Friday, July 10, 2009

What Price Fame?

I have been writing my Miss Column for several months now. It is a project I find highly rewarding on a personal, creative level, and Steve Shanafelt, my esteemed editor at where my rambling are found deems my work worthy enough to pay me for what I submit. Granted its just a stipend, but HEY, I'm a published and compensated writer.

Being somewhat neurotic and concerned that I am taking up print space, I wonder often if anyone even reads my stuff. I have recently been assured by friends and family that at least they do and actually enjoy the goings on I tell about at the Galloway abode. Plus my editor told me that the site does get a healthy supply of visitors on Tuesdays when the articles come out.

This week I got a bit of a surprise. Out of the blue I get an email about a piece I had written way back in March. The column in question was entitled The Great TP war. It was about our struggles to keep toilet paper on the holder in the bathrooms in our house. I mentioned a famous brand of toilet paper once during the story, knowing that it is often synonymous with toilet paper in general, not that at the time, I'd been using that particular brand.

The email was from a marketing firm. Apparently someone had seen the article and the fact that brand X was mentioned. They offered to send me a sample kit of a new product line they carried. I emailed my editor, and as usual, he didn't reply. (I know Steve, you are a busy dude), . So I asked a few friends one of whom is in publishing herself. Everyone said, "Hey, its free toilet paper, you know how expensive that stuff is." So I emailed the person back and accepted the offer. Little squares wrapped around a tube will likely be arriving at my house in a few weeks.

So, is there more to come? Will my next column catch the attention of a cereal company and they send a years supply of sugar bomb cereal? Will a cruise ship company think that I am in dire need of a free vacation? Will a Hollywood producer be so enamored by my story of my long embittered fight with head lice in my children's hair that he sees the strong possibility of a tv series? (I do need to post that story someday)


Who knows, but at least that my fame has garnered me free stuff...uhm, that you flush....and that is safe for septic tanks.

2 comments:

Christopher George said...

Wow! That's cool , but I couldn't be more jealous. The only thing my writing has ever gotten me is hassled and criticized. I want some swag from someone in the corporate marketing world. :)

Jacque said...

Hummmm, this is certainly an interesting concept. So what is the price of fame?