How did you get started with your life, your career? My first job was selling Electrolux vacuums . I laugh when people sneer. It isn't my fault the department stores would rather sell cheap vacums that don't work instead of good ones. I owned a couple of these vaccums.
I am suffering from allergies now because I can't convince my husband that the department store vacum is leaving most of the dust and dirt in the air or carpet. It is like telling people that their water is not pure - if you can't see it then it isn't there.
I love the whole 'perception is real' thing. I know it is true. And I've often played with it in books, but it amazes me that people don't take a look beyond what they perceive is right.
Monday, May 26, 2008
How Did You Get Started
Erotica Novels
I had someone say that I am against erotica novels. It isn't that I am against it - it is just that I am tired of reading the 'same ol same ol.' There are so many positions, and different sensations caused by different movements. Why can't erotica novel writers study their craft? Why can't they offer something different?
I understand why the historical writers feel they must stick to the missionary position. Everyone else should be reading the information on 'good sex' - maybe teach your readers something.
You wouldn't want to read a bio thriller written by a person who knew nothing about toxins and viruses except the flu. Why expect readers to want to read your books about your personal sex experiences?
Beauty and health are eternal. Learn how to stay young, healthy, and vibrant and live into your 80s.
Learn more about blogging and making money online at the wealthy-writer website. Find Resources, Reviews, and News
Paradigm of Business Success
Every business starts with the identical chance of success. The difference between a successful business, and a failure, is found in the advertising and management choices. The following paradigm is based on tried and proven practices used by web-based businesses.
Born in Passion
I’ve find that natural entrepreneurs love to work with people. They thrive when challenged. They are creative with an eye for color and design. They use words like energized, and do not panic when faced with adversity. They take pride in their achievements. Most important, they are passionate about their businesses.
Love to Learn
Passion often negates the need for a business degree. However, poor management will destroy the best businesses. The ecommerce industry is not as stagnant as many new business owners believe. It is ever evolving and almost impossible to predict. The rules change yearly. There are new resources and tools being designed monthly. To stay on top of your game you need to know what is out there and how to use it.
A Business Plan
A good business plan tells a business owner the ‘best way’ to build a business. What is the best advertising venue? Which management styles will build a healthy business? And most important, what financial and management choices will sabotage the business’s success?
Find A Mentor
One of the most valuable things a business owner can find is a successful business owner who is willing to mentor. If you can’t find a personal mentor, then consider a group. A mentoring group can be as intimate as several friends at the same level of business development, each one supporting the others. Or, it can be between a success-life coach and a business owner.
The DIY Trap
Sit down and calculate how much money you in an hour when generating an income. Calculate how long it takes you to personally complete each job: clerical, bookkeeping, graphics art, web-management, promotion, etc..
Time is premium in the business world. It is not free. Each hour has a monetary value. DIY is a poor management option when the business owner wastes time doing tasks that can be outsourced, instead of generating revenue.
A business owner’s first priority should be generating revenue. Each task should be assigned a value depending on its relationship to the ‘revenue generation process.’
Good and Bad Debt
There are two types of debt. Bad debt includes borrowing money to pay operating expenses, salaries, or gambles. A good debt is one that generates income, increases profits, or acquires fixed assets. A good rule of thumb is to invest 20% of the business income into advertising. Then, keep debt lower than 30%.
Calculating Expenses
All business gurus tell a story of a retail outlet that invested so much in displays, they could not afford stock, or advertising. Calculating expenses should not be an exercise in determining how much money is needed to stay in business. It should determine how much money does it take to earn $1.00.
How much money is invested in generating an income? What is the profit margin? Will this sustain business growth? All of these questions need to be answered before the company starts hemorrhaging money and plummeting into a downward spiral.
I’ve asked a few struggling business owners to do the following experiment. Calculate how much of each dollar is devoted to generating expenses. Multiply this by the profit margin. Will the income cover future expenses and large asset purchases?
Are you investing enough money into ‘revenue generation’ tasks and projects to cover your business expenses? It is amazing how many times a struggling business has never calculated whether they are investing their money in the right places.
Paradigm of Business Success
A paradigm is a blueprint. It is something that is common among businesses that exceed. The goal is not always to ‘make more money.’ Using resources wisely is often the first step. All you may need is a little reorganization and prioritizing to turn your business into an unmitigated success.
Beauty and health are eternal. Learn how to stay young, healthy, and vibrant and live into your 80s.
Learn more about blogging and making money online at the wealthy-writer website. Find Resources, Reviews, and News
Author Promotion
Most authors think that the only thing they need to do is write. They don't realize that promoting can turn their 'few' sales into real money - and that promotion can move them into the 'big times' with their next submission.
Today I received some promotional products from a friend who is an author. I was quite impressed. She had a little package of products that introduced her, but also made you want to read her book. There were even a couple of things I hadn't thought about... including candy.
Communication Tricks From the Business World
Eliminate the Word ‘But’
Business owners need to eliminate this word from their vocabulary. When a person hears the word’ but,’ This word translates to ‘I haven’t heard a word you said.’
This word conveys the message that you believe their feelings, ideas, objectives, needs, desires, or wants are wrong, not as valid as yours, and not worth taking the time to resolve the problem.
Eliminate the Word ‘You’
The moment you use the word 'you', there is a blame element added, and you transfer responsibility to that person. Learn to conduct all conversations using the word "I", and if it cannot be done, consider
this a red flag that something is wrong in your communication style.
You wouldn’t be the first person who needed to relearn their communication style, adopting a more powerful negotiation and sales vocabulary.
Effective Communication
These simple rules will improve negotiation and sales tactics, even in brochures, websites, and telephone calls. Everything we do is a form of communication, the colors we wear, the colors we use in advertising, and even the way we wear our hair.
A negotiation or sale can be won, or lost, on a single word. Smart professionals stack the odds in their favor.
Beauty and health are eternal. Learn how to stay young, healthy, and vibrant and live into your 80s.
Learn more about blogging and making money online at the wealthy-writer website. Find Resources, Reviews, and News
Dialogue: Basic Negotiation Mistakes PT1
Writers need to understand the art of communication. Communication rules can be used when creating dialogue. Negotiation rules can be used in arguements, or to help readers 'feel' the impact
Basic Negotiation Mistakes
I have recently engaged in a few discussions about communication. I'd like to give you a few easy tips on conflict resolution. All businesses need to deal with conflicts and disagreements. Negotiators have tricks that allow them to take control of a situation and manipulate the outcome. Advertisers use these techniques to increase the impact of an ad campaign.
Business owners can use these techniques to improve customer service, increase sales, and decrease staffing problems.
How to Prevent Arguments
The dynamics of communication work in all situations, all cultures. It doesn’t matter what message needs to be conveyed the method of delivering the method remains fairly the same.
Dealing with Conflict
You don’t need to know anything about a customer to be able to control the outcome of a dispute. There is an old saying 'the customer is always right.' It is obvious that the customer is not always right, in some cases they can be down-right and they are not always nice.
The business owner wants something, too. They want the customer to return. They want to keep the sale. They want to reduce the bad publicity. A happy customer tells no one. A disgruntled customer tells everyone.
The rules have nothing to do with ethics or the moral treatment of customers. They are guides to help the business owner control the confrontation and determine the outcome.
1. Do not accuse the customer of being wrong
2. Do not make the customer defend themselves
3. Do not make them think that you do not care.
Beauty and health are eternal. Learn how to stay young, healthy, and vibrant and live into your 80s.
Learn more about blogging and making money online at the wealthy-writer website. Find Resources, Reviews, and News
Furniture
Have you taken a look at a furniture catalog lately? I just rejected a novel that was suppose to be about the rich and famous, but the furniture in the first scene was something sold from a large warehouse. I'm sorry, but if you haven't seen a good quality leather couch then don't make up stuff.
There are some beautiful styles in affordable furniture that can be found online without needing to head to a NY boutique to find some nice styles. Take a look and see what is available and what is in use.
Silence is Not Golden
Listening is the solution to 50% of all problems. An open, safe environment invites people to air a grievance, alert managers to problems, and keep managers on-top of their subordinates personal problems and office conflicts.
Listen to your clients. Analyze what they say. Try to assess their wants and needs. No one wants to argue. In fact, as soon as someone starts to argue it indicates that they lack the communication skills needed to win an argument. That argument may be a customer service conflict. It may be the simple ‘sales process.’ Or, it could be something as simple as asking someone if they are ready to buy.
Practice
Practice these rules. They will increase sales, increase the
number of times people agree with your ideas, and pave the way for your business success.
Beauty and health are eternal. Learn how to stay young, healthy, and vibrant and live into your 80s.
Learn more about blogging and making money online at the wealthy-writer website. Find Resources, Reviews, and News
Toxic Communication Styles
We’ve all met them, the business manager who consistently, rudely, and loudly chastises people’s stupidity. This not only costs the company talented employees, but has far reaching repercussions.
This person will inadvertently treat a business associate, and not even recognize a problem. No one is good enough that they can be one person in private, and another in public, another in business - it is impossible.
Every time a business person walks into public they are putting on a performance. Communication is not about feelings. The objective is not to win, to be right, to overpower another person. The objective is to reach a certain goal or conclusion.
Threats
A threat can be as simple as a lifted eyebrow, ignoring a suggestion, swearing, crossing arms, or looking bored. Any behavior that demeans, embarrasses, humiliates, annoys, alarms, or can be deemed verbal abuse
These can be as simple as a raised eyebrow, and ignoring a person's suggestion, to swearing, any behavior that demeans, embarrasses, humiliates, annoys, alarms or is intrusive is a threat whether it is a word, gesture, or body language.
Professional negotiators and public speakers practice communicating in front of a mirror. Just put a mirror by the phone and watch yourself talk to people. You’ll be surprised at the subliminal messages you convey.
Beauty and health are eternal. Learn how to stay young, healthy, and vibrant and live into your 80s.
Learn more about blogging and making money online at the wealthy-writer website. Find Resources, Reviews, and News
Toxic Communication
What is toxic communication? It can be a powerful tool in the hands of a writer. If you know the different types of communication styles then you can use them to improve your story's dialogue.
A new buzz word entered the business world a few years ago, toxic communication. We use to believe that venting emotions, gossip, casual talk about the competition, or using our words as a weapon, were harmless, victimless. It took the advertising world to teach us that every word is a two edged sword.
The concept was first introduced in Japan with Womansword. Japanese women had their own dialect and vocabulary that contained dual meanings, and could be used to influence or motivate men. This notion made business managers and sales people reconsider the theory of an ‘innocent comment.’
Here are a few aspects of toxic communication that can sabotage sales, destroy a productive work environment, or undermine the best customer service strategy.
Beauty and health are eternal. Learn how to stay young, healthy, and vibrant and live into your 80s.
Learn more about blogging and making money online at the wealthy-writer website. Find Resources, Reviews, and News
Party Time
Today is memorial day, party day. The internet has changed how we arrange a party. One thing we don't use anymore is birthday invitations. Another thing we don't do is spend a lot of time planning. Today's parties are more spontanious. However, that should make some of the traditional ways to plan parties. For example - invitations are now in vogue for parties that are 'above the norm.'
This type of social trend is vital in books. It makes the difference between a break out novel and a slush pile novel.
Basic Negotiation Mistakes
I have recently engaged in a few discussions about communication. I'd like to give you a few easy tips on conflict resolution. All businesses need to deal with conflicts and disagreements. Negotiators have tricks that allow them to take control of a situation and manipulate the outcome. Advertisers use these techniques to increase the impact of an ad campaign.
Business owners can use these techniques to improve customer service, increase sales, and decrease staffing problems.
How to Prevent Arguments
The dynamics of communication work in all situations, all cultures. It doesn’t matter what message needs to be conveyed the method of delivering the method remains fairly the same.
Dealing with Customers
You don’t need to know anything about a customer to be able to control the outcome of a dispute. There is an old saying 'the customer is always right.' It is obvious that the customer is not always right, in some cases they can be down-right and they are not always nice.
The business owner wants something, too. They want the customer to return. They want to keep the sale. They want to reduce the bad publicity. A happy customer tells no one. A disgruntled customer tells everyone.
The rules have nothing to do with ethics or the moral treatment of customers. They are guides to help the business owner control the confrontation and determine the outcome.
1. Do not accuse the customer of being wrong
2. Do not make the customer defend themselves
3. Do not make them think that you do not care.
Eliminate the Word ‘But’
Business owners need to eliminate this word from their vocabulary. When a person hears the word’ but,’ This word translates to ‘I haven’t heard a word you said.’
This word conveys the message that you believe their feelings, ideas, objectives, needs, desires, or wants are wrong, not as valid as yours, and not worth taking the time to resolve the problem.
Eliminate the Word ‘You’
The moment you use the word 'you', there is a blame element added, and you transfer responsibility to that person. Learn to conduct all conversations using the word "I", and if it cannot be done, consider
this a red flag that something is wrong in your communication style.
You wouldn’t be the first person who needed to relearn their communication style, adopting a more powerful negotiation and sales vocabulary.
Effective Communication
These simple rules will improve negotiation and sales tactics, even in brochures, websites, and telephone calls. Everything we do is a form of communication, the colors we wear, the colors we use in advertising, and even the way we wear our hair.
A negotiation or sale can be won, or lost, on a single word. Smart professionals stack the odds in their favor.
Beauty and health are eternal. Learn how to stay young, healthy, and vibrant and live into your 80s.
Learn more about blogging and making money online at the wealthy-writer website. Find Resources, Reviews, and News
Monday, May 19, 2008
An Interview With Author - Leslie Dicken
I IM'ed Leslie Dicken today in her response 'My books arrived.' She has the first first run of her book. This isn't her first book in print. She has several shorter ebooks, and one print book on Amazon The Price of Discovery by Jordanna Kay, her pseudonym. The book she received today is her first under her actual name.
There is always the question, "What did it feel like to see your name in print." Leslie said "sort of unbelievable, like it wasn't real, but just a dream." I've always felt like it was the 'brass ring' like the story has gone full circle and was now complete. I've reviewed Leslie's book, and love it.
There is always another book. I'm working on 2 more historicals. Leslie is not working on another historical. She finds the genre limited. Her current WIP is a contemporary.
I asked her How to Write a Novel. I always love to hear all the different methods.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Lose Weight?
What would you do to lose weight? The diet culture is increasing. I know that it is important to take diet pills, but what pills should you take? One of the more popular ones are Phentermine. I think the most important thing is to make sure that you get the real thing. I'd rather buy diet pills for my teens than let them pick up something from their friends.
I do not see any difference between diet pills and chemicals that cure acne, or whiten teeth. As long as taken responsibly, they can improve ones' lifestyle.
The Foundation of a Great Conflict: Pt4
Good decisions
No one can tell you what a good decision is. A good decision for one person may be a bad decision for another. A good decision when you are twenty years old may be a bad decision when you are forty. So, how do you know if a decision is good? A good decision is one which does not hurt you, hurt another person, or start a chain of events that will cause future damage.
We make good decisions as we grow, heal, mature. That is why the average character is weak at the beginning of the novel but each conflict pushes them to grow, mature, heal, until they learn how to make good decisions.
Maturity is a learned behavior
The ability to make good decisions can be taught
The hero in a story can learn how to make good decisions. They are pushed from one conflict to the next, learning skills, developing problem solving strategies. This is the foundation of a good conflict. It shouldn't just be something interesting that happens to the main character. A good conflict has a purpose. There is a reason it is in the story.
Beauty and health are eternal. Learn how to stay young, healthy, and vibrant and live into your 80s.
Learn more about blogging and making money online at the wealthy-writer website. Find Resources, Reviews, and News
The Business of Novel Writing
The life of a novel writer has many perks. The uninitiated masses envisions us working in our pajamas while writing fluff about faraway places where beautiful people have spectacular adventures. After chuckling, writers patiently explain how many hours it can take to research and plan a novel, or the number of times a novel is rejected before it sells.
Writers possess an intangible element that prevents them from taking the well-worn route. A regular paycheck with benefits is attractive to the normal person. I tried it once, but it didn’t last. Face it, writers are not free to enjoy an easy life while others toil from nine to five, writers must write.
The life of a novel writer is burdened with unpaid bills, deadlines, and rejection letters. But, there are a few blessings that outweigh the heaviest burdens, like the joy of being published and holding your own book, studying a truly fascinating topic for a new plot, or enjoying the spiritual journey only a novel writer can understand.
The initial lack of income causes many new writers give up. They believe the passion to write is a prank their muse is playing on them. They become confused with all the rules, styles, genres, and markets.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
Time Management
Many things cut into your novel writing time. Answering emails, critique and email groups, blogging, and writers groups offer little benefit to the average writer. The time spent in critique and chat groups could be spent taking classes, learning about the craft of writing, or sharpening your prose.
Newsletters and Critique or Fan Groups
We all signed up for at least one newsletter that promised to help us earn a living, only to learn it is only a clever marketing tool to sell products. Novel writers spend several years learning their craft, and writing one or two novels, before seeing any money. These groups only charge $20 or $30 each, but it adds up over time.
Writing is a Business
View your novel writing as a business. Organize your time, learn something new each week, and write. Writers write. Writing and reading are the fastest roads between a new writer and a published author.
Beauty and health are eternal. Learn how to stay young, healthy, and vibrant and live into your 80s.
Learn more about blogging and making money online at the wealthy-writer website. Find Resources, Reviews, and News
The Foundation of a Great Conflict
The secret: Good People Make Bad Decisions
I learned the secret of a great conflict through my own life.
What is a Good Decision?
What makes a good decision a good decision? What makes a bad decision a bad one? Is it just the consequences of these decisions and our actions, or is there an underlying definition of ‘good’ and ‘bad.’
Many of us mess up our lives for years because we let others dictate our definitions of good and bad. I was one of those people. For more than twenty years, I listened blindly while others dictated what was good and bad. I followed without arguing, trying to force myself to live a life that earned their approval. I was over thirty five years old before I realized that the life I lived, the person I had become, and my future goals, did not earn my approval. I did not like the person whom I had become.
I begged for other’s approval, feeling discouraged when they withheld affirmation and elated when I received the smallest praise. I lived my life to please others. This drained me, emotionally and physically. I was often sick. My list of successes and accomplishments was very short. I compensated with beliefs that “My greatest accomplishment is helping _______ reach their goals.” “I am a good person because my family is comfortable and well cared for.”
I never realized how these beliefs were ruining my life, and my family’s lives, until I worked as a housekeeper. Over the two years that I cleaned house, I started to notice a difference between the families of ‘good’ women and women who did not fit my definition of good. The first set of women (men) managed their homes and families so well that their adult children still lived at home, had no goals, and no independence. The second set of women (men) gave their children independence, allowing them to grow, but they were there to catch them when they fell.
I started to realize that ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are only perceptions. Of course, society has limits: do not steal, do not have an affair, do not kill, do not abandon your responsibilities. We understand these rules because we recognize the damage these things have on others, but more importantly, they can ruin our lives for years. We know they are wrong because they damage our ability to enjoy life, respect ourselves, and be happy – even if it seems like we ‘got away with it.’
Beauty and health are eternal. Learn how to stay young, healthy, and vibrant and live into your 80s.
Learn more about blogging and making money online at the wealthy-writer website. Find Resources, Reviews, and News
Teen Troubles
My son is going away for a weekend. I plan to get a lot of work done. I remember when the biggest concern I has was which acne treatment would work the best. Now I have to worry about his friends, what they value, and what my son will value. Being a writer can increase the tension of being a parent. We have a clear understanding of how fast a life can change.
I like worrying about acne and whether to buy Orvo or something else. All those normal aspects of childhood. Will he come home unscathed. Most likely. He will call before doing anything dangerous - but something worse will happen ... he will grow up a little more.
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