Social networking for authors, Entering Hades, props to Norman Mailer

What can authors learn from the social networking efforts of Coca Cola?

Social networking platforms, like blogs, can do wonders for increasing your web presence. What is a “social networking platform” you ask? Without descending into the depths of geekery, it’s a web tool that brings people with like interests and activities together. MySpace, LinkedIn, and Facebook are excellent examples. More and more corporations have started using these social networking sites to their advantage. It helps with brand awareness, dispels information to potentially millions of unique visitors, and can help position a company to a broader demographic range. Some great examples of companies jumping on the social media wagon include recent Cherry Coke and Adidas media campaigns on MySpace. Adidas currently has 80,879 friends. P&P has a MySpace page where we count authors and media contacts in our FriendSpace. It’s been a great networking tool for us. If you’re an author looking for a dynamic way to get your message out there, it might be time to try a social networking site. MySpace is one of the most popular among authors. It’s easy to set up, and it’s free.

John Leake’s Entering Hades-The Double Life of a Serial Killer published amid excellent reviews

Entering Hades (Sarah Crichton Books/ Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, November 2007) is the true crime story of serial killer Jack Unterweger and his international reign of terror throughout the last quarter of the twentieth century. It’s an interesting, albeit gruesome look at one of the most sadistic, meticulous serial killers in recent memory. Leake, a native of Dallas, has already received great reviews for his well researched look into the twisted mind of Unterweger. Check out his mention in the Texas Pages, the books blog of the Dallas Morning News. The book’s private launch party is this evening in Dallas. For more information, including his list of upcoming appearances, please visit Leake’s website.

Norman Mailer passes away at the age of 84

Prolific American novelist, playwright, journalist and screenwriter passed away last Saturday. Professionally, Mailer was perhaps best known for his 1948 piece The Naked and The Dead and his 1979 book The Executioner’s Song, for which he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. He was considered one of the preeminent innovators of the creative nonfiction genre and was a founder of The Village Voice, now one of the country’s most well-known alternative weeklies. Clearly, Mailer did so much for American literature. He had a colorful life that included six marriages, nine children and a run for mayor of New York City. Gay Talese told the Associated Press, "He could do anything he wanted to do — the movie business, writing, theater, politics. He never thought the boundaries were restricted. He‘d go anywhere and try anything. He was a courageous person, a great person, fully confident, with a great sense of optimism." The Economist sums him up best. (registration may be required)