I’ve got to tell you I listened to NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” today and quite literally felt like weeping. The show covered the report released by the NEA which found that Americans are reading less.
Not only are they reading less, but the report titled, “To Read or Not to Read: A Question of National Consequence”, revealed that young people aged 15 to 24 only spend 7 minutes a day reading. (Does this count reading the back of a cereal box?)
While the study reveals that reading comprehension scores of youngsters aged 9 -11 have risen significantly, less than 30% of 13 year olds read daily. Depressed? You should be.
Another startling statistic – only 38% of adults spend time reading a book for pleasure.
When did everyone stop reading? We’re all so inundated with data, talking heads, and digital access that we’ve forgotten to exercise the part of the brain that actually comes alive when we’re just reading for pleasure.
All it takes is a little effort and creativity to get your children engaged in reading. When my children need a break from AR books and assigned reading in school, they know Mom’s got the comics coming from Archiecomics.com for their summer reading. My kids go through hundreds of old comics that I read as a child and it’s a tradition that we had as children. The important thing is to keep them reading.
Have a book night in your house. We do this and some callers to the Talk to the Nation show encouraged this as well. Simply turn off the TV, radio, computer, gameboys, Wii, anything electronic. Make some popcorn, light the fireplace (or if you’re in Texas, turn on the fake fireplace picture) and sit in your favorite chairs en masse as a family and read together.
Read to your children at night and don’t pick the books you want to read, let them pick the books.
Just GO READ!
This great comment was posted by Steve Kayser, but I felt it was too good not to post as a stand-alone blog post too! Insightfulness abounds!
Kayser also recommends Carol Dweck’s book “Mindsets”. “She has an interesting take on this – attributes it to a Fixed vs Growth mindset. Fixed mindsets have a “no-go too much effort mindset.
And then Steve went on to detail brilliantly below the differences in Fixed vs. Growth. Kayser, “I know someone like that — and will use his responses an an example.”
1. Yes, I’m happy to send several review copies out and allocate money in my marketing/pr budget to do so.
FIXED: NO, sorry. Too much work. My work speaks for itself. If you can’t see that… then you’re dumb because, of course, I’m smarter than you.
2. Yes, I’m happy to learn more about the Internet and authentically converse with other book enthusiasts via web forums, listserves, blogging (your own or commenting on other blogs), and online book clubs.
FIXED: NO. I’m not happy. That requires too much effort. You want me to participate … as in be a real human and converse? HOW PEVERSE!
3. Yes, I understand there is a long road ahead once the book is published and great authors are committed to running a marathon with their book, not just a sprint.
FIXED: Uh … Long road? Obviously you don’t understand the gravity, nor have the gravitas of a discerning reader. (Besides, Marathons are really long and hard … I ran one once.)
4. Yes, I know that often it’s more valuable for me to reach out to people personally and let them know about the book instead of hiring a giant PR firm to fax blast or e-blast a ton of folks and hope something sticks.
FIXED: Uh… No. Again. I’d have to get down into tactics, hands-on stuff. I have more important things to do – like polish the Ivory in my tower.
5. Yes, I can talk my Mom into at least two copies and my company or board or golfing pals to buy 500 more books.
FIXED: Could you show her my book? Or could you show my Mom my book – so I don’t have to … it’s undignified.
6. Yes, I’m willing to do interviews at the time that works best for the journalist or reporter interested in my work (even if it’s not the most convenient time for me.)
FIXED: No. I’m too important for that. MY time is the RIGHT time. Any other time is an inconvenient time
7. #6 – Read it again.
FIXED: No thanks. Too hard.
8. Yes, I believe in my book and after many months of labor I commit to the care and long-term sustaining of this new addition to my life.
FIXED: Who said I was going to labor for months. I was thinking more like days
9. Yes, I will commit to getting folks on my enewsletter, relatives in Alabama or people I ride the train with to review my book on Amazon (and yes, I’ll remember when asking to still convey that I want real reviews, not inauthentic ones.)
FIXED: I’ll take the inauthentic ones as long as they’re good. I’ll delete the bad ones and then have bloggers surreptitiously and Strumpette-dly attack the reviewer. (MY FAVORITE OF COURSE)
10. Yes, I will be a published author, but I still will be kind, and recognize that my book does not mean I can be a pompous ass to others who have not published books.
FIXED: NO – be kind? Then someone would think I was a schlepp and the world doesn’t revolve around me … and they’d be wrong!
If you’re thinking about trying to publish a book either through a regular channel (i.e. pitching to a publisher via an agent) or taking the self-publishing route, there’s one word you need to keep over your computer monitor, as a post-it note on your car’s dash and written in lipstick on your bathroom mirror – that word is “YES.”
Here are the things you need to be prepared to say “Yes” to if you want to see your book succeed long-term.
1. Yes, I’m happy to send several review copies out and allocate money in my marketing/pr budget to do so.
2. Yes, I’m happy to learn more about the Internet and authentically converse with other book enthusiasts via web forums, listserves, blogging (your own or commenting on other blogs), and online book clubs.
3. Yes, I understand there is a long road ahead once the book is published and great authors are committed to running a marathon with their book, not just a sprint.
4. Yes, I know that often it’s more valuable for me to reach out to people personally and let them know about the book instead of hiring a giant PR firm to fax blast or e-blast a ton of folks and hope something sticks.
5. Yes, I can talk my Mom into at least two copies and my company or board or golfing pals to buy 500 more books.
6. Yes, I’m willing to do interviews at the time that works best for the journalist or reporter interested in my work (even if it’s not the most convenient time for me.)
7. #6 – Read it again.
8. Yes, I believe in my book and after many months of labor I commit to the care and long-term sustaining of this new addition to my life.
9. Yes, I will commit to getting folks on my enewsletter, relatives in Alabama or people I ride the train with to review my book on Amazon (and yes, I’ll remember when asking to still convey that I want real reviews, not inauthentic ones.)
10. Yes, I will be a published author, but I still will be kind, and recognize that my book does not mean I can be a pompous ass to others who have not published books.
I spend a considerable amount of time convincing my authors to get connected to peers on LinkedIn and not be overwhelmed by what they presume is “new-fangled” technology that they can’t use.
Hogwash! LinkedIn is easy, free and it’s a powerful way to build your community of trusted, authentic and hardworking peers.
To quote Hillary “It takes a village,” and if you think of LinkedIn and your connections as your village, you’ll be amazed at how your networking, peer linking and opportunities will raise your village’s profile and at the same time provide a good deal of support for your endeavors and outreach.
Now go to LINKEDIN!
I will actually turn off my computer today and not work again till Sunday! (I hope.) But before I did that, I wanted to single out some folks who I am very thankful for being a part of my work and my life.
Steve Kayser – who constantly inspires me and is so very very kind and wonderful. I can only hope I know him when he pens an Oscar-award winning film!
Britton Manasco - who always gives me a way to look at things differently, and more creatively.
Lynn Kindler – who has been one of the longest friendships I have going back to the days when we both thought we could change the world working for Communities in Schools. She is an amazing coach and tech whisperer for all the folks who need nudging to do what they really want to do.
Jennifer Robenalt - who is hands down the best media trainer in the business and a dedicated Mom.
Andy Hartsock - my crazy husband who turned his back on a really large offer from Borland Software to become a P.E. teacher and has kids K-6th juggling, and doing Pilates and loving exercise.
PlanetPDF Folks - all the hilarious fellows over there who still let me write about all things PDF and paid for my family and me to go to Disney last year for the PDF conference where I got to meet Al Gore.
Mike Stelzner - who I worked with for a very long time and continue to admire and respect. Mike helped me take the leap to book publicity and I’m very thankful for his encouragement.
Sharon Goldinger – an amazing, witty, smart book sheperd who constantly teaches me new things about the book world.
Marsha Friedman – my Thelma to her Louise or her Thelma to my Louise, either way a truly valuable friend and co-patriot in the world of PR.
And my Mom, who I am grateful to for many reasons, and who inspired all four of her daughters to overachieve instead of worrying about which boy would take us to the prom. And who still teaches reading at Desoto High School and inspires countless kids to think bigger.
And to all my book clients that I treasure so much and get to work with on a daily basis to help get the word out about their wonderful books! And great thanks to all the readers willing to look at the books that I send to them for consideration.
I support the writers’ strike and if you take a look at this video, it’s a great example of how one side can utilize their inherent talent and research skills and come up with a compelling message.
I’m particularly blessed in that I get to help authors of all genres build buzz about their works and one client I’m crazy about is Lloyd Dangle and his cartoon this week is a must-print out and put on refrigerator one.
Lloyd last week was featured on the wacky, and widely followed Dr. Blogstein radio show on election night. This week Blogstein is featuring Shirley Maclaine!.
Oftentimes I will talk to folks about starting a blog, most espescially authors and the question of “to blog” or “not to blog” is the main focus. I think if you’re an author the conversation you can have with your readers via a blog is truly a virtual advantage over not having a blog. I also understand that blogs are time-consuming and oftentimes you can feel as though your blogging away and no one is reading. But trust me, they are.
I don’t advocate authors have blogs just for the first push of their marketing etc. around the release of a new book and then just drop those blogs because I’m a communicator by nature and I think authors are as well. In my opinion, authors can never communicate enough to their readers about their ideas and books etc.
To that end, I came across this excellent post by Becky Caroll on the 5 Reasons why she Blogs and I’m putting a link to it here. I want you to go and read it and everytime you see the word customer, think “reader”.
Actually when you see the word customer – think “dear reader”, because those readers are the same folks that will evangelize about your book to other potential readers and so on and so on and so on.
If they have a blog to direct a potential reader to, all the better.
Don’t blog because you can, don’t blog because you’re sure it will sell 100 more books, blog because you’re a writer and it’s another way for you to inspire, engage and empower your readers.
Imagine if Faulkner, Twain or Hemingway had blogs – wouldn’t have those been wonderful to read?
Blogging brings the world to you and brings you to the world.
I wanted to urge any of you that have books to take a look at the USA Book News Best Book Awards 2008contest. It’s hard to tell sometimes if contests are really valuable or a good use of your book budget, but I try very hard to only recommend ones that I know can further highlight your book and be a good award for you to garner.
This one is a great one on both accounts!
One of my favorite “inspired” writers is Lisa Gates, and I’m a bit behind on her tagging me with a Books You Love meme, so here goes.
What If Books Were the Last Bastion of Tree Killing?
The Protocol: Answer 5 questions. Tag 5 booklovers.
Here are the Questions:
How many books do you own? Over 2000 and growing – as many as I can because I love them.
What was the last book you read? On God: An Uncommon Conversation by Norman Mailer, which I sadly finished the same day he died.
What was the last book you purchased? “Buddhism without Beliefs” by Stephen Batchelor and “Bridge of Sighs” by Richard Russo. (stunning book)
What five books are most meaningful to you? “The Razor’s Edge”, “One Hundred Years of Solitude”, “The War on Art”, “If You Want to Write”, “The Art of Happiness”.
What is your most obscure favorite book? Or, favorite most obscure book… Body and Soul by Frank Conroy, “Boy’s Life” by Robert McCammon
Tagging My Writer and Book Lover Friends: Lois Kelly, Marcia Hoeck, Toby Bloomberg, Lynn Kindler and Britton Manasco,
Lois Kelly has a great set of tips around “Interviewing” for the IAOC blog here. Read them and learn!
I had the best time at the Texas Book Festival this weekend and was lucky enough to get to moderate a panel and introduce another panel. What a thrill! The festival was amazing, the writers were fantastic and engaging and so willing to extend their knowledge and inspiration to all the festival attendees.
If I had to recommend one festival to attend whether you be an author, writer, or someone who wants to write a book this is the one! And I’m not just saying that because I’m from Texas.
This festival ROCKS and every year they raise the level of eclectic, humorous, insightful and immensely bright writers you can come and see. Some of my favorites were folks like Roy Blount Jr., A.J. Jacobs, Beverly Lowry, George Saundersa>, Marion Winik, Rick Riordan, Harry Hunsicker, Norris Church Mailer, Dagoberto Gilb and those funny Onion guys.
And remember, writers come in all shapes and sizes and the one thing each of them has in common with the other is they all started with a blank page or blank screen. It didn’t stop them from creating their amazing pieces of prose, nor should it stop you. Start writing!
Recent Comments