With a Little Help From My Friends

A Literal Literary Loser Learns (Late)

I’m bad at asking for help.

I like to think I’m good at offering it. I give to charity. I sit on several philanthropic boards. I run an entire website dedicated to helping parents navigate the NYC education system for their children.

But I’m very bad at asking for help.

Even when I need it.

Especially when I need it.

I need it now.

As I explained in my very first post back in October of 2021: I am 52 years old. I have published 17 books. My writing career has just reset to Square One. I have no publisher. I have no agent. This will be the story of me trying to reset, revitalize, rise from the ashes, and any other cliche you can think of.

Since that confession, I’ve been picked up by a new publisher. “My Mother’s Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region” is scheduled for release this November - a little over a year since I first began chronicling my journey.

I need for this book to be a success… or I’ll end up even further behind. Possibly even further behind than I was this past October.

I need to come up with some great, original, effective marketing ideas.

I used to be really good at coming up with great, original, effective marketing ideas.

When I worked for Procter & Gamble Productions, I came up with a tie-in book to celebrate “As the World Turns” 50th anniversary on the air. “Oakdale Confidential” was a New York Times bestseller.

To promote my Figure Skating Mystery series, I partnered with two-time Olympic gold medalist Dick Button to produce his Twitter commentary of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The 5-Books-In-1 compendium was an Amazon best-seller.

I desperately need to think of something equally compelling to promote “My Mothers’ Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region.”

I got nothing.

I could blame it on pandemic burnout. I could blame it on being out of the publishing game for too long. I could blame it on being 52 (see above).

Or I could admit that I need to ask for help.

Even though I am very bad at it.

I can’t do this alone.

I need a little help from my friends.

So this is me, asking for help.

This is me learning how to ask for help.

All ideas welcome.

Please.