So, You Want to Know About the Salem Witch Trials – Part Four – Individual Lives Affected

Giles and Martha Cory– Martha, was the first bystander who drew the attention of the afflicted. She had a checkered past because she had once given birth to an illegitimate biracial child. Martha didn’t want anything to do with the whole affair, so she hid her husband’s saddle to prevent him from going to the examination of Tituba and the two Sarah’s. Within the week, Ann Putnam Jr. accused Martha of being a witch.

Her arrest warrant was written on a Saturday, and because no business could be conducted until Monday, Martha remained free for the weekend. She stubbornly showed up for the Sunday meeting, drawing attention to herself and causing the girls to go into a rousting fit. Giles, wondering if his wife might just be a witch, offered his opinion and testimony. His chief complaint was that she spent too much time muttering to herself in prayer, but she could be a witch, for all he knew, she certainly was grumpy enough for the role. Later, when Giles was accused of witchcraft, he apologized, saying he “had ‘broken charity’ with Martha in believing the word of a pack of lying girls against her.” Giles knew that all of the other people accused of witchcraft so far had been found guilty and hanged, so he decided it would do him no good to stand trial. A convicted witch had no right to property, and Giles owned a sizeable amount of property. While in jail he deeded his estate to the two sons in law who stood by him and Martha during the trials, and refused to speak. According to the diary of Samuel Sewall, “September 19: About noon, at Salem, Giles Corey was press’d to death for standing Mute; much pains was used with him two days, one after another, by the court and Capt. Gardner of Nantucket who had been of his acquaintance: but all in vain.” A common tale is that Giles said nothing during his torture except “more weight,” but there is no evidence to support the story. Either way, Giles had his wish, “So it was that though the sheriff slowly crushed the last breath out of the massive body, he could not make a condemned wizard out of old Giles.” Because Giles was not convicted of witchcraft, the sheriff could not seize his property and it stayed in the family. Giles Cory has the unfortunate standing in history for being the one and only death by pressing ever in New England. The pressing took place in an open field, and people were rattled to see the 80 year old slowly dying under a heap of large stones.

The sheriff, unaware of the growing sentiment, made matters worse by rudely using the end of his cane to shove Giles’ bulging tongue back into his mouth. The method was straight out of the Old English playbook, but most of these people were born in America. Thomas Putnam caught wind of the growing discord and quickly penned a letter claiming Ann had a vision of “a man in a Winding Sheet; who told her that Giles Cory had Murdered him, by Pressing him to Death with his Feet; but that the Devil there appeared unto him, and Covenanted with him, and promised him, He should not be Hanged.” According to Thomas Putnam, not only was Ann a witch finder, but an angel of fate, and if it wasn’t for her diligence, Old Giles would have gotten away with pressing that poor servant boy to death. Martha was hanged three days later, on September 22. The change of attitude was beginning to show, however, and the vote to excommunicate her from the Salem Village congregation was not unanimous.

Rebecca Nurse was accused directly after Martha. Rebecca was a respected member of the community, but her mother had been accused of witchcraft in the past. Rebecca was a nearly deaf elderly woman with a large, loving family. She was one of the unfortunate Towne sisters who were all arrested for witchcraft. The three proved themselves ladies of true class and honor. After hearing the evidence, the jury came back that Rebecca was innocent, and the judge ordered them to go back and think about it again. This time they came back with a guilty verdict. Rebecca was taken back to her beloved meetinghouse one last time so that she could be publicly excommunicated by Nicholas Noyes from Salem Town church, and then she was hanged.

John and Elizabeth Procter-He was the voice of reason in a sea of confusion. He thought all the afflicted girls deserved a good spanking, and the wench who was living in his home, Mary Warren, was getting cured right and fine with his firm hand. He didn’t want Mary to have any part of the examinations, but he was forced to let her participate. His obstruction smelled suspicious and his pregnant wife was soon accused. He was more than angry now. What in God’s name was the town thinking by putting the weight of a criminal investigation in the hands of young, disturbed children? Surely, someone besides him could see the insanity in this situation. He was sentenced to hang. His wife, being pregnant, got a stay of execution, and the voice of reason stepped in before her death sentence was carried out. She delivered a son after John’s death.

Sarah Cloyce was so darn angry she walked out of church and slammed the door. Her sister, Rebecca had just been taken for witchcraft, and Samuel Parris was giving an explanatory sermon about the betrayer in Jesus’ midst, and how close the devil had gotten to the heart of the church. Of course the devil wouldn’t waste time trying to tempt the slouches of society like Sarah Good, he was going to go right for the jugular and turn the hearts of God’s most loyal followers. Because of her outburst, Sarah was accused, but her trial was to come after the panic subsided and the charges against her were dropped. She was only Towne sister to avoid hanging, and died in 1703 at the age of 62.

Bridget Bishop had a bad reputation over in Salem Town, and the girls were able to identify her, though they had never seen her before. A number of people testified against Bridget; she had once paid a man with money that disappeared, and a few men even claimed her specter haunted them in the night while they were in bed. A man named Samuel Gray testified she had killed his son, though he admitted to lying about the matter when he was on his deathbed. The decision-makers still hadn’t quite figured out what to do about spectral evidence, so they tried Bridget first because she had the most evidence against her besides just the afflicted girls. Bridget was the first person to be executed on June 10.

Abigail Hobbs was the black sheep of her family, quick with her foul mouth, choosing to spend most nights in the forest. She immediately confessed to anything and everything she was accused of, sometimes following the afflicted’s storyline, sometimes making up new information on her own.

Sarah and Edward Bishop owned an unlicensed tavern, much to the chagrin of their neighbors. Sarah was accused of witchcraft because a woman become so angry at the shuffleboard games going on late into the night at the tavern and thrown the game into the fire. Later, this woman was found dead, her throat slashed (now thought to be a suicide). Edward was already under suspicion just being the family member of an accused witch, but he made matters worse when he hit John Indian with a stick during one of his fits, and announced he thought all of the afflicted could be cured in the same manner.

Mary and Philip English-Her mother was granted license for a tavern, which was highly unusual in those days. At first, the girls named Mary’s mother, not realizing she was dead. Mary was married to a wealthy Salem merchant who was the first of his kind to trade internationally. He was also elected to the board of selectman, against Putnam. He was able to avoid arrest for a time, but he and his wife were eventually caught and held prisoner until they escaped. After the trials were over, Mr. English repeatedly petitioned for monetary compensation for all he had lost, but he died before any was ever made. His sworn enemy was Sheriff Corwin and Mr. English made it clear he only wished he could take it out of Corwin’s dead body.

Deliverance Hobbs was the embarrassed mother of Abigail. She began the examination by claiming innocence, but was led into admitting she had signed the book. She proved a valuable witch to the accusers, making a detailed statement about witches meetings in Parris’ field, and embellishing about the devil and other witches. She claimed the “minister,” of these meetings in the field was none other than George Burroughs.

The two Mary’s, Easty and Herrick– Mary Easty was one of the Towne girls, as sisters Rebecca, Sarah, and Mary were called. She made such an impression on the jailors, they brought her straight back to the magistrates and offered the opinion she could not possibly be a witch. Even Hathorne had to question the legitimacy of her accusation, but was answered by such a fit from the afflicted, he changed his mind. Before her death, Mary wrote a heartfelt note on the behalf of the others who were accused. In her letter, she suggested the afflicted girls be kept apart for a little while. The spirit of Mary Easty helped to put an end to the whole debacle. Seventeen year old Mary Herrick, a girl of genuine spirit, told of a visit she had from the “Shape” of the dead Mary Easty and the wife of Jonathan Hale, minister of Beverly. Mary Easty watched on while Mrs. Hale pinched and poked the girl. Mary Easty had appeared to Herrick once before on September 22, when she informed the terrified girl she was going to be hanged today, but she was innocent, and the girl would know it for sure before another year passed. Mary Herrick was frightened, but she didn’t want to get involved and didn’t mention it. Now, Mary had come back after death, and told Mary Herrick to “reveal this to Mr. Hale and Mr. Gerrish and then she would rise no more, nor should Mrs. Hale afflict her.” Mary Herrick did as instructed and, true to her word, Mary Easty left her alone.

George Burroughs and his family lived with the Putnam’s for a while when he was minister of Salem Village. The Putnam’s claimed he mistreated his wife and forbid her to talk about family matters, or contact her family. Ann Putnam claimed to have a vision in which he tried to get her to sign the book, and if that weren’t enough, he was charged with killing not only his first two wives, but the wife and child of Deodat Lawson, another minister, as well. Before his hanging, in front of the audience, he said a meaningful prayer, and then proceeded to give an enlightening rendition of “Our Father.” The crowd began to openly question Burroughs’s guilt. Didn’t they hear somewhere that a witch could not recite the Lord’s Prayer like that? Cotton Mather, resident self-proclaimed expert on the subject, sensing the growing doubt, told the crowd the devil, at times, can appear like the glint of Heaven. Cotton was to later feel as if all the blame fell on him because of that moment, and wished he’d never heard the name of Burroughs’s.

Susannah Martin-She also appeared in the bedrooms of frustrated men and had been suspected of witchcraft for some time. She is notable because during her examination she brought up the fact that in the Bible, Saul goes to visit a witch to consult the ghost of Samuel. The witch produced a vision of Samuel, but it was really the devil. This got people to thinking, couldn’t the devil take the shape of the innocent, and if he could, how reliable was spectral evidence? Susannah also said outright she believed the girls were not afflicted. Susannah was one of those who were accused after many of the others, but went to trial early because of all of the non-afflicted people willing to testify against her. She was hanged on July 19.

Lydia Dustin– at 65 years old, also had a long history of being thought a witch. Though she was to eventually be acquitted, she had to remain in jail until her fines were paid. They never were, and she died in jail an innocent woman.

George and Margaret Jacobs-Margaret Jacobs had lived in Maine and seen her parents murdered by Indians before going to live with her 70 year old grandfather, George. During his examination, George argued the devil could take the shape of any person, but Hathorne retorted that the person would have to give the devil permission. George maintained his innocence, but in the isolation of jail, Margaret, somewhere between the age of 10 and 16, was urged to make a confession under threat of hanging. She admitted to being a witch and accused her grandfather and George Burroughs. Eventually, she tried to recant her confession, in her words, “choosing rather death and a quiet conscience, than to live in such horror, which I could not suffer.” The magistrates did not believe her and sent her back to prison to change her mind. She never did, even though she felt for certain she would be hanged. She talked with George Burroughs, who forgave her for using his name in her confession and prayed with her. She was saved from hanging because she fell ill when she was supposed to go to trial, but she was to remain in jail for more than a year because she didn’t have the money to pay her jail expense. A caring stranger came forward to pay her fees. Her grandfather was so proud of her for recanting her confession, he had his will changed to provide for her, though the property and wish of a convicted witch was worth less than the paper it was written on. After his hanging, George’s family recovered his body, burying him on their property in an unmarked grave to avoid vandals. His remains were discovered years later, and Salem gave him a proper burial. His words, “Well! Burn me or hang me, I will stand in the truth of Christ,” are engraved on his headstone.

Elizabeth and Nathaniel Cary– Her name had been coming out for a while, and her husband, a wealthy man, decided to bring her in to declare her innocence, wrongly assuming that because he was a man of some power, his opinion would be heard. He kept good records of the whole affair regarding his wife, and much valuable information has been gleaned from it. He described the “touch test,” and also accounts of a meeting with John Indian (who showed Cary the scars from previous “witch attacks”), and gave future generations a vivid picture of the times. Once he realized he could not keep his wife from being accused, “Cary then tried to save her life by every means within the law.” Nathaniel is the first person who used the law against itself, and obtained a writ, to have her moved to a jail near their home. During her examination in Salem, he realized his wife would not win, so he tried to have the trial moved to his district, to no avail. He then decided to do a jail break, and he and his wife took off to New York and stayed with the governor. In time, after the ruckus of the trials died down, Nathaniel would serve as a justice in the General Court.

John Alden– His parents came on the Mayflower. Now, at 70, a pillar of the community, a war hero, a practical legend, he is accused. He later referred to the fits as “juggling tricks.” One of the girls identified him even though she had never seen him because, “the man told her so.” The magistrate wasn’t convinced, and had the whole crew go outside so they could see him more clearly to make sure it was him. The afflicted made a ring around him and taunted him for being a bold man who sold arms to the Indians and made babies with squaws. This is when it becomes obvious an adult was feeding the girls information. Most people think it was Thomas Putnam. Alden also escaped, but was eventually caught and brought back to jail. He was cleared when no one showed up to say anything against him. He wrote an account of the trials a few years later.

Elizabeth Howe was another on the long list of Putnam land dispute/resentment/ list. Some submitted reports against her, but just as many petitioned on her side. Elizabeth took one of the girls who was having a fit by the hand and in a rare moment, the girl changed her story and admitted Elizabeth had never hurt her. This had no effect, and she was hanged on July 19.

Martha Carrier, the first of the Andover witches; Martha had a bad reputation. She was not the demure type, and angry for being accused. Her eight year old daughter testified to having been a witch since the age of six, converted by her mother, who could take the form of a cat. Evidence against her, besides the “fits” was the testimony of confessed witches, who claimed the devil had promised to make her “queen of Hell.” Neighbors came to testify that Martha had somehow haunted them; a young girl heard Martha’s disembodied voice in the woods; an old man had an argument with Martha and got sick. During her trial, as the girls were writhing around on the floor, shrieking and wailing, they saw thirteen ghosts of the people she killed floating about the room, Martha looked to the judge and said, “It is a shameful thing that you should mind these folks that are out of their wits.” She hanged on August 19.

Samuel Wardwell was one of the most imaginative of the confessed witches, going into detail about being baptized by the devil in the river. He said he joined the devil because he was promised that all men would be treated equal. It is almost as if Samuel took the whole thing as a joke, at first. He recanted his confession and was hanged on September 22.

Susannah Post-Like so many confessing witches before her, Susannah added fuel to the fire by broadening the fear. She claimed she had been to a meeting in Parris’ field where she personally saw 200 witches.

Ann Foster– An accused witch who died in jail. Her son had to pay for her body in order to have her buried.

Friends in high places- People began to turn away from the trials when they witnessed the heartfelt last words of those being hanged, but the real ending was when important people began to be accused. Some of them were… Mrs. Thatcher was the Mother in Law of Magistrate Corwin, who presided over the examinations from the very first. Governor Bradstreet’s sons- Both of the sons of the ex-governor were accused. The wife of Jonathan Hale (popular minister of Beverly). Lady Phipps- Wife of the new governor

Confessing Witches-Once accused of being a witch, the best option seemed to be confession. Some people confessed, hoping to spare their lives and others confessed because they genuinely thought they might have done something to invite the Devil to use their form. Accused witches thought as hard as they could, remembering long ago arguments. Once a witch confessed, she was expected to name her accomplices, and there was no use saying there was no accomplice. Though there was some talk of hanging the confessing witches after they were no longer needed to testify against witches claiming innocence, all people who confessed escaped the melee with their lives.

The families of the accused– Different families had different reactions. Some washed their hands of their kin, believing them witches. Others, like that of Rebecca Nurse and her sisters, always stood by their family, maintaining their innocence, but powerless to do anything to stop the madness. Other families begged their loved ones to confess, whether they were witches, or not. Family members had to be careful, because if they protested too much they could be charged as witches.

Death Toll Bridget Bishop-Died June 10 by hanging. Sarah Good-Died July 19 by hanging. Elizabeth Howe-Died July 19 by hanging. Susannah Martin-Died July 19 by hanging. Rebecca Nurse-Died July 19 by hanging. Sarah Wildes-Died July 19 by hanging. George Burroughs-Died August 19 by hanging. Martha Carrier-Died August 19 by hanging. George Jacobs-Died August 19 by hanging. John Proctor-Died August 19 by hanging. John Willard-Died August 19 by hanging. Giles Corey-Died September 19 by pressing. Martha Corey-Died September 22 by hanging. Mary Easty-Died September 22 by hanging. Alice Parker-Died September 22 by hanging. Mary Parker-Died September 22 by hanging. Ann Prudeator-Died September 22 by hanging. Margaret Scott-Died September 22 by hanging. Wilmot Redd-Died September 22 by hanging. Samuel Wardrell-Died September 22 by hanging. Baby Good-Died some time before July 19 in prison. Sarah Osburn-Died while in prison on May 10. Roger Toothaker-Died in prison on June 16. Ann Foster-Died in prison on December 3. Lydia Dustin-Died in prison on March 10, 1963.

Others

John Hathorne– The magistrate over the examinations. He comes through history as unyielding and caught up in the hysteria. He assumed all of the charged were guilty, and completely believed the afflicted girls, even when they were caught in a lie. Hathorne never offered an apology for his part in the death of 19 people, and his descendant, Nathaniel Hathorne, struggled with his relation to the man, even changing the spelling of his name to distance himself.

William Stoughton– Another political figure who allowed the trials to grow out of control. William Phipps, the new governor, was so dismayed by the events he wrote a letter back to the king claiming he was far away on business when the trials were going on and didn’t know what Stoughton was doing. There is clear evidence Phipps was in the area at the time and knew exactly what was going on. Stoughton never apologized or admitted he made a mistake.

George Corwin– The despicable sheriff who took all he could from the accused. Corwin wasted no time confiscating property, and though it was supposed to go to the state, Corwin split it up between himself and his friends.

Nicholas Noyes– He was the hard-hearted minister of Salem Town. He had Rebecca Nurse taken to his meetinghouse so he could publicly excommunicate her. At the hanging of Sarah Good he told her to repent and admit her sins. Sarah angrily informed him if he took away her life God would give him “blood to drink.” Noyes died while choking on his own blood. During the examination and trials, Noyes was merciless and unforgiving. Even long after the hysteria was over and the rest of the colony began to realize they made a mistake, Noyes still refused to show any sign of remorse. In 1712, Samuel Nurse was finally able to convince Noyes to “erase,” the excommunication of Rebecca Nurse.

Deodat Lawson was a past minster of Salem Village who came back during the trials to investigate claims that George Burroughs murdered his wife and daughter through witchcraft. Lawson tried to minster during the crisis, but his sermons were repeatedly interrupted by the afflicted and he seemed unsure of how to handle the situation. He kept notes on events that occurred during his stay.

William Procter– The son of John Procter and stepson to Elizabeth. He wasn’t one of the unlucky accused, but he was tortured in prison to get a confession. His father wrote a letter describing William’s torture, claiming the boy was tied neck to heels until blood “gushed from his nose.” He could have been held that way for 24 hours, but a jailor went to bat and untied him.

Mary Veren Putnam was mother to Thomas’s youngest brother, and ultimate rival, Joseph. When Thomas’ father died, he left everything to Mary and Joseph. Thomas fought the will in court and lost. Mary does not play a role in the story, but bore a resemblance to Rebecca Nurse.

Joseph Putnam never got along with his older half brother When the Putnam woman became afflicted, Joseph stormed to his brother’s house and warned that the nonsense better not touch his home or there would be Hell to pay.

Cotton Mather, famous and distinguished son of the President of Harvard, and somehow, during the time, the only American with any real title. The English Puritans were not so far removed from the “crown” that they did not, practice monarchy, and a son was just as good as a father in the days when a person could only do one thing at a time. Cotton’s father was away in London negotiating the new charter. Cotton was considered an expert on witchcraft, having dealt with it swiftly and securely with the hanging of one admitted witch, Goodwife Clover (a near rendition of Sarah Good). Not only was the evil witch stopped, but Cotton took the oldest child of the afflicted Goodwin family into his home, where she was promptly healed.

Increase Mather– The President of Harvard, and Cotton’s father. On October 3, Increase, sensing the growing doubt, began to speak out that it was better for 10 guilty witches to live than 1 innocent person die. Though his public words seemed to go against the opinion of his son, Increase denied a rift. According to Increase on October 3, “To take away the life of anyone, merely because a specter or Devil, in a bewitched or possessed person does accuse them, will bring the guilt of innocent blood upon the land.” Later, Increase noted he felt the magistrates and other people in power during the witch trials should be treated with “pity and prayer,” because, “they have acted with all fidelity according to their light.” Increase, ever the politician, tried to make everyone happy while still making himself look as if he was on the side of right.

Thomas Brattle– On October 8, Brattle wrote an eloquent, heartfelt opinion on the matter of the trials. He questioned spectral evidence, like everyone else, but also brought up the fact that Corwin’s mother in law wasn’t charged, and that certain people were allowed to escape while others weren’t. Brattle also spoke out against going by the testimony of confessed witches. In his words, “The devil’s information is the fundamental testimony that is gone upon.” Brattle’s letter made people begin to see what was really going on in black and white. He called the confessors, “distracted and crazed,” and he called the method to extract a confession, “dragooning.”

Calef– He wrote More Wonders of the Invisible World, a jab at Cotton, in 1697. Calef accused Cotton of being too affectionate to an afflicted girl before the witch trials (assumedly the Goodwin girl). Cotton responded by having Calef arrested for libel, but he never followed through.

Thomas Fisk– The foreperson of the jury for Rebecca Nurse’s trail. He felt so terribly for convicting Rebecca, he later signed a formal apology, saying the jury was, “for want of knowledge in ourselves, and better information from others.” In fact, after the trials, it seemed to be those who were least responsible who felt the worst about their part.

Joseph Green– Served Salem Village as minister after the hysteria. He was a great man who helped to heal a broken community. In 1703, Green personally had the excommunication of Martha Cory reversed. He also read Ann Putnam’s written apology out to the congregation.

Nearby Areas

The good people of Salem Village – There were a number of people in Salem who felt as if the girls just needed a good spanking, but to say so would be near suicide. It got to be any person who spoke up in defense of the accused would soon find themselves accused. People did stand up, though. Many families signed petitions on the behalf of some of the accused.

The Town of Andover got to thinking and decided they might have a witch infestation, too. Andover wasn’t lucky enough to have a “seeress” living in their town, so got official town money to pay for two of the girls to come and ferret out their witches. They would be brought into the room of an ailing person, and usually, they claimed to see a spirit at the victim’s head, and another at the foot of the bed. Since the girls had never seen any of these people and could not recognize any of the “shapes”, the “touch test,” was employed. Nearly 40 warrants were signed out in Andover that day, until the sheriff out and out refused to sign any more. The Town of Andover began to rethink its position, and wished it never invited those afflicted girls along, in the first place. From the very beginning the town’s minster questioned the accusations and did his best to quash the whole mess.

The town of Gloucester did not learn from Andover’s mistake, and called the afflicted girls in more than once, even after the hunt was beginning to fade.

The town of Ipswich wanted nothing to do with the afflicted girls. On the way to Gloucester, the girls saw an elderly lady walking across a bridge and began to go into a fit, claiming the lady was torturing them. The people of Ipswich let the girls know in no uncertain terms they weren’t welcome and best be on their way.

Krista Delle Femine-2009

Rio Summit Must Make a Difference for Clean Energy

World leaders have debated the merits of sustainable development and a green economy at Rio + 20, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro.

Protesters have used the event to highlight injustice.

And something substantive benefiting the environment may actually get done. This year’s theme is after all “a green economy in the context of sustainable development poverty eradication and the institutional framework for sustainable development.”

However, listening to current U.S. political discourse makes me wonder if anybody in government seriously considers steering toward a green economy.

Wall street bankers, brokers and speculators remain so fixated on profits and bizarre anti-populist goals like killing Dodd-Frank, the already weak-kneed consumer protection act, that real values get swept away like last quarter’s balance sheet. The concepts of quality of life, a better place for children and continued proliferation of the American way — where everyone has a chance to make it big — get nothing but lip service.

A trillion reasons

Robert Redford put it succinctly in a piece on Huffington Post: “We can do better,” he writes. His point is that with so much at stake, we need to shift some emphasis to clean energy and eliminate the near “one trillion dollars of subsidies… handed out to help the fossil fuel industry” each year.

Here’s author and activist Bill McKibben’s take, from an email he sent to the 350.org network: “We know that world leaders aren’t likely to achieve a comprehensive climate breakthrough in Rio.” But he says stopping subsidizing the fossil fuel industry would “give renewable energy a fighting chance.”

The buzzword now is jobs. The issue is so important people are ready to jump at anything, even a silly pipeline project that taps perhaps the most planet-cooking reserves Earth has to offer.

Jobs, jobs, jobs

Redford says, and he’s backed up by numerous studies, that every federal or state dollar invested in clean energy gives multiple times the return of fossil fuels. Truly, that’s the kind of job that makes sense. Here in California’s San Joaquin Valley, we’re trying to prepare a ready work force. A consortium of community colleges has banded together to prepare curriculum that meets industry’s specifications and enables a green energy renaissance.

Then intent is to create living-wage jobs, rather than positions that perpetuate and exacerbate extreme economic divisions. The middle class is no longer bullet-proof. Incomes are declining.

So how does a green economy fit in? Not easily apparently. If it were up to me, I’d say, “Make the United States energy self-sufficient in 10 years, emphasizing sustainability.”

That’s not to say we should completely shed oil. The stuff has been quite good to us. Let’s just give a shot to making the world a better place, allowing American ingenuity fill in the blanks.

Taking up the challenge

Former Great Britain Prime Minister Tony Blair and a group of international statesmen and business leaders have penned an open letter advocating for a “clean revolution,” which they say is essential to “save our economies from the crippling costs of runaway climate change, and create meaningful jobs and enhance energy security.”

The group backs a campaign by business and government that calls for a “green growth” push out of global recession.

Topical, especially with nearly a half dozen countries in the European Union teetering on financial collapse. Greece elected the conservatives by a squeaky thin margin that allowed the markets a respite. But the future is anyone’s guess.

How’s the weather?

Kathleen Rogers, president of the Earth Day Network, says there’s a chance the Rio + Summit will get results, but “the outlook is bleak.”

Normally, I love that pessimistic stuff. It nurtures the curmudgeonly spirit I gained from 24 years in newspapers, pounding out or editing stories about the best and worst in people.

But I’m hoping for more. The summit marks the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, and the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, the country where my cousin Sarah has decided to raise her twins.

Rogers says the U.N. event two decades past generated real optimism and a climate change treaty that “charted a new course to sustainability.”

Love at first bite

Implementation is a completely different issue. All that optimism from the first Rio summit had the bite of my toothless and blind 14-year-old dachshund Spike. Oh, he still barks like crazy — as do those of us who believe in a sustainable future. But we need a pit bull.

Adding some fangs, or even some well-worn teeth, requires agreement and action. I do believe it wouldn’t take much. Many are willing to give it everything they’ve got to extract power from those green dilithium crystals.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative has lofty goals, calling for universal energy access, a doubling of energy efficiency and a doubling of renewable energy by 2030. But it’s got allies.

Nothing but wind

The European Wind Energy Association says 75 countries around the world have installed wind turbines and 21 have more than 1,000 megawatts generating energy. It says with the right policy support projections show that wind power will double capacity by 2015 and again by 2020.

“This can be achieved,” says Kandeh K. Yumkella, the Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, in a statement.

After all, what choice do we have. Really?

Writing Resources You NEED to Know About

Many aspiring authors spend hours and hours, alone behind their computers tap, tap, tapping away. Then those hours turn into months, and of course, the months slip into years.

This is admirable. If I’m confident of anything, it’s that to be an author you have to be willing to spend hours of your life equivalent to entire years out of your life slaving away writing. I’m just for sure that you need to read at least just as much.

One thing that gets unfortunately overlooked by many is that you also have to be willing to leave your books and your computer behind sometimes. To engage others.

Not that you can’t be an introvert. Thousands of widely regarded successful authors were introverts. That’s is because in some way or another they were able to overcome, albeit sometimes only briefly, their restrictions and step outside of their comfort zones.

That’s because while writing can take many forms; journaling, hobbies writing, personal letter writing. Authorship is a profession, and that means that it falls within a business structure. No matter how sincerely you believe that Jack Kerouac went from nothing to a fantastic book within two weeks of boozing (which FYI, in reality, he didn’t). If you want to move books from shelves, you will need to approach the task earnestly. With a humble attitude that is open to working with others.

The business of writing, designing, editing, publishing, marketing, and selling your books requires a multitude of strangers. Regardless of whether you have a small budget, or you’re JK Rowling.

In fact, the small your budget, the approach is better suited to involving a large number of people each with small, potentially volunteer style task. For instance, having friends complete a narrative edit before giving it to a professional editor, to reduce the amount of paid time the editor has to spend on the manuscript.

For your first book, I highly suggest having a strong group of people who can offer various products, services, and insights to help you stay focused, motivated, and up-to-speed on the ever-changing self-publishing landscape.

Being a successful author requires a lot more than just writing a great book. You have to get into the weeds, be willing to change out of your writer’s cap and into a variety of other hats depending on where you are in the process.

You may not have the skills or willingness to tackle everything with your own two hands, and that’s why it’s so important to develop your own file of go-to resources along the way.

Here are 30 more resources to tap into along the way!

While this list is mostly self-publishing focused, if you’re going the traditional publishing route, you should still have a rigorous shift through them to make sure you are familiar with what is out there.

Useful Blogs and Sites

1. The Write Life

This workhorse blog is a one-stop-shop offering all you need to figure out how to work with clients, navigate the changing landscape of publishing, learn the ins and outs of social media, grow a following for your blog and find a community that will support you along the way. You’ll always find something useful for your book business here. Try not to get lost in the rabbit hole though. There is so much helpful information here I try to time my visits to make sure I’m not eating into my writing time!

2. Kindlepreneur

If you want to dig deep into the goulash of marketing your books, Dave Chesson of Kindlepreneur is your man. His strategies are groundbreaking. Every successful author has to wear many hats, and Dave shares his years of marketing experience and success to show you how to promote the heck out of your books.

3. The Book Designer

Joel Friedlander, the creator of The Book Designer, says “Writers change the world one reader at a time. But you can’t change the world with a book that’s still on your hard drive or in a box under your bed.” This embodies the Community Writer mentality. Joel gives you everything you need to get your book out of the box with a variety of self-publishing guides, advice, templates, and toolkits. With his experience in book design and advertising, Joel has the creds to help you produce and sell a great-looking book.

4. The Creative Penn

The Creative Penn is run by Joanna Penn, who has been wildly successful with fiction and nonfiction. In her blog and podcast, she covers every aspect of what it takes to start and run a successful author business. She also has a grab bag of books on various self-publishing topics if you can’t get enough on her blog.

5. Jane Friedman’s website

Jane has more than 20 years of experience in the book and magazine publishing industry, with expertise in digital media and the future of authorship. Her site is full of actionable content and detailed strategies for the aspiring author from someone who’s been there and done that many times over.

Podcasts Worth Your Time

6. Podcast – Neuralle (Uncommon)

Please forgive the shameless self-promotion here, but aside from the fact that I will be most likely appearing on this podcast at some point, Neuralle is a fantastic self-development podcast and in my humble opinion a must for any aspiring author or entrepreneur.

Past guests have included Venture Capitalists, Entrepreneurs, Chefs, Restaurant Owners, Body Builders, Strength Coaches, Activists, Winemakers, Filmmakers and many, many more.

7. Tim Ferris Podcast

This show is the first publishing-related podcast that I followed, and it’s still an all-time favourite. It’s hosted by Tim Ferris an American best-selling author, entrepreneur, self-proclaimed “human guinea pig”, and public speaker.

8. Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

Every green writer should bookmark this podcast. With helpful and insightful tips on grammar and storytelling, Mignon Fogarty’s podcast is sure to help you improve your narrative and technical writing skills.

9. The Writer Files

Hosted by Kelton Reid, The Writer Files is a long-running podcast that delves deep into habits and habitats of famed writers. Reid interviews writers from a broad spectrum, giving each listener a chance to see into the mind of an accomplished wordsmith within their genre or interest.

Forums

10. Neil Gaiman Board

Neil Gaiman’s Official Message Board. Enough said.

11. Goodreads Groups

Goodreads is the mega-site (with over 20 million members) for authors and readers. They have more specific groups than you can count, and if you can’t find an answer or inspiration here, then it doesn’t exist. You might feel a bit overwhelmed, but here’s a smart article on using Goodreads to support your author business.

12. Scribophile

There are tons of writing forums out there to choose from, so I suggest you have a play with a few of them. This one works a bit differently which is why I like it though. Scribophile provides detailed and helpful critiques from a member exchange. The analyses you’ll get are so much more than just a pat on the back – you’ll get actionable ways to improve your writing.

Writing Tools

13. Scrivener

Scrivener is a powerful writing tool for authors that allows you to concentrate on composing and structuring your documents. Get a free 30-day trial and watch some brief YouTube tutorials to get acquainted with the system quickly.

14. Grammarly

This proofreading application is an improved version of your standard spellchecking program. Just copy and paste blocks of text into Grammarly, and it will check your writing for common mistakes. The reason it’s better than most spellcheckers is that it provides useful feedback that will improve the overall quality of your book. You will learn a lot very quickly by taking heed of the side bar suggestions and explanations.

15. Hemingway Editor

Excellent writing is quite often straightforward writing, and Hemingway was the master at that. Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, your narrative should get to the point with simple language. With the Hemingway software, you will learn how to simplify your writing.

Book Publishing and Freelance Help

16. Archangel Ink

Archangel Ink is a one-stop solution for getting your book ready to publish. Archangel offers a range of services to help you with cover design, editing, formatting, audiobook production and much more. I feel that if you haven’t published before you learn a lot by manually going through the process of completing your manuscript via Scrivner, finding editors/cover creators via say Reedsy/Freelancer and then uploading it to KDP/Createspace. However it can be frustrating, so I completely understand throwing down some cash and handing of some or all of this to someone else. I’m currently considering using Archangel Ink to produce and audiobook for me.

17. 99 Designs

This is a service where you post a design project, like your book cover, and dozens of freelancers submit mock-up examples. You then select finalists based on the submissions and choose the winner to work with you to create a finalised version. 99Designs can be pricey, but it’s a great option if you want a professional cover design for your book.

18. Grammarly

I won’t rant on this too much as already do that frequently enough if you don’t have the free version of this you need to get it now. What some of you might not know, is that via the paid version they have an option to connect you with a professional proof reader. I haven’t used this before but considering the calibre of everything else they do I think it’s worth investigating.

19. Freelancer

One the most significant websites for hiring freelance talent. If you want to find the largest pool of people, then this is a great place to look. The app makes chatting with prospective freelancers seamless so you can manage your project and selection of the perfect candidate on the go.

20. Reedsy

Reedsy offers a boutique experience in editing and cover design. Most freelancers here have worked in the publishing industry, so they have a thorough understanding of what will work for your books. But you should also expect to pay more for the freelancers you find here. If you’re going the self-publishing route within fiction, a professional editor is a must, an absolute necessity, seriously. Reedsy is a great way to find one, with almost every budget available. If you can’t afford the lower tier, I suggest saving your pennies or going the traditional publishing route, where a publisher will provide you a professional editor to work with.

Getting Feedback

21. Survey Monkey

Is an easy to use survey builder; ask multiple choice questions and get demographic information about your audiences, like age, sex, or occupation. You can use it for your current email list, or post a survey with a lead magnet somewhere your target audience will see it (forums, pay-per-click ad etc.)

22. PickFu

PickFu allows authors to get instant feedback on your book before you publish using audience polls. This is a more advanced option for those who already have income streams, again I don’t suggest paying for a resource unless you’ve used a free version and had equitable success with it.

Email Marketing

23. AWeber

With a drag and drop email builder, unlimited image storage and an easy to use interface, AWeber is a great option to manage your email marketing communication.

24. MailChimp

MailChimp offers 12,000 emails to 2,000 subscribers – free. That’s what MailChimp can do for you. A great email marketing resource if you’re just getting started. MailChimp is easy to set up, easy to manage and offers an easy to scale pricing plan as your list grows. As the Wix email option ‘Shoutout’ has a capped number of emails you can send but an exportable email list. You can use MailChimp to send additional emails if you are pushing the boundaries of the free Wix option.

25. Constant Contact

You can’t call yourself constant contact and then not be available to your customers. And that’s just what makes this email automation company shine. They offer round the clock support 7 days a week. They also offer 60-day FREE trial.

26. SpyFU

Search for any domain and see every place they’ve shown up on Google: every keyword they’ve bought on AdWords, every organic rank, and every ad variation in the last 11 years. This combined with Wix’s seamless SEO makes key words unbelievably easy. You don’t need to have some ten years long.

Learn how to connect with these domains, too. Find online and traditional leads methods — social media, email, phone, and address — you can’t find anywhere else. So you can look at other authors within your niche and find out exactly where readers are going to find them.

Staying Organized

27. Google Keep

Keep is an excellent organisation tool. It stores every idea, research plan and content structure. Which can quickly be dumped into Scrivner later.

28. Evernote

Another option this is with a few more features is Evernote, you can save snippets of content you find online and go back to all of it in a searchable, taggable easy to find notebooks on Evernote. It also connects to my Google Home via IFTTT which frustratingly Google Keep doesn’t seem to, so I can handsfree keep notes easily.

29. Google Drive

Accessible from anywhere with internet, Google Drive is a great collaborative tool for teams to use when you’re working with content, files, or images in tandem. Google Sheets and Google Docs makes group work seamless, and all work can easily be shared with hyperlinks.

30. Tomato Timer

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management strategy preferred by many authors. It’s not always easy to keep track of the non-writing tasks related to your book projects. With Brain Focus Productivity Timer, an excel sheet (or just pen and paper) and Scrivner’s session tracking you can keep motivated with tangible evidence of how hard you’re working. Not only time associated with the project. Team Viz is another excellent paid alternative to this method, and you can’t forget the simple Tomato Timer (tomato-timer.com)

31. Slack

It’s like super chat. Instant communication. Instant file transfer. Indexed and Searchable. It is fantastic for collaboration if you have a specific project you are working on. Again, use wisely, if you are co-authoring for example. Not if you’re just working with a freelancer for a short time, instead use the platform’s chat for content protection!

32. Lander App

You can learn more about A/B testing here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A/B_testing

I have experimented with A/B testing in the past but didn’t feel that it was hugely beneficial. I think that you have to have a relatively sophisticated reason to use A/B testing. Potentially I’ll use this for a book launch with a landing page in the future. Of those that I experimented with, I found Lander App to be the most straightforward to use.

Again, if you don’t know what A/B testing doesn’t worry, you don’t need to! Don’t jump to trying to use A/B testing, focus instead on the following:

– Mailing list Opt-in rate

– You unique visitor Site traffic

– Total engagement (comments, email responses) / Book Sales

For the third point there, you concentrate on engagement if you haven’t released your first book yet!

Website Hosting

33. Freenom – A Name for Everyone

One of my favourite hosting companies, if you’re just starting out, I don’t suggest spending any money on anything if you can avoid it. This is perfect for this, as instead of choosing a.com or a.net you can get a free domain and easily swap with redirection later once you’re profitable. Personally, I use Wix for all website things, but this is an excellent option if you’re just starting out.

34. WP Engine

WP Engine is a hosting company that provides managed WordPress hosting for websites around the world. They have great support, and their servers help your WordPress site run a top speed. I use Wix as I find it far more user-friendly, however, the advanced features do require a minimum annual cost. With WordPress, most features can be scaled up for free, but a bit more mucking around with add-ons and tech stuff.

Leadership Insights from the Apostle Paul

The Pauline letters were addressed to small groups of people that he knew by name (Timothy, Titus, and Philemon) as well as large audiences (Romans, Corinthians, Galatians). These letters provide insight into why leaders exist and what knowledge, skills, and abilities are important to leaders today. In each letter Paul attempts to answer questions about the ‘meaning of life’ such as sin (Romans 3:9), faith (Romans 3:22), marriage (Romans 7:2, 1 Corinthians 7), unity (1 Corinthians 1:10), spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12), and freedom (Galatians 5:17). After carefully dissecting Pauline letters to the Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Thessalonians, and Philemon I identified a set of characteristics that he viewed as being critical to the development of Christian leaders. Effective leadership traits are as varied and numerous, not to mention subtle, as the human mind and heart themselves. No list will ever be complete, nor will it be the best suited for each individual reader – these 5 characteristics are by no means exhaustive. However, they serve to communicate the power and promise that Paul offers: compassion, self-Awareness, righteousness by faith, commitment, and community. The biblical quotations in this article are from the King James Version of The Holy Bible.

Compassion through Spiritual Unity

Millions of American mailboxes are stuffed daily with letters from non-profit organizations in order to raise funds for the less fortunate. The Jewish Christians near Jerusalem were reportedly on the edge of starvation. Paul referred to them as “the poor saints” which are at Jerusalem. (Romans 15:26). In taking his collection for the poor, Paul mainly appealed to the Christian responsibility to help those in need. He sought to seize the opportunity for Gentile Christians to reach out in compassion and demonstrate spiritual unity. Paul did not engineer a mass mail charity event but he did present a direct appeal for funds (Romans 15:25-26, 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2 Corinthians 8:1 – 9:15). He takes his appeal a bit further in 2 Corinthians 9:6 by illustrating the bonuses of giving – “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth boutifully shall reap also bountifully.” Paul shows that generosity benefits the giver in that a gift can serve as an act of worship to God and inspire the faith of others.

Compassionate leadership is acting in the interest of your followers, your peers, and your organization. This is the boss for whom the employees are willing to work their hardest. “Loyalty and devotion to task and grow out of trust and the knowledge of protection that comes from the employment relationship.” (Winston, 2002). The employees can feel the support for them and are compelled to give their full support in return. This manager brings out the best in her subordinates by their example.

Self-Awareness

General awareness, confidence, and especially self-awareness strengthen the Christian leader. “The leader must first make peace in his own life before he can successfully make peace in his organization. A leader in conflict with himself is a house divided.” (Winston, 2002, p. 82). Leaders must be willing to carefully explore their values and how they can move their organization in the direction of a vision that is unwavering. Effective Leaders lead with a purpose rather than “run like a man running aimlessly” (1 Corinthians 9:26-27). From the biblical sense this means that we live for His purpose, not ours. As Christians, we recognize that our need for Christ will bring us beyond our failures so we can grow increasingly effective. As we grow in Christ, we will become aware of our futility and inadequacy as human beings.

In Romans 14:1-2, Paul reminds us that Christians do not have to agree on all matters pertaining to the Christian life and continues by describing the difference between a strong and weak Christian. In an attempt to explain the role of diversity in God’s overall plan of redemption Paul uses faith as a sense of assurance of confidence where the proper understanding of the gospel allows the strong Christian to recognize that his diet has no spiritual significance. (Romans 14:2, Colossian 2:16).

Righteousness by Faith

Paul uses the Greek verb “justified” 27 times, mostly in Romans and Galatians. The term describes what happens when someone believes in Christ as his Savior. Paul emphasizes two distinct points. First, no one lives a perfect life. “For all have sinned, and come short of the Glory of God.” (Romans 3:24). Secondly, even though we are all sinners, God will declare everyone who puts his trust in Jesus not guilty but righteous. The central thought in justification is that, although we deserve to be declared guilty (Romans 3:9-19), because of our faith in Christ God declares us righteous. In Galatians 2:16 Paul uses the verb justified three times, three times this verse tells us that no one is justified by observing the law, and three times it underscores the indispensable requirement of placing our faith in Christ.

Commitment to the Growth

Christian leaders believe that people have an intrinsic value beyond their tangible contributions as workers. As such, leaders are deeply committed to a personal, professional, and spiritual growth of each and every individual within the organization. Every Christian is obligated to be the best he can be for God. Like any other worthwhile activity, if leadership can be improved, we should seek to improve it. In doing so, we prepare ourselves for higher service that may be just around the corner. Romans 12:1 issues an imperative to leaders: “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” The verb “present” is followed by 36 verbs that specify what happens when we obey one of which is noteworthy here.

First, exert yourself to lead – “Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation…he that ruleth, with diligence…” (Romans 12:8). This is a summons to dive wholeheartedly into leadership. Exhort others with an uplifting, cheerful call to worthwhile accomplishment.

Building Community

Christian leaders are aware that the shift from local communities to large institutions as the primary shaper of human lives has changed our perceptions and caused a sort of loss. 1 Corinthians 1: 10-13 begins the theme of being united in mind and purpose. “Divisions within the community betray the purpose for which Christ was crucified: to unite everyone in one body, the body of Christ.” (Matera, 2001, p.10). Leaders should seek to identify a means for building community among those who work within a given institution. I believe that Paul was conveying one body working together – emphasizing unity – but I also believe that he illustrates the lessons to be learned from the community. “If I were a single member, were would the body be…The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’…” (I Corinthians 12:19 – 21). Can we get along in life without hands? Yes, but we would have to make adjustments…learn to use prosthetic limbs or find alternative methods to picking up objects. Though the body remains incomplete, it survives. However, the strongest hands are worthless without the body. The hands need the signals generated by the brain and the nourishment provided by the blood.

The bottom line is that a body without hands can manage, but a hand without a body is inconceivable. Diverse churches such as Corinth are aware of the differences among its membership, which is why Paul’s letter stressed unity issues that still plague churches today. The solution is to respect each other and take direction from Jesus Christ, the head.

ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSFORMATION CONCEPTS OF PAUL

How do leaders address the people side of change without jeopardizing the business side of change? How can a leader make the tough decisions without losing sight of the emotions and concerns of his followers? Leading change is largely about making sense of competing views. “Change cannot be managed, it emerges. Managers are part of the system, not outside the system.” (Cameron, 2004, p. 123). It is about developing a style that builds trust through authenticity and careful balance. Of course, given the tensions that are continually in play, there will be circumstances that require more emphasis on one of the competing competencies than on the other. It’s not possible to be perfectly in balance all the time. But it’s an ideal worth striving for. “When leaders focus on establishing trust, they are better able to deal with both the structural and the human elements of change. Instead of taking a one-sided approach, leaders find they can be both tough and empathetic, committed to the plan and understanding of the pain. They become agile and resilient, and able to do what it takes to lead through change and transition.” (Bunker and Wakefield, 2006, p. 3).

DIVERSITY CONCEPTS OF PAUL

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul reveals the equality of Christian life very optimistically. Paul does not describe the sins that that took place in Corinth. But rather he observes other dangers in the Galatians’ thinking: “I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel.” (Galatians 1:6). By some unnecessarily stressing their Jewish heritage, the sacrifice of Christ would begin to diminish -faith in Christ would become one of the many steps in salvation and not the only one. Paul feared that subtle differences between Christians would begin to have priority as observed in Galatians 2:12 when Peter spurned the Gentiles because he feared the Judaizers.

Paul also stresses that those baptized in Christ are “…neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female…” (Galatians 3:28). Jesus came to tear down walls between people – the unity in Christ transcends ethnic, social and sexual distinctions. (Romans 10:12, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 2:15-16). We are called to faithfulness in our relationships – supporting and encouraging each other, accepting one another recognizing there are no second-class Christians. Faith in Christ and not anyone’s set of laws opens the door to acceptance by God. (Galatians 2:16).

STRATEGY FORMATION CONCEPTS OF PAUL

In a time when the church is threatened by interest groups and ideologies, and when parishes are in danger of being divided by the same, the Pauline letters summons contemporary congregations to find their unity in the crucified Christ. Christians in Paul’s day debated such issues as vegetarianism, eating meat sacrificed to idols, and celebrating pagan festival days. Even today we continue to quarrel over issues such as smoking, urban music, and hip-hop clothing. The advice Paul gives in Romans 14:1-4 to both weak and strong Christians of his day applies to people in all cultures who debate questionable issues – do not judge another.

Strategy formation (thinking, planning, and implementation) is a characteristic that enables Christian leaders to understand lessons from the past, the realities of the present, and the likely consequence of a decision in the future. It is deeply rooted in the intuitive mind. Strategy formation involves the leader’s ability to visualize the end result of the policies and methods he advocates. The leader looks to understand how the policies will affect future generations. “[Strategy formation] is a clear picture of what the leader sees his or her group being or doing” (Maxwell, 1993, p. 149).

Paul Among Jews, Gentiles, and Modern-day Christians

The issue of whether to engage in the Gentile mission and the question of how to receive the Gentiles caused serious tensions during the early Christian Church. Paul’s struggle was to defend the gospel of which the fundamental principle is to accept others as they are. In Paul’s case this consisted of the Gentiles. For the contemporary church the basis of acceptance revolves around such issues as race, gender, ethnicity, and social status. The Pauline letters play an important role in the New Testament and in the modern-day congregation. Of the 27 writings that make-up the New Testament, nearly half are attributed to Paul. “Paul’s unfolding theology of inclusivity still has much to contribute to our effort to remain faithful as Christians and at the same time become good citizens of the global village – citizens who are willing and able to see essential authenticity in others, as Paul saw a glimpse of it long ago.” (Park, 2003, p. 80).

REFERENCES

Bunker, K. A. and Wakefield, M. (May, 2006). Leading in Times of Change. Boston, MA: Harvard Management Update Article Volume 11, No. 5.

Cameron, Esther. (2004). Making Sense of Change Management: A Complete Guide to the Models, Tools and Techniques of Organizational Change. London, GBR: Kogan Page, Limited.

Holy Bible. (1997). King James Version. Grand Raids, MI: Zondervan Publishing.

Matera, Frank J. (2001). Strategies for Preaching Paul. Collegeville, MN. The Liturgical Press.

Maxwell, John C. (1993). Developing the Leader within You. Nashville, TN. Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Park, Eung C. (2003). Either Jew of Gentile: Paul’s Unfolding Theology of Inclusivity. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.

Winston, Bruce (2002). Be a Leader for God’s Sake. Regent University, School of Leadership Studies. Virginia Beach, Virginia.

6 Common Teacher Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

When you get a call from a school administrator inviting you to interview for a teaching job, how do you feel? Happy? Elated? Excited? Nervous? Scared stiff?

You don’t need to worry about the interview if you’re a well-prepared, qualified candidate. Preparing for a teaching interview is a lot like studying for a test. You can review commonly asked questions, think about what you’ll say beforehand, and go in to do your best. If you prepare beforehand, the interview questions will seem routine and familiar. You’ll have answers on the tip of your tongue, ready-to-go.

Below is a list of six commonly asked teacher interview questions from my eBook, Guide to Getting the Teaching Job of Your Dreams. How would you answer each question?

1. Tell us about yourself.

This will be the first question at almost every interview. Just give a brief background in about three sentences. Tell them what colleges you graduated from, what you’re certified to teach, what your teaching & working experiences are, and why you’d love the job.

2. How do you teach to the state standards?

If you interview in the United States, school administrators love to talk about state, local, or national standards! Reassure your interviewer that everything you do ties into standards. Be sure the lesson plans in your portfolio have the state standards typed right on them. When they ask about them, pull out your lesson and show them the close ties between your teaching and the standards.

3. How will you prepare students for standardized assessments?

There are standardized assessments at almost every grade level. Be sure you know the names of the tests. Talk about your experiences preparing students. You’ll get bonus points if you know and describe the format of the test because that will prove your familiarity.

4. Describe your discipline philosophy.

You use lots of positive reinforcement. You are firm, but you don’t yell. You have appropriate consequences for inappropriate behavior. You have your classroom rules posted clearly on the walls. You set common routines that students follow. You adhere to the school’s discipline guidelines. Also, emphasize that you suspect discipline problems will be minimal because your lessons are very interesting and engaging to students. Don’t tell the interviewer that you “send kids to the principal’s office” whenever there is a problem. You should be able to handle most discipline problems on your own. Only students who have committed very serious behavior problems should be sent to the office.

5. How do you make sure you meet the needs of a student with an IEP?

An IEP is an “individualized education plan.” Students with special needs will be given an IEP, or a list of things that you must do when teaching the child. An IEP might include anything from “additional time for testing” to “needs all test questions read aloud” to “needs to use braille textbook.” How do you ensure you’re meeting the needs of a student with an IEP? First, read the IEP carefully. If you have questions, consult a special education teacher, counselor, or other staff member who can help you. Then, you just make sure you follow the requirements on the IEP word for word. When necessary, you may be asked to attend a meeting in which you can make suggestions for updating the IEP. Your goal, and the goal of the IEP, is to make sure the student has whatever he or she needs to be successful in your class.

6. How do you communicate with parents?

This question will come up at almost every elementary school interview. It’s fairly common in the middle school and high school as well. You might have a weekly parent newsletter that you send home each week. For grades 3 and up, you may require students to have an assignment book that has to be signed each night. This way, parents know what assignments are given and when projects are due. When there are discipline problems you call home and talk to parents. It’s important to have an open-door policy and invite parents to share their concerns at any time.

For more teacher interview questions, I invite you to download my eBook Getting the Teaching Job of Your Dreams ( http://www.iwantateachingjob.com ). In it you will find 50 common interview questions and answers as well as practical advice for getting the teaching job you want.

15 Ways For Teachers to Get Organized For the Beginning of the School Year

All teachers need a user-friendly system to help stay on top of the endless marking, checking and workpages. Plan as thoroughly as you can and if you don’t already have one, develop a system of organization. It’s truly amazing how much paperwork and marking goes into the first year. It’s easy for a new teacher to feel overwhelmed and confused. Try to avoid these initial feelings by planning your lessons ahead as much as you can. Rely on a system that is easy and user friendly. Consider these tips when organizing or opening your classroom for the fall semester.

Remember, being well organized and having well prepared lessons are also important to having a well-managed class.

1) Have a computer backup plan. Purchase a flash drive, a hard drive, or consider creating a Google documents account.

2) If you use a paper-based program, prepare everything you need for a smooth entry into the school year. Prepare important calendar dates; wait until your class is established to copy in the students. If you’ve working with an electronic system, decide on the grade weights or averaging system and establish the formula in the software.

Make sure you have a storage plan.

3) Have a plan for storing handouts like a stacking/filing system and a specific location for finding those stacks. Keep only 1 master copy of each file and recycle last year’s bulk copies. Make sure you have a copy on your computer!

4) Prepare a make-up work plan and location that is ready for action by the first day of school. You never know when you’ll need it!

5) Choose a location for this year’s paperwork. If you keep an individual student file for each student, have an organizational system for each class. If you keep a separate file for each course or section, organize by that system too. Try really, really, really hard to have an empty file cabinet drawer for this year. You can at least lay the papers down in the file cabinet and close the drawer, even if there’s no time or perhaps need to file in folders.

6) Old pictures and newspaper clippings tend to yellow and turn brittle. Laminate colorful pictures and recycle the rest. Libraries are a great place to donate unwanted textbooks and old readers that students no longer need.

7) For teachers in a staff teaching the same grade(s), a communal file or folder can be helpful for quick and easy access of workpages. Again, these should be divided into skill-sets and subjects.

Organize your own supplementary resource material. This can be a teacher’s checklist that you consult and use frequently, some uplifting words for bad days, or a a list of reminders.

9) Have a folder with the school policies and regulations. You should especially know where you stand in terms of how your school deals with discipline problems. Having this file within easy access will definitely help you when you are confronted with difficult and unanticipated classroom situations, which undoubtedly will happen.

10) If you are a reading teacher, you might want to have a folder for informal reading comments as you listen to your students read the first week. Pre-assessments e-assessments) during the first weeks of school are especially important for getting to know your students.

11) Have folders with letters ready to send home on first or second day to parents. You may consider a separate drawer with different letter folders.

12) Keep a folder with the necessary handouts for any new student that may arrive a week or a month later. There’s nothing worse than running around the room looking for important handouts for a new student!

13) If applicable, hang a bus list. Keep an extra copy in your folder.

14) Make sure you have a schedule for lunch and PE posted. This is VERY important to the students. Again, keep a master copy in your folder.

15) Have a folder with blank journal templates for the first day of school. Younger students can write a letter to their parents telling them all the things they learned that day. Older ones can write a list of goals setting their intentions for a good school year. Keep additional folders of blank seating charts, blank papers and other templates.

How To Survive A Layoff Or Downsizing

Layoffs used to be temporary in nature. This meaning has changed now because, for a long time, this term has been used for referring to the permanent elimination of employees as a part of the cost-cutting measure. One of the most difficult situations in an employee’s life is when the main source of income comes to a full stop.

However, it is essential for you to keep cool and create strategies to overcome it.

Here are some tips that can be incorporated in order to survive a layoff or downsizing:

o Define your network: The first step towards surviving a layoff is to define a network of friends, co-employees, and professional associations that may be of some help.

o Approach the HR department: You may ask your former HR department to help you get a job. The HR department is one of the powerful departments in an organization and has a lot of contacts.

o Update your resume: The resume is one of the most essential marketing tools while searching for a job. Make sure that your resume is clear and concise and is written specifically. It serves as one of the best ways to market your talents. With this fact in mind, make sure that your resume is written according to the company’s requirements. Try to present a brief overview of your qualifications to the interviewer.

o Scan classifieds for potential employers: Scanning for potential employers is important as it will give you an idea about which companies require employees with the kinds of skills that you possess. The main idea behind scanning through the classifieds is to check for those companies that are well-established and are not facing any losses.

o Reorganize your finances: Make sure you organize your finances as soon as you have been laid off. Try to save more money than ever before and sell things that you are likely not to use in the near future.

o Contact the unemployment office in your state: As soon as possible, contact your state unemployment office, as it helps in getting the waiting period out of the way.

o Submit your updated resumes to different job portals: In order to get a job faster, submit your resume to as many online job portals as possible. Highlight your skills and qualifications and approach a number of employers simultaneously. Be sure to use cover letters that are specialized for each company and job opening.

o Contact references: You may also contact references and let them know that you are back in the market. They may be able to help.

o Request a recommendation letter: Recommendation letters help people get better opportunities in life. In order to get a good job, you may ask your former employers to draft a recommendation letter for you and if it is convenient and not too busy, mention what has happened to your previous employer.

o Practice mock interviews: To present yourself in a better way, you should practice mock interviews so that you can confidently deal with the interviewer.

Losing a job is never easy; the tips above can make it easier to make your way through.

Is Lady Justice’s Blindfold Truly Hiding Dollar Signs for Eyes?

Is Lady Justice’s Blindfold Truly Hiding Dollar Signs for Eyes?

FACT: During 2002, 36 million Americans were hospitalized; simultaneously, 93 million court filings were made.

ASSESSMENT: YOU are almost three times more likely to need legal assistance than you are to need medical/hospital assistance. Yet, more than likely, you have medical insurance,but you do not have “legal insurance.”

It’s a sad fact that only 10% of the population (the rich) is able to afford legal representation and another 10% of the population (the poor) is able to access legal services via the legal aid system. The remaining 80% of the population (Middle America-you and I) must pay for legal representation. Still, how many Middle Americans do you know that can afford the typical attorney fee: $110-$200 per hour?

At last, the day has come when affordable legal services are available to all North Americans. Tom, a close friend of mine, recently found this to be true. Here’s his story.

Tom called me today to inform me that his employer of the last six years has terminated him. It was clear to me that he was very exasperated from the experience and I knew that after the listening I’d be doing, I’d be compelled to provide him some guidance – should he ask for it.

And what would be my authority for being in a position to provide him guidance? My own experience, of course.

Just a while back, my employer of close to five years had terminated me in what was clearly a very hostile manner.

The termination came as a complete surprise. During my employment, I had achieved three position promotions (and, of course, the perquisites that accompanies upper management promotions). Furthermore, I had always received increasingly superior performance appraisals and, moreover, I had introduced several innovations to systems and service delivery that enhanced the company’s strategic position in its marketplace. No big deal. I did what I was hired to do and a lot more, that’s all.

The company experienced rapid growth as a result of my and a few other top notch directors, yet the primary benefits of this growth were only fully realized (in terms of the greatest compensation) by upper echelon management in ‘corporateville.’

Clearly, there wasn’t equal disbursement of bonuses based on contribution or performance. They were a greedy group.

Nonetheless, we persevered, day-to-day, to get the job done.

The company’s greed was further evidenced by its restructuring model. Upper management, known for never practicing inclusion when major decisions regarding direction were being considered, and relying on the input of the ignorant that held the position of friends instead of relying on the expertise of the few qualified professionals present, decided to cut back on the company’s number of entry level positions (a position title that was crucial to day-to-day operations), while increasing the salaries of three barely competent individuals who, combined, just a few months prior, were instrumental in ushering in a moratorium on referrals from the industries contracting organization. This moratorium cost the
company plenty.

The new management team decided to convert the operation from a distinct three shift model (8a-4p|4p-12p|12p-8a) (which was required for the 24/7 operations), to a “centralized” model that still incorporated the three distinct shifts, but just utilized the people in an altogether different manner. To be more specific, they took staff from the third shift and placed them on the second shift. First shift staff was mandated to work third shift. The new management team had no concern for the lifestyles of the staff. This was a completely disrupting strategy.

Needless to say . . .

Staff was resigning in droves. Those staff that didn’t wholeheartedly welcome this change and get on board with it were terminated. Staff at all levels were leaving. The company was operating on a very limited personnel roster. The new management team’s response was to increase mandatory overtime hours, this caused an even greater loss of staff.

My role in this change was one of conciliation. While I was in total disagreement with the spirit in which the changes were effectuated, I could completely understand the corporate mindset. The company was afraid. It was afraid that it would lose out completely in terms of continuing to be a viable provider of services in its industry if drastic changes were not quickly made.

Well, one of the new managers saw that my positional, referent, and expert power was increasing, and he felt that this would be a detriment to his solely positional power base. How ridiculous! Since I had always used every advantage I had for the furtherance of the company’s mission.

Certain signs at this point were directing me to begin reconsidering my continuing with this company. Since the new upper management fellow was closely aligned with the corporate team and his word held great sway over them, I began to get that “gut” feeling that despite my many contributions to the company, I was making this individual feel uneasy.

Granted, upper-level managers had been let go before and will continue to be let go in the future, for whatever reasons.

However, historically, all mid- and upper-level directors were let go with a six-month severance package. I state that here to prepare the reader for the next salient element of my story – the element that ties everything together.

Months passed. Many changes were implemented. I rallied behind each change, seeking to find the benefit of each seemingly dreadful decision set forth by the new management team. In retrospect, I now see that many of these changes (e.g. changing my hours from 9a-5p to 2a-10a; changing my days off from Sat. and Sun. to Fri. and Sat; changing the mid-level managers that reported to me, men that I had trained and developed, and had built a very strong working relationship with to transferring the companies newest and least productive mid-level managers to my team, etc.) were set forth in an attempt to get me to resign. Boy, did they wrongly evaluate me. Hadn’t time taught them that when the going got tough, I got going even stronger? Obviously not.

In any event, after seeing that I would not be shaken no matter what they threw at me, they upgraded their tactics to the next level.

One Friday afternoon, I was called to the Human Resources Department offices. Clearly, what was about to take place was quite obvious. I had never been summoned to the HRD offices. I had in the course of my employment, summoned many individuals to the HRD offices, only for the purpose of termination. Note: All of the terminations I conducted were due to documented violations of company policy and procedure (the paper trail was existent).

When I arrived at the HRD offices and entered the boardroom, I saw that all the upper-level new management team members were present. As soon as I sat down, my immediate supervisor stated, “We called this meeting to inform you that you are being terminated.” I replied, “Can you tell me why I’m being terminated?” There was a brief silence in the room which was broken by my immediate supervisor’s supervisor stating, “No reason, you just don’t work here any more.” Not being one to quibble over such issues, I moved the conversation to the next logical point – my severance package.

I asked, “When do I sign my severance agreement?” My supervisor’s supervisor responded, “You are not getting a severance package.” Needless to say, I was very surprised. Despite the hostile manner in which I was being terminated, I certainly thought the company would at least consider executing their dirty work with a little bit of class. My thoughts were wrong.

I was unceremoniously escorted off the property with my personal effects in tow.

Returning home that evening, my mind was racing a mile per second. What happens now?” “What do I do?” “How will I break this bad news to my family?” “How will I pay my NEW mortgage?” “Can they dismiss me like that and deny me a benefit that I know was provided to other individuals at the time of termination (namely, the usual severance package)?” An endless stream of questions raced through my mind. Those of you reading this that experienced a similar situation can probably relate.

Some of you are very close to experiencing what I did and you probably aren’t even aware of how close you are to being in my “shoes.” Be prepared.

When I arrived at home, I conducted myself as though nothing had changed. Just another day of work completed.

My mind still racing – I knew I needed an attorney, but how could I possibly afford one considering I had just lost my job?

The next day, I sent my ex-employer multiple e-mail messages in an attempt to get justice. All were ignored. I didn’t get one response.

My mind was racing all through the night. Upon awakening, I realized what I needed to do.

I remembered a similar situation from years ago, wherein I needed an attorney and couldn’t afford the $110-$200 an hour type.

I found a provider of legal services that specialized in leveling the “access to legal services” field.

I immediately went online to research this particular legal services provider. Within less than one hour I was in the
system. I had more that just one attorney, I had an entire firm.

Making my initial contact call was extremely easy. I called the firm; they took my information and told me an attorney would contact me in less than 24 hours. That same afternoon, an attorney specializing in employment law contacted me and provided a FREE consultation (try to get a free consultation from your attorney).

I had already prepared an eight-page expository letter to be sent to the corporate office of my ex-employer. I just wanted to make sure the document was fool-proof, that I wasn’t violating the law by sending it. I faxed the document to my attorney. Within 30 minutes she, my attorney, called me back to inform me that the document was not libelous. She further stated that if I needed her to further assist me all I need do was ask. The cost for this initial on my behalf was: $0 (it was included in the plan).

From that point on, I felt empowered.

So many times I’ve said, “I’m going to call my attorney” – and at the same time fully knowing that I didn’t have an attorney.

But that has all changed. I now have an entire firm on my team, covering employment law, real estate law, marital law, international law, motor vehicle law, trial defense law, trust and estate law, business law, and so on. In other words, I HAVE AN ENTIRE LAW FIRM ON MY TEAM. And the firm is one of the best in the Pennsylvania area.

Back to my story…

I faxed he document to my ex-employer’s corporate offices. I sent the eight-page expository document to the CEO, the
President and the Director of Human Resources. Not only did I send them this powerful documentation, I gave them a deadline to respond; by the close of business on Friday.

At 10:00am that Friday morning, the Human Resources Director called me and informed me that he would be faxing me a Severance

Agreement and Release (SAR). The SAR arrived; I faxed it to my attorney for review (no charge-included in my plan). She

reviewed the SAR then contacted me to inform me that it was okay for me to sign.

Well, needless to say, the table was turned. I now had my severance package (full pay and family medical benefits for

six-months). My ex-employer now has a new found respect for me. It’s sad that the situation had to transpire in this manner, but that’s the way the “bully mind-set” works. They thought they had the little man (me) beat, until they turned the corner and saw my big brother (law firm) waiting there for me.

Well, to be sure, after Tom heard my story he couldn’t wait to learn more. I provided him with a link to a web site where he was able to get all the details and sign up for the service. Now Tom, like me, has the law on his side. His transition has been completely stabilized. His family now has peace of mind and they rest securely at night knowing that no one will be able to take advantage of them ever again.

Wouldn’t you like to have this level of security and safety for your family? Well. Now you can!

Remember, it’s not a matter of if you will ever need legal representation; it’s clearly a matter of when.

Prepare yourselves today and be ready when the inevitable situation or condition presents itself wherein you will need legal counsel. I will tell you this, there is nothing more empowering than calling YOUR attorney when you need a contract reviewed, when an automobile mechanic has given you a bad deal, when a jeweler has misrepresented a product, when a tenant refuses to pay the rent, etc.

In sum, access to competent legal services is finally available to all Americans and Canadians. You, too, can arm yourself with the means to add this powerful tool to your or your family’s team.

To learn more about this shift in the realm of legal services access, visit
http://ilmuhammad.bizcardlinks.com/

Registering A Trademark In China

China, with its population of about 1.3 billion, is an attractive market to many businesses. Those who wants to join in the bandwagon to market their products in China should seriously look into the intellectual property protection in China. Unlike some countries, China do not provide protection for unregistered trademark under the common law. China practices “first to file” system for trademarks, meaning the right to a mark goes to the first party who registers it.

Generally, the process of of applying for a trademark in China can be summarized below:

1. Get a intellectual property agent/attorney to do the filing for you. China laws require foreigners with no permanent address in China to engage a State-approved agent if they want to register a trademark in China Even if you have a permanent address in China, it is advisable to get an agent to do it.

2. Before applying for the registration of a mark, the applicant should conduct a preliminary search at the China Trademark Office to determine if a similar mark is already registered.

3. Complete all the official forms and documents. China Trademark Office only accepts documents submitted in Chinese language.

4. There are altogether 42 classes of trademarks in China. You have to submit your application for at least one of the classes.

5. If you are entitled to claim priority registration, you have to submit your letter of priority, with the proper translation, together with the application. These documents have to be certified by the relevant organizations.

6. Upon submission of all the necessary documents to the China Trademark Office [http://sbj.saic.gov.cn/english/index_e.asp], the Office would review the documents for compliance.

7. After a preliminary examination, if the Trademark Office is satisfied that the mark applied for registration is not similar or identical to existing registered marks, it will grant a preliminary approval and will publish the mark in the preliminary examination gazette.

8. China trademark [http://trademarks.qiliqulu.com/china-trademark-registration.php] law provides that marks published in the preliminary examination gazette are subjected to public opposition for a period of 3 months. If there is any opposition filed, the Trademark Office will inform the applicant.

9. Upon receiving the notice of opposition from the Trademark Office, the applicant has 15 days to respond and to request for an administrative review.

10. If the applicant is not satisfied with the outcome of the review, the applicant can, within 30 days of receiving notice of review decision, file an administrative appeal to the Court.

11. If no party files an opposition to a mark that has received preliminary approval within three months, the Trademark Office will register the trademark and publish notice of the registration in the Trademark Gazette.

Writing Sales Copy – How to Close the Deal

Dear Business Builder,

OK … So you’ve grabbed your prospect’s attention with a compelling proposition, story, USP, intrigue or advertorial headline.

You’ve intensified his resolve to read your ad with deck copy that illuminates and expands on your head … intrigues him with reasons why, if he stops reading now, he’ll regret it for the rest of his life … and just for good measure, you threw in a heaping helping of credibility elements.

You’ve opened your body copy fast – so fast in fact, that your prospect was emotionally invested and completely committed to reading every word you had to say before he knew what hit him.

You’ve led him through your sales arguments hand-in-hand; showing him how your product will bring tremendous value to his life by granting him his heart’s deepest desires.

Starting from a fact or proposition he can’t help but agree with, you’ve led him, step-by-careful-step through every benefit your product provides and every “reason why” he deserves to have those benefits in his life.

You’ve proved every product claim with testimonials from recognized experts, the media and of course, your customers.

You’ve heaped on tons more credibility; validating your sales propositions with quotes, charts, tables and data from third parties he trusts.

You’ve anticipated and defused every objection he could possibly have to buying this product … from you … today.

And you’ve sweetened the pot by regaling your prospect with a truckload of additional free gifts he gets just for buying the product.

At this point, anyone with a pulse or capable of fogging a mirror should already be cutting you a check or reciting their MasterCard number to one of your customer service reps.

And frankly, because you’ve salted your spreads with action devices that present your toll-free number and/or direct him to your order form, some of your prospects will be.

But you’re not through writing your sales copy yet – not by a long shot.

Because now, it’s time to turn up the heat – with closing copy that’s so powerful, it vaporizes every remaining ounce of resistance and magically transforms mere prospects into paying customers.

You’ve got to close the deal.

Of course, when writing sales copy, how you present your offer and close your promotion will vary widely from product to product and from offer to offer. However, I’ve found that an outline like this one is a great way to get started …

8 STEPS TO A COMPELLING CLOSE

1. DIMENSIONALIZE VALUE: When writing the sales copy, use a few short bulleted paragraphs to remind your prospect of everything he gets when he purchases your product.

Begin with the product itself and all the benefits it will bring to him. Then, move on to each of the extras and each of the free gifts if he buys now. If permissible, be sure to include the value of each of the freebies.

I also know before I begin writing my closing copy the value and savings my prospect will receive on the basic service … the free extras that come with the service … the premiums or free gifts he gets and the total value of the savings and freebies he gets by joining my client’s newsletter service now.

[NOTE: Postal regulations prohibit assigning a value to the premiums offered if the product itself is delivered via Second Class (Library Rate) mail. It pays to make sure it’s OK to use these values before investing your time writing the close.]

2. PRESENT YOUR PRICE – CAREFULLY: When writing sales copy, I typically approach the first mention of my price in one of two ways:

A. Lead with the discount: “Charter Offer: You SAVE HALF – a Whopping $189”

B. Lead with the nominal price: “Normally, XYZ is a bargain at just $379 for two years. But during this Charter Membership period, you save half! You get two full years for just $189 – you save $189!”

3. TRIVIALIZE YOUR PRICE: This is a great way to close the deal. Again – there are many ways to do this, and I try to use several price-trivializing rationales in each promotion …

A. Compare the price with what it gets you. If, for example, a financial service is producing average annual gains of, say 86% on its recommended investments, your price justification might go something like this:

Look: Our average recommendation over the past two years has produced an 86% annual gain. Investing a paltry $10,000 per year would have earned you $8,600 in profits in a year and $17,200 in two years.

That’s 91 TIMES MORE than our two-year Charter Membership rate!

B. Compare the price with what others charge. Example: One of my clients gives full and free access to his world class website to every subscriber. The website offers the same investment research tools another famous website does, and that site charges $480 per year.

So my copy read …

Heck – XYZ.COM website charges $40 per month for the same investment tools you get with your FREE membership to my ABC site. That alone could save you $480 per year.

C. Compare the price with the value of the free gifts and discounts. Example …

And remember: By joining me for two years now, you get $1,091 in discounts and FREE gifts designed to multiply your profits – all for just $189.

D. Break the price down to smaller increments. This is where the second spreadsheet I showed you earlier comes in handy …

Just $7.88 per month … only $1.82 per week – a mere 26 CENTS A DAY for recommendations that can nearly double your money every year.

E. Compare the price to what they pay now for a mundane item:

Twenty-six cents a day: That’s less than ONE-TENTH of what you pay for a single gallon of gasoline!

4. ERASE ALL RISK: Now that we’ve whittled the perceived price down to just pennies, it’s time to crank up the heat again – by pointing out that he gets his lousy quarter a day refunded any time he asks for it.

Now, this is no place to sleepwalk. Think about your guarantee for a moment. What is it, really?

It’s a contract … a promise … a vow your spokesperson makes to the customer. It’s a sacred commitment and it’s personal.

So instead of simply stating your terms, why not present it as a personal letter … an official-looking contract … or as “My Sacred Promise to You”?

This is also the perfect excuse to restate all the benefits your prospect will receive when he becomes a customer – something like …

When you join me in XYZ, I promise I’ll never let you make a high-risk investment. I’ll be there for you every single day, guiding you to stocks that give you double-your-money potential with safety.

If I can do that for you, the twenty-nine cent daily investment you make in XYZ will prove to be the wisest you’ve ever made. If I can’t, I won’t keep a penny of your membership. It just wouldn’t be fair …

Also: Giving the rationale behind your guarantee is a great way to create a bond with the prospect by demonstrating your spokesperson’s fairness and honesty …

If the world was a fair place, no doctor would get paid a penny when his treatments fail to cure you. No stock broker would earn a dime unless he makes you richer. The truth is, if I can’t help you, it wouldn’t be right to keep a penny of your money …

5. OFFER INSTANT GRATIFICATION: Over the years, we’ve learned that when we order something through the mail, it could be an eternity – up to six or eight weeks before the product is delivered.

We also know that in this Internet-driven, fast-food society, consumers have come to crave and even expect instant gratification.

So if your product is delivered quickly, why not shout it from the rooftops?

Sadly, the number one mistake even top copywriters make is forgetting to ask their clients “How fast will new customers receive their purchases?” – and then featuring this fast turn-around in their closing copy.

One of my clients ships within 24 hours – so I include a subhead and short section of body text to let my prospect know that if he orders today, he can be enjoying my product’s benefits in just a few days.

6. ASK FOR THE SALE: It’s the oldest rule in direct response: When writing your sales copy, always tell your prospect, step-by-step what he must do to order.

Assume he’s a three-year-old …

Just pick up your telephone right now and dial TOLL-FREE 1-800-000-0000 and say, “I want to join XYZ for just twenty-nine cents a day – and don’t forget to include my $902 in bonus services and free reports!”

Or, if you prefer, just complete the Free Gift Certificate on page 23 of this report and return it to me today in the postage-paid reply envelope we’ve provided.

7. PLACE YOUR PROSPECT AT A CROSSROADS: The “Crossroads Close” is an extremely powerful device. It helps close the deal by focusing the prospect on the decision he’s about to make. Here’s an example …

In this report, I’ve shown you how you can nearly double your money every year.

I’ve offered you investment services others pay up to $728 for – FREE …

I’ve offered you 6 valuable profit guides worth $174 – FREE …

I’ve invited you to save half – up to $189 – when you to join me in XYZ investment service during this Charter Membership period …

I’ve shown you how you must be thrilled with the profits I bring you, or you’re entitled to a 100% refund …

Now, the decision is completely in your hands.

Only one of two things can happen now. Either we’ll go on from here together, or you’ll go it alone.

Either you’ll join me and begin doubling your money every year like our other XYZ members do, or you’ll continue to settle for the higher risk and lower returns you’re getting now.

I wish I could take the next step for you. I can’t of course; it’s completely up to you.

I urge you: The stocks I told you about today aren’t going to wait for you, me or anybody else. They’re beginning to move now. If you hesitate, it could cost you a small fortune in profits.

Just call TOLL-FREE 1-800-000-0000 now and say you’ll join me in XYZ. That way, I can rush your first issue and your free gifts to you tomorrow, and in a few days, you’ll be growing richer, faster.

Please do it now – there’s nothing to lose and substantial new profits to gain.

Yours for Lower Risk and Greater Profits,

[SIGNATURE]

8. LOAD UP ON YOUR P.S.S: Tests have shown that many prospects want to know who your sales letter is from – so they’ll flip through your sales letter quickly, looking for the signature.

For that reason, the copy around the signature – most notably your P.S. – occupies a powerful place in your copy.

It’s important to keep in mind that prospects who check out the signature first have not seen the rest of your copy – so divulging your price or other possible negatives here is a definite no-no.

It’s also OK to have a P.S., a P.P.S., even a P.P.P.S – as many as you need to convince scanners to read the letter and to compel readers to place their orders now.

Here are four of the most powerful P.S. techniques I’ve ever used …

A. Guarantee Reminder: Simply restate your major benefit(s) and your guarantee in a short paragraph.

Remember: Either I double your money in the next 12 months or I’ll cheerfully send you a full refund.

And everything I’ve sent you – including the $902 in free bonus services and gifts I just described – are yours to keep, FREE.

There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain – so please: Call TOLL-FREE 1-800-000-0000 now.

B. Urgency Motivator:

Early-Bird Bonus – an extra $79 Value, FREE: Let me hear from you now, and I’ll also include The #1 Money-Doubling Stock to Buy NOW – my hot-off-the-presses guide to my top pick for 2007 …

This P.S. would then follow with strong sales copy presenting the benefits delivered by this additional gift and asking the prospect to call now.

C. Testimonial: Select one of your strongest short testimonials – one in which the customer relates specifically how you helped him or her – and use it as a credibility-boosting P.S.

D. Final Rationale: This kind of P.S. amplifies and intensifies the Crossroads Close you’ve already used above …

Before you make your final decision, please ask yourself, “What if George is right?”

“How will I feel watching these stocks take off like a moon shot — knowing that I blew the chance to double my money in just twelve, short months?”

I don’t want that for you. Please – your membership is fully guaranteed – there’s simply no reason NOT to give XYZ a fair try: Call TOLL-FREE 1-800-000-0000 and say you’ll join me today!

Hope this helps …

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