Win moola with your writing

 Calling all writers!

Irreantum, the literary magazine of the Association for Mormon Letters, will be accepting submissions to their 2012 literary contests until May 31, 2012.  Prizes range from $100-$300 and include possible publication in Irreantum.  

Their fiction and creative nonfiction contests are supported by a grant from the Eugene England foundation, and the poetry contest is supported by a grant from Mary Ann Taylor. 

Because Irreantum is a journal dedicated to exploring Mormon culture, submissions that relate to the Mormon experience will be given preference in judging. Authors need not be LDS. Please visit http://irreantum.mormonletters.org/ for contest rules and further information.

Want to make more money as an author?

Have you discovered Steve Harrison yet?  He's awesome.  I've been listening to his teleseminars for over a year now and am so impressed with the great quality content he shares for free.

Are you where you want to be as an author, speaker or expert in your field?
Are you getting as much publicity as you should?
Are you selling as many books as you should?
Are you getting the recognition you deserve as one of the top experts in your field?
Are you making the level of income you should?
Are you having the impact on others you should?
Are you hearing from lots of people about how your work has changed their lives for the better?

If not, let Steve Harrison, show you some faster -- often MUCH faster -- ways to get where you want to be.
Join Steve on Wednesday, March 21st for a free webinar (or telephone seminar) on which he’ll be revealing
'Fast Track Promotion Strategies for Authors, Speakers and Experts.'
https://m164.infusionsoft.com/go/QL15FT/A12889


Here's just some of what you’ll discover on Wednesday:
* A proven way to land speaking engagements much more quickly. Steve used this strategy to speak to over 1,000 people at a conference with Brian Tracy.
* A key strategy the author of 'Skinny Bitch' used to make her book a New York Times Best Seller with over
2 million copies in print.
* What to write in your subject header when emailing the media. Steve will reveal a 'magic phrase' which got a producer from the Today Show to call a few hours later wanting to book the guest.
* How a job search expert was able to stand out from all the other job experts out there and sell 10,000 books in three weeks by using one technique Steve taught him.
* How to overcome any fear or hesitancy you have about promoting yourself. Steve will reveal a simple but profound principle which changed his life and has helped him generate millions of dollars over the last 20 years.
* How to get on your local TV in a matter of hours, not weeks or months. Steve will share how one of my clients didn’t even know who to contact but three hours later the local news crew was interviewing him.
* Years ago when Steve and his brother/partner Bill were first working together in their two-bedroom apartment, struggling to pay their bills, they discovered an important marketing lesson which took them from struggling to successful. He'll share it with you because he knows it will help you too.
* How to write and publish your books much more quickly. The surprising difference that allows million dollar authors to be much more productive and achieve success faster than everybody else.

Again, go here now to register for Wednesday's webinar or telephone seminar:
https://m164.infusionsoft.com/go/QL15FT/A12889
 
 I'll be listening to it too!

Cyber Monday Madness

                                                 http://www.sisterthrifty.com/    (a/k/a Trina Boice)

While I’m not one to stand outside a store at 4:00 am for Black Friday bargains, I definitely get excited about “Cyber Monday.”  Why?  Because I can get great prices from the comfort of my home by shopping online!

Cyber Monday has become so popular and a part of our Christmas shopping lexicon that it’s even in Wikipedia now.  The term Cyber Monday refers to the Monday immediately following Black Friday.  Whereas Black Friday is associated with traditional brick and mortar stores, Cyber Monday symbolizes a busy day for online retailers. The premise was that consumers would return to their offices after the Black Friday weekend, making purchases online that they were not able to make in stores.

Each year www.walmart.com  offers some of the best bargains and this year they’re in a price war with www.amazon.com    I love that!   Some of the common discounts include free shipping and percentages off the sales price.  While I love going inside a real store and being able to touch the merchandise and get my picture taken with Santa, I REALLY love being able to stay home and shop in my pajamas!

Below are some really great web sites where you can see at a glance which retailers are offering discounts this year:

www.cybermonday.net  

www.cybermonday.fm/  

www.offers.com/cyber-monday/

www.cybermondayonlinedeals.com  

www.dealtaker.com/cybermonday  

www.visa.com/cybermonday  

www.target.com/cybermonday  

One of the great advantages to shopping online is that you can ship directly to your gift recipient, saving you hours of packaging presents, driving in crazy traffic to the post office, and standing in long lines during the busy holiday season!  Some stores will even allow you to "double dip" which means you can stack discounts.   Before you purchase anything online, remember to do an online search of the name of the store you're interested in buying from, along with the words "discount code" and you'll be pointed towards sites that give you special codes to use in the shopping cart to save even more money!

Some of my favorite discount code web sites are:

·         www.currentcodes.com

·         www.Couponcactus.com 

·         www.retailmenot.com

·         www.couponcabin.com

·         www.couponchief.com

Each year consumers spend more than $80 billion shopping on the Internet.  It’s fast.  It’s easy.  No crowds.  No searching for parking spaces.  And who doesn’t love shopping in their pajamas?  Unfortunately, one out of ten adults reported being victimized by online fraud in 2011, so you definitely need to be careful.  Computer security experts have come up with some shopping tips to help protect you from cyber crime.

1.      Investigate the vendor.  Check the site for refund policies and contact information.  It only takes a minute to review a company’s track record at www.bbb.org  (Better Business Bureau).

2.       Protect your private information by never giving financial information by email.

3.       Start a paper trail.  Print online receipts, product information and email confirmations.

4.       Choose carefully where you shop.  Only shop online at sites that provide password protection and encryption.  When you see “https” you know the site is secure.

5.       Protect your computer with antivirus software and firewalls.

The Internet has also made the world a much smaller place.  There might be a company in Wisconsin who has exactly what your son’s school needs but can’t afford.  www.throwplace.com    is a great resource where charities, businesses, and individuals donate items and can get free items in return!  Be sure to sign up your kids’ schools or your church!

The holidays are a busy time to be sure.  Remember to pause and reflect on what’s truly important.  Toss the guilt if you can’t buy the expensive gift for others that you wish you could.  There is no shame in writing up some of those hand-made gift coupons, good for one back rub or car wash.  People on their death bed never say they wish they had that gadget; rather, they often express regret for not having spent more time loving and serving others.