What Is A Tea Of The Month Club?

Article Presented by:
Jon M. Stout

As consumers become more familiar with the wonderful world of loose leaf tea, a unique program has been developed by tea suppliers that offer the full breadth of tea product options.

A Tea of the Month Club is the perfect way to sample a variety of teas for yourself or for a gift. A tea selection will be made each month for the consumer and will be sent to your door. The selections are often made from high quality white, black, oolong, green and flavored teas.

Some tea suppliers offer Tea of The Month Club gift cards and these are also unique and ideal gift items particularly at holiday time.

An Example of a Tea of The Month Club

A sample Tea of the Month program schedule may include the following teas:

Month 1: Coconut Pouchong

Month 2: Vanilla Jasmine

Month 3: Moroccan Mint

Month 4: Sinharaja

Month 5: Tippy Earl Grey

Month 6: Temple of Heaven Gunpowder

Month 7: Honey Pear

Month 8: French Breakfast

Month 9: Kashmiri Chai

Month 10: Organic Green Tea

Month 11: Rose

Month 12: White Persian Melon

Each month a fresh selection of tea will be delivered and the consumer can develop their best choices of a broad range of teas. There is no better way to be introduced to the world of tea.

How Long Does the Tea of The Month Club Last?

Often, the consumer has the option to choose a six month or twelve month club. A small number of loose leaf tea suppliers also offer longer subscriptions.

Some suppliers provide the option of recurring subscriptions. For those wishing a longer subscription, the consumer can simply choose the twelve month option and choose the Auto Recurring option in the shopping cart and the club will automatically renew allowing uninterrupted service until the choice is made to cancel the program.

The Importance of Fast and Accurate Delivery

Because a Tea of the Month Club is essentially a subscription service, look for a supplier who has thought through the mechanics of automatic delivery of different types of tea. Since most Tea of The Month Clubs are e-commerce (web) based, chose a supplier that offers a number of choices on an easy to use e-commerce site and provides fast, accurate delivery using a reliable delivery service.

Packaging is Important

Packaging is an important consideration when choosing a Tea of The Month Club. The best suppliers offer attractive, re-sealable packaging and ship products using high quality, safe packaging materials. Cheap packing materials like shredded newspaper containing harmful inks and other substances should be avoided for health reasons.

Re-sealable packaging ensures freshness for a long period and safe packaging protects small children and pets from harm.

It Is All About Tea Quality

A Tea of the Month Club subscription is a wonderful way to explore the world of high quality loose leaf tea but no matter how convenient the club is, the quality of the tea is paramount in ensuring a truly great tea experience. Choose a supplier with a reputation for providing a quality product with a commitment to a culture of quality.

Some suppliers cup individual shipments to ensure quality and solicit feedback from their customers through interactive features on their websites. These suppliers consider the needs of their customer base as top priority.

A Tea of The Moth Club subscription can be an ideal way to learn about the wonderful world of loose leaf tea but be sure to choose a supplier with a reputation for providing customer satisfaction.


About the Author:
Jon M. Stout is the Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. Golden Moon Tea carefully selects the finest rare and orthodox teas, which are processed slowly and handcrafted with extreme care. At their website, you can learn more about their current tea offerings, including their exceptional green tea, white tea, black tea, oolong tea (also known as wu-long and wu long tea) and chai. Visit http://www.goldenmoontea.com for all details concerning the Golden Moon Tea Company's fine line of teas.

Saint Patrick's Day Flowers Are A Great Way To Spread A Bit 'O The Irish

Article Presented by:
Wesley Berry, AAF

Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated every year on March 17th. It's a day meant to honor Saint Patrick, a missionary who is said to have converted the Irish to Christianity sometime around 400 A.D. Saint Patrick's legend doesn't end with his conversion of the Irish to Christianity. In fact, it doesn't even begin there.

When he was just sixteen years old, Saint Patrick was kidnapped by pirates and sold as a slave. His captivity lasted six years. During that time he relied on his religious faith to get him through. When he finally escaped, Saint Patrick went to Europe to study religion, later traveling to Ireland to spread his message. As a means of teaching Christianity to the Irish pagans, Saint Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock as a means of explaining the Trinity.

One legend also says that Saint Patrick was responsible for driving hordes of snakes out of Ireland. Whether or not that's literally true is uncertain. However, many people believe the legend is a metaphor for Saint Patrick driving paganism out of Ireland.

Though the holiday has a religious and cultural background, Americans, regardless of whether or not they have any Irish blood, celebrate the day by wearing green, drinking green beverages, and even eating unnaturally green foods. Saint Patrick's Day is also a great day for sending flowers that say, "Kiss Me! I'm Irish!" even when you're not!

Although Saint Patrick's Day isn't generally thought of as a flower-giving holiday, it's really a great day to surprise someone you care about with a gift of flowers. Your florist can create an Irish-themed floral arrangement in a cute shamrock-shaped or leprechaun container. Or, you might prefer a loose bouquet of flowers in beautiful shades of white and green tied with a bright green ribbon.

Regardless of whom your Saint Patrick's Day flowers are for, your florist will be able to help you find the perfect flowers. All you need to do is call or stop in with a little information about the recipient, such as gender, relationship to you, and where he or she can be reached for delivery. Ordering flowers is a simple, inexpensive way of spreading a bit of Irish luck for Saint Patrick's Day.


About the Author:
Wesley Berry is member of the American Academy of Floriculture (AAF) and President of Wesley Berry Flowers, a successful multi-million dollar floral business that was established in 1946. He is also the developer of Localnewsdelivery.com a website that delivers local news to over 40,000 communities across the country. Recently he also launched a website providing information about various places of worship throughout the United States. Visit Wesley Berry Flowers on the web at www.800wesleys.com.

Sexy Red Or Forever Young: Which Rose Will You Buy For Your Valentine?

Article Presented by:
Wesley Berry, AAF

Believe it or not, Valentine's Day-the most romantic day of the year-grew out of the imprisonment of a priest in the days of emperor Claudius II. Though it had a rather ominous start, today Valentine's Day is a day when we give gifts of flowers and candy to our loved ones to remind them of how much they mean to us.

In the year 270 A.D., Roman emperor Claudius II banned marriage believing that the men of his country would be more likely to join his army if they were unmarried, rather than married men who would be leaving wives and children behind. But, Valentine, a priest in Rome, fervently disagreed with the decree. He continued to perform secret ceremonies to join couples in matrimony. His defiance cost him his life.

When the emperor discovered that Valentine was disobeying his law, he ordered Valentine to be imprisoned and sentenced to death. But, during his imprisonment, Valentine was befriended by a prison guard's daughter. In gratitude for her friendship, Valentine wrote her a note shortly before his execution and signed it, "From Your Valentine."

Ironically, Valentine was executed on February 14th, an ancient Roman holiday honoring Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage. February 15th began the Fest of Lupercalia, a celebration of fertility. On the eve of the festival, a young man would draw a slip of paper from a jar. On the paper was the name of the young woman with whom he would be paired for the festival. Often these pairings led to marriage.

Today, florists begin gearing up for Valentine's Day weeks in advance. Many track their sales from years to years to determine what their customers are buying to ensure they have the right amount and kinds of flowers on hand.

Florists like Patrick Anex, of Washington Floral Service in Tacoma, Washington, even send their customers a reminder note indicating what they purchased last Valentine's Day so that they can pre-book their orders. In fact, his reminders are so successful that 85 percent of his Valentine's Day 2007 orders were pre-booked a month in advance.

Wholesalers who fill the orders placed by florists indicate roses are definitely among their biggest sellers for Valentine's Day. The top rose varieties are:

Charlotte.

Freedom.

Forever Young.

Sexy Red.

Cherry Love.

To be certain your florist is able to fulfill all your Valentine's Day flower needs, be sure to place your order early. Your florist will be happy to assist you in choosing the perfect flowers all your special Valentines.


About the Author:
Wesley Berry is member of the American Academy of Floriculture (AAF) and President of Wesley Berry Flowers, a successful multi-million dollar floral business that was established in 1946. As a member of the Henry Ford Hospital Community Relation Board he has contributed to the community at large. He owns both a brick and mortar and an internet flower delivery business. Visit Wesley Berry Flowerson the web at www.800wesleys.com.

Youtube May Have Funny Videos But Flowers Spread More Cheer

Article Presented by:
Wesley Berry, AAF

Millions of people are logging on to YouTube.com every day to view videos of people and animals doing crazy things that make viewers laugh. But, that laughter lasts only a few seconds after the video ends. For lasting happiness, flowers are a better bet.

Flowers have been proven to have a lasting, positive effect on people's moods. They help people to connect with one another and sometimes with people they haven't seen in years. Their power to evoke emotions has made them a lasting addition to our lives and homes for centuries.

One Florida man believes so strongly in flower power that he hands out dozens of flowers every week.

Jason Abbott, a twenty-eight-year-old man from Pensacola, Florida takes a twenty-mile hike nearly every day. His travels take him from downtown Pensacola to Pensacola beach and back. It's a hike he makes daily in spite of the fact that he has a painfully pinched nerve that he doesn't have the money to have treated.

On his daily walk, Abbott stops in at Flowerama flower shop and purchases around a dozen roses or carnations. As he walks, he places a single flower on the doors of those people he feels could use a little "spiritual comforting."

Gulf Breeze News, a local Floridian paper, reported that Abbot explained his floral gifts by saying, "I'm just trying to do what I can...I'm grateful that I can spread love and joy just like anybody else."

Abbott's mother, Denise Abbott, told the paper, "He's like a local celebrity. People buy his lunch and pay for his flowers...he always shows up with flowers for me every time he visits..."

People are so appreciative of Abbott's efforts to spread joy that they've begun donating money at the flower shop where he buys his flowers. Flowerama says that customers have donated approximately $180 toward Abbott's flowers.

YouTube users post their videos for any number of reasons-sometimes it's to make people laugh, sometimes it's for their fifteen minutes of fame. But, Abbott's motives are more pure than that. According to Flowerama employee Jennifer Musil, "He says he just does this to make people feel good."


About the Author:
Wesley Berry is member of the American Academy of Floriculture (AAF) and President of Wesley Berry Flowers, a successful multi-million dollar floral business that was established in 1946. As a major sponsor of local-library.com and Localschoolfinder.com, Wesley Berry has worked hard on behalf of improving literacy. Visit Wesley Berry Flowers on the web at www.800wesleys.com.

Some In Snowstorm Made It Through With Ps2 Or Xbox, But Florists Worked To Keep Customers Happy

Article Presented by:
Wesley Berry, AAF

When a colossal storm dumped tons of precipitation, felled trees, and flooded roads on December 14th, 2006 in Washington state, many welcomed the rough weather as a time to stay indoors and while away the time playing PS2 or XBox. But, many Washington florists braved the storms to ensure their customers received the flowers they'd ordered and that their precious stock was safe.

Among the biggest concerns for florists was being able to make scheduled deliveries, but still keep their delivery drivers safe. Mark Berglund, president of the wholesale company Washington Floral in Tacoma, Washington said, "We wanted to service people, but keep my drivers safe." To meet both those objectives, the company did cancel its Friday deliveries, but drivers reported to work Saturday in spite of the fact that Berglund's home and many others were still without power.

In fact, as a result of the 90 mile-per-hour wind and approximately three inches of rain, a million homes were without power, freeways were closed, and flights were cancelled. Sadly, six people also lost their lives.

Diane Lagerstedt of Washington Floral said, "Some of the hardest things we had to deal with were just not knowing if customers were open or not. Our first trucks leave between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m., so normally at those stores we don't get answers. We just didn't know. Many stores were closed. Once you did get out, there were no traffic lights. That created tremendous gridlock."

Larry and Valeriy Arzumanov, owners of Bellevue Crossroads Florist in Bellevue, Washington worked in the dark through the weekend to complete orders and keep the business running. They lost power on Thursday and it didn't return until Sunday. Although they worked by candlelight and Larry Arzumanov personally made deliveries, they estimate that the storm still cost them between $3,000 and $4,000 in revenue.

Other companies, like Washington Bulb Company in Mount Vernon, Washington were prepared for severe weather. Their generators were ready to go when normal power went out at 2 a.m. on Friday. Although their power loss was short-lived, the company still had some shipping delays due to cancelled flights.

For those lucky individuals whose power remained on, the storm could be seen as a time to get some much-needed rest and relaxation in front of the television with the PS2 or XBox controller in hand. But, for dedicated florists, it was a time to show customers how valuable they are by weathering the storm to get deliveries into their waiting hands.


About the Author:
Wesley Berry is member of the American Academy of Floriculture (AAF) and President of Wesley Berry Flowers, a successful multi-million dollar floral business that was established in 1946. His shops provide flower delivery worldwide through Flower Delivery Express. Visit Wesley Berry Flowers on the web at www.800wesleys.com

Home Decorating - Get Rugs that Put the Fun in Functional

Article Presented by:
AnnaRae Mills

Rugs can serve several functional purposes, with the most obvious one being a floor covering. Rugs also provide warmth on a bare floor and help to reduce noise in a room with too many flat surfaces. Rugs can add beauty and charm to a room and they can give your room a cosmopolitan feel or more of a country feel. That's great, but our focus today is on fun!

There are plenty of rugs that put the fun in functional, from fluffy Flokati rugs to retro shags. Flokati rugs, shag rugs, and sheepskin rugs offer 3-dimensional lushness that is simply irresistible. They're at home in the office, den, or even a child's room and come in every color imaginable.

Speaking of fun, have you ever curled up on a soft fluffy rug in front of a fireplace? If you haven't tried it, you should wiggle your bare toes in the long fibers!

If a fluffy rug isn't what you have in mind, there are lots of natural material rugs like jute, sisal, and bamboo that keep the fun in functional and they let you "keep it real." These sturdy and durable rugs are both trendy and timeless (a hard thing to be) and they come in several earthy colors.

Numerous fun designer rugs are available, crafted by famous artists or fashionistas. From the legendary Andy Warhol to hip kids Mary Kate and Ashley, you'll find a broad range of officially licensed designer rugs to match your lifestyle. Many of the designer rugs take exciting chances with color scheme and layout, for one-of-a-kind creations. From goofy cartoons and streamlined oriental prints, to bold blocks and retro mixes, you'll enjoy these rugs for their durability and sense of adventure.

From traditional designs to funky geometric expressions, there are plenty of rugs that are just fun to look at. Some rugs have designs so detailed or intricate that you might not notice certain details right away.

Outdoor rugs can be used poolside, on the deck or patio, or in front of the barbecue. They come in almost any design so you can get the look you want in your outdoor living areas. The fun gets kicked up a few notches when you use an outdoor rug with a western theme for a barbecue party or a rug with a patriotic design to celebrate the Fourth of July.

When it comes to fun rugs, the ones designed for children take top prize. There are cartoon characters, farm animals, and wildlife creatures galore. Other rugs for kids come in unique shapes such as a racecar, plane, or fire truck.

Some rugs for young kids have interactive designs that help them with counting or the alphabet. Imagine the fun a child has stepping on numbers or letters as the child says them in the correct sequence. Other interactive rugs feature maps or the solar system to help a child learn different concepts.

I recently had a discussion about rugs with some friends, who also happen to be ardent rug lovers. When we mentioned fun rugs for kids, their young son asked if people that like rugs can be called fans, just like people who like sports are called sports fans. We said "Why not?" and then he posed the following question, "How much fun can a rug fan have when a rug fan has fun rugs?"


About the Author:
AnnaRae Mills is wild about rugs! She has a goldmine of tips and information to share with you. Decorating, rug shopping, and more. Find out how to pick the right rugs for your home. See pics of all rug types at http://www.Area-Rug-Tips.com

Valentine's Day: Grown-Up Style

Article Presented by:
Vasrue.com, All Rights Reserved Written by: Clinton Douglas IV

At age five, you woke to the anticipation and thrill of paper valentines and white doilies decorated with taped-on heart-shaped lollipops. At age fifteen, your heart raced passing a folded note to your high school crush. Now that you're an adult, Valentine's day has taken on a whole new meaning.

Alone or attached, coupled or parenting, Valentines Day is the ideal opportunity to spoil yourself and those you love. Chill the bubbly, stock-up on chocolate delicacies, stop by the local florist and plan one of the most spectacular Valentine's ever.


Here's a few tips for making 2007 the most memorable ever:

Reserve a romantic Bed & Breakfast at a locale you've always longed to visit. Research your options to find the ideal inn exquisitely decorated, since you'll want to spend most of your time indoors. Keep in mind, many popular suites book far in advance and require a minimum three-day stay.

Book a three- to five-day ocean cruise to Alaska, Hawaii or the Caribbean. Day or night, the tranquil ocean waters and gentle waves have lulled the hearts of lovers for centuries.

Plan a camping trip in the southwest and remember to schedule time for a warm, crackling bonfire under the stars, with blankets optional. Bringing the kids? Just pack the ingredients for warm s'mores.

Book time at a spa for a day or weekend filled with luxury and indulgence. Today's spas offer the best in skin and body care plus health and wellness. You'll return to work – and life – vibrant, glowing and rejuvenated.

Arrange for a romantic Valentine weekend at home. Secretly arrange childcare with friends or family members. Stock-up on candles, campaign and truffles. Then prepare a candle lit dinner for two, complete with a mouth-watering chocolate cake and a fresh flower arrangement. Then wake early to cook a hearty breakfast in bed.

Miss time with your family? Take this opportunity to show everyone in your life how much you love them. Plan a family vacation to DisneyWorld, the Mall of America or a historical landmark the kids are learning about in school. Remember to bring pink and red cards and gifts for everyone.

Solo? Don't mope. Valentine's Day is a perfect chance to reconnect you're your friends. Visit your old college buddy on the east coast or plan a fun-filled girl's night out.


Valentine's Day is a great day to treat and spoil yourself. Plan well in advance and make it a holiday you'll talk about for years to come. To book travel, search vacation package deals or check arrival and departure availability, visit Vasrue.com Travel.


About the Author:
Clinton Douglas IV, writes about travel for Vasrue.com – Travel. Get amazing travel discounts, fresh articles and travel ideas in your inbox. Plus, we never share your personal information – ever! Sign-up for the Vasrue.com travel e-magazine, today!

See this link: http://www.vasrue.com/dt/t.php?id=427

Copyright (c) 2006 Vasrue.com. All Rights Reserved

What's in the Name Tahitian Pearls

Article Presented by:
Yvonne Mal

With the exception of Poe Konini, Poe Rava and Titian, the Cook Islands Black Pearls, Black-lipped Pearls, Black Pearls, Black South Sea Pearls, Black Tahitian Pearls, Grey Pearls, Tahitian Black Pearls, Tahitian Cultured Pearls and Tahitian Pearls are all common names used interchangeably when referring to pearls cultured in the black-lipped pearl oyster (pinctada margaritifera) or Te Ufi.

The Black-lipped Pearl Oyster

The black-lipped oyster, a nacreous secreting mollusk (mollusc), is considered indigenous to the Polynesian Islands. Today, and in all likelihood due to the pearling industry, this oyster's habitat and culturing locations extend from the warm salt waters of Asia to Baja California, to the tropic and sub-tropical waters of the West Indies. They can be found on the Pacific side of Japan; in the Cook Islands Atolls, the Tuamotu Archipelago, the Gambier Island groups of Micronesia and Polynesia, the Persian Gulf, the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, Australia and Fiji.

The pearl oyster was hunted to near extinction during the in the 19th century for its shell's iridescent inner lining then used to create mother-of-pearl buttons. Today, this pearl oyster is more highly prized for its ability to continuously and rapidly secrete layers of nacre on to introduced irritants much like it does to smooth its shell and to thicken it against parasites; as well as its ability to nacre a palette of colors. Its mother-of-pearl (nacre) remains a source for buttons, jewelry, musical instruments, interior floors, exterior walls, doors, ceilings, countertops, etc.

Pearls (Natural vs. Cultured)

In a pearl oyster, a miniscule parasite lodged in its tissue can result in a rare, natural pearl when the oyster secretes nacre over the parasite to smooth the irritation. Highly valued as gems for their translucence, luster and delicate play of surface colors, the pearl is hard mass consisting of the same material (mother-of-pearl) as the mollusk's inner shell.

It is said that the method of culturing pearl by intentionally inserting an object within a mollusk's shell begun in 13th-century China. Today, almost all pearls used in jewelry – Freshwater or Saltwater; are the by-product of this earlier pearl culturing discovery. So that the terms we use today, i.e., Tahitian Cultured Pearls," "Freshwater Cultured Pearls," "Saltwater Cultured Pearls," "Akoya Cultured Pearls," "South Sea Cultured Pearls," etc., refer to pearls created as a result of intentionally inserting an irritant in the mollusk shell to cause the secretion of nacre.

Keisha / Keshi Pearls: Rare non-nucleus pearls which form when the oyster rejects the intentional implanted irritant, but continues to secrete nacre to the area. These pearls, although consisting of only nacreous concretion, are not considered "natural pearls" since they were formed as a result of man's intervention. They are often impossible to tell apart from natural pearls.

4 Levels of Quality - Pearls

Unlike a diamond, the naked eye is used when judging the quality of harvested pearls. Each pearl is evaluated and sorted according to its size, shape and surface defects. The four levels of grades used, by a pearl producer to determine Tahitian Cultured Pearls' surface quality, are: A, B, C, and D (rejects). This pearl grading factor is also referred to as the "Tahitian System."

A Quality: The pearl has very slight or no surface defects visible to the naked eye. Any existing defects are confined to less than 10% of its surface.

B Quality: Slightly visible imperfections confined to less than 1/3 or 30% of the pearl's surface.

C Quality: Pearl's shows several visible flaws distributed over less 2/3 or 60% of its surface.

D Quality: The pearl shows visible defects on more than 2/3 or 60% of its surface. D Quality pearls are considered rejects regardless of luster.

The Infinite Colors of the Tahitian Black Pearls

Color is one of the most subjective criteria used when grading or selecting the Tahitian Black Pearls as they are rarely black. In fact, these pearls when truly and fully black in color are very rare. The term "Black Pearl" was coined for the oyster in which they are grown the Black-lipped Pearl Oyster.

Tahitian Pearls comes in a plethora of colors and exhibits a multitude of shallow to deep iridescent luster. The colors range from a single color of black, grey, green, white, silver, cream, etc., with the majority of the aforementioned colors exhibiting a multi-mix of iridescent overtones of yellows, pinks, magenta, peacock, ocean blues, violets, platinum, brown, silver-brown, to name a few, showing on the surface of the pearls.

It is not known what causes the specie of the black-lipped pearl oyster to produce a range of colors in its nacre. One may speculate, however, that environmental factors such as mineral levels in the sea water, ocean floor contamination and water temperature; the mantle used to seed the oyster and stress levels experienced during this process, plankton color and food level filtered during feeding plays a possible part in effecting the nacre color secreted by each oyster.

Sizes

Pearl sizes are commonly expressed in millimeters. Common sizes for round and semi-round Black Tahitian Pearls range from 8mm to 12mm. While sizes can reach up to 16 mm, perfectly round pearls above 13mm are an infrequent find.

Baroque pearls (drop, semi-drop and oval), being the largest amount of a farm's output, are much easier to acquire in larger sizes. Sizes of 8mm to 14mm are easier to find.

5 Common Shapes of the Tahitian Black Pearls

The pearls are sorted into five different shapes of round, semi-round, semi-baroque, ringed or circle and baroque pearls.

Round pearls can be perfect or almost-perfectly round spheres with a diameter variation rate of less than 2%.

Semi-round (off-round or near round) pearls are slightly off from being a perfect sphere and exhibit diameter variation rate of greater than 2 % but less than 5 %.

Semi-baroque pearls (drop, button, pear and oval) have at least one axis of rotation allowing it to spin on a tabletop.

Circle or ringed pearls can be any of the aforementioned shapes and are characterized by regular streaks or concave rings, perpendicular to their axis of rotation, over more than a third of the pearl's surface.

Baroque pearls do not have an axis of rotation and are of freeform shape.


About the Author:
Yvonne Mal is a Pearl Jewelry Designer and Author of articles written for Fusion Pearl. Do you need classic, yet uniquely contemporary and exotic, handcrafted Pearl Jewelry? Visit Fusion Pearl for one-of-a-kind exotic Pearl Jewelry at http://www.fusionpearl.com

Book Authors: How To Sell More Books & Get Your Publisher Active

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2006-2007 Bill Platt

It is an unfortunate reality that most people who write books believe that their publisher will always put their best foot forward, to promote their book. In the real world, it does not quite work that way.

Let me put this in perspective for you.


THE PROFIT-LOSS EQUATION IN BOOK PUBLISHING

It is a financial matter of profits and losses. The book publishing world is much different than what many of us believe it is or that we believe it should be.

The average publisher will only print 1,000 copies of a book. They do this because the average book will sell an average of 400 or 500 copies.

When a publisher takes on a new title, it is a real gamble. Publishers are gambling that the books they take on will generate sales of 1,000 copies, and on rare occasions, they can hope for a book to sell a full 5,000 copies.

The book that sells 100,000 or one million copies is extremely rare.

With more than 100,000 books being printed every year, fewer than one percent of those books will see sales in the range of 5,000 or more copies. Every publisher has hopes that one of the 1,000 books every year that will sell at least 5,000 copies is one of the books sold through their publishing house. These are the books that will help the publisher to make a real profit this year.

One publisher told me that he lets his editors take care of the full book editing and development process. And, he said that he will not even pay attention to the book, until the book sells 5,000 copies. Only then will he consider reading the book himself and cranking up his marketing department to try to sell the book to a wider audience.

So, here it is in a nutshell. If you are a new book author, and you would like to see your book get some serious attention from your publisher and the public, then you need to step up to the plate and promote your book in such a way, as you can ensure that your book will sell 5,000 copies or more.

These days, most publishers will put up single webpages offering each of their books to the public. As a writer of the book, you should not believe that this page will be a well-written, well-optimized page on the internet.

Don't fool yourself... The webpage where your book is offered generally will not get great rankings in the search engines for the keywords relevent to the topic of your book. Additionally, the sales copy will not be set up in such a way as to give much confidence to your potential buyers.

Print book publishers don't do a good job building online promotional materials for a book, until they put their best people on the job. And, the publisher will not put their best people on the job until they believe that they have a winner in their stable.

As a writer, if you want your book to be anything more than a dust-catcher on your own shelf, you need to learn to be a book promoter also.


HOW TO SELL YOUR FIRST 5,000 BOOKS

As a book author, there are three basic steps that you will want to undertake to promote your book online.

1. Set up a domain website,

2. Promote your book with articles,

3. Promote your book with press releases.

In this article, I am going to take a look at how and why you will want to consider each of these steps.


1. SET UP A DOMAIN WEBSITE

Yes, you need a "domain" website. A free page on Geocities.com or Freeservers.com will not instill confidence with your potential customers. Let's face it, the most important marketing consideration for any product or service to be sold on the internet today is to build the "trust factor".

A person, who is being asked to take out their wallet, wants to know that they will get what they have paid for. Free sites cannot be traced to anyone in particular, and commercial websites on the free servers are considered in general to be owned by the fly-by-night outfits on the internet.

We have to give our potential customers the confidence they need to buy products and services from us. And, in order to give our potential customers confidence, we must be willing to spend a few of our own dollars to set up a website.

You can actually register a domain for less than $20 in most cases. Hosting for that domain can be picked up from hundreds of web hosting companies for as little as $10-$20 per month.

On your website, you want to tell readers about your book and why your reader might want to buy your book. On your website, be certain to also ask your reader for the sale, and give them a link where they can buy your book.

Including testimonials and book reviews on your website, will also help you to build interest and trust with your readers.

Sometimes, it can pay dividends to hire a web designer to design the visual template for your website, and to hire a sales copywriter to write your sales copy for the book.

One thing to keep in mind is that not all web designers can write good salescopy, and few copywriters make good web designers.

When you can afford to do so, you should seriously consider hiring a professional to do the tasks necessary to build a nice website and to put good salescopy onto your website. Great web designers will also help you by building your e-commerce system, so that your readers can buy directly from your website.

The professionals do not have to be really expensive. Both can usually be found for a couple hundred dollars. Of course, you could pay more, but you can still find some good people at these rates.


2. PROMOTE YOUR BOOK WITH FREE-REPRINT ARTICLES

Free-Reprint Articles are informational pieces designed to educate the reader about something of interest to the reader.

In an article, your goal is to talk about some topic that is related to the topic of your book. You don't actually want to sell your book inside the body of the article. Instead, you want to use your article to introduce your readers to concepts that might be covered in your book.

When you reach the end of the article, you want to include your About The Author information (often referred to as your Resource Box). Keep your sales material in your Resource Box, but keep in mind that your goal is not to sell your book in your Resource Box. Instead, your goal is to use your Resource Box to get the reader to your website, then use your website to sell your book.

Many people ask if article promotion will work for them. This is what I tell them.

The ability of an article to produce results for you will depend on your article. The internet is still a democracy in that people will make the choice for themselves whether or not they want to use your article.

Some articles get lots of reprints, some do not. The average outcome is about 40-50 backlinks and multiple publications in ezines.

Poor articles still get an average of ten reprints. Exceptional articles generate in excess of thousands of reprints. The results really do rely upon the article.

(One client of mine has one article that generated more than 5,000 reprints in two years time. This same client has written more than 100 articles. He is a well-known article writer and this fact does help his ability to generate more mileage from a single article.)

Just as important as the article itself, is the author resource box. The article is the vehicle to get your resource box seen. A good resource box offers just enough information to inspire the reader to visit your website to learn more about your book. A good resource box also offers a strong call-to-action to get the reader to your website. Let your website do the selling, but use the resource box to get the reader to your website.

Also, you really should consider doing more than one article over a longer period of time. For example, six articles over six months. Each subsequent article puts your name in front of the publishers who will use your articles. Name recognition will help your overall ability for getting published.


3. PROMOTE YOUR BOOK WITH PRESS RELEASES

I always recommend a two-fold approach to any book promotion. 1) reprint articles related to the topic of the book. 2) Press releases distributed through a system such as http://www.prweb.com .

Press releases are different from an article. A good article will have an educational or informational slant to them. A good press release will be designed more as a news story. A good press release has the most noteworthy news in the first paragraph, the second most noteworthy information in the second paragraph, etc.

Additonally, the press release will provide a telephone number for news reporters to contact you for more information concerning your story, so that they can build their own news story from your information.

Although the premise of a press release is so that a reporter can learn enough to build their own news story, you have to remember that their schedule is tight as well. Build your press release in such a way that it can be used as THE news story. Many people will take your press release verbatum for their own use. They might take only the first paragraph, and then they might take the whole thing.

Build your press release with the hope that it will be used in full. Build your press release with the thought that the reporter may only use the first paragraph.

Be prepared to receive phone calls to answer questions about your topic. And, be prepared when no one calls.

I have sent out more than a dozen press releases myself. I have seen those press releases read thousands of times and used hundreds of times. And yet, no one has ever called me for more information.


IN CONCLUSION...

Book promotion should not be viewed as a one-time event. If you take the idea that I will try this once to see if it works, then you might as well save your time and money and not even try at all.

Promotion is an ongoing process. Nothing will happen until you do something. And then you will need to keep doing something to keep open the possibility of something happening to your benefit.

You need to build up a momentum, and then just keep on running.

You are more likely to get published and to sell books if people recognize your name. And, one-time out will not allow anyone to get to know you.

Book authors who can build up a promotional momentum for their book are very likely to find their first 5,000 sales. And as a general rule, once you have crossed that threshold, your publisher will be more than happy to help you to keep that momentum going.



About the Author:
Bill Platt is the owner of <a href=http://thePhantomWriters.com target=_blank>the Phantom Writers at: http://thePhantomWriters.com</a> He specializes in distributing free-reprint articles to help his clients to promote their online businesses or their books. Bill can be reached by phone at (405)780-7327, from 9:30am to 6pm, Monday through Friday.

Blue Pearls of the New Zealand Paua

Article Presented by:
Yvonne Mal

The Blackfoot Paua (Abalone: haliotis iris), one of eight mollusk variety found around the Pacific Rim, is indigenous to New Zealand coastal waters. The Paua's mother-of-pearl shell lining, of iridescent multi-hued nacre, is recognized and widely used to create inlay, art, adornment and jewelry. What is not well-known is that much like a pearl oyster; the Abalone produces natural pearls by coating irritants or parasites, which it is unable to remove/expel, with its nacre. Reflections of their shells, these "nacre-coated irritants" called Paua (Abalone) Pearls are colorful and most often, highly iridescent. These natural (blister) pearls, being either of mabe or shark's tooth shape, are very rare, however.

Today, most of the Paua Blue Pearls are created by man in delicate harmony with nature and the mollusk. Culturing pearls in the Paua has been fraught with difficulties due its hemophiliac nature and its ability to quickly expel most irritants. However, these difficulties are being overcome with the use of a special process, somewhat similar to the process used with the pearl oyster, to produce unique, spectacular multi-colored mabe pearls.

The resulting pearls of 5 to 20mm in diameter are reflections of the Paua inner shells, with mirror finished or subtle reflected luster. The colors range from vibrant purple, magenta (purplish-red), greens and blues. With characteristics similar to that of a chameleon, the pearls' soft iridescent colors change from blue, purple, green to gold/yellow with splashes of silver-grey, red and pink with a mere hint of light -- the color combinations are infinite.

The New Zealand Paua Blue Pearls are graded using Gem, A or B grade point system – that has some similarities to the "Tahitian System" used to grade the South Sea Pearls, Tahitian Black Pearls and the Cook Island Black Pearls. Each Blue Pearl is graded based on its size, intensity of color; degree of luster and surface imperfection. Grading points are then allocated based on a maximum ratio point of 40% for color; 30% for luster and 30% for surface imperfections.

The Blue Pearls of magenta, greens and blues are considered the most desirable and are reflective as such in their pricing. Majority has brownish color that does not diminish or distract from the pearl's beauty which comes from their unique shapes and colors. Paua Pearls are of 100% natural color – with no dyes, lacquers or any other enhancements, and are certified accordingly with Certificates of Authenticity. These Certificates are provided to retailers, for distribution to the purchasers by the Paua Blue Pearl Hatcheries from which they originated.


About the Author:
Yvonne Mal is a Pearl Jewelry Designer and Author of articles written for Fusion Pearl. Do you need classic, yet uniquely contemporary and exotic, handcrafted Pearl Jewelry? Visit Fusion Pearl for one-of-a-kind exotic Pearl Jewelry at http://www.fusionpearl.com

Make The Most Of Valentine's Day Roses

Article Presented by:
Wesley Berry, AAF

One of the top gifts given on Valentine's Day is a beautiful bouquet or arrangement of long-stemmed roses. But, if you've purchased roses on Valentine's Day as well as other days of the year, you may have noticed that they're a bit more costly in February than at other times. Although you may find the increased price frustrating, there really are some very good reasons for the higher cost.

The chief reason for the higher prices is the simple law of supply and demand. Valentine's Day is the top-selling day for long-stemmed roses in America, and it takes the sacrifice of several rosebuds to create just one long-stemmed rose. Then, of course, there's the fact that Valentine's Day falls right after another high-demand day-Christmas. After all the Christmas orders for red roses are filled, it takes growers 50-70 days to grow enough roses to cover Valentine's Day orders. Unfortunately, they're forced to do so during some of the worst growing months. Winter is a time of fewer hours of the sunlight that is so crucial to good growth. And, since energy costs are higher, it costs more to produce the roses. To top it all off, winter weather sometimes makes it hard to deliver the roses in a timely manner, so extreme (and costly!) measures may be required. And, of course, with higher order numbers, florists must hire extra help to meet the demands.

So, knowing how much your special someone paid for those Valentine's Day roses that were delivered to you, you'll want to make them last as long as you possibly can. Here are a few easy steps you can take to ensure your roses last for days and days:

Remove the plastic water tubes from the rose stems before you arrange them.

Cut off any leaves that will fall below the water line, but be careful not to scrape the green bark on the stem.

Cut one or two inches off the end of each stem using a sharp knife.

Once you've cut the stems, place the roses into a vase of clean water mixed with flower food.

Be sure to look at the water in the vase every day. Keep the vase full of clean, fresh water mixed with flower food. Replace the water solution if it becomes cloudy.

Don't place your roses in areas where they'll be subjected to drafts or direct sun.

Your Valentine's Day roses and the memories you'll cherish for years to come are well worth the extra money spent. And, with just a little effort, you can keep them fresh and beautiful for days.


About the Author:
Wesley Berry is member of the American Academy of Floriculture (AAF) and President of Wesley Berry Flowers, a successful multi-million dollar floral business that was established in 1946. As a major sponsor of local-library.com and Localschoolfinder.com, Wesley Berry has worked hard on behalf of improving literacy. Visit Wesley Berry Flowers on the web at www.800wesleys.com.