First Word

I've made great discoveries in life about human behavior while out networking. Do you want to hear my infinite wisdom and completely unimportant thoughts this morning? Okay, here it goes. Here are things I learned about human nature from observing various "tribal" behaviors while out networking: People don't listen . Yes, it appears that no matter how you spell some things out, some people have so much wax build-up in their ears, they don't understand a thing you've said. I swear some people you can repeat what you've said two dozen times -- and they still scratch their heads in complete confusion, because they weren't listening. Want to know what they were doing instead? Let me tell. They were either a. planning out what they wanted to say no matter what you said or b. trying to think of something clever to say that would make a wonderful argument to what you just said. Or more importantly when networking, they're only concerned if they can sell...

Many authors mistakenly believe the hardest part of writing a book is ... writing a book . They are creative geniuses and artists -- and most aren't business people. They don't think like business people. Hey, they are artists, which is perfectly okay. If you know your left/right brain don't party together then think of this way, hire a marketing and PR professional to promote your book. In the meantime, though, you can do two very easy things to promote your book. Blog . You are a writer, right (look the two different uses of the "right" LOL) so writing a blog should be like getting up every day for you. A blog can be set up for free on sites like this one. You don't have to spend a lot of money to have a graphic artist create a simple brand. You would be surprised how easy it is to set up a blog on this site. It's very easy. Set up a blog, but don't cry, "What do I write about?" You have plenty to write about whether it's fiction or n...

Surprise! It's Uncle Ned and he hates turkey! What ya gonna do when it's food for you! LOL Thanksgiving is always the funny holiday to me. I find the situations that arise very entertaining. I also scratch my head, too. So, here is your post-Thanksgiving amusement. First, have you ever noticed that people will tell you stories about their families -- and there seems to be a running theme that involves some kind of family feud or conflict? A friend of mine was telling me the bitter "Uncle" story, and another friend was telling me how difficult it was to deal with her family. It hit me. No one was talking about gratitude, which is what they should have been focused on. Instead, people were "manning" up to deal with their crazy families. Or someone was telling me how a family member offended someone else. Or someone was offended by a family member. Families are complicated for sure, which is why some people pick their families. I was talking about my best f...

HUGE Holiday Blowout Sale -- Editorial Services  Santa is coming to town to magically pull out of his sack, your dream come true -- to become a published author!  Got a manuscript you need to have edited and prepared for publication? 3L Publishing is offering a one-time only  Holiday Editorial Special : $500 for basic proofreading services up to 200 pages $800 for basic proofreading services up to 350 pages OR, we will offer a one-time  Happy Holidays You're Published Package  deal that includes: Basic proof reading  Complete graphic design including an amazing cover (illustrations not included) Beautiful soft-cover book completed and ready to print (print costs not included) All for a Package price of: $3000 up to 200 pages $3500 up to 350 pages Packages can be paid in 6 easy payments of $500 and $583. If you would like to get your book published by true professionals and take advantage of this amazing  HOLID...

A funny little peak at the table of contents for the forthcoming 3L Publishing book 20 Reasons NOT to Date THAT Guy . Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1 – The Consummate Liar: “Lie-pards” don’t change their spots Chapter 2 – Cheater, Cheater You Don’t Want Neither Chapter 3 – A What?! Commitment Phobia – Run for it! Chapter 4 – Tap! Tap! Tap! Where the hell is he? Chapter 5 – Negative Ned and You Don’t Measure Up Chapter 6 – Your Guts SCREAMS “NO” Chapter 7 – Your Momma and Your Friends Shake Theirs Heads NO Chapter 8 – It’s ALL About Him or Hell to the No! Chapter 9 – What’s a Bar of Soap? He Doesn’t Care About His Health Chapter 10 – “Wow! Your Best Friend Lisa is so HOT!” … NOT! Chapter 11 – What Do You Mean Everyone Around Me isn’t My Servant? Chapter 12 – What? You Need an Orgasm, too? Chapter 13 – His Dirty, Little Secret – YOU Chapter 14 – Generally “Goopy” Behavior is His Norm Chapter 15 – What? You Want Me to Spend Time With … Y...

Dear Jeaninne: Congratulations! The epic results are in for The 2012 USA Best Book Awards! Your book has been honored as a "Finalist" in the "Children's Picture Book: Softcover Fiction" category: Manuel's Murals by Jeaninne Escallier Kato, illustrated by Rachel Smith 3L Publishing, LLC 978-0615575438 Your title will be listed live on USABookNews.com for an additional ten (10) months. A complete list of winners and finalists in each category can be found at: http://www.usabooknews.com/ 201 3usabestbookawards/ 2012usabest bookawards.html

Since my company is going to publish the forthcoming book 20 Reasons Not to Date THAT Guy , I thought I would give the ladies some good dating advice to help find the right guy. I've heard many stories, and I recently got divorced and successfully got on the singles market and met the right guy pretty quickly all things considered. In measuring out in my mind why I was able to meet the right guy so quickly, I decided to help my fellow single ladies. A few things before I give you all some helpful tips. I have been talking to my life coach Bo Bradley from the beginning of my divorce. I used her advice and guidance down to my decision to leave the marriage in the first place. I also talked to my girlfriends who dated a much longer list of candidates before meeting the right guy. So, I figured out some important points that even while in my dating process, I managed to stay friends with the men I dated, too. Understand what qualities you want in your man . Notice I didn't say ...

All right so I am a consummate networker -- and my fellow networkers never cease to amaze me. You would think that a course in manners might be mandatory for all networkers who don't want to show off their worst sides to prospective business. You would think common sense would prevail over some of the worst offenses. Yet for some reason people lack what should be an obvious skill to discern between proper and just ridiculous behavior when out in public. So for shits and giggles, I thought I would give you a little "snarky" advice on five things NOT to do when networking. All-You-Can-Drink Buffet . You know getting drunk at a networking function probably is a bad idea, right? Um, yeah, well some of my fellow networkers don't get it. I know one gal in particular who is infamous for drinking an entire bottle of wine at networking functions. In fact, if there is only one bottle out, she will drink the whole thing. I suspect, she might have a tad, little problem there fo...

I see all kinds of book covers. Authors who are considering doing self-publishing or using outfits like Smashwords will show me their prospective covers and ask the sensitive question, "What do you think?" As a publisher, do you know how hard it is to look at a horrible book cover and then have to gently deliver the words no author wants to hear, "It doesn't work." Style and taste in art are often in the eyes of the beholder. So when I tell an author with my well-trained eye his/her book cover failed what I'll half-heartedly call the "Michelle-litmus test," he/she often look like I took away their lollypop. It's not easy to share any kind of criticism with authors, but sensitivity over one's book cover runs high. The truth is, I have to tell the truth. And here is why: Your book can help create a bestseller or guarantee a flop -- yes, that is absolutely true. Ask any professional publisher. For example, an author had a terrible boo...

Since I've been single, I've been given plenty of advice about relationships and how to find, attract and keep a man. I receive this newsletter from a guy named Christian Carter who gives what I think is pretty good relationship advice. He's talks about attraction, relationship management, how to keep the fire burning, how to keep your man attracted, how to get him to commit, how to attract him back if his interest wanes, and on it goes. Now I've been single, married and single -- and now I'm in a serious relationship again and we're getting engaged in the near future. I spent this last year dating and meeting men all sorts of ways. Well, after reading Carter's often interesting and sage advice and reading classics such as Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus and the Five Languages of Love  I realized one critical ingredient to not only attracting but keeping a man. It's not magical. It's not really a secret. Are you ready for it? (And I...

Last night I went for drinks with one of my dear, old friends. We've known each other for years. It was so great to see her. She has attended some writing workshops, and she attended my writer's group Writers Who Mean Business . We've discussed her book project on and off. I don't do pressure sales. I went out with her as a friend to enjoy some girl time. By the end of the conversation, she brought up her book project and an upcoming event she would like it published in time to release. The conversation shifted -- and within five minutes we decided to publish her book for the event. Relationship building is the key to all success in the modern economy. Networking and relationship building go hand-in-hand. You network to meet people -- and then you build critical relationships with them. You figure out how you can help them. You share and build a true, trusted business "friendship" and go from there. An opportunity to do business with them may or may not aris...

A website today is your most important marketing collateral. Yet even in this day and age when everyone generally knows the importance of a website, business owners continue to try and design their own, which is a colossal mistake. If we know your website is an essential marketing centerpiece for your business, why are you attempting to create it yourself? You're not alone. Many small business owners try to build their own websites? They literally waste hundreds of hours trying to "figure" out HTML. They mistakenly believe their abilities to push around a few graphics qualifies them as a graphic designer. They think that English class they took in college and got an A on a paper qualifies them as a professional writer. First, let me debunk why all three of these beliefs are fallacious. 1. Web development is an entire profession . Professionals go to college to learn how to do it. It's not something you can learn overnight. And while you might master the basics, you ...

Writers show up with their manuscripts in hand and present something that is less than professional and wonder why no publisher will pick it up. Maybe they have a strong concept. Maybe the idea is marketable. Maybe the content is really great; but the publisher can't get past the hundreds of typos, grammar mistakes or unorganized prose to see the real brilliance in the work. So here are three really good reasons why you need an editor if you're seriously thinking about getting published or if you intend to self-publish. Grammar Police . The grammar police, as I like to refer to them, are the book reviewers. The grammar police will not consider how great your story is. They won't care about all of those well-developed characters. They won't care about the fantastic storytelling. They will tell the readers, "This book is loaded with mistakes. This book needs an editor and there are 20 mistakes in it." Driven to Distraction . The readers will not care that ...

The infamous shot cost .50 cents. And why does the worker look miserable? I figure for .50 cents she should at least smile. Over the weekend, we visited the Fortune Cookie Factory in China Town. The "factory" (and it was barely more than a hole in the wall) was pretty cool. You could get fresh cookies right off the "line" and the old man offered a taste of the fresh cookies off a plate. While standing there and watching the women take nothing more than dough that resembled pancakes and wrap them up into that cool fortune cookie shape, I decided to take a picture for my client's travel blog. I pull out my iPhone and gamely snap away at which point I am informed with a quick point of the old guy's finger at a sign that it's .50 cents per picture. I couldn't help but laugh -- he got me. I had already taken the photo. I love it, though, the temptation to take a picture led to a quick .50 cents for the factory. Other tourists were more than willing to...

You have to make a conscious decision to balance your life. For years, I have been working round the clock in sacrifice of my personal life. In the beginning launching my company 3L Publishing . Launching a new business can be time consuming. Now six years later, I am past the launch phase, but I still find my business consumes my personal time. But I'm ready to have a personal life again. So, you have to look at the whole picture. I have been seeking work-life balance for years. And with a new man in my life who I am serious about, I want to spend time with him. Yet the work still hangs in the balance, so it's up to me to make some changes to get the balance, well, balanced. Here are three things for all you workaholics out there who struggle with life balance, too. Institute some boundaries, meaning put in definite work hours . It's okay if here and there you have to work overtime; but make a real effort to make that the exception not the rule. If your plate is always...

I was talking to my operations manager, Bo Bradley, yesterday about my blog, and we laughed about how on some days I start off by saying ... "I don't know what to blog about ..." and here we are -- and I don't know what to say. How about thank God it's Friday? Nah, overused and trite LOL. Isn't there a restaurant called TGIF? Yes, there is. Okay, how about this: life is good and it's Friday. Okay, better and only marginally trite. Speaking of trite, did you know the worst writing is loaded with trite cliches. Sometimes even the most professional writers fall back on the overused and overcooked cliche. Here are some of my favorites: Caught like a deer in the headlights. White as a ghost. The sky's the limit. Happy as a lark. Okay, I could continue with a list of ever-annoying cliches. Cliches don't do anything but show me as a reader the writer lacks imagination. If you have an inclination to use a cliche, turn it on its ear. Here are some...