Podcast Pitching, Prize Hunting and Reading “Getting Published”
Series: A day in the life of a writer
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Welcome to the second edition in the series, A Day in the Life of a Writer. Even though there’s a lot of advice for writers out there, there aren’t many writers that allow you to join them on their journey from the beginning. I want to share mine as-it-happens so to speak: the good, the bad and the ugly.
Podcast pitching
I told you last week that I enrolled in a course available from Bold Authors called, “How to Craft a Compelling Writer’s CV and Writer’s Statement” by Melissa Addey. I have now completed the course and created my own Writer’s CV (image to the right) and Artist’s Statement that I’ll use to pitch to various podcasts, apply for grants and enter writing competitions.
As some of you may know, I have recently published my first book, “Go to Sleep Late: and Other Advice for Night Owls”. I’m a reluctant marketer, but I understand its value and necessity. Also, I have promised my business mentor that I will pitch various podcasts (and enter competitions — see below) to market the book, so…
The only thing is all the podcasts that I have put on my “to pitch” list seem so intimidating. Why? well, they only seem to profile authors who have already reached a certain level of success, sold a gazillion books or backed by a traditional publisher.
I guess it’s understandable that they would do that. I mean, people would rather listen to authors that have already accomplish something, to learn and possibly replicate their success.
But the truth is that even experienced editors, at some of the most prestigious publishing houses, don’t have a magic formula for picking winners, and are unable to predict the success of a book, according to Juliet Rogers — an industry veteran. In her new book, “Getting Published” (that I’m currently reading), she says that bestselling titles “have always been few and far between, and a mixture of talent, timing and luck, lies behind the successes”.
