Category Archives: writing

The Lives of Coco Chanel and Stan McChrystal

leadership, Professional Development, writing, , ,
wsj.com

Stan McChrystal was a huge baseball fan when he was young. He grew up in the Midwest. Naturally, “Stan the Man” Musial was his hero.

McChrystal is a retired four star general in the United States Army. Having attended West Point, he followed in his father’s footsteps. His dad, Major General Herbert J. McChrystal, served with General Eisenhower in Europe. Stan served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Married to “Annie,” they have a son named Sam, who grew up playing ice hockey. The family lived in Boston and, like most military brats, a number of other places (the word brat is sometimes an acronym for “born, raised and trained).”

Forked Tongue

I heard him speak at an ATD (Association for Talent Development) meeting a few years ago. I can assure you that he didn’t hold back.

He now runs a leadership consulting firm in the DC area called The McChrystal Group. The group’s main areas of focus are Talent Management, Leadership Development and Teambuilding. The Team of Teams strategy has worked everywhere from hospital emergency rooms to NASA. It has the power to transform organizations large and small.

He has written a number of books, including Leaders: Myth & Reality, Team of Teams, and My Share of the Task: A Memoir. He also wrote the foreword to One Mission: How Leaders Build a Team of Teams by Chris Fussell and C.W. Goodyear.

McChrystal served 34 years in the US Army, rising from Second Lieutenant in the 82nd Airborne Division to four-star general, in command of all American and coalition forces in Afghanistan. He came to realize there isn’t a simple answer to the age-old question: “What makes a leader great?”

The Great Plutarch

With Plutarch’s Lives as his model, in Leaders, he profiled 13 former leaders in business, politics and the military.

                Walt Disney and Coco Chanel

                Maximilian Robespierre and Abut Musab al Zarqawi

                Boss Tweed and Margaret Thatcher

                Martin Luther and Martin Luther King Jr.

                And, his military hero, General Robert E. Lee.

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It turns out that Coco Chanel was bright, opportunistic and worked really hard. She was a tough boss that made models stand for hours like mannequins while she chain smoked. However, she revolutionized women’s clothing at a critical inflexion point right around World War I.

The co-writers of the book are Jeff Eggers, a former U.S. Navy Seal, and Jason Mangone, a former marine.

Accolades

Simon Sinek said about Leaders: Myth & Reality, “Anyone who considers themselves a student of leadership must read this book.” Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs, said, “At a time when Americans yearn for leaders we can admire and respect, this book shows what qualities are truly important. It will help you think differently about both leadership and our history.” And Ken Langone, of Home Depot fame (and author of I Love Capitalism), said, “Leaders is a must-read for all leaders – whether they’re just beginning their careers, or whether they’re already leading an entire organization.”

Similarly, Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and founder of Leanin.org, said, “Leadership reexamines old notions of leadership – especially the outdated view that history is shaped by great men going it alone. General McChrystal shows us that leadership can take many forms, leaders often have different strengths, and great leaders can come from anywhere.”

After that,Wired UK Magazine said, “To hear McChrystal talk about leadership is like hearing Steve Jobs talk about innovation or Henry Ford talk about productivity.”

Seek First to Understand

McChrystal himself said “Leadership is extraordinarily complex but it’s something we have to struggle to understand.” He goes on to say, “My entire life I’ve been fascinated with leaders and leadership.”

Evidence that he is, in many ways, just a regular guy, is that he wasn’t real studious growing up. His favorite movie is Talladega Nights. And he used to run across the Brooklyn Bridge.

On the other hand, while he was at Ft. Bragg, he was known to have run 12 miles every morning, eat only one meal a day, and sleep less than 4 hours per night. He spent five years running the Pentagon’s most secretive black ops.

McChrystal is a senior Fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs

Above all, here’s a link to his TED Talk, entitled Listen, learn … then lead.

About the Author

Frank Felsburg is a ghostwriter, publisher and content marketer, living in the mountains of Western North Carolina. 

Featured SME: Michael Lewis

Michael Lewis, writing, ,
www.google.com

Michael Lewis is on a hot streak. A number of his books have gone on to become not only bestsellers, but also movies. For instance, he wrote The Blind Side, Moneyball and The Big Short.

Lewis’ expertise is cranking out book after book. His latest, The Fifth Risk, is selling briskly. Malcolm Gladwell has called him “the finest storyteller of our generation.” He’s been a contributing author to Vanity Fair since 2009. He’s also been a columnist for Bloomberg View and a contributing writer for Audible. His articles have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Gourmet, Slate, Sports Illustrated, Foreign Affairs and Poetry Magazine.

Lewis has served as senior editor and campaign correspondent for The New Republic as well as editor and columnist for the British weekly, The Spectator. He’s filmed and narrated short pieces for ABC-TV’s Nightline and created and presented a four part documentary for the BBC and recorded stories for the American Public radio show This American Life.

Plots

Moneyball was about the Oakland A’s decision to focus on sabermetrics over talent. The Blind Side was about the danger an American football quarterback exposes himself to when he stands in the pocket before finding an open receiver to throw the ball to. And The Big Short was about the failure of big banks to do their due diligence before lending money to people who couldn’t afford to buy a home. His theme seems to be that the world isn’t analyzing risk effectively.

Personal

He wrote a small book about his high school baseball coach that changed his life in a very positive, dramatic way. The coach, Billy Fitzgerald, However, it is imperative to seek medical help if you experience poor erection on brand levitra a regular basis. This enhanced pressure may puncture http://appalachianmagazine.com/2017/09/27/breaking-hugh-hefner-dead-at-91/ viagra online the victim’s heart by colliding with it or the exerted force of these blood streams may develop certain other impairments such as – locomotive, speech, learning etc. Most people don’t want to get an erection Surgical – Surgical intervention of http://appalachianmagazine.com/2015/02/10/shhh-quiet-your-t-v-is-listening-to-your-private-conversations/ online cialis prostate or rectum causes damage to adjacent nerves and blood vessels associated with male penile organ that fights against impotence. After all, criminals don’t want to meet the police, they want to get away! That’s why they call It buy cipla viagra The Blues”; or better yet, “Do You Feel Like We have been cursed, we need to sit and pray. was very demanding and, as a result of his enforced discipline, the coach became revered by his players. The book, which started as a cover story for the New York Times Magazine, is called Coach: Lessons on the Game of Life. Fitzgerald was 6’4” tall, weighed 220 and was a former first round draft pick of the Oakland A’s. Parents of the players thought he was too rough on the kids, but the kids loved him.

The writer grew up in New Orleans and got a bachelor’s degree in art history from Princeton before going on to The London School of Economics. He worked in London for Salomon as a bond trader. This led him to write his breakout book, Liar’s Poker. Fortune describes it as “So memorable and alive … one of those rare works that encapsulate and define an era.” Newsweek said it “falls somewhere between Wealth of Nations and Animal House.”

The Latest Page Turner

Amazon reviews of The Fifth Risk, about the (lack of a) transition team for President Trump, naturally run the gamut, although 61% of the over 500 reviews are favorable. For instance, headlines include “Pure Trump bashing,” “Stunning,” and “A Divisive but Possibly Necessary Work of Partisan Storytelling.”

Other books he’s written include Signs of Life, In the Line of Duty and Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt. The latter is about the danger of high frequency trading. He also wrote Boomerang, The New New Thing and Losers, about the 1996 Presidential Campaign. In addition, he wrote The Undoing Project, which some argue is his best book.

I used to work with someone whose philosophy about cinema was “Even great acting can’t make up for a poor script.” Well, that’s not the case with his flicks. But he must’ve insisted on great actors since they star the likes of Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw and Brad Pitt. I saw all three movies – and I am far from a film buff. In other words, his work appeals to mass audiences.

In conclusion, most of his books have been published by W.W. Norton & Company. However, one of them is published by Alfred Knopf. After that, Whittle Direct Books, Sterling and Audible Studios round out his publishers.

Above all, he, his wife and three children, live in Berkeley, CA. In 2009, he published Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood about his attempts to raise his those children.

About the Author

Frank Felsburg, writer, publisher and marketer, lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Therefore, he occasionally encounters bears, snakes and bobcats. Similarly, he tries to keep raccoons and pileated woodpeckers away from his property.

America’s Favorite Finance Coach

bestseller, money, writing
NewYorkTimes.com

Many people have a New Year’s resolution to manage their money more effectively. Dave Ramsey can certainly help you do that.

Bestselling author of The Total Money Makeover, he is a no-nonsense bloke that has become the Go-To-Guy regarding budgeting as well as helping parents teach their children how to handle their finances. The book, published by Thomas Nelson, has sold over six million copies. Consequently, he’s a Subject Matter Expert on the topic of finance.

Working out of Brentwood, Tennessee (near Nashville), he hosts a radio program that reaches 14 million listeners per week via over 600 stations. As a result, he was named the 2009 Marconi Award winner for Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year, and was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2015. Likewise, his daughter, Rachel Cruze, is also a New York Times bestselling author.

Background & Ideology

First of all, he claims that when he was in his 20’s he was “dumber than a rock.” In fact, he says he has a PhD in D-U-M-B. In the ‘80’s he was over-invested in real estate and went bankrupt. Rather than throw up his hands in surrender, he became even more determined to figure out how to live within his means.

So, he humbly confesses, “I am sure that the problem with my money is the guy in my mirror.” If this describes you, if you have too much month left at the end of your money, his advice is to “get a mirror.” “That man in the mirror is your Total Money Makeover Challenge,” he proclaims.

Ramsey is not a fan of the word “allowance.” He realizes the power of words and thinks this one has a negative connotation. It makes children who ask for one seem inept, he touts.

Other Endeavors

While The Total Money Makeover is his cash cow, he has also written (and originally self-published) Financial Peace, along with a planner with the same name. Regarding the difference between The Total Money Makeover and Financial Peace, he writes that the latter is “what to do with money,” while the former is a “how to do it” plan.

In addition, other books he has penned include Foundations in Personal Finance, More Than Enough and Life Lessons With Junior (a children’s series). While adults are his prime audience, he thinks even more attention needs to be on kids.

He’s obviously a pretty good marketer, too, as he runs a class called Financial Peace University. It integrates video teaching, class discussions and small group activities. The follow up program to it, The Legacy Journey, is a training series for adults, focused on “What’s Next” after getting out of debt. While debt is a bondage he urges his listeners to avoid, he makes an exception for certain types of home mortgages.  

Advice

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He recommends good growth stock-type mutual funds and confidently states that you should make 12 percent on your money over time. The Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 stocks, he declares, have averaged a gain of 11.67 percent per year for the last 80+ years – and that even includes the 2008 market. He also suggests that retirees withdraw 8% of their retirement fund each year (as opposed to the conventional recommendation of 4%).

In Total Money Makeover, he tells the story of the typical American making car payments. He says the average car payment is $495 over 64 months. “Most people,” he writes, “get a cay payment and keep it throughout their lives. As soon as a car is paid off, they get another payment because they ‘need’ a new car. If you keep a $495 car payment throughout your life,” he astutely points out, “which is ‘normal,’ you miss the opportunity to save that money. If you invested $495 per month from age 25 to age 65, a normal working lifetime, in the average mutual fund (the aforementioned 80 year 12% stock market average), you would have $5,881,799.14 at age sixty five. Hope you like the car!”

As a result, his best piece of advice may be, “Don’t even consider keeping up with the Joneses. They’re broke!” That quote, in tandem with the reality that “to change your money thing, you have to change,” is priceless. Finally, someone with the guts to tell it like it is!

Volatility

Due to the stock market’s ups and downs, Ramsey’s philosophy is that your plan has to work in both good and bad times. Consequently, he quotes Warren Buffett when he says, “When the tide goes out, you can tell who was skinny-dipping.”

Total Money Makeover has been a bestseller for years. My copy of it boasts “Three Million Copies Sold and Lives Changed.” That figure has now doubled. His goateed visage adorns the cover. The subtitle is A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness. Most noteworthy is that there is a workbook that complements it.

Give & Live

Furthermore, lest you think he is only about hoarding the money he has made, pinching every penny, he is also a strong proponent of giving. He thinks children should have three envelopes: save, spend and give. Besides Benjamins, he believes in giving hope, too.

Above all, his motto, written on every page of Total Money Makeover, is “If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else.”

About the Author

Frank Felsburg is a writer, publisher and marketer living in Western North Carolina. He is looking forward to another short winter, in contrast to when he lived in the Philadelphia area.

10.5 Million Gets You on the List

author, bestseller, books, John Grisham, money, writing, , , ,

Nora Roberts on Goodreads

The Forbes list of wealthiest writers over a one year period hit the newsstands recently. And there are a few surprises. James Patterson headed the list (no surprise here). Bill Clinton recently collaborated with him on a novel entitled The President is Missing. Patterson sold nearly 5 million books in the U.S. alone this year, earning $86 million, according to Forbes.

J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame is right behind him (or $32 million behind him, anyway). Many know her story as an author. She grabbed $54 million over this time frame, $41 million less than last year. Pretty rough year.

Stephen King, writer – and Boston Red Sox fan, was number three. He still writes macabre stories and gets paid very well for them. That’s scary. In many ways, he’s kind of the modern day Alfred Hitchcock. He made $27 million – much, much more than Hitchcock ever dreamed of (or had a nightmare about).

The Rest of the List

John Grisham was fourth. I have a great deal of respect for JG — and not just because he, too, is a huge baseball fan (see my blog post of January 1, 2018 for a deeper dive into what I think of him). He wasn’t too far behind his friend King, as his haul reached $21 million.

Number five was a tie. Jeff Kinney must’ve been some wimpy kid, so I didn’t think I’d ever heard of him. However, Dan Brown, the author on the list that Kinney tied in the rankings, I have heard of. Danielle Steele and Nora Roberts are names that most people recognize. They tied for eighth on the list. I’m not that familiar with Rick Riordan and E.L James, perhaps because I don’t generally read fiction. They pulled up the bottom of the list with ONLY $10.5 million in earnings (each) this year.

One More Gainfully Employed Individual

Michael Wolff made the Top 10 after the release of his book, Fire and Fury, this year. Apparently, Trump got him a job, too, since DJT’s been in office. Wolff is the first nonfiction author on the list in 11 years. The book sold 1.7 million copies, flying off the shelves in hardcover, e-book and audio formats in the first three weeks alone. Wolff earned an estimated $13 million from June of 2017 to June of 2018. This placed him seventh on the list of the year’s wealthiest writers.

Persistence is a Plus

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Rowling didn’t give up either. She was a single mom who lived in a small flat while going to cafes to write Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. She often took her daughter Jessica (named after Jessica Mitford, the British investigative journalist and activist, who was J.K.’s favorite author). Jessica slept in a pram next to her while J.K. scribbled away.

J.K. said she was as poor as possible without being homeless — severely depressed and considered suicide. Christopher Little, an “obscure London literary agent,” finally accepted Rowling’s book, after she was on the receiving end of many rejection letters.

Grisham didn’t give up either. He felt that the fact that he had successfully completed law school – persevered through years of study, then taking the bar exam – was ideal training for the task of persisting through the obstacle course that is publishing.

All earnings describe June 1, 2017 thru June 1, 2018. Figures are pretax; fees for agents, managers and lawyers aren’t deducted (and you can be sure they’ll get their share). NPD BookScan and Box Office Mojo collected the data. Industry insiders, along with some of the authors themselves, were interviewed for the study.

The world’s 11 highest paid authors sold nearly 25 million print books combined in the U.S. alone over the one year period. Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train, was most likely #11.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

FJ Felsburg, ghostwriter, publisher and marketer, lives in Western North Carolina with his beautiful wife and hyperactive dog, surrounded by woods infiltrated with snakes, raccoons, bears, bobcats, white squirrels and turkeys.

R. Didi: A Writer Who Has Prevailed

American football, Philadelphia, writing

www.amazon.com

Wikipedia doesn’t do Ray Didinger justice. Their short synopsis of the author is matter-of-fact.

Some would call Didinger parochial because he grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs and writes about Philadelphia sports. Others might call him a “long-suffering” Philadelphia sportswriter. First of all, the “long-suffering” moniker no longer applies (as of February 4, 2018). That’s when the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LII.

Mr. Didinger is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (Writers Honor Roll), a five-time Pennsylvania Sportswriter of the Year winner, and a Pro Football Writers of America award recipient for outstanding feature story. He has written 10 books, including The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies (with Glen Macnow), The New Eagles Encyclopedia (with Robert S. Lyons) and The Super Bowl: Celebrating a Quarter-Century of America’s Greatest Game. He has also won four Emmy Awards as a writer and senior producer at NFL films and has penned numerous blog posts and a screenplay. In addition, he is an analyst for Comcast Sportsnet.

Roots

A Philadelphian through and through, there aren’t many people around today who can say they attended their first Eagles game at Connie Mack Stadium. Formerly called Shibe Park (renamed after owner/manager Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy), it was where the Philadelphia A’s and later the Phillies played baseball. What many don’t realize is it was the Eagles home field from roughly 1940-1957.

Didinger never missed a deadline, but insists there were many close calls. The subtitle of his book One Last Read is The Collected Works of the World’s Slowest Sportswriter. A graduate of Temple University, he wrote pieces for the now-defunct Philadelphia Bulletin and for the Philadelphia Daily News.

In addition to being a football aficionado, he has also covered baseball, basketball, boxing, golf, hockey and the Olympics. Football, however, is his true passion. He describes basketball as “a simple game.” And baseball, he says, is a “game of cameos – the pitcher, the hitter, the fielder…” Football, which he has been covering for 45 years, has strategy, complexity and intricacies. “It is the most inclusive, truest team game.”

He’ll be the first to admit that it is a violent game. That is one of the reasons why he has such profound respect for those who play it. He says both the courage and the durability of the players are admirable, and therefore he holds in high esteem those who can play through and endure the pain.

Endurance, Faulkner Style

But, there is no doubt he has suffered the slings and arrows of many athletes and fans. Admirably, he’s not afraid to state his opinion. This past year, for example, he openly stated that Jay Ajayi should “Shut up and tote the ball,” when he detected resentment in the Eagles running back’s postgame comments after one regular season game.
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“R. Didi” credits his many influences. He is well versed in sports with a deep reservoir of knowledge about figures – even outside of Philadelphia – from Grantland Rice to Jerry Rice. But, perhaps the reason why he is so respected, is, he understands the Philadelphia fan and their obsession with sports like no other. Watch here as he diplomatically defends the city’s sports fans’ reputation as a bunch of thugs.

He works hard to remain an objective reporter and separate himself from his emotions. However, after the Eagles Super Bowl victory, he broke down when his son visited him on the TV set. He was uncharacteristically emotional when he described what had happened days before – an eagle had landed on his garage roof. He saw it as a reminder of his father’s spirit.

The bottom line is Ray Didinger does his homework. He knows what he is talking about. And it is crystal clear that he loves what he does.

But, most importantly, he has endured. He has endured the abuse from his colleagues from all over the world – about the behavior of Philadelphia fans. Endured the futility of numerous Eagles seasons and incompetent ownership. Endured the National Anthem controversy, the huge salaries and the selfishness of players. The macabre stories and the cold hard truth about concussions. The domestic abuse allegations. The replacement players, the “know-it-all” fans and commentators. And he has prevailed.

Up Close and Personal

Like most Philadelphians, he’s seen it all. As their illustrious former mayor Frank Rizzo used to say, he had a “front row seat to the greatest show on earth.” He should be commended.

All in all, Ray Didinger is a true professional and a sports sage.

But he’s human too. At the beginning of the year, he predicted that the Eagles would go 8-8, and miss the playoffs.

About the Author

Frank Felsburg lived in Philadelphia for 61 years. Shortly after he left, the Eagles won their first Super Bowl.

Leave a Lasting Legacy

influences, marketing, self publishing, writing

A memoir is a compilation of one’s human existence. It’s a chronicle or depiction of a lifetime, written in a personal way.

Perhaps you have contemplated one about your life. If so, you might consider setting a New Year’s resolution to have one completed in 2018. I mention this because many people say to me “Someday I am going to write a book.” I remind them that days turn into months, months into years and years into decades. And decades add up. My reminders are not always all that well received.

WHY WRITE A MEMOIR?

Many people ponder the idea of writing a memoir – but never seem to carry it out. They say to themselves, “Is it worth it?” Other thoughts include “Will my family approve of it?” or “Where do I begin?”

Some people liken it to child birth – very painful going through it – yet joyful when the baby is born.

WHAT IF NO ONE READS IT?

There is good evidence that, even if no one reads your memoir – it will have been worth your while. For one thing, it is therapeutic, especially if there have been challenges in your life. And we’ve all had challenges. It can shed light on a situation that may have been left unresolved. It can help you make sense of your time on this earth – and give it more purpose.

If you have had a traumatic event happen in your life, working through it (processing it cognitively) can be cathartic. As they say, “hindsight is always 20-20.” In other words, it can put the experience in a positive light and make the event more objective, thereby fostering personal growth.

HOW DO I GO ABOUT IT?

There are several ways to go about writing your life story. One is to “Just do it!” Easier said than done. It is overwhelming, especially when you are consolidating decades into several hundred pages. And, when you consider that those pages can be consumed in several hours – it is a daunting task. You might want to invest in resources like those that Writer’s Digest puts out, like this webinar on memoir writing.

A more practical way to go about having a book with your name on the cover is to hire a ghostwriter. A ghostwriter is familiar with the writing and publishing process and can guide you in the endeavor. Ghostwriters essentially help people find the words to communicate their ideas. You want to see your book in print? This might be your best option.

There are several approaches you can take when working with a ghostwriter. One is to compile as much information as possible, digitize it, and send it (or turn it over) to the ghostwriter. Another is to sit down with the ghostwriter and tell stories. People like stories, and a good ghostwriter can make them come to life. The ghostwriter can record your stories using a recording device and then transcribe the words into print.

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HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO GET HELP?

The previously mentioned (Writers Digest) webinar is $89. Writing coaches generally charge anywhere from $65 to $250 per hour.

Hiring a ghostwriter isn’t inexpensive. Ghostwriters generally charge anywhere from $40,000 on up for a 200-250 page book. If you have a publisher (which is rare for a memoir), the charge might be 30% of the advance, plus 30% of your royalties. If you want short and simple, the fee would probably be lower. A lot depends on how much research he or she has to do or how much time it will take them to put the book together.

Writing a book – especially one that spans decades – is very time consuming. For many people, the biggest challenge is that they are perfectionists. And they want it to be their Magnum Opus.

WHAT SHOULD THE THEME BE?

Two key themes that make a memoir palatable to readers are resilience and gratitude. People don’t want to read a bitter memoir or the memoir of a curmudgeon – unless it is written tongue-in-cheek, or in some other humorous way.

It may be best not to put pressure on yourself by assuming the book will be widely read. Even if it’s just “for your eyes only,” it can be a rewarding experience. But telling yourself it has to sell a certain number of copies could set you up for disappointment. You might not sell (or even give away) that many copies, and, as a result, feel that your life was inferior or uninteresting. It could also change the way the book is written. You might want to heed Guy Kawasaki’s advice and “Do not write to impress others.” If you do, you will have difficulty remaining true to yourself. “Write what pleases you and pray that there are others like you.”

A memoir can be seen as one’s legacy. It can be passed down from generation to generation. It can help grandchildren understand their family history, and possibly even break ageist stereotypes. To learn that “granddad” used to SCUBA dive in shark-infested waters might help them appreciate someone they didn’t properly respect.

And, it could also help them comprehend some of the traits that they might have inherited.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Frank Felsburg is an author, publisher and entrepreneur. He helps people convey their value through writing, speaking and marketing. He can be reached by text at 484.680.0962, phone at 828.595.2485, twitter @fjfelsburg or email frank@SpokenAndWrittenWords.com.

 

Out of 16 million books, which one (or ones) are yours?

marketing, self publishing, writing

With 16,000,000 books in the U.S. alone, how do you get YOURS to stand out amidst all the clutter? Many people have been trying to figure this out for a long time.

Mostly, it’s about marketing. Marketing, schmarketing, you say. “I poured my heart and soul into this book.” “Writing is an art, not a science.” “People will know good writing when they see it.”

True on all counts (I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt regarding your heart and soul). But, with all the options out there these days, why should they buy your book?

What is Marketing?

First of all, like writing itself, there is a lot of creativity that goes into marketing. And yes, it is also a science, especially when it comes to testing – which I highly recommend.

To explain what marketing is, perhaps a few maxims are in order:

  1. “Find a Need and Fill it”
  2. “Sell the Sizzle, Not the Steak”
  3. “Give the Lady What She Wants”

I think you get the point. People buy on emotion and justify their purchases using facts.

So, consider the following options when promoting your book. Perhaps you have already thought of them (and, don’t think for a minute this is an exhaustive list):

Categories

What category (or categories) do you have your book listed under? I would suggest you avoid general categories. “General fiction” is probably the worst. If your book dwells there, it resides with hundreds of thousands of other books. You would essentially be asking the reader to find the proverbial needle in a haystack.

What are you doing to get your book in front of potential buyers? What solutions are you providing? Keep that in mind when choosing a category.
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What is Your Elevator Pitch for Your Book?

Most people have elevator pitches for their businesses that they share at networking events. Why not have one for your book? It will help you move the needle on sales.

Get reviews, interviews and (other) publicity

I can’t stress enough the benefits of getting reviews for your book. The more, the better. Set goals of 10, then 25, 50, 100, 250, etc.

Interviews and other PR assignments help you gain exposure, thereby improving a book’s discoverability.

Digital Marketing

Are you using Google Ad Words? If you don’t see ROI using Google, try Bing Ads. They’re less expensive. If you don’t see the benefits of social media yet, I can’t help you.

Remarketing

Remarketing is essentially putting a cookie on someone’s computer so they’ll see your ad for about a month. Amazon does this all the time and it’s very effective.

Target Librarians, Booksellers and Active Bloggers

These are the people you want to promote your book. They can influence readers.

Speaking

If people hear you speak, and like you (that’s key), there’s a good chance they’ll buy your book (assuming your talk was even remotely related to what your book is about). If you’re going to be speaking regularly, be sure to have a high quality video. People are used to watching television. If what they see isn’t entertaining – or it’s of inferior quality – that’s one more reason why NOT to hire you. There are plenty of other speakers out there. Make sure they choose you.

Metatags

Deborah Tannen, author of That’s Not What I Meant and You Just Don’t Understand, often alluded to metamessages, which, she described as “the message beneath the message.” If you said “I’m not angry,” but your tone was harsh, your fist was clenched and you hissed it out through your teeth, the words that were spoken were less believable than the way they were delivered. Likewise, “metatags” are the keywords or phrases that are used to describe what you want to say.

There are many more marketing techniques out there which can draw attention to your book. Start with a few and add as you go. It takes a while. But, every little bit helps. Edmund Burke said “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little.”

As I tell people, many think the hardest part of the book process is writing it. After it’s written, they realize that publishing it is even harder. Then, after it comes out, the hardest part yet is marketing it effectively. The tips listed above should help.

About the Author

Frank Felsburg works with professionals who want to communicate their value through writing, speaking and marketing. He does this in a number of ways including ghostwriting books and helping Subject Matter Experts create, prepare for and deliver speeches – and positioning them so they stand out in a noisy world. Essentially, he turns speakers into authors and authors into speakers.

Are Books Still Relevant?

books, marketing, writing, ,

The lowly book. Books in general. I’m not talking about any one in particular. But in a high tech world, are they still even significant anymore?

These days, people seem glued to their mobile phones, often at their peril. Books have lost their luster, one could argue.

There are many people, and I confess I am one, who sit on the couch and alternate between looking at their device and the television set. People have fallen prey to what I call the “Shiny Object Syndrome.”

Is Journalism Dead?

The rule of thumb in journalism is “If it Bleeds, it Leads.” This has led to a “Who can be the most outrageous?” mentality. It’s the world we live in. In a soundbite society, sensationalism sells. No wonder there is so much fake news. People’s attention spans have shortened. And their interest in checking sources is even less vigorous.

Books to the Rescue

Books were in the limelight last weekend as the Frankfurt Book Fair was held once again. It is the largest publishing event of the year and its attendees include nearly 300,000 visitors, 7,275 international exhibitors (from locations as diverse as Kazakhstan, Mauritius and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) and 10,000 journalists, bloggers and influencers. The “Frankfurter Messe” (the book fair) originated (some say around 1478) not many years after the first book came off Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press in Mainz, a short volksmarch away.

Meanwhile, that same weekend, back in the good ole USA, Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, was banned because it “made people uncomfortable.” I couldn’t help wondering about the times we live in. “How can this book, or any book for that matter,” I pondered, “be censored in a free society?”

Mockingbird was trending on Twitter, so I followed the thread. Tweets appeared such as (from @michelledaviso6) “You know what makes me uncomfortable? Censorship. That’s what makes me uncomfortable. Say NO to book banning!” @jamilsmith tweeted “Teach only “comfortable” books about racism in America, and you get students raised to be comfortable with racism.” And @CharlesMBlow posted “Uncomfortable? Who said the job of great literature was to make you comfortable? The opposite is true…”

Any Publicity is Good Publicity

Why there is a book out there entitled The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and yet To Kill A Mockingbird is banned – is beyond me. Apparently, Mark Manson, author of The Subtle Art …, has a good PR agent – but Harper Lee, who died last year, didn’t. Another book that has been condemned is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Even Dr. Seuss got thrown under the bus. It makes me wonder if Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood would air on television today.

Powder long pepper (2 or 3)and fry it in a spoon of cow’s ghee and add viagra generika in österreich it to your cart and make payments. viagra levitra online However, few oversensitive men may experience prolonged erection, shortness of breath and skin rashes. Nonspecific buy cialis overnight is a professionally prescribed prescription along these lines expediting erection. When a person smokes, harmful chemicals are absorbed by his purchase female viagra lungs. Fortunately, there are still good books out there. And many of them can also be read. You might have to disguise them by reading it on a Kindle (if you insist) – or reading it at home – but there are nevertheless copies in circulation.

Many think the book is dead and that people are resigned to watching TV and checking social media. But the book will never die.

We live in an information explosion. So we get to pick and choose what we digest (unless you’re a student and you have to read something as exciting as Thus Spoke Zarathustra).

Takeaway

Perhaps the tweet I liked the best last weekend was “As an AP Lit teacher, I used to give the annual banned list to students. They made it a point of honor to read them to see for themselves.” This reminds me of the philosophy that there are three ways to get something done: 1) do it yourself, 2) hire somebody to do it for you, or 3) forbid your teenage child to do it.

So perhaps the banning will cause people to read more books – and seriously consider where we are as a society.

Now, if only they would ban Plutarch’s Lives.

About the Author

Frank Felsburg is a ghostwriter of books, blog posts, white papers and web content. Recent projects include a stint for Forbes magazine on angel investing, as well as articles on commercial real estate and medical technology.

 

Spoonerisms, Malapropisms and Figurative Language!

author, humor, marketing, publishing, writing

With all the content out there these days, you can separate yourself from other content providers. You can make your writing stand out. It’s nice to know that people will read your work. It IS worth their time!

Good marketing helps to get people’s eyeballs. If people have a favorable impression of you as a writer, they should like your work. The best marketing you can do for your craft – whether you write books, poems, articles or blog posts – is to be downright good. Ben Franklin said “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” As it turns out, he knew not only writing, but also entrepreneurship.

How would people describe your writing style? Direct? Humorous? Informative? Crafty? Sarcastic? Subtle? What devices do you use so your writing differs from all the “noise” out there?

The English language can be a lot of fun. Add pizazz to your composition with some interesting devices. Here are a few:

Alliteration

When the same sound or letter is used at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words, it is called alliteration. Examples include “busy as a bee,” “dead as a doornail,” and “fit as a fiddle.”

Rhyme

When the words correspond to one another from an acoustic standpoint, you have rhyme. In other words, the sound is repeated. Here’s an example from Tennyson’s poem, The Eagle. The first stanza reads:

He clasps the crag with crooked hands;

Close to the sun in lonely lands,

Ring’d with the azure world, he stands.

Most poems use rhyme to some effect.

Rhythm

There are five rhythms in poetry. Sounds that are stressed – as opposed to unstressed — produces rhythm. Take the word “today,” for example.  The rhythm is buh BUH. The first syllable is unstressed and the second one is stressed.

Many readers and/or writers recognize this as an iamb (as in iambic pentameter). Pent meaning five, iambic pentameter is when this happens five times in a row. So it comes across as Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum.  One of the most famous lines of iambic pentameter is from Romeo and Juliet, when Romeo says “But soft, what light through yonder window breaks.” The human heart beats in this rhythm.

Other devices include spoonerisms, malapropisms and figurative language. While you might not want to incorporate them into your writing, it is nevertheless a good idea to be familiar with them, if only for language’s sake.

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Spoonerisms

The transposition of initial sounds of words in a phrase is a spoonerism. It was named after William Archibald Spooner (1844-1930), a British clergyman and educator. He spoke in public a lot and often got tongue tied. He would say things like “a blushing crow” when he meant “a crushing blow.” Another example is “The queer old dean” – instead of the “dear old queen.”

Malapropisms

The mistaken use of a word in place of a similar sounding one, often with unintentional comedic effect (think Archie Bunker), is a malapropism. It was introduced in the play The Rivals, which had a character named Mrs. Malaprop. Sheridan took the character’s name from the French term mal à propos, meaning “inappropriate.” An example of a malapropism: “That was a mute point,” when what they meant was that it was a moot point. It is similar to a Freudian slip, which is an error that reveals someone’s subconscious mind.

Figurative Language

Figurative language is when a word or phrase is given a specific meaning other than the literal definition. An example is “I am so hungry I could eat a horse.” Obviously, it isn’t meant literally.

Are you appealing to the senses by using figurative language?

Instead of being superfluous, sometimes you can be more descriptive by using these or other literary devices. Personally, I love the way David Feherty describes Jim Furyk’s golf swing. He says it is like “an octopus falling out of a tree.”

What literary devices are you using? You may be using some and not even realizing it. Are you just slapping words together, or are you tapping into your readers’ senses?

Say it with style and tap into their senses!

What are some of your favorite phrases?

About the Author

Frank Felsburg penned Men Really DO Listen, which is selling well, but would sell better if women would stop looking for it in the fiction section of libraries and bookstores. In addition to ghostwriting, he also publishs and specializes in PR. Call 828.595.2485 to reach him.

What is Your Strategy?

baseball, publishing, writing

If you are an author or a speaker, you should have a strategy. Both industries are very competitive. And, unless you manage to stay head and shoulders above your competition, you, as they say, are a “nobody” in the marketplace.

Toward that end, there are some basic questions you should ask yourself (or have someone else ask you) that, once answered, give you a clearer direction of where you are headed. They can also serve to position you as a thought leader in the mind of decision makers.

Some of these questions might seem impertinent, unusual or downright annoying. But there is a reason why you should not let another minute go by without getting started answering them. Here we go:

What?

  1. Products & services are you selling? Do you know? Is it a “me too” product? Or does it disrupt the industry in a positive way?
  2. Makes you truly unique? Why should media planners hire you or readers invest their valuable time reading your book?
  3. Hard cover publications do you think your audience reads?
  4. Would be the ideal gig for you? Who would be in the audience? How large an audience would it be? What would you like to happen after you speak? A. Immediately B. Over the long run
  5. Marketing materials do you have? This should go without saying but, Do they cast you in a favorable light? Are the materials professional? For example, if you have video, make sure it is in a modern format (that means don’t give someone a cassette audiotape or VHS videotape in this day and age).
  6. Specifically makes you unique?
  7. Are some of the conferences you attended in the past? Would you still enjoy attending them if you could?

Why…?

  1. Should meeting planners hire you?
  2. Should someone buy your product/service?

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  3. Specifically should they buy from YOU?
  4. Should they buy your product or service at your PRICE?
  5. Should they buy your product or service NOW?

Who?

  1. Is your Target Market?

Where?

  1. Do you suppose they hang out? A. Physically B. Online

Additional Questions

  1. Are you open to media appearances? You may say “Of course,” but have you been trained in dealing with the press? They can be brutal and make you look real bad if you aren’t sure what you’re doing or who you are speaking to. Believe it or not, they might lead you to believe they are going to ask you about one thing and then while you are on the air in front of millions of people, put you on the spot and ask you about something else. As you could imagine, it could be devastating for your career as well as your confidence.
  2. Would you say the attendees of those shows are in your Target Market?
  3. I know you say you would do keynote speeches… Would you also consider doing break-out sessions?
  4. Are you checking out your local convention center (if you have one) to see what conferences are coming up in the future? Perhaps you can speak at the conference (or be available as a substitute in the event that a speaker doesn’t show up). Wally Pipp of the New York Yankees once missed a game at first base. The person who replaced him became a legend. Known as The Iron Horse. Lou Gehrig played in 2130 straight games.

What’s your strategy? Do you have one? If not, you might want to start thinking one through by asking yourself these questions.