NEWSFLASH

Laredo, Texas has become the largest city in the U.S. with no bookstore. They’ve only had one, but in this town of 250,000 people with an illiteracy rate of around 50 percent, apparently the population cannot support a bookstore. This is shocking in America, but we’re finding more and more people in our travels who do not read—ever! Reasons given: not enough time, too much trouble, unable to read because of dyslexia, and who needs it with TV and the Internet? This is shocking.

I was taught as a child that as long as I could read, I could continue to learn, and that not reading would sentence me to a life of mediocrity. I didn’t need encouragement to read—I wanted to learn as much as possible about the world and about specific topics. I dreamed as a child of becoming an interior designer, and then when I finally started studying it, I was way ahead of most of the other students because I had read books and articles about the subject. When I later decided I wanted to write for a living, I was able to learn what college teachers had failed to teach me: namely, how to actually make a living at it. I learned that by reading.

There are literate people in Laredo who are trying to save their bookstore, or encourage another to open there. Meanwhile, they’ll have to drive around 150 miles to visit the nearest bookstore or shop online, if they have a computer and the Internet, or pick up what’s available in the neighborhood supermarket! If I depended on local supermarkets, my choices would be limited to such magazines as off-roading and other sports to the latest celebrity gossip, and maybe romance novels. Sorry, but those don’t satisfy my need to sometimes buy a good how-to book on gardening, carpentry, computers or a variety of interesting topics that I sometimes want to learn more about. Let’s all hope that we don’t see bookstores disappear from our towns.

Winter in Arizona

Wasn’t it me who once said “we don’t do winters?” Well, I think that people all over the United States will agree that this has already been one doozey of a winter, and we’re finally getting our share of the nasty stuff here in the Verde Valley of Arizona.

Wind, rain, sleet, snow, blizzards, dust storms, tornadoes, and every other horrific form of winter weather has been pounding Arizona for the past few days. We found snow on the ground when we got up a couple of days ago. Of course, it melted as soon as it warmed up (within the hour) and rain came pelting down. Still, who can complain when the weather is fine most of the time? The day before it snowed, we were out pruning bushes around the patio. How many places is it warm enough to go outside in shirt sleeves and work on landscaping in January? We can look out our windows and enjoy the snow, which is very low on the mountains today. I don’t have to be in the middle of it to enjoy it!

This was to be Quartzsite’s big week of the year with a huge RV show and dozens of other smaller shows featuring everything from fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies to Indian jewelry, hardware to handcrafted artistic treasures, and bamboo linens to rocks. The show went on as scheduled, but heavy rains and tornado threats have probably shortened the annual show since it’s unlikely that some of the tents and booth covers held up during Thursday’s storm.

We went there on Monday because we had heard the weather was going to be nasty for most of the week. The huge tent was packed with people shopping for bargains, many of which can’t be found in other places except, perhaps, on the Internet.

As usual, we stopped at our favorite restaurant, the Kofa Café on Hwy. 60 near I-10. Their food is delicious and homemade, and includes fresh squeezed orange juice and made-from-scratch chocolate malts. Now that’s my kind of place! There is plenty of parking for RVs. We’ve even seen a couple of small planes parked in the parking lot. They flew in and landed across the road, then taxied to the restaurant.

If you plan to winter in Arizona, don’t despair. Florida even had really cold weather this winter, and we’ve been in South Texas when it was so cold and miserable that we definitely headed back to Arizona for its warm sunshine. Today, it was beautiful. The temperature was only in the mid- to upper 50s, so a little cool, but there was no wind and the sun was shining, and a coat wasn’t necessary.

Unfortunately, I doubt that this was Quartzsite’s busiest year, but maybe they’ll go back to scheduling their shows a couple of weeks later, like back in the early nineties, when the weather typically warms up. Meanwhile, I’m betting that most of the desert areas in Arizona would look mighty fine to some of you stuck in unseasonably cold weather. Here’s hoping that you’re all snuggled up and warm wherever you may be this winter.

RVing or Not--This Warning could save your life!

Whether you are driving your motorhome, pulling a trailer, or simply driving across town in your family car to pick up groceries, here is one warning that most drivers never learn about until it is too late. Whether it is ever mentioned in State driving manuals that are given out for those taking driving tests, I can’t say. And it’s doubly important for RVers to be aware of this danger.

First of all let me say that the last state we got our driver’s licenses in didn’t even have drivers manuals, never mind that new drivers and new arrivals in the state had no way of knowing about local laws or safety issues. And the state we’ve just moved to gives a driver’s test at 16, and drivers keep their licenses for the basically the rest of their lives. So state residents will likely never have to take a written test again after their first one, even though laws change and new dangers emerge. Someone who recently moved here told me her license was good for 45 years! How many older drivers on the road were issued licenses before the first Interstate Highway was built? How did they learn the rules of driving on high-speed highways with entrances and exits unless they read it in a drivers manual?

Anyway, safety is a serious issue that should be routinely covered in the media, especially when it concerns something almost all of us have done at one time or another. And that is driving with the cruise control engaged when it is raining! If you are driving on wet pavement while it is raining, turn off your cruise control.

Even though I’ve been aware that this was a frequent cause of accidents, rain is so unusual here that when I drove out of the garage this morning, I immediately turned on the cruise control. I had driven across town before I remembered to turn it off.

Cruise controls were designed to make driving more relaxing, but when the road is wet, they increase the risk of skidding. Remember to turn yours off when roads are wet.

Write blog content for clients

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again because it bears repeating. Any type of writing you do will make you a better writer. That’s because you build speed and improve your writing skills as you produce content—no matter what type of content that might be. And if you can make money doing it while you get more experience to list on your resume, why not seek out small jobs that you might enjoy.

Almost every small business now has a blog or Website on the Internet, and business owners often don’t have the skills, time, or patience to sit down and write content to keep their Web presence lively and topical. Your veterinarian’s office, local real estate agents, retailers, hair salons and numerous other local businesses already have a blog or site. Check for some local businesses on the Internet and read their content. Does it look sloppy, unprofessional, hurriedly written? If so, you may want to contact the owner and offer to take over that “chore” for their business for a set fee. And no, don’t tell them how bad their site looks. A bad site is only a lead for you to a business owner who needs your services—not someone who will welcome your criticism. A little diplomacy with a huge desire to help will get your foot in the door. Tell them you noticed their site and comment on what a huge job that must be on top of running a business, then listen to what they say. If they sound open to a proposal, tell them that you are a writer and can produce professional but enticing copy for their site for a small fee. Stress how you can help improve their business while saving them valuable time.

Other business owners want to increase their visibility on the Internet, so contacting them with a brochure or a list of types of writing you produce may well land you the job of producing copy for them. If they don’t have a site at all, you can find programs to design and maintain the site for them, or partner with a Website designer and market your businesses as a joint effort.

Producing copy for a blog or Website is not going to make a lot of money for you, but you can quote a price of a few cents per word, or a set fee per week and look forward to having a regular paying gig. You’ll also find that this opens the door to many more opportunities to write content for the Internet, and it will also create opportunities to produce other types of copy for your existing clients. And it adds to your credibility as a writer!

We’re still in a recession with more and more businesses closing because they can’t afford to advertise, and their expenses are creating black holes that they may never climb above. Yet a recession makes it necessary that businesses keep their names at the forefront of prospective customers’ minds, and they often need to be reminded of that fact. Those whose names are most public when the recession ends will see their businesses boom from that point on. Make sure you're in on the boom with them!

The following article failed to make it onto the blog in October. Hope it is helpful.

Writing and Publishing Your Own Small Book

For small numbers of books, and for those containing less than 100 pages, it’s much easier to design, layout and print them yourself. Here are the directions for laying out pages for a small cookbook or any other type of little book you want to produce on your own without using a publisher or traditional book printing company. This type of book doesn’t have to look homemade; instead, it can look as professional as any, but it can be easier and faster to do it this way than having to deal with out of town printers and traditional publishers.

However, if you are interested in a do-it-yourself project and want to turn it over to a professional, there are cookbook printers who can do a wonderful job. Morris Cookbooks comes immediately to mind, since they print many of the cookbooks that are sold by non-profit organizations. They’ll provide you with directions for laying out the book according to their format, and can provide cover design, etc. Contact them at www.Morriscookbooks.com. But for others who don’t want to go that route, the following can help you produce a perfectly acceptable book that you can give to friends or sell through your local book outlets and gift shops or by mail or the Internet.

Since some of you probably use Windows and others, Vista, it would be impossible for me to provide directions for both, but if you use Microsoft Word, you should find the following settings on the toolbar at the top of your computer page. The example I use is for a cookbook, but could apply to any type of small book.

To lay out your book’s pages, select “page setup” and choose paper size 11 inch x 8.5 inch in landscape mode.

Choose size of borders: 1.0-inch for left margin and all others, .75-inch.

Choose two columns, select 4-inches wide for each column and 1.5-inch for spacing between columns. This layout creates two pages out of one and leaves enough space on the left side and in the center for binding after being cut in half. Both pages will be identical.

To get started, it is best to have your recipes already typed up and sorted. For a plastic comb or wire bound, follow these directions since pages will be cut in half to form two books. Type or copy a recipe on one page, then copy and paste it onto the other page. To test to make sure spacing is correct and that left margin on both pages is slightly larger, print one copy and fold it in half. If it looks fine, continue typing or copying in your recipes, 1 or 2 per page depending on how you want to set it up.

After all the recipes are typed in, print the pages and then decide which order they should be in, using a paperclip or other fastener to hold them together. Now you can go back to your computer and number the pages. You can also create a table of contents page, index, and any other type of information you want to include. Organize your pages in logical format, such as main dishes, salads, breads, desserts, etc. Decide if you want a dividing page between each category, and plan for that.

If you will be creating a small booklet that will be stapled together at the spine, each full 8-1/2 inch by 11 inch page should hold two separate typed pages since you will be having it printed so that they can be stapled in the middle inside a cover. Again, don’t bother to number your pages until you’ve printed out a copy of the complete contents and have placed them in order. You may have to do some cut and paste on your copies, then shift pages around in your computer program to get the book layout correct.

If the above is confusing, contact me and I’ll try to explain it more clearly. When you get into the project, the directions will make more sense. Also, it helps to have on hand published books similar to what you envision yours looking like so you can visualize the layout and how pages tie together as they’re put together in a book.

Next, design or find clip art suitable for the cover, or use a photograph, and title your book, then copy and paste the cover side-by-side on one landscape mode page just as you did the recipe pages for a ring bound book. For the stapled book, the front and back cover will appear on the same 8-1/2 x 11 page.

Once your pages are in order, have been proofread and retyped, if necessary, and the cover designed, print the complete book out on your desktop printer in “best” printing mode and take them the copies a quick copy center to have them printed and bound. Place your copies back to back like you want them printed and make sure numbers are in sequence for the ring bound book. Remember that each printed page makes two books, so if you have 25 originals, it will create 50 books.

The printer will have a selection of bindings, but the wire and plastic comb spines work best for cookbooks, which need to lay flat on the counter for anyone to cook from them. Other types of books might be stapled at the spine. You can choose the type of cover stock you desire from plain card stock, coated stock, or have the covers laminated.

Then distribute your book. If you want to sell them, contact local restaurants, gift shops, beauty shops, and anywhere a willing owner will sell them for you. It will be best if you’ve made these contacts before you ordered printed copies so you’ll know how many copies you need. You will want to order extra for individual sales by you, and sales made over the Internet or by mail.

If you can partner with a local restaurant before you get started, you may be able to feature some of their most popular recipes in a cookbook, as well as your own. If you come from a geographical area that is famous for its fruit or vegetable crop or a particular type of livestock, etc., you might be able to come up with favorite local recipes to feature in your cookbook.

As an alternative to a cookbook if you live in a popular tourist destination, you can produce a book on local historic sites, history, attractions, scenic drives, local hiking trails, or any number of features that would likely appeal to tourists and sell them through shops, restaurants, bookstores, etc. Don’t forget to approach places like the Automobile Club and local organizations or Chamber of Commerce for possible mass sales of your book.

Good luck with your project. Whether you're doing it simply for the pleasure of sharing favorite recipes with friends and family, or planning to make yours a bestseller, you should enjoy getting your words into print, from start to finish.