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Introduction > getting my book sold
Then I'd like to describe the process of getting my book sold,
because that is a fascinating tale in itself.
March 2004
Hey, buddy... Wanna buy a book?
As soon as Esquire named me one of its Best and Brightest and
published that story about my super-cool insider brief making
the rounds of the Pentagon, I started getting cold calls from
literary agents who told me that I just had to pen “the book.” I
was somewhat open to the notion, because whenever I briefed
“outside” audiences (meaning non-military), numerous people
would come up to me afterwards asking where they could buy my
book.
When 9/11 hits, a lot of stuff comes together for me,
as I
lay out in my book’s Preface. Soon, I could see the wider
applicability of my material, and its growing descriptive powers
for those facing tough decisions within the Pentagon about
“transforming” the military. In my 20 months working for
Art Cebrowski in the Office of Force Transformation, I came
to realize, through the dozens of briefs I offered throughout
the Pentagon and defense community, that my vision wasn’t just
my own, but that of many others, especially the younger officers
moving up the ranks.
Then Esquire names me “The Strategist” and Mark Warren asks
me to write the article, and soon after it comes out I get a
call from Jennifer Gates of Zachary Shuster Harmsworth, a
Manhattan literary agency. Jennifer was everything all of my
great mentors are not: female, younger than me, and prone to
wide-eyed optimism that rivals my own. I can’t put my finger on
exactly how she bowled me over with her pitch, all I can say is
that her descriptions of who I am and what I needed to say
dovetailed so perfectly with my own personal dreams of
self-fulfillment as an author that I was figuratively quite
swept away by her enthusiasm and confidence regarding what we
could achieve together.
The Premeditated Book Tour
Day 1: Life on the Sea(m) Land Ho!
Day 2: I'm sorry to eat and run, but ...
Day 3: After it's all said and done
Day 4: Everything within my power
Recap: Everything is spinning
The Selling of the PNM
Out the Door and on the Tour
Selling the PNM -- Day 1 of tour
Selling the PNM -- Day 2 of tour
Selling the PNM -- Day 2 (post script)
Selling the PNM -- Day 3 of tour
Selling the PNM -- Day 3 (post script)
Selling the PNM -- Day 4 of tour
Selling the PNM -- Day 5 of tour
Selling the PNM -- Day 5 of tour
Selling the PNM -- Day 5 of tour
Selling the PNM -- Day 5 of tour
Selling the PNM -- Day 6 of tour
..and on the 7th day, he rests
Selling the PNM -- Day 8 (post script)
Selling the PNM -- Day 9 of tour
Selling the PNM -- Day 9 (part two)
Selling the PNM -- Final Day of Tour
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