Putting My Show on the Road

Dear Readers:

Nearing the conclusion of novel number one means venturing into new territory. The final draft is ready to go to the Library of Congress for a copyright. Next I need to brush off the cobwebs and whoosh away the dust collected on my lengthy “what’s next?” list. These are ideas, notes, unanswered questions collected over the past four years. The conglomeration includes advice from self-published authors on how to succeed, blog posts from self-help gurus, articles that seem pertinent filed in a 3-ring binder, and a long list of potential agents in my search for representation. Now starts the scary part.

I dipped my toes into the advertising arena recently by hiring a professional graphic designer to take snippets of ideas about my book and assemble them into a coherent banner advertisement. It was intended for its first display at my grandson’s high school’s home football games (he’s plays linebacker) which started last Friday evening. Just watch your favorite team on game day on national television and you will see ads flashing by on marquees or fluttering in the breeze attached to a perimeter fence on the sidelines. Along with this was a second challenge to write a 20 to 30 second verbal advertisement to be aired over the public address system at the games. So I had to resurrect my “elevator pitch” and polish it up for real-time use.

Attending the game, I was a bit apprehensive until I spotted my banner. It looked wonderful and demanded a quick click of the trusty iPhone camera. I hope to use it as an advertising tool in a number of other venues. And my advertisement premiered before the game started as we sweltered sitting on metal bleacher seats waiting for an electrical storm to pass. The entire experience was exhilarating.

All of this is daunting for someone who has sat through eight manuscript drafts in the quiet of my office. Now I need to read those books gathering dust on my shelf that explain the mysteries of self-promotion. This is all very daunting but if I don’t do anything I can be certain that I won’t have to wait for those dreaded agent rejection notices because I will, by my inaction, be rejecting myself. So let’s dive in. The plot thickens.