It’s nearly midnight, May 30, and in just a few minutes (actually, as soon as I finish this post), an email blast will go out to hundreds of people, smashing the virtual champagne bottle against the prow of the good ship Book Release. (Not the most elegant metaphor ever. Hey, it’s late.) That is to say . . .

The Zen of MLM is officially now on sale.

In fact, we’ve even got a little “pre-launch special” going for the next few days. (You get a $5-off coupon that basically gives you free shipping.) It’s all there at www.zenofmlm.com.

What’s next? The Zen of MLM Blog. Which, alas, is still at dry dock and not quite ready for the high seas. (Or even low seas.) At the moment we’ve got a blog launch date of June 13 — and as you can see, I am champing at the bit to get the online conversation rolling! That date may change (that is, it may happen sooner). Whenever it comes, I will post it here.

Enjoy the book!

I know this is premature, because it isn’t June 1 yet — but things are speeding up here. So, here they are: the three winners of the “Why the Ripples?” explain-that-book-cover contest. (If you have no idea what I’m talking about, see the previous two posts, 5-20 and 5-21.)

#1 — First Convincing Explantion

(I received this entry less than three hours after posting the contest, which definitely qualified it as “first received.” Plus, it’s a good one.)

The simplicity of the concept: a single event spreading maximum effects, self-generating to infinity — one good mentor, teaching another, blending mind and spirit so that every single person touched by the ripples can reach the heights of hope, health and freedom — that’s what I think of when I see ripples caused by a single drop of water. – Ann Carter

#2 — Most Creative Explanation

(This one had to go to Fogg, for calling me a drip. No, wait — a drop.)

The ripples, dear Mann, are the superficial signs of the deeper (and far greater) currents of positive change your “residual impact” has generated for our profession in the last twenty-one-ish years. You, sir, are the droplet of water. (Not to be confused with a drip — though this has been one of the more inspiring examples of a successful drip campaign I am aware of.) – John Fogg

#3 — My Favorite Explanation

(I loved this one. Who says that tiny globe is a drop of water? Why not have it be a pearl?)

The pearl is the perfect element to graphically express the “Zen” concept. For one thing, most pearls come from the waters off the coast of Asia, where Zen has its roots. Also, in discussions of the different personality types, we often refer to the person who is most concerned with helping others as a “pearl.” This is what we do in MLM.

One of my mentors once said, “A sponsor is the steward of other people’s dreams.” [Hey, that’s in the book! (page 40)] Each action we take has the capacity to duplicate and affect others. Each time we sponsor someone, we are creating ripples that duplicate and reach out concentrically to touch others.

I would also comment on the color blue, which in Western cultural symbolism means trust and stability, and in Asian color symbolism represents self-cultivation and wealth. In MLM, as we cultivate our skills, we create wealth for ourselves and also for others.

This graphic is brilliant! I’m so looking forward to reading the book. – Jean Swanson

Thanks to all the others who wrote in — and stay tuned for a prelaunch launch. (We’re about to put up sneak prerelease of The Zen of MLM a good two weeks early!)

It’s a good thing I don’t write contest rules for a living. I woke up this morning to find several replies to my “Why the ripples?” contest — and a few discreet mentions of the fact that last night’s post left things in a rather ambiguous state.

Is the free copy of the book supposed to go to the first person who writes in with “a convincing explantion”? Or to the person who replies, any time before June 1, with the “very best answer”?

Um . . . both?

The only obvious solution: two free books. (Unless the very first reply also turns out to be, in the judges’ opinion, the very best among them.)

Come to think of it, I hereby add a third free book prize: to the person who writes in, before June 1, with the most creative or imaginative explanation of the water ripples on the cover. (Go ahead: knock yourselves out. Be outrageous.)

I’ll post the winning entries here, after the first.

The Zen of MLM isn’t even out yet, and it’s already received an awful lot of very nice comments and commentary. However, nobody has yet mentioned the graphic on the cover — and nobody has yet said, “Huh? Whaddya mean, ‘Zen’?”

As far as the “Zen” thing goes, I didn’t want to overstate my case (overstating is so unZen), but I did make two concessions to the reader’s “need to know” in the book. First, on page vix (the last page before we actually get to page 1) I give a few hints as to what the whole “zen” thing is about. (See them here.) And at the very end of the book, I added a whole new essay called “The Zenification of Network Marketing.” You can read an excerpt of that Epilogue here.

But what about that graphic — you know, the whole droplet of water and spreading concentric ripples thing?

Well, I am hereby officially offering a free autographed copy of the book, postage-paid, to the first person who writes in with a convincing explanation of why we chose this particular illustration for the book’s cover.

Click the “Contact Me” link at the top this page, or send an email to jdm@johndavidmann.com, with your explanation of why the ripples before June 1 and I’ll publish your answer — and send a free postage-paid copy of the book to whoever sends in the very best answer!

I recently received this e-mail from amy good friend Scott Ohlgren. First few paragraphs in, I had to go back and re-read carefully to make sure it was a joke. By the time I reached the end I was LOL, as they say. ROTF, in fact. LMAO. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. — J.D.M.

I’m excited. You may wonder what has me so thrilled.

Well, I’ll tell you, and here’s why. . .

Reason one, I’ve just learned that the normal writing styles of communication are old and dusty and not effective! That’s right: NOT EFFECTIVE!

Intrigued? Want to hear more? If you’re smart, you sure should be!

Before I go further, though, let me ask you a question: have you ever wondered if your writing style is HOLDING YOU BACK from being all you can be?

Of course you have. Only dummies not interested in wealth wouldn’t have asked themselves that question at some point in their lives.

So what is the new style of writing? Do you want to know? What if I was to tell you that this new style of writing is worth MILLIONS of dollars?

Let me explain . . .

The new style is all about:

1. Presumptuousness. Tell the reader how they feel. Ask questions you assume the reader would ask along the way, like, “Doesn’t that make sense?” The more presuming you can do regarding what the reader feels and thinks in every sentence, the better. And that brings me to reason number two . . .

2. Fake Phrasing. By placing most sentences in new paragraphs, you can weight each thought as though it were important, instead of inauthentic and manipulative communication.

You may be thinking right about now, “That’s enough, those two points!” But nope, there’s more . . .

3. Ellipses Everywhere. Heavy use of ellipses forces the reader to think, “Dang, I should pause here and think hard about that last pearl.”

4. Unctuous Condescension. This is a tough one to describe, and fortunately it’s a tough one for the reader to pick up, but whenever possible, phrase sentences in a excessively flattering or patronizing manner.

Look . . . Now can you see why I’m so excited? Given your intelligence, I’m sure you can. Think about it . . . in fact, I’m so sure you can see why I’m excited, I’m going to send you a Free Report, yours to keep, called “Emails and Websites that Grate On Your Nerves!” Expect it in the mail soon!!

It’s a good thing this is not an actual moon shot, because there are still elements in this picture that are not quite ready for prime time. The Zen of MLM web site will look considerably different another month from now, when the book itself officially launches (June 13)–but today we’re officially launching the collection of “Extras”: the free audiobook “What Is This Thing Called Network Marketing?” and the two free e-books, Three Steps to Freedom and Three Steps to Leadership.

Wait–before you click on the link to go see them (it’s the last line of this post), here’s a quick look at what these three items really represent:

While all three serve to promote the book (think of them as free samplers, appetizers, canapés or [your favorite food-related image]), they also are designed to serve you, the user, as stand-alone “third-party” tools to help explain and promote your own network marketing business. What are sometimes called “credibility pieces.” Here’s how they’re positioned:

Three Steps to Freedom is aimed at the person who is looking at your business, thinking about it, kicking the tires. They’ve talked with you about it, seen some material from your particular company. Maybe talked with one of your mentors. This e-book helps them put it all in perspective by laying out a one-two-three about this business: (1) the concept at the core of the business (residual income, residual impact); (2) the profession’s impressive track record; and (3) why fortune favors the bold–that is, why the best time to begin carving out a path to financial freedom is now.

Three Steps to Leadership is aimed more toward the people already in your business (though it’s also good food for prospects who place a value on leadership or personal development) as instruction and inspiration. Many have said that these particular pieces reminded them why they’re in this business in the first place.

What Is This Thing Called Network Marketing? is an eighteen-minute, professionally-produced audio presentation that gives a compelling overview of what network marketing is all about and puts its best foot forward, including strong quotes from the likes of Kiyosaki, Bach, Pilzer and others. The closing line puts it best: “From what I’ve been able to see these past twenty-one years, network marketing is an opportunity to do three things: to make a decent living; to make a good life; and to create a legacy worth leaving.”

Enjoy!

Ready . . . set . . . lift-off!

We’re not quite there yet — but almost! I just got back the latest edit of our audio file, “What Is This Thing Called Network Marketing?” from the folks at Paladin Media, and it’s excellent! It still needs a few tweaks, but this is pretty much the sound quality of the finished product, and you can hear it now on the still-in-development Zen of MLM web site on the “Extras” page. (Oh, okay: I’ll give you a link right here.)

By the way, an unrelated item: I just noticed that Rhonda Byrne (The Secret) is among this year’s Time 100, Time magazine’s “annual list of the world’s most influential people.” So I guess this means I got to conduct an exclusive interview (Networking Times, March/April 2007) with one of the world’s 100 most influential people!

Still, lest my head swell, there are 99 other folks on the list I did not get to interview in the last year, including Oprah Winfrey, Al Gore, Steve Jobs, Martin Scorsese, Warren Buffett, Richard Branson, Queen Elizabeth II, Tina Fey and Michael J. Fox. There’s always 2008.

Okay, faithful bloggers: I’m going to let you in on a secret. I’m going to show you two works-in-progress, that are not supposed to launch until next Friday. Actually, four. The first is a beta version of the official Zen of MLM web site.

Okay, now that you’re back . . . that funky little Richard Brooke quote in the middle of the page will soon metamorphose into a very cool Flash® thing where various wonderful and generous endorsements of the book fade in and out. And since I gave you the link, you’ve by now probably already seen the other three sneak previews–but in case you haven’t: the first is a first listen to a really-not-that-great-quality, very-rough-draft version of the audio file, “What Is This Thing Called Network Marketing?” This is the genuine Will Musser music track, but a trial recording of the voices, done home-computer-style (and not in the studio). The actual final track will be the studio-recorded and far better quality reading. But I figured, you deserve to get in on the behind-the-scenes glimpse. So here it is, warts and all.

The third and fourth sneak previews are the two e-books, Three Steps to Freedom and Three Steps to Leadership, which are both on the Zen of MLM site as well.

The real and final audio track should be ready the end of the week. The real and actual e-books will also be ready, far sooner — actually, the versions up right now (as of midnight, Sunday) are the real versions, except for a mild typo on page 2, which should be corrected by tomorrow.

Last night I got to listen to the winsome, willowy music that Virginia composer Will Musser has composed for the Zen of MLM MP3 audio we’re releasing at the end of next week. What a treat . . . I can’t wait to share the finished audio!

Technically entitled “What Is This Thing Called Network Marketing?” the audio track is an abridgement of the Prologue to The Zen of MLM, and is meant to serve as a stand-alone audio file people can use to educate and intrigue others about network marketing. (Along with hey, promoting the book.)

Will’s music actually plays for only a few of the track’s nineteen minutes (mostly at the opening and closing), but it was worth hiring him–it adds a wonderful touch.

The audio is being produced by a crackerjack media operation right here in Charlotesville, Paladin Media Group, and should be ready for prime time by mid-week, or Friday at latest. The moment I have a finished (or even rough) product from Paladin, I’ll post it here–you’ll be the first to hear it.
This is my first time producing a professionally-produced audiobook-type piece, and I have to tell you, it’s a blast.

It’s true: we just sold another book to another great publisher. Too early to release the details–which I promise I will the moment I can–but I’ll say this: it’s Seth Godin’s publisher, and I think this one is going to be big.

So at this point, we have the following plates spinning in the air: (1) You Call the Shots, from Free Press (Simon & Schuster) is out and going great guns; (2) our book on building bridges between the Muslim East and Christian West, tentatively entitled Reconcilable Differences (HarperSanFrancisco) is in production; (3) this latest, The Go-Giver (written with Bob Burg), is about to go into production, and I’ll tell you the publisher’s name as soon as it’s all inked in stone and I’m allowed to; and finally (4) The Zen of MLM, which I’m publishing myself through my company Owens & Alfred Press, is coming out on June 13.

Yes, that is now the official release date. The current issue of Networking Times shows a release date of May 11, but we jumped the gun on that: what will release on May 11 is the long-awaited audio file, “What Is This Thing Called Network Marketing?,” along with a set of two free e-books that feature several excerpts from the book. (Actually, the e-books may release even sooner, possibly even within a few days.)

Whew. It’s quite a flurry of publishing activity. I’ll post every new update as it comes, so that you are the first ones to know when each new book is actually available!