Go From an Average Order-Taker to Everyones’s Favorite Bartender

By: Amber McDonald

In an effort to contribute to the efforts in Haiti, Atlantic Publishing Group will be donating 20 percent of the sales from every single book purchased from our Web site (www.atlantic-pub.com) from now until Feb. 14.

For many people, finding an accommodating bar with an entertaining bartender, especially in crowded cities, is as important as finding the right beauty salon and hair stylist. If providing this service is your fortè, you understand that being knowledgeable and full of personality will keep customers coming back, not only for the drinks, but to see their favorite bartender, too.

According to professional bartender Valerie Mallema, a bartender who can initiate interaction and activity among bar patrons is more likely to create “regulars,” and better bar business.

“Games, tricks, and toasts provide a feel of camaraderie and fun in a bar,” Mallema wrote in her book The Professional Bartender’s Handbook: A Recipe for Every Drink Known — Including Tricks and Games to Impress Your Guests. “Keeping the guests entertained helps to sell drinks and fill up tip jars.”

Keep the cash – and the liquor – flowing with these four bartending techniques. The engaging activities will transform you from the typical “order taker” to a charismatic, personable bartender:

1. Games are a guaranteed way for getting patrons to loosen up and have a good time at your bar. Try introducing some of these entertaining activities the next time you notice a group of people struggling to make conversation:

Football Madness: This game is for two or more players and must be played during a football game on television. The game is more fun if there are individuals rooting for different teams. Before the game begins, each person must announce which team they are supporting.

To Play: Players take the corresponding number of drinks when the team they are not supporting gets a:

• First down: 1 drink

• Touchdown: 3 drinks

• Field goal: 1 drink

• Two-point conversion: 2 drinks

• Interception: Finish drink

When the team you are rooting for receives one of the following, the player must take the corresponding number of drinks:

• Fumble: 3 drinks

• Safety: 3 drinks

I Never: This game is best played with two or more players – the more the merrier.

To Play: Players take turns announcing actions that they have never done, such as “I have never smoked a cigarette.” After the player makes their statement, all of those players who have done this action must take a drink. If a player makes a statement and nobody else has done it either, that player must take a drink.

If a player makes a statement and is accused of lying, the accuser must have proof that the individual is lying and must provide an accurate description or circumstance in which the person did that action. If the player is caught lying, then the player must take five drinks.

2. There are many tricks of the bartending trade.Familiarizing yourself with a few will pique a guest’s attention, while showing off your bartending knowledge and skills. Popular tricks include:

Multi-mixing: At most bars, shots are ordered in rounds for groups of people. To make two to four shots, quadruple the recipe to save mixing time. Line up the shot glasses and pour down the line.

Be in the Know: Bartenders gain a lot of respect when they keep up with what is going on around town. Be sure to check out the entertainment section of the newspaper and get up to date on current events, parties, bars, movies, and concerts. Many out-of-towners will come to a bartender for information on the city and directions. Be prepared for these situations.

Flair: One way to get the attention of customers while working is to use working flair. Working flair consists of doing little things like flipping the shaker tins before scooping ice into them and then pouring two liquors at once. Add flair to shaking, stirring, and pouring. Flair might consist of learning to spin and flip a bottle before pouring, or tossing a shaker between hands while preparing a drink.

3. Toasting is a great way to honor someone. Toasts are often difficult to come up with, so, being a bartender, someone might ask for toasting ideas and suggestions, which could include:

“May all your troubles be little ones.”

“May the most you wish for be the least you get.”

“Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker. ” – Ogden Nash

“Here’s lookin’ at you kid.” - Humphrey Bogart

“Here’s to cold nights, fine wine, and good friends to share them with.”

4. Part of being a great bartender is having an extensive drink recipe repertoire.As a bartender, you will likely be asked to suggest drinks for customers, or to simply whip up something tasty that has a particular alcohol, like vodka. Try making these your go-to recipes:

Tasty Drink Recipes

Cosmopolitan:

2 oz. Vodka

¾ oz. Cointreau

Cranberry Juice

1 Lime Twist

Ice

Directions: Fill mixing glass with ice. Pour in ingredients and fill with cranberry juice. Shake. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with lime.

Creamsicle (frozen):

½ cup of Ice

1 oz. Rum

½ oz. Triple Sec

½ oz. Vanilla Liqueur

½ scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream

½ scoop of Orange Sherbet

Popsicle Stick

Directions: Blend all ingredients until smooth. If too, thick add milk. If too thin, add ice or ice cream. Garnish with Popsicle stick.

Stiletto:

1 ½ tsp. Amaretto

1 ½ oz. Blended Whiskey

Juice of ½ Lemon

Ice

Directions: Pour all ingredients into an old-fashioned glass over ice cubes, stir, and serve. Bourbon may be substituted for blended whiskey, if preferred.

Tom Collins:

2 oz. Gin

1 oz. Lemon Juice

1 tsp. Superfine Sugar

3 oz. Club Soda

1 Maraschino Cherry

1 Orange Slice

Ice

Directions: In a shaker half-filled with ice cubes, combine the gin, lemon juice, and sugar. Shake well. Strain into a Collins glass almost filled with ice cubes. Add the club soda. Stir and garnish with the cherry and the orange slice.

Tequila Mockingbird:

1 ½ oz. Tequila

½ oz. Triple Sec

½ oz. Blue Curacao

2 oz. Orange Juice

1 oz. Cranberry Juice

1 Lemon or Cherry

Garnish (optional)

Ice

Directions: Fill a tall rocks glass or tumbler with ice. Add tequila and Triple Sec, followed by the orange and cranberry juice. Add blue curacao. Do not mix. Garnish with lemon or cherry if desired.

If becoming a more effective and personable bartender is your goal, the suggestions included will certainly start you on the right path to drink making greatness.

For more great recipes and to learn how to make your bartending business boom, check out Atlantic Publishing Group’s The Professional Bartender’s Handbook: A Recipe For Every Drink Known — Including Tricks and Games to Impress Your Guests.

Atlantic Publishing Group Inc. is your No. 1 source for nonfiction books. It publishes  nonfiction books, focusing on small business, management, online media, and real estate, as well as parenting, cooking, and traveling. Atlantic Publishing Group is the leader in providing training materials including books, videos, posters, tools, and software to the food service industry. Follow us on Twitter @AtlanticPub.

Janet Ivey’s Tips for Writing & Publishing for Children

I have been working with children since 1992. I have written live stage shows for children, written two children’s books and currently host, write and produce a children’s series that airs on 100 + public television stations around the country entitled “Janet’s Planet.”

Today as I sat in my office, linking everything from my YouTube Channel to Twitter to Facebook to my incredibly cool and soon-to-be updated Website, I received a knock on my door, and my production manager introduces a “fan” that would like to meet me.  My fan, Caleb, was 7 years old and in first grade.

I showed him my around my office, showered him with some Janet’s Planet merchandise and then asked him what he liked best about Janet’s Planet or maybe something that he had learned from my show. (I ask this because I am hoping that I am about to receive real honest feedback from a member of my target audience.)

Caleb took a moment and then told me that he had learned that “when he is on the internet to not give out his address or his real name to anybody.”

One of the many interstitials that I have produced was on Internet safety. And I have to tell you that as a writer, it felt like I had just won the lottery.  If Caleb could recite and remember what I had said on television, I had done my job successfully. It is the best affirmation possible, as someone who writes for children, to know that you have engaged a child in such a way that they can retain and recite for you the gist of the message you were hoping to deliver.

The positive reactions that I have received from Caleb and other children over the years is why I believe one of the most important things for a children’s writer to do is to know your audience. You must respect how smart and perceptive children are and do your research.

Whenever I am writing something for children, I will pull in a focus group of my target age group and sit around and ask them questions about the topic.  I am an actress and so often I will ask them to improvise a scene around the subject, and I have my pen in hand as the action begins. I scribble all the words, phrases and sentences that this exercise offers and am on the lookout for ways that the children tackle an issue or a thought. I often discover an emotional response that I wouldn’t have expected or an illogical or random way of solving a problem that unlocks something so much more interesting than what I might have written if I had not listened and observed these children.

Next, I read the books the children are reading. If you want to write for today’s children, and be published by today’s publishers, you need to be reading today’s children’s books — and the same applies if you want to write for children’s television, you need to watch children’s shows. And not just occasionally: You need to be spending as much (or more) time reading the books as you spend trying to write them. If you are not up to date with what’s being published, chances are your manuscript is not tailored to today’s market, and so it is not ready to be submitted.

So as the natural, creative, talented writer that you are, you have to understand your craft, read the books, know the trends, and then offer the market your fresh, unique voice. You are the only you that will ever be so write as you and no one else.  Dr. Seuss and J.K Rowling are beloved but you can’t be them, nor should you attempt to do so. That voice that only you can offer is the best one to use as you write for children.

And most of all: Speak from your heart and from your own wild imagination. Whether you want to write picture books, historical fiction, how-to books or YA novels, the distinctive way you paint and color the characters, dialogue, setting and emotional tone of your book is what children will respond to. They will become fans and come and read your books time and time again when you are true to what matters to them, and true to what matters to you.

See you on the bookshelf,

Janet Ivey

About the Author:

Janet has won seven Regional Emmys and three Gracie Allen Awards for her Informational/Instructional series, “Janet’s Planet.”  Author of Tell Me About Heaven…I Think I’m Forgetting (Ideals Children’s Books) and Something’s Different In Samesville (Self-Published.) Her website is www.janetsplanet.com)

Helpful sources on writing for children:

Write4kids.com

Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market, by Alice Pope (Produced Annually) (Essential if you want to get published in the US or Canada especially)

Janet Ivey’s Tips for Writing & Publishing for Children

I have been working with children since 1992. I have written live stage shows for children, written two children’s books and currently host, write and produce a children’s series that airs on 100 + public television stations around the country entitled “Janet’s Planet.”

Today as I sat in my office, linking everything from my YouTube Channel to Twitter to Facebook to my incredibly cool and soon-to-be updated Website, I received a knock on my door, and my production manager introduces a “fan” that would like to meet me.  My fan, Caleb, was 7 years old and in first grade.

I showed him my around my office, showered him with some Janet’s Planet merchandise and then asked him what he liked best about Janet’s Planet or maybe something that he had learned from my show. (I ask this because I am hoping that I am about to receive real honest feedback from a member of my target audience.)

Caleb took a moment and then told me that he had learned that “when he is on the internet to not give out his address or his real name to anybody.”

One of the many interstitials that I have produced was on Internet safety. And I have to tell you that as a writer, it felt like I had just won the lottery.  If Caleb could recite and remember what I had said on television, I had done my job successfully. It is the best affirmation possible, as someone who writes for children, to know that you have engaged a child in such a way that they can retain and recite for you the gist of the message you were hoping to deliver.

The positive reactions that I have received from Caleb and other children over the years is why I believe one of the most important things for a children’s writer to do is to know your audience. You must respect how smart and perceptive children are and do your research.

Whenever I am writing something for children, I will pull in a focus group of my target age group and sit around and ask them questions about the topic.  I am an actress and so often I will ask them to improvise a scene around the subject, and I have my pen in hand as the action begins. I scribble all the words, phrases and sentences that this exercise offers and am on the lookout for ways that the children tackle an issue or a thought. I often discover an emotional response that I wouldn’t have expected or an illogical or random way of solving a problem that unlocks something so much more interesting than what I might have written if I had not listened and observed these children.

Next, I read the books the children are reading. If you want to write for today’s children, and be published by today’s publishers, you need to be reading today’s children’s books — and the same applies if you want to write for children’s television, you need to watch children’s shows. And not just occasionally: You need to be spending as much (or more) time reading the books as you spend trying to write them. If you are not up to date with what’s being published, chances are your manuscript is not tailored to today’s market, and so it is not ready to be submitted.

So as the natural, creative, talented writer that you are, you have to understand your craft, read the books, know the trends, and then offer the market your fresh, unique voice. You are the only you that will ever be so write as you and no one else.  Dr. Seuss and J.K Rowling are beloved but you can’t be them, nor should you attempt to do so. That voice that only you can offer is the best one to use as you write for children.

And most of all: Speak from your heat and from your own wile imagination. Whether you want to write picture books, historical fiction, how-to books or YA novels, the distinctive way you paint and color the characters, dialogue, setting and emotional tone of your book is what children will respond to. They will become fans and come and read your books time and time again when you are true to what matters to them, and true to what matters to you.

See you on the bookshelf,

Janet Ivey

About the Author:

Janet has won seven Regional Emmys and three Gracie Allen Awards for her Informational/Instructional series, “Janet’s Planet.”  Author of Tell Me About Heaven…I Think I’m Forgetting (Ideals Children’s Books) and Something’s Different In Samesville (Self-Published.) Her website is www.janetsplanet.com)

Helpful sources on writing for children:

Write4kids.com

Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market, by Alice Pope (Produced Annually) (Essential if you want to get published in the US or Canada especially)

The Craft of Writing for Children By Cynthia Reeser

If you have ever seriously considered writing and publishing a children’s book, you should know two things. One, it is possible. And two, there is no magic. It simply takes dedication, hard work, perseverance, and the ability to handle rejection.

Writers are rarely, if ever, true overnight successes. Even those who make the bestseller list with a first novel practiced their skill for years before completing the manuscript in most cases. Count it as likely that the manuscript also went through many revisions before making it to the publisher, and even more before appearing in print. Some in the publishing industry say that even established writers have to prove themselves again with every book they write. Even those who have repeatedly been through the agent/contract/publisher process continue to perfect their craft and hone their skills for as long as they are writers.

But what does it all mean if you are a beginning or unpublished writer? Tangibly, it means being present at your work and attending to the page. There is an old adage that says, “Writers write.” Writing for children demands just as much attention to craft and professionalism as writing for adults. It is not a profession to be taken lightly, and it is not “easier” than writing in any other category. If you are serious, make the time to write on a regular basis. Join or start a writer’s group. Get feedback on your work. And read as many children’s books as you possibly can — see what children’s authors are writing; join associations, network, and make as many contacts as possible.

Being published is not outside the realm of the possible. It may seem so, especially when you are first starting, but give yourself a fighting chance by keeping at it. Develop a tough skin against rejections — every writer, no matter how talented, receives these. Thin skins are responsible for many talented writers abandoning their dreams of writing and publishing. Most successful authors were not born with a silver spoon in their mouths. They simply keep at it, against odds and in spite of rejections. Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel) had his first manuscript, To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, rejected 26 times — but he did not let rejection stop him.

Published authors have a certain dedication to their craft, and keep at it no matter what. They put time into their writing, continually work to improve it, and many are members of writing groups and associations, such as the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Networking with other writers has many benefits, both tangible and intangible. First, you make new friends. Second, you gain a support system. Third, you gain access to information, such as contests, workshops, literature, events, and other opportunities and resources that can prove to be of immeasurable benefit. Many groups and associations offer conferences and workshops, which afford opportunities for writers, editors, agents, and others in the publishing industry to interact.

Bio

Cynthia Reeser is the editor-in-chief and founder of a quarterly literary journal, Prick of the Spindle, and author of How to Write and Publish a Successful Children’s Book: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply. She is a practicing visual artist whose work has been featured on several book covers. Her works of criticism, nonfiction, and poetry are widely published in both print and online media.

How to Use the Internet to Get Your Next Job

There are millions of jobs posted on job boards, corporate Web sites, and online newspapers every day, and it has been estimated that between 40 and 80 percent of employers conduct searches for job candidates online. People have been using the Internet to search for jobs for years, but only recently has it exploded into a phenomenon. Find out how you can use the Internet to your advantage in your next job search by reading this book.

In this new, exhaustively researched book, you will explore the world of online job searching and consider career alternatives and options that previously were not available to you. You will learn how to conduct an effective job search by determining keywords and phrases, creating and formatting an online résumé, and performing successful online communications. You will also learn how to manage the time you spend online, how to research potential employers, and how to employ the effective strategies found within these pages. 

Perhaps most important is the collection of job search sites we have compiled to aid you in your job hunt. Included are the major sites, such as Monster, Yahoo! Hot Jobs, and CareerBuilder, as well as niche sites for every industry, from healthcare to administrative, from accounting to public relations. This book also lists résumé banks and online newspapers that may be helpful in your search. However, How to Use the Internet to Get Your Next Job does not stop there. You are also provided with reviews and overviews of popular job listing and recruitment sites. 

With this book you will learn how to harness the powerful search capabilities of the Internet to find your dream job, no matter what industry and no matter what level. The strategies presented in this book will help you conduct a timesaving, low cost, and high-impact job search that will ultimately land you a great job. Whether you are a first time online job searcher or a veteran, you will find useful tips and valuable information in this book.

How to Write and Publish a Successful Children’s Book: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply

Children’s books are a very special medium that have introduced millions of young people to the joys of reading. Everyone from single moms to top celebrities have penned bestsellers promoting the virtues and values that children need to learn at a young age to lead happy, healthy lives. There are many different ways that a children’s book can be written, from the simplest rhyming picture books to more involved novella stories. Whatever your story may be, publishing it is well within your grasp.

This book provides a complete overview of everything a prospective children’s writer needs to complete and publish their own children’s book. You will start by learning how to recognize the market and style of the book you have written and adjust your book if necessary to fit a specific market where it will be easier to publish. You will learn the basics of the children’s book publishing industry and how it is fundamentally different from that of the regular publishing industry. You will learn how to choose the right publisher or print on demand option for your book and how to start preparing the package, with special consideration for illustrations and other aspects of your book that might change the overall presentation.

Top publishers and writers in the children’s book industry were interviewed and have lent their expertise to this book to provide an overview of everything that is needed in the process. You will learn what morals and values publishers and readers look for in good children’s books and what you should expect in a publication deal. You will learn how to handle your editor, what to expect in revisions, and how to go about the process of selling your book. You will learn how to gain publicity on your own and what you can do to build your book into a long term career. For anyone that has ever written or is considering writing their own children’s book, this book will provide the information and resources you need to get it published.

Haiti Disaster Relief

On Jan. 12, Haiti was devastated by a series of earthquakes that killed over 50,000 and left millions in a state of crisis.

As a customer of Atlantic Publishing, we would like you to know that from today until February 14th 2010, Atlantic Publishing will donate 20 percent of the sales from every single book purchased from our Web site, www.atlantic-pub.com, to the American Red Cross to aid the Haiti relief efforts.

Atlantic Publishing is dedicated to bringing you award-winning nonfiction books on a variety of topics — from opening a new business to Web site development to becoming a better parent — in the hopes of improving your quality of life. Together, we can improve the quality of life for millions in Haiti.

By visiting our Web site at www.atlantic-pub.com and making a purchase, you are bringing relief to those affected by the earthquake. Any help you can give is greatly appreciated.

You may also visit the Red Cross’ Web site to make an immediate donation.

10 Must-Have Job Tips from Indeed.com

It’s a jungle out there, a corporate jungle, that is. We talked to job search engine Indeed.com and got some must-have tips for landing your next job — everything from the job site you use to posting your job materials and portfolio to cleaning up your act.

Click to see more: TipsFromIndeed.com

Want more information on how you can get your next job using the Internet? We’ve got the details in our new book!

Using Social Media to Create Your Internet Presence

By Janet Nagle, author and guest blogger

In today’s world of new technology, it has never been easier to promote your own job candidacy, a new business, or your reputation as a savvy business professional. In days gone by, you had to pay your dues to be recognized as a viable commodity. Of course, word of mouth was also a powerful plus for getting your credentials and abilities known before the Internet was born.

But now, in the time it takes you to watch an episode of NCIS, True Blood, or a few Friends reruns, you could create your own campaign using the Internet. Why, you could develop and start your own blog, create a profile on LinkedIn — a site used by many business professionals — download Skype and receive calls on your computer, and still have time to create a few industry-relevant tweets after registering with Twitter. All of these areas can go a long way in your self-promoted job campaign. If you are a candidate searching for a job, any one, or all, of these outlets are great places to create your professional presence through the Internet. And, best of all, the services are free!

With www.linkedin.com, you can upload all of the information you would like a potential employer to know about you, but don’t get too personal (i.e. date of birth, social security numbers, street address). Include just enough to show you know your way around the Internet and that you are a professional in every way. If you have a professional picture of yourself, add that to your profile. Also, take a look at the security settings to determine how public you want your information to be. Once you are up and running, you can include your LinkedIn profile as part of your contact information on your résumé and cover letter. You can also scan the site’s database to add professional contacts in your field. Just remember to keep all of your information squeaky clean, especially if this is your first professional mark in cyberspace.

You can also experiment in the world of blogging. For a quick tour of how it works, head to www.Zooloo.com. You can create your own blog using a template from the site, or from other sites that also offer the services. You can create text and add pictures to every blog post, and the best part is, you get to decide on the content of your posts. If you are blogging for professional purposes, make sure your entries are error-free and include industry-related material. Ask friends and potential bosses to join your site and follow your blogs. The blog that you maintain can be added to your job credentials and résumé contact information, too.

To be in the know, stop by http://twitter.com. Again, after you register with the site, you can follow conversations of professionals in your field, start your own conversations, or join conversations by creating short messages of 140 characters or less each. If you will be using Twitter and creating “tweets” for business purposes, remember to be respectful and professional in everything that you write.

Why not visit www.skype.com next to download their free program, which will allow you to make and receive calls from your computer? If you happen to have a built-in camera on your computer or a Web cam, and you call someone else with a camera using Skype, the two of you will be able to see and hear each other. If you’re using this as a business tool, you might want to lose the pajamas, at least from the waist up!

All of these methods are just a few of the great ways you can do a little self-promotion, even with a tight budget. Who knows — with the right stuff, you could not only land a great job, but you could also become the newest Interlebrity (Internet celebrity)!

Janet Nagle is a writer from San Antonio, TX, where she moved after spending nearly a decade in the media industry in Massachusetts. In addition to working as a journalist, news and features editor, and managing editor for several daily and weekly publications, she worked in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the State Senate, as well as in one of the Governor’s Cabinet Secretariats. While working in state government, Nagle served as the employer relations manager for the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance. Her job was to meet with potential employers and secure job slots for a subsidized wage program.

Jobs and 2010 — A rainbow at the end of a thunderstorm

By Janet Nagle, author and guest blogger

For many people 2009 was a scary year — especially when it came to jobs and employment. The news was pretty bleak when you stop to consider the fact that unemployment in the United States rose to something like 10.2 percent at one point.

Rainbows and brighter horizons are ahead for the year 2010, however. Most Americans, according to both the Gallup Polls and the latest Rasmussen Reports, are optimistic about the New Year.

If finding a job, or landing a new — or better — job happens to be on your “to do” list for 2010, there is no time like the present to start. Through my new book, How to Use the Internet to Get Your Next Job, even the savviest of job seekers can learn some new tricks to the trade.

Millions of job seekers search the Internet daily hoping to find and land that perfect position. At the same time, millions of employers are using the Internet to increase their odds that the best and most qualified candidates will apply for a job with their company.

Without the right insight, advice, and necessary tools, even the most qualified job seekers can get lost. It may feel as if you were asked to attend a party, given the address, but no directions or map to get you there. You could be driving around for hours, arrive long after the party is over, or never make it there at all.

How to Use the Internet to Get Your Next Job, published by Atlantic Publishing, can provide you with necessary map to get you where you need to be for the coming year. It is like having a GPS navigational system at your disposal. Not only will you learn how to find your next job, but you will learn where there are roadblocks that can prevent you from being hired, along with ways to increase your chances of beating out your competitors.

The book also includes oodles of case studies from company managers, discussing how they make hiring decisions, folks who have been hired through the Internet, and still other experts who offer all kinds of great advice on subjects such as developing an Internet presence, to the pros and cons of using social media, to writing the perfect résumé and cover letter, and other tricks to get your name to the top of the job seeking pack.

Want to know what jobs will be in demand and on the increase for 2010 and beyond? You may want to start with a look at the link below from National Public Radio. Best of luck in the coming days, happy job hunting, and I hope the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is a brand spanking new pay check!

Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121875404

Buy this book: http://www.atlantic-pub.com/cgi-local/shopper.exe?preadd=action&key=9781601382399