How fans of POLIOPTICS can help build momentum for OFF SCRIPT

Dear listeners of Polioptics,

Polioptics has been off the air for almost two years, but here we are on March 26, 2016, and in exactly one month St. Martin’s Press will be publishing my book – OFF SCRIPT: An Advance Man’s Guide to White House Stagecraft, Campaign Spectacle, and Political Suicide.

Just this morning, I received my first printed copy of the final book. It looks great; a very exciting day for a first-time author.

I’m writing, humbly, for two reasons. First and foremost, I hope you’ll read the book and enjoy it. Second, if you’re willing, I hope you’ll help me spread the word about it.

It’s still early in the roll-out process, but the book has already received strong reviews from Fortune magazineLibrary Journal and Kirkus Reviews.

  • Fortune“King has written one of the best political books this writer has ever encountered…worthy of John McPhee.”
  • Library Journal: “King presents one of the liveliest and funniest political books of recent years; it will keep political junkies and campaign professionals guffawing and learning. He has done for advance men and women what Timothy Crouse’s The Boys on the Bus did for print journalists almost a half-century ago.”
  • Kirkus Reviews: “An eye-opening trip behind the political scene demonstrating how showbiz helped money wreck our political landscape. If you enjoy the TV show Veep, you’ll enjoy this book.”

Well, I do enjoy Veep. More reviews should be coming in the weeks ahead, and I trust it will be okay to share an update or two.

In addition, a group of renowned operatives from both sides of the political fence, as well as writers of enormous accomplishment in journalism and entertainment, have weighed in with generous endorsements. They’re listed below in alphabetical order:

Don Baer, Mike Barnicle, Paul Begala, Jay Carney, Mark Halperin, John Heilemann, Joe Lockhart, Mike McCurry, Mark McKinnon, Brad Meltzer, John Podhoretz, Karl Rove, George Stephanopoulos, Danny Strong, Nicolle Wallace, Beau Willimon

You can read what all of these fine folks have said about OFF SCRIPT by clicking here.

Many friends have asked, “How can I help you build awareness about the book?” There are several ways, all of which come with my enduring gratitude.

  1. Purchase a book. Better yet, purchase a dozen for your friends and family, your book club, or that grad who’ll be working on the campaign this summer. I’ve been told not to be bashful about this request, which I make with some hesitation, but every advance purchase through Amazon,Barnes & Noble or your local bookseller counts as ‘first week sales’ for the various bestseller lists. If nothing else, I promise a good read.
  2. Write a review. When you buy a book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, you are free to write your thoughts and assign a rating to the book. These reviews, among peer readers, build momentum for the book through electronic word-of-mouth. I would be eternally grateful for any kind words that you can share about the stories and ideas in OFF SCRIPT
  3. Spread the word through social networks. The most powerful grass roots catalyst to launch the book will occur through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and similar sites. Please follow me on those sites (I’m @Polioptics on Twitter) and retweet, comment or share news that I post about OFF SCRIPTMore powerful still is if you can offer your own brief blurb, or link to one of the reviews or booksellers to help build awareness. I’ll be sure to “like” or “retweet” anything that references the book.
  4. Help me see what I’ve missed. I’ve ticked through some ways that good-hearted souls can help grow a following for OFF SCRIPT, but I’m sure there’s plenty I’ve overlooked. Is there? If it will sell books, I’m glad to give a talk at a local bookstore or speak to a larger group if you have one. I’m open to any ideas you have about how to take this effort to the next level.

My experience as a first-time author has been many years in the making, and I’m very thankful for the many friends I’ve made on this journey. I’ve been experimenting in different ways with how to tell this story, from my first article on advance work in 2001 through the 159 episodes of Polioptics that aired from 2011 through 2014 on SiriusXM Satellite Radio. In ways, OFF SCRIPT brings the story full circle.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Gratefully,

Josh King

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