First Word

Here is what I've realized. If a newsletter is one of your favorites, it could land in your email box every day and you would be thrilled. Yes, I am stating the obvious, but then again I never thought about it like a favorite pillow or favorite food. I've always been aware that the word "spam" and First Word weren't a good combination, so I might want to avoid activities that could link the two concepts. Then I thought, "Why lead a business from a place of fear?"   Stop and think about that for a moment. Hit pause! Yes, and now what do you think? Do you find yourself worried about everything you do in business getting a negative or positive reaction? It hit me that I'm constantly worried about the criticism than the accolades.   Let me give you an example of why I found myself wallowing in this mindset. When you're doing something right and everybody is happy, most people don't say anything. They're happy to receive...

Pre-Sale link to be posted. A family mystery unfolds deep in the heart of Texas as a grisly discovery is made in the farmhouse she has inherited. As the truth unravels so does the woman’s sense of identity and self. Leah Murphy arrives in the small town of Oakdale, Texas with the intention of selling the Harris Estate, a property left to her by her Uncle Kent Harris. She soon learns about hidden family secrets buried in the dark reaches of the decaying old farmhouse. The discovery on the property sparks an investigation with local authorities, which opens up Pandora’s box. Leah’s entire identity falls apart as her family becomes a jigsaw puzzle of new pieces rearranged and fit back together. During these trials and tribulations, her marriage is tested, her desires are amplified, and she has decisions to make that will affect everyone she loves. Harris Estate is a cryptic and intriguing story of betrayal, buried secrets, and a woman’s life come undone.

Are you afraid of failure? Most people fear falling down and having to get back up – again. Did you know that most successful people realize that failure is only a PART of the process of finding success. Successful people keep the right mindset about failure and don’t allow it to keep them down. If you think about it: success and the road toward it is paved really in trial and error. As you try new things you may do it right the first time, but most likely it could take two or three or four or five or even six times to get it right. As a business owner I’ve learned my greatest lessons through failure. As I’ve failed or made mistakes, I remember them. As you know the definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a new outcome. So, you have to think about your mistakes like a newly invested formula. As you make a mistake, remember it, but don’t repeat it. Take a different approach and do it differently. Your new approach works, great. It ...

Since Romance Novels are selling, check out my romance books, California Girl Chronicles by Michelle Gamble-Risley available on Amazon as eBook and print. I just read that came out of HARO/Vocus, which is a public relations database tool. Want to know the "anatomy of a best seller"? Guess what they said recent publishing studies revealed?   Romance is the no. #1 genre . I guess romance is back and hot again. For a while romance was dwindling. Usually when times are tough, romance novels become escapist entertainment. Maybe something is in the air right now that have readers turning more toward romantic adventures. Perhaps recent terror attacks and the like have made general readers not want to explore too much reality.   The most successful novels are 375 pages . Funny they revealed this number because just yesterday my mom, who is a voracious reader, told me she prefers books at least 350 pages. She said it made her feel like she got her money...

Creating a best-selling book is contingent upon three things: Great promotion + great story + market interest at the time + plain old luck Every author that comes for a consult with my company 3L Publishing (www.3LPublishing.com) generally hopes for a successful book. No one comes to me and says they want to fail. When I counsel people I always tell them that their mindset determines failure. If the one outcome is a national best seller and the dream of joining that 1% of elite authors who dominant the market then that's loftier than I can promise. Of course, as an author who doesn't aspire to be in that 1% dream slice of the pie? For the sake of not setting up false expectations, I always tell them that if the idea is for the very fact that they authored a book to create new opportunities then with all assurance I feel confident the book will absolutely reach that goal. In the meantime, authors can either hire a publicist to help them promote their books (and you can c...

What are the easiest ways authors can promote books on their own? Now many of you may read these 15 things and feel daunted. Just know that 3L Publishing (www.3LPublishing.com) offers marketing and public relations services, too. We can help you and guide you through this process. Social Media (it's free)-Facebook, Twitter are great starts. The jury is out on SnapChat and Instagram. Goodreads (social media for readers and authors to connect) Blog ( blogger.com )-blogging services are free, too, but you have to provide your own content Book launches -it's a party so why not celebrate your accomplishment and sell books Book signings via your regional independent bookstores. Leave some books on consignment if they're open to it or maybe they will purchase the books on their own. Newsletters like this one focused on promoting your book reviews and signings and sharing excerpts and experiences with your book. Regional nonprofit book festivals (not all boo...

My company 3L Publishing releases a weekly newsletter designed to provide information, intelligence and insight to both entrepreneurs and authors. Below is a sample of the current issue. It's cheeky, fun and insightful. To be added to the mailing list, send your email address to info@3LPublishing.com. Hello First Word Friend-Os. I bet you’re thinking, “What is she doing now?” As I’ve mentioned these last few months, I keep playing with my newsletter release day. My open rates dropped so I’m trying to spark some new readership by not doing the same old, same old. So, here I am on a Thursday just typing away and releasing it today to see what happens. The market is a fickle place. You know sometimes Friend-Os are busy. Sometimes Friend-Os just think this Friend-O maybe isn’t relevant anymore. Who me? Not relevant? Ah, no … I’m always trying to stay abreast of what’s going on in the real world vs. the bubble I’ll call my office. Speaking of keeping up with ...

I will be giving a presentation to the Happy Hour with Dr. Lance Casazza on July 22nd from 7pm to 9pm on the following subject: I will give a presentation based on my award-winning book Second Bloom, 10 Steps to Reinvent Your Life . The discussion will review the 10 step planning process featured in the book. This planning process is based on the method used to do annual strategic plans. My inspirational presentation will teach participants that any kind of change, big or small, can be accomplished. Second Bloom was the winner of the Indie Excellence Awards in the self-help category and runner-up in the Indie Book Awards, Writer's Digest Indie Awards and Franklin Awards. Location to be determined. Please contact info@3LPublishing.com for details.

I've been discouraged by a few business issues. It always seems that if you're not clear and blunt about your business policies then people will walk aimlessly all over them. Whenever I put my proverbial foot down and say: This is how it is ... period. I'm always nicely surprised by the overall reaction. I've found it's almost like putting up the "Rules" and once people know what are those rules they fall in line. Lesson Learned: put strict, clear policies in place, communicate them to those impacted. My case study in point has to do with a "pass-through" service 3L Publishing provides. A "pass-through" service means we are the middle business involved. We work with a vendor to provide that service, but it's not a service 3L makes money off. It's a service that is part of providing service to our clients. Recently a mistake got made and 3L had to absorb the cost of the mistake. Now the problem with it is that 3L doesn...