Click Here To Purchase From Amazon A Bull in a Glass House

Today, Norm Goldman Publisher & Editor of Bookpleasures.com is pleased to have as our guest José Astorga author of A Bull in a Glass House.

Good day José and thanks for participating in our interview.

Norm:

Please tell our readers a little bit about your personal and professional background.

 
José

Hello Norm. I’ve been in Logistics and Operations for 20+ years, the last ten or so years have been in management where I received extensive training including two years of on-line college at the University of Phoenix. It was at the UOP that I discovered I enjoyed writing. Also, I spent three years in the Marine Corps and I interspersed some of my boot camp experiences throughout the book.

I have three children and I currently live in Southern New Jersey. I enjoy reading, writing and working out.

Norm:

How did you decide you were ready to write A Bull in a Glass Houses? As a follow up, why did you feel compelled to write this book?

 
José

I really did not decide to write A Bull in a Glass House. It kind of wrote itself. It was around 2002 that I started a journal at work, just to keep my sanity. Writing became very cathartic for me. One day, I shared what I had with a friend and she suggested I might have something worth publishing. I really didn’t take her all that serious, but she planted a seed. I just continued to write and one day, I looked and I had all this information that I thought needed to be shared so that others could learn from my experiences. My book is like a gift of both hindsight and foresight in that readers can learn from my experiences and can foreshadow what is to come and how to handle themselves. And, believe me; anyone that works for someone else will encounter my experiences to some degree.

Once I decided that my potential book could help others, I dug deep into the memory banks and started writing and editing with the intention of publishing a book. But intention and action are not the same. Then, after twenty years with my company, they decided to close down the facility where I worked displacing about sixty people. After witnessing my colleagues’ and friends’ feelings of helplessness and pain, and the realization those twenty years can simply vanish…I decided my book would be my legacy—intention became action.

Norm:

What has been your overall experience as a published author?

José

I have been published since June 2007. Trying to spread the word about my book while working full time and not having any industry contacts can be pretty daunting, but I take it day by day. I would say, overall, the experience has been educational and very gratifying: being published that is.

Norm:

Whom do you believe will benefit from your book and why? Why do you think this is an important book at this time?
 
José

Anyone that works for someone else can benefit from reading A Bull in a Glass House. Think of my book as commentary from the trenches. My book is different because my passion is real, the experience is universal, the truth is evident, and the conclusion…well…The conclusion to the book—our individual stories—can be rewritten millions of times by each and every individual who reads A Bull in a Glass House and decides to act- an imminent conclusion to chosen paths.

Michael Dunford from the Midwest Book Review wrote: “…A Bull in a Glass House is informed, insightful, and inspiring reading that is recommended for anyone in business and a welcomed addition to personal, professional, business school, and community library reference collections and supplemental reading lists.”

Norm, we live in incendiary times. We have to deal with the constant threat of terrorism, a shaky stock market, and eroding profit margins that result in mass layoffs. We have to deal with bullying bosses, corporate bureaucracy and an unknown future. There is no security but that of securing ourselves. My message is clear: we must stop being complacent, we must take back control of our lives, we must decide to act.

Norm:

What does your title A Bull in a Glass House represent?

José

As I was coming up the ranks, I was once called a Bull in a china shop. I had a short fuse and thinking was relegated to the back of the cave. But, as I opened myself to life’s possibilities, learned to be introspective, and acknowledged our human interdependence with the universe, I evolved into a much better and thoughtful person. The knowledge and confidence I gained in myself endowed me with the inner tools to deal with the unpleasant aspects of my then professional environment. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t sit meditatively and hum tunes…it is simply self-awareness and an awareness of how uncomplicated business life can really be if more people would focus on building commitment, passion, and relationships (CPR) in all aspects of their lives.

The Glass House is a metaphor for the transparent and fragile frame that we inhabit as working people. Many corporations and individuals function in cells with opaque surroundings and views or opinions. They do not acknowledge the vulnerability and transparency that exists; an acknowledgement that is crucial to the success of any business or, for that matter, relationship.

I shattered glass walls when I needed to. Norm, there is a Bull in all of us; some are tamed, some need to be tamed, and some need to buck and fight—it’s a matter of timing and balance. As I say, “Knowledge plus temperance equals wisdom.”

My book is not new age, not brain surgery, and not scientific management. It’s based on real life experience and, I’ve learned, there is no better teacher than experience. It’s amusing to me when I think back to being surrounded by lots of highly educated people, and, in many cases, they just would not see the forest for the trees and they were mowed down as a result.

Norm:

What has your experience been like with self -publishing? Do you recommend it over traditional publishers?
 
José

I picked up a book on traditional publishing and I was left unimpressed with the process. It seemed lengthy and more bureaucratic than anything I had dealt with. I also walked away with the impression that my work, if ever published, would not really be my work any more. So I chose self-publishing, although it is not really self publishing, it’s more like third-party outsourcing. I wrote the book and had it professionally edited, but someone else created the physical product. I paid for everything I received, but I must give Outskirts Press their props: they delivered a very good product.

Print-on-demand makes a lot of sense to me from a logistics view point. One of my objectives in operations was always to keep inventory as low as possible or as close to just-in-time as possible. POD accomplishes that cost reduction.

Being new to book writing and publishing, here is what I recommend. If you want speed, simplicity, and control then self-publish. But unless you are a veteran, be prepared for a long and potentially expensive journey unless your book immediately strikes a nerve with the audience. I can’t say for sure, but it seems that if an author wants to definitely be on the shelves in book stores, gain wide exposure quicker, and immediate legitimacy, then traditional publishing is the way to go.

Norm:

What challenges or obstacles did you encounter while writing your book? How did you overcome these challenges?

José

I had two big challenges when drafting the book. The first challenge was not having it sound like the lunatic ranting of a pissed off employee. I presented the facts mixed in with my observations and recommendations with the intent to teach and inspire—to that end, I had a couple of colleagues read the manuscript just to make sure I wasn’t creating things that didn’t exist. In one section, I had the story verified by the individuals involved. I also tried to imbue some humor into the book.

The other big challenge was the editing. I read the manuscript dozens of times and still kept tweaking. I also had the book professionally edited. When Outskirts sent me my first printing, I decided to read the book like a typical reader would, not as the author. I made about 80 more changes because I felt something didn’t flow right or a comma was misplaced, which is why there is VR1.1 beneath the copyright.

Norm:

How will you be using the Internet to promote your book?

José

Part of Outskirts’ package includes a web page. You can reach it via joseastorga.com or abullinaglasshouse.com. However, I might be creating my own, more dynamic web page. Once I do that, I can use key word optimization and such for better placement on search results. I am starting to search for blogs where I might be able to post and I submitted a suggestion for a blog that I could author. I have been on various forums to contribute my “expertise”.

I was quoted in the Christian Science Monitor a few weeks ago and, in March, I will be quoted in a Ragan Communications publication.

I have also been applying as many tools as I can to gain increased exposure on Amazon. Oh yes, and I hooked up with Norm Goldman.

Norm:

How can our readers find out more about you?

José

Readers can find out more about me by visiting my website and using the “contact” button. Also, and this is the first time I mention it to anyone, I have an unused Google Groups that I initiated awhile back:

http://groups.google.com/group/abullinaglasshouse?hl=en .

I am accessible and approachable.

Norm:

Are you working on any books/or projects that you would like to share with us? (We would love to hear all about them!)

José

I have toyed with the idea of a follow-up to “A Bull in a Glass House” because the corporate world is a never- ending stream of successes, blunders, and incredibly entertaining stories—stuff that the best writers in Hollywood have yet to develop. But, I have started scribbling thoughts on health and fitness. There are so many books out there on health that I plan on making this one more of a motivational theme as opposed to a “how to” theme. I’ve learned that sincerity and passion of subject matter makes my writing flow with conviction. I write for me and I edit for the audience.

Norm:

Is there anything else you wish to add that we have not covered?

José

Yes…two things if you don’t mind. If you are an employee, manager or leader, or whatever you call yourself remember this: true success does not originate on parchment, in PowerPoint, in Excel, or even in profit margins. Those things are all tools or effects. True success originates within, flows out, and is contagious. Successful leaders balance their humanity with the very real business need to occasionally be feared; they never lose sight of their most important asset: people. A true measure of a man, or leader, is how he or she treats those that can do him no harm.

Lastly, I had a lot of encouragement from a few close friends and my former wife, Maria. They have my deep gratitude for helping me grow into a better writer and a better person.

Norm:

Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors.

 Click Here To Purchase From Amazon A Bull in a Glass House

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