First Word

I spoke to Kiwanis - Auburn Chapter last night. Part of the presentation, I discussed pricing on products and services. More specifically, I addressed holding your value and talked about not making the mistake of doing what I call "the info-merical" special where you debase your price to give the semblance of a deal. What I said is, if you say your product was really worth $2,000 and for this day only you're offering it for $99, you debase and devalue your product or service. You see the problem is, no one will believe it was ever worth $2,000 in the first place. They'll think it was really worth $99 all along. This technique doesn't work. It is often the wrong positioning, especially for professional services, and it reduces you down to nothing more than the "As-Seen-On-TV" huckster that only appeals to a small segment of the buying audience, which typically doesn't include white-collar professionals. When I hear about the $99 special, I don't b...

I always assume (assumptions aren't good) that other business owners know the marketing fundamentals as well as I do. So when I open my magic box of various business wands and someone "oohs" and "ahhs" over the sparkly one and asks me, "Oh, what is that?" I'm a little thrown. I think all good marketing Tinkerbells should know their "wands." Now I'm being loose lipped, and I hope somewhat entertaining, but it's true. And what I'm really saying in plain speak is that I expect business owners to know at least some of the basics, and when they "ooh" over these tools I'm using, it surprises me. I don't know why it surprises me, because it shouldn't. I wrote the book Smash (available on Amazon or 3L's site under books) to help small business owners with marketing and PR fundamentals, but seriously, it really does surprise me. First, here are some "down-home cooking" principles of marketing you s...

Sometimes clients have strange ideas about what public relations (PR) will do for their company, product or service. The primary expectation is that with enough reviews and coverage for their books, in this case, that this exposure will result in a landslide of sales. Here is what PR will without a doubt do no matter what. If you get placements, reviews, interviews, features in print, broadcast and radio, you will gain exposure and increase visibility for your book and platform. Those two things will absolutely happen. Sometimes (and not all of the time) this exposure results in increased sales. Other times, it does not. My book Second Bloom received adequate exposure in regional press and a little national exposure. It did gain the recognition. When I would mention its name, many people began to recognize it and me. But it never triggered a best seller. The book A Feast at the Beach has had very good exposure mostly in national media, and it has, off and on, triggered great sales. I...

I can't take credit for that term -- Red Carpet Dreams -- that is the phrase used in the amazing Erika Lyremark's coaching course the Daily Whip; but I do have some for-real Red Carpet Dreams. I just finished the first draft the new script Beauty School that I was hired by a client to write. My client really let me loose and I used his story points to write the whole thing, which he fell in love with. Now we both think it's very funny, but the real test is to come when we begin the marketing process to Hollywood. My client is very good friends with an A-list producer (whose name I may or may not share later) who he had cracking up over the various scenes in the script. Now the producer wants to read the whole thing and awaits the final draft. Since I was burned last year by a crazy pathological liar, I am much more cautious about this project and where it's going to go. But if there is one thing I do know is despite setbacks, it's super important to keep your big a...

OK, I'm all for online security and prevention of spam -- absolutely. What drives me ape shit are the checks where they use these crazy, fuzzy letters that at least 50 percent of the time I can't read. They make up some crazy word and then use letters that remind me slightly of an eye doctor chart. Come on folks, let's not make it so challenging that I sometimes have to hit it like five times before it goes through. And what is the point in putting garbage letters like brackets that more like ] this and I'm not sure. Is it a ) or a } or a ] or hey maybe it's .... > never know -- it's too fuzzy to tell. And when I've been kicked off 10 times because I didn't know this, I'm just annoyed and my eyes are strained.

Reason no. #1 -- we're an established publisher that has been in business now five years (our marketing and PR agency opened in 2006) and published 20 titles. Our CEO Michelle Gamble-Risley has been in the publishing business for 20 years. Her first job was as an editor for an internal magazine, and she went on to take a post as editor of a regional magazine with a circulation of 40,000 when she took it over and when she left it had a circulation of 70,000. She also got promoted to publisher in her tenor on that magazine. She went on to work on custom publications and freelance write for regional and national publications. Also, her first book Second Bloom won several literary awards, with the most notable being an honorable mention in Writer's Digest Independent Spirit Awards . Second Bloom beat out literally hundreds of competitors in the self-help area. Reason no. #2 -- we are trained specialists in not only publishing but marketing and PR. Again, Michelle has a BA in P...

eBook publishing is now moving into market maturity and out of the early adopters phase. For the past several years, Kindle was the primary eBook channel and many self-published authors leveraged it to distribute their books, which is a good way to save money. Now mainstream publishers are selling eBooks, and some publishers are just getting into the eBook market like 3L Publishing . We waited for the market maturity phase, because we wanted to ensure a built-in audience. Those of you interested in eBooks, please be careful in your selection of your publisher. Here are some tips about what you should know before you get into a relationship with an eBook publisher: Does this publisher have all of the eBook sales channels set up and functional? Do they have only Kindle? If they only offer Kindle, buyer beware. You could have Kindle. All self publishers could have Kindle. It is the big retail chain providers (Nook - Barnes and Noble; Kobo - Borders; and Apple - iBook) that aren't q...

In my coaching class, Erica has you pick a superhero. Mine is "Enthusiastic Elektra," and let me just say that my enthusiasm runneth over today. First, I am so jazzed. I'm "Elektra-fied" jazzed. I've been working on a script project for a few months now, and we're putting finishing touches on it. Before we even finished up the final revision, my client pitched to a big name producer (who I will not reveal quite yet), and he was cracking up and offered to help shepherd it through. Who you know in this business is 9/10th of the battle. So, the producer's help to either possibly acquire the script or help introduce us to an agent is HUGE. I'm so on top of the enthusiasm world right now. And my new novel California Girl Chronicles is moving along swimmingly. I'm on chapter 3, and I can't wait to introduce readers to the quirky world of Brea Harper, hopeless romantic and hapless but also smart and driven. It will be in the tone of the Sookie ...

Sometimes whether we like it or not distractions creep into our space. We have to swat them like irritating flies and move on. Your intention to succeed in business means keeping non-productive distractions at bay. One thing I am doing right now to keep myself focused in a positive direction is working with the amazing and incredible Erica Lyremark of the Daily Whip. She is giving me quite a "whipping" to inspire and motivate me to go to the next level. Her six-week inspirational and motivational coaching program is amazing, and it's helping me stay on my course and dodge the distractions. I also take solace in the fact that many of these recent distractions (and I don't care for them) are coming from a source who is making herself look really bad to a pretty big community of business people. I've received letters of support from those who have noticed some of the deceptive and despicable activities going on (and the words deceptive and despicable were words used ...

"Oh such hyperbole Michelle!" you gasp at my brazen hustling for business. Well, I am a hustler (in a good way) there is no doubt and when the going gets tight the tough loosen up ... their tongue! I am so grinning right now. Actually, I am super excited. We are running our blazing hot, sizzle, sizzle! summer sale of 20% OFF all publishing and editorial services. Need your book coached? Want to clean up a manuscript and make sure it's has its Ts crossed and i dotted? Interested in publishing the great American novel? Or maybe you just need a white paper or collateral piece cleaned up. Pick a service -- it's all 20% OFF until June 30, 2011. Oh you gasp! Wow! That's awesome! I need a service Michelle! Of course you do ... you literate, writing champ you. Send an email to info@3LPublishing.com. We will take care of you. Now off to a meeting with (guess) an author! Now go on take on the day!! Writing Tip: Always use a proof reader when creating a professional docume...

Summer is officially here (finally). And people are off on vacations and slowing down. My work load has amazingly quieted enough for me to think about marketing and promotion. I wanted to offer a sizzling summer publishing special. For anyone who signs up by June 30, 2011, we are offering a 20% OFF super summer sale on all publishing services including coaching. What is manuscript coaching you ask? It's when yours truly and editor of some 25 books and author of three, goes through your manuscript and helps guide it to five-star rating status. If you're an emerging or new author still struggling to get your manuscript recognized by publishers as a first-rate and viable book, I or one of my staff will go through the manuscript, offer comments and suggestions, provide specific guidance about the market, and help you achieve your goals. And with that, I'm going to give you a super secret tip. If you're writing narrative and not including dialog, you are not building and d...

The whole eBook publishing model is pretty exciting in many ways. First and foremost, the return on investment for the publishers and authors is about 10 times greater than with print. You're also preserving some trees (for you environmentalists out there). Setting up the eBook division took some effort. For those of you who assume it's no problem and anyone can get any eBook account with the likes of Apple and the iBook, think again. Apple does not allow every publisher to set up an iBook account. In fact, it takes a lot scrutiny to determine whether or not you're qualified as a vendor and a mound of paperwork (thank you Malia). If you have a new or emerging publisher who says that they can provide iBook access, you should probably make sure they do. It's not an open free-for-all. The industry is trying to discourage any Tom, Diane and Harry from setting up an amateur publishing shop and releasing a slew of bad titles. Apple, in particular, has a reputation to uphold. ...

Sometimes we get bogged down in details. We look up and realize we need to attract new business. When I get into this rut, I always do two key things: 1. I expand my business development activities and networking 2. I shift my mindset and make sure I living by my mantras I practice the laws of attractions and follow the belief system that with the right attitude I can do anything. So, I've decided to focus my attention on attracting two new clients ... now! See! I've put it out to the universe and it will come back to me. I'll be sure to report back to you ;).

This blog is specifically being written to the person (and I know exactly who you are, as you are the only one who had my log-in information) who thought it was amusing, funny or just entertaining to break into my Facebook account and change my relationship status and show that I like Nazis and lesbians. Let me be clear in a very public way, not cool and very, very immature. On a business end, you had better think through this behavior before you ever attempt to do it again. It's called defamation and illegal to break into someone's Facebook account. I suggest you look at the law regarding these things. Because you're in violation of that law. Now I know your mentality well, and I know you thought it was funny. I've got news for you, not very funny and just disturbing to me that you're this immature and psycho. I'm equally as sure you probably did during one of your drinking binges. Go get help! And most certainly go get a life. Really it's just sad and path...

I overheard this discussion about Twitter. This guy was complaining about people who don't understand social media. He said, "Now I have to read about some guy eating a burger at McDonald's as if this event were news!" He's right. We've become a culture saturated with news-making events such as your friend's McDonald's-eating consumption. Now on the reverse, Twitter and Facebook have become a community news tool and have recently played instrumental roles in revolution and conflict. Now the same guy up the street who could Tweet about his latest taste of French fries can also Tweet about the war zone sometimes in his very own neighborhood. And it is the latter example of social media changing the world that is perhaps a good thing. But for the average social-media user, it's time to take heed. For the most part, how many fast-food burgers you eat or cups of coffee you drink, it's not Earth-shattering news. If you use social media as a business ...

Now for you single guys out there hoping to woo the girl, take a lesson from my romantic honey. He knows how to woo me in style. Upon our very romantic Alaskan cruise, he had champagne on the ready (although I should also thank Elisa Taylor for this gift as well) and plenty of pleasurable and stress-free activities planned such as two massages. He only planned strenuous hikes upon full agreement from yours truly, and he mostly chose laid-back shore excursions that took nothing more than a camera, binoculars and an "eagle" eyes to enjoy (totem poles and eagle boat cruise). Now Friend-Os that is true romance ... when the guy doesn't plan on taking you on a 50-mile hike up into the glacial wilderness as his idea of getting cozy, which really means clinging together desperately in the sleeping bag for warmth instead of sliding back in the jacuzzi. I mean which would you rather do?

Glacial Lake -- Seward, Alaska Hubbard Glacier I want to give a major shout out to my travel agent Elisa Taylor for arranging perhaps the best vacation I have ever been on. She went above and beyond to ensure our 20th anniversary trip was romantic, special and perfect in every way. Thank you Elisa! You rock! My next comment: Alaska is absolutely one of those places you must visit at least once in your lifetime. I spent the entire trip picking my jaw up off the ground! I also really enjoyed the cruise, because we had the good sense to invest in a balcony suite right on the ocean, which amounted to non-stop scenic views. I think my favorite moment (of many) was the day I got to sit on the balcony, drink coffee, and stare at the most spectacular sight of the Hubbard Glacier. The roar and crack of the ice sheering off the glacier and plummeting into the ocean below was not just a sight to behold, but to be heard. I was awe-struck by the power and beauty of nature. As I stared at the...

Ever notice that people who think he or she is a great boss are missing the signals that he or she is not. I thought it would be entertaining to share with you based on stories from many professional friends, “You know you’re a bad boss when?” You know you’re a bad boss when … your entire staff invites you into the main conference room for an intervention and they all tell you that you suck. You know you’re a bad boss when … your long-time staff member doesn’t invite you to his wedding while the entire department is invited. You know you’re a bad boss when … your employees spot you at a conference and quickly change directions and run the other way. You know you’re a bad boss when … you spend more time in human resources than you do your office. You know you’re a bad boss when … a person who has left your company writes a book about how your very presence in his or her life led to him/her to quit his/her job and write this book, which mostly uses you as an example of a ba...

Now I am not single. I know I’ve said this dozens of times. Married! OK, now we’ve established that fact. Let me also establish that even if I were single, the following Facebook pick-up techniques would still fail miserably. The serenade – yes, Friend-Os I had a gent serenade me in what I will assume was Italian. Something about me being as “beautiful as the sun.” I don’t know whether to barf or just laugh or both. The good hygiene theory – another young man thought that his admission of possessing good hygiene was surly an aphrodisiac that I would succumb to. I have to ask the all-important question, “Since when did good hygiene become a tool of seduction?” I’m just wondering. I mean maybe having a lot of money might be more interesting, but I’ve always worked off the belief that good hygiene is an everyday standard of good grooming. I’m just saying. Mr. Illiterate – u wat to send me u fone number? Hmm … I don’t know whether to be more stricken by the fact that this guy coul...

OK, boys and girls I’ve ranted on about not posting your “bikini body” as your Facebook headshot. Now I must go off about the guys who post really scary pictures that make them look more like Jeffrey Dahmer than an attractive guy. We’re talking grainy, looming, glaring, frowning or just leering headshots. Guys, let me ask you this, “Why do you think that kind of photo is appealing?” When I get “friended” by a Charles Manson look alike, I am more likely to ignore the request. Photos of beady-eyed, scary freaks just don’t entice me to friend you. And if you’re scratching your head right now and wondering if I mean you then the answer is probably yes. Because if you have to wonder if your ugly-ass headshot might bother women then chances are, it does. Please go get a nice headshot done by a professional photographer or even a friend skilled in the area and post it. And please don’t take looming, sneering or sleazy shots as sexy. P.S., shirtless shots of your rubbing your ripped belly don...

I am faced with a question: Should I start Tweeting on top of all of my other social media activities? I know you can link all of your social media, but any good marketing person knows that if it's not personalized, it's a waste of time. You have to actually nurture and pay attention to your social media. Your posts should be specific to your audience, and you should participate in the community. Anything less than that is obvious to the community participants who will be turned off by your mass responses. So the question, "To Tweet or not to Tweet?" I've steered clear of Twitter, because I do things like write this blog, manage a Meetup group, and post daily on Facebook . I am a fan of Facebook, and I am a fan of Mark Zuckerberg, a huge fan. I admire his focus and dedication to his company. From what I've read, he's not all in it from wealth and fame. He's a passionate guy who loves what he does. I can relate. I love my company , and I love what I do...

I am a Mac lover. I have been a Mac lover for 20 years (yes, I just dated myself). I have Mac on my desk, Macbook Air and iPhone. Rumor has it with cloud computing starting, my gadgets are all going to automatically and wirelessly synch up. Since I've had technology clients in the technology standards area, I already knew this was coming. Awhile back, they called this your wireless personal area network (WPAN), now they're calling it cloud computing. Don't ask me why, but I always imagine a dark, little rain cloud hovering over my desk when I think of cloud computing. Now my faithful readers are wondering, "Is she going to talk about her Mac, cloud computing or rain?" Well, I am feeling somewhat unorganized today so I'll just meander through this blog and hope you find something useful. Well, cloud computer or WPAN -- it's all the same automatic synch. Way cool stuff if you ask me. I would imagine somewhere out there Hal is applauding us all. If you don...

Some things in business you spend money on. I always find it slightly amusing if not ridiculous when companies or even individuals skimp on tools or equipment for their offices that they absolutely should not try and save a dollar. A few examples: your office chair. Your chair is what most of you sit in minimally for 7-8 hours per day. I would wager two dents fit your behind's shape perfectly. Yet when it comes time to buy an office chair, some business people look for the cheapest one. They don't care about back and lumbar support, no. They aim to save money. They don't sit in one until they find the right one. The one that will help them feel comfortable and support their backs. Just how crazy is that? The one thing you're going to spend at least half your life sitting in you, you won't spend money on? The other is computer equipment. Some companies go in search of the cheapest equipment on the market. They give no consideration that cheap equipment breaks faster ...

The one thing that shocks me the most are business people whose idea of being responsive to customers, clients and associates is maybe (if they're in the mood) a monosyllable yes or no ... if they respond at all. Did you know that being responsive to the needs of your constituents can actually build a reputation for you? Yes, quick, effective and careful responses via text or email or phone can make or break your reputation. How so you ask? Because here is a simple fact -- people do not take kindly to being ignored. When you ignore or neglect your constituents, you send a simple message whether intended or not: you don't care enough to send your very best ... or you don't care at all . When you're responsive, the opposite message gets sent. You do care. People want to do business with people they feel really care about them. They don't want to feel used or discarded. It is especially imperative you be responsive when dealing with clients, especially if they've a...

My new boyfriend! Funny things always happen when I travel. OK, that really depends on what you define as "funny." I guess we could also call them annoying. I am a people-watcher for sure. When I travel solo, my people-watching skills are in full tilt whirl. Out of sheer boredom when I landed in LAX, I took a seat at an open cantina just to observe the comings and goings of the many travelers. As I crunched my orange-colored chips amply dipped in salsa, I started to make a bet with myself if I could identify who lived in Los Angeles and who was merely marching by to get to the next concourse and gate. In LA, it's not a challenge. You can call LA the "look-at-me" capitol of the world. The guys, who I assumed with probable accuracy, strolled by the in the latest, too-casual-to-travel looks that were comprised of designer t-shirts that probably cost a fortune but nothing to make; and the girls, who strolled by in impossibly high heels to be flying or walking in ...

A book rolling down hill does gather fans ... now you're thinking, "What the heck is she rambling about this time?" Well, the idea of marketing momentum. Momentum when you're selling products is when that product by word of mouth and enthusiasm from adoring fans pushes sales beyond a PR campaign. Once, for example, a book has gained momentum it takes on a life of its own outside of all of its rave reviews. Once that happens, your PR campaign has definitely paid off and the sale of the product continues on without a tremendous push to move sales forward. It's really what all marketing and PR people want to see happen. Momentum in a sense is the big payoff -- and we like our payola. Now momentum is not something that happens with every product. Some books, while reviewed in many media outlets, never achieve that magical moment where they take on a life of their own. With a hope, a prayer and a lot of PR -- and a really great book -- some do and we enjoy watching the...

Between texts and emails, I have found many people have given up the notion of a complex and rich conversation. First, email conversations can be perilous and detrimental replacements for real human interaction. On one hand, I like email because I can be more thoughtful and make sure I touch on all necessary points. On the other hand, email lacks tone, intonation and true inflection for what I really mean -- especially if it's a joke. Email or texts for other people can be dangerous because they don't bother to express anything more than a one-sentence response to something that might actually require a thoughtful examination. In fact, I know some text addict who have become so accustomed to monosyllabic answers, they could be dubbed the new "Neanderthal" man or woman. A simple "yes" or "no" to a complicated matter does not suffice. The scary part is that is how some people's brains work in the first place. Getting a thoughtful answer out the t...

Publishing as a hybrid, which 3L is a hybrid publisher that crosses traditional with self-publishing to provide a totally unique service, is no easy proposition. As a hybrid, we form a true partnership with each author. The author pays for the services they consume. In exchange, we provide the much-needed credibility as a true publisher and we do not publish just any author who asks. We vet the process to determine if the book is essentially a good choice not only for the author to make money but to be another show piece for our expanding catalog. This means we carefully evaluate and correct writing skills and manuscripts to bring the quality up to levels that can, in fact, compete with major publishers. I've even had an editor from a major publisher tell me our book editing services rival big publishers. Also, the partnership and the payment for services means a bigger payday for authors. Unfortunately, it also means more responsibility for the overall production costs fall on au...