Tag Archives: Michael Palmer

The Job of a Book Publicist

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My day job is that I am a book publicist. By saying, “Day Job” that can be kind of misleading because it is actually an all day, all night, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week kind of job. I love what I do because I love working with authors, coming up with original, unique and authentic ways of marketing my favorite of all commodities…BOOKS! However, there are days when I don’t 100% love my job, when the frustrations outweigh the victories. Those are usually the days when nothing seems to be going right. No one is biting. There is bigger news going on in the world and editors and producers don’t seem to care a flying fig about a book…especially if that book happens to be fiction.

Fiction tends to have the wonderful ability to land like a lead balloon on the doorsteps of most editors and producers. They really don’t know what to do with it. And that’s where my incredible originality and overall ingenious ability to turn fiction into the most newsworthy of subjects comes in handy. I am not just trying to flatter myself, I  really am that good.

Who else can turn a book about a stay-at-home dad into a political platform? (Ad Hudler’s MAN OF THE HOUSE) or turn the promotion of a romance novel into a gender issue (Susan Mallery’s SUNSET BAY)? I brought a medical thriller writer into the Hollywood spotlight (Michael Palmer’s THE SECOND OPINION) and turned a columnist into a public promoter (Lisa Genova’s STILL ALICE).

This is why I love my job. I love finding the clever hook that is going to turn a book into a hot topic. I love making people become aware of an author or novel they may have overlooked. I love creating that one spark that can launch a career. (Lori Culwell and Brunonia Barry)

Read Boston

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Tonight Mayor Menino hosted the holiday event, ReadBoston at the Hotel Commonwealth in Kenmore Square. The event was a wonderful opportunity for authors and readers to meet, mingle and talk books while raising money for an incredibly worthwhile cause. ReadBoston’s mission is to have children in Boston reading on grade level by the time they complete third grade. Founded by Mayor Thomas M. Menino in 1995 to address low literacy levels among Boston’s youth, ReadBoston has since grown into a city-wide leader in the field of early literacy.

I took the opportunity at this wonderful event to connect with some of my favorite authors. For example, the charming Beth Teitell. Teitell is the author of FROM HERE TO MATERNITY and DRINKING PROBLEMS AT THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH. She writes in such an amazingly honest and authentic voice that I found myself quoting her own writing back to her. I was certainly a fan!

And here are two of the best thriller writers of our time, Joseph Finder and Michael Palmer. Wouldn’t you love to join these two for dinner? I’m sure the conversation would be as intoxicating and intriguing as their writing.

Joseph Finder and Michael Palmer

Todd English was there, as well, signing copy after copy of his gorgeous cookbooks! I am currently poring over THE OLIVES TABLE.

Our partner, Megan Kelley Hall, was there signing copies of SISTERS OF MISERY. Here she is with debut author of legal thriller EIGHT IN THE BOX, Raffi Yessayan.

Here are just a few of the other talented authors present at tonight’s event.

Bill Brett
Michael Connelly
Anita Diamant
Todd English
Joseph Finder
Jill Ker Conway
Megan Kelley Hall
Jarrett Krosoczka
Ben Mezrich
Mary Newell DePalma
Rebecca Angelina Nigro
Michael Palmer
Andrew Rimas
Casey Sherman
Clara Silverstein
Irene Smalls
Beth Teitell
Raffi Yessayan

I am looking forward to future ReadBoston events!