Humorous comment by speaker

Looking for humor you can borrow for your next presentation?

During the opening of a 50-minute presentation, a speaker said, "As we're going to discuss over the next 7-8 hours...."

He got a laugh and confirmed that the audience was listening to him.

Thanks go to Kurt Czarnowski of the Social Security Administration speaking yesterday at the annual conference of the Financial Planning Association of Massachusetts.

"Notes from the E-Mail Field" by Karen Gedney

"Notes from the E-Mail Field" by Karen Gedney has some practical suggestions for e-mail writers, including:

• Make your first 15 characters count when you're e-mailing BlackBerry users because that's all they'll see of your subject line

• "If you're writing one- or two-word bullet points, rather than listing them vertically, string them horizontally like this:

  "Services: •Copywriting •Concepts •Coaching •Training" -- This way you'll fit more text onto the first screen

Get online publicity for your book

Thinking about writing a book to help promote your business?

Sandy Beckwith, whom I mentioned below, recommends Steven Van Yoder's Get Slightly Famous website as a resource.

I enjoyed his article on "Should You Write a Book?"

Want to get your book published?

Are you looking for a company to publish your book or an agent to help you sell it? You'll be more successful if you've got a good platform.

No, a platform isn't a stage or a soapbox to stand on. It consists of:

• Who you are -- your credentials, affilations and expertise
• Who you know -- the people who'll endorse, vet and buy your book
• How you reach your market -- your website, blog and public speaking

This explanation came from Joelle Delbourgo, a literary agent. She was a panelist on "Build a Platform, Bank the Results: Branding Yourself with Website, Newsletter and More" at the annual conference of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA).

Fellow panelist Sandra Beckwith, a writer, speaker and coach, suggested some ways to build your platform:

• Start a blog and/or e-newsletter on your topic
• Offer something free and special, such as a booklet in .pdf format, when people sign up for your e-newsletter
• Send a press release about your booklet
• Use your booklet to create a tip sheet