Meg, the tape recording process really works great for people who prefer talking to actually writing. Just make sure you get someone to interview you who knows how to ask the right questions and can then organize the transcripts into themes. When I interviewed my first book subject, I followed him around for two days with the recorder running pretty much the whole time — in his office, in his car, etc. I met with him on his own turf, so he was really comfortable.

Sean, I think the person I referred to in my article did the binding himself. It was hard-bound, with a cloth stretched over the boards and metal fasteners on the side. I'm sure there are bookbinders out there that you could outsource the job to, or you could take a bookbinding class somewhere. Good luck with your book!

Thanks for your contribution, Alexander. And welcome to Biznik.

Hey everyone, check out this article about the design of the Obama "O":

http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/the-o-in-obama/?emc=eta1

That's awesome, Joshua. I don't think every business needs a tagline. And probably only a creative services business like yours could have every tagline. :-) I agree with you that taglines can be over-rated. They are only a piece of the puzzle, but for some people and businesses they can anchor every other marketing message, and I think that's a good thing. By the way, where are the "U" and the "I" in your domain name?

Not at all Rachel. It was much more complicated than that.

Deah, I'm glad you and Cassandra are going to connect....It's that "cluster of perceptions" in operation. I just think Cassandra, that you could get the same message across and cast a wider net. Carol, I'm curious, how were you able to tell that your taglines were more effective than packaging?

You're right about one thing, Paul. The set up did imply that one candidate's change was more believable.

Thanks Debra...I know it's a lot to ask for a tagline. Keep in mind that that's just one part of it. I was at a presentation the other day, and the leader defined a brand as "a cluster of perceptions." I thought that was pretty cool.

I know what you're trying to say, Cassandra, but I think you run the risk of insulting your audience. When I go for a massage or something, I want to transport myself away from reality and feel like a king. I don't need to be reminded that I'm overeducated and underpaid when I'm looking for an escape. It might be okay for a headline or a supporting point, but the tagline can have such a powerful presence I'd go more positive.

Wow. What great comments. The dialog created by everyone's articles is fast becoming my favorite thing about Biznik. Jeff, what an inspiration you are. You must really have been doing things right if a publisher came to you. And the fact that you've continued writing shows how powerful a book can be for a business...or, as you've shown, AS a business. What's so great about the state of technology today is that undiscovered talent like Penny and Phil can self publish and still get some results, like Bill's friends. Penny, I don't have any direct experience with online writing groups, but if that's what it takes to motivate you, I say go for it. Sometimes writers can be competitive, so if it turns into a contest for who can make the most vicious critiques, I'd get out of it. But group or no group, your coffee shop looks like a great place to get a lot of great writing done! My ghostwriting clients tend not to be writers, but they're great talkers and the recorded interview has been a blessing for me and for them. Once they forget about the recording device, they give me great information. So Penny and Phil, you might try asking a friend or family member to interview you about your business. You'll probably be more comfortable talking, and then you can take that info and organize it into chapters and stories. Or, as Jeff suggested, you can hire a ghostwriter like me. :-) Anyway, thanks for taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it.

Woo-hoo!

Laila, I think you might have gotten a two-fer. :-) Some businesses just don't need a tagline when the gist of what you want to say is all in the name.

Thanks, Pamela, for the lead on the article. Can someone really "become" authentic? :-)

I've always wanted to be a speechwriter. Anyone know any candidates? I'll have to check out that Reagan book...Thanks for the tip, Jeremy. The tagline generator was a scream...19 steps! Check out this software that writes headlines: http://headline-creator-pro.com/np.html It does in 17 seconds what a copywriter does in three to five days!

Judy, I've ghostwritten a few books for people and that's kind of how it works. We start with a lot of recorded interviews, I disappear and prepare a draft, and then we go back and forth a few rounds. It's really fun to find a person's voice and reproduce it in writing. The best is when you make something up and the person thinks it was something they actually said. :-)

Mr. Obama claims to write most of his own material, or at least that's what I've heard. I'm sure he'll have less time to do that going forward, so we'll have to keep an eye out for stylistic changes.

Pamela and Dan, I'm amazed at how fast they can come out with books like that. There's probably one already written about his first 100 days in office. :-)