Here are three books that every author, fiction or non, should have in their library. And, at least one of them may not be what you expect.

If a grammar reference could have sex appeal, this would be the book. The Elements of Style is the definitive reference for writers of any type. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I carry this around in my purse. Makes for great reading during your lunch, in the ladies, in a taxi, etc. I don’t care how nerdy this makes me sound. At least I’ll know that I’m using proper sentence structure as I defend that accusation. The 50th Anniversary Edition is now on the way, and the illustrated version has become a cultural icon. You can even download it as an audio book. I’m not sure I could sleep at night if I didn’t know where my copy was.

This next one will seem a bit strange to some, because I’m primarily a non-fiction writer, and I’m about to recommend a book about screenwriting. But Robert McKee’s STORY is based on making content appealing, easily understood, have good flow, timing, and yes, also about using the dreaded plot diagram. All of these still apply, whether you are writing for business, a cookbook, or an instruction manual. Plus, it’s just a great read. This book is also the source of the beautiful quote, “…the story arts have become humanity’s prime source of inspiration, as it seeks to order chaos and gain insight into life.” Good reading no matter what.

The third book is my 12th-grade English text book, Adventures in English Literature, which I sinfully stole from the shelves of my Catholic school on the last day of class. I loved that class, and I loved my instructor, Mrs. Hargreaves. Her genuine love of literature, English and otherwise, was contagious (at least to myself) and I knew I’d use that book over and over again. In the end, I was billed for my missing book, so between that and a few minutes in the confession booth, my debt to society has been paid. It was worth the cost of an over-priced textbook, because it’s amazing how often I use it to look up a poet, their life story, and a summary of their work in 300 words or less. It’s still faster than Google. Authors all the way from Chaucer to modern poets still living are profiled, along with introductory material about each era and the current events that shaped the work of each writer. It’s an extremely useful cultural reference, along with a handy way to confirm the accuracy of quotes and source material. It’s amazing how many current works reference stuff in this volume.

OK, there’s one more, and it’s a recent addition. Teach Yourself Copywriting, by the modest J. Jonathan Gabay, who doesn’t even have his name on the cover, is a tight little volume about writing words that sell stuff. You’ve all heard me say it a million times, “every organization is a sales organization”, and this book is a great summary of how to craft words that tell people about your organization. Clear, to the point, and with extremely useful illustrations and diagrams, this book just doesn’t waste time. Gabay starts from the right place, the mind of the buyer, and ends in the very same spot. A great reminder of what motivates people, how to get them to understand things quickly, and how using fewer well-chosen words is always more powerful than many words used casually. Very enjoyable to read cover to cover.

Enjoy your back to school reading!

It’s been said that there’s a reason for everything, but despite communication difficulties, I was meant to be in Victoria today to meet Scott Humphries.

Scott works as one of 10 trainers in North America for the group of Tony Robbins companies. I came to Victoria today to meet Scott, and see if there was a possibility for Scott and Humanus to do some sort of creative work together.

A few wires were crossed, and what I thought I was coming here for turned out to be all wrong. However, Scott is a very interesting guy, and he’s a very hardworking speaker. I found his talk to be informative, uplifting, and definitely clarifying. I’m sure that there will be an opportunity for us to host Scott as a speaker at an event hosted by Humanus in the future. It’s a good thing I stuck around and decided to see what I could learn today.

But that’s not the only lesson I learned: to avoid driving the harrowing highway to Victoria, I took the passenger train. I imagined myself working during the 2.5 hour ride, while the world whipped past outside the window. As it turned out, the train ride to Victoria swayed too much for me to type or write accurately, so I felt cheated as I realized I would be seasick if I didn’t just look out the window at the scenery.

I admit that I was grumpy as I sat with my arms crossed, trying not to enjoy watching Vancouver Island’s beautiful pastures and ocean views. (Bad Peggy, bad, bad!!!) Of course I was moved by how lovely our island is when summer finally arrives. In fact, I found myself composing a few lines of poetry into my voice recorder. (Sorry, but I will not publish them here.) Once again, I learn the lesson that everything happens for a reason. That little time out on the train did me a lot of good.

When I arrived at the meeting location today to meet Scott, it turned out that Scott hadn’t heard about me coming to hear him speak. Neither had the hosts, who were extremely polite, and generously allowed me to crash their party. I could have made the choice to leave when confronted with confusion, but if I had done that, I would have missed a great talk that was really motivating.

I’m now considering going to the Tony Robbins event in Vancouver in October because of Scott. But most importantly, I’m definitely going to get my voice-recognition software working again, so that I can take that train ride again, and dictate all the way to Victoria.

(Photo credit: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

When I witness a stunning achievement like the opening ceremonies in Beijing, it’s my nature to try and figure out what I can learn from such a performance.

I would never have thought such alignment, coordination and harmony were possible. If I was asked to coordinate any portion of these games, it would have totally freaked me out. (But I think I still would have given it a shot.)

Here’s what occurs to me as I watch the ceremonies. Tell me if any of this rings true for your company…
1) I’m not delegating enough. I need to hire more help.
2) I’m not doing a good enough job of communicating my vision to assistants, and perhaps even clients. I need to use more storyboarding, video, and other illustrative techniques.
3) I don’t need to micro-manage. If I share my vision well enough, people will believe in it, and they will figure out a lot of the details on their own.
4) While clarifying my vision for others, I may discover the fastest way to clarify it for myself – by thinking in harmony with others, and less thinking about my vision all by myself.
5) I should increase my vision of my company’s reach to be more global. Language barriers are not that big a deal.
6) Foreign markets are really, really hungry for North American products. They hate us, but they want to buy our stuff. It’s weird.
7) Not everything has to be accomplished using high-tech methods. If 2008 people can jump around inside cardboard boxes and make it look like a giant plate of movable type, I can be happy using my post-it notes and white boards rather than an electronic illustration.
8) Scale is really, really impressive. But it still has to look good close-up. Details matter.
9) I have to take more risks – even though there is the possibility that something can go horribly, horribly wrong, I need to put myself out there even more. It is never enough.
and…
10) Anything is possible if it can be imagined.

I have an opening for an unpaid* intern, starting July 14th and ending August 25th. (6 Weeks.) This position is an excellent opportunity for a success-minded young person looking to have a first experience in publishing, self-publishing, or general business marketing.

Previous interns and casual staff have always formed lasting relationships and networking opportunities through our extensive network of contacts. All are encouraged and supported to develop independent business opportunities for themselves as they arise. There may even be a possibility that this position will progress to a part-time or full-time paid position for the right candidate, as we have a number of projects ramping up this fall.

This position can be virtual to someone anywhere in the world, but preference will be given to applicants in the areas of Vancouver or Vancouver Island (Nanaimo area) of Canada. It is certainly true that being in the area will provide a much more enriching experience than a virtual one. Candidates in the area will be interviewed in person. Candidates out of the area will be interviewed on webcam.

The right candidate should have the following attributes;
- enrolled in or affiliated with a secondary or post-secondary publishing, marketing, or general business program
- excellent language skills in English (not necessary that English is their first language, but they must be well-spoken with a clear and efficient communication style, both verbally and in writing)
- good email and telephone manner
- comfortable working as part of a virtual team
- strong basic computer skills, and experience using functions like downloading and uploading files, importing and exporting, and a basic knowledge of .html tags (we use Open Office as our standard tool for a wide variety of document production)
- comfortable using Skype and other instant-messaging tools

Training and exposure to a wide variety of skills and tools are offered as part of the in-kind compensation for this position. It cannot be understated that the right candidate must be energetic, hungry for success, and eager to learn from a successful team. We love to see people take what we teach them, and use it in their own way! This could be the best 6 weeks of your life.

Please apply by sending your resume to: internapplications@humanuspublishing.com. Please include not only an email address, but a telephone number on this resume. Only candidates considered for the position will be contacted. Contact to candidates will be made by phone.

*Although the position has no salary, all expenses, including telephone, travel KM’s, meal allowances, and all other resources necessary to complete tasks will be provided in advance or fully compensated. Successful candidates will receive an allowance to compensate them for the use of their personal computer.

Thanks to all who came to my presentation on Thursday evening at the eWomen Network on June 12th in Surrey. I’ve just made updates to the Private Resources Page as promised, and will be adding more cool stuff all week – what’s there is really just the beginning. There are two eBooks on the way for certain, plus other valuable items. Click here to see the current updates, and enter your password that was given to you on the white postcard at the dinner. The password is case-sensitive, so please enter it as you see it on the card. (Missing your card? eMail me and I’ll fill you in.)

Didn’t attend the dinner, but want to see the page? Call me at 1-866-907-4084, or email me for more information.

I had such a great time tonight at the Vancouver chapter meeting of the eWomen Network, in BC, Canada. What a great bunch of gals! Thanks so much for making me feel welcome, and I was really enthused by all of your contagious energy!

The presentation that I made this evening was a bit over the time allocated, (sorry about that, Gail!) and it sounded like Members had more questions after I was done. So, let’s start a conversation here, on this blog, that carries over from tonight’s presentation. You can post questions using the comment form (in the bits below this post, there’s a link in the word “Comments” – just click it and type in the boxes that appear) and I’ll respond to them on this same spot. You might want to bookmark this page so that you can come back to it over and over again.

I’m sorry that there’s a delay in making the Private Resources page available for all of the attendees to use, but I promise it will be up by Monday when I get back to my office. Thanks for your patience. The postcard you received at dinner had a password on it, and you’ll need that to get to the page. The button mentioned on that same postcard will be available on this site by Monday.

Remember all that talk we had about feeds, and other magic words? You might want to subscribe to my site’s feed right now, by putting your email address in the boxes at right. That way, when new posts happen, you’ll get them delivered to your email inbox, without having to remember to come back to this page. And remember to Google yourself! (Yes, Google is a verb! Type your name or company name into the search bar, and see what happens!)

In addition to the Private Resources I promised, I’ll also include a set of overhead slides on the password-protected page that corresponds to tonight’s presentation. Just in case you didn’t take notes, there’s probably something there that will jog your memory.

A special thanks to Gail who was kind enough to fit me into your group’s schedule. I’m really glad that everybody got something out of the presentation. Hope to see you all again soon!!

P.S. – One of the winners of the door prizes didn’t pick up their book. If you had a blue Kitty Sticker on the back of your postcard, and you didn’t get your prize, please email me using the links at right. Thanks!

This week, I’ve had a number of readers ask me questions that relate to blogging; setting up blogs, writers and blogging, and promoting through blogging.

In response to this, I’m preparing a short eBook that will be available shortly for download from this site, which is essentially a re-work of a class that I taught some time ago, titled “Blog Essentials for Self-Publishing Authors”.

The eBook will include information that was not in the original course, including a variety of updates and lists of resources, both free and paid. As usual, comments will focus on resources that are open-source in nature.

To be updated when this free eBook is available, please subscribe to my blog using the sign-up box at right.

To document.

Whether we are blogging as a promotional mechanism, to help spread useful information, or simply to be heard, all of that boils down to documentation.

Bear with me a moment while I give you some background to a point I’ll make another paragraph or two down. The movie “300” (2006), the classic story of how a tiny Spartan force of 300 defeated hundreds of thousands of Persians, was popular because it’s really a timeless story. It’s about clever strategy standing a real chance against evil and pure might. About how a single event can change the course of history for the entire world. About events that happened once, and which are repeated over and over again in small ways in every culture on the planet.

Not many realize that the events in that book and movie are based almost entirely on the single surviving account, written by a fellow named Herodotus. Herodotus is often called “the first historian”, because he didn’t write poetry, or about philosophy or religion. He wrote down that which he observed, and what was told to him that had been passed down through oral tradition. He was really the only one to attempt to document this time in world history.

Here’s my point: Herodotus was the first blogger.

He sold his material in his lifetime, and it was clear that he wrote for the masses. This is evidenced by the fact that he was granted, by public vote, public money to further his work. (How far do ten talents go these days, anyway?) His posts come from as far away as Pharaonic Egypt and back up to Western Europe. He was objective, and as accurate as he could have been at the time.

Being a political upstart, he didn’t think of himself as a reporter, because he was outside the realm of (his own) traditional media. He tells fantastic, inspirational stories from real life that have wide-reaching applications. He was a lifelong advocate for freedom, including in that of his own work, and that of others. And his work spread because of viral mechanisms – not sophisticated ones, but effective nonetheless: gossip.

Any of that sounding familiar?

Herodotus clearly understood the importance of documentation. In his main life’s work “The Histories”, he travels extensively to test the accuracy of what he is told by many local peoples. The first few lines of Book One read as follows: “Herodotus of Halicarnassus here displays his inquiry, so that human achievements may not become forgotten in time, and great and marvellous deeds – some displayed by Greeks, some by barbarians – may not be without their glory; and especially to show why the two peoples fought with each other.”

Not just how, where, and over what the Greeks and Persians fought, but why. He carefully notes that he will document the deeds of non-Greeks alongside those of his own adopted people. Sounds pretty fair to me, and what I aspire to in my own blogging efforts. Just as long as I don’t have to write it in classical Greek.

Check out this great item at the Huffington Post by Catherine Specter, titled “The Way We Word”. When you’re done reading the post, check out the rather stimulating comment at the bottom, which was chosen the “HuffPost’s Pick”. (Yes, that comment was written by me – Peggy – the girl who can’t keep her mouth shut.)

What a weekend it has been for Humanus Publishing! A launch party for one of my authors, a new release from another of my authors, and the rollout of our new affiliate program, all in the last 4 days!

Sunday was the launch party for The Freshman FlyFisher, (ISBN 978-0-978-3292-1-1) by Rick Passek of Surrey, BC. Rick held his launch event at the Little Campbell Hatchery at the Semiahmoo Fish and Game Club on 184th in Surrey. What a huge success for all involved! Rick not only sold plenty of books, but made numerous contacts related to promoting family outdoor events in the Surrey area. We are grateful to the Rotary Club of Cloverdale BC, for their wonderful management of the food concession stand, and to the City of Surrey for their support. As always, Rick was a real star, and was cool as a cuke from Friday morning’s appearance on Breakfast Television on City TV, to his interview on CBC Radio’s BC Almanac Friday afternoon, right through Sunday’s festivities. My favourite moment was little 6-year old Gracie’s fishing lesson on Breakfast Television Friday morning. She picked up the fine art of casting in a matter of minutes, due at least in part to Rick’s careful tutelage. Good going, Rick!

Another one of my authors, the lovely Jeri-Lyn McCrea, is the author of Words in Action – A Journal to Inspire Change, (ISBN 978-0-9809325-0-8) which is scheduled for release on April 25th. I saw the first copies back from the printer’s on Saturday, and boy, do they look fantastic!! The matte-coated hardcover is sooooo soft in the hand, and the pages look truly inspiring. I’m really excited about this journal (I guess we should stop referring to it as a “book”), because it breaks entirely new ground in the area of motivation and self-improvement titles. Jeri is so right when she talks about people “figuring it out for themselves”, and not looking to others to “complete their lives or tell them what to do”. Her journal is a book you ultimately write for yourself, and get a little burst of energy and motivation every day. Setting goals and making up your mind to achieve them – that’s what Words in Action is all about. Watch this blog for more info about events coming soon to the Langley and Surrey areas.

The cherry on the cake of this weekend was our new Humanus Publishing Affiliate Program. I started this project a few weeks ago to solve the problems of one author’s quest to market their product online, and it has now snowballed into something that can be used by any self-publishing author who wants to sell their books direct to consumers over the internet. Authors want to be freed of the hassle and overhead of online sales in order to keep writing, and this system means that they do not need to put up any money up front to make that happen. It’s cheap, fast, and keeps writers doing what they should be doing – writing. I hope that this system will expand into something resembling a marketing co-op for self-publishing authors, while continuing to align itself with the values of Humanus Publishing. If you know of a publisher who wants to sell their products through our program, you can earn money by referring them. Simply email me and let’s find a way to make it happen.