Securing a book deal with a big publishing house can be a challenge for many, especially when one doesn’t have an agent to pitch their idea. However, one of the great things about being an author in today’s times is that now you don’t need to rely on traditional publishing houses anymore to sell your book. Now you have an option to self-publish! Unlike the conventional medium, the author is in complete control of not only what he/she drafts but for its distribution and marketing too. Taking responsibility for the entire process might come as overwhelming, but these can be managed well with the help of a self-publishing company.
Understanding self-publishing companies
In a traditional set-up, an author’s book comes under a lot of scrutinies and the decision to publish it only comes after a publisher believes that it would be able to perform, content as well as sale-wise. With a conventional publishing company, an opinion about a book is subjective, therefore the chances of your manuscript getting picked up totally depend on what the editor perceives it as. On the bright side, if it is approved to be printed, the publishing company will pay for everything including editing, design, distribution and marketing initiatives.
Conversely, if you are planning to self-publish your book, you have the autonomy over the creative process as well as promotional activities. However, all expenses for legal formalities, its production, distribution, and marketing have to be incurred by the author. It renders creative liberties throughout the editorial process which makes it a fantastic choice for not only struggling writers but also for writers who have had unpleasant experiences in standard publishing houses.
Choosing the best self-publishing company
You can find plenty of best self-publishing companies in the market, however, to select the one that accommodates your requirements, scrutinize the following factors
- Books published Ask the shortlisted best self-publishing companies for a sample of print and e-books they have published. This will give you a fair idea about their quality in terms of design and presentation. The appearance of the final book is extremely crucial for a self-published book as it isn’t backed by the label of a recognized publishing house.
- Services provided The best self-publishing companies make sure that they offer services involving editing, proofreading, design, distribution, marketing, and intellectual property rights (patent, trademark, and copyright). Having all these services at your disposal ensures that all your money is well-spent.
- Book printing expenses As compared to traditional publishers, having a book self-published is comparatively riskier as you’re the one who is investing all your resources. Therefore, before you sign any contracts with a self-publishing company, scrutinize their price model for printing and other services offered.
- Royalties Don’t forget to discuss how much royalty you will earn on your book. Usually, self-publishing houses have a royalty calculator on their website, which can give you an approximate number. However, the final bid can be only determined after considering all the aspects involved.
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Best Antivirus Keep Your Pc Safe
Read moreAntivirus software can identify, disallow, and erase or quarantine harmful viruses. It is also known as anti-malware software. There are many types of viruses. Each virus has its own way of affecting any device which includes a computer, mobile phone, and network. Make sure you make a thorough research on the antivirus as per your requirements.
Harmful effects of the virus
Harmful effects of viruses are:
-Programs will run slower
-Important files and documents may be deleted
-The computer may be subjected to severe damage beyond repair
-Spyware steals personal details stored on your computer. Details include financial statements, credit or debit card data, and passwords
-You are likely to receive unwanted spam emails and advertisements
-Surfing the Internet without protection can infect and damage computers or mobilesIn what ways can an antivirus protect you?
Besides virus protection, modern antivirus suites protect your computer from threats as follows:
-Spyware, browser hijackers
-Trojans, adware, malware, worms
-Keyloggers
-Rootkits, bootkits, backdoors
-Certain antivirus also have other features and Internet security included which protect from:
-Online banking attacks
-Malicious spam, phishing, scam attacks, malicious email attachments
-RansomwareBest antivirus makers
To prevent viruses from infecting your PC, you must install an antivirus. Also, you need to update the antivirus software on a regular basis. There are many companies offering the best antivirus and Internet security products in the market. Some of the best antivirus makers are:
-Kaspersky Lab
-Bitdefender Antivirus Plus
-Avira
-F-Secure
-McAfee Antivirus Plus
-Symantec Norton Antivirus
-Avast Pro Antivirus
-Emsisoft Anti-Malware
-Panda
-ESET Antivirus
-Webroot Secureanywhere Antivirus
-Trend MicroWhat to look for in antivirus software?
You have to check that the antivirus software fulfills the following elementary needs:
-Detection rate for viruses and malware is high
-It has a low impact on your system configuration
-It is user-friendly
-It has the least influence on the normal running of your system
-Automatic scanning capability for threats
-It is compatible with your operating system
-The price is within your budget
-Updates are readily availableComparison of best antivirus Bitdefender
The independent testing lab gave it the highest rating in most of the tests. Close at heels is the Kaspersky antivirus and total security. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus has a lot of features. Its added features are the operating bootable scanner and Wi-Fi security check. Bitdefender prevents webcam spying and acts against data-stealing Trojans. It has a lot of useful features.
Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab antivirus scored high on tests run by antivirus laboratories. Its detection of legitimate threats is better than others. It has some special features than its competitors. It automatically scans USB drives and emails for threats.
Avira Antivirus Pro
Avira eradicates threats from already infected computers and repairs damage caused by malware. It is good at combating malware attack. It is able to make a distinction between an Internet threat and a legitimate website. It scans and blocks without creating lag or significant use of computer resources. Safe banking feature is missing in Avira.
Avast
Avast Pro antivirus scored very high in detecting and removing viruses. To find malware, Avast uses a sizeable part of a computer’s resources. It did not get a good score for computer lag during the virus scan.
Symantec Norton Antivirus
This antivirus needs four extensions while installing the program. Scan time for virus scan is quite high. Technical support is not up to the mark. It is costlier than the leading antivirus makers.
Panda
Panda does not do a full antivirus protection and scanning time is high.
None of the best antiviruses can detect and protect your devices against 100% of the viruses. The best antivirus offers protection between 91% to 99.9%. It is advisable to go for the best antivirus program, scoring high in antivirus lab tests. Bitdefender, Kaspersky Lab, Aviran, Avast are the best antivirus available in the market.
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Cellphones without contracts
Read moreWhat is a carrier?
Carrier is a commonly used term in the US and Canada for a company that provides voice or data services. These services can be either wireless or through wired landlines. (For example: T-Mobile, Verizon,Sprint, Time Warner, AT&T, Cricket Wireless, etc.)What is a no-contract phone?
When a cellphone is bought, the customer will have an option to either buy the phone with a subsidized price and sign-up with the said carrier or pay-up the entire cost of the phone and choose a carrier of his/her choice. While the former comes with typically a two year contract which binds the customer to stay with the carrier for the said period and requires a hefty termination fees to be paid in case he chooses to switch to another carrier within the contract period, the latter is called a no-contract phone. Almost all phones and carriers in the US have both contract and no-contract plans.How to own cheap cellphones without contract?
No-contract phones can be bought with two types of payment options. One is to buy a lump sum amount as a one-time payment and the other one is through installments payed through PayPal or credit cards with an interest fee distributed over the period of payment. If the usage of the phone is limited to just text and call, it is better to pay for the phone upfront and have a flexibility to switch over carriers whenever preferred based on the type of plans offered.
At the same time, prepaid, also known as pay-as-you-go options, are offered by most carriers these days which means you can buy a phone of your choice with an amount paid in advance for the services to be used. This will help to control the budget on phone usage itself and also not paying unnecessarily for the features that are not used. Once the prepaid amount is used up, the phone can be returned back or topped-up (prepay the amount again) to continue with the services.Prepaid phones eliminates the costs incurred on activation, overage, changing carriers, and termination fees, and at the same time gives the flexibility to choose the phone and the carrier making it a cheaper option over the traditional contract phones.
Although no-contract plans are offered by all major phone manufacturers, only some phones will be compatible with the carrier’s network. So, this has to be kept in mind while buying a phone or a carrier to save up on unnecessary charges for the features that will not be usable.
It is also a cheaper option to own a basic model if the usage is limited to just voice and texts. As there will be no features in the phone to get updated, the overall life of the phone itself will increase. Retaining the phone for more years helps in recovering the initial investment on the phone.