This was on a box containing a solar-powered sensor light. Apparently it’s necessary to have the appropriate lighting when eating a meal.
Can you see it?
February 5th, 2011Copyright and the public domain
November 10th, 2010What is copyright? There are lots of definitions of copyright and it has many variables. Essentially, Copyright is the right to distribute copies of or reproduce (e.g. enact a stage play) material including art, articles, images, music and scripts. For the purpose of clarification, I’m going to focus on written work, specifically articles.
All work created by an individual or group (e.g. a company) is automatically assigned copyright, whether it carries the little symbol (a c within a circle) or not. This is to prevent people from financially benefiting from somebody else’s work. Imagine you spent two to three hours researching and writing an article for your own website and then found it posted on another website with someone else’s name on the byline and they are generating income from it perhaps through advertising. You’d be understandably annoyed. The copyright law is to designed to prevent this from happening although with globalisation and the increasing reach of the Internet, it is becoming more difficult to track and to address.
There are a few exceptions to copyright.
- ‘Fair use’ (US) or ‘fair dealing’ allows for small sections of work to be reproduced for study or review. For example, a sentence of two from an article can be included as part of a review or teaching materials.
- Copyright only lasts for 70 years following the death of the author or creator (70 years is typical although it varies according to the type of work involved and the creator). After this time, the work is released into the public domain. This is why so many ‘classic’ novels are freely available in different formats and, to some extent, why Shakespeare is still well-known today despite having died almost 400 years ago.
- Public Domain – authors can elect to release their work into the public domain at any time, essentially assigning copyright to the general public. Works in the public domain are not covered by intellectual property rights.
There is a lot of confusion about what public domain is. Many people are under the impression that if something is published on the Internet, it is in the public domain according to copyright. This is not the case. Material on the Internet is available for the public to access. Permission must be obtained from the creator in order to reproduce it.
Certain things, such as a blue background, are not subject to copyright of course but content usually is. Whether it’s a video, article, image or even just a pencil sketch (although it should be noted that ideas are not subject to copyright). Purchasing an eBook and then distributing it to your friends is a breach of copyright. Reproducing an article on a website may be a breach of copyright. Sites such as EzineArticles typically allow for articles to be published elsewhere so long as the content is not altered from the original and the author’s name is included in the byline. (Byline is simply the line where you indicate who the article is written by by-line.)
Copyright is a big legal issue. The above is a very simple overview of a complicated subject. For a more in-depth understanding of copyright, here are some useful sites:
http://www.copyright.org.au/ – Australian Copyright Council
http://www.copyright.com.au/ – Copyright Agency Limited
http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/ip/copyright.shtml - IP Australia
http://www.ag.gov.au/copyright - Attorney-General’s Department
http://www.smartcopying.edu.au - the Official Guide to Copyright Issues for Australian Schools and TAFE
If you are concerned that the content of your website has been copied, try using Copyscape Plagiarism Checker.
By the way, this blog post is protected by copyright and cannot be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the author.
Q. What is proofreading?
November 6th, 2010A. Thirsty work!
Proofreading (or proof-reading – see this post which explains my preferred term) is typically the final stage in the publication process. It’s a review of the final draft – after editing – to check for typos such as spelling and punctuation errors or formatting inconsistencies.
This involves more than just reading through a publication and requires a great deal of concentration and attention to detail. Typically I will read prose aloud to pick up any spelling erros, grammatical mistakes or missing words. Then I’ll have a glass of water or two. Next I’ll go through again and if proofreading on screen I’ll use the ’show paragraph marks’ function so that I can check formatting. For example, that all headlines are the same size, spacing between lines is regular, and numbering is consistent (it usually isn’t in a large document!) And finally, depending on deadlines and content, I’ll print it out and proofread a hard copy. If it’s already in hard copy, I might copy-type it to ensure I haven’t missed anything – especially if it’s covered in proofreading marks.
Proofreading then is not speed-reading and will take at least one and a half times to complete as it would for the average person to read through it. The project time will blow out quite a bit if there are a lot of errors to correct.
I never proofread my own work. When you’ve written and re-written a paragraph, it becomes a case of not being able to see the wood for the trees. You become too ‘close’ to the work. It is possible to put the work away for a while and then come back to it much later (at least a week) with ‘fresh’ eyes but deadlines don’t always allow for this luxury.
If you do opt to proofread your own work, here’s a good overview on what to look for.
Note that editing and proofreading are two different things - editing tends to have a broader focus - but that they can sometimes overlap. I’ll cover editing some other time but for now, here’s a good article on tips for self-editing and proofreading.
Here’s a good handout if you plan to proofread and edit yourself (note that it’s American-English).
If submitting a manuscript to a publishing house or literary agent, it pays to be thorough but you don’t have to be anal about it because if it gets accepted, they’ll edit and proofread it in-house. If self-publishing, it pays to hire a professional because typos and mistakes (such as changing a character’s name part way through or having them 10 years younger than their birth-date suggests or having snow on the ground in summer – unless it’s sci-fi) will come back to bite you in the bum.
If you’re job-hunting, always always always get your resume cover letter proofread whether professionally or by a trusted friend with an eye for detail. If job-hunting you have one chance to impress enough to get put on the short-list pile for an interview. Your cover letter is that one chance and you’d be surprised how often a simple typo can get you moved to the ‘no follow-up’ pile.
Personally, I don’t think it’s necessary to proofread blog posts, forum comments or text messages. Unless of course you’re a professional writer in which case it’s a good idea to proofread eveything. Including your grocery shopping list.
Why English is Hard to Learn
November 3rd, 2010Why English Is Hard To Learn (anonymous)
We’ll begin with box; the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox is oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, and two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose is never called meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a house full of mice;
But the plural of house is houses, not hice.
The plural of man is always men,
But the plural of pan is never pen.
If I speak of a foot, and you show me two feet,
And I give you a book, would a pair be a beek?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn’t two booths be called beeth?
If the singular’s this and the plural is these,
Should the plural of kiss be ever called keese?
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his, and him;
But imagine the feminine… she, shis, and shim!
For more great poems that cover the trickeries of the English language, check out the Spelling Society.
NaNoWriMo – are you up for the challenge?
November 1st, 2010If you’ve always wanted to write a novel, today is an excellent day to start. Why? Because November is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo as it’s more affectionately known.
Every year, all around the world, thousands of people take up the challenge to write a 50,000 word (minimum) novel before the end of the month. Not all of them finish, after all, that’s about 1600 words per day.
The other catch is that the novel has to be written from scratch. That’s right, no cheating by finishing that half-completed novel that’s been sitting in your drawer for three years. The challenge is to take a new idea and start afresh.
If you’re keen to be involved but don’t know where to begin, here’s an easy ideas generator:
- On one sheet of coloured paper type out a huge list of adjectives – happy, sad, crazy etcetera. On a sheet of different coloured paper type out a list of nouns – dog, city, pen etcetera.
- Cut out the individual words, put them in a pot and jumble them up.
- Finally, pull out one of each colour to get a combination to form the basis of your story such as ‘crazy dog’, ‘sad city’.
You’ll be surprised at some of the mental images your brain will throw up. Then it’s just a simple matter of asking the five Ws – what, where, when, why and who. For example, where is the sad city? Why is it sad? Who lives there? When does the city exist? What is its purpose. And don’t forget to explain ‘how’!
For more info, check out the NaNoWriMo organisation. Sign up and join a forum to speak with other frantic novelists.
Spelling A to Zee, or should that be Zed?
October 26th, 2010I get confused when I visit websites that purport to be Australian but then use American-English spelling. Or worse, a mix of both. It makes me doubt the validity of the site. In extreme cases I suspect that the content writers are neither American nor Australian and the content has been sourced from a cheap off-shore provider.
Minor typos can sometimes be blamed on spell-checkers. Most word-processing programs have an in-built dictionary that’s biased towards US-English so may not pick up words such as ‘realize’ in a document even when set to Australian-English. But when writing an article or a book, it’s important to ensure the language is set towards your target audience. This goes beyond simple spelling to popular words used.
For example, Americans use the word ‘diaper’ instead of ‘nappy’ and ‘pacifier’ instead of ‘dummy’. They tend to refer to areas outside the house as ‘yard’ rather than the English ‘garden’ or the Aussie ‘backyard’. Another good example is ‘ute’. Say that to most Brits or Americans and they won’t know what you’re talking about.
These things can often be overlooked in a work of fiction such as a short-story or a novel but for instructional manuals and non-fiction works, people generally want to read something written in their own language. This is one of the obstacles when publishing internationally. I wouldn’t buy an organizer that instructed me to contact the Internal Revenue Service (which we don’t have in Australia) and an American would not know what to do with references to Superannuation as that is a uniquely Australian term.
On the flip-side, readers shouldn’t automatically assume that a writer has made an error as a result of differences in spelling and grammar. Punctuation usage differs according to location. For example, I (UK educated) have a preference for double quotes (“) to indicate speech. In North America, this is the norm. But in Australia, single quote marks are recommended, particularly for government publications.
In this digital age of globalisation and SMS texting, is spelling important? Sure is. Ask any newspaper editor how many letters of complaint they get if there’s a typo or a mis-spelling and they’ll tell you about the time spent reading through all that unnecessary feedback.
Content then, often has to be edited for an international audience. The most important thing, however, is to be consistent so that names, spelling, and punctuation is consistent throughout. And that’s why it’s a good idea to have your work proofread before submitting it for publication.
The 4-Hour Work Week
October 22nd, 2010Book review: The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss
I’d been reluctant to read this book because of negative mentions on various VA forums regarding outsourcing personal assistant duties to offshore assistants for <$5 an hour. And so it was that I approached the book with some caution. There is indeed mention of outsourcing to cheap offshore labour, however, there’s also reference to the value in outsourcing tasks to a ‘top-notch assistant’ at $30 per hour (with potential time saving resulting in a dollar saving). The author further states that hiring offshore versus local is not always financially viable due to language differences requiring increased communication. Possibly I’m reading a version updated after a multitude of feedback from disgruntled VAs.
The backlash is against the issue that outsourcing offshore is not supporting the local economy. Local VAs are reluctant to drop their rates because of the high cost of living in developed countries, meanwhile WAHM VAs in the Philippines and South America are earning enough to buy a 3-bedroom house… Perhaps there will come a time when globalisation sees us with a global currency or at least a global parity in currency. Until then, this issue will continue to be hotly debated. The key point is that location is often irrelevant, finding someone who works the most cost-effectively is the main objective when outsourcing.
There’s also the issue of working conditions. Developed countries have an embargo on importing products that have been manufactured in sweatshops or using child-labour but who’s monitoring the working environment of this new wave of virtual assistants?
Ultimately, Tim’s approach is to turn many accepted ideas on their head. I can particularly relate to the section on Elimination regarding time management, information overload and frequent interruptions. I already practice much of this recommended advice and it has simplified my life. I am hoping to further streamline it according to Tim’s ideals.
The book is well-written, amusing and thought-invoking in equal parts. I recommend this book to anyone that is employee, self-employed or somewhere in between. For more info, check out the website.
Starting out as a freelance writer
October 16th, 2010If you are a beginner to online writing and are looking to showcase your work, I recommend checking out Helium. Helium is a place where writers and authors can post articles and stories to receive feedback from readers. Earnings are based on a percentage of advertising received from ‘hits’ to your content so amounts are minimal but there are additional marketplace opportunities. An advantage of this site is that you can set up an author profile page to refer interested parties to.
A site similar to Helium is Associated Content. Restrictions on publication are minimal but so are the potential earnings.
Constant-Content is a more selective site where you can submit articles for sale. Unlike Helium which is based on quantity and will accept pretty much anything, Constant-Content submissions undergo an approval process. Because the articles are purchased for reproduction on websites and in magazines, the potential for substantial earnings is greater.
If you’re an Aussie writer, you might want to consider registering with Ozlance which is a marketplace for all freelancers and independent contractors. This site works on a principle similar to other international directories of freelance professionals such as Elance and Guru. That is, a client posts a project or task and freelancers bid for the project.
Another couple of submission sites you might be interested in are:
I don’t have any personal experience with either of the above but they are talked about on forums as somewhere to showcase wrting.
Selling your book or eBook online
October 12th, 2010A brief overview on submission requirements for some of the online self-publishing options:
Note: “Many new authors might make the mistake of thinking that if they have a portable document format (PDF) of their book it means that it can be read on an e-reader or other mobile device. While in many cases the PDF can be opened, the text is far too small because it is a static or unchangeable image. ePub makes it so your text is resized to fit the screen of any given device. Since the text in ePub format can be changed in terms of size, font and color, reading an ePub book becomes a much more personal experience for the reader.” – From Lulu
Amazon
There are two publishing streams available for Amazon. One is print on demand (physical paperback) which is done through Amazon’s CreateSpace platform. CreateSpace require you to upload the manuscript and book cover in PDF but it must be formatted correctly with regards to margins and page size.
The other Amazon stream is to create an eBook for the Kindle. This is done through the DTP platform. They will accept manuscripts in different formats but advise that PDFs are may lose a lot of formatting in the conversion process. Preferred format is HTML.
ClickBank - submissions are done in PDF format but the author or seller must create a landing (sales) page.
Smashwords – submissions must be made in Microsoft Word format and they will be converted to various formats including Mobi (for Kindle), PDB for palm reading device, LRF for Sony Reader, PDF, etc.
Lulu – Print on Demand or publish eBooks through the iBookstore. For eBooks, manuscripts must be submitted in ePub format.
XLibris – Print on Demand focused on Australian, NZ and UK markets.
As in the world of traditional print publishing, formatting your book according to the publisher’s requirements is an essential part of the process. To reduce repeated rejection, my advice is to read through the formatting guidelines of each publisher thoroughly before submitting your manuscript.
Listen, do you want to know a secret?
October 11th, 2010I’m interested in words as more than part of a language - I’m interested in words as part of the great picture of communication. The words we choose to convey our message is important but communication is more than just words and pictures. Great writers use words effectively but you’ll find that most of them also read as much as they write. In The Journey by John Marsden, the author bio states: “He read vast numbers of books, acquired a love of language…”
You can’t learn to swim unless you immerse yourself in water.
This sort of immersion goes beyond the written word. To be an effective communicator verbally, you must listen as much as you speak. Recently I completed a transcription where the two parties constantly talked over the top of one another. Having to try to separate the individual voices was frustrating to me as a transcriptionist but more frustrating was listening to the poor communication. In talking, neither was listening to what the other was saying yet if they had given each other time to speak, they would have realised the other party was answering the questions they were asking.
Domonique Bertolucci makes the point about active listening in her latest newsletter. That is listening as a whole – not being distracted by other things such as tidying your desk or scanning a menu. You wouldn’t do these things while crafting an important message or delivering a speech, you devote all your energy to that task. The same should go for listening.