Samples of copywriting work

Copywriting work Neomedia Web Communications Agency www.neomedia.ro

World travel guide interactive

Is there any hotel in Charlotte charging less than 100$ per night? And I'd be really happy if it provided breakfast as well.

Two years ago, I happened to arrive at the Four Points hotel as I had to meet my pen friend in front of the courthouse, and this 79$-per night B&B is just across the street from the courthouse. 15 minutes away from the airport. Considering it offers a fitness center, a mini-pool and even a balcony, it seemed to me a great deal. Course, it would have been normal to sleep at my pen friend, but she wasn't so cool as in the e-mails..

I know the museum of Acropolis is a huge one, epitomizing the glory of ancient Greece. But I can't imagine how exactly it looks like...is it a building, a derelict site...?

It's the best I've seen up to now. I spent two days in Athens in my last summer holiday, and one afternoon was too short to see the Acopolis from "head to toe"...I mean not missing anything. It actually consists of a couple monuments: the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to Athena (the goddess of wisdom), the Erechteion, with its famaous Caryatids (those maiden statues supporting the portico), the Theatre of Dyonisos (god of wine), which was of crucial importance in the Athenian city-state. So, they all are remnants from the ancient civilization, spreading on the surface of a hill (Acropolis actually means "hill" in Greek). Be ready to climb!

I'm having my honeymoon in Paris...tell me a fashionable hotel.

There's a hotel in the Marais area, where I had my own semaine du miel...Hotel Caron de Beaumarchais, with candelabras and gilded mirrors on the hallways, with an 18th century pianoforte in the welcoming lobby. Rooms are rather small, but I guess you two will stay quite close to one another :) Prices amount to 120 - 152 euros per night; rue Vieille du Temple no 12, that's the address. Have a wonderful time!

Where exactly is Champs Elysee in Paris? And why is it such a big attraction for tourists?

Why??? It's glamorous, and best depicts the Parisian “joie de vivre� and refined style.

The broad boulevard is packed full with first class stores: Versace, Gucci and all the clothes brands that are more expensive than 10 years' rent. Champs Elysee radiates from Place Charles de Gaulle (or Place d'Etioile, as French nicknamed it), and makes the

connection between place de la Concorde and The Arch of Triumph. Greek mythology baptized the boulevard, as the Elysee Fields were the shrine where joyful flawless souls rose after death!

My children keep pestering me to take them to the Sea World in San Diego. What do they show there?

It's among San Diego’s top attractions, kids know better. They play live shows with trained animals, such as the Shamu killer whale demonstration or the shows starring Clyde and Seamore sea lions. I've taken my son there, and he couldn't stop rabbiting on about it for a month. What he liked best was the Wild Arctic motion simulator...But if you're not lucky to find some discount coupons at a hotel's reception, you're toast! There is a 50$ entrance tax...

What artistic marvels are there to see at the Louvre museum in Paris besides Mona Lisa?

Speaking of Mona Lisa, did you know the painting is much smaller than most imitations?

It's the size of a textbook in truth. To answer your question, Louvre displays an astonishing collection of works of art and artifacts across Europe, as well as Etruscan, Coptic, Islamic and Assyrian art and antiquities. There's no chance to see everything in one day, that's a fact. Actually, Louvre's point is to show Western art starting from the Middle Ages and ending with 1848. From then on, Musee d'Orsay is in charge :) What can you tell me about the Arc de Triomphe in Paris? I don't know a lot about it.

It's the symbol of Napoleon's victories, when he managed to build the French Empire.

The construction of the Triumphal Arch started in 1806, but it was stopped when the defeats began to pour. It was completed in 1836, and now it's proudly rising in the middle of the Charles de Gaulle Place. It's a tourist magnet, no doubt! Getting to the viewing platform costs 7 euros for adults, 4.50 for people aged 18-25, no charge for the others.

Tell me a good spot in Brussels to sample the Belgian moules and frites...Not very expensive, if these two criteria are compatible...:) Up to a point, yes. At Leon de Bruxelles, for example, dinner doesn't cross the line (25$), and you can have both frites with mayonnaise and mussels prepared in 14 different ways.

The potatoes are two times fried and as light as a feather...You can also order "anguilles au vert", meaning eel in green sauce, but the blue-shelled mussels are better. Look for Rue des Bouchers, 18!

I know both French and Belgians are mad about pancakes...Do you happen to know a special place to eat that in Bruxelles?

I gobbled up with "des crepes" - savory French word, my favorite - in a place called "La Galletierre", close to Grand Place, on Rue des Pierre 53...They only have 6 tables, it's very intimate, so you'd better make a reservation, if you don't want to torture yourself while waiting for somebody to free a table. I've never imagined pancakes can be so

various, from sweet stuff to beast and veggie...Mains are around 6-9 euros, so take it as a challenge!

I plan to take my girlfriend out next Saturday evening.....a candlelit romantic dinner. Can you recommend me a restaurant in Brussels?

Grand Place, nr. 9, it's the restaurant called "The House of the Swan", perfect for a night out of the ordinary. I took my date there last week, and, although I paid 85$ for a dinner, the reward when we got at her place was ten times better :) The restaurant uses chandeliers, wood decorations and paintings by Pieter Brueghel on the walls...Tip: make a quick search on the Internet about his biography, and your girl will be fascinated by how cultivated you are!

What is that "tapis de fleurs" covering the Grand Place of Brussels in summer? I heard Belgians talking about this custom, but I'm not sure what it consists of....

From August 14 to 16, in even years only, about 700.000 begonias are deposited in the Grand Place, creating a carpet as big as 80 by 250 feet. The flowers are taken from a plant-growing farm near Ghent...it's fantastic to see all those colors mixing and so much perfume in the air! If you want to take a memorable picture, climb to the second story of the Town Hall!

What's the first thing to visit in Brussels for a newcomer? I'm having only one afternoon there and I want to make the most of it...

The one and only Grand Place, which is the city's 15th century market square...It sits right in the heart of Brussels, in the Petit Ring, a pentagon of boulevards enclosing the centre...There isn't really something going on in Grand Place, so you're likely to find it dull and boring, but it's imposing, and usually appreciated for the antique frame of guildhalls... They were built by the merchants and decorated with gilded statues and elaborate symbols...Grand Place is a nice gathering location, with tourists from all over the globe sitting on the pavement, taking photos, having their black and white portrait done by street artists.

Common issue: any cheap hostel or pension in Brussels?

Yeap, Centre Vincent van Gogh solves the money problem...but it's only available to people aged between 17 and 35. Odd I'd say, but as long as it's clean and asking just for 12 euros for dorm beds, 27 for single rooms and 40 for a triple, I kept silent about their stupid rule...Stacks of money aren't bothering my pockets very often, so Centre Vincent van Gogh, simple and centrally located, worked just fine...it's 1 km uphill from Gare Centrale, on Rue Traversiere 8.

Is the zoo in San Diego awfully expensive?

Depends on how many kids you carry :). Admission is $21, but if you add a suspended tram ride and a bus tour it will reach $32. Anyway, it's a must-see, due to the 800 species sheltered there starting from koalas, giant pandas and ending with forest buffalos. All live

in natural habitats, so it would be wise to arrive early in the morning to see them active. I knew they grow around 4000 animals...go planet!

What is so unique about Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco? Forgive my ignorance, pls.

First of all, it's absolutely huge! At a 2 miles length, it was the largest suspension bridge in the world at the time of completion (1937). Its purpose is to link San Francisco with Marin County, and crossing it is a real adventure. For walks, roller blades and bikes, there's no charge, while cars are required a 5$ toll provided they come from San Francisco to Marin. Vice-versa there's no fee. Did you know they paint it every week, adding some more 1000 orange gallons each time? My God! Can anybody that reached Chinatown in San Francisco describe it a bit for me?

Thank you.

Personally, the entrance itself, through a giant dragon-crowned gate, impressed me. Then, it's the striking atmosphere, with neon and ersatz Disney architecture, with narrow hectic alleys, cheap eateries and overwhelming fragrances. You'll find spring rolls, bamboo chicken and herbal cures everywhere, most of all gathered along the Grant Ave, between Bush and Jackson Streets. They remind, somewhat, of the 1800's opium pubs, brothels and gambling. You're likely to hear a bizarre language as well, coz Cantonese is still spoken by many.

Can I take some mountaineering courses in Yosemite National Park? I discovered a new hobby..

There's the Yosemite Mountaineering School in Curry Village, offering full-day trainings for 117$. They teach both beginners and intermediates, providing the necessary gear only shoe rental is additional. In case you arrive in Yosemite during winter, you can try the skiing and snowshoeing as well. Badger Pass sells half-day tickets for 22$ and fullday for $31.

I fancy seeing that giant cascade in Yosemite National Park. How can I get there?

Yosemite Falls - ravishing beauty, as the poet would say. It's the highest waterfall in North America, with a 2425ft drop. To my surprise, even though it's roaring powerfully in spring, it can get dry till late summer. There’re mild marked hikes stopping at the waterfall’s base, west of Yosemite Village, which is actually part of Yosemite Valley.

Don't hesitate to improvise a picnic or let yourself soaked :) Can you help me with the name of a hotel in the center of Charlotte? Everywhere I'm going, I prefer to stay in the heart of the city. I can't stand buses, trams, subways...

There is the Holiday Inn right in the center, a few minutes away on foot from the football stadium and the arena. They charged 100$ per night one year ago, but it seemed fair, the rooms are big, Internet is free hotel-wide, and with a Priority Club card you can have free

breakfasts somewhere on top of the world, at the 15th floor, as well as free snacks in the evening. A bit annoying that I had to pay some extra 10$ for parking.

I crave to see the place where the first Olympic Games were played. Where exactly is that in Athens?

It's the Roman stadium, in central Athens, east from the Temple of Olympian Zeus. All these overwhelming places to visit are quite close to each other, so you can make a tour, and catch a glimpse of them all. Added to this, from the hill of Acropolis you get a panoramic view, so you'll have an idea what way to take. If this doesn't help, go to the Hilton Hotel and ask for a map at the reception. That's what I did this year, it was free, and I managed to see everything going on foot.

Copywriting work for New Frontier Digital SEO Marketing Services & Translations Agency http://www.nfrontier.co.uk/ Monthly e-newsletter “5 Golden Marketing Strategies” Simona Serban

Howdy, dearest Friend!

Leo Burnett, the advertising guru, used to say: “When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won’t come up with a handful of mud either”. In this newsletter, we will help you reach for the stars: go global, and gain more clients both in your domestic market and internationally.

To skyrocket your online presence, we’ll unveil 5 Golden Marketing Strategies. You’ll learn to spread WOM online about your business through well-placed e-zine articles, to seduce clients through a brilliant e-newsletter, to change them into your brand’s ambassadors by a smart direct e-mailing campaign. And a lot more. Besides, we will only pester you once a month – we are equally terrified by today’s spamvalanche, and we equally suffer by time famine.

So, today’s first lesson: the bottom line to become global is resorting to native copywriters.

Cultural psychic distance can turn your business upside down, and your estimated success, after you checked the promising size of the market and purchased strikingly-expensive Trend reports, end up a disaster. Because of a single word. Let’s check up together seven cultural marketing mistakes, and don’t forget that New Frontier breaks all the language barriers.

1) General Motors suffered an enormous disappointment after taking one of its successful home models, Vauxhall Nova, to the Spanish-speaking markets. The explanation was “aword-away”: in Spanish, Nova literary means “no go”.

2) Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux got also caught in the translation trap.

The US market roared with laughter at the company’s terrific ad campaign “Nothing sucks like an Electrolux”.

3) A Danish company selling cat litter achieved great success in the home market, therefore expanding to the UK. Unsurprisingly, their sales volume did not increase. The company’s tag line, conceived by a non-native, read “Sand for Cat Piss”.

4) In Copenhagen Airport, a foreign airline company wanted to promise best service to its newly-acquired Danish clients. The poster confidently stated: “We take your baggage and send it to all directions”. Who in their right mind opts for a company which commits to lose your luggage God knows where?

5) Mistakes can happen even to the best of us. Ford produced a truck under the bold name of Fiera. The truck was a blockbuster in the US, but exported to the Spanish markets, no one hurried for a test drive. No wonder, since the brand name meant “Ugly old woman” in the host country.

6) Parker Pen, fashionable ball-point pen, desired to boost its sells by targeting Mexico.

The brand’s proposition was “It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you." Ignoring the vital role of a native copywriter, the company assumed the word "embarazar" meant “to embarrass”. Result: the prospects were confronted with the imaginative message "It won't leak in your pocket and make you pregnant."

7) Saving the best for last, Pepsi’s campaign "Come Alive with the Pepsi Generation" was a fiasco in China. A clumsy, but undoubtedly well-intentioned copywriter translated it in Chinese as "Pepsi Brings Your Ancestors Back from the Grave". Thirsty for a Pepsi?

To avoid brandicide, New Frontier comes to the rescue. Our experienced copywriters and online marketing experts are native speakers of American or British English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Polish, Russian, Dutch, Swedish, Greek, Arabic, Chinese – Mandarin & Japanese. We thoroughly adapt existing content and conceive SEO articles, maximizing your online exposure and guarding your reputation. Don’t overlook psychic distance! Brand communication emanating positive messages in the United States or UK might trigger offensive meanings in foreign markets, substantially damaging corporate image and marketing effectiveness.

Looking forward to breaking all language barriers, The New Frontier team http://www.nfrontier.co.uk/

Hello, aspiring Global!

Thank you for subscribing to the "Attract International Clients Guide". We hope you enjoyed our first lesson about cultural psychic distance and communication barriers, and you are ready for the next. Because we believe in transparency and know-how sharing, today we are revealing the 2nd Golden Online Marketing Strategy, entitled “WOM factory”.

Moving on from the concept of user-generated content, the latest innovation in the virtual world is user-generated advertising. By pulling the right strings, prospects and customers become your brand ambassadors voluntarily and for no fee. Buzz is the new Big. By stirring up debates in the online realm you save serious advertising dollars. And New Frontier knows how to shape your brand’s evangelists.

The logic behind “WOM factory” is not too difficult: 1) Employ experts to place SEO marketing articles in high trafficked directories 2) Due to the SEO keyword strategy, the articles become easily accessible, boosting your online visibility and reaching thousands of unique visitors 3) By providing prospects with quality timely information, you encourage business credibility, and position yourself as a trusted professional in your area of expertise

4) Consequently, this triggers the use of “Send to friend” and “Comment” functionalities, equivalent of WOM online 5) Finally, it lures an exponentially increasing number of prospects into clicking the link to your website, thus augmenting sales The “WOM factory” is a treasure trove. Especially through the mechanism of exponentially rising your audience and building brand awareness. Just think there are millions of potential customers out there, in need of your products, but unaware of the existence of your website.

Change prospects into loud speakers at your service! Stimulate debate – in their mother tongue and the more they talk the more traffic they push into your site!

However, the entire mechanism would crush without the SEO implementation, based on carefully harvesting popular keywords, and strategically sprinkling them into your articles. The optimal keyword density is 4%. For less, prospects will hardly bump into the articles, or land on your website.

Did you know studies about sources of traffic for regular websites show that only about 20% is direct traffic (typing the URL, resorting to Bookmarks or History)? The overwhelming volume of visitors (80%) comes from indirect traffic, through search engine or referrals. So why not push your luck and build a search-engine-friendly marketing campaign, plus a referral-rich business – through SEO? The JupiterResearch survey conducted in April 2006 reveals that four out of 10 search engine users solely click on links on the first page of results, afterwards refining their search term or migrating to a different engine, when not satisfied. The vast majority is, yet, a bit less cruel: nine out of 10 search engine users click on a result within the first three pages displayed, according to the iProspect study “Search Engine User Behavior” (April 2006). Nevertheless, two out of five Internet surfers aged 25 - 44 associate top search results to company prominence, the same study says.

Nowadays, SEO is not a luxury, but business survival. And multilingual SEO linked to WOM is what makes you stand up from the crowd.

Yours sincere WOM manufacturer, The New Frontier team http://www.nfrontier.co.uk/

Enchanted to meet you again, Junior Global!

Have you tested the “WOM factory” that we were discussing the last time? It’s a splendid technique. Today, it is high time for the 3rd Golden Marketing Strategy from New Frontier, the so-called E-now.

On the Internet, people look for instant gratification. They don’t have the patience to wait two weeks for their requested product to come to life and be shipped afterwards. Amazon rabbits on about its special offer of one-day delivery. The Triaminic website, a medicine for kids’ colds and allergies, offers downloadable coloring books, ringtones with animal sounds and online games for spontaneous satisfaction.

Your E-now substitute We know the nature of your products limits instant delivery. To compensate for that, you can create your own award-winning e-newsletter to feed the E-now hunters with company culture insights, testimonials of happy clients, the latest technicalities in your industry. That will open a continuous communication channel, and silent the “here and now” drive.

Even if you convince prospects to join your mailing list, e-newsletter writing is like rope walking. You can lose your readers at any second, at the first wind blow, or “Honey!”-call from the bedroom. Attention is horribly volatile on the Internet. You’re still here, Junior Global, aren’t you ?!

A gifted SEO copywriter, able to squeeze benefits out of solid rock, prioritize information, and structure his text according to the journalistic method of the “inverted pyramid” can do miracles with

your sales. The “inverted pyramid” requires placing the vital information at the beginning, gradually descending to background details, so as the reader always grasps the essence. No matter at what point he abandons the story.

“The customer is not a moron. He’s your wife.”

First, placing your e-newsletter subscription form on every page of your website - not just on the home page - multiplies the number of registrations tremendously. Your top landing page can be the work portfolio, for instance, and some readers may never click on your Home section. Secondly, applying quotations to the subject line increases response rate by 27% owing to the impression of a decisive citation. See? We’re already putting it into practice…David Ogilvy will never sink into oblivion.

Submerged in the creative act, an experienced copywriter never loses sight of the AIDA model. Walking along the creative boulevard works wonders, but advertising kneels to salesmanship. Now Claude Hopkins is talking through us.

A – Attention: Use a sizzling headline to capture attention I – Interest: Intrigue interest with the industry’s latest discoveries and controversial topics D – Detail: Provide details about your products and services, special offers, success stories A – Action: Include call for action in your speech To nurture brand loyalists, you need to generate the feeling of exclusivity. “PRMIUMIZATION” is one of the 2008 trends, as described by http://trendwatching.com. People crave for status and they desire to be the unique beneficiaries of a certain product or service. In 2008, every product is subject to a premium version, from bottled water to airline services. For outstanding success, train your copywriter into making each and every prospect feel that he’ll be offered the best, the scarcest, the most prestigious product.

Bling H2O is a limited edition of 750 ml glass bottles garnished with Swarovski crystals. Noticing that “you could tell a lot about a person by the bottled water they carried”, a Hollywood producer came up with this idea in 2005. More of a jewelry for VIPs, the bottles are priced between $ 17–480.

Driven by the same exclusivity obsession, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia has just ordered himself an Airbus 380 valued at $ 320 million. For a small supplementary charge of $ 100 million, the plane will be decorated with private lounges, a steam bath, a fitness room, three bedrooms, fancy bathrooms and offices. To the Prince’s misery, estimates show that Airbus will sell at least 20 more A380s… so bye-bye “I am the king of the world!”

Last, but not least, resort to subheadlines for scannable content in your e-newsletter, and never try to trick prospects through bombastic brand promises. “You don’t tell lies to your own wife. Don’t tell them to mine!” (David Ogilvy).

In the online environment, it’s words that matter. Not deeds. Consult us before choosing your SEO copywriter, if you aim for the best.

The New Frontier team http://www.nfrontier.co.uk/

Hello, precious global marketing comrade!

Here we are, halfway in our “Attract International Clients” Guide. By now, you have already learned a few online internationalization tricks, and today it’s time for the 4th Golden Marketing Strategy, the “Viral direct e-mailing quake”.

Suffering from communication overload, consumers developed inner firewalls, rejecting brand messages. An efficient way to sneak beyond these firewalls is the peer-to-peer endorsement.

Friends are the only ones who do not force them to buy something. Exploiting pre-existing social networks, viral direct e-mailing provides businesses with exponential increases in brand awareness, at zero distribution costs.

Your own e-quake through direct e-mailing First and foremost, don’t mess up your subject line! When your copywriter composes the title, you spend 80 cents out of the advertising dollar. So, no puns, lyrical titles or highfalutin language. David Ogilvy was confessing that once he used the word “obsolete” in a headline targeting housewives only to discover that 43% of them didn’t have the slightest idea what it meant. Better still, in another title he employed the term “ineffable” only to discover that he himself didn’t know what it meant.

The Bulk folder is another assassin. To keep away from it, don’t place the following words and symbols in the subject field: “free”, “cash”, “money”, “guarantee”, “discount”, “loan”, “buy”,

“win”, “save”, “prize”, “%”, “$”, “™”, “*”. The new generation spam filters also scan the body copy, assigning a score depending on keyword density. Once you hit a spam threshold, bang… the Bulk (or the Matrix!) has you.

Avoid negatives in the subject field. The speedy reader can just miss the “no”, and your amazing brand tagline “We use no templates” changes into “We use templates”. No prospect would take money out of his pocket for a “me-too” website, killing brand singularity.

For the direct e-mail body, beware of superlatives, generalizations and platitudes. Stuff your copy with factual information, stats and poll results. You can always resort to www.datamonitor.com, Reuters, CBS, BBC. And don’t worry about the length of your e-mail – renowned studies have showed that readership plummets up to 50 words per copy, but decreases very little between 50 and 500 words.

The God-sent benefits of the viral campaign A viral marketing study published in Business Wire (2006) and conducted by Sharpe Partners, an interactive marketing agency, found that 89% of adult Internet surfers in the United States forward compelling e-mails to their friends. Furthermore, 63% of the respondents share content at least once a week, while 25% pass along the attractive e-mails daily or almost daily. Sharpe Partners’ study also concluded that 75% of the interviewees spread the content to a maximum of six other recipients, only 5% refusing to pass along content containing clear brand promises.

Checking the type of content, humorous material proved most popular, 88% forwarding jokes and cartoons. The other conspicuous viral categories were news (56%), followed by health care and medical advice (32%), spiritual material (30%), games (25%), business and personal finance info (24%), hobbies / sports (24%).

For an amplified viral effect, you can always try rich-media e-mails. Containing high-quality graphics, Flash animations, audio-video material or banners, they are more dynamic and forward-tempting.

Viral direct e-mailing is heaven-sent for SMEs for the following reasons: 1. No distribution costs. Your business will reach much broader targeting at almost no expense, since individuals forward the brand proposition willingly. Time is the new currency.

2. Viral marketing is not intrusive or interruptive advertising, unlike most traditional techniques. A TV commercial annoys the viewer by pausing the movie or show he was interested in. That’s why people learned to use commercial breaks as bathroom breaks.

Pop-ups, superstitials, interstitials, floating ads are even more aggressive, forcing Internet users into watching them, and attracting negative brand attitudes through this pushy

approach. According to the Yankelovich 2005 study, 7 out of 10 Internet users are looking for ways to block, opt-out, or eliminate advertising.

3. More effective targeting. When forwarding an e-mail, the sender knows best which of his friends, family members or work colleagues is more likely to enjoy the message based on common interests and hobbies. The targeting will not be simply demographic, but also psychographic, preventing you from pestering people with no affinity for your brand.

In the name of flawless copywriting and viral spread, The New Frontier team http://www.nfrontier.co.uk/

How’s it going, online globetrotter?

Have you applied any of the lessons from the “Attract International Clients” Guide up to now? If you have questions or suggestions of topics you would like us to explore together, we’ll be delighted to hear from you. Now, dearest globetrotter, just take a moment to go through the 5th Golden Marketing Strategy, “Generation E-book”.

Since people read less and less hardcopy, creating your own SEO e-book(s) is a great way to deliver first class content, and promote your business. No matter if you write about graphic design or marketing principles, you will always plant the Resource box or the author by-lines at the end of the document. Insert your URL, and keep this self-promotion down to six lines.

Finding an inch-wide mile-deep e-book niche Opting for your topic can be a nuisance. Today’s muses, dissolving writer’s block, are Wordtracker ( http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com), Keyword Discovery (www.keyworddiscovery.com) and Ouverture (inventory.overture.com). Free SEO tools, they display the number of searches a keyword gets per year or per day, speaking about the market demand for your subject.

Keyword Discovery can also provide you with a segmentation of results per search engine utilized, build a graph reflecting the keyword behavior over time, suggest common spelling

mistakes. The application also enables result analysis, calculating the Keyword Efficiency Index (KEI). Despite getting a breathtaking number of searches (say, 300,000 per year), a certain keyword can be genuinely inefficient when all the industry’s megabrands are betting on it.

No DIY for a high ranking e-book DIY is a tremendous concept. Up to a point. For building your SEO e-book(s) you have to call over a specialist, otherwise you risk losing yourself in a host of numbers that don’t tell you anything. SEO copywriters do not rely on freebies. They own advanced software, with extensive functionalities, assisting them to understand the whole picture not just two pieces of the puzzle.

Iceberg-like science, SEO conceals innumerable secrets. Even if you desire to narrow your focus, don’t bet on keywords with less than 30,000 searches, they are no good. To build the final keyword list, the expert would filter the keywords, assess them according to competitors’ behavior and search patterns forecasts. Finally, he would include the definitive list in strategic points, such as your headline, subheadline, links and Alt text (the one describing an image at mouse over).

Spammy techniques are tempting for high search ranking, but can cause your “dismissal” from the engine database. So forget about stuffing the e-book with your keywords in a white font on a white background at the end of the body copy!

For reaching a global audience, multilingual SEO ebook(s) is the path to take. Reading in their mother tongue makes readers feel at ease and proves your good-will. Needless to say, the keywords have to be adapted in the foreign language, not simply translated, unless you are looking for trouble. In low context / individualistic societies (United States, Western Europe) communication is explicit, frank, direct, as opposed to high context / collectivistic cultures (China, Japan, Saudi Arabia), where communication is indirect, encrypted. The values and norms differ, with Americans and Westerners believing in independence and confrontation of conflict, while the high-context cultures kneel to group conformity and harmony. Experienced copywriters also have to keep an eye on the business and work habits: deal-oriented for lowcontext cultures (the “quickly getting down to business” principle) compared to relationshiporiented in high-context societies (the “first make a friend, then make a deal” commandment). If work can sometimes be a goal in itself and reward is based on achievement for individualistic societies, work is not more than a means and rewards are based on seniority for collectivistic cultures.

Bowing to Generation E-book and high response rates, The New Frontier team http://www.nfrontier.co.uk/

Novel: “The Shipping News’’ by Annie Proulx Book-movie review

“The Shipping News”, trying to translate the untranslatable

The screen adaptation of Annie Proulx’s “Shipping News” fails to capture the book’s magic.

Said to be one of the most gifted and original writers of America today, Annie Proulx’s prose approaches poetry, and the rhythm of her phrases reminds readers of the smooth swaying of Newfoundland waters during the rare unstormy days. Her genius lies in soulful descriptions, comparisons, witty adjectives, and can not be confined by the 111 minute-film lines, even though scriptwriter Robert Nelson Jacobs keeps to the original text, not letting a syllable slip away. By turns heartbreaking and comic, the novel is bound to charm due to its lyrical drift and the way Annie Proulx portrays the characters, so rich in dimensions that the movie does not stand a chance to reproduce.

“The Shipping News” novel won the National Book Award in 1993, and the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1994, while the movie, directed by Lasse Hallström, was nominated for two Golden Globes. Lasse Hallström is widely known for his studies on the human condition (“My Life as a Dog”, “Cider House Rules”), and for the remarkable work he did with "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" or "Chocolate". With “The Shipping News”, he undertook great responsibility, as the book is hardly translatable to images, the result being a movie that does not seem to excel in either thrilling action or psychological approach. As a genre, we are dealing with a drama adding romance elements, which tells the story of a submerged life rising back to the surface. A third-rate newspapermen by the name of Quoyle (Kevin Spacey) is pulled out violently of his dull life by a series of misfortunes: he marries to a total stranger, an electrifying trashy woman, Petal Bear, who gives birth to Bunny (the book displays two daughters, adding howling Sunshine), and gets killed in a car crash on the way to Florida, latest boyfriend driving, where she planned to sell the child on the black adoption market. After a double-suicide committed by his parents and one more sack, Quoyle takes his life from the beginning, having Aunt Agnis as an anchor, in the ancestor town of rugged windswept of Killick-Claw. It’s actually a story about growing-up, healing and rediscovering selfesteem, as Quoyle meets an equally wounded widow, Wavey Prowse (running the local day care center), who gives him hope there might be love without suffering.

The movie leaves one of the book’s trademarks aside: it’s the association with quotes taken from “The Ashley Book of Knots”, which metaphorically summarize each chapter. Knots describe people, suggest curled feelings, indicate the driving line of the plot, and the way Proulx draws

strength from some otherwise dry epigrams is magnificent. Forgetting about the “love knot”, the “mooring hitch”, “the lobster buoy hitch”, the “Russian escape knot” is like losing half of the book’s substance and half of the protagonists’ traits of character. We do not really get to know the in-depths of Quoyle in the screen adaptation: he is just a loser, Petal’s (Cate Blanchett) boxing doormat (remember the Alabama cocktail scene), the target of a raged father who would let him sink or swim, the mild tool in the hands of a rock-solid aunt (Judi Dench), who is tortured by her childhood secret – a rape, the act of her own brother. In the book, Quoyle is ”a coil of rope”: “The Flemish flake is a spiral coil of one layer only. It is made on deck, so that it may be walked on if necessary."

Yet, he is more than a dumb inksetter (actually, the novel talks about previous reporter experience at the “Mockingbird Record”), and reveals a good-hearted person (as Agnis Hamm used to say), always taking care of the troublemaking Sunshine and Bunny, who are constantly knocking scalps, crying about half-imagined white dogs, complaining about the lobster pie, even expelled from school. In the movie, Quoyle is worth of despise because of his weakness, nearly suffocating under the ferocious love-maker Petal, in the book he claims a mixture of admiration and sympathy.

He is bright, as he ends up as a managing editor at “The Gammy Bird”; he is strong, as he raises his daughters well, and does not turn into a bum (his father’s obsession); he is a pleasant companion, as Jack Buggit accepted his presence while fishing, a thing he never did with anyone else. Moreover, the movie highlights just a quiet, homey Wavey Prowse (Julianne Moore), who makes seal pie and radiates with smile when Quoyle finally seems to free himself of the no-good wife’s memory. The book, on the other hand, draws attention through the motto opening chapter 14: “In Wyoming they name girls Skye. In Newfoundland it’s Wavey”. We know she has been through tough times, and almost see her turn to life from the pages of the book: the tall woman, with legs fascinating Quoyle, but always standing neatly side by side, striding along the dirt road carrying Herry by the hand (the boy had Down’s syndrome), and swaying a canvas bag. When hardships overcome Quoyle, we have the “strangle knot” as a hint: “The strangle knot will hold a coil well. It is first tied loosely and then worked snug.” At the end, when Jack Buggit comes back from the dead during his funeral (family presumes he was just in a coma because of the frozen waters), and Quoyle realizes that love can come more than once in a lifetime, ‘The Ashley Book of Knots” is helpful again: “There are still old knots that are unrecorded, and so long there are new purposes for rope, there will always be new knots to discover”. Indeed, a bright future seems to be waiting for Quoyle.

The screenplay has weaknesses. In order to cover the loss caused by the knot symbol and Annie Proulx’s lyrical style, it just tends to exaggerate personalities, trying to push the so-called ”binary oppositions” too far. Levi-Strauss showed that human understanding of the world is based on dividing it in mutually exclusive categories, such as good and bad, land and sea, male and female. The oppositions help us structure the unfamiliar, the environment, and this is why movies resort to patterns such as the good male versus the mean woman, or the “nature” guy versus the “cultural” woman (men are considered closer to nature, outdoor powerful creatures; women are sensitive and more profound). In order to make the oppositions more obvious, “The Shipping News” underlines Petal not as a human being, but as a monster from hell: dressed in pink leather miniskirts, with blinding make-up and sluttish chewing, she is more like a prostitute. Annie Proulx’s Petal did bring a stranger at home, and slept with him while her husband was weeping silently in the room next door, but the reader would not portray her as a highway tramp. There is something else defining her, moments like “What’s that kid doing in the bathroom? I just went in to take a shower and some kid is sitting on the pot!”, which Quoyle used to take as uninspired jokes. It is a fact that movies

must exploit fiction to produce drama, to telescope time and entertain the viewer, but “The Shipping News” steals from the complexities of life through these hyperbolas.

On the other hand, the actors’ playing is spotless. Kevin Spacey, with his Pooh Bear face and sleepy voice (proving again the director’s hyperbolas I do not consider welcome) makes an unforgettable appearance as the 36-year-old clumsy journalist. It might be the first role when he is not a smart sarcastic hero. A similar change of pace we see at Cate Blanchett, who becomes difficult to recognize as Petal, and manages to make a strong impression despite disappearing from the story at the speed of light. Julianne Moore is warm and has a faraway look, Pete Postlethwaite is the perfect unfriendly newspaper editor, Rhys Ifans is incredibly funny with his Nutbeem “lost on the trip around the world” look, while the stony look suits Judi Dench.

The movie is a good choice, both melancholic and amusing, as long as you do not read the book: this will bring tears of sorrow and tears of laughter into your eyes. Annie Proulx’s storytelling talent is unique and impossible to restore through fast-paced images.

Erasmus Infotainer magazine, Brussels Report

In the belly of Brussels A butcher is not an appealing person. Always has greasy hands, spotted clothes, and some say, is not to be trusted when he gives advice on how to cook meet, because if he had known, he would have been a chef. But Brussels’ Rue des Bouchers, the realm of sausage, goat and mutton merchants back in the 13 th century, is nothing like that. Placed right in the heart of the city, in a walking distance from Grand Place, the narrow cobbled Butchers’ Street is now lined with restaurants on both sides, displaying innumerable marine delicacies. Menu panels and a wellgroomed waiter wearing a bow tie guard the entrance of every eatery. I cast a glance on my right, and try to read the list of dishes “soupe de poissons, moules, homard, saumon fumé, scampis à l’ail”, but my tongue is getting numb in search of the flawless pronunciation. The waiter, giving me a seductive smile, comes to the rescue: “We have everything your heart desires. Four specialties with lobster only: can have it with garlic sauce, mayonnaise, grilled with cream sauce or cheese. Looking for a husband? I’m single, and I can offer you this Lebanese restaurant”.

Overwhelmed by his generosity, I stride down the street, doing my best not to step on somebody’s foot. In spite of the courtesy of waiters and mouth-watering food, tourists would rather cram on the middle path, gaze at the few heaping plates, and shoot pictures instead of sitting at a table. Overpriced “fruits de mer”, ranged from 20 to 50 euros, silence a grunting stomach.

“Tu manges ça, tu fais l’amour cinq fois” A fresh, sour aroma drifts from my left. An Back in 1979, the Belgian singer Johan enormous table with vividly colored seashells, Verminnen made the street famous with his attentively arranged like flower beds and “In de Rue des Bouchers” hit: separated by salad leaves and watermelon pieces, is laid outdoor: oysters, clams, escallops, It’s the excellent street knife fish, mussels. It rather resembles a Marine For artists without money museum, but one clam moved. I startled, gosh!

They come to shout, they come to smoke “Yes, they are fresh. Come, it’s paradise inside, They come to drink and show off the small Vatican in here. The boss is Italian.

In the street of Butchers.

You have to drink a glass of white wine with cinnamon”, brags Lucx, the Belgian waiter, originating from Morocco. The dim light, You can find everything there coming from Cupidon statues holding a Russian mackerel and sardines, victorious lamp, reveals marble decorations with Fries and “moules parquées” religious and mythological scenes. Plates, In the street of Butchers. claimed to be Pompeii ceramics, hang on the walls, and an enormous white shimmering vase, shaped as an urn, conquers the room. “You should taste the knife fish, it’s an aphrodisiac. Tu manges ça, tu fais l’amour cinq fois”, ads Lucx enthusiastic, even if he has not tried this species before, but he supposes they have “le goût de mer”. I prefer to take a seat near the giant banana tree, spreading its greenish leaves up to the second floor, and grab a peek around. They seem to host clients from all over the world, exotic women with slanting eyes, round blue-eyed men from northern Europe, black-eyebrow girls

coming from the south. However, the best tippers are the Americans, Russians or Spanish and the celebrities that set foot here, the waiter underlines. Jean-Claude Van Damme is believed to have visited the restaurant in 2004, returning every year: he was as elegant as a prince, more muscular than in the movies and without any sign of conceit in his eyes or attitude, the she-bartender behind the counter recalls with a spark in her smile.

Longing for Tenderness, Virtue and Admiration Strolling down the noisy street, the scenery is puzzling. The red-carpeted sophisticated restaurants mix with the casual ones that show cow skins on the walls, hanging wooden pitchforks and paintings with the dear animal. Middle-aged backpackers, leaving their burden under the table, rest side by side with women in evening dresses, emanating an oasis of pricey perfume in the general mussels’ flavor. All red in the cheeks, due to the wine and chilly weather. All discussing passionately, possibly marriage proposals. If you want to find youngsters, on the other hand, you have to take Faith Alley, a dead-end street on the right, the territory of Jeanneke pis. Here beer replaces the wine in the glasses, fries beat the lobster, and 20-year-olds savor their cigarettes leaning against 17th century heavy metal doors. One fair-complexion boy rises from the table, searches his wallet for a coin and throws it over his shoulder in Jeanneke’s fountain: “Eheee, now she’ll be always faithful to me. Hope it’s not just a legend”. Young and old, we are all in the quest of Tenderness, Virtue and Admiration.

Simona Serban