Sally Ember's Blog, page 85

Preliminary Glossary for The Spanners Series

This is a repost from 8/27/13, since so many new readers are finding The Spanners Series, especially This Changes Everything, Volume I, after its PERMAFREE status began 4/1/14 and have asked for a Glossary.

FREE everywhere ebooks are sold. All links, reviews, author interviews, readings and more: http://www.sallyember.com/Spanners Look right; scroll down.

In the back of each Volume, I do update and add to the Glossary, but here you go:

As explained by Esperanza Enlaces, sometime narrator, Journalist and Media Liaison for Chief Communicator, Dr. Clara Branon, Ph.D. [See “The Dark Side” for other terms and explanations not found here]

ALT = According to Linear Time. Use to explain temporal sequences as opposed to simultaneous nowness, and the use of past or future tense in verbs.

APC = After Public Contact. APC becomes “AppCee,” whose logofication becomes a stylized English “A” superimposed over a lower-case “c.” Vocalize as “AppCee.”

BPC = Before Public Contact (see APC, above). Vocalize as “BeepCee,” spell as “BeePCee.” Logofication is a stylized English “B” over a lower-case “c.”

CC or CeeCee = Chief Communicator. Main Earth Liaison selected by the MWC (Many Worlds Collective) to relay information and be the unofficial leader APC during the Transition and then official Leader for the Member once the MWC membership is established, for a limited term. Dr. Clara Branon, Ph.D., is Earth’s first CC.

ESP Training = Excellent Skills Program education, with 12 levels of paranormal, psi, and extraordinary skills and abilities/talents, details depicted in Volume IV. All forms of what many human Earthers from Western cultures consider extrasensory, siddhis or yogic, in Eastern cultures, or psychic skills by many others, are included. ESP Training is mandatory for all CCs (Chief Communicators) and Officers or Psi-Warriors (see “The Dark Side” for list), and offered to many others APC (After Public Contact).

fish = IntraPlanetary Communication System. Also known as the Interspecies Communication System begins as a semi-acronym, “IntraPlanCS,” which morphs into “i-planCS,” which becomes “i-planX,” and then logofies into a slanted, stylized “i-“ beside an “X,” which Zephyr Branon names the “i-fish,” and then simply the fish. (Thanks to Douglas Adams’ five-volume “trilogy,” The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, in which he introduces multi-language, internal translators called “Babel fish.”)

iD and Access = Individual Access technology. Gives Earthers Access to all information, links, media via one’s own internal Access point or iD to the MWC Resource Library. Symbol is just the slanted “i” leaning onto a very fat “D,” pronounced “eye-Dee,” with the emphasis on the first syllable instead of the second, not to be confused with “Eye-Dee,” for “ID,” emphasis on the second syllable, which still means personal identification for many MWC-ers.

IGC = InterGalactic Council. Governing body of the MWC (Many Worlds Collective), whose reports, Implementations, adjudications and decisions appear in most of these Volumes.

MWC = Many Worlds Collective. Interplanetary association of all sentient beings in the multiverse. Membership is voluntary, to an extent, and usually by issued invitation preceded by many informal and perhaps secret visits/contact over a specified period of time, resulting in the selection and training of a Chief Communicator for that Member (Earth’s first CC is Dr. Clara Branon, Ph.D.).

mwcw = Many Worlds Collective Webview. Also called the ‘verse web, or just the verse. Similar to the Earth’s Internet from the 20th – 21st Centuries, but interplanetary. iDs Access (see above) information from the mcwc, mostly.

Re-set = Changing a timeline’s circumstances, outcomes, or trajectory by focusing on the events’ “previous” “fork” and then changing a pivotal circumstance, choice, decision that precedes or coincides with that fork. A Re-set allow all “future” (ALT, or According to Linear Time) events to unfold slightly and perhaps quite differently, from that fork “onward.” Beings who have the ability (very advanced in the ESP [Excellent Skills Program] training, levels 11 or 12) may focus on a multiverse “fork” and allow for alternate timeline(s) to emerge for experiential, educational or actual living purposes, then choose or collaboratively select which timeline to make primary.

Return and Reinvolvement = A sentient being’s consciousness is separate from its physical form and therefore may be released (“die”) at any time. If the consciousness is going to take physical form again, there are several possible options. The heart/mind may be constrained to Reinvolvement (must become newly incarnated or “born” into a physical form, often a similar species form, due to lessons unlearned or karma unfinished; usually do not retain memories and may lose skills and abilities depending on karma). The heart/mind is eligible to choose to Return (become incarnated with full retention of previous memories, skills, abilities, in order to be helpful to current beings; may change forms from previous depending on need). The heart/mind remains free of physical form for the rest of its awareness, blending with oneness for those who do not incarnate.

>Snap = used to describe the sound and the action of bringing an object to oneself using telekinesisl also, a general term for the sound and effect of using other ESP (Excellent Skills Program) skills.

Spanners = Earthers who are alive as the century turns from twentieth to twenty-first, especially those who live almost equal numbers of our lives’ years in both centuries. Also, all those who are alive both before and after the Transition (see below). For a longer description of all that Spanners signify, see Volume I.

Timult and Timultaneity = Noun/verb, adjective. The act of intentionally viewing, being aware of, knowing of events, people or possibilities occurring in more than one timeline; also, that these multiple timelines exist and have varying circumstances. Terms invented/coined by Zephyr Branon. Also, timulting and other verb forms exist.

Timulters = Beings who can perceive more than one timeline’s occurrences among the multiverse. Dr. Clara Branon is the first known intentional timulter who has no ESP (Excellent Skills Program) training for her first timults, beginning when she is a child.

Transition = first 5 – 10 Earth years APC (After Public Contact) with the MWC (Many Worlds Collective) for Earthers.

Filed under: All Volumes, The Spanners Tagged: Psi, Psi-Defiers, Psi-Warriors, Psi-Wars, Spanners, The Spanners Series, This Changes My Family and My Life Forever, ThisChangesEverything

Two in three weeks! “Versatile #Blogger #Award” also landed here!

Thanks, Inger D. Kenobi, upcoming guest for Episode 20 on 2/4/15 of CHANGES, and my sangha sister, for nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award! I am so honored!

Here is her posting with all Inger’s nominations:

http://theviridescentconsumer.wordpress.com/2015/01/03/the-viridescent-consumer-receives-the-versatile-blogger-award-fist-pump-mandatory/

The rules are:

Show the award on your blog.
Thank the person who nominated you.
Share 7 facts about yourself.
Nominate 15 blogs.
Link to your nominees’ blogs and let them know.

I am going to take the title of this award literally and nominate those whose blogs are versatile and fascinating (to me, of course):

Anne R. Allen, who shares her blog and spotlight with Ruth Harris, providing excellent posts, tips and resources

http://www.annerallen.blogspot.com/
Rayne Dowell, whom I like to call my Good Fairy for all the help, advice, tips, support and encouragement she has given me, especially for my social media presence and my talk show, *CHANGES*, but she hates that.

Http://www.SocialMediaStrategyNow.com
Brian Feinblum, who also provides an excellent newsletter and free guides

http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/
Rachel Byfield, with great tips and resources

http://www.thewritersshack.com
C. Hope Clark, who has an invaluable weekly newsletter I often re-post items from because they’re that important!

http://www.fundsforwriters.com
Ian Cleary, who also offers many webinars.

http://www.razorsocial.com
Shawn Manaher and R.J. Adams, who also do The Author Hangout weekly podcast/video show.

http://bookmarketingtools.com
D’Vorah Lansky, who also does the annual Book Marketing Challenge and many teleseminars.

http://www.bookmarketingmadeeasy.com
Dr. John Yeoman, with excellent guest posts, contests and resources

http://www.writers-village.org
Jan Wilberg, who also posts frequently via Yeah Write, which I learned about through her site.

http://www.redswrap.wordpress.com/
Ted Summerfield, who keeps me updated about Smashwords and other #indie pub news

http://www.punzhupuzzles.wordpress.com
Joan Stewart, who offers webinars, newsletters and resources frequently

http://www.publicityhound.com
Rebekah Radice, providing multiple sources and guest posts as well as video guest spots

http://www.rebekahradice.com
Chris McMullen, the instigator/creator of #ReadTuesday (2nd Tuesday after Black Friday), valiantly supporting #indie authors

http://chrismcmullen.wordpress.com
Chris Graham, The Story Reading Ape (TSRA), offering many marketing opps for #authors

http://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/

Seven MORE things most people do not know about me…

My first languages were Yiddish (no longer fluent, though) and English. I also speak/know Spanish as well as some Italian, German, French, Tibetan and Sanskrit.
I won a competition and represented my school on the balance beam in 6th grade and continued to work the beam until I wrecked my ankle during a poorly spotted dismount in 10th grade. This injury prevented me from trying out for cheerleading as well, which greatly improved my intellectual and artistic lives and friendships.
I have a negative physical reaction to roller coasters and anything mechanical that carries people to or across high places (ferris wheels, trams, ski lifts) which includes some acrophobia.
I read about 1000 words/minute unless the text is very dense or complicated.
I have some friends still in my life whom I’ve known since we were 5 years old. We are now 60.
My first role in a play was in Kindergarten. I was cast as the rabbit. The day before the play, I sprained my ankle (not the same one as above), so my mother brought me to school in a red wagon (we lived across the street from the school) and I hopped my way through my part: best method acting ever.
My grandmother (may she enjoy TV in the ether), my mother, and I have all spent way too much time watching a long-running USA soap opera, Days of Our Lives. Knowing this, one of my sort-of-stepchildren gave me a mug with the DOOL logo on it which I recently gifted to my mother.


Filed under: Blogging and others' content, CHANGES Episodes, Gratitude, Indie or Self-Publishing, Writing Tagged: awards, bloggers, blogging, writing

Dear #Indie #Authors: If You Don’t Want an Honest #Review, Don’t Ask Me to Write One

image from: http://www.pieceofcakepr.com

If You Don’t Want an Honest Review, Don’t Ask Me to Write One

Some background…

I’m an educator and an editor: I don’t mean to be harsh, but I have a red pen in my mind when I read. Can’t turn it off. Is every piece of my own writing perfect? Not by a long shot. HOWEVER, my proofreading skills, grammar-checking and spelling are excellent, particularly when applied to others’ writing.

I used to teach English writing, grammar and spelling. I have worked as an editor, proofreader and paid writer. I also used to teach kids, teens and adults, all grades, many subjects, pre-Kindergarten through graduate school, including English to Speakers of other Languages (ESL) and literacy/numeracy to adults with severe learning disabilities. I used to train/supervise and evaluate student teachers and classroom teachers. I have a B.A., master’s and doctorate in education, specializing in multicultural and teacher education.

I have had nonfiction, articles, poetry, and short fiction published and plays produced prior to self-publishing my sci-fi/romance ebooks. I write The Spanners Series‘ ebooks intentionally in the present tense, BTW, which confounds many readers and reviewers until they understand the reasons.

Degrees are no guarantee of excellence in any area, as we all know, nor is quantity of publications any indication of quality. My education and experiences are important to note, however, for background.

As a reader: I used to read about 10 books PER WEEK for dozens of years, mostly fiction. Now I read less, but mostly fiction, with some select nonfiction and recently, online pieces and blogs.

I know some stuff.

Really.

Current state of my life…

I’m also very busy. I rarely even agree to attempt a review because I’m so busy.

I’m therefore justifiably extremely picky about what I choose to read and even pickier about what I decide to review.

So, if I agree to review your book but I find that it is not well-written, not carefully edited or proofread, or otherwise NOT going to be getting a stellar review from me, I first will email you and explain my criticisms. Sometimes, I will do your critique in detail, at no small loss to my own writing time, because I truly wish to be helpful. I might not even be able to finish your book; it could be that bad.

image from http://www.brookeharrison.com

When I review your book and it’s not very good news for you…

I will tell you that I usually get paid $100 for these kinds of critiques. I am not joking. I am also not extorting you, just making a point and asking for you to share the wealth, if you ever have any. Paypal button is on my website. You can donate $1, out of respect.

Because, if I do deign to finish your book (because your bad writing and many mistakes hurt my eyes, you should realize that I am doing you a HUGE favor to keep reading under those circumstances; imagine a musician having to listen to someone sing who is tone-deaf!), be amazed. If I further agree to review your flawed tome, the FIRST proper response from you, the author, is: THANK YOU, Sally.

How you could best react to my comments about your book…

If you are serious about being a writer and intend to continue, you should express your eagerness to consider my critique carefully. Think about how you can try to make corrections, do revisions, improve in the future. Do SOMETHING that makes me believe that I haven’t wasted my time.

If you have received only positive reviews up to this point while my criticisms are warranted and accurate, then your other “reviewers” have a very poor professional “eye” or are lying to you to “spare your feelings.” They did you a grave disservice and misled you horribly.

That is not my fault. I am pointing this out so you’ll know whose opinions to trust.

Do not hide behind those “good” reviews and do not make excuses. Do not whine about being “new” or “inexperienced.” Do not complain to me that you did not have enough money to hire an editor or proofreader, so you did it yourself or used your cousin.

If your book is not ready for publication, DO NOT PUBLISH IT. Really.

Honestly: I have given this a lot of thought before I tell you that your book is not currently good enough to merit a positive review. I give you my professional reasons for assigning your book its low rating.

What not to do when you get my email…

Do not call me names. (Seriously?)
Do not act as though I have offended you personally by critiquing your writing professionally.
Do not tell me you have now gone to read my book or my reviews (but not before this???) and have determined from your brief perusal (my books are over 130K words or 300 pages long) that you do not respect me or my writing and, therefore, can ignore what I’m telling you.
Do not tell me not to contact you and then keep emailing me or following my blog, posting about my review on YOUR blog and “calling me out” as a bad reviewer or writer, just to make yourself feel better. Your behavior is beyond appalling. You ASKED ME FOR A REVIEW, remember?
Do not trot out your credentials, degrees, numbers of previously published and much-loved books: I do not care. I am reading THIS one and reviewing THIS book and only this book, and my assessment stands.
Do not tell me how much more you know than I do about_______________(fill in the blank). That is not relevant. This is not a competition. If you actually know that much about good writing but did not apply it to this book adequately, get going to do it better next time instead of wasting your energy deriding me for noticing all the ways that you did not apply your knowledge well in this book.
Do not position yourself as my enemy, my judge or my combatant. What is your purpose in doing that? If my honest review of your book inspires you to denigrate me, a fellow author who donated her time and expertise to try to help you write better, there is a lot wrong with your approach to seeking and receiving reviews that I do not have the time or interest in detailing here.

News flash: Every negative review is NOT to be dismissed cavalierly by your declaration that your book “is not for everyone,” although some reviewers’ opinions certainly can be dismissed in that way. If I took the time to read and review your entire book (and almost always, I do NOT), then I thought (I hoped) that I would like your book. By definition, that means your book was written for me.

What’s true about me and you…

I am not a “troll.” I am not being unfair. I am not “slamming” you or your book. I take no pleasure in having to write a negative or mixed review. I agonize over what I know will hit you hard, especially if you have been surrounded by people telling you, sometimes for years, how great your writing is. Your writing might be entertaining, interesting or creative, and I probably already told you that. Great it is not.

I am an ethical, hard-working author who occasionally tutors writing, edits or proofreads (for money) and writes reviews (rarely, and always for free). If I mention to you that I do this for money, the “this” is not reviewing, it is my tutoring writers and editing. By taking the time not just to offer a review, but to email you (more than once, sometimes) and converse with you about specifics and ways you could improve, mistakes you made, recommendations I’m making, I have now ventured into the arena of work I usually get paid to perform.

I tell you that not to extort money from you, but to let you know that, if you find my insights valuable and you ever have “extra” money, I’d appreciate a donation that recognizes my having GIVEN you my professional expertise, having gone above and beyond what reviewers usually do. It’s an opportunity to respond with courtesy, not a requirement.

I respect most other authors tremendously. However, I am not reviewing your ideas or taking into account your desire for success, however strong they may be. I am professionally reviewing your book, author to author, editor to author, proofreader to author, educator to author.

If I have reviewed your book and you are dissatisfied with my opinions, suggestions or corrections, I strongly recommend you let it go. I will not engage with you beyond providing my critique. I do not want to get into a “flame war,” bloggers’ conflict, take sides, or other such middle-school-era nonsense.

I have writing to do.

If you are too thin-skinned (read: unprofessional), not ready, not willing to improve, AND, if you don’t know enough to respect my opinions and experience much less my expertise, so that, really, you do not want my honesty, DO NOT ASK ME TO REVIEW YOUR BOOK.

Please.

Ask your cousin.

Filed under: Indie or Self-Publishing, Opinions, Personal stories, Reviews Tagged: Book Reviews, editing, Indie Publishing, proofreading

Ask an Author

Sally Ember, Ed.D.:

Bring your burning questions to my fellow author, Nicholas Rossis’, monthly feature, “Ask an #Author”!

Originally posted on Write of Passage:

If you have a question about writing, the right person to ask is another writer. Once a month I’ll be featuring writers who put the author in authoritative.

My first author is writer, avid reader, and blogger Nicholas C. Rossis, author of science fiction, the

Pearseus

epic fantasy series, and children’s books, all of which have repeatedly reached

#1 on Amazon. : )

My sister and I have asked Nicholas for advice many times, so naturally he was the first person I contacted to share advice with my readers.

Nicholas is an author who is always eager to give free advice, encouragement, and books–that’s right books. I noticed Nicholas has a lot of success with giveaways and special offers, so I asked him to share the benefits of giving away books for free.

Just Give it Away: Does Free Work?

From timashton.org.uk

I keep reading contradictory information on this. One of my blogging friends…

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Filed under: Writing

RRBC Awards: we won!

Sally Ember, Ed.D.:

Mazel Tov to Nicholas Rossis! A much deserved set of awards! Want to know more about Nicholas and his books? Watch our LIVe conversation on Episode 7 of *CHANGES*: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPbfKicwk4dFdeVSAY1tfhtjaEY_clmfq

Originally posted on Nicholas C. Rossis:

Remember how I had asked you to vote for my blog in the Rave Reviews Book Club awards? Well, you did it! My blog won first place in the Best Blog category, and my On the Shelf interview won second place!

Surprisingly enough, these were not the only awards I won, as I also won second place for most creative tweets. This is probably because I follow MM Jays’ excellent advice on Showing, not Telling, when tweeting.

That’s not all, though: Just before the year’s end, both Dale Furse and Sally Sue Ember very kindly nominated my blog for the Very Inspiring Blogger award. I’m speechless by their kindness and generosity. I still have to answer 7 questions about me and nominate 15 bloggers for the award. I promise to do so soon, but this is just to thank both these lovely girls!

For those who don’t…

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Filed under: Writing

Young Blood Fixes Old, Reversing the Aging Process: The End of Independence

In one video clip of an annual summary of scientific discoveries for 2014, the narrator calmly stated this astonishing description and conclusion from research conducted this past year (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjrt0hcv4Qk), using the headline Young Blood Fixes Old:

Scientists stitched [!?!] two [living] mice together, one young, one old, connected their circulatory systems. The connection rejuvenated the brain and the muscle of the older mouse. It appears young blood contains a factor that can turn back the clock on the aging process.

image from http://www.regenexx.com

Exactly how long do you think older, wealthier humans are going to wait before purchasing, enslaving and continuing to exploit younger humans in even more ways, including keeping them STITCHED to their bodies just to utilize their young blood to reverse their own aging???

I am nauseated.

Oh, sure. Scientists could isolate this “factor” and package only that.

But, where will this blood-borne factor be obtained? Exactly how legal, voluntary and frequent (or ongoing!?!) will the processes be for arranging for the young blood donors to fulfill ever-increasing requests for portions (how much?) of their blood?

We already have illegal and questionably-legal markets and practices for:

organs that can be transplanted, in whole or in part, preserving the donor’s life or not;
fertilizable human eggs;
gestational wombs;
siblings conceived to be organ donors for a needy sibling;
sexual surrogates (underaged or legal-aged sex slaves of both sexes).

Are you shuddering at the implications of this research, yet? Young people on this planet who have less power and wealth to protect them than those elders who wield power and money like weapons already, should RUN!

image from http://scitechdaily.com

Read Susan Young Rojahn’s May 9, 2014, article, Can Compounds in Young Blood Fix Aging?

Animal studies on the revitalizing power of young blood suggest new drug targets for treating conditions like dementia and heart disease, which summarizes several research studies and their implications, then read the quotes, below.

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/527146/can-compounds-in-young-blood-fix-aging/

Based on Wagers’s new and previous results, the Boston-area venture capital firm Atlas Venture has started a still-unnamed company. Wagers’s previous findings caught the eye of the VC firm in 2013, and the new results “increased the excitement for the role of GDF11 in aging,” says partner Peter Barrett. “Now it’s the blocking and tackling of trying to understand what would be the best therapeutic approach to make this a commercial product.”

The wealthier, more powerful of the elders will soon be able to co-opt young blood to keep them from aging. What will stop them?

One of the Stanford researchers, Tony Wyss-Coray, has cofounded a biotech company called Alkahest to test the therapeutic potential of his group’s findings.

image from http://imgur.com

If you’re not terrified, you’re not paying attention.

Filed under: Opinions, Science Tagged: aging, exploitation, scientific research, young blood

Giving Kids Their Future: Why We Need Science Fiction For Kids

Sally Ember, Ed.D.:

Ursula K. Le Guin is NEVER wrong, never boring, never shy AND she’s creative, brilliant and unique, still writing in her 80s and still appealing to readers of ALL ages. Gotta love her.

Originally posted on Views From the Tesseract:

I’m going to kick this post off with a quote from Ursula Le Guin’s speech at the National Book Awards.

Hard times are coming, when we’ll be wanting the voices of writers who can see alternatives to how we live now, can see through our fear-stricken society and its obsessive technologies to other ways of being, and even imagine real grounds for hope. We’ll need writers who can remember freedom – poets, visionaries – realists of a larger reality.

Hard times are coming.  Some would say hard times are here.  The media tends to promote the idea.  The future looks big and scary with a lot of doomsayers in our midst.  And kids get an earful of it. . . and an eyeful.  The media gives them great heaping gulps of the awfulness going on . . . and the awfulness we might be headed into.

It’s not a complete…

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Filed under: Writing

12 Tips on How NOT to host a 30-minute #Podcast, #Radio Show or #Google+/#Youtube #HOA

12 Tips on How NOT to host a 30-minute #Podcast, #Radio Show or #Google+/#Youtube #HOA

Based on my having attended, listened to and/or watched many such shows in the past eighteen months that could have been SO MUCH BETTER, I give you this list of DON’Ts:

Do not waste your show’s time. That means you cannot spend the first 5 or more minutes reading the names of everyone who is attending when you only have 30 minutes for your show. I know there is a prevailing “wisdom” that “everyone likes to hear their name said,” but, honestly: when you have dozens or hundreds of viewers and only 30 minutes, it’s just not practical or useful for your overall broadcast. Furthermore, audience members can go to the event page and see everyone’s names for ourselves, in most cases. Similarly, don’t spend time making announcements you can post. If you only have a few watchers and/or want to engage with some because they comment or ask questions, PLEASE do that instead (see #2, below).

image from: http://dialmformarketing.co

Do not ask for audience engagement and then neglect to engage. If you request comments and questions on the show page or on Twitter and then take up all your show’s time chatting with your guests while neglecting to respond to any of the posted comments or questions, that is unconscionable. If you’re not going to/can’t manage your time or engagement better (see #3), don’t manage it yourself. Get someone else to do it. Or, if you’re not serious about engaging, do a broadcast-only format.
Do not suddenly notice that you have mismanaged your brief show time too late (see #1 & #2). If you do, do not try to rectify your having ignored most of your participants by spending the last few minutes reading the names of those who commented/asked questions rather than responding to one or more with the remaining minutes. Consider this: wouldn’t YOU rather have a question or comment responded to than hear a list of 30 names?
Do not make your audience feel unwelcome. This happens when you chit-chat with your guests, telling “in” jokes, discussing people you know but whom many of your participants may not and then deride anyone who doesn’t understand your jokes or know the people you refer to in your conversation. In addition to showing disrespect and wasting valuable time, you give viewers/listeners the perspective of you as one of those hosts who insults and ignores your participants.

image from: http://alimattu.com

Do not ignore the title/topic of your show Do not discuss some minor point tangentially related to it for most of your time, then briefly spend about 3 minutes on the stated topic near the end when there is insufficient time to address it. You are training your audience not to trust you or your content when your show does not deliver the content as promised by its title. It is also not useful or professional to promise a sizable chunk of content via your title and then realize mid-show that your promise is unable to be kept because that chunk is too large. Your show can’t possibly handle a topic of that size in 30 minutes. Even worse is to use your content and time mismanagement ploy as a rationale to get the audience members to purchase your______________ (fill in the blank with “webinars,” “books,” “services,” etc.). NOBODY likes “bait-and-switch” tactics.
Do not make incomplete references. Do not mention to your participants your or others’ past shows’ guests or topics without informing them of WHY you’re mentioning them. If you want viewers/listeners to know something, start at the beginning or give us the URL (see #9). We may be new to you or your shows. Assume nothing.
Do not start late. You insult us, waste our time, and train us not to trust you. Tech issues aside, many hosts habitually start late. If the show is live, please be on time or find a way to post a note as to the proposed delayed starting time and a reason for the delay.

image from: http://www.audiblemarketing.com

Do not make jokes that only you and your guests understand or find funny (see #4). This is terrible, particularly when they are unrelated to your topic/title of the show. We are not amused and you’re wasting OUR time. That kind of chat belongs in your Green Room time only.
Do not provide incomplete or difficult-to-utilize resources. Do not just rattle off a URL, book title, author’s or expert’s name or other pertinent information without spelling it, slowing down to say it, AND putting it UP as a visual or on the event page for everyone to read and utilize fully. Many of us do not hear well, are not native English speakers, or didn’t think to have a pen handy and we will miss the reference completely.
Do not refer assume everyone is always watching a video show. Do not refer to comments you do put up as visuals without reading the entire comment or summarizing it aloud, first. Some of us are not watching all the time as we’re listening. Also, if you start with a videocast and later want to convert your show(s) to a podcast, a lot will be lost or nonsensical if you don’t read out loud the comments and questions you’re utilizing.

image from: http://strategiccontentmarketing.co

Do not try to squeeze 60 minutes of content and engagement into 30 minutes. Break it into two shows or curtail the topic/number of guests/engagement to fit the slot you have chosen to fill.
Do not say “um,” “uh,” “well,” “you know,” etc., excessively and frequently. Practice removing these and other semi- or non-verbal interrupters and delayers from your speaking habits. If you really cannot do that, apologize in advance. It is very unprofessional as well as irritating to your viewers/listeners to have to wade through all that; quite a time-waster to boot, especially on a brief show. If you think you can edit all of those utterances “out” of the audio, good luck with that.

Because of my wanting to avoid some of the above problems and for many other reasons, each of my CHANGES Google+ HOA live Episodes is scheduled for 60 minutes. Even that often seems too short!

I hope this helps some of you who are hosting shows, especially if you’re fairly new to hosting, but even if you’re not. December 17, I finished my 16th Episode of CHANGES, but I had decades of training, practicing, performing, presenting and acting professionally that preceded this gig.

If you’re usually an audience member or sometimes a guest, empower yourself to share this list of “Don’ts” with hosts you believe might benefit from reviewing these tips to improve their shows. Most of these tips also apply to being a good guest, anyway.

Watch conversations with my previous CHANGES guests any time and leave your opinions, comments and questions or contact my guests directly (via the second URL, below, which provides each guest’s website):

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPbfKicwk4dFdeVSAY1tfhtjaEY_clmfq

#Authors: Learn more about and get yourself on, or #Readers, recommend an author to be scheduled as a guest on my CHANGES G+ HOAs. Seeking guests for mid-February and beyond. Check the guidelines and schedule here:   

http://sallyember.com/changes-videocasts-by-sally-ember-ed-d/

Filed under: CHANGES Episodes, G+ HOAs, Google HOAs Tagged: hosting, Podcasts, radio shows

The USA #Civil #Rights #Restorative #Justice Project needs YOUR information

SHARE! Help restore the actual history of USA atrocities, the genocide of blacks, especially men, in the USA South during the first half or so of the 20th century.

If you know of a “Jim Crow,” KKK, community- or personally instigated, racially motivated killing, any details, please contact the people in the Civil Rights Restorative Justice Project right away.

Scour letters, family diaries, journals, photographs, Bibles’ death records, anecdotes from those who were there.

Find out more: http://goo.gl/0Tuav1 = story on NPR

Send info and learn more about project: http://www.northeastern.edu/civilrights/

Northeastern University School of Law

400 Huntington Avenue

Boston, MA 02115

Email: crrj@neu.edu

Tel. 617-373-8243

Filed under: Support for Good Causes Tagged: blacks, Civil Rights, Jim Crow, killing, lynchings, murder, Negroes, racism, Restorative Justice, USA South

How to Launch Your New Book: Everything I Know

Sally Ember, Ed.D.:

“How to Launch Your New Book: Everything I Know” Excellent advice for #indie #authors, new or returning http://wp.me/p3H5j-11o thx http://Infinitefreetime.com

Originally posted on Infinitefreetime.com:

(I’m going to be presenting these as Unquestionable Rules that Must be Followed.  Argue with me anyway.  Sometimes I’m very strident and wrong at the same time, especially if I think a general tone of Absolute Authority is funnier.  I am scheduling this to pop while I’m on the road, so feel free to yell at me in comments.)

So!

You have written a book.  Congratulations!  I am proud of you.  You have done something that you have probably wanted to do for a very long time and that many, many people have tried to do and failed.

Here is what to do next, so that when you publish your book, you have the greatest chance of your book making an impact.  Note my phrasing; it’s intentional: when YOU publish your book.  You’re not submitting your book to an agent or to a publishing company and waiting a year to get…

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Filed under: Writing