AUSTRALIA HERE I COME?
Yesterday my agent submitted my formal proposal to 4 prospective publishers. It is titled: SMACK IN THE MIDDLE: MY ODYSSEY TREATING HEROIN ADDICTS IN THE SIXTIES - A MEMOIR
In 1967 I was a budding psychotherapist who got a break working as a psychologist in an innovative therapeutic community treating heroin addicts called Odyssey House - located in Greenwich Village, New York City.
For the first 4 months I thought my experience was the equivalent of a return to my own personal Garden of Eden. But, because of the machinations of the charismatic lawyer/psychiatrist thirty three year executive director - a Jeckyl/Hide complex personality - the last 14 months my progressively feeling as if as if I was partially living in a sequal of One Flew Over the Cuckoos' Nest.
I had to sort out the wheat of good treatment from the chaffe of malevolent abuse. In so doing I noted in my journal a gap between objective research and too often corrupted practice.
THE COINCIDENCE
In reading my e mail less than a half hour ago I came upon a conference that is going to be held in Australia sponsored by Australia Odyssey House - a spin off of the New York Odyssey. The theme of the conference is Research and Practice.
MY INTERPRETATION
From my perspective meaningful coincidences (sycnchronicities) indicate that a significant psychological problem has been resolved. This means that a conflict that seemed to be irreconcilable consisting of two mutually untenable paths has been resolved by my creating or discovering an acceptable third alternative of which I was previously unaware.
This interpretation is valid as I have been in a quandry about the next phase of publishing my book - that of marketing it. Like many new authors I have felt shy, hyper self-conscious about getting out there and boldly conducting an aggressive publicity campaign. It is one thing to appreciate the fact that the book may intrinsically be a good but the practical issue is will it sell? Additionally I have read and heard enough to know that even under the best of conditions unpublished new authors are expected to be active participants in the marketing 'game'.
It has only been in the last few days that I have consciously altered my passive attitude from let the book speak for itself on the one side to being over concerned about being accused of shameless self promotion on the other. My realization is that I can still retain my dignity and integrity by passionately throwing myself into the ramparts of an all out marketing campaign to inform the world by maintaining the attitude that since I sincerely believe that I have something important to share I have no other alternative than to actively announce it in a variety of ways and locations to alert interested readers in this fact and and to invite one and all who are interested in this subject to come take a look.
Applying this shift in attitude to the coincidence in question: the Odyssey conference with its timely theme of Research and Practice is like a green light that I am in synch with pressing the marketing phase of publication.
Just yesterday my agent asked if I would be willing to travel abroad to market MY ODYSSEY. I enthusiastically said I would love to. Today as if it was fated - Odyssey Australia presents me with an opportunity to do just that if I choose to do so.
I attribute nothing occult to the conjoining of My Odyssey book, my personal odyssey, and my odyssey about publishing and marketing my first to be published book, and the timely conference sponsored by Odyssey, Australia. The importance to me is the special meaning I attriubted to the confluence of all of these various intersecting Odysseys. It indeed marks a major shift in my consciousness with respect to my idenity and how I wish to use it.
It matters little to me as to whether or not I actually go there - what is more significant is the significant shift of attitude freeing me to actively participate in an activity and a process which as recent as a few months ago I would have been notably reluctant to do.
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Comments: 13
EnJoy the journey, wherever it takes you. The shift in consciousness is the shift toward freedom to simply, enjoy the ride.
I suspect you might be trapping yourself in the statement "It matters little to me as to whether or not I actually go there." I think the physical reality of going is a far cry from a simple attitude shift. Whether or not your book is ready, you would have quite a chance to network by going and practicing the art of self-promotion. Just my opinion, but deeply felt.
Marketing is no "game" -- it's in dead earnest and hard work. Having spent years marketing my own work (art and writing) and the work of others, may I offer a couple of suggestions? I spent twenty years "on the road" as an independent rep, working for just commissions, no draws or salary, selling fine art and prints to interior designers and architects, also writing about it and selling a series of articles to American Artist Magazine.
Fine artists are usually poor marketers of their own work; too ego involved to accept criticism, which is sure to come. I signed my own art, Claude LeChat (after my cat, who often helped) not because I feared bad comment, a lot of it deserved, but if I used my own name, my customers might have hesitated sharing what their real art needs were for fear of offending me and depriving me of the chance to sell someone else's work which was a better fit. You should use every means at your disposal to "get the word," even before you have a publishing contract. (It may help you get one) Find out if Odessy Australia will hand out a synopsis or precis' of your book to participants, or, if you are comfortable in reading excerpts, a CD. When you have a contract and pub date, Google library addresses by state and start sending emails, along with any advance comments or reviews. Don't be shy - ask for the order - request that they add the book to their collection. There are thousands of email addresses available by Googling defined groups, such as Independent Book Stores. Your publisher will hit the majors, but miss many of the minors. And, of course, find out if there are other Odessy afilliates around the world and contact them - before and after the book comes out. This just scratches the surface of ways to promote, but when you find out how time consuming promotion really is, you may be sorry you asked.
Good luck - keep us informed.
All the best to you!
This is highly unlikely as Densen-Gerber behaved so terribly and damaged so many lives here in Australia while at the same time Odyssey held her up as a saint. The current management of Odyssey Australia would cringe with embarrassement. If they did allow Gibbs to read from his memoirs (without interferance or censorship), I would love to be in the room.
For a recent insight into the practices of Odyssey Sydney please go to:
http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/a60a6a8d2db7ace1ca256e6a0024cf47/ca256d11000bd3aaca2569590005a51a!OpenDocument
Note the unnamed "Manager" of Odyssey House is Mr James A Pitts from Michigan.
For more information please email me glennj@dodo.com.au
The above link seems to be too long so simply google:
"Death Of Sunny Dryden 15/08/2000 Australia" for the Government Hansard on Odyssey House Sydney. Here is an excerpt:
"On 16 July 1998 Terrigal police knocked on Mr Dryden's door to inform him that his daughter had died from a heroin overdose the previous evening. He had not been notified by Odyssey House that only the previous day his daughter had been asked to leave for smoking with a friend on the roof. Her friend Vanessa, who was also expelled, told Mr Dryden that despite protests they were given only 20 minutes to pack their bags and leave. She said that she and Sunny pleaded to be given a second chance, but they were refused on the ground that they already had had too many chances. Twenty minutes later Sunny and Vanessa were at Minto station, with $7 for train fares in their pockets. At 10.45 the following morning Mr Dryden received the knock on his door that every parent dreads."
James Pitts and Odyssey Sydney's doctrine of "Tough Love" in action.