More About the Author
Gary Michael Smith is an author, editor, publisher, editorial photojournalist, lecturer, and educator based in New Orleans, Louisiana. He has published hundreds of articles in dozens of technical, trade, and scientific journals, and consumer magazines. Moreover, he has written 12 books pioneering a variety of topics. 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 and has sold in more than a dozen countries.
"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 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.
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 distributes 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.
Another groundbreaking nonfiction text, "Operating Procedures for Association Chapters and Committees--Developing Usable Guidelines for Officers and Managers" 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.
"Writing for Magazines and Trade Journals--Finding Them, Writing for Them, Getting Paid By Them" is another text used to teach a course as is "Movie Extra 101--Your Shortcut to Stardom." Another book initially developed as a classroom text is "Gainfully Employed--A Guide to Résumé Writing, Job Hunting, and Effective Interviewing." This title by Mr. Smith also was used in a presentation to the Louisiana Department of Labor's Employment Office in New Orleans. "On-Demand Publishing--Strategies for Printing on Demand, Point of Purchase Book Manufacturing, and Virtual Publishing" is based on a presentation Mr. Smith made at a conference of the Society for Technical Communication. "Getting Grease--A Guide to Effective Complaint Resolution and Consumer Protection" about complaint resolution was written as a response to the needs of the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and he wrote it while relocated in Memphis, TN.
Recently, Mr. Smith has focus more and more on photography to complement his writing and teaching. As such his latest book is "Through the Lens--A Field Guide to Digital Photography," which he also wrote for a course he teaches on beginning and advanced photographic composition techniques, and is based on his current work as an editorial photojournalist for Louisiana's premier film and television industry trade journal.
