The Tortoise and the Media
I read a feel-good story about a couple, Erika and Jay Johnson, both veterinarians, whose ringbearer at their wedding was a pet tortoise. The story caught my eye because it’s unique, right?
It got me thinking about media attention. The couple didn’t set out to get their wedding in the news. They didn’t think, when they first met, oh, let’s befriend a tortoise just so we can have a special ring bearer at our wedding. In actual fact, they met 20 years earlier doing a wild tortoise study. So incorporating their loved one—who happened to be a tortoise—into their wedding made sense.
It’s the same with our own stories. They’re like the tortoise. We can’t possibly start down this path with the full intent of engineering media attention. If we do, we’ll worry about how to spark the flame of an unpredictable media universe—whether the media is mainstream, social or niche. We’ll end up focusing on how to garner attention rather than how to write the best story we can.
Instead, start with a story you love, then nurture and care for it—and eventually show it off. Then be patient. Media attention on your writing is a long game.
And if your story is like the tortoise? Well, then, we know from the fable about the tortoise and the hare who wins. 🙂