How to Jump on the Media-Go-Round

 by Janie Reinart

Promoting yourself as an author isn't getting any easier due to the many local bookstores that are going out of business. It's time to be creative and find other venues for meeting the public. Connecting to people with the stories we write makes the world go round like my chain of events poem.


NEWS ARTICLE CHAIN OF EVENTS POEM: 
  
In the paper
On my blog
LIKED on WordPress
Opened door
Worked together
MEDIA
Book signing
In real world

IN THE PAPER

As a mom of a veteran and editor and contributor to the anthology, Love You More Than You Know Mothers' Stories About Sending Their Sons and Daughters to War, an article in the Chagrin Valley Times got my attention. 

Local musicians were helping soothe the loneliness of our deployed soldiers by giving them the gift of music. Warren Henry Music collects old guitars and refurbishes them free of charge thanks to co-owners Aimee Zeller and Warren Henry. The USO of Northern Ohio ships these guitars overseas to our regions deployed service members.

ON MY BLOG

This turned out to be a perfect post for my blog. Warren explained, “One of our instructors is a veteran and told us how helpful it was to have his guitar to play while deployed. Our troops and their families sacrifice so much. This is our way of thanking them for their service to our country.” The Help Fight the GI Blues Campaign was launched.

LIKED ON WORDPRESS

Shortly after my post about donating guitars, I received a comment from a band, Select Start in Tampa, Fla: “We have a day off in Bainbridge on May 15, during our month long District Lines sponsored Go Radio Headlining Tour. We plan on dropping by to donate a guitar to Warren and the USO.”
 
I posted back, “You guys rock!”

Select Start replied, “As does Love You More Than You Know  We ordered two copies this morning. One of the books is to be a gift to the mom of a family friend, whose son is being deployed with the USMC to Afghanistan soon. God bless all the troops and their families.”

OPENED DOOR
  
With the exciting news of a donation for the program, I walked downtown Chagrin Falls and paid a visit to Warren Henry Music. Aimee said, “You were so enthusiastic when you walked in that I thought I should know you.” It was the first time we met. 

I told Aimee about the band and the guitar donation. I explained that I was the mother of a veteran and showed her my book. 

Then I took the plunge asking if she and Warren would consider a book signing at the music store as we were all working together to help our deployed troops. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of my book is donated to charities benefiting wounded veterans.

WORKED TOGETHER

They liked the idea! Together we selected a date and time. We collaborated on writing articles to publicize the event, which also featured a live local band besides the book signing.

MEDIA

Continuing to learn, I use the media to promote book signings, posting information about events on: Facebook, Twitter, Chagrin-falls.org/calendar, my blog, and the local newspapers. Warren Henry Music posted on their website and emailed information to their customers. The local band also promoted the event on their site.

IN REAL WORLD

Round and round we go. Jump on the media-go-round so that you can grab the brass ring connecting with people and sharing the stories you write. Make those connections through the Internet and face to face. Hope to see you at future book signings. Come around and say hello.