Time magazine turned 90 this month and has survived its competitors like Newsweek and US News & World Report. It still prints a weekly edition, and also has a digital version. It gets read by millions of people each week and retains a certain stature but its influence is fading and its circulation is a fraction from its peak days. Time has had all kinds of interesting covers, from cartoon icon Bart Simpson to Man of the Year choices that included robots, ruthless dictators, and historical heroes.
Oddly, in its nine-decade existence – or roughly 4700 covers - -the only sitting president not to appear on the cover while in office was Herbert Hoover. Of all presidents, whether in office or not at the time of publication, Richard Nixon made the cover the most times – 47. Reagan was 38, Clinton 37, and W 33. Obama has been on 31 times.
Will we be discussing who is on the cover a decade from now? Not likely, so enjoy a piece of living history by reading Time now. It still offers insights and information of value. Happy birthday, Time.
Interview With A Syndicated Humor Writer &
Author CAPPY HALL REARICK
1.
Cappy, after
penning six books, what inspired you to work on your first mystery book? Brian, my father was a detective
and for years I wondered if somewhere deep down inside me there was a detecting
gene crying to see the light of day. My protagonist is a television columnist
and that was familiar territory for me. Also, the books I enjoy the most tend
to be psychological mysteries. Since I'm not getting any younger, well, you do
the math …
- 2. What
do you love about writing? I love that it lubricates my brain. I don't ever want to get to
the point where my interaction with friends and family revolves around old
lady ailments, knee replacements and hearing aids. I'd much rather bore
them into the middle of next week by telling them about the exploits of my
current character, Bailey McGee. She's much more interesting than organic
diets and fiber pills.
- 3. What
do you find most challenging about it? Some days the challenge is simply stringing sentences together
that make sense. In column writing, the challenge is always, ALWAYS to
come up with a subject with universal appeal. As a grandmother, I gag when
authors write about their adorable children or grandchildren. In contrast,
I write about my Grandkids from Hell, and you know what? I get more
positive feedback than I do when I write about other things. I also enjoy
writing nostalgia but find that as I get older, it becomes a challenge to
remember experiences as they really happened. So what do I do? I lie.
- 4. What
advice do you have for struggling writers? I often advise them to begin by writing
short pieces for local newspapers, even fish wraps. Those are great venues
to help one find his/her voice and to learn about what William Zinsser
called "word clutter." (That's particularly difficult for
Southern writers, both newbie’s and those of us who have been around the
block.) Writing for local papers is such a good way to build a readership,
or platform as it's called today. And I'm pretty convinced that the small,
local newspapers in this country will survive the larger ones like the
Trib and the Times. Folks in small towns all over America have a habit of
reading the obits if, for no other reason, to make sure their own name is not
listed.
- 5. Where
do you see the publishing industry heading? Everything will go electronic and it
won't be long in coming. My author friends all say that their e-books are
outselling print books three to one. I see that in my own books as well.
We live in a mach-speed world and although there will always be people who
prefer to hold a book in their hands and turn the pages themselves, they
are becoming fewer in number. I have a vast home library and love every
one of my books. They look so pretty on the shelves. That said, these days
I read everything on my Kindle and I dare anyone to challenge me on it!
Electronics is the wave of the future so we might just as well accept it
like that movie title: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying
and Love the Bomb. Well, kinda, sorta.
6. Also... Tell me more about your syndicated column --
where does it run? What is it about? I have only recently joined the ranks of the syndicated
columnists, and although I'm happy to be in such auspicious company, I honestly
don't know much about the ins and outs of it. I write a column and send it to a
woman named Allison and she sends it out and tries to sell it all over the
world. Do I need to know more than that? I don't think so. Actually, I don't
WANT to know more. I get a check and deposit it into my dwindling bank account
and then go back home to my MacBook and write another one. The one thing I DO
know about it is that the focus of Senior Wire is to appeal to seniors and
since they like reading about my Grandkids from Hell, that works for me. I
think it might be a vicarious thing, don't you?
IN CASE YOU MISSED THESE RECENT POSTS...
Book Publishing Theme Park to Be Built? http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/welcome-to-book-world-greatest-theme.html
Overcoming
Book Marketing Fears http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-marketing-fears.html
Can
Any Book Survive The Future? http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/standing-test-of-time.html
What
Is in Your Book Marketing Bag?
Authors
Should Answer These Questions
Hunting
for Book Sales Beyond Amazon
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
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