PR Dream Scenario - yet another
A while back I posted some commentary about an author’s pr dream scenario. Well, that was but a mere taste of what an author can bring to the smorgasbord table of publishing. I encountered such a person in a very recent client meeting. His “resume” was so impressive, I will do my best to usher him into the fold at HCI.
I am so used to authors with books and no platform. How refreshing to meet the opposite - plenty of platform but very little (or no) book.
Clay in my hands.
Without revealing his genre, which is really hard to do and still convey a meaningful message, this author came to me with: a regular presence on a major afternoon tv talk show, a fairly frequent stint on a major cable channel, published articles in his trade media, appearances on tv commercials selling products from his industry, an active lecturing schedule, and the status as the go-to guy in his specific area of expertise.
Pretty impressive, wouldn’t you say?
Don’t fret if your resume, your platform, doesn’t compare to his. Obviously, he worked hard to achieve this stature and deserves serious consideration from a publisher. Let him be a role model. Be inspired and learn.
However, it doesn’t end there. With a platform like his, this budding author might be awarded a publishing contract on the spot. Work with an editor to develop a book idea. This is done all the time.
As a testament to his hard work and preparation, my client also came with a kick-ass outline of his first book and a detailed vision of a subsequent series titles and a detailed plan of how he saw his publishing career evolve.
For a moment, I didn’t think that this man needed anything from me. All the materials he sent me for our coaching session seemed complete. What we ended up doing was really mapping out the life of a book and what was needed (in addition to what he already had) to complete the proposal/preparation phase.
We aren’t all as blessed as this future bestselling author with these whistles and bells. But we have what we have and we mean to go after the rest. With our hammers, nails and wooden planks, we pound away at our launching pads. Our platforms.
To convey to you how a publisher values these types of situations, my boss said it in five simple words: “Did you sign him up?”
Enough said.
Get to work!
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This is indeed an inspiring story, and a testament to the value of a diverse portfolio of life experience.