• Smack. Swallow. Burp. Let’s Do Business!

    Yesterday’s new client onboarding was horrible! Though he really liked me, he never stopped chewing gum and popping bubbles. He was in his early thirties, so perhaps I should make allowances. Plus, he’s the client, so he can do whatever he wants, right? Only even as he’s deciding he wants to work with me, I’m [...]

  • Want a free piano?

    We have this gorgeous piano that we’re giving away. It’s a 1906 Chickering parlor grand, 8 feet long, and perfect for any music lover’s family room. We loved having it in our last home, and my daughter learned to sing opera accompanied by this magnificent instrument. It belonged to my father-in-law, and playing it was [...]

  • Amazon wrinkle, workaround self-published authors should know

    Regular readers know I help authors go from Idea to Manuscript to Marketplace™. An essential piece of that process is getting onto Amazon. Most authors want physical copies of their book to sell or give away. To accommodate this, Amazon sells its own books at wholesale prices. Only novice authors should know that Amazon’s offer [...]

  • Boardsi – A Scam Geared Towards Professionals

    The ad seemed genuine enough. Posted on LinkedIn, it offered a portal for paid board of director seats. Intrigued, I scheduled a 20-minute interview. LinkedIn, for those unfamiliar with it, is THE place to have a professional profile. It’s inhabited by professionals of every stripe, discipline, and industry, and is for business networking only. So [...]

  • Staying Out Of The Trash Bin

      It IS possible to avoid spam filters...assuming you’re willing to put in the effort when developing your email campaigns. Try starting with these ideas: GET PERMISSION. Asking readers for permission before sending them materials decreases chances you’ll be marked as SPAM. They still may not read it, but you won’t get dinged. DON’T BUY [...]

  • ALWAYS Check The Return Address!

    Over the years we’ve talked about Nigerian princes, fake domain registrars, and phony peddlers of board seats. But what about when friends need a favor? Consider this recent email string from the publisher of the Coast News, for whom I write the Ask Mr. Marketing column. He asked to handle a discreet matter for him. [...]

  • Declaration of Stealing Your Money

    Last month, 43,090 new businesses formed in California. I registered my own LLC early last year to protect me legally and financially. The paperwork was good for two years. So imagine my surprise when I received an official looking renewal form in the mail today. Form 501-LLC was my California Limited Liability company biennial order [...]

  • Oh Oprah…Say It Ain’t So!

    CNN calls Oprah Winfrey “arguably the world’s most powerful woman.” “She has more credibility than the president,” says columnist Maureen Dowd. She’s been mentioned as a presidential candidate herself. So why would entertainment’s most powerful woman be involved with a slipshod marketing campaign selling weight loss gummies? Short answer: SHE ISN’T! I play Words With [...]

  • Nita Whitaker’s Journey to Singing, Broadway, And A Musical Father-Daughter Memoir

      For the past thirty years, music fans throughout America and the world have marveled at Nita Whitaker’s strong, sultry and captivating vocals. She’s gone from being a Miss Louisiana runner-up to singing on the hit movies The Bodyguard and the Ten Commandments, to recording several show tune and gospel albums, to collaborating extensively with [...]

  • Organizing Your Business

    Many people don't realize that writing a book means you're in business for yourself.  Therefore, we offer as a public service the best way to get started. Because, if you’re serious about building a business, you need a business plan. It’s like having a blueprint to erect a strong, stable house in which you’ll live. [...]