getting published

Building a Web Site and Getting It Right

by adminon November 9, 2012 in Uncategorized tagged change, change with confidence, getting published, web design, web site with no comments

The changewithconfidence.com web site is the hub of my marketing plan. It will be my 24/7 global ambassador, representing my book, consulting company and beliefs on change management. I have to get it right.

So what does getting it right mean? It doesn’t mean complex, flashy and promotion-laced; it means simple, easy to navigate and helpful. It has to communicate what I do and how I do it in a way that reflects my personality.

To prepare for my first meeting with Krishan, a graphic and web designer who is known for crafting organization identities, I took screen shots of internet sites I liked. I deleted them all when I saw the Very Cool Life web site because it demonstrated all of my site requirements better than any of them:

– Simplicity
– Quick loading
– Ease of navigation
– A ‘human,’ personal feel
– Use of different media including video
– Consistency of format
– Lots of white space
– Generous giveaways
– Good positioning of the owner’s book

Krishan is now mocking-up a test site. My task is to start writing content for the following sections:

– Home
– About
– The Book
– What We Offer
– Contact

I expect that headings and content will change prior to launching my site, which is part of the creative process. The balance between art and science will take a while to get right. The best sign of success will be people effectively and efficiently accessing information. “Simple and easy” are complex and difficult goals.

Phil

When You See the Big Picture, You See It

by adminon October 26, 2012 in Uncategorized tagged big picture, book cover, change, change with confidence, getting published, Marlene Pape, professional photography with no comments

The author’s photograph is a key elements of cover design. It needs to convey personality characteristics that are aligned with the biography, content and writing style to help the reader decide whether the book is worth reading (and buying).

I first had my picture taken professionally, when I was twenty-four. I was approached by a “drama instructor” who was convinced I had a career in advertising. All I needed to do was invest in a $100 photo shoot (and drama lessons) and I would be set. I took the bait and visited her photographer. He took seventy-two shots and two weeks later I returned to review the proof pages. He had difficulty finding a “good one,” which was a signal that the advertising world was better off without my contributions. I didn’t take the drama lessons.

Since then, I have had four corporate photos taken. They are all straight-on head and shoulder portraits with me smiling in front of a “grade school photo” blue background. The uniformity of this style is well-suited for organization charts and i-d badges but lacks the essence of the person. I wanted to avoid that look for my book cover.

A highlight of my authoring journey has been working with amazing people. Everyone has been a friend or a friend of a friend, which has added trust, connectivity and respect to all activities. I remembered that my friend Shari had asked a friend of hers to take her professional photographs. They are fantastic and captured her warmth, depth and glowing spirit in a way I had never seen before in pictures. I was thrilled when Shari agreed to introduce me to her photographer friend, Marlene.

Fortunately, Marlene agreed to take my photographs and we met at her home for the shoot. I have never enjoyed a photo shoot until now. Marlene’s supportive and relaxed personality turned an uncomfortable activity into an enjoyable conversation with someone I felt I had known for a long time. In minutes we were done and I wished we had more time to talk.

I was on a tight timeline because I needed to submit a photograph in two days to my publisher. Even though Marlene was not feeling well, she sent me the seven best photos within hours.

I chose my favourite two photos, which conveyed different parts of my personality: the friendly, exuberant guy and the serious, knowledgeable guy. I chose the serious, knowledgeable guy for my cover, which friends and family members also chose. I didn’t labour over this decision like others because when you see the big picture, you see it.

Phil

Answer All Questions Before Handing In

by adminon October 19, 2012 in Uncategorized tagged change, change with confidence, getting published, opportunities, questionnaires, writing a book with 1 Comment

Completing questionnaires is not one of my strengths. I find it mind-numbing and challenging to remain focused as I work through the questions. Since this is one of my least favourite activities, I repeatedly count the number of questions remaining, like someone who watches coffee percolate, hoping that it will go faster by doing so.

I had mixed feelings when I saw an “author’s questionnaire” in my inbox. On the positive side, I was excited by seeing “author” and “Phil Buckley” in the same sentence. On the less positive side, I thought of having to work through the questions, repeatedly checking the number remaining.

I had answered many of the questions in my book proposal, such as “Who are the audiences for my book?”, “What are the benefits and features?”, “Who are my competitors?”, and “In which countries is my book most relevant?”. Some, however, were new to me, including “What media contacts do I know personally?”, and “What organizations would want to buy my book in bulk?”

These new questions are opportunities that I need to champion. Perhaps the answers will have the highest yield within my Change with Confidence marketing plan. As most questionnaire instructions state: Answer all questions before handing in.

Phil

The Eagle Has Landed!

by adminon September 21, 2012 in Uncategorized tagged achievements, Adventures of a First-time Author, book format, book publishing, business change, encouragement, getting published, gratitude, Jossey-Bass, Wiley, writing, writing a book, writing process with 6 Comments

We did it! Last Tuesday, I met with my executive editor and editorial assistant to sign a global rights contract with Wiley for Change with Confidence. From their website: “Wiley has evolved into one of the world’s more respected publishing and information services companies. We strongly believe in the enduring value of collaborative relationships, built in a solid foundation of trust and integrity.” Perfect fit.

My book with be under the Jossey-Bass imprint.
“Jossey-Bass publishes books, periodicals, and other media to inform and inspire those interested in developing themselves, their organizations and their communities.” Another perfect fit!

Change with Confidence will be available worldwide in 6 x 9 trim size hardcover (and e-book) in March, 2013. I couldn’t be more thrilled!

My new team members were very gracious and understanding about my excitement. I laughed when my executive editor said that in her twenty-seven year career, I was the first author to request a picture of the contract signing. Hilarious!

As I left the office, I was overwhelmed by feelings of gratitude for everyone who has helped me along the way, including those who have read this blog (you!). The intensity of appreciation is hard to capture in words. Perhaps it is best just to say “Thank-you from the bottom of my heart.”

A new phase of my journey has kicked-off and I have a lot to do. Firstly, I need to read my manuscript one last time before I hand it over to the Wiley team on Monday. There are a few insights I have learned during my recent consulting assignments that I am keen to share with my readers. The heat is on!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Phil

Things Are Going Well

by adminon September 14, 2012 in Uncategorized tagged achievements, celebrate, change, getting published, writing a book with 2 Comments

This week, I noticed a change in how I was updating friends on my progress. After listing my accomplishments I qualified them by saying things like “Nothing is certain until the ink is dry.” This is true but saying it changes my focus from steps gained to the steps to go. What an energy drainer. Why do we do things like this to ourselves?

Dan Sullivan discussed this phenomenon in his book The Gap. He said that people who measure their achievements against the ideal “will always come up short. You will always feel deficient. (Contrarily) when we measure our achievements by where we have come from, we always have a sense of progress. There is an overall experience of increasing capability and confidence. With each new success, there is a heightened sense of optimism because the future has always turned out to be better than the past.”

Claude Bristol, in his book The Magic of Believing, shared a similar insight. He said, “Our thoughts determine our carriage, our facial expressions, our conversation, for what we are outwardly comes as a result of what we think habitually. Whatever you fix your thoughts upon or steadily focus your imagination upon, that is what you attract.” Yikes! By qualifying my achievements, I have been sapping the energy I need to earn new ones.

This is unacceptable and I am stopping it now. From now on I am going to celebrate little wins. Did I mention that recently I had a promising conversation with a publisher?

Phil

It’s Great to Be Here!

by adminon August 17, 2012 in Uncategorized tagged change, getting published, public speaking, speakers bureau, writing a book with 4 Comments

This week, I had a great conversation with a director of a speakers bureau about joining its roster. Public speaking is an excellent way to raise my profile and increase my chances of getting published.

TimeOut Chocolate Bar Launch – 1998

I have come a long way from my grade eight speech on sharks when I froze half-way through my talk. I became paralyzed when I realized that thirty classmates were staring at me. I stopped breathing, which made my voice sound higher than it already was. Panicked, I squeezed my shark’s jaw prop until one of the teeth punctured my skin. I looked through watery eyes at my teacher who gave me a “keep going” look. Somehow I regained the ability to take in air and got through the rest of my presentation. I did not like public speaking.

Commercial Training Program – 2006

In the mid-90s, I accepted a job that required excellent public speaking skills. The role description noted that sixty percent of the time would be spent facilitating training or keynote speaking. Not much had changed since my ‘shark tank’ experience but it was an exciting opportunity.

My first seminar on customer service was painful although my breathing was surprisingly good. Like most things, challenges get easier with experience and I started enjoying being in front of crowds. It became fun – especially when people laughed at my jokes, exhausting and rewarding. Eventually, I was more comfortable in front of large groups than I was off-stage.

Change Speaking Engagement – 2012

Since then, public speaking has been a staple of my career and something I still enjoy. I am looking forward to regularly speaking to groups, as long as I don’t have to talk about sharks.

Phil

Who owns that voice in my head?

by adminon August 10, 2012 in Uncategorized tagged assume positive intent, author, book proposal, book publishing, change, getting published, gratitude. writing a book, negativity, publisher rejection, voice in my head with no comments

I received my first publisher rejection notice this week from the nicest man in the world. My book topic is too specific for the portfolio, however, the proposal was promising and I received some great new contacts to explore. Of all the rejections I may receive, this one will be the best.

My “look on the bright side” perspective is opposite to how I interpreted not getting a call back from a friend of a friend who works at a publishing house. As the weeks slipped by, I slid from “she is busy” to “she isn’t interested” to “she hates me.” I was aghast when I noticed last night that my email had bounced back and not been delivered. Why did the voice in my head go to the dark side? Why did it move me to the darkest part of the dark side? Why didn’t I check my delivery failure folder? Who owns that negative voice in my head?

I own that voice in my head and am accountable for my perspectives, emotions, and actions. Negativity drains your energy and slows you down. It nudges you off course and blocks your creativity. I am putting the following mechanisms in place so this doesn’t happen again.

Check my delivery failure folder to make sure my email was received
Use more than one method of contact (email, phone, LinkedIn, etc.)
Communicate when and how I will make contact again (“I will follow up/call you next week…”)
Record each communication and follow up date on my calendar
Increase the number of contacts to gain momentum and lessen the impact of each one
Assume positive intent

The last one is the most powerful and attacks the negative voice at it’s core. It’s an ongoing battle.

Phil

Change With Confidence

by adminon July 20, 2012 in Uncategorized tagged author, book proposal, book summary video, change management, change with confidence, getting published, publishers with no comments

Here is a short video about Change With Confidence.

And here is my book proposal for publishers.

Change With Confidence Book Proposal Summary

For more details on this book proposal or to request sample chapters, please send a note to ph************@***il.com.

Phil

If a picture is worth a 1,000 words, what about a video?

by adminon July 13, 2012 in Uncategorized tagged author, book proposal, change management, editing, engagement, getting published, interest, publishers, video, writing a book with no comments

It makes sense that a consumer needs to be interested in a product before buying it. No interest, no sale. My challenge is to inspire interest in publishers to review my book proposal. No interest, no review, no sale.

One barrier to interest is the commitment of time to read it before knowing whether or not it is worth reading. To overcome this challenge, I am creating a short video to introduce my book, describe what it contains, and outline the benefits of reading it.

Fortunately, Mel, my good friend and colleague, is an excellent video director and editor. We spent Thursday morning filming (twenty-nine takes!) and selecting footage. Before shooting, the agenda was:

What is my book about?
Why buy my book (benefits)?
What are my credentials?
How is it unique?
What is the audience?
Call to action: read my book proposal

After many takes, the agenda was reduced to:

What is my book about?
What are my credentials?
Why buy my book (benefits)?

The more I talked on camera the less clear my message became. I wanted to explain my points in detail, which was counter to my objective. To be interesting, a good teaser video needs to be short, simple, and clear.

The footage is now in Mel’s capable hands to edit and add section titles. I know she will make it look as good as it can be. The test will be how many publishers double-click on my proposal. The objective is always the bottom line.

Phil

10 Facts I’m Ignoring About Book Publishing

by adminon April 27, 2012 in Uncategorized tagged book publishing statistics, change management, expectations, getting published, goals, writing a book with 1 Comment

As I write the introduction and conclusion of my book, my mind is wandering to the next phase: getting published. It’s easy to get discouraged when reading facts about the book industry. Most statistics-based articles say “it’s really, really hard” and “don’t get your hopes up.” I can’t think of a better underdog challenge!

It takes optimism and tenacity (and skill) to achieve great things, so I will be ignoring the following:

– Over one million books were published in 2009
– Amazon.com has 74,000 change management and 640,000 change books
– In the first quarter of 2011, the number of print books sold in Canada dropped by 10.9 percent
– Book industry sales declined by 5 percent between 2007 and 2009 in the U.S.
– Less than 2 percent of published books are commercially viable
– 70 percent of books published do not earn back their advance
– 80 percent of book sales are controlled by five publishing conglomerates
– Out of 1.2 million books tracked by Nielsen Book Scan (as of 2004), 950,000 books sold fewer than 99 copies, and another 200,000 sold fewer than 1,000 copies
– The average U.S. non-fiction book sells less than 250 copies per year
– A book has less than 1 percent chance of being stocked in a bookstore

I know rejection is part of the process and that many successful authors have lived through it (Jack Canfield, William Faulkner, Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, Dr. Seuss…). So, like any goal in life, I’ll persevere until it is accomplished. But I am getting ahead of myself: first I need to finish my book so that I don’t become part of a “books that were never finished” statistic.

Phil

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