On Friday, I had my first conference call with Thomas Nelson Publicity.
I enjoyed it, because like everyone I've met at Thomas Nelson, the publicity team is very congenial and welcoming.
However, our discussion did prompt some thoughts for me about the stark difference between publicity and novel-writing.
At one point, a team member told me that I needed to think about how I would answer a certain question. She said I will be asked this question repeatedly in interviews: "Why did you become a novelist after getting a Ph.D. in English?"
Now, I'm pretty much an open book when it comes to my life and its whys and hows. I've actually already answered this particular question in several online interviews like this one with Roxane Salonen.
So what's the big deal?
Even when I answered this question for Roxane, in a written interview, I wasn't able to answer it completely. I also blogged about my career choice myself, and I had to table some aspects of the discussion as "too complex to explain here."
Let's face it: major decisions like career choices involve every aspect of our personalities, our gifts, and our life stories.
The story of a career choice is a novel, not an interview.
Yet the fact remains that my publicity teammate is absolutely right. I am going to be asked that question, and I need to come up with a concise way to answer it.
Novels are about complexity.
Publicity is about simplicity and clarity.
This essential difference is why publicity can feel so strange to novelists. In our novels, we aim to draw out complexity, to show rather than tell, to let events tell their own stories to readers. But publicity is all about telling, about simplifying ourselves and our novels to soundbites that can be understood in ten minute radio or TV interviews. This is not a negative thing, it's just the reality of how one must learn to transmit information through different media.
I have a good idea about how I'm going to answer questions about my career choice, now, but I need to write it down and rehearse it until it's crystal clear.
More on that next week, in Effective Self-Presentation for Publicity!
Questions for you: Do you think publicity would be easy for you or challenging? How do you feel about sharing aspects of your personal life in interviews? Are you more comfortable with print interviews than radio or TV?
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28 comments:
This is an interesting post and worth considering how I can apply your wisdom to my own publicity. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it all. Thanks for sharing! Would love to hear your concise answer if you are so inclined to tell.
I think you just completely nailed why publicity is so challenging to so many authors! So true about the simplicity vs. compexity.
I love reading about your journey, Rosslyn. I love that I have people like you who are several steps ahead. You handle yourself so well!
I think you uncovered the reason why marketing and publicity are so hard for writers. The show versus tell in our personalities. Can't wait to hear what your answer is.
Edge of Your Seat Romance
Rosslyn, you've done a great job explaining the interview process. As a journalism major, I know about the need to be concise. However, the novelist in me loves to wrap a thought in a fluffy cocoon of words--often, in my case, since I'm a member of the Wordy Writers Club, too many of them. When I'm privileged to be a blog guest, I'm going to remember your wise counsel, take off my novelist hat, and don the one from my journalism days.
Carla - thanks! I may do another blog post at some point in which I try to capture that concise answer.
Katie - Thanks for the retweet. You're a great Wordserve buddy and friend. :-)
Raquel - thanks for the follow! I enjoyed your blog post on conferences.
Keli - That journalism hat is going to come in handy, that's for sure!
First of all, I want to congratulate you on becoming a published author! I'm sure it can be challenging to deal with the publicity part of writing a novel though. Many writers tend to be shy. I'm sure that's not true for all but I attended a speaking and writers conference a number of years ago. Many of the authors were there to learn how to speak and communicate better in front of an audience.
I think the average American public is so used to instant messages. I'm sure they want quick answers to every question. It's wise to anticipate questions like this.
I hope that you will continue to share all about this new journey for you Rosslyn. I'm so proud of you girl. And I'll have to see about buying your book.
Blessings and love,
Debbie
I like a moment to think through a question and compose my response, so written interviews will always be easier than verbal ones. Your discussion with the publicity team brought out a good reason why thinking through answers to potential questions ahead of time is a good idea.
When it comes to sharing personal things, I'm a pretty private person so I've developed a knack for evasive answers! LOL.
Debbie - Thanks so much for stopping by! You are really sweet - I've missed your blog. I'm headed over there in just a sec.
Carol - You made me smile. I told my daughter the other day that it's OK not to answer a question if someone asks you something so personal that you'd rather not share it. :-)
What makes this question "funny" to me is that you don't really choose writing. Writig chooses you. Having a ph.d or a Y membership don't have much to do with it. You write because you have stories to tell. Having a ph.d gives you another source to draw from, same as your experiences at the Y. Enjoy all the publicity. It is way different from writing. Alone in a room with your words vs. exposed to the entire world. You'll do great. I'm cheering for you!
Rosslyn, okay, I know I'm partial, but I loved Mary's response -- that writing chooses you. I think that can definitely be a part of your answer, and I'm sure Mary won't mind you borrowing it. (She's always been great at getting to the point -- I'm the happy recipient of that gift on a daily basis.)
I feel like we are in a similar place. I don't have a book out at the moment, but feel that that's a real possibility, so I'm going to be popping over here as often as possible to continue this journey with you. I love your thoughts, Rosslyn.
This line is great: "The story of a career choice is a novel, not an interview."
Finally, print, radio and TV are all different. I think I prefer print and radio because I can do them in my pajamas. Well, maybe not radio, but at least I don't have to worry about whether I'm having a bad hair day. :)
Peace in all you do, publicity and writing and mothering!
That's a very helpful distinction to make--complexity vs. simplicity. I agree that's what makes marketing hard. It's a very different skill set.
Publicity definitely sounds like a challenge to me. Talking about my stories doesn't seem so hard, but talking about myself...that's another matter. It always seems a little odd to me, this modern practice of marketing yourself along with your books, as if your personality was almost as important as the quality of your writing.
And I think I'd definitely prefer a written interview if I had the choice - it gives you more time to think out your answers. No conversation ever goes exactly as planned, even if you think you know what questions you're going to be asked!
Congratulations on your upcoming debut novel!
Mary - GREAT point. And I feel the same way about a writer's background...it all becomes grist for the mill. The real question for those who have known me all my life is not why I became a novelist, but why I earned a doctorate first. :-) The writing part was always there.
Roxane, I am so glad that you're sharing this journey with me. As I said to another cherished friend whom I first met on the internet, publication wouldn't mean as much without the special people who have come into my life, with whom I have so much in common.
Laurel - Thanks for stopping by!
Elisabeth - I know what you mean. I told some fellow debut novelists that I would really rather be a writing recluse like Salinger, but I bow to the necessity of publicity.
Jennifer - Thanks! It's nice of you to come by. :-)
What an interesting post - and you've pinpointed here why so many of us find publicity difficult. Not just in interviews, but in summing up for queries and pitches. Basically, we wouldn't write 80k words if we could say what we wanted in 80. But the outside world wants nutshells, so we need to craft them.
Simplifying myself down to a soundbite--ha! I try with blurbs and loglines and all that jazz to do that with my novels, but myself...foget about it. ;)
~ Wendy
I'm a newbie to your blog. Congratulations on your book that will be released this April! Looking forward to it and I'll seek it out in my local bookstore! It sounds like you've got several obstacles but there's no way it's going to stop you, so get going! :)
Hi Rosslyn -
This post clarified what makes me nervous about interviews. I want to give the novel-length version, while the interviewer wants a sound bite.
I'm always more comfortable in print rather than real-life interviews. In fact, I'd rather be the interviewer than the interviewee. :)
Blessings,
Susan
You always offer a clear insight into the process you are moving through. Thank you.
I would be more comfortable with a print interview or with radio. TV? Not so much.
I've worked on the interviewer side for a long time.
Another thing to consider is no matter how concise you make your response, it will undoubtedly be pared down and paraphrased to the bare bones because of space and/or time constraints of whatever media outlet conducts the interview.
Clarity is key.
You know, the question about your Ph.D. surprises me. What is expected of an English Ph.D.? Is teaching the only ("best") option? It is ironic, in a way, that this would even be a concern because so many times we hear the stereotype of the English/Lit professor that didn't make it as a writer. This is the first time I've heard the opposite. I can't think of a better field of studies for a writer than English/Literature (along with Psychology or History, if you're going to write historicals.)
To answer your question. The publicity/marketing aspect of publishing does intimidate me a bit. But it also seems like it could be very exciting!
I enjoyed our meeting today. :)
Roz - Ha! Or 100K words when we could write 65K.
Wendy - Simplifying you will never happen, and I wouldn't want any less than the full Wendy experience. :-)
sleepin18 - Thanks for stopping by!
Susan - I prefer print too...
Marsha - and I am never happy to watch myself on video. But I think that's a universal feeling.
Kat - Good point from the experienced interviewer/journalist. My daughter loves your name and wants it for herself because of her cat obsession.
Lorena - Teaching isn't the only option for Ph. D.s, you're correct. There are a lot of realities about college teaching that might surprise those unfamiliar with it. Many Ph.D.s go on to work in different fields. I enjoyed our meeting too!
I don't seem to have a problem sharing personal details. I think readers like to hear some stories so we are more relatable to them. :O)
Rosslyn, I am so struck by the grace with which you take on each new challenge. And also by how insightful you are... perhaps that is one answer, is that without your Ph.D, you would not have some of the insights that you do now. (Although, my guess is that you always did have these insights... if this could be taught, we would all want Ph.Ds!)
I love your thinking about complexity v. simplicity, and showing v. telling. I wish I has such crystal-clear thoughts!
I have no doubt that your answer will be concise and convey the careful thought you bring to every aspect of your life. Good luck with that.
About the questions you posed -- I actually prefer radio interviews, because they are more spontaneous. I can come across as too rehearsed when I "prepare" the answers through writing. I'm more self-conscious in front of a camera than in front of a microphone, though if I had your beauty and grace, I'm sure I'd feel fine on TV as well.
About the privacy question... I think it's a little different for novelists than it is for memoirists... we've already spilled our guts, what is a little more detail here and there?
I think the reason that you, the author, are relevant, is because in our society, we like to know the context, or what is often called a "backstory." I must say if I have listened to a talk by an author and I can relate to him/her, I am much more apt to buy the book. It will be a treat, should I ever get a chance to be in your audience. I hope I do!
I really look forward to reading your book...
Blessings,
Saloma
Diane - Good, that will make it easier for you when you are faced with interviews. :-)
Saloma, what an incredibly kind comment you've shared with me. I'm grateful for your spirit. Every time someone speaks such uplifting words, it reminds me what an encouraging effect we can have on others. That is a very, very good thing to remember in a world where words are often used in destructive ways. Thanks for blessing me today.
Really good point! Novels are all about complexity, publicity is all about simplicity and clarity. How do you boil all the complexity of you life down to a tagline? Or a paragraph bio? Or an interview question?
I prefer novel writing!
Regardless, I'm looking forward to you your answer though I'll probably like the long version better!
Very interesting post, Rosslyn. I bet answering that question will become easier and easier to you as you practice a few different ways to answer it. But how nice it is to have someone to suggest a tough question to think about before you actually are faced with it live.
It is funny about the question, 'Why did you become a novelist after getting a Ph.D. in English?" I've wondered the same thing. But then, if you studied English literature it make sense. Ond of the best story-telling preachers today is John Smith, a former college literature teacher.
I agree with Saloma that your discussion of "complexity v. simplicity" was helpful. Good post.
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