tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11209022.post-1125510449836622952005-08-31T13:48:00.000-07:002005-08-31T10:50:50.756-07:00I feel a little bit like Rip Van Winkle today, as I re-enter the blogosphere, a tad wobbly on unsure footing. And yet,<br /><br />WE'RE BA-ACK!!<br /><br />It's been an interesting summer - during a traditionally slow period in book publishing, we've managed to score lots of publicity for our newest books, including <b>WHAT GOES UP: Surviving the Manic Episode of a Loved One</b>, a memoir by Judy Eron (June 2005), <b>SHARKS IN THE DESERT: The Founding Fathers and Current Kings of Las Vegas</b> by Vegas <i>Review-Journal</i> columnist John L. Smith, and our forthcoming <b>YOUR PLUS-SIZE PREGNANCY: The Ultimate Guide for the Full-Figured Expectant Mom</b> (September 2005) by Brette McWhorter Sember with Dr. Bruce Rodgers.<br /><br />Also, this entry from indie publicist Susan Schwartzman, on her new blog, <a href="http://www.susanschwartzman.blogspot.com">Book Publicity News</a>, prompted the first ever blog post from our Publisher, Carole Stuart [in the interest of full disclosure, Susan was hired by one of our authors to help publicize her book several years ago]. Susan's post (August 29) is below, Carole's reply follows:<br /><br />Susan:<br /><br /><i>The hurricane preempted all the news media today, and monopolized producers' time all over the country, but fortunately, I did get responses to my pitches from some producers, so the day wasn't a complete exercise in futility. I was grateful I didn't have any authors scheduled for a morning show today who would end up sitting in the green room as the hurricane coverage preempted their interviews. That happened to an author of mine many years ago when a blizzard was deemed more important than his book, and the morning show never did reschedule his interview.</i><br /><br />Carole:<br /><br /><i>I read publicist Susan Schwartzman's comment about the blizzard that bumped<br />her author from a show once. Was that whining I heard or merely self-centeredness?<br /><br />Years ago, I was in St. Louis, waiting to be interviewed for a book I'd<br />written. While I was waiting in the green room, the local news was broadcasting<br />and announced that the Pope had just been shot. It didn't take an<br />Einstein to figure out I wasn't going to be on that show that day. And they<br />didn't rebook me. <br /><br />Years passed, and Barricade Books, our company, was publishing a book about<br />Justice Clarence Thomas. Publicity was all set and then September 11th<br />wiped everything off the media. We weren't alone, many books flopped<br />because of lost media opportunities.<br /><br />I'm an author and a publisher but I'm a human being too. And sometimes you<br />have to see the bigger picture: To paraphrase what Humphrey Bogart said to<br />Ingrid Bergman in</i> Casablanca<i>, "In this crazy world, the problems of two<br />little people don't count much."<br /><br />It's not always about</i> you<i>, Susan. There are bigger things in the world.</i><br /><br />I've got no beef with Susan, and I am a publicist myself, but I do agree with Carole that a little perspective is in order.<br /><br />- Jen Itskevich<br />Publicity DirectorBarricade Books Inc.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13390359344172929634noreply@blogger.com