What's a book without a release party? I was truly overwhelmed with how many wonderful people came out on Sunday, January 13 at San Diego Writers, Ink—the room where it all began—to support the Flygirl release. Special thanks to Adam Ross from The Secret Stash, Lacey Impellizeri and Holly Kammier from Acorn Publishing, and Andre Montano for helping make my day extra special. It was a huge success! (Pictures taken by Lacey Impellizeri and Jen Coburn.)
buzz bəz/noun an atmosphere of excitement and activity. "there is a real buzz about Flygirl"
I build buzz. I try and find ways to get people excited about my debut novel Flygirl. This is my job now.
Look, I’m crazy about the book— obviously—and hope everyone reads and enjoys it. But can’t I just publish it and sit around waiting for the Pulitzer committee to text?
As if!
So how do you stoke the flame of excitement for a book whose January 2019 publication date is still a ways away?
ASK FOR HELP! Friends, your loyalty has been overwhelming. Would you be willing to jump on the buzz bandwagon with me? Here’s a list of things you can do:
Share YOUR Flygirl experience with your friends and on social media. Were you one of my subject matter experts or Beta readers? If so, your name’s in the book! That’s a brag-worthy tidbit if there ever was one.
Include a link to my website (www.rdkardonauthor.com) on your social media pages. Ask your friends to check it out, see what’s what, and if they’d like to learn more.
Engage in a conversation with me about: -Female pilots. I mean, have you ever had one or more on YOUR flight? How did you feel about it? Or did you even care? -Women in the workplace. Good experiences? Bad? -Any situation where you’ve felt marginalized, belittled or bullied in a professional setting. What was your response?
It’s hard to make this request, asking people to donate their time and effort to someone else’s treasured project. Something as simple as a retweet or post ‘Like’ can take us away from pressing projects.
You cannot possibly know how much your past and continued support means to me. Publishing a book exercises the gratitude muscle like nothing else I’ve ever done.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Wanna buzz in my ear? Reply to this email or reach out directly at contact@rdkardonauthor.com.
My debut novel Flygirl is inspired by actual events I experienced as a professional pilot. The book highlights the important issue of fairness and diversity in aviation, and the effect that the actions of a few troubled, misguided people can have on a person’s career.
Yet, most of the pilots I flew with over the years were smart, competent, and supportive.
I spent four years flying corporate jets. On one trip in the Falcon 900, I flew with a captain we’ll call Roger—because that’s his name.
Roger and I arrived at our destination late, and had an early departure the next day. We didn’t have time to get the airplane thoroughly cleaned, as we had to race to the hotel, get a meal, and rest.
I noticed that the back of the airplane smelled more than typically foul. When I opened the door to the lav, the first thing I saw was feces stuck to the side of the aluminum bowl. After flushing several times while holding my nose, the, uh, problem was not solved.
Roger stood next to me, stone-faced as we reviewed the situation. He scratched his head. I hemmed and hawed. But our thoughtfulness did not solve the problem.
“Well, we can’t leave the airplane overnight in this condition,” Roger concluded.
“I agree.”
“Ok. So. You’re the co-pilot.” Roger pursed his lips, satisfied with his solution.
“And?” I shrugged.
“Just use a plastic knife,” Roger suggested as he snagged some snacks to eat in the hotel room.
“Huh? Plastic knife? Why?” I called after him. I didn’t get it. Yet.
“Scrape the stuff off. C’mon, I’m tired. Let’s go already!”
And so I did.
So, next time you see one of those shiny corporate jets and think how glamorous it must be to fly them, remember the scrape I was in!
