A library in Norway holds manuscripts by living authors that no one can read until 2114. It's called the Future Library. by @daylightatheism

https://onlys.ky/future-library/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=evergreen

#Futurism #DeepTime #Books #LongTermThinking #Humanism

To NAB. To seize, or catch unawares. To nab the teaze; to be privately whipped. To nab the stoop; to stand in the pillory. To nab the rust; a jockey term for a horse that becomes restive. To nab the snow: to steal linen left out to bleach or dry. CANT.

A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

--
#books #literature #dictionaries #history #society #language #slang @histodons

Alt...

Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): To NAB. To seize, or catch unawares. To nab the teaze; to be privately whipped. To nab the stoop; to stand in the pillory. To nab the rust; a jockey term for a horse that becomes restive. To nab the snow: to steal linen left out to bleach or dry. CANT. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

Beware the Ills – Free Kindle Book Giveaway

My first novel, and dark fantasy novel Beware the Ills is FREE today through Sunday.

This is my favorite book I’ve written, but far from my most popular. First person, weird prose, cursed island, steampunk universe, and unforgettable battle scenes.

I have been slowly releasing it in segments on here the last year, but this is your chance to permanently own an edition on the Kindle. Revised a billion times since its first release. Details below:

For the last 30 years he has been the sole protector of the legendary Diamond Town. Every hour it snows, howls, and storms. Every week, wave after wave of invaders crawl through the woods scouring for a bit of fame and glory on this lost island — and he cuts them all down with indiscriminate slashes of his sword. No one has survived being the Guardian as long as him, and the shadows are seething with vengeance in the forests and mountains. A vengeful cannibal from a lost invasion, ancient beasts stalking about the mountains waiting to attack, and a fresh new batch of invaders with a beautiful berserker and emotionless captain are just a few of the festering plagues on this cursed island. There will be no respite. There will be no end to the war and strife. The winters are growing longer, the cold harsher, and the enemies bolder. Take a walk in the footsteps of the Diamond Town’s Guardian and his world, through his own blood-weary eyes. Count your footsteps and mind the silence, it’s time to hunt, and to fill the graveyard again.

Hit it HERE to get Beware the Ills for FREE on Kindle

Book Review: Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Author: Henry James
Title: Turn of the Screw
Narrator: Vanessa Benjamin
Publication Info: Blackstone Publishing, 2008 [Originally published in 1898]
Summary/Review:

Henry James’ work of Gothic fiction is a ghost story that works on many levels.  The novella is presented as an account by a governess charged with caring for the orphan children, Flora and Miles.  With an immediate fondness toward the children, the governess grows concerned about the mysterious presence of a man and a woman affecting the children’s behavior.  She ultimately comes to believe that they are the ghosts of the previous governess Miss Jessel and valet Peter Quint, both of whom had been close to the children.  The governess’ attempts to protect the children lead to tragic twists.  It’s a story that features a strong sense of eeriness but also metaphorical without being heavy handed.

Recommended books:

• The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

Rating: ****

#Audiobooks #BookReviews #Books #ClassicLiterature #GhostStory #GothicFiction #PychologicalHorror

Hi! It's been a while, so I thought it would be time to post a new #introduction.

I'm Michael. I love staring at #birds, animals, and trees and stuff. I play way too many #boardgames and #videogames. I read #Books from time to time. Lately I've been into #SoloRoleplaying games. I plan on sharing my thoughts on all these subjects in the days to come.

Five Great Quotations about Readers #writer #writing #books #readers #amwriting inventingrealityediting.com/2...

Five Great Quotations about Re...

More brilliance from Stratis Haviaras. #honeymoon #literature #greekliterature #books

Alt...

More brilliance from Stratis Haviaras. #honeymoon #literature #greekliterature #books

Today, through Sunday, my dark fantasy novel Beware the Ills is free on Kindle for your downloading enjoyment. You can learn more about the book in the link below. Such a fantastic POV in a truly unique setting. Happy reading!

#darkfantasy #books #free #reading #writing #kindle #steampunk #fantasy

https://patrickwmarshauthor.wordpress.com/2026/07/09/beware-the-ills-free-kindle-book-giveaway/

More Than Shelves

Our Library

“A room without books is like a body without a soul.”
— Cicero

I recently came across the French word bibliothèque—library. It made me stop and think. In a home, a library is not simply a collection of shelves filled with books. Shelves are where books are stored. A library is something more. It reflects who you are.

The books we choose to keep tell a story about our interests, our values, our curiosity, and even the different seasons of our lives. A well-loved novel, a favorite cookbook, a biography that changed the way we think, a travel guide that reminds us of a special journey—together they become a quiet autobiography.

Perhaps that’s what makes a home library so special. It isn’t measured by the number of books it holds, but by the life it reflects. Every shelf is a chapter, every book a memory, and together they tell the story of the people who call that house home.

Our library occupies a prominent place in our home, not because I intended it to make a statement, but because that’s where we had the space. At the time, I never considered what those shelves might communicate to others. Now I realize they speak quietly on my behalf. They reveal what intrigues me, what I cherish enough to keep nearby, and the enduring conversations I continue to have with authors long after I’ve turned the final page.

If you think about it, what we choose to read says a great deal about who we are. Our books reveal our interests, our curiosity, our dreams, and the questions we continue to ask. They remind us where we’ve been and sometimes point us toward where we hope to go.

In Home Sweet Maison: The French Art of Making a Home, Danielle Postel-Vinay writes, “In Paris, it’s better to talk about the book you read last weekend than to show off your Rolex.” I smiled when I read that. I’d like to think the same could be said here in America, although perhaps that’s a bit optimistic.

To me, good taste has very little to do with the watch you wear, the car you drive, or the label inside your jacket. It has far more to do with how you choose to live your life—with your curiosity, your kindness, the conversations you enjoy, and the ideas that continue to shape you. A well-read book with dog-eared pages can be far more interesting than an expensive possession that simply announces its price.

With this in mind, I’ve become more thoughtful about the books I add to my library. Rather than simply filling another shelf, I hope each one reflects something about who I am and what I value. I often collect the complete works of authors I admire, not only because I enjoy their writing, but because I know I’ll return to their books again and again. Like visiting an old friend, each reading reveals something I missed before or speaks to me in a new way.

Most of all, I believe we should surround ourselves with what we love. Whether it’s books, art, music, or treasured mementos, the things we choose to live with quietly shape our homes and, in many ways, remind us of who we aspire to be. Perhaps that’s the true purpose of a home library. It isn’t simply a place to keep books. It’s a place that reflects a life of curiosity, learning, and the enduring joy of reading.

50% off @ #smashwords : https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1691775

Zechariah Jacobs has angered a vast empire that spans a third of the galaxy, which is far too much for his planet to stand against, but in a clash of wizards and magic versus technology, it’s hard to say which will win.

@bookstodon
#author #indieauthor #writing #fantasy #scifi #sciencefiction #sff #sciencefantasy #scifi #actionadventure #fiction #books

Alt...

(Left) The cover of Wrath of the Sky, by Owen Tyme. On a black background, a planet much like earth burns, set aflame. The flames are on the top and sides, but haven't yet reached the bottom. (Right) An ogre stands on a rocky cliffside path, clearly quite upset, with both his head and arms raised as he cries out! The background is blue sky with white clouds. The following quote is laid over the top of the scene: Winzon grinned evilly. With great slowness and ceremony, he undid the draw-string of his sack and up-ended it, dropping an ogre skull at the brute’s feet! The massive ogre’s entire demeanor changed in an instant! He backed away, carefully stepping out of reach of Winzon’s ax, even though it was still strapped to his back! The brute whispered, “Ogre-slayer!” (Bottom) https://books2read.com/WrathOfTheSky

Alt...

Sample page from Wrath of the Sky.

Alt...

Sample page from Wrath of the Sky.

Alt...

Sample page from Wrath of the Sky.

A Review of Planeta: https://lydiaschoch.com/a-review-of-planeta/

#Books #LGBTQ #ScienceFiction #Mystery #Romance

@bookstodon

Alt...

Book cover for Planeta by Ana Oncina. Image on cover is a drawing of a Spanish woman who is standing behind a green-skinned person, possibly an alien, who is covering their eyes with their hands.

Born this day: 07/09/1945
Dean Koontz is an American writer and screenwriter. Beastchild (1971) was nominated for the Hugo & Locus Awards. His novels are billed as suspense thrillers, but frequently incorporate elements of horror, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and satire.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Koontz

#Literature #SciFi #ScienceFiction #books #bookstodon #coverart #bookart #bookcovers
#DeanKoontz @books @scifi @Scifiart @sciencefiction

https://astralcomputing.com

Cover art by Bert Tanner

Alt...

Venture SCIENCE FICTION (August 1970) - featured story: BEASTCHILD a complete new novel by DEAN R. KOONTZ. Cover art by Bert Tanner. 60¢ Two large, dark blue clawed hands emerge from a textured red and brown mass in the foreground. The left hand holds a small, white, angular pyramid between its four visible, pointed claws, while the right hand reaches toward the same object with its claws spread wide. These claws are tipped with white. Between the hands and a background of curved, concentric bands in shades of blue, green, yellow, and orange that sweep upward from the bottom right, two thin, black, horizontal shards float.

The Social Realism of Elizabeth Gaskell Who Went Against Outworn Victorian Values

Once pigeonholed as “Mrs Gaskell,” a representative of outworn Victorian values, Elizabeth Gaskell is a more radical writer than you might expect.

https://www.thecollector.com/elizabeth-gaskell-social-realism/

Gaskell at PG:

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/220

#books #literature

Alt...

In the photograph, Elizabeth Gaskell sits in an ornate chair with books next to her. She is dressed in a dark, vertically striped Victorian dress with a white collar. A large, patterned paisley shawl covers her arms and lap, and a round brooch or locket is pinned at the center of her bodice.

Evil for Evil by K.J. Parker #books #literature #dedication

Alt...

People are all right as far as they go, but sometimes only places will do. This one's for Century and Stickledown, Langport, Whitestaunton and Middle Room: the pacifist's Valhalla.

"Strolling about?" asked he, in a bewildered manner; "'do people stroll about, now-a-days?" https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/8645
#books

1st of December -
3 people
3 lives
3 journeys

https://www.hhousebooks.com/books/first-of-december/

or search for Karen Jennings 1st of December

Original painting : View of an interior with Louis XV commode(1842) by Giovanni Boldini

Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/DWWUZ5JCsOJ/

#outnow #newtitles #novel #publishing #tbr #tbrlist #ibookstodon #books

I've been reading _What We Cannot Know_ by Marcus du Sautoy for several months, after several years of it loitering in my bedside table stack of books. My #SummerReadingChallenge finally persuaded me to finish it.

It's an exploration of the edges of scientific knowledge and whether we know whether there are things that we'll never know. It's basically taken me a long time to read it because most of it's really interesting. I unexpectedly liked the brain science bits and am always going to enjoy the maths content.

https://nocto.com/books/what-we-cannot-know/

#books #Bookstodon #BookReview

Alt...

Cover of What we cannot Know: From consciousness to the cosmos, the cutting edge of science explained. Paperback copy lying on a garden table.

Alt...

Handdrawn journal page with Summer Reading Challenge in big letters and now two books coloured in around it. Also stickers!

Finished reading "The infinite sadness of small appliances" by Glenn Dixon. The snow in October gave it away, I think, it comes from Canada. There is an elderly couple, Edie and Harold. When Edie dies, The Grid has plans for changes in the house. Their daughter Kate gets surmount to help. The appliances like Scout, the vacuum cleaner begin to fear. What will happen to the house, to Harold, to Edie's piano which her student Adrian likes to play? What about the appliances?

#Books (1/2)

(2/2) ("The infinite sadness of small appliances" by Glenn Dixon)

I enjoyed the book. The appliances reminded me a bit of The Beauty and The Beast. It's a well written tale, in my opinion. It's a slim book, a tad over 250 pages, the right length for the story told. There was not a page I wanted to skip.

I was happy to have found a review which made me interested in it. I ordered it and got it a week later from the Coventry Street Bookstore in South Melbourne.

#books

Found my new favorite romance book that is ALL ABOUT CONSENT and education by author Brooklyn Rose. An advance review copy/#ARC was generously provided by the author and #BookSirens, but I'd buy this book today. Absolutely LOVED IT. #Goodreads review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8755072596

#Bookstodon #books #review #bookreview #reading #amreading

Why are there typos in professionally published books?

Because the average novel is 75,000 - 100,000 words. It is almost impossible to get perfection when you have 75,000 chances to make a mistakes. And spellcheck can't tell the difference between Here and Hear.

#LianaEdits #AmWriting #Books

A charming little community book exchange tucked into a brick wall, filled with books for anyone to browse and borrow.

📍 Vénès, France

https://www.bookcorners.org/library/venes-place-du-poids-public/

#BookCorners #FreeBooks #Books #StreetLibrary #Vénès #France #bookexchange #communitylibrary

Alt...

A small community book exchange box behind a red wrought-iron gate, set into a brick and plaster wall with books inside.

Small Business Federal Government Contract Proposal Preparation

“SMALLTOFEDS” By Ken Larson

“Conducting a Bid/No Bid Decision, developing a competitive strategy and preparing a winning proposal for a small business federal government contract.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

“The solicitation by the government may be a result of your self-marketing efforts or you may have located it at the System for Award Management (SAM), the gateway for all federal government business in excess of $25K. 

The fact that the government has now converted a project requirement into a formal solicitation means that the funding is available for a contract and the authorities within the government agency have authorized a source selection process.

BID/NO BID DECISION

Government contract proposal preparation is time consuming and can be costly. Meeting the agency Request for Proposal (RFP) requirements with a responsive proposal can be well worth the effort if a winning strategy can be formulated.

When considering submitting a proposal to a given government solicitation, conduct a bid/no bid exercise. By going through that process you will begin formulating your win strategy or you will discover that you should not bid this job for lack of such a strategy.

The elements of the process are discussed below in the form of questions to ask yourself against topics for key consideration. Affirmative or non-affirmative answers to the topical questions and ability to fill in the blanks below will drive your decision to bid or not bid a solicitation.

A. Customer:

Do you know this customer? Yes __ No ___

Does this customer know you? Yes___No ___

Do you have any idea of the available funding for which the customer has obtained authorization?

Yes___No ____

Specify the marketing contacts which have been made with the customer thus far:

Date:

Contact:

B. Supplies and Services:

Specify the supplies and services to be delivered in the prospective contract:

Line Item (s):

Description:

Are the supplies and services in the RFP Statement of work a good match for what the company sells?

Yes ___No ___

Is the RFP Statement of Work specific enough to identify risks? Yes____No ____

Is the RFP schedule specific enough to determine the delivery requirements?

Yes____No____

Can the delivery schedule in the RFP be met?

Yes ___No _____

Specify the delivery schedule for the prospective contract:

Line Item(s):

Delivery Date:

C. Contract Type/Value/Start/End Date:

Does the proposed contract type (FFP, CP, T&M, etc) suit the nature of the work?

Yes___ No ___

Specify the contract type for this program: _______________.

Are there any unusual terms and conditions specified in the government RFP?

Yes ____No___

Specify any unusual terms and conditions: ___________________________________________

What is the Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) value of the prospective contract? $___________.

What is the anticipated start date of the contract? ________.

What is the anticipated end date of the contract? ________.

D. Company Strengths:

Is this prospective contract for effort in which the company has strong skills?

Yes____No ____

Specify the strengths the company will utilize in meeting the product specification or statement of work:

E. Company Weaknesses:

Are there any company weaknesses in meeting the product specification or statement of work?

Yes ___No ___

Specify any weaknesses for which the company must compensate and manage associated risks:

F. Teaming Arrangements (If any):

Does your company plan to team with other companies in the performance of the prospective contract?

Yes ___No ___

Identify the other team member companies:

Will your company be a prime or a subcontractor? Prime___Subcontractor ____

Have NDA’s and Teaming Agreements been executed? Yes____No ______

G. Competition:

Is this a sole source set-aside procurement to your company?

Yes____No____

If this is a competitive procurement, identify the prospective competition and their associated strengths/weaknesses:

H. Win Strategy:

Identify the proposal features and themes which will be utilized in the proposal as descriminators to win this program:
Management:

Technical:

Cost:

I. Proposal Budget:

Estimate the man hours and dollars for proposal labor, any travel expenses, shipping, packaging, samples and other expenses associated with preparing the proposal. The government does not reimburse the contractor for proposal preparation under the subsequent contract.

Proposal expenses must be included in the cost center overhead or G&A and accounted for as marketing expense allocated across the cost center or the company.

Labor Hours __

Labor Dollars $______

Material _______

Travel _______

Samples (if any) _______

TOTAL $_______

J. Bid/No Bid Decision:

If you can answer “YES” to at least 5 of the questions under paragraphs A through D above, it is likely you should bid this procurement.

If the answers to 7 of the 10 “YES” or “NO” questions under paragraphs A through D above are “NO” it is unlikely you should bid this procurement unless the answer to G is “YES”.Even then, examine your answers and carefully review whether this business is suitable for your company.

If the answer to E is “YES”, it is unlikely you will bid this procurement successfully unless the answer to G is “YES”. Even then, determine how you will overcome the weaknesses you have identified in your company associated with doing this work before you decide to bid it.

Carefully compare the competitive analysis under Item G to the win strategy under H before you make your final decision.

K. Decision:

BID _____

NO Bid _______

YOUR PROPOSAL

You have decided to bid a prospective project. You have downloaded the RFP from the government agency and the clock has started on the proposal due date.

Visit the federal government on line certifications and representations web site and complete the standard information there, which can be utilized for all federal agency proposals. Certifications and representations are required for virtually every proposal submission. That web site is at:

System for Award Managment (SAM)

The following information addresses the proposal process. It is from an independent consultant named Deborah L. Kluge, who is a specialist in proposal writing and consulting. The below is an extract from Deborah’s Web site.
If you are preparing a FAR Part 12 Commercial Proposal, certain elements of this material may not apply, but you are encouraged to utilize the information and the checklist to insure you have covered all the bases.

“THE RFP

Read it once, then read it again. And again. Experienced bidders know that several readings of an RFP are necessary for a complete understanding of what is required.Learn what the lettered sections of an RFP are (e.g., Section B refers to your pricing, Section C is the scope-of-work, Section K contains Representations and Certifications, Section L provides instructions to the bidders, Section M specifies the bid evaluation criteria, etc.). The titles of the lettered sections are generally the same in every RFP.

Be aware that information critical to your bid may be scattered among many different sections of an RFP.Put the RFP in a 3-ring binder for easy use as a reference document. You might also want to insert dividers in front of each important section for quick reference.Use small “Post-It”™ notes at the edge of a page to mark important pages or paragraphs. That way, you can find them quickly.

If you don’t understand some of the information in the RFP, you can submit written questions to the Contracting Officer.Some RFPs specify a date by which questions are due. Make sure you send in your questions before the due date or they may not be considered.Be aware that the Government’s response to all submitted questions are distributed to all bidders, usually through a written amendment to the RFP.

Although you and your firm will not be identified as the “asker” of specific questions, the way in which you word your questions could provide important information to your competitors. Word your questions carefully to ensure that you don’t give away information on your strategy or pricing.If you call the Contracting Officer to obtain or clarify information in an RFP, be aware that verbal information given to you by the Government is not binding.

THE PROPOSAL OUTLINE

If you have downloaded an RFP from the Internet, you can use that file to begin constructing your proposal outline.If you do not have the RFP on disk, use a scanner to scan in important sections for use in preparing your outline.

Some people prepare an annotated outline as well as a basic outline. An annotated outline can contain important points from the RFP, as well as your own information on what you are planning to say in each section.If you prepare an annotated outline, copy your file, save it under a different name, and delete the annotations. The result will be a basic outline which you can use for easier viewing and tracking of proposal sections and subsections.

For each section and/or subsection of your outline, indicate the estimated number of pages that will be written, the person responsible for doing the writing, and the evaluation points.Put important instructions on the first page or at the top of your outline, so you don’t have to rummage through the RFP to find them. These instructions might include: proposal due date and time, number of copies, page limits, font size, page margins, packaging and delivery instructions.

THE PROPOSAL SCHEDULE

Make one and stick to it!Work backwards from the proposal due date.You might want to make a separate schedule for preparation of the cost/business proposal.Make sure you leave plenty of time for copying, binding, and delivering the proposal.

Remember, the copier knows that an important document is being copied, so it will break, jam or smudge. Have a back-up plan that includes having extra paper and toner on hand and sending the proposal out to be copied.Distribute the schedule to all members of your proposal team.

PROPOSAL PREPARATION

Make sure you are familiar with the instructions in Section L of the RFP.Study the proposal evaluation criteria and the points allocated to each section/subsection of the technical proposal, as well as the points that are allocated to cost. This information will tell you what to emphasize and where to put your efforts with regard to proposal preparation.Hold an intial and regular follow-up meetings with your proposal team to discuss strategies, progress and problems.

To the extent possible, your Technical Approach and strategy should provide answers to the following questions: who, what, when, where, how, and why.Depending upon the instructions in the RFP, your Management Section might contain a discussion on how you will manage the overall project, a discussion on how you will manage and oversee the work of your staff and subcontractors (if any), an organization chart of the project, and position descriptions of project staff.

In your Personnel Section, you may be required to include narrative information on the experience and skills of the staff members you are proposing for the project and/or their resumes.In your Related Experience or Capabilities Section, you may need to demonstrate that you have performed similar or related work for this or other clients.

Your proposal may have other sections such as an Executive Summary, a discussion of your Understanding of the Problem, Appendices, or other required information as specified in the RFP.

Don’t assume that the Government knows your organization’s capabilities, staff or the projects you have carried out. The Government is supposed to evaluate only the specific information contained in your proposal. That means it must be written down in accordance with RFP instructions.Use tables, charts and graphics to summarize information (“a picture says a thousand words”) or to break up your narrative.

Check the entire proposal for the following: technical consistency; spelling; page numbering; section/subsection numbering or letting; consistency of appearance of headings, subheadings, font types and font sizes.Make sure you have filled in and signed all the forms in the RFP that you must return with your bid.Before and after copying your technical and cost proposals, check to see that each copy contains all pages and that they are in the proper order.

COSTING/PRICING 

You have a technical strategy — you should also have a costing and pricing strategy!Don’t wait until the last minute to begin gathering cost information that you will need to prepare your cost estimate.Be aware of and understand the type of contract you are bidding: fixed-fee, cost-plus, cost-reimbursement, time and materials, etc. This will likely affect the way you price your proposal.

Prepare a spreadsheet template or checklist of items to include in your cost estimate.Make sure your cost estimate is consistent with what you are proposing to do or provide.You may need to develop some specific assumptions for pricing purposes. If appropriate, you can include these assumptions in your cost/business proposal on a separate page or as footnotes to your estimate. In any event, always document your assumptions so that you can refer to them later and make changes if needed.

Check and re-check your numbers and formulas. Review the hard copy of your estimate to help in spotting errors.Make sure that your cost estimate can be easily read. Don’t use a font that is too small. For guidance on cost and pricing data, please see the following articles:

Cost and Pricing with Credibility

Certified Cost and Pricing Data

PROPOSAL PITFALLS – Don’t Let These Happen to You!

Failure to follow the RFP instructions regarding organization of the proposal, inclusion of required information, page limits, volumes, etc.Failure to take evaluation criteria and allocated points into consideration when preparing your response.

Failure to understand and to demonstrate an understanding of the problem (i.e., the reason why the agency is issuing the RFP).Failure to submit your proposal on the required date and time.

Failure to include all of the information requested by the Agency.

Failure to tailor your response to the specific RFP.Costs/Prices are unreasonable (too high or too low) or incomplete.Costs/prices do not provide any detail or breakdown information (if required) for line and sub-line items.

Failure to include specifics of your proposed approach to the project.Proposal is unprofessional in appearance (e.g., typos, blank pages, unnumbered pages, smudges, no whitespace, sloppy-looking, etc.). This reflects poorly upon your company.

Proposal is poorly written (e.g., information is not presented/organized in a logical manner, proposal is difficult to follow, poor grammar, etc.).Proposal merely repeats or paraphrases the RFP.

Proposal does not explain how or by whom the project will be managed.Proposal does not contain RELEVANT information about your firm, its capabilities, and/or its management and staff.Proposal does not demonstrate that your firm/organization and personnel have the experience and capability to carry out the project.

PROPOSAL CHECKLIST:

1. RFP/DOCUMENTS

Obtain complete copy of RFPDistribute RFP to appropriate staff.Review RFP for missing pages/sections.Prepare questions for submission to Contracting Officer.Receive and review responses to questions.Collect, distribute and review pertinent background documents.

2. PARTNERS

Identify partners to participate in bid.Determine type of partnership arrangement.Prepare teaming or other type of appropriate agreements.Receive signed agreements from partners.Determine each partner’s level of effort for project.Number and type of long-term staff.Number and type of consultants.

3. TECHNICAL STRATEGY

Hold strategy meetings.Identify the partnership’s strengths and weaknesses.Identify competition and their strengths and weakness.Identify ways to differentiate partnership from competition.Develop strategic themes.Develop strategy for each component and overall.

4. TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

Prepare draft outline/revise as needed.Identify & select writers for each section.Determine page numbers for each section.Determine document format (font, major/minor headings, etc.).Provide writers with written formatting guidelines/instructions.Prepare/distribute list of nomenclature, abbreviations, acronyms.Identify and provide writers with relevant sections from past proposals.Prepare schedule/identify due dates for draft sections.Determine review, feedback and editing process for written sections.Ensure compatibility of software packages and versions.Ensure compatibility of document transmission via e-mail.Ensure sufficient quantities of appendix materials are available.

5. PERSONNEL

Prepare packet of materials for long-term candidates.Prepare personnel checklists/tracking list for candidate documents.Prepare commitment letter(s) for signature by candidates.Recruit long-term staff and consultants.Collect ResumesSort Resumes by category/areas of expertise.Review ResumesIdentify best candidates and alternates.Confirm candidates’ interest/availability.Obtain additional info from candidates for Resumes, if necessary.Obtain signed letters of commitment from candidates.Review personnel checklists for missing items.Determine format for re-written Resumes.Re-write Resumes.Prepare skills matrices.

6. PAST PERFORMANCE REFERENCES

Use RFP format if required.Update and/or prepare past performance information as needed.Review for accuracy and completeness.”

SUMMARY:

This article has offered guidance as a template to apply to your marketing operations for accommodating federal government contract proposal preparation. Proposals are special, sometimes exhausting projects, but a necessary part of doing business with government agencies. Like many other aspects of business, the more proposals you prepare, the more you learn and the more can borrow from past practice for the next one.

As a final note please read the following carefully. Your proposal data may contain rate information, proprietary data or strategic technical solutions which you would not want to fall into the hands of a competitor. The government does not sign Proprietary Data Agreements (PDA’s). The government’s obligation to protect your information is covered in the following FAR clause and requires protective markings by you on the title page of your proposal and on each subsequent page.

FAR 15.509 Limited use of data.

(a) A proposal may include data that the offeror does not want disclosed for any purpose other than evaluation. If the offeror wishes to restrict the proposal, the title page must be marked with the following legend:

“The data in this proposal shall not be disclosed outside the Government and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed in whole or in part for any purpose other than to evaluate the proposal; provided, that if a contract is awarded to this offeror as a result of or in connection with the submission of these data, the Government shall have the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the data to the extent provided in the contract. This restriction does not limit the Government’s right to use information contained in the data if it is obtainable from another source without restriction.”
(b) The offeror shall also mark each restricted sheet with the following legend: “Use or disclosure of proposal data is subject to the restriction on the title page of this Proposal.”

(c) The coordinating office shall return to the offeror any unsolicited proposal marked with a legend different from that provided in 15.509(a). The return letter will state that the proposal cannot be considered because it is impracticable for the Government to comply with the legend and that the agency will consider the proposal if it is resubmitted with the proper legend.

IF YOU WIN Celebrate!Uh oh — you now have to actually manage and implement your project.

IF YOU LOSE

You can call the Contracting Officer to arrange an in-person or telephone debriefing to find out the reasons for your loss. Try not to get too discouraged — no one can win all the time.Learn from your experience and apply that learning to your next bid.

Small Business Federal Government Contract Proposal Preparation

Powerful short poem here - "Elegy for A Mask Mandate", by Ellen Samuels. Encountered it initially in the anthology Disability Intimacy, which I'm reading at the moment.

"For a year, maybe two, I knew
that you loved me."

https://wordgathering.com/vol16/issue1/

(Scroll down that page a little way to find the poem. There's an audio recording as well.)

#Masks4All #poetry #disability #books

Went digging into a roof space in the kitchen, looking for two jerrycans stashed there, found them AND a book: Brother and other stories, Clifford D Simak. Will proceed to read it later on.

#books #literature #scifi

Peabody Township Library, Public library in Kansas.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peabody_Township_Library

#libraries #books #map

Alt...

A photo of or from a library from the linked website, overlaid on a cropped world map where it's located.

Mil gracias a Salvador Luis, por esta fantástica reseña 🖤🖤🖤

http://www.panoptista.com/mal-de-bosque-de-izaskun-gracia-quintana/

#resena #review #books #bookstodon #libros #literatura #literature

Alt...

Imagen de la entrada a la reseña de la novela «Mal de bosque»

Here's an offer that's surely too good to miss? The fifth annual Best of British SF/F bundle.

https://storybundle.com/blog/2026bestofbritishsffbundle

As well as The Green Man's Heir, you'll spot Fight like a Girl Volume 2 from Wizard's Tower Press, and I have a story in that.

No word of a lie, I'm looking at this roster and thinking, 'read that, it's great, ooh, so's that, and that, and that...' As well as making note of the titles I haven't yet read from writers I enjoy 😁

#books #SFF #Fantasy

I've been on a dystopian fiction reading kick lately. Anybody have any good suggestions what to read next?

What I've read so far in my binge:

1984
Brave New World
A Boy and His Dog
A Clockwork Orange
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
The Handmaid's Tale
I Am Legend
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
Make Room! Make Room!
Logan's Run
Player Piano
The Road
Snow Crash
Starship Troopers
The Time Machine
The War of the Worlds

#books #reading #dystopia

(Image by the amazing artist Andrée Wallin https://andreewallin.com/)

Alt...

Looking down at a street from the tops of overgrown and abandoned skyscrapers, long shadows reveal a lone figure facing off against four ahead of them. Image by Andrée Wallin. https://andreewallin.com/

The unlikely pen pal who shaped Tolkien’s later years

When deaf fan Eileen Elgar wrote to the author with notes for improvement, they began a remarkable friendship based on a shared interest in language, revealed in a set of letters now up for auction

by Lily Isaacs

https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/the-unlikely-pen-pal-who-shaped-tolkiens-later-years

#books #literature #literaryCriticism

Alt...

Photograph of J. R. R. Tolkien in the 1920s on leaving Leeds University. A black-and-white portrait photograph of a young man with neatly combed short hair, wearing a tweed jacket and white collar, gazing thoughtfully to one side against a dark background.

Same art, different name: would you see or hear it the same way?

A mislabelled concerto and other errors and tricks show that reputation affects how art is perceived, sometimes radically

by Rikki A Wolpowitz

https://psyche.co/ideas/same-art-different-name-would-you-see-or-hear-it-the-same-way

Books in Music at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/bookshelf/50

#books #art #musicology #culture

Alt...

Haydn or Hofmann? Portrait of Franz Joseph Haydn (1770). An 18th-century oil portrait of a middle-aged man with powdered white hair, wearing a dark coat with a white cravat, holding a quill pen and gazing thoughtfully to the side.

Can I Trust The Bible? by R.C. Sproul

Sproul takes the most common objections people raise against the Bible and answers them one by one. He looks at questions such as whether the Bible contains contradictions, whether…

https://peterspath.net/blog/book-can-i-trust-the-bible-by-r-c-sproul/

#books #christianity

Sky Daddy by Kate Folk #books #literature #dedication

Alt...

TO MY FRIENDS, NEW AND OLD. THE ONES I HAVEN'T TALKED TO IN A WHILE, AND THOSE I HAVEN'T MET YET.

NEW! Leanpub Book LAUNCH 🚀 Deliver What Matters When It Matters: Value-Driven Product Delivery through Clarity, Timing, and Flow by Ryan

https://youtu.be/yIV0KO8KV6c

#books #leanpublishing #selfpublishing #productmanagement #agile #scrum #newrelease

Sturgis Library, public library in Barnstable, Massachusetts, USA.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgis_Library

#libraries #books #map

Alt...

A photo of or from a library from the linked website, overlaid on a cropped world map where it's located.

Her cheek burned where she’d scraped it on the ground. Blood, black in the moonlight, dripped onto her hands.

#SciFi #Mystery #Books 📚

https://books2read.com/b/daybefore?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fedica-Book-Socials

Alt...

The cover of THE DAY BEFORE next to the words: A bad day at the office, Girl (just wants to be the) Boss, Killer plays with a Detective, Giant Doggo, Twist Ending

NOW PLAYING == NPR Book of the Day: Revisiting the story of the American Revolution with Rick Atkinson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKaV0ndwMd4

#news #arts #culture #history #education #NPR #books #LearnSomething #radio #vsn #publicradio #DiverseSpectrumOfTheLeft #SupportIndependentMedia #SupportPublicMedia

My book ended on a cliffhanger. Ahhh! Help, I don't have the upper body strength to hold onto a cliffhanger! 😮‍💨The remaining books were available. I'll be in my happy place. 👋🏻 #books

The Well of Sacrifice: ‘The fifth graders loved the book. One student said, “It had me up all night thinking about what was happening.” Another said, “It kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to read more.”' https://lttr.ai/ArxwR
#History #kidlit #books #backtoschool

Ghassan Kanafani, † 8. Juli 1972, #Beirut

Der palästinensische Schriftsteller #GhassanKanafani bewegt durch seine Kurzgeschichten und Romane. Weltbekannt ist sein Roman „Rückkehr nach #Haifa“.
#Palestine
#Bücher #Buchtipp #Buchsky #books #Lesen #Literatur #rezension #Buchempfehlung

Alt...

Cover des Buches: Torbogen und Palmenzweige vor blauem Himmel

Guten Morgen Mastodon!

es ist wieder Zeit für den Zufallsgenerator. Dieser wählt eine eine schreibende Person aus. Ich suche mir dann ein passendes Buch aus und wir schauen gemeinsam rein und quatschen darüber.

Vielleicht landet es ja bald auf meiner Leseliste … vielleicht auch auf deiner?

🔗 Alle Links findest du hier:
https://wonderl.ink/@dailyklappentext
#blindbuch #podcast #zufallsbuch #books #fedibuch

Alt...

Ein Stapel Bücher neben einem Mikrofon, Kopfhörern und einer dampfenden Tasse Tee.

My review of The Evening of the Holiday by Shirley Hazzard is up at Conspicuous Consumption.

https://afterblockhead.blogspot.com/2026/07/the-evening-of-holiday-by-shirley.html

#books #bookstodon #reading

#WritersCoffeeClub 9/7: How closely does your writing resemble that of the writers who inspire you?
In many ways, it’s indistinguishable; same alphabet, same forms of punctuation, and so on.
On closer inspection, I hope it doesn’t read as derivative. I don’t set out to imitate anyone.
#books #writing #writersofmastodon

Military leader Charles IV, Count of Maine (d.1473) poses on his caparisoned horse bearing his family's emblem.

https://universalcompendium.com/tables/xfam/0401-0600/0512%20-%20valois/notes/images/charles-iv-maine-anjou-miniature.htm

#art #books #military #history

Alt...

Charles IV, Comte du Maine From the manuscript Armorial, dit Armorial Le Bouvier, dit Berry, by Gilles Le Bouvier, 1448–57 Illuminations by the Master of the Romance of the Rose of Vienna and Jean Fouquet Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris

#WordWeavers 9/7: Which of your characters would be the least likely to write a love song?
Some can, and do, write love letters. I don’t see any of them as likely to write a love song.
In this, at least, they’re like me.
#books #writing #writersofmastodon

Fatal Fury/Garou Densetsu: The Ultimate History (Collector’s Edition)

Featuring an interactive slipcase and a selection of exclusive extras, this edition is strictly limited to 2,000 units.

Only 20% stock remaining: https://www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/all-books/products/fatal-fury-garou-densetsu-the-ultimate-history-collectors-edition

#bitmapbooks #books #fatalfury #snk #sound #bookstodon

Can somewhere be loved to death? We are publishing Ken Lussey’s new novel ‘Bridge of Sighs’ on 14 July. This fast-paced contemporary murder mystery is set in Edinburgh and northern Scotland.

This is Torrisdale Bay near Bettyhill, on the north coast of Sutherland. The village is visited by one of the central characters as the hunt for a murderer builds towards its climax.

Find out more on our website:
https://www.arachnid.scot/book-bos/index.html

#Books #Bookstodon

Alt...

Torrisdale Bay. The image shows an outcrop of rocks in the bottom left, leading to a grassy shoreline across the bottom of the frame. Beyond it, a river flows from left to right to an area of sea across the centre of the frame. On the far side of the river is a broad sandy beach, which extends as far as a distant headland that runs across most of the horizon. The sky is mainly blue. The front cover of ‘Bridge of Sighs’ is shown in the bottom right corner.