In my
never ending quest for the Ultimate Marketing Idea, I hit upon appealing
directly to the sales reps at my publishing house.
Since it's a known fact that a rep can spend as little as
fifteen seconds discussing a new title with a buyer, I decided to introduce
myself to the sales team in order to stand out from the pack.
Not having the money to travel to NY and take them all out drinking, I did
the next best thing. I made a video for them.
My intentions were pure. But the road to hell is paved with good intentions,
and early on I decided that a plain old video of me talking for five minutes
wouldn't do.
So I did something different.
My credo when doing anything in public (speeches, panels, radio, TV, etc.) is
simple: NEVER BORE THE AUDIENCE.
Writers are entertainers, first and foremost. So I created a short video to
show the sales team, with entertainment in mind.
It was met with a less than enthusiastic response.
In deference to my publisher, I perhaps gave them too much too fast.
Publishing is like a marriage, and you should try not expose the major quirks
and perversions until after the honeymoon.
I gave them 100% Joe, no pulled punches. And they didn't know how to react.
Intrigued? Wondering what was on that video?
You're in luck. You can now watch this masterpiece using the Real Player
below. Just click on the PLAY button (that's the round button with the
triangle on it in the upper lefthand corner of the box).
It's a streaming video feed, but depending on your Internet speed it can take a
moment to begin playing.
Be warned... this video is not for the squeamish.
I heartily encourage all writers to contact their sales reps... but perhaps doing
something a little less extreme is the way to go.
