Wow! Many congrats to Canadian PR professional Terry Fallis for his political satire novel, “The Best Laid Plans“, winning the “Canada Reads” contest for 2011! Now, no longer living in Canada (we were there 2000-2005), I honestly had no idea what “Canada Reads” was all about… but have subsequently learned that it is rather a Big Deal north of the border! And obviously a big enough deal for his publisher to order up 25,000 new copies of the book.
Well done, Terry… well done!
For those who may not remember, Terry started off podcasting out his book back in January 2007. He had decided to self-publish the book and finished the podcast of all the chapters in May 2007. His self-published book went on to win the prestigious Stephen Leacock Medal for humor. Along the way, Terry picked up a contract with publisher McLelland & Stewart to publish The Best Laid Plans and then his sequel, “The High Road” (which Terry also put out as a series of podcasts).
The key point to me, though, was that Terry got himself going using the new technologies that are enabled by the Internet and are seriously disrupting the traditional publishing industry. Now, of course, it helped that he has a long and deep PR/marketing background, so he was able to look at how to promote his own book. But that’s the point… he could do it himself… without requiring the publishers and agents that have traditionally been the gatekeepers to getting “books” out there. (And yes, the traditional industry is how my books have gotten out there so far.)
Being a hard-core political junkie, I thoroughly enjoyed reading (and listening to) both books, even though the Canadian political system is obviously a wee bit different from ours here south of the border. I look forward to the next adventures!
Through it all, too, Terry is just one of the nicest people I know… a great guy all around… and I’m thrilled to pieces for him to have received such an honor! Here’s a great video of him the day after the Canada Reads win:
Congrats again, Terry!
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Great post, Dan – I smiled all the way through watching that CBC story!
You’re spot on – Terry is genuinely one of the nicest people you’ll meet. I remember, when I first met Ter (before we worked together at TFC), thinking that he must be absolutely full of it – that there was no way he could be as nice in private as he seemed in public. How wrong I was – he really is a great guy, and I couldn’t be happier for him right now.
Great post. Both of this book, and Terry’s new book The High Road, should be at or near the top of every North American’s reading list. There’s a great story in each, but beyond literature, there is an underlying message that politics can work differently. In this day where many Canadians and Americans feel frustrated and alienated form the political process, Fallis’ colourful character, Angus McLintock, provides a beacon for hopeful change. Here’s a blog post that speaks to the current state of politics and how The High Road can be literally taken: http://www.iconmarketingstrategy.com/2011/03/politician-a-brand-in-serious-trouble/