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An Open Letter From Jeff Pearlman - Author of The Rocket That Fell To Earth
Jeff Pearlman is a friend of Jimmy Scott's High & Tight. More than that, he's a very, very good writer. Jeff's famous for some things he's written, like this article about John Rocker and this book about Barry Bonds. Well, he's got a new book coming out shortly about your friend & mine, Roger Clemens, called "The Rocket That Fell To Earth." Jeff knows that we are in a semi-difficult time, economically. He knows that most people on Rocket's planet Earth are not going to immediately know about the book, much less buy it. So he's gone grass-roots and viral on us. You'll see, in his open letter below (which he sent to me on Facebook - you should hook up with me there), that he's trying to figure out the best way to let the world know about this book without hating himself for the self-promotion. Here's my quick open letter to Jeff:
Dear Jeff,
Just do it. You're a great writer. Nobody will be mad. Probably. Okay, a few people will make fun of you, both physically and spiritually and emotionally. Wait, that's three things. "Both" means two things. So okay, a few people will make fun of you in three ways: physically, spiritually and emotionally. You can take it. John Rocker wanted to punch you in the face. But you stood your ground. Stand your ground now and sell some books. Your bank account will be happy you did so.
Yours,
Jimmy "I've never self-promoted in my life" Scott of Jimmy Scott's High & Tight (www.jimmyscottshighandtight.com)
Jimmy Scott is probably the greatest pitcher you've never heard of. Visit Jimmy Scott's High & Tight to read more from Jimmy. You'll also hear a new interview every Monday morning with former MLB players, agents, wives and others; giving new outlooks on this great game we call Baseball. Go there now to hear Jimmy's latest interviews with Nelson & Alisa Figueroa, Brian Boehringer, and Craig Swan. You can follow Jimmy on Twitter or Facebook.
Here's Jeff's letter:
Dear Friends/Family Members/Irish Folk Dancing Enthusiasts:
This is the fourth time I've written one of these letters in my life, and it's the fourth time I've felt semi-uncomfortable doing so. Being a self-promoter is not a part of my work that I especially dig, and yet—here I am, self-promoting. Ugh.
Anyhow, tomorrow marks the release of my new book—"The Rocket That Fell To Earth: Roger Clemens and the Rage for Baseball Immortality." It is being published by Harper, and goes down as, without question, the most challenging task of my 15-year journalistic odyssey. Unlike, say, Barry Bonds (who was disliked by most everyone) or the '86 Mets or '90 Cowboys (crazy-yet-lovable lugs), Roger Clemens proved to be a surprisingly complex, layered character study. Much of what I thought I knew of the man's life turned out to be false, and a person I had long considered to be (to cite the legendary Chuck D) "simple and plain" was nothing of the sort. Hence, I dug and dug and dug and dug—like never before. (It hardly helped that, during the writing process, I gave up soda, and found myself craving that zesty Coca-Cola perk-up throughout). My goal wasn't to write "Game of Shadows II," but to uncover the real Roger Clemens—who is he; how he wound up here; what makes him tick, etc.
I never feel comfortable directly asking people to buy a book, so I won't. Instead, I'll ask you to *consider* buying the book (Hmm … I think there's a difference), and—if you don't mind—passing this on to anyone who might be interested. I would be happy/thrilled/honored to sign any copies of "The Rocket That Fell To Earth" upon request (I know ... I know—but people ask), and am ALWAYS available/happy to answer reader questions.
If this sort of direct approach offends anyone, I understand, and apologize. Simply put, I love writing books. I mean, I truly, truly cherish it. Dating way back to my boyhood in Mahopac, N.Y., this is what I always wanted to do (along with dating Whitney Houston), so my career is, literally, a dream come true. That said, with the economic downturn and the media implosion, it's getting increasingly hard to survive, and the author who doesn't serve as his own hype man (a la Flavor Flav: the Sane Years) is the author who doesn't last.
Sincere thanks, and please feel free to hit me up with any/all questions.
Best,
Jeff Pearlman
jrpearlman@gmail.com
www.jeffpearlman.com
PS: Here is the Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Rock
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