While critical paperwork piles up at home and in my office, going out and meeting people and showing the things we have to offer - books, healthy coffee, art-poetry broadsides, custom stationery products, book distribution, Send Out Cards, and our book publishing consulting business, I see the challenge of being involved in too many things. It's hard to be good at one or two things when you have a world of stuff going on: -- it can also be a turn-off for some people. But not all people. It's a question of finding the right people, and not becoming too involved in the outcome. Some people you can engage, others not. If you can inspire one or two of them you get what is called leverage. They work for the good of themselves, and while they build their own business they are helping you as well. The quest for applied leverage continues ...
My regular job is to sell books for clients to bookstores. Bookstore people in the Midwest are my long-standing customers. I have a commitment to them and to my client publishers to do a good job. My network of bookstores is the one that crosses all the paths of everything I do, all the stuff listed above. It's always been like that. The bookstore network, the one-on-one customer service, the engagement, the approach to understanding what the bookseller's needs are and what kind of books they can sell best, the development of a trusting relationship between us is what drives my business. It has always been the case through 26 years as a book traveler in the Midwest territory.
And dealing with the general public, the book buying public, has never been a strength of mine. My core audience has always been business owners, especially bookstore owners, managers, and buyers. And so the shindig at the Milwaukee Avenue Arts Festival is a new skill set for me. I've been trying to build up an e-mail list. A mailing list, direct mail and greeting cards, is the ultimate goal, but you need to take small steps. The goal is to develop an audience; people who are interested in what you do and what you have to offer. I'm working on it. It's a balancing act.
Showing up is half the battle. Everything else is in your positive attitude, save 2% which is intangibles and sheer luck. "You're a good man," a fellow who stopped by my table at the Milwaukee Avenue Art Festival told me. Raising that kind of awareness and increasing engagement with these kinds of people is the key to success over time. You need to be in it to win it!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Live from Milwaukee Avenue Art Festival
3ibooks has its kiosk just inside the entrance of 2515 N. Milwuakee Ave. The building is a converted roofing contractor's warehouse. Inside it's bloody hot, the lighting and ventilation are poor at best, and the cracked concrete floor is murder on the feet and it has a permanent layer of dust. But the flow of interesting people is nonstop, and we are right next to LSLR: -- The Logan Square Literary Review. This is a very high quality journal "hand crafted in Logan Square" -- www.loganliterary.com -- and edited by a triumvirate of Eleanor Black, Patrick Dahl, and Daniel Majid. There is a definite synergy to both our approaches to all-things-local literature, and I definitely think we will be collaborating on some projects together in the future.
One of the exhibits just behind our table is LSLR's showcase of MILWAUKEE AVENUE: THE MILLENNIAL SHIFT. This is a fascinating display of artwork, posters, photographs, broadsides, advertisements, rock concert handouts, circulars going way back, and these super-cool venue flyers for current places doing great work up and down the avenue. Young Chicago Authors at 1180 N Milwaukee is one notable organization that used to have a home on W Division Street, and was referred to me by past 1st Ward alderman Manny Flores. They sponsor the largest youth poetry festival in the city, the latest event being called Louder than a Bomb.
I met up with a very vivacious young woman named Katie Palmer, an actress who has come to Chicago by way of Orlando, FL. She originally hails from Connecticut, and she is involved with one of the venues featured in the Milwaukee Avenue showcase, the Gorilla Tango Theater at 1919 N Milwaukee Avenue -- http://www.gorillatango.com/ -- and Ms. Palmer is starring in a current stage version of the classic film THE OMEGA MAN. Ms. Palmer told me it was a burlesque, and being billed as a Hestonian Opera, in honor of screen actor Charlton Heston. I'm partial to THE TEN COMMANDMENTS and SOILENT GREEN myself, but I always dug Omega Man too. I really enjoyed talking to Ms. Palmer and her boyfriend, and I think this play might be worth checking out.
We are here in this outside-the-box venue as guests of Any Squared 2328 N Milwaukee Avenue. This is an art collective that grew out of the ashes of ARTillary, and they put on art shows such as this one in places that don't normally do them. They did an amazing job with it. There is a deejay spinning disks, real vinyl, and innovative sound performance artists coming in at regular intervals, and some really cool exhibits. The one that caught my eye was LOSS OF SPACE from the Espacio Perdido Gallery, curated by Abdi Y. Maya & Eliazabeth Farias. I had a chance to talk to Liz and went through some of the pieces from the show, a mixture of paintings, lithographs, photos, and multimedia collage. One set of photographs that was really arresting were ones by local photographer Luis Hernandez. He has this Indian Muse character, really photogenic, who inhabits three different settings. It draws the viewer in and makes you want more information.
All in all, Saturday at the Art Festival was fun and productive.
One of the exhibits just behind our table is LSLR's showcase of MILWAUKEE AVENUE: THE MILLENNIAL SHIFT. This is a fascinating display of artwork, posters, photographs, broadsides, advertisements, rock concert handouts, circulars going way back, and these super-cool venue flyers for current places doing great work up and down the avenue. Young Chicago Authors at 1180 N Milwaukee is one notable organization that used to have a home on W Division Street, and was referred to me by past 1st Ward alderman Manny Flores. They sponsor the largest youth poetry festival in the city, the latest event being called Louder than a Bomb.
I met up with a very vivacious young woman named Katie Palmer, an actress who has come to Chicago by way of Orlando, FL. She originally hails from Connecticut, and she is involved with one of the venues featured in the Milwaukee Avenue showcase, the Gorilla Tango Theater at 1919 N Milwaukee Avenue -- http://www.gorillatango.com/ -- and Ms. Palmer is starring in a current stage version of the classic film THE OMEGA MAN. Ms. Palmer told me it was a burlesque, and being billed as a Hestonian Opera, in honor of screen actor Charlton Heston. I'm partial to THE TEN COMMANDMENTS and SOILENT GREEN myself, but I always dug Omega Man too. I really enjoyed talking to Ms. Palmer and her boyfriend, and I think this play might be worth checking out.
We are here in this outside-the-box venue as guests of Any Squared 2328 N Milwaukee Avenue. This is an art collective that grew out of the ashes of ARTillary, and they put on art shows such as this one in places that don't normally do them. They did an amazing job with it. There is a deejay spinning disks, real vinyl, and innovative sound performance artists coming in at regular intervals, and some really cool exhibits. The one that caught my eye was LOSS OF SPACE from the Espacio Perdido Gallery, curated by Abdi Y. Maya & Eliazabeth Farias. I had a chance to talk to Liz and went through some of the pieces from the show, a mixture of paintings, lithographs, photos, and multimedia collage. One set of photographs that was really arresting were ones by local photographer Luis Hernandez. He has this Indian Muse character, really photogenic, who inhabits three different settings. It draws the viewer in and makes you want more information.
All in all, Saturday at the Art Festival was fun and productive.
Friday, July 22, 2011
SEND OUT CARDS is a game changer for business people
www.sendoutcards.com/ericlmiller
Jordan Adler calls it "the law of reciprocation" -- people experience it all the time because they took the time to send a card to somebody. It's a great business tool, a distinct way to enhance relationships and differentiate yourself from the pack.
Frank has had explosive growth at Metropolitan Bank down the street, and he was wondering out loud what he was going to do for an encore next quarter or next fiscal year. "It's in the cards!" I told him.
JUICE PLUS is an incredible system to get the fruits and vegetables you need to be essentially healthy. And SEND OUT CARDS has a variety of JUICE PLUS images to go on cards that distributors can send out to the customers, clients, and friends. This helps to effectively spread the needed message of JUICE PLUS. Karen can also use it to motivate her national team to achieve new heights in volume.
Erica told a story about how she sent a client a card and it made the recipient's week. Just imagine what could happen if you send out 1 - 3 cards daily! Over the course of a year, almost 1,000 people are positively impacted by expressions of gratitude. The end result: -- an increase in business!
A way for Jim to separate himself out from all these brokers hawking loans is to reach out to his customers and show them that he cares beyond making a fast sale. He's a holistic broker and a real cool character, and he's looking to build and maintain relationships with young people and help them achieve their dreams of home ownership. Through the cards, they become generational customers.
John could make himself memorable by sending cards to his customers and prospects thanking them for the opportunity to evaluate their property. He could send "looking forward to seeing you" cards, "forget-me-not"cards, and holiday cards that carry the message that he cares and will go the extra mile for people.
Handymen are a dime a dozen in this town, and you wouldn't want someone on your home that you didn't trust. Word of mouth is all it takes, and there is a never-ending stream of work where a majority of the houses are falling apart around here. Card sending is a way to widen the network of people you know. With sending out cards, Tom could demonstrate beyond his handyman skills that he's a cut above the rest.
The importance of a well thought-out estate plan can't be under-estimated. People lose thousands of dollars every year because they procrastinated and didn't set up a plan whilst they were healthy. And Gwen could find her potential clients using the SEND OUT CARDS system; the reach out is personal, immediate, and powerful.
In reality every business owner and professional needs to use SEND OUT CARDS. They mostly do a bad or uneven job of connecting with their customers and clients on a personal level. You, dear reader, need to experience it. Go to this web site (www.sendoutcards.com/ericlmiller) and click on number 2 to send a free card. Send the card out and see this amazing system in action!
Jordan Adler calls it "the law of reciprocation" -- people experience it all the time because they took the time to send a card to somebody. It's a great business tool, a distinct way to enhance relationships and differentiate yourself from the pack.
Frank has had explosive growth at Metropolitan Bank down the street, and he was wondering out loud what he was going to do for an encore next quarter or next fiscal year. "It's in the cards!" I told him.
JUICE PLUS is an incredible system to get the fruits and vegetables you need to be essentially healthy. And SEND OUT CARDS has a variety of JUICE PLUS images to go on cards that distributors can send out to the customers, clients, and friends. This helps to effectively spread the needed message of JUICE PLUS. Karen can also use it to motivate her national team to achieve new heights in volume.
Erica told a story about how she sent a client a card and it made the recipient's week. Just imagine what could happen if you send out 1 - 3 cards daily! Over the course of a year, almost 1,000 people are positively impacted by expressions of gratitude. The end result: -- an increase in business!
A way for Jim to separate himself out from all these brokers hawking loans is to reach out to his customers and show them that he cares beyond making a fast sale. He's a holistic broker and a real cool character, and he's looking to build and maintain relationships with young people and help them achieve their dreams of home ownership. Through the cards, they become generational customers.
John could make himself memorable by sending cards to his customers and prospects thanking them for the opportunity to evaluate their property. He could send "looking forward to seeing you" cards, "forget-me-not"cards, and holiday cards that carry the message that he cares and will go the extra mile for people.
Handymen are a dime a dozen in this town, and you wouldn't want someone on your home that you didn't trust. Word of mouth is all it takes, and there is a never-ending stream of work where a majority of the houses are falling apart around here. Card sending is a way to widen the network of people you know. With sending out cards, Tom could demonstrate beyond his handyman skills that he's a cut above the rest.
The importance of a well thought-out estate plan can't be under-estimated. People lose thousands of dollars every year because they procrastinated and didn't set up a plan whilst they were healthy. And Gwen could find her potential clients using the SEND OUT CARDS system; the reach out is personal, immediate, and powerful.
In reality every business owner and professional needs to use SEND OUT CARDS. They mostly do a bad or uneven job of connecting with their customers and clients on a personal level. You, dear reader, need to experience it. Go to this web site (www.sendoutcards.com/ericlmiller) and click on number 2 to send a free card. Send the card out and see this amazing system in action!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Top 25 Forthcoming Books from the Great Lakes Region
The following books represent the cream of the crop of Great Lakes regional publishing. Diverse authors, diverse subjects, diverse publishers! Happy reading!!
Univ. of Utah Pr./Poetry Foundation - BLUEPRINTS: BRINGING POETRY INTO THE COMMUNITIES
edited by Katherine Coles paperback $8.95 trade 978-1-60781-147-3 Available - Poetry
Academy Chicago - COUNTY: LIFE, DEATH, AND POLITICS AT CHICAGO'S PUBLIC HOSPITAL by David Ansell MD cloth $32.50 978-0-89733-620-8 trade Available Memoir/Medicine
Univ of Georgia Pr. - LAST DAY ON EARTH: A PORTRAIT OF THE NIU SCHOOL SHOOTER by David Vann cloth $24.95 trade 978-0-8203-3839-2 October 2011 True Crime
Intelink Pub Group - 9/11: 10 YEARS LATER by David Ray Griffin paper $18 trade 978-1-56656-868-5 September 2011 Current Affairs/Politics
Johns Hopkins Univ Pr - INVENTING IRON MAN: THE POSSIBIBILITY OF A HUMAN MACHINE by E. Paul Zehr cloth $24.95 trade 978-1-4214-0226-0 - Science
Univ. Pr. of Kansas - DEFENDING CONGRESS AND THE CONSTITUTION by Louis Fisher paper $24.95 trade 978-0-7006-1799-9 - Politics
Univ Pr. of Kansas - FISHES OF THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES 2nd edition Revised & Expanded
by Joseph R. Tomelleri paper $24.95 trade 978-0-7006-1816-3 Nature/Picture Book
Univ. Pr. of Kentucky A VOICE IN A BOX: MY LIFE IN RADIO by Bob Edwards cloth $21.95 trade 978-0-8131-3451-2 Memoir/Media
Univ Pr. of Mississippi ALAN MOORE: CONVERSATIONS edited by Eric T. Berlatsky paper $25 trade 978-1-61703-159-5 Graphic Novels/Comics
Minnesota Historical Soc Pr. THE1968 PROJECT: A NATION COMING OF AGE by Brad Zellar paper $24.95 trade 978-0-87351-842-0 US History
Univ. of Texas Pr. - GREEBACK PLANET: HOW THE DOLLAR CONQUERED THE WORLD ... by H.W. Brands cloth $24.95 trade 978-0-292-72341-2 History/Economics
Tupelo Pr. - TRAFFIC WITH MACBETH: POEMS by Larissa Szporluk (at Bowling Green St U, Ohio) paper $16.95 trade 978-1-936797-02-8 Poetry
Wayne State Univ Pr. - DETROIT LAND by Ricahrd Bak paper $24.95 tarde 978-0-8143-3499-7 Regional History
Wayne State Univ Pr. - THE STOOGES - HEAD ON by Brett Callwood Foreword by Alice Cooper paper $19.95 trade 978-0-8143-3484-3 Music/Regional
Wicker Park Pr./Lake Street Pr. BEYOND THE PEWS: BREAKING WITH TRADITON AND LETING GO OF RELIGIOUS LOCKDOWN by Jillian Maas Backman paper $16.95 trade 978-1-936181-34-6 Religion/Spirituality
NIU Pr. – CHICAGO’S TRUNK MURDER by Elizabeth Dale cloth $32 trade 978-087580-440-8 True Crime/Regional
Michigan State Univ. Pr. – LAUGHING WHITEFISH by Robert Traver paper 19.95 trade 978-1-61186-014-6 Historical Fiction/Native American
Ohio Univ. Pr. – THE MIDWESTERN NATIVE GARDEN by Charlotte Adelman paper $26.95 trade 978-0-8214-1937-3 Gardening/Regional
Ohio Univ. Pr. – THE LOCAVORE’S KITCHEN by Marilou K. Suszko (from Ohio) paper $32.95 trade 978-0-8214-1938-0 Cooking/Regional
Ohio Univ. Pr. – MARIEMONT: A PICTORIAL HISTORY OF A MODEL TOWN by Millard F. Rogers, Jr. cloth $59.95 trade 978—0-8214-1972-4
Univ. of Minnesota Pr. - WHISKEY BREAKFAST: MY SWEDISH FAMILY, MY AMERICAN LIFE by Richard C. Lindberg (set in Chicago) paper $22.95 trade 978-0-8166-4684-5 Memoir
Univ. of Michigan Pr. – FAITHFUL ONTO DEATH by Becky Thacker Paper $22.95 trade 978-0-472-03469-7 Available Fiction/Regional History
Univ. of Michigan Pr. – THE WINDWARD SHORE: A WINTER ON THE GREAT LAKES by Jerry Dennis cloth $22.95 trade 978-0-472-11816-8
Univ. of Michigan Pr. – THE ART OF COOKING MORELS by Ruth Mossok Johnson – cloth $29.95 trade 978-0-472-11784-0 Cooking
Kent State Univ. Pr. - 1950’S RADIO IN COLOR (Photos of Tommy Edwards)
By Christopher Kennedy cloth $49 trade 978-160635-072-0 Music/Photo
Univ. of Utah Pr./Poetry Foundation - BLUEPRINTS: BRINGING POETRY INTO THE COMMUNITIES
edited by Katherine Coles paperback $8.95 trade 978-1-60781-147-3 Available - Poetry
Academy Chicago - COUNTY: LIFE, DEATH, AND POLITICS AT CHICAGO'S PUBLIC HOSPITAL by David Ansell MD cloth $32.50 978-0-89733-620-8 trade Available Memoir/Medicine
Univ of Georgia Pr. - LAST DAY ON EARTH: A PORTRAIT OF THE NIU SCHOOL SHOOTER by David Vann cloth $24.95 trade 978-0-8203-3839-2 October 2011 True Crime
Intelink Pub Group - 9/11: 10 YEARS LATER by David Ray Griffin paper $18 trade 978-1-56656-868-5 September 2011 Current Affairs/Politics
Johns Hopkins Univ Pr - INVENTING IRON MAN: THE POSSIBIBILITY OF A HUMAN MACHINE by E. Paul Zehr cloth $24.95 trade 978-1-4214-0226-0 - Science
Univ. Pr. of Kansas - DEFENDING CONGRESS AND THE CONSTITUTION by Louis Fisher paper $24.95 trade 978-0-7006-1799-9 - Politics
Univ Pr. of Kansas - FISHES OF THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES 2nd edition Revised & Expanded
by Joseph R. Tomelleri paper $24.95 trade 978-0-7006-1816-3 Nature/Picture Book
Univ. Pr. of Kentucky A VOICE IN A BOX: MY LIFE IN RADIO by Bob Edwards cloth $21.95 trade 978-0-8131-3451-2 Memoir/Media
Univ Pr. of Mississippi ALAN MOORE: CONVERSATIONS edited by Eric T. Berlatsky paper $25 trade 978-1-61703-159-5 Graphic Novels/Comics
Minnesota Historical Soc Pr. THE1968 PROJECT: A NATION COMING OF AGE by Brad Zellar paper $24.95 trade 978-0-87351-842-0 US History
Univ. of Texas Pr. - GREEBACK PLANET: HOW THE DOLLAR CONQUERED THE WORLD ... by H.W. Brands cloth $24.95 trade 978-0-292-72341-2 History/Economics
Tupelo Pr. - TRAFFIC WITH MACBETH: POEMS by Larissa Szporluk (at Bowling Green St U, Ohio) paper $16.95 trade 978-1-936797-02-8 Poetry
Wayne State Univ Pr. - DETROIT LAND by Ricahrd Bak paper $24.95 tarde 978-0-8143-3499-7 Regional History
Wayne State Univ Pr. - THE STOOGES - HEAD ON by Brett Callwood Foreword by Alice Cooper paper $19.95 trade 978-0-8143-3484-3 Music/Regional
Wicker Park Pr./Lake Street Pr. BEYOND THE PEWS: BREAKING WITH TRADITON AND LETING GO OF RELIGIOUS LOCKDOWN by Jillian Maas Backman paper $16.95 trade 978-1-936181-34-6 Religion/Spirituality
NIU Pr. – CHICAGO’S TRUNK MURDER by Elizabeth Dale cloth $32 trade 978-087580-440-8 True Crime/Regional
Michigan State Univ. Pr. – LAUGHING WHITEFISH by Robert Traver paper 19.95 trade 978-1-61186-014-6 Historical Fiction/Native American
Ohio Univ. Pr. – THE MIDWESTERN NATIVE GARDEN by Charlotte Adelman paper $26.95 trade 978-0-8214-1937-3 Gardening/Regional
Ohio Univ. Pr. – THE LOCAVORE’S KITCHEN by Marilou K. Suszko (from Ohio) paper $32.95 trade 978-0-8214-1938-0 Cooking/Regional
Ohio Univ. Pr. – MARIEMONT: A PICTORIAL HISTORY OF A MODEL TOWN by Millard F. Rogers, Jr. cloth $59.95 trade 978—0-8214-1972-4
Univ. of Minnesota Pr. - WHISKEY BREAKFAST: MY SWEDISH FAMILY, MY AMERICAN LIFE by Richard C. Lindberg (set in Chicago) paper $22.95 trade 978-0-8166-4684-5 Memoir
Univ. of Michigan Pr. – FAITHFUL ONTO DEATH by Becky Thacker Paper $22.95 trade 978-0-472-03469-7 Available Fiction/Regional History
Univ. of Michigan Pr. – THE WINDWARD SHORE: A WINTER ON THE GREAT LAKES by Jerry Dennis cloth $22.95 trade 978-0-472-11816-8
Univ. of Michigan Pr. – THE ART OF COOKING MORELS by Ruth Mossok Johnson – cloth $29.95 trade 978-0-472-11784-0 Cooking
Kent State Univ. Pr. - 1950’S RADIO IN COLOR (Photos of Tommy Edwards)
By Christopher Kennedy cloth $49 trade 978-160635-072-0 Music/Photo
Thursday, July 7, 2011
3iBooks is offering Chicago Poetry Center Broadsides for sale
3iBooks is a moon-unit of Wicker Park Press Ltd of River Forest, IL. In an effort to re-invent itself every so often this luminous body has gone thinking outside the box yet again and has power-partnered with the Chicago Poetry Center (www.poetrycenter.org) to offer a wide variety of rare limited edition broadsides featuring prominent Poets & Writers of the modern, post-modern, and post-human era.
The Broadside is an art form dating back to the 17th century, and they were printed as a political statement or bold opinion to the citizenry. The original meaning, a barrage of cannon fire launched by one ship to another, eventually led to the connotation to "let loose" or write a strongly-worded opinion, the most famous of which were the Dunlap Broadsides, first published copies if the Declaration of Independence. This tradition led to printing poems from the oral tradition of the ballad.
Today's broadsides are printed on letterpress, illustrated by an artist, and signed and numbered by the poet and the artist.
Some of the poets with broadsides: Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Mark Strand, Billy Collins, Louise Gluck, Liesel Muller, Ted Kooser, Kay Ryan, Natalie Merchant, and Billy Corgan
Some of the painters with broadsides: Ed Paschke, Tony Fitzpatrick, Laura Letinsky, Marcos Raya, and Stanley Tigerman
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Joe Dan Boyd calls "Pope Mary" a fantastic read!
A Review of Gene Logsdon’s Latest Book ...
By Joe Dan Boyd
Pope Mary & The Church of Almighty Good Food, called a “barnstormer of a book” by publisher Wicker Park Press, Ltd., is the latest effort, and the third novel ($24.95, PO Box 5318, River Forest, IL 60305), by my great friend Gene Logsdon. We met during the mid-1960s in Philadelphia, where Gene and I shared adjoining offices at Farm Journal Magazine on Washington Square.
The heroine of this great read is a feisty Ohio farm girl, Mary Barnette, who—like most of her neighbors—is offended when a high-handed Bishop arbitrarily closes St. Philodendra, a venerable Catholic church (with $200,000 in the bank) surrounded by corn fields and with deep roots in Mary’s community. She also challenges traditional “Canon Law” by which churches can be closed, buildings and property sold (without consent of the local congregations) and attendees forced to alternate worship sites. In this case the church is both closed and locked, denying parishioners use of the building, until a midnight avenger breaks the lock.
The heroine’s officious attitude prompts Mary to suggest she could probably do as well as “that old man over there in Rome,” and is thereafter called “Pope Mary” for the balance of this carefully crafted novel exploring virtually every aspect of rural ministry from the sharply contrasting viewpoints of the hierarchy, those who administer an often arbitrary church authority and the parishioners, those who must either comply with or challenge that authority.
And challenge is the message of this novel, which also features a bi-vocational pastor/priest, Father Ray, sometimes called The Lone Ranger, who spends as much time tending his flock of sheep as he spends in ministry to his human flock. Father Ray is called both to a spiritual ministry and a personal mission to encourage local food production and marketing for the preservation of agrarianism, traditional farming and a rural lifestyle.
What Pope Mary and Father Ray eventually champion is both unorthodox by modern standards, and refreshingly familiar to scholars of the early Christian Church. Readers will either scratch their heads in puzzlement or erupt in holy jubilation as the tables are turned on the clergy hierarchy and a rural church not only survives, but also thrives.
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