First Word

My new novel California Girl Chronicles arrived yesterday via UPS. A few comments about it. First, I love our printer, who I am not going to disclose for competitive purposes. Every single order they surprise me. What you can't see in that picture to the left is that beneath the jacket sleeve, they embossed the hard cover on front and back. It's done in gold emboss and looks really nice. The quality of the paper on all fronts is excellent. The book turned out BETTER than I anticipated. Big kudos. But that said, 3L Publishing strives for excellence on all fronts. We all work with the best of the best. Every vendor we work with we vet ahead of time to ensure what they produce on behalf of our clients will not just be satisfactory but impressive. With the edition of premiere distributor Bakers and Taylor , we are poised to move aggressively into a very successful distribution model into bookstores. Believe me when I say that it was an impressive feat for us to gain acceptance wit...

I don't know why being a writer invites so much curiosity along with some strange reactions from people. Over the years, I've told strangers about my profession and reactions typically fall across two categories: we'll call the first the "Really" reaction and the second the "Cool" reaction. Here are the responses under each one. REALLY "Do you really write?" What does that mean? I lied about it. I only write under my bed and it's just scribbling anyway and that doesn't count? "For real?" No, not 'real' just fake. I write to entertain the cat -- and that's not really 'real' is it? The cat bats my wadded up sheets around the kitchen so I guess that's not publishable . "You're actually published?" No, I call myself a writer just to say it. In fact, let's say it now ... w-r-i-t-e-r. See flows right off the tongue. Never published, though. I just like the word writer . And it make...

    Note : Sometimes a defining moment in one's life can be so simple!   I nodded and realized I did need to get serious. Here was this incredible man making an exciting offer to help me, and I was dragging my feet. Before I could say anything else, Kale leaned in very close to my face and spoke to me.    “Sweetheart, what else do you have to do?” he asked in serious earnest.   And that was the question to pose. He was right. What else did I have to do? Nothing. 

I bet many of you have heard this expression, "writing is like a muscle; you have to use it to become stronger." That statement is true. The more you write the more you exercise that mental muscle and the better your work becomes. I've noticed writers who spin in circles declaring their intentions to write and yet the actual time spent working on the task is nil. They talk about it more than they do it. Sometimes you just have to put your seat in the chair and just do it. Quit thinking about it. Just get to work. The other common idea is that the magic is in the rewrites. So, the first intention to just sit down should be to get it out of you. The second act should be the rewrites. One of the reasons I encourage writers to participate in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is because the contest gets writers to move and write and just get it down on the computer screen. Also, if you think you have a "block" (which I don't believe in writer's block s...

So I got this spiteful email sent to me from an author whose work we rejected. I read this nasty email in which she decided to lambaste "my world" as she put it. I considered a response for about 30 seconds, and then hit "delete". Why am I bringing this up? Well, I've worked in the public eye for quite sometime. I've written editorials for years, and I received my fair share of ridiculous letters to the editor. I'll never forget the one where I wrote an article against software piracy and got a boat load of responses from techies who defended (yes, defended) their right to steal other people's intellectual property. I was so astounded that we live in a world where people can defend their rights to break the law -- and be mad at me for saying they shouldn't. Anyway, I digress ... this person in a way did the same sort of defense about my right to ask people to respect my time. Under the guise of this is just how to do business (another defenseless...

I had this thought ... after I tried to have some voice-on-voice action with my BFF and we kept missing each other, I noticed she read my newsletter First Word. I chuckled at the thought that now I didn't need to update her on the recent happenings. Is this what my busy scheduled has distilled into -- my friends only learning about my adventures in print? Is that what happens if you get too busy or even famous to keep in touch anymore? Your life's tales unfold in the press? I would imagine that would be the case. What a strange thought. I do, in fact, keep in touch with most people via my marketing materials and First Word, the newsletter. Maybe this is a whole new level of alienation, because it's happening to more than just me. People don't call each other all that often anymore. They email. They text. Voice-on-voice action seems to have gone the way of analog. Here is a funny thought. I've had to force myself to pick up the phone to have a real connection with my...

I am surprised by general expectations of authors when they submit books for review. Here is what surprises me the most -- authors who expect that I have time read the entire book and provide a free evaluation. 3L Publishing's submission guidelines stipulate a sample chapter and a synopsis be provided. Why? Because we receive dozens of manuscripts. I don't have time read that many books in a lifetime. Some authors just don't understand that simple premise. I have authors falsely assume I will read the entire manuscript to make a decision as to whether or not I will work with them. First, (and I know this is shocking to some) I can pretty much tell by the end of chapter one (and sometimes the first page) whether or not the author has the fundamental skills required to write a book -- and any weaknesses they have 3L's team will correct. While this may surprise the rest of you, I can often tell by the first sentence if the manuscripts belongs in one of three piles -- the ...

No you didn't! Traveling with my absolutely favorite gal pal and financial planner Cindy Fuzie, who I will from now on call The Fuze, we had an absolute blast when we went to Reno eWomen. Now the blast, of course, did not happen at the actual event. Nope! We headed with two good friends/client over to the Peppermill where we bonded in the bar. I have to tell you I have made more strong connections with people at networking event by hanging out in the bar and just socializing. You will actually see it's relationship building not sales. Conferences and events are great but nothing is better than really getting to know someone outside of the events. I know this might sound strange, but I tell you I have built more relationships in bars that you might think I'm a lush. Truly, I drink a little but it's the time when people let their collective hair down and just chat. In these conversations, you can discover whether or not you even like the person. I think in business you...

Today's lesson is about speaking or more specifically bad speakers. Since I constantly network I have seen my fair share of bad speakers. I've also been privileged to see some great ones too. So I feel fairly confident I can tell the difference and provide some advice to those who wish to become a speaker. The number one rule of bad speaking is to start selling them something less than five minutes into the presentation. In fact, if I can impart any advice at all, here it is: don't try to sell at all. Now many of you are scratching your heads and asking, "Doesn't that defeat the purpose?" No! You will still end up with sales for your services or products (that is, if you do a good job), but the truth is nobody wants a hard sell. Sometimes your audience doesn't want to hear your pitch at all. Your audience came to learn something, possibly be enlightened, and walk away feeling like their money was well spent on an interesting networking event. When you eith...

I'm all about intentions right now. I have a few great projects simmering on the burner, and I'm promoting and networking and connecting. Yesterday I decided I was going to aggressively pursue some angles to get my screenplay out there and find a script agent. So, I started thinking about all of the ways I could do it. Pretty soon, things started to just move forward -- a few inches at a time but none the less forward. I want you to know one thing -- all of this effort and what I'm trying makes me uncomfortable. I am not someone who feels entirely comfortable being pushy or aggressive. Now that is not to say that I'm not good at networking, but while it might appear to those who know me that I'm extroverted, it's not entirely the case. I've had to push myself to color outside of my comfort lines to become extroverted. You cannot run a successful business without comfortably going out and meeting new people all of the time. I've known many associates who ...

Before the party started! LOL It's a good thing that we took pictures at the house before we left. I just saw a Facebook shot taken much later into the evening -- and I look like I should not stay up anymore past 9:00 pm. I'm sure I had touched, rubbed and smeared make-up by the time that photo got shot. You know what I mean? It was that kind of photo where you look like you should go home now ... tired ... old ... decrepit. Okay, so here is a shout out to this very nice guy named Gabe Kubanda from VH1 that we spent some time with -- and he is the person I got captured with as my tired self in the unflattering photo. First, I want to say this, what a nice guy. A total gentlemen in a sea of (how shall we say) less than gentlemanly guys. He was completely respectful and made some comments about how he treats his fans that just said it all -- a total rare breed. I hope his star rises and he continues to stay grounded. Speaking of staying grounded ... that is an important thin...

(L) Michelle Gamble-Risley and (R) Sonja Fisher Sonja Fisher, my First Word Radio show co-host invited me to go to the Emmy parties to network with her. So, I sucked in air and decided to live a little and force myself to go. Now most of you who do, in fact, know me also know I'm not shy. But I do get a little "tense" when faced with crowds and a sea of unfamiliar faces. So, I soon found myself in line to walk the red carpet with Sonja (only after drinking a glass of "liquid courage") clinging to her back like a spider monkey. Sonja got a big ole kick out of her new friend "Klingon." As we were standing there she starts telling me to hype the buzz on my new book The California Girl Chronicles . I couldn't believe how a little discomfort seemed to implode in my head and turn my usually lively brain to pure mush! I'm a publicist for gosh sakes. Brain switch flipped, I started working the interviews like you wouldn't believe. Pretty soon, S...

I'm heading to LA to the Emmy parties to network with Sonja Fisher this weekend. Networking in a new territory can be uncomfortable. I know a lot of people wouldn't do it at all. But you have to get outside of your comfort zone if you're going to succeed. I've heard you have to get out of this comfort zone daily. Of course, attending parties is usually a lot of fun, so twist my arm, right? I want to meet producers who can move my two projects -- Beauty School and California Girl Chronicles -- forward. The way I network here in town if I lived down in LA LA land, I would have already moved them forward. But I'm handicapped being so far from networking home base. So off I go. I will be sure to report back stupid celebrity stories. Celebrities stories are usually more entertaining and funnier than the norm because you get to add a pinch of narcissism and a dash of big ego to ratchet up the amusement.

“He told me he loved me,” I admitted and felt guilty. Denise’s eyes grew wide, “Whoops,” she cracked. “What did you say?” “The truth,” I replied. “I owed him that much. I never led him on. I don’t know when his feelings changed.” “Umm maybe during all that sex!” she retorted. I smiled. I loved Denise’s direct honesty. She always told it like it was. “Yeah, that got a little out of hand,” I said. “I think I need to let the relationship chill down.” “Good idea,” said Denise as she jumped up and headed for the door, “OK, I have to get ready. Ciao!”

With the acceptance as a Bakers and Taylor publisher, there is only one difference between 3L Publishing and traditional publishing. In exchange for super high royalties, you pay for the services you consume -- and that's it. We had a weak distributor in the past that didn't really move books. We expect the new arrangement with Bakers to push books so much better through their reputable services and quality catalog. When we went to the New York Book Expo and our former distributor handed us a CD and mentioned ignore the typos, we knew we were in trouble. Not just any publisher gets accepted to Bakers and Taylor. In fact, most publishers without the quality catalog and sales track record can get into Bakers. Some publishers don't have any distribution model outside of Amazon . In fact, many small publishers in and around Sacramento don't have this capability. So, if you're looking to work with a local outfit, ask your representative how they distribute to the book...

A full-blown public relations campaign can be costly. The average cost of a retainer from an agency averages about $3,000 a month. For a mid-size to large company, that amount is not a big deal ... it's lunch money. For small businesses or individual authors, that amount is a very big deal. If you don't have a lot of money to spend on a public relations campaign, you can do the following: Help a Reporter Out aka HARO -- Three times a day HARO releases queries from top media outlet reporters who are in search of sources for their material. You can submit queries too if you need content or you can answer queries. HARO is free. It costs you time and ability to answer the queries in the correct manner (now that part is a skill). So, here is a tip: always answer the query exactly and don't stray from the question. Hire a Smaller Boutique or Contractor -- Individual public relations practitioners working on their own often cost much less than a full-size agency. Don't ...

I was on HBO's message board last night reading the fan's reactions to the season finale of True Blood . If you read yesterday's blog then you know I ranted about the poor writing. I am not the only soured fan who noticed the writers needed a trip to the literary woodshed for a little po-po paddle time. At first, I thought maybe I'm just tone deaf, and I didn't hear the line(s) delivered appropriately. Maybe I'm in a bad mood. Maybe it's PMSS -- poorly managed script syndrome. Then I read the more literate fan messages on the Talk board. Nope! Not even Advil is going to get rid of these brain cramps. True Blood Season 4 up until the last three episodes was doing just fine. Following the book Dead to the World just fine -- check.  Alexander Skarsgård playing my favorite bloodsucker with a fantastic ability to vacillate between two personalities very well -- amnesiac Eric and real Eric. Anna Paquin, child actor extraordinaire who won the Oscar for the criti...

All right -- I am going to share my huge letdown with the True Bloo d triangle of Bill/Sookie/Eric. And for those of you wondering why this is on a publishing blog, I'm going to put it in context of storytelling and staying true to your story. They built up the Sookie/Eric romance over three seasons in the background of the love story with Bill. In the Harris books (for those of you not in-the-know), Sookie's real relationship that lasts over the course of several books is with Eric. In Harris recent book, (spoiler alert) Dead Reckoning , Sookie pledges her true love to Eric even after she has the blood bond broken. Okay, so back to why I'm annoyed with Alan Ball and his writers -- and specifically how it was written. When Sookie essentially gives up both of her lovers, what she says to Eric just bugged me. As a critical viewer, who does know the books and professionally writes for a living, I objected to her break-up speech, which essentially she said her time with Eric w...

Another short excerpt from California Girl Chronicles (chapter 2): “Laid off?” I felt a pit of dread form in my stomach. “All of us?” And just as I asked that stupid question, the accountant Janet walked over and handed me my literal, day-glow pink slip. “Why did they print it on day-glow pink?” I heard myself ask with scorn. “How tacky,” I mused. I knew what it said, and I understood the envelope was probably my last check.

Big news for 3L Publishing . We worked hard, followed the detailed instructions, wrote the marketing plan, and submitted a package to premiere book distributor Bakers and Taylor earlier this summer. All of the hard work paid off. We received notification that Bakers has agreed to distribute our books! Why is this so important and exciting? I will outline it below: Bakers works like Amazon and only keeps stock on hand that it has orders to fill. This means no storage and insurance fees that we have to pass to our clients. We can do smaller print runs for niche books, as Bakers doesn't have a 500 book minimum they require to fill orders, and thus, no storage and insurance fees. Bakers fills orders to all of the major bookstores and suppliers worldwide. Bakers royalties are real! Not a bunch of nonsense with handling fees and misc. accounting fees that all add up to reduce royalties down to nothing.  Bakers is also a major supplier for Barnes and Noble. Bakers doesn't tak...

OMG: I had the weirdest, most intricate dream involving a polygamist family. It was bizarre and so intricate. I remember it perfectly -- and I was shaking my head. I mean it was an intricate family story. I woke up and wondered if I channeled something or someone it was so detailed. Maybe I should turn it into a book ... hmm ... I don't want to write about a polygamist family, and HBO did that so well with Big Love . OK, completely strange and then I was sitting here thinking, "What do I blog about today?" My strange dream? Do you all really want to know more about that? Probably not. How about something better? California Girl Chronicles advanced hardcover editions come off press at the end of next week. That's better -- and way more interesting.  Here is a quick, funny story. I was promoting the release party last night and when I switched up my pitch and said it was "sassy" you should have seen the wave of cards come my way from people who suddenly wante...

Excerpt from part of chapter 1. So I stood in place and bopped to the music when a short guy with stubby blond hair came out and went to the microphone. “You all having fun?” he yelled into the microphone. A limp and quiet, “Yeah,” came back to him in response. Stubby blond guy was undeterred. “All right then give it up for Rigor Mortis,” he shouted and stepped away. “Rigor Mortis? Really? Was he kidding? Who the hell chose that name?” I thought and frowned. Lance caught the look on my face, but didn’t say anything. Now I was curious to see what a band with that name looked like. The first two guys with shaggy dark hair came out on stage to another limp reception from the half-interested crowd. It was the lead singer, a guy with sandy blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes that caught my attention. He didn’t quite fit in well with the other two. And my eyes went right to him almost like a magnet. He was dressed all in white — white t-shirt and jeans. He stood there momentarily and star...

If you're wondering what I secretly wish I could say sometimes but cannot because it wouldn't exactly uphold my standards for customer service, I thought I would instead share some the absurdities on the blog. Then perhaps many of you will avoid the common pitfalls when you get me on the phone or in person. So, let's have some fun. "My mother loves the book" aka peanut gallery focus groups . I completely love this one. Authors often try to sell me on how good their books are based on what I call "peanut gallery focus groups". They take their projects to family and close friends for feedback. You know your family and friends typically want to encourage and support you, right? When I hear this method as a benchmark for how great a book is, I shudder and have to refrain from making remarks. Focus groups are great. You should absolutely do a focus group for critiques, but your focus group should consist of unbiased associates who have no stake or vested in...

I work with authors every day. I've heard it all about the writing process. I've also been pitched hundreds of times. I find some of the common mistakes authors make pretty entertaining (at times). I thought for the sake of teaching you something and doing it with a smile, I would share those mishaps. Please don't do the following when you pitch either an agent or publisher: " Chapter 1 sucks, but keep reading it gets better ." Have you ever heard the cliché, "Put your best foot forward"? It's unwise to tell a busy publisher or agent that your first chapter is terrible. Why would you submit your worst work? When someone tells me to read the whole book, which is 500-pages long, to get to the good part, I laugh. Do you know how much work 3L Publishing has going? I barely have enough hours in the day to eat lunch let alone get past your terrible chapter 1 to (and I quote), "Get to the good part," which I am willing to wager probably isn...

I read a lot of memoirs submitted to 3L Publishing for consideration. For the most part, these memoirs don't delve into anything too personal to reveal to the world. In fact, we're working on a new memoir for one of our clients. I've thought about doing a biography and decided I would have to wait until I'm old if I wanted it to be an authentic reflection on this life I'm living. The truth of most of our lives tends to get pretty messy. If I revealed the truth about much of my life, many people might not like to see in print reflections on their true stories. I remember one of my fellow writers doing a seminar about how to write about one's mother or parents while they were still living. You're stepping into some tough territory with that one, especially if you're going to reveal information that would make your mother or father uncomfortable. Some families -- even with the less difficult stories -- just don't want their private lives revealed to th...

So I am a huge fan of True Blood on HBO. I am probably a horrible fan too, because I like to read the spoilers! Yes, it's true I like to read what's going to happen. Some people get really upset and hate spoilers but not I. Well, anyway, I am also a huge fan of  Alexander Skarsgård who plays vampire Eric. I enjoy reading his interviews et al. Well, I've read in more than one place, he is fiercely protective of his private life. I was impressed. I think it means something to keep my private life and family out of the media. Yet here is what just threw me. He wrote and posted Men Don't Eat Chocolate Mousse ( super cute title by the way and would make a great book title ... Hey, Alex your bio? ) , which describes how he lost his virginity. Maybe he wrote this pre-fame and didn't give a second thought to the fact that one of his most personal moments would be available for his millions of fans to read. And I admit my voyeuristic self read it all right; but it truly beg...

I've extolled the virtues of partnerships in the past, but just the other day after eight months of running 3L Publishing solo, I started thinking about how much I love being solo. So, I thought I should preach to the value of keeping lone wolf (or wolf-ess) status and why partnering can be a liability. So, this lesson will be the opposite -- and hey, keep it fair and balanced too. I'll be like Fox News ... or better yet ... Lone Wolf News (yuck, yuck and bada-bing). First, for the record, I launched my company in 2006 with the intention to do it on my own. In fact, I never wanted a partner for my company, as I felt from past experience it could be a liability -- and no way I ever wanted to threaten my hard-won status as a successful business owner. I certainly never needed a partner either. I was doing extremely well the whole time. So when the proposition came up to add a partner, the only reason I did it was to have fun (not a good reason). Partners don't have to be l...

OK, I have to take a minute to rant about this ... I just got invited to a community weight loss event. All right, here is the deal for the hundredth time. When you do Facebook events, do not do mass invites. First, I have never been invited to so many different things in my life. Second, I just got invited to a community weight loss event. Really? Has anyone looked at my profile picture ... or even better seen me in person? Probably not in person, but my picture doesn't lie. Do I look like a community weight loss even is necessary to rid my frame of unnecessary girth? Seriously people, if you're going to do events and invite people to them, don't do mass invites to anyone and their cousins, aunts and distant relatives. It wastes your time! It wastes my time! And if you're doing something that involves the following: weight loss, anorexics anonymous, alcoholism and substance abuse, sex toys or swinging or anything else that might be construed as offensive, be extra care...

Some authors I meet with are not in the least interested in writing a book as a best seller. They are business people who recognize the value and opportunities business books can bring their businesses. Yes, a book and not a brochure. A book can be an exceptional marketing tool, and most people don't look at it that way. They think novels and books to sell in bookstores. Yet a book can be one of the most powerful business tools in your marketing arsenal. Here are three things a book can do for your business: Credibility -- a book positions you as an expert and lends credibility to your business. People take books much more seriously than brochures. The very substance of a book tells people you have that much knowledge. People who enjoy reading will sit down and read what you had to say. This same credibility also gives you more of a chance of being asked to speak in front of audiences. Speaking Opportunities -- authors are asked to come speak to groups, associations and con...

I am not kidding. I wake up almost every single day for the last six years and thank the business gods that I am not going to a corporate job. Sometimes you just never know how much you didn't like working for someone else until you're NOT working for someone else. I started working when I was 16. I worked several jobs until I hit my late 30s when a terrible malaise set in. I remember literally sitting at my desk at my old office one day and realizing I didn't want to be there. I am not the type of worker who would just get up and leave a job, but on that particular day I just wanted to leave and run for the nearest exit. So many other times in the past, a raise would have nullified my angst or a super plum project, but in those last couple of years nothing seemed to quell the rising tide of angst, restlessness and unhappiness. I even tried switching jobs for a year -- and that just made it worse. The truth was, I didn't want to work for people anymore. I was tired of b...