What Happens After Publication?

Diane Diekman, long-time member of the Internet Writing Workshop, is the author of a biography of the legendary country music singer Faron Young, published by the University of Illinois Press -- Live Fast, Love Hard.

The project has been a labor of love for Diekman, so much so that she intends to follow up with a biography of a Young contemporary, Marty Robbins.

One thing Diekman has learned, though, is that an author bears a significant responsibility for book promotion and sales. Diekman recently traveled from her home on the east coast to the country music capital of Nashville, Tennessee on a promotional tour.

She reported, "I'm back home from a great weekend in Nashville. Eddie Stubbs invited me two years ago to be a guest on his WSM radio show when the book came out. It finally happened, and we had an enjoyable three hours Thursday evening talking about Faron and playing his music. Friday morning I drove to Dickson, Tennessee, for two hours with Chuck Dauphin on WDKN Radio and more Faron music."

Not one to let a trip to Nashville serve only one purpose, she noted "Friday afternoon Mick Buck gave me a tour of the Marty Robbins exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame. That is well done -- I was impressed with how so much information could be compacted into a display."

Diekman also appeared at a book festival. "The Southern Festival of Books on Saturday was a new experience for me. I've attended many book festivals but never as an author. Bob Cox and I presented "From the Hills to the Honky Tonks: Two Country Legends." He gave a presentation on Fiddlin' Charlie Bowman, complete with slides and music. Mine was more of an off-the-cuff talk. I gave a few highlights of Faron's life and his influence in Nashville and then explained how I came to write his biography. That afternoon I met Bobby Braddock, who talked about his book, "Down in Orburndale." We bought each other's books and exchanged autographs. Bobby is now working on a book about his Nashville days."

Diane continues to promote the Young biography. It's obvious that the audience for her current publication will have an interest in the Marty Robbins work. She publishes a regular newsletter about her activities as an author. Contact her if you'd like to be added to her mailing list.