Muslim Teen Killed After Leaving Virginia Mosque; Suspect Arrested

Darwin Martinez Torres was taken into custody after driving “suspiciously” near a pond where the body was found.

A Virginia man was arrested after a Muslim teenager he allegedly confronted near a mosque in Sterling was later found dead in a pond.

The victim, identified by relatives to The Washington Post as Nabra Hassanen, 17, was walking with friends near the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) Center about 4 a.m. Sunday after Ramadan prayers when they got into some kind of dispute with a man who drove past in a car.

The friends told authorities that the driver then exited his car brandishing a baseball bat. The teens scattered when the man allegedly attacked Hassanen. Once the friends regrouped at the religious center, mosque officials contacted police.

According to the Fairfax County Police Department, remains that investigators believe are the missing teen’s were discovered on Sunday afternoon in a pond about two miles from the mosque. An autopsy will confirm identity and cause of death. A baseball bat was also recovered. 

As a helicopter, police dogs and rescue teams searched for the teen, an officer spotted Darwin Martinez Torres, 22, “driving suspiciously” in the area. Torres was arrested and charged with murder on Sunday. He’s being held in Fairfax County jail, officials said.

The ADAMS Center urged authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into Hassanen’s death, and determine if it was, in fact, a hate crime. At the time of this writing, investigators haven’t yet made that determination.

“We call on law enforcement to investigate and determine the motive of this crime and prosecute to the full extent of the law,” the center said in a statement. “We are devastated and heartbroken as our community undergoes and processes this traumatic event. It is a time for us to come together to pray and care for our youth.”

Police are also questioning Hassanen’s friends, who likely overheard the dispute. The group was confronted near the mosque outside an IHOP restaurant, the Post reported. The mosque has extra prayers at midnight and 2 a.m., and members frequently eat breakfast before they start their fast at sunrise for Ramadan.

“I can’t think of a worse instance to occur than the loss of a 17-year-old on Father’s Day, as the father of a 17-year-old myself,” Loudoun County Sheriff Michael Chapman told the Post.

Nabra’s mother, Sawsan Gazzar, wept at her home on Sunday night.

“I lost my daughter,” she told the Post, “my first reason for happiness.”

 

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What Would Happen in the Hours and Minutes After the US Bombed Iran?

Here's how it might go down, according to a trio of experts.

Donald Trump predicted back in 2013 that the US would eventually go to war with Iran. At the time, Trump was merely a rich guy and right-wing gadlfy criticizing Secretary of State John Kerry on Fox News, but later, as a presidential candidate then a president, his rhetoric and policies have been strikingly antagonistic.
Trump promised to renegotiate Barack Obama's signature deal with Iran on nuclear weapons during the 2016 campaign, and though he hasn't done that, he has staffed his White House with people hostile toward Iran. That includes Secretary of Defense James Mattis, who has implied that Iran and ISIS are on friendly terms.
Shortly after Trump took office, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen attacked a Saudi ship, killing two people—and in pretty a wild leap leap of logic, the White House described it as an Iranian attack. In April, Trump said Iran wasn't "living up to the spirit" of the nuclear deal. During a May trip to the Middle East, Trump appeared to side more aggressively with Saudi Arabia against Iran than past presidents, then continued that anti-Iran rhetoric in Israel.
Over the weekend, a report claiming that the Saudi coastguard had killed an Iranian fisherman, an announcement by Iran that it had fired multiple ballistic missiles into eastern Syria to target ISIS in retaliation for an attack in Tehran, and the shooting down of a Syrian plane by a US-led coalition only heightened tensions in the region.
This state of affairs has some people very worried. In The Independent, businessman and human rights activist Andrew McCleod warned that Trump is on track to nuke Iran inside of two years. That's probably an exaggeration, but how much of an exaggeration?

Related: What Would Happen in the Minutes and Hours After the US Attacked North Korea?

Ahmad Majidyar is director of the Middle East Institute's IranObserved Project. In a recent paper, he described the US and Iran as being on a "collision course" in Iraq and Syria. The idea is that once ISIS is defeated, Iran-backed militias and the US military will no longer have a common enemy. The risk, Majidyar told me, is "some sort of possible—not very likely—confrontation by the IRGC-led forces, and US-led forces in Mosul."
But even without the conflict in Syria/Iraq, tensions remain between Iran and the US, tensions that have only been exacerbated by the Trump administration's foreign policy. So the question remains: If the US were to actually bomb Iran itself—as has been advocated by plenty of mainstream Republicans like Arizona Senator John McCain—how and why would that happen? And how exactly would that conflict play out?
I posed these hypotheticals to Majidyar as well as international relations scholar Stephen Zunes, and Omar Lamrani, a senior military analyst at the military intelligence firm Stratfor. Here's a map of the locations we discussed, for reference:

Step 1: Tensions in Syria boil over

While Iran does provoke the US a bit by opposing Saudi Arabia—a close American ally—in Yemen, Syria is the likeliest potential flashpoint to any serious US-Iran conflict. According to Lamrani, Iran's dream is to have a steady flow of commercial traffic clear to the west coast of Lebanon, which it plans to achieve by creating a supply route that goes from Tehran to Baghdad to Syria to Lebanon. In Iran's view, the US is blocking this effort.
With this tension in the air, Trump could jeopardize the nuclear agreement by sanctioning Iran in a way Iran thinks is unfair. "The agreement is on tenuous ground, and if it does collapse, and the Iranians [could] go forward with more ballistic missile testing," Lamrani said, adding that fallout from that testing could potentially trigger a war.
(It's important to note here that no one I spoke to felt that an actual war was in any way likely, barring some black swan event to trigger it.)

Step 2: A terror attack

The main scenario Zunes thinks could result in war is a terror attack perceived as having been sponsored by Iran and carried out against a target such as a US embassy in Europe.
"Iran has cells across the world," Lamrani told me, citing Iran's well-known connections to the terrorist group Hezbollah. He added that Iran would most likely only activate its Hezbollah cells if it were attacked first.
But according to Zunes, a terror attack wouldn't have to be carried out by Iran or one of its proxies. Instead, the whole conflict might be triggered by "an attack by some unknown Salafi group—an al Qaeda, ISIS type," he told me. Frustrated by Iran's belligerent behavior, he says, "Trump could blame [the act of terror] on an Iranian-backed group, and use that as an excuse to attack Iran." This isn't unheard of. There was speculation just after 9/11 that a 1996 attack in Saudi Arabia, pinned on Iran, was actually the work of al Qaeda. (The US still officially blames Iran.)

Step 3: The US starts bombing Iran's nuclear facilities

"The idea was that we just bomb, and bomb, and bomb, and try to destroy as many strategic assets as possible," Zunes told me.
This was a plan proposed by Republican Senator Tom Cotton in 2015. Rather than an invasion, he said on a radio show, "It would be something more along the lines of what President Clinton did in December 1998 during Operation Desert Fox," a series of strikes on Iraqi military targets.
During this phase of our hypothetical conflict, Lamrani told me, US intelligence will have information at hand designed to make sure the attacks constitute "a very very comprehensive plan," relying on air power, not just cruise missiles fired from the sea. "B-2s with those massive ordnance penetrators" would be involved, Lamrani said, referring to the MOAB—the largest non-nuclear bomb ever dropped.

Step 4: Iran mobilizes its navy

Iran is very adept as using its navy to taunt American vessels. In 2016, speedboats buzzed around the Persian Gulf, forcing a US ship to change course. A couple days later, Trump the presidential candidate said he would blow up any Iranian boats that tried that against his navy. Then they tried it again in March and Trump's navy didn't blow them up.
But the US Navy is very good a blowing things up, and doing so in extremely dramatic fashion—something Trump obviously knows. "The Iranians are vulnerable when they're all bunched up in their ports, and not at sea," Lamrani told me. "For them to have any chance at all, they have to be very, very fast."
Before the US could even nail down the specifics of its strategy, he said, the Iranians would "disperse their units, so their minelayers are already at sea, dropping mines, and their forces are already attacking before the US brings in all its forces to completely annihilate the Iranians."

Step 5: The oil trade pretty much stops

If Iran can't knock out a US cruiser with its navy, what can its navy do?
It can interrupt international business. If you think of the Persian Gulf as the hallway that takes you to the vital ports belonging to Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, then the door to that hallway is the 21-mile-wide Strait of Hormuz, where part of the Arabian Peninsula juts off and almost pokes into Iran. Imagine Iran closing that door.
"That's a massive shock to the global economy," Lamrani said. He doesn't think Iran would try anything so drastic given that it would cut off not just the oil trade, but food to countries like Qatar and Bahrain, bringing down the wrath of the entire Arab world.
But if you're a container ship captain, Lamrani said, a war in the area is enough to keep you out of there unless you know it's safe. So one way or another, until the US shows up with ships to clear the strait, "Technically, the threat, and the position of their anti-ship missiles, is going to be a de facto block," he told me.

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Iran warns missile attack on IS in Syria can be repeated

TEHRAN, Iran

After firing missiles targeting the Islamic State group in eastern Syria, Iran's Revolutionary Guard on Monday issued a stark warning to IS militants, saying that any future attack against Iran will result in more powerful launches.
The Guard said it launched the strikes on Sunday in retaliation for attacks in Tehran earlier this month that were claimed by the Islamic State group. Iran has been involved in Syria's long-running civil war, in which it has backed embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Iranian state television quoted Gen. Ramazan Sharif on Monday as saying that "if they (IS) carry out a specific action to violate our security, definitely there will be more launches, with intensified strength."
He spoke as part of a TV package about the missile launches, showing them shoot off into the night from the western province of Kermanshah. The Guard said it fired six missiles in total from Kermanshah and also from Iran's Kurdistan province into Syria's Deir el-Zour province, where IS has been trying to fortify its positions in the face of a U.S.-led coalition onslaught.
But the missiles sent a message to more than just the extremists in Iraq and Syria, Sharif told state television in a telephone interview.
"The Saudis and Americans are especially receivers of this message." Said Sharif. "Obviously and clearly, some reactionary countries of the region, especially Saudi Arabia, had announced that they are trying to bring insecurity into Iran."
Activists in Syria said they had no immediate information on damage or casualties from the strikes.
Deir el-Zour is home to both Islamic State militants and civilians. The extremists increasingly have fled to Deir el-Zour as the Islamic State group's de facto capital of Raqqa has come under punishing U.S.-led airstrikes.
Five Islamic State-linked attackers stormed Iran's parliament and a shrine to revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini on June 7, killing at least 18 people and wounding more than 50.
That attack marked the first to hit Iran, shocking its residents who believed the chaos engulfing the rest of the Middle East would not find them in the Shiite-majority nation.
Iran has described the attackers as being "long affiliated with the Wahhabi," an ultraconservative form of Sunni Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia. However, it stopped short of directly blaming the kingdom for the attack, though many in the country expressed suspicion Iran's regional rival had a hand in the attack.
The attack also came as emboldened Sunni Arab states — backed by U.S. President Donald Trump — are hardening their stance against Iran.
The Guard, which is also involved in the fight against the Islamic State group in neighboring Iraq, controls Iran's missile program. It has test-fired a number of missiles since Iran struck the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, including the U.S.
Since Trump took office, his administration has described putting Iran "on notice" over the missile tests and put new economic sanctions on those allegedly involved with the program. Israel also remains concerned about Iran's missile launches.

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U.S. Fighter Jet Shoots Down Syrian Warplane

A handout provided by an official Iranian news site shows a missile launched by the Revolutionary Guards Corps from western Iran, toward Islamic State bases in Syria. Credit Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

WASHINGTON — An American fighter jet shot down a Syrian warplane on Sunday after it dropped bombs near local ground forces supported by the United States, the first time the American military has downed a Syrian aircraft since the start of the civil war in 2011, officials said.

The confrontation represents a further escalation between forces supporting President Bashar al-Assad of Syria and the United States, which has been directing the military campaign in Syria and Iraq against the Islamic State.

The American F/A-18 shot down the Syrian government warplane south of the town of Tabqah, on the same day that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps launched several midrange missiles from inside Iran at targets in Syria, hoping to punish Islamic State forces responsible for last week’s terrorist attacks in Tehran.

The Guards Corp said it “targeted the headquarters and meeting place and suicide car assembly line” of “ISIS terrorists” in the province of Deir al-Zour, where Islamic State forces surround an estimated 200,000 people in a government-held section of the provincial capital of the same name.

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American officials said there appeared to be no direct connection between the two events, but they underscored the complexity of a region in which Syria, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Israel and the United States with its allies have carried out air or missiles strikes, albeit in pursuit of different and often competing objectives.

For the United States, the main focus has been battling the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL. This month, Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters, supported by American advisers and air power, began the battle for Raqqa, the militants’ self-declared capital.

Even before that battle is over, however, tensions have risen over control of eastern Syria as Iranian-backed militias, including the Lebanese group Hezbollah, have moved to extend their reach toward areas where the American-based fighters are also operating.

Not only are forces loyal to Mr. Assad interested in controlling the oil-rich Deir al-Zour Province and relieving the pressure on a Syrian military garrison that has been surrounded there, but the Iranian-backed Shiite fighters are also believed to be trying to link up with Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and establish a supply corridor that runs from Syria to Iraq and, eventually, to Iran.

The confrontation in Syria on Sunday began around 4:30 p.m. local time, when American-backed ground Syrian fighters, who are officially called the Syrian Democratic Forces, came under attack by what the Pentagon described only as “pro-Syrian regime forces” and were forced from their positions in the town of Ja’Din, south of Tabqah. Several of the American-supported fighters were wounded.

The United States had airlifted hundred of Syrian fighters and their American military advisers near Tabqah in March in a generally successful push to cut off the western approaches to Raqqa.

To scare away the adversary forces, American warplanes buzzed the pro-Assad troops in what the Pentagon called a “show of force.” That appeared to put an end to the fighting, and the Americans sought to defuse the situation by calling their Russian counterparts from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

But the Syrians were not finished. At 6:43 p.m., a Syrian SU-22 warplane dropped several bombs near the American-backed fighters. Attempts to warn the Syrian plane away from the area using an emergency radio frequency failed, said Col. John J. Thomas, the spokesman for the United States Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East.

An F/A-18 “Super Hornet,” which was patrolling the area after launching from the George H. W. Bush aircraft carrier, quickly shot down the Syrian plane. American advisers were not in the immediate vicinity of the bombing by the Syrian SU-22.

A statement by the American-led task force that is fighting the Islamic State stressed that it was taken under rules of engagement permitting the “collective self-defense” of its Syrian partners.

This month, an American F-15E shot down an Iranian-made drone after it attacked American fighters in southeastern Syria.

The United States has set up a garrison at al-Tanf in southeastern Syria, where Syrian fighters and American, British and Norwegian advisers have been based.

The United States has warned pro-Assad forces to stay out of a “deconfliction” zone it has declared around the garrison. The town of Ja’Din is little more than a mile north of this deconfliction area, but the United States has made it clear that the Syrian fighters it supports and the American and other allied advisers that accompany them are not limited to that buffer area.

After Sunday’s episode, the American-led task force said it was not seeking a confrontation with Mr. Assad or the Russian and Iranian forces or Shiite militias that are fighting to support the Syrian leader — but added that it would defend the Syrian fighters it has assembled to pursue the Islamic State.

“The coalition’s mission is to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria,” the official statement said. “The coalition does not seek to fight Syrian regime, Russian, or pro-regime forces partnered with them, but will not hesitate to defend coalition or partner forces from any threat.”

Iran offered official statements about its military actions, too, and a video of the launch of one of the missiles was posted by the semiofficial Fars News Agency.

The Guards Corps said the strike, sending missiles flying over neighboring Iraq into Syria, had been carried out in retaliation for the terrorist attacks this month on the Iranian Parliament building and the shrine of the founder of the Islamic Republic. Eighteen people died in those attacks and dozens were wounded. The Islamic State claimed responsibility.

The Iranians made no effort to offer warnings about or “deconflict” their missile strike with the United States, American officials said. The Iranian missile attack was seen by analysts as a sign of an escalating role for Iran in the Syrian conflict and an indication of Tehran’s growing power in the region.

The missile strike over a considerable distance may have also been designed to send a message to Iran’s enemies in the region, including Israel and Saudi Arabia, as well as the United States, which maintains multiple military bases in the Middle East.

Michael R. Gordon reported from Washington, and Thomas Erdbrink from Tehran.

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Facts about Affiliate Marketing that You Need to Know Now!

Affiliate marketing is a strategy that requires creativity and technicalities. You can’t master all its aspects and complexities in snap of your fingers as it really takes periods of time and determination. Familiarizing what it is and how to do it isn’t that hard, how to gain profitable earning out of it is the real issue.

Many would ask how affiliate marketing works. Basically, there’s an affiliate marketer whose main job is to market products and services from a third party. Commissions will be rewarded then to the affiliate marketer for every directives he is going to generate. This is an excellent way of doing business for some traders as there would be no need for them to attend to various issues relevant to marketing and promotion and could just let them pay attention to other aspects of the business such as order taking, goods delivery and so on. This concept of affiliate marketing is also beneficial to marketers as it excludes the duty of attending to different business stuffs such as payment terms, return conditions, inventories and so on. He is just focusing how to direct potential sales to his clients.

In affiliate marketing, there are really a lot of things that you need to observe and assess for it to become a successful marketing tool. Due to various complexities and challenges, some have chosen to entrust their affiliate marketing aspect to an outsourcing body. Well, outsourcing a business function could really be of great significance to your business but you should be prepared for possible consequence which may arise if such has not been delivered well. To ensure if it is just to a business function such as affiliate marketing to be outsourced, some preferred to join outsourcing business tours to know more about different outsourcing technicalities.

On the other hand, there are still many retailers who desire to have an official affiliate marketer whose first job to become a successful marketer is to join various affiliate networks where they could have bunch of chances to meet numerous merchants they could work with. They’ll be under a certain organization which will supervise the commission management in which they receive service fee from the merchants in return.

As an affiliate marketer, you should then be meticulous in assessing which is which – which among the products is going to generate income and which is going to flop. The affiliate marketers also need to use one or more websites where they could promote their choses products. The concept of SEO then will be integrated as this is the ultimate strategy to reach a wide range of potential customers. But this strategy is undeniably costly, at least at first. You spend big amount for promotional web spaces. This is somehow tricky, retailers are just going to pay for every clicks the affiliate marketer has initiated. So no click no pay. But what if there are just clicks but nothing has been converted into sales? Well, you lose money.

It’s a fact that every business strategy requires one’s attention and enthusiasm to learn for it to function seamlessly. You should be craving for more knowledge as days pass by for you to be not let behind. Don’t hesitate so read a tons of books, glance of everyday blog and listen to experts’ advices. With these, you find ways how to gain profitable earning and lessen your marketing spending – a truly great affiliate marketer.

On the other hand, some still pursue their dream of becoming an affiliate marketer as they believe that it is something which could provide an abundant living. Yes, there are challenges along the way and time and effort is really required. In addition, those who have focus and wanting for more are those who will be successful in this field. Once you’ve widen your knowledge regarding various aspects of affiliate marketing and mastered how you could generate more leads while spending less, money will flow seamlessly.

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Why to Choose Magento Ecommerce Website Development Services

Magento is the shopping cart which makes online shopping extremely easy for the users and is indeed the smartest and the most robust ecommerce platform to make the life of an individual easy. An ecommerce website is a viable option for the online businesses looking to facilitate transactions and sales online. Transactions can be carried out easily and conveniently when you design an ecommerce website. Not only your prospective buyers can gain information on your products and services but also they can proceed towards making purchases. If you wish for innovative, functional, creative shopping cart, you may consider Magento ecommerce website development services.

Magento is a platform which offers creative shopping cart system to simplify the process of sales. Your ecommerce shopping site will also appear attractive with this option. Not all the ecommerce platform is considered secure but this one is reliable and secure among the competitors.

Why is Magento thought to be the best?

You may confidently consider this particular platform for your ecommerce website development because of following reasons:

· It is the best open source platform for the ecommerce website. If you are looking forward to ecommerce website development services, you must go for Magento website development.

· Since the source code here is chosen to be 'public', anyone can look up the code and read it. Thus, we may say that it offers transparency.

· It is flexible and highly scalable

· It is acknowledged worldwide and is thought to be the finest shopping cart system

· The feature rich platform is used extensively across the globe.

Ecommerce website for an optimized presence online

The use of an ecommerce website has greatly improved or enhanced in the recent times. For instance, credit cards can facilitate easy payment and seamless transaction online. The popularity of the ecommerce site is increasing owing to the advancement, innovativeness in the realm. A lot many ecommerce website development companies deliver well designed, attractive, innovative and appealing websites at reduced costs. They are much easier to navigate to bring you more sales. Service providers and professionals ensure that websites function in an error-free manner with the help of support based and advanced application software. The application functions all the time without any need for human intervention. It is important to choose the best service provider for designing an ecommerce website.

Tips on choosing the service provider

If you are looking to avail the best service providers, you may follow the below stated tips:

· Creativity, capability and the level of specialization: You should look for a company which is professional and bears experience and expertise in delivering the service. Check out the portfolio or the past work accomplished and get to know about the capability of the company. Visit the blogs, collect references and talk to the past clients.

· The kind of services offered by the firm: You must go for a service provider who can offer you an array of services to optimize your website and web content. It must utilize pay per click, search engine optimization to boost traffic to your site.

I am Nalini Tomar, Specialist in web Design and development. I seek information about the latest technologies available in the market and provide necessary updates about the same. If you want to get more information about Ecommerce Website Development you can follow me and read the articles on related topics.

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3 Most Common Issues When Using Paypal

PayPal has become more and more popular these days. Whether you use it for online shopping, to send or receive money or for business reasons, you know it is not perfect. There are always some things that we would like to change about PayPal and below are some of the common issues that we have when using it.

1) One card= One account

According to PayPal's policies, a debit or a credit card can only be linked to a PayPal account a time. If you want to use your card with a new PayPal account and you already have it linked to another PayPal account, then you should remove it from the first account in order to be able to link it to the new one. For those who have more than one bank account, this might be a bit frustrating, as more credit or debit cards mean more accounts on PayPal and it can be quite annoying to keep track of all of them.

2) You can only add credit or debit cards

For security reasons, according to PayPal's policies, you can't link the following types of cards to your account: gift card, prepaid card, or one-time-use card. It might be a bit annoying as using them with your PayPal might save you a lot of time and effort. However, for your good, PayPal has a quite strict policy regarding security. And, you know what they say: it is better to be safe than sorry. This is why you should agree with PayPal on this matter.

3) Billing address = card statement address

An other one of the most common issues that customers face when using PayPal is the fact that the billing address that you enter when creating the account must be an exact match of the one in your card statement. You must double check your debit or credit card statement to see whether these two addresses match. It is for your own safety so it should be in your best interest to do so.

Above are only three of the most common issues that users face when using PayPal. However, these are unfortunately not the only ones. If you are reading this article and have problems with your PayPal account that you can't find in here, then it is best for you to contact customer support on their website. They might be able to help you solve your issue.

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iPad App Development Services: A Competitive Move!

With the introduction of advanced technologies, even the individuals and businesses are required to incorporate the same in their respective fields of operation. The competition is increasing with every passing minute and as they say, "it is always the survival of the fittest" that matters. Being fit in this era of modernization means to be able to move in alignment with the technological advancements while ensuring complete client satisfaction.

Talking in terms of businesses, one needs to adopt communication as well as promotional measures to remain at a competitive market position. The latest addition to this aspect is application development. We have come a long way from the zone when having web presence was enough to stand at a reputed market position. Now, a shift has been observed from web presence to mobile application development. There are a huge number of mobile application developers that can help your business to win the attention of your target audiences.

Now, the question arises that how can one identify the best software development company so as to reap maximum benefits in short as well as long run. One of the most important factors that must be considered is the specific need of the business. Each business is different and so are their requirements. This makes it really important to get an understanding of the exact needs to fetch great benefits from a service provider. Some of the most common mobile application services are iPad app development services, mobile application development, Android app development, application modification and many others.

Here are the basic steps that must be adopted in order to take the best decision for your business-

iPad apps development company:

    Perform Self Analysis: Conduct a deep self-analysis about your business so as to understand its immediate requirements. Be very clear about the strengths and weaknesses of your business so as to take a great decision on the application service.

    Consider Cost Analysis: Be very clear about the budgetary requirements as randomly opting for a solution can lead to some hidden expenditures if proper attention is not paid. List down various factors that impact the costing and then take the final decision.

    Evaluate Team Expertise: Getting knowledge on the expertise level of the team members is a must. For example: suppose you are looking for an iPad app development company, but the service provider is experienced in android app development, then this can put you in trouble at later stages.

    Client Testimonials Say A Lot: Go through the testimonials to get a clear picture on the expertise of the application developer. Other measures to gather client reviews are personal interrogation or simply going by word of mouth.

The above-elaborated factors make a comprehensive list of activities that must be performed so as to end up making a great and profitable investment in terms of application development service providers. Practice these in a mindful manner so as to reap great benefits.

This article helps you in searching the best iPad app development company. We can provide top SEO company in India, custom web application development company, android application development company and much more.

With the introduction of advanced technologies, even the individuals and businesses are required to incorporate the same in their respective fields of operation. The competition is increasing with every passing minute and as they say, "it is always the survival of the fittest" that matters. Being fit in this era of modernization means to be able to move in alignment with the technological advancements while ensuring complete client satisfaction.
Talking in terms of businesses, one needs to adopt communication as well as promotional measures to remain at a competitive market position. The latest addition to this aspect is application development. We have come a long way from the zone when having web presence was enough to stand at a reputed market position. Now, a shift has been observed from web presence to mobile application development. There are a huge number of mobile application developers that can help your business to win the attention of your target audiences.
Now, the question arises that how can one identify the best software development company so as to reap maximum benefits in short as well as long run. One of the most important factors that must be considered is the specific need of the business. Each business is different and so are their requirements. This makes it really important to get an understanding of the exact needs to fetch great benefits from a service provider. Some of the most common mobile application services are iPad app development services, mobile application development, Android app development, application modification and many others.
Here are the basic steps that must be adopted in order to take the best decision for your business-
iPad apps development company:

• Perform Self Analysis: Conduct a deep self-analysis about your business so as to understand its immediate requirements. Be very clear about the strengths and weaknesses of your business so as to take a great decision on the application service.

• Consider Cost Analysis: Be very clear about the budgetary requirements as randomly opting for a solution can lead to some hidden expenditures if proper attention is not paid. List down various factors that impact the costing and then take the final decision.

• Evaluate Team Expertise: Getting knowledge on the expertise level of the team members is a must. For example: suppose you are looking for an iPad app development company, but the service provider is experienced in android app development, then this can put you in trouble at later stages.

• Client Testimonials Say A Lot: Go through the testimonials to get a clear picture on the expertise of the application developer. Other measures to gather client reviews are personal interrogation or simply going by word of mouth.

The above-elaborated factors make a comprehensive list of activities that must be performed so as to end up making a great and profitable investment in terms of application development service providers. Practice these in a mindful manner so as to reap great benefits.

This article helps you in searching the best iPad app development company. We can provide top SEO company in India, custom web application development company, android application development company and much more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9700314

With the introduction of advanced technologies, even the individuals and businesses are required to incorporate the same in their respective fields of operation. The competition is increasing with every passing minute and as they say, "it is always the survival of the fittest" that matters. Being fit in this era of modernization means to be able to move in alignment with the technological advancements while ensuring complete client satisfaction.
Talking in terms of businesses, one needs to adopt communication as well as promotional measures to remain at a competitive market position. The latest addition to this aspect is application development. We have come a long way from the zone when having web presence was enough to stand at a reputed market position. Now, a shift has been observed from web presence to mobile application development. There are a huge number of mobile application developers that can help your business to win the attention of your target audiences.
Now, the question arises that how can one identify the best software development company so as to reap maximum benefits in short as well as long run. One of the most important factors that must be considered is the specific need of the business. Each business is different and so are their requirements. This makes it really important to get an understanding of the exact needs to fetch great benefits from a service provider. Some of the most common mobile application services are iPad app development services, mobile application development, Android app development, application modification and many others.
Here are the basic steps that must be adopted in order to take the best decision for your business-
iPad apps development company:

• Perform Self Analysis: Conduct a deep self-analysis about your business so as to understand its immediate requirements. Be very clear about the strengths and weaknesses of your business so as to take a great decision on the application service.

• Consider Cost Analysis: Be very clear about the budgetary requirements as randomly opting for a solution can lead to some hidden expenditures if proper attention is not paid. List down various factors that impact the costing and then take the final decision.

• Evaluate Team Expertise: Getting knowledge on the expertise level of the team members is a must. For example: suppose you are looking for an iPad app development company, but the service provider is experienced in android app development, then this can put you in trouble at later stages.

• Client Testimonials Say A Lot: Go through the testimonials to get a clear picture on the expertise of the application developer. Other measures to gather client reviews are personal interrogation or simply going by word of mouth.

The above-elaborated factors make a comprehensive list of activities that must be performed so as to end up making a great and profitable investment in terms of application development service providers. Practice these in a mindful manner so as to reap great benefits.

This article helps you in searching the best iPad app development company. We can provide top SEO company in India, custom web application development company, android application development company and much more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9700314

With the introduction of advanced technologies, even the individuals and businesses are required to incorporate the same in their respective fields of operation. The competition is increasing with every passing minute and as they say, "it is always the survival of the fittest" that matters. Being fit in this era of modernization means to be able to move in alignment with the technological advancements while ensuring complete client satisfaction.
Talking in terms of businesses, one needs to adopt communication as well as promotional measures to remain at a competitive market position. The latest addition to this aspect is application development. We have come a long way from the zone when having web presence was enough to stand at a reputed market position. Now, a shift has been observed from web presence to mobile application development. There are a huge number of mobile application developers that can help your business to win the attention of your target audiences.
Now, the question arises that how can one identify the best software development company so as to reap maximum benefits in short as well as long run. One of the most important factors that must be considered is the specific need of the business. Each business is different and so are their requirements. This makes it really important to get an understanding of the exact needs to fetch great benefits from a service provider. Some of the most common mobile application services are iPad app development services, mobile application development, Android app development, application modification and many others.
Here are the basic steps that must be adopted in order to take the best decision for your business-
iPad apps development company:

• Perform Self Analysis: Conduct a deep self-analysis about your business so as to understand its immediate requirements. Be very clear about the strengths and weaknesses of your business so as to take a great decision on the application service.

• Consider Cost Analysis: Be very clear about the budgetary requirements as randomly opting for a solution can lead to some hidden expenditures if proper attention is not paid. List down various factors that impact the costing and then take the final decision.

• Evaluate Team Expertise: Getting knowledge on the expertise level of the team members is a must. For example: suppose you are looking for an iPad app development company, but the service provider is experienced in android app development, then this can put you in trouble at later stages.

• Client Testimonials Say A Lot: Go through the testimonials to get a clear picture on the expertise of the application developer. Other measures to gather client reviews are personal interrogation or simply going by word of mouth.

The above-elaborated factors make a comprehensive list of activities that must be performed so as to end up making a great and profitable investment in terms of application development service providers. Practice these in a mindful manner so as to reap great benefits.

This article helps you in searching the best iPad app development company. We can provide top SEO company in India, custom web application development company, android application development company and much more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9700314h

With the introduction of advanced technologies, even the individuals and businesses are required to incorporate the same in their respective fields of operation. The competition is increasing with every passing minute and as they say, "it is always the survival of the fittest" that matters. Being fit in this era of modernization means to be able to move in alignment with the technological advancements while ensuring complete client satisfaction.
Talking in terms of businesses, one needs to adopt communication as well as promotional measures to remain at a competitive market position. The latest addition to this aspect is application development. We have come a long way from the zone when having web presence was enough to stand at a reputed market position. Now, a shift has been observed from web presence to mobile application development. There are a huge number of mobile application developers that can help your business to win the attention of your target audiences.
Now, the question arises that how can one identify the best software development company so as to reap maximum benefits in short as well as long run. One of the most important factors that must be considered is the specific need of the business. Each business is different and so are their requirements. This makes it really important to get an understanding of the exact needs to fetch great benefits from a service provider. Some of the most common mobile application services are iPad app development services, mobile application development, Android app development, application modification and many others.
Here are the basic steps that must be adopted in order to take the best decision for your business-
iPad apps development company:

• Perform Self Analysis: Conduct a deep self-analysis about your business so as to understand its immediate requirements. Be very clear about the strengths and weaknesses of your business so as to take a great decision on the application service.

• Consider Cost Analysis: Be very clear about the budgetary requirements as randomly opting for a solution can lead to some hidden expenditures if proper attention is not paid. List down various factors that impact the costing and then take the final decision.

• Evaluate Team Expertise: Getting knowledge on the expertise level of the team members is a must. For example: suppose you are looking for an iPad app development company, but the service provider is experienced in android app development, then this can put you in trouble at later stages.

• Client Testimonials Say A Lot: Go through the testimonials to get a clear picture on the expertise of the application developer. Other measures to gather client reviews are personal interrogation or simply going by word of mouth.

The above-elaborated factors make a comprehensive list of activities that must be performed so as to end up making a great and profitable investment in terms of application development service providers. Practice these in a mindful manner so as to reap great benefits.

This article helps you in searching the best iPad app development company. We can provide top SEO company in India, custom web application development company, android application development company and much more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9700314

With the introduction of advanced technologies, even the individuals and businesses are required to incorporate the same in their respective fields of operation. The competition is increasing with every passing minute and as they say, "it is always the survival of the fittest" that matters. Being fit in this era of modernization means to be able to move in alignment with the technological advancements while ensuring complete client satisfaction.
Talking in terms of businesses, one needs to adopt communication as well as promotional measures to remain at a competitive market position. The latest addition to this aspect is application development. We have come a long way from the zone when having web presence was enough to stand at a reputed market position. Now, a shift has been observed from web presence to mobile application development. There are a huge number of mobile application developers that can help your business to win the attention of your target audiences.
Now, the question arises that how can one identify the best software development company so as to reap maximum benefits in short as well as long run. One of the most important factors that must be considered is the specific need of the business. Each business is different and so are their requirements. This makes it really important to get an understanding of the exact needs to fetch great benefits from a service provider. Some of the most common mobile application services are iPad app development services, mobile application development, Android app development, application modification and many others.
Here are the basic steps that must be adopted in order to take the best decision for your business-
iPad apps development company:

• Perform Self Analysis: Conduct a deep self-analysis about your business so as to understand its immediate requirements. Be very clear about the strengths and weaknesses of your business so as to take a great decision on the application service.

• Consider Cost Analysis: Be very clear about the budgetary requirements as randomly opting for a solution can lead to some hidden expenditures if proper attention is not paid. List down various factors that impact the costing and then take the final decision.

• Evaluate Team Expertise: Getting knowledge on the expertise level of the team members is a must. For example: suppose you are looking for an iPad app development company, but the service provider is experienced in android app development, then this can put you in trouble at later stages.

• Client Testimonials Say A Lot: Go through the testimonials to get a clear picture on the expertise of the application developer. Other measures to gather client reviews are personal interrogation or simply going by word of mouth.

The above-elaborated factors make a comprehensive list of activities that must be performed so as to end up making a great and profitable investment in terms of application development service providers. Practice these in a mindful manner so as to reap great benefits.

This article helps you in searching the best iPad app development company. We can provide top SEO company in India, custom web application development company, android application development company and much more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9700314

With the introduction of advanced technologies, even the individuals and businesses are required to incorporate the same in their respective fields of operation. The competition is increasing with every passing minute and as they say, "it is always the survival of the fittest" that matters. Being fit in this era of modernization means to be able to move in alignment with the technological advancements while ensuring complete client satisfaction.
Talking in terms of businesses, one needs to adopt communication as well as promotional measures to remain at a competitive market position. The latest addition to this aspect is application development. We have come a long way from the zone when having web presence was enough to stand at a reputed market position. Now, a shift has been observed from web presence to mobile application development. There are a huge number of mobile application developers that can help your business to win the attention of your target audiences.
Now, the question arises that how can one identify the best software development company so as to reap maximum benefits in short as well as long run. One of the most important factors that must be considered is the specific need of the business. Each business is different and so are their requirements. This makes it really important to get an understanding of the exact needs to fetch great benefits from a service provider. Some of the most common mobile application services are iPad app development services, mobile application development, Android app development, application modification and many others.
Here are the basic steps that must be adopted in order to take the best decision for your business-
iPad apps development company:

• Perform Self Analysis: Conduct a deep self-analysis about your business so as to understand its immediate requirements. Be very clear about the strengths and weaknesses of your business so as to take a great decision on the application service.

• Consider Cost Analysis: Be very clear about the budgetary requirements as randomly opting for a solution can lead to some hidden expenditures if proper attention is not paid. List down various factors that impact the costing and then take the final decision.

• Evaluate Team Expertise: Getting knowledge on the expertise level of the team members is a must. For example: suppose you are looking for an iPad app development company, but the service provider is experienced in android app development, then this can put you in trouble at later stages.

• Client Testimonials Say A Lot: Go through the testimonials to get a clear picture on the expertise of the application developer. Other measures to gather client reviews are personal interrogation or simply going by word of mouth.

The above-elaborated factors make a comprehensive list of activities that must be performed so as to end up making a great and profitable investment in terms of application development service providers. Practice these in a mindful manner so as to reap great benefits.

This article helps you in searching the best iPad app development company. We can provide top SEO company in India, custom web application development company, android application development company and much more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9700314

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How to Boost Your Kindle E-Book Sales

Can you boost the sales of your book? Do you feel overwhelmed knowing you are faced with hundreds of competitors in Kindle? Can you possibly increase your sales? The answer is yes. With the right information and determination, you can boost your e-book sales in Kindle.
For those who wish to earn while working home based, writing a book and publishing it on their own is one of the best alternatives available. In fact, you can find millions of books in Kindle published by independent writers who seek to create another source of income.
For beginners, this is a challenging market to enter. Imagine hundreds of books under the same niche are being published every day in Kindle which can push your book away from potential readers.
As a reader, seeing hundreds of books on Amazon is a delight but for publishers this is a challenging situation because it will be hard for them to market their book in a crowded marketplace. If your book is not on the top of the search list, it may never have the chance to be seen by potential readers.
As a publisher, your goal is to get the book noticed by the readers. The first step you can take is to change the categories or add new category under the book.
For example, go and visit the Kindle website and choose the Home category and click the Pets subcategory. From there you will see more subcategories related to pets and animal care.
By carefully selecting the subcategories, you are giving your book more exposure. Labeling your book will attract potential readers since they are those people who are specifically looking for something they need.
Instead of thinking about ranking the book in the main category, opt for subcategories as it present less competition with better exposure.
One important aspect of boosting your sales is to put a reasonable price on the books you publish. Nonetheless, don't choose for very low prices instead pick an average price range that can attract visitors and buyers.
For extra boost, enroll in the Kindle Direct Publishing Select program which can attract more attention. However, this may not translate to sales but it is worth trying and exploring.
The KDP Select program allows readers who are subscribed to the program to read as many books as they want. For the authors, giving away a book for free can translate to bigger sales. Most author will leave a link that will lead to other books written by you.
Other than Kindle, you can market your books in other e-books platforms to increase sales. You can try Barnes & Noble, Kobo and iBookstore.
However, you may have to edit your documents again to cater to their formatting style. If you are under the KDP program, you cannot sell your books in other platforms for 90 days once you participate.
If you are planning to expand your market, it is advisable to start with Kindle first. Avail their KDP Select and once you finish the period, assess your profit and move on to the next platforms online.
Remember different platforms have different policies and formatting styles so you will have to familiarize and learn before you publish your works.
Just like any other endeavor, you need hard work, time and sacrifice to really make a mark in the field you are in.

Get the latest tips on writing and publishing e-books from Rob Hillman, the Kindle expert. Visit him now at http://www.easykindleriches.com

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How to Effectively Market Your eBook

You've finished with writing your eBook and followed the required formatting style from Kindle. Then you click publish and your job is done. Now you can relax and enjoy a vacation. Or is it? Unfortunately, it's not yet time to celebrate.
Creating content and formatting the book is necessary and not the last thing you do as self-publisher. The content is only the first step of your writing career because your next job would be promoting and marketing the product, your book to the readers.
Your work is just getting started because the long term task will be focused on marketing your book to the millions of potential readers. Many authors failed to realized that in order to e successful in their writing career, they need to continue working on their market.
The existence of thousands of writer makes the competition tight and if you choose to stay complacent, you will be left behind.
Get to work by planning your marketing strategy. Since Amazon is a big market you need to be competitive. Create a plan that will put your book on top of the search list of your respective niche. Being at the bottom of the list will decrease your chances of earning because potential buyers do not see your product. Do not rely solely on Amazon to promote your eBook.
The first step in promoting your eBook is to create a plan. Use a spreadsheet and create a timeline by setting time limit for every marketing task. A good place to start your campaign is social media. If you have Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram you're good to go.
Build your audience by setting up a page about you or your book. Use this page to share your thoughts and ideas on things related to your book and current social news. You can also use the page to tell the readers about the book you are currently promoting. Don't forget to put the link to the Kindle store.
You can also make use of video sites such as YouTube and upload trailer about the book. Create a short video where you can introduce the book to the public. If you are willing to spend more, create a short simple commercial and upload it in social media sites. This is an opportunity that will promote your eBook without spending too much effort and money.
Join forums and groups related to Kindle and writing. Look for authors or individuals who are willing to review and critique your work. Ask for advice from those who have been in the industry for quite some time. Reviews can boost your visibility and credibility as a writer and readers often rely on reviews to help them decide whether to buy or not.
If you are willing to spend extra, avail press release services and share it on your local news station. You can also get a sponsored post in your local newspaper or in social media sites such as YouTube and Facebook. These two sites cater to commercial and advertisement from any companies or individuals.
As you go through all these options, write it down in your spreadsheet and put specific time to execute it. Once you slowly implement these marketing plans measure the effectiveness and adjust as necessary.

As an experienced writer, Rob Hillman shares valuable tips and secrets on Kindle eBook and its platform. Visit him at http://www.easykindleriches.com

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Authors - How to Promote Your Book Using Social Media

Are you about to launch a book you wrote? Then how exciting and congratulations! Social media has been a perfect avenue to showcase products and services for entrepreneurs and even major corporations and to keep in touch with their prospect consumers. Now authors can use social media in a similar way. If you are a writer who has or is about to launch a book, then this post is for you.
Launching a book takes a lot of preparation just like how you create its actual content. The action has to be planned to enhance its impact on your potential readers. One way of stirring excitement among them is by promoting it online. Here are 9 effective tips using social media!
1 Choose the Right Platform
There's a lot of social media sites out there but for starters let's focus on just a few-like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube, especially if you have already placed your book on Amazon to sale. A different social platform serves various purposes and caters to different kinds of people. Here's how to use each one.
2. Create a Facebook Fan page
Creating a Facebook Fan Page is really simple. You would want your banner page to mirror your book cover with a small photo of you the author. Your fan page title does not have to match the title of your book completely but close. Then work on getting "likes" to your fan page and start posting very short articles using excerpts from your book chapters along with a link to your Amazon page. Your goal is to "tease" your readers to want more by reading the book!
3. How to Use Twitter to "Tweet" Interest in Your Book
If you already have a Twitter account you can use it to send out tweets. If you don't then you can open a Twitter account as an author or writer, using your book cover as your profile picture. You don't want to use Twitter to broadcast your book but simply to draw interest to a particular subject or discussion using a question or photo-with a link to your Facebook Fan Page for further information. Just remember you only have 140 characters to do this!
4. Using LinkedIn to Promote
LinkedIn is another great social media platform to use because it allows people to see you as a writer with an added curiosity as to what you are writing about. If you are already on LinkedIn then simply add to your profile that you are an author or a writer, and provide a link to your Amazon page. You can also use LinkedIn to connect and engage with others with a link to your Facebook Fan Page inviting them to "like" your page in exchange to liking theirs.
5. How to Use YouTube?
Using videos is huge in promoting your book. There's two ways to use YouTube. First open up an account and create a very short and simple "trailer" for your book. A book trailer is just like a movie trailer and for a small cost you can have one made or just make one yourself and add it to YouTube. Another thing you can do is use a video from YouTube to draw interest to a certain subject-line that closely matches the topic of your book, by typing in a "keyword" in the search bar. Once you select your video then you can use it to promote the title of your book with a link to your Amazon page. According to Social Media Examiner, a video together with your fans is a good way to establish connection.
6. Promoting Your Book with Pinterest
Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social media platforms online-and in popularity! With Pinterest you can open up an account and create a board such as "Author" or "My Book" or whatever you like to name it, then pin a photo of your cover and add a link to your Facebook Fanpage or blog if you have one. Then like the other social media sites, work on building your friendship by following others so they can follow you back. Check back on a regular basis to engage.
7. The Right Time to Share
When you are planning to post, then choose a best time to do it. Just because you want to reach a lot of people, does not mean that you have to post in an irregular schedule. The basic to engage your prospect customers is to share during a peak time. You just have to take note that different social platforms have different time to shine.
8. Do Not Forget the Social Share Buttons
If you have a website or a blog, be sure you install Social Share Buttons as a plug-in. They are pretty basic when you are marketing your book. In fact, these buttons allows people to share your page on other social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn where their "friends" can see. If your book possesses statistics or information, you can simply post that where others might be motivated to share by clicking the "share" button.
9. Text and Visual Content Matters
The content is big factor to engage visitors. As an author, you have to do well at this point. Make the headline as catchy as possible. The same thing goes with the content. You can easily use a chapter of your book as the title and just copy a few paragraphs for your content. Other thing that you can do to attract visitors is to post rich content that relates to your book or illustrations or photos if your book have any.
Promote Your Masterpiece!
Social media sites are not made just to showcase products or services. It is more about the interaction of the people in the online premises. Although you will be promoting your book, gear it towards the people to inspire and motivate them. That is how you will gain momentum in finding the people you want to target.

For more information on when is the best times to post on social media: http://regjackonline.com/days-times-post-social-media.
For additional information or assistance: http://regjackonline.com/contact

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Using Book Flyers to Market Your Book

I've been a freelance writer and need to be careful with my budget. In today's publishing world, authors are often asked to pay for some of the marketing. Like many authors, I have to make my marketing dollars go as far as possible. This led me to the idea of a book flyer.
Many flyers are available from the Internet and they come in different sizes. Templates are available, too. I have a graduate degree in art, but I don't have the computer graphics skills, so I turned to a professional designer. He did an amazing job and the flyer contains all the necessary elements I need: eye-catching colors, author photo, book cover(s), explanation, release date, and ordering information.
The information should be brief and clear. "This mystery keeps you wondering." "A heartwarming love story." "A must-have for nurses."
My book launch is several months away, yet I'm using this publicity piece now, and giving it to as many people as possible. If you're artistic, and have the computer skills, you may design your own flyer. How can you use it?
Post it on social media. In today's publishing world, social media are your best marketing tools. You need to be on Facebook, Twitter, Google+,, and other websites. Get some coaching if you don't know how to do this. My grandchildren are my technical support and I'm grateful for their help.
Send it to NetGalley reviewers. Your publisher may have uploaded your book to this website. You will receive notice of who downloaded the book and who took the time to write a review. Send a thank you email to everyone on the list and attach a flyer.
Deliver one to the newspaper. City newspapers are always trolling for stories. Small town newspapers appreciate stories and images. Mail or personally deliver a flyer to the newspaper and include an information sheet about your book. Be sure to include a business card.
Talk with the folks at the public library. Make up a press kit, including the flyer, and deliver it personally. Ask to give a talk about your book. Tell them yo speak for free, that your talk don't be a commercial, and that it will contain new information.
Email it to a local magazine. I email the editor directly, and also attach an information sheet. persistence pays off, so stay in contact with the magazine. I just contacted a city magazine for the second time to remind the editor of my caregiving series, and attached a flyer.
Send it to close friends. You don't have to be pushy. Take a casual approach and say this is your latest writing project. Word of mouth is one of the best marketing tools and you want to generate buzz about your book.
Carry a copy with you. Often, when you're out and about, you meet people you haven't seen for months, or people who know you're a writer. When they ask you what you're working on, you can whip out your flyer and show them.

http://www.harriethodgson.com
Harriet Hodgson is the author of thousands of articles and 35 books. Her latest releases are Happy Again! Your New and Meaningful Life After Loss, Help! I'm Raising My Grandkids, an Seed Time: Growing from Life's Disappointments, Losses, and Sorrows. Visit her website and learn more about this busy author and grandmother.

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Personalize Your Foreword With Anecdotes To Make It More Powerful

Introduction
Anecdotes are an amazing literary device for writers, as well as marketers. They are a deceptively powerful writing and marketing tool. Using anecdotes in the foreword will immediately make your book stand out from the crowd. When written properly, they can be very engaging, and grab and hold onto the reader's attention. This is what the foreword is all about. Hooking the reader with an interesting story, and then reeling them in to make an emotional connection with the author of the foreword. Then hopefully the reader will want to continue reading the book, and be more receptive to buying a copy.
What Is An Anecdote?
An anecdote is a very short and interesting personal story from a person's past experiences - that is used to illustrate a point. It can be an experience from the writer, or from someone they know or have heard about. The anecdote, or mini-story, immediately puts the reader directly into the middle of the action. It usually describes one dramatic moment in time. It is written as a way to show, or illustrate, a particular point (show, don't tell). They typically involve something that happened such as a problem, or challenge, or mistake, or misunderstanding, etc.
How To Use Anecdotes In A Foreword
Here is one paragraph from a book foreword that I wrote entirely as a personal essay. I utilize personal anecdotes to show how the book had an effect on me - how I relate the information in the book to my life. I reveal my real life story to show the reader how I connect with the book. I use my personal story to illustrate a larger point about the content of the book. My job as the foreword author is to show the reader that I made an emotional connection with the book, and thereby the hope is that the reader will make an emotional connection with me - and then develop the desire to read the entire book. Wallace Wattles wrote the book. You can read the entire foreword on my blog.
"But now, looking back at my family life, I have since come to realize that my mother, with almost no formal education, no career skills, no money, and three small children to feed, inherently understood many of the basic concepts in this book. My mother was not as eloquent as Wattles, and she didn't have much of an opportunity to put Wattles' principles into practice. But me and my brothers were inadvertently living and learning Wattles' concepts every day - through the actions of our mother. She taught us that even in the worst of times, that by sticking to our single-minded vision to grow and thrive, that we will survive; and acting everyday with purpose to achieve our goals, that our faith in each other and in our dream of creating a successful life will help us succeed; and our gratitude to God for keeping us healthy so that we could keep working and studying, we would eventually be successful. And eventually, we were."
Conclusion
Anecdotes are one of the most powerful marketing tools available to the foreword author and the book marketer. Endorsements and testimonials from celebrities and other famous people are probably more powerful and will have a greater impact on book sales. But the foreword should never be overlooked as an important part of the book's overall marketing plan. The marketing power of the foreword typically comes from personal anecdotes which should be an essential part of a complete and effective foreword.

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How to Keep Today's Viral Hit Rolling Along

We can dream about our background story being important enough, wild enough, catchy enough that the Twitter-verse goes into overload. However, if there was a guaranteed formula for something going viral there would be no need for marketing your book. And developing awareness of your book is the single most important role you have as author and publisher. Developing awareness of your book is the first element in book sales, followed by reader interest and distribution. Having a great story, excellent writing, and a terrific message are your best tools. But they are often not enough in this competitive marketplace to gather reader's interests and therefore sales.
In our media driven world today's great story may be quickly surpassed by tomorrow's bigger flashier story. Imagine a review of your book was printed in a major publication like Publisher's Weekly, Foreword magazine, or the Denver Post. Most people would think this was a done deal for jump starting book sales. But tomorrow the headlines are all focused on the plagiarist who made up his supposed "true story". Your reviews can slip into the shadows as if they have never been. What do you do?
Now is not the time to coast and hope that the review will cause your book sales to soar. Instead use those reviews to make more reviews, more awareness of your book. Compound the interest in your book. Banks offer compound interest on your savings. Investing in your success and expanding on that success is exactly the same. Your money works for you, you earn interest. You develop the awareness of your book, you earn interest. You earn interest you gain readers. More readers equal more sales of your book. As you can see there are steps to this awareness process.
Now how do you do that?

• Blog about your review. Share your excitement.
• Post the review on your social media. Facebook loves success stories.
• Send out an eblast to your mailing list announcing the review.
• Ask your followers to share the review.
• Comment on the review online, and ask followers to do the same.
• Thank the reviewer and offer your expertise for future articles.
• Now that you have the validity of a review in a publication solicit more endorsements from colleagues and competitors.
• Research which other magazines or newspapers might cover your story and your book. Query them as to their interest.
• Research submission guidelines for articles in magazines similar to where your review was published. Submit articles.
• Each review adds to your credibility as an author. As you earn credibility you become more attractive as an expert and as a speaker.

There will always be the next bright shiny thing. You can count on it. People like bright shiny things, and are often distracted when the next one pops up. Who knows you may become a bright shiny thing for tomorrow. Meanwhile do you remember the last Meme on Facebook you commented on, or the last thread that you followed on Twitter? Did that flash translate in you buying something? Follow the thread, enjoy the meme, but be the one who continues to build awareness.
*Inspiration for this article came from a Buzz Feed post by Jami Attenburg about her story going viral: "I waited for the whole thing to turn into a moment. On Sunday morning, I did another interview, this one with a local cable news show. How many of these could I do? And what would any of it have to do with my books?"

Mari Selby is a contributing writer for San Francisco Book Review. For the past 16 years Mari has been the director of Selby Ink, a publicity and marketing firm. http://www.selbyink.com Selby ink promotes authors who make a difference, and helps those authors to develop name recognition through traditional publicity efforts as well as social media. Selby ink specializes in the following genres: body-mind-spirit, relationships, environmental issues, and social justice.

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5 Steps To Getting A "Big Name" To Write Your Book's Foreword

Introduction
It is very easy to get someone to write your book's foreword. The difficult part is finding the best person for the job. You need someone with a proven a track record, like being published author, or a successful person in their industry, or that has a huge social media following. Plus, they need to understand what a foreword is about, why a book has a foreword, and what role it plays in the success of your book. Here are the basic steps in finding the right person to write your book's foreword.
1. Make A List Of Names
This list should be a very easy task for you to accomplish. You must have certainly come across all of the "big names" while doing the research for your book. Also, doing a search on Amazon will help you find the names of authors whose books are actually selling. And an Amazon search will help you find the authors of newly published books. Also look at their websites. Ideally you want a person to write your foreword that has a large social media following, or substantial coverage in the press.
2. Start Making Contact
Find their email address on the internet - typically at their website or job. If you can't find their website, you can email their publisher directly. Many authors will give provide their email address somewhere in their book. (1) Send them your first email with a compliment about a book of theirs that you have read and referred to in your writing. Or, in place of that email, you can try to connect with them on LinkedIn, and give them a compliment about their writing or book. (2) Send them a second email within a few weeks asking them to write your book's foreword.
3. Make It Easy For Them
(1) In that second email, attach a PDF of the book. (2) Make sure that your book is very polished. No typos, no spelling errors, no mistakes. You must include a very professional looking book cover in your PDF. All of this will help you look like a professional. Like someone they can trust, and won't mind attaching their name to. (3) And finally, keep your request simple and short. Your request must be very honest and sincere. If there is any hint of dishonesty or lack of sincerity in your request, they will never deal with you again.
4. Explain The Benefits
(1) The main benefit that they will get from writing your book's foreword is exposure, or publicity. Make sure you tell them that you will be including their name on the cover of your book. Celebrities, industry "big shots", and "big name" authors are just as interested in publicity as the rest of us. We all want to attach our name to someone we believe has a good chance of getting us that exposure. (2) Explain to them that you value their opinion and that it is very important to you that you have their opinion included in your book. (3) A PDF of your book will show them how well designed and professional looking your book's cover is, plus see how well written your book is, plus read the great testimonials that you have already received for your book. Also, your website, blog, and LinkedIn page, all must look amazing. You website and blog must have great content on it, and look very professional. All of this will show that you are serious about your subject.
5. Follow Up
Wait about a week. Send them a third email asking them if they received your last email that was requesting that they consider writing your book's foreword. Tell them that if they have any questions, or need any more information about you or your book, to please email you anytime. Keep it shore and simple. If they are really interested, they will usually let you know within a week. If they don't, move on to your next choice on your list.
Conclusion
Asking someone to write your foreword is a simple process. Be nice to them, show them you are serious about your subject, and then ask them. But remember, you must first have everything on your end complete and looking great. And never forget, you need them more than they need you - so don't be a pest, and don't sound desperate. The worst that can happen is that they say no.

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