Open Letter to Any Friends Who Find This Site:

It's Memorial Day and I'm typing instead of BBQing...partly because I am a
bad BBQer, but partly because I'm fretting...

Last week I talked to Lynn, the Editing Diva at Standard Publishing who is working on “Scared Silly.” You may not remember—assuming you have a life—I wrote a book last year, which has taken nearly another year to finish and print.

As I type this, we (“we” meaning the Editing, Proofreading, Correcting, and Typesetting team at Standard…and me when 1) they need to get approval for all of their changes; 2) something needs footnoting; or 3) some section is deemed so hideous that I must rewrite it) are in the final stages of correcting, proofreading, more correcting, layout, more proofreading and correcting before sending to the printer. Target release date is September 1^st.

During the aforementioned conversation with Lynn, the Editing Diva at Standard I began to sense that, although Standard Publishing publishes a lot of books, they don’t really market them much. They mainly offer them in their catalog or on their website or sell them to Amazon.com or other regional/local booksellers…and that’s all.

So when it became apparent that I might have to be my own publicist, I immediately thought of you and your ability to pray. OK…That’s not completely true. My first panicky thought was how badly I suddenly had to go to the bathroom (typical in my struggle against Panic Disorder), then I thought about needing a Diet Coke (at least!), and THEN I thought about how badly I needed prayer, which brought me directly to you.

Here’s the deal: Being my own publicist is about as horrifying a thought as I can imagine for a multitude of reasons that I won’t bore you with—not the least of which I would have to PERSUADE PEOPLE TO LET ME TRAVEL TO PUBLIC PLACES—maybe even ON AN AIRPLANE, DO SOMETHING PUBLIC, possibly NOT NEAR A BATHROOM (like book signings or interviews) and GET PEOPLE TO LIKE ME.

However, I REALLY want “Scared Silly” to get into the hands of people who need it…which can’t be done if I don’t get it into the hands of people who can let other people know about it. (Boy, I could use a Diet Coke!)

In August Standard can provide me with an electronic photo of the cover and a sample chapter. Lynn the Editing Diva at Standard suggested I email it to people (or post it on their websites, if they let me), to taste test. This is one possible advertising ploy that wouldn’t require me flying OR showering. Which is good. But probably not good enough. Kev suggested I make a radio spot and see if we can get it on some Christian stations. So I now have two showerless ideas…but I can tell something bigger is needed. And that something includes you.

PLEASE PRAY that God will provide a network that can help make this book widely available. Pray that it can get into strategic hands like buyers at Wal-mart or Waldenbooks…or that radio host Delilah will read it, love it, and play the non-showered radio spot…or that Oprah would receive it and want to bring her crew to KY for a visit (OK…I’d go to Chicago for Oprah…).

You know me…Beyond asking for prayer and ideas…I pretty much suck at “pimping” myself. So there you go.

I understand that God gave me the assignment to write this book…so I believe he’ll help get it out to where ever he wants it to go…but I want to be faithful and adventuresome in the process as well. Even if it means traveling, speaking, and pitching myself.

Thanks for letting my panic before you. The good news: I’m not curled up in a fetal position…yet.

OK, now I really need another diet coke.

If you have any ideas, feel free to let me know. I appreciate them mucho.

More than anything thanks for your prayers. I really, really, really, REALLY need them.

And I probably need another diet coke, at least at: marcyjoybryan@gmail.com