Two Decisions to Make Before You Start Writing Your Book - The Writers For Hire

TWO DECISIONS TO MAKE BEFORE YOU START WRITING YOUR BOOK Most of our ghostwriting clients come to us with some clear ideas of what they want in their book: They know what they want to say, and they know who they’re writing for. They know why they’re writing a book whether it’s to honor a loved one, bolster their career, share their expertise, or tell their unique story. They’ve often decided whether they want to pursue traditional publishing or go a more DIY/self-publishing route. They know if they want a coffee-table volume with thick, glossy paper or a more portable and budget-friendly paperback. Some of our book clients even have very specific ideas for the book’s design, right down to the art that will go on the cover. But there’s more to ghostwriting than paper quality and pretty pictures. In fact, before you write a single word, you’ll need to make some key decisions about voice, style, and point of view. In this blog, we’ll take a deep dive into two of the most important decisions you’ll make about your book: Point of view and tone (or, how the book â€Å"sounds†). Decision 1: Point of View One of the first style decisions you’ll need to make is whether you want to want to write your book in first-person or third-person point of view. Not sure what’s best for your book? Here’s what you need to know: First Person: In first-person point of view, the narrator is telling his or her story directly to the reader, using the pronoun â€Å"I.† First-person point of view feels intimate and immediate, which makes it a great fit for autobiographies, memoirs, and any other books that are more personal in nature. Here are a few examples: I’ve never thought of myself as poor. Not once. I wouldn’t trade my childhood experiences for anything. Those years, along with my parents’ examples and guidance, played a tremendous role in my achievements later in life. *** I learned to box at school. I liked soccer and cricket, too, but I was best at boxing. In fact, I thought I was better than anyone my age. I wasn’t big, but every time I jumped off the wooden bench and into our makeshift ring, I could dodge and jab better than anyone else. *** My first job after residency was with an emergency medicine staffing group. After one year of working with this organization, I was given the opportunity to become a shareholder. The benefits of becoming of shareholder were not solely financial, though: I now had the right and privilege to attend the company’s board meetings Third person: In third-person point of view, there is no â€Å"narrator† speaking directly to the reader. While this perspective is a bit less personal, it offers the opportunity to provide information in a more neutral, objective way. This is why third-person point of view is perfect for general nonfiction books, thought leadership books, and subject-driven manuscripts. Here are a few examples: What was then called The M.D. Anderson Hospital for Cancer Research had opened in 1941 in primitive quarters on a six-acre site near downtown purchased from the estate of Captain James A. Baker – grandfather of former Secretary of State James Baker III. The campus, if it can be called such, included an original carriage house repurposed into an office; former stables functioned as laboratories. **** In 1973, the U.S. Department of Agriculture established the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) – better known to generations of Ojibwe people as â€Å"commodities.† Commodity items were designed to ensure food security by providing Native people with foods that were higher in fat and calories and lower in fiber than traditional foods. Unfortunately, this â€Å"solution† to food insecurity has set the stage for health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. In fact, the tongue-in-cheek phrase â€Å"Commod Bod† has become shorthand for â€Å"overweight.† **** Captain America was cool so cool he became America’s most popular cartoon character during WWII. He fought for truth and justice, crossing enemy lines, tackling Nazi and Japanese spies, mad scientists, even punching Adolf Hitler in the jaw in the 1941 Captain America comic book debut. Americans bought a million copies of that first issue because Captain America was a 2D stand-in for all the heroes men and women – who would lay down their lives against dictatorship. Of course, there’s no hard-and-fast rule that says you can’t write a subject-driven manuscript in first-person point of view. And it’s definitely possible to use third-person to write a compelling biography or family history book. Ultimately, the choice between first- and third-person point of view comes down to personal preference. Decision 2: How do you want your book to sound? In our 10-plus years of ghostwriting, we’ve found that the question about a book’s tone that is, how the book sounds is, hands-down, one of the trickiest elements to pin down. We’ve also found that, with the vast majority of our book clients, this decision is often a case of, â€Å"I’ll know it when I see it.† But there are a few ways you can start. How do you want your book to sound? And, perhaps more importantly, how do you communicate that to your ghostwriter? Here are a few ways you can help narrow it down: Make a list of descriptive words and phrases Do you want your book to sound academic or informal? Do you want to come across as a leading subject-matter expert or a humorous narrator? Do you want a warm, conversational tone or do you prefer a straightforward, just-the-facts approach? Would you want people to describe your book as accessible? Folksy? Knowledgeable? Nostalgic? Here are a few more good adjectives to choose from: See what’s already out there Spend some time browsing the physical or virtual shelves of your favorite bookstore, and take a look at a few titles that are similar in subject matter or genre. Are you writing a book about retirement planning for Millennials? Check out a few personal finance books and see which ones you like. Are you telling the story of how your great-grandfather came to America? Browse the biography section to get a feel for the different ways you can tell someone’s life story. Do you want to be known as an authority on vegan cooking, sailing, coding, or entrepreneurship? Take a look at what’s popular in the how-to or reference section. Make a few notes about what you like and what you don’t like about how each book sounds. Collect writing that you like regardless of topic If you’re looking for inspiration, there’s no reason that you have to stick to books about your topic. Do you have any favorite books? Are there any writers out there that you especially admire? Have you shared any interesting, well-written blogs or articles on social media? What did you like about this book/article/blog/writer? It might sound strange, but almost ANY written content about ANY subject can help you get a clearer picture of the kind of tone you’d like to achieve with your own book. In other words, if you like how it’s written, keep it! And, of course, share it with your ghostwriter. Trust us: It’ll help. In fact, the more you know about the kind of book you want from thoughts about cover design and binding to point of view and writing style, the easier it will be for your ghostwriter to help you bring your vision to life.

MEDICAID Essays - Healthcare Reform In The United States

MEDICAID Essays - Healthcare Reform In The United States MEDICAID I. ANALYTICAL EXPOSITION History Medicaid is a Federal - State entitlement program that pays for medical services on behalf of certain groups of low income persons. (O'Sullivan, 1990) Title XIX of the Social Security Act provides for the medical assistance commonly known as Medicaid. (O'Sullivan, 1990) This means-tested entitlement program became part of federal law in 1965. Medicaid makes direct payments to medical providers for their services to eligible persons. It is the largest health program providing medical assistance to the poor. Eligibility In order for one to be eligible for Medicaid, one must meet very strict requirements. These requirements vary from state to state, but in this paper the Federal requirements will be discussed as well as the general state requirements The correlation between those receiving public assistance and those receiving Medicaid seems to be directly related. "Medicaid has generally been linked to actual or potential receipt of cash assistance under a welfare program. Thus, eligible individuals have to meet the welfare definitions of age, blindness, disability, or membership in a family with dependent children where one parent is absent or incapacitated." (O'Sullivan, 1990) These stringent requirements leave out part of the population such as singles, childless couples who are not elderly or disabled. Besides falling into one of the above mentioned categories, they must also meet specified income and resource criteria which vary by State. "While the link to cash assistance has been the primary way to establish eligibility, states have been able to extend coverage to children who meet the income and resources requirements, but do not meet the definition of dependency." (O'Sullivan 1990). The other group that is affected by this institutional policy are the providers. Providers can be defined as those who perform services for the Medicaid patients. They include, but are not limited to physicians, hospital, dentists, pharmacies etc. "Low medical fee schedules, relative to physicians' usual charges to other payers, are a major deterrent to participation." (O'Sullivan 1990) Recent data suggests that the gap continues to widen between Medicaid and private rates. Virtually all hospitals participate in Medicaid. However, a Medicaid patient will more than likely be transferred to a public hospital for in-patient treatment. II. CRITICAL CONTEXT Social Impact It is merely impossible to try to obtain an actual number of people affected by Medicaid. If the picture was painted with a broad brush you could say that virtually every person in the United States is affected by Medicaid. For example any person who pays taxes is affected, any doctor who accepts Medicaid is directly affected by the low fee schedule that is put into place. Any person receiving public assistance is affected as well. The amount of people who are currently receiving Medicaid will be broken down: 6.2 million or 24.9 percent adults in families with dependent children, 10.4 million or 41.8 percent dependent children, 3.5 million or 14.1 percent aged, .4 million or 13.7 percent disabled or blind, 1.4 million or 5. 6 percent fall into the category of others. (O'Sullivan 1990) The total amount of people on Medicaid is 24.9 million. It's obvious that practically everyone is affected by this program. Problems With the System The Medicaid program was one of many programs designed to help the poor and disadvantaged enjoy the benefits of receiving the type of medical care provided to those who could afford it. According to Karen Davis, author of Achievements and Problems of Medicaid, from its initiation the Medicaid program has had two major objectives: insuring that covered persons receive adequate medical care and reducing the financial burden of medical expenditures for those with severely limited financial resources. Before the introduction of Medicaid most poor persons had little or no private insurance and many went without needed care. Medicaid attempted to alleviate this situation - if not for all poor persons, at least for those on welfare and the medically needy. (Davis, 1996) A Lack Of Equality Perhaps the greatest flaw in the Medicaid program is that it does not treat people in equal circumstances equally. Davis goes on to say that the inequitable distribution of Medicaid benefits is caused in part by the joint Federal - State nature of the program and its tie to the Welfare system. As stated previously the Medicaid eligibility is linked to the