Qualifications versus Imagination

"I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity." – Oprah Winfrey

I am happy to be a published author. Yet I don’t feel the act of being published qualifies me as an expert on writing or in any other field. I feel like it simply makes me one of the lucky ones.

The reason I bring this up is that I recently ran across an old email request for a radio interview. I like doing radio interviews from my home, but this one I turned down. I don’t know if it was a good decision or bad; at this point it no longer matters. What’s done is done. But, I can’t help thinking about it all over again.

Here’s the deal. I was offered the opportunity to be part of a three person radio panel. I assumed (assuming always gets me into trouble) it was to discuss something to do with The Ride, writing or with books in general. I don’t feel like you have to be an expert to contribute your personal thoughts and views so I was okay with participating. In fact, I was flattered to have been asked.

A few days before the interview I received more information. The topic was not to be about my book or any aspect of writing. The topic was addiction, depression and recovery. The host was a clinical psychologist. The other panelist had opened a mental health facility and had written a nonfiction book about recovery.

The questions to be discussed included: If you were to set public policy on improving care what recommendations would you present? How would you convince the government to spend money on treatment programs when we are going through one of the most difficult economic times?

Alarm bells sounded. I was supposed to be the third panelist? Me, a writer of fiction? My qualifications: I created a character and labeled her as depressed with low self-esteem.

What could I contribute to this discussion? My character didn’t turn to a professional health care worker for assistance. Instead, she dealt with her problems with the help of chocolate, wine and a vivid imagination. These ineffective techniques, I felt sure, were not what the radio host wanted to hear.

I have never figured out why I was asked. Perhaps they had me confused with some other Jane Kennedy Sutton. Or, maybe when the radio host read my book (if he actually did), he missed the fact it was a novel. Possibly he assumed it was based on my life so I could add the experience of one who’s been there, done that.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Well, except… I do like wine and chocolate. Oh…and I do have a vivid imagination. Wait—this isn’t sounding good, is it?

Though I have an occasional down day and I’m currently suffering from “unseasonal” affective disorder as something evil has sabotaged the normally 75 degree sunny days we have this time of year (yes, I realize the rest of the country is worse off, but it doesn’t keep me from whining), ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the time I am far from depressed.

Out of curiosity, I tried to find the show and listen to see how it turned out, but I guess the station had cleaned out their archives. If I had received the offer this year, instead of last when I was such a newbie in the world of the published, maybe I would have gone through with it just to see if imagination can hold its own against qualifications.

Have you ever turned down an interview/panel? Why? Have you ever participated in a discussion you knew nothing about?

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: Oprah, The Ride, depression, self-esteem,

New Year Resolutions – Revisited

“A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one Year and out the other.” –Anonymous

Here’s another recycled and slightly modified post from last year.

I don’t make New Year resolutions because, well…I hate piling guilt on myself. I’ve had many years to get to know me and I’ve learn that no matter how good my intentions are, I will eventually (say in 5 or 10 minutes) break whatever resolution I make. Since I don’t have any of my own to share, I thought I’d pass along some of the funnier ones I found online at NewYearFestival and BellaOnline.


Just for today, I will not sit in my living room all day in my nightdress. Instead, I will move my computer into the bedroom.

I will no longer waste my time relieving the past, instead I will spend it worrying about the future.

I resolve to work with neglected children—my own.

So many men, so little time. Make more time.

I will remember that life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.

I will remember the Universe is infinite...so when I lose my keys...NOT a surprise!!

I will try to drive past a gym at least once a week.

I will buy lottery tickets at a luckier store.

I will think of a password other than “password.”

Do you make resolutions? Do you usually keep the ones you’ve made? Have you heard other funny ones you’d like to share?

In the words of Oprah Winfrey, “Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right.”
Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: New Year resolutions, Oprah,

National Authors’ Day

"The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate." - Oprah Winfrey

Sometimes I feel like I must live under a rock. I had no clue that November 1 was National Authors’ Day! What? You didn’t know either?

I didn’t dream up this holiday. I ran across it while thumbing through my 2008 edition of Chase’s Calendar of Events. National Authors’ Day was adopted by the General Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1929. In 1949 the US Department of Commerce awarded the observance a place on its list of special days, making it official.

The resolution states:
“by celebrating an Authors’ Day as a nation, we would not only show patriotism, loyalty, and appreciation of the men and women who have made American literature possible, but would also encourage and inspire others to give of themselves in making a better America…”

Yet, not once have I received a Happy Authors’ Day or a Thank You, Author card. What’s going on with this? I was under the impression that Hallmark had cards for all occasions. How has this very auspicious day been allowed to slip under the radar?

My web search turned up little. I clicked on the site for my local library; the events page was blank. I checked the calendar of events for Fort Myers and one for the News Press, and still no mention of National Authors’ Day.

I bet the original founders of this very special day would be quite upset to know November 1 slips by unnoticed by most everyone—including authors.

It’s not too late to hold a belated celebration this year. Folks could take an author to lunch or dinner. That’s always a nice gesture. However, I think the best way to show support of National Authors’ Day is for everyone to buy a book (or two, or three), particularly books written by lesser known authors. Hmmm…let me think…The Ride sounds like an ideal selection!

Now that I’ve crawled out from under that rock, I’m off to Las Vegas. Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: Oprah, National Authors Day, Chase’s Calendar of Events, Hallmark, Las Vegas, The Ride, News Press,

Book Clubs

“And we talk about the chosen book for a few obligatory minutes before we move on to the part of the club I think most of us really look forward to, which is not talking about the book.” – Adam Sternbergh

I’m all in favor of book clubs, especially if they’re discussing my book. If asked, I’d even be happy to be a guest at such meetings. However, I have never belonged to a book club. I tell myself and those who have asked me to join one that it’s a time issue.

After reading, “Between the Sheets, Why you should resist the lure of book clubs,” by Adam Sternbergh at WalrusMagazine.com, I’m thinking the time factor may not be my only reason for not participating in one of these groups; an intimacy issue may enter into the equation as well.

Mr. Sternbergh starts off by saying:
"Reading is arguably the second-most intimate human activity, and, as with the first-most intimate human activity, there are people who will try to convince you that it’s better done in groups. These groups are called book clubs. I am in one. Maybe you are, too. If so, here’s why we’ve both made a terrible mistake."

He writes about the good side of clubs:
"In theory, there’s much to recommend book clubs. They encourage reading. They enrich authors who, as you may have heard, are not particularly in the business of being enriched these days. They spur socializing, usually face to face, another valuable and endangered activity. Public book clubs — most notably Oprah’s, or CBC’s Canada Reads — have become an essential economic engine for the publishing industry. And the book club remains appealing to anyone who, like me, romanticizes long arguments over sonnets in smoky coffee houses, or who occasionally longs for the womb of the lecture hall — where, as eager students, we were convinced that each new unread novel held the power to shape our lives."

Then he goes on to say:
"…But to suggest that the experience of reading The House of Mirth (a recent well-received selection by my own book club) is intrinsically enhanced by subsequently talking about reading The House of Mirth is to imply that reading The House of Mirth is an experience that can be, and needs to be, enhanced. And I think most anyone who’s ever read a book and loved it understands that’s simply not true. If you read Moby Dick while sailing the world alone, you would not enjoy it less. In fact, I think you’d enjoy it more."

He ends on this note, after comparing reading to a sexual type experience.
"And, as we all learn eventually, certain experiences are better when you don’t go blabbing about them afterward. Was it good for you? Then that should be more than enough."

I couldn’t agree with him more.

This is a funny, well-written article and I’d recommend reading the entire piece if you have the time.

Do you belong to book clubs? Do book discussions add to your enjoyment of reading?

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: Adam Sternbergh, Book Clubs, Walrus Magazine, House of Mirth, Moby Dick, Oprah, Canada Reads,

Daydreams

“He does not need opium. He has the gift of reverie.” –Anais Nin

Occasionally my daydreams include receiving that magic phone call from Oprah to appear on her show. I know it’s hokey but it’s not always possible to control the direction of the mind. Think what a copy of The Ride for every member of her audience would do to my book sales. The national attention the book would receive wouldn’t hurt either.

Math is not my strong point so I’m not going to give actual odds here. I’m simply assuming that with the thousands of books available, my chance of appearing as a guest on Oprah is only slightly higher than winning the lottery. Perhaps that is what daydreaming is all about—reaching for the nearly impossible.

I think it’s wonderful that Oprah has brought a great deal of attention to books and authors (even if I’m not one of them). With the book industry struggling like it is, I say we could use a lot more Oprahs in the world. Especially now when so many people want to emulate celebrities—whether they have any redeeming qualities or not. A pretty face, a hunky body, or simply a famous name, is all it takes to have millions want to follow their every move.

Wouldn’t it be refreshing to hear that instead of so and so being readmitted to rehab for the umpteenth time, they’re headed to their local bookstore or library instead? In a more perfect world, celebrity magazines would be filled with shots of superstars browsing in their favorite bookstore. Photographers would hound idols in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the book they were reading. And, if a lot of those photos contained the cover of The Ride…

Oops, there I go—daydreaming again.

What is your perfect world like when you daydream?

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: The Ride, Anais Nin, Oprah, daydreams, Tags: lottery,

An Author Can Always Dream

“Everything starts as somebody's daydream.” -Larry Niven

Finding The Ride on the New York Times Best Seller list; hearing from Oprah’s producers that my book is going to be her book of the month; walking into my local Barnes and Noble and finding the book prominently displayed on the front table; and, winning the lottery are four of my favorite things to daydream about. Can you guess which is the least likeliest to happen?

Less than one percent of manuscripts submitted are published, so I know I am a very lucky person. Still I imagined the most difficult daydream to pull off would be winning the lottery.

At least that was my guess prior to reading Can You Buy Your Way onto the Front Table at Barnes & Noble? on on Big Bad Book Blog. Click on the title to read the entire article. Although it was sad to learn there is no way for me to occupy this coveted position, I found the write- up most interesting.

According to the article, premier shelf placement, or even what books to carry and promote aren't decided by the store manager or employees, but by category buyers. These decisions usually occur five to six months in advance of publication. This means you must have a rep that solicits a ‘buy and a placement’ promotion. But first, you must have a publisher that actually has the money to afford this sort of promotion. Another stipulation is you must be an author who already has name recognition, a platform and a marketing plan.

The hurdles unknown authors from a small publishing houses such as ArcheBooks have to stumble across to have any chance of success are already too numerous to count. So it is rather disheartening to learn that although you have an excellent product, corporate bookstore offices are not interested. I wonder how many wonderful books have fallen into black holes simply because the author and/or publisher do not have the money to compete with ‘the big boys.’

Of course, there are always exceptions and success stories like J.K. Rowling or Dan Brown to keep this author’s daydreams alive.

On the other end of the spectrum, I stumbled across One For the Books http://www.capecoralbooks.com/ bookstore in Cape Coral, Florida. It’s what a bookstore used to be; shelves from floor to ceiling crammed with new and used books. It is obvious, the owners Don and Monica, love what they do. They also kindly agreed to place a couple of autographed copies of my book on their shelves. If any of you are looking for a signed copy, I hope you will check them out. We need to support our independent booksellers before they all disappear.

What are your favorite daydreams?

Thanks for stopping by. See you next week.


Jane Kennedy Sutton
Author of The Ride
http://janesutton.com/
http://janekennedysutton.blogspot.com/



Tags: The Ride, Archebooks, Larry Niven, New York Times Best Seller List , Oprah, Barnes and Noble, lottery, Big Bad Book Blog, Rowling, Dan Brown, One For the Books, Cape Coral

New Year Resolutions

A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one Year and out the other –Anonymous

Since it’s that time of year to make resolutions I thought I’d share some of the funnier ones I found at http://www.newyearfestival.com/funny-new-year resolutions.html

Just for today, I will not sit in my living room all day in my nightdress. Instead, I will move my computer into the bedroom.

I will no longer waste my time relieving the past, instead I will spend it worrying about the future.

I resolve to work with neglected children -- my own.

From http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=361872

So many men, so little time. Make more time.

I will remember that life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.

I will remember the Universe is infinite...so when I lose my keys...NOT a surprise!!

I will try to drive past a gym at least once a week.

I will buy lottery tickets at a luckier store.

If your resolution is to quit procrastinating and act now, I want to remind you that there is still time to enter the “when will The Ride be released” contest. Simply be the first to guess the date nearest to the actual release date and win a personalized signed copy of The Ride. See http://janekennedysutton.blogspot.com/2007/12/exciting-new-contest.html for more details.

Do you make resolutions? Do you usually keep the ones you’ve made? Or, do you have some other funny ones you’d like to share? I’d love to hear your comments.

In the words of Oprah Winfrey, “Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right.”

Thanks for stopping by. See you next week.

Jane Kennedy Sutton
Author of The Ride (to be released by ArcheBooks Publishing)
janekennedysutton@gmail.com
http://janekennedysutton.googlepages.com/
http://www.authorsden.com/janesutton


Tags: The Ride, Archebooks, contest, New Year resolutions, resolutions, Oprah

Judging a Book by its Cover or Genre

Good news. Finally, the ArcheBooks Publishing, http://www.archebooks.com/, production list is showing activity again. I am now next on the list. That means The Ride could go into production as early as today. Of course, it may still be weeks or months, but I’m thinking positive.

One step in the production process is the design of the book jacket. I can’t help but wonder how it will look. Will I like it? Will it appeal to other readers?

Not too long ago, my daughter walked into the room and said in an incredulous tone, “You’re reading a book with a unicorn on the cover.”

Not only was I reading the book, M.B. Weston’s, A Prophecy Forgotten, http://www.elysianchronicles.com/MBWeston.htm, I was thoroughly enjoying it. However, normally (had I not known the author) I would not buy a Fantasy book, much less one with a unicorn on the cover. Consequently, I would have missed a really good read.

I realized that I was guilty (as was my daughter) of not only judging a book by its cover but by the genre, as well.

On the ArcheBooks production list, The Ride, is listed as Contemporary Women’s Fiction. It can also be categorized as general or contemporary fiction.

Worried that people might confuse Contemporary Women’s fiction with Chick Lit, or Romance or even with Feminist Literature, I did a little research to try to figure out the most marketable category. I was surprised by what I found.

I read, Women’s Fiction or Romance, A tale of Two Genres, by Lisa Craig, http://www.hodrw.com/womensficorromance.htm. She said, “Trying to wrap a definition around women’s fiction is a little like trying to put a fence around a band of wild mustangs.” The article went on to say, “After examining industry statistics from the American Bookseller Association and Book Industry Study group, one can easily conclude that Women’s Fiction comprises at least forty percent of adult popular fiction sold in the United States and approximately sixty percent of the adult popular fiction paperbacks.”

According to Dummies.com, http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-1843.html, virtually all the selections of Oprah’s Book Club are in the Women’s Fiction category.

Forty to sixty percent of the market with the possibility that Oprah may one day talk about my book makes Women’s Contemporary Fiction sound like the perfect category.

I am curious, however, about how you view the subject of book covers and genres.

1. Have you ever not bought a book because you didn’t like the cover?

2. Would you be more likely pick up a book marketed as Women’s Fiction, Women’s Contemporary Fiction, or simply Contemporary Fiction or General/Mainstream Fiction, or none of the above?

Let me know by leaving your comments on my blog or in my guestbook, or by e-mailing me at janekennedysutton@gmail.com.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

See you next week.

Jane Kennedy Sutton
Author of The Ride (to be released by ArcheBooks Publishing)
janekennedysutton@gmail.com
http://janekennedysutton.googlepages.com/


Tags: The Ride, Archebooks, Lisa Craig, Dummies.com, Oprah’s book club , M.B. Weston , A Prophecy Forgotten , Women’s fiction