What Hurricane Katrina Can Teach Authors
by: Lynne Klippel
By now, you are heartsick and tired of looking at the images of the horror and devastation in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
However, if you are an author and self-publisher, it pays to look at this disaster as a wake-up call.
Just for a moment, image that a disaster stuck YOUR home.
What would happen to your writing and to your business?
Could you keep things going if you had no electricity, no internet connection, or no phone service?
How could you continue to sell your books, even if you were unable to get online to process orders?
There are several important steps all authors and self-publishers need to take immediately to ensure that your books and your business are protected from natural disasters, fires, and unexpected events like plumbing leaks or computer meltdowns.
* Your number one priority should be to create several back-up copies of your manuscript.
You can burn it onto a CD and store it in a safe deposit box.
Send a copy to your mother or friend who lives out of state. Another option would be to consider creating a private blog where you can immediately access your work from any internet connection.
For a free service check out www.livejournal where you can set up a totally private blog.
Another option is www.blogger.com but blogs there may be accessible via blog rings.
While your printer will have a copy of your manuscript, it will be in PDF format so that you will not be able to make any changes.
I suggest saving both a PDF and Word document of your completed books and a Word document of any works in progress.
Don't forget to have a back-up copy of any cover art as well.
* Check your insurance policy to ensure that it covers your inventory of books.
Many homeowners' policies do not cover inventory for a home based business.
Ask your insurance agent to ensure that the books you have on hand would be protected in case of fire, flooding, or other unforeseen damage.
Keep an up-to-date inventory of books so that you could be compensated in the event that you need to make a claim.
* Back up your computer.
Purchase a back up system or subscribe to an on-line back up service.
Your records of customers, book purchases, and tax information are priceless.
If they were lost, it would cost you countless hours and many dollars to rebuild them.
* If you do your own shipping, create a back up-plan.
Research fulfillment houses, virtual assistants, and the shipping options that your printer may provide.
In the event that you are unable to ship your books for any reason, you will still be able to serve your customers and generate income if you have a back-up plan in place.
Ask yourself these questions:
1.
Does reading this article scare me because I know I am not adequately prepared to protect my books and records?
2.
What steps could I take today to begin protecting my books and records?
Nobody likes to think about disaster preparedness.
However, spending a few hours now following the steps in this article will give you the peace of mind that you will be able to continue writing and publishing your books no matter what unforeseen event may come your way. That peace of mind is worth its weight is gold.
After you've taken some steps to secure your manuscripts and your publishing business, why not make another donation of time, prayers, cash or clothing to help Katrina's survivors?
They will be needing our support for a long time as they seek to rebuild their lives.
Who knows, you may just find something to write about in the process!
About The Author
Lynne Klippel For free information on writing and self-publishing especially for coaches, consultants, and speakers, visit http://www.MyBookSchool.com.
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What is a Home Improvement Loan?
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by: John Mussi
A Home Improvement Loan can give you the home you want. Looking to increase the value of your property? A Home improvement Loan could be the easiest and cheapest way to make improvements to your home.
Are you planning an extension to your home, would you like to have double glazing, a new conservatory, patio, or a new heating system, or are you undertaking the general up keep of your home but finding it hard to pay for?
A home improvement loan may well provide your solution. The loan can be repaid over any term between 5 and 25 years, depending on your available income and the amount of equity in the property that is to provide the security for the loan. With competitive rates and a quick decision a home improvement loan could well be just what you need to enable you to finance your dream improvements.
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Sometimes people won?t listen to solid advice unless it directly effects them. Unfortunately, some people simply need to learn the hard way before they make more sound decisions. This can be seen almost every time suretyship makes its way to the news. Since surety bonds are not the most exciting thing in the world, you typically only hear about them when there is a problem, especially when it comes to contract bonds.
The Westchester, New York School District is a prime example of city officials learning the importance of requiring bonds. In the article ?Westchester Schools?? Dumping Deals Costly To Taxpayers?, the contractor hired to do the work never submitted a surety bond guaranteeing the work. The district allowed the contractor to begin work prior to submitting the bond. The end result was the contractor running out of funds and defaulting on the project. Had the...
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Term life insurance is a life insurance product that pays out a cash lump sum upon death of the insurance policyholder or at the point that the insurance policyholder is diagnosed as terminally ill. But, despite it being a low cost term life product - insurance cover can be acquired from as little as ?5-?10 per month - surprisingly few of us have term life insurance in place.
For people with a mortgage and family to support, not having a term life insurance policy exposes them to a large financial risk. This risk becomes apparent when you consider how the mortgage and household bills would be paid if the main income producer were to die or to become terminally ill. The end result could be that loved ones who are left behind find their home is repossessed because they cannot keep up the mortgage repayments.
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Learning The Importance Of Surety Bonding, The Hard Way
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Sometimes people won?t listen to solid advice unless it directly effects them. Unfortunately, some people simply need to learn the hard way before they make more sound decisions. This can be seen almost every time suretyship makes its way to the news. Since surety bonds are not the most exciting thing in the world, you typically only hear about them when there is a problem, especially when it comes to contract bonds.
The Westchester, New York School District is a prime example of city officials learning the importance of requiring bonds. In the article ?Westchester Schools?? Dumping Deals Costly To Taxpayers?, the contractor hired to do the work never submitted a surety bond guaranteeing the work. The district allowed the contractor to begin work prior to submitting the bond. The end result was the contractor running out of funds and defaulting on the project. Had the...
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