Thanks to the advent of e-publishing, there’s a new trend coming to the publishing world―prequels, paired with their public domain originals. The beginning of the Literary Two-Fer (as in "2 for 1") era. Publishers may have thought of this before (say, pairing Ahab’s Wife with Moby Dick) but discarded the notion: the increased page-count would wreck the bottom line. But that hurdle is gone now.

First to realize this new e-pub advantage is Pulitzer Award nomimee Mark Osmun, author of Marley’s Ghost, the 2000 prequel to A Christmas Carol. “The trouble with being the first to do something is that it’s not a trend until others follow,” Osmun said. “But watch: others will follow. It just makes too much sense.”

First reaching #126 on Amazon’s bestseller list on its original run, Osmun has now paired Marley's Ghost with all of Dickens’s original A Christmas Carol, a perennial bestseller. “There’s no added cost in producing both books together,” said Osmun, “so why not give readers both novels?” Since A Christmas Carol is a beloved bestseller, pairing it with Marley’s Ghost gives readers a bonus at no extra cost.

Look for mainstream publishers to jump on this strategy once they learn of it ( perhaps Wide Sargasso Sea & Jane Eyre; Wicked & The Wizard of Oz; Finn & The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, etc.). Upon hearing of the new approach, author Don Wallace (One Great Game) quipped, “Imagine the possibilities: Osmun's done it and now the floodgates are wide open.”

Check it out: ( http://tinyurl.com/3bjacfy). Get your shopping done early (and easily) this Holiday Season with one-click shopping. Simply buy and send this soon-to-be "classic pairing" ebook via email to everyone on your holiday gift-giving list. A great read that's sure to become a family tradition for those who love reading, the Christmas Season and the joy of sharing!

You've been asked to give a speech. It's the equivalent of being selected to be the designated driver for your group: your driving skills, your talent at getting your passengers to get on board with you; and your ability to read a road map all work in combination to determine if you will be able to successfully drive your passengers to a specific destination with you. It's as simple as that! Before you bring your journey let's get some basic ground work out of the way. 

   First, do your homework:

• Make sure you understand why you have been asked to give a speech, that is, know what the event organizers are expecting your speech to accomplish.  Are you expected to educate the audience or inspire them? Are you there to promote something or to entertain the troops?  For example, if you’ve been asked to speak about working at XYZ Company, find out if they want you to discuss your climb up the company ladder, your work on a specific project, the company’s principles, or something else.
• Know your audience.  It is not enough information to be told you are speaking to the staff of a company. You need to know who comprises that staff; after all, what may be perceived as a simplistic speech about a specific topic to one group can just as easily be over the heads of another group.
• Design your speech to answer a question and give your audience something to take away with them.  Your audience expects to “get something” from your speech whether they realize this or not. And that “something” is not facts, figures or other concrete information that could be read in a report. In fact, that is the number one reason people skip going to speeches.  People may say that they skipped a speech at a convention because they knew the speaker would be boring but what they are really saying is they could get that speaker’s information in a report.  Your audience is there to hear is you inspire, motivate, instill confidence or excite them with these facts.
  • The side benefit. When you focus your speech on what you can give an audience you are getting your ego out of the way. Stage fright comes from over-worrying about how you are going to be judged as a speaker, that is, your performance. When you are more passionate about what you are giving your audience rather than how you perform as a speaker your passion toward others will force your stage fright into the back seat.
• Know where you fit into that day’s agenda.  The speaker at the start of the day or right after a break has the task of reorienting the audience to settle down as well as has to overcome the focus stealers that stragglers can be, just as speakers right before breaks have to deal with the internal clocks going off in the audience.  Be prepared from the start of your speech to be physically energetic, to speak with extra enthusiasm, to share a good joke or in some way get the attention of your audience riveted to you.
• Understand the types of people that make up an audience. There are generally four different types of people in your audience and they are always present, some in greater numbers:
  • The Critic. Whatever you can do, they can do better. You need to prove you are worthy of their time. The more you can gear your speech to speak “with them” rather than “at them” the more they will deem you on their level and worthy of their respect. In fact, Ignore that the critic may actually be below you (in knowledge, experience, etc.) because they often are! Critics are easily wooed by speakers who elevate them to the speaker's level!
  • The Cheerleader. They love you and support your speech even before you’ve uttered a word.
  • The Skeptic. Really? It’s not that they don’t believe you; they just want you to back up your words with proof.  Proof not just in numbers but in conviction as well.
  • The Sheep.  They were told to be here so they are. But why they are here and why you are talking to them is a bit hazy. And, they don’t have a clue what they are supposed to take away with them from your speech.  The more you can spell this out, the more they will get on board with you and your speech.

   Next, lay the foundations for your great speech.

That is, plan your speech. Every great speech has a beginning, middle and end.  A central key to every great speech is to have only ONE POINT, one message, one theme or one specific topic to speak about. The more messages you are trying to convey in your speech, the more diluted they each become and, as a result, the quicker they are forgotten.  Do you remember JFK’s famous speech? Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address? Why? Answer: they each had only one central message to convey to their audiences.

• Keep the number of points in your speech manageable.  Your audience can only remember just so many points. While today it is common to hear “Top 10 Lists” used, the reality of it is that very few people can absorb or retain more than 3 or 4 points. If you must have more than three key points covered in your speech, using an acronym gives your audience a tool through which to remember your points, such as FEAR could represent key points when talking about it: F is for False; E is for Evidence; A is for Appearance; R is for Real.
• Typically, active verbs are more exciting to your audience or talking about a past event as if it is happening now. It allows your audience to live the experience with you.
• Humor, Personal Experiences and Humility draw your audience to you. A great speech creates ‘oneness with the speaker and audience’. You should endeavor to speak with your audience, not talk at your audience (who wants a “talking to?”) The side benefit is that when you talk with your audience you will be more relaxed with a conversational tone of voice that invites your audience to join in your thinking process.

TIPS TO OVERCOME STAGE FRIGHT

  Yes, we’ve all been there, gasping at the thought of giving a speech.  No matter how you try to hide from it at least once in life we are all asked to speak in front of a group. Whether it’s in front of a small group of friends, fellow church goers or co-workers, or an arena filled with thousands of strangers, it can be almost paralyzing to find the courage to step into the limelight and give a speech.

Yet, there are dozens of small and big tasks we have been asked/told/forced to do that we felt initially ill-equipped for yet we accomplished. Why then do we give in to stage fright when giving a speech? First and foremost, it’s probably because giving a speech is something we do alone, singled out with no place to hide, in front of people we value.  But succumbing to stage fright means we have already decided we have failed at giving the speech before we have even stepped up to the podium.

Let’s examine this last statement more closely.  Did you ever flunk a test before you took it? No, because you hadn’t taken it yet. Did you ever feel you were going to flunk a test before you took? Possibly, but why?  The answer is most likely you felt this way because you were unprepared, you hadn’t studied and you knew you didn’t know the answers for that test.  The same is true with stage fright; most of us feel we will fail at giving a great speech because we don’t know how to do it.

Fortunately my mother made a career of teaching government officials, corporate CEOs and others how to overcome their state fright and deliver a polished speech with confidence. Here are my “Cliff Notes” on what I learned from my mother on how to overcome my own stage fright and give a great speech:

1. Quit telling yourself you have stage fright.  Negative self-talk only reinforces your fear, compounds your anxiety and helps it to become real.   Instead, focus on something you have successfully conquered in the past, such as, “if I could ask my boss for a raise, I can talk coherently for 10 minutes in front of a group of people.”  Remind yourself daily of what you have successfully accomplished; write it down on paper and tack this note to yourself in at least 7 places where you feel comfortable reading it out loud, such as your bathroom mirror, your night stand, your closet, inside a desk drawer, on the door leading to your garage, inside your notebook and at the top of your desk calendar.
2. Positive self-talk. Literally talk yourself into enjoying giving a speech! Remind yourself daily with an easy comment you can say to yourself; again, at least 7 times a day. For example, say, "I enjoy sharing my views with others", perhaps as you brush your teeth, drive to work, hang up the phone, wash your hands, etc. Our mind believes what we tell it. We simply need to tell it the right information!
3. Get away from others doubting your success!  Even well-meaning friends can instill stage fright in us. What they think of as soothing comments may actually conjure up ominous feelings inside of us. "Better you than me", "Good luck with that", and "I'll pray for you" don't sound exactly like ringing endorsements of your ability to give a great speech. Don't confront them with this and add more pressure to your life: just stay away from them until after your speech (when they can applaud your success!).
4. Use a thesaurus. Create a speech you feel comfortable saying out loud.  Words can look and sound great on paper but there are many words that can form a tongue-twister when added to other words or just make us doubt if we really know their true meaning or pronunciation. Although big, fancy words can make us feel smart they can also lose us our audience. Why? Your audience may feel you are purposely speaking “above” them and thus, a blow hard. Or, your audience members may be side-tracked into their own thoughts as they try to remember what a particular word means. By the time they decide they understand what you were saying you may have moved on to a different point and, thus, left them behind.
5. Be human. 90% of your audience is relieved that it’s you up there talking at the podium, not them!  If you’ve gotten off track or said something not quite the way you intended, acknowledge it. Take a deep breath and say, “Oops! Let me try that again….” Whether you’re the CEO or an underling, your audience will embrace the fact that you are willing to admit you need to restate something -- and will bristle inside if they think you are trying to snow them.
6. Practice your speech.  Giving a speech is a visual presentation. It's not enough to read your speech to yourself. You need to see first-hand what your body language is saying to the audience. Are you relaxed or robotic? Do your clothes look disheveled? Do you have good posture? 
   1. Put your speech into a notebook so the pages stay organized.
   2. Lock yourself in your bathroom and give your speech to the mirror.
   3. Each time you need to look at your notes, put a check. Practice linking the areas of your speech that you need to refer to with the ones you know.
   4. Are you finding yourself lost when referring back to your written speech? Instead of single-spacing your speech, triple space it between lines in as a large a font as you need to be able to easily refer to it. Generally speaking, it is easier to stay on-point if your sentences wrap around to the next line rather than if they conclude at the end of the line. When you wrap the end of a sentence onto the next line, peripherally you will be able to see the start of the following sentence which will keep your speech moving smoothly along.
   5. Highlight words that will help you find your place easily in your speech, as well as highlight words or phrases you want to emphasize.
   6. Note how many times you smile as you practice your speech. Even serious speeches usually have room for smiles. Smiles from you encourage smiles from your audience.
7. Time your speech. If you have been asked to give a 10-minute speech then make sure it is only 10-minutes.  Psychologically when our speech extends past the anointed time period we begin to panic and worry we have out-stayed out welcome. Our “deserve level” (I deserve to be speaking at this podium) can quickly erode and stage fright can kick into high gear. Instead of smoothly wrapping up our speech we tend to race through the end of it. This is how we lose our audience and the impact of our speech, The result is a smattering of applause from your audience instead of the thunderous ovation you should receive.
   1. Pacing your speech. You are not trying to “plow through it”. The faster you talk, the faster you’ll lose your audience.  The more conversational your approach, the more you’ll keep your audience engaged.  After you’ve conquered giving your speech to a mirror, give it to a friend and ask for feedback on the pacing.
   2. Listing points. Breathe! Pretend your audience is writing down your points. Count to 3 between each point to allow the impact of your point to sink in.
   3. Anecdotes.  People love examples, and examples are actually a great way for you to relax. You know your anecdotes; these don’t need to be memorized – so just share them with the audience as you would a trusted friend.
8. Know your audience. Avoid being generic. We are almost never asked to speak in front of an unknown group. You may not personally know each person in your audience but you usually know why they are there (to learn a specific topic from you, to hear a report on a program, etc.)  The more your speech includes your specific audience, the more they will respond to you.
   1. Still feeling uneasy?  Stand by the door or walk the auditorium and meet the guests. Introduce yourself as the speaker and tell them you’d appreciate their smiles and applause during your speech. Amazingly people will be glad to help you out (after all, they’re happy they are not giving the speech!). People like to help others.
9. Understand your audience.  For example, understand that the most natural facial expression of an audience member is a frown or blank stare. They are not bored; they are relaxed. See someone talking? Ignore them. They're just agreeing with whatever you just said!
   1. Warm your audience up. Start with an anecdote or joke. All  the better if the joke is on you. Now they see you are human and they will root for your success.
   2. Keep your eyes moving around the room so that everyone feels included in your speech.  Pick 9 different spots in the audience to look at: right, left and center up-close and the same in the middle and back of the audience. 
   3. Avoid looking at doorways – people come and go for many reasons. Don’t worry about this! It's highly unlikely they are leaving because of your speech.
   4. Can’t look a stranger in the eye? No problem, look at their foreheads. They’ll think you’re either looking at the person in front of them or behind them.
   5. Still having trouble looking at the audience? Use props. A power-point presentation, exhibits and other props justify why you are only glancing at the audience: you want them to focus on your extremely important props!
10. Where comfortable attire.  If your killer shoes that look great with your suit actually kill your feet then find another pair of shoes.  Is your waist band cutting into you? Get another outfit!
11. Acknowledge your success. Right before you step up to the podium, smile (it will relax you) and say out loud to yourself, “If I could ask my boss for a raise, I can certainly do this! And I enjoy sharing my views with others!" Now, take a deep breath and just do it! I believe in your success!

NEXT TIME: Keys to Creating a Great Speech!

 

Today’s video crews can often vary in size, which means that sometimes there will not be a makeup person on the crew. You may be asked to do your own makeup or, worse yet, sit down as is for an interview. Trust me, no one looks good as is! Here are my tips on how to look your best “from the neck up” in an on-camera  video interview:

• Both men and women need to wear make up!  It is well known that in the Nixon/Kennedy televised debate, Nixon’s major undoing was that he insisted on not wearing makeup. As a result his “5 O’clock Shadow” made him look unkempt, sweaty and nervous, thus turning off potential voters.  Everyone needs makeup no matter how beautiful their skin. A matte facial powder for men will take the shine off their skin, subdue their “5 O’clock Shadow” and make their appearance confident and professional. 
• it is a great idea to keep your shade of matte facial powder on-hand.  Make sure to shop for it in-person so you get exactly the right shade, preferably at a major department store or in-home with a professional beauty consultant (Mary Kay Cosmetics comes to mind).  When selecting the right facial powder, opt for a pressed powder – it comes in a compact with a sponge applicator to avoid the mess a loose powder can become.  Can’t decide between shades? Choose the darker shade. It will make you look healthier on-screen. But remember, it needs to match your skin, preferably you neck skin because once you apply it to your face it needs to blend into your neck.
• 
• Women’s makeup needs to be demure.  Unless you are talking about your new line of exotic eye colors and lipsticks, the general rule of thumb for women wearing makeup in an on-camera interview is “less is more”.  If there is not a makeup artist on the video crew and you are left to do your own makeup, avoid using lip gloss, shiny lipstick and eye color.  As much as that bright purple eye shadow may bring out the color of your blue eyes, a more subdued matte brown or gray will enhance your eye color just as much without distracting the viewer to analyze your eye makeup application technique. Consider for a moment which of your female TV news anchors look the most professional and you’ll see that both their makeup and their wardrobe are toned down to present a crisp, expert appearance.
• Keep an eye on your hair. Fortunately most of us do not wear our hair in a tall bee hive like the style of Marge Simpson. Still, we need to make sure of several things:

ü  Is your hair style proportional to your face?  If your hair is wider than your face or taller than your face, consider revising it so that your face is more prominent than your hair.

ü  Are your roots showing? Looking straight into the mirror from a distance may make your roots appear unnoticeable but in a close-up they can appear to rim your face. A simple fix is to cover your forehead at the base of your roots and dust your roots away from your face with a matching matte eye color. Make sure the eye color does not get on your skin and that it is matte.

ü  Are there holes in your hairdo? Many of us lift up, tease or fluff our hair to give it a fuller look. This may look great to you in your mirror. However, to be sure there are no obvious holes in your fluffed hair turn off the bathroom lights (assuming you can see in their without the lights on) and look again.  Now that the glare from the lights is off you will be able to more readily see any holes that need fixing.

ü  Is your hair too shiny? Today men often use gel to style and control their hair.  This clean, just-out-of-the-shower look may be fine in-person but not so on-camera. A light spraying of a hairspray with a matte finish can solve this problem without having to forgo the gel.

• Keep these basics on-hand for your on-camera video interviews.

ü  Pressed loose facial powder with a sponge for application.

ü  Matte clear hairspray.

ü  A neutral toned matte-finish glamour look.

Now you can tell Mr. DeVille that you’re ready for your close-up!

NEXT WEEK: How to get over stage fright!

Just as you would consciously select a different outfit for wearing to work, a cocktail party or a day at the ball park, you need to pay close attention to what you choose to wear on-camera for a video interview.  That bright Aloha Shirt or red-hot cocktail dress may make you the hit of the party,but in an on-camera interview it can not only be distracting, it could upstage you and the message you want to deliver. Here are some specific guide lines to follow when choosing what to wear on-camera:

Wear neutral colors.  Pastel gray, blue and brown (beige) convey a corporate image. Pastel yellow, pink and other pastel Easter egg-type colors project a youthful image.  For example, if you’re the CEO of an IT, bank, or established corporation, your stockholders will perceive your image with its message as sincere, important and grounded. If you’re the CEO of a new company, these colors will help send a message of your stability.  On the other hand, if you are talking about a new line of sports equipment, cosmetics, and a new concept at your company, then pastel Easter Egg colors will give an impression of creative thinking and cutting edge ideas. 

No prints or patterns.  While today’s video cameras have never been better at handling prints and patterns, they can still have a tendency to vibrate or quiver on-screen. The larger the image is projected, the more noticeable this becomes.  The larger the print or pattern, the more it will compete for the viewer’s attention to the point it could almost be a second presence on-screen. Unless you are trying to sell what you’re wearing to the viewer, stay away from patterns and keep the viewer’s focus on you!

A suit jacket will spruce up your appearance. Everyone looks more polished with a jacket on! Having this option allows you to dress-up your professional on-camera appearance.  Having a jacket on hand will help you to match the appearance of other people interviewed for the video.

Keep accessories to a minimum.  How we perceive what someone is wearing in person and what they are wearing on-screen are completely different. Why? In person we see that individual in context of their surroundings, from head to toe. On-screen we see that person within the frame of the camera. A brooch, corsage or name badge may look perfectly proportioned in person. However, when the camera’s frame shows the viewer only the head, shoulders and upper chest of a person, well, that beautiful brooch could gain such prominence on-screen as to become a major distraction.

Do you absolutely have to wear that shiny badge or brooch? An easy fix to take the shine off is a matte-finish hairspray. Lightly spray that piece of jewelry and allow it to dry. It will still look clear and polished to the camera but without giving off a reflective glare. Not sure if you need to do this? Before the camera rolls ask the makeup person, your assistant or the director to watch as you move around in your chair. No one stays perfectly still during an interview (we only wish!) so what may look fine when you sit still during the focus check may prove to be distracting in your actual on-camera interview.

Keep your wardrobe matte. Shiny finishes on clothing, including ties and jewelry, will pick up reflections from the lights on the set. It’s a good investment for men to have several ties with matte finishes in solid colors.  A dark gray tie is better than a black tie. Saturated, hard colors such as red, black, dark navy blue and deep brown will weigh down your overall on-camera appearance and draw attention away from your face.  Also, these colors will show-off even the smallest pieces of lint which a tie of a slightly lighter shade will absorb into its overall color palette.

 
  It's FREE! It has FIREWORKS! 

  It features American Classics...and more!

www.nevadapops.org

Usually Nevada Pops holds their concerts in Las Vegas but this year they are pulling out all the stops and putting on a breath-taking 4th of July Concert under a star-filled sky in quaint Mesquite, Nevada, an easy 1 hour drive north of Las Vegas.  Originally settled by Mormons, Mesquite is nestled in the Virgin Foothills along the Virgin River. Today agriculture, golf and businesses thrive alongside each other in this small town that is a true slice of Americana. In fact, one of my very favorite spas is found at the Casablanca Hotel Casino in Mesquite.

As many "in the know" Nevadans will attest, also in Mesquite is the Eureka Casino Resort which is a great spot for nearby weekend getaways. Now with the Nevada Pops performing at the Eureka Casino Resort this will be THE place to celebrate America's birthday in Southern Nevada! 

If you haven't had the opportunity to enjoy a concert by the Nevada Pops, this is a wonderful way to introduce your entire family to contemporary and classic American music performed by many of Nevada's best and brightest musicians, and conducted by Richard McGee whose artistic flair is renowned.

Thanks to the Lied Family, this concert is free and open to the public. The Eureka Casino Resort is lending a hand by making weekend accomodation packages available. Contact them directly for room and reserved seat packages at 800-346-4611 OR visit EurekaMesquite.com.

Some of the musical highlights in this 4th of July concert include:

• Armed Forces Medley arrangement by Charles Gabriele
• Stars & Stripes Forever, Semper Fidelis, and Liberty Bell March by John Philip Sousa
• Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland
• Music from The Patriot by John Williams
• Tributes to Glenn Miller and Irving Berlin
• And much, much more!

I hope to see you here to celebrate the 4th of July!