• worldwide
• nationwide
• statewide
• citywide

• in the media
• as you want it
• when you plan it

• a reflection of your own actions
• others’ collective perceptions of your lifelong choices
• the final word

Your 15 minutes of fame will happen.  

It’ll likely happen when you least expect it, 

and it will be completely out of your control.  

Or will it?

This last week jarred my thinking on the 15 minutes of fame we each have coming.

What jarred me was the reaction–my own and other people’s–to four losses that transpired this last week.

The four people who died represented a span of choices and backgrounds:

famous,

infamous,

local celebrity,

local resident.

Each was talked about accordingly to
the impact he or she left on us and on how they chose to live their lives.

The Short Chick with the Walking Stick is Kris Harty, Stickability Specialist. As an avid entrepreneur herself, Kris encourages small business entrepreneurs, especially healthcare entrepreneurs and professionals, to persevere and Stick To It – No Matter What! Kris consults, coaches, speaks, facilitates and regularly contributes to online publications. After talking about writing a book for several years, she finally persevered and finished and published her first book in 2011: A Shot in the Arm and a Strong Spirit – How Healthcare Professionals Help Patients Persevere (available on Amazon and in bookstores, and, more conveniently, in the left hand column, here on Jay Heinlein’s blog).

Contact Kris for guidance on moving groups or individuals from complacency to action and to leaving lasting legacies. She can be reached through her company, Strong Spirit Unlimited; Info@strongSpiritUnlimited; or call 1.877.711.KRIS.

Overcoming Fear- “Finding Your Voice”:
Yoga-Standing separate leg, head to knee

There is a pose in my yoga class called “standing separate leg, head to knee,” and in it you are supposed to overcome claustrophobia and find your voice, interesting that overcoming the one leads to entry into the other. In this pose, you tuck your chin into your chest, place one foot about 3 feet in front of the other and bend down with your hands above your head in prayer. As your hands touch the floor, you bend your head to your knee and breath only 20% of your normal intake of air. The oxygen is deliberately cut off, you hold this pose for 30 seconds and then do it again.

You are deliberately cutting off your breath for a few moments in order to overcome your fear and find your voice. You are placing a tourniquet on the general flow so that you might focus on something very specific, the fear of not having an escape.

Most people think of claustrophobia as the fear of small, enclosed spaces. However, you can experience it on the interstate or hiking in the woods. It is the fear of not having an exit, of not being able to find the way out from a situation or experience that you perceive to be trapping you. Placing yourself in this particular position mimics that fear so that you can discover a method of breathing your way through it.

This is how you slowly,
gradually find your voice,
through this gentle practice
of sending your breath
to the problem at hand. 

A voice can be barely audible like a breath.

Of course, we have our unique and God given voices with our unique tones. When we speak, sing and talk, others recognize our voice and can identify us by our individual tone. However, when we speak of finding our voice, we are often referring to something different than the intricate ballet that occurs in our vocal chords to create our unique, audible sound. The voice this pose and our quest generally refers to is somewhat subtle and silent, it is more like intention, but not quite so impermanent.

It is similar to breath.
It is that essence of you
that resonates with the essence of God,
much like a tuning fork
that reaches and
sustains its pure tone once the
overtones have died out.

Your voice

The key to finding this voice is learning to distinguish between the overtones and the pure tone that is YOUR voice. I suppose the 20% breathing that the posture induces temporarily helps to eliminate the excess so that you are forced to discover what is genuine, enabling you to feel the difference between overtones and pure tones in your very own being.

I suppose the most difficult aspect of discovering the pure tone is that it does not advertise or try to compete with other, more dissonant overtones. While overtones distract and distort the pure tone, if you wait long enough, they eventually die out, but this requires patience and a certain curiosity of what it is you are searching for.

Ultimately, you will find it.

The problem is, when you find it, what will you do, then? When that tourniquet of restraint is released and you begin to resonate with the pure tone that is the breath of God in you, how will you be then? What will be different?

How will you know that you are different?

From my own experience, I can speak from my current and very delayed arrival at the foothills of the voice. It is not quite like Kilaminjaro or anything so obvious and monolithic. It is more like a continuum that I have been searching for my whole life; a tone that I am tuning myself to. More and more, I feel that I am inclined to put my precious energy into what I love, that is, what has deep and abiding worth, not in monetary terms but in life terms: relationships, the gifts that I have developed over time, spending time in nature, engaging less hollow entertainment, eating better foods, consuming less, worrying less, praying more, finally dealing with the resentments I have stored up due to past hurt.

This is a daily mantra,
letting the light in.

Learning to be myself

It also means hiding less and learning to be myself, not some projection of what I feel I am supposed to be. The hardest part is that this voice requires decisions and transitions, it does not stagnate well, it moves, gently, meandering, with certainty and destination like a mountain stream, sometimes swift and with great force, sometimes soft and in no particular hurry, it is always on the move and at rest simultaneously.

Learning to attune myself
to the pure tone
requires that I
“tune out” other tones and
this is a greater discipline
than I ever imagined.

What is God?

It is not really asking, after all, “what is God?” but rather, “what is not God?” God is there at the central being of us all, the pure tone, it is the removal of the barriers that require a lifetime of practice,

tuning oneself to the tone of God.

Sherry Cothran is a singer-songwriter and musician whose artist discography includes releases on Mercury/DAS Records (NY), Flying Sparks, (London) as the lead singer for the highly acclaimed rock/alternative band, The Evinrudes, and as a solo artist on Rain Records (Nashville.) Her songs have appeared in radio, movies and t.v., including the independent movie Novem and the t.v. series, “Men in Trees,” and “Medical Investigator.” 

Sherry’s latest artist endeavor, a CD entitled, “Sunland,” focuses on modern interpretations of women’s stories from the Hebrew Bible. Sunland has been adapted into a four week spiritual enrichment course. The course includes biblical study, contemporary interpretation, and the use of song and songwriting:  “An immersion into the World of Ancient Women through song, story and creative interpretation.”
>workshops.

It wasn’t until I was sick of a less than ideal status quo in my business that I began to change it.

I took action.

Different action than any I’d taken before

– and the payoff began.

Different actions bring different results.

I don’t know that a great deal of conscious thought needs to happen before one moves from being used to something to being sick of something. In my own experience, when the scales started weighing much more on the ‘sick of something’ side, I’ve automatically sought ways to jump out of the muck I was in at the time.  When the scale hasn’t yet swung wildly to one side, my old complacent self is content to wallow and whine.

Muck-jumping or wallow and whine. The choice is yours.

If the pain is enough to jump, then that’s what you’ll instinctively do.

If it’s not, then perhaps the rest of the world doesn’t need to hear any wallowing whininess on the subject.

Just sayin’.

That’s something I need to keep in mind for myself, too.

The next time you’re feeling unsettled about something ongoing, ask yourself if you’re used to it or sick of it. I’m betting that if you’ve not yet taken action to change it, that deep down, you’re used to it and accept it on some level.

I’m also betting that if you’ve ever taken action to deliberately move yourself to a better situation, then looking back, you’d say that you were sick of whatever situation you’d been in previously. You took the necessary action steps to improve your position.

Going forward, recognize the difference between ‘used to it’ and ‘sick of it.’

That alone will take you far when needed, all the way from complacency to action.

The Short Chick with the Walking Stick is Kris Harty, Stickability Specialist. As an avid entrepreneur herself, Kris encourages small business entrepreneurs, especially healthcare entrepreneurs, to persevere and Stick To It – No Matter What! Kris consults, coaches, speaks, facilitates and regularly contributes to online publications. After talking about writing a book for several years, and being sick of not finishing one, she finally finished and published her first book in 2011: A Shot in the Arm and a Strong Spirit – How Healthcare Professionals Help Patients Persevere (available on Amazon and in bookstores, and, more conveniently, in the left hand column, here on Jay Heinlein’s blog).
Contact Kris for guidance on moving groups or individuals from complacency to action. She can be reached through her company, Strong Spirit Unlimited; email Info@ShortChick; or call 1.877.711.KRIS.

The following excerpt from The Tower at Petite Vigne: A Novel of Occupied France marks a turning point in the book. As D-Day approaches the threat posed to Allied airmen by the flak battery constructed near Petite Vigne leads the Special Operations Executive to dispatch an agent there. The agent’s mission: to arm and train local résistants, with the intent of putting the battery out of action.

Book Excerpt

The last shafts of sunlight lanced through the clouds as dusk closed in on April 22, 1944. The résistants charged with preparing the remote field for the SOE agent’s arrival made their way to the Auberts’.

Raoul sat on a milking stool in his barn, checking the lamps that would be used to signal the British aircraft. Raoul grabbed a pistol from his waistband when the door creaked open.

“Don’t point that ancient thing at me!” said Guy. “It might go off by accident.”

Yves and Frederic arrived a few minutes later, completing the foursome. Each man picked up a lantern and they headed off on their mission.

In the darkness a single-engine Lysander droned its way at low altitude across France, buffeted by the wind. The gusts’ severity was making its sole passenger airsick.

“How…much…longer?”

The pilot’s eyes stayed glued to the instruments. “We’re about ten minutes out,” he said. “Help me keep a lookout below for the lights; it’ll keep your mind off your gut.”

As they set shuttered lanterns in the corners of the field, the Frenchmen on the ground strained their ears for the sound of an engine. The wind whistled through the trees, making it difficult to pick out anything from the background noise.

“Aren’t we there yet?” The passenger burped wetly.

“The field should be just over the next ridge. I would appreciate it if you didn’t spew inside the kite; I’d have to endure the smell all the way back to base, and the ground staff would make me clean it up. Stick your head out the window, if need be.”

Yves cocked his head. “I hear it! Uncover the lights!”

Yellow dots marked the field’s corners. The plane lost altitude and banked.

Guy pulled a flashlight he had “borrowed” from Sergeant Gruber’s desk drawer and flashed a coded signal into the darkness. Reassured that the people were friends, the pilot dropped his flaps and began his descent.

The high-winged aircraft bounced a couple of times then taxied to the far end of the field, where the quartet stood waiting. The pilot swung the plane around and gunned the engine.

A door opened in the fuselage, whose dim interior lights outlined a diminutive figure clambering out. The résistants watched as he pulled out a pair of large cloth bags. The stranger shut the door, banged with the flat of his hand on the metal, and dropped to a crouch over the cargo.

The pilot pushed the throttle and the engine’s timbre deepened. The plane trundled away, its propeller blasting a roster tail of slush. The wheels were off the ground before the aircraft was halfway across the clearing. It ascended to the clouds and was lost to sight.

The elfin SOE agent stood up and brushed off his clothing. He greeted the Frenchmen with a pistol in his hand and a wary look upon his face.

“Which of you is Peyron?” he said, in a voice that was high and sweet. Guy peered at the visitor’s face.

“W-why,” he said, “you’re  . . .”

-The Tower at Petite Vigne: A Novel of Occupied France by Rob Stone 

Writing Background

I took up writing in 1998, but a decade passed before the ideas that resulted in The Tower at Petite Vigne jelled. I had always been a military history buff; as I matured I developed a parallel interest in how civilians experience the chaos of war. I was inspired to write a historical novel that would intertwine these subjects. Rather than stereotyping the French as “all good” and the Germans as “all evil,” I wished to explore the complexity of interrelations between these communities within the context of the stress and uncertainty brought on by war.

-Rob Stone

The Writing Process

All I can say about the process of writing The Tower at Petite Vigne is that, once I sat down at the keyboard, the story simply poured out of me! I already had in-hand the information I needed concerning the military aspects of the plot: research on French village life and selecting names for the characters were all that remained before I got underway.

About Publishing

The decision to self-publish The Tower at Petite Vigne was not taken lightly, as it required a hefty expenditure on my part. My 30+ years of experience in publishing made me aware of how the rules for getting one’s book into print had changed. In the past one acquired a literary agent, who would convince a publishing house to take a chance on a first-time author. The author bore the lion’s share of the burden of getting the word out concerning it, as publishers rarely invested much money in marketing new talent.

E-Books

While the rise of e-publishing and increasing options for self-publishing have changed the landscape of publishing, success for one’s book is by no means guaranteed. Nowadays the world is increasingly flooded with good, bad, and indifferent books. The quality of writing, editing, packaging, and self-marketing them is all over the map.

Past and Present

One tenet of the past that remains in force is the need for the author to believe in his work and to be imaginative and persistent in bringing it to the attention of its potential audiences.

A resident of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Rob Stone owns Chosen Word Copywriting and Editorial Services (chosenword.biz). His new World War II novel, The Tower at Petite Vigne: A Novel of Occupied France, is available as an e-book and trade paperback. Learn more by visiting  robstonebooks.com; email rob@robstonebooks.com.

The job market is tough these days.

Really tough. And the bad news is that it’s not likely to get a whole lot easier any time soon. As a job seeker (or future job seeker), where does that leave you? In an ideal world, you could count on one of your personal connections or past employers to walk you into your next job.

After all, references are still the preferred method of hiring for just about every employer in the world.

For most job seekers, that’s not how things are going to play out. They’re going to have to do some work to land their next role. References aside, the next best alternative is to attract the attention of motivated talent hunters who will take on and champion your cause.

A great resume – and fantastic attitude – are the best way to make that happen.

The next logical question is “what are talent hunters looking for when they read a resume?”

Unfortunately, it’s a question that can’t be answered – not in a broad sense anyway. Every industry, company, and hiring professional looks at things a little bit differently. They just do. Not very helpful, right? No, definitely not. So what can you do if you’re looking at a job or career change and want to get positioned for success?

I say start at the beginning and get your priorities straight.

Before you do anything resembling job search, spend some time getting clear about what you want.

What’s the point of starting a search that leads you into a job or career track that doesn’t light your fire – or at least point you in the direction of a larger goal.

And yes, sometimes just earning a paycheck can be part of that bigger plan.

Once you have an idea about where you’re going, things start to get a little simpler.

You may not be able to figure out what everyone wants, but you absolutely CAN look at a given industry, company, or job category and identify key skills and attributes that would make you a relevant candidate for employment. How, you might ask? Excellent question.

There are tons of tools out there to help research what’s relevant in a given niche.

• You can search Google,
• visit Careerbuilder or Monster.com,
• or check out any one of a thousand niche job posting sites.
• One of my favorite tools is Indeed.com, a site that aggregates job postings from across the web and enables quick access to a huge number of relevant listings.

Read a couple dozen job descriptions and you’ll start seeing consistent themes and patterns that can be used to help build a more effective resume.

Another great resource is LinkedIn

LinkedIn can be used to view the profiles of others who work in companies, industries, or job categories you find interesting. If someone else landed the sort of job you want, there’s a good chance there’s something you can learn by reading their profile.

Long story short, it pays to start at the beginning. Super-speedy recap.

1. Figure out what you want;
2. Do your homework; 
3. Write your resume. 

Hi! You would probably like to learn a little more about me, this Michael Junge guy, so here goes. I’m a career coach and professional headhunter, and currently serve on the executive recruiting team at Google,Inc (and yes, that’s me dressed as Waldo, and I did refer to myself in the 3^rd person). Over the past 10+ years I’ve read hundreds of thousands of resumes, interviewed thousands of job seekers, trained dozens of recruiters, and helped hundreds of clients successfully land jobs with companies that include Nestle, AT&T, Warner Brothers, Disney Interactive, Blue Shield, The Capital Group, Humana, GMAC, Pacific Life, First American, Kaiser, Parker Hannifin,Experian, Clean Harbors,Siemens, and dozens more. I’m a member of the Project Management Institute, Toastmasters International, and the Chi Arts Association. I regularly practice and teach Tai Chi, enjoy travel and hiking, and spend most of my spare time writing, traveling, or hanging out with friends and family.

The United States presidential election of 2012 is to be held on Tuesday, November 6. It will be the 57th quadrennial presidential election. Barack Obama, who is eligible for a second and final term as President, has announced that he will seek nomination to be the Democratic Party’s candidate in this election.

The 2012 presidential election will coincide with the United States Senate elections where 33 races will be occurring as well as the United States House of Representatives elections to elect the members for the 113th Congress. The election will also encompass eleven gubernatorial races as well as many state legislature races.  -Wikipedia

I am a fiercely independent person. I think that is a deeply rooted American and human trait.  In all ways, including politically, I will remain that way. But, I do try to stay informed

• by subscribing to lists,
• reading, watching, and listening to a variety of views from a broad range of sources
• and, yes even participating occasionally… in activities on both “sides”…

It is informative and eye-opening.

Why I think that the current President, Barack Obama is doing the best job of “marketing” the Presidential campaign?

Getting the fundamentals right  

How did President Obama win the first time?
Why is it likely that he will win again?

…just plain ole fashioned Marketing 101/ Best Business Practices 101.

• Provide a unique product, service, or solution.
• Build a brand message that is clear and easily understood.
• Build awareness and keep that awareness current.
• Utilize a blend of traditional and emerging medias.
• Build relationships, trust, and nurture those relationships.
• Enlist the support of identified supporters. Make it personal.
• Build a strong capital base.

The Blend of High Tech and High Touch Marketing

I got this email today from “President Obama”. I get these kind of emails quite regularly. I’m on “a list”.

From: Barack Obama <info@barackobama.com>
Date: Tue, Jan 24, 2012 at 5:59 PM
Subject: Before I speak tonight
To:  J–  Heinlein

J –

I’m heading to Capitol Hill soon to deliver my third State of the Union address.

Before I go, I want to say thanks for everything you’re doing.

Tonight, we set the tone for the year ahead. I’m going to lay out in concrete terms the path we need to take as a country if we want an economy that works for everyone and rewards hard work and responsibility.

Those are values that brought millions of people into this movement, and they remain the core values that unite us and shape our agenda for 2012 and beyond.

But I wouldn’t be able to speak to them without your continued support. I’m glad to know you’ll be standing with me up there.

Thanks, and I hope you can tune in tonight.

Barack
—–

This campaign isn’t funded by Washington lobbyists or corporate interests.
It relies on donations from people like you. Please make a donation today.

———————————-

Do you think that I tuned it to watch?

Do you think that I paid attention to what was said?

Why?

What is the result of “doing it right” in campaign dollars?

In the last election,  the Obama campaign raised millions of dollars in small, individual/independent donations (small as in $25-$50)  late in the campaign. This grassroots fundraising included extensive use of  social medias to reach many in a very personal and individual way.

 Four years ago, in the second quarter of 2007, the Obama campaign raised $31 million.  All told, [the Obama campaign] raised $750 million, and that’s the benchmark for 2012. Republicans are saying he will raise $1 billion.  -Christian Science Monitor

That amount is much more than the entire totals of all of the Republican candidates’ campaigns funds combined.

I find the election process an exciting expression of what makes America unique. And, at the same time, like most, I loathe the “ugly parts”. That is the slinging, slandering, and sleaze of “politics”.

Whatever the outcome to the election,
there will be a peaceful transition
into the next four years.

That is America.

Focus!

The ultimate irony might be staring me in the face.

If you’re like me, you struggle to put aside distractions for any length of time. Apparently, I can’t manage to stay distraction-free long enough to write two sentences. From the first ‘the’ in this article to this sentence, I’ve stopped to check email, read a Facebook notification and check a Web site.

Where does the irony come in?

The topic of this article is about the importance of focus.

Prior to sitting down to write, I was able to find a couple weeks’ worth of distractions that kept me from the keyboard and this article.

The question I have for myself is ‘Why?’

You wouldn’t guess it from the preceding paragraphs, but I’ve been looking forward to this opportunity to share a few thoughts on how we focus – or don’t, as the case may be.

So why is it I continually procrastinate on the need to focus?

• Is it a drive for perfection that won’t allow me to start, for fear the end product is less than perfect? (You have my absolute guarantee it will be flawed, somehow, some way.)
• Is it a control issue within my own warped mind?
• Is it a fear of failure – or of success?

Maybe the reason is a combination of all of the above. I don’t know, but I’m sure a psychologist could provide a fascinating explanation.

I do know the topic of focus has been on my mind all month. It’s what I decided to focus (there’s that word again) on this year for my own personal betterment. Obviously, I could stand to improve a bit in this area.

I’m highly distractible.

I love learning; nearly every subject is of interest.
I love participating in life – my own and that of those around me.
I see bright shiny objects all around me, constantly.
It doesn’t take much to pull me away from a task at hand to something that looks more fun, more engaging, more something or other than whatever is on my plate at that precise moment in time.

Is there any hope?

In a short, focused answer – Yes!

I recognize I’m highly distractible.

I prefer to be focusable.
Is that a word? Let me check the dictionary….
No, I need to let it go.
Checking the dictionary would lead to a rabbit trail of other distractions.

Yes, it’s that bad. Trust me.

My business needs me to focus on it.

Without focus, it will either go in unbridled directions I never intended, or it won’t go anywhere. Period. Neither option serves its purpose or the small business entrepreneurs who I enjoy serving.

Within the role of business,
there are limitless opportunities for distractions, because there are limitless responsibilities that need our attention.

The more is not the merrier.

Yet there they all are, those pesky responsibilities simply waiting for us to act on their behalf. Our businesses will not go forward unless we do.
To do so, we need to focus on what most needs our attention.

I’m not talking about merely putting out fires or tending to the required details.

Although we need to take care of them, of course.
Fire-quenching and detail-tending don’t move our businesses forward, though. They only stop a backward slide.

To move forward, we need to focus.

• We need to focus on what’s beyond the daily grind.
• We need to focus on putting ourselves out there,
• on risking rejection,
• on asking for the sale,
• or the collaboration,
• or somehow serving clients,
• prospects or humanity in general.

I need to focus on what’s most important to my customers and my business.

I need to focus on what moves us collectively forward.
I need to limit distractions.

I need to increase activities
that make a difference.

I need to focus to tell them apart.

Check back in December.

Maybe we’ll revisit the topic of ‘focus’ to see if I improved throughout the year.
Oh, and the distraction-count since the first paragraphs of this article?
I focused on limiting the interrupting distractions – to two…

“The Short Chick with the Walking Stick” is Kris Harty, Stickability Specialist. As an avid entrepreneur herself, Kris encourages small business entrepreneurs, especially healthcare entrepreneurs, to persevere and Stick To It – No Matter What! Kris consults, coaches, speaks, facilitates and regularly contributes to online publications. She managed to focus long enough in 2011 to publish her first book, A Shot in the Arm and a Strong Spirit: How Healthcare Professionals Help Patients Persevere (available on Amazon and in bookstores, and, more conveniently, in the left hand column, here on Jay Heinlein’s blog).

Contact Kris for personal and group “Finding Your Focus” sessions. She can be reached through her company, Strong Spirit Unlimited; email Info@ShortChick; or call 1.877.711.KRIS.

I’ve been in the publishing industry for over 20 years.  During that time, I have handled just about every aspect from acquisition of authors to product development, marketing and PR as well as sales.

In 2004, however, I was introduced to the role of author.  I decided that since I had published so many others and helped them become successful that I wanted my “day in the sun.”  Today, I have seven published books out in the market.

Here’s my story about how YOU can get published.

Just because I had contacts and knew the right people didn’t guarantee me as a “shoe in.”  I still had to work the system and submit manuscripts, receiving a ton of rejection letters before finally being accepted after four years of work.

My first word of advice to you:  Toughen up!  You will need to handle rejection and criticism and become VERY patient.

So, do you want to get published? Why?  You must hold on to your ‘why’ in order to sustain the process.  And, your why will determine which route you take:  traditional publishing, self-publishing or hybrid models.

Traditional Publishing

If you are a speaker and want to have books for the back of the room, you desire to spread a message out to the masses, you have limited financial resources or you are a writer but not a marketer, then the traditional route is for you.  The publisher takes all the risk and pays you a “fee” or advance to write the project.  You are given a deadline and a set amount of words to provide to the publisher on the agreed topic, of which they can edit and change.  You are the author, but they own the product.  They will create a nice cover and hopefully market and sell your book to the masses.  They have the contacts and staff, in theory.  You aren’t responsible for selling the book but can buy books at a discount to re-sell.  You are not permitted to sell to their accounts.  Remember, a traditional publisher is in it for the money! This is an investment that they hope will pay off.

Traditional publishing has changed dramatically through the years, and the budgets are even smaller.  Manage your expectations and realize that unless you are a BIG name, you will not be given much exposure or attention. 

Be thankful for your published book and do what you can to promote it.

The best way to get a traditional publisher

A) Get an agent. Note, that many want to only work with published authors, thus the Catch 22 scenario.  But, get a copy of Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors and Literary Agents, and you will have a wealth of information on who you can contact that is looking for new, fresh blood. Ten years ago, you didn’t need an agent, but any more, publishers prefer agents.  I am seeing another shift taking place, so don’t give up if you don’t have one.

Publishers are still looking for long-term, solid relationships with good writers.

B) Self-agent and submit query letters.  Most publishers will not accept unsolicited manuscripts, but start establishing a relationship and pitch yourself and your idea quickly and effectively.  For a phenomenal way of pitching your book, contact me for a Book Proposal form and coaching through the process.  I guarantee that this process will be more difficult than writing the book itself, but you will be equipped to sell yourself and your idea to a publisher with a good chance of at least getting considered.

If you get to the next level, non-fiction book publishers will need to see some sample chapters. Don’t write any more than three because they could change the direction on you. Save your energy.  But, if you have a fiction book, then you will need to submit most of the manuscript for review.

Self-Publishing

If you just want to publish a book to say you did, need back of room products for speaking, are looking to gain some credibility in a field you know, are a marketing machine and have some money to spend, then you can self-publish.

Self-publishing has come a long way and has gained respect through the years.  It used to be that you could tell that a book was self-published, and many key accounts (Barnes & Nobles and the like) wouldn’t stock them.  Today, however, books are done well enough to see shelves in national chains.  Be warned that with self-publishing, you are taking the risk and the one responsible for marketing, promoting AND selling your book.  If you only want them for your garage and BOR sales, then you are set.  You can print on demand at a reasonable rate.

If, though, you desire market penetration, then you will need to pick up a copy of Guerilla Marketing for Writers by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman and Michael Larsen. 

You can’t be shy about marketing and promoting your own book if you want to get it out there.

Printing – Production

It is relatively easy to find a printer.  Check out the World-wide Web.  Shop and compare to find the best deal:  price per book, turn around time, etc. 

One important factor to consider is availability for key accounts.

• In order for them to agree to sell your book, they will require special terms.
• You will need to give them a steep discount with the ability to return books.
• You will also need to ship books to them in a hurry if they order more.
• Make sure you or your printer can fulfill the demands.
• Each key account has a requirement sheet you can obtain from their buyer.

Manage your expectations by knowing this is a hard road to travel. But, once in a while, someone does an incredible job of selling their self-published book to the point that a big publishing house contracts them for more books. You never know!  

Always keep a positive attitude.

Hybrid Model Publishers

If you are a marketing machine, high energy, have time to dedicate to promoting, want BOR sales and desire market penetration, then the hybrid model will be a great option for you.  This model did not even exist 10 years ago, but self-publishing led the way.  People found themselves able to print their books but didn’t know what to do with them once they had them, thus the “I’ve got a garage full of books” syndrome.

A hybrid publisher will not only print your books (again, you are taking the risk and paying for them) but they will offer Ala Carte services such as marketing, PR and sales.  You basically buy what you need.  If you are better with a checkbook than sales, you can purchase a team to support your project.  It will cost you, but you will get key account representation and book promotion.

Check references on your hybrid publisher and ensure that they do have the contacts you seek.  If your book is in the health and fitness genre but your publisher has contacts in the automobile industry, that isn’t a fit.  Matching your product with your publishing will be key.

Another option that I have offered to authors is self-publishing and then hiring an industry veteran like myself to sell and promote. The beauty with the hybrid model is you can be creative! 

Work with your strengths and hire out the rest.

Once you have selected the route you will take, here are some helpful tips to make your book project successful.

√  Want to write? Read!  Read all kinds of books, different genres and different styles.  The more you see, the more you can develop your own style

√  Keep writing!

√  Stay positive and surround yourself with positive people

√  Join a writers group at your local B&N

√  Hire a consultant like myself to coach you through

√  Hire an editor  to help review manuscripts, which I can also assist you with. I always have someone edit my work before I submit it to my editor at the publishing house

√  Keep a Thesaurus handy

√  Learn the Chicago Manual of Style, which most publishers use

√  Don’t lose sight of everything else…you must still balance the other things of life.  Dedicate time to write and block out time for promoting, but do not give more than 10 to 20% of your day to it or it can eat you alive!

√  Manage your expectations.  We can’t all be Stephen Kings.

My Opinion

On that note, I would say that if I had the money, I would go the hybrid route.  Currently, I have used the traditional model of publishing but have been disappointed with their service and efforts.  But, they did produce awesome covers and got my books national exposure.  Every option has its pros and cons.

I believe everyone has a book in them, but not every one can write a book.  Further, not everyone who even writes a book can get published.  Give it some thought and sleep on it.  If you find yourself thinking of writing when you aren’t writing, then you should pursue it.

Writing a book isn’t as romantic as the movies make it to be, but it is THE most rewarding thing I’ve ever done, especially when a reader contacts you to say you changed their life for the better.

My best to you in your endeavors,
and I hope my story helped!

Lorraine Bossé-Smith is a national speaker, author of seven books, life coach, trainer, fitness professional and agent. She can help you with your writing process, book proposal pitch, editing, marketing or sales and can be reached at conceptonline.com or thetotalyou.biz.

Lorraine, husband Steve, and pampered pooch Kuma live in Loveland, Colorado. Her mission is to improve the quality of people’s lives!

Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.

-Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 – 1968)

How many of you committed to New Year’s resolutions?

• To really make change this time, 
• do something different, 
• and truly dedicate yourself to sticking with your pledges?

It seems that the stroke of midnight on December 31 is the defining hour for the majority of people across the world. It is at this passage of time that we triumphantly declare to take charge of our lives in the coming year with new steadfast promises. Unfortunately, our tenacity and excitement for a new and improved us seem to wane after a few months if not a few weeks. It is a well documented fact.

Implementing our vows for health, new goals or achievements or any other personal improvements should be more of a habitual nature versus a once a year temporary resolve.

• Wouldn’t that make you feel better? 
• Be more inclined to commit to your successes? 
• Could you be more dedicated to your goals?

One of the most prevalent resolutions is the vow towards better health through nutrition, exercise and lifestyle choices.

Shouldn’t this be a lifelong loyalty to yourself and your family?

• You have one body, just one chance on this earth and I am sure you want to make the most of it, thoroughly enjoying all that it has to offer.
• Don’t wait until each New Year to institute change.
• Take charge of your health now.

We are bombarded daily with advertisements for fast food restaurants, processed pre-packaged foods, sweets, snacks and so many other unhealthy detrimental food products that will only slowly kill us.

Food can be our fuel, our medicine to healing versus clogging our arteries, creating allergies, obesity, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, heart disease, cancer and so many other preventable illnesses. It is a sad state of affairs.  The sicker we become, the more affluent big pharma gets as we seek out conventional medicine and pharmaceuticals to battle preventable ailments. The side effects of the prescriptions are even more frightening. You have seen the commercials. As a nation, we are making ourselves sick and perpetuating the cycle.

“There is no money in healthy people.” -Are Drugs Killing You?

Why do you think there are more television shows trying to help families and individuals with weight loss and nutrition? Every season they are on the increase. You can make a difference now.

You don’t have to be syndicated. Studies show junk foods change brain chemistry and are addictive like cocaine

Have you seen the movie “Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead” on Hulu? You will be entranced or at least I hope so and driven to take charge of your health. It is a movie about Joe Cross, an Australian man who was overweight and had an autoimmune disease who traveled to America to institute his juice fast and raw food diet for two months, while interviewing people across the country. He stated he was thankful for his illness because he probably would have had a heart attack and died. Joe was soon off all of his medications, reduced his cholesterol as well as his blood pressure. It was his wakeup call. What is yours?

I was speaking with the director, Carol Facella-Kummins of the Sante Center for Natural Healing, discussing that it is truly distressing that people do not reach out for her protocols UNTIL they are very sick. Health and well-being should be a lifestyle, not an end of the road necessity due to poor habits and selfish behaviors.

“Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food.”
-Hippocrates.

The Sante Center is a cutting edge alternative health care clinic, offering the very best in health care, dedicated to healing those with acute and chronic disease. Carol has been written up in several newspapers and magazines and has devoted her life to those in need. She began her journey at the age of 17 after losing her mother to breast cancer. Some years later, at age 29, she was diagnosed with right kidney failure. She bravely healed herself of kidney failure using just raw foods and their juices along with properly detoxing her body via colon hydrotherapy.

Medically staffed, The Sante Center is a RAW JUICE and RAW FOOD clinic, taking pride in providing the proper RAW JUICE and RAW FOOD combinations according to each individuals needs. Their focus is on properly detoxifying the body by means of Colonics, Massage and Acupuncture and also offering the very best in High Dose Vitamin C IV Therapies along with other IV modalities. All geared toward healing!

Keeping the above in mind, you too can make positive changes in your life by eliminating those foods and activities that cause harm and damage to your body.

Revitalize your life, your energy and your spirit. The choice is yours.

Healthy Eating Checklist

• Consider creating daily, weekly and monthly goals, working towards your ultimate yearly achievement.
• Write them down; don’t merely think about them because once written, you are more prone to take action.
• With each goal, write an action step, something that will close the gap towards your success for each objective.
• Start slow if you need to, incorporating small daily changes into your routine.
• Write down what you are committed to, tracking your progress and milestones. You will soon discover that your additions became lifestyle rituals, new behaviors that you can be proud of and share with others.
• Check-in with yourself every week, asking if your decisions met your expectations, your goals. If you were off the mark, then simply regroup and take charge. Creating new habits takes time but if you truly desire change then you will do it.
• When you are going to eat something, ask yourself: “How does this serve me?” If it doesn’t meet your goals, then simply skip it.
• It may be more difficult at first, but as you begin to establish new “rules,” taste buds, and habits, it will become second nature to choose what is best for your and your body.
• It is an understanding of food, nutrition and body functions that will help to instill and further reinforce healthier preferences towards a yearning of longevity and wellness. Be the force, the deciding factor in your years.

“How am I to know what I can achieve if I quit?” -Jason Bishop

“If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse.” Anonymous

“It’s a lifestyle – train like there is no finish line.” Anonymous

“We must train from the inside out. Using our strengths to attack and nullify any weaknesses.“

“It’s not about denying a weakness may exist but about denying its right to persist.” Vince McConnell

“Obsessed is just a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated.” –Anonymous

Health IS wealth. Gift yourself today.

Cheers to your continued success!

-Suzie

~Suzie Kummins-Poirier is President at Personal/Virtual Executive Assistant

“Ace Concierge is your professional resource, your partner for delegation and outsourcing. We will keep you on time, on task, and being productive with our virtual administrative solutions, while you focus on your income generating business details. ”
~Suzie Kummins-Poirier
aceconcierge.net, nhvirtualassistant.com, facebook.com/AceConcierge