reVisions Plus, Inc.

New book on Web design

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:00:00 +0000

I really enjoyed working on Learning Web Page Design with Adobe Dreamweaver CS3with Chris, Jen, and Peter at Emergent Learning. Most of the books I write are for beginning to intermediate level audiences, but this was only the second book for high school students I've written. This project was high energy and fun, involving interactive examples, e-commerce pieces, design theory, and much more. It kind of brings together everything you want to be able to do with Dreamweaver in the first six months or so (wish I'd had something like this when I was learning Web design!). And of course, it incorporates sections on integrating Flash and Fireworks into the Dreamweaver pages you're designing. (I absolutely loved working with Flash, btw. It's surprisingly simple when you consider all the cool things you can do with it.)

Follow the ChaCha bus!

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 02:03:00 +0000

I just love this. I was driving down to visit my son in college this afternoon (a cool, rainy afternoon), and lo and behold, ahead of me in traffic was the ChaCha bus. This is significant to me because ChaCha was one of my favorite clients in 2007...I wrote quite a bit of content for them (help systems, guide handbooks, and more) when they were going through a dramatic growth period. About a year ago they made the huge move from startup to big time company, and hired some great people in marketing and communications to take over the messaging tasks full-time. The people there are great--creative, fun, wonderful to work with (hi Ben, Bruce, and Kyle!). I was so excited to see the bus...how often do you get to see something like that? I thought I'd post it here and share it with you. If you get a chance, check out ChaCha.com. They've really got it going on. :)

Facebook for Everyone

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:11:00 +0000

As part of my role with KDP, I've been working with social networking technologies to design and create a system that uses various online tools to reach specific audience groups. The long-term plan is to reach different constituent groups using different means, but to draw them together in such a way that we can provide services and support members in a way that connects with what they want most. It's fascinating and fast-moving (and creative), and even better, it's working! If your company (large or small) is wondering whether it's time to create a Facebook or LinkedIn presence, I recommend the book Groundswell to get you started. Very insightful. Four stars!

Microsoft Mindshare Gets a New Look

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:02:00 +0000

I've been writing the Microsoft Mindshare newsletter for going on four years now and continue to love it. Each month I research the latest and greatest happenings at Microsoft (which includes getting inside info from the various product groups, including Windows Vista) and pull it all together in a newsletter for user groups that meet all over the country. The newsletter includes links to new articles, free trial software, training webcasts, presentation kits, and much more. Last month we launched a new site through our partnership with CodeZone, and it is super slick. The site enables you to tailor your content to deliver just what interests you most--Windows Vista, consumer applications, programming, or other interests. Whether you're part of a user group or not, you can come visit the new Microsoft Mindshare at http://www.mindshare.codezone.com.

Small business, look big

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 19:41:00 +0000

I just finished writing a new book for Microsoft Press called Take Your Business Online, and it shows small business owners how to create, publish, and maintain a Web presence (free!) while managing business contacts, organizing files, tracking projects, and much more. The bulk of the service is completely free, which is great for those of us who keep an eye on the bottom line. There are also add-on services that enable you to add keyword marketing, create a shopping cart so you can add e-commerce to your site (selling directly on your site or linking to an eBay account). Click here to learn more about Office Live Small Business, and click here to see the book on Amazon.

Note: Don't believe the description. They aren't out of stock. We don't go to the printer until the end of this month!

Gratitude :)

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:52:00 +0000

This morning marks the anniverary of an important day for me, and I've been thinking about all the great people I've been blessed to work with over the last few years. Whether I've provided print or web content, editing, indexing, or layout (or the softer-but-vitally-important services of guidance, encouragement, training, and experience), I am deeply thankful to these clients for the great work (and many experiences) we've created together:

Microsoft Corporation (Sheri, Theresa, Nick, and Aaron!)
Microsoft Press (Juliana, Lynn, Val, Sandra, and Lucinda)
Emergent Learning (Chris and Jen)
ChaCha.com (Bruce, Ben, and Scott)
Peachpit Press (Karen et al)
John Wiley & Sons (everybody who worked on Fundraising for Dummies)
Pearson Education (Hi Tyrrell!)
Sony Digital Media(Chris and Rob)
Earlham School of Religion (Tim and Jay)
The Center on Philanthropy (Pat and Lilya)

And a whole boatload (or should that be Cooper-load?) of gratitude to Claudette, at Moore Literary Agency. Here's to continuing great work, good friends, and meaningful connections for us all. :) Katherine

Great business article!

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 12:39:00 +0000

I read the article, "Why Wait for Trouble?", by Ken Freeman, on strategy+business this morning, and it's just too good to miss. A former CEO and turnaround consultant talks about the simple diagnostics he uses to bring to light the imbalances in a company and help it begin to move in a healthier direction. Great ideas for anyone in small, medium, or large companies. (And a good reminder of the importance of awareness, accountability, and communication on all levels.)

Happy 20th, reVisions Plus!

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 12:57:00 +0000

April 1, 2007 marked the beginning of reVisions Plus, Inc.'s 20th year. It's amazing to me that 20 years has passed already! Here's a list of some of the bigger benchmarks during that time:

Wrote and published more than 60 books (!) in technology, parenting, and business genres
Wrote the documentation for Microsoft Office 2003 Small Business/Pro and Microsoft Office 2007
Edited and/or developed dozens (and dozens!) of books for high-quality publishers
Designed and packaged books for a number of clients
Moderated forums on fundraising and technology
Wrote dozens of articles related to culture, parenting, technology, and faith
Blogged about just about everything under the sun!
Have been blessed to develop client relationships all over the world with terrific, smart, and creative people

When I started this business 20 years ago, I hoped to be able to earn a living using my writing ability so that I could stay home and care for my kids the way I wanted to. That hope became a reality, and now we're starting on the second generation with baby Ruby! I'm very happy in my work and am grateful for the freedom, flexibiliy, and positive energy reVisions Plus brings me. Thanks to all of you for the opportunity to write for (and sometimes with) you; I look forward to us having (at least) another 20 years together! :)

Free e-book

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 19:31:00 +0000

Riding a wave of inspiration today (fueled in part by the super-simple theme formatting features available now in Word 2007), I prepared one of my parenting books for free download as PDF and am now making it available on the web. It's called Stay in Touch with Your Teen and it provides lots of stories, examples, how-to, and insight into the life of a maturing teen (and the parent who is trying to find some solid footing in the shifting landscape)! I loved writing this book and put a lot of time and effort into the research, writing, and rewriting (and rewriting). :)

The book is 200 pages long and takes up 1.5MB. I hope you enjoy it! Please pass it on to anyone you think might find it useful. :)

First Look Book wins award

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 03:38:00 +0000

[Update: January 29, 2007]
The First Look Office 2007 System book recently won a Distinguished award at the Society for Technical Communications. That's a great honor! My editor, Val (who is a talented photographer as well) sent the packet today. This book was one of the most challenging I've ever written because of the fast-changing nature of Office 2007 as it went through it's alpha and beta cycles. So many Office program managers took time to give me information, details, backstory, and interviews. It was a book unlike any other. I'm glad others are enjoying it too!

New content on Windows Vista

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 16:42:00 +0000

[January 2007] Have you tried Windows Vista yet? I've been doing a lot of writing about it, covering the launch events, campaigns, and release festivities. Most recently I created all the content for the Windows Vista Community site, which is timed to go live at the same time Windows Vista Consumer launch happens (at the end of this month). I'll post the link when the site is up and running.

Over on the Windows Vista site right now, the team is running the "Show us your Wow" campaign, inviting people all over the world to submit video clips, poetry, images, what-have-you to share a moment in their lives when they knew everything had changed (that's Bill Gates' definition of a "Wow" moment). Click here if you're interested in sharing your own moment or you want to review what others are submitting. "Wow" moments are all around us--the birth of our children, the accomplishments of important goals, transforming realizations, special relationships, new inventions, medical breakthroughs, and more. The message that Windows Vista will change everything is coming through loud and clear.

New book coming soon!

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 14:59:00 +0000

[November 2006] Are you ready for 2007 Microsoft Office System? I'm now writing my third book on it (and the software isn't even out yet!) and I can tell you--from a person who's been working with this suite since the mid-90s--that this is a great release. If you've been a straggler in previous versions and didn't upgrade until you absolutely had to, you may want to rethink that strategy with Office 2007. The changes here really are everything Microsoft says they are--smart, secure, intuitive, and easy to implement. I can barely remember now how I used to do things with Office 2003. :)

The new book coming soon is actually the book that will be packaged in with every copy of 2007 Microsoft Office Professional, Professional Plus, and Small Business that is sold throughout the world. It will be translated into 33 languages. How cool is that?! The book is called "Getting Started with the 2007 Microsoft Office 2007 Suites," and it shows new users all the basics of procedures they are likely to want to master right off the bat. The design is really cool (Custom Editorial rocks)--we fit a huge amount of information into a small, 200-page format.

When you get your copy of 2007 Microsoft Office Professional, Plus, or Small Business, drop me a note and let me know what you think. I'm excited to know it will be shipping soon (can't say exactly when, yet, because...well...I don't know!)

A New Venture

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 20:35:00 +0000

[Fall 2006] As some of you know (because after so many years the line between "client" and "friend" dissolves), I am soon going to be a grandma for the first time (a young, hip grandma at 45, I might add!). It's interesting how the start of a new generation stirs the pot of creative, long-term thinking.

reVisions Plus, Inc., has now been in operation for almost 20 years (April 1, 2008 will be our 20th anniversary). And I have loved writing the books, developing the web pages, writing the articles, and working in the online communities I've been privileged to host. Most of all, I've enjoyed building relationships with great people and companies all over the country and around the world.

With the upcoming arrival of this next generation of our family, my grown kids and I started talking about creating something lasting--something that could potentially outlive us and have a life of its own. We discussed our shared love of good books (especially books from our childhoods) and some of the common concerns we share about the time we live in--the future of our natural resources, our love of animals, our hope for a more harmonious world.

The outcome of those conversations is a new, part-time venture that is being born as part of reVisions Plus, Inc. Starlight Books is a small, family-operated childrens' book publishing company with a mission of "producing books and materials that promote respectful care of the natural world and all beings in it." We are just getting started--our first set of selected manuscripts is currently being reviewed by our newly formed editorial board--but we hope you'll stop by our new site and drop us a note if the mission resonates with you. We'd love to hear your ideas!

This fall we're full of the vision of what matters, what lasts, and where we want to spend our long-term and short-term energies. I hope wherever you are in that journey, you have the time to stop and enjoy the breathtaking colors of the season.

Posting from Windows Live Writer

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 17:04:00 +0000

This is really slick. It may look like I'm posting to this blog from within Blogger (actually it doesn't look like that at all to you, does it? The content is just showing up in the browser, already posted); but I'm actually writing this on my own desktop PC using a new blog-authoring tool (now in beta) from Microsoft called Windows Live Writer. It's really slick--and easy--and free. You can download it by going to the Windows Live Writer team blog. And if you want to know how easy it is to install, check out my quick review in The Hive by clicking here.

New content on Windows Messenger

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 16:55:00 +0000

A quick update: The content we wrote for the redesign of the Windows Messenger site is now live. They did a nice job with the design and it's great to see all the articles up there. The project was fast and fun--more than 20 articles in less than three weeks--and we really enjoyed working with Robbin, the project manager. Here's the link if you want to take a look (or need to learn more about Windows Messenger!): http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/windowsmessenger/default.mspx

New book on Office 2007 available as free download!

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Mon, 29 May 2006 19:39:00 +0000

Hi everyone--here's something new. :) I've been busy writing First Look 2007 Microsoft Office System for Microsoft Press, and we've been working hard so the book would be ready when beta 2 of Office 2007 was available for public download. Now the book is available in hold-in-your-hands book format, and it's also available as a free downloadable PDF on the public beta download site! How cool is that?!

Btw, in only a few days since the release, there have already been more than 500,000 downloads of the new beta! If you haven't yet decided whether you're going to give it a try, I highly recommend it. This release is a HUGE change for the better, imo.

Special Update

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 15:21:00 +0000

Hello again! We're getting ready to do some exciting things on our MSN Spaces bookspace...already Microsoft At Home and At Work is helping to get the word out about our book (Share Your Story: Blogging with MSN Spaces) by featuring article excerpts on their site. The latest article, "Create an Online Photo Album," also went out in their monthly newsletter. (It's a great newsletter full of practical ways to get the most out of our digital lifestyles--click here to find out more.)

Stop by our bookspace to see the blogging ideas, tips, and examples we add over the coming weeks. (Hint: We're also putting some energy into podcasting, which I've been wanting to do for a long time--so stay tuned!) :)

Spring 2006!

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 13:04:00 +0000

[Spring 2006, Indianapolis, IN] Hello again! We are easing into Spring here in the Midwest and daffodils are lifting their heads and grass is beginning to grow. This winter was eventful for reVisions Plus, filled with interesting projects (watch for the total revamping of the Windows Messenger article collection--coming to a web page near you soon!), new spaces, and new creative opportunities.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, REVISIONS PLUS! 18 YEARS APRIL 1, 2006!

My work continues in The Hive (an online community for tech group leaders interested in Microsoft products--it's a great group and open to the public; come visit!) and with Microsoft Mindshare. I enjoy the writing with both groups and feel a continual sense of gratitude that I get to work with so many great people every day.

In addition to the online Web content, books abound--projects are abundant this spring! Fun stuff I can't talk about yet (but here's a hint: at least one of them might turn out to be the biggest tech book of the year!), but I'll say more when I can. I'm in the middle of writing two books on Office 2007 right now, and we'll be gearing up for a third when these two are complete:

First Look Microsoft Office 2007, which introduces you to the new Office 2007 system in all its glory (Here's a tip: this is the best new release of Office I've ever seen--and I've been writing tech books for 18 years! This one is worth the immediate upgrade, imo.)
Microsoft Office 2007 Your Way, which will be included in the packaging of every copy of Microsoft Office 2007 Small Business and Microsoft Office 2007 Professional. How cool is that? I was honored to be able to write the book included in Microsoft Office 2003 Small Business (which we just finished last year) and got the thrill of knowing it traveled all the way around the world and was translated to some 33 languages. That's a long way for a word to travel! :)
Share Your Story: Blogging with MSN Spaces (the book I co-authored with Mike Torres) is doing really well and getting great reviews. Thanks for your comments and interest in that book! It's a fun, easy (and free!) way to begin blogging and sharing your experiences with the world. I highly recommend it (expressing yourself, not just getting the book!)

I hope Spring is popping up richly wherever you are and that your work is full and abundant, enough to challenge you to tap into that creative spirit while still giving you the freedom and the energy to play!

Until next time,
Katherine

Winter 2006 Update

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Sat, 14 Jan 2006 14:53:00 +0000

[Winter 2006, Indianapolis, IN] Welcome back! I hope you had a great holiday season. Here we are already into the new year, and it's time to settle in, roll up our shirt sleeves, and get to work! :)

This winter will be huge. I'm busily working with the new Microsoft products in development (awesome just isn't a big enough word) and continue to do a lot of web writing and online community work.

I hope wherever you are, this is a profitable and productive winter for you. Just think--the seeds we plant with our hard work now will blossom in beautiful abundance in the spring!

Fall 2005 Update

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 15:54:00 +0000

[Fall 2005, Indianapolis, IN] Okay, we're into the last quarter of the year. How is that possible?! This has been an exciting time, full of all kinds of creative writing opportunities and interesting projects. Here's a quick overview of some of my current and recently finished happenings:

New work with Windows Live and Office Live! Exciting stuff. See my technology blog, BlogOffice, for more about that.
I'm beginning research on Office 12 for a whole array of new book projects. Life is good! Office 12 is amazing.
I'm working as the web content editor and writer for The Hive, a community for leaders of online technology groups. I absolutely love it. We've just gone through a redesign that opens some areas of The Hive to the public; so if you're interested in getting the latest on Microsoft developments, be sure to visit (http://www.hive.net). And if you're the leader of an online tech group, you can apply for membership and get access to special info, offers, contests, and more.
I've been writing the monthly enewsletter and doing the web updates for the Microsoft Mindshare group as well. This community is for leaders of real-time, face-to-face user groups throughout the world. It's a great group of people who love to get together and talk technology. Visit the community and find out more by going to http://www.microsoft.com/mindshare.
I wrote the web content for the Intergeneration Photo Story Contest, going on now at http://photostorycontest.com. Get together with someone from another generation and create a photo story (using Windows Photo Story 3, which you can download here for free); then submit it to the site. You could win one of 10 Xbox 360s or $300 in gift certificates--your choice!
Finished writing and editing new content for a print piece called The Holiday Helpbook filled with practical and fun info on how to use digital images and more to come up with unique holiday projects. That magazine will have national distribution through a variety of traditional channels, so look for it in a mailbox or newsstand near you!

Mike Torres and I finished our fun and amazing book :) Share Your Story: Blogging with MSN Spaces. I'm uploading the cover so you can see it--isn't it great? We're not sure on the release date of the book yet because of developments in the new release of MSN Spaces...but stay tuned. It's a great book with lots of insider information and interviews with Microsoft product managers. Stuff you won't find anywhere else! We created a book space we'll be updating with tips and ideas as we get closer to the launch of our book.

In addition to these projects, I've been continuing to work on my new children's book and trying to faithfully recycle submissions back out into the marketplace when they come back with ding letters. It's all just part of the process. Each "no thanks" on a children's book submission gets me one step closer to that "this is just what we've been looking for!" This writing business--it's all about faith and focus. :) Keep a handle on yours, and I'll see you in time for a winter update!

Happy Thanksgiving (coming soon!)

Back from the Edge of the World

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Fri, 22 Jul 2005 21:49:00 +0000

Okay, so how does a person get so busy that she can't even post a single entry between February and July?! If you have an answer to that one, let me know. My only answer is that I've been joyfully and creatively busy. reVisions Plus, Inc. is thriving! We have clients all over the country and we've been doing fun, creative, and challenging things, including:

Developing, editing, and producing an international manual for the World-Class Fund Raising School (for Center on Philanthropy)
Writing Microsoft Office Your Way: Smart Solutions for Small Business, which will go in all the software packages of Microsoft Office Small Business Edition sold internationally (how cool is that? (for Microsoft Press)
Designing blogs and researching great ideas and applications for MSN Spaces (a great new blogging site that ties seamlessly into Hotmail and Messenger). This is the newest book I'm writing (with co-author Mike Torres, lead program manager for Spaces) to be published by Microsoft Press later this year (pub date to be announced)
Writing digital lifestyle articles for Windows Marketplace
Writing, developing, and researching for a great new Microsoft site (still in development and not public yet)

And that's just the half of it. I hope wherever you are and whatever you're into, you're finding plenty of time for sun and fun during these beautiful summer months!

Till later,

CURRENT BLOGS
Business blog: http://www.revisionsplus.com
Resume blog: http://www.revisionsplus.com/kmurray.html
Personal life blog: http://spaces.msn.com/members/livingspace
Professional study blog: http://revisionsplus.com/narrative.html
Faith and life blog: http://www.revisionsplus.com/practicalfaith.html
Technology blog: http://revisionsplus.com/blogofficexp.html

February article: Improve Staff Communications

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Tue, 08 Feb 2005 03:27:00 +0000

Hello again! I hope 2005 is progressing well for you. We've just finished and posted the second of our year-long series of articles. This article, "Improve Staff Communications," is about meeting the challenge of improving communications in your workplace--whether you are a team member, a team leader, a manager, or a remote worker. We all need to get along in order to accomplish anything--and sometimes that's easier than others! The ideas in this article help you think about the ways in which you communicate and understand others you are trying to communicate with; plus you'll find some tips for smoothing out the process and encouraging improvements across the board. You can read the article by clicking here: February article.

As always, please email us with any ideas, questions, or tips you'd like to submit for next month's article. Our topic for March will be "Know Your Audience."

See you then!

Create a 2005 Communications Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 16:11:00 +0000

Happy New Year! We have posted the first article of our free year-long series geared toward helping small businesses improve their business communications. This article is called, "Creating a 2005 Communications Plan," and it offers five steps for creating a plan to share your message with the world. You can read the article by clicking this link: Creating a 2005 Communications Plan. Feel free to share the article with anyone you think might be interested in it.

If you want to send along a question we can research and answer in a future article, please send an email to kmurray230@sbcglobal.net.

Happy communicating! :)

Sharing Ideas & Solutions

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Thu, 16 Dec 2004 21:47:00 +0000

2005 is a year for sharing what we've got and doing what we can. Toward that end, we're creating a year's worth of free articles to help small businesses improve their communications--written, spoken, and electronic. We want to make this an interactive process and respond to questions that are on peoples' minds, so we invite you to email us with questions you have about any of the following topics in the two-week period preceding the article's publication. (For example, send your questions about the January article, "Create a 2005 Communications Plan," anytime between December 15 and December 31, 2004.)

January:

February:

March:

April:

May:

June:

July:

August:

September:

October:

November:

December:

Is anything here on your need-to-know list for the New Year? If so, drop us a note! We'd love to hear from you. Email your question to kmurray230@sbcglobal.net

Happy New Year!

New Look, New Focus

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 20:36:00 +0000

Hello! And welcome to the 2005 version of the reVisions Plus, Inc., home page. The nature of our business has been changing a bit and we thought our look should follow suit! On this site you'll find up-to-date info on our latest projects, ideas for your own work, and resources to help you with your own business's communications challenges. Welcome, and drop us a note to let us know what you think!