable by the little 'PowerSeller' badge next to their name. You've
probably seen these people around - and to succeed on eBay, you want to think
the way they do.

How to People Get the Right to Call Themselves PowerSellers?

eBay gets to decide who can be a PowerSeller and who can't, and they have strict
requirements. To get in at the minimum PowerSeller level, you must have a
feedback rating of at least 100 (minimum 98% positive) and sell at least $1,000
worth of items every month for three months in a row. There are different levels
of PowerSeller membership as you sell items of greater value: $1,000 total is
bronze, $3,000 is silver, $10,000 is gold, $25,000 is platinum and $125,000 is
titanium.

If PowerSellers ever fail to meet the required amount of sales, or their feedback
falls below 98% positive, then they lose their PowerSeller status. In short, the
only people who get to be PowerSellers on eBay are the people who have been
successful for a good while, and are on track to stay that way.

The Shop and the Marketplace

This is the most important part of understanding how PowerSellers think. They
don't see what they're doing as being some random bazaar, or a hobby - instead,
they see themselves as a business.

Put it like this. If you run a stall in a marketplace, the chances are that you have a
general area of business, but you mostly just sell whatever you can get your hands
on that week. If your dodgy buddy got his hands of a job lot of something at a
discount, then that's what you'll be selling. This might be fun - and when you
have a good week, you'll have a really good week - but it's no way to run a real
business in the long-term.

PowerSellers think far more like shops. They sell the same things again and
again, every week - regular stock for regular customers. They do 'boring' business
things like keep inventories and budgets. They know what they're going to be
selling, how much they buy it for and how much they expect to sell for. Just like a
real shop, there can be hard times sometimes, but their income is stable and their
business can grow slowly.

The best advice I can give you on thinking like a PowerSeller is this:
don't take long-term risks for short-term gain. Look after your reputation,
manage your selling properly, provide good customer service and the rewards will
come to you in due course. And you'll get a little badge next to your name that
makes people trust you more!

One possibility that you might have realised so far is what eBay can do for any
other businesses you might have. Remember, millions of people visit eBay every
day - why keep everything separate when you're starting to tap into that kind of
power?

Choosing the Right eBay Product Category

Some people think it's easy to choose the right eBay category, and often it is.
Sometimes, though, it might not be quite clear exactly what to go for.
Why is it Even Important?

Plenty of people use the category system to find items, when they're not looking
for something specific. If your item is listed in the wrong category - or you've just
given up and listed it in 'Everything Else' - then these people aren't going to find
your auction.

Also, listing items in the wrong categories is against eBay's rules, and eBay say
they will remove any auctions that are wrongly categorised. They don't often
actually do this, but it's not worth the risk - especially since breaking any rules
can cause them to penalise your account, including losing PowerSeller status if
you have it.

So What Can You Do?

eBay will suggest categories for you when you sell your item, if you type in a few
words to describe the item on the category selection page and click 'search'. You
can make the best of this feature by typing in exactly what your item is, with
brand name and model number (if any), so that eBay can find the best category
for you.

If that doesn't work for you, then search yourself for items like yours, and pay
attention to which category most of them seem to be in (you can see this near the
top of each item's description page). Try different words and see which ones come
back with the most results. You can also browse through all the available
categories from eBay's front page.

Remember that the more specific the category is, the better - use as many
subcategories as are appropriate. Don't just list your HP laptop in the
'Computers' category, for example - list it in 'Computers & Laptops & HP'. Don't
worry: your item will still appear in the 'Computers' category, as well as
'Computers & Laptops', because items listed in subcategories are always listed in
every category above.

Take some time to look through all the categories and get familiar with the way
eBay as a whole is laid out. After all, that's better than getting a few months down
the line and finding that you still think of eBay's category system like it's some
kind of scary jungle.

What if More Than One Category Fits?

Don't worry, eBay have you covered. For a small extra fee, you can list your item
in an extra category, to increase the number of potential buyers who will see it.
This isn't always worth it, though - some items only really fit properly in one
category, and listing them in extra categories is just a waste.

Once you know where to list your item, the next step is to write your auction's
title. The title is the most important thing about your auction - the difference
between a good title and a bad title can be the difference between $10 and $100.
To learn why this is the case…

Tips on Writing Your eBay Title

Trying to be help your buyers find your auctions can be a truly daunting task.
Most people only search eBay by title, not by description, and that means that
you only have those 55 characters of the title to cover all the possible search
terms. That's not easy. In this email, I'll give you a few pointers.

Don't bother with eBay clichés: There are plenty of eBay auction titles that
say things like "Super rare camera wow look low price". These are stupid things
to put in your title, as no-one is going to search for them.

Think like a buyer: If you were looking for your item, then what exactly would
you type into that box? If you think it'd help, try searching yourself to find
someone else selling your item. What were the first things you thought of typing?

Think like other sellers: Keep an eye on which sellers are doing best with
items like yours, and try to copy their title styles - if it works for them, it can work
for you.

Be specific: You should be sure to write the item's brand and specific model
number in the title, as people will often search only for this information. Make
sure that you also say exactly what the item is.

A few examples:
"Dell Latitude Laptop P3 500mhz Notebook PC Computer"
If you know about computers, you'll know instantly what this auction is selling. It
has manufacturer (Dell) and product line (Latitude), followed by a few technical
specifications (P3 500mhz is the processor speed). Notice also that the title
includes the four words 'laptop', 'notebook', 'PC' and 'computer', as the seller
wants people looking for any of those words to see his auction.

"OASIS Don't Believe the Truth CD Album (New)"
This auction for a CD is well formatted: it gives the artist name in capital letters,
followed by the album name. It then manages to include the two key words 'CD'
and 'album', as well as the word 'new' - that means that anyone searching for 'new
oasis cd', 'oasis new album' and so on will find this auction.

"1840 Penny Black stamp, certificate, four margins"
Here's a slightly more obscure one, from the exciting world of stamp collecting. A
penny black is one of the oldest and most famous stamps. It uses a few key words
that collectors will consider important: 'four margins' indicates that the stamp
has been cut out with some margins around it and so isn't damaged, and
'certificate' tells you that the item has a certificate of authenticity - it's a real
penny black. Remember to use every bit of space to squeeze in as much important
information as you can in the title.

So now that you've written a winning title, you need to start on a great
description.

eBay Description Writing Tips

Once you've drawn the buyers in with your title, the next thing to do is to tell
them all about your item with the description. But just what should you write in
your description?

At its heart, your item description is an ad. Without making it too obvious, you
should be writing sales copy. You're trying to get buyers excited about your
products, and that's usually hard - but on eBay, if you have the right thing to sell
and give enough details, the buyers almost excite themselves.
Technical Details

Include every technical detail you know, including the item's manufacturer, its
condition, how big it is, where and when it was made, its history, and anything
else special about it. Don't be too boring, though: the best descriptions are
written in friendly, conversational language, and show a real knowledge of the
item. Whatever you do, make sure you tell the truth!

Remember that most of the people who'll be buying your item will be just as
knowledgeable about it as you are, if not more - this is their hobby, and they're
experts. Don't feel like you need to explain the basics of the item: just go into as
much technical detail as you can. As a rule, don't write anything in the
description if you don't know what it means, as the chances are someone will, and
if you've got it slightly wrong then you'll look like you don't know what you're
talking about.

Interesting Details

You might find that you enjoy writing a few things about how you got the item,
why you're selling it, and who you think might like it. This isn't strictly necessary,
but it gives your auctions some character and a personal touch, and can make
people more likely to trust you. People might wonder what you're doing selling
500 CDs all at once, and if you tell them the reason, then they'll feel reassured
that nothing dodgy is going on. If you're selling them because you're having a
baby and you need the space, just say so.

Write as Much as You Can

Leave nothing out of your description, even if that seems to you like it makes it
cumbersomely long. There is no way you can be too thorough: someone,
somewhere will appreciate that you took the time to write the extra information.
Don't assume that anyone who wants extra information will email you to ask a
question: many buyers are shy and won't do it. Think of questions that buyers
might have and add the answers to your description, as people generally tend to
ask the same questions over and over again.

Each time a buyer does email you with a question, you should both answer their
question and update your description so that it will include the answer next time.
If people ask questions that are answered in the description, try putting these
parts of the auction on a line alone, or in bold, to make them easier to notice.

10 Tips for Increasing Your eBay Response

So you've got the buyer in front of your auction, and they've read the description.
They're must be interested, or they wouldn't be looking… but just how can you
push them over that line and make them leave a bid? Read on for some tips.
Improve your picture: In all that description writing, you might have missed
the vital importance of your item's picture. A picture with bad lighting or an
intrusive background looks amateurish and won't make anyone want to buy from
you.

Add an About Me page: You'll be surprised how much you can reassure
bidders just by creating an About Me page and putting a little bit about yourself
on your business on there. You can also have a few special offers there for people
who bother to look at the page, and let people subscribe to your mailing list so
that you can email them updates.

Use SquareTrade: Signing up at SquareTrade and displaying their logo on your
auctions shows that you are committed to have them resolve any disputes that
arise. You always see this on PowerSellers auctions - it makes you look more
professional.

Write terms and conditions: Have the 'small print' clearly visible on all your
auctions, giving details of things like shipping times and prices, your refund
policy, and any other business practices you might have. This helps build
confidence with buyers.

Show off your feedback: Copy and paste a selection of the feedback comments
you're most proud of to each item's description page, instead of making bidders
go and look for it. If you have 100% positive feedback, be sure to write that on
every auction too.

Add NR to your titles: If you have extra space in a title, put 'NR' (no reserve)
on the end. Bidders prefer auctions that don't have a reserve price, and doing this
lets them see that yours don't.

Benefits not features: Make sure your description focuses on the benefits that
your item can give to the customer, not just its features. This is a classic sales
technique. If you have trouble with this, remember: 'cheap' is a feature, 'save
money' is a benefit.

List more items: If you want more people to respond to your items, then list
more items! You might find you have better like listing items at the same time,
instead of one-by-one. There's no need to use a Dutch auction - you can just keep
two or three auctions going at once for an item you have more than one of in
stock.

Accept unusual payment methods: To reach those last few buyers, accept
payment methods that many sellers don't, like checks.

Buy some upgrades: The best upgrade is the most expensive one, which makes
your item appear first in search results. In crowded categories, you might find
that this is worth the money.

Once you've got some buyers, you want to keep them coming back to you!
As this guide draws to a near end, we’ll conclude this awesome roller coaster
guide to eBay selling with a list of often-used terms and jargons in one of the
world’s highly trafficked auction site!

All the best and have fun! To becoming the next PowerSeller!

The eBay Glossary

Bid: telling eBay's system the maximum price you are prepared to pay for
an item.

Dutch: an auction where more than one of an item is available.
Feedback: positive or negative comments left about other users on eBay.
Mint: in perfect condition.

Non-paying bidder: a bidder who wins an auction but does not then go
on to buy the item.

PayPal: an electronic payment method accepted by most sellers.
Rare: used and abused on eBay, now entirely meaningless.

Reserve: the minimum price the seller will accept for the item.

Shill bid: a fake bid placed by a seller trying to drive up their auction's
price.

Snail Mail: the post, which is obviously very slow compared to email.
Sniping: bidding at the last second to win the item before anyone else can
outbid you.

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101 Romantic Idea's

IDEA # 1

If your partner is going away for a few days, tell her that you are worried about
her so you have organized a bodyguard to look after her. Then give her a
small teddy bear.

IDEA # 2

Buy a packet of glow in the dark stars and stick the stars on the roof above
your bed to spell out a message such as "I Love You" When the lights go
down, your message will be revealed!

IDEA # 3
On a special occasion, buy your partner eleven real red roses and one
artificial red rose. Place the artificial rose in the center of the bouquet.
Attach a card that says:

“I will love you until the last rose fades.”

IDEA # 4

Buy the domain name of your partner's name if it is available for example
www.TanyaJohnston.com. Create a web page containing a romantic poem
and a picture of a rose. When your partner is surfing the web, casually ask
whether she has ever checked to see whether her domain name is taken. Let
her type it in to discover her page.

IDEA # 5
Buy a stylish hand mirror and give it to your partner as a gift. Include a card in
the box saying
“In this mirror you will see the image of
the most beautiful woman in the world.”

IDEA # 6
Take a book that your partner is reading and using a pencil, underline letters
in a section of the book she has yet to read to spell out a love letter. For
example in the following exerpt from a novel, the underlined letters come
together to spell out the secret message "I love you"
The palace was a labyrinth, their passage through it tortuous and
interminable. Initially they passed from building to building under the sodden
sky. Steve's feet ached; he might have laughed at himself, the tireless
traveler, grown too soft from his months in the city to walk any proper
distance. Abruptly the guards halted.

The underlined letters will make your partner curious and with a bit of luck she
will write them down. Spend time to encode a proper message such as "Dear
Belinda, I love you honey

IDEA # 7
Have flowers delivered to your partner's workplace. She will not only enjoy
the flowers but will also receive comments and attention from her office mates
which will add to her enjoyment.

IDEA # 8
While walking with your partner on a weekend getaway, pick up a smooth
stone and say that you're going to keep it as a special memento of your trip.
Later, have a message such as
"I Love Rebecca"
engraved into the stone by a jeweler and give it to your partner.

IDEA # 9
Drive into the country, find a grassy hill and lie with your partner and look up
at the clouds.
Play the kid’s game of looking for shapes in the cloud formations.

IDEA # 10
Get a piece of paper and some crayons. Draw a bright childlike picture with a
smiley sun and two stick figures holding hands. Add labels with your two
names pointing to the stick figures. Write "I Love You" inside a heart.
Next get a large formal envelope. Place your drawing inside and type up a
formal address label of your partner's work such as:

For the immediate and urgent attention of:

Rebecca Jones
Level 20
Collins & Smith Solicitors
New York, NY
00000
Mail it to your partner so she receives it in the middle of a busy day.

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Why is there something rather than nothing?

The deepest question of philosophy may well be, why is there something rather than nothing?

The cosmological argument attempts to prove the existence of a personal God by creating a case founded in this philosophical conundrum. It is an argument that has been put forward in slightly differing forms by Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Leibniz, and indeed more recently William Lane Craig. I believe it to be a very powerful argument, when properly understood.

Much of what follows is simply a restatement of William Lane Craig’s words. This particular version is called the Kalam cosmological argument.

1. Whatever begins to exist has a cause – things don’t just pop into being from nothing. Every mountain, planet, galaxy or person has a cause for its existence.
2. The universe itself began to exist – a premise strongly supported by philosophical arguments and modern science.  As a result of Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity and its application to the universe as a whole, scientists discovered that the universe is not infinite in the past, in fact it is approximately 13.7 billion years old. It had a beginning, an absolute beginning of all matter, energy, and indeed space and time. Everything that currently exists was caused by something, which in turn was caused by something else, and so on, in a finite chain of causation. But eventually, all existence traces its cause back to that first moment.
3. Therefore, the universe has a cause. That birthplace of space, time, matter and energy itself requires a cause. Furthermore, to cause space, time, matter and energy, some external cause must transcend all of those concepts.

This cause is what religious people refer to as God.

A first cause. An uncaused cause. Something external to our existence, something logically capable of starting the ball rolling.

The only way that a timeless cause could create an effect existing in time, is if the cause has choice. It requires choice in order to be able to create an effect in time when before this creation no time existed. As such, the cosmological argument argues for the existence of a personal God.

Either you claim that the universe merely popped into being from nothing, a claim that would sound ridiculous in any common usage, a nonsensical claim that also happens to be made entirely on the blindest of faith, or you suggest that it has an external cause – a timeless, spaceless being of unfathomable power, and the choice necessary to create something afresh.

I have heard the following response quite often, “This argument achieves nothing. We must then ask who caused God? Or who caused the first cause? You cannot claim that God is infinite for infinite is not a self-consistent term. Hence God had an origination, and requires an explanation for his existence.”

This argument exposes some ignorance of theology. For Christians, and indeed all major religions, do not believe that God is infinite. They believe that God is eternal. They believe that he is beyond time, in fact the originator of time. And so that particular counter-argument is invalid.

I also often hear the reply that, “This argument proves no specific God. It provides just as much evidence for a spiteful dictator in the sky as it does for a loving creator.” Yes I agree. The cosmological argument has little to say about the validity of any specific religion, that is not what it is trying to prove. You are right. Other arguments would be necessary to move from the existence of a God to say the existence of Yahweh.

But of course I am very happy to hear any other counters, as long as they are directly on topic, and relatively polite.

The Top 10 Banned Books!

Throughout the history of the world, starting with the church, censors have been put on many different things. The church was able to create a list of banned works, and many of the books were burned. The first list of banned books came from Pope Paul IV who established The Index of Prohibited Books to protect Catholics from controversial ideas. However, authors found ways to get around these censors. Many just published in a nearby country.
Whether it is for political reasons, religious reasons, or some other reason, books, to this day, continue to be banned, extremely looked down upon, or challenged harshly. As for me, I believe it’s completely ludicrous. Who says anyone has to right to ban someone else’s hard work and ideas? In any case, here are the top ten banned books.

10. The Color Purple

“I see Sofia and I don’t know why she still alive. They crack her skull, they crack her ribs. They tear her nose loose on one side. They blind her in one eye. She swole from head to foot. Her tongue the size of my arm, it stick out tween her teef like a piece of rubber. She can’t talk. And she just about the color of eggplant.”
A novel written by Alice Walker, The Color Purple depicts the life of a young black girl, Celie, who speaks about her life in letters to God. Celie has been raped by her stepfather, beat by her much older husband, and is basically alone. The book expresses what life is like in the deep south through the eyes of a black female. It has been banned because of its extreme and graphic violence, troubling ideas about relations between races, African history, human sexuality, and man’s relationship with God.

9. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

“If growing up is painful for the Southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat. It is an unnecessary insult.”

This novel is an autobiography of the early life of Maya Angelou. It is able to show how trauma and racism can be overcome by strength and a love of literature. Angelou is able to depict her life from age three to age 17, in Stamps Arkansas. She at first lives with her older brother, and in the end becomes a parent. Throughout the novel, there is a lot of racism and violence, including rape. The book has been banned because of its explicit scenes of rape and other sexual abuse, as well as violence, homosexuality, and vulgar language.

8. To Kill a Mockingbird

  “So it took an eight-year-old child to bring ‘em to their senses…. That proves something – that a gang of wild animals can be stopped, simply because they’re still human.  Hmp, maybe we need a police force of children.”

Published in 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird became popular quick, and eventually won a Pulitzer Prize. It was immediately successful and has been said to be a classic of modern American fiction. The book is known for its humor and warmth while still dealing with critical and serious issues such as racism, rape, and loss of innocence. Many see the book’s famous character, Atticus Finch, as being a hero both morally and racially. However, the book has been challenged many times because of how it deals with race issues. It is extremely prejudice and stereotypical. The novel also portrays an assault that is somewhat sexual, resulting in a rape. Vulgar language, including the “n” word, is also used.

7. Brave New World

“We can make a new one with the greatest ease-as many as we like. Unorthodoxy threatens more than the life of a mere individual; it strikes at Society itself.”

Written in 1932 by Aldous Huxley, this book revolves around a setting of a drugged, dull and mass society. The book takes place in the future, but it doesn’t provide much hope for generations to come. The book is a parody of a utopian society. The novel explained much disdain for youth, as well as a culture that is driven by the market. The book has been banned for its strong themes of drugs, sexuality, and suicide. In the novel, something as minute as chewing gum is seen as a way to deliver sex hormones, and pornographic films are spread around like free candy. Simply, Brave New World has been banned and challenged for its negativity, the latest being in 1993.

6. 1984

 

“Never again will you be capable of ordinary human feeling. Everything will be dead inside you. Never again will you be capable of love, or friendship, or joy of living, or laughter, or curiosity, or courage, or integrity. You will be hollow. We shall squeeze you empty and then we shall fill you with ourselves.”


Written by George Orwell in 1949, 1984 is a novel that depicts an extremely grim future of society. The society has no free will, truth, or privacy. The book was first banned in 1984 by the American Library Association because of its “bleak warning of totalitarian government and censorship.” Many see the novel as one that is expressing immoral themes, as well as being pro-Communist. The book tosses around the idea of “Big Brother,” which is still highly influential and popular in culture today. The book has also been challenged for sexual themes.

5. Lolita

“A normal man given a group photograph of school girl or Girl Scouts and asked to point out the comeliest one will not necessarily choose the nymphet among them. You have to be an artist and a madman, a creature of infinite melancholy, with a bubble of hot poison in your loins and a super-voluptuous flame permanently aglow in your subtle spine…”

This 1955 novel written by Vladimir Nabokov, analyzes the mind of a highly intelligent, self-loathing man named Humber Humbert, who is a pedophile and has an extreme obsession for “nymphets,” which are young girls, generally around the age of 12. Lolita was first published by a French pornographic press after being rejected by four publishing firms, but soon after, it was banned in France for being obscene. It was also banned in South Africa, New Zealand, England, and Argentina. However, the book was never really banned in the U.S. because when it was published, sexuality and teenage sex weren’t out of the norm. In any case, most countries have challenged the book because of its portrayal of a sexual relationship between a child and an adult.

4. Catcher in the Rye

“Sex is something I really don’t understand too hot. You never know where the hell you are. I keep making up these sex rules for myself, and then I break them right away. Last year I made a rule that I was going to quit horsing around with girls that, deep down, gave me a pain in the ass. I broke it, though, the same week I made it – the same night, as a matter of fact.”

Written by J.D. Salinger, Catcher in the Rye became a best-seller weeks within its release in 1951. The novel explains three days in the life of a 16 year old boy, who is seen as extremely troubled. It is a true expression of teenage angst and rebellion against adults, and many have challenged the book because they fear younger people will look up to Holden, the main character. The book first caused controversy in 1960 when a school principal fired a teacher for using the novel as part of an 11th grade class. Many states around the country have issues with the book, some saying it is “anti-white,” while others express that it puts too much emphasis on slang, sex, violence, and issues with morals.

3. Harry Potter Series

“As much money and life as you could want!  The two things most human beings would choose above all – the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them.”


The most recent books on the list, the Harry Potter series tell the tale and adventures of a young boy named Harry Potter, who is a wizard, and his friends Ron and Hermione. The central theme of the book is a struggle against evil, Lord Voldemort, who killed Harry’s parents. Since the first book’s publishing in 1997, the series has been under much scrutiny. In 2001, parents from all over the U.S. and other parts of the world challenged the book because of its witchcraft, violence, the occult, and its overall scariness. Years later, the series is still banned and challenged for the same reasons, including lying, cheating, stealing, ghosts, and promoting Wicca ideology.

2. Candide

“’What! Have you no monks to teach, to dispute, to govern, to intrigue and to burn people who do not agree with them?”

A great book of great satire! Candide is a classic French novel that satirizes all things that many saw sacred in its day. Churches, philosophers, armies, and rulers were all poked fun at. Voltaire, through the use of satire and funny phrases, was doing nothing more than trying to express a man finding the best of all possible worlds while going through some of the worst things that could ever happen in life. The Great Council of Geneva banned the book after its release, but more than 30,000 copies sold in a year. In 1930, U.S. Customs seized Harvard-bound copies of Candide, and then in 1944 the U.S. Post Office wanted the book dropped from Concord Books.

1. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

“I knowed he was white inside, and I reckoned he’d say what he did say – so it was all right, now, and I told Tom I was agoing for a doctor.”

This book, written by Mark Twain, has been banned in many different places since it was published. Huckleberry Finn is a story of a young boy, Huck, and a runaway slave, Jim, who travel down the Mississippi in order to escape “sivilization.” Here in the U.S., the book was banned in 1885, a year after it was published. At first, the book was banned for its use of slang, which was seen as demeaning. Over time, the focus shifted towards the fact that the novel uses the “n” word so many times, in fact over 200 times. Many cannot get around the fact that such a derogatory word is used so much. Readers often substitute the word with “slave” or “servant.” Despite much controversy, many of the most famous writers, such as Ernest Hemingway, see the book as a great piece of literature, as do many readers.

(Source: www.toptenz.net)

Top 10 Stories by Stephen King.

 

10.   Everything’s Eventual (Short Story)

Published in Everything’s Eventual:  14 Dark Tales, this quirky tale follows Dinky Earnshaw, our 19-year-old narrator who has the uncanny ability to draw pictures that kill people.  A mysterious man from a mysterious corporation gives Dinky a house to live in, a car to drive, plenty of money, and pretty much anything he could ever ask for in return for Dinky drawing his pictures (Dinky, as our hero, has no idea the power his pictures wield).  Even as the truth of what he’s doing starts to dawn on Dinky, he starts to realize that the mysterious corporation is not what it seems, and that the people he’s killing might not be the bad guys after all.  Dinky makes an appearance in King’s opus The Dark Tower series, where the mysterious corporation is shown to be linked to the Crimson King.

9. Low Men in Yellow Coats (Novella)

This Novella appeared in the collection Hearts In Atlantis, and is another offshoot of The Dark Tower series.  Ted Brautigan has escaped from his incarceration as a beam-breaker for the Crimson King.  We don’t really fully understand this until the final book of The Dark Tower series, but we know by the end of “Low Men in Yellow Coats” that Ted is going to work for the bad guys in return for them leaving Bobby alone.  Wait a minute; we may be a little ahead of ourselves.  Ted moves into the same apartment building as Bobby Garfield, the child of a single mother who is sleeping with her boss.  Which is scandalous, especially in 1960.  Ted and Bobby form a friendship that makes his mother very suspicious.  Ted lets Bobby know that he (Ted) is being chased by “low men in yellow coats” who put up lost pet signs and draw stars and moons on the sidewalk.  Bobby meets Carol, a lovely young girl who also develops a strong affinity for Ted.  Carol gets attacked, Ted tries to help her, Bobby’s mom walks in at an inopportune moment and we find out that she calls and turns Ted in to the “Can-Toi”, or the low men in yellow coats.  Sound confusing?  Give it a read.  We guarantee you’ll enjoy it.

8.  Misery

Annie Wilkes is Paul Sheldon’s “number one fan”.  Paul writes Annie’s favorite stories about Misery Chastain, a tragic heroine who Paul has the nerve to kill off in what was supposed to be the final Misery novel.  It just figures that Paul would just so happen to get into a car accident right near Annie’s house.  She rescues him, takes him to her house, and at first it seems that Paul’s really lucked out.  He has a “number one fan” to take care of him.  It turns out that Annie is completely off her rocker, and that Paul isn’t so lucky after all.  Made into a movie with James Caan and the incomparable Kathy Bates (who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Annie), the movie was not near as disturbing as the book.  Trust us.

7. Carrie

What can we say?  King can really write crazy.  Carrie was published in 1974 and has been a banned book in schools all over the U.S.  It’s also been widely adapted:  two feature films, a TV movie, and even a Broadway musical.  Not too shabby for a manuscript that Stephen King threw away initially.

6. The Long Walk

Published under King’s nom de plume, Richard Bachman, The Long Walk takes place in an alternate universe where life in these United States is more like life in a police state, where teenage boys are forced to take the “long walk” and are killed by soldiers for their indiscretions.  It is a well-crafted, fully horrifying piece of work.

5. Rage

Also published under the name Richard Bachman, this psychological thriller/teenage horror story is so powerful and has so many social implications that Stephen King has decided for it to stay out of print forever.  Since the odds are pretty slim that you’ll get to read this one, we’ll give you a short plot synopsis.  Charlie Decker is an angry young man.  So angry, in fact, that he beats a teacher with a wrench, grabs his pistol out of his locker, sets his locker on fire, and then shoots two teachers.  As if that wasn’t enough, he holds a classroom full of his fellow students hostage.  Disturbing, but not an original story, right?  The catch is that the story sounds familiar because of things that have happened since Rage was published.  Added to the fact that the story is much more interesting than just a disturbed kid.  The dialog between Charlie and his hostages is riveting, and the story is a testament to how horrible teen life can be and how angry life can make a child that is having a hard time becoming an adult.  Unfortunately, copies of the book were found in the possession of real-life kids who were angry and messed-up enough to commit similar crimes.  Hence, it is out of print.

4. Wizard and Glass (A Dark Tower Novel)

Let’s face it.  This series is Stephen King’s opus, and so many of his works weave into it.  Since we’re doing this list based on stand-alone works, we didn’t include the whole series.  That’s OK, because some of the books are better than the others.  This is one of them.  This is the story that, most notably, talks about Roland of Gilead’s history, and what a history it is.  This is one of the best-crafted, wondrous, disturbing quest stories of all time, not just in Stephen King’s world.

3. Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption

This story comes from the short story collection Different Seasons, which was also the book with “Apt Pupil” and “The Body”, both of which were made into feature films.  So was “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption”.  As great as the film was, the story is better.  It is rich and delightfully told, and you should read it.  Today.  You won’t be sorry.

2. The Gunslinger (A Dark Tower Novel)

“The man in black fled across the desert, and the Gunslinger followed.”  If you’ve read this book, that line gives you chills.  A poem by Robert Browning called “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came” was the unlikely inspiration for this 12-year-in-development labor of love.  Funny enough, Browning’s poem is said to have come to him in a dream, fully formed in iambic pentameter.  The title of the poem comes from Shakespeare’s King Lear.  Shakespeare got the idea for Edgar’s rant from a fairy tale called “Childe Rowland”, which incidentally takes its inspiration from a medieval ballad.  One might say that the inspiration for The Gunslinger has inspired many other great works before it.  King has often said that he was on a sort of “auto-pilot” during the creation of The Gunslinger and The Dark Tower novels.  Guided by the spirit of creation, anyone?

1. The Stand

If Stephen King considers The Dark Tower novels to be his “magnum opus”, The Stand is perhaps his greatest masterpiece.  A sprawling and magnificent novel, The Stand takes place in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where most of the human population is dead by the hand of a man-made biological virus/weapon.  An oracle’s dreams draws a group of survivors together to rebuild society, but Randall Flagg has other plans.  And that synopsis barely scratches the surface of this amazing piece of literature.  A bonus for true fans, The Stand is totally linked into The Dark Tower series – Randall Flagg is the villain, there is a superflu, everything is a wasteland but as a stand-alone novel it really holds its salt.

(Courtesy of www.toptenz.net)

6 Easy Ways To Get Completely Free Traffic.

1. Blog Contests

Contests are nothing new in the online world. Many people have been using contests to get
free web traffic for years. However, there is a slightly new twist since the blog revolution that
has made running a contest much more effective and fun.

The concept is the same. You come up with a prize (or many prizes) that would be appealing
to your blog readers. Of course, offering your own product as the prize would be preferable
since you can mention it on your blog (so everyone who sees your contest will also see your
product link). But, if you don’t have your own product, you can easily ask around and find people
who will donate.

Once you have your prizes, the fun starts. You have several options for your contest.

1. If your goal is to get people to interact, ask your readers to post a comment to win.
2. If your goal is to get incoming links to your blog, and, if your readers are bloggers themselves, ask your readers to blog about your contest (on their blogs) and then commen to let you know they did it.
3. If your goal is to get to know your readers, ask them to complete a survey to win.
4. Or a combination of the items above.

Immediately after you post your contest, send a mailing to each of your ezine lists, letting
them know about the contest. You’ll want your loyal readers to have the opportunity to win.
Note: If you don’t have your own lists yet, you’re missing out on big profits.

Next, contact your circle of influence (your friends) and let them know about your contest. Offer
to do a blog post swap. If they’ll blog about your contest, you’ll owe them one the next
time they have something they want to spread the word about.

Then, go and submit your contest to all of the contest websites. Yes, there are sites that list
contests and free offers. This is obviously more effective in certain niches than in others, but it
is free exposure to your contest. (Search google for “submit contest” & “submit sweepstake”.)

Of course, if you really want good mileage for your contest, you can also post on message
boards in your niche with the signature pointing to your contest.

If your wheels are turning… you’re probably also thinking of the possibilities of offering your
product or service as a prize to a popular blog in your niche and asking them to run the
contest. ;) Good thinking. It works both ways!

2. Online Radio & Podcast Interviews

Imagine being a talk show host for a weekly podcast. What’s the one thing you need every
single week? Guests. Lots and lots of expert guests.

You think finding content for your website is hard? Try pinning down guests each week for
interviews. My good friend, Kelly McCausey, has been recording an online show since 2003 –
every single week at www.WAHMTalkRadio.com That’s a lot of guests.

I recently interviewed Kelly to ask the question “What makes a good guest and what makes
you want to invite someone back?”

Here are some pointers to increase your odds of getting on a show and being asked back:

1. Actually listen to the show a few times before even thinking of contacting the host as a
potential guest. Make sure your concept fits into the market that the show reaches. If the
show is about Health, then don’t pitch your candy-making cookbook on there.

2. Do something newsworthy or interesting. Are you having a special event for charity? Have
you recently won an award? If your idea is timely, you’ll stand out and the host may contact
you sooner rather than later.

3. Have something interesting to say. If you just plan to talk about your products, then don’t
ask to be a guest. Buy an ad instead.

4. If you have sample interviews or media exposure, tell the host about it in your inquiry
letter. Direct her to your media page where you link to past interviews, if you have them.
One Good Turn Deserves Another.

With the Host or Hostess giving so much to you, what are you expected to do in return?

• · Provide a list of questions in advance.
• · Send a sample of your product to the host before you appear on the show.
• · Tell your newsletter list about the interview and where to find it. Your host will be more likely to have you back if you are willing to publicize your interviews.
• · Blog about your interview.
• · Be a gracious guest and be sure to say “Thank you” when the interview is over. (A gift
• is also nice.)

Hot Tip! You may also ask the host for a copy of the interview that you can add to your affiliate
center.

3. Find membership sites and ebooks that are HOT and offer them content.

Ride the coat tails of others.

Let’s say you are an expert in Raw Food Nutrition. One thing you can easily do is contact every
weight loss or fitness membership site you can find and offer to give them either an interview
or a report.

Each of these membership sites is looking for ongoing value for their members. If you come
through with a great interview or a quality report, you can bet they’ll add it to their members’
area, especially if it’s unique to their site.

Find one membership site each week and offer them great content. You’ll get your marketing
message in front of a lot of very targeted eyeballs who are interested in your topic.

Many membership sites archive their content. Be sure to check before you agree to do an exclusive
interview to make sure that it’ll be getting exposure for a long, long time.

You can make this offer even more appealing by allowing the membership site owners to use
their affiliate link for your program in the report or alongside the interview.

How do you find these hot membership sites? Easy.

Search google.com for the following terms:

• · “keyword club” (example “dog owners club”)
• · “keyword month” (example “diabetic month”)
• · “keyword join” (example “divorce join”)

Of course, don’t fret if you find ebooks instead of membership sites. That works, too. Find hot
ebooks in your niche that are just a little different than yours, but in the same field, and offer
them a bonus for their customers. I recommend you search directly in the clickbank.com marketplace
for those.

Once you set this up, each and every customer who buys the ebook of a competitor will receive
a copy of your audio or report. If you set this up properly, you’ll turn your traffic on autopilot.
More google research ideas:

• · “keyword report” (example “fitness report”)
• · “keyword ebook” (example “recipe ebook”)
• · “keyword affiliate” (example “dog affiliate”)

4. Jump into Social Networking.

Social Networking comes in many shapes and forms, but the good thing is that it’s easy to
dabble in and I’ve, personally, seen great results with little effort.
It’s free to try, so there are no excuses.
Here’s how it works. You sign up for one or more of the programs below (all are free).

• · StumbleUpon.com
• · Digg.com
• · Reddit.com

(You can search google to find hundreds more. This is just for starters.)

Next, update your profile on each site you’ve joined, including your URL and photo.
Then, the next time you post something of interest on your blog (or see something on a
friend’s blog), you just submit it to the sites above.

Many of these Social Networking sites expect you to be an active participant. You’re expected
to rate and comment on other people’s contributions. Just jump in and play with it and watch
your stats to see what is and is not working. You’ll see the traffic start to trickle in if you play
by the rules and share quality information. (Don’t be afraid to have an opinion and stand out!)
Along the same lines (but slightly different) is a Social Networking tool called Twitter.com
Now, in the name of disclosure, I’m pretty new to Twitter, but I had to check it out after I realized
that I was already getting traffic from other people Twittering about me.

Basically, Twitter is like a group Instant Messenger Chat. You can add as many friends as
you’d like (which is called “following” people). Then, you just chat about what you’re up to.
For instance, when I’m done with this report, I’ll turn it into a pdf and load it on my site for my
readers to enjoy. Then, I’ll Twitter the link to let my followers know what I’ve been up to today.
Whenever I post on my blog, I quickly Twitter it. Not even a minute later, I get a nice little
spike in traffic (and some comments) on my blog.

Hot Tip! Of course, you can make this even more viral by talking about your affiliate program
on Twitter or on the Social Networking Sites above. That way, instead of getting one visitor to
your website, you’re getting a person who can send you additional traffic. You’re tapping into
their lists, their connections, and their traffic instead. Pretty smart, isn’t it?

5. Create something buzz-worthy.

This is a very fun way to get some buzz about your website.

Create something fun and buzz-worthy.

1. Example of Using Graphics Creatively:
www.MarketingComics.com – 15 hilarious comics about Internet Marketing – some
may hit a little close to home! ;)

2. Example of Using Video Creatively: www.DinnerTimeVideo.com – a video to promote a family menu planning service.

If you’re not a very creative person, then you can certainly hire someone on elance.com to
create an item for you. I’ve worked with illustrators on elance.com and I’ve had good luck so
far. Just communicate your requirements clearly so there are no misunderstandings. In fact,
after I write out my project requirements, I run the wording by two of my assistants and ask
them to tell me what it says in their own words before posting it just to make sure it’s clear.

Once your project is completed, then spread the word.

• · Blog about it.
• · Tell your lists.
• · If you’ve created a video, submit it to YouTube.com and Video.Google.com and all of the other video sites.
• · Also submit it to Digg.com, Reddit.com, StumbleUpon.com and all of the other hot social networking sites for exposure.
• Of course, if you have an affiliate program, set it up so your affiliates can link to your
• creation, as well!

6. Your Own Affiliate Program!

I promised that I’d save the best for last, and I sure did. I even hinted (not so subtly)
throughout this report about my favorite method of traffic generation.
Let me lay it on the line here. I told you at the beginning of this report that I quickly came up
with 26 methods of generating traffic off the top of my head. I’m sure, if I sat and thought a
bit longer I could easily make that 100 or more.
Just a few ideas from my list…

• · Squidoo
• · Stumble Upon
• · Digg/Reddit/etc.
• · Article Marketing
• · Ezine Advertising
• · Google Adwords
• · Craigslist
• · Offering Resale Rights
• · Webinars
• · Teleseminars
• · Offline Marketing
• · Twitter
• · Forums
• · Joint Ventures
• · Press Releases
• · Creating Viral Software & Tools
• · PayPerPost
• · Utterz
• · Viral Free Reports
• · Starting your Own Podcast
• · Search Engine Optimization
• · Blogging

Are you an expert in each of those things? No? Me, neither. I know quite a bit about each
(more about some than others), but I wouldn’t consider myself an expert in every single one
of those in any way, shape or form.

Do I have time to learn about and do each of those things on a regular basis? Not a chance. It
would be insane to even try to do each of these things each day – or even every week.
This is where an affiliate program comes in handy.

My affiliates are experts in these areas. Where there is only one ME with only 24 hours each
day, my affiliates are many.

• · My affiliates have created Squidoo lenses to promote my products.
• · They’ve StumbledUpon pages with links to me.
• · They’ve posted about my free reports on Craigslist.
• · They’ve set up Adwords campaigns.
• · They’re blogging about my products.
• · They’re posting on forums with signature links promoting my products.
• · They are making graphics for my free reports, before I can even do it!

Hell, I can’t keep up with everything they’re doing, but I know it’s a lot more than I could be
doing alone.

You can train your affiliates to do more in a day than you can do alone in a month’s time.

You’ll get more done, and you’ll stay a lot saner in the process.

With a little effort and guidance, any group of affiliates can be turned loose onto the world
with the tools to succeed.

The good new is that you don’t have to figure it out alone. My Friend Jimmy D. Brown created a free
ecourse that outlines the absolute BASICS that any affiliate program must have in order to
thrive.

It’s called the "5 Practices of Wildly Profitable Affiliate Programs”. And, it’s free.
And, yes, I highly recommend it.

Click here to get the free ecourse right now.

The ecourse is an introduction to Jimmy’s full “S.A.L.E.S. A.R.M.Y. Secrets” course, which is
the best I’ve seen. (And as an affiliate manager, I’ve seen many.)

I don’t know about you, but I did not start a business to work around the clock, making myself
sick. I started it to have the FREEDOM to work when I wanted to. A successful affiliate
program can help you achieve that goal.

Wishing you much success,

 Erin J Carney

© 2010 Erin J Carney - All Rights Reserved.

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