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Myths abound about print books being the right kind of book and eBooks are on their last leg. These ideas spring from traditional publishing.

Hopeful authors have read it many times–that a true book, one that will bring you reverent kudos, must be in print and must be long. And it must have a top agent and publisher. Maybe true five-ten years ago. Like you, I believed it at first and went down that rocky road to get an agent, then publisher. Way too hard and took way too long.

My first rule. Write a short book first. Notice famous authors such as Ken Blanchard did. Second rule. Write a non-fiction, self-help book first, then a novel. You’ll experience more success with a non-fiction. Then, you can use the profits to stay the long haul for your fiction.

Follow my lead. First, I wrote print booklets or journals and sold them at the back of the room in seminars of the same name. This led to thousands of income each month. Then I read self-publishing books such as Dan Poynter’s. Right track. But, then I realized one can write a print and an eBook at the same time. And, you can sell either from your own Web site. Or, you can take a 50% or less royalty and sell from someone elses’s site.

Remember one great benefit of eBooks. The author gets by with little cost. You can send the books via email if you don’t have a Web site yet, and you can offer them as downloads at your site.

One great benefit of short eBooks. Your audience loves them. They don’t want to spend a lot of time reading. They want quick solutions in an easy to read format. They don’t want long books over 130 pages with too much extraneous information. Give them answers to their questions and you’ll have a fan for life.

The sad truth that no emerging authors wants to believe–that they can get the publisher to publicize, promote and market their book. Not true. It’s amazing how many bookcoaching clients really want to turn it all over to someone else. The problem is it’s way too expensive, and no one knows nor has more passion for a book than the author. It’s not money that rules, but a creative approach to sharing your wealth.

Another rule. If you can write a book, you can also write ad copy for the book’s introduction, the short “tell and sell,” the back cover, or the Web or email sales letter. You just need some coaching from a pro. Start a promotion savings account and spend a little to get the best words that will attract and give your audience enough information to make it easy to buy.

Join a telegroup that writes each week and exchanges files with each other. Of course make sure the bookcoach is savvy and knows how a saleable book is put together, knows short cuts to write fast, and clear, and gives you useful feedback to help your book grow and get born.

What’s your intention? To think it takes too much time, too much money and you aren’t much of a writer? If you can get by your resistances, you can learn how to write –well. If you put a little daily attention on your book project, you can finish it.

Take some small action today and feel powerful, because authors are a special breed-and the club is awaiting your good news.

Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works with small business people who want to make a difference in people’s lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a consistent life-long income. Author of Write Your eBook or Other Short Book Fast and 10 others, she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, “The Book Coach Says. . .,” and “Business Tip of the Month.” at http://www.bookcoaching.com. Email her at Judy@bookcoaching.com or Cullinsbks@aol.com Phone: 619/466-0622 — Orders: 866/200-9743

For a number of reasons, today’s hiring managers from Wall Street to the Silicon Valley are totally restructuring their approach to interviewing job prospects. Few will admit it has anything to do with the fact that our litigious society makes it very difficult to ask almost any personal question of today’s job applicant. The majority of those interviewing today don’t even bother checking references because they know anyone they call will provide little or no information on the employee in question for fear of legal retribution. Again, few will admit these facts for obvious reasons. However, for these and other motives including a hypercompetitive global marketplace, a hot new trend in hiring is emerging. “Puzzle interviews” using tough and tricky questions to gauge job candidates’ intelligence, imagination, and problem-solving ability, are becoming the norm in many companies.

How Would You Move Mount Fuji?: Microsoft’s Cult of the Puzzle - How the World’s Smartest Company Selects the Most Creative Thinkers is a study of corporate hiring, an assessment of IQ testing’s value, a history of interviewing and a puzzle book. The author, William Poundstone, is a science writer who explains the thinking behind this kind of interviewing. In a straightforward manner, the author describes the roots of logic questions in interviews, drawing on the history of IQ testing in hiring interviews, psychological studies and interviews with Microsoft ex-interviewers and interviewees. He certainly makes a strong case for eliminating standard questions like “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” and replacing them with logic puzzles.

For years, Microsoft’s interview process has included a notoriously grueling sequence of brain-busting questions that separate the most creative thinkers from the merely brilliant. Anyone who’s interviewed for a job at Microsoft is intimately familiar with questions like the one in this book’s title (How would you move Mount Fuji?) They’ve probably also pondered such problems as:

• Why are manhole covers round?
• How do they make M&Ms?
• What does all the ice in a hockey rink weigh?
• How many piano tuners are there in the world?

Questions like these, which test problem-solving abilities, not specific competencies, are commonplace during job interviews at Microsoft and the many other firms who have adapted this unique approach.

Basically, this book is separated into two parts: The first discusses the history of puzzles and their intellectual and academic standing. This section starts off by narrating the origin of puzzle-solving as a criterion for selecting people; then, it talks about how and why many companies use them in interviews. Mr. Poundstone talks about the general approaches to solving puzzles, and then closes on a note for employers on how to design puzzles that are useful.

The second part of the book is strict puzzle solving. The book has plenty of puzzles scattered through it and two chapters devoted solely to listing puzzles. The author goes on to discuss the puzzles he has listed and suggests thought processes about how to solve them. This exposition is more interesting than it sounds. Mr. Poundstone not only explains his answers thoroughly, but also uncovers many layers of thinking that show the complexity and beauty of the art of solving puzzles.

Almost half of the book is devoted to an “answer” section, where Poundstone gives possible solutions to the brainteasers. Although it lacks a specific focus, this is a fun, revealing take on an unusual subject.

This book will give interviewers insights into what kind of questions to ask, and why. You should probably read this book if you fall into one of the categories below:

1. Prospective interviewees for High Tech, consulting or financial services companies. It won’t give you all the answers to memorize, but it will let you in on the puzzle genre and some of its ‘rules.’
2. Interviewers/HR - If you are looking to employ puzzle-type questions to hire creative employees, this will give you some insights into what questions to use and why. There are probably better books on the intricacies of interviewing, but this will give you the background needed to use puzzles in the interview process (if you decide that’s what you need.)
3. People interested in problem solving, puzzles and creativity. This covers a lot of ground in these areas and it gives you a few references for further reading.

More than 100 business book reviews written by Harry K. Jones are available at http://www.AchieveMax.com/books/.

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Harry K. Jones is a professional speaker and consultant for AchieveMax^®, Inc., a firm specializing in custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has made presentations ranging from leadership to employee retention and time management to stress management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. He can be reached at 800-886-2MAX or by visiting http://www.AchieveMax.com.