Author Q&A: Danel S Kaus, "You Can be Famous!"

Publicity is an essential element to any writers' success. Author Danek S. Kaus wrote You Can Be Famous! Insider Secrets to Getting Free Publicity to help writers and creatives get an edge in that area. He speaks with Write On! about his book and career; plus, offers publicity tips. Kaus, who can be found on Facebook and Twitter, is a produced screenwriter. He has published hundreds of articles in about 75 newspapers and magazines, and is the co-author of Power Publicity: Using Hypnotic Influence to Win in Life, Love and Business.

When and how did you start writing?
I wrote my first story when I was in elementary school. It was a pirate tale, with lots of swords and cannons and exploding ships, the things young boys back then liked in stories. Probably still do. I had a good time doing it because I was vividly imagining all the mayhem as I was writing. It was my own private movie.

I was an avid reader and enjoyed novels, biographies, history, and science. They say that good writers are readers, so perhaps all the time spent reading, including under the covers with a flashlight, when I was supposed to be sleeping, filled my subconscious with both a love of writing, and the ability to put words on the page.

When I went to college, I had a double major in creative writing and American lit, with a minor in drama. Once I graduated, I learned nobody was hiring people to write the great American novel, so I went back to school and studied journalism. I started selling newspaper articles before I finished my first semester.

How did You Can Be Famous! come about?
I've worked as a newspaper editor, staff writer, and freelance journalist. Several years ago, I started doing PR, as well. One thing I noticed on a pretty consistent basis is that few of the people approaching the newspapers I worked with, and later my own clients, had any idea of how to go about getting free publicity. I wrote You Can Be Famous! to help small business owners, creative types, organizations, and people with jobs to learn how to effectively promote themselves to the media and the Internet.

What was your process for writing it?
I almost never write with an outline. I usually have some key topics or points in mind and a general sense of the flow and where I want to go. Of course, I often get delightfully surprised along the way.

In You Can Be Famous!, I first introduced the concept of publicity, then described the tools of publicity--the press release, bio, etc. Then I broke down the book into specific media. There's are chapters on newspapers, radio, TV, public speaking, and so on.

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