About the Author
Gary Michael Smith is an author, editor, columnist,
publisher, educator, and actor based in New Orleans, Louisiana. He has
written more than 140 articles for 45 technical, trade, scientific, and
consumer publications, as well as 10 books pioneering numerous topics.
As contributing editor for Editorial Experts, Inc., his column The Well-Run
Shop appears bi-monthly in The Editorial Eye addressing topics on writing,
editing, publishing, and technology.
His former position as managing editor
of an internationally acclaimed peer-reviewed scientific specialty
research journal was the impetus for his first book The Peer-Reviewed
Journal—A Comprehensive Guide
through the Editorial Process, which is the first book to detail the
nuances of editorial office setup and management for periodicals.
From Bean to Brew—A History of Coffee and Coffeehouses is based
on his graduate thesis in communications. This is one of the few texts
that provide an in-depth analysis of coffeehouses and varieties of coffee,
and elaborates on New Orleans’ distinction as home to Silocaf—the
world’s largest bulk coffee handling facility. The Complete Guide
to Driving Etiquette—Taking the Rules of the Road a Step Further
is a response to the growing incidences of road rage, and may be the
only book currently available that addresses in one text the acts of
polite, courteous, and safe driving.
A documentation/publications specialist
by trade, Mr. Smith applied his writing, editing, and publishing experience
to develop the first book on independent publishing that details digital
production processes as well as point of purchase book manufacturing
and print on demand for extremely small press run books. Consequently,
he teaches a university course on this topic that he developed based
on his book Publishing for Small Press Runs—How to Print and Market from 20 to 200 Copies
of Your Book. Another title, Perfecting Your Prose—A Guide to Improved
Grammar also is used as a course text at the University of New Orleans.
Having moved from self-publisher to small
press, Mr. Smith published Guided Meditation—Creative Visualization for Generating Energy
and Managing Stress, a text focusing on creative visualization, which
was written by a former colleague. His publishing company also is the
distributor the book Angelina's Favorite Recipes—A Personal Collection
of Sicilian Style Italian Recipes—a unique Italian cookbook published
by the mother of a childhood friend.
Mr. Smith’s book Operating Procedures for Association Chapters
and Committees—Developing Usable Guidelines for Officers and Managers
is another groundbreaking nonfiction text that is perhaps the only book
to offer useful information and practical advice on developing and organizing
a local chapter of an international professional organization. This one-of-a-kind
text is divided into two parts and details roles and responsibilities
of administrative council members who run the chapter and the managers
who assist them by heading various chapter committees.
Another title is Writing for Magazines
and Trade Journals—Finding
Them, Writing for Them, Getting Paid By Them, which is used to teach
another course at the University of New Orleans. Gainfully Employed—A
Guide to Résumé Writing, Job Hunting, and Effective Interviewing
also is used to teach a course at the University of New Orleans. On-Demand
Publishing—Strategies for Printing on Demand, Point of Purchase
Book Manufacturing, and Virtual Publishing is another title by Mr. Smith
and is based on a presentation he made at a conference of the Society
for Technical Communication.
Mr. Smith has also appeared in eight feature
films and made-for-TV movies. Consequently, he drafted, submitted,
and had signed Louisiana’s
first proclamation declaring a Film and Video Industry Awareness Month
for the state. Additionally, he has supported the film industry by developing
a popular new course at the University of New Orleans titled Movie Extra
101 whereby he teaches others how to find work and what to expect in
this field. Moreover, he currently is writing Movie Extra 101—Your
Shortcut To Stardom, which will be the course text for this new class. |
