Friday, September 30, 2016

Author Bio (Long) and CV


Last week we discussed writing a short bio; this week we will talk about writing a long bio and creating a CV. 

What's the need for more than one bio? Some places that might require a long descriptive author bio are: 1) your “About” page on your author website or blog, 2) an invitation from someone to do a guest post on a blog, 3) your local paper wants to give you some press coverage, 4) select venues and organizations considering you for a speaking engagement at their establishment, convention, or conference, 5 ) book signings (long descriptive bios make great detailed hand-outs to connect with fans).

How long should my author bio be? Bio lengths vary according to need. Short bios hover around 100-150 words, while a long descriptive bio has the liberty of taking up an entire page using a 12 font size (standard for the industry). You don’t want to write a novel, but you do have the liberty of taking up one full page. 

What is a CV? A CV (abbreviation for Curriculum Vitae) is a detailed, visually stunning account of a person’s experience, skills, and background. It includes photos, pictures, and a creative layout. Styles vary from formal to contemporary and from whimsical to humorous. The sky’s the limit on the creativity one can use to put together a vitae. 

Here are a couple of examples of CVs, the first one being a classic CV, and the second being one that is specific to the type of job he is applying for, in this case, a job at a theme park:

CV #1 (Classic)

NAME... 
is the founder of NAME Innovation LLC, a positioning and branding firm that helps consultants and other thought leaders increase their fees by up to 2,000%.
His clients include:
  • a former department head in the White House
  • a speaker to the United Nations
  • CEOs of major organizations
  • a former head of the Strategy Unit of the Harvard Business School
  • performers on network TV and from the New York and Las Vegas stages
  • New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling authors
  • TED and TEDx speakers
Before devoting his work fulltime to NAME Innovation, NAME served as Chief Marketing Officer at an Inc. 5,000 experiential branding organization whose clients include XXXX XX XXXXXXX, XXX, XXXXXXX, XXXX XXXXXX, XXXX and XXXXXXXX & XXXXX Universities.
NAME has written for the New York Times, and has written or co-created five books. His last book, “XXXXX XX  XXXX XXXXXXXXX XX XXXXX XXXXXXXX” has been published in ten languages.
NAME has also taught research writing at XXXXXXXXXX XXXXX University.

In addition to being a positioning consultant, NAME creates magic tricks and shows. His work has been performed in XXXXX Hall and Las Vegas, and on all the major TV networks. He also co-created the show, “XXXXXX XX XXXXX,” which has played for 16 years, and is the longest-running one-person show in XXXXXXXXXX City.

CV #2 (Job Specific)


Should a bio/vitae be written in first person? There is no right or wrong answer to this question--either first person (using “I”) or third person (using “he” or “she”) is acceptable--the choice is yours. If you write your bio/vitae in first person it may appear that you are gloating or bragging; however, some people prefer to read the first person bios, as they perceive it as a portrayal of self-confidence and possibly a hint of self-stability, or even a strong feeling of achievement. If you write your bio/vitae in third person it will present an objective viewpoint for your fans. They may be the fans that like to read what others have said about you, possibly giving you more credibility in their eyes. Using third person does not mean you need to have someone write your bio for you. You can write your own bio using third person, and most won’t even know you did the writing.

What font style and font size should I use? For your written bio use a standard font, such as Times New Roman, size 12 (considered the industry standard. FYI: Times New Roman is the most widely accepted font around the globe.) For your vitae, be creative! But be careful not to use fonts and sizes that make things difficult to read. There are some awesome fonts out there, though when used in smaller sizes, on websites, blogs, or presentations they are not the easiest ones to read. 

What should come first in my bio? Just like the “hook” line in the first chapter of your book, you’ll want an opening line that not only grabs attention but also holds it. You’ll want to include your biggest accomplishment(s), a hint of experience, and possibly a skill, all in one power-packed sentence. For example: #1 best-selling, award-winning author Joe Brown’s unmatched style of fantasy writing paid off when he was accepted into the Author Hall of Fame ten years ago.

How do I close the bio? Leave your fans on a personal note, as it adds “oomph” to the connection fans may be building with you. They may admire your accomplishments, but if they have something in common with you, the “bond” can become even stronger, creating more dedicated fans. For example: When Tylisha is not writing she enjoys hiking, kayaking, photographing nature, and baking cupcakes. 

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

From the Nose of Our Kayak: Chapter 18 "Wide Open Spaces...and a Little Stinker!"


Janet & Don Beasley
Hello and welcome to the JLB Creatives Blog, where you'll find an array of creative features from a hand-picked group of creative geniuses. 

Wednesdays on the JLB Creatives Blog are set aside for our blog book, "From the Nose of Our Kayak." JLB Creatives CEO, Janet Beasley, and her husband, Don, have been kayaking for nearly 10 years. Together they are excited to share with you, their awesome experiences that they have encountered. In this Wednesday feature you'll find kayaking stories, scenic nature photography from their outings, and some helpful tips when it comes to maneuvering your "butt sleds" (aka kayaks) on your journeys.

So if this is a topic that interests you, you'll want to be sure and become a follower of the JLB Creatives Blog, and stop in on Wednesdays each week for the latest chapter in Don & Janet Beasley's adventure blog book, "From the Nose of Our Kayak." 


Previous chapters can be found in our blog archives. We began the series on June 1, 2016.


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Don prepares for the day




From the Nose of Our Kayak
Don & Janet Beasley
Chapter 18: "Wide Open Spaces...and a Little Stinker!"
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While in Michigan we decided to try a new outing...Munuscong River. So we loaded up the new #WildernessSystems tandem kayak and headed out for the day.

Map of Munuscong Area
Munuscong juts off to the west from Munuscong Lake, a flat prairie-style body of water with an amazing view. The St. Mary's River, southwest of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, splits around Neebish Island and empties into Munuscong Lake northeast of Munuscong River.

The Objibway
heading south (down bound) into the rock cut
The lake freighters that are traveling up river take the channel of the St. Mary's River that lies to the east of Neebish Island, and those traveling down river use the west side of the island, which locals refer to as "the rock cut," a very narrow man-made pass between the mainland of Michigan's U.P. and Neebish Island.

Neebish Island is only accessible by ferry if you're driving a vehicle. The ferry has a schedule and is closed for the winter as of mid January and reopens April 1.
Neebish Island Ferry
Objibway heading on down river

We found the launch site on the Munuscong River and readied ourselves for the new adventure. 

As we paddled the river we spotted some beautiful wildlife including a blue heron and a king fisher. 

When we reached the open water of the lake we stopped paddling and to take in the the beautiful sight of Munuscong Lake.

Munuscong Lake
from the mouth of the Munuscong River
It made for a very different style paddle than we were used to, but impressive nonetheless. When we returned from our outing we loaded up the kayak and headed "out of the wilderness," back to the main road...but not without stopping for one more surprise. 


As we rounded the bend of the gravel road we saw something wiggling and "playing" in the middle of the road. We cautiously approached the critter only to find it was A SKUNK! YIKES!!! STOP THE TRUCK and wait for that little stinker to remove himself from the road and back into the woods.
Le skunk! Le Pu!


Finally he decided he'd had enough of whatever it was that was so interesting in the middle of the road and scurried off into the brush. As we passed over his play area we found ourselves gagging from the stink as if rolled into the truck through the vents! 

We laughed for quite a few miles, each time inhaling the stench and coughing over and over again. In about 15 miles the truck had finally aired out and it was homeward bound. We showered off then dashed off to enjoy a campfire with friends and family. We don't know if we ended up being two little stinkers ourselves, either we weren't, or everyone was just nice enough to let it go. 

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Kayak Tip of the Week: Currents can be tricky to maneuver when going from a river mouth into an open body of water. Always stay alert to assure a safe exit and/or re-entry into a river or lake that are connected. 

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A few of the nature shots we captured on our Munuscong outing...enjoy!












Monday, September 26, 2016

Excerpt Extravaganza! Today's Excerpt Is From "Wesley Out West"

Welcome to the JLB Creatives Blog, where an eclectic team of creative geniuses share their fantastical imaginations. 

On Mondays we are featuring an excerpt from one of our creative authors. And what makes this feature so fun is that we publish a wide range of genres. You'll never know what to expect for the excerpt.

To read all of our excerpts thus far, we invite you to visit our blog archives and look for our first Excerpt Extravaganza! that began on August 1, 2016.

Enjoy!

All previous excerpts are available in our archives. We began this series on August 1, 2016.


Today's excerpt is from 5 star Rhonda Walker's children's book Wesley Out West. Not only is it an entertaining story, it's a wonderful educational tool for children, and the illustrations are nothing shy of amazing!

“Hello, Wesley,” said Octopus, holding out two of his arms.  “I heard you say you never get to do anything exciting.  
I am from Big West, and we need someone to save our town.  
Old Walter the Whale has taken over.  We need a brave sheriff. 

Will you help us?”


To discover more about our author Rhonda Walker, watch Wesley's book trailer, or purchase you copies of Wesley Out West we invite you to visit Rhonda's author page by clicking here

JLB Creatives

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JLB Creatives Blog Hosts
JLB Creatives Editor Dar Bagby (L) and JLB Creatives CEO Janet Beasley (R)