Posts tagged: humor

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How to make your friends smile gratefully all day long…

If this were addressed to you, how would you feel if it arrived unexpectedly in your email box ? This year (2016), I’ve decided to send one email each day thanking someone who has enriched my life. It could be someone who is close to me, like a family member or a friend. It could be […]

Friday June 3rd, 2016 in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on How to make your friends smile gratefully all day long…

Emceeing: a Barbershop St. Patrick’s Day script

Welcome! Here is another Barbershop presentation script–for those eager to read Barbershop presentation scripts. Enjoy! I’m Gordon Burgett, blogmaster of my own blog, which you are now reading. 90% of the posts here refer to writing, editing, publishing, speaking, and related commentary about selling one’s ideas and information. The other 10% discuss emceeing, which is […]

Tuesday April 26th, 2016 in , , , , , , | Comments Off on Emceeing: a Barbershop St. Patrick’s Day script

You just have to read “Trees and Kids”

There is an unusual tree commonly known as the Chinese Bamboo Tree. It is real. Years ago I heard a speaker talk about it, using it to make a point. It stuck in my head. I even did some research to find out if the speaker was blowing smoke and made up the tree. He […]

Tuesday April 5th, 2016 in , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on You just have to read “Trees and Kids”

Some thoughts about interviewing…

This is an excerpt (part of a chapter) from my coming book, Interviewing. I talk about tools and means used to interview: Interviewing is mostly you asking questions to a person or, rarely, a group, and receiving an intelligible response in return. When you record what you asked and what they replied, that is the […]

Monday November 30th, 2015 in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Some thoughts about interviewing…

Little things not to say when you’re emceeing …

There may be a million things not to say when you are in charge of a program or ceremony. Let me share a half-dozen wee comments that, in themselves, aren’t going to get you hooked off the podium, but, done right, they will easily distinguish you as a professional who is comfortable and smooth… For […]

Wednesday July 29th, 2015 in , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Little things not to say when you’re emceeing …

Using humor to sell your magazine articles

Funny you should ask! One rule always: some editors/publications don’t use humor, so don’t even try. At best the editor may open her lips to chuckle (or groan), then reconsider and toss the query. I can’t tell you which such publications  to avoid because I don’t read them. But it used to be that the […]

Monday July 20th, 2015 in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Using humor to sell your magazine articles

How can I make my self-published memoir a big seller?

It’s doable but very hard. It takes a combination of good things, some not much in your control. A starting definition is required: what is a “big seller”? Almost everybody will agree that if your book has “many, many thousands of sales; royalties in six-plus figures; a book-based movie, and spin-offs of book fame like […]

Friday June 26th, 2015 in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on How can I make my self-published memoir a big seller?

Can you use a pseudonym for publishable articles?

Sure, I suppose in print you could call yourself Superperson or Cicero or anybody you want to. And if you own the publication, it might be fine. In fact, there are times when I would indeed use a pseudonym. Like if I was a deacon writing porno, rest assured I’d change my name. Or if a […]

Sunday May 10th, 2015 in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Can you use a pseudonym for publishable articles?

What do you do if a promised article interviewee finks out?

If you are writing a one-interview piece, a sort of bio plus, and the fink is the purpose of the article, apologize to the editor as soon as possible. You needn’t make excuses for the person but do try to reschedule it right away… Since queries very often suggest interviewing three people to get differing […]

Tuesday April 28th, 2015 in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on What do you do if a promised article interviewee finks out?

Why was your article query rejected again?

Who writes articles in 2015? At least 1,486,000 writers had a journal article published in 2010. Some were written by two or three authors. And that’s just journals. And that was five years ago. 2,000,000 blog posts will be written today. Today. Another 2,000,000 tomorrow, and so on… The difference is that articles must be […]

Wednesday April 22nd, 2015 in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Why was your article query rejected again?