First Word

I've decided that I'm going to start a segment of this blog dedicated to all things we are not allowed to openly say or express for fear of being flogged by the politically correct crowd for thinking outside of the proverbial box of public opinion. So, I'm going to start my first rant about over-weight people who when you listen to them talk privately scorn those who have not gained weight. I once heard a woman who was upset with her husband for flirting with another gal say with complete and utter disdain, "And can you believe it! The bitch was thin!" as if being thin was the far worse crime. Since when did being thin turn into something to look at with such utter scorn? I mean think about it. If we were to stand around and openly say, "And can you believe it! The bitch was fat!" and how well that would go over in the world of political correctness where we're not even allowed to say the word "obese" much less the word fat. Now I'm not...

We recently conducted a survey for the author Nancy L Clark, who wrote 18 Holes for Leadership . In the survey, we explored the question of whether or not a bad boss or weak manager could drive out competent employees even with the Great Recession in progress. The results were staggering -- 88.4 percent of professional polled said, "Yes" they would leave regardless of the recession. What does that say about the negative and detrimental impact a bad manager can have on his or her department? Symptom of a weak leadership could be high turnover in a single department while the rest of the company is stable. Another indicator might be turnover of long-term, competent staff that suddenly and possibly unexpectedly quit the company. As someone who has had experience with poor leadership, I would say "yes" to that question. And when it did come down to leaving without a clear-cut plan, I can emphatically say that I did. It only shows that misery doesn't love "compa...

I've noticed an interesting trend among my women executive friends. Even those women who have had a great run in Corporate America seem to hit the 4-0 and suddenly something shifts. One gal I know loved her company and her job. She hit the mighty 40 and she slowly lost enthusiasm. It didn't help that she had a crazy boss show up and make her job less pleasant, but even with that issue resolved, her positive feelings about the daily grind waned. She seems to be one of yet hundreds of people I know that hit the forties and the zest for the job seems to get "zest-less." My friend became the restless tiger pacing the cage. It happened to me too. I literally celebrated my 40th birthday with a farewell and a hello to entrepreneur-land. I'm not sure what happens to us. We could blame bad bosses, but that's not the total reason. Maybe some of us realize that goals could never get realized. I used to think I would write all my novels in my forties, because I would fina...

The number one mistake I see new writers make is lack of important and specific details. Weak writing often does what I call "glossing" over the story. Writers are often so eager to just tell the story, they forget the little specifics that paint the details to the picture. If you saw the heartbreaking movie "The Door in the Floor," the main character is mentoring a young writer named Eddie. Toward the end of the film, he mentions, "They were Nike Air Jordans ... details Eddie, details." This reference called back to the shoe his wife went to retrieve for her injured son only to discover the shoe still attached to the limb. It is these specific details that draw us in and help us understand what the scene looks like in our mind's eye. To simply say a shoe doesn't work on the same level. What kind of shoe? A boot, a loafer, a sandal? The specificity is what makes it stand out and creates clarity. I often see writers who will generalize an entire sce...

I get asked all of the time two things, and one is really a silly question that I'm surprised I'm asked at all except, I swear there is always someone who does. The first is, "What is your favorite book?" The second (and drum roll please and wait for it), "Do you read a lot?" For any of you wanting to know the latter, the answer is "yes." If that shocked you, please, you have my permission to take the po-po paddle and head out to the woodshed. I'm just saying. So, anyway, "What is my favorite book?" is a far more interesting question and not a quick answer. I don't have an all-time favorite book. I can tell you my favorite genres or subject matter are always in the memoir or autobiography category. I am a sucker for a true story. When it comes to 3L Publishing's catalog, I confess my intimate and personal favorites are A Feast at the Beach and Daughter of the Caribbean . The most impressive -- and the only book that ever made...

Cindy is my fun friend who livens up my networking. Cindy is also 3L Publishing's financial planner who taught me the fine art of saying "Boo" when someone says something stupid, lame or negative. Let me give you an example. If you're at a networking event and someone's boyfriend or husband sticks their hand down your pants and can't keep their hands out of your top ... BOO. See how that goes. Another great example. Someone stops by your display table and asks you, "How much is the average cost of book production?" And you tell them your price and they say with disdain, "Oh! I don't want to spend that much!" And then they go to the head of the room and advise everyone to hold your value ... BOO! Oh, now you're catching on, right? A guy at a business function gets drunk and threatens to "spit" on you from a window overlooking the party ... BOO. All right now you're hanging with the program. I'm sure many of you rig...

I watched Oprah's farewell show. And I loved what she said she put on her makeup room wall: You are responsible for the energy you bring in the room . I loved that statement and so true. Have you ever noticed how certain people can bring you down? They bring this negative haze around them much like Pig Pen's dusty cloud that blew up around him at all times. If you find that your fantastic mood takes a sudden shift with the very presence of another human being, take a good hard look at what that person "brings" and then really consider whether you want that energy along for the ride. You do have power over those you allow into what I call the "inner circle." If you don't want that negative vibe, don't invite it. We all are great balls of energy. We're vibrating electric wonders. Take "charge" over your energy vibe. Keep your energy positive, powerful and wonderful. Don't allow negative naysayers whose bolt of negativity only zaps you...

Here is my new pet peeve. Places like Panera or Borders who won't give you their member discount cards unless you give them your email address. In the old pre-Ether days, it used to be give me your phone number. Now it's go online, give me your personal stats, and hand over your email address. I've even asked whether or not I could have the card without going online and filling out the perfunctory forms and handing out my email address. I was told a firm "no." "Well," I said annoyed, "I don't hand out my email because I don't want it clogged with spam," I reply. "Oh, we won't spam you," the gal says with an earnest smile. "Yeah, you will." And off I go. My son soon pipes in he will fill it out and give them his rarely used address. I smile with that Cheshire feeling that I got them. But the real question is why do these vendors think it should be quid pro quo? I mean really? And they always pinky promise not to s...

Sometimes we just want to write the book we want to write, damn it! It's my story, I'll write it if I want to. You can, of course, write whatever you like, but just don't assume a publisher will want to publish it. So many things go into selling that first manuscript, and the first thing you should do is find out whether or not your idea is wanted or needed. Research the marketplace. Do some searches on Amazon. If you do find a similar book, is it selling? Look at it's Amazon ranking. If it's up in the millions chances are people are not particularly interested in that subject matter. If you want to work with a particular publisher, look at what they publish. If you want to sell a book on hunting deer, going to sell your book to a Vegan publisher is a bad idea. Now while I'm kidding here, you get the point. Also, do look at that publisher's products. You are always in the driver's seat so you should not desperately accept whatever offer comes your way. O...

If you're at a party that is a professional event, I have some tried-and-true advice about your drinking antics.  Now I'm not above a cocktail while I'm out networking. In fact, I've discovered that champagne makes a light, refreshing beverage with just about any meal. But when in public at an event with business people on hand and you've been discussing business with someone -- and perhaps "left your belly at the bar" to have liquor poured a little too much into then you ought to be careful. At a recent networking event, I was mingling with prospective authors, and one of them imbibed far more than he should have. Pretty soon he was being silly and flirtatious to the point where I wasn't comfortable with it. He joked about spitting on me. Not a good tactic to get any woman's attention (by the way). He pretended to throw ice at me. Yet another really terrible gesture. And then he grabbed me with his "iced" cold hands to make a point and s...

We traveled to Pittsburgh, PA this week to participate in the official launch of Beyond the Iron and join a great and festive party. Authors should never opt out of their launch parties. It gives you a chance to spread the word about your book and invite friends and family to celebrate your great achievement. Most launch parties also generate a fair amount of initial sales. I've seen authors rake in anywhere between $500 and $2,500 for one night of fun. You can't beat enjoying a great party and selling books too. Don't make the mistake of missing out on a celebration of your achievement -- and writing an entire book is no small feat. So you should be proud. Plus, you can beat the additional leverage of promoting the party too with the media! Just make sure you have a great news hook in the promotion. If you don't know what is a great news hook, call me anytime! I'll share. You can also email me at michelle@3LPublishing.com.

eBooks now are starting to flip on the market. With Borders reporting a higher percentage of sales of eBooks than printed books, expect to see the market continue to shift. Much like iTunes and the iPod changed the music market, eBooks are in the process of upending the publishing marketplace and changing how we buy books. From a publisher's and author's point of view, this shift means less overhead costs and puts a great premium on the value of having a publisher publish your eBook in order to earn the ability to not only have the credibility to promote the book in the press, but also to demand higher prices in the marketplace. Top name authors and publishers are now starting to raise the bar on the value of an eBook, which is a big win for the authors and publishers that no longer have to invest so much capitol in the product. It raises the profit margins without lowering the value of the book, which early on was an issue. This issue was also combined with the high number of ...

I am blogging about this in response to another blog I saw on the subject. I didn't completely read that author's total opinion, but I read enough to post a big, "You tell 'em sister!" In my line of work as a publisher and marketing specialist, I run into prospective clients who basically through the excuse of preliminary research, put my staff to work to put together proposals, get print quotes, ask endless advice, ask for multiple meetings, etc. -- all under the guise of "picking our brains" and potential business. While we've gotten better about discerning the difference between real business opportunities and those who make endless requests only to spend time drinking coffee with us and going nowhere fast ... except off to either another publisher with our materials (usually one that in their minds is less expensive) or to try and self-publish (again, using our materials). Whether people set out to deliberately use and run, isn't the point. ...

Want to know the fastest, easiest way to frustrate yourself if you're a manager? Try to change one of your staff or team members. Go ahead! Knock yourself out. When you're working with a team, here is a tip. Get to know them. Understand them. Find out what motivates them. And then stick to that side of the fence. Trying to force someone to conform to your demands is a flop waiting to happen. Trust me when I say this, and it can go toward a relationship with anyone. We either accept those we work with and for, or we will constantly chafe and be frustrated. As one leader I know said, "We are who we are." I've run into this, and the one thing I have discovered though that is important. If someone has very poor or weak work habits and it's hurting the organization, trying to train, change or retrain is a waste of time. If you can't live with it, fire it. And while that may sound simplistic, it's really the gritty truth.

If you're a writer interested in writing screenplays, a great exercise to really learn the medium of film is to invest in the DVD of Blu-Ray discs and listen to the commentary. I've learned a lot about film and specifically the intent of the writing by doing this on a regular basis. The directors, writers and producers (and sometimes actors) will lend their insight into the scene-by-scene action. I recently purchased Generation Kill, an HBO series I really enjoyed, and watched it with the commentary on. The screenwriter was on discussing working with the book's author and how he wrote the series; how they filmed it; where they filmed it. It's also fun because the commentary often answers nagging questions you might have that you weren't clear about. For example, I kept wondering, "Where the heck did they film this series -- it looks just like Iraq but it couldn't be filmed in such an unstable country." I found out by listening to the commentary it was ...

Do you ever feel like everything is hurry up? Hurry up and get it done. In public relations work, the hurry up get my product known and make me famous hovers over the campaign like a fog unable to lift until a best seller is produced. So many authors and clients in general jump in ready to make their books a best seller. They enjoy their launch party and sell perhaps several hundred to family, friends and associates, and the lag time sets in. The campaign well under way may or may not produce results in the dailies and TV. The client though is eagerly awaiting the ring of the register to begin. This puts a lot of pressure on our team. Thus, the sense of hurry up and get it done hovers over us. I remember when I was promoting my own book Second Bloom that I would do a TV spot and then hit my Blackberry with anxious abandon. I thought, we just got interviewed, here come the sales. And then I was disappointed. No instant sales. What happened? Another time, we did an interview on the publ...

I am editing a new book titled Miss Fannie Mae's Girls. This uncomplicated story is about death and rebirth. It's not terribly new or profound; however, the story is peppered with a cast of extremely colorful and delightful characters. So you could say this is a character-driven piece. Many writers often try to over think their story lines, trying to razzle-dazzle their readers with special effects and new ideas. I am sure, however, you've heard there are no new ideas. I actually think Shakespeare covered the ideas pretty well way back when. It is how you put together your story and how you paint canvas that makes it unique and special. Miss Fannie Mae's Girls is the perfect example, because new author Larry Batchelor takes the simple premise of a family reuniting to grieve over the loss of the matriarch, whom we never officially interact with in the story, and then heal old wounds and go on to celebrate the marriage of one of the sisters. It is how the author executes ...

Where is the fine line between arrogance and confidence? I've pondered that question quite a bit lately. Well, I found it really interesting when I was talking to this guy we'll call "Bob" (I always use the fake name Bob for men I encounter that I find obnoxious for whatever reason). Well, Bob told me he was the "genius" behind this famous Fortune 500 company. Genius? Really? Genius is a pretty strong word. The company in question was a pretty big company too. And I would imagine the company founder might take offense at the notion that Bob, who is pretty unknown, was calling himself the genius to its success. As I stood wondering how in the world Bob got so confident that he turned over a leaf toward perhaps arrogant and a tad full of himself, it hit me that confidence and arrogance are really a fine line. Or maybe it's modesty. The flip side of conundrum is to be self-deprecating to the point of the ridiculous too. Nothing is more of a turnoff than whe...

On the more entertaining side of life, I feel compelled to provide some unsolicited advice to business networkers who put their love life out on display ... in front of the room. Our favorite friend Margo recently nudged me at an event and had this look on her face. Someone was speaking so I couldn't hear why she was wincing so bad. Finally, Margo gets me alone and tells me our PDA-loving couple is getting way too amorous under the table. We're talking hands in the absolutely most inappropriate places. Now, here is the deal. You're out on a date and you want to get affectionate, just don't go too far and get cited for acts of lewd and lascivious behavior; but if you're at a business function, I think the hands need to be kept in check. First, can we say inappropriate in all caps? INAPPROPRIATE ... there I said it. And second, your hand action and constant kissing is making the entire people around you uncomfortable. Let me ask you the most important q...

When is too much information (known in text-land as TMI), well, too much on social media? When I'm out speaking about marketing and social media, I've delved into this subject quite a bit. First and foremost realize that social media today is being used by employers to find out more about you. It is also being used by your current employers to find out what you're doing. Posting that you're using your sick day to go the Lady Gaga Concert isn't a good idea if your co-workers are followers -- and most especially a bad idea if your supervisor is too. Many social media users misjudge or miscalculate the value and importance of this new media. The knife can slice two ways -- both in a positive or negative direction. While posting your "wins" in business makes a great impression on some, it can also be construed by the "haters" (the word I love for people who can find negative in just about anything) as bragging or arrogance. The same goes for personal...

The answer to the question, "Why does one book sell super well on Amazon while another does not but sells well in the bookstores?" is the question of the super sleuth. So many variables drive book sales. Public relations and marketing, of course, play important roles in exposure and visibility. But sometimes even a book that has received abundant, positive reviews may not sell well on Amazon but sell well in its market of interest. For example, Daughter of the Caribbean appears to be a big hit in the bookstores near the Caribbean, but still faces low Amazon sales. On the flip side, Fertile Kitchen Cookbook has enjoyed rich Amazon sales and can't sell worth a darn off our table displays. In each case it has to do with the markets these books appeal to. Most Daughter readers may be from regions of the country where online book sales don't appeal to those shoppers so they rely on the bookstore. Fertility is personal, and most couples don't want their personal prob...

or a stream :). Actually, I got a little jealous yesterday when I was looking at some popular blog spots that had lots of visuals and pictures. For the record, you can't just grab people's pictures and post them to your site. It got me to thinking about blogs, though, and how I needed to make mine more interesting to look at. Hence the stream picture from my weekend adventures; but here is the real deal on blogs. Some bloggers have huge followings. I've found with book promotions, don't under estimate the value of a really well-followed blogger. With the book, A Feast at the Beach , we've had several high-value bloggers review the book -- and the sales went crazy. A fabulous blog can offer a real sweet spot to create sales momentum for your products. And then I got to thinking that my following here in First Word land needs to ratchet up. I would love to create a bigger following to help promote our authors and what we're doing. So, if you're reading this an...

Beautiful bonnets hanging in the Gilroy Gardens. If you have small children and live in California, I highly recommend you visit the Gilroy Gardens , home of the famous Circus Trees. I love Gilroy Gardens, because it's serene and beautiful and devoid of the loud noise most amusement parks produce. It contains numerous gardens and waterfalls throughout. Take a romantic moment while your kids play on the rides to sit and wait for them next to the waterfall or in the gardens. It offers such a romantic place for some cheerful family time.

I get asked all of the time, what works best? A collaboration or partnership? I am currently collaborating on a creative project and will not form another partnership. I've had several partners, and I can definitely say that it doesn't work very well. For one thing when you form a partnership, you create a marriage of sorts that includes mixing finances and needing to agree on how to manage not only money but time and resources. In a collaboration, you keep out of each other's business and focus exclusively on the project at hand. If you're considering one or the other, here are some important points: Ethics -- this one came home to roost. What is your prospective partner's ethical and moral outlook? Why does this matter? Well, if one person isn't particularly ethical in their treatment, for example, of clients, this behavior will affect your brand name. While one partner may act in one way, the other's behavior can definitely influence prospective client...

Whatever happened to being invited to parties by friends or people you actually know? Do you know how many events, luncheons, dinners, wine tastings, networking, jewelry, cosmetics and every party known to mankind I'm invited to per hour (not day) via Facebook? This whole "click-all" mentality when throwing an event for something like "young singles" or "divorced dads of two" drives me utterly crazy, especially from a marketing perspective. First, while I want to build up my Facebook community, I don't want to become part of the "missed-the-target-not-even-close" brigade that sends out mass invites to everyone including Joe and his monkey to events like "I hate all the Joes in the world, especially those who owns monkeys." An invite to Joe to this event is not only offensive but it guarantees Joe will write a nasty letter to the "monkey-hating" crowd. My only point (and this is aimed at my Facebook community) is don...

When doing business development, I've noticed some sales executives just don't know when to give up the chase. I actually think you shouldn't spend too much time pursuing a prospective client. Why? Because at some point the time you've invested in what I call fence-sitters ends up wasted. And fence-sitters can also make very difficult clients. Indecision doesn't bode well for how the relationship will go in the future. All the time you spend in hot pursuit could be channeled to a more productive client who is ready and steps up. Or that same amount of time could be spent on perhaps 4-5 prospective clients all ready to move ahead. Time and attention plowed into fence-sitters runs the risk of never paying off at all when in the meantime you could have had maybe four times the payoff just by shifting your attention. What I recommend is you put in a policy that you will take no more than two meetings (coffee meetings for prospective clients ... free meals doesn't li...

I was recently astonished when a former business associate failed to remove my information for her own PR material. We had done a project in the past, but we no longer work together. I don't know why I was surprised, it was just part of a long revelation of bad, incompetent or just careless work habits. This same person even failed (twice) to write the correct title of a product she was representing in press releases ... in the headlines (of all glaring places). The consistent lack of care to even ensure a product name was correct in the press release that was going out to media everywhere was a flashing red light for the clients, who ended up not wanting this person to represent their campaigns. And can you blame them? If your hired professional can't even take five minutes to double check details on your press release, it doesn't bode well for the person's professionalism -- and most certainly sends a less-than-subtle message: "I don't care enough to pay atte...

My desk started getting crowded. I always tried to put our 3L books next to my computer so I could remind myself about the various titles (another good sign of prosperity), and then I ran out of room. I split them up on another shelf. And then they outgrew that shelf. So, I put them on another shelf (displayed). Our second anniversary is July. I am very proud of the work my team has put in on the creation of these works of literature. And we added last week, the fun, hilarious and entertaining Mr. Date Night . It features the author's beautiful music, introducing our first book with music included. If you're single, I highly recommend you purchase a copy today on our website or Amazon. It is the "recipe for a perfect dinner date." Farley is a gifted musician, so if you just need something romantic for an anniversary or date in general, your wish will be filled with this one. And now Mr. Date Night bookends our incredible catalog. I am one proud publisher!

Over the years, I have people admire how I managed to carve out an independent business and lifestyle. I've known many of my contemporaries, who upon seeing I did it, try to also join the ranks of the freedom. In watching those people try to start a business and head back to a "secure" (that is a very loose term these days) job, I've learned a few things about why my business is enduring. Here are three things to do if you want to be an independent freelancers or entrepreneur. Focus and commit -- one foot left in the shallow end while you try to jump into the deep end won't work. What I really mean is that if you start a business with the backup plan to just go back and get another job should things not work out then you're going to lack important commitment to make it work. You are keeping that one foot in the shallow end. It may be as simple as having online job announcements sent to your email box, which shows you would consider it. I personally have and...