Archive for June 2005

Enron. Worldcom. CBS News. These companies were involved in ethics-related scandals bring the serious issue of business ethics to the forefront. The lack of integrity and honesty in businesses isn’t new, but these events were a wake-up call. That’s why we have Sarbanes-Oxley.

But let’s look at the positive side. Many people of integrity exist. 25,000 Influencers Wanted to Change the World of Business is a movement aiming to change the world of business based on honesty, integrity, and quality. I’m sure many of you have become cynical after all the scandals and corruptions made it into the spotlight.

Signing the pledge is a small step, but small steps lead to big ones. A person who lost 100 pounds started with a small step and lost one pound despite knowing the hurdles that had not come. Instead of whining, “Oh man, I’ve got 100+ pounds to lose to get to a healthy weight…” Focus instead on bite-sized goals. “Lose five pounds in one month.” When you reach that goal, you’ll be proud and want to do it again and again.

This is called Kaizen. I learned about it through The Dallas Morning News. You can read more about it in one Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way.

If the book were titled, All Marketers Are Storytellers, would you consider looking at it? Godin brought up this point in the book and it clearly explained what he means by “liars.” Of course, he didn’t insult marketers as he belongs in that category. But “storytellers” would be nothing new.

Though he didn’t use “storytellers,” the book addresses how to use stories to help the business succeed. The book grabbed me at the start, but then it got slow in different parts. What I appreciated most were the examples of storytelling or “fibbing.” Godin did point out that fibbing doesn’t mean the same thing as fraud. He provided two examples. Can you tell which Godin identifies as a fib and which is fraud?

*A wine glass maker claims wine tastes better in his glasses.

*A company says you can call anytime to hear the president of the company’s voice and the voice introduces himself as such. It turns out the voice is an actor as the president died over 50 years ago.

The second would be the fraud. It’s a story that turns out not to be true and customers feel tricked when they find out. No one can prove the glasses don’t make the wine taste better; therefore it’s good storytelling because it leads people to believe the claim might be true and the product is worth trying.

John Stossel of ABC News did a report on bottled water and discovered people are convinced that tap water is bad while bottled water is cleaner, safer, and tastier. The news report conducted a taste test of four brands and tap water. Tap came in third while the most expensive, Evian, came in last. And in first place? The cheapest bottled water, K-mart’s brand.

Telling a story doesn’t guarantee everyone will be fooled into believing what you hope they’ll believe, but the bottled water example proves many bought into that story.

Godin goes deeper because telling any ol’ story doesn’t equal great results. Other factors come into play even before your product or service comes to life. Have you noticed cereals have new labels such as “100% whole grain” or “15% less sugar than the original”? What do you think drove the cereal manufacturers to change the labeling in some cases and to create a new formula in others? The low-carb craze. It was their way of staying in the game when much of the world changed its view on what foods to eat and what to avoid.

Godin quotes Malcolm Gladwell whose best seller, The Tipping Point, no doubt led the way for his second book, Blink, and even recommends the latter work. Everyone I’ve talked to who has read both books has little good to say about Blink and some didn’t think much of The Tipping Point. This praise is the only quarrel I have with this fine and thought-provoking book, but it makes me leery of the rest of the book recommendations (only 13 in all) because of this point. Technically his praise of the book could be called “fibbing.”

The book provides examples of how small businesses, large businesses, and service-oriented businesses succeed with the storytelling approach. Any business can learn from the book’s concept. It took little time to read and gave a good overview about how businesses create and sell their stories.

Title: All Marketers Are Liars
Author: Seth Godin
Publisher: Portfolio Hardcover
ISBN: 1591841003
Date: May 2005
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 208
Cover Price: USD: $23.95 Amazon: $16.29

I’ve been too busy to enter Blogging for Books plus I don’t have a whole lotta stories to tell that I have not already told and the others tell such great stories that I felt like a little leaguer trying to make it in the pros. The LA story is a biggie and of course, the birth of each child.

The newest topic is “Hit the Road, Jack” as it’s about the road less traveled, a memorable vacation, or doing something spontaneously to shake up my life. You can read about a mix of all three in Hit the Road, Jackie.

I review books because it forces me to read books, something I enjoy but have trouble making time for. Leveen is the founder of Levenger, the company that sells “tools for serious readers.” Readers requested something that he couldn’t provide and he attempted to do it with the book: time for reading. Talk about great customer service.

The book didn’t focus much on making time to read, but making the most of what you read. A book still bores you after 50 pages? Stop reading it. Try again later, if you wish. Books that turned us off at 16 might delight us at 30. Every year, we grow and gain experience, which might help us appreciate a formerly disliked book.

I despised memorizing poems in school. But guess what? Some of those memorized poems later became my favorites. Kipling’s “If,” Alfred Noyes “The Highwayman,” Shakespeare’s “All the World’s a Stage” from As you Like It, and Edgar Allan Poe’s “Eldorado.”

Leveen shared the process of experiencing a book, absorbing it, and making it valuable. He suggested writing notes in the margins. Me, the book preserver, hates writing in books. I hate it when I see marks, folded pages, or any damage to a new book.

Leveen shared the perspectives of those who like to write notes and those who like preserving books. I could see the benefits of writing notes and such, but I just can’t do it. The only time I ever did it was in college when I highlighted passages in textbooks. It didn’t do much good, which is probably why I don’t like to mess up a book. But I know writing notes isn’t the same as highlighting text. I might give it a try. I didn’t write in this book despite the encouragement.

One thing I’ve been doing is keeping a list of books I’ve read. After reading this book, I went back through the list and added notes about each one (what I could remember anyway). I’m glad I started this list and of course, I wish I had started it sooner. My list (pdf file) is available so others can discover new books and authors just as I did because of the recommendations of others.

Though I can’t use audio books, I discovered the audio books chapter was worth reading. The book held my attention from beginning to end. It took little time to read the whole book and I absorbed much of it. Book lovers will appreciate and enjoy reading this one.

Title: The Little Guide to Your Well-Read Life
Author: Steven Leveen
Publisher: Levenger Press
ISBN: 1929154178
Date: April 2005
Format: Paperback
Pages: 144
Cover Price: USD: $17.50 Amazon: $11.90

After I read The Little Book to Your Well-Read Life, I found the book’s companion Web site and it has great articles and tools for book lovers. The book inspired me so much that I expanded on my original reading list. The list simply lists the books I’ve read and when. But as soon as I finished the book, I went to work on the list to include notes like how I liked it or how I found out about the book.

I went nuts over the weekend and posted a bunch of book reviews as well as my reading list. I hope you find a couple of gems in there and avoid the ones I didn’t like. The Well-Read Life Web site has the book’s author’s column, questions he poses to readers, and shares the reading habits of popular authors such as Malcolm Gladwell.

The current question, “Do you lend or give your books?” I need to stop loaning my books. I loaned one that had a letter from the author in the book. Never got it back. I remember loaning a Judy Blume book and never got that back either. Actually, it depends on the person and the book. One incident was during middle school and the other during college. I haven’t had this happen again since then.

Update: Thanks to Edward… I put down the wrong file name to my books read list. “Uh oh,” as my youngest would say.

After pouring sweat over the newest book, it’s time for the next step: Getting it out there for people to buy. Unlike the Field of Dreams, if you write it, they won’t necessarily come unless you’re John Grisham, Mary Higgins Clark, or Patricia Cornwell. If you are one of them, “Hi! I’m a fan of your books!” Not all authors have a publisher to do the press releases and promotional material work or at least, enough to spread the news.

In Putting It on Paper: The Ground Rules for Creating Promotional Pieces that Sell Books, Dawn Josephson walks through the steps of developing a book marketing campaign with a press kit which typically includes (and she covers all items): a cover letter, a press release, a mock book review, an author bio, a sell sheet, a catalog, a give-away item, and an article. However, it doesn’t stop there. The advice isn’t just applicable to authors of books. It’s also valuable for writers who want to promote newsletters, services, and other published works.

I’ve seen my share of media kits for books and products. Some don’t have any benefit for my needs while others sounds like a stereotypical used car salesman trying to make the sale in an uncomfortable way.

Josephson walks the talk since her book, of course, came with a media kit and it’s one of the better ones I’ve seen. Based on this, the book describes how to create a media kit like hers using questions and answers, key points, templates, and real-life examples using the templates. The examples are exactly what I like to see in a press release and other materials in a media kit.

Publicity is hard in that authors and publicists print a general kit and send the same thing to everyone. That might make it easier, but it won’t be as successful has tailoring the kit to the recipient’s needs. With word processors that do mail merge saving us time, it shouldn’t be a problem to give the target reader the information needed.

Creating promotional materials may sound dull, but the book actually gives it a fun spin with its 160 pages of solid advice. Applying the tips and ground rules from Putting It on Paper, any author or publicist can run a successful book marketing campaign.

Title: Putting It on Paper
Author: Dawn Josephson
Publisher: Cameo Publications
ISBN: 0974496618
Date: January 2004
Format: Paperback
Pages: 170
Price: Cover: USD$19.95 Amazon:$16.96

Let’s get one thing straight. Never judge a book by the title. Never mind that the saying is supposed to be “cover” and not “title,” but give me a moment. This title, Get Published Today!, leads me to think it’s about publishing anything, including articles, books, reviews, whatever. Its focus is on publishing books, the wonderful things you hold in your hands with forewords, chapters, page numbers, and indices. In some cases, it may be something your computer can hold in its hands while you read. Meet e-books and POD (print on demand) publishing.

The first part digs into POD, its history, and its publishers’ backgrounds. Oh boy, nine publishers from which to pick. Twenty-seven tips for finding the right publisher are at the end of “The Publishers!” for guidance on the process.

Sansevieri also covers setting up the business. When you’re a writer, you’re a business. That means taxes, paperwork, and accounts. This is concisely covered in “Stuff to Do Before It’s a Book.” Get inside tips on actual publishing including POD publishers, covers, images, book titles, isbins (that would be ISBNs), copyright (ick), agents, and the keys to Amazon’s secret hot spot.

Tooting your horn is a challenge especially since marketing isn’t something to leave for the stars or publishers to handle. We think and dream about our books around the clock, but publishers and their PR people don’t. Their focus is spread across many authors and books. Only authors can be sure the marketing gets done and done right.

The marketing section walks through media kits, press releases, expert sheets, postcards, reviews, book clubs, catalogs, and endorsements. Don’t panic! The chapters in the book are short and all meat. When it’s time to do a press release, open the chapter, follow the instructions, and it’s done.

As soon as the last sentence is written, authors feel the load lighten and begin to think of the fun part of writing a book, interviews and appearances. Maybe for some, it’s frightening, but think about the people who hear about your book and go buy it straightaway. Thinking big comes too easily especially with the Holy Grail of TV, The Oprah Winfrey Show. Appearing on her show has become a surefire way to a best-seller. You and every author in the United States want to chat with Oprah. Sansevieri provides clues for approaching Oprah and other media outlets. She goes as far as naming names and listing contact information.

Staff turnovers and address changes do happen and the information is bound to be out of date at some point. That doesn’t make the book any less valuable. Having these details kick-starts the search for contacts with hints on where to begin the research.

About 60 pages tackle POD publishing, while rest is applicable to any type of publishing. There is little mention of POD after the first section. Get Published Today! has two sides of it: POD books and traditional books, making the reader wonder if they were separate books slapped together. Regardless of this, the bulk of the book deals with marketing and media tips every writer needs for a career boost.

Title: Get Published Today! No More Rejections
Author: Penny C. Sansevieri
Publisher: Infinity Publishing
ISBN: 0741411113
Date: May 2002
Format: Paperback
Pages: 262
Cover Price: USD: $15.95 Amazon: $13.56

When reading the words “open theme” in a contest, what comes to mind? Anything goes? It’s anything but. Write Ways to Win Writing Contests imparts this type of advice along with what topics or themes to avoid and how to approach themed-based contests.

The book has more than 80 pages of help plus an appendix of four examples of winning entries. John Howard Reid has entered 80 contests in 18 months as research for the book. He also runs a contest (which he mentions a few times), so he has the perspective of the other side, the person accepting and judging the entries.

Creating a winning entry takes more than outstanding content. Like applying for a job or college, it also takes research. The author provides details in condensed and easy-to-read chapters saving the writer time in trying to figure out the process.

Having entered only one contest years ago, this area hasn’t been an interest of mine since its quirks and unwritten rules aren’t familiar to me. Furthermore, there’s the problem of scams and knowing which ones are legitimate contests and which are rip-offs.

Not all scams are limited to the submit-your-poem and you-won’t-have-to-pay-a-dime, but you-might-want-to-buy-the-anthology-for-outrageous-prices-to-show-off-your-published-poem scam. Baird gives tips on how to weed out the bad seeds.

His advice rings true as he comes across as a seasoned expert in the topic and he fearlessly shares his opinions about contests and rules. After reading this book, I’m open to entering and feel more comfortable about the process.

P.S. There is a bad URL on page 74. Organization should be replaced with .com. www.dmoz.com.

Title: Write Ways to Win Writing Contests
Author: John Reid
Publisher: Lulu Press
ISBN: 1411605756
Date: March 2004
Format: Paperback
Pages: 120
Cover Price: USD: $14.99 Amazon: $14.99

This is what happens after happily ever after. Kentucky Roses picks up where Dekker Malone’s first book, Nashville Gold, ended. Happily ever after isn’t quite the case when we re-enter the world of cowboys, jockeys, Payne, Skeeter, and Co. In the book, you meet the country music star, an achin’ jockey, a tired cowboy, and a nasty desperado who badly wants revenge.

Take a ride back into the beautiful Texas Hill country, experience the excitement of the Churchill Downs, and take quick stopovers in other cities. Malone, through his characters’ eyes, shows the reader why each one loves what they love and how they’re motivated by that love.

Sequels have the habit of starting a book by repeating details from the original to get people up to speed. Yes, the book helps jog the memory if you haven’t read the first in a long time, but Malone does it subtly throughout the book instead of wasting the first couple of chapters recapping past adventures.

Payne and his buddy, Skeeter, have gone home to Texas to start their own stable for breeding and racing thoroughbreds. Despite a few troubles, the hard work pays off in the form of two contenders for the Kentucky Derby. What’s a cowboy book without the baddie? Red Phillips won’t let anything get in the way of his tracking down those who put him in jail. If you think Red is bad, wait until he encounters a P.I. who turns Red’s hatred into absolute vehemence. Hell hath no fury like a Red scorned.

Readers who can’t help but predict what will happen will be knocked for a mini-loop. Those predictions are prone to be off the mark. It was gratifying to see the story progress with unexpected curves. Just when you think it’s safe or to relax, a twist comes along to throw you off the racetrack.

Readers who encounter Kentucky Roses first can follow the story as if there were no other book. Those who enjoyed Nashville Gold are guaranteed to ride off into the pretty sunset again with the likable and not-so likeable characters. Once more, Malone has written an enjoyable and engrossing story that moves smoothly as silk.

Title: Kentucky Roses
Author: Dekker Malone
Publisher: Booklocker.com
ISBN: 159113160X
Date: June 2002
Format: Paperback
Pages: 312
Cover Price: USD: $17.95 Amazon: $17.95

Country music, horse racing, and the beautiful Texas hill country set the scene of Dekker Malone’s Nashville Gold. A surprised Payne McCarty hears country music’s hottest singer, Rusti King, singing the song he wrote on the radio. Payne and his horse jockey best friend, Skeeter, head to Nashville to the offices of Sure-Star Publishing to find out why they stole Payne’s song. Before he can get an answer from unprincipled publisher Roger Durwood, Durwood has Payne arrested and thrown into county jail, where he spends ten miserable days for assault.

Undeterred, Payne returns home to New Braunfels, Texas, where he writes songs and plays with the local band Nova-Scotia at Heidi’s Roadhaus owned by Casey, a strong, colorful woman. Since his music isn’t exactly lucrative, Payne supplements his income by working as a carpenter for Jerry. Ragina, Jerry’s daughter, who has known Payne for years, is crazy for Payne.

Other happenings to keep the story moving include a flood pulsing through the Texas town washing Payne’s Nashville troubles out of his mind. But when the band eventually finds itself invited to play at Willie Nelson’s 4th of July picnic and Payne meets the singer behind his song.

Meanwhile, Skeeter has his own problems dealing with Red Phillips, the crooked horseracing bookie who fixes the races and fuels the jockeys with drugs to keep them in racing form. Red is a powerhouse not to be crossed and even has the local law working with him at the races. With a character like Red, there’s bound to be a murder in the story to keep things hopping.

Dekker Malone has given the characters distinctive personalities that provide the book with its charm. Those who aren’t fans of country music and Texas cowboys should not write off the book. As a Texan, but no fan of country music, I appreciate laughing with the characters and was eager to know what happens next. We city types are constantly trying to prove we’re not all “cowboys” and “country,” but at least readers can get an inside look at the picturesque Texas country. Finishing the book leaves the reader wanting more of these likeable folks and happy to know that Malone has a second novel planned called Kentucky Roses. The book receives an old-fashioned Texas yee-haw to Dekker Malone for striking gold with his first book.

Title: Nashville Gold
Author: Dekker Malone
Publisher: Booklocker.com
ISBN: 1931391386
Date: September 2001
Format: Paperback
Pages: 281
Cover Price: USD: $15.95 Amazon: $15.95