Guest Post: Author chair or publicist chair? by PJ Nunn

Please welcome PJ Nunn today who shares her thoughts on wearing more than one hat. Or sitting in more than one chair as the case may be…..

Author chair or publicist chair? By PJ Nunn

I don’t know where I met Kevin Tipple, but he’s a memorable character, for sure. I know we finally connected face to face at a Hard Boiled Heroes and Cozy Cats conference in north Dallas some years back. He’s been a good friend ever since.

I never really thought I’d be guest blogging on his site, but I’m honored. Thank you, Kevin, for inviting me. I’m completely astounded at seeing the other end of a blog tour from where I’m usually seated, firmly in my publicist chair. This author chair perspective has me thinking I need a new chair! 

No, I don’t mean I want to give up being the author and no, I’m not giving up being the publicist either. I guess I just haven’t been seated in the author chair long enough to find it comfortable. Writing is one thing, this whole marketing thing is another.

I’m writing this at the end of a very long Friday. I was at my desk long before the day “officially” started. I lost track of how many calls I made. I never count emails – that would be frightening. I do know I greeted the day with a radio host telling me the guest I’d scheduled for his program today never called in. What actually happened was that she did, indeed call in. Several times. But his is such a popular show that lots of folks call in and catching him can be tricky. Some of you have already guessed who I’m talking about. 

I’ve gotten the hang of it, but I still have to talk faster to him than anyone I know. After fixing that little problem he scheduled three more of the authors I represent so it was worth the effort. He has a great show! I went on to schedule a total of 14 events today, only one of them for myself, and that one’s not until December. No need to panic.

I managed to get several confirmation packages and review copies in the mail before my printer announced that I’m out of black ink (what happened to warnings??). No biggie. I ordered one a month ago. Ut oh. Wrong size. Ok great, change of plans. No more mailing today. Order right black cartridge. Pay exorbitant overnight shipping costs. Move on.

In the author chair, I am currently experiencing the release of two novels. It wasn’t planned that way, but that’s how it turned out. Private Spies came out early in June and is the start of one series; Angel Killer came out the end of June and is the first in another series. Two very different types of series. I love them both, and wrote them many moons ago. I’m finding it challenging to try and keep my own schedule even half as full as those of my clients. I probably should hire a publicist.

I opened my own schedule and had another moment of near panic, seeing that July 8, which seems so very far away, is now only as far as Monday. I’m scheduled for a guest blog post with Julia Spencer – Fleming. No pressure there. Thankfully I already wrote it and sent it to her. Frankly I can’t imagine that with the list of blog stops I have looming before me there will be anyone remaining in the writing hemisphere who could care less about what I might be thinking or saying by the time I make these rounds. I hope I’ll surprise us both and find something profound or slightly entertaining to say.

As soon as I think of it, I’ll write it down. Please I beg of you, leave a comment but don’t say anything mean about Harriet. Nuff said. So what’s going on with ya’ll?

PJ Nunn

In 1998, PJ Nunn founded BreakThrough Promotions, now a national public relations firm helping authors, mostly of mystery novels, publicize themselves and their work. The business is thriving and PJ is excited about the release of her first novel, Angel Killer. PJ lives with her husband and some of their five children near Dallas, TX. Learn more at http://pjnunn.com. 

Links:

Facebook/PJ - https://www.facebook.com/authorpjnunn

Facebook/BreakThrough - https://www.facebook.com/breakthroughpromo

Twitter - @PJNunn

GoodReads - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18046519-private-spies