First Word

The business of business can be tricky. If you want to effectively manage your client relationships, you really have to be proactive at all times. Sitting back and allowing events to unfold results in chaos. And chaos in business can happen quickly and without notice. Really it's about being a true leader and effective project manager to build productive client relationships. Here are some helpful tips to make you a better business person and project manager. Get out ahead of your clients not behind them -- always be thinking like your client thinks. Consider what could become a problem if left to fester unattended. The best way to figure out what lies ahead is to look at what came before. This means if you had a past problem chances are it could become a future problem. So, solve it before it has a chance to happen. For example, if an account manager was not servicing her clients well in the past and problems popped up, chances are if the manager is still on the job and has not

Entrepreneurship takes a great amount of discipline and respect for the "job." No, it's not a job, but you have to in many respects treat "as if" it were a job. The first five years in business are the test. While I did not go through the standard first-year angst like many business owners do (most business die on the vine within the first year), I have learned valuable lessons as to why I did not face the uphill battle toward success. I have several colleagues right now eager to go independent. Here are five great lessons on how to successfully make your first year "the first year of the rest of your business," and not your trip to bankruptcy court. Focus and stay the course -- this is probably my number one tip of all. Focus on what you're doing and stick with it. I'm not saying be inflexible. I'm saying just get on board, don't get caught up in the traps and challenges, and know in your deepest heart of hearts, this is it. You wil

I recently walked up to an office to meet a client. As I walked up through the entry, I noticed the building was dirty and in need of some serious paint. I also noticed the garden wasn't well kept. As I walked into the building, I saw scuff marks on the walls and dirt and grime smudged into the carpet. And finally, I arrived at my destination -- and to my disdain, I noticed the furniture was second-hand, dirty, grimy, and gross. The walls had not been painted in years and clearly had a layer of grime on them. This was a white-collar professional's office -- this might be more forgivable at a contractor's office where dirt and grime is part of the job. What impression did the lack of upkeep and rundown decor leave behind? Not a good one. It answered so many questions about whether or not I wanted to do business. This company did not care about its image, and therefore, a high probability existed they would not care about their brand. They clearly didn't invest in their o

It's Friday and I've decided not to be super serious (not that yesterday's blog could be categorized as "mature in nature"). But I network a lot and sometimes I get asked the most ridiculous or plain-as-the-nose-on-your face questions. Here are just a few to keep you smiling. " Are you an avid reader ?" -- this question always comes during a business meeting. I've now been asked it a handful times -- and certainly enough times to merit a mention on the blog. OK Fred, yes I am an avid reader. And here is a very good wager we could make: I bet I read more than anyone I know. Really? Really Fred? Really ? Did you just ask a publisher and editor that question? Here is a question for you: How high is your IQ? " Do you want to take a class on writing ?" -- I've been asked this one at least a half-dozen times while working in my booth. What really just cracks me up, is this question typically comes from some person who asks just as she is

Yesterday I devised this unique rating system. It's called the "Hand-Slap" system. I decided that for every silly or ridiculous thing I saw someone do with their marketing, PR or book, I would rate it based on how many hand slaps I thought it deserved to let them know a measure of how "bad" it was. And when I say, "bad," I mean bad for business, bad for your image, bad for your brand, and just an all-inclusive bad! A version of this will appear in my newsletter too. So here is the rating systems decoded: 1H = moderately bad; 2H = bad enough to mention; 3H = not good; 4H = should not do it; and 5H = what were you thinking? So, here are some recently reviewed acts that require the slap-down. True Confessions in Memoirs that Include Terrible Deeds = 5H True confessions are salacious and draw people in. They are titillated and want to hear what you're going to confess. It's OK to "confess" stories where you learned an important and val

Public relations, widely known as the "airy-fairy" stuff, can be difficult to measure. Expectations of one's publicist can range from demands to be get exposure in a specific media outlet (mostly Oprah) or dozens of reviews ... a day. Neither of these requests is reasonable. On the flip side, your publicist should not use the often unquantifiable results as a way to avoid actually doing the necessary work to get you a reachable 1-5 requests per week to feature or review your product. If you're hiring a publicist, here are some things you, as the consumer, can ask for to ensure your publicist is spending the hours they say they're spending -- and leave no question in your mind that your publicist did her best job to serve you. Measurements of Success -- other than a bump in sales this is a tough one. Your product may have been reviewed in many publications but your sales don't reflect it. All you can expect or ask of your PR person is outreach to the media.

Many people have an itch to write their memoirs. In most cases, the people who approach me about it have a compelling story to tell. The problem with a memoir is that unknown authors can't sell it on their name -- so the story must be provocative and interesting and unique to make up for it. Non-fiction is easier to sell than fiction, so that's a plus. But really your story can't be the same old, same old. It has to truly be a story! Something on the scale of epic saga -- something I will want to turn the page to find out the ending. Today, an author pitched her story. I have to say, it was very compelling. So much so that I asked her to pause while I ran to grab something so that I would not miss a moment -- a very good sign indeed. The best way to think about writing your memoir when you lack the name to sell it, is to ensure it's just a great story. Great stories sell. Well-written, great stories sell. If you're not a writer with a great story, hire a ghost write

I read a lot of raw copy all of the time. Like most things in life, common mistakes get made. You would be completely surprised what are some of the most common. So for your better edification, here are the top three most common mistakes I see made in manuscripts. The never-ending quotation marks -- this one seems strange to me. In dialog, writers will put quotations after every sentence in a string of dialog. It goes like this ... "I want to go the grocery store." "I'm going to buy Frito's for lunch." "Then I'm going to come home." Until recently I had never seen this done. And then out the blue several manuscripts started coming in with this dialog written this way. The correct form is: "I want to go the grocery store," she said. "I'm going to buy Frito's for lunch. Then I'm going to come home." Do not put quotations marks after each sentence. Put quotation marks around the entire string of sentences said by

I am asked all of the time what I think will happen with eBooks and paper products. If you think this is a new question -- that would be no, it's not. I got asked this same question back in the '90s when the Internet revolution hit to the peril of the magazine industry -- and I was publisher during this time too. No doubt eBooks are impacting the marketplace. One would have to have "rectal cranium" disease not to notice the eBook readers for sale and the capabilities on iPad. The question, though, is will paper-based books go away? The answer is, "Not anytime soon." eBooks augment the market and give people more options. Some people will exclusively read their favorites books on their digital readers. Others will read them exclusively in paper. Others will do both. Remember, an eBook reader breaks when dropped into the water. So, those beach readers won't want to take their Nook out into the Caribbean. Then you have the issue of third-world countries whe

We have a lot of writers who approach us about publishing their children's book. Here is what always both amuses and confounds me. Nine times out 10, these writers have not studied what children like. They are convinced that having been a child at one time in their own lives, they understand today's children. Well, today's breed of young children are not yesterday's. These are kids who fondest wish for their birthdays is an iPad. Yes, my now teenage son wanted an iPad. My daughter who just turned 7 plays on it. She would rather play Club Penguin than crack a book, which we don't allow in this house. She has to show a healthy interest in books too. And with the paradigm shift in interests, and most importantly, expectations, kids expect more from their books too. Flat pictures just don't always carry the show anymore. And the books my kids do love are often not what you would expect. This week's favorite is Bad Kitty Gets a Bath -- a black-and-white illustr

This post comes on the hinges of a deeply personal conversation I had with a dear and trusted family member. She has recently gone through some humps in the road called life. The themes in the conversation resonated not only as important to one's personal life and how they conduct that life, but also in business, and I thought I would share some of the insight. You can take away from this what resonates with you, but the real theme is personal responsibility and boundaries. In this person's case, she was faced with some of the usual corporate politics, and she did not like them. She was also faced with some personal difficulties, as she was ending a relationship. First, what she realized is that she needed to take responsibility for what she had done in the past that put her where she was today. We live in a culture that typically makes the blame game permissible. Something happens, not my fault. I didn't do anything. It's the other person's fault. We even seek perm

So my financial advisor Cindy Fuzie skillfully taught me the art of how to say "boo" to provide the perfect reaction to either bad marketing and PR or networking behavior. The following are random acts of marketing or just "acts" that are "boo-worthy." And while reading this, you too can learn how to "artfully" say "boo" at the appropriate moment. I'm a guy at a women's networking group and I say, "I came to Nevada because I divorced my wife. The old battle axe." -- Boo! I decide that touching certain body parts at an inappropriate time is funny. -- Boo! I have a wretched case of halitosis and decide to breathe in deeply and exhale quite strongly at a person I am trying to do business with. -- Boo! I visit a table display and set my wine glass down right on top of the beautiful new book Daughter of the Caribbean -- and leave a nice purple ring on the book. -- Boo! (In this instance, "boo" applies to

I network a lot. When someone steps into my space and starts talking right into my face -- and they have horrible breath ... awful! Just remember when you're out meeting new people that they have comfort space they keep around their bodies -- especially when they don't know you. This woman just insisted on talking within inches of my face. I kept stepping backward, and it didn't matter. She stepped forward. Soon I was playing a two-step game to get her to back off. She was utterly clueless and every move I made to back away, she moved to "catch" me. Her breath was beyond disgusting. Now I am sympathetic to her breath problem. God knows I drink my fair share of coffee and have my moments; but if someone keeps stepping away from you then (a) you are doing something to invade their comfort zone or (b) your oral history is in question -- and either answer doesn't matter. Just remember to respect another person's comfortable space zone which is roughly three- t

I'm still tinkering with whether or not I should do my memoir or not. So, I thought I would publish a chapter and see if anyone actually reads it. (Warning: there are minor errors in this as it's a raw copy.) 1 The Intrepid Writer on the Road and Vomiting on Airplanes OK, so onward to my next job at the California Department of Water Resources. I have a lot of really fun and funny memories of my 2.5 years spent roaming up and down the State Water Project with my now long-time friend and photographer Dale Kolke. But before I tell you the most memorable moments of that job, I will give you a little bit of insight into what it’s truly like to work for state government and some of the less-than-satisfying moments working with what I would call today either crazy or inept. Me posing for photographer Dale Kolke for Earthquake Preparedness month. As I mentioned in the last chapter, state workers are an odd breed of laziness and often craziness. How the state breeds such oddit

Here is your entertainment for Valentine's Day. So, I am married -- let's just put that out there first. I'm pretty sure many of you who know me or recognize my name realize a hyphenated name generally means marriage too. Well, Facebook seems to be -- for some people -- a valuable tool not for marketing but for trolling ... for women ... or I suppose men too. I recently got a letter from an interested male commenting on my appearance and then proceeding to describe himself as my prospective suitor. Part of the description involved a reference to (wait for it) ... "good hygiene." I was rather amused that apparently these days "good hygiene" is somebody's version of a great way to describe his or her attributes as attractive. This reference to this ability to keep his body clean about had me on the floor LMAO. Since when did the ability to use soap and water become a lure for the opposite sex? I assume that at least 80 percent of those who live in the

OK, I might be in shock and awe or just awe and shock -- either one works. In the last few weeks, I think the recession officially ended here in the 3L country. I have literally been picking up new projects daily. All of the marketing and PR momentum appears to be paying off. I even picked up prospective work on a Sunday afternoon if you can believe that one. At the rate we're going, we just made gross sales reflective of someone's middle-class income ... in one month. If this is any hint of what's to come, I must say it's utterly shocking and very, very cool. If I can impart any wisdom to you 3L watchers wondering what's the super-secret sauce, here it is: You must market and do public relations for your own company. All of the advice I give in my first book Smash: A Smart Girl's Guide to Practical Marketing and PR , should be followed to the letter. I don't live in a "do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do" world. I am all about the "say" and "d

I don't know what it is about some of those folks who dwell in the sub-culture called Author-Dom. Now the vast majority I meet are really terrific, open and interested full of questions to which I try to answer. Then exists another strata where they act pretentious and irritated that I don't think the next best-seller is standing in front of me. This attitude embraces arrogance and entitlement. I don't know if they're trying to overcome low self-esteem and pump up their chests to make some sort of statement about their skill levels or they're just obnoxious. For those of you who approach me with the attitude, "I am published hear me roar," and you want to work with 3L Publishing , please be advised. I am sizing you up too. I don't work with people I don't like. You could hand me a $1 million and that would not solve my desire to not work with Mr. or Mrs. Full of Themselves. Entitlement and obnoxious behavior includes the following: talking down to

My intrepid assistant, Madeleine Harner (L) and yours truly (R). Today I spent my morning and afternoon working the crowd at the Roseville Galleria. Here is the lesson with selling books. If you only have a book to sell, you won't really be able to make back your money unless, of course, you're John Grisham. We sold a healthy number of books; but the real value comes from the networking and connections. I must have met at least a half a dozen prospective authors more than just a little interested in our services at 3L Publishing . Part of the gig also allowed me to speak and while it was not a rocking, huge crowd, an intimate gathering sat down with me to discuss their projects and ask me questions. At least two authors from that gathering were more than a little interested in my company and services. And while one author already published her book, she wanted a publicist, so that was a winner too. My advice, always have more than just a single product to sell if you're

I always find where there is smoke there is a whole, heaping pile of flaming Lemer poop. Even when I worked corporate, I ran into this problem time and time and again. If you have small poop trails or even minor poop smudges that a problem is stinking up your company or a staff member is acting up, chances are it's a lot worse than you ever suspected. I used to encounter animals gone wild when one of my staff members would quit, well, leave because their performance was subpar. Well, once said employee exited the side door to unemployment, and I started reviewing the work left behind, I was usually in for a really ugly surprise. Sometimes a string of ugly surprises. Here is the lesson, if you start hearing even minor complaints about a person's work or performance, don't ignore it and work off good faith that all is well. I've made this mistake as just mentioned a number of times. I am a trusting person, so I always assume that when someone says they've done the job

Now I spend the majority of time pointing out what people do wrong with their marketing and PR -- it's funnier. But today, I wanted to point to a table display done right. Jolin Halstead, managing director of eWomen Napa chapter, had her incredible table display next to mine. Let me say that Jolin's incredible Fairyterra just knocked mine out. She used this very whimsical, earth-based display with beautifully packaged giveaways in little tie bags with a fantastic backdrop. Some real thought went into this display and a dash of creativity. I should have taken a picture of it. Here are some key "done-right" points: would this display have worked for my company, no. This display branded her company perfectly. She uses a self-created program to help parent-children relationships. She had her earthy fairies in this display too. It was branded with the correct colors and ideas that convey her company's image perfectly. She took the time to think her brand through, as wa

I saw a request for information on bad bosses today on HARO . It got me to thinking. It would probably be fun to write a book on the subject of bad bosses, which I think the subject is being covered. Well, I have had my share of poor management and bad bosses over the years. Part of the reason I left corporate in 2006 had to do with a year spent with "Captain Crazy" where I thought working for a patient in an asylum look particularly attractive after dealing with this woman. So what constitutes a good/bad boss? (or in this metaphor "queen"). Here are some thoughts to at least make you chuckle. The Queen of Play Time . The bad boss whose idea of management involves a Mai Tai and a Hawaiian beach somewhere while you hold down the fort is not a good boss. Someone who feels their play time is more important than your time, period, needs not run a company. The Queen of Play Time plays more than works. Then she gets stressed out when you actually expect her to help you.

Are you a business owner? Are you thinking of starting a business? Or are you working for a company where they have an employee manual that describes what are referred to as core business values? If you do not have them or you don't understand them, then here is a quick study on why it's important to not only know what they are, but also write them down and make sure your staff knows. Core business values in many respects are your own values -- except they apply to your business model. We all have some kind of values whether we recognize them or not, and some of you have set the bar on some rather low values (but I digress). At 3L Publishing , here are our core business values and why we have them (this will help clarify). We put a premium on customer service . We believe that you provide not just good customer services but great, memorable service. Why does this matter? Happy, satisfied clients not only return for more business, but also tell friends and associates about the

Many authors and writers out there would be shocked to know that I can tell by almost the first line in a book whether or not it's a winner or loser. I know you're thinking, "How can she tell by the first line?" Well, I'm not sure what it is about terrible manuscripts, but they show their flaws almost as soon as the authors has typed a single word. I recently was given a book to read. Published by one of our fellow publishers aka vanity press, I was immediately captivated. No, not by the scintillating prose. The author makes the clear beginner's mistake right from the start -- she writes in passive voice. Passive voice is like being a victim -- everything happens to you! This error was followed by equally flat and uninteresting writing. (Also, if you don't know what is passive voice, please go to my favorite website, Grammar Girl , and look it up ... I heart Grammar Girl.) Did I know by the first line this book wasn't getting published at 3L ? Absolute

I always find human nature so bloody predictable. Whenever we fail to assign value to what we do, it's never a surprise that other folks won't either. If there is any lesson in life, it's always value what you do lest you get taken advantage of. I can't tell you how many times prospective clients show up and ask for favors -- and if I do them the favor, they act like spoiled children, demand more and then poof! Off to gleefully frolic in the long grass. I've had this happen a number of times among authors. One author without really thinking asked my opinion about her manuscript. Now my coaching services are not free, but in this case, I was under the impression he intended to sign up. So, I gave him my insight into his first chapter -- and then (you guessed it) poof! He took my suggestions and said he would use them and then maybe get back to me. See! Do not do people you barely know favors. My time sucked up and no reciprocity. And what really kills me are those wh

I've decided PR requires all hands on deck to make it work. We are promoting Daughter of the Caribbean , and I already pounded the Oprah camp pretty hard. I did get a response back from the producer -- just not what I hoped to hear. The author Norma Jennings did not let rejection dissuade her. She went in the back door. Her daughter had a friend who is friends with a producer of Jamaican decent over at Oprah. So, what did she do. She approached the friend who gladly passed it on. Not only was the producer excited, but she requested a copy for Oprah! So far enthusiasm has been great -- and we are sending positive energy toward great results. So for author who rely only on us for all openings, it's not your only avenue. Persistence is key. And persistence from all possible connections works best. Because having opened the door from all different sides only reinforces the name of the book. And maybe with enough buzz generated, we will move forward! At least that is what we want to

When doing client work, it can be fraught with a difficult push-pull power relationship; who is really in charge? When a client pays for services, it may seem like they get to call the shots. Yet it's your company and expertise they rely on. But think about it for a moment. All companies have to answer to someone. Big companies have to answer to their Board of Directors and customers. So, power is not absolute no matter who you are and where you work. In our business I see people makes mistakes in how they interact with clients and what they push back onto a client when, in fact, it's their responsibility even though it might appear that maybe it's not. If you work in a marketing and PR or even publishing group, avoid these common pitfalls: I t's-not-my job syndrome . This is the mistaken belief that you don't have to provide a client service because you don't believe it's part of your job. Here would be another example. I offer to provide a press release

The last few weeks have been a challenge. The transition of the company during a growth spurt wasn't exactly a picnic. I've been juggling transitional issues along with continuing to ensure my clients receive seamless service. And all during this transitional phase, a common theme emerged -- integrity. A wake of hurt client relationships was left in my care. The easy thing would have been to ignore it. I have a huge sales month ahead of me. Why should I go back and mop up a mess left behind by someone else. Not my responsibility. I didn't damage the relationships, right? Well, here is the thing Friend-Os. It's my company. It's my brand. And whether I was the one who made the mess was not relevant. What was relevant was that I be the one as the CEO and president of my company and its leader to return to the scene of the crime and make restitution to those hurt by it. That is called integrity. Integrity means you step up and do the right thing. And doing the right th

Hello First Word Friend-Os. And you are a Friend-O if you're reading my blog. I know you maybe surprised to find an entirely new blog after reading the M-Com blog, but "it's new day, it's a new start, and I'm feeling fine," to quote a famous song. 3L Publishing has an old face with a new CEO. Michele Smith has stepped down, and I am now 100-percent owner of the company I helped found. This experience while not on the top of my list of things I intended to do, is a positive for the company overall. If you review our catalog, you will notice I am the editor or contributing writer to every single one. So, nothing is going to change in terms of our look and feel and our exciting product line. Our books have always been hand-picked by me and influenced by me. So, our audience will notice very little change in the coming weeks. Most of the change involves transition and settling down. We have a bright year ahead, and we've already accomplished our highest sales