This weekend I had two interviews on nationally networked radio shows. They were with Kathryn Raaker on WQRT-AM and Jordan Rich on WBZ-AM. I also recorded a TV interview with the show Literati Scene based in Boston.

As always I enjoyed these experiences once I was in them. It was a little nerve racking, however, as I waited for calls from each of the radio shows’ hosts. Both were gracious and interested in my novel which made things a lot easier. My dilemma, on these occasions is how do I condense the plot of a complex book into a segment that can last anywhere from 6 to 30 minutes. I’ve tried all kinds of word combinations on myself, family and friends and have finally concluded that you really can’t fit 280 pages worth of book neatly into one sound bite. I finally got that just prior to my TV interview. All one can hope to do is voice a compelling teaser. With that realization I had an angst free interview with Dick Concannon of Literati Scene.

I’m very grateful to my publicist for getting the Literati Scene TV show since some very famous and notable people have been on this show. They’ve had architects, artists, ambassadors and of course authors including the likes of Dan Brown, Serge Krushchev, Dennis Lehane, Bill O’Reilly and Pierre Salinger.

Between prepping for and worrying over the riches that was this media exposure I forgot, at least for a while, the purpose of it. The Kennedy Effect’s ranking on Amazon has been dropping for a little over a week. For the uninitiated Amazon’s rankings have little correlation with sales but they do indicate activity. So imagine my dismay when all this media exposure failed to arrest the rankings drop. I was afraid to look at sales but was pleasantly surprised when I noted that sales in 2 days more than doubled what they’d been in the previous 3 months. Is TKE a bestseller? Far from it at this stage but with some more work I hope to achieve what I’m calling ‘critical mass.’ Or when ‘word of mouth’ takes over and sales grow exponentially. I know marketing is more of an art than a science but I say bring on more angst inducing media exposure.

Persia Walker, my book producer, a marvelous writer in her own right once told me I was lucky to have a day job, recruiting. I think she thought I was lucky since I didn’t have to rely on writing for my sole income. I didn’t  and don’t feel lucky. My efforts are divided between two functions that demand a lot of my attention. And in these challenging times no recruiter can afford to coast. Plus publicity can incur some costs that you or your publisher didn’t anticipate. So do I feel pressure? You bet.

One saving grace, however, is that I enjoy the process of writing and the process of getting the word out on my novel(s). This coming weekend I’ll be especially busy with two radio interviews and one TV interview. See http://michaeljfoy.com/foy-news for details. Looking forward to these kinds of events I envision, or at least fantasize, a future where my writing won’t take my constant attention to gain an audience. But right now I know that I should enjoy the struggle. Looking back on any of life’s successes one should remember that the most fun comes in striving for a desired goal over ultimately achieving it.

This is an entry in my continuing journal about marketing my novel. Hopefully, others will draw some insight if not inspiration from my adventures… or misadventures. Earlier today I recorded my first radio interview of 2010 with WNTN-AM radio. It will air on Saturday, the 9th at 12:00 noon.

Its always interesting to explain The Kennedy Effect to non Sci-Fi types. The concept of parallel realities is admittedly abstract. I actually enjoy explaining the concept but in an earlier TV interview I also had to explain what the internet was. Suffice it to say that that interviewer was from an older generation. Given my experiences with two books now I think its fair to say to any would be authors  on tour to expect anything. Interviewers will invariably view your books through the prism of their own knowledge or experiences. This can sometimes portray a more limited account of your story than you’d prefer. I’ve learned to try to steer questioners to the vision I intended for my plots.

In this case, however, I had a better experience and had a pleasant conversation with Sybil Tonkonogy. She was fascinated by my treatment of the Kennedy  assassination and what occurs thereafter. And she made me provide a clue as to how the book ends whereupon I think she was genuinely eager to read the story.

Curiously, Sybil, being unfamiliar with some typical Sci-Fi plot lines or conventions, alluded to an interesting question. What are people from parallel realities? She asked if I believe in parallel realities whereupon I responded, no. But then I started to sense that she was really asking if I believed in extra terrestrial intelligent beings. Or, as I think of it, aliens in our own universe. That answer would be yes but how would you classify humans from our neighboring realities? I wonder if that distinction will come up again in other interviews?

Any of you writers out there wonder how to best market your book? Take it from this author that its an art, not a science. With two published books I’m still learning.

My publicity campaign kicks into high gear in January. See http://michaeljfoy.com/foy-news. I hope to make the best use of it to continue to build momentum for The Kennedy Effect.

As you can guess with a title like that there has to be some politics even in this Sci-Fi tale of JFK and alternate realities. I just had a spirited email exchange with an old acquaintance who is apparently a  republican. Check out my response to the latest of his many broadcasted anti-democrat screes.

Those of the middle class that vote Republican are complicit in their own misery index from what I can see. Great idea to limit government and thus taxes but only the elite who contribute to the GOP really benefit. The rest get their jobs offshored and experience downward pressure on their salaries. I do admire the party’s ability to get people to vote against their own interests though.

That got a response. Anyone want to discuss religion?