Unexpected Publicity! by DL Larson

I had a few wonderful things happen in the writers world this week.  And one rather bazarre occurance.  I am pursuing publishing with an indepent publishing house and they have been very informative about "what to do next."  Getting the word out that my book will be published this spring is imperative and so I have been wondering what to do.  It's been several years since my last book came out and I feel rather rusty in the whole promoting myself arena.  I'm trying to take the publisher's advice, promote myself rather than my book.  Not that I shouldn't promote my book, but rather the approach, "DL Larson has another book to be released soon ..."

So with all this floating and banging around in my head, I take a break and read my emails.  Our past president of Windy City RWA has just posted that she has two free openings on her TV show if anyone is interested.  July and August!

I typed a response back faster than it takes to tell this story.  YES!  I'd love to be on her show.  She thought that would be wonderful too.  So I've taken a major step in promoting myself and my upcoming book.  I'll be on air July 20 - more details will be available later, but feel free to check Dyanne Davis on Utube.  

The next bit of good fortune is purely Divine Intervention!  I received a call from a reporter from the Ottawa Times, a local newspaper in LaSalle County.  The reporter informed me she intended to write a story about a small town but someone (I have no idea who) mentioned I was an author in a small town and I could be reached at the library! She liked the idea of interviewing me and called me.  I told her I'd be happy for an interview since my book is coming out in April!  I have an appointment for next week with her and the article is scheduled to be in the paper in mid-March.  A photographer will be coming as well.  I'm nearly giddie over this interlude.  It's another big step in reaching out to the public.

The last thing that happened this week is odd.  I received an email from a e-book publishing house saying they had received my submission and it looked promising and if I hadn't sent the whole manuscript with the first query, I should do so as soon as possible.  They would then let me know in a few weeks if they were interested in publishing my book.

I have a log sheet I use for all queries and submissions.  2013 is pretty short, so it took no time at all to realize I did not send a query to this publisher.  I dug out 2012 and poured over it, checked my files in my computers, and still found no verification that I had sent a query to this publisher.  Finally, I rumaged through more paper and found 2011 queries.  There it was Feb. 5, 2011, a submission to them.  The space where I check a response was blank.  Obviously I had moved on to another house, thinking no news meant no interest.  I wrote back thanking them for the interest in my work but since I would be publishing the very book I submitted, they need not bother looking it over. 

So where was my submission all this time? In cyber-space or stuck in someone's email for two years?  I have no idea and will undoubtedly never find out.  But it was nice to know my book interested them enough for them to respond. 

This week did not end without some trials too.  My computer was hacked and I've had a crazy time getting things back to normal.  If by chance, I sent you something odd, please DO NOT open it.  Delete, delete, delete.

And so goes the life of a writer.  Worry, surprise and delight mingled with a good dose of frustration.  It's a reminder that anything is possible.  And of course, to never, never give up!

Til next time ~

DL Larson