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Volume 2, Number 2 May 25, 2002
Publisher: GoalMinds, Inc.
E-mail: condrill@goalminds.com http://www.goalminds.com
Copyright 2002 Jo Condrill All rights reserved
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No arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. --Ronald Reagan

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Veterans Without Uniforms

2. How to Avoid Mistakes in the Book Business

3. Five Easy Ways to Add Credibility to Your Message
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1. Veterans Without Uniforms
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I've visited the Pentagon several times since ending my civil service career--even conducted a few seminars there. But my recent visit had a whole new meaning. It was the first since the plane crashed near where my office was. This visit was somewhat like a homecoming. The challenge was finding the "home." In the past, my retiree's identification card was all I needed to gain entry into the Pentagon. This time, I needed an additional form of ID and an escort by someone who works in the building. I was having lunch with a friend, so that was no problem.

I was surprised to see that just locating folks, finding phone numbers, and room numbers is still a challenge. While the building façade has been restored, there is much work to be done inside. My old unit had relocated to accommodate renovation work before the crash. It probably saved their lives. No one from my unit was killed. It was a good feeling to be able to sit and talk with them. That was the first time I really felt homesick…a need to be with them again. I worked with the Army and there's pride in the Army "family." It was good to be welcomed back by the family.

In New York, I talked with a friend who works for the Port Authority in the World Trade Center. He had just arrived as the planes were crashing into the buildings. For a couple of days we didn't know if he were among the survivors or not. He survived but is still plagued by the sights and sounds of that day. His best friend perished, as did several of his coworkers. I visited "ground zero" with another friend, but even from the observation platform, there was not much to see since the work is now below ground level. However, the vacant space, scars on surrounding buildings, and memorabilia of the victims brought tears to my eyes.

My job for the Army was in logistics plans and operations. But we never planned to defend the Pentagon against a passenger jet. We never planned logistics for the aftermath of planes hitting the World Trade towers. This is a new kind of war--indiscriminate killing of civilians as well as military on American soil. As we gratefully remember the veterans of all our wars this weekend, let's also remember the victims of this monstrous act of aggression against us and pray, "Never again."

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Anyone can count the seeds in an apple. But who can count the apples in a single seed? --Dr. Robert H. Schuller
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2. How to Avoid Mistakes in the Book Business
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Rubbing elbows with the giants of the independent publishing realm at the Publishers Marking Association's Publishing University was very stimulating--Dan Poynter, the self-publishing guru and sky diver extraordinaire; John Kremer, 1001 Ways to Market Your Book, Mary Westheimer, founder of BookZone, and Jan and Terry Nathan, Directors of PMA who put it all together, among hordes of others. Over 400 people attended this prelude to Book Expo America.
Among the most outstanding discussions was the Thursday luncheon program, "Managing Your Company Through Unpredictable Times and Keeping It Profitable." It isn't easy to grasp financial data while enjoying a good meal, but the presenters were special. They grabbed us by the throats and looked us in the eyes. Dominique Raccah of SourceBooks told us how to keep a business profitable: 1. Be independently wealthy, 2. Marry up, 3. Marry a printer, 4. Get a second job, or 5. Win the lottery.

Then she got down to specifics, reminding us that there are over 135,000 new titles published every year.

If we hope to succeed as independent or self-publishers, we must: 1. Begin with the end in mind. Have a sales plan--where, how, when, and why would anyone buy this title? 2. Think of our profit and loss sheet as a score card. (Know how business is going).
3. Be doing exactly what we want to be doing. 4. Print less--use cash. 5. Package smarter. 6. Print smarter. Use information from Ingram Books, Amazon.com and other industry professionals. 7. Ask for terms--ask for 60 or 90-day credit terms from printers. 8. Ship less--even if the wholesalers want more, if they're returning books to us, don't ship as many as they want to begin with. 9. Manage the marketing budget. 10. Remember why we began in this business.

The most stimulating session for me was the one I moderated, Conduct a Low-Cost Book Signing Tour. On the panel were Marcella Smith of Barnes and Noble--Marcella told us Barnes and Noble stores are not interested in book signings--they want EVENTS! (That's what we said in our book, From Book Signing to Best Seller, give them a mini-seminar or a reading!) Linda Ligon of Interweave Press told how her authors get paid to do a book signing and mini-seminar; Maggie Lichtenberg, a publishing coach, reminded us of the importance of follow-up. "If you're not going to follow up, don't start." I provided an author's perspective from my
11-city tour. Audio tapes of all the sessions are available from http://www.pma-online.org.

John B. Slack, coauthor of From Book Signing to Best Seller, flew in from Corte Madera, CA for the University and BEA. And it was fun meeting people who receive and appreciate this EZine, especially the folks from Be Who Your Are Productions. The pinnacle of excitement was autographing a copy of From Book Signing to Best Seller for Peter Jennings. Mr. Jennings came by the PMA exhibit while we were signing and commented that he could use a copy for his upcoming book signing tour. We happily accommodated him. If you don't yet have a copy and want yours autographed, please go to the GoalMinds web site order page and ask for one. http://www.goalminds.com or call 1 800 697-5680.
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Shel Horowitz added a no-cost tip to our seminar: House sharing. http://www.frugalfun.com/homeexchange.html
Thank you, Shel.
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Book Expo America 2003 will be held May 30-June 1 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, preceded by PMA University--Don't Miss it!

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3. Five Easy Ways to Add Credibility to Your Message
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Consult people who are experts on your topic. Add depth to your knowledge.

a. Find opportunities, such as PMA-University to meet leaders in your field.
b. Be prepared to gain knowledge from chance encounters with experts. Have an open mind with note paper and writing implement handy.
c. Make note of the speaker, date, and occasion, as well as pertinent information you wish to quote, soon after your encounter.
d. Support statements with specific facts that you can attribute to an expert.
e. Get permission from the expert if you want to quote in print. "I am doing research on this topic--or I'm wiring an article or book on this topic. May I quote you?"

Just one of the 101 Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills Instantly!
Available as an audio book in English and in Spanish. Ask your local bookstore or library to get it for you or contact GoalMinds, Inc 1 800 697-5680. Network marketing groups are using 101 Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills Instantly as their "book of the month." You'll find it recommended on many business web sites and even in the Wal-Mart online catalog!
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A recent find: An outstanding book by Allison Acken, Ph.D. It's Only Money: A Primer for Women. Men may also find it useful, but there's a difference in our approaches to money. The book is loaded with excelleant references including web site addresses. Orders@womentalkmoney.com
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"My Slice of the Pentagon" highlighting my adventures in the Pentagon as a civilian woman supervisor, will be presented in the Palmdale Playhouse on May 6, 2003. Call the Playhouse and ask for their upcoming brochure 661 267-5685.

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