Tuesday, October 25, 2011

On the Air With Writers' Block


Writer's Bloc will become Writers' Block on Tuesday, Nov. 1, at around 9:05 a.m., when KFUN and I launch a program about writing, writers, books and writing challenges. The content will be pretty far flung but the idea is to acquaint the listening audience with the many talented authors, poets and word smiths in Las Vegas and the area. It is my hope we will go further afield and interview well-known writers from elsewhere as well. We'll also be talking a bit about publishing, both traditional publishing and self-publishing.

The first is becoming more and more difficult to get into, primarily because the industry must look at what will sell and sell big. Creating and printing books is a costly endeavor. Agents which are almost as difficult to snag as publishers must look at the bottom line and if the bottom line has the potential of being red, they take a pass.

Self-publishing has its own pitfalls, and while I'm familiar with some of them, I'm still learning and the curve just gets steeper and steeper, mostly because I'm too cheap to purchase professional services like editing and marketing, two key elements in putting out a quality book.

We will also be looking for writers to submit work for writing challenges. Winning authors will be interviewed and their essays, poems or commentaries read on the air. Details will be forthcoming as the program develops.

I want to thank Joseph Baca, author of Blessings in Disguise, and owner of KFUN and its sister station KLVF, for this opportunity.

My first guests on Nov.1 will be JoRita Jordan and Martha McCaffery, members of the Las Vegas Camera Club. They will be talking about Sacred Places of San Miguel  County, a collection of photos from the club's 2010 exhibit. It is a beautiful publication and I look forward to talking to them about the book and the publishing process.

Please tune in and tell your friends about Writers Block on KFUN. There is also online access at www.kfunonline.com.