Author: CMPR

Mamie Phipps Clark: Champion for Children by Lynnette Mawhinney

Posted on by CMPR

“Combining the mind of a scientist, the dedication of a civil rights activist, and the compassion of an advocate for children, Dr. Clark was an unstoppable force!”

The histories of influential women, especially Black women, often go untold. Mamie Phipps Clark, Champion for Children (Magination Press, February 2024, ISBN: 978-1433830488) by Lynnette Mawhinney is the third book in the American Psychological Association’s Extraordinary Women in Psychology series, which aims to bring their stories into the spotlight. This inspiring graphic novel tells the story of groundbreaking psychologist and civil rights activist Dr. Mamie Phipps Clark and her research on the racial identity and development of self in Black children. Her work played a vital role in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case that would desegregate U.S. schools.

Mamie was born and raised in Hot Springs, Arkansas, during a time when U.S. laws intentionally disadvantaged Black people and permitted racial segregation. Dr. Clark’s time growing up in the U.S. South was supported by a warm and nurturing Black community, but there was one hard, pivotal moment that changed everything for her. When a Hot Springs resident named Gilbert Harris was lynched, the community was outraged and outspoken about the atrocity. Mamie’s eyes were opened to the injustices, discriminations, and unfair treatment that her community faced. From then on, she began to ask herself, “I wonder what I can do? I wonder how I can help?”

With rich and engaging illustrations, Mamie Phipps Clark, Champion for Children shows how she became an unstoppable force to champion for Black children. She was the first Black woman to graduate from Columbia University with a doctorate degree in psychology, where she began her research on the development of self-image in Black children that eventually became the famous Black-doll/White-doll experiments. These tests exposed the negative effects of racial segregation in childhood development and became pivotal in the fight to end segregation of schools in the U.S.

Mamie Phipps Clark, Champion for Children is a hopeful biography that opens an important conversation about race, identity, and history for a middle-grade audience. Filled with interesting news stories and thought-provoking activities, Mamie Phipps Clark, Champion for Children encourages readers to carry on Mamie’s legacy and become champions for themselves and others in their community.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lynnette Mawhinney, PhD, is Professor of Urban Education at Rutgers University-Newark and affiliated faculty in Africana Studies. She helps to prepare future urban teachers for the classroom, and her academic research focuses on retention and recruitment of teachers of color and diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in K-12 urban schools. She is an award-winning author and scholar of seven books. Her first children’s book, Lulu The One and Only, received a starred review from Kirkus. She lives in New Jersey.

Mamie Phipps Clark: Champion for Children
By Lynnette Mawhinney
Illustrated by Neil Evans
Magination Press
Publication Date: February 6th, 2024
ISBN: 978-1433830488 | Hardcover
Price: $18.99 | Pages: 144

The Great Gatsby Murder Case by David Finkle

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The Great Gatsby Murder Case “I had barely finished reading the first sentence when a strange thing happened. I’d say the strangest thing happened, if it weren’t that even stranger things were to follow.”

In David Finkle’s mystery novel, The Great Gatsby Murder Case (Plum Bay Publishing, November 15 2024, ISBN: 979-8-9858564-5-3), Daniel Freund indeed proves to have the strangest week of his life after he acquires a curious 1953 edition of The Great Gatsby left on a neighboring stoop. A writer himself, Daniel has been collecting copies of the beloved American tale by F. Scott Fitzgerald for years. 

As he embarks on his annual re-read, however, this proves to be the most interesting read yet and his routine is turned completely upside down. In one magical moment, words begin lifting off the page and he realizes the book is speaking to him—and it’s telling him there’s been a murder that only he has the keys to solve. 

Set in present day New York City, The Great Gatsby Murder Case follows amateur sleuth Daniel Freund and his unlikely allies as he spearheads the journey to discover the truth behind the death of the previous owner of this copy of The Great Gatsby. 

When the words on the page begin to glow and a hand appears out of the pages sending Daniel secret messages, he cannot ignore the urge to discover what is going on. Prompted by The Great Gatsby itself, Daniel begins his own investigation. Accompanied by a hardheaded retired police detective and a nosy-body neighbor, he works to unfold the pieces of this supposedly solved case. He knows a murder took place, the book told him so, so why is everyone else convinced it was suicide?

Teeming with curiosity, adventure, magic, and worries about leaving the case unsolved, The Great Gatsby Murder Case is a clever and humorous piece of magical realism that explores the idea of a murder mystery in a whole new way.

“Finkle’s prose is lean and energetic, and he thankfully wastes little time attempting to establish a sense of verisimilitude.”
–Kirkus Reviews 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Finkle is a New York-based writer who concentrates on politics and the arts. He writes regularly on theater for New York Stage Review. He’s contributed to scores of publications, including The New York Times, The Village Voice, The New York Post, The Nation, The New Yorker, New York, Vogue, Mirabella, Harper’s Bazaar, Psychology Today, Saturday Review and American Theatre. He is on the weekly podcast, The Hour of Lateral Thinking. He is the author of People Tell Me Things, a story collection, The Man With the Overcoat, a novel, Humpty Trumpty Hit a Brick Wall: Donald J. Trump’s First Year in Verse, Great Dates With Some Late Greats, a story collection, and Keys to an Empty House, a novel.

The Great Gatsby Murder Case
By David Finkle
Plum Bay Publishing
Publication Date: November 15, 2024
ISBN: 979-8-9858564-5-3
Original Trade Paperback
Price: $17.99 | Pages: 246

Using Stories to Promote Your Book on Instagram

Posted on by CMPR

Instagram is a popular social media platform for influencers, including authors and readers. Using every feature the platform has available, including Stories to promote your book, can be very helpful to your campaign. Start by following celebrity and influencer accounts, as well as fellow authors, to get a rounded grasp of how useful Instagram Stories can be for public figures.

Instagram tends to skew young in terms of who is using the platforms, from teenagers to millennials in their mid-30s. As an author, it can be useful to tap into these age groups to cultivate a new audience for your books and/or brand.

How Instagram Stories work is that the photo you post will disappear after 24 hours of your posting of it, unlike regular posts. Instagram feed posts and Reels are there permanently unless deleted by the user. They are good to use for more temporary ideas you have that will not stay on your feed forever.

Using Stories to Your Advantage as an Author:

Use them for exclusive content. Are you in the middle of writing a new book? Insta-story a line from a chapter you just wrote. Are you writing a short story for a new anthology? Snap a photo of yourself with one of the other authors or editor with something along the lines of, “Meeting with so-and-so today. Can’t wait to show you our latest project coming soon!” Creating some mystery and suspense will excite your followers.

A personal glimpse into your life. We all want to know what our favorite celebrities are doing – and posting photos of themselves cooking food, out to dinner, enjoying a concert, or reading a book achieve that aspect of making followers feel like they are included in their lives. You can do the same thing as an author by taking a video of a book you are reading or your new writing desk setup.

Hold a contest. Gain followers on Instagram by holding a contest–they have to follow you to enter and the winner will receive an advanced reader’s copy of your upcoming book, a box set, or a signed copy of your newest release. 

Engage your followers. Try posting a question or hosting a poll. “What are you reading today?” or “What’s coming up on your TBR?” will engage your followers by having them respond in a message. Respond back so that they can feel that you are engaged with them as well and begin to form personal relationships with your readers.

Using Stories to promote your book on Instagram is yet another aspect to using the platform to your full advantage. Start out by posting a few personal things from your week, and see how your readers respond. You may find yourself discovering a new outlet to engage with your followers and potential new readers.

Using Reels to Promote Your Book on Instagram

Posted on by CMPR

Over the past few years, it has become clear that Instagram is no longer just a photo sharing platform. Reels are one of the best ways to grow on Instagram, but they can be very overwhelming for those who are not familiar with creating video content. Here are some ideas you can use to promote your book using Reels. 

Following Trends

Did you know that you can follow hashtags? If not, I suggest you do that now, starting with #BookTok and #Bookstagram. Bookstagrammers and authors use these hashtags to showcase content around books and writing. 

Often there are fun and easy Reels trends on these hashtags that require minimal filming and editing. Monitoring the type of content users are enjoying in these bookish spaces and tailoring the content specifically to your book will give you a bit of an edge.

You do not have to dance or point to make a Reel that performs well, but you do need to show up consistently with valuable content.

Check out this one from a fantasy author promoting his book with the use of quotes here.

General Tips and Tricks

Think of Instagram Reels like a business card. The point is to spread the content far and wide, not overloading your viewer with too much information. 

Do not introduce yourself. In the Reels format, you just do not have the time. This also might not hook your viewer. Instead, lead with educational or entertainment value and have an optimized profile to explain who you are to convert viewers to followers. 

Try using stock footage. We get it, you don’t always have the time or energy to film with your face on camera. Did you know you can find faceless stock footage online to use in your Reels? For example, grab a stock video of someone flipping through book pages (make sure you read the fine print and that it’s free use), and put quotes from your book over the footage. Simple!

Include a call to action. A call to action is an essential part of any content you make that has a purpose. People will not always engage with your content in the way you want them to unless you tell them how to do so. If you want people to comment or follow, tell them! For Reels, an excellent call to action in the caption is to comment a specific word, alerting you to DM them a link or a freebie.

Grab our free e-guide to social media marketing for information on all social platforms.

CRM or SPAM?: The Age of Over Marketing

Posted on by CMPR

Today, I’m watching a business channel and a commercial for Grammarly Business appears. In it, employees are being sucked into their computers, overwhelmed by emails they need to reply to. Of course, the AI tools available in the software are supposed to make things more efficient. I look at this problem from a different angle.

Too Much of an Email Thing

We are overwhelmed by volume, most of which doesn’t need responses. Email inboxes for managers and owners in business are overflowing with way more than necessary notes. We are inundated with CRM generated marketing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for CRM as a form of marketing and customer care, but please, spare me the constant flow of irrelevant sales pitches.

Yesterday I got one that said this:

“I have reached out to you in the past, but I understand that nobody likes being ambushed with random emails. The truth is, I really believe you’d be interested in what we bring to the table. In the interest of efficiency, I’ve removed every unnecessary detail from my previous emails”

At first glance it looks good, considerate, and tailored to something I might need or want. However, the next part is a sales pitch for software development for tech stacks. This is not relevant for my business.

I understand that everyone is trying to build a business and automation is handy. It’s not a perfect science. The problem is, this is the third or fourth email I’ve received. Enough already!

Good Email Etiquette

I run an agency and we need clients too, but, having been in some form of sales for many years, there are some etiquette rules my team follows:

  1. Pitch by email once, follow up once, and call once (if you can find a number). If you do not have anything new to offer, like a new deal or new information that could help your prospect, do not send more emails.
  2. Be courteous. Emails that start with “I am still waiting for a reply” and “I would appreciate a response” are not okay to send to prospects.
  3. Curate a list of leads that you have checked out in advance. Know what their businesses are so you do not waste their time.
  4. If you get a positive response, answer within 24 hours. I have responded to a couple of the hundreds of emails I get every day, and neither one yielded an answer. Is there even a human behind the automated platform?

Earning the Sale is the Goal

Mindlessly pitching people makes us inattentive. We stop reading emails. Instead, we spend the first part of every day deleting and marking things as SPAM, and those automatically generated electrical impulses hit the e-landfill in cyberspace.

So trying to be a bit more mindful of who you are reaching out to; how your offering fits their needs; and the number of times you ping the same email address can help all of us. The goal is to connect and build a relationship with a new client. It would be great to start that bond on the right foot.