Author Archives: JimArnoldLA

How Prostate Cancer Works!

Came across this little video which explains the process of prostate cancer in an entertaining way (entertaining for cancer, anyway). It was around the internets for Father’s Day, so I’m a few days late for that, but it’s always good information to have.
The video says that 80% of men can get PCa by age 80 – but obviously, that can come much younger.

The video also makes an attempt to explain rates around the world as well as some prevention measures, mostly focused on diet. So, get the man in your life to eat his tomatoes and fish oil!

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Links:

Prostate Cancer Foundation

Malecare

Livestrong

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7 signs you are ready to self-publish

books, books on the shelf

Bravo, writer Damien G. Walter of The Guardian has come up with a checklist of seven items the budding self-publishing writer should have accomplished before jumping in the deep end of the scary pool of independently published books.

He doesn’t say that you must have accomplished all seven of these items, though that would certainly help. If you’ve solidly come up with four, you may actually be ready.

By and large I agree with this list – certainly, for the likelihood of a commercial success (which is what everyone wants, right?).

#1: High Concept – usually (esp. in movies) refers to the kind of plot you can describe in one sentence. So, this may not indicate that anything is good, it’s just understandable before the purchase. Walter uses “Da Vinci Code” as an example. There are, however, many great books that would be hard to describe this way – and why do we need to dumb down the field any more than it already is?

#2: Practicing 10,000 hours to achieve mastery, a la a Malcolm Gladwell hypothesis. This I like. Writing, like music or dance or painting or anything, really, gets better with practice. The more you do, the better you get.

#3: Getting serious feedback for your writing. And, this doesn’t mean your mom! I can’t emphasize how important this is. Although painful, as well. Take classes with other writers who will critique your work. Listen to what they say and understand that the world may not be on your wavelength and that you haven’t communicated.

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#5: Having a platform: Self-publishing demands this, as the traditional publisher would be the marketer of the book, and that humongous task falls to the self-publisher. So be sure you do know social media or can afford to have someone do the marketing and publicity for you.

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Tips on Social Media from Digital Hollywood

Graphic by Grapplica via Flickr

Had the opportunity for Jim Arnold Communications to attend the EPPS (Entertainment Publicists Professional Society) One Day Conference in conjunction with Digital Hollywood a while back (May, 2011) at the Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey.

Most of the panels I attended were on the how-to of social media marketing for entertainment products, to which I add the book category, because they are definitely entertaining!

Here are a few tips I gleaned from my day in Marina del Rey, in no particular order, re-posted from prior Jim Arnold Communications blog (and still very applicable one year later):

1) TIP: Many, if not most – or all –  journalists are on Facebook and Twitter.  Friend them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter. Good way to build a social media “media” list.

2) TIP: Use Twitter to find niche audiences – even more effective than Google – using hashtag (#) searches to find interests.

3) TIP: sometimes you can invite controversy on the web. For instance,  if you know that there is some opposition to your book (or whatever product it is) this can be a good thing, as it stimulates a conversation, and as such, publicity.

4) TIP: Making your video go viral – what helps, though there is no universal formula – is the definite WTF factor. Also, when you need to bump up numbers a quick and sure way is to find something with cute, furry little animals (a winner every time!)

5) TRANSMEDIA definition: this is storytelling across different media – with each media type giving up something different – different information, different twist – about the story. If it’s the same message just going out on different media, that’s defined as MULTIMEDIA. The TV show “Lost” is a great example of an entertainment property that used Transmedia very successfully.

6) TIP: People are using Twitter for Customer Service requests, complaints, and recommendations – as in, trying to avoid phone trees and automated systems, people have found they get better and quicker results Tweeting about the problem.

7) OTHER GENERIC TIPS for Social Media:

  • Have a demographic you are trying to reach, rather than “everyone”
  • Think about the words you use in blog titles and tweets, as they show up in key word searches
  • Do optimize your links – that means, use links that are reputable and popular
  • Do have a strategy for your social media
  • For Twitter and Facebook, use separate accounts for business and for personal
  • Social media is about a conversation. Therefore, comment on replies/posts to your Facebook pages and respond to your tweets
  • Social media is also all about sharing information, so encourage it
  • Limit yourself to a single call for action in any particular post or tweet

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I hope these are helpful. I’m going to incorporate most of these into my own work ASAP! What are your best-working tips? Add them to the list in the comments.

New to SEO? Another good link.

 

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Los Angeles Pride June 2012

So, L.A. Pride celebrations were over the weekend, and I have multimedia presentations for you, dear reader. Makes it much easier on me today with having to come up with something intelligible to write about it all, but let me just say this:

I’m glad I went. In recent years, I haven’t always gone, no matter what city it was (L.A, Palm Springs, San Francisco, NY. . .) because . . . why? Because it seems tired, I hated rainbows, I hate crowds, what’s the point if you’re not 25, etc. You know, the usual cranky blah-blahdy claptrap. But then I had to remember what it was like being gay in the late 60s and 70s when I grew up, and where I grew up, where there was nothing like a Gay Pride Parade or anything remotely approximating this at all. So I realized how lucky we are to have this, and how it is really special, no matter how imperfect it is. This year, I needed to show I was a part of it, no matter how small that really is.

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So here’s some video I shot (with the still camera which has a video function, not too bad for a blog) and then some stills of friends, some of the parade, some other stuff. I hope you enjoy. It was great fun and I’m so glad I went.

And in the video: what you’re seeing: Semi-naked boys on a float, Drag Queen Cheerleaders, Molly Ringwald (the grand marshal-ess of the parade) dressed as a Greek Goddess with guys in togas. In short, just what you’d expect to see. Oh, and for those not in L.A., the cool red building in the background is part of the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood.

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Empty House Syndrome

Nation of Change

Houses are bigger, and we’re living with others less often. Not to mention all the empty houses in the country, that for whatever reason can’t be used to house people who live outside.

Doesn’t it all seem a little weird? Here we have both a terrible homeless problem and a terrible real estate problem. Empty houses on the one hand and on the other people who have no place to live. However, the people who have no place to live have no money to pay to live (either rent or buy) in those empty houses. So the solution – to let the people live in the empty spaces – can’t work, because of the “rules” we have.

We can’t have homeless people squatting in foreclosed upon houses – that just, I don’t know, just can’t happen? Why? Because it’s not the way “it” works. Blah blah blah. And the usual argument would follow, but then everybody would want to live in their house for free, etc.

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I’m sure there’s a million reasons why not to. I guess it all comes down to the kind of society we wish to live in and how we want to relate to our fellow human beings. Am I saying it’s wrong to deny the homeless shelter in vacant homes that someone else owns? Probably not. I know that’s not how the “system” works in this or other countries. I have a vacant porch and I have yet to invite a homeless person to camp there. However, I am curious as to when and how it got to that point, where an arbitrary economic model trumps compassion and extends misery.

Much easier to talk about the parts of the story which involve doubling up or living with friends, etc. Not only is there money and energy to be saved, there’s camaraderie to be had and loneliness to be stanched. There’s more people living alone today than ever before in history (myself included). Have you ever wondered why this is, and found it odd – after all, we are social animals. Cats and dogs have certainly benefited!

If you live alone, do you think you’ll always want to? Or would you like to live with other people, especially as a single older person?

 

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Old Values, Mutualism Making a New Comeback

Just add beard?

Any neighborhood where the denizens have (nicely trimmed, please) beards, wear suspenders and sport a few tattoos would be a place I wouldn’t mind visiting – hey, a lot!

In Sara Horowitz’s story in The Altlantic on the new (old) mutualism, she describes the movement (at least in Portland)  as thus. As in, the male folks involved in cooperative ventures have this aesthetic.

More important, of course, is the movement behind the fashion – cooperatives filling a void to which neither government nor the private sector has been able or willing to provide good solutions.

I remember back during my one year at the University of Wisconsin in Madison – where I lived within walking distance of the Mifflin Street Co-op, which was a thriving holdover from the 1960s countercultural movement (it seemed like a long time from the anti-war riot days, but it was really just 1977-78). I tried to support it as best I could, but I do remember the healthy offerings weren’t often what my college-age junk food-loving body wanted.

But I digress. Horowitz goes on to talk about some of the bigger successes, like the Freelancer’s Union insurance programs, as well as more glamorous enterprises like Etsy and Kickstarter, which has funded thousands of art/music/film/design projects over the last year.

The cooperative movement couldn’t be more American or traditional than Ben Franklin, who started a “fire insurance company, Philadelphia Contributionship, which still operates today.”
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I found this definition of a social-purpose venture: It needs to:

  1. Be financially sustainable
  2. Have a social impact

So that’s pretty broad. I think the main differences between the old mutualism and what passes as the new version will have to do with technology – specifically the internet and crowd-sourcing, avenues simply not available to our ancestors in the 1890s. Maybe that and the tattoos – I can see the men of the 1890s in suspenders and beards, but were tattoos really the thing back then? I think that’s a more modern wrinkle. Then again, I could be wrong.

And, I learned a new word: locavore. I bet you, smart reader, don’t even have to look it up.

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Where being gay really is a death sentence

Winnipeg Free Press story on where being gay is a death sentence

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

In Iran, there are no homosexuals.

Or so said the president of Iran. When I posted the story about the thoughts/rants of Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore, little did I realize that I’d find the “180” in the next couple of days.

You see, that post was all about a minority that had won major gay acceptance and gay rights over the years, and about modifying its platform, so to speak. About what it should really be interested in doing/focusing on to ensure the “right kind” of liberation for gay people, perhaps not focused so much on marriage equality or anti-gay violence.

But in order to do that, in order to have the freedom to say what you want or wear a dress or call yourself Mattilda or Jimbo or re-appropriate the word “faggot” — you have to be free enough to not be looking over your shoulder every minute for the assassin.
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And this is what is going on in Iran, Iraq, other countries in Africa. This is what would be going on in the United States if some fundamentalist Christian pastors had their way. Yes, here, yes, in Kansas and Maryland and probably some small town very near you.

So I wanted to publicize this program in Canada, the Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees, which assists those trying to escape Iran for more hospitable countries like Canada, though the article also says they help place people in Finland and the USA.

If you read the story about Hamed, the young Iranian man in the picture above, you find out that the people he was most afraid of in Iran were his own family. I find that so sad and depressing. Yet, he triumphs: the two men in the photo behind him, his new family, were part of a “Group of Five” in Canada which was able to sponsor Hamed’s emigration.

I’d have to say, he looks pretty happy. The article also says that today, June 3, he’ll go to his first Pride parade, in Winnipeg. Appropriate for what I expect will be a number of GLBT-pride related posts this month of June Pride.

Also, I’ll be thinking of Hamed and people like him the next time I’m forced to watch a child spew hatred as the result of some pathetic misguided adult. 

 

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Read it and Weep: half of self-published authors earn less than $500! But there is hope . . .

It’s a Reality Check, folks.

No matter which path you ultimately follow as a writer — the traditional one, where you pursue a publisher to take your book and launch it to the world — or self-publishing, where you launch it upon the world yourself — one should always do this with lots of preparation and eyes wide open.

And that “eyes wide open” thing means you accept the reality that most writers do not become rich and famous, selling gazillions of books, and most cannot support themselves by their book writing alone.

It’s like that in all the arts, always has been. Here’s some good information from The Guardian. First of all, like you’d imagine, most of the spoils in self-publishing go to the superstars, like Amanda Hocking and EL James. Like the headline says, half of all self-published authors earn less than $500 on their books. But, that also means that half earn more than that.

And, regarding genre: most successful is romance (like in traditional publishing), followed by science fiction and fantasy. It also helps to be female and it helps to be educated. Well, then, what if you’re a man and you’re writing literary fiction? It’s just more of a challenge to break out of the pack.
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“Authors who tick none of these boxes would be well advised to spend time and money on making a title look professional, the survey found: self-publishers who received help (paid or unpaid) with story editing, copy editing and proofreading made 13% more than the average; help with cover design upped earnings by a further 34%.”

** For a description of the editorial and marketing services I offer to self-published authors, which include copyediting and proofreading, please click here.

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Tips on Prepping Corporate Key Messages (with your freelance copywriter)

Flickr photo by leedsal

When working with an outside consultant (such as a freelance copywriter) on devising message points for an upcoming product launch, press conference or trade show, here are a few tips to keep in mind, which will likely make the process a smoother one for all involved.

First, if possible, have an in-person internal meeting of all stakeholders:

Ask your team (product design, engineers, product marketing, corporate PR, etc.) to prep beforehand, and come up with answers to:

  • What is the purpose of this thing/app/technology
  • What are this thing’s valuable features and benefits, and in what order of importance do you want to emphasize these
  • Where does this thing/app/technology fit in the story of the company/brand/product line, etc.

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Now to Distill –  break this down to its simplest level:

  • Come up with workable number of key messages (1-5, more than that gets unwieldy)
    • Determine which is the most important message, and which are the supporting points
    • Draft a headline for each main message point
    • Draft supporting statements (up to 3 or 4, but no more) that sustain the headline message point
  • What essential keywords and phrases can you use throughout? Use the google keyword tool to help you find appropriate keywords. By using the words/phrases you find there, this will help customers find you on the web.
  • Once the messages are drafted and bought into by stakeholders, practice delivering the messages until it seems effortless

Don’t forget to ask/answer these questions during this brainstorming process:

  • What are the product benefits and features?
  • How does the product fit in the marketplace?
  • What glaring need does this product fill?

Before your launch, press conference, trade show – you’ll want to PRACTICE:

  • Use flashcards – write questions on the front, answers on the back. Yes, just like grade school!
  • With your PR rep or Media Trainer (or even your freelance copywriter), set up some mock interviews:
  • Everyone gets a chance to ask and answer questions.
  • Use video; invaluable for improving performance.
  • Play devils advocate, ask tough questions in the practice sessions. Since you’re on the inside, you already know what these are.

Other helpful hints in this process:

  • Use stories to illustrate where you can. Keep the message simple, tie it to trends, or, if appropriate, is this something new?
  • What is the overall context of the announcement/launch/product – tie it in to larger picture, to the industry of which it is a part
  • We all have short attention spans. Repeat, repeat, repeat! Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, then finish by telling them what you just told them.
  • Be prepared for negative responses and questions for your messages. Have answers for them worked out in advance, using same process as above (key message point and supporting points), and make sure to practice these, because without a doubt, they will be asked.

Questions? Please leave a comment and I’ll answer here on the blog or, if you prefer, Email Me

More Tips for the Beginning Brand-er

 

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Why Are Faggots So Afraid of Faggots? Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore Weighs in on Marriage Equality, the Occupy Movement, and Freedom

SF Weekly photo of Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore by Kevin Coleman

I was quite interested in Chris Hall’s SF Weekly piece from several months ago on gay writer/editor/activist/Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore, so I clipped it.

Mattilda has a refreshing point of view, to say the least. I mean, have you wondered, as I have wondered from time to time, just why the gay movement wants inclusion into a couple of the more broken institutions of our time (marriage and the military)?

As she says in the article, and I paraphrase, maybe we should be working to get rid of the constriction of marriage, maybe we should be working to abolish the American military, hell-bent as it seems to be on endless, bankrupting wars of aggression.

I would argue (and agree with Mattilda) that the confines of the monogamous, traditional marriage are anything but queer as we know it. It seems to often be a dreadful institution, well in need of some redefinition, and by that I don’t mean defining it to include gay couples but defining a marriage relationship by itself to be very broad.

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I was at a discussion group not too long ago where one of our senior radicals was present (a member of the original radical faerie group) and when the topic of gay marriage came up, he really couldn’t stop laughing, he found the whole thing so absurd. This is not to rain on the parade of anyone who wants to get married — I think everyone should who wants to — but the gay movement was all about redefining our lives in such a way as to be much bigger than that which had come before – by doing such things as realizing the unique purpose and viewpoints of gay people. They would say we are here for a reason on this planet. They would say we are not just like everyone else (take away all the sex, there are still huge differences between gay and straight). This is the anti-assimilation point of view.

I applaud Mattilda for being able to articulate that contrarian point of view, not easy these days when everyone wants you to just jump on the safe, “well-behaved faggot” bandwagon. She also has a few choice words for the “It Gets Better” phenomenon – truly, how does telling a kid that things will get better in 4 or 5 years help him or her TODAY when life is a living hell? I’m not sure I have an answer for that. Maybe that the campaign is a step on the way for safety for these bullied kids? I think that’s likely.

What do you think about the gay movement? Do you think assimilation is the key, or do you think celebrating the difference is the way to go? Or, should it something entirely different?

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