I’ll Be at Book Expo America This Week

For this important week in publishing — during which Book Expo America takes place — my fun author friend Dr. Diana Kirschner and I are playfully going out on a limb to drum up interest in our books. Here’s a press release that’s now going out to the media today.
Authors Develop Zany, Outrageous Marketing Gimmicks to Nab Publishers & Fans in these Challenging Economic Times
NEW YORK—As thousands of authors vie for publishers’ and readers’ thumbs up in this uncertain economic climate, some innovative, pro-active authors are taking matters into their own hands by coming up with over-the-top, outrageous, humorous marketing gimmicks.
“It’s time to become an out-of-the-box-thinking author-preneur, who creates gutsy, captivating messages that nab the attention and tickle the funny bones of readers and publishers,” claims author Connie Bennett, who is laughingly walking around Book Expo America on Friday and Saturday sporting a provocative, 24”-by-30” sandwich board that says, “Are You ‘The One’?”
The amiable author’s “Are You `The One’?” message—which looks like a single’s ad—pokes fun of the fact that Bennett is both a single woman and an available author with a Big Platform, who’s seeking “a committed relationship” with a “compatible publisher” to release her second book.
“I wanted to playfully show that I have the guts, initiative and ingenuity to be a successful author no matter what the economic climate,” adds Bennett, an experienced journalist, certified health counselor, self-described “Ex-Sugar Shrew!” and author of SUGAR SHOCK! (Berkley Books) (www.SugarShock.com).
SUGAR SHOCK! (Berkeley Books)—a bestseller on Amazon—has a foreword by Dr. Nicholas Perricone and has been endorsed by Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Christiane Northrup and film mogul Harvey Weinstein. The book’s contributing author is cardiologist Dr. Stephen Sinatra.
Bennett’s second book—for which she’s publisher hunting—is a fun, friendly, compassionate, diet book, The Better Habits Diet: Slim Down, Boost Energy, Rev Up Your Libido & Be Happier in Only 21 Days. Fans are already signing up in advance to buy it at a special website, www.BetterHabitsDiet.com.
[FYI, for those of you who are waiting for my next book, I just changed the title — it used to be called The White-Out Diet.]
The single author facetiously promises on her sandwich board, “Will put out on first date!!”—meaning that she’ll share information about her new book with interested publishers.
Admittedly, Bennett is “embarrassed” by her bold sign, and she’s even offering passers-by nuts to underscore the nuttiness of her marketing campaign.

My Author Friend & I Are Going Zany During Book Expo America This Week

For this important week in publishing — during which Book Expo America takes place — my fun author friend Dr. Diana Kirschner and I are going out on a limb to drum up interest in our books. Here’s a press release that’s now going out to the media today.
Authors Develop Zany, Outrageous Marketing Gimmicks to Nab Publishers & Fans in these Challenging Economic Times
NEW YORK—As thousands of authors vie for publishers’ and readers’ thumbs up in this uncertain economic climate, some innovative, pro-active authors are taking matters into their own hands by coming up with over-the-top, outrageous, humorous marketing gimmicks.
“It’s time to become an out-of-the-box-thinking author-preneur, who creates gutsy, captivating messages that nab the attention and tickle the funny bones of readers and publishers,” claims author Connie Bennett, who is laughingly walking around Book Expo America on Friday and Saturday sporting a provocative, 24”-by-30” sandwich board that says, “Are You ‘The One’?”
The amiable author’s “Are You `The One’?” message—which looks like a single’s ad—pokes fun of the fact that Bennett is both a single woman and an available author with a Big Platform, who’s seeking “a committed relationship” with a “compatible publisher” to release her second book.
“I wanted to playfully show that I have the guts, initiative and ingenuity to be a successful author no matter what the economic climate,” adds Bennett, an experienced journalist, certified health counselor, self-described “Ex-Sugar Shrew!” and author of SUGAR SHOCK! (Berkley Books) (www.SugarShock.com).

Help Me to Help You — The White-Out Diet Will Be In Your Hands Jan. 2010, Helping You, If You Spread the Word Now

Special Announcement:
Greetings, wonderful, savvy people,
Today, exactly 11 years since I first kicked sugar and refined carbs and got a better life.
And today, I’m launching an unusual pre-book-deal, marketing campaign.
The economy is prompting me to do something really different so that I can get a book deal for my next book, The White-Out Diet, which I know could help many.
Please see this email (below), which I just sent to members of my mailing list.
If you can help, I’d really, really appreciate it!
Anyhow, my goal is to help millions, and I think I can, but I need wonderful people like you to spread the word! Please read on.
Thanks in advance ever so much! See letter below.
Warmly and gratefully,
Connie
Subject: Help me, please… The White-Out Diet, my next book, is coming with your help — benefits galore
Dear [Your Name Goes Here],
Would you like to lose weight for good,
banish fatigue, boost your energy, feel and look
more youthful, get more oomph in the bedroom and
build a life of passion, purpose and pizzazz?
Well, The White-Out Diet, my next book
(the follow-up to SUGAR SHOCK!), is intended to help YOU
achieve ALL of that — and more.
This book, I hope, will come out in January 2010.
But here’s the catch: I need your help so that this book
will become a reality and be available to you through bookstores,
libraries and online retailers.
You see, while this fun, easy-to-read,
friendly, compassionate book can help
you in so many ways, these challenging
economic times are prompting me to
rely on you.
Let me explain.
Like all other industries, the
publishing industry has been hit
by the economic downturn.
Publishers are tightening their belts and making less acquisitions.
So my literary agent explains to me.
More importantly, major publishers only want to make book
deals with people, who are household names
— movie stars, TV personalities, celebrities and so on.
And publishers only want authors with a “Big Platform”
— this means millions (or least hundreds of
thousands) of followers, fans and friends.
Therein lies my challenge.
While editors at publishing houses loved my White-Out Diet
concept and my background as author of an acclaimed
book (SUGAR SHOCK!) from a major publisher (Berkley Books,
part of the Penguin Group), their enthusiasm was dampened
because I’m not a household name — yet.
And while I do have a Big Platform,
it’s not big ENOUGH — yet.
But I’m determined to get The White-Out Diet published so it can help you.
So I realized that it’s time to put the Law of Attraction into action.
And I’d be grateful to you for any help you can give to make this happen.
The White-Out Diet is a great book, and it deserves to be in your
hands next January, 2010, so it can help you.
Ultimately, this challenge presents an
incredible opportunity.
It’s time for me to become pro-active,
creative and what I call “author-preneurial.”
I’m even planning some outrageous, exciting activities
to drum up the necessary attention in The White-Out Diet, because
I KNOW this book can really enhance, improve and change your life.
(Got any clever, out-of-the-box marketing and promotion ideas? Know any celebrities?
Please share this info with me
ASAP, but privately.)
So would you be kind enough to act now (spending only about a
minute or two) to support the campaign to get The White-Out Diet
into the hands of people who need it?
Act now, please. Just go here:
=====>>>>>
http://www.WhiteOutDiet.com