Look and Listen

Biography

Today, Paul McNeese owns and operates OPA Author Services, a successful literary consulting practice in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he shepherds self-publishing authors through the development and publishing processes and mentors his authors through the minefields of book marketing with the help of a consortium of marketing professionals who focus on specific sales/marketing disciplines. He also advises seasoned authors and aspiring authors on book-related subjects ranging from book concept to the "Ka-ching!" of the cash register.

In his work with The Author's Roost, Paul develops the scope of the site, supervises all content, and seeks out new opportunities for enhancing contact between communicators and their varying marketplaces. The Author's Roost is becoming a focus for media representatives and event planners who are daily seeking out new people to fill their business needs for interviewees, contributors, speakers, trainers or educators, and The Author's Roost is focusing heavily on developing media liaison.

Paul McNeese, BS, CFP (Ret.), is a training professional with more than 30 years of experience in educating and motivating individuals and groups. As a Certified Financial Planner, he worked with two leading financial services institutions, Massachusetts Financial Services Company in Boston and The Capital Group in Los Angeles. For these firms, Paul developed and/or presented scores of seminars, workshops and audiovisual sales presentations.

From 1985 to 1994 he also built his own private financial planning practice in Culver City, California. Concurrently, from 1986 to 1992, he also spent a substantial part of his time as a professional speaker/trainer, delivering the acclaimed Karrass Effective Negotiating Seminar to leading industrial and technology companies throughout North America. Among his clients were Kodak, Burlington Northern Railway System, Boeing, Sun Microsystems and Tektronix.

Unable (make that 'unwilling') to “retire,” in the conventional sense, Paul then joined the County of Los Angeles to become the Community Educator for the Los Angeles Regional Drug and Poison Information Center, thus carrying on the educational core value that distinguished his work during his business career. During approximately the same time frame – 1994 through 2002 -- he developed and presented an inspirational workshop, “Betterchange,” appearing before public audiences and church groups throughout California.

In 2001, he founded OPA Publishing and subsequently released over 60 titles of fiction and non-fiction volumes in case-bound, trade paperback, web-based E-book form, simultaneously developing author websites and blogs and helping his authors to build solid platforms for their work. He ceased actively publishing in 2009 and is now concentrating on helping first-time and self-publishing authors as they develop, write, perfect and produce their books.

An honors graduate of Northeastern University in Boston, Paul holds a bachelor of science degree in marketing and has done graduate work in psychology, economics and public policy at UCLA. Some years ago he also completed a two-year curriculum in counseling at Cypress College in Los Angeles and a certification in Financial Management for Nonprofit Institutions.

After many years of reserving his skills for the benefit of others, he has begun work on another book of his own, “Betterchange: 12 Keys to Personal and Professional Growth,” which will see publication in the late spring or summer of 2012. He has also recently completed an audiotape set based on his “Betterchange” seminar/workshop.

Inspiration

As a publisher, I found myself constantly inspired by my authors, many of whom were clearly expressing their innermost selves in their writings. Insights gleaned from them and others have been the driving force in my professional life and work.

Earlier on, beginning perhaps at the age of four or five, I developed an enormous curiosity about the power of words, learning quite early that I could influence, guide and direct (sometimes divert) others with my words, both written and spoken.

At this stage of my life, language is even more important because it turns out to be the most powerful means of expression I possess.