Publicity is Where You Find It
Randy Rawls
I've been quite fortunate with the number of reviews and postings I've received on my THORNS ON ROSES. Some of the folks who read this will recognize the book as one they gave a nudge to. Thanks to each of you.
But some of the other sources have been quite surprising. The latest is a chuckle and a source of pride(?). I have to admit I'm not a reader of this paper and have mixed feelings about it, based on reputation and rumor. However, I believe publicity is where you find it. And I've found some here. So, this month when you check out at the cash register of your favorite supermarket, I give you permission to scan the tabloids. Pick up the February 6 edition of National Examiner and flip the pages. Yep, that's my THORNS ON ROSES you'll see blurbed. Now, lest you think it's no big deal, consider that I share the page with Richard Gere, Gregory Peck, and Dean Cain. Heck, I feel like I fit right in. :-)
Another one popped up this week that I'm even more proud of. About a thousand years ago, I was the key person in founding a youth travel soccer league in Northern Virginia, then served as its president for several years. We named it the Old Dominion Soccer League. One of the driving provisions that I insisted on was sportsmanship, players and parents. We were the first that I'm aware of to give a Sportsmanship Award each season. We made a big to-do about it, making it equal to the championship award. When I left the area, the membership honored me by naming it the Randy Rawls Sportsmanship ODSL Award. Twice a year when the awards are handed out, my ego swells. And it doesn't hurt that there is usually a plug for my writing attached. The latest
I've seen is at www.staffordsoccer.com/home/592340.html. Enough to make an old man feel like he's done something good for the world.
While I'm on my feel-good platform, there's another that gave me a buzz. It ran in the blog,
BLOGCRITICS.org, and in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. If you're so inclined, the link is at http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Book-Review-Thorns-on-Roses-by-Randy-Rawls-2659670.php The thing about this one that I love is the reviewer, Leslie Granier, really nailed the story. Not just the one I wrote, but the one that did not blatantly appear in words.
And there are many more, each of them presenting my story and me in a favorable light. I'd love to claim this happened because of my sheer talent, but that would be an outright lie. For THORNS ON ROSES, I took a chance and hired a publicist. She did the ground pounding that produced the reviews. Of course, I'm still going to claim it was my book that caused the reviewers to write the reviews as they did.
Does that answer my question as to whether spending a lot of money on a publicist is worth it? No, it doesn't. I won't even have a small clue until the royalty statements begin to come in.
I'm not optimistic.
I've been quite fortunate with the number of reviews and postings I've received on my THORNS ON ROSES. Some of the folks who read this will recognize the book as one they gave a nudge to. Thanks to each of you.
But some of the other sources have been quite surprising. The latest is a chuckle and a source of pride(?). I have to admit I'm not a reader of this paper and have mixed feelings about it, based on reputation and rumor. However, I believe publicity is where you find it. And I've found some here. So, this month when you check out at the cash register of your favorite supermarket, I give you permission to scan the tabloids. Pick up the February 6 edition of National Examiner and flip the pages. Yep, that's my THORNS ON ROSES you'll see blurbed. Now, lest you think it's no big deal, consider that I share the page with Richard Gere, Gregory Peck, and Dean Cain. Heck, I feel like I fit right in. :-)
Another one popped up this week that I'm even more proud of. About a thousand years ago, I was the key person in founding a youth travel soccer league in Northern Virginia, then served as its president for several years. We named it the Old Dominion Soccer League. One of the driving provisions that I insisted on was sportsmanship, players and parents. We were the first that I'm aware of to give a Sportsmanship Award each season. We made a big to-do about it, making it equal to the championship award. When I left the area, the membership honored me by naming it the Randy Rawls Sportsmanship ODSL Award. Twice a year when the awards are handed out, my ego swells. And it doesn't hurt that there is usually a plug for my writing attached. The latest
I've seen is at www.staffordsoccer.com/home/592340.html. Enough to make an old man feel like he's done something good for the world.
While I'm on my feel-good platform, there's another that gave me a buzz. It ran in the blog,
BLOGCRITICS.org, and in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. If you're so inclined, the link is at http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Book-Review-Thorns-on-Roses-by-Randy-Rawls-2659670.php The thing about this one that I love is the reviewer, Leslie Granier, really nailed the story. Not just the one I wrote, but the one that did not blatantly appear in words.
And there are many more, each of them presenting my story and me in a favorable light. I'd love to claim this happened because of my sheer talent, but that would be an outright lie. For THORNS ON ROSES, I took a chance and hired a publicist. She did the ground pounding that produced the reviews. Of course, I'm still going to claim it was my book that caused the reviewers to write the reviews as they did.
Does that answer my question as to whether spending a lot of money on a publicist is worth it? No, it doesn't. I won't even have a small clue until the royalty statements begin to come in.
I'm not optimistic.
Just Randy being Randy.
6 comments:
Really: it WAS the book. I promise.
Without a well-done book, a publicist can only go so far!
Thank you, Maryglenn. Hopefully, I have a book that others will like. But without your talent in getting the word out, very few would have ever heard of it.
Anyone looking for a publicist, Maryglenn is the TOPS.
Kudos for your PR successes, Randy. If you can afford the publicisit, it's always worth the cost because more readers are learning about you, whether your royalties make up the differene or not. At some point, you're going to come out ahead.
That's my dream, Jean. To come out ahead -- someday.
Looks to me like Maryglenn is earning her sheckles, Randy. Of course, you gave her a good book to work with and she's doing a great job for you. I didn't know you were involved with youth soccer. My son-in-law runs the coaching program for the New Jersey Youth Soccer League. You two'd have a lot to talk about. That might also be a good background for your next Tom Jeffries novel.
Good for you, Randy! Glad you found an effective way to get the word out!
Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
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