| Michael Blake: Dances With Oscar Even a successful author like Michael Blake is frustrated with the publishing business. Blake, who won an Academy Award for the screenplay of his novel "Dances With Wolves," is teaming with his wife, Marianne Blake, to re-release his previous novels and future books through their own small press. "We just decided after so many difficulties with the eastern publishers, who basically don't care, that we would do it ourselves," Blake said in a telephone interview. Although his latest novel, a sequel to "Dances With Wolves" called "The Holy Road," was published in hardcover by Villard in September 2001, and in paperback by Random House in July 2002, Blake feels that his books have never been embraced by the publishing industry. Even many fans of "Dances With Wolves" don't know "The Holy Road" has been published, he said. "I have never written a book that's been published by a New York publisher that has had a nickel's worth of advertising," Blake said. "They generally consider people who are west of the Mississippi not real writers. My books have never been supported by publishers. They've never put anything behind it. None of my books have ever been reviewed by the New York Times. Instead of bitching and moaning about it, we decided to do it ourselves." The Blakes brought out a hardcover collectors' edition of "Dances With Wolves" in fall 2002. It can be ordered on his official Web site, www.danceswithwolvesmichaelblake.com. "Dances With Wolves" was originally released in paperback in 1989, and one hardcover edition came out after the movie became such a huge hit in 1990, but it has been long out of print. "Everywhere I go, people ask me for hardcovers," said Blake, who performed a one-man show in the autumn of 2002. The multi-media show, which features the former actor dramatizing scenes from his novels, traveled to Seattle, Wash., Cleveland, Ohio, Reston, Va., and Hattiesburg, Miss., as part of a tour sponsored by the American Library Association and the Friends of Libraries USA. "I decided to build a program around the four books that I've made so far. The show is based on excerpts from 'Dances With Wolves,' 'Airman Mortenson,' 'The Road to Valhalla,' and 'The Holy Road.' We're going to use a lot of audio and lighting to create an experience that is different for people." While many writers might have capitalized on the popularity of "Dances With Wolves" by quickly penning a sequel, Blake took his time. He had health problems - two bouts with cancer - and he also married and had his first child at the age of 51. He is now the father of three, ages 6, 5 and 2. "I devoted myself to my family," he said."I continued to write. I just wanted it to be just right." Blake said he was not intimidated by the success of "Dances With Wolves" when writing "The Holy Road." "I can't really be influenced by that. I try to make sure that what I want to write about is something sustainable because it takes such a long time to write a book. I never stopped learning as a writer, and challenging myself as a writer. I just want to be the best at what I'm doing. You can't get better if you do the same thing over and over." "The Holy Road" picks up the story of John Dunbar, the white soldier who joined the Comanche (not the Lakota, as in the movie) 11 years later, in 1874, as the Comanche fight for their freedom. "'The Holy Road' is very different from 'Dances With Wolves'," Blake said. " 'Dances With Wolves' is about discovery, and 'The Holy Road' is about survival and the attempt to survive. The whole landscape of free-roaming Indian life has changed. The buffalo has been slaughtered, and the curtain is coming down on that culture in 'The Holy Road'." Blake plans to executive produce a film version of "The Holy Road," with or without Kevin Costner, who starred in "Dances With Wolves" and won an Oscar as best director. The movie won seven Oscars in all, including "Best Picture." "Kevin Costner has the screenplay," Blake said. "Even if he doesn't want to do it, we'll move on it." Blake, who has survived two bouts with Hodgkins disease and had open heart surgery last February, also plans to eventually write the third and final book in the "Dances With Wolves" series. He said he always envisioned it as a trilogy, and plans to take the story into the 20th century with the third novel. He planned to release the first volume of his memoirs, "Like a Running Dog," in December 2002. "My plan is to bring out one every year until I get tired of writing," Blake said. With the fascinating life he's led, that probably won't be any time soon. Copyright 2002, Robyn Jackson Art of the interview There's an art to conducting an interview. Just watch the TV talk show hosts. Whether it's Oprah Winfrey or Barbara Walters or Ted Koppel, whether it's a soft interview with Julia Roberts to promote her latest movie or a hard-hitting interrogation of a national political figure, these people know how to get their subjects to open up and reveal secrets about themselves. The key to a good interview is to treat it like a conversation. Oprah, Barbara and Ted all have a list of questions that they read off prompters, but they are good listeners and can pick up on a juicy tidbit and follow it with new, spontaneous questions. There's nothing more frustrating than watching a TV interview when the subject drops a bombshell and the interviewer - who is not really listening - goes on to the next question instead of following up with a probing question. Conducting interviews is an everyday occurrence for newspaper reporters, but each one is unique. Sometimes, the ones you think will be easy are the hardest, and the ones you dreaded turn out to be a snap. If you're shy, picking up the telephone or knocking on a door and asking strangers personal questions will either help you develop self-confidence or drive you out of the business. Writers tend to be observers, but if you want to make a living as a reporter, you have to learn to get over your shyness. It's not easy. Newsrooms are tight on space, desks are butted up against each other, and you might be surrounded by five or six other reporters and editors - just a few feet away - all making calls and working on stories. It's loud and distracting and there's absolutely no privacy. When I was starting out 20 years ago, I used to wait until the people who sat near me were away from their desks before I'd pick up the phone and call a stranger to conduct a phone interview or set up a meeting. I've pretty much gotten over that, but there are still times when it's not easy to pick up that phone. Playing "phone tag" is a common problem. Sometimes people just refuse to return your calls and you have to keep trying to reach them, sometimes you just keep missing each other. It can be frustrating, but it's the nature of the business. You're on deadline and the rest of the world is not. E-mail interviews are a relatively new option, and can be a great help if you're trying to interview someone in another part of the globe. And, some people do give more detailed answers in writing, when they have time to think it over before responding. But nothing beats talking to a real person. The biggest drawback to e-mail interviews is not being able to follow-up immediately on an answer or ask spontaneous questions. If you can conduct an e-mail interview with instant-messaging, you might be able to avoid that problem since it's more like a written conversation instead of a list of questions and answers. Whether you are a full-time reporter or just want to freelance for your local newspaper, here are some tips to make your interviews more productive. Action plan: - Always identify yourself to the subject. Tell them your name, your publication, and why you are calling.
- Some people are very fearful of the media and are afraid to talk to reporters. Maybe they've watched "60 Minutes" too much and think we all practice ambush journalism and are out to get them. Or they might have a chip on their shoulder about something you had nothing to do with. They might hang up on you or berate you. Keep your cool. Resist the temptation to yell back at them. But if they start cursing or calling you names, hang up. You do not have to take abuse.
- Some interviews can be conducted over the phone, others should be done in person. Reporters tend to do most of their interviews over the phone because it saves time. If all you need is one quote from a secondary source, there's no reason to spend an hour with the subject to get that quote. If you are doing a personality profile or an in-depth story, you should meet the subject face to face, if possible. You'll get colorful details for your story - like the way he talks with his hands, or the family photos that decorate her office - that you can't get over the phone or Internet.
- If the subject agrees to be interviewed, set up a time and place. If you just need a quick comment, ask if they have a moment to speak to you.
- Do your homework before the interview. Know at least the basics about the story so you can ask intelligent questions. Prepare a list of questions.
- When I leave the office to do an interview, I write the quotes and information I gather in a reporter's notebook. When I conduct telephone interviews from the office, I type directly into the computer. I get better and longer quotes this way, because I can type a lot faster than I can write, and I don't have to spend time retyping this information when I write the story.
- It's important to get the subject to relax. Be friendly and conversational with them. It might take a few minutes to get them to trust you. Start out with the easy questions first: How do you spell your name? What town do you live in? What college did you attend? Where do you work? How many children do you have?
- Do not start out with a question that will make the interviewee angry or defensive. Build a rapport, let them see that you are not trying to get them, and then you can ask the hard questions when they start to trust you.
- If you are going to meet the subject outside your home or office for the interview, get detailed directions so you won't get lost.
- Allow yourself enough time to get to the interview. Leave early enough that traffic, bad weather or getting lost won't make you late.
- Dress to fit the occasion. If you'll be meeting a farmer, jeans would be appropriate, but if you're interviewing a bank president, you'll need to wear office attire. And always wear comfortable shoes.
- Some reporters like to tape interviews. Get permission first. Tape recorders make some people very nervous, even though it's a tool that helps ensure accurate quotes and information. Get a verbal "OK" on tape. This can protect you in case someone ever accuses you of taping them without their consent.
- Take backup notes even if you are recording. The batteries could be weak, the tape could break ... anything that can go wrong will.
- Label and date your notes and tapes for easy reference.
- Phrase your questions so that you get complete answers, not "yes" or "no." Your goal is to get good, colorful quotes for your story.
- If the subject is speaking so fast that you can't keep up with him while you're taking notes, ask him to slow down. Say something like "Could you repeat that? I want to make sure I get all of that."
- If you're conducting an e-mail interview, print the text and keep it on file.
- When you're working on your story and you realize that you need more information, do not be afraid to pick up the phone and call the subject. Don't think that having to call back to ask more questions makes you look incompetent; most people are relieved that you're trying to get it right and will gladly answer your additional questions. The subject might have thought of something else they needed to tell you during the interview, too.
Copyright 2002, Robyn Jackson
| Susan Vreeland: The Art of historical fiction Author Susan Vreeland has carved a niche for herself in the literary world by writing lush novels about real-life artists and their paintings. She achieved critical acclaim with "Girl in Hyacinth Blue," her 1999 New York Times best-selling novel about the fate of a fictional painting by the 17th century Dutch master Johannes Vermeer. She followed that with "The Passion of Artemesia," about the life of Italian Renaissance painter Artemesia Gentileschi, who overcame a rape when she was 14, betrayal by her father, and the prejudices of her day to become the first significant female artist. Her 2004 novel, "The Forest Lover," is about little-known British Columbian painter Emily Carr, who ventured into the woods to paint studies of the totem poles made by the indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest, whom she befriended despite Victorian conventions. "Girl in Hyacinth Blue" was written during a low point in Vreeland's life, when she was diagnosed with lymphoma, a form of cancer. "I started it just about the time I was diagnosed," Vreeland said in a recent telephone interview. The former teacher of literature and art had become intrigued by the history of individual pieces of art while visiting a Los Angeles museum. Passing an 1800-year-old glass medicine pitcher made by the Phoenicians, she marveled that such a delicate piece could survive the ravages of time. She wondered who created the piece. Was it made during an epidemic? Was it made by a parent to give medicine to a child? When gazing at a painting, she would wonder about the model, and her relationship to the artist. And what was the artist feeling as he painted? Did he worry about feeding his children? Did he contemplate giving up his artwork to take a job so he could support his family? What sacrifices were made to create the painting? Later, as she spent months in isolation following a bone marrow transplant, Vreeland surrounded herself with uplifting and comforting images, music and thoughts. A catalog from a 1995-96 exhibition of Vermeer's paintings in Washington, D.C., sparked her imagination. "Vermeer lifted me beyond fear," she said. The Dutch artist is famous for his tranquil, honey-hued scenes of women in their homes. Tracey Chevalier's novel (and the recent movie) "Girl With a Pearl Earring" was inspired by a Vermeer. Only 35 of his paintings are known to exist. Vreeland, who is of Dutch descent, felt a connection to the artist, his work and his subjects. She began to write a short story about a fictional Vermeer painting that had been looted by a Nazi from a Jewish home in Amsterdam during World War II. "Girl in Hyacinth Blue," the novel that would eventually emerge, traces the fate of the painting through four centuries as it survives floods, wars and neglect, traveling from Vermeer's home in the Dutch city of Delft in the 1600s to 20th century America. "The research and the writing together took 2 1/2 years," Vreeland said. "It is not a convention novel, rather it is a series of eight stories with different characters through whose lives the painting passes. The painting becomes the main character." Vreeland chose to invent a painting rather than spin her tale about an existing Vermeer canvas. "Girl in Hyacinth Blue" depicts a young girl in a blue smock sitting in profile near a window, her sewing in her lap, a look of longing on her upturned face. "My painting used elements from his other interior paintings done in his home," Vreeland said Because it is a work of historical fiction, Vreeland had to do a lot of research, consulting about 75 books for the details that bring the stories to life. "I did it all through libraries," Vreeland said. "I researched through my public library in San Diego and the University of California at San Diego library. That included almost 80 books on topics not just Vermeer or Dutch art, but Dutch history, culture, geography, natural history, dikes, windmills, canals, Jews in Amsterdam in World War II, the diamond trade, Passover, the French occupation of Holland. I had to make sure that any village or canal that I used was in existence at the time that I used it." Because of her health, Vreeland could not travel to Holland to research "Girl in Hyacinth Blue," but she is planning a trip there in the fall of 2004 to do research for her next novel, which will be about Vincent Van Gogh's early painting "The Potato Eaters." The underlying theme in Vreeland's novels is the value of art, not just the monetary value, but the value to the beholder. The people who come into possession of "Girl in Hyacinth Blue" develop very personal attachments to the painting. They fantasize about the girl, and come to view her as a friend, a confidante, especially when their own lives are thrown into turmoil. "Of course I want readers to question, what does that show about a person, whether he values a piece of art just because it's painted by someone famous, or because of their personal feelings for it. And what is the better way to value a painting, after all? The value and purpose of art is the underlying question that my novel deals with." It's not hard to read between the lines and see that for Susan Vreeland, the value of a piece of art is the treasure of the heart. Copyright 2004 (c) Robyn Jackson Jerry Jenkins: The man behind 'Left Behind' Sixty million books. That number's almost unfathomable, but it's the amount sold so far by the blockbuster Left Behind Series. Co-authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins have seen their idea for a stand-alone Christian novel about the apocalypse grow into an industry since the first novel in the series, "Left Behind," was published in 1995. Now there is a 12-novel series, a children's book series, foreign language editions, audio editions, graphic novels and spin-off products such as devotional books and greeting cards. "Glorious Appearing," the final book in the Left Alone Series, hits bookstores on March 30. Tyndale House Publishers has already gone back to press for a second run because the first run of 1.5 million copies was snapped up by booksellers. The authors knew there was a lot of interest in End Times biblical prophecy when they started pitching the idea to Christian publishers, but they could not predict the hunger for their evangelical novels based on the New Testament book of Revelation. "We thought we had something special. We thought we might sell 200,000 copies," Jerry Jenkins said in a telephone interview from his office in Colorado Springs, Colo. "We had no idea it would sell 60 million copies." The Left Behind books are a publishing phenomenon, and not just because of the sales figures. The books have crossed over into the mainstream, topping the New York Times and Publishers Weekly best-seller lists, which is highly unusual for the Christian fiction genre. Publishers Weekly named "Desecration," the best-selling book of 2001, knocking John Grisham out of the spot he had held since 1994. Time Magazine did a cover story on the series in July 2001, and Entertainment Weekly ranked LaHaye and Jenkins No. 42 on the "Power 101 List" for 2002 and 2003. And you don't have to make a special trip to a Christian bookstore to buy the books. They are available at your local book superstore and Walmart, and even your neighborhood grocery store. "The magnitude of it has been a surprise," Jenkins said. "We did go into it trying to reach both markets. We had no idea it would be bigger in the mainstream market than in the Christian market." LaHaye, 78, and Jenkins, 54, are both veteran authors in the Christian genre with more than 100 books to their combined credit. LaHaye, a minister and noted speaker on biblical prophecy, has written more than 70 books during his long career. Jenkins started out as a newspaper sportswriter before finding success writing the biographies of sports celebrities (Walter Payton, Orel Hirshiser, Nolan Ryan, Hank Aaron) and Christian leaders as well as Christian novels. The two had the same literary agent, and he hooked them up to write the Left Behind Series. It was the first time they had met. "I'd always been aware of his ministry and I'd never met him," Jenkins said of LaHaye. LaHaye came up with the idea for the first book in the series. He was sitting on an airplane watching the pilots and wondered what would happen if the Rapture - when believers will ascend to heaven en masse in an instant - took place on a plane. "He had the idea for years, even had the title," Jenkins said. "Left Behind" opens with believers disappearing from an airplane, with nothing left in their seats but their clothes and other belongings. On the ground, driverless cars crash, and husbands awake to find only their wives' empty nightgowns in bed next to them. The subsequent books trace what happens to those who are left behind during the seven-year period called the Tribulation, including the rise of the Antichrist and the battle of Armageddon. "Glorious Appearing" concludes with Christ's return to earth for a 1,000-year reign. LaHaye and Jenkins have a unique partnership. They collaborate long-distance, because LaHaye lives in Palm Desert, Calif., and Jenkins lives in Colorado Springs, Colo. LaHaye is top-billed, but Jenkins does all the writing. LaHaye does his part by delving into the book of Revelation for inspiration and then sending Jenkins his ideas for the plot. "I get a fairly ambitious workup from him in a three-ring binder," Jenkins said. "I just use that as a sort of framework and write the novels. He checks it for theology and biblical accuracy." Jenkins prefers to do his writing in his cabin on the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains, which he calls The Cave. "Otherwise, I care too much about what's in the mail," he said. "I have so many things going that I have to get away." Jenkins is a morning writer, turning out two books a year. "I write about 20 pages a day when I'm on deadline," he said. "There are days when I can do the 20 pages before noon, other days it might take until midnight. If I'm in the zone and I get 20 done, I feel like I can take the rest of the day off. The next day I do a heavy rewrite of what I wrote." Although "Glorious Appearing" is the last in the Left Behind Series, the publishers have already requested a prequel and a sequel, so LaHaye and Jenkins should turn out at least two more books together. And LaHaye has started another series, Babylon Rising, this time with Christian author T. Davis Bunn doing to the writing, and Jenkins has his own series called Soon. He's also the writer of the nationally syndicated sports comic "Gil Thorpe," runs the Christian Writers Guild and operates Jenkins Entertainment, a film production company, with his son. Jenkins may be one of the most successful novelists ever, but he remains down to earth. "I don't sing or dance or preach," he said. "This is all I do." Copyright 2004, Robyn Jackson Sophy Burnham: For Writers (and Angels) Only Novels, non-fiction best-sellers, plays ... you name it, Sophy Burnham writes it. She had two plays, a novel and a non-fiction book published in 2002 alone, but even this prolific author has had periods where she couldn't get the time of day from publishers. Her 1994 book of essays, "For Writers Only," ($15.50, Ballantine) was written during this time, as much to encourage herself as others to keep writing. "I wrote it during a particularly dark period when I couldn't get anything published," Burnham said in a telephone interview from her home in Washington, D.C. "I wrote it to remind myself of why we write." Although she never stopped writing, that dark period of being unable to get published lasted about a decade. She wrote six books in eight years, but they weren't the kinds of books publishers wanted to pay her to write, and she was not interested in writing what they would pay her to write. "I really learned a lot about God's timing," Burnham said. "I felt absolutely driven. Looking back on it, I think I was indeed in the palm of the hand of God, being driven because somehow I was heartened all along the way. Then, it was if I woke up. I wrote six books in eight years. I woke up and said 'what happened?' Then I felt into a state of deepest despondency. "I went up to the National Cathedral where they have a little chapel which at that time was open all night long. I just put myself flat out on the pavement and poured out my heart to God. I felt my offering had not been accepted. I felt despondent. I thought, 'when I get home, when I die, I'll have to say I failed.' "While I was there, sobbing my heart out, I heard footsteps coming in. This girl came in, and she was an artist We began to talk about work. She reminded me that we cannot ask for recognition, all we can do is work with all our hearts. "I went away much comforted by this. I did the very best I could, and at least I tried. It was OK with me not to be successful. Then suddenly, that was the year that everything came. Whether it was that moment of complete surrender to the forces of God or whether everything just came around, I don't know." Burnham gave up writing for a year, but she made more money from her writing that year than she had in the 20 previous years. An out-of-print novel was unexpectedly optioned for a film, and essays she had written years earlier were syndicated around the world. One of the books she wrote during the dark period found a publisher. She calls it a lesson in letting go. "It only gets published when you deeply let it go," Burnham said. "It took me a long time to get to that point. There's some kind of universal law, this law of surrender. There's a distinct difference between giving up and surrendering." Since surrendering the fate of her writing to God, Burnham has been unstoppable. Her "A Book of Angels" was a best-seller and is credited with starting the angels craze of the 1990s. She recently published a novel, "The Treasure of Montsegur," which is set in 13th century France. "It's a love story and a search for God story all based on a real event," she said. Her latest non-fiction book is "The Path of Prayer" ($24.95, Viking Compass). It was picked up by the Literary Guild book club, which is unusual for a non-fiction book, Burnham said. "I've had extraordinary response to it so far," Burnham said. "If there's anything I try to do, it's help people through their pain and suffering." "The Path of Prayer" is a series of essays in which she explores the ways people through the centuries have used prayer. Burnham is a Christian, but she includes prayers she has collected from many faiths and cultures over the years. "I think finding prayers is the easiest thing in the world," she said. "They just fly into your hands." Burnham is one of those rare writers who writes in a variety of genres. It doesn't make it easy to get published, but she is not about to stop writing what she loves. "People like you to be pigeon-holed," she said. "It's like starting over with each one." Copyright 2002, Robyn Jackson Carol Padgett: Keeping Hearth & Home Carol Padgett takes a 21st century approach to promoting her books about life in the 19th century. Dressed in Victorian costume, Padgett makes appearances as "Martha Matilda," who is based on her paternal great-grandmother. She shares wit and wisdom from the 19th century, but she uses space-age technology - including a Web site and a monthly e-mail newsletter - to promote her non-fiction books. Padgett is the author of a series of regional gift books from Menasha Ridge Press in Birmingham, Ala., where she resides. The books include "Keeping Hearth & Home in Old Alabama," "Keeping Hearth & Home in Old Colorado," "Keeping Hearth & Home in Old Massachusetts," "Keeping Hearth & Home in Old Texas," and "Keeping Hearth & Home in Old Ohio." The books ($13.95 each) are available in bookstores or online at Amazon.com. "Keeping Hearth & Home in Old Tennessee" and "Keeping Hearth & Home in Old Virginia" are in the works for 2003. Padgett had a psychotherapy practice for 25 years, and she now works with the dying, in addition to researching and writing her books. Her interest in the past was sparked during childhood, when the elder members of her close-knit family shared their stories of growing up in a kinder and gentler age. Padgett answered a few questions about her books and, of course, the indomitable Martha Matilda. QUESTION: Which came first, Martha Matilda or the books? ANSWER: The books came first. Martha Matilda followed as a creative response to my discomfort with the idea of appearing as "author-expert" for signings, talks and media interviews. "If I'm uncomfortable going as myself, I'll go as someone else." Who better to represent and help bring alive the era than one who lived it? I have been active for several years in the "changed community" that began life as my great-great-grandfather's plantation. It seemed a natural step to assume the persona of his daughter, my grandfather's mother, about whom I heard while growing up ... and besides, she has such a cute name! Martha Matilda has now taken on a life of her own! The book series has given me a new way to connect my professional experience (human development, aging, caregiving, and end-of-life care) and my personal proclivities (meeting and mingling, speaking and writing). Martha Matilda, for instance, will give the opening address at September's annual meeting of the Alabama Hospice Organization. Q: How did you get the idea for the book series? A: Menasha Ridge Publisher Bob Sehlinger invited me to compile a state-by-state series of small gift books following the format of a typical mid-19th century cookbook, featuring local recipes and an addendum of household advice. When I began to research 19th century recipes and advice, I found myself drawn beyond household how-tos, to the broader range of prescriptive literature that proliferated after the Civil War. I proposed that we expand the original idea to address the entire range of personal and social behavior, including not only period recipes attributable to ladies of each state, but also period advice about living in the state and its region. Q: How do you research and write the books? A: Cracking the code of finding specific kinds of 100-150-year-old materials has been illuminating for a non-historian! I was amazed to learn that many 19th century books are accessible by mail from libraries across the country through interlibrary loan, and likewise, that many period books and magazines are digitized and thus as close as the click of one's mouse. In each state, at least one person - a friend, a writing workshop classmate, an archivist assigned to answer a question - has found the Keeping Hearth & Home project sufficiently compelling, or my enthusiasm for it sufficient contagious to ask, "May I help with your research?" "Well, of course," was the obvious answer! My sentimental favorites of all research avenues are the "fortuitous finds" of family diaries and cookbooks that pop up through chance conversations or from "friends of friends of friends." Q: How long does it take to complete a book in the series? A: Research for the series is ongoing and includes two emphases: finding, capturing and selecting the period advice that forms the core of the books, and searching for recipes and prescriptive material pertinent to each state and its region. Q: How did you decide which states to start with? A: The publisher selected the first states in the series to represent different regions of the country, both as a distribution plan for the series and as an opportunity to design books representing states in different stages of social development during the historical period addressed. Four of the first five books represent the westward flow of the country's population - from Massachusetts to Ohio to Texas to Colorado. We selected my home state of Alabama as the first Southern state in the series; both the ease of travel and the natural interest in a "local author" have made it a good testing ground for developing talks and test-marketing various venues for signings and sales. Q: Who is the typical reader? A: I have received appreciative comments from both males and females of all ages. Folks middle-aged and beyond especially warm to material reminiscent of the stories and sayings of older relatives. Q: How do you promote the books? A: I have enjoyed taking a pro-active role in promotion beyond being available for signings, talks and media interviews arranged by the publisher. Activities include announcing each publication to my personal e-mail distribution list, developing a Web site (http://www.keepinghearthandhome.com) with monthly updates, spreading the word about my availability as a speaker, self-syndicating 19th century advice columns based on my research, and designing benefit-sales opportunities for various non-profits. Action Plan:
- Develop a theme series of books with regional or national appeal. Brainstorm a little! Do you have a hobby or interest that lends itself to a state-by-state series?
- Find creative ways to promote your books, from dressing up as a character, like Carol Padgett's "Martha Matilda," for personal appearances, to sending out a monthly e-mail newsletter to readers.
Copyright 2002, Robyn Jackson
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