Maybe you recall an earlier post - Maggie comes to Town.

Some stayed !!

Magpie Melody.

A melody of magpies just greeted me,

whilst taking a rest, also a beaut cup of tea.

It may have been thank you for  the freshened bird bath.

No sound from a kooka, so it wasn’t just a laugh.

They chortled and carolled , perched on fence and gum tree,

I’m sure it was composed - by them - just  for me.

Some young, a few old; and more is the pity

the young have been reared here; in my smoky city.

Their joyous musicallity is heard every morn

from down by the river just after new dawn.

As the sun rises further, when they know I’m about

they give me their marvellous melody shout.

Will they one day, return to the old town of Bourke

where fossicking for food is much harder work,

competing with kestrels and hawks with their might

or  watching for eagles , perhaps even a kite.

Well, that will be my loss.

No nearby refrain.

It will be swallowed by the thunder

of  a hurtling cattle train.

©. Rimeriter. 9/2012.

Marketing Audit.

If you are in the business of selling your work ?

These are three important questions you must answer.

I hope you find the answers suitable.

Jim.

Why should I buy from you?

Great marketing at its heart is the development of a clear position, a clear understanding of why should people buy from us? The answer to this question is where we start each and every conversation – Why should people buy from you?

What's unique about you business?

An effective USP is not merely a ‘tagline’ – it is an idea that stands alone and defines your business – allowing you to clearly stand head and shoulders above any competition.

Making marketing work for your small business

Small businesses typically have a limited marketing budget if any at all. Does that mean you can't run with the big dogs? Absolutely not. It just means you have to think a little more creatively.

Icon Visual Marketing is offering a Free Marketing Audit to companies looking to understand more about their own brand and how they can build their brand.

Contact us today for your FREE Marketing Audit.

Sincerely,

Sheree Gover

Lazily -

A languid linguistic lampoon,

slowly written to a different tune.

© Rimeriter. 3/3/12

Grandmothers Homecoming.

Home sweet Home

it sure is sweet,

p'raps you must curb

your wanderin' feet.

But take your time

to smell the air

there is plenty more

for you out there.

But little lovelies

call is strong,

wend your way

don't take too long.

© Rimeriter 7/2012.

Ebook Publishing.

Why it Pays to Self-Publish a Professional Ebook
by Deanne Katz, Esq.
shared from a recent post on Reuters.com

Publishing a professional ebook can be a great marketing step and with the variety of tools to self-publish it's never been easier for a new author. An ebook can also be a marketing tool since it shows the author's expertise and can bring in new business.

The benefits of self-publishing are numerous but there are also pitfalls that are best avoided. Knowing your topic is one thing but knowing how best to get it into the hands of interested readers is a whole other issue.

If you're considering writing an ebook, check out our five helpful tips for self-publishers.

Self-publishing an ebook is relatively simple but making one that will actually sell and increase your market share is more difficult. Make it easy on yourself by following these tips.

1. Pick a niche market. There are a lot of self-published books out there and it's hard for consumers to find the right one. Narrowing your topic helps to decrease competition and steer potential clients to your book. Picking a relatively narrow topic also provides more space to really go into detail and show readers the value of your expertise.

2. Self-publish, don't self-edit. You are the expert on the topic you picked but most new authors don't have experience as editors as well. A good editor knows what will grab readers and what stuff needs to be cut. Hiring a copy editor can also ensure that you don't miss embarrassing spelling and grammar errors that can decrease reader's opinions of your expertise.

3. Design an engaging cover. Despite the tired idiom, people do judge books by their covers and ebooks are no exception. If you aren't the creative or artistic type, get someone else to make a visually exciting cover for your book. Make sure your book stands out (in a good way) when potential readers see it on a small scale - like in an amazon.com list of results.

4. Price it below market value. This part may seem counterintuitive but people are more likely to buy the book if it's cheaper. That may mean fewer book profits in the beginning but it also means wider circulation. That leads to more business which is often the point of writing a professional ebook in the first place.

5. Market the book. Once you've written the book, it's not going to sell itself. Make sure the online sale page looks good and has appropriate tags and images so potentially readers can find it. It may also be a good idea to create a webpage for the book or promote it using social media; even make business cards to direct interested people to it.

Butcherin’ in the Bush.

Me dad, ‘e was a butcher in the bush before the war

jist after the depression, before market’n was the score,

before red meat was packaged in a film of clear clingwrap,

before a bloke jist ‘ad to cook in a microwave - poor chap !

I remembers at the sale yards almost each and every week

where I jist ‘ad to look and learn, ‘ardly allowed to speak,

where dad would do the bidd’n while mum served at the shop

and ‘iffen I was lucky, might get a lollipop.

When the sale was over, that’s when the work begun

because after killin’ cattle each one ‘ad ter be ‘ung

then skinned and sliced, sawed and ‘acked

to shoulders, legs and sides,

then put in to the coolroom after stretchin’ out the ‘ides.

Flies were mostly friendly, they’d ‘ang around all day,

we did’n ‘ave the aerosol to send ‘em on their way,

we’d put up sticky, curly strips ‘angin’ everywhere,

poor ol’ mum would be relieved, not surrender to despair

for steaks and chops and sausages ‘angin’ from steel ‘ooks

or plucked and dressed white leghorns, known to all as ‘chooks’.

Course, as I got older I usta ‘elp me dad

servin’ in the butcher shop, becomin’ a - ‘bit of a lad’

weighin’ up the prime mince, jokin’ the local bum,

lookin’ after Mrs Jones but never weighin’ me thumb.

That’s on account,

they all would say,

I’ll hafta pay another day

what could a poor ol’ butcher do

to keep ‘is wolves at bay.

(c). Rimeriter. 11/2/03.

      Revised 25/7/12.