Thursday, December 26, 2019

Analysis Of The Book The Dark Tower II - 1810 Words

Sam Stone Mr. Mullenberg Credit Recovery 22 December 2016 The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three, by Stephen King The second tale in the epic series The Dark Tower begins with a signature Stephen King prologue; all goes to hell in the protagonist’s world before the book even properly starts. In the case of The Dark Tower, said protagonist role is filled by none other than Roland Deschain, the wild west gunslinger from a postapocalyptic world (currently â€Å"Mid-World†) not unlike our own. Roland begins the tale alone, his most recent companion - a prepubescent boy, John â€Å"Jake† Chambers, from our own New York set in 1977- dead, and sacrificed by none other than Roland himself. Even though such a decision was necessary, and ka (destiny or†¦show more content†¦He’s close to death, and unsure how he is going to manage completing his task. Seldom has the gunslinger come across harder times, and even less often to blame on none other than his own thoughtlessness. Regardless, one must go on, and so he does, opening the door to Gods only know what kind of world , awaiting his task. This door leads to the mind of Eddie Dean, a heroin addict also from our New York, 1986. Eddie is in the middle of attempting to smuggle pounds of cocaine through an airport, to exchange for large amounts of heroin. Roland’s understanding stretches as far as â€Å"nobody is supposed to know what Eddie has strapped under his shirt.† Roland however, is close to death himself, and manages to use Eddie to get food and a bottle of water back to his own world. Later he also brings Eddie into his world while everyone on the plane thinks he went to the bathroom. They hide the cocaine there temporarily, and Eddie returns to the plane clean as a whistle, and manages to pass customs. Eddie makes it to his exchange point, and tells the mob boss he can produce the cocaine and explain why he was late, as long as he has privacy for just a second. Henchmen give Eddie a full cavity search to be sure, and then send him into the nearest bathroom to do whatever he thinks he’sShow MoreRelated Romanticism in European Art and Culture Essay2490 Words   |  10 Pagesvividly translate experiences into mental images, foregoing all words. Eugà ¨ne Delacroix’s â€Å"La libertà © guidant le peuple† is an excellent example of how Romantics were able to use their brushstrokes and experiences to represent a story with no words. The dark colors represent the fight and struggle for independence while â€Å"La libertà ©Ã¢â‚¬  is represented in bright shades. The determination of the people is present in the woman’s posture as she is upright, overflowing with energy. Hope is recognized in the people’sRead MoreEssay about Architecture and Insecurit y3226 Words   |  13 PagesArchitecture and Insecurity An Analysis of Architecture as Metapho in WG Sebald’s Austerlitz Deyan Sudjic, journalist for the New York Times, writes in his discussion of the potential Freedom Tower meant to replace the cavernous holes that mark where the twin towers once stood: Clearly, there is a psychological parallel between making a mark on the landscape and the exercise of political power†¦both depend on the imposition of will†¦and among the dictatorial†¦there is an inherent appeal in seeingRead MoreGothic Style and Its Influence on Modern Day Concept Arts Essay5432 Words   |  22 Pagesï » ¿SEMESTER II SESSION 2012/2013 GKA 2043 Research Methodology Title: The Study of Gothic Style and Its Influence on Modern Day Concept Arts Introduction: Gothic art flourished from the 12th century to the 16th century in Europe in response of the Byzantine and Romanesque tradition. Although Gothic is associated with arts, its most prominent use is in architecture, mainly for its pointed arch and flying buttress. To this day, the Gothic style is taken as a ‘label’ for visual arts such as conceptRead MoreNarrative techniques of Charles Dickens in Oliver Twist and David Copperfield6299 Words   |  26 Pagesone of the greatest writers of all times. His fluid language, the wise mind, the great writing technique, the sharp eye, made his works survive for more than 150 years. He is the author of more than twenty novels. All of them very appreciated from- book lovers- since the time they were written until nowadays and, with great chance that they will be read and appreciated in the centuries that will come. The purpose of this diploma thesis is the comparison of narrative techniques of â€Å"Oliver Twist†Read MoreWho Goes with Fergus11452 Words   |  46 PagesFergus example and leave the cares of the world to know the wisdom of nature. He exhorts young men and women alike to leave off brooding over loves bitter mystery and to turn instead to the mysterious order of nature, over which Fergus rules. Analysis This short poem is full of mystery and complexity. It was James Joyces favorite poem, and figures in his famous novel Ulysses, where Stephen Daedalus sings it to his dying mother. On one level, the poem represents Yeats exhortation to the youngRead More Historical Perspective of South Africa’s Culture4253 Words   |  18 Pagesthe formation of one of the most controversial practices in the history of the humankind - Apartheid. It is somewhat unbelievable that Apartheid was in its most powerful form in 1950’s and 1960’s after the whoel world witnessed a tragedy of World War II and knew what it means to deprive a certain group of people of their human rights (HayterReinecke, 2001). The Population Act (1950) divided residents of South Africa into groups of: whites, African, colored and Asian. The Suppression of CommunismRead MoreCompilation of Mathematicians and Their Contributions11615 Words   |  47 Pagesimperishable primary elements, referring all generation and disappearance to mixture and separation, respectively. Euclid Birthdate: c. 335 B.C.E. Died: c. 270 B.C.E. Nationality: Greek Title: â€Å"Father of Geometry† Contributions: * Published a book called the â€Å"Elements† serving as the main textbook for teaching  mathematics  (especially  geometry) from the time of its publication until the late 19th or early 20th century. The Elements. One of the oldest surviving fragments of Euclids  ElementsRead MoreNatural Dyes11205 Words   |  45 PagesPolychrome or multicolored fabrics seem to have been developed in the 3rd or 2nd millennium BCE.[2] Textiles with a red-brown warp and an ochre-yellow weft were discovered in Egyptian pyramids of the Sixth Dynasty (2345-2180 BCE).[3] The chemical analysis that would definitively identify the dyes used in ancient textiles has rarely been conducted, and even when a dye such as indigo blue is detected it is impossible to determine which of several indigo-bearing plants was used.[4] Nevertheless, basedRead MoreEssay on The Need for Brutality in A Clockwork Orange 4668 Words   |  19 Pagesfrom British theaters in the early seventies and is still illegal, in any form, in the United Kingdom (Contemporary Authors 491). In addition, ripples from the film tarnished the novels popular image. On account of the movie, some readers regard the book as a flip testimonial on behalf of mindless, juvenile violence (Edelheit 126), and Burgess is dubbed an antisocial writer and the stepfather of a punk cult (Burgess, A Clockwork Orange: A play with music) which sprung up around the KubrickRead Moreart history formal analysis Renoir luncheon of the boating party4340 Words   |  18 PagesAppreciation FORMAL ANALYSIS FORMAL ANALYSIS of: Luncheon of the Boating Party By Auguste Renoir For ARTS103OL Art Appreciation Instructor: The intent of this paper is to provide a greater understanding of the selected art object. Through objective analysis of the formal elements that make up the art object and considerations of the social and cultural climate in which it was conceived, a greater understanding of the art objects significance will be achieved. Part II - Identification

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

The Case Of Michael Brown s Death - 1102 Words

On August 14, 2014, the infamous case of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, took place. A police officer shot an unarmed black teenager after an incident which was clouded in unclear details. At first, no one really knew whether the officer had been in the right to shoot Brown, or what the circumstances were for either side of the incident. However, eventually, the details started to not matter. The events around Michael Brown’s case became the spark that ignited a nationwide movement to fight against police brutality towards minorities, specifically African Americans. Protesters of police violence toward minorities created a phrase that was used all over the country after Brown’s death: â€Å"hands up, don’t shoot†. Many have used the events behind Brown’s death as a springboard to consider what makes a criminal. One side of the issue claims that race directly affects criminality, while others believe class to be the cause of criminality. After t his case found itself all over media, several other incidents of police violence followed suit. Eric Garner was another such case, in which a man was placed in a non-regulation chokehold by a New York police officer that ultimately took part in his death. Garner was apprehended for selling illegal cigarettes, and attempting to continue walking away when officers tried to stop him. This incident coined the protest phrase â€Å"I can’t breathe†, something that Garner said while in the chokehold. The media was eager to light the fire underShow MoreRelatedRacism : The Black Lives Matter1202 Words   |  5 Pagesand left out in many ways in America s history. This, therefore, has been labeled as racism in today s society. Racism has been and still is an issue in America, lately being spiked by the Black Lives Matter movement. Black Lives Matter is a proclamation made by the general population of African Americans that were enraged by the killings of African Americans by w hite police officers. Racism has been a major issue in the past and still majorly affects today s society with new forms. Slavery is aRead MoreThe Case Of Michael Brown s Shooting Accident999 Words   |  4 Pages9, 2014, eighteen-year-old Michael Brown was shot by Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri. The shooting caused protests and has drawn the world’s attention because Michael Brown was an unarmed black man while Darren Wilson is a white police officer. Cases where police officers shoot citizens has happened before, yet this case has drawn attention from the world because the officer is white, and the victim is a black man. Brown’s supporters believe that Wilson shot Brown because he is black, but policeRead MoreShould Body Cameras Be Used?1534 Words   |  7 PagesAfrican-Americans. As an example, one of the most disturbing police brutality case, worldwide known, police-citizen relation issue was the death of African-American 18-year-old, Michael Brown who was killed by a caucasian police officer, Darren Wilson of the Ferguson Police Department, on August 9, 2014 in Ferguson, MO. NY Times states that Brown stole several packages of cigarillos from a nearby convenience store and shoved the store clerk. Brown was accompanied by his friend Dorian Johnson. Wilson had been notifiedRead MoreAnalysis Of Michael Brown And Eric Garner Cases991 Word s   |  4 PagesFinal Essay Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases are examples of federalism-civil rights debate and government-sanctioned discriminatory treatment Federalism is a concept of a system of self-sustained units of governments and was considered to be the main idea of the U.S. Constitution. Vincent Ostrom’s The meaning of American federalism gives the definition of federalism as â€Å"a system of government where authority is exercised concurrently by a national government and state or provincial governments†Read MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1034 Words   |  5 Pagessituation. Others create solutions based off of what they feel is right. Although some solutions work better than others, many solutions can also be created based off of Harper Lee’s beliefs. The death of Tom Robinson at the end of the novel connects to the ferguson shooting and the death of Michael Brown through racism by the killing of a black person. After the trial of Tom Robinson, he was taken off to jail. Yet, there was not even protection from racism within closed bars. According to Heck Tate’sRead MorePolice Brutality : A Black Man s World1005 Words   |  5 Pagesthat I have chosen to analyze is Police Brutality. Police brutality is often affiliated with racial profiling. It is frequently said that we live in a â€Å"white man’s world† yet the white race is by account not the only race in America. Recently, the death by police rate has immensely expanded. African Americans are the number one victims in Police Brutality. Police uniforms are utilized to speak power, yet they misuse their authority by utilizing self-preservation to conceal their homicides. In 2015Read MorePolice Accountability And Excessive Force866 Words   |  4 PagesHeather Dixon Dr. Boyer English 122 MON03 24 June 2016 Cops and Cameras In the recent wake of the death of Michael Brown, an eighteen-year-old, who was shot by Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson, the topic of police accountability and excess force have been heavily discussed. Among those discussions a reoccurring question has been asked â€Å"Should police officers wear body cameras†? While some view this as a violation of privacy, many agree that they law enforcement should be equippedRead MorePolice Brutality And The Black Community950 Words   |  4 Pagesthey should suffer the consequence no matter who they are. As a result of misconduct officers tend be mistrusted by their communities. Deaths in the black community often stems from police officers using excessive force such as assaults, beating and shootings. One of the recent incident of police brutality went viral after a caucasian police officer s Mr. Fields body slams an African- American female high school student in South Carolina. The student was seated at her desk on her phoneRead MoreThe Police Involved Shooting Of Michael Brown Has Changed1490 Words   |  6 Pages The police involved shooting of Michael Brown has changed the way society views law enforcement, and the method of how law enforcement officers have to interact with this same society. With the deaths of individuals like Brown, Freddie Gray, Eric Garner and Tamir Rice, and with the assistance of social media and bias news reporting, as well as high level officials within our social structure, who’s speech and words can carry a large impact on our behaviors, there has been a picture paintedRead MoreLaw Enforcement : The United States Sole Purpose1117 Words   |  5 PagesLabor Statistics. Hundreds of cases have been brought forth of police brutality against African Africans. Though it may seem as if this is a new arising issue in our country, due to the many recent headline stories, it has been a major problem as far back as the 1960s during the civil rights movement. One story that dates back to the 1960s is of a young black man by the name of Fred Hampton (1948- 1969) who was a victim of police brutality. In 1968, after the death of Martin Luther King Jr., Hampton

Monday, December 9, 2019

Case Study on Innovation

Question: Case Study on Innovation. Answer: Introduction Innovation is an action taken to introduce something which is a new or doing something in a new and different way. The generation of new idea and implementing them in business is known as innovation in business. A company is generally getting success trough innovation. With the increasing global competition, implementing innovation in business processes has become very important (Bogers West, 2012). Innovation usually comes by experimenting, making trial-and-error, and sometimes out of the blue an idea strikes which lead to innovation. The accessibility of information and knowledge with present revolutionary technology has opened the gate for experimenting with innovative ideas more efficiently than before. The assembling of factors and elements makes a contribution in innovation in the business operation. This includes the environment research, company strategy, market need, and company resources. Here an innovative product Safe-O-Lock will be analysed with the help of various analysis and in the end the conclusion of all the analysis and there outcome regarding the success of the innovative product in the global market against its competitors (Edelson, 2014). Case Study of an Innovative Product Proposed Idea of Innovation Nowadays IT sector and telecommunication are coming up with new and innovative ideas for the current market requirements. Everyone wanted technology to become an enhanced part of their daily life style. By keeping this demand of customers a well know luggage manufacturing company come with an innovative product Safe-O-Lock. Many a time people lost their luggage while travelling and then face many problems due to the loss. Safe-O-Lock is the solution for all problems. It will include a GPS chip in the locking system in a suitcase. In case if someone loses his or her luggage, and an unknown person tries to forcefully open the luggage or input the wrong lock code then automatically the GPS chip installed in the Safe-O-Lock suitcase will get activated and send a message of the current location of the luggage on the mobile numbers saved in the memory of the chip (Fuglsang, 2008). This will increase the safety of the material packed in the luggage. And the owner will get the location of his or her Safe-O-Lock and take the necessary step to claim it back. The Benefits of the Innovation There are many benefits of innovation, and they are as follows: - Improved productivity and reduced costs- innovation process lead to the reduction of unit costs. This can be either achieved by improving the production capacity of the business or flexibility of the business to exploit the economies of scale. Better Quality- to meet the customer needs innovation provides better quality products and services. If marketed efficiently then will result in higher profit and sales (Gronum, Steen, Verreynne, 2015). Building a product range- innovation can prove to highly beneficial for the businesses producing single or limited products. A variety and innovative product range grants, an opportunity for increased profits and sales. Also, help in reducing the risk for shareholders. To handle legal and environmental issues- innovativeness may provide the business with the methods to reduce carbon emissions or reducing waste. Innovation may also be forced on business due to the changing laws. More added value- innovation in business can prove to be USP for a product for which customer are ready for paying a higher price (Herrera, 2016). The Problems Solved by the innovation Being innovative is very necessary to be successful in a business. The problems that innovation can solve are: - Future problem solution- through innovation the problems that may arise in future can be solved. For example, future competitive threats, change in customer preference, changing laws, and technological advances that are not acting as a problem in the present situation but in future they are ascertained to come up as an issue which can be solved with the help of innovation. Lost Luggage- here this innovative product will help in solving a big problem for anyone who has lost his or her luggage. As somebody will try to open Safe-O-Lock, it will automatically send the location, and this will help in finding the luggage (Kahn, 2014). Strategic Response toward the Innovative product Strategies are defined as the vision of the company to introduce, promote, and earn profit from the innovation. Here a new innovative luggage range Safe-O-Lock is being developed as the most innovative product of the company. This innovative product is a combination of Information Technology and Telecommunication. The GPS system indicates the Information technology and using a network to send messages to the mobile phone is a part of telecommunication (Lindgren, 2012). The strategy need to plan for the success of the product includes: - Informing the customers about the innovative product The promotion criteria to be selected that helps in elaborating the unique, innovative qualities of Safe-O-Lock. Determining the cost of production and best way to reduce the cost of production Targeting customer segment for promoting the product. Plan and Project Option Analysis Technological Feasibility of the product To include GPS chip in luggage required a lot of technical support. A whole technical staff are need to be allocated to the technological department to come up with successful GPS chip that can communicate its location using the available network. All the required equipment like computers, related software, hardware and other equipment for coming up with the GPS chip will be required. Along with it the technical staffs which are going to develop the chip, then install it properly in luggage in such a way that it does not get damaged with any kind of impact on it (Martin-Rios Parga-Dans, 2016). Financial Feasibility of the Innovative Product The finance required by the company to develop, install and promote the GPS chip has to be determined then only the company can access the amount of profit they are going to earn by launching an innovative product in the market. Total expenses need to be calculated to get the final value of the product like the labour cost, cost of manufacturing unit that will manufacture the new product range, equipment cost, hardware cost, software cost, technical development cost, patent cost, etc. are needed to be initialised to determine the financial feasibility of the product (Oshri, 2012). Market Analysis of the innovative product It is necessary to analyse the market before a product strategy is decided as it will help in knowing the exact market position and competitive factors present in the market. The market analysis used here is the Four Ps: - Product- at present there is no such kind of luggage available in the market which has an in-built GPS chip that can forward its location through telecommunication to the mobile numbers loaded in the memory of the chip. People- the target market of such kind of luggage can be the corporate, tourists, business men, etc. who are regular travellers and carry important luggage with them. Place- the product need to be available in all the company outlets and all the stores where good and high-quality luggage is being sold. This will in covering the maximum market for the product (P. C K. C, 2015). Promotion- the benefits of using Safe-O-Lock need to be included in the promotional strategy for the product. As the cost of this product will be higher than other available product thus, it becomes necessary for the company to inform the customers for what are they paying a high cost. Industrial analysis of the Innovative Product The industrial analysis is conducted to find out the strength of the competitors present in the market against the innovative product. Here Porters Five Analysis will take up to find the products position:- The Threat of the new entrants- the new entrants can enter the market very easily as the entry barriers are very low. The costing of the project is high which may make entrants to think before entering the market. Therefore, the threat of new entrants is medium here (Padgett Moura-Leite, 2012). The threat of substitute product- there are number of substitute product and alternatives is available in market but none of the substitute will have the safety option given by Safe-O-Lock. For that reason customer will prefer purchasing Safe-O-Lock. Hence, the threat of substitute is also medium. Bargaining power of suppliers- there are a huge number of suppliers ready to supply the raw material to the company. Also, company is well established so it has its selected suppliers to deal with. Hence, the bargaining power of the suppliers is low. Bargaining power of customer- as the price of the product is higher than the other substitutes available in the market but the safety option will act as the USP for the sale of the product. Thus, customers who prefer safety of their luggage will definitely go for Safe-O-Lock than going for a substitute. Hence, the power of bargaining of the customer is medium. The intensity of customer rivalry- no one has come up with such idea till now and to develop a technology takes time thus; no competitor will have the strength at present to stand against the innovative product. But in future, the chances of increasing intensity of competitiveness are there. Hence, the intensity of customer rivalry is medium (Polietaiev, 2014). The analysis concludes that though the company has come up with a real innovative idea to provide safety for the traveller in case of their luggage but the competitive intensity in terms of competitors, new entrants, substitutes, and customer is medium and only suppliers bargaining power is low, which gives company a chance to give a second thought on the success of the product. Conclusion Innovation has become an important aspect for any business to succeed in the global market. A company has to come up bright, new and innovative to be a leader in the market. If a competitor comes up with an innovative product then the customer will shift to the other company. Here the product of the company will become stale (Ren, 2005). In this report, an innovative product Safe-O-Lock was developed by an established luggage company to continue its leadership in the market. The various analysis of the product, was conducted in this case study, and that shows that may be the innovative product is quite new for the customer and also very attractive but in no time competitors can copy and come up with the substitutes. This concludes that innovation is a continuous process that need be taken up by the companies in order to be competitive enough (West, 2012). References Bogers, M. West, J. (2012). Managing Distributed Innovation: Strategic Utilization of Open and User Innovation. Edelson, S. (2014). Incubating innovation.Science-Business Exchange,7(46). Fuglsang, L. (2008). Capturing the benefits of open innovation in public innovation: a case study.International Journal Of Services Technology And Management,9(3/4), 234. Gronum, S., Steen, J., Verreynne, M. (2015). Business model design and innovation: Unlocking the performance benefits of innovation. Herrera, M. (2016). Innovation for impact: Business innovation for inclusive growth.Journal Of Business Research,69(5), 1725-1730. Kahn, K. (2014). Solving the problems of new product forecasting.Business Horizons,57(5), 607-615. Lindgren, P. (2012). Business Model Innovation Leadership: How Do SMEs Strategically Lead Business Model Innovation?. Martin-Rios, C. Parga-Dans, E. (2016). Service response to economic decline: Innovation actions for achieving strategic renewal. Oshri, I. (2012). Innovation returns from offshored IT RD: a response article.Strat Outs,5(1), 36-38.

Monday, December 2, 2019

The Ghostwriter’s Guide To Working With SMEs - The Writers For Hire

THE GHOSTWRITER’S GUIDE TO WORKING WITH SMES Imagine walking into a small conference room where a dozen engineers, all experts in technology design for the heavy equipment business, are seated at two rows of tables, looking like the world’s most disgruntled jury. Their company is launching a thought leadership program and these women and men are tasked with coming up with the copy—something that’s likely way outside their comfort zone. They are the subject matter experts, the SMEs. And while it’s true they know their subjects better than anyone else and have plenty of expertise, probably very little of it is in preparing marketing white papers or webinar scripts. This is a job that sounds difficult, if not dreadful, and will take time away from what they do best. They just want to Get. Back. To. Work. Which is why the company has brought in a professional writer, someone who can take the pain out of the assignment and make it a pleasure, instead. The marketing manager introduces you. Then, to lighten the mood, he says, â€Å"You can’t see her, though, (dramatic pause) because she’s a ghostwriter.† Crickets. This is going to be a tough crowd. Talking Tech to a Non-Tech Audience In truth, working with subject matter experts can be tough, tricky, and trying for ghostwriters—and, ultimately, extremely gratifying. SMEs are busy people with a lot on their minds, facing grueling assignments and often impossible deadlines. Asking them to concentrate on one more thing is asking a lot. Yet it has to be done. As thought leadership becomes an even more valuable B2B marketing tool, SMEs and ghostwriters will be collaborating more often—and the time better be well-spent. Writing doesn’t necessarily come naturally to the typical engineer or technical director. It’s not always easy for them to take what they know and put it into words—at least words that the average, less technical buyer might understand. And that’s who many companies are talking to these days, the non-engineering procurement staff who will influence the buying decision. Which is why the ghostwriter is there in the first place: to slice through the jargon and make the content as accessible as possible. The Secrets to Starting Strong Even if they’re the first to admit they’re not great writers—and they think having to create a thought leadership piece is a drag—SMEs are brilliant, highly accomplished individuals who bring at least a little bit of ego to any assignment. They want to succeed. The first step for the ghostwriter, then, is to assure the SME that they are embarking on a collaboration that will expand the SME’s reputation as an industry leader. That’s a pretty difficult offer to resist and it’s likely to increase buy-in on their part. At the same time, they want to feel as confident in the ghostwriter’s skills as they are in their own. It’s appropriate for ghostwriters to mention their own credentials and portfolio—not for the sake of showing off (that comes when the ghostwriter does an amazing job with the copy) but to prove that they have the chops to understand and explain complex concepts, and aren’t simply word merchants. Of course, going in no one expects the ghostwriter to have a firm grasp of the SME’s topic. But neglecting to do at least a few hours of homework before hand is a major mistake. Some basic understanding is required to at least kick off an intelligent conversation and prepare some thoughtful preliminary interview questions. (By the way, while the ghostwriter needs to talk the SME’s language, there should be no expectation that the SME understands writing lingo. Writers know â€Å"cutlines,† people know â€Å"captions.† Captions it is.) To wrap up the initial â€Å"getting to know you† phase, there should be agreement on what the assignment is. That may sound like an unnecessary step, but SMEs accustomed to preparing materials for conferences and professional journals may need help understanding, for example, how a marketing white paper is different from a technical white paper. Now’s the time to agree on interim and final deadlines, determine what the review and approval process will be like, talk about what success will look like, and find out as how the SME wants to be contacted—email, phone call, or text. That last point comes with the ironclad promise that the ghostwriter won’t bother—er, reach out to—the SME unless it’s absolutely necessary. Guided by Style Engineering personality-type jokes aside, no two SMEs are alike and the amount of writing support they want can vary widely—and it doesn’t always match the amount they need. Some SMEs will take a crack at a first draft and let the ghostwriter make only small edits, others will hand over their notes and give the ghostwriter free rein. The company’s marketing team typically acts as arbiter, helping to negotiate the right balance and getting everyone on the same page. Another area where dust-ups can occur is around writing style. Accustomed to preparing technical pieces, SMEs often have trouble letting go of formal language and seeing their words presented in marketing-speak. And this can go to extremes—after a ghostwriter deleted Mr. and Mrs. before the names of co-authors, the SME put them back then asked whether they should be there or not. It’s useful to know that the SME was not a native English speaker but he was writing for an American audience. (Which brings us to another point: the â€Å"brash American† isn’t a myth. Ghostwriters may have to tone down their personalities or amp up the politeness factor when working with a SME from another country.) In the end, patience, a thorough understanding of the company’s Style Guide, an intimate knowledge of a third-party resource like AP Style, and a good relationship with the marketing team can be the ghostwriter’s most important tools. Big Risk and Big Rewards Invariably, ghostwriters have to make some â€Å"high-risk† decisions about how content is presented—like when the SME’s copy is so dense or high-level only another SME would have an inkling about it. In cases like this, what works best is for the ghostwriter to make the appropriate edits then explains why. A note in the margin that says, â€Å"This is what I’ve done; I hope I haven’t introduced any inaccuracies,† goes a long way toward getting the SME to agree to changes while ensuring technical precision. Once the thought leadership piece is in print, it’s time for the SME and ghostwriter to look back, assessing what worked, what didn’t, and how things could be improved next time. Because if the ghostwriter has done the job right, there will be a next time, and it might be something the SME even looks forward to.