Ghandi said, "I prefer violence to doing nothing." Or something like that. I take this to mean, action, any action, is preferable to avoidance. Now, how I connect this to promoting books seems like a nonsequitur, but bear with me....
Jay Ford Thurston, author of Following in the Footsteps of Ernest Hemingway and Out of the Rainbow, together with Savage Press recently gave away 300 books to middle school librarians statewide. We think this is news, good news. But, as we've pitched the idea to newspapers around the state we're getting feedback from editors that it is "promotional" and therefore not newsworthy.
Well, I've been thinking about this a bit and I can only agree with the editors. I have to because what is considered newsworthy in our culture is basically any kind of violence. It could be said that only bad news is good news. Murders, accidents (collisons nowadays), fires, disasters, sexual misconduct...that's what news is these days. Take a look at most any TV show any evening of the week and it is all about violence against women, violence against cultural minorities, violence against the environment. In our culture, violence is entertainment.
So, it is no surprise that a bit of good news perpertrated by a generous author and publisher can't compete for ink on the newsprint. This makes me sad.
3 comments:
No good deed goes unpunished. Or is it unnoticed?
Chris knows the drill. He's an excellent writer and keeps plugging along at getting his good mysteries noticed. I recommend the Maria Hart book(s) highly.
Beth said...
That is sick sick sick.
But also unfortunately true true true.
You should have had a "civilian" point it out. Maybe then it could have gotten 200 words in the Community section of some paper.
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