Frank Nappi's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing"
Publish and Perish
“Writing a book is like sliding down a rainbow! Marketing it is like trudging
through a field of chewed bubblegum on a hot, sticky day.”
--Betty Dravis
Author and good friend Betty Dravis could not have been more accurate with this
statement. I can still recall the elation I felt after my first novel (ECHOES
FROM THE INFANTRY) was released by St. Martin’s Press in 2005. The sense of
unbridled accomplishment buoyed me for days -- even weeks -- like nothing else
has ever done. And I remained in this suspended state of euphoria for a while -
until I realized that my publisher had only done what every publisher does for
most authors in the way of publicity and marketing -- the bare minimum.
Consequently, my naivete, idealism and and erroneous philosophy of “now I can
just sit back and wait for readers to purchase, read and comment” was rendered
painfully laughable. Then my euphoria abated, replaced by nausea,
disillusionment and pure unadulterated panic. Although my novel received some
very favorable professional reviews, nobody really knew it existed and thus, my
sales numbers suffered. This, in turn, led to a most difficult time getting a
serious look by publishers the second time around.
I was fortunate enough to procure a contract for my second novel, THE LEGEND OF
MICKEY TUSSLER, and was now armed with the knowledge that I would need to be my
own publicist in order to attain some level of success. I didn’t mind - I am no
stranger to some good old fashioned hard work. What I discovered, and what
remains true today as I am trying desperately to bask in the glow of the release
of my third novel, SOPHOMORE CAMPAIGN, is that hard work is often not enough.
This sobering reality comes at the hands of hundreds of unreturned phone calls,
emails, and mass mailings. Hey - is anybody out there listening? There is
nothing more debilitating than being ignored and in some instances just simply
rejected when all you are asking for is a fair chance at having your work
presented to the public for their reading pleasure and ultimately their
approval/disapproval.
This process is so loathsome, so time exhaustive that it almost takes all the
joy out of the accomplishment. Writers should write, correct? If I wanted to be
a publicist I would have majored in marketing at some fancy business school and
devoted my life to this elusive art.
So while I want nothing more than to continue work on my next novel, the third
installment of my Mickey Tussler series, I have no time to do so -- I am too
tied up in trying to wean my newest endeavor off life support.
Anyone else have a similar experience???
through a field of chewed bubblegum on a hot, sticky day.”
--Betty Dravis
Author and good friend Betty Dravis could not have been more accurate with this
statement. I can still recall the elation I felt after my first novel (ECHOES
FROM THE INFANTRY) was released by St. Martin’s Press in 2005. The sense of
unbridled accomplishment buoyed me for days -- even weeks -- like nothing else
has ever done. And I remained in this suspended state of euphoria for a while -
until I realized that my publisher had only done what every publisher does for
most authors in the way of publicity and marketing -- the bare minimum.
Consequently, my naivete, idealism and and erroneous philosophy of “now I can
just sit back and wait for readers to purchase, read and comment” was rendered
painfully laughable. Then my euphoria abated, replaced by nausea,
disillusionment and pure unadulterated panic. Although my novel received some
very favorable professional reviews, nobody really knew it existed and thus, my
sales numbers suffered. This, in turn, led to a most difficult time getting a
serious look by publishers the second time around.
I was fortunate enough to procure a contract for my second novel, THE LEGEND OF
MICKEY TUSSLER, and was now armed with the knowledge that I would need to be my
own publicist in order to attain some level of success. I didn’t mind - I am no
stranger to some good old fashioned hard work. What I discovered, and what
remains true today as I am trying desperately to bask in the glow of the release
of my third novel, SOPHOMORE CAMPAIGN, is that hard work is often not enough.
This sobering reality comes at the hands of hundreds of unreturned phone calls,
emails, and mass mailings. Hey - is anybody out there listening? There is
nothing more debilitating than being ignored and in some instances just simply
rejected when all you are asking for is a fair chance at having your work
presented to the public for their reading pleasure and ultimately their
approval/disapproval.
This process is so loathsome, so time exhaustive that it almost takes all the
joy out of the accomplishment. Writers should write, correct? If I wanted to be
a publicist I would have majored in marketing at some fancy business school and
devoted my life to this elusive art.
So while I want nothing more than to continue work on my next novel, the third
installment of my Mickey Tussler series, I have no time to do so -- I am too
tied up in trying to wean my newest endeavor off life support.
Anyone else have a similar experience???
Can Anyone Out There Spell?
I STILL REMEMBER my third-grade teacher, Mrs. Fitzgerald, preaching to my classmates and me about taking pride in the quality of our work: "Your mistakes are a reflection of your person," she preached with such passion. She was perhaps the most fastidious woman I have ever known.
Mrs. Fitzgerald demanded perfection. Or at least a reasonable facsimile. Poor penmanship, coloring outside the lines and cross-outs were all egregious violations; no infraction, however, was as heinous as the spelling error, for it was her contention that this type of mistake conveys a carelessness that threatens to impugn one's character. Fanatical? Perhaps, but the longer I live, the more inclined I am to believe that Mrs. Fitzgerald was on to something.
Although her methodology was at times despotic, it did illustrate the value of hard work. It is a lesson most of us never forgot.The impeccable calculations in my checkbook register (not one cross-out) are a true testimony to her power of persuasion. Her not so subtle persuasion has found its way into other areas of my life as well.
As I drive the roads of Long Island, some 35 years later, Mrs. Fitzgerald's
warning resonates in my mind like a full-scale nuclear attack. When I cruise past the local mini -mart that proudly proclaims to be “open seven day's a week”or enter a car dealership that “accepts you're credit application with no questions asked,” I am filled with an overwhelming sense of dread; if Mrs. Fitzgerald's philosophy is indeed valid, and these errors are indicative of the quality of service each proprietor offers to the public, Armageddon can't be far behind.
Driving the information highway is no better; in fact, I have found that I cannot read for more than a minute or two without being subjected to someone’s ill conceived post on Facebook or Twitter.
Sigh.
As time goes on, and both the gravity and frequency of these blunders continue to escalate, I find myself pondering their origins.True, not every third grader was fortunate enough to experience the Fitzgerald indoctrination,
but it seems reasonable that at some point during the course of the educational process these individuals should have learned the basic principles of the language or at least have developed enough common sense to consult someone who has before going “public.”
Some of these errors possess wonderful irony, like "The Comitee For Improvement Of Public Education." Others, like the dental office that extols the importance of "the three P's-pride, professionalism, and presision”-are frightening.
Other mistakes are just plain silly. Who can get angry at a motor lodge that boasts to prospective patrons about attention to every last “detale?”
I have also wondered, from time to time, what Mrs. Fitzgerald would think about all of the carelessness I have observed. Although her first impulse would most likely result in a trail of red ink marks stretching from Manhattan to Montauk,even she would come to realize that her correcting pen wouldn't stand
a chance against this deluge of errors. Something should be done.
This can be corrected, right?
Or have we simply become products of a world that has sacrificed integrity in language and expression for speed and convenience?
WTF? OMG...
I am scared....
Mrs. Fitzgerald demanded perfection. Or at least a reasonable facsimile. Poor penmanship, coloring outside the lines and cross-outs were all egregious violations; no infraction, however, was as heinous as the spelling error, for it was her contention that this type of mistake conveys a carelessness that threatens to impugn one's character. Fanatical? Perhaps, but the longer I live, the more inclined I am to believe that Mrs. Fitzgerald was on to something.
Although her methodology was at times despotic, it did illustrate the value of hard work. It is a lesson most of us never forgot.The impeccable calculations in my checkbook register (not one cross-out) are a true testimony to her power of persuasion. Her not so subtle persuasion has found its way into other areas of my life as well.
As I drive the roads of Long Island, some 35 years later, Mrs. Fitzgerald's
warning resonates in my mind like a full-scale nuclear attack. When I cruise past the local mini -mart that proudly proclaims to be “open seven day's a week”or enter a car dealership that “accepts you're credit application with no questions asked,” I am filled with an overwhelming sense of dread; if Mrs. Fitzgerald's philosophy is indeed valid, and these errors are indicative of the quality of service each proprietor offers to the public, Armageddon can't be far behind.
Driving the information highway is no better; in fact, I have found that I cannot read for more than a minute or two without being subjected to someone’s ill conceived post on Facebook or Twitter.
Sigh.
As time goes on, and both the gravity and frequency of these blunders continue to escalate, I find myself pondering their origins.True, not every third grader was fortunate enough to experience the Fitzgerald indoctrination,
but it seems reasonable that at some point during the course of the educational process these individuals should have learned the basic principles of the language or at least have developed enough common sense to consult someone who has before going “public.”
Some of these errors possess wonderful irony, like "The Comitee For Improvement Of Public Education." Others, like the dental office that extols the importance of "the three P's-pride, professionalism, and presision”-are frightening.
Other mistakes are just plain silly. Who can get angry at a motor lodge that boasts to prospective patrons about attention to every last “detale?”
I have also wondered, from time to time, what Mrs. Fitzgerald would think about all of the carelessness I have observed. Although her first impulse would most likely result in a trail of red ink marks stretching from Manhattan to Montauk,even she would come to realize that her correcting pen wouldn't stand
a chance against this deluge of errors. Something should be done.
This can be corrected, right?
Or have we simply become products of a world that has sacrificed integrity in language and expression for speed and convenience?
WTF? OMG...
I am scared....
