Showing posts with label Creating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Creating. Show all posts

Friday, July 22, 2011

#Ebook Deal/Day: Creating a Website: The Missing Manual, Third Edition - Only $11.99 w/code DDWB3

 

Think you need an army of skilled programmers to build a web site? Think again. With nothing more than an ordinary PC, some raw ambition, and this book, you'll learn how to create and maintain a professional-looking and visitor-friendly site that features components such as audio, video, and e-commerce capability. This Missing Manual gives you all the tools, techniques, and expert advice you need.

Full Description

Think you need an army of skilled programmers to build a website? Think again. With nothing more than an ordinary PC, some raw ambition, and this book, you’ll learn how to create and maintain a professional-looking, visitor-friendly site. This Missing Manual gives you all the tools, techniques, and expert advice you need.

Plan your site. Create web pages by learning the basics of HTML and HTML5. Control page design with CSS. Format text, images, links, tables, and other elements. Attract visitors. Ensure that people can find your site through popular search engines. Build a community. Add forums, fresh content, and a feedback form to encourage repeat visits. Get smart. Use free tools to identify your site’s strengths and weaknesses. Create your own blog. Post your musings with a free blog-hosting service. Bring in cash. Host Google ads, sell Amazon’s wares, or push your own products. Add pizzazz. Include audio, video, interactive menus, and more. View Full Table of Contents

Title:Creating a Website: The Missing Manual, Third EditionBy:Matthew MacDonaldPublisher:O'Reilly MediaFormats:PrintEbookSafari Books OnlinePrint:May 2011 Ebook:April 2011 Pages:582 Print ISBN:978-1-4493-0172-9| ISBN 10:1-4493-0172-XEbook ISBN:978-1-4493-9874-3| ISBN 10:1-4493-9874-X

Matthew MacDonald is a developer, author, and educator in all things Visual Basic and .NET. He's worked with Visual Basic and ASP since their initial versions, and has written over a dozen books on the subject, including The Book of VB .NET (No Starch Press) and Visual Basic 2005: A Developer's Notebook (O'Reilly). He has also written a number of Missing Manual titles on Excel 2007 and Access 2007 (O’Reilly). His website is http://www.prosetech.com/.


View Matthew MacDonald's full profile page.


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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Marketwire's eBook Series Shares Best Practices for Creating Shareable Content That Engages Customers

Press Release Source: Marketwire On Monday June 13, 2011, 7:15 am EDT

TORONTO--(Marketwire - 06/13/11) - Marketwire recently released a new chapter from its free eBook designed to help communication and marketing professionals leverage traditional, digital and social media environments and connect with their target audiences. "Create. Presto! You're a Publisher" is the third of six chapters included in "Mastering Audience Engagement: Reinventing Your Role in a New Media World," and focuses on how companies can create and leverage content to better attract and engage consumers.

Since the launch of Marketwire's eBook, thousands of readers have downloaded the chapters to discover ways to find opportunity in social media and positively impact their company's brand and bottom line with their marketing, public relations and product development efforts. The eBook includes insights from some of today's leading experts on social media, digital communications and real-time marketing, and helps communicators better understand how to identify their audiences, produce content that is relevant to them, share it, and analyze the success of their outreach.

Highlights of the eBook:

Chapter 3, "Create. Presto! You're a Publisher," is now available for download: Consumers are particular about the content they consume. The wealth of information channels available and real-time nature of communication has created a culture of on-demand, "I want what I want, when I want it" consumption. It's critical for today's communicators to offer compelling content that is attractive to their audiences; they need to think like editors and publishers who create and curate rich content and stories, not just sound bites and buzzwords. In Chapter 3, readers will learn why it's so important to: Craft and stick to an editorial plan for content, and start with the inventory they already have, including collateral, video, photos and images, and other digital assets. Ensure that the content they develop speaks to the people in the demographics and communities they want to reach, and not to any corporate agenda. Focus on a strategy that aligns content with their company's brand, and strive for consistency. Generate content that is fresh and dynamic, but also tailored to different audiences so it grabs their attention and resonates with them. Six chapters to be available for free download: The eBook introduces new tools and new ways to engage with audiences so that marketing and public relations professionals can be more effective and efficient with their communications. The six chapters also include tips and examples to help practitioners amplify their messages, drive conversations, and monitor, measure and strategize more effectively. "Mastering Audience Engagement" will be published and made available for download and includes: Chapter 1: "Listen. You Can't Answer the Questions You Don't Hear." Chapter 2: "Plan. How Can You Measure Success If You Don't Know What Success Looks Like?" Chapter 3: "Create. Presto! You're a Publisher." Chapter 4: "Share. Hello. My Name Is..." Chapter 5: "Engage. No More Sitting on the Edge of the Pool -- It's Time To Dive In." Chapter 6: "Analyze. Are We There Yet?" Contributions from industry leaders: Marketwire's eBook includes insights and best practices from some of the foremost experts and thought leaders in communications, including: Deirdre Breakenridge, Mark Evans, Sally Falkow, Paul Gillin, Rebecca Lieb and Brian Solis. Their contributions illustrate the immediate need for companies to stop pushing their sales and marketing messages onto their audiences and, instead, engage in meaningful conversations with their customers and stakeholders to share relevant content and build relationships with the audiences who matter most. Introduction of Marketwire's Audience Engagement Cycle: Traditional communication strategies that started with a 400-word press release and a media list have been united with social networking, rich multimedia and search engine optimization. Marketwire's Audience Engagement Cycle helps communicators navigate the constantly evolving, often simultaneous process of conversation, interaction and reaction. Via six dynamic steps -- listen, plan, create, share, engage and analyze -- communicators can efficiently identify their audiences, create relevant content, share it, build relationships and analyze their success.

Quotes from eBook contributors:

Paul Gillin, veteran technology journalist, noted blogger and co-author of "Social Marketing to the Business Customer," on why it's so important to put a content plan in place:
"Even as you start to nail down the type of content you want to share, you'll need to tailor it for the channel, audience and specific community you want to reach. You should never start with a piece of content and ask what do I want to do with it? That's like picking up a hammer and saying, what do I want to hit with it?"

Brian Solis, digital analyst, sociologist and author of "Engage!" on why it's important to understand audience segments and information channels:
"One of the biggest mistakes companies make is assuming that their target is comprised of a single audience. And they listen with a singular focus in preparation for developing a single message to this audience. But consumers look to different types of media and there is still little crossover in terms of how they search, discover and share information: The traditional consumer is still watching the evening news, flipping through newspapers and Yellow Pages, and reading magazines. The slightly more sophisticated online consumer is influenced by the online edition of that same newspaper and news outlet as well as a few online communities and influencers, and the social consumer is most reachable in the social stream through status updates, wall posts and tweets."

Resources

To speak with a Marketwire consultant, or for more information on any of our products and services, please call 1-800-774-9473 (US), 1-888-299-0338 (Canada), and +44 (0) 20 7220 4500 (UK).

About Marketwire

Marketwire advances the way the world communicates by electronically delivering news and information to traditional, new and social media audiences, including newspapers, magazines, databases, analyst terminals, online portals, blogs, and more. Marketwire maximizes the power of its clients' communications by leveraging the latest in search engine optimization, multimedia, social media, monitoring and new technologies. Sysomos, a Marketwire company, provides unparalleled business intelligence for social media through advanced monitoring and analytics. Serving more than 12,000 clients worldwide through 20 offices on four continents, Marketwire is a dominant distributor of company news releases and other communications. Marketwire is majority-owned by OMERS Private Equity, which manages the private equity activities of OMERS Administration Corporation and today has $5.5 billion of investments under management. The group's investment strategy includes the active ownership of businesses in North America and Europe. OMERS Private Equity is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with offices in New York and London. For further information visit: www.omerspe.com.

For more information, visit us online at www.marketwire.com and the Channel M blog, or on Twitter @marketwire.

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Saturday, February 19, 2011

Creating a Christian eBook Cover


You probably have heard the saying, "don't judge a book by its cover." But in reality people do in fact judge a book by its cover. It is the first thing they see that makes the book content tangible to them, and many individuals within a split moment of setting their eyes on a book cover decide whether they think a book is worth their money and time. So, what is my point exactly? Creating an excellent Christian ebook cover is just as important as its rich, valuable content. It is the cover of your ebook that may make someone decide to read the excerpt about your ebook content, and possibly purchase and download it to read. Therefore, creating a Christian ebook cover is not a task that you can afford to take lightly or for granted. This is a critical component of the creation of your Christian ebook, as well as its promotion and marketing success.

An ebook is a digital product that is also digitally delivered. So, 100% of your customers or readers encounter your Christian ebook online. These customers at the same time see many other ebooks. So, how do you get them to focus on your own ebook with its Christian content? Even if your Christian ebook is free, you still need to generate enough interest and curiosity in your potential readers to get them to download it, and hopefully, read it.

You need to master the art of designing your own ebook cover; one, because it is essential, and two, because it would cost you a bit to hire a graphics designer to design covers for all the ebooks that you plan to write. So, you do need to learn to "fish" for and by yourself. Also, as an author of a Christian ebook you need to capture the vision of your inspiration on the cover.

Deciding on what ebook cover creator software that you are to invest your money to purchase, and time to learn how to use, should depend on a number of factors:

1. Your budget. How much money do you currently have? Sometimes, your budget may in fact be a full circle zero. Yes, I mean that literally. So, what do you do? You cannot purchase an ebook cover creator software for zero dollars? Here's what I suggest in this kind of situation: search the Internet for free PDF software such as Primo PDF program, which is a Free PDF Converter Tool. This is not a trial PDF version; it is actually free. So, download and install this free PDF application. Write your Christian ebook in a word processing program. Hopefully, you have access to a word program, such as Microsoft word. You can convert your word file to a PDF file using the free PDF converter tool that you downloaded and installed on your personal computer. You can also create a cover design in word, yes I know this sounds unreal, but you can actually do this, and then convert it to a PDF file. This is for a zero budget, for writing and creating your first Christian ebook. This is very possible and doable.

2. You have limited budget for creating an ebook and its cover, and you do not wish to be bothered with the "technical" aspects of ebook creation. Write and edit your ebook and then submit your ebook to a Christian website that charges zero dollars to less than $40.00 or higher. They will publish and sell your ebook at no additional cost to you. You will receive royalty payment for every time someone buys your ebook.

3. You have a reasonable budget and plan to write multiple Christian ebooks. You can invest in purchasing an ebook cover creator software application. Prices can range from $19.99 to less than $200. You may even get cheaper prices on eBay. My suggestion is that you start with minimal cost or investment that will offer you a high yield on your investment. In other words, purchase an ebook cover creator software that does not cost much, creates brilliant covers and is easy to use. Get independent opinions from other individuals who have used different kinds of ebook cover creator software, that is, before you commit to purchasing one. Read ebook Blogs and sample individual opinions about ebook cover creator software. Be vigilant in your sampling of opinions because sometimes the owners of the software post favorable opinions to get people to purchase their product.

Many of the ebook cover creator software owners also offer re-sell rights. So, you buy the software and you can also sell it to others. This way, you can make some profit, or at the very least, recover the money you invested in purchasing the software.

As a Christian ebook writer, creator and publisher, who may give away an ebook for free, or decide to start selling such ebooks, you do not have the option to produce low quality ebooks. Aside from the fact that you have numerous competitors, both from the secular and Christian ebook markets, you also need to represent excellent works for the Body of Christ, God's Kingdom here on earth. If you plan to teach, preach or evangelize with your Christian ebooks, then you must present quality covers and content that can and will gain and sustain the focus of your readers. I stress that you really need to select a good ebook cover creator software that makes brilliant covers, and at the same time, is easy to use. The same applies to the ebook creator software that you choose to purchase and use in creating your Christian ebook.

Don't loose out on potential readers by presenting a low quality, or mediocre Christian ebook cover. Let the light of the glory of God who inspires you to write also reflect on your first and subsequent ebook covers. God is excellent in all His ways and has also given us a spirit of excellence. So, let your Christian ebook cover stand out above others, especially your secular competitors.

Remember that an ebook cover makes the content more tangible and more real to your potential readers. This is an instant subconscious process that could work in your favor, if you have a brilliant, professional and inspirational Christian ebook cover. Also, excellent images tend to stick to a person's subconscious memory. So, you want to design a Christian ebook cover that is hard to ignore or forget.








Jacyee Aniagolu-Johnson, PhD is the author of an upcoming Christian non-fiction book release, ?Rays of Victory: Nailing Racism to the Cross.? For more information about the upcoming book release by Marble Tower Publishing, LLC, please visit http://www.marbletowerpublishing.com

I grant permission to anyone who wishes to reprint and distribute this article on the condition that it is reprinted and distributed in its entirety, including all specified links.

? Jacyee Aniagolu-Johnson 2006


Tuesday, February 15, 2011

3D for iPhone Apps with Blender and SIO2: Your Guide to Creating 3D Games and More with Open-Source Software

Create exciting, interactive 3D apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch

What a combination-using free, open-source Blender software and the SI02 game engine to create very cool 3D characters and games for the very hot devices of the moment, the iPhone and iPod Touch. Whether you're coming to this as an iPhone developer or as a Blender artist, this book is for you. Learn how to create 3D content using Blender's WYSIWYG approach, find helpful information on Xcode and other iPhone SDK topics, master physical collisions, and acquire the skills you need to bridge both worlds with fun, compelling content.


  • Shows you what you need to know to use Blender software, the SI02 game engine, and iPhone SDK to create interactive 3D content for the iPhone and iPod Touch
  • Walks you through a series of tutorials that you can use as starting points for your own creations
  • Provides enough information on the iPhone software developer kit (SDK) to get you started quickly
  • Covers Blender's physics simulation library, Bullet, and Blender's robust collision functionality

Bridge the exciting worlds of Blender and iPhone app development in an easy-to-follow pipeline with this one-of-a-kind guide.

Price: $39.99


Click here to buy from Amazon