Alexandra Bogdanovic's Blog: That's life... - Posts Tagged "writers"

There are times when being a journalist has its advantages, and at the risk of tooting my own horn, I think this morning was definitely one of them.
You see, I had an interview with News Director Tony Savino on WGCH, 1490 AM in Greenwich. As I expected, we discussed my book, "Truth Be Told: Adam Becomes Audrey." But because of the way I pitched the interview request, I wasn't sure going into the studio if that was all he was going to ask me about.
So I did what any good reporter would do. I did my homework. I re-read articles about the Employment Non Discrimination Act (ENDA), federal legislation passed by the senate earlier this month. I read articles about the Transgender Day of Remembrance (held annually on Nov. 20) and I reviewed terminology and statistics included in my own book. I took notes on the potential talking points and memorized everything. I asked my mom to help me review everything before I left the house.
Even though it turned out that Tony and I didn't talk about anything other than my story, the effort was worthwhile because radio is tricky. Unless there is an entire program devoted to a given topic, interviews are typically very short. In this case, I had just eight minutes to share my message, story and brand. And because the interview was live, I couldn't afford to stumble or fumble a question; there were no "do-overs."
Even though I was a little bit nervous beforehand, being prepared helped put me at ease once once I was in the proverbial hot seat. More importantly, it allowed me to articulate my message in a clear, concise and professional manner.
I can't stress how much proper preparation will help you, too. After all the hard work you put in to landing that elusive print, radio or TV interview, you've got to make the most of it.
Do you want more tips about how to deal with the media? Leave a comment for me and I'll definitely respond.
Until next time, "That's life..."

Ok, I admit it. I'm hardly breaking new ground here. It's Thanksgiving and a lot of people will write about all of the things for which they are grateful. But I just can't resist the temptation to do the same.
So as an author, here's my list of the top ten things for which I'm most grateful:
10. All of the wonderful people I've met online and elsewhere while promoting my book.
9. All of the people who have taken an interest in my work and provided the platforms on which to share it.
8. All of the people who encouraged me to write "Truth Be Told: Adam Becomes Audrey."
7. My publisher for taking a chance on an unknown author and providing continued support.
6. The incredibly talented people who designed my book cover and book trailer; you guys rock!
5. My "boys." -- You guys know who you are.
4. God-given talent and the time to nurture it.
3. My mom; you are and always will be my hero. I love you.
2. Adversity. Without it, you never appreciate the good times and you never grow.
1. Freedom -- specifically the freedom to share my story, to write it as I see fit without fear of censorship or other recrimination.
God Bless America and happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Until next time, "That's life..."

Oops. I made a big boo-boo.
Last week, I shared my top ten list of things for which I am most grateful as an author. But soon after I finished writing, I realized that I forgot to include a very important group of people -- my readers.
While there's no excuse for such an egregious omission, perhaps it's understandable. After all, there's so much for authors to do; writing, revising, rewriting, finding an agent, getting an editor and landing a publishing deal or navigating the labyrinths of self-publishing. Then there's marketing, marketing, marketing, social networking ...and more marketing.
It's way too easy to get caught up in the madness, and way too easy to forget why we've chosen such a hard road in the first place. Are we doing it all for ourselves? For our friends and families? Are we doing it for catharsis? To help others? To educate, inform or entertain? In pursuit of our dreams? For fame or fortune?
To be sure, our reasons for writing, or more accurately, our reasons for becoming published authors, are vast and varied. But truth be told, without the people who are kind and generous enough to read our work, none of it really matters.
So to all of the people who have chosen to read my book, and those who support indie authors in general, I extend my heartfelt thanks and best wishes for safe and joyous holidays.
Until next time, "That's life..."

As self-published and Indie authors, we've all heard the same advice over and over again. Find your voice, identify your target audience, build your brand, create your platform, use traditional and social networking tools to promote your work. Be patient, be persistent, and it will pay off. Eventually...
But as we all know, the grim reality is that promoting our work is expensive, frustrating and time consuming. Inevitably, we all end up asking ourselves the same question: is it worthwhile, or a waste of time?
Truth be told, it's a question that didn't concern me when my book was released in August, 2012. After all, I had a full time job... a stressful, demanding, full time job. I had my hands full just trying to survive. At the time, I also kept telling myself that I wrote "Truth" to help people, not to make money.
By last April, I realized I couldn't help anyone if no one knew about the book. So I joined goodreads.com and created my author page. I also re-established my presence on LinkedIn.com and created an all-star profile there.
Well, one thing led to another, and I've now got an Amazon author page, a Google+ page and I'm on Twitter. I draw the line at joining Facebook (but that's another topic for another blog).
I've learned a lot along the way. I've discovered all sorts of cool ways to promote "Truth Be Told: Adam Becomes Audrey," and I've had a blast doing it. More importantly, I've met some incredibly talented, creative, and generous people, and made some really good friends.
So for me, the sometimes tedious, sometimes frustrating and seemingly never-ending task of book promotion has definitely paid off in many ways. Now if I could just find a way to make some money...
Until next time, "That's life..."

Conventional wisdom holds that authors shouldn't blog about politics... or religion... or anything remotely controversial... unless the subject matter is directly related to our work.
I suppose we're supposed to play it safe in order to preserve our marketability and guarantee our books keep selling.
But those of you who know me personally or read this blog know I'm not the type to play it safe.
Take last week's posting, for instance. I boldly stated my belief that people are way too easily offended and vowed that I will never be politically correct.
This week I'm tackling something even more controversial. Specifically, I've decided to respond to some extremely offensive comments made by none other than Ann Coulter. Yes, I'm referring to her comments about soccer.
Among other things, the conservative columnist purportedly said that no one whose great-grandfather was born here is watching soccer. Of course she didn't have the guts to come out and say what she really meant. The insinuation was perfectly clear: Real Americans don't watch soccer .
Well, as we prepare to celebrate our country's indpendence, let me tell you a few things about real Americans, Ms. Coulter.
Real Americans don't always agree.
Real Americans know how to voice their opinions in a civilized manner.
Real Americans have no tolerance for those who spew hate.
Real Americans stand united in the face of adversity.
Real Americans celebrate our diversity.
Real Americans cherish our freedom.
Real Americans are patriotic.
Real Americans are proud.
Real Americans aren't defined by whether or not they like soccer.
Real Americans aren't defined by how long their families have been here.
Born here, I am a first-generation American of multicultural descent. And whether you like it or not, that makes me a real American.
Until next time, "That's life..."

I have a confession to make. I committed an egregious sin this week...
But before we go any further, let me set the record straight. It is not a sin worthy of disclosure to a priest, nor is it anything morally reprehensible.
Come to think of it, Eli is probably the only one who really thinks I've committed a sin at all. But before we go any further, there's something you should know about Eli. He's my cat. And the "sin" I committed was trying to clip his claws.
Now those of you who don't have pets -- or more specifically, those of you who don't have cats -- are probably wondering why that's such a big deal. Just trust me, it is.
For my 8-1/2 year-old buff and white American Domestic Short Hair cat, claw clipping is the single worst thing that can possibly happen. Well, aside from missing a meal, of course.
In fact Eli, who also weighs in at a relatively hefty 14 pounds, hates having his claws clipped so much that his old vet had to sedate him in order to get the job done.
To make a long story short, let's just say that for various reasons Eli hasn't been to the vet for a while. And let's just say that for reasons known only to him, he failed to heed repeated warnings about sharpening his claws on the sofa.
So when he sunk his claws into the sofa on Wednesday night, I'd finally had enough. I picked him up, put him in my lap, and successfully clipped one claw. Eli then had what can only be described as a screaming, yowling, hissy fit. He also used a few of his exceedingly long claws to express his displeasure.
Wounded, I decided the fight wasn't worthwhile, and let him go. Not surprisingly, with tail lashing and hackles raised, he stalked away.
And not surprisingly, I felt horrible about what happened. I tried to give him his space. I tried to apologize. But he rebuffed each attempt with flattened ears and a warning hiss. After several hours, he deigned to eat some treats out of my hand, but rejected further peace offerings.
"Wow, he's really mad," I told my mom. "I guess I'm really in the doghouse."
Until next time, "That's life..."

I have got to stop watching the evening news. And listening to the radio. And reading the newspaper.
Twenty-first century journalism -- or should I say, what passes for journalism these days -- isn't good for my blood pressure. In fact, as a former reporter, it makes my blood boil.
You see, when I began working at a daily newspaper as a high school freshman back in the 1980s, journalists still believed in fairness and objectivity. That meant getting both sides of the story. No matter what.
Throughout a career that spanned more than two decades, fairness and objectivity weren't just words I lived by -- they formed the philosophy and ethos I tried to embody.
That's not to say I didn't have strong personal feelings about the issues that I covered, or that I didn't form friendships with sources. It simply meant that I worked twice as hard not to let personal feelings or personal relationships influence the way I did my job.
As I saw it, it was my job to present "Side A," "Side B," and even "Side C" and "Side D," when necessary. It was then up to the reader to decide what to believe.
It was a philosophy I embraced not only as an award-winning reporter, but as the author of my memoir, "Truth Be Told: Adam Becomes Audrey."
Sadly, that philosophy has fallen out of favor not only in the world of mainstream, corporate journalism, but in community journalism as well.
The only news that matters these days is the news that "sells." Sanctimonious, self-righteous and self-important "journalists" no longer care about getting the story right, as long as they get it first. They tell the world what to think in 10-second soundbites and Internet blurbs. And the world laps it up. There is no such thing as critical thought.
You don't believe me? Then just pick up a newspaper... or listen to the radio... or watch the evening news. And tell me what you think.
Until next time, "That's life..."

Judging by the number of views last week's post got, the topic clearly resonated with a lot of you.
And while I appreciate your support, it left me in a bit of a pickle. How can I top that? I've been thinking. The answer is, I probably can't. So I decided to shift gears this week.
After all, even I can only rant and rave so much.
So without further ado, here are my all-time favorite quotes about writing, reading and related activities. Enjoy!
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1. Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. ― Benjamin Franklin
2. There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.
― Ernest Hemingway
3. If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it. ― Toni Morrison
4. Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on. ― Louis L'Amour
5. I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn. ― Anne Frank
6. The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go. ― Dr. Seuss
7. Classic - a book which people praise and don't read. ― Mark Twain
8. If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that. ― Stephen King
9. You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them. ― Ray Bradbury
10. Readers are not sheep, and not every pen tempts them. ― Vladimir Nabokov
11. Read a lot, write a lot is the great commandment. ― Stephen King
12. She has learned to love. To fear. To hate. And then to love again. Through it all, she writes. ~Once Upon A Time There Was A Girl ― Kimberly Kinrade

Until next time, "That's life..."

So here I sit. It's 6:30 p.m. on Thursday and I'm desperately trying to dream up a creative, insightful, entertaining topic for this week's blog. And I'm failing miserably. It's infuriating.
But I've got to come up with something. I mean, I can't not do a blog post this week.
Or can I? I mean, I've done more than 70 posts and I don't want to break my streak. And what would happen to my brand? I mean the book marketing pundits and the gurus and the experts all say that every self-published or Indie author worth their salt has to have a blog. Blogging at least once a week is recommended -- blogging two or three times a week is essential. It's one of the best ways to set yourself apart as an author, allow your current and prospective readers to get to know you and develop a following, or a fan base. Or so they say.
By the way, has anyone figured out who they are? When you do, please drop me a note and let me know. I've been dying to find out.
In the meantime, I'll keep debating whether or not to follow their advice, but it will probably take a while. I mean, there's advice about blogging, the use of social media, book reviews, book contests, book trailers, book launches (although I'm kind of past that point) book signings (I've never done one but I would love to) book fairs, e-books, audio books... I think you've got the point.
There's good advice, bad advice and contradictory advice. They say the worst thing any author can do is scream, "buy my book" but let's be honest, isn't that exactly what we all end up doing? We're all finding creative ways of screaming for attention and patting ourselves on the back when we achieve even a modicum of success. Hell, I've even resorted to the deliberate use of double negatives to set myself apart.
After spending two years (and thousands of dollars) trying to sell my memoir, I'm broke, I'm tired, I'm frustrated... and yes, I am screaming.
Is anybody listening?
Until next time, "That's life..."

As a lot of you know, there aren't too many things I miss about being a reporter.
I don't miss the 18-hour days. I don't miss the tight deadlines. I don't miss the stress and aggravation. I don't miss self-important public officials or arrogant cops.
I don't miss standing around crime scenes for hours or rushing to cover a plane crash at three in the morning.
I don't miss working for what amounted to less than minimum wage and I certainly don't miss office politics.
To be perfectly frank I'm much better off without most of the people I worked with (although I do miss a few).
I must admit there are some other things that I do miss though. I miss the communities that I covered. I miss the readers whose lives I touched. I miss the fun assignments that editors dismissed as unimportant, like this one I did in The Plains, Va., back in 2011.
No reporter will ever win a Pulitzer for covering a village scarecrow contest... unless the judges were on the take or someone stuffed a dead body into one of the costumes... Call me cynical, but stranger things have happened.
But at the end of the day, these were the stories that people loved the most. These were the "feel good stories," the stories that touched their hearts and made them laugh. These were the stories that took their minds off all the troubles in the world -- at least for a little while. These were the stories that helped them take a little bit of pride in their communities. I know all of this it's because the readers told me.
So I'll let other reporters tell the world about Isis and Ebola and the economy.
I'll let them have the satisfaction of spreading the word about the upcoming elections and I'll let them have the glory they all think that they deserve.
I've been there, done that and gotten the awards to show for it.
I take pride in those awards. But at the end of the day, I made people smile. I made them laugh. Perhaps I even made them feel a bit better about the world.
I'll always take pride in that.
Until next time, "That's life..."