I've recently forced myself to step outside my comfort zone for self improvement and more importantly, self promotion. I've had the opportunity to do a live radio show recently, where the topic was the subject matter in my book, FLAT OUT. I was convinced nobody was listening until we had a caller phone in that knew me and wanted to contribute to the interview. He added a new dimension to the interview, and I was able to interact with him, as well as the talk show host who graciously invited me in to share my story.
That was probably the easier of the two times I stepped outside my little box. Recently, I had the opportunity to work on a television pilot for a 10 episode series that may or may not ever see the light of day. Talking to a bug-eyed camera lens with potentially millions of viewers lurking on the other side was unnerving. We did retakes, redoes, and get outs. I'd never felt so nervous about anything before. I was told to "just be yourself", or "act natural". How can you be yourself if you've never been in front of a camera before?
Thankfully the people I worked with were real pros, unlike myself. They had plenty of patience and kept cheering me on. We were all in on this together. Now that it's behind me, I'm glad I did it. I still don't know if the show will see the light of day, but I gave it a shot, and there were those in the industry who thought it was a good idea and provided the outlet to give it a try. The TV series isn't based on my book, but it is on the subject matter covered in my book. I'm hoping people who tune in to watch it will make the connection.
I already have the usual myspace page, web page www.rocky-robinson.com , and a couple of blogs. That's not enough if getting brand recognition is goal. As a writer, brand recognition is your name and your work. They don't necesarily have to be presented together for people to connect the dots. Time will tell, but in the meantime, I'm looking for the next place to leap. Besides, boxes are for squares...
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Since this posting I was invited to be a guest speaker at a luncheon for the local Lions Club, did another internet radio interview, and now have a presence on a forum that discusses land speed related issues. (my book topic)
Forums on your related topic are a great way to get close to your readers and hopefully create new ones. Give it a try and have some fun...
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