Media Tart

Writers just write books, don’t they? Nope – not these days. Writing them is just the beginning. Then we have to blog, facebook, tweet, go on the radio, get interviewed by journalists and write features about them too. And if you have more than one book out at a time you have to do all this ten times more. So much for being a shy and retiring writer. You need at least a dozen other faces too. The week before last I was interviewed by Hot Radio about How to Eat Loads and Stay Slim. The interview is now on our page. I only just had the chance to listen to it. I was quite impressed. I am renowned for making a mess of radio interviews, especially live ones. On one memorable occasion when being interviewed about my How to Write and Sell Short Stories, I told the interviewer that it was selling much better than my novels and when she asked why, I replied – wait for it – perhaps my novels were rubbish. Not a good move 🙁  How to Write and Sell Short Stories is No 1 in one of its categories, I just noticed. Hey, maybe I’m getting better at publicity!

Another time on live radio I got so carried away talking about writing that I entirely forgot to mention the name of the book I was promoting – Short Story to Novel – How to Move On.

Hmmm, isn’t the rule of being interviewed that you slip in the title as often as you possibly can. Not leave it out altogether!

However, I must be getting better. The interview on Hot Radio is good. I sound like I know what I’m doing. Maybe it’s true that practice makes perfect! I actually sound quite entertaining 🙂 If you’d like to listen to it please click here.

Last week, I was also interviewed by the Daily Echo about Ice and a Slice and how I started writing – their photographer is coming on Monday to take pictures. Deciding what to wear is going to take up quite a bit of my weekend 🙂 I’ll post a link when that one is out.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a feature for 4Dorset about How to Eat Loads and Stay Slim, which includes a recipe for summer desserts.  The link to that one is here.

Mind you, it’s a lot easier to get it right when you actually have time to sit and write the darn thing and you’re not just having questions fired at you, live on radio!

Anyway, the point of all this rambling was to mention the fact that you don’t just need to be a writer these days. You need to be a radio star, blogger, facebooker, tweeter, and be up for having your photo taking on  a Monday Morning.  Hmm – not quite what I signed up for!