Category: Author

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Self-Published Editing

 

When I read a book the first page, I look at is the page with the date of publishing.

When I’m reading the book, I can easily find mistakes. Missing words in a sentence are easy to spot.

Then there are the misaligned sentences.

Incorrect: What I mean by that is when I read a book and the words

in the sentence are dropped in the middle.

Correct: What I mean by that is when I read a book and the words in the sentence are dropped in the middle.

Before I became an author, I never noticed missing words, dropped sentences, punctuation, or quotation marks. But now I do.

The thing that drives me crazy is the quotation marks in the wrong place.

Wrong: “I am going to the store”.

Correct: “I am going to the store.”

In my book Editing Fiction Mistakes. In this book, it demonstrates the correct and incorrect usage of punctuation.

I am not an expert but when I was teaching a class on book formatting and book publishing, I wrote this book with the continuous mistakes I saw.

Thank you for reading my article.  Copyright 2023 Linda Meckler

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New Mattress Fraud

Did you ever purchase a brand-new mattress and when it was delivered it was flawed.

This happened to me. When I went to lay down on my mattress that evening, I was shocked and amazed. In the middle of the mattress was a huge crevice.

The left side was lower and softer and the right side higher and harder. This mattress was supposed to be a firm mattress.

I called the company immediately and the women informed me that she would send someone to measure the mattress depth.

It had to be a full inch before they could exchange it.

The man came out and measured the top of the mattress and took pictures.

Now looking at the mattress you do not see the lump. You have to lay on the mattress in order to feel the lump.

So, I ask you. Why are they measuring on the top of the mattress where the lump does not show.

When the women called me back, she said, “yes there is an imperfection but it was only ¼ of an inch,

“Sorry.”

The sorry means that if I want another matters exactly like the one I purchased I have to pay for it again.

If I want another mattress, I can trade it and pay the price difference and pay for the delivery.

Was I mad. I was furious. She didn’t have to sleep on an uncomfortable brand-new mattress.

What happened to customer service? When something is delivered defective no matter what if the customer is not happy the company should make the customer happy by giving the customer a mattress that is not defective. 

Did this ever happen to you?

What do you think? Copy right Linda Meckler 2023

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Writing Class

For the last twenty years I have been writing books. They are all on Amazon.com. There are children to adult, adult, fiction and non-fiction. That about covers almost every category of books.

I had never taken a writing class. Now I go once a week to a writing class. There are fifteen people in the class. We all write 4 pages and then I read in the front of the class what I have written.

The other authors give phrase and criticism. We each bring enough copies of the 4 pages to give to each author in the room. This is where I get written editing corrections and other phrases.

I have learned much from this class. I enjoy it because it’s what I love to do write. This is what the others in the class do write.

If you do not have a class you can take in your area start one.

Thank you for reading my article. Linda Meckler, Author copyright 2023

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When Writing A Book

When writing a book for the reader it looks easy.

But it isn’t.

 It’s hours, days, weeks, months, and sometimes years to complete a manuscript.

Then there are the rewrites.

The editing is never-ending.

This is truly something you have to love to do. It is a solitary job with only yourself as company.

But how do you start to write a book.? I get asked.

You start with an idea and then think out the story systemically.

For instance, if you were planting a garden, you don’t just plant seeds in the ground.

You have to prepare the soil and then plant the seeds.

Then water the plants.

This is the same idea in writing.

Check out my book Writer’s How to Publish Free. It will save you hundreds of dollars.

Whenever you do something, yourself you know it was done to your satisfaction.

Thank you for reading my article. Copyright 2023. Linda Meckler, author

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Writer’s How to Publish Free

I’ve written a book. Now what? What do I do with it? The first thing I think of is a publisher costs money. The next thing is a professional editor and of course I need a cover.

All these things cost money and I am not counting copyright expenses or a ISBN number.

These are the expenses I will need to think about when I want to publish my book.

I will tell you, my story. My first two books I published I went through a publishing company. It was expensive. But then I kept writing and I could not afford to self-publish my next book or the books after that.

I learned how to do everything myself and guess what it didn’t cost me a cent.

Then I taught a class at a senior school and now many people who didn’t think they could become a published author achieved their goal.

After my teaching career was concluded I wrote two books. Writer’s How to Publish Free and Editing Fiction Mistakes.

If you truly want to become a published author read my book Writer’s How to Publish Free and the book with the most common fiction mistakes Editing Fiction Mistakes.

Thank you for reading my article.

Copyright Linda Meckler 2023

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My Audio Book Journey 2

My Audio Book Journey 2

I want to keep all my readers up-to-date on my audiobook adventure. This is something I wanted to achieve since I started writing twenty-five years ago.

The first thing I did was order my microphone, filter, headset, and dog training clicker. I don’t know if there will be other products to purchase but that is what I have for now.

The next thing——- and this is a huge thing——–, is where to put my new soundproof studio. How do I soundproof a bedroom? That is a good question and I’m still working on it.

First off, I called my friend Dan. He is the one person I can count on whenever I go off on another adventure in my home.

He had great ideas. The first thing we did was go to Home Depot. I had a piece of carpeting cut to the dimensions of the bedroom. He placed it in his car with the end sitting between the driver’s seat and the passenger seat. It worked.

Then when he lugged it into the house, he emptied the bedroom. This was not a small task. I use that bedroom to keep my art supplies. If you ever had a hobby, you know how much room the hobby supplies take.

He cut, fitted, and laid the carpeting in the room. Then he and I, lugged everything back into the bedroom. More him than me. I helped.

While he was working in the bedroom, I was watching you tube videos on how to soundproof a room. These videos were quite involved. There was one video I liked and showed it to him. This guy on the video compared four things around the house to use on the walls for soundproofing. You will never guess but towels won out. Other videos I watched said placing furniture against the walls, large bookcases filled with books, canvases, and clothes hanging closely together.

I order on Amazon 12 packing blankets and he nailed them to the walls. I have a big window and it took 2 to cover the window. 

I have been playing with the software I will be using it is free and so far is easy to use. But when it comes to fine tuning my voice and the other numerous controls that need to be adjusted correctly I still need that to learn that. 

All I hear is that ACX which is the Amazon website for audio books is hard to get accepted.

It has to be exactly the way they want it or you have to read and edit it again and again until you get it right.

I am going to do my learning process on my book Ghost Kids Trilogy. I am changing the name and the title to Ghost Kids Mystery. I will make a new cover.

I can’t wait to get started on this project. 

Copyright Linda Meckler 2023

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Audio Books

I have learned how to format and publish e-books, paperback books, and hardcover books. Now I am off to a new goal. Audiobooks. I am going to tackle the hardest format yet. There is a huge market for audiobooks.

I tried years ago to create my own audiobook with my voice. I purchased some software on the computer. It would take 10 CDs to complete the book. I was onto cd number 5 when everything crashed. I never tried again.

I watched a web meeting and the man who was hosting it made it sound easy. I am going to try again. All I needed was 3 things.

A microphone.

A filter for the microphone.

Over-the-ear headphones.

The hardest part was the editing. I hope I can do this. I want to do the entire book from start to finish on my own. At my age, it is unbelievable to reach a new goal.

I hope, all you authors out there, or who want to be authors will start a new goal.

My book Writer’s How To Publish Free is for formatting and publishing e-books, paperback, hardcover books.

Whatever, it is go for it.

Copyright Linda Meckler 2023

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Medicare HMO Horrors

www.lindameckler-author-artist.com

I have worked in medical insurance billing for almost thirty years. I have said repeatedly that the insurance companies practice medicine.

In an article in the AARP June Bulletin 2022, there is an article that does indeed prove what I have said.

This article states that when Medical Providers see their patients and require pre-authorization for testing, or surgery Medicare denies it.

Federal Investigators reviewed a week of these inquiries in 2019 and found that those denied 13% should have been authorized under the original Medicare rules. 85,000 requests that year were wrongfully denied.

What about the years before and after 2019?

Do not take for granted when something is denied that is denied permanently.

A medical appeal can always be sent to Medicare. If a medical provider requests pre-authorization for a test, surgery, etc. that means the patient needs it. If the patient does not receive the care needed, you can use your imagination as to the result.

Thank you for reading my article. My books Medicare and Other Health Insurance and Appeal and Collection Letters for Medical Providers are on www.amazon.com

Copyright Linda Meckler 2022

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Prescription Drugs Goodrx.com and Singlecare.com

If you have medical insurance or do not have insurance it can become a horror story when the medicine you need costs out in space.

You need the medicine, otherwise, the doctor would not have prescribed it in the first place.

Sometimes, the medication can be replaced with another medication the same thing but costs less.

One medication can have many names and with each name a different charge.

But I have found out recently that there is hope. Two websites can help people like me and you that are on a small social security income.

The two websites are www.rx.com and www.singleacare.com

Now, these two websites need a little work. They can be downloaded to your cell phone.

On their website, you can find your medication and then you can scroll through the different pharmacies that take this website. You can print a coupon or use the one on your cell phone app.

This is a great option for you to know where to go and how much it is going to last.

I truly recommend these two websites when you get hit in the wallet for a ridiculous charge for your medication.

Thank you for reading my article. Let me hear from you.

Copyright Linda Meckler 2022

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Is There Affordable Housing in California

 

 

 

 

Yes, there is affordable housing in California if you are rich, or have a large income. So, what is the problem? Why do so many people live on the streets?

Most of the people living in California are not rich or have large incomes. That is the problem.

Housing is going up everywhere but can you afford to buy these houses?

Most start at $700,000 and up.

Apartment rentals are rising daily. I wonder if there are empty apartments in California because nobody can afford to rent them.

Now families are doubling up and splitting expenses. Is this the way you want to live sharing your home just so you can pay the electric bill?

The problem keeps escalating and it seems we who live in California feel that this problem that is so important keeps circling the drain and now it funnels down to the sewers.

What is the answer?

Does it seem nobody can come up with an answer? If they did there would be affordable housing for people who need this.

What do you think?

Thank you for reading my article.

Linda Meckler copyright 2022