30 Rock Exit & Celebrity Confessions Kill TV

GOOD-BYE TO TV ENIGMA 30 ROCK

The last day is January was also the final day for the seven-year run of the critically-acclaimed but barely-watched genius comedy known as 30 Rock.

The NBC spoof on Saturday Night Live and network television has never ranked higher than no. 69 most-watched TV shows, but it won an Emmy for “best comedy” for three years in a row.

Are critics elitist bozos or are viewers of TV’s wasteland so desensitized to quality, scripted shows that they lack the ability to appreciate a brainy series?

In any case, the time to say good-bye to Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, and Tracy Morgan is upon us. Will some good pop show pop up to replace it or will room be made for one more unreal reality show?

CONFESSION TV NEEDS FORGIVENESS

Lance Armstrong got to confess his steroid deeds to Oprah. Manti Te’o admitted to lying while holding to his story of victimhood to Katie Couric. Now the alleged wrong-doer in the Manti hoax, with a name too long to type out, blabs to Dr. Phil on his misdeeds.  There are so many people who seem to want to come clean that a line is building up. Maybe this will launch a new reality show: I Screwed Up.

Why do tune in to these public train wrecks? And when will others come clean but their behavior – A-Rod? And what of others whom we don’t yet know have something confession-worthy?  Is anyone truly clean, honest, and as advertised/

Just yesterday Dan Marino, Hall of Fame quarterback and announcer for this Sunday’s Super Bowl admitted he is the baby dad to a girl of a woman not his wife. He had been viewed as a clean-cut, stand=up guy - -scandal-free. Not anymore.

Who is next to fall? The world is growing used to having fallen heroes. It seems part of the formula for herohood is to take a dive. Some come back, many do not. Time will tell as to who else needs forgiveness and understanding. Perhaps we should take up a scandal pool, much like those death pools that people have. Who will be next to confess to: cheating, addiction, steroids, crimes or something illegal, unethical or against the rules?

Check your local listings for the next episode of Confession TV.

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This blog is copyrighted material by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2013 ©

Make-Up On A Train Invites A Wreck

People dress up, put on make-up, and get their hair done because they want to look their best and project a healthy, sexy, strong, and appealing image. So why do so many women think putting makeup on in public is acceptable?

I find it is offensive, rude, and counter to their goals.

But every day on my commuter train, from Westchester to Manhattan, I see at least one woman poking at her face to engulf it with color, from their eyes and nose to their cheeks and lips. If they want to look good for others, why are they showing us their behind-the-scenes preparations? It is like a magician revealing his magic tricks or a politician telling us things he didn’t intend for us to hear. We know real people do real things to get ready for work, parties, and special events appearances, but none of us wants to see what really goes into creating the image they want us to see. This is why an image is created in the first place – to give us a fantasy or a persona that reaches beyond the ordinary, the plain, the normal. We just like to see the results – not the efforts that go into creating them.

Where do we draw the line? I have seen a few people clip their fingernails on the train. That is a low point. I have also seen homeless people drop their pants and take a poop on the street. That is even sadder. We know we cannot hide all of human behavior. Sick people will lie down on benches, drunk people will throw up in a bar, and crazy people will curse out who intentionally thinks a train filled with people is the place to put their face on.

I always hope that the train stops short and the offender’s lipstick smears their face like a clown or that their eye makeup drips out of the bottle and on their clothes. But it never seems to happen. And no one ever calls these women on their public display of poor manners. When will we end this ugly practice?

On many signs a list of prohibited behaviors can be found. Don’t spit or play loud music or eat food or drink alcohol are listed often. I have never seen one that says: No putting on make-up. But I think it is time we collectively and publicly shame those who think a train is their bathroom.

Who is with me on this?

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2013 ©

You Tube To Charge For Some Content - Finally!

YOU TUBE TO CHARGE FEES

There are reports that You Tube will allow video creators to charge viewers to access content, either using a subscription model or a pay per download system. This could make Google’s video site quite profitable. I think the more people who charge for content the better. FREE is killing the Internet. FREE can build a brand or help specific people, but overall, too many free things is not good for business. Content providers – whether it is book publishers, magazines, newspapers, researchers, videos, audios, music, etc – need to instill value in what they produce. You don’t see plumbers, doctors, or auto dealers giving their services and products away for free, do you? Charge away and re-establish a system with consumers that they should expect to pay for content, and reaffirm that creativity, information, ideas, and analysis have value.

AMAZON STILL DAZZLES WALL STREET

Amazon netted 97 million dollars last quarter. For most companies, making that much money is impossible.  But when you consider how much money Amazon takes in – gross revenue was up 22% from the prior quarter – you would expect a bigger profit. Operating expenses also jumped by 22%.  So this company took in over $21 billion dollars in just 90 days but it spent nearly as much. This has been the case for a long time.  Wall Street seems to like that the behemoth is barely profitable, pushing shares to $285 – up about 100 dollars from a year ago. Amazon continues to capture market share and that some of its expenses ha to do with the construction of mammoth warehouses, so some investors believe Amazon is primed to be in a position to make bigger profits soon. But Amazon’s strategy is to offer cut-throat pricing, even making a number of its products, including its e-reader, a loss-leader. Time will tell if Amazon will convert its huge capitalization, name recognition, and positive customer ratings into a real profit center.

Conversely, Apple continues to bring in huge profits – but because the pace of the profits has slowed or is a little lower than analysts’ expectations, the stock has tanked by more than 40% from its high that was reached just a few months ago. In this case, Wall Street believes that decreasing profits, however big they are, is a signal of bad times.

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This blog is copyrighted material by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2013 ©

Take A Monster Truck Approach To Book Marketing

I took my eight-year-old son to a monster trucks show this past weekend. We both loved it and marveled at these big-wheeled performers. But witnessing these car-crushing, mashmobiles also stirred up a lesson that is applicable to book marketing.

Monster trucks, at their core, are ordinary pickup trucks stacked on top of huge tires. Their engines are loud and reverberate through the arena. They thrust their sizeable weight on top of defenseless parked cars and look like unstoppable ogres. But it’s really just a show, an image. They sound and look scary, but they are just loud, large toys. The fans root for destruction – for metal and rubber to go flying, for trucks to spin out of control, or for drivers to flip over. It is the one place that is safe and legal to root for a crash.

So what is the analogy to books? Books are packaged entertainment. Sure they can inform, inspire, enlighten, and instill values. But they can entertain us. The characters, the words, the subject matter can all be supersized like a monster truck. Inflate the imagination, to rise above these enormous tires. Be willing to have the courage to go where few drivers go and be ready to bump into obstacles.

These trucks give off a persona or image. The drivers have cool names like “Bone-Crusher” and the trucks are colorfully designed to invite fans to root for them. My son and I rooted for one that looked like a dog. You too, can dress your book up with outrageous individuals. When you draw your characters make them a little cartoonish, like a monster truck. I guarantee you that readers will remember them and talk about them. If you’re not crushing the competition, go into rewrite. And go check out a monster trucks show.

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2013 ©

What Makes A Book Promotable?

Wall Street Journal columnist Joe Queenan wrote in his new book, One For The Books, that “Good books do not invite unanimity. They invite discord, mayhem, knife fights, blood feuds.” Some may disagree with his formula for what makes an interesting book, but such a discussion begs another question: What makes for a promotable book?

I believe just about any book can be promoted. The question is really: Which books stand the best chance of obtaining a significant quantity of quality media coverage? Even one step further, let’s get to the bottom line: Which books can get publicity AND generate sales?

The answer can be simple or complex. There is no sure-fire formula for effectuating sales through publicity, because there are  many factors at play. For instance, you may get a lot of good publicity, but your distribution is lacking, your price is too high and your competition is plentiful.  Another factor – you may get a lot of PR but it may be negative. Another factor – you get a lot of media coverage but as a result, people feel they heard enough about your book to the point they don’t need to get it. So great PR doesn’t always yield sales.

So let’s explore why some books get PR. Here are some answers:

1.      The author actively promotes and markets AND hires professionals to assist.

2.      A company is behind the author, such as a publisher.

3.      The author has name recognition with the media or at least great credentials.

4.      The cover has visual appeal and the title is enticing.

5.      The book has mass appeal and covers something people already are aware of (Lincoln assassination), covers a timely social issue (gun violence) or involves a known entity (a celebrity, star athlete, major corporation)

6.      The individual members of the media care about what you wrote.

Sure it helps if you have a well-written book but it doesn’t get you anywhere on its own. However, if it is poorly written or edited, you will get stopped early in the promotional process.

The books that are most promotable, whether fiction or non-fiction, are those that:

·         Are first to raise an issue or aspect of life.

·         Unique in how you tackle a well-known subject.

·         Reveal news or raise great questions on a newsy topic.

·         Lend personal insight on an industry, person, or organization that we are curious about.

·         Are great at the extremes – using humor, sex, violence, love, politics, money, fame or other push-button emotions on sensitive issues to get a point across.

·         Are controversial, outrageous, trendy, offensive, and shocking.

But you cannot be a one-trick pony. You cannot merely have a great line or even an explosive chapter. The book needs to be the real deal, from cover to cover. You must be consistent throughout the whole book, and not rely on the strength of a few good passages to carry you.

A great publicist can take any book only so far and a great book will only get so far without a publicist. But a pretty good book with a pretty good publicist can soar. The most promotable books are the ones with something worthy of publicity that are promoted by someone who knows how to navigate through the media. Sure there are exceptions to this – and luck, word of mouth, and timing play roles too. But the road to PR success starts with a good book and ends with a good publicist.

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2013 ©

The Stamp Of Good Book Marketing

Postal Rates Rise, But Book Marketers May Benefit

First-class stamps went up from 45 cents to 46 on January 27. Last year, at this time, they had gone up a penny as well. Stamps have gone up many times in the past decade. Perhaps the fact the US Postal Service operates as a huge deficit has something to do with it. It lost nearly 16 billion dollars in 2012. That is an average of 40 million dollars a day.

That is not a leak - -that is a gusher. Major changes are expected over the next few years, including closings of post offices and reducing the number of days mail will be delivered. However, the mail system is still a viable way to market a book and perhaps because it is becoming less popular to others it is becoming even more important to authors and publishers.

Writers and publishers - -along with advertisers, subscription-based businesses like magazines, movie rentals, and book-of-the-month clubs get hit hard by any postal increases. People still use the mail system, but not as often as they used to thanks to the Internet and email, online bill-paying, and e-readers. But if one uses the mail, what can they do to limit their costs?

1.      But Forever stamps - -they remain good long after any postal rate increases

2.      Mail fewer things.

I cannot remember the last time I received a handwritten letter though I do cherish hand-written cards and thank you notes. Because the mail is not utilized like it used to be, any non-junk mail that one receives actually sticks out and can make an impression. If you can utilize the mail - -especially postcards (less expensive and don’t have to be opened to get seen) – as part of your book marketing efforts, you may get it to pay off.

Everyone is using email or sometimes the phone to promote and market their books or sell other wares. But the mail gets more attention from the recipient than other forms of communication. It doesn’t go to a spam box or voice mail. Real mail touches people. The physical world still trumps anything electronic. Next time you want to reach someone, do e-mail or call them but also try a well-written, hand-drafted letter with a 46-cent stamp. You may just find it pays off.

Barnes & Noble Claims It Will Be Around In 2023

Well, that is one way to read things. Another is that B & N is shedding about a third of its bookstores over the next decade. It announced it will close 20 stores per year over the next 10 years. It used to close around 15 stores per year, leading up to 2009, but it also used to open about 30 in each of those years, so there was a net gain. Last year it closed a dozen and opened none.  The chain peaked in 2008 with 726 stores. It now operates 689 retail outfits and will be down to about 475 - 500 by 2023.

How Can Writers Capture A Snowtube Moment For Their Book? 

http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2013/01/book-readers-want-snowtube-moment.html

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This blog is copyrighted material by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2013 ©

Book Readers Want A Snowtube Moment

Last weekend I took my family snowtubing in the Poconos, where you sit on what looks like an inflated tire and race down a bill for maybe 30 seconds going at least 30 miles per hour – without a motor, seatbelt or helmet. It is a fun adrenalin rush and a good exercise for getting beyond fear. It is also a good demonstration of what authors need to give their readers.

We want to feel the rollercoaster moment as often as possible in life. We want to feel insulated against danger, but we like to see how close we can get to it while leaving unscathed. We’re always looking to dance with the devil, but we never want the dog to bite us. Readers love snowtubing in their minds, to feel the action is so real and pulsating that if a mistake is made everyone dies.

Actually, our snowtubing escape had one real scare, which made it all the better. For our last romp, we tied our tubes together and linked to our friends. Seven of us were charging down the mini-mountain. It got out of control. The force of our gang thrust our tubes beyond the rubber mats at the bottom that were intended to halt us. We rode up the side of the low snow wall and toppled back onto the course. It all had happened so fast and yet it felt like it was happening in slow motion.

For a scary second I didn’t know if anyone was hurt. My eight-year-old son jumped up from the pile of snowtubes with snow on his face. I asked what all parents fear the answer to: “Are you OK?”

He said: “Yes” and then added, “That was the best!”

He is right. Though it could have gone from thrill-seeking folly to ambulance activity, when you escape injury from a daring act you feel a moment of euphoria and invincibility. Fear conquered. Bottle that up and unleash it upon your readers!

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2013 ©

Download The News On YouTube

It seems much of the news media these days takes a YouTube approach. Society is not better informed as a result.

Just look at the latest soap operas playing themselves out in mainstream media headlines and the blogosphere. Sure millions of people are curious about things like: Did singing diva Beyonce fake it during her presidential inauguration rendition of the Spar Mangled Banner? Did Notre Dame Heisman runner-up Manti Te’o lie about the hoax regarding an undead non-existent girlfriend? Who will join the judging cast for American Idol next season?

But just because people want to discuss a silly topic doesn’t mean it is news. Actually, it is a good question to explore:

What really is news?

·         It should be something that is important to many, not a few

·         It may be complex and deep – and not surface simple

·         Not merely rehashing a story, but digging for facts and answers

·         The story exposes a public danger

·         It initiates a dialogue on an issue that impacts a lot of people

·         It showcases a risk involving health, wealth, security, rights, etc.

·         It uncovers a major crime, scientific discovery, medical breakthrough, or major social injustice.

But the media seems to go by a different standard:

·         Will it sell papers or get eyeballs and listeners to tune in?

·         Can we get advertisers to pay up as a result of the media coverage?

·         Does it have sex appeal?

·         Is a celebrity, start athlete, politician, or someone with a big social media following involved?

·         Is it something that can be serialized – and not done within a day?

·         Will it spark a dialogue around the water cooler?

·         Does it cost little to nothing to cover this story?

The decline of the news media has been an ongoing thing for many, many decades. It didn’t happen overnight, though it seems the decline has accelerated this past decade. There have been media shortcomings for all of time. The media has suffered from cases of corruption, bias, business conflicts, politics, ego, and a lack of resources, These things play a major role in what gets covered and how it is reported. 

Each medium: radio, TV, print, and online – arrived at different times to change how the media game is played. Pamphleteers changed things centuries ago. Then came newspapers, magazines, radio, television, cable TV, Web sites, bloggers, and social media networks. Each type of media brings pros and cons but together the media has conspired to make us less informed, less focused on the news.

If I pine for an era when media reached a low and a high, it is probably around 1989-1991. On the low was the peak of daytime talk sleaze, from the seemingly elevated Oprah and Donahue, down to Geraldo Rivera, Sonja Live, Maury Povich, Montel Williams, Jerry Springer, and all the way down to my favorite: Morton Downey Jr. But the established media was smoking. Evening news anchors held respect and notoriety. No one can name today’s anchors. Fox News didn’t yet bring its polarizing style of “reporting” to the arena. CNN was a real news source, not just featuring hack personalities. In fact, Larry King, whom we’d take over Piers in a heartbeat, was criticized for being “too soft.” The morning shows like Today interviewed presidents and heads of state and not yesterday’s reality show loser. News magazine shows were plentiful and 60 Minutes was a giant. Newspapers had more readers. Weekly magazines – Time, Newsweek and US News & World Report were influential. Radio was listened to and not downloaded music off an iPod. Howard Stern and Do Imus were fresh and creative voices in the shock jock world. And the Internet was just something known about by the military. Ah, if only I could turn back time.

There were fewer distractions and less competition for people’s mindshare and it was better because society could unite and focus on certain issues, even if people disagreed on how to resolve these issues.

We used to complain about the trashy tabloids and paparazzi of National Enquirer, Globe, National Examiner, and Star. Now we complain that cable TV hawks opinions by professional commentators instead of the actual reporting of news or the issues-focused analysis by a variety of qualified guests. Heck, some people prefer to get their news from comedy shows, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. We find spoofs more interesting than the genuine thing.

The truth is there was no golden age for the news media, not even 1990. Fewer news outlets or delays in getting the news had its drawbacks back then and today being overwhelmed with so much media, but one that offers little substance and filtering is not serving us well either. But  people want to tune it to established major media that is trustworthy, competent, and balanced. Right now we have a free-for-all where no one is leading and everyone is following.

The media is always evolving, and right now it is devolving. But I am hopeful that things will improve. Why? Because they need to, otherwise the dumbing down of America will reach a critical point of no return. We are at Defcon 2 on a media scale of dumbness. Nuclear war won’t destroy us – we will just do it from within the borders of our homes and smartphones.

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2013 ©

Book Bares Voice Of A Healed Soul

Interview With Jenny Lynn Anderson , Author of Room 939

Jenny Lynn Anderson, married and in her 20’s, was on a business trip in Atlanta back in 1990. She was sexually assaulted in a hotel room. For years she battled with PTSD and anger, fear, guilt and all of the emotions that ensnare one who had her world turned upside down.  It has taken her two decades to reveal her moving story of how she has found a way to heal from her personal tragedy. She wants to help other women who have suffered in silence. She is also helping to educate women on how they can avoid being a crime victim. The sexual victims advocate shares her moving story below:

1.      Jenny Lynn, you wrote a book about coming back from being a survivor of a sexual assault and robbery that took place in 1990 while you were in Atlanta for a business trip. Was the writing of Room 939 a cathartic experience?  Interestingly, it took me 59 days to complete the first draft.  It was if someone opened the spigot and the story started flowing out of me.  It has been cathartic in that I released every memory I had of this incident.  I didn’t hold back. It would not stop.  I wrote everywhere…at my computer, on my laptop, on napkins, little scraps of paper, at church while sitting in the pew, even in the palm of my hand if an important detail stood out and I didn’t want to forget it.  In the very beginning, it came out in large chunks.  I have never written a book so I have to admit I did not know what I was doing.  However, I had my editor, Ric Mandes, encouraging me.  He instructed me to complete the table of contents, which only took about 30 minutes. I seemed to know the chapter titles instinctively as if I had contemplated writing this book for years.  But that was not the case at all.  I had never considered writing about this. I actually wrote the last chapter of the book first, moved to the beginning of the book next. I had completed two-thirds of the book in no time. I sent the chapters via email to Ric and his positive comments reassured me.

2.      What were the pitfalls and challenges to writing about something that so deeply touches your soul?  I knew writing the middle part of the book would be most daunting.  It included the darkest years of my life and I wasn’t sure if I could dig deep enough to pull out the emotions I had stuffed so deep inside my soul.  I told my husband Mark I was going to Tybee to our beach house alone and write this difficult part of the book.  I went there on Jan. 9^th, 2011.  It was freezing cold and the northeastern winds howled.  The grey, dark days matched the backdrop of those chapters.  I took a few clothes, my Bible, devotional book and every Bible study guide I had ever completed.  I literally wrote day and night, did not eat much, drink much. I had about six grapefruits a friend had picked from her tree on Tybee and would eat those when I was really hungry during the day.  I would finally go out at about 7 pm each evening and get a bite to eat.  I talked to no one on the Island.  I was focused and spoke to Mark once a day and other than that I stayed in complete solitude.  I wrote in my den of the beach house. I spent hours lying on the floor in front of the fireplace with the laptop.  My body would begin aching so I would move to the sofa.  I dragged that tiny laptop all over the house.  I cried and wept and listened to music.  I have never felt such pain in my whole life.   I stayed six days and returned looking like I had been in a concentration camp.  But I had finished writing the middle part of the book.  A few days later I landed in the emergency room at midnight with a kidney stone due to my lack of fluids while at the beach.

3.      What do you wish to accomplish with this book?  Through my releasing every detail of my sexual assault and its aftermath, I can show others how my life spiraled out of control for a very long time.  We remain imprisoned by the silence surrounding rape and sexual assault.  For almost 20 years I was held in bondage by the invader who sexually assaulted me.  I decided the only way I could get rid of the shackles keeping me imprisoned was to unleash this story buried deep within my soul.  Through writing this book, I have found my voice again.  I refuse to move into the next 20 years suffering the way I have since 1990.  No woman should live in this kind of bondage.  By writing this book, I am removing the chains finally and saying, “I am not going to let the man who attacked keep me bound to him the rest of my life.”  Writing this book was the only way I knew to accomplish that. When Ric and I gave the final manuscript to my mother and husband to read over the July 4^th weekend, 2011, it was the most liberating feeling.  I felt like a cleansing in the highest degree had occurred and I was finally beginning a new chapter of healing.  It’s been a painful and very personal story to share, but there’s great healing when you express the truth.

4.      How might telling your story help others?  Some may think this book is geared to females who have survived rape and sexual assault, but actually it’s for anyone who has ever questioned why there is pain and suffering in life.  The book will help the person who has wondered, “Why me, God?”  It’s for the father who gets the phone call in the middle of the night hearing the news his son has been in a tragic accident.  It’s for the woman who gets the message from her doctor about a malignant tumor.  It’s for anyone who has gone through an experience where an unexpected turn of events sets their world into a tailspin.  I feel I have climbed out of the abyss as a stronger person…one who now can share this story desiring to help others who hurt as well. I want ROOM 939 to be a lifelong catalyst for me to be a resource and speaker for seminars, workshops and speaking engagements on topics such as molestation, fear, faith, doubt, recovery, healing, overcoming challenges. However, for the woman who has been through a sexual assault, my book will be an affirmation to them that they are not alone.  My greatest hope is that my book will be a catalyst for them to get well and find restoration.   

5.      What words of encouragement would you share with others who are victims of a crime, but out of fear or guilt or depression, have been unwilling or unable to speak out?  I remind women it was not their fault.  I remind them they were going about their lives in a positive way until this happened. I then try to open up so much that they cannot help to feel empowered.  I tell them details of my life that are hard to fathom.  I try to be so candid and honest so that they cannot help but to see that I, too, have suffered everything they may be experiencing.  I talk about blaming God, and hating God for letting it happen.  I talk about how the man did not kill me, but he did something just as bad -- he hijacked my soul.  I lay my entire life out in front of them in hopes it might be powerful enough that they can say, “Well, if Jenny Lynn can find the courage to tell the ugly atrocities of her life, I can do it too.”  In my opinion, it is in this release that a woman (or man) can truly start the healing journey.

6.      What helped you to recover from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? My finally going to a licensed psychologist did it.  Dr. Ellen Emerson worked with me for 14 weeks intensively and used cognitive therapy – which is very effective in treating post traumatic stress, but many survivors are never introduced to it.  If it worked on my extreme case of PTSD, it can work on others.  I want to spread that message!

7.      How can society prevent similar tragedies from happening? Three words:  Educate.  Inform. Enlighten.  We must continue the dialogue about this societal issue no one wants to face.  I would like to partner with a national organization and create a public relations campaign called, “Let’s Face It!”  1 in 4 women will be sexually assaulted. I wish to be the “face,” the visual representation of rape and sexual assault. There is still a stigma in our society that women who get raped “deserved it” somehow by how they “looked” at the time of the attack.  Many people have asked what I was wearing, or if there anything I did to provoke this.  With this, I envision putting my face on a huge grid.  As this online campaign unfolds, we would allow others to add their faces to empower them to speak up, speak out and release the truth. The sheer size of this visual campaign would be unbelievable and powerful. I get a sense the “link” of all of us survivors does not yet exist here in USA.  We need a way to empower each other as a group of survivors and be PROUD we lived through these ordeals and did not lose our lives.  It takes guts for the first person to stand up and be judged (ME).  But the followers after me in this campaign will find courage in seeing other women’s faces.  I often think how well breast cancer survivors have come together in pink to empower each other.  I dream of this for all of us sexual assault survivors.    

8.      Why do you think men use sex as a weapon against women? Sexual violence has to do with men who have NO respect for women.  It’s about control and power.

9.      Are you surprised to learn of all the sacrifices and extra steps your husband had taken in order to accommodate your recovery over the years?  As I look back at it, yes.  Mark and I were only 27 when this happened and four years into our marriage.  We were still quite young and he had to adjust his lifestyle dramatically to come to my aid when I experienced PTSD.  Therefore, he was selfless in many ways because he constantly had to be my protector.  Nights were particularly hard and it was not uncommon for him to be in his pajama pants out in the middle of the yard at 3:00 a.m. with a shotgun.  He did everything to convince me the man was not going to come back and hurt me again.  I believe most men would have divorced me because it was all so difficult. But Mark was very committed and he loved me despite the difficult circumstances.

10.  How did you come to forgive your attacker? What would you say to him if the police ever found him? Forgiveness came at year nine in the journey.  It was not something I had ever planned to do.  I really thought I would go to my grave hating and despising this man.  For nine long years, I did battle with the man in my mind.  I hated him.  I detested him.  I felt like he had killed my spirit and I wanted revenge. But, in 1999, I was involved in a Beth Moore Bible Study which profoundly helped me and set me on a new course.  Beth Moore wrote, “A Christian is held captive by anything that hinders the abundant and effective Spirit-filled life God planned for her.  She also said, “You are not defined by anything that happened to you or anything you have done.  You are defined by who you are in Christ.”  If the police could find him today (which I still want to happen), I would like to meet the man face to face and talk to him.  I am no longer afraid of him.  I would like to know what happened in his childhood that caused him to want to do this to another human being.  I would like for him to read my book and know how his actions impacted my life and how I lost trust in the world because of what he did to me.  I had always had trust in the world and believed the world was “good.”  I lost that belief in Room 939. 

11.  What role did religion and faith play in your healing process? It was paramount. In the early years of recovery, I was a new Christian and it took me a very long time to figure out what God was all about.  But as I grew as a student of the bible, I started to have a real relationship with God and it was God only who could quiet my fears, even if for a few minutes, in those early years.  I found protection in God.  I found quietness and calm in God (which I really needed) because with post traumatic stress, your mind cannot be “still” because you are in a constant, vigilant state of being on guard.  I received courage from God and a conviction to share my story which aided in my restoration.  I truly believe healing would never occurred for me with my faith. 

12.  How has society changed in its attitudes toward sex crimes over the past two decades?  We have so far to go!   Just recently a young woman whom I met at a Survivor’s Conference shared with me the story of her assault.  She was raped by a fellow college student and the college administrators have done very little to help her.  In fact, they have all but turned their back on her and did not dismiss the young man from this particular college in Georgia. But, this young lady is FIGHTING for what she knows is right.  She has gone to the Board of Regents and I have tried to support her because I understand how hard it is to do what she is attempting as a 19-year-old collegiate.  It takes courage to stand up.  Our society tolerates sex crimes and it sickens me.  My greatest desire is to be used as an instrument for change.

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. Jenny Anderson is a client of Media Connect. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This blog is copyrighted material by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2013 ©

   

Book Industry Publishing Trends

E-book Reading Increases -- But Prices Do Not Follow

Bowker Market Research recently released insightful data about book purchasing habits and preferences. Below are some interesting factoids that help paint a portrait of where publishing is heading:

Market Share By Format

·         Trade paperbacks…...31%

·         Hardcover books…...25%

·         E-books………….....23%

·         Mass market books…12%

·         Audiobooks…………2%

·         “Other formats”……..7%

However, just three years ago, e-books only accounted for 2% of all book sales. Hardcover and trade paper each had a third of the market, at 35% a piece.

E-Book Prices Falling

Three years ago, e-books sold for a little over $10 a piece. Today they are under six bucks a book. As a genre, romance books are the cheapest, averaging a sales price under four dollars each. Compared to three years ago, the gap between the price of fiction and non-fiction has shrunk greatly. The price of print books over that span of three years has risen slightly, to $12.40 per book.

Profile Of Book Buyers

·         32% are married with children

·         60% are female

·         29% of ebooks are bought by people under 30

·         22% of books are bought on impulse

Youth & E-Books

Scholastic Books just releases its biannual survey, Kids & Family Reading Report, and the results show:

46% of children ages 6-17 have read e-books

Two years ago that number was 25%

34% of children said they read books for fun

Two years ago the number was 37%

58% of 9-17 year-olds said they will continue to read print books

66% felt this was just two years ago

Conclusion

So what does all of this mean? The shift from print to digital is ongoing. So is a decline in book prices. I believe there will reach a tipping point where ebook prices will bottom out and will begin to rise, but before that happens you may see some print pricing decline.

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This blog is copyrighted material by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2013 ©

Are You Keeping Up With Book & Publishing News?

It is getting harder-- and easier -- to keep up with the latest news on books, authors and publishing. How do you stay informed?

On the one hand it is getting easier to find information via the Internet but it is getting harder to stay on top of the data sprawling across your screen. So much to read, so little time. Here is a list of 11 Web sites worth clicking on if you are looking to at least have a sense of what is going on in the industry. There are many more blogs, magazines, newspapers and sites worth checking into as well, but these form a good starting point:

Publishers Weekly

www.publishersweekly.com

Yahoo! Book News

www.news.yahoo.com/books

Huffington Post Books

www.huffingtonpost.com/books

NPR Books

www.npr.org/books

New York Times

www.nytimes.com/pages/books

New Yorker

www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books

Book Browser

www.bookbrowse.com/news

USA Today

www.usatoday.com/life/books

Entertainment Weekly

www.ew.com/ew/books

CNN

www.cnn.com/books/news

Publishing Perspectives

www.publishingperspectives.com

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This blog is copyrighted material by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2013 ©