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Why would you want to buy a book on writing Ebooks? There seem to be a multitude of freebies on this topic as well as tons of free content available on the web. Well I have found an ebook on this topic, that you definitely want to study and keep. It will become a resourceful referrence tool, that you will want to refer back to on a regular basis. What makes this one so special?

Upon first considering reviewing Dennis Gaskill’s

“Ebook Farming, How to Grow Money Selling your Words and Ideas”

I was skeptical. I thought, this topic is so prolific on the web, why would I want invest money in it. I soon discovered that this wasn’t just an average run of the mill, “How to Get Rich Quickly” ebook.

When I read on his sales page that the book was “”Over 46,000 words! I thought, “wow” he really put his whole heart and soul into this ebook. This is no cheesy little report pretending to be an eBook – there is real substance here. ” I thought, “oh great, I’ll probably have a tough time just reading the whole thing!”

Boy, was I wrong! You will be suprised to learn that Dennis put around 500 hours of research into writing this ebook. An average guy, like you or I, he discovered how to achieve incredible results. He has also created a book, “Web Site Design Made Easy” This book has been printed and is used as college text material around the United States. This all happened to a guy, like you and I, who started out just wanting to make some extra money online.

So why is it so unique, you might say?

It covers every aspect of epublishing that you might stumble across. The ebook contains approximately 2000 links to : research sites, government sites, writing sites, reference sites, search engine sites, plus sites where you can get your ebook listed, reviewed, and set yourself up with merchant credit card accounts cheaply and easily. It also gives some of the best software freeware site links.

Now if that isn’t enough to spark your interest, his chapter titled “My Success Philosophy” is worth the price of the book, all by itself. I have applied his philosophy to my life, and you would not believe what I have accomplished. Not just profit in terms of money, but also desparately needed resources, that have come my way as a result of applying these principles to my life.

A subscriber from my list emailed me with a question. Being a beginner, I wasn’t real confident of the question, I forwarded it to Dennis and his answer was truly awesome. Taking a subject that could be long and boring, Dennis has broken it down into pleasant to read, easily digestable, workable steps. He adds a sense of humor, that brings a smile to your face as you read. He has left no stone unturned, in digging up the resources you need to complete your own information product.

Finding the whole ebook production process a little bit overwhelming myself, I appreciated the way Dennis broke it down in encouraging doable segments. I was skeptical that his book would be any different than others I have scoured over on this subject. But I have to admit, he really put his whole heart and soul into writing this ebook. He truly has the intent of helping out the beginning author with his struggles and doubts. The only thing that could be improved on, in my opinion, is that I found a few outdated links. That is a problem that can occur with any information put out for the web. Like Dorothy from Kansas says, “People come and go so quickly here, ” on the web its the hyperlinks that come and go so fast. )

Upon answering a few emails, I was told he is presently working on an update. I anxiously look forward to seeing what wonderful gems he adds to his upgrade.

You can see the table of contents to his book, at his site: http://lauriemeade.com/boogie

You can also find hotlinks there that give you excerpts from certain chapters, to give you a taste of his writing style.

After having looked at and reviewing several ebooks on this subject, I give a big thumbs up. This ebook is definitely a resource you will want to bookmark on your desktop and refer back to on a regular basis. It is available in both pdf and exe format.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laurie Meade has experience has an Online Ezine Editor. She was Editor in Journalism in college, with an Associate of Arts Degree. Currently she is a WAHM Check out her Blog for more great info and follow the progress she makes toward her dreams.

The clever old Chinese tale has a very strong connotation; the sentiment explained the fact that we believe an occasion a great deal when it is seen. By the way of video production or videography it is possible to record a string of events.

Today in many organisations presentations, video clips are extensively adopted. By utilising video production services it’s possible to offer the crucial info to a number of different possible clients to help allure them. Online Video production is currently utilised for several reasons; however, quite a lot of short format videos and brand related productions are usually developed in order to achieve certain company targets.

Audio video presentations are at present in vogue and thus are used in almost any sort of business activity. Video production companies by & large interact with a certain style of client or a business that looks to produce a short format online video, a presentation or a series of video clips. The total work of video production is carried out by one or two freelancers; nevertheless there are a number of good creative agencies around at the moment. Click here to find out about video production, distribution and marketing services from Vidify.

The input of music composers, cameraman and script writers can also be typical when creating audio video presentations. Furthermore, advertising companies & public relations firms have lately become involved with many aspects of online video distribution.

If you either want to write a book to help others create a better life and boost business or you already have your book nearly finished, you may need book coaching to answer all of your questions “What step to take next?” Many writers think that all they need is a good editor and their book will be ready for publishing and promoting.

Maybe you think you don’t have enough time to write it yourself. You may want a ghost writer to finish the research and get it out.

But you need to start by consulting with a book coach who knows your book category, who your market is, and where to find them. Your book coach also knows what makes up a saleable title and can help guide you to write a great seller by knowing your thesis, your audience, your “tell and sell,” and the correct introduction. When you incorporate these essential “hot-selling” points before you write many chapters, you will then write a compelling, organized, easy-to read page turner.

Don’t hire a ghost writer before you know exactly what you need to write, publish, and promote a great-selling book.

Maybe you have a lot of your book done. You wrote your story, but did you write it for your audience or yourself? Many professionals and business people know their topic well, but may not know the rules for writing a saleable book. Too many “I’s” and linking verbs like “is” and was” slow readers down and bore them because of the lack of action. They put your potential great book down and don’t recommend it to friends or associates.

You already know that word-of-mouth works, yet takes a few years to really get up steam. Many authors quit too soon because they don’t know how or don’t want to promote their book. An experienced book coach can give you the real picture before you put time and money into your book. She can also make you aware of easy marketing and promotion that takes only a few hours a week at home or in the office.

Maybe, you just want to get your book done. An editor can fix your grammar and even your disorganization, but can an editor help you get your book published, and know which way is the best for you?

Think about what you want–a saleable book whose audience will flock to it because it totally helps answer their questions or solves their challenge. Editors are not trained to think about the benefits your book will give their audience. They don’t know how to market as you write. Check with your book coach who will point out your brilliance and show you your benefits and features. Because only benefits sell, and most authors think features such as charts, tips, interview, pictures, or quotes.

When you don’t know why your audience should buy your book and you can’t tell them in a few sentences either in print or in person, they will back away and keep their wallet or credit card inside their pockets or purse.

Hire your editor after you contact a book coach. When your chapters do not have a consistent format with questions posed as headings and answers following in the copy below, a line editor cannot make your work sell just by changing a few sentences. Even a developmental editor needs format to help make your book the best it can be.

Think of your book as a lifetime profit center. Invest in the service that gives you what you need to sell well. Part two of this article is available.

Judy Cullins: 20-year author, speaker, book coach Helps entrepreneurs manifest their book and web dreams

eBk: “Ten Non-techie Ways to Market Your Book Online”

http://www.bookcoaching.com

To receive FREE “The Book Coach Says…” or Business Tip of the Month go to

http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml

judy@bookcoaching.com

Ph: 619/466/0622

We’ve all heard the normal KISS principle (Keep It Simple
Scholar). When we talk about sales copy, it is important
to keep it simple. It is also important to keep it short.

Let’s briefly take a different view of sales copy.
Perhaps you take the view that sales copy is meant to talk
people into purchasing your product/service. For a moment,
let’s take a different view that it is actually there
to talk people OUT of purchasing your product/service. In
many ways, this latter view is more accurate.

Think about the prospect as she reads your ad copy. They
read a sentence and like what it says. They feel good;
they feel hope that this will be the answer to one of their
problems. They read another sentence. It affirms the first
and they feel more excited. They are ready to buy, but there
is more ad copy. They read on. The third sentence doesn’t
really apply to their specific problem. Perhaps they start
to lose a bit of that excitement. Then the fourth sentence
completely alienates them. They aren’t part of THAT group
of people (perhaps you were selling a fitness product and the
fourth sentence was related to weight-loss). They turn the
page or click the BACK button or close the browser. You’ve
lost them.

If your ad copy stopped after the first two lines, you would
have made the sale. Start reading your ad copy in this way.
Normally, each sentence is viewed as the sentence the
potentially “sells” them. In reality, usually your prospect
is reading each sentence looking for a reason NOT to buy.
Start editing your ad copy to eliminate all of those potential
reasons. In general, strive to make your ad copy as short as
possible.

Not a believer yet? Let me give you some real-life examples
that lead me to this conclusion. In the early days, I would
test click-thru rates using a variety of sales copy. I
would try a paragraph against another paragraph. This is
where I fist noticed that shorter is better. The shorter
paragraphs almost always outperformed the longer paragraphs.
This is true for both the click-thru rate and the overall
amount of revenue generated over a period of time.

I finally tested this conclusion all the way to it’s logical
extreme… Yep; a single word outperforms two words almost
every time. I now use this concept to build traffic for
others. I draw in the largest potential group of customers
by using a single word. I then show them a full paragraph
describing my customer’s exact product/service to narrow that
group down to the perfectly targeted visitors to send along
to my customer. The others are given other choices so that
I can make some other use of them.

Need more proof? Try it yourself. Create a link on your
site that says something like: “For the least expensive
high quality widgets, click here”. Obviously, change
the “widgets” to something you want to actually sell. Also
make sure you use some method to track click-thru rates and
sales. Expose that link to a test group of visitors and
record your results. Now repeat with the following
progressively shorter phrases:

Least Expensive/high quality widgets
Least Expensive Widgets
Cheap Widgets
Widgets

In almost all cases, you will find that your click-thru rate
will increase as the phrase becomes shorter. In most cases,
you’ll also notice that the total revenue will increase as
well. Your revenue per click will level off at some point.
This is the point of most efficiency.

Try the same exercise with your one-page sales letter. Start
off with 10 paragraphs and slowly start to eliminate the
least useful paragraphs. You should notice the same effect.
Eventually, your revenue per visitor will level off and tell
you that the remaining paragraphs all say essential things
to sell your product. Then you can start trimming out
sentences. finally individual phrases and words.

The goal is to tell your prospects enough about your
product/service that they are ready to buy and NOTHING MORE.
Anything more than these essentials is just going to convince
them that your product/service isn’t right for them.

Of course, you must be sure to tell them the essentials so
that they make an informed decision. This isn’t a call to
be dishonest by leaving out essential information. It is
actually a call to be more honest by leaving out extraneous
information that would confuse and drive away potential
customers.

About the Author

James D. Brausch, is the Vice President of
Marketing for Target Blaster, Inc., an Internet Marketing
firm specializing in targeted traffic.
http://www.TargetBlaster.com

The Hottest Word on the Web

Did you know marketing people and copywriters are developing a science about writing for readers in this new medium called the Web? In fact, they use carefully selected words to catch a reader’s attention. Here are a few:

• New
• True
• Authority
• Sexual
• Guaranteed
• Bonus
• First
• Quick
• Now
• Catch
• Fast
• Personal
• Spiritual
• Success
• Free

These words are not in any order of importance or frequency. If you have been surfing the Web for any length of time you will see these words a lot. I have intentionally omitted the BIG word on the Web until now. Most web usability experts, agree the word with the strongest appeal is…YOU! Yes, YOU is the hottest word on the Web.

Tune in to WIIFM

You probably don’t write ad copy for a large advertising agency but you can still learn from what they know. It’s agreed by many marketers that most people are listening to WIIFM in their heads. What’s WIIFM? It means “What’s In It For Me?” That’s right; people want to know, “What will I get?” out of a large banner ad on a web site or even the little article you worked so hard to write.

People really don’t care, and really don’t want to know, you spent half the night writing your heart out. They only want to know what they will get out of your article. You need to tell them or you won’t get their attention.

Write to Connect

Let’s look at how you can write to connect with readers on the Web. Let’s take a phrase and rewrite it.

“Writing for the Web is easy once a few things about readers are recognized.”

This is not a bad sentence; it just lacks a hook to pull the reader in. The hook is only one word; YOU. Let’s rewrite it.

“You can write for the Web! It’s easy when you recognize a few things about your readers.”

Okay, this may not be the greatest sentence in the world. But the question is, “Did you feel pulled into the sentence?” You probably did because of that one word, YOU. Writing to connect with your readers on the Web means using one word, YOU, repeatedly and without apology.

Remember YOU is, and always will be, important to your reader. Write for YOU and you will connect with your readers. It’s all about YOU! Write to connect with YOU and you will write to inspire sales and your writing career!

Copyright 2002 © Glenn White.

Glenn White is a freelance writer, editor and content manager at his web site for Inspirational and Christian writers at: http://www.WriteToInspire.com

editor@writetoinspire.com

Today, April 22, people across the world will be observing Earth Day registering their concern about deteriorating state of environment and pronouncing resolve to arrest the detrimental trend.

On April 22, 1970, Earth Day was first observed in the USA. It was, “one of the most remarkable happenings in the history of democracy…” commented the American Heritage Magazine, in its October 1993 issue.

What is the purpose of Earth Day? How did it start? These are the questions most frequently asked. Actually, the idea for Earth Day evolved over a period of seven years starting in 1962. For several years, it had been troubling Senator Gaylord Nelson that the state of US environment was simply a non-issue in the politics of the country. Finally, in November 1962, an idea occurred to Nelson that was, he thought, a virtual cinch to put the environment into the political “limelight” once and for all. The idea was to persuade President Kennedy to give visibility to this issue by going on a national conservation tour. He flew to Washington to discuss the proposal with Attorney General Robert Kennedy, who liked the idea. So did the President. The President began his five-day, eleven-state conservation tour in September 1963. For many reasons the tour did not succeed in putting the issue onto the national political agenda. However, it was the germ of the idea that ultimately flowered into Earth Day.

Nelson, continued to speak on environmental issues to a variety of audiences in some twenty-five states. All across US, evidence of environmental degradation was appearing everywhere, and everyone noticed except the political establishment. The environmental issue simply was not to be found on the nation’s political agenda. The people were concerned, but the politicians were not.

Six years had passed before the idea that became Earth Day occurred to Senator Nelson, while on a conservation speaking tour out West in the summer of 1969. At the time, anti-Vietnam War demonstrations, called “teach-ins,” had spread to college campuses all across US. Nelson took this opportunity — why not organise a huge grassroots protest over what was happening to our environment?

He was convinced that if he could tap in the environmental concerns of the general public and infuse the students’ anti-war energy into the environmental cause, he could generate a demonstration that would force this issue onto the political agenda. It was a big gamble, but worth a try.

Then, at a conference in Seattle in September 1969, he announced that in the spring of 1970 there would be a nationwide grassroots demonstration on behalf of the environment and invited everyone to participate. The wire services carried the story from coast to coast. The response was electrifying. It took off like gangbusters. Telegrams, letters, and telephone inquiries poured in from all across the country. The American people finally had a forum to express concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes, and air — and they did so with spectacular exuberance. For the next four months, two members of his Senate staff, Linda Billings and John Heritage, managed Earth Day affairs out of his Senate office.

Five months before Earth Day, on Sunday, November 30, 1969, The New York Times carried a lengthy article by Gladwin Hill reporting on the astonishing proliferation of environmental events: “Rising concern about the environmental crisis.

END

Billy is a columnist & researcher from Bangladesh. He writes regularyly in English dailies in Bangladesh and overseas, both for print and electronic media. Billy is seeking a media agent to sell and promote his columns and articles on mutual understanding. More interested in copy editing and proof reading. services available at competative rate.

E-MAIL: thewritingtable@yahoo.com

WEBSITE: http://www.writesight.com/writer/Billy

PHONE: 880-02-9138027

The need for organizations to monitor and control Internet usage in the workplace should be an accepted fact of doing business in a cyber-connected world. Statistics indicating that 30 to 40 percent of Internet use in the workplace is unrelated to work issues should come as no surprise. Neither should the report that 90 percent of employee computers harbor as many as 30 spyware programs. In fact, studies indicate that companies may be incurring average costs of $5,000 per year per employee in lost productivity due to Internet abuse. Other data suggest that as much as 72% of employees are downloading music and video clips, eroding bandwidth and leaving networks open to spyware and other malicious agents.

As these dramatic statistics show, the need for organizations to manage their Internet access should be a baseline requirement. But how do organizations choose from the wide range of filters available to them? Perhaps one of the first decisions they will to make is between a software-based filtering solution and dedicated filtering appliance.

Both appliance and software-based options offer standard functionality — they monitor Internet activity, block site access, automatically enforce corporate Acceptable Usage Policy guidelines and report inappropriate behavior. However, upon closer examination, there are some important and compelling reasons to choose an appliance-based solution.

An overview of the advantages of an appliance over software when it comes to handling your organization’s Internet access include these basic five categories:

• Security
• Stability
• Accuracy & Reliability
• Maintenance
• TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)

Because software-based filtering solutions must integrate with your OS, you cannot be assured that the complexity will not cause security and stability problems. Filters that are software-based can degrade performance because they share resources with their hosts and performance degradation can increase in conjunction with load. It’s hard to scale a software-based filter because more users create increased loads on the host systems. A dedicated Internet filtering appliance uses pass-by technology to check website and IM requests against a list that is updated automatically. If the request matches a name on the list that is not allowed, a denial is sent back to the requester and no bandwidth is utilized.

The dedicated resource of an appliance and its pass-by technology will prevent network slowdowns as well as single-points of failure on the system. The accuracy and reliability of an appliance-based Internet filter is maintained through fluid updates to the system. Software has to ‘check’ every single request, creating a bottleneck that it is a single point of failure. If the bottleneck becomes overwhelmed or crashes, no Internet traffic will be able to pass into or out of the company.

In terms of time and cost, a dedicated Internet filtering appliance requires less maintenance than a software-based filtering system. The database is maintained on the appliance filtering device, where it can be updated automatically with new sites, protocols and even port activities in order to block port-hopping servers. Software filters require manual updates and again, require all traffic to travel through that one single point of failure.

The cost of maintaining both is measured by what each type of service provides. While investing in an Internet filtering appliance may not be feasible for a very small company with only a handful of employees, software based programs are not scaled for handling large loads. The costs of failing software filters are more likely to impact a company’s revenues than the investment in an Internet filtering appliance.

The ultimate task of a Web filter is to filter both incoming and outgoing Internet traffic. The Web filtering solution you choose must be able to protect employees from visiting sites that do not match the Acceptable Usage Policy while also protecting the company from the financial, legal and security ramifications of employee Internet activity. An appliance-based Internet filter protects a company’s assets, reputation, employees and their bandwidth in one package.

iPrism internet filters and web filters provide internet monitoring and network security. http://internet-filters.stbernard.com

So many things about weddings have become traditions. We follow them because… well, that’s how weddings that we’ve seen growing up have been done. Question is: do these traditions really contribute to the ultimate wedding or are they nothing more than superstitions? Are they nothing more than outdated habits?

Here is one wedding tradition that still has merit…

On the day of the wedding, the bride is asked to wear or carry something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. This tradition is a simple process and a sweet way for the women of the bride’s family, particularly the bride’s mom, to acknowledge the changing status of the bride and to show their love and support. This is actually good for helping to calm those wedding jitters.

Usually the “something old” takes the form of some personal items given from mother to daughter, sometimes as accessories that the bride is to wear on the day such as a necklace or earrings.

The “something new” stands for the new family that is about to be formed, and bracelets are a common choice for this.

The “something borrowed” is supposed to come from a happily married women. By lending the bride something to use on her wedding day, they also lend some of their married bliss to carry into their new family.

Last, but not least, is the “something blue”. The color is associated with purity and modesty. While the color is pretty, it doesn’t quite go with all the white. Perfect solution: it is common nowadays to have a blue and white garter.

Now isn’t that a wedding tradition worth keeping when you tie the knot?

Wedding invitations are the focal point of your wedding stationery, providing the first glimpse into the style and formality of the wedding. While save-the-dates can be flirty and fun, your invitations will be a true reflection of your event. Plan your wedding invitations with care with my complete wedding invitation planning guide.

The Anatomy of a Wedding Invitation

Wedding Invitations can include a number of enclosures, depending on the nature of your wedding and your stationery budget. (obviously more enclosures means higher costs)

• Outer envelope: Holds all enclosures, formally addressed to the recipient.

• Inner envelope: Holds all contents of the formal, third-person invitation for protection during shipping.

• Reception card: Specifies where and when the reception will be held – usually included only if the ceremony and reception take place at different locations.

• Response card: On which your guests indicate acceptance or regrets. In self-addressed stamped envelope. Make sure to include an RSVP deadline.

• Map/Directional: Optional insertion to help guests navigate and arrange for accommodations

Cost & Budget Considerations

Before you go shopping, become familiar with the invitation printing process and lingo; this will help you determine your needs in advance and avoid unnecessary costs. Price is determined per invitation, so if your guest list is huge – be prepared to designate a significant portion of your budget to wedding invitations. Costs can range anywhere from $1-$50 each. Bulky papers, colored inks and unique graphics all increase the cost. Custom designs can also be pricey. Printing options also affect the cost.

Invitation Printing Options:

• Engraving – most formal and most expensive – results in raised print that is pressed through the back

• Thermography – less expensive than engraving – results in raised print that does not press through the back

• Lithography – less expensive than either engraving or theromography – results in print that is neither raised nor pressed through

• Laser printing – the least expensive option. – produced on a laser printer and results in print similar to that of lithography.

When factoring total costs, don’t forget to consider postage as part of your budget, including stamps for the response card envelopes. Looking for ways to save? Keep your design simple, sticking to one color. Use lighter weight papers and include less inserts. Use response postcards instead of cards with envelopes.

Trends

As with all other aspects of your wedding, your invitations give you an opportunity to reflect a particular color, theme, and/or season of your wedding. During the spring, include pressed flowers or a flower blossom motif featuring the colors of your wedding. Hot right now is Asian-inspired floral motifs or anything 3D that adds texture. For the fall, incorporate warm, colorful leaves. For a summer wedding, feature seashells and starfish with brilliant ocean-blues or sunset-orange/reds. And for the winter, incorporate snowflakes on a simple white invitation.

Other popular suggestions range from unique color combinations and patterns, to ribbons or other clever themed items such as bindings. Many couples are going back to the traditional, formal look and featuring both sets of initials as monograms on the cover, but what’s even hotter is a creative logo or historic family seal. Whatever you decide, make your invitations innovative and unique to your personal style and wedding!

Tips, Rules & Etiquette

• When to send them – send wedding invitations 6-8 weeks before the big day. (if you think your guests will need more advanced notice, send save-the-date cards as well) Try to order invitations 3-4 months in advance to ensure they go out on time.

• How many to order – Order about 25% more than the number of guests you’re inviting – you’re bound to make mistakes or make last minute additions.

• Consider hiring a calligrapher for an added touch of elegance. (this is the first impression of your wedding!) Make sure to factor in the additional timing to ensure your invitations go out on time. Many rules apply to wording and addressing invitations. Here are some of the basics to ensure yours are “faux pas-free”:

Invitation Wording Etiquette

• Dates and times should be spelled out (half after four o’clock in the evening, not 4:30pm, and the twenty-second of April, not April 22)

• Mr. and Mrs. are abbreviated and Jr. may be, but the title Doctor should be spelled out

• No punctuation is used, except after abbreviations and between the city and state.

• An invitation to just the wedding ceremony does not include an R.S.V.P

• “Hosting” the wedding can mean anything from a set of parents helping to plan the event, inviting the guests, or covering the costs:

If there is one set of hosts, list their names at the beginning.

If both sets are hosting, list on separate lines with bride’s parents first.

If one set is hosting but you want to include the other set as well, note their names under their son/daughter’s name.

If you are hosting your own wedding, begin with the request line and state parent’s relationship under your name.

If you and both sets of parents are hosting, list your names first followed by “together with their parents” before the
request line.

Addressing Etiquette

• No abbreviations, except for Mr., Mrs., Ms., and Jr. States must also be spelled out.

• If one of your single guests is bringing a date that you know personally, send that person a separate invitation instead of including “& Guest” on the inner envelope.

• If you are unable to obtain the name of a single friend’s guest – indicate on the inner envelope that they may bring a guest – NOT on the outer envelope. (this looks awkward)

• Unmarried couples who live together should receive one invitation, where their names are listed in alphabetical order and on their own lines.

• Invited guests who are living together as roommates, not couples, should each receive their own invitation.

• List the names of children under the age of 18 who still live at home on the inner envelope instead of “& Family” which can be very ambiguous and easily misinterpreted. Children over the age of 18 should receive their own invitation, regardless of their living situation.

• The traditional, married couple recipient should follow this format:

Mr. & Mrs. Ryan Parker

2211 First Street, Apartment 3

San Diego, California 92109

Wedding Invitation Wording Samples

Gone are the days when wedding etiquette mandated that the bride’s parents, and the bride’s parent’s only, hosted the wedding. Today anyone can foot the bill, and with modern familial arrangements often anything but nuclear, there is no straightforward rule for wording invitations. We’ve sorted through the confusion to bring you wording samples for the most common arrangements:

Simple, Traditional Format

[proper names of those hosting] (official hosts line)
request the honour of your presence (request line)
at the marriage of their [relationship of the bride to the host]
[bride's first and middle names]
to
[groom's full name],
the [day of the week] of [day and month of wedding]
at [hour] o’clock in the [time of day] at
[name of wedding venue] in
[city, state]
Reception to follow

Divorced Parents

[proper name of host]
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of [his/her] [relationship of the bride to the host]

Or, if parent is remarried and hosting with new spouse:

[proper names of those hosting]
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of [his/her] [relationship of the bride to the host]

Or, if divorced parents are mutually hosting:

[proper name of mother]
and
[proper name of father]
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their [relationship of the bride to the host]

When the bride’s one living parent is hosting
The invitation is issued only in the name of the living parent:

Mr. [Mrs.] Jonathan Stephen Smith and Timothy Wright
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of his [her] daughter
Elizabeth Ann

When the Bride and Groom host

The honour of your presence
is requested
it the marriage of
Miss Ashley Johnson
to
Mr. Paul Wilkins

OR

Miss Ashley Johnson
and
Mr. Paul Wilkins
request the honour of your presence
at their marriage

Alternative “Request Line” Options

• “pleasure of your company”

• “honor of your presence” (used instead of the formal “honour” when ceremony does not take place in a house of worship)

• “share and celebrate in their joy” another creative idea that reflects the theme and tone of your wedding

For a complete guide to creating an elegant and memorable wedding celebration, visit http://www.elegala.com/, your ultimate wedding planning resource.

Cori Locklin is editor-in-chief for http://www.elegala.com/ and Elegala Magazine. Elegala is a new wedding planning resource offering the most comprehensive portfolio of superior wedding reception sites and wedding services, along with planning tips, photo galleries and checklists to keep brides in-the-know on today’s wedding trends and styles.

How good is the quality of your marriage right now? Your answer will depend in large part on the quality of the habits you and your spouse practice.

We are all creatures of habit. Habits are those patterns of behavior that you’ve learned to the point where they are automatic and unconscious. The tone of your marriage is largely set by habitual ways you and your spouse think and behave with each other.

Have you ever stopped to really look at the habits you use in relating to your spouse? Probably not, unless someone has asked you this question before. Most of us behave on automatic pilot, without taking time to consider if we should do things differently.

Think about it. What is your automatic reaction when you disagree with something your spouse says? How does he (or she) normally respond when he gets angry with you? Do you use sarcasm or put downs? Or do you typically listen with respect, even when you disagree? Do you criticize your spouse often? Or do you focus on what he’s doing right and compliment him for it?

Whatever exactly happens in your marriage, you’ll notice that certain patterns are repeated over and over again. The habits that you and your spouse have adopted play a major role your relationship and can determine its ultimate success or failure. The good habits can affirm and sustain your marriage; bad habits can destroy it.

The good news is that even if your marriage is going downhill, or it’s not where you’d like it to be, chances are it could be improved by reevaluating the habits you and your spouse have adopted in relating to each other.

You’ve heard the saying “What goes around comes around?” In Eastern philosophy, it’s known as the Law of Karma. It basically says that you get what you sow.

This is true in a marriage as well. Regarding habits, this means that if you can identify and work on changing your own habits that cause disharmony and conflict in your marriage into ones that engender love and respect, your spouse will be more likely to respond in kind.

You can start doing three things to strengthen marriage-enriching habits:

1. Make goodwill deposits. The idea here is that couples have emotional “bank accounts” with each other.

Whenever you do something nice for your partner you are making a goodwill deposit with that person. But when you do something irritating you are making a goodwill withdrawal.

Deposits can be strokes of affection, a gesture of respect, an acknowledgement for something the other has done, or a sincere compliment to the other person.

2. Chose alternate words. When you’re angry with your spouse, substitute “I” statements for “you” statements.

For example, instead of saying “You make me furious when you come home late,” say “I get furious when I have dinner waiting and don’t know that you’re going to be late.”

“You” statements come across as more accusing and attacking. When you choose “I” statements instead, you are taking full responsibility for your feelings. You do less harm to the relationship by avoiding personal attacks on your spouse.

3. Take responsibility for your part in any conflict. Say the words “I’m sorry for my part in what happened” whenever you have a chance to make up after a fight.

Whatever the situation, in saying these words, you acknowledge that every argument has two sides and that each of you share the responsibility for what happens in the marriage. Humility goes a long way in patching things up.

Even if your partner doesn’t take responsibility for his (or her) part in things, set a healthy example by your actions.

The simple act of being open to changing your own habitual behavior requires courage. But the rewards can be substantial.

You may find the quality of your marriage spirals upward to heights you never imagined. And while forming better relationship habits takes some effort, the results feel so good that they become addictive.

You condition yourself and you condition the relationship itself in a way that becomes habit forming when it feels that good.

The following passage by an anonymous author expresses the enormous power of the habits in your life:

“I am your constant companion. I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden. I will push you onward or drag you down to failure. I am completely at your command. Half the things you do you might just as well turn over to me, and I will be able to do them quickly, correctly.

I am easily managed — you must merely be firm with me. Show me exactly how you want something done, and after a few lessons I will do it automatically. I am the servant of all great people; and alas, of all failures as well. Those who are failures, I have made failures.

I am not a machine, though I work with all the precision of a machine plus the intelligence of a human being. You may run me for a profit or turn me for ruin — it makes no difference to me. Take me, train me, be firm with me, and I will place the world at your feet. Be easy with me and I will destroy you.

Who am I? I am habit.”

Lee Hefner is the co-author of Keep Your Marriage: What to Do When Your Spouse Says “I don’t love you anymore!” This e-book is available at http://www.KeepYourMarriage.com. You can also sign up for the free Keep Your Marriage Internet Magazine to get weekly ideas and support to help you save your marriage.