First Word

  Today I wanted to discuss challenges every writer faces. I’m going to discuss them in no particular order or emphasis.   Lack of confidence – many writers don’t get published or even try to publish due to a lack of confidence in their talents and skills. I’ve published hundreds of articles and books, and yet I still struggle with confidence in my work. Writing requires readers, and readers can be critical. It can be difficult to put your work in the public eye and not feel sensitive about it. One thing that helps me is to be open to improvement. When someone gives me feedback – and as long as it’s done in a productive manner – I’m open-minded about it and don’t take it personally … anymore . I used to feel like an abject reject lol … age and wisdom have taught me the phrase “it’s all good.”   Uncertainty with a story idea and whether or not it will be a commercial success . Over the years, I have learned that when a story is going to be a hit, it will ...

1. Every writer needs an editor including the publisher who uses three editors on her own book, Body in the Trunk . The day you think you can see all the mistakes is the day you get awarded "God-Spell" ;) LOL. 2. Selling a book bundle takes the same amount of time as selling a single book, so bundles are great and net more income. I always say it takes 10 minutes to sell $14.95 or $30.95. You might as well offer a bundle and make some real money. 3. The cover matters more than the content . Yes, no riots, please. People are drawn to your book by the cover. We're a visual society. Always make the cover draw them in.

Today's question from an author is a common mistake and misnomer. If you want the new rules of style in terms of word processing and digital printing, invest in the book The Mac is Not a Typewriter . Today's question: do you still put the double space after the period?  Old rules of business writing and even academic writing suggested we use the double space. Today the computer does it for us, and there is no need. Word processors put the right spacing in for the user. Older writers unfamiliar with the change in the rules still add the double space, which is unnecessary and removed during editing. The double space was used in typesetting methods where typesetters physically put the "plates" together with the words and used the spacing to distinguish between the end of the sentence and the start of the new one. Since the computer can now automatically do it, and the new digital printing methods don't require plates, it's gone away. Underlining titles now ...

The work smarter not harder formula is a tough one to figure out. I think it's a balance between a few key areas: team work, responsibility, delegation of the right tasks, and (this is a bonus) passive revenue. The last item (passive revenue) is the entrepreneur's ultimate dream goal: make your product sell itself and bring in constant revenue based on previous work. I am a fan of passive revenue. One of the key things it provides is unexpected income (my kind of bonus). Breaking down the other areas it works like this: Team work -- you need a competent team of professionals who know their jobs. They don't need direct supervision that can suck up your management time. The more time you spend managing people resources the less time you have to work as a CEO. The CEO should never be bogged in minutia (what I call small details). The minute you spend too much time on the grains of sands, the less time you have on the beach :) (and that's a semi metaphor), but the beac...

3L Publishing ( www.3LPublishing.com ) is looking for that next great manuscript to publish under our traditional publishing model. All authors whether professionally published or not are invited to participate.  Here is how to enter and participate: 1. Send your  book summary  and  sample chapter  to 3L Publishing to  info@3LPublishing.com . 2. We will review submissions and narrow down to 16 finalists based on: 1. quality of writing 2. quality of story and 3. market potential Finalists will then be invited to participate in an American Idol type judging that will involve three judges (see bios below). We will hold 3 writer's groups meeting where we will have each author get in front of the group to describe their book and read their sample chapters. Readings will be limited to 15 minutes each. Critique sheets will be distributed to audience participants to evaluate and vote on their favorite manuscripts. The three judges will offer c...

Like any business environment you have those who run nothing more than a racket as publishers. I have more authors show up to meetings to discuss their attempts at self-publishing that were abysmal failures. The common complaint goes like this: "I spent $10,000 at XXX publisher and never received a thin dime in royalties." Now there are some common self-publishers whose famous names could easily be used in place of the XXX's (and if you want to know their names, call me at 916-300-8012). It is sickening to see authors spend that kind of money to have not nothing financially to show for it, but also have some unattractive products. Now I would, of course, love to prevent authors from throwing money literally down the drain, but then these same authors think I have an agenda and may feel my warnings are dubious. Well, of course I'm trying to earn a living as a publisher, and 3L Publishing is doing great; but it really does bother me to hear these shameful stories of ...

Do you realize that teenagers today don't even know what is a rotary phone? How about a manual camera? A life without text, voice mail or email or Skype ... what's that? My son wouldn't know what is an measurement of focus on a camera let alone know how to set it to take a picture. Film, what? You mean you don't have to simply download your pictures? What about a record? A vinyl record or a record player or even a tape deck? The technological leap that enables all the wonderful digital pleasures we enjoy today have also created an even greater instant gratification mentality. Who wants to wait to see a photo developed anyway? And our communication has so greatly changed. Who would have imagined lovers could fight in text? A typing war of words and feelings. Text arguments are kind of strange, too, because it's a cold media. The good, you can organize your thoughts. The bad, no verbal cues or voice inflection. Actually, since I have partaken in text feuds a few tim...

I have had what can only be described as the toughest week of my life. My boyfriend came close to dying on Monday! Not exaggerating, and I've never had anybody that close to me come so close to death -- and RIGHT in front of me. I am going to say one word: STRESS ! I have spent the entire week at his hospital bedside, and yesterday he turned back toward the positive. He was sitting up again, and he had some color in his face. I brought him a drawing from my 9-year-old daughter and that cheered him up immensely. I know that post-traumatic stress will set in soon, as it typically does with me. I'm one of these people who react appropriately during trials and then tend to lose it afterward ... the aftermath is coming soon, but that's okay as long as he's recovering and doing better. Next week I should return to my normal work hours. If you're a 3L client, please know it has been really challenging, but everything will be moving forward upon my return to full-time work....

Okay, so that headline is a little strong ... masses LOL. Makes me think of Music for the Masses or wait! Was that Music for the People ... or perhaps Ghost in the Machine or Kiss for the Rose ... LMAO ... I am in a weird, little mood today. All right so yesterday I was reading the mass of junk mail I receive in my in-box, and one newsletter stood out. It had some great public relations information. I saw an article on proofreading, and it gave some great tips for the layperson to use. I have my own, so I thought I would share and help the "masses" or better yet the average businessperson. Tip #1 -- Take a piece of paper and cover up everything but the sentence you are reading . I like to call this the "non-green" method because unless you do this on a flat-screen like an iPad, you have to print up what you're proofing. This method works because your eye is not somehow wandering ahead of the sentence. The "wandering" eye isn't really controll...

I don't feel like blogging today. Yep, not in the mood. I'm trying to be in the mood ... can't you tell. Here I am in my office chair. I'm typing away to see what spills out of my brain. Well, let's see ... I have to admit something ... I'm depressed LOL ... yep depressed and I am forcing myself to write and do what I do best. I keep looking at the second book of the California Girl Chronicles: Brea's Big Break , and it goes unreleased. I've been in perpetual limbo with this project. The following for book one is still in build mode, and my resources are in limbo too, so book two goes unreleased ... and there you go. It's better than book one (so I've been told). Sometimes I look at the books and feel utter detachment. Did I write those? Yes, I wrote them in a different space. I've not been in a creative space, so I've focused on other people's books, which is good. We have several new books in the pipeline that I'm editing away a...

Did you know your best sales tool for your business is a book? Here are three reasons you should consider either writing or hiring someone to write a book for your business. A book is 100 times more effective for selling your business to your clients and customers than a brochure. The one thing I love to point out to clients is that while a person will throw away a brochure, he or she will not throw away a book. They might pass it on to someone else or just shelve it, but they will not instantly toss it out. People value books. A book is actually cheaper than a brochure . Here is another shocker: if you produce a full-color brochure that is slick and nice, did you know the per price unit cost is actually more expensive than a print run on a book? A book gives you credibility and a news hook to market and promote your business . Organizations and groups will invite or hire you to come speak to their groups. You know speaking is almost like money in the bank when it comes to expos...