A Welcome Addition

For the three or four of you who actually read this blog, you already know that I had previously mentioned the need for a Program Director who is not me.  Out of the huge pool of volunteers (all two of you, and don't worry, I have other plans for you both!) I decided to go outside and follow a bit of intuition.  I am pleased to say that it paid off, and can proudly announce that Catherine Berger, a long time colleague in the life insurance space has agreed to fill the post of Program Director.

From our previous work together, I know her to be a dilligent, thoughtful and caring person who will be a huge asset rather than simply someone who can push paper around (although I know she is great at that as well!).  I am very excited to be working with her again, and I know she will provide her usual insight and creativity as the Program Director.

This announcement was my primary motivation for posting today, but there are a couple other things as well.  First, one of my more interesting reads over the past couple months was The Chaos Scenario by Bob Garfield.  He is a long time advertising expert, and this book chronicles his observations over the last four years as all things media have undergone some dramatic changes. 

You can learn more about him at his web site - The Chaos Scenario.

While I was on the site today, I noticed a link to an article about the publishing industry and an interesting fact - the average book in America sells about 500 copies!  There are a number of other thoughts and facts there that support my idea that the best way to actually have people read my book is to publish it myself.  For those of you who are curious, here's the link - Ten Awful Truths about Book Publishing.

The next step in the publishing process is already on the calendar - a meeting with a "Book Packager" who is essentially a consultant who can advise on all aspects of the process of turning a manuscript into a finished book.  That meeting is set for January 13th, and I should have a much firmer grasp on the timeline and steps needed to end up with a finished product.  Can't Wait!