It’s time to “juice” up your website and have a little fun. The Publicity Hound Joan Stewart encourages authors to create a Fun Fact page on their website. I’ve heard her say this for years—in fact, truth be told—I did this exercise before; putting together 10 facts … and my computer ate it. I’m not sure what was on the list … I know that my #1 below was. I could easily put together another list … Maybe a “10 More …” will pop another day.
“How?” you ask. According to Joan,
- You can weave fun facts into your bio so add to your uniqueness.
- Add them on a separate page in your online media kit so they stand out.
- Some can be short enough to be pepper your tweet stream.
- Pair them with whimsical stock photos (or your own) and shared on social media.
- Create a Pinterest board dedicated to fun facts about you.
- Radio and TV talk show hosts can steal fun facts and turn them into questions for interviews.
- Use relevant fun facts when pitching journalists.
- Use your facts as ice-breakers at events and when someone who doesn’t know you reads your media kit and wants to contact you.
Start noodling … and pump out items. Think back to 4th grade—heck, I can still hear Mrs. Russell’s wise words—Avoid using the words always and never—they will come back to bite you. I was eight years old!
Yes, you will reveal something about yourself … after all, your inquiring Fans want to know about you! Here’s what One of mine contains:
What say you? … What are 10 things that others probably don’t know about you? Here’s what One (I have two!) of mine says:
(and there’s a story behind every one of them …)
1. I won the “Big Deal” on Let’s Make a Deal hosted by Monty Hall dressed as Raggedy Ann (me–not Monty). My ex got it when I divorced him, claiming it was all his. Jeeze.
2. Not paying attention one afternoon in a Las Vegas hotel, I ran into the butt of an elephant … not once, but twice. After all, it had to be an illusion, right? Nope, the elephant was real. And I’ve used the story in speeches to expected the unexpected!
3. I was the mother of three kids under the age of four before I could legally vote. No regrets.
4. I was so broke, that I was a proficient poacher when I lived in Montana. My family ate.
5. Over dinner one night, Gloria Steinem tried to talk me out of publishing one of my best-selling books, Woman to Woman: From Sabotage to Support, that landed me on every major daytime TV talk show, a cover story on People magazine, features in the Wall Street Journal, Time, News and the National Enquirer–in excess of 1,000 combined TV, radio and print positions. Obviously, I didn’t take her advice. The book was successful and led me in a direction that lasted over 30 years!
6. I wrote to Merv Griffin and asked him if he would give me permission to use his TV show Jeopardy’s music for my presentation, Creating the Confidence Factor. He wrote back and said, “What a wonderful idea. You have permission.” Got it.
7. I was pulled out of a conference audience by Johnny Carson’s favorite animal handler, Jim Fowler to be his assistant. He pulled out a 12-foot boa constrictor and handed it to me. Gulp.
8. I have made a living with my mouth and words for over 35 years. During that time, I’ve had to re-invent myself when my sons died; I died from a medical complication; a partner embezzled $1,000,000 and we lost everything, including home, cars, health; survived cancer; recovered from a brain injury via a speaking gig fall that took away my ability to read for 18 months. Yet, I have a good life. And finally, I’ve revealed much of it in my 2019 release: When God Says NO-Revealing the Yes When Adversity and Loss Are Present.
9. When I was 30, I clinically died. When I was brought back, I was paralyzed for three months below my waist. My second reinvention was to follow.
10. My favorite foreign rights sale was to Saudi Arabia for The Confidence Factor … a book that was written by yours truly, a woman; and a book that was written for women. Not only was it sold once … the publishing company came back and paid to republish after the contract was over. Love it! And today, my books have been everywhere from the local library to the Nelson Mandela in South Africa PLUS enjoyed foreign rights in 17 countries to date!
I had fun doing the FUN FACTS page, that I ended up doing another set. You can find them on my Media Buzz tab on my website. Do one–it adds what is knows as “color” to your serious side.
What say you? Create a Fun Fact page this week and add it to your Speaking and/or Media tab on your website.
Dr. Judith Briles is a book publishing expert and author of 37 multi-award books. She’s guided over 1,000 authors in creating their books, earned in excess of $3,000,000 in speaking fees based on her books and gathered over $2,000,000 in onsite book sales at her speaking gigs. Her latest book, How to Create a $1,000,000 Speech flips a difficult topic into a simple and easily comprehensible plan. If you want to get into speaking, this is the guide that will be the game-changer to success.
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