Fire away! Dr. Dyer is in the house

Hello there!

Okay, so I'm not a real M.D. or Ph.D., but I do have some letters (B.S., M.Ed.). That M.Ed. represents a masters in curriculum and instruction. Oh, I can write curriculum and instruct, but I also have years of practice answering questions. Did you know that high school teachers ask almost 400 questions per day?

I found a variety of stats on children's questioning habits, but all the numbers made me tired. Ha! Four-year-old children ask about seventy-three questions each day, and I can promise you that teenagers are question-asking machines. Doctors ask and answer fewer questions. Think of the math. Doctors see one patient at a time, while a teacher faces a ROOM full of brains and mouths. When I taught ninth grade, I had thirty-five students per class and four classes per day. My beloved colleague Dr. H literally shaved his head before the first day of school each year and didn't see a barber until summer break because he didn't want to have to answer the question, "Dr. Hebert, did you get a haircut?" multiple times per year. Smart guy.

 
I met with a client who was anticipating a medical procedure. She lamented that she had many questions but kept being passed from answering services to office managers to nurses to different medical offices … you know the drill. Isn't it frustrating when you have a SIMPLE question but can't get the SIMPLE answer?

Crippled Beagle Publishing gets LOTS of questions, too, and I have a plan that will efficiently give you answers.

I explained to a new client yesterday that I typically check voicemail and email only in the afternoons. She asked why. I explained that blocking time to reply to messages is actually all about taking better care of my clients. Below is my full answer in bulleted points. Consider applying these ideas and practices to your career, cooking (ever heard of investment cooking?), housework, home improvement tasks, and especially WRITING.

• I "mega batch" my work. Look it up. Mega batching makes total sense. In my world, that means that I focus primarily on one client per day. That client's project gets my total attention—and this next part is crucial—WITHOUT INTERRUPTION. Doing this may mean that I don't touch a project for a couple of weeks, but when I do, the work is profoundly more productive and efficient, which saves me time and YOU money. I work ahead, too. For example, if you've budget four hours per month, I may work an entire day (or two) on your project, but I'll honor your budget and just spread that time over multiple invoices. If your project is on a flat fee plan, bathing means we finish it faster.
• My inbox is usually a list of updates from subcontractors, administrative tasks (I email myself), referrals, customer service requests, and, yes, lots of client and prospect questions.
• I don't want to rush through any response. Thus, I answer emails when my client's work for the day is complete so that I can give each email my full attention.
• Emails (questions) also guide my business practices. Just last week, I revised a crucial piece of important communication that I send all new authors. The revision was inspired by one email from one client. When someone expresses a need via a question, I look at how my team and I can better meet that need immediately and for future clients. I may spend hours on research, revisions to practices, and development of new products/services.
• While you may have to wait for an answer, I want the answer to be solid. My mother always says, "Haste makes waste." If I answer in haste, the client is shortchanged. Not cool. I take my time. By doing so, I protect your time and money.

Here's my challenge to you:
Send me any and every question that comes to mind, whenever it comes to mind, about writing, editing, publishing, and book marketing. If you are in the marketing phase, what questions do you have about branding, building a book business, reviews, web pages, social media, finding readers, building an email list, _______?

Send those questions to [email protected] and [email protected].

If you are on the move and have a question, call me or text me at 865-414-4017.

Consider me a physician. You are perched on a paper blanket, I'm in a rolling chair right beside you and holding a prescription pad. Fire away. Better yet, visualize yourself at a school desk and see me at the lectern. Raise your hand. Fire away. I'm here to help you.

HAPPY ASKING!!!
Jody and the Crippled Beagle Publishing Team