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Book Promotion with a Little Help From My Friends—and a Contest
As a university professor who primarily teaches writing courses, one of the best things about connecting my life as a teacher and my life as a writer is just how many times the two intertwine. Whether that intersection means writing a textbook or a book of fiction, I get the opportunity to show students that I indeed do practice what I preach. Today is another such opportunity. Having placed as a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards book contest for 2017 with Inn Significant, I get the opportunity to use the skills students learn in public relations writing and produce and promote a press release about the award. Promoting…
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It’s All About Love
* * * One of the things I’ve had to come to grips with lately is that if you have created something that is independently yours, whether it’s in the role of author of a book, director of an indie film, or maker of lovely art, you will always be working, always promoting. Additionally, you have to believe that you are your own brand and must act as the innovator, marketer, branding expert, and salesperson of the work you have created. That’s a lot of responsibility to put on one mere person who probably can’t afford to do this craft without another full-time job or source of other income. So…
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Why I Write, Part III, The Finale
One of my favorite authors is Kate DiCamillo. She writes beautiful, lyrical stories that you generally find in the young adult section of book stores. Her stories are somewhat mystical, and despite that her stories are geared to children through young teens, I believe they are wonderful stories for all ages. I recently watched a video of her where she was talking about becoming a writer. She mentions that she walked around for 10 years wearing the uniform of a writer—a black turtleneck and jeans—saying she was going to be a writer, but she never did anything about it. Then, she said, she got off her duff and wrote her…
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There’s A Sucker Born Every Minute so Let’s Get The Show On The Road. A little about P.T. Barnum.
In my public relations class we talk about P.T. Barnum (full name: Phineas Taylor Barnum). We all know him as the Barnum from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Yet, he was so much more. Folks in public relations like to claim him as “one of their own.” Advertisers, promoters, and marketers all do the same. He was also a politician and served in the Connecticut legislature. Ultimately, this amazing businessman was known as a “harmless deceiver” with regard to his relentless promotion and career as a showman. Maybe it’s because I’m reading—and loving–Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, or maybe it’s because I talk about P.T. Barnum in…
