Here are some warning sings:

• To high entrance fee. It is normal to charge for entrance fee or joining fee but when it goes over $50 for novels, you should check it first. It should be lower for poetry or short stories
• No joining fees. It seems great but when there isn’t any, they might require you to buy the book when it is published
• All entries are for publication
• Contest is run by an individual
• Unclear rules

The list below is not a recommendation, please practice due diligence.

10. Good Read Fiction Book Contest

Online Writing Contests Details

They don’t like prose and poetry. They are more interested in insights or a different way of telling a point. They only require the first 75 pages of your work. You need to make sure they get hooked with your characters, they get involved, they fall in love or fall in hate… in other words, you must have a strong thesis and know how to tell them too.

Other Details

AWW Fiction Book Competition is an annual contest. Entries should be a minumum of 60,000 words.
Deadline: November 30, annually
Prizes: One prize of $500
Entry Fee: $40

9. Glimmer Train Fiction Open

Online Writing Contests Details

Open to all writers, all themes. We don’t publish stories for children, and we don’t publish works longer than 20,000 words
Deadline: End of each quarter
Prizes: $2000.00 First place, $1,000.00 second place and $600.00 third place
Entry Fee: $18

8. Robin Blaser Poetry Award

Online Writing Contests Details

The Capilano Review invites entries for the first annual Robin Blaser Poetry Award. Seeking poems that explore discontinuities / particles..
Deadline: 08-31-2011
Prizes: $1,000.00
Entry Fee: $35.00

7. Scare The Dickens Out of Us Ghost Story Contest

Online Writing Contests Details

The contest is open to published and unpublished writers alike. The ghost story must be 5,000 words or less, in English, and typed double-spaced
Deadline:10-01-2011
Prizes:$1,000.00 first place, $500.00 second place and $250.00 third place
Entry Fee:$20.00

6. 2011 Mighty River Short Story Contest

Online Writing Contests Details

We’re searching for the best short story of any theme. Work must not be previously published Maximum of 30 double-spaced pages,
Deadline: 10-01-2011
Prizes: $500.00
Entry Fee: $15.00

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3. Top 10 Freelance Writing Jobs Part 2

After going through more than 100 blog directories, I realized that there is only one or two there that is actually free. The rest allows you to register for free but asks for fees to be actually listed and the others require you to paste their badge on their site.

So, if you are looking for a way to increase the traffic of your site, just post quality content. It’s free.

Click here for the part one of best blog directories.

10. Blogalaxia

Blogalaxia

Best Blog Directories Advantages:

- This is a must if you want to capture the spanish speaking market

- All sites get reviewed annualy to make sure it remains active.

Best Weblogs Directory Disadvantages:

- They charge a fee of $149.95 annually

- Even if you already pay your annual fee, they will not guarantee that your site will be listed

Best Blog Directories Registration Process:

- The registration process is fairly easy. They don’t ask for any information that are unnecessary.

- There are two pages. The first page asks for your blog information. Your blog must be at least six months old.

- The next step asks for your credit card details for the annual fee.

9. Bigger Blogs

Bigger Blogs

Best Blog Directories Advantages:

- This is one of the oldest, highly structured and efficiently SEOd blog directories out there. Being listed here, can really bring in traffic to your site.

- All sites get reviewed annualy to make sure it remains active.

Best Weblogs Directory Disadvantages:

- They charge a fee of $149.95 annually

- Even if you already pay your annual fee, they will not guarantee that your site will be listed

Best Blog Directories Registration Process:

- The registration process is fairly easy. They don’t ask for any information that are unnecessary.

- There are two pages. The first page asks for your blog information. Your blog must be at least six months old.

- The next step asks for your credit card details for the annual fee.

Bigger Blogs is a relatively new blog directory with only a few blogs registered. The blog is intertwined with a business directory. The blog section is difficult to find, and it is located through a link on the right side of the business directory page. However, the benefit is that the earlier you are accepted on a blog directory, the more exposure your blog will obtain. In addition, a back link is indeed a back link, so this can help with your search engine placement.

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3. Top 10 Celebrity Bloggers/Blogs

However, it doesn’t mean it is easy all the time. These guys have less budget which means if you have the natural star value to begin with, you are less likely to get in plus they get as many demos as the bigwigs. So remember to pack on natural talent before approaching these guys.

10. Sub Pop

Independent Record Labels Details

This label put the Seattle scene on the map in the late 1980s on its way to becoming one of the most influential indie labels of all time. Founded in 1986 by Jonathan Poneman and Bruce Pavitt, the creator of the Subterranean Pop fanzines and underground mixtapes, Sub Pop soon issued the debut releases from Green River, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, and – most significantly – Nirvana. Along the way, Sub Pop became the model for how indie labels do business, innovating through use of singles clubs and intentionally limiting pressings of new songs to create demand. Though less of an indie now (the founders sold a 49 percent stake to Warner Bros. in 1995), the independent record labels remains successful with prominent indie bands such as Fleet Foxes, The Postal Service, The Shins, and WolfParade.

9. Dischord

Independent Record Labels Details

Founded in 1980 by Fugazi and Minor Threat frontman Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson to release Minor Disturbance by The Teen Idles, Dischord might be the label on this Top 13 that most personifies the term independent. Following a true do-it-yourself ethic, this Washington D.C. based label has self-produced and released albums by some of the most influential indie rock and punk bands of all time, including Fugazi, Hoover, Shudder to Think, Jawbox, and Nation of Ulysses. And unlike many independent record labels, Dischord has never even distributed its releases through major labels.

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However, an expensive camera doesn’t make a photographer especially if you are a beginner. It would actually be better to start off with Digital SLR cameras that are easy to operate.

Click here for a list of some of the greatest photographers of all time.

10. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V

This is a compact camera an ideal first camera to young kids who are too young know the value of an SLR but are fond of taking photos. This is a really good cheap digital camera.

Best Digital Camera Deals Features:

• Big preview frame
• 16x optical zoom lens
• Interface is user-friendly
• 3D shooting and viewing capacity

Price: $348.00

9. Canon PowerShot S95

This Canon Digital Camera is a compact one, it’s point and shoot which is perfect for those who has absolutely no creative bone in their body. However this is pretty good for a cheap digital camera.

What makes this a great Digital Camera Deal?

• Ability to shoot in darker place because of the f/2.0 aperture and ISO of up to 12800
• 10.0 Megapixel which means you can print your images in poster sizes
• Shooting with flash without distorting the color of the image being capture
• Has a wide-angle function
• Can shoot videos with stereo sound
• Can track movine objects being shot

8. Nikon D7000

Great Digital Camera Deal Features:

• You can put and use two SD cards, more photos to take.
• Takes clear photos even at night or places with low light because of the ISO goes up to 6400./li>
• Control on the Auto ISO
• Great video quality and auto-focus on video mode
• Adjustable microphone volume
• Automatic embedding of the photographer’s name on the image
• Multiple exposure and interval shoowing

Price: $1,200

7. Canon EOS 60D

Best Digital Camera Deals Features:

• Others have articulated LCD but Canon is taking it farther by letting you twist and turn it a full 360 degrees. You can angle it any way you want.
• Built-In wireless flash control
• Control on the Auto ISO
• In-camera image processing, don’t need photoshop to do simple edits
• an external mic, a 3.5mm stereo mini jack with manual audio control
• Automatic embedding of the photographer’s name on the image
• It can automatically straighten the horizon line

Price: $1,100

6. Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Best Digital Camera Deals Features:

• Water resistance: 10 mm rain in 3 minutes
• Fast forward option in play mode
• Auto embedding of photographer’s name in the image
• In-camera image processing: color highlight, light adjustment and others
• 3.9 frames per second continuous shooting

Price: $618.88

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It tells you how consistent these brands are when it comes to their products.

However, for those of you who are on their way to buying their first expensive guitar, below is a list of the brands your can take a look at.

10. Washburn

Best Guitar Brands Description

Washburn is one of the oldest and best guitar brands still in operation. While Washburn first enjoyed popularity during the Delta blues movement of the 1920s, they are still popular among punk and post-rock guitarists.

9. Yamaha

Best Guitar Brands Description

Yamaha is a big multinational corporation was established as a piano and reed organ manufacturer in 1887. Yamaha is a conglomerate and numerous organizations. But the oldest and most well-liked are the musical instruments. Yamaha has grown over the period to turn out to be the world’s largest musical instrument that produces practically all musical instruments as possible. Yamaha guitars are also 1 among the several well-known musical instruments. Yamaha guitar was a fantastic demand in the market, but has lately faced stiff competition from other well-liked counterparts. Nevertheless, Yamaha guitars are still 1 of the most popular guitars in the world.

8. Danelectro

Best Guitar Brands Description

. While looked upon by some consumers as a bargain label, one of the best guitar brands, Danelectro got its start as an extremely high-end manufacturer for guitarists like Pete Townsend back in the ‘60s. Today, Danelectro makes top-notch reissues at great prices, and still makes impressive custom guitars for those that can afford it.

7. Takamine

Best Guitar Brands Description

Takamine is a Japanese guitar manufacturer based in Nakatsugawa, Gifu, Japan. Takamine is known for its steel-string guitars.
The company was founded in May 1962; in 1978 they were one of the first companies to introduce acoustic-electric models, where they pioneered the design of the preamp-equalizer component.

6. Ovation

Best Guitar Brands Description

Ovation guitars are differentiated by their composite synthetic bowl, rather than the traditional wooden back and sides of the modern acoustic guitar as produced by luthiers starting in the late 18th century. Ovation has also produced solid body electric guitars and active basses.
Developed starting in 1965 with the first playable guitar number 006 built by Gerry Gardner and introduced as the ‘Balladeer’ in February, 1966, Ovations reached the height of their popularity in the 1980s, where they were more often than not seen during live performances by touring artists if acoustic guitars were being played. Ovation guitars’ synthetic bowl and early use (1971) of preamps, onboard equalization and piezo pickups were particularly attractive to live acoustic musicians who constantly battled feedback problems from the high volumes needed in live venues.
Since the 1980s they have remained popular with studio musicians, but are less frequently seen on stage.

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One of the best things you can do right now is to build your portfolio. You can put up a website and put your different works there so that whenever you find a job you want to apply for, you can just direct them to your site. You can also just try and get as much projects as you wan even if it means going for low-paying jobs.

When you are ready, you can go and give these a try.

10. Ellery Queen s Mystery Magazine

Description: Publishes every kind of mystery short story: the psychological suspense tale, the deductive puzzle, the private eye case-the gamut of crime and detection from the realistic, etc.
Submission Guidelines
Country USA
Pay Pays $0.05 to $0.08 per word.

9. Entrepreneur Magazine

Description: A small business magazine that accepts freelance submissions for features and the following columns: Money, Marketing, Management, Technology, Viewpoint, and miscellaneous short articles for the Edge section.
Submission Guidelines
Country USA
Pay $1 per word

8. Family Fun Magazine

Description Monthly magazine for families with children ages 3 to 12,
Submission Guidelines
Country USA
Pay $1.25 per word

7. Funny Times

Description: Liberal monthly humor review that covers almost anything that can be funny including politics, news, relationships, food, technology, pets, work, death, environmental issues, business, religion, and anything else relating to the general human condition.
Submission Guidelines
Country USA
Pay Pays $60 per story.

6. Glimmer Train

Description: Quarterly literary fiction journal offering short stories by luminaries and new authors. Generally contains 8-12 new stories in each issue.
Submission Guidelines
Country USA
Pay Pays $500 per story

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Some authors do get published without an agent. Neil Gaiman, one of the most successful graphic novelist of all time, already had 3 works published before he got published.

However, not everyone is a Neil Gaiman. Might actually do you some good to go and get one.

10. Kelly Sonnack

Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency
1155 Camino Del Mar, PMB 515
Del Mar, CA 92014
* Queries by postal mail only.
Submission Guidelines: Send first 50 pages, double spaced and single sided, accompanied by a 1-2 page synopsis and SASE. If submitting a picture book, send entire manuscript and SASE. Do not send original art.

9. Rob McQuilkin

Lippincott Massie McQuilkin
80 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1101
New York, NY 10011
www.lmqlit.com

8. Bob Mecoy

Creative Book Services
66 Grand Street, #1
New York, NY 10013 bob.mecoy@gmail.com
* This agent accepts queries

7. Gretchen Stelter

Baker’s Mark Literary Agency
PO Box 8382, Portland, OR 97207

http://www.bakersmark.com/

info@bakersmark.com

6. Jenoyne Adams

Levine Greenberg Literary Agency, inc.
307 Seventh Avenue, Suite 2407
New York, New York 10001

http://www.levinegreenberg.com

jadams@levinegreenberg.com

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2. Top 10 Literary Agents for New Authors Part 2
3. Top 10 Literary Agents in New York Part 2

Somehow, even when people found they had no money left, they had enough to buy this stuff. These things are the perfect inventions. It’s simple and it makes you a shitload of money.

Below are some of the simplest but most profitable inventions ever to have graced our history books.

10. Push Pins

Mr. Edwin Moore in 1900 with only $112.00 started a new company making push pins. He would make the push pins during the afternoon and evening and sell them the next day for $2.00.

9.Rubber Bands

Rubber bands were invented by Stephen Perry in 1845 under the banner of Messers Perry & Co, England. He invented rubber band through vulcanized rubber. Ever since that day it has become an integral part of our offices. Whenever we want to bind something the first solution we think of is rubber band.

8. Paper Clip

Other important things without which our office stationary cannot be completed are paper clips. This amazing invention is a brain child of John Vaaler a Norwegian patent clerk in 1890. He created one through having a paper clip of “two tongues” and thin spring-steel wire with two square ends. Vaaler originated his invention first in Germany and then later in USA in 1901. Although the current shape of paper clip was designed by William Middlebrook of Waterbury, USA in 1899.

7. Straws

This amazing piece of discovery came from Marvin Stone in 1888 AD. At first he winded a piece of paper around a pencil and glued it. Then he replaced the paper with paraffin-coated Manila paper so that straws do not become soggy. After several failed attempts he came to the conclusion that its length should be 8 inches and diameter just enough to avoid any seeds. Thanks to Marvin, we can now drink more conveniently.

6. Ropes

Ropes were first used by Ancient Egyptians somewhere around 3500BC. Ropes at that time was made from silk fibers, animal fur etc. Idea of making a rope came from vines. Twisting these vines made their way to the discovery of ropes. Today ropes are widely used in mountain climbing, construction and of course tighten stuff.

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Never pay to get published and never give your entire manuscript unless the agent asks for it.

Write an initial query letter. Go search the net for a sample of a literary letter query letter.

10. Daniel Lazar

21 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10010
(212) 685-2400
(212) 685-1781 (fax)

http://www.writershouse.com

As per his site:

I’m always on the lookout for distinct fiction and great, lively non-fiction. I represent adult and children’s books (and for children’s books, I focus mainly on middle grade and YA). For fiction, I love stories that introduce me to new worlds — or even better, recreate the ones I may already know. I also especially love historical fiction of all kinds. For non-fiction, I enjoy memoirs, narrative non-fiction, all stripes and studies of pop-culture, and even small gifty books that strike my fancy and make me smile. I’m a huge fan of graphic novels and memoirs. And as the oldest child of six who has changed many, many diapers in his life, I’m equally intrigued by any book with unique views on parenting and family life.

9. Sam Stoloff

ss@goldinlit.com

His clients include Monika Bauerlein, Susan Bordo, Pratap Chatterjee, Cliff Conner, Daniel Duane, Shelley Fisher Fishkin, Susanne Freidberg, Bruce Grierson, Jean Harfenist, Deborah Harkness, Mary Hays, Kristin Henderson, Mike Hudson, Anna Lappe, Stephanie Mencimer, Carla Peterson, Gretchen Reynolds, and Siva Vaidhyanathan.

8. Victoria Sanders

Victoria Sanders & Associates
241 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 11H
New York, NY 10014
queriesvsa@hotmail.com

After receiving her BFA from New York University, and earning her J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Victoria Sanders worked in the Legal & Contracts department at Simon & Schuster. Realizing that she could satisfy her taste for the art of the deal and her desire to be involved in the creative end of book development as a literary agent, Ms. Sanders trained as an assistant in two top New York City agencies before founding her own, Victoria Sanders & Associates, in 1992. A literary agent for well over a decade, she counts among her illustrious clients the New York Times and internationally bestselling thriller author, Karin Slaughter, whose last five thrillers have debuted on the London Times, New York Times, Der Spiegel and Dutch Bestseller Lists and two American Book Award winners (Jeff Chang and Cecelie Berry). She takes great pride in the work she does on behalf of her prestigious client, the Zora Neale Hurston Trust, ensuring that the literary giant perseveres in the canon. Ms. Sanders represents a multi-cultural roster of clients, who offer diverse styles, viewpoints, and storytelling. She finds it most rewarding discovering, fostering, and ushering great new voices into publication.

7. Gail Ross

1666 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 500 Washington, D.C. 20009

Phone: (202) 328-3282 | Fax: (202) 328-9162

Gail represents a variety of important commercial nonfiction. She and her team work closely with first-time authors and have earned a reputation in the industry for providing rigorous, enthusiastic editorial guidance at all stages of the publishing process. Through the agency’s blog and regular happy hours, she also encourages her writers to view themselves as members of a literary community, helping each other toward success.

Gail is also a media lawyer with Lichtman, Trister & Ross, where she advises individuals, companies, and non-profits on copyrights, publishing, new media, and licensing.

6. Vicky Bijur

Twitter: @VBLA

Assistant: Claire Dunnington
assistant@vickybijuragency.com

Vicky Bijur started her agency in 1988 after working at Oxford University Press and with the Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency. She represents fiction and non-fiction. Books she represents have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List, in the New York Times Notable Books of the Year, Los Angeles Times Best Fiction of the Year, Washington Post Book World Rave Reviews of the Year, and been nominated for the L.A. Times Book Award as well as the National Book Critics Circle Award. Three of her mystery writers have won Edgar awards.

Vicky has served as president of the AAR (Association of Authors’ Representatives), the only organization of literary and dramatic agents in North America. She has been a member of the AAR Royalties Committee since 1993 and is currently Chair of its Ethics Committee .

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But there is badass, then there is the badass. These soldiers are the badass of all badasses. They stared death in the face and gave it a real good middle finger before going their way.

Read their stories.

10. Pfc. Dirk J. Vlug

U.S. Army Private First Class Dirk J. Vlug was a few weeks away from coming home after being stationed in the Philippines during the Japanese war. He was imagining the sweet embrace of his family while listening to some sweet music to which he wants to dance to with some hot chick when he comes home. Then the Japanese tanks appeared and pointed their bombs, guns, tanks and everything that exploded on the American camp.

Vlug didn’t like his daydreaming interrupted so he grabbed his bazooka and single-handedly destroyed five tanks, six rockets, and countless japanese soldiers.

9. Cpl. Samuel Toloza

El Salvadoran Cpl. Samuel Toloza and his 13 comrades got trapped in Najaf, Iraq during a surprise attack. One is dead and twelve were dead, Toloza was the only left with no injury but no ammunition. He was just doing his best not to die when one Iraqi tries to pull one of Toloza’s buddy. It launched Toloza to a berserk. He pulled is mother fuckin’ knife and went into a frenzy killing everyone that dares blink.

You know what? He kept everyone safe using his mother fuckin’ knife until help came.

8. Brian R. Chontosh

First Lieutenant Brian R. Chontosh of the United States Marine Corps. Lt. Chontosh went under heavy machine gun fire with his unit. Sane people would go for cover, right? or at least run away. Chontosh wasn’t sane because he ordered his Humvee driver to DRIVE TOWARDS THE MACHINEGUN FIRE.

When he was close enough, he got off the humvee and killed everyone in sight using his M16A2 service rife, his 9mm pistol as well as two AK-47s he picked up off of dead Iraqis. He killed 20 Iraqis and injured countless more.

7. Sgt. Warren G. H. Crecy

It was 1944 when Crecy went over German lines to rescue some of his POW friends but the Nazis were prepared and nailed his team’s tank. No problem. Crecy jumped out, got a jeep, got his .30 caliber machine gun and started started killing Nazis. And then, he reloaded, rested, and went back the next day to finish what he started.

However, he was out of luck. His jeep got stuck in the mud. He was just gonna walk back to the camp until he saw some US soldiers getting kicked in the ass by the Nazis so he took his machine gun and killed those freakin’ Nazis.

6. LT Zvika Greengold

Zivka Greengold heard fighter jets on the sky on a Jewish holy day. He was smart enough to know that’s not friendly because no one would dare disturb a holy day. So he radioed the situation and he was told, it was war. Syrian troops were assaulting the Golan Heights to the North.

Lieutenant Zvika Greengold went to an army based but he was told there was nothing they can do. He had other ideas. He took charge of his old company and assaulted the Nafah base and found only wounded soldiers. He found himself some tanks, hopped on it and invaded the Syrians with nothing but two battled tanks.

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