I put in a lot of time each day on social media hustling Casa Claire, my brand and my books, but I am never alone in that hustle.
https://youtu.be/JU9TouRnO84?si=R0DnhEyGEVutPeHm
I get approached on social media on a daily basis by numerous people who are out there hustling on their own journeys through life. Unfortunately, most are complete scammers, which is okay because dodging their bullshit keeps you sharp. It’s like kumite in a martial arts class. Regularly practicing at fighting them off in the dojo is essential for survival on the streets.
Always remember, there are no free lunches and if it sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true.
I’ve had scam agents, film producers and many things in between appeal to my literary vanity and then try to sell me the Brooklyn Bridge.
Most of them don’t realize that I’ve spent the last forty years sniffing out bullshit as a NYC litigator.
Every once in a while, you meet a talented person like the young man named James Timothy from the Philippines who offered to create the marketing video for The Wise Ass.
He did a great job, and you can find the final product embedded on my Home Page on this website.
The Wise Novelist – Tom McCaffrey – Author
But to get there he had to provide the goods and services he promised before he saw a single penny. He’s did a great job and I highly recommend him to any author looking for a marketing video for a reasonable price.
Reach out to James Timothy at Lumetrio Studios: james@lumetriostudios.com
That’s a legitimate hustle by a person trying to their work out there. They are honest and talented.
Recently, I have been approached by another person on social media soliciting marketing work on Free R.A.D.I.C.A.L.
Like James Timothy, Jack Edward – why is it that men from the Philippines are like US WASPs, always with a first given and a first surname – who was trying to solicit my marketing business.
Jack is extremely polite, and like James extremely persistent as I repeatedly rejected offers to provide me with a sample of his work – which he sent anyway with the representation that I’m free to use it as I want –
Now over the past five years I’ve seen enough book marketing postings to realize that as nice as this looks, it’s just a matter of figuring out how to use AI to superimpose my novel on a preexisting backdrop. Sure, that takes skill and effort, which I respect, but this sample hasn’t blown me away enough to cause me to part with a share of my limited marketing budget. Maybe if it employed a Sydney Sweeny-ish naked spin with the open book barely covering the most interesting parts — but I digress.
Jack has now offered to provide me with a sample trailer for the same book. Since he doesn’t take no for an answer, I expect I’ll see another video relatively soon. I’ll be sure to make it available to my fine, five readers if it warrants the look. If it blows me away, who knows?
But the point is that these young men are hustling the proper way. Like Costco’s endcaps, they provide a free sample of their goods to the shoppers with the hopes that they are tasty enough to warrant someone actually buying a whole box of their product.
I get that. That is one of the reasons I post my daily blogs. Each day is a free sample of my writing wit, humor and general cleverness. I just put it out there with the hopes that someone who comes across it reads one or more entries that tickle their fancy and makes them want to invest in the purchase of one of my novels.
It’s a free taste that hopes for a Pavlovian response from a hungry reader looking for an enjoyable literary meal.
So maybe today’s taste of my writing will compel one or more of my fine, five readers to place a pre-order for that lovely novel appearing in the above photos. Just hit that embedded jump-site.
Amazon.com: Free RADICAL: 9781685138424: McCaffrey, Tom: Books
And tell a friend.
Well, that’s it for today’s hustle.
Thank God It’s Friday!
My fine, five readers have hopefully gotten the week’s projects done and dusted.
Now just slip in one door, make sure at least three co-workers see you milling about the office and then slip out another door and onto the magical Friday off-ramp to the weekend. You have earned it.
But no matter what else we get up to, let us make today a great one.
