When editing, you sometimes come across terms and phrases which can momentarily take your breath away - and not because they're creating images of beauty in your mind, but because they're words which you weren't expecting to read.
As an editor, it's your job to protect your writer from unnecessary criticisms, to ensure that their work reflects them, their talents, the message that they're trying to get across. If you don't to this correctly, the text may end up distracting the audience with words or terms which the they may seize upon as offensive, leading them to create a noise which will divert attention from the quality of the writing and the message of the writer.
Please explain?
As publisher of Narrator Magazine, we try to bring a wide variety of creative writings to our audience. To do this, we often have to publish items that we, personally, aren't all that fond of. We also get to publish items that we do find entertaining, amusing, intelligent, or thought-provoking. And we have to publish items that we don't necessarily think are that good, but which we feel the readers should decide.
The aim of Narrator Magazine is to bring unedited works to the table. We don't have the time, nor the resources, to edit these works for free, so we do a light proofread, standardise the formatting as much as we can, then publish.
Sounds simple, but what happens when you read a relatively decent story, but get near the end and come across one of those terms that takes your breath away? How do you decide whether to accept or reject? And do you accept or reject the whole story, or do you cross the line and just edit that little bit? Or do you leave it?
The most recent example which springs to mind was a story, set in Australia, which used the word 'Abo' (short for 'Aboriginal' or 'Aborigine' - the name used for our Indigenous people).
As a child of the 1960s, this was a term we used often. Australians are notorious for shortening any word or name they can, so on reflection, it is not surprising that the word 'Abo' was part of the lexicon.
However, as cultural knowledge and understanding has improved over the decades, this word has all but disappeared from common use. When referring to our Indigenous people now, we use the term 'Aboriginal' or the name of their tribal group, and think nothing of it. And it's funny, you don't realise how far we've come until you're suddenly thrown back to the 1970s with a term you just don't hear these days.
So I'm reading this story when all of a sudden, one character turns to the other and uses the term 'Abo'. I actually felt shock. Seriously - no drama here - I did feel shocked. And then I was disappointed that the writer had chosen to use this term: seriously, how could he risk ruining his story like that? And then I breathed and stepped back and thought it through. The character had said it, not the writer. The character. One character talking to another, privately, under a certain set of circumstances. And in context, it said something about the character, about his background, about the time, perhaps, that the story was taking place. He definitely wasn't a politically correct, indoctrinated city type. He was definitely a down-to-earth no bullshit type, probably educated enough but nothing fancy.
I thought it through and figured that if anything, it would show how far we've come, and that to write honestly, your characters have to be who they are. We can't spit and polish them so that they don't offend anyone - who wants to read what a bunch of cardboard cut-outs might get up to? Good strong writing has real characters, people who are true to themselves, and people who are not necessarily politically correct or culturally sensitive or aware.
And so I left it. I published the magazine, and to date, no one has complained. And I'm hoping it will stay that way, that people will read it for what it is, an added dimension to the character's character, and not as a return to less informed times.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Google's front page: the Holy Grail?
The other day I received yet another telemarketing call from a company offering to get my website on the front page of Google. And I wondered - how much money has been spent in pursuit of this Holy Grail of modern day marketing?
Earlier in the week I'd had a phone call from a client who was being pressured by an online directory that she was listed with to sign up with them for a campaign to get them on the front page of Google. It would only cost her $200 per week. Just $10,000 per year! Poor woman was so stressed about what to do as she just doesn't have $10,000 pa to spare. And what are the guarantees? And what terms would she be on the front page of Google for?
We live in an area which is geographically large, but with a sparse population, so it's very easy for any business in our area to get on the front page of Google. All you need is a few relevant terms in the first 20 words of text on your website and Google will most probably bring you up on the front page. For example, our holding company, Mosher's Business Support, has this as its opening paragraph:
Mosher's Business Support provides proofreading, editing, publishing, word processing (or typing), digital transcription, affordable customised websites, printing, copying, binding and laminating services from their offices in Hazelbrook, in the beautiful Blue Mountains, just west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Now open a Google search page and type in 'proofreading' + 'hazelbrook'. What's the first entry you get? On the day of writing this blog, I get www.moshers.com.au - surprise, surprise! If you Google 'publishing' + 'blue mountains' we are third on the front page list due to our membership of Publish! Blue Mountains, and fifth on the list under our 'MoshPit Publishing' site. We are eighth on the list for 'laminating' + 'blue mountains' and sixth under a free Hotfrog listing for 'printing' + 'blue mountains'.
You might be saying, 'So? Eighth on the list for 'laminating' + 'blue mountains'? Big deal!' Yes, you're right, it's nothing to write home about. But the point I'm making is, we're on the front page of Google, and we didn't pay for this. It happens organically because the text on our website uses words that people are likely to be looking for. And if we spend a bit of time working on the rest of our text and our meta data (behind the scenes text), I'm sure we could bring up a few more front page hits for some of our other services.
But would I pay $10,000 pa to get on the front page of Google? Not unless it meant increased sales of $100,000 pa! And for us, that would be unlikely for our geographical market from this one source.
So how does this relate to our client? She has a physical business located in the same geographical area as us, so it wouldn't be too hard for her site to get on the front page for what she does in the village. And it shouldn't be too hard for this online directory to get her on the front page for what she does in the Blue Mountains. And she has an online shop, so it could be worth it, as it might even bring her to a wider audience - one outside the Blue Mountains which can then add to her sales revenue.
But when I search using the sort of search terms that you would find her business under, there is a bunch of other businesses coming up through directories in her line of business, and free directories, and other businesses of her type using all sorts of relevant search terms to get them in front of people. So how can this other business guarantee that by spending $10,000 she will come up on the front page? And how does she know that they're not taking $10,000 pa from any of the other businesses currently on the front page?
Google's front page has paid ads at the top, then ten unpaid ads underneath. And how do these unpaid ads get there ahead of other unpaid ads? Probably by paying someone for SEO. And is SEO worth it? Well, it depends what you want your website to do. And how you want to do it.
The bottom line, there are SEO experts and there are 'SEO experts', and if you're going to risk your hard earned dollars trying to get on the front page of Google, you want to nail them to a timeline, nail them to the keywords and geographical areas that you want, and get a written guarantee that if they don't do it, they'll refund your money.
And you also want to find out how they plan to do it. Because if it means you end up with a website that just sounds like a sales pitch and you're no longer proud of your website, then is it worth it? At the risk of being unkind, I suggest you Google 'new kitchen sydney'. (Our client does not sell new kitchens, she is in another line of business. I just found new kitchens provided great examples for what I'm talking about.) Sydney is a large geographical area with a multi-million population, so getting on the front page of Google here is a pretty good thing for a kitchen company in the area.
Now scroll down the page and have a look at some of the websites for the companies that land on the front page. In particular, have a look at Designer Kitchens Direct and Brindabella Kitchens. What strikes you about the difference between these two sites? Have a look at the text on Brindabella's - it is laced with the word 'kitchen'. There are 323 words in the body text of this page, and 36 of them are 'kitchen' - more than 10%. How boring!
Now compare that with Designer Kitchens Direct. The text on this page is minimal. In fact, it's full of graphics - pictures of lovely new kitchens just waiting to be chosen for your place! The word 'kitchen' is there, but it's in the meta tags behind the scene, and built in naturally to what little text exists on the front page.
So how is it that when I Googled 'new kitchen sydney' today, Designer Kitchens Direct was higher on the front page of Google than Brindabella Kitchens? Who knows? Maybe Brindabella has been climbing these last few weeks due to new SEO which is doing its job. But how do Brindabella know that the same company hasn't been working for, say, Nobby Kitchens? Admittedly, Nobby's don't have the same volume of text on their landing page, but out of the first 57 words, six of them are 'kitchen'! Again, more than 10%.
And then for comparison, have a look at Kitchen Connection, who appear above Nobby Kitchens as at today's date. Their site is similar to Designer Kitchens Direct - images and limited text.
So which site do you prefer? A site that babbles on using the same word repeatedly and which by the end of the page doesn't really tell you anything that any other kitchen company would be likely to tell you? Or a site that shows you what they can do? And that can still be high up on the front page of Google?
My suggestion is, if you're thinking of paying to get on the front page of Google, list with as many free directories as you can first. Our client is on the front page of Google by belonging to one of these free directories. In fact, the directory she's listed with comes up at the top of the first page, and that's how she gets her sales.
At the same time, have a look at the first 20 words of text on your website's home page and make sure it says what you do and where you do it.
Then, and only then, consider paying to get on the front page. But look at your site, think about how you want to communicate with your potential customers, and make sure that your SEO expert understands this and doesn't just generate your site with a load of keyword specific non-personality stuff that doesn't showcase your business how it is. Unless you're happy with that.
Earlier in the week I'd had a phone call from a client who was being pressured by an online directory that she was listed with to sign up with them for a campaign to get them on the front page of Google. It would only cost her $200 per week. Just $10,000 per year! Poor woman was so stressed about what to do as she just doesn't have $10,000 pa to spare. And what are the guarantees? And what terms would she be on the front page of Google for?
We live in an area which is geographically large, but with a sparse population, so it's very easy for any business in our area to get on the front page of Google. All you need is a few relevant terms in the first 20 words of text on your website and Google will most probably bring you up on the front page. For example, our holding company, Mosher's Business Support, has this as its opening paragraph:
Mosher's Business Support provides proofreading, editing, publishing, word processing (or typing), digital transcription, affordable customised websites, printing, copying, binding and laminating services from their offices in Hazelbrook, in the beautiful Blue Mountains, just west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Now open a Google search page and type in 'proofreading' + 'hazelbrook'. What's the first entry you get? On the day of writing this blog, I get www.moshers.com.au - surprise, surprise! If you Google 'publishing' + 'blue mountains' we are third on the front page list due to our membership of Publish! Blue Mountains, and fifth on the list under our 'MoshPit Publishing' site. We are eighth on the list for 'laminating' + 'blue mountains' and sixth under a free Hotfrog listing for 'printing' + 'blue mountains'.
You might be saying, 'So? Eighth on the list for 'laminating' + 'blue mountains'? Big deal!' Yes, you're right, it's nothing to write home about. But the point I'm making is, we're on the front page of Google, and we didn't pay for this. It happens organically because the text on our website uses words that people are likely to be looking for. And if we spend a bit of time working on the rest of our text and our meta data (behind the scenes text), I'm sure we could bring up a few more front page hits for some of our other services.
But would I pay $10,000 pa to get on the front page of Google? Not unless it meant increased sales of $100,000 pa! And for us, that would be unlikely for our geographical market from this one source.
So how does this relate to our client? She has a physical business located in the same geographical area as us, so it wouldn't be too hard for her site to get on the front page for what she does in the village. And it shouldn't be too hard for this online directory to get her on the front page for what she does in the Blue Mountains. And she has an online shop, so it could be worth it, as it might even bring her to a wider audience - one outside the Blue Mountains which can then add to her sales revenue.
But when I search using the sort of search terms that you would find her business under, there is a bunch of other businesses coming up through directories in her line of business, and free directories, and other businesses of her type using all sorts of relevant search terms to get them in front of people. So how can this other business guarantee that by spending $10,000 she will come up on the front page? And how does she know that they're not taking $10,000 pa from any of the other businesses currently on the front page?
Google's front page has paid ads at the top, then ten unpaid ads underneath. And how do these unpaid ads get there ahead of other unpaid ads? Probably by paying someone for SEO. And is SEO worth it? Well, it depends what you want your website to do. And how you want to do it.
The bottom line, there are SEO experts and there are 'SEO experts', and if you're going to risk your hard earned dollars trying to get on the front page of Google, you want to nail them to a timeline, nail them to the keywords and geographical areas that you want, and get a written guarantee that if they don't do it, they'll refund your money.
And you also want to find out how they plan to do it. Because if it means you end up with a website that just sounds like a sales pitch and you're no longer proud of your website, then is it worth it? At the risk of being unkind, I suggest you Google 'new kitchen sydney'. (Our client does not sell new kitchens, she is in another line of business. I just found new kitchens provided great examples for what I'm talking about.) Sydney is a large geographical area with a multi-million population, so getting on the front page of Google here is a pretty good thing for a kitchen company in the area.
Now scroll down the page and have a look at some of the websites for the companies that land on the front page. In particular, have a look at Designer Kitchens Direct and Brindabella Kitchens. What strikes you about the difference between these two sites? Have a look at the text on Brindabella's - it is laced with the word 'kitchen'. There are 323 words in the body text of this page, and 36 of them are 'kitchen' - more than 10%. How boring!
Now compare that with Designer Kitchens Direct. The text on this page is minimal. In fact, it's full of graphics - pictures of lovely new kitchens just waiting to be chosen for your place! The word 'kitchen' is there, but it's in the meta tags behind the scene, and built in naturally to what little text exists on the front page.
So how is it that when I Googled 'new kitchen sydney' today, Designer Kitchens Direct was higher on the front page of Google than Brindabella Kitchens? Who knows? Maybe Brindabella has been climbing these last few weeks due to new SEO which is doing its job. But how do Brindabella know that the same company hasn't been working for, say, Nobby Kitchens? Admittedly, Nobby's don't have the same volume of text on their landing page, but out of the first 57 words, six of them are 'kitchen'! Again, more than 10%.
And then for comparison, have a look at Kitchen Connection, who appear above Nobby Kitchens as at today's date. Their site is similar to Designer Kitchens Direct - images and limited text.
So which site do you prefer? A site that babbles on using the same word repeatedly and which by the end of the page doesn't really tell you anything that any other kitchen company would be likely to tell you? Or a site that shows you what they can do? And that can still be high up on the front page of Google?
My suggestion is, if you're thinking of paying to get on the front page of Google, list with as many free directories as you can first. Our client is on the front page of Google by belonging to one of these free directories. In fact, the directory she's listed with comes up at the top of the first page, and that's how she gets her sales.
At the same time, have a look at the first 20 words of text on your website's home page and make sure it says what you do and where you do it.
Then, and only then, consider paying to get on the front page. But look at your site, think about how you want to communicate with your potential customers, and make sure that your SEO expert understands this and doesn't just generate your site with a load of keyword specific non-personality stuff that doesn't showcase your business how it is. Unless you're happy with that.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
The Perfect Storm ... ah ... movie
Today I saw what I think must be the closest thing I'll ever see to the perfect movie.
For many years I have said that The Full Monty was the perfect movie due to its all-encompassing nature: drama, empathy, comedy, music, dance, tears, laughter, pain and a great finale, not to mention a bunch of naked men. But today I think I found something better. Today I saw The Ides of March, with Ryan Gosling and George Clooney.
I don't want to spoil this movie for you by telling you what happens, and I don't want to spoil it by telling you how great it was, because you will go along expecting fireworks and you never see them where someone else does, but ...
This movie is intelligent. It is no louder than it needs to be - no melodrama, no hysterics. And no annoying, overloud music over the dialogue! It is mature. It brings you the behind-the-scenes machinations of the American legal system which, as an Australian, I find quite horrifying. I know we have behind-the-scenes stuff going on here, too, and what country doesn't, but I'm sure ours don't cost a brass razoo in comparison with the cost of electing a US President. But I digress ...
Ryan Gosling is a treat - every minor facial movement adds to his story. Clooney is, well, Clooney. His usual unfaultable self. Philip Seymour Hoffman is as Clooney - his usual unfaultable self. Marisa Tomei is gorgeous, and it's good to see Paul Giamatti in a nice, strong role. And Evan Rachel Wood brings wonderful empathy to the final hours of her role as the dispensable Molly, the candidate's campaign intern.
But, based on the play Farragut North, the star of this movie is the storyline, and the balancing act it performs. While watching the movie, I had the urge to pull out my phone, log into Facebook and type 'Mike Morris for President'. I sat there thinking 'Julia Gillard should watch this and pinch every one of his policies and she'd never have to worry about the polls again'. I mean, any country with a Mike Morris as leader just couldn't lose. And then you find out one little thing about Mike. Just one. And you never find out if it was a one-off, or one in a long list of similar things. You never know if he's an utter, utter bastard, or just a regular guy who made a mistake. But it taints him in your mind.
What follows is the usual set of twists and turns that are the hallmark of a well-written character-driven movie, in this case one where two people end up shackled together as purposefully as Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier in The Defiant Ones. In The Ides of March these plot turns are well thought out, well planned, and they work to bring the movie to a wonderfully satisfying conclusion where two people get what they wanted, but at what cost? Cue Carole Bayer Sager song.
I can't stop thinking about this movie. I loved looking at the Cincinnati scenery, never having been there, and really enjoyed watching every character on the screen. In fact, nearing the end of the movie, I was dying to look at my watch in the hope that it would show there was still 20 minutes or so left, I was enjoying it that much.
Recommendation? If you haven't worked it out by now, I'll spell it out for you: DON'T wait until it comes out on DVD. This one is worth the cost of a cinema ticket. Or two.
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