The History of The Indelibles

My Story About The Indelibles


As some of you know, I decided to independently publish Untraceable last September - at a time when I was at my lowest point in my writing career. A time when a lot of people gave up on me. A time when I felt I had failed and had no writing future.


As I started embarking on the indie process, I found out more about the Indie community, (a community I didn't even know existed). I slowly began to realize how many wonderful, committed, and talented authors there were out there - doing what I was doing. Trying to find a way in an industry that we all loved.


And most of all, the indie authors embraced me completely - they were so helpful and supportive and they did not hesitate to take me under their wing and help me.


At a time when I felt so alone.


Over that time, I met 25 wonderful indie authors who I admired and connected with. I reached out to them and formed a support group where we all could benefit from each other's experience. Since last fall, we have banned together to support each other - through the long and often difficult process of indie pubbing - as well as help support other indie authors we meet along the way.


Well tomorrow - we launch that group - the Indelibles! The 25 authors included are listed on the side of the blog and they each have wonderful books to share with you (Books Page).


Launch Party Events
To celebrate the launching of this group, we are having a PAR-TEE!! :)

• We are hosting a Kindle Fire giveaway this week.
• We are doing a Blog Hop with tons of giveaways from each Indelible on each blog.
• We are hosting a special Blogger chat Tues 1/17 from 8-9 PM EST to discuss writing and books.
• And we invite all of you to a special Writer Chat next Wed 1/18 from 8-9 EST to discuss any indie pubbing questions as well as offer more giveaways. (More deets announced Thursday).

Come back tomorrow (Monday) for more information on how to enter our contests.

FASHION ANGEL LAUNCHES BUSINESS MENTORING COMPETITION, SPONSORED BY ETSY

We are thrilled to announce the launch of a new competition, sponsored by Etsy, for designer/makers to win one of our business start up mentoring packages. The competition will be launched at the E-commerce Excellence networking event on 19th January 2012 and continues our commitment to nurturing and developing young creative talent to turn them into successful businesses.

To book your ticket to the E-commerce Excellence networking talk click here.

The competition is open to aspiring designers and craftmakers who have been trading for fewer than two years. The winner will be announced as part of London Fashion Week on Sunday 19th February 2012.

The Prize

Fashion Angel business start up mentoring package

The lucky winner will win a place on the Fashion Angel six month business start up mentoring programme.

For new designer/makers with a new label, innovative idea, or product this is a unique opportunity to access six months of one to one mentoring from industry professionals.Our team of experts can give you the tools you need to give your business the best chance of success.

By the end of the programme the winner will have an infrastructure in place and have the confidence to build a successful and sustainable business. They will also benefit from the exposure their brand will be receiving as a result of winning the competition. For more information on the programme click here.

Deadline for Entries Sunday 12th February 2012
Finalist Notified Wednesday 15th February 2012
Winner announced Sunday 19th February 2012

Entrance Criteria

• Open to designers who have been trading for fewer than two years in the UK
• To enter the award, entrants must email info@fashion-angel.co.uk to request an application form or download the application form and submit to info@fashion-angel.co.uk
• Entrants are asked to submit product images and answer ’Why the Fashion Angel mentoring programme will benefit my business’ (500 words max)

To enter the competition, download an application form or request one from info@fashion-angel.co.uk.

Full terms and conditions can be found on the application form.

Will My Setup Work For The Next Trade?

This is the question that a trader needs an answer to. Without an answer to this question, you are whistling in the dark. All you have is hope and fear, and that leads to losing.


So whether you are a discretionary trader or an algo trader, testing is mandatory if you want to be CP. And the testing has to be right. What is "right"? "Right" is taking a large sample size in an objective (not subjective) manner of how you enter and exit trades, so that they can be measured.


This process involves, guess what?, a Trading Plan to start it off. Not just any kind of TP, but a very specific one. A description of how you trade that you could hand to another trader and he could make the same trades you did.


Once you have that, you have something to test. Without that, you are guesstimating and that is like that famous old (now dead) comedian, HOPE. which is what happens to most traders that don't have a TP. They're cactus as we say in Oz.


The most secure way of testing is by computer. Run hundreds of trades through it so you have a good sample size and know what to expect. Part of the output of your testing should be an equity curve so you can see at a glance how the sequence of trades looked. Having a walk forward result in your equity curve is a plus. 

Chart below shows how well these Renkos cut out noise. The fact that they don't have wicks is the price we have to pay. They work best with the most volatile markets.

What does the history of computing teach us about the future of sequencing?

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers", goes an infamous quote from the early days of computing, often attributed to IBM CEO Thomas J. Watson. That turned out to be wrong, and today pretty much everyone carries a programmable computer in the format of a smartphone in their pocket and has at least one more at home.

Genome sequencing is an emerging technology that has a number of similarities to computing. For example, exponential growth in performance. In computing, the computing power that can be bought for a fixed amount of money doubles every 18 months or so (Moore's law). In DNA sequencing, the number of bases that can be sequenced for a fixed amount of money doubles at an even faster pace.

Another similarity is the occurrence of disruptive innovation in both fields. Initially, computers called mainframes filled whole rooms. Later years saw them being replaced by minicomputers and even later by PCs, which would be smaller, cheaper, and easier to use. A similar trend can be observed for DNA sequencing. A possible comparison is:

Mainframe computer - e.g. Illumina HiSeq, PacBio

Minicomputers - e.g. IonTorrent, Illumina MiSeq

PCs - Possibly third generation sequencers

It's possible to continue this game, predicting that eventually there'll be sequencers that are equivalent in size to laptops or smartphones, and that everyone will carry one in their pocket.

Of course this is possible, but just because it happened with computers does not mean that the same thing will happen with sequencers. The reason is that there are important differences between the two technologies. One is that whilst even in the early days of computing IBM sold computers to a diverse bunch of companies, DNA sequencers go to a more restricted set of customers in the life sciences. That may change, but currently it's not obvious how an accountancy firm or a apparel retailer would benefit from sequencing technology. I'm not claiming that this couldn't happen, but I don't see why it should be more likely just because it also happened in the computer industry.

After having thought about the issue, I'm sceptical that the computing market can teach us anything concrete about the sequencing market. Except maybe not to indulge in bold predictions.

Numb3rs Again!

Trading is a numbers game. A game of probabilities. Getting that concept is an important part of getting to CP. The trading stool has three legs: win rate, average win, average loss. The rest of the statistics are made up out of these three (that number again) prime numbers.


Mastering these statistics is what it's all about. You can trade 1 contract for 9 hours or 9 contracts for one hour, it all comes down to the numbers.


The issue for a discretionary trader is to be rule based enough so that the statistics that are produced mean something other wise you are whistling in the dark. Having a repeatable methodology means that you can have an expectancy that gives the confidence to stick to a TP. Sticking to a TP means that you can increase size as the market gives you it's money to use against it. Increasing size means that your hobby can become a business.


It's all in the numb3rs.


The markets replay and replay the same pictures. The trade below is one such picture.


This is a 5.5 point range bar of the DAX, but it could be any intraday chart. There was a monthly U.S. jobs report out at 1.30pm London time. See the Cyan rectangle. The market digested the news and then broke down. The previous low to the left, an hour before, was where the stops were and they were taken out by the big guys who covered their shorts there and took the market back to support at the EMAs. 


Until the breakdown, the market was in an uptrend. The change of trend is not one move. The break and the pullback and the subsequent thrust was the change of trend. By selling at the pullback to resistance in the direction of the new trends you get the best trade location and the least risk on the trade. Note the oversold market at the point where the big guys covered their shorts.


Putting this trade into a rule based TP and back testing it gives very specific numbers that can be relied upon. Using the technology to do the grind work means that in 20 minutes you can do the work that used to take days or weeks. Then, taking the next step and using the algo to make the entries is not such a big step.

PayPal Review for Small Business Credit Card Processing

As a company that likes to help small businesses experience more success, Qlixite is now incorporating reviews of products and services.

This Review overviews how using PayPal can take your Small Business Credit Processing to the next level.

Who would find PayPal useful?
This review will cover merchant services offered through PayPal useful for physical and online transactions. If you are interested in providing options for your cutomers in regards to paying by credit card or instant transfer...this is for you!

■ Getting a traditional credit card processing system involved
■ applying for and obtaining a merchant account,
■ leasing hardware,
■ getting something called a gateway, and
■ then there were all the fees.

Is PayPal easier?
Yes! When you visit PayPal’s site, you can learn about all of the details of their merchant account (Honestly - the website can be a little difficult to navigate) but suffice it to say - it's easy to set up and operate with a low monthly fixed fee.  Their only disadvantage was the percentage on transactions was slightly higher than traditional credit card payment processing options.

What is not so great about PayPal?
• Be sure to compare the fees and percentages. Depending on your type of business of sales volume, you might be better served by a different company like PayJunction.
• If you offer more than 25 products, you may want to use a third party shopping cart that will automatically generate and organize your online store. We like Quick Shopping Cart from ThisIsMyDomainUSA or GoDaddy. Making each button individually can get a little tedious.
• If you like to offer coupon codes, you will find that PayPal is not equipped for that. Again, we suggest a third party shopping cart.
• Customers might not like PayPal - make sure you say on your website that customers can use their credit card because there are people who do not like PayPal.
• Their customer service by phone can be great one minute and then you can get someone who doesn't know what their talking about.
• Their website has a ton of info but can be a little confusing.

PayPal offers many solutions and packages for businesses.  Here is a basic overview of their two major products:

Website Payments Standard

Process credit cards directly on your website with Website Payments Pro, our merchant account and gateway in one.

• Accept VISA MASTERCARD AMEX DISCOVER PAYPAL
• Clear pricing, no hidden fees (See Pricing)
• No long-term commitments or monthly minimums
• Works with most popular shopping carts
• Lower total payment processing costs
• Buyers paying by credit card never leave your site
• One account for everything - No need to maintain separate relationships with a merchant account bank, a gateway, or credit card companies. PayPal handles all your payment processing as well as your reports, statements, billing information, and account support. It works with most major shopping.
• Easy to read reports and downloadable logs into Excel, Quickbooks and Quicken.
• Get your Money fast! (Transfer to bank account, spend it via PayPal or withdraw cash at an ATM)
• Open your business to international sales - US dollars, Canadian dollars, Euros, Australian dollars, GB pounds and Japanese Yen

Website Payments Pro

With Website Payments Standard, you can add a payment button to your site and accept credit card orders securely. Here are the basic features...

• Accept VISA MASTERCARD AMEX DISCOVER PAYPAL
• Your customers don't even need a PayPal account
• Easy button setup, no programming skills required - (choose from Buy Now, Add to Cart, Subscribe and Donate Buttons)
• No setup, monthly or cancellation charges (See Pricing)
• No credit application
• Need to accept recurring payments of varying amounts? There is an optional program that costs $19.99/month. (Includes automatic billing and installment plans)
• Compatible with most major shopping carts.
• Easy to read reports and downloadable logs into Excel, Quickbooks and Quicken.
• Get your Money fast! (Transfer to bank account, spend it via PayPal or withdraw cash at an ATM)

Paypal also offers more online and virtual terminal solutions if you are interested in operating your business solely via online sales. Review all of their products by clicking Here.

Euro Is Still Doing Its Thing

The fundamental difference between a discretionary trader and an auto trader is- the EXITS. Hybrid trading is discretionary trading - the auto entry is a discipline enforcing mechanism to stick to trades in your TP, identify them instantly and execute them without delay. Using the computer for this purpose can shorten many peoples' journey to CP. No analysis paralysis. No off piste trades. Less screen time needed to go to live as the entries are locked in. Consider this option when you are deciding how to trade. The technology is there and does help considerably.


The Euro was doing it's thing. That market is like an Everready battery - it just goes and goes. The outside in LONGs made money. The second of them at 13:18 London time was the more usual, giving a second pullback before it took off. Had I waited for the second pullback on the earlier outside in, I would have missed the trade. Usually I'm only 50% sized on these and can double down if I can get a worthwhile price.