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| Mapper’s Framework |
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April 28th, 2008 |
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| Time |
Milestone |
| Week 1 |
Map Locator |
| Week 2 |
History Timeline |
| Week 3 |
Weather Chart |
| Week 4 |
Map Layout / Structure of the destinations (street, river buildings, etc) |
| Week 5 |
Map Layout / Structure of the destinations (street, river buildings, etc) |
| Week 6 |
Place General Graphic Icons (including hospital, bank, church, etc) in Maps |
| Week 7 |
Place General Graphic Icons (including hospital, bank, church, etc) in Maps; Place location of Accommodation in Maps. |
| Week 8 |
Place location of Things To Do in Maps; Place location of Shopping and Dining in Maps |
| Week 9 |
Proof read Maps & create Tour Map(s) |
| Week 10 |
Final proof read Maps, touch up & to finalise |
| Week 11 |
Send all files in PDF format to DTP for compilation |
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Map revised every now and then to include new information and drawing mistakes.
The above timeframe is provided only as a guideline. Actual timeframe is to be decided by mappers based on their schedule and other personal commitments.
Once timeframe has been mutually agreed, a4trip managers will monitor writer’s performance and milestones delivery deadlines.
Each milestones is defined weekly as shown on the above timeframe, where there will be 14 milestones altogether.
Each milestones completed must be sent to Lina upon completion for quality inspection.
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Mapper Style Guide
Sample City Map
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| The Globe Corner Bookstores |
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April 27th, 2008 |
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URL: www.globecorner.com
The Globe Corner Bookstores carries one of North America’s largest selections of books and maps for the traveller. We provide a full range of travel and outdoor recreation reference materials for a destination: guidebooks, maps, atlases, recreation guides, travel literature, nature guides, photography books, cookbooks, and language products.
Our selection of globes, world and regional wall maps, historic map reproductions, satellite views, world atlases, nautical books, and topographic map software complement destination-oriented books and maps.
Opened in 1982, the Globe Corner Bookstores has been named Best Specialty Bookstore and Best Bookstore–Travel by Boston Magazine. Globecorner.com launched in 1995, making it the first American book and map store on the web.
GCB Green Practices
The Globe Corner Bookstores has been committed to being a green business. We have recycled cardboard boxes and paper for close to 20 years. In 2005, we became one of a small number of bookstores worldwide operating in a LEED-certified building, at 90 Mt. Auburn Street.
Our relocation to a green building included re-use of existing fixtures (bookcases, displays and lighting fixtures). Our purchases in the physical build-out of the store were limited to new computer and communications equipment! We continue to explore ways to operate in a more energy efficient and environmentally conscious manner.
We appreciate our customers’ increasing consideration of the need for plastic bags for purchases. In fair weather, we’ll continue to ask if customers would like a bag. We understand that a plastic bag is sometimes needed and are gratified by customers’ comments about their re-use of our bags.
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| The 3U’s- Unique, Updated and Useful |
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April 25th, 2008 |
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One of the most important rule you must keep it mind when you want to drive traffic into your blog is the Rule of the 3U’s- Unique, Updated and Useful.
Updated- Regularly update your blog will help to ensure “freshness”, which is something major search engines take into consideration when evaluating the “importance” of your site. 1-2 new post a day is a good practice. Also, keeping existing information up-to-date is important especially if you want to keep visitors coming back.
Useful- Needless to say, nobody likes to read irrelevant information. Your job as a guide book blogger is to inform and to educate your visitors. If possible, you should be the voice of authority in the topics that you blog about. Use tools like directories, listings, travel related calculators and various other “useful” information on your blog to attract visitors.
Unique- This is the tougher challenge. Making your blog unique requires more than just copy and paste information from other sources. In this section, originality will help alot. Think of all the possible ways on how you can make your blog the most comprehensive information silo on the traveling destination you are writing about.
That’s basically the 3U to get you started on building your traffic. It’s going to take time, probably 3 months to 6 months before you start seeing the effort.
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| Blog Tips for Your Guide Books |
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April 25th, 2008 |
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A4trip.com gives every writer a blog space to market their guidebooks. The blogs are hosted under the domain name a4guide.com.
An example of a blog can be seen here:
http://a4guide.com/en/cambodia/siem-reap/
A blog can greatly assist in the effort of marketing the guidebooks, and I shall be sharing a few tips and tricks which you can use when you are writing your own blog.
Here’s the compiled list of blogging tips and tricks which I hope will assist you.
Good luck, a4friends ;-)
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| Paypal Account - how to change from a Premier/Business account to Personal account? |
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April 25th, 2008 |
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If you wish to downgrade further to a Personal account, please email Paypal with your request and they will be happy to do that for you.
Here is the contact information for Global General Service ：
- Log in to your account at Paypal
- Click ‘Contact Us’ of any PayPal page.
- Click ‘Contact Customer Service’
- Enter your question in ‘Summarize your question in one sentence’
- Click ‘Continue’
- Click ‘Continue’ and follow the online instructions.
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| Paypal Account - Personal or Premier/Business? |
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April 23rd, 2008 |
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When you sign up for a Paypal account to receive your a4trip payment, you will have to choose between a Personal account or a Premier/Business account.
What is the difference and what is recommended in this case?
Please refer to Paypal fees on different accounts. One thing that needs to be highlighted here is the “Receive payments funded by PayPal Balance, PayPal Instant Transfer or PayPal eCheck”. Please note that you will be receiving your a4trip payments funded by a4trip Paypal balance. So it is free of charge if you have a personal account. However, there will be a 2.4% + $0.30 USD to 3.4% + $0.30 USD fee if you have a premier/business account.
We would suggest you register a personal account solely for receiving a4trip payment to avoid any charges from Paypal.
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| Writer’s Framework |
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April 22nd, 2008 |
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| Time |
Milestone |
No of Page |
| Week 1 |
Introduction, History and background, Current Affairs |
1 - 2 |
| Week 2 |
Preparation, Travel Scheduling, Visa, Free, etc |
1 - 2 |
| Week 3 |
Going to destination, Getting around |
2 |
| Week 4 |
Destination by location |
1 |
| Week 5 |
Accommodation |
2 |
| Week 6 |
Things to do |
5 - 7 |
| Week 7 |
Shopping, Dining, Nightlife |
4 -5 |
| Week 8 |
Suggested Itineraries |
2 |
| Week 9 |
Charity, Culture Shock |
1 |
| Week 10 |
Local Language Guide |
1 |
| Week 11 |
Proof reading. Beta Release on Sale. |
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| Week 12 |
Edit guide book based on feedbacks from proof reading. |
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| Week 13 |
DTP Process - Producing guidebook in PDF format. |
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| Week 14 |
Guide Book ver 1.0 Release On Sale! |
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| Week 15 |
Revisionary Updates every month |
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| Guide book will be revised by writer every month to include new information and editorial mistakes. The above timeframe is provided only as a guideline. Actual timeframe is to be decided by writers based on their schedule and other personal commitments.Once timeframe has been mutually agreed, a4trip managers will monitor writer’s performance and milestones delivery deadlines.
Each milestones is defined weekly as shown on the above timeframe, where there will be 15 milestones altogether.
Each milestones completed must be sent to a4trip managers upon completion for quality inspection. Necessary remedial actions will be implemented to assist writers who are falling behind their schedules.
Writers are given priority to blog and market their guidebook on a4guide.com. However, if the writers are not keen to update the blog, the position will be taken up by interested 3rd parties.
Proofreader has 1 week to complete the proof reading for the guide book.
For mapping and illustration production timeline, please refer to the Mapper’s Framework. |
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| Gathering at The Curve |
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April 11th, 2008 |
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Dinner with Shenling (Beijing writer), her husband, Peter (thanks for coming all the way from Seri Kembangan), Yowchuan, Ammie (Yowchuan girlfriend), Jingkai, Henny, Marcus, Chinseng and Pin, near The Curve! Nice meeting Shenling, she has done an amazing job, the 25 pages guides are so impressive!
Another big things, we have just done a major infra upgrade! :)
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