Writers & Illustrators of the Future Workshop Week
2023 – Day 8

Contributed by Martin Shoemaker

The final day of instruction for the Writer and Illustrator workshops was a detailed discussion on Professional Promotion and PR Seminar with Galaxy Press President John Goodwin, VP PR Emily Goodwin, and Social Media Manager Claude Sandoz, as well as special guests Joe Montaldo, Carmen Bartolo, and Jody Lynn Nye.

The session opened with Timothy Woodward Jr. from Status Media & Entertainment, who spoke on working with film and television.

Next John Goodwin introduced the meaning, purpose, and challenges of public relations. He encouraged the winners to see themselves as what they truly are: accomplished international winners who can proudly present themselves as professional writers and artists. He showed ways that they can stretch beyond their current promotional efforts, showing confidence without arrogance.

After that, Carmen Bartolo discussed the process of lining up, booking, and conducting interviews and speaking engagements. The Contest will actively seek out media interviews for each of the winners while also teaching them how to make their own contacts. Next Emily Goodwin discussed the specific process of book bombs and book signings, with help from past winners Kary English and Martin L. Shoemaker.

After a break, Joe Montaldo, owner of United Public Media, discussed radio and video interviews and how to present yourself to a large audience. He spoke of ways to qualify interviewers in order to avoid common pitfalls.

Next Writer Coordinating Judge Jody Lynn Nye and Illustrator Judge Lazarus Chernik spoke on elevator pitches, tools for quickly making a listener want to know more about your story. They assigned the writers and illustrators an exercise of crafting and analyzing elevator pitches.