So you want to write a novel? Great! That's a worthy goal, no matter what your reason. But don't settle for just writing a novel. Aim high. Write a novel that you intend to sell to a publisher. Writing Fiction for Dummies is a complete guide designed to coach you every step along the path from beginning writer to royalty-earning author. Here are some things you'll learn in "Writing Fiction for Dummies" * Strategic Planning: Pinpoint where you are on the roadmap to publication; discover what every reader desperately wants from a story; home in on a marketable category; choose from among the four most common creative styles; and learn the self-management methods of professional writers.* Writing Powerful Fiction: Construct a story world that rings true; create believable, unpredictable characters; build a strong plot with all six layers of complexity of a modern novel; and infuse it all with a strong theme.* Self-Editing Your Novel: Psychoanalyze your characters to bring them fully to life; edit your story structure from the top down; fix broken scenes; and polish your action and dialogue.* Finding An Agent and Getting Published: Write a query letter, a synopsis, and a proposal; pitch your work to agents and editors without fear.Writing Fiction For Dummies takes you from being a "writer" to being an "author." It can happen--if you have the talent and persistence to do what you need to do.

    You can podcast to boost your business, promote your passion, share your opinions, or just have fun. The point is to say what you want to say to those who want to hear it. With step-by-step explanations, screen shots, and tons of examples, this guide clues you in on recording, producing, and hosting your very own podcast with info on:Finding your voice and your niche, whether you want to talk tech, make your own kinds of music, educate listeners, make people laugh, do soundseeing tours, serialize your novel, or invent a new podcasting genre Getting the bare necessities (if you don't already have them), including a microphone, recording software, and an audio card Audio editing software such as Audacity, Cakewalk for PCs, GarageBand for musicality, and Audio HiJack Pro for Macs Recording, including understanding dB (decibel levels), capturing or minimizing ambient noise, and more Editing with GarageBand or Audacity, adding bed music, and including intros and outros for a signature finishing touch You want your podcast to be heard. Podcasting For Dummies helps you launch and promote it with info on how to:Downsize your audio files with MP3 compression Change bit rates and sample rates in Audacity and iTunes Create and edit your ID3 tags in Audacity or iTunes Post your show notes using Movable Type or Libsyn Simplify the RSS 2.0 feed by using blogging software or a podcast-hosting company such as Audioblog.com, Podcastamatic, and Feeder Ping for publicity Communicate with your listeners on your blog, through online discussion groups such as Yahoo! Groups or Google Groups, or on online forums Of course, if you want to be a podcatcher (a listener) and subscribe to podcasts, this guide shows you how to do that, too! Complete with a companion podcast--a free weekly audio commentary that will keep you up to speed on the podsphere--this guide helps you get your message heard, loud and clear.

    You won't need to learn any web programming or turn yourself into a computer geek.What is WordPress?WordPress is a powerful publishing tool that's the single most popular way of publishing websites and blogs. It's used by Fortune 500 companies, startups, small businesses, bloggers and non-profits alike to build a professional presence on the web.Because WordPress lets you add and edit content through a web-based admin area, it's easier to use then you might imagine. In fact, you can build a great-looking site without being a web designer or computer geek. You can edit your website design as much as you like and add new features with a few clicks of the mouse, or you can use the default design for an equally professional-looking site.In plain English, this step-by-step book, written by a WordPress expert, helps you buy a domain name, get web hosting and set up WordPress so you can make a beautiful website or blog.Clear explanations and over 55 images of the admin screens and tools mean you can see exactly how to do all this.What you'll learn in WordPress Step-by-Step*How to choose a great domain name and get professional, reliable hosting * How to install WordPress in a few mouse clicks* How to publish posts and pages with correctly formatted text* How to give your website a professional touch by using images and videos* How to customize the design of your site without needing to be a programmer* How to extend your site even further with "plugins" * How to structure your site so you'll get found by Google* How to keep your website secure * How to solve the most common WordPress problems...and more.There's also a free bonus chapter on getting the first visitors to your site.Plus, the book is packed with links to additional resources and free design themes and plugins to help you build a website on a budget.By the time you've read the book you'll have a unique, professional and easy-to-use website to be proud of - and you'll have created it yourself!Important: This book is currently the most up-to-date WordPress book available on Amazon. Some of the older WordPress books were published more than a year ago - a lot has changed since then. This guide describes how to use the latest version of WordPress (3.5).Whether you want to build a simple website for your company or organization, make money with a blog or a full online store, this non-geek guide will get you online quickly.

    Now, hopes and expectations for JavaScript’s future are considerable.In this insightful report, Dr. Axel Rauschmayer explains how the combination of several technologies and opportunities in the past 15 years turned JavaScript’s fortunes. With that as a backdrop, he provides a detailed look at proposed new features and fixes in the next version, ECMAScript.next, and then presents his own JavaScript wish list—such as an integrated IDE.

    A brand is not just a logo. It is the image your company creates of itself, from your advertising look to your customer interaction style. It makes a promise for your business, and that promise becomes the sticking point for customer loyalty. And that loyalty and trust is why, so to speak, your laptops sell and your competitors' don't. Whatever your business is, whether it's large or small, global or local, Branding For Dummies gives you the nuts and bolts know-how to create, improve, or maintain a brand. This plain-English guide will help you brand everything from products to services to individuals. It gives you step-by-step advice on assembling a top-notch branding team, positioning your brand, handling advertising and promotion, avoiding blunders, and keeping your brand viable, visible, and healthy. You'll get familiar with branding essentials like:Defining your company's identity Developing logos and taglines Launching your brand marketing plan Managing and protecting your brand Fixing a broken brand Making customers loyal brand champions Filled with easy-to-navigate icons, charts, figures, top ten lists, and humor, Branding For Dummies is the straight-up, jargon-free resource for making your brand stand out from the pack--and for positioning your business to reap the ensuing rewards.

    You'll find new chapters covering all the important new features that make .NET 4.5 the most comprehensive release yet, including:.NET APIs for Windows 8 style UI appsNew asynchronous task-based model for async operationsHow HTML5 support is being wrapped into C# web applicationsNew programming interfaces for HTTP applications, including improved IPv6 supportExpanded WPF, WCF and WF libraries giving C# more power than ever beforeThis comes on top of award winning coverage of core C# features, both old and new, that have made the previous editions of this book so popular (you'll find everything from generics to pLINQ covered here).The mission of this text is to provide you with a rock-solid foundation in the C# programming language and the core aspects of the .NET platform (assemblies, remoting, Windows Forms, Web Forms, ADO.NET, XML web services, etc.). Once you digest the information presented in these 25 chapters, you'll be in a perfect position to apply this knowledge to your specific programming assignments, and you'll be well equipped to explore the .NET universe on your own terms.

    This full-color guide will have you blazing through the web, staying entertained with the latest apps and games, watching your favorite TV shows and movies, and, of course, reading magazines, newspapers, and books to indulge all your interests. Whether this is your first tablet or you're upgrading from another device, you'll get to know your Kindle Fire HD and rekindle your love of reading with "Kindle Fire HD For Dummies"!Covers the Kindle Fire HD and original Kindle FireHelps you navigate the interface, customize your settings, get connected, and take advantage of Amazon CloudShows you how to work with the built-in apps and find new ones to to try out from the Amazon AppstoreExplains how to fill your Kindle Fire with cool stuff - from movies and music to videos, photos, apps, e-books, and moreWalks you through using Amazon's incredibly smooth Amazon Silk web browser to find anything you need online and keep in touch with e-mail, Skype, Facebook, and TwitterLight 'er up and unleash the fun with "Kindle Fire HD For Dummies"!

    People both inside and outside the business all depend on a bookkeeper's accurate recordings. Bookkeeping For Dummies provides the easy and painless way to master this crucial art. You'll be able to manage your own finances to save money and grow your business. This straightforward, no-nonsense guide shows you the basics of bookkeeping--from recording transactions to producing balance sheets and year-end reports. Discover how to:Outline your financial road map with a chart of accounts Keep journals of cash transactions Set up your computerized books Control your books, your records, and your money Buy and track your purchases Record sales returns and allowances Determine your employee [is "employee" necessary here?] staff's net pay Maintain employee records Prepare your books for year's end Report results and start over Produce an income statement Complete year-end payroll and reports This guide features tips and tricks for managing your business cash with your books and also profiles important accounts for any bookkeeper. There's no question that bookkeepers must be detail-oriented, meticulous, and accurate. Bookkeeping For Dummies shows you how to keep track of your business's financial well-being and ensure future success!

    You'll learn how to create responsive, data-driven websites with PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript, regardless of whether you already know how to program. Discover how the powerful combination of PHP and MySQL provides an easy way to build modern websites complete with dynamic data and user interaction. You'll also learn how to add JavaScript to create rich Internet applications and websites.Learning PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript explains each technology separately, shows you how to combine them, and introduces valuable web programming concepts, including objects, XHTML, cookies, and session management. You'll practice what you've learned with review questions in each chapter, and find a sample social networking platform built with the elements introduced in this book. This book will help you:-Understand PHP essentials and the basics of object-oriented programming-Master MySQL, from database structure to complex queries-Create web pages with PHP and MySQL by integrating forms and other HTML features-Learn about JavaScript, from functions and event handling to accessing the Document Object Model-Use libraries and packages, including the Smarty web template system, PEAR program repository, and the Yahoo! User Interface Library -Make Ajax calls and turn your website into a highly dynamic environment-Upload and manipulate files and images, validate user input, and secure your applications

    We'll walk you through the key steps for every part of the process, and while it may seem repetitive at times, we want to make sure you have exactly the information you need, when you need it.And don't forget — this is a process! Publishing on Kindle is easy and takes only 5 minutes of your time — but correctly preparing your book for success on Kindle takes time and effort. Don't worry; if you follow the steps we outline here, you should feel confident you'll end up with a successfully designed and formatted book and one you will be proud to see for sale on Amazon.

    Targets beginning to intermediate Excel users seeking real-world examples of how they can use Excel's powerful built-in functions Shows readers how to use Excel functions in formulas to help them decide between buying and leasing a car, calculate mortgage costs, compute grades, evaluate investment performance, figure college expenses, and more Gives explanations and examples of real-world situations Provides an abbreviated discussion of an additional 200 functions Excel commands nearly 90 percent of the market for spreadsheet applications; although this book is written for Excel 2003, the functions described are in earlier versions as well

    Hadoop allowed small and medium sized companies to store huge amounts of data on cheap commodity servers in racks. The introduction of Big Data has allowed businesses to make decisions based on quantifiable analysis. Hadoop is now implemented in major organizations such as Amazon, IBM, Cloudera, and Dell to name a few. This book introduces you to Hadoop and to concepts such as ‘MapReduce’, ‘Rack Awareness’, ‘Yarn’ and ‘HDFS Federation’, which will help you get acquainted with the technology.

    Along with dispelling common myths, it covers nanotechnology's origins, how it will affect various industries, and the limitations it can overcome. This handy book also presents numerous applications such as scratch-proof glass, corrosion resistant paints, stain-free clothing, glare-reducing eyeglass coatings, drug delivery systems, medical diagnostic tools, burn and wound dressings, sugar-cube-sized computers, mini-portable power generators, even longer-lasting tennis balls, and more.Nanotechnology is the science of matter at the scale of one-billionth of a meter or 1/75,000th the size of a human hairWritten in the accessible, humorous For Dummies style, this book demystifies nanotechnology for investors, business people, and anyone else interested in how molecule-sized machines and processes will soon transform our livesInvestment in nanotechnology is exploding, with $3.7 billion in nanotechnology R&D spending authorized by the U.S. government in 2003 and international investment reported at over $2 billion

    It is offered for sale in print format as a convenience.Get a head start evaluating Windows 8.1 - with early technical insights from award-winning journalist and Windows expert Ed Bott. Based on the Windows 8.1 Preview release, this guide introduces new features and capabilities, with scenario-based advice on how Windows 8.1 can meet the needs of your business. Get the high-level overview you need to begin preparing your deployment now.Preview new features and enhancements, including:How features compare to Windows 7 and Windows XP The Windows 8.1 user experience Deployment Security features Internet Explorer 11 Delivering Windows apps Recovery options Networking and remote access Managing mobile devices Virtualization Windows RT 8.1

    Drawing can enrich your life in extraordinary and unexpected ways. Drawing your everyday experiences can change how you and others see the world, while drawing from imagination can give rise to fantastic new worlds. And, despite what you may believe, it's something just about anyone can learn to do. Drawing For Dummies offers you a fun, easy way to learn drawing basics. Its author, professional illustrator and long-time art educator Brenda Hoddinott, has a simple philosophy--that only you can teach you to draw. With that in mind, she arms you with the tools you need to explore the basics and then coaches you through 30 hands-on drawing projects. You'll quicklyConquer the basics of line and shading Develop an eye for basic shapes and contours Discover how to create the illusion of three dimensions Render still-life subjects and landscapes Bring animals and people to vivid life on the page Brenda helps you tune into your right brain and see the world as an artist does. You'll discover how to break things down into basic lines and shapes and then reassemble them on the page. Other topics covered include:Understanding and exercising the basic skills of drawing lines and shapes, adding life and depth with shading, and rendering textures Mastering the fundamentals of composition and planning drawings Creating lifelike doodles and cartoon characters Drawing the natural environment including both plants and animals Keeping a sketchbook and drawing from memory Drawing people, starting with babies and exploring the human face from childhood to old age It's never too late to unleash the artist within. Let Drawing For Dummies put you on the road of discovery and self-expression through drawing.