Bennett: Linking crime rate to abortion of black babies

Race or rhetoric?

Former Education Secretary William Bennett is under fire for his remarks linking the crime rate and the abortion of black babies. Bennett, on his radio show, "Morning in America," was answering a caller's question on Wednesday when he took issue with the hypothesis put forth in a recent book that one reason crime is down is that abortion is up.

"But I do know that it's true that if you wanted to reduce crime, you could, if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down," said Bennett, author of "The Book of Virtues."

He went on to call that "an impossible, ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down. So these far-out, these far-reaching, extensive extrapolations are, I think, tricky."

CNN is among several news organizations covering the story. Bennett's website has posted streaming audio from the controversial broadcast.

• CNN

• Bill Bennett's Commentary

The White House criticized the former education secretary's comments on Friday, saying that Bennett's statements "were not appropriate." As of Thursday evening, Bennett stood by his remarks. What do you think?

Tags: Media, News, Radio, Politics, Current Affairs, William Bennett, African American

Swimming in an ocean of media

Technology's effect on American culture

A new study lays to rest the notion that only young people multitask when it comes to media. Details about the media "ecosystem" that appears to be impacting many Americans:

• USA Today

How is this multimedia age affecting you?

Tags: Media, Technology, Culture

Take calculated risks in promoting your product

7 Mental marketing principles for authors and solo professionals
by Sheri McConnell—President of the National Association of Women Writers

1. Try new things. It is crucial that you stay involved in your industry and network with other professionals. You will learn the techniques that really work and build phenomenal long-lasting partnerships this way. For instance, have you considered hosting an online radio show (http://naww.audioacrobat.com), podcasting, or blogging to promote your books and other products?

2. Recognize fear and move through it. Are your fears keeping you from trying new marketing techniques? Pick up the phone and ask for advice from someone who is already doing what you want to do. Buy an infoproduct that teaches you—so you can learn at your leisure. I do this constantly. For instance, before I started recording teleseminars, I purchased—guess what—a teleseminar on doing teleseminars. Doing so alleviated my questions and it was easy to do the first time because I was prepared. Now I do a handful of these every month and they generate a significant amount of book sales for the NAWW. You will have fears... arm yourself with knowledge and move through it.

3. Revisit old ways of thinking and be willing to change. Don't stay set in your ways. I have worked with writers and authors that were very reluctant to change some of their marketing efforts. They got set in their ways and became fearful of wasting money on new techniques. I taught them that successful marketers are in a constant state of evolution—always changing and adapting new strategies. Using feedback from their customers and their bottom line to figure out what to change.

4. Dig deep into your programming. Be aware of the preconditioned beliefs of your parents and family. It is never too late to make improvements. For years, I remained my own worst enemy. I had decided before I even started that I was only going to market using A, B, & C techniques and against D & E without any testing or research. I had already decided it wouldn’t work. Why? Because I had preconditioned beliefs about the value of what I was offering and about my customers. Sometimes, we actually think we can read our customers’ minds. We can’t. Get feedback and they will tell you what they want.

5. Keep an open mind. How did I reprogram myself and let go of my preconditioned beliefs? I began to open my mind to the many possibilities and I actually started testing marketing ideas instead of letting them dart around in my head. I continued the process by studying my competitors, successful colleagues, and assembling my own group of advisors. Remember that success is meant to be shared. Help others and they will naturally come back to help you.

6. Measure results and then reinvent yourself and/or your company as often as needed. Measure your results by conducting surveys (http://www.surveymonkey.com/ is a great tool). Keep an eye on your bottom line. If you aren’t meeting your financial goals, it is time to eliminate what isn’t working and create new products (books, audios, etc.) and create processes that help you work more efficiently. Hire a professional coach or mentor. Don’t rely on your friends and colleagues to give you honest feedback. That is too much pressure on your relationship. Pay a qualified person instead. With my mentees I have one goal in mind—helping them succeed and I can’t do this if I don’t give them the honest feedback they need to make more money. It is my job to help them make a plan to make the necessary changes.

7. Take risks! You must get used to taking risks. The best marketers take risks and put themselves out there. They are often controversial, on purpose, to create a buzz about their book. Take calculated risks by continuing to focus on learning new, proven promotional techniques that have worked for other professionals in your industry. Marketing is definitely a numbers game. You will try 3 techniques for every 1 that works for you and your particular book. With every risk you take, you will learn more!

Start using these mental marketing principles and I promise you will see positive results. And if you are overwhelmed, just remember what Henry Ford said, “Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small parts.”


Sheri’ McConnell (www.SheriMcConnell.net) is the president and founder of the National Association of Women Writers (www.NAWW.org) and the InfoMarket Network (www.InfoMarketNetwork.org). She helps women writers and entrepreneurs discover, create, and profit from their intellectual knowledge! Sheri’ lives in San Antonio, Texas with her husband Seth and their three children-ages 10, 9, and 5. Contact her at naww@onebox.com or her toll free number at 866-821-5829.

Edited by Angel Brown

Improve your writing in 60 seconds

Tip of the week

Successful writing - whether if be for business, public relations or grantsmanship - must be concise and precise in order for you to reap rewards. Typically, you have about 30 to 60 seconds to engage your reader. If you can't capture the reader's attention immediately, expect your document to hit the "circular file," that is, the trash can.

• Avoid awkward sentences.
• Use active verbs.
• Read your document out loud to make sure it makes sense.
• Use a second set of eyes to proofread your document.

Does this mean extra work and time? Absolutely! But if you're interested in selling your services, product or concept, you must give writing your best effort. Let me give you a quick example of how you can take a "sick" sentence and turn it into a "healthy" one. Here is a sentence you might find in business correspondence.

Poorly written sentence: "Recognizing your desire for an improved pricing arrangement, the following is a good approximation of the existing contract with modifications to reflect the agreements we made when we held our meeting."

Say what?? Let's try this again.

Sentence that gets results: "We realize you want a better pricing arrangement, so we've modified the contract to reflect what we agreed to when we met."

Remember this: When it comes to effective writing, less is often more.

Tags: Writing, Business Writing, Proposal Writing, Marketing

Is print media dead?

Electronic vs. print media

"Observing Reality by Reginald B" is the brainchild of Reginald B. Goodridge Jr. In a recent post, he articulates the differences between electronic and print media. Check out his post on this topic.

• Observing Reality by Reginald B

Reggie is another blogger who does an excellent job of posting commentary on world issues and current events. I recommend checking out his entire blog, not just the media post. And for those of you who are into creative writing, especially poetry, definitely visit Reggie's second web log. His creative endeavors take you on an intriguing journey.

• Real Life

Tags: Print Media, Online Media, Media

A Tale of Two Gulfs

Taking a Look at the War in Iraq and the Hurricane Crisis

Which Gulf is bigger? The Persian Gulf or the Gulf of Mexico? Or the growing racial, class, and economic gulfs? The Village Voice attempts to tie it all together in a news analysis.

• Village Voice

If It's Monday, It Must Be Time to Travel

Take Another Road Trip with Light Within

Our resident travel guru is Shirazi, creator of Light Within. No one puts the "human touch" in travel writing better than our friend. Shirazi offers us another breathtaking virtual tour - complete with cultural exploration - in "I am at the mountains."

• Light Within

Tag: Travel Writing

Cultural Exploration

Pology.com Puts the 'Human Touch' Back in Travel Mags

Shorten the word "anthropology." Take it traveling, and put it on the Internet. Spice it up with cultural immersion and exploration. The formula puts a new spin on travel journalism. Check it out.

• Pology Magazine

In Pursuit of Citizen Journalism

Learning How to Build a Community News Site

Citizen journalism, a relatively new term associated with online reporting, has caught on quickly worldwide. Also known as "participatory journalism," this form of writing involves citizens "playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information." That definition comes from experts Shayne Bowman and Chris Willis.

Interested in pursuing this art form? Check out a "how-to" digital handbook about this type of journalism. It offers basic skills training on how to plan a community news site, build it, use the latest off-the-shelf software to add online features, and then market it and track users. Use this handbook to learn the basics of Web site creation, HTML, page design and use of photos, audio, video, animation, surveys and databases. The site also features tips on advertising, fundraising and ecommerce. It was created for citizens media projects, small-market news organizations and journalism new media programs. Details:

• J-Learning.org

Meanwhile, Al Gore's new cable network Current features video produced by young, non-journalists to provide voices from outside the mainstream media. But inside the mainstream, professional journalists debate its value. Citizen journalism and Gore's Current network were the topic of Talk of the Nation last month on National Public Radio. A panel of guests joined host Neal Conan for the show. Streaming audio of the show is available on the NPR website.

• Talk of the Nation

More information about Current is available on the network's website:

• Current

Tags: Citizen Journalism, Journalism

Kick Back with Blessed Company

On the Lighter Side

It's Friday. Time to lighten up. Let me introduce you to the creativity of the politically incorrect, in-your-face journaling of a true drama queen (in the nicest sense of the word, of course). She's known as Gramyactress@21. Her post entitled "Work Family" is one of my favorites.

• Blessed Company

Tags: Blogging, Blogs, Humor

Balancing Media News and Social Commentary

Focus on AsianSmiles

Blogger friend AsianSmiles demonstrates a compelling way to mix news analysis and commentary on culture. Check out two posts on her site this week - "Tragic Dreams and Avoiding It" and "Cliques 1."

• AsianSmiles

Too Many Looks Spoil the Prose

Writing Tip of the Week

Letting too many people comment on the style and substance of a document you have written is a surefire way to slow down progress. It also hampers communication. The reason is simple. People who review the document feel compelled to change a word, add a phrase or leave some other imprint, even if the copy is well written. Unfortunately, some people equate wordiness with effective writing. Some even insist on imposing out-of-date grammar and writing styles. And let's be honest. Some people simply cannot write.

If you've ever faced this problem, there is a solution: Restrict comments on style to only one or two colleagues who are skilled enough to make such comments. From the others, insist that they read only for substance and accuracy. Always make the case for simple and concise writing, and stick to your guns.

Are Katrina and Slavery Linked?

Exploring the Hurricane Disaster from a Historical Prospective

With some 20 million blogs now beng published, and tons of other Internet sites in existence, volumes have been written on the impact of Hurricane Katrina. If you think you've heard it all, think again.

Leave it up to the Village Voice to offer still another perspective on the crisis. According to the paper, a new book uncovers a correlation between the Katrina disaster and slavery. The story's lead (led) may say it all: "In addition to destroying lives and property, Hurricane Katrina may accomplish something worthwhile: washing away the illusion that the Civil War resolved the injustice of slavery in the United States. " Ward Harkavy reports.

• Katrina's Window Into Slavery's Past - and Present

Tags: Journalism, Media, Hurricane Katrina, History, Black History, Books, Louisiana, New Orleans, African American, Cuba

Reap Financial Rewards While Blogging

Share Your Opinions AND Make Money

Serious about blogging? Looking for a source of revenue while you enjoy online journaling? Discover the financial rewards of blogging. Kim Komando's column in USA Today offers a great overview on the topic. In addition, the king of blogging, Shirazi, lists several online resources on his site, Light Within. Details:

• USA Today

• Light Within

Tags: Blogs, Blogging, Adsense, Google, Writing

Studying the Economic Impact of Hurricane Katrina

Katrina’s Victims and the Minimum Wage
By Jeff Chapman
Economic Policy Institute

News coverage of Katrina’s impact has raised public awareness of the especially harsh devastation the storm wrought for the many low-income families in its path, who now face the Herculean task of rebuilding their lives. At the same time, it has offered an important insight into the struggles that low-income families everywhere have to make ends meet.

One major contributor to these families’ hardships, wherever they make their home, has been the failure of Congress and the administration to make sure that the minimum wage keeps up with the rising cost of living. The federal minimum wage, which has stayed at $5.15 since it was last raised in 1996-1997, has less purchasing power now than it did in 49 of the last 50 years.

A proposal in Congress earlier this year would have raised the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour. If Congress had acted on it, this increase would have directly benefited 491,000 workers in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana who are currently paid less than that amount. African-Americans, who are 27.5 percent of the total workforce, make up 45 percent of these 491,000 lowest- paid workers. The 491,000 workers are parents of about 310,000 children.

Another 356,000 workers earn less than $8.25 per hour - $1 more than what the new minimum wage would have been. Various studies of "spillover effects" find that many in this group would also have benefited from the rising tide created by a minimum wage increase. African-Americans make up 36 percent of this group. Workers in this group are the parents of about 206,000 children.


Jeff Chapman is an economist at the Economic Policy Institute. He provided all of the calculations referred to in this report. The Economic Policy Institute is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan research institute – or “think tank” – that researches the impact of economic trends and policies on working people in the United States and around the world.


Tags: Economy, Labor, Minimum Wage, Public Policy, Business, Hurricane Katrina

Exploring the Impact of Blogs

How Blogging Affects Writing

Leave it to our friend Shirazi to reflect upon how blogging has influenced the art of writing. Check out Shi's introspective post on D. Keith Robinson's site:

• Blogging vs. Writing

In Pursuit of Creative Writing

Thoughtful Book Marketing Presents Opportunities to Shine

Promoting books, fiction and nonfiction, is a labor-intensive task. Just ask any serious writer who has had an active role in the marketing process. Writing an effective news release to market the book means doing your homework and articulating how your book differs from the thousands of others looking for publicity.

Nikki Woods (pictured right), a popular radio personality in Chicago, has penned a novel that's now hitting book stores. Take a look at a news release I crafted for her. Nikki did a great job of providing me with plenty of background material to work with, including her manuscript.

This particular version of the release is regionalized to Nikki's home town. However, with a little creativity, we could target this same release to virtually any market. Comments, as always, are welcome.

St. Louis native debuts gripping novel
Lies, betrayal and greed threaten essence of friendship and sisterhood


(Chicago – September 14, 2005) Kingston just closed the deal of the century. Her colleagues and friends are buzzing about her success. But in the blink of an eye, tragedy turns Kingston’s world upside down. Forget the spotlight. The queen, now knocked from her throne, must come face to face with family drama, a past love and jealousy - one heartache after another.

Novelist Nikki Woods debuts Easier Said Than Done with a cast of characters so full of life that they breathe, dream and shout right off the page. This compelling story starts in Chicago but quickly transitions to sexy Jamaica. It tells the story of a got-it-goin’-on entertainment executive – how she is suddenly forced to navigate through the murky waters of corporate success, demands of family and romance.

But that’s not all. This fiction puts a fresh spin on the story of sisterhood – deep relationships between women – messy relationships between women. Many readers will find someone they know in Kingston’s best friends – Keela and Essence. Romance smashes through this sassy page turner, brimming with vivid imagery and emotion.

The novel already is garnering great reviews. It has even captured the attention of New York Times bestselling author Kimberla Lawson Roby, who penned The Best- Kept Secret.

Roby writes, “Easier Said Than Done is a story of overwhelming tragedy, slow realization, injury, and recovery - and the way love conquers all.”

Using emotion-packed prose like the following, Woods transfixes even a reader like Roby:

“This was not the end, and it certainly wasn’t a love story.
I was trapped in a horror movie that was careening out of control.”

Woods weaves a compelling story about the power of love, even as events surface that threaten to shatter her dreams. The novelist fashions the plot with precision and intrigue. The characters quickly come alive.

“Kingston, Keela and Essence are totally different people,” the author states, “but there is some sort of bond that keeps them together as friends.” The reader joins Kingston on a journey where she soon discovers that life may be Easier Said Than Done.

Nikki Woods was born in the St. Louis suburb of Rock Hill. She graduated from Webster Groves High School, and then studied education at Howard University. She earned her B. A. in journalism from the University of St. Francis. Woods currently co-hosts a popular radio show in Chicago. She is working on two other novels. Easier Said Than Done is published by Ebony Energy Publishing, Inc.

###

Tags: Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, Media, Writing

A Healing "Hole in My Heart"

Urban Teen Debuts His First Book

A newspaper feature I wrote appears this week in the St. Louis American. The story showcases a teenager who has co-authored his first novel. This gritty introspective piece, entitled A Hole in My Heart, already has earned some national attention. The book's second author is our blogger friend Rose, who often visits this site. To find out what inspired an East St. Louis 15-year old to write, click below.

• St. Louis American

Tags: Journalism, Media, Writing, Literature, Books, Education, Current Affairs, Psychology, Sociology, Teenagers, Parenting, Family, Culture, African American

Crisis PR, Katrina and Bush: Follow-up

'It Was as if All of Us Were Already Pronounced Dead'

The headline above comes from a story in today's Washington Post. It screams off the page. Everyone is writing about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the Bush administration's handling of the crisis. By now, millions of words have been written by news analysts, public relations practitioners, social scientists and, of course, bloggers.

This writer tries to just report the news, but it is difficult to ignore the Post headline or the story itself. In addition, for the second day in a row, the most emailed story on NYTimes.com has been a no-holds-barred commentary by columnist Maureen Dowd. Comments are welcome on these two reports:

• Washington Post

• New York Times

Tags: Journalism, Media, Public Relations, Hurricane Katrina

Corporate Good Will After Katrina

Good Deeds Seen as Opportunities to Enhance Company Image

As companies become more reponsive to crises such as Hurricane Katrina, many are using philanthropy to creatively publicize their products or services. Details in the New York Times:

• When Good Will Is Also Good Business

Tags: Philanthropy, Public Relations, PR, Marketing, Media, Business, Hurricane Katrina

No More Freebies

NYTimes.com Will Begin Charging Fee to Access Columns

The New York Times, which has been operating an all-free Web site, NYTimes.com, will soon begin charging a fee for access to its major columnists under a new program called Times Select. Details from the competition:

• New York Post

Tags: Media, New York Times

Funds Available to Assist Evacuees in Missouri

Foundation Commits $1 Million to Help Katrina Victims

The Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) has committed $1 million to assist Missouri health and dental and mental health organizations in the MFH service region that are providing services to those displaced from their homes on the Gulf Coast as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Grants will be provided on an expedited basis to nonprofit organizations providing direct health, mental health and dental services to those relocated from the affected area to Missouri communities. Instructions for interested applicants are on the MFH web site. The deadline to apply is Friday, September 16 at 5:00 p.m.

Tags: Grants, Health, Missouri, Hurricane Katrina, Katrina Relief

Fund-raising During a National Crisis

Keeping Your Donors Engaged When Their Minds Are Elsewhere

Even in the best of times, fund-raising is a daunting task. Those who do it well are skilled in their craft and highly valued. Shortly after September 11 of 2001, Kay Grace wrote an article offering ten tips on fund-raising during a national crisis. A second story gives advice on generating funds during a changing economy. Most of the tips are as sound now as they were when originally written. See Contributions Magazine for details:

• Fund-raising in the Midst of a National Crisis

• Fund-raising in a Changing Economy

Journalist Examines Homeless Crisis in America

Homelessness in America existed long before the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina. It is difficult to determine the total number of displaced people in the United States. However, the Urban Institute estimates that in any given year, some 3.5 million Americans are homeless, 1.4 million of them children.

Relief is pouring in to help those ousted from their homes by Katrina. Without question, all assistance is desperately needed. However, some news analysts and social scientists pose a question: Once the crisis has passed, will America's urban centers - now opening their doors to the hurricane victims - continue this same level of support to the homeless in their own communities? St. Louis columnist Bernie Hayes explores this compelling issue from a local angle.


Will Katrina Bring Focus to Local Homeless?
By Bernie Hayes


Although this past Labor Day weekend was supposed to be a celebration of the working class, and the unofficial end of the summer season, everyone's thoughts were on efforts to provide relief for the hundreds of thousands of individuals whose lives were all but ended by the tragedy along the Gulf Coast in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Most of the images depicted in the media were of poor people, the majority black. A disaster of any proportion can shatter the sense of safety and stability of anyone who feels close to the disaster or its victims in any way, and local poor people of color feel they are especially linked to the communities ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.

The U.S. and foreign governments, churches, businesses, relief agencies and individuals from all over the world are aiding in Katrina relief efforts through various initiatives, but what about those families and individuals who were homeless in those areas and in other communities before the Gulf disaster? Will these churches, businesses, individuals and agencies also focus on those who remain homeless after the relief efforts have ended, particularly in the inner-city?

There is a "homeless crisis" in the U.S. and it took a scene of carnage in these Southern communities to get their concerns addressed, and no one is impressed with the way the US government has dealt with the recent Gulf Coast tragedy. Did it take Katrina’s wrath to focus on the homeless and powerless in Missouri and Illinois? Should homeless people in St. Louis move to the Gulf Coast to get help? Why can’t the same efforts be made to help the homeless and mentally ill persons in the inner-cities around the nation? After the efforts to relieve the survivors of Katrina, will there be help for the destitute in Chicago, Memphis, Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, San Francisco and other areas including New Orleans, Gulfport, Biloxi and Mobile?

It is admirable for local officials to offer St. Louis County's old Gumbo jail in Chesterfield, a vacant Boeing airplane hangar and a mental hospital in Alton, Illinois to accommodate Hurricane Katrina survivors. St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, Governor Matt Blunt and St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley and Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, now have an opportunity to improve the existing shelter system, to develop creative solutions to the issues and situations that cause homelessness, and help move down-and-out people into independent living by trying a variety of new approaches to address the dispossessed problem.

Locally the number of homeless families in the shelter system has risen significantly and by placing homeless people in these abandoned facilities could be the most inexpensive way of meeting their basic needs. These facilities can be the spark local advocates and agencies need to begin the production of new housing, and the preservation or rehabilitation of existing housing that is affordable for homeless and low-income people.

It is essential and only human that homeless people get real housing with social services and not just emergency shelter. The local, state and federal government, in partnership with individuals and communities, must assume responsibility and leadership to build a society that ensures every person or family who is homeless be provided health care, education, and safe and affordable housing. We need more humanitarian efforts for the permanently displaced, including employment and training services that are crucial components in the comprehensive efforts to address the cycle of homelessness.

Rev. Larry Rice of the New Life Evangelistic Center in St. Louis said ‘St. Louis has a housing crisis and Hurricane Katrina has merely brought it to the forefront, but when the crisis is over, it will be back to business as usual’. Rice said ‘City officials should offer St. Louis area homeless persons a helping hand by using football and baseball stadiums for interim housing’.

Rev. James T. Morris, pastor of Lane Tabernacle heads the ad-hoc group Operation Response and Provide St. Louis. He said ‘we are living in two America’s. One for the affluent and the other is for the have-nots’. He said ‘St. Louis and America is on the world stage and must respond in a positive way to this crisis, but the efforts are seething in racism and this also must be addressed’.

We must find ways of preventing nomadic episodes, and for those who are without a roof over their head, we must ensure a speedy transition in to stable permanent housing. What do you think?


Bernie Hayes, a veteran newspaper and broadcast journalist, teaches media courses at Webster University in St. Louis.

Tags: Journalism, Media, Homeless, Hurricane Katrina

Strategically Promoting Your Publication

Effectively marketing your book does not come overnight. It takes lots of hard work. Building and maintaining relationships is critical. For a full-blown promotional blitz, you'll probably want to utilize marketing professionals. However, Sheri' McConnell offers some surefire tips that even novice writers can use to get started.

“10 Golden Rules” for Book Marketing Success
By Sheri’ McConnell


Take Risks—Be willing to put yourself in uncomfortable situations (like speaking and selling) to market your books. Pretty soon—you won’t be uncomfortable anymore and you will be selling books.

Accept Mistakes—Not everything you try will be effective. Some of the promotions you dream up will fall flat and others will be very effective. You have to test your marketing plan, accept the mistakes as a guideline for what NOT to do the next year.

Don’t Take Criticism Personally—The act of marketing your books invites criticism. Fear of criticism keeps people from marketing more than anything else. Learn to weed out the constructive criticism from the toxic criticism.

Separate Yourself From Your Book—Marketing a book is a business function. If you can treat it that way, you will be much more successful building relationships with bookstores, editors and so on.

Think BIG—Think about what you can do for them. Create win-win relationships. Lots of speakers pay the large organizations to be able to speak because they realize that getting in front of that market with their product will benefit them for years to come.

True Authority Is Achieved Through Genuine Knowledge—When you first start marketing your book—speaking to groups and organizations and meeting professionals that can help you grow your business—it can be tempting to overcompensate and spew everything you know in one interaction. Don’t do it. True authority comes from sharing genuine (experience based) knowledge. Build relationships slowly and they will be strong.

Understand That You Will Always Be A Student—Every six-figure professional I meet has this one thing in common and that is that they continue to learn—they invest in their education and they surround themselves with people more successful than themselves.

Treat EVERYONE With Respect, Empathy, & Patience—Long-term relationships are built on this rule. If you always treat people this way, your marketing efforts will be so much more effective. Be of service and you will succeed because people will want to do business with you. Think about it—don’t you always want to be around people who make you feel good about yourself? This is true in business too. Marketing is business. Try to make your interactions good ones.

Understand The Dynamics of Change & Why Change Is Desirable—Through change we learn. And if we aren’t changing—guess what—we aren’t growing and learning. Don’t fight this, get used to change and welcome it in. It is an opportunity. I meet people who argue that things must be done a certain way to effectively market. Not true. Be open to many things and don’t be rigid just because you are comfortable with your marketing techniques.

“Hold Your Space” By Being Firm and Gracious—I have learned over the years that you must learn to “hold your space” to be successful. Once your book business has grown, you will be approached on a daily basis by people wanting something from you. Try to create a win-win relationship when possible if you can see the true benefit in the relationship. Say no when you need to and don’t waiver and always be gracious that the person brought the opportunity your way to consider.


Sheri’ McConnell (www.SheriMcConnell.net) is the president and founder of the National Association of Women Writers (www.NAWW.org) and the InfoMarket Network (www.InfoMarketNetwork.org). She helps women writers and entrepreneurs discover, create, and profit from their intellectual knowledge. Sheri’ lives in San Antonio, Texas with her husband Seth and their three children. Contact her at naww@onebox.com or at her toll free number, 866-821-5829.

Broadcast Unity Day

Radio and TV Stations Nationwide Unite in Katrina Aid Effort

The National Association of Broadcasters has declared today (September 9, 2005) as Broadcast Unity Day. Broadcasters across the country are collaborating for an entire day to generate an extra surge of much needed cash to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Details:

• Broadcast Unity

Tags: Media, Broadcasting, Hurricane Katrina

Humanitarian Care Continues for Katrina Evacuees

Association of Black Cardiologists Offers Unique Medical Care and Aid

To immediately assist patients impacted by Hurricane Katrina, the Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC) is furnishing health screening and recreating medical records of evacuees. According to ABC, this is an "unprecedented outreach of its 600 members."

ABC describes specific objectives for the thousands of individuals displaced by the horrific storm. A medical team is at work identifying health conditions (heart failure, hypertension and diabetes), making local primary care referrals and resuming the health care regimens for those displaced by Katrina. Doctors also want to make sure that people who are ill receive adequate supplies of prescription medication. More info:

• Association of Black Cardiologists

Tags: Hurricane Katrina, Health Care, African American

Writing Tip of the Week

Use the Right Verb to Enhance Development Efforts

When writing grant proposals or other fund-raising documents, use this tip to increase your chances of getting funded. Stress that you're not asking for money because your organization has needs but because your organization meets needs.

Silver Foot in Mouth?

Barbara Bush Comments on Katrina Evacuees

The White House press team has the arduous task of keeping a positive spin on the Bush administration's handling of the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Enter public remarks by the President's mother, and the press team's "to do" list may have grown a bit longer.

Barbara Bush raised eyebrows this week by making some dubious remarks about Hurricane Katrina evacuees. Mrs. Bush toured the Houston Astrodome, where families displaced by Katrina are being sheltered. John Kass of the Chicago Tribune fills you in:

• John Kass

Meanwhile, hip-hop artist Kanye West, without backing down from his public comments last week criticizing the President, is toning down politics as he continues performing. Details:

• Los Angeles Times

Tags: Public Relations, Journalism, Media, Hurricane Katrina

And Now a Word from Our Sponsor

Thanks to the special friends who have supported this writer and this site.

Wordplay: How the Media Reports on Katrina

Are the Victims Of Hurricane Katrina "Refugees"?

Rose, who writes the blog Lessons Learned, makes an interesting comment on this site in response to "Crisis PR, Katrina and the Bush Administration." In talking about the people displaced by Hurricane Katrina, Rose took exception to the media using the term "refugee" to describe those who became homeless as a result of the storm.

Rose, who is African-American, writes, "The media need their butts kicked calling our people refugees. [Hurricane victims] are trying to flee their city because of a natural disaster and not because of political or religious persecution."

Rose is not alone. Many critics cite racial insensitivity by news organizations for using the term refugees, especially when many of the Gulf Coast hurricane victims are people of color. The critics cry, "Black people are Americans, too!"

I decided to look up "refugee" in a few dictionaries. This is what I found:

One who flees in search of refuge, as in times of war, political oppression, or religious persecution.

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company

===

An individual seeking refuge or asylum; especially : an individual who has left his or her native country and is unwilling or unable to return to it because of persecution or fear of persecution (as because of race, religion, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion)

Source: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.

===

An exile who flees for safety

Source: WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University

===

So much for definitions. According to the Associated Press, President Bush now joins the ranks of those opposed to the word refugees. Some news sources are now using the term evacuees. Let's watch the news lingo in the days ahead as Katrina coverage continues.


Tags: Journalism, Writing, Media, Hurricane Katrina, African American

Searching for the Great Escape

In Praise of Good Travel Writing

Ah, the joys of combining journalistic tourism and blogging. This type of writing, at its best, provides for a wonderful virtual escape.

Need a break from deadlines, writer's block and the other streses of life in the fast lane? Check out two recent posts on the site Light Within. "Greek Connections" and "From the Hinterland" offer dazzling glimpes of Pakistan. Details:

• Light Within

The Storm After the Storm

Crisis PR, Katrina and the Bush Administration

The headline story for the past week hasn't been just the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. Everyone from news analysts to communications specialists to bloggers are writing about the reported delay in getting water, food and other resources to New Orleans and other Gulf Coast areas hit by the storm.

Factor in Kanye West's remarks on NBC's Concert For Hurricane Relief, as well as public outcries from Seattle to Tokyo, and BINGO! You have the makings of what could lead to a public relations nightmare. How the Bush administration deals with the fallout will undoubtedly make for a compelling case study in crisis management.

Selected reports:

• Katrina Tests Bush’s Crisis Skills

• Katrina: Millions of CNN “Blog” Readers

• Kanye West about the sad truth

Tags: Journalism, Writing

For the Writer in You

Learning How to Handle Criticism

Feeling hurt because a critic cut your masterpiece to shreds? You're not alone. Criticism and bruised egos are inherent in the communications and publishing busines. In a recent article, award-winning author Bonnie Boots offers valuable tips on how to cope with cranky critics. Thanks to Shirazi for the heads up on this gem.

• Writers Can Grow to Be Comfortable with Criticism

Hurricane Katrina - School PR

Educators Across the Country Begin Relief Efforts

School districts nationwide are pitching in to aid the refugees of Hurricane Katrina. As news organizations continue localized coverage of the destruction caused by the horrific storm, educators are coming up with ways to assist young victims and are publicizing their efforts.

According to Commissioner Kent King of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), school districts in the state already are receiving children who are Katrina refugees.

In a memo sent to school administrators, King said, "We want to remind you that such children who move into your district qualify as homeless children. There should be no barriers to enrolling them in school promptly."

King went on to say that by coincidence, DESE is mailing school districts a brochure entitled “Educating Missouri’s Homeless Children.” Each school district is expected to designate a staff member to serve as its "homeless coordinator."

Got PR news or commentary concerning Hurricane Katrina relief efforts? Feel free to post or send the details by email.

Katrina Prompts PR Relief, Networking

Crisis PR Goes Personal in Response to Hurricane

Public relations officers at educational institutions nationwide are standing by to offer assistance during the crisis created by Hurricane Katrina. Details:

• PR Newswire Blog

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