A GUIDE TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PUBLISHER WITHOUT TEARS

A manuscript

Despite reading carefully on the internet about how to choose a good publisher, I submitted my manuscript to a very bad publisher, which nearly turned my life into a streak of nightmares.


After getting out of this terrible situation, I decided to write my experience as a guide to prevent other writers from being in the same situation. 

As an aspiring, enthusiastic would-be author or someone who wants to make money as a writer, keep away from publishers whose adverts are constantly seen on the internet soliciting manuscripts.

They often begin with, "We want the world to read your book. Our responsibility is to add your name to the list of famous writers, or do you have a script that could become a Hollywood film?, We are here to guide you to be a published author".

Please, when you read such things from a publisher who has placed an advert on the internet, don't be tempted to hand over your manuscript to them. They are Ghoul, they don't feed on the dead but the living. They are not to make you rich or famous in any way. They are only after your money.

They are sugar-coated tongue criminals in white-collar. Just imagine, how could a publisher make you rich and famous when one receives a package of $8.100 for a print-on-demand publication?

This happened to me, and I cancelled the contract with a good fight. The new package was a little over $2.000, which is also much better than the first package. It took me six months to pay the money, but believe it or not, the book is yet to come out. Do you call that a good publisher? Beware, brothers and sisters.

Remember, a good product doesn't need an advertisement. Good publishers never place adverts soliciting manuscripts, but you can easily get them at their websites. It is the writers who go after them. The question is, how can a writer identify a good publisher?

Go to the public library or bookshop and glance through most of the famous books in mind. You can quickly see the publisher's name in the book. Since almost all the good publishers are following print-on-demand (POD) as one of their services, you can contact them and ask for a package.

Via Google or Yahoo, ask "Best print on demand publishers". As soon as possible, you will get the information on the best print-on-demand publishers or self-publishing, including Lulu, Createspace, Amazon.com, etc. 

The above-mentioned publishers are those that I knew could let you see your book published, with good promotion and good royalties. You deserve to be helped, not to be robbed.

MY NEIGHBOR FEARS TO OPEN HER MAIL BOX

A mailbox


Gone are the days when people fear opening their mailboxes at home when terrorists laced letters with anthrax or the fear of being killed by a letter bomb.


Even though Belgium is one of the safest countries to live in  Europe, many fear opening their mailbox in the morning, afternoon, or evening. Don't be mistaken. There isn't any rattlesnake hidden in the corner of the post box, but unexpected bills to pay scared many not to opening mailboxes.

Many times, you may see a box full of letters you might think the owner is in the hospital or even dead. Not at all. The owner is living. Imagine you've lost your job and are living on a social benefit. How long could that make you happy when one needs to pay their house, electricity, gas, and other bills?

There is nothing I could compare paying bills with difficulty to than a headache in the middle of the night. "You will be on the bed all night, but your eyes will be gazing at the ceiling", said a neighbor, who is having nightmares of paying bills because of her financial situation.

I have been through this and I survived. One early January, I could still remember when I displayed about twelve bills to pay on my dining table. This is how I did it, and I will encourage anyone who finds themselves in this situation to follow this simple task.

1. Many bills are given time to pay, and others are not. Pick up those with stated duration and clear that first. Otherwise, when the time to pay expires, you could be punished with a higher amount.

2. Always try to pay those with higher amounts first. That is the most difficult task. Paying a bill with a big amount is not easy, but when you can do that, you will find it easy to pay those with a lesser amount as easily as ABC.

3. If the amount is really high and there is no way you can submit to the payment plan. Please go to the office that sent you the bill and explain your situation to them. They will definitely give you a simple and easy monthly payment plan to follow.

4. If you are a regular visitor to the restaurant, the cinema, or doing anything you love most that costs you a fortune, try to save by avoiding those places or things. This could help you save enough money to clear your bills within the shortest period.

UNICEF SHOULD APPOINT DECENT FEMALE CELEBRITIES AS GOODWILL AMBASSADORS

UNICEF has been appointing many celebrities as goodwill ambassadors. Some of the celebrities are musicians, film stars, actresses, and those with a wide range of talents and achievements. In this case, UNICEF depends on the fame and achievement of people to appoint them goodwill ambassadors.

According to UNICEF, “celebrities attract attention, so they are in the position to focus the world’s eye on the needs of children, both in their own countries and by visiting field projects and emergency programs abroad. 

That means celebrities play an important role in helping, catering and shaping the lives of children in unpleasant situations.

Unfortunately, UNICEF has failed to run background checks on many female celebrities, whether they are qualified to be appointed as goodwill ambassadors or not. 

These are people working because of children; in this case, it is the responsibility of UNICEF to appoint decent people that worth leading children, not porn stars, not celebrities with naked photos all over the internet.

When one checks the background of some of the female celebrities appointed as goodwill ambassadors on the internet, it is shocking to see them naked. Playing nude in a movie is totally different from those who had openly advertised their nudity on the internet. 

Children learn very fast. They are the leaders of tomorrow. They need good teachers and leaders to follow, not celebrities who have polluted the internet with immorality. 

UNICEF is doing a very good job, throughout the whole world, especially in Third World Countries, by fighting against sicknesses and giving vaccinations to children against diseases. In fact, their task is enormous. 

But for the children to become good leaders and decent people in society, UNICEF must choose respected people, not soiled and dented celebrities.