Booher BanterBusiness Communication Consultant

We kicked off the fall session of the Get Your Book Published Workshop today in Grapevine, TX, where a small group of writers will discuss and draft every aspect of their new book proposal in hopes of landing a publishing contract and a big advance. 

We had a great group in March 2006 that have reported taking major steps toward getting published, and I expect the current group to have similar success.  Watch this blog for updates as various milestones are attained by our workshop attendees.

If I had been able to attend a class like this in 1980 when I was a beginning author, I could have avoided many pitfalls that hindered my publishing efforts.  If you’re attempting to complete your first book, or if you’re an experienced author that needs an expanded product line or fresh marketing ideas, this class is designed for you.  Bookmark the Booher home page and check for updated 2007 class dates.  You may also send me an email and I’ll send you notification of the next Get Your Book Published workshop when a date is confirmed.

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Posted at 7:43am in Publishing Keys | Permalink | Add Comment » |

A recent article by Dana Knight of the The Indianapolis Star ("Workplace: Your e-mail leaves room for misunderstanding") reinforces one of my golden rules of communication.

**Never assume your email will be interpreted exactly as you intend.**

Research published in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology shows there is a 50 percent chance the tone of an e-mail will be misinterpreted.  One example given in the article occurs when a co-worker sends a congratulatory e-mail to another who was named Employee of the Month.

”Geez. You are so awesome. I’m proud.”

What was intended to communicate a sincere, humble sentiment could be interpreted as a mean jab, a sarcastic "you-didn’t-deserve-the-award" message.

Many professionals have given up e-mail as a casual form of communication altogether.  Wouldn’t it have been better to walk over to the co-worker’s cubicle, offer a handshake, a smile, and a ”Congratulations on your award!” ?

With your facial expression, body language, and tone of voice to support you, your message can’t be so easily misinterpreted.  With email, you have only words on the screen.  If you haven’t given thought to how your voice inflection might be vital to the message, take care.

(Read the entire article stored here. http://www.adpi.org/newsdetails.asp?nid=1151&start=10)

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Posted at 2:03pm in Email Hints | Permalink | Add Comment » |

I recorded a series of discussions with Jim Canterucci for his "Personal Brilliance – Up Close and Practical" free podcast.  Jim recently published a great book called Personal Brilliance and I highly recommend it.

You can listen in each week this month as I discuss the four Personal Brilliance catalysts with Jim—awareness, curiosity, focus, and initiative—and how I use them in my writing and speaking career. For more details see this related post on Jim’s blog.

Go to this link to view the podcast show page and listen to the first two episodes.  Check back each Monday for another free podcast.

One valuable training option I mention during these discussions is the Get Your Book Published workshop coming up November 30-December 2.  If you have a book in progress, or just a nugget of an idea that you think might sell, join me for these three days to focus on your book proposal.  See the Get Your Book Published page for more workshop details.

Send me a comment with your thoughts on the podcasts.  Did you agree/disagree with the concepts presented?

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Posted at 8:34am in General Communication | Permalink | Add Comment » |

For those who enjoyed The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, this literary detail may be of interest to you.  In a recent New York Times article, I learned that Viggo Mortensen was an author, poet, photographer, and a publisher.  Viggo also played the heroic Aragorn in the movie adaptation of Tolkien’s stories.

With part of his earnings from The Lord of the Rings, Viggo founded the Perceval Press publishing house to help other artists by publishing works that might not find a home in more mainstream publishing venues. (See this Wikipedia link for a bio of Viggo.)  There is certainly a niche market for the works that conventional publishers find too risky to take on.

I have had success publishing my books (43 to date) with mainstream publishing houses.  If you have a book idea and are wondering what to do next, I hope your calendar is open on November 30 through December 2 when I host my second Get Your Book Published Workshop of 2006 in Dallas, Texas.  Bring your idea or manuscript and leave with a completed query and pitch (the basic book premise offered to literary agents) and a full book proposal (the complete book idea with marketing plans, sample chapters, and so forth, which publishers mull over before they sign you up).  If you want to get published for the first time, or want additional ideas for marketing or branding an entire product line, check this link or call 1-800-342-6621 for details on the three-day workshop.

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Posted at 3:44pm in Books | Permalink | Add Comment » |

Question:  How do you offend and alienate every member and veteran of the Armed Forces in several countries, as well as the extended families of those forces?

Answer:  Let John Kerry prepare your next speech or presentation.

I was shocked to read the comments of Sen. Kerry spoken at a campaign rally Monday for California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides.  The Massachusetts senator, who is considering another presidential run in 2008, had opened his speech at Pasadena City College with several one-liners.  Then he said:

"You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq."

Ouch.  Let’s break down his statement and read between the lines:  If what he says is true, then every soldier, chaplain, nurse, doctor, mechanic, and pilot serving in Iraq failed to "make the most of it," failed to "study hard," failed to "do homework," failed to "be smart," and failed to "do well" as human beings.  These "failures" are in Iraq as punishment for being underachievers. 

At best, it seems extremely short-sighted. 

Did John Kerry REALLY INTEND to disparage hundreds of thousands of people connected to the US military, not to mention those serving from other countries?  Surely not.  It’s a common ailment for politicians bashing the other party to suddenly find their own foot doubling as a tongue depressor.  (And this ailment strikes both parties from time to time.)  A day later, Kerry reported that he botched the line that was meant to belittle President Bush, not all those in military service.

How can poorly-worded, ill-planned talks like Sen. Kerry’s be avoided?   Here are a few suggestions before stepping behind a podium or microphone on an important occasion.  You’ll notice that "winging it" is not on my list.  (Sen. Kerry, did you do ANY of these?)

• Determine your purpose.
• Analyze your audience.
• Research your information.

Public speaking should be viewed as an opportunity to improve public relations, not to create a firestorm of negative publicity and demands for an apology from all quarters.  John Kerry made a huge mistake…one that he need not duplicate if he follows the steps listed above.

What do you think about Kerry’s comments—a reflection of his real thoughts or simply the result of "winging it" and poor phrasing?  Do you have a similar tale of a firestorm over such a remark in your organization?

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Posted at 3:48pm in Communication—Oral | Permalink | Add Comment » |