BOOK PROPOSAL
110 YEARS
POSITIVELY
ON MY OWN
110 Years Positively on My Own is the saga of the Last Man Standing from his generation. Despite evolving through poverty-stricken 19th century circumstances, Walter Casey Jones combined the proper proportions of common sense, careful precautions and nutrition, to remain active and productive to age 110.
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Throughout his autobiography, the renowned super-centenarian unravels his step-by-step transformation from illiterate child of the 1870s, through eleven decades of itinerant American survival, a remarkable life-journey that was propelled by his positive mental attitude, paving the way for his unprecedented longevity.
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Jones' monumental resilience was touted in the inaugural volume of the Chicken Soup for the Soul franchise. His became number 72 of their "101 Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit."
Displaying exquisite recall, the durable centenarian recounts his 1872 through 1982 adventures; including decades spent roaming America in search of a suitable destiny.
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His vivid recollections will astound, inspire, and bestow the reader with keen insights on how Walter Casey Jones became history's only independent Super-Centenarian.
The Walter Casey Jones autobiography, 110 Years Positively on My Own unveils an unprecedented literary journey, filled with a century’s worth of mind-boggling recollections.
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The ancient fellow gained world-wide recognition by surviving independently to super-centenarian status (age 110). Incredibly, during the seven years before his (accidental) death, he drove his old motor home solo, throughout the USA, promoting himself one-on-one by day and dry-camping in grocery lots at night.
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When he turned 109, seeking stronger impact with his message, Jones partnered with Immortality Incorporated. They produced a lecture tour that showcased his amazing wisdom, humor and vitality. The centenarian vigorously preached his gospel of longevity to American audiences during an eight-month campaign of 97 total performances.
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The Jones autobiography 110 Years Positively on my own contains entertaining reminiscences filtered through the old fellow’s unflappable optimism. The unique paths that confronted his journeys and his choices exemplify the Triumph of the Human Spirit.
CONCEPT STATEMENT
In 1981, (author-lecturer) Philip Tennyson, founder of Immortality Incorporated, partnered with centenarian Walter Casey Jones. For eighteen months the pair drove their RVs coast-to-coast across America, performing motivational lectures together at 97 events along the way.
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At 109, Jones was completely self-reliant. He resided in an old motor home, kept in daily motion as he dry-camped somewhere new every night.
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Between lecture gigs, Tennyson tape-recorded Jones’ detailed answers to biographical questions. The young writer was gradually able to coax a vivid string of impactful events, detailed recollections covering the 1870s through the 1980s.
Jones’ soliloquies depicted a vagabond life that began shortly after the Civil War and kept plodding forward for eleven decades.
Tennyson was convinced a ground-breaking biography could emerge from his rare Jones recordings.
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After Jones’ tragic accidental death at age 110, a disheartened Tennyson suspended the biography project. He spent his next 40 years conducting Immortality Incorporated media projects with his media-savvy millennial son Damon, always by his side.
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In 2019, Damon came across a used copy of a 25-year-old best-seller, Chicken Soup for the Soul at a Goodwill store. He thumbed through it and was jolted to discover Walter Casey Jones featured in an uplifting essay. Even though it was published in 1993, this triggered Damon’s obsession. Growing up, he’d heard occasional anecdotes about Dad’s eighteen-month involvement with the centenarian, but never followed up until now. He retrieved the dusty Jones archival material from the store-room and became transfixed at what he discovered: tapes, videos, news clippings, photos, slides, boxes of material. He was hooked, and confronted Dad with the demand that the forgotten Jones archive deserved to be reignited. Engulfed with enthusiasm, he offered total collaboration. He and Dad would resurrect the neglected Walter Casey Jones biography project together, and nurture it to a satisfying outcome.
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The first obstacle: transcribing the voluminous 38-year-old interview cassettes. Covid hit hard about then. Yet, the lock-downs provided the perfect opportunity to tackle those tedious chores. It seemed to take forever.
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Their next mission was even more daunting: intricately massaging the thousands of pages of repetitive transcript text down to 160,000 very polished and publishable words. The literary mission was to concoct an entertaining, easy-to-follow, first person biographical narrative that builds to a righteous conclusion.
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Imbued with Triumph of the Human Spirit as a primary theme, 110 Years Positively on My Own was finally completed in early 2024 and serves as a case study of sorts, whereby an eloquent centenarian who was interviewed extensively at 109, pours out his remarkable life story. And no doubt about it, his positive attitude was instrumental for achieving his extreme longevity. He remained solidly independent to super-centenarian status, age 110.
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The Jones biography was designed to entertain, inform and inspire. To that end, the father-son team assembled a 16-page appendix with vintage photos from Jones’ personal archive.
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110 Years Positively on My Own seeks to become a significant contribution of historical autobiography achievements.
About the Competition contains summaries of other acclaimed biographies crafted from taped interviews of significant elderly folks.
ABOUT THE BOOK
OVERVIEW
In late 1980, living out of a converted Ford cargo van, Immortality Incorporated founder Philip Tennyson barnstormed the country exuberantly promoting Getting Screwed, his expose of car sales shenanigans. In Florida, he encountered Walter Jones from Tacoma Washington, who revealed he was 108. This codger filled his days roaming through American towns in his dilapidated motor home, proselytizing one-on-one about human longevity.
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Tennyson’s artistic instincts pulsated. He eventually discussed a book project with the ancient man.
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Jones’ reaction? Excitement. He became convinced his published adventures could entertain the masses and land him on the New York Times Best-Seller list; at long last, a chance late in life, to shoot for a big score.
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The old-timer was proud of his lifespan, and genuinely believed his autobiography would stir the blood of those who discovered it. Publication would also make his pathology available for universal study. Longevity-oriented readers could discern clues about his centenarian resilience.
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The pair of vagabonds formed a partnership, spending the next 18 months traveling the country in a “two-vehicle caravan.”
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Over time, Tennyson tape-recorded a century’s worth of extensive Jones recollections. Startling clues about Walter Casey Jones emerged: where he’s been, what conflicts he’s faced, what relationships he’s had, his mistakes, his triumphs, his lessons learned, and most importantly, how he managed to remain independent through 108 years.
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When the recording sessions finally concluded, Jones announced his intention to enter the professional lecture circuit. “The folks need to hear my advice,” he declared. He was determined to become an impactful motivational orator. On April 5, 1981 he turned 109.
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Next, they launched a nationwide public speaking campaign, with Tennyson playing side-kick to headliner Jones. During an eight-month-long tour, they conducted 97 rousing performances.
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With strong coaching from Tennyson, Jones gradually transformed into an eloquent elder statesman, casting a spellbinding grip on his amazed audiences. The old fellow was eventually showered with national media attention. Folks young and old embraced his uplifting message of hope. He became a centenarian rock star (of sorts). America’s oldest independent man had captured America’s heart. His April 2, 1982 guest shot on Johnny Carson further ratcheted up his popularity.
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Tragically, while his notoriety was skyrocketing, within six weeks of turning 110, Jones was accidentally killed in his motor home from propane induced asphyxiation.
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Tennyson stashed the interview tapes and other Jones material in the Immortality Incorporated storage archive. Meanwhile, he expanded his company toward video and other media production services. During the next 40 years he was continually immersed in lucrative creative projects.
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In 2019, after discovering a chapter about Walter Casey Jones in Chicken Soup for the Soul, Tennyson revisited the Jones project to assess its relevance for 21st century book-buyers. He and son Damon rescued the crusty Jones interview cassettes from the company store-room, dusted them off, and to their pleasant surprise, they still played fine.
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They listened to several and were captivated by the home-spun eloquence emanating from Jones’ frequent soliloquies. His century of life was lived out unlike any others in American history. He was a genuine original who artfully molded colliding memories into remarkable descriptions. Cherished recalls flowed, punctuated with expanding details. Hundreds of his past involvements and philosophical conclusions had been crisply preserved in the storage room for nearly forty years.
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Convinced he’d latched onto a second chance at a unique opportunity, Tennyson’s enthusiasm for a biography reboot intensified.
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From 2019 through 2024, the father-son team diligently transcribed every tape, then, carefully choreographed the ebb and flow of Jones’ conversations, distilling the essential ingredients of the centenarian’s complicated life into 160,000 words: 28 chapters of chronologically organized, first-person biographical prose.
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For enhancements, they reviewed hundreds of vintage photos and ancient documents from Jones’ personal archive, before crafting a 16-page appendix stuffed with captioned photos from Jones’ collection illustrating his early years. They also included the most iconic of the photos Tennyson had taken of Jones’ exploits, at age 109, depicting the old man in several unforgettable contexts.
100 years of resonant memories have been exquisitely captured and fill the pages of 110 Years Positively 0n my Own. Jones’ tales, glowing with authenticity, depict the wide arc of an extraordinarily preserved human life, from his birth to super-centenarian status.
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The Jones autobiography describes his step-by-step transformation from illiterate child of the 1870s, through eleven decades of itinerant American survival, a wondrous, one-of-a-kind life-journey.
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A pressing need exists to encourage better awareness of independence as it relates to longevity and extreme aging. 110 Years Positively on My Own generates a new pathway to this complex topic, and it does so with striking originality. From absorbing the Jones biography, scholars, gerontologists and other longevity aficionados can discover critical insights regarding self-reliance in extreme old age.
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Jones lived to 110, never relinquished his independence, and spent his final year cajoling audiences with therapeutic exhortations about the ways a positive mental attitude can expand life.
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110 Years Positively on My Own has finally been completed and is ready for publication.
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Jones’ transcribed opinions and tablets of memory will astound, inspire, and leave readers wanting more.
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Those eighteen months Tennyson spent with the centenarian exploded with spectacular adventures. He and Jones traveled together, coast-to-coast, pursuing public awareness of centenarian significance. Despite the tremendous handicap of living “on the road” out of vehicles, they finally penetrated the American consciousness. Their struggles, the crises, the challenges to overcome, the old man’s tragic demise, all provided ample material for a unique podcast. Taking advantage of abundant archival video and other “breath-taking” materials that vividly document this wondrous forty-year-old tale, it’s currently in pre-production at Immortality Incorporated, and its release will be coordinated with the publication of 110 Years Positively on my Own. Also, a documentary-length version for festival entries and other venues can easily be adapted from the podcast footage.
Philip F. Tennyson, the founder of Immortality Incorporated is an established writer, lecturer and film/video artist.
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During a rambunctious childhood, Tennyson became enchanted with tape recorders, and immersed himself in their magical quality to immortalize moments. In 1974 he formed his corporation, IMMORTALITY INCORPORATED. The mission: tape record personal accounts of significant people, then transcribe, edit and print the results. Tennyson assisted his clients with creating an organized, published version of their memories and opinions.
A side benefit: as his interview skills broadened, he became adept at recording life stories. Embellished with family photos, the completed booklets were meticulously structured. At the conclusion of each transaction, the customers received a supply of inexpensive copies to distribute to loved ones, relatives, and other interested parties. They had been “immortalized.” But after several years vigorously promoting it, in the end, the “biography service” never produced enough revenue. Time to shift gears!
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In 1978 Immortality Incorporated published their first commercial book, Getting Screwed, A Satire of Car Dealer Manipulation, authored (of course) by Tennyson. Based on experiences he had as a “high-pressure” car salesman, it humorously depicted manipulative tactics deployed by ruthless auto salesmen. It became a “mail-order best seller.” During the promotion phase, living out of a converted Ford van, Tennyson traversed eighteen states, performing dozens of animated lectures he called, “Let the Buyer Beware.” Back of the room sales were generous.
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Near the end of his tour, on December 18, 1980, in a Gainesville, Florida grocery lot, Tennyson befriended 108-year-old Walter Casey Jones, who, once he discovered Tennyson was a “book-writer,” pestered him for assistance with a project. “I’ve done more things in one life than anybody you’ll ever come across,” he said, “but I need to get it all out, before I die.”
He requested that Tennyson tape his hundred years of reminiscences, then somehow forge the material into a book about his life, illustrated with his vintage photographs.
After attending a Let the Buyer Beware lecture, Jones became inspired to become an impactful public speaker, himself. With Immortality Incorporated support, he wanted to get behind those podiums and reach the masses with his unique gospel of longevity. He became stubbornly determined to become an impactful motivational orator.
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Tennyson took command and launched a nationwide public speaking campaign called LIFE AT 109. He became speech-coach, program producer and even played side-kick to headliner Jones, feeding him crucial cues during live performances. Within eight months the duo conducted 97 rousing performances, expanding Jones’ skyrocketing profile, which by April ’82, had included a scintillating interview by Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show.
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Jones’ May 18, 1982 tragic accidental death from propane asphyxiation at age 110 scuttled his ascent and the biography project. Tennyson placed the Jones tapes and other materials in storage and got on with his life.
As years piled on, Tennyson’s 18-month adventures with the 110-year-old man became mostly forgotten, pushed aside by the daily onslaught of Immortality Incorporated client media projects.
In 2002, Tennyson partnered with his wife, renowned private investigator Linda O’Neal, to crack a local missing girl’s occurrence that attracted nationwide press coverage. The couple’s independent sleuthing actually solved the puzzling case, then, became the basis for a non-fiction book, co-written by Philip and Linda. Published in hard cover in 2006 by New Horizons Press as Missing: The Oregon City Girls, and reissued as a St. Martin's Press True Crime paperback a year later under the title, The Missing Girls. it remains a popular True Crime offering to this day.
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NBC producer Shane Bishop adapted the contents into a Dateline episode, with the private investigator character, Linda O’Neal, as the on-screen focal point for revealing the unfolding events in the mystery. The Dateline documentary titled, Into Thin Air, premiered on NBC on January 27, 2006. Audience reaction was stunning!
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In late 2007 Tennyson and his wife contracted with Adams Media to write The Everything Guide to Private Investigations. Two years later they produced another investigation guidebook, Private Investigation Essentials.
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Tennyson had always been sensitive to how his Jones material never got properly developed. Then, in late 2019 his millennial son Damon discovered a heart-warming story about Jones in an old copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul. He confronted his dad, stimulating new curiosity about the ancient project. Together they retrieved the voluminous Jones materials from the storage-room.
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After they listened to several interview cassettes, they became captivated by the home-spun eloquence emanating from Jones’ frequent soliloquies. Tennyson’s enthusiasm for a biography reboot fostered what would become a five-year literary odyssey.
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They finally pared the raw transcripts down to a single 160,000-word volume, with an added 16-page appendix, crammed with vintage photos, plus dozens of shots Tennyson took of the centenarian during his 18-month ride on the Walter Casey Jones Express.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Typically, this section of a book proposal contains descriptions of “competing” titles, recent successful books about the same (or similar) topics as the proposed book, with comparison commentary provided.
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Unfortunately, comprehensive biographies derived from taped interviews of the noteworthy elderly, are rare offerings in the publishing world. Yet, amazing books have occasionally materialized. These originators valued life stories of remarkable “old” people who weren’t famous (yet), and nudged them to the literary forefront.
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Profiles of four of the most prominent examples are herewith provided. Each of these fascinating books owes its existence to an ambitious writer who recognized a fabulous story struggling to find its way to public appreciation.
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Having their detailed accounts recorded and transcribed paved the way for these remarkable people to penetrate the consciousness of readers who discover them, leaving an appreciative audience grateful for the exposure.
All God’s Dangers: The Life of Nate Shaw / Theodore Rosengarten / 1974 Knopf 598 Pages … Winner of the National Book Award!
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The autobiography of an illiterate man, All God’s Dangers is the story of a black tenant farmer from east-central Alabama who grew up in the society of former slaves and slaveholders and reached maturity during the advent of segregation law.
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In this remarkable book, the black Alabama share-cropper pours out his story, an eighty-eight-year saga of courage, integrity, and unquenchable pride, waged against the forces of nature, which would ruin his crops, and the wrath of the white man, resentful of a black man who carved a proud life for himself and his family with his two hands, beholden to no one.
Intrigued with what he’d heard about Shaw, (especially his reputation as a loquacious storyteller) writer-researcher Theodore Rosengarten, first met the old man in 1969 and was fascinated with his rhetoric. Rosengarten became convinced a great biography could be developed if somehow, significant events of Shaw’s life could be extracted. In 1971 he went to Alabama to tape-record Shaw’s life and see what memories could be brought to the surface.
After sixty hours spread over sixteen recording sessions, they completed the first round. Working from notes Rosengarten had written while playing back the tapes, they began again. They lasted fifteen more sessions and another sixty hours. The work strengthened the old fellow and sustained his belief that his struggles had been worth the effort, although he had only his recollections to show for them.
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Rosengarten’s biggest challenge involved transcribing the tapes, then, editing the voluminous material into a coherent book. He described his approach in his Preface. “In editing the transcripts of our recordings, I sometimes had to choose among multiple versions of the same story; other times, I combined parts of one version with another for the sake of clarity and completeness.”
The stories, however, were saved, and Nate Shaw’s “life” certainly got a hearing beyond his settlement and century.
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All God’s Dangers is a tremendous testimony to human nobility… the record of a heroic man with a phenomenal memory and a life experience of a kind seldom set down in print…
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At age 109, Jones was about 21-years older than Shaw was at the time of his interviews, yet his descriptions and recollections are as animated and focused as Shaw’s.
All God’s Dangers was a monumental project filled with dense paragraphs of Shaw’s unique stories complete with character descriptions, relationships and quaint dialogue seamlessly blended into his narratives. All God’s Dangers is over 200,000 words, dispensed among four large chapters: Youth; Deeds; Prison; and Revelation.
Rosengarten’s scholarship was exquisite creating that unique non-fiction tome that became a must-have for most libraries and universities plus sold well among the general public. Winning the National Book Award also contributed to its great success, but the accolades were well-deserved, proving that Rosengarten’s instincts had been correct. There was a great biography to be created from taped interviews of a fascinating, articulate, illiterate 88-year-old “common” man.
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At about 160,000 words, 110 Years Positively on My Own is considerably shorter than All God’s Dangers, and is formatted to allow the prose to flow fluidly.
Nate Shaw’s stories are amazing to grasp, but difficult to follow word-for-word, because many of the paragraphs are fifteen, twenty, thirty and forty lines long. Hard on the eyes.
The paragraphs of Jones’ transcribed remarks from 110 Years Positively on My Own are much shorter, five, seven, ten lines, etc. Much easier to digest and yet loaded with powerful statements that are very entertaining to read and significant enough to remember.
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A big difference between the two biographies: illustrations. Unfortunately, All God’s Dangers, despite its overwhelming flow of riveting transcript material, contains no pictures. But Tennyson crafted a 16-page appendix for 110 Years Positively on My Own, bulging with captioned archival photos, plus images that illustrate the centenarian’s unbelievable exploits at age 109. They portray Walter Casey Jones in several unforgettable contexts.
If All God’s Dangers once made the cut, maybe, 110 Years Positively on My Own should one day also be under consideration for a National Book Award because of its careful attention to details, uniqueness, and literary quality.
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years Sarah and A. Elizabeth Delany, with Amy Hill Hearth 1993 Kodansha America, Inc. 210 Pages
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years, a surprise best-seller, tells the story of two African-American sisters who both lived past the age of 100. The pair of centenarians grew up on a North Carolina college campus, the daughters of the first African-American Episcopal bishop, who was born a slave, and a woman with an inter-racial background. With the support of each other and their family, they survived encounters with racism and sexism in their own different ways.
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Sadie quietly and sweetly broke barriers to become the first African-American home-economics teacher in New York City, while Bessie, with her own brand of outspokenness, became the second African-American dentist in New York City.
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In 1992, Amy Hill Hearth, a New York Times reporter, discovered their existence and coaxed the very private ladies to submit to a gentle interview. At the ages of 103 and 101 they told a brief version of their life stories to Hearth who turned the material into a heartwarming tribute to their strong sisterly ties and centenarian independence. The resulting feature story triggered a storm of reaction. Intense public interest was created by their centenarian status. The mystique of being over a hundred and still relevant captivated many.
The overwhelming response to Hearth’s article launched the opportunity for a long-form project, where additional recorded interviews could produce enough material for a full-fledged, published book. The sisters were thrilled at the attention and cooperated fully.
The interviews were conducted over several weeks and rapidly transcribed. Hearth spent many more weeks combing through the transcripts and consulting with the Delaney sisters about which segments they wanted included in the final draft. Although the resulting bestselling book was technically not a biography, Having Our Say, The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years was published in 1993 as a dual memoir. Its tremendous success spawned a pair of sequels, The Delany Sister’s’ Book of Everyday Wisdom, (1994) and On My Own at 107, Reflections on Life Without Bessie, (1997). The primary basis for each of these books? Edited transcripts of Hearth’s recorded interviews of the elderly ladies juxtaposed with vintage family photos.
Filled with humorous and poignant anecdotes, Having Our Say is an inspiring 60,000-word treasure-trove of memories offering a rare glimpse of the birth of black freedom—and the rise of the black middle class—in America. It is a chronicle of remarkable achievement.
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Both sisters favored careers over marriage, despite many opportunities. Later, they settled in the still partly-rural Bronx, then, integrated a suburban neighborhood in the ‘50s.
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Their 210-page memoir is divided into seven big chapters, 1. Sweet Sadie; Queen Bess; 2. I Am Free!;
3. Saint Aug’s; 4. Jim Crow Days; 5. Harlem Town;
6. Ties That Bind; 7. Outliving the Rebby Boys; plus twelve-pages of precious photos plucked from family albums. The centenarian sisters discuss their issues fluently and (at times) seamlessly. Their charming conversations reflect their great intelligence and are filled with insightful observations.
Playwright Emily Mann became enchanted with the uplifting tale of the centenarian sisters and obtained the theatrical rights to the memoir. Her resulting Broadway adaptation of Having Our Say opened at the Booth Theater in New York on April 6, 1995, ran for 317 performances, and was nominated for the 1995 Tony Award for “Best Play.”
Next, Mann revised her material into a screenplay which she completed in 1996. Her film adaptation aired on CBS as a Hallmark Hall of Fame special in April, 1999, starring Ruby Dee and Diahann Carroll as the centenarian sisters. The stage-play and film adaptations propelled the Delany sisters’ memoir to unimaginable success (5 million copies sold, world-wide).
All of these achievements began with the application of simple tape recorder technology and two talkative ladies.
A comparison to 110 Years Positively on My Own is difficult because as a comprehensive 160,000-word autobiography it seeks to portray with as much detail as possible, the twists and turns of 100 years of peculiar actions and incidents. These crucial events fostered Jones’ trajectory to independent super-centenarian status. Details of his journey filled 28 chapters.
Having Our Say, by contrast, is sweeter, more emotional. Although not strictly biographical, the sisters’ recounting of pivotal past events strongly portray the upward mobility of two proud and capable African-American women who nevertheless endured tremendous hardship and discrimination as they both struggled for self-actualization during turbulent times. With dozens of thoughtful psychological insights, they reflect on the enormous changes they’ve witnessed during the passage of a century of life. Although Having Our Say is briefer, both books complete their respective missions, and contain excellent vintage photos that add a satisfactory glow to the literary experience.
The most significant element that both books have in common is the aspect of centenarianism. When readers discover stories that focus on amazing independent men and women over a hundred, who nurture new knowledge and plunge daily into meaningful activities, they’ve unwittingly uncovered a quintessential formula for true human satisfaction.
Life is so good
George Dawson & Richard Glaubman 2000
Random House 262 Pages
At ninety-eight, Texas resident George Dawson decided to learn to read and enrolled in a literacy program, becoming a celebrated student. “Every morning I get up and wonder what I might learn that day. You just never know.”
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Always in search of “uplifting” feature stories to counter the murder and mayhem tales that proliferate, news media outlets pushed the unusual tale of a 98-year-old attending his reading classes, and it struck a country-wide chord, raising Dawson’s public profile. He became an inspirational figure.
By the time Seattle elementary school teacher Richard Glaubman became aware of Dawson’s literacy ambitions, the old fellow had advanced to centenarian status. Glaubman became obsessed. He was so impressed that a man over a hundred would go back to school just to become literate. He had to learn more. He took a leave of absence, purchased a plane ticket, and then began his literary journey by tracking down Dawson in Texas.
The idea for writing a biography of Dawson’s life evolved organically. Glaubman suggested he tape-record the old man’s memories, prompting him to expound on any topics. Those tapes would provide a biographical foundation. The tapes could be transcribed and the resulting pages carefully edited into a gleaming manuscript.
Richard Glaubman captures George Dawson’s irresistible voice and view of the world, offering insights into humanity, history, and America—eye witness impressions of segregation, changes in human relations, the wars and the presidents, inventions such as the car and the airplane, and much, much more.
Throughout his story, George Dawson inspires the reader with the message that sustained him happily for more than a century: “Judge me not for the deeds that I have done, but for the life that I’ve lived. Son, people think one hundred years is a long time. Most folks just don’t understand. My life hasn’t been so long at all it seems short to me. It’s all gone by so fast. Life is so good. I do believe it’s getting better every day.”
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110 Years Positively on My Own shares with Life Is So Good a unique perspective: remarkable, humble, lower-class men who evolved into independent American centenarians. At 65,000 words, Dawson’s biography is limited in scope. Yet, the book contains vivid accounts of coming of age and other dominating early-years events. Passion propels his energetic utterings, stuffed with extraordinary details from events 70, 80, 90 years past.
110 Years Positively on My Own was crafted to become a thorough autobiography, which, chapter-by-chapter draws the reader through crucial remembered events from each decade of a hundred-ten-year-long-life. So, it has more ambitious intentions.
Life Is So Good was published with no illustrations.
110 Years Positively on My Own contains a 16-page appendix loaded with vintage photos designed to enhance a reader’s appreciation for the super-centenarian.
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The most significant element that both books have in common is the aspect of centenarianism. When readers discover stories that focus on amazing independent men and women over a hundred, who nurture new knowledge and plunge daily into meaningful activities, they’ve unwittingly uncovered a quintessential formula for human satisfaction.
The Book Of Charlie: Wisdom From The Remarkable American Life Of A 109-Year-Old Man / David Von Drehle / 2023 Simon & Shuster 191Pages … New York Times Best Seller!
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In 2007, David Von Drehle, a veteran Washington journalist, moved his wife and daughters to the Kansas City suburbs. He soon became acquainted with a sprightly male who lived across the street, and who was more than a century old. Little did David know that he was beginning a long friendship—and a profound lesson in the meaning of life.
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Charlie White was no ordinary neighbor. Born in 1905, (before radio) Charlie lived long enough to use a smartphone. When a shocking tragedy interrupted his idyllic childhood, Charlie mastered survival strategies that reflect thousands of years of human wisdom.
Thus armored, at age 16, Charlie’s sense of adventure carried him on an epic journey across the continent with a pair of teen buddies.
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A few years later Charlie was racing through Kansas City as an ambulance attendant during weekdays and blowing his tenor sax with weekend dance bands. His life trajectory took him through medical school, residency and a career making “house calls.” During the war Major Charlie White served as Chief of Anesthetics at the Camp Kerns base hospital. Later, he became a pioneer in improvising techniques for early open-heart surgery. He even cruised the Amazon as a guest of one of his prime patients, the president of Peru.
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David Von Drehle came to understand that Charlie’s resilience and willingness to grow made this remarkable neighbor a master in the art of thriving through tough times of dramatic change. Enchanted by the old fellow’s vibe, he set out to channel his journalistic acumen (he had previously won acclaim with a bestseller, Triangle: The Fire That Changed America) and reveal Charlie’s secrets. This project gestated over many years. (Charlie died at 109, in 2014, and Von Drehle’s biography was published in 2023.)
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The Book of Charlie is a gospel of grit—the inspiring story of one man’s journey through a century of upheaval. The history that unfolds through Charlie’s eyes reminds readers that the United States has always been a divided nation, a questing nation, an inventive nation—a nation of Charlies in the roller-coaster pursuit of a good and meaningful life.
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Actuarial tables have no room for sentiment or wishes, and this is what they say: according to the Social Security Administration, in a random cohort of 100,000 men, only about 350—fewer than half of one percent—make it to 102. Among those hearty survivors, the average chap has less than two years remaining. After 104, the lives slip quickly away, like the last grains of sand in an hourglass. Charlie White defied the actuaries to become one of the Last Men Standing—one of five fellows from that original 100 thousand expected to make it to 109. Statistically speaking, only two make it to 110, and the last one winks out at around 111.
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Charlie was among the last surviving officers of World War II, among the last physicians who knew what it was to practice medicine before penicillin, among the last Americans who could say what it was like to drive an automobile before highways existed, among the last people who felt amazement when pictures moved on a screen and sound emerged from a box. By the time Charlie was done, he lived nearly half the history of the United States.
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At only 38,000 words, Von Drehle’s book about Charlie’s life is beautifully crafted and contains a sweeping blend of historical and philosophical observations masterfully woven into the key incidents chosen to represent a 109-year-long-life.
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Although not a thorough biography, the reader becomes immersed in the pivotal moments from Charlie’s long life that are described and reflected on by the author. By the end we know Charlie, we respect Charlie and we admire the ways he maneuvered his life through careers, marriages, children, and later, a series of centenarian escapades.
Comparing this compact, penetrating volume with 110 Years Positively On My Own is complicated. Each book provocatively provides insight and literary fulfillment anchored to the life-stories of a pair of wildly diverse centenarians who lived past 109 and remained independent.
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Charlie had become an affluent, esteemed anesthesiologist, and lived in Kansas City most of his life. The book about him focuses on key stories that Von Drehle had heard repeatedly from the old fellow during seven-years of visits. He describes many exquisitely paced Charlie White incidents that illustrated the old fellow’s unique approach to embracing every era of his life with gusto. After the centenarian’s death Von Drehle gained access to an oral history of Charlie recorded by the professionals at Voices in Time. This added material was crucial for ferreting out which tales deserved attention.
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Walter Casey Jones (born 32 years earlier than Charlie) was an itinerant wanderlust who roamed the country for decades, submitting himself to hundreds of employment situations. He drove a motorhome around the country during the last seven years of his life. His autobiography was crafted from transcripts of dozens of interviews from when he was 109.
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At about 160,000 words, 110 Years Positively on My Own is considerably longer and much more detailed than The Book of Charlie, yet is formatted to allow the first-person prose to flow fluidly. Walter Casey Jones tells us his whole life-story with his original syntaxes, a-pronouns and peculiar idioms preserved.
These original descriptions sparked through his centenarian brain, were transcribed and meticulously edited, filling 28 chapters with his preserved cherished memories, chronologically arranged. 110 Years Positively on My Own was crafted to become a thorough autobiography, which, chapter-by-chapter draws the reader through crucial remembered events from each decade of a hundred-ten-year-long-life. At the end of the autobiography, the reader is left in awe that a 109-year-old could remember such intricate details from so many decades and artfully describe them with robust efficiency.
A big difference between the two biographies: illustrations. Unfortunately, The Book of Charlie, despite its ingenious blend of author pontifications juxtaposed with riveting renderings of Charlie biographical incidents, the book contains no pictures. Tennyson crafted a 16-page appendix for 110 Years Positively on My Own, bulging with captioned archival photos, plus contemporary images that illustrate the centenarian’s unbelievable exploits during the several months it took to complete the tape-recording of his life. He was 109.
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The most significant element that both books have in common is the aspect of centenarianism. When readers discover stories that focus on amazing independent men and women over a hundred, who nurture new knowledge and plunge daily into meaningful activities, they’ve unwittingly uncovered a quintessential formula for true human satisfaction.
ABOUT THE COMPETITION
Success for many nonfiction authors is sometimes influenced by their “platform.”
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Our memoirist, Walter Casey Jones, has been dead for forty years, but before his passing he amassed an incredible amount of media attention, particularly during his centenarian years. Thus evolved a solid platform that trumpeted his unique identity. How many famous centenarians can you name?
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In 1981, Philip Tennyson became Jones’ biographer and “public-relations” guru. After recording the old fellow’s life story onto a hundred cassettes, Tennyson then wrote and produced a 97-performance motivational lecture tour featuring Walter Casey Jones’ inspirational discourse. The venture was eventually showered with local and national media attention. A few days before his 110th birthday, Jones was a featured guest on Johnny Carson. His amazing performance catapulted him to super-stardom.
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His accidental death six weeks later, put immediate clamps on his notoriety expansion. As years passed, Jones’ remarkable achievements slowly faded from public consciousness. Then, in 1993 an inspirational essay about Jones was published in the inaugural volume of the Chicken Soup for the Soul franchise. With seven million copies sold, memories of the centenarian were exuberantly refreshed.
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The Jones platform is amazingly prolific. Dozens of feature stories, TV interviews, etc. He became universally cherished as the oldest independent man to reach super-centenarian status. And he did so while driving his motor home around the country.
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The APPENDIX constructed for this book proposal contains photos, articles, plus vintage video clips featuring the noteworthy elder statesman, further documentation supporting his historical significance.
ABOUT
THE PLATFORM
ABOUT
THE MARKET
MARKETING 110 YEARS POSITIVELY ON MY OWN:
AMAZON
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Book sales over the internet now account for more than 60 percent of the receipts of traditional publishers. E-books are gaining market ground with each year that passes. Not only are 200 million customers buying their books from Amazon, but millions more are using Amazon’s catalogue and customer reviews to inform their buying choices elsewhere. That’s why Amazon should become "ground-zero" for marketing efforts involving 110 Years Positively on My Own.
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Today, readers of all stripes are flocking to Amazon and online reading communities to find what’s worth reading. This is a godsend, providing a foolproof way to build an audience for the insightful Jones biography without it being subjected to prohibitive publisher marketing expenses. It has never been so straightforward and inexpensive to expand an audience for such a niche project, a carefully crafted life story of America’s first independent male to reach super-centenarian status.
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Amazon is the ideal outlet to build and focus demand for niche books, those with a widely dispersed audience that cannot be targeted effectively with traditional marketing. These are the books that readers often can’t find in their local bookstore, or even the library, but they’re easy to find online.
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Amazon’s “infinite bookshelves” have revolutionized the book business. The niche books are the ones people care about most, and the ones Amazon is most effective in recommending. The Amazon website is designed to help customers find books they didn’t even know existed.
Successful books have lots of positive reviews on Amazon. It’s called “the positive feedback loop”: Good books garner good reviews, which leads to more sales. Good reviews on Amazon are particularly crucial for niche books.
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Positive reviews on Amazon can boost the sales of 110 Years Positively on My Own not only on Amazon, but everywhere people are buying books. A high percentage of buyers at brick-and-mortar bookstores actually make their choices by first reading Amazon customer reviews.
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With all internet communities, word of mouth is amplified and accelerated. Online buzz makes it harder to sell a mediocre book, but easier to sell a fabulous one. Word gets around. 110 Years Positively on My Own was molded and refined with a superb craftsmanship that will be appreciated by its readers. Quality always shines through.
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Internet word of mouth depends on an involved, educated consumer. When readers are asked to help promote a book, that book better deliver the goods. Once the value of 110 Years Positively on My Own has been exposed, many folks and institutions will want to get a copy.
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The more 110 Years Positively on My Own sells on Amazon, the more frequently it will be shown and recommended. Amazon has literally hundreds of bestseller lists for every niche of fiction and nonfiction, plus their AUDIBLE on-line audio books division, where the format of the Jones biography would sparkle in the transition. These offer plenty of opportunities for 110 Years Positively on My Own to stand out from the crowd.
Amazon provides free worldwide exposure—exposure to those readers most likely to purchase 110 Years Positively on My Own. Simply having that title properly listed for sale on Amazon can spur additional demand everywhere. Amazon is essential to our marketing plan, because it has a critical mass of buyers using its search engine, recommendations and reader reviews.
AUDIO EDITION OF JONES BIOGRAPHY
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Amazon’s Audible, a downloading service that has revolutionized the audio-book market, is a perfect venue for 110 Years Positively on My Own, because the Jones book is stuffed with entertaining biographical anecdotes that, properly performed, become almost musical to the ear.
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Tennyson is a trained actor, voice-over narrator and public speaker. He spent 18 months with the centenarian 40 years ago, and constructed the Jones autobiography. His oral rendition of 110 Years Positively on My Own would prove irresistible to audio-book aficionados.
PENETRATING THE LIBRARY MARKET
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Walter Casey Jones became the first independent American male to reach super-centenarian status. Between 103 and 110, he drove a dilapidated motor home throughout the USA, dry-camping in supermarket parking lots each night.
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There has never been anyone like Jones. He earned his status by expanding the envelope on independent human longevity. His tape-recorded life story was transformed into a written record that dazzlingly documents the rare phenomenon of total independence even as it was hampered by a “constantly in motion” motor home lifestyle. When curious readers discover the existence of 110 Years Positively on My Own, some will flock to Amazon or their local bookstores to get their hands on a fresh copy. For the vast majority of others interested in the biography, they will seek out a copy from a library.
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Therefore, a primary leg in our marketing plan is an energetic focus on the library market. 110 Years Positively on My Own expands sociological awareness of a very obscure, yet potent topic: independent centenarians. In Jones, Tennyson had contained a lively specimen, able to spin artful summaries of his winding road of life-events. The old fellow fluently expressed a myriad of distinct experiences that became the foundation for his independent super-centenarian status.
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In 2022, U.S. libraries purchased over $3.8 billion worth of books. They represent a major market that 110 Years Positively on My Own cannot ignore. There are more than 125,000 libraries in the United States, including 10,000 public library systems and their branches, 4,000 academic libraries, 100,000 school libraries, 1,000 governmental libraries, 2,000 business libraries, 2,000 medical libraries, 1,000 law libraries and more than 50,000 church libraries. Don’t forget hospital libraries, prison libraries, military libraries, niche libraries. Add to those the estimated 5,000 “continuing care” retirement facilities (each of whom has an “in-house” library), and the challenge is obvious. Connect as many of these libraries as possible to 110 Years Positively on My Own so they can order copies for their reference shelves, their e-book directories, and audio-book sections.
Successful marketing to public libraries is review-dependent. But scoring a review in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, etc. is a real long-shot. Thousands of newly published titles continually compete for a handful of those precious reviews. And yet without the reviews, many libraries will ignore an “unknown” book.
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This is where 110 Years Positively on My Own has a real edge. Its hybrid nature alone makes it stand out from the crowd. It is an “unusual” work, a niche book to be sure, and especially a niche topic: how a guy made it to 110 without ever giving up his independence. But in the world of book reviewers, just standing out from the crowd, getting initially noticed, can make the difference from getting reviewed or getting ignored.
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Creative originality resonates from the pages of the scrupulously crafted Jones biography. It truly delivers the goods on many levels. So once any reviewers actually pay attention to 110 Years Positively on My Own, they’ll be impressed. They’ll be compelled to write about the ancient man and reflect on his exploits and indomitable nature. And they might respect its craftsmanship. Positive reviews are possible and perhaps, even plausible. Then, the library market will embrace 110 Years Positively on My Own as a worthy acquisition deserving of a slot in the Historical Biography section.
LITERARY AWARD CONSIDERATIONS
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Positive reviews will also pave the way for literary award consideration. 110 Years Positively on My Own is a well-crafted, unusual book with significant “up-side.” Standing out from the crowd of competitors in the “biography” or generic “non-fiction” categories, it can be promoted as a prestigious, “literary” contribution to social science, etc.
When positive reviews come through, an aggressive campaign to gain attention from the literary award arena should be unleashed. Sometimes, unknown and unanticipated books arrive from nowhere and astound the judges with originality, creativity and overall value to society. 110 Years Positively on My Own is poised to become a real sleeper.
MAIL ORDER MARKETING FOR
110 YEARS POSITIVELY ON MY OWN
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Tennyson’s first book, Getting Screwed, a Satire of Car Dealer Manipulation, (published by Immortality Incorporated) was ostensibly a red-flag warning for consumers about detecting and defending high-pressure sales tactics. The car people were the villains. Yet, counter-intuitively, he discovered his most prolific market when he mailed provocative flyers to a sampling of U.S. auto dealerships. Early results were incredible: six to fifteen percent response, when two percent was considered respectable. The car people took no offense, and loved being satirized in a kooky book. They became big fans. That prompted Tennyson to expand his penetration with a full-blown mail-order assault by sending a creative brochure to every car lot in the country. “A car salesman has written a highly acclaimed book about auto selling. Details inside,” was boldly stamped on the outside of every envelope. He repeated the mass-mailing every four months. During a two-year campaign, Tennyson’s mailed solicitations produced nearly five thousand orders for Getting Screwed at full list price.
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Because of its provocative nature, 110 Years Positively on My Own appeals to a broad spectrum of readers enchanted by its themes, and especially by the inspirational antics of its primary character, centenarian Walter Casey Jones.
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Jones developed deep connections to several sub-groups, and each could be targeted for a mail-order campaign with the main pitch tailored to their ties to Jones’ assorted passions.
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For example, when he was 92, the old fellow was inducted into the Masons organization and served proudly as “Brother Jones” until he was 110. He was so devoted to them he bequeathed all of his financial assets to the organization. At the time of his death, Jones was the oldest Mason ever. His Mason connections could easily be exploited in a terrific mail-order campaign targeted to that community, suggesting his biography deserves a spot in every lodge, etc. They could make him a hero (of sorts).
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Another example: Jones became world-famous for being a centenarian who traversed the country in a motor home, during the last seven years of his life.
Consider what we’re talking about!
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Could you move into a tiny 22-foot underpowered motor home and live in it continuously for 5 or 6 years?
Think about the “degree of difficulty” such a lifestyle would impose. Yet Jones did just that. And he didn’t patronize campgrounds with RV hook-ups. He was proud to operate as a dry camper his entire seven years on the road. The complications involved with that lifestyle drastically increased the “degree of difficulty” for his day-to-day existence. He considered himself a totally independent centenarian.
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He belonged to the GOOD SAM CLUB, and even gave talks at some of their gatherings. At the time of his death, Jones was heralded as the “oldest” full-time motor home traveler in history. He is a hero to the RV crowd and channeling a pitch to them about his biography with the RV slant could propel a slew of orders for the book, and resurrect his stellar reputation for his RV achievements.
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Other sub-groups ripe for this type of capitalization include:
Religious Organizations:
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Walter Casey Jones was a devout Christian and attributed his longevity to the “higher powers” that “watched” over him. In several passages from 110 Years Positively on My Own, Jones praises the Bible and churches, regardless of denomination. The centenarian represented all the best in Christian spirit (honesty, thrift, independence, etc.) Jones’ Christianity sustained his belief that God preserved him for his final mission in life, spreading his positive messages to the masses. Who in that devout community wouldn’t want exposure to Brother Jones’ life-story? His faith was a serious component of his longevity. (With the Christian slant, of course).
Sales Organizations:
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Super-salesman Jones’ biographical comments are crammed with vivid descriptions of his salesmanship episodes, quaint anecdotes from the old days.
Any modern sales person would discover intriguing entertainment and perhaps even quaint insights on the art of selling.
Senior Citizen Living Facilities:
Most of these residents are 80+ years old and are very susceptible to information that provides insights into longevity. A mail-order pitch for them would focus on the “extending life-span” angle.
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There are many other “special sales” customers for our Jones biography. Mail-order solicitations allow for “thinking outside the box.” Tennyson’s experience and knowledge of the processes involved will prove invaluable for marketing 110 Years Positively on My Own from this direction, and he is eager to work with the publisher to accomplish such objectives
ONLINE PLATFORMS & SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
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We are fully aware of the important role on-line and social media entities play in marketing campaigns. There are blogs, podcasts, Facebook and Instagram, YouTube channels and much more. Dozens of opportunities for marketing and promoting 110 Years Positively on My Own await exploitation. Luckily, septuagenarian Tennyson’s millennial son (and corporate partner) Damon is endowed with the crucial skills necessary to administer those digital chores competently. The pair are committed to facilitating internet marketing and digital promotion responsibilities for 110 Years Positively on My Own via every available social media entity. The book’s spectacular unusualness and unforgettable title will trigger lots of inquiring clicks, eventually juicing up net sales of the book.
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Tennyson and son have created a website for the Jones biography, waltercaseyjones.com. It will serve as “home base” for the biography project and will be creatively embellished with easy-to-use tabs for: video clips, back-story information, speaking schedules and other related items, entertainingly presented. It can also serve as a repository for readers’ comments, reviews and correspondence.
TENNYSON’S CONTRIBUTIONS
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Philip Tennyson’s primary value for promoting 110 Years Positively on My Own stems from his direct connection to Walter Casey Jones. His prolific public speaking and media experiences predispose him for this “call to duty.” He is keenly adept at writing (and performing) forceful presentations that are tailored to an occasion. To juice public fascination with the Jones mystique, he can reveal spell-binding anecdotes regarding his association, forty-years ago, with the idiosyncratic centenarian. Radio & TV interviews, lectures, whatever else is called for, he is capable of spearheading an aggressive publisher’s campaign for raising public awareness of the fabulous Jones biography.
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Tennyson’s telegenic appeal along with his ability to fluidly maintain cogent discourse equips 110 Years Positively on My Own with wide ranges of promotional potential.
PROMOTING WITH PERFORMANCE ART
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Once 110 Years Positively on My Own secures a publishing deal, Tennyson intends to exploit that status and conduct his own pre-publication events.
On today’s stage, Tennyson will re-create the mystique generated 40 years ago when he and Walter Casey Jones shared yesterday’s stage for 97 formal
LIFE AT 109 presentations, coast-to-coast. By channeling the old fellow for today’s audiences, he can rekindle the centenarian’s indomitable spirit and resurrect his reassuring message of hope. Tennyson’s process will provide uplifting entertainment amid sparkling descriptions of benefits associated with 110 Years Positively on My Own.
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His presentation will delicately promote the biography while simultaneously expanding audience understanding of Self Reliance and Independence during extreme old age, a socially satisfying benefit.
He’ll include fascinating tales and offer intimate comments that only he could provide, because they are based on his one-on-one experiences with the centenarian, forty-years ago. This will imbue the performance with astounding authenticity.
JONES DOCUMENTARY FILM
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The eighteen months Tennyson spent with the centenarian exploded with spectacular adventures.
He and Jones performed together coast-to-coast, pursuing public awareness of centenarian significance. Despite the tremendous handicap of living “on the road,” out of vehicles, they finally succeeded in penetrating the American consciousness.
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Their struggles, the crises, the challenges to overcome, the old man’s tragic demise, all provided ammunition for a unique podcast. Overflowing with abundant archival photos, videotape, and other “breath-taking” materials that vividly document this wondrous forty-year-old tale. It’s currently in pre-production at Immortality Incorporated. A pristine version will be released at the same time the biography is launched.
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A (shortened) “documentary” version suitable for promotional venues can easily be adapted from podcast footage.
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We'll make it a prolific festival entry. Because of its captivating subject matter, and riveting footage, it will become a real “sleeper.” The attention it garners, when it succeeds, will benefit 110 Years Positively on My Own and ignite passionate awareness of the Jones saga. Many video segments from the film will prove suitable for repurposing and will enhance promotional endeavors for 110 Years Positively on My Own.
ADAPTING BIOGRAPHY TO “LONG-FORM” TV
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Since 110 Years Positively on My Own contains such a long, convoluted narrative, it is extremely suitable for a “limited-series” adaptation approach, perhaps six to ten hours of total screen time disbursed through 43-minute episodes. Such types of long-form television have become increasingly popular, creating heightened competition for great story source material.
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More than 80 % of American viewers receive their movies from cable TV or streaming services: Direct-TV, Comcast, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO, Starz, Showtime, and dozens of others.
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There were 505 scripted series distributed in 2022 compared with 189 in 2007. The content producers are continually scouring the terrain in search of bankable film and series projects. Once 110 Years Positively on My Own is granted a legitimate publishing deal, the floodgates can open.
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This series agenda will receive a vigorous push. The epic Jones tales are ripe with great dramatic, humorous, and emotional potential.
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In the mini-series, each episode could focus on a particular era of U.S. history connected to the Jones character’s parallel individual struggles during those eras, clear up to the last episode, The late 70’s / early 80s, during which Jones became the motor home centenarian hobo who, in the final act, encounters an enthusiastic young man that will change the course of his long life and make him a star in the process.
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A long-form version of Walter Casey Jones’ adventures could be extremely interesting, and if prefaced by the slogan, “Inspired by True Events,” dramatic license for a 10-hour “mini-series” could peripherally connect the Jones character to a fascinating collection of historical events and individuals inspired from the 28 chapters of his biography. Naturally, specific details need to be hammered out, but Tennyson would be amenable to collaborating with a seasoned screenwriting team to develop Jones’ story into a long-form cinema adaptation.
TRIUMPH OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT APPEAL
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A strong cinema tradition exists for “Triumph of the Human Spirit” themed productions. For example, Tuesdays with Morrie, a true-story adapted from Mitch Albom's memoir (world-wide sales: 17 million). A wise, terminally ill professor engages a former student with enchanting conversations and philosophical chats every Tuesday. Jack Lemon won an Emmy portraying Morrie.
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Another great example, Door-To-Door, the inspiring story of Bill Porter that won Bill Macy a Golden Globe. That fellow, Bill Porter, from Portland, had cerebral palsy and was a Watkins house-to-house salesman who pursued life and commerce, despite tremendous struggles with his handicap.
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Stories about defeating the odds and succeeding anyway are typically inspiring and hit the “sweet spot” for viewers, once they “embrace” the character.
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Mickey Rooney’s performance in Bill, and the sequel, Bill: on His Own, was a true story dramatized by filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld based on his involvement with an intellectually impaired employee at his university. Despite tremendous hardships and discrimination, Bill, the primary character, manages to pursue a worthwhile life (it garnered an acting Emmy for Rooney).
ECONOMICAL BOOK TOUR
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Walter Casey Jones spent his last fifty years as a resident of the Seattle/Tacoma metropolis, and was a local celebrity of sorts during his centenarian era. We suggest that the publisher of 110 Years Positively on My Own launch the biography in Seattle.
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Tennyson is a life-long resident of Portland, (4 hours away), eliminating any transportation and lodging costs (he drives his own Lincoln Town Car). With the assistance of a publisher-provided publicist, the book’s launch could be front-loaded with a blitz of author-appearances which would be well-received in the Jones “stomping ground.”
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Tennyson will give lectures, be interviewed by media, provide bookstore appearances, crucial for a quality launching in the Seattle/Tacoma market.
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Once the Seattle/Tacoma events conclude, Tennyson is prepared to get behind the wheel of his Town Car and continue promoting. Perhaps the publisher’s publicist could arrange a modest-sized west coast book tour, for 110 Years Positively on My Own. With the assistance of that savvy publicist, he could masterfully replicate the quality of the Seattle area appearances wherever they can be arranged down the line. He could also speak to university students and senior citizen groups (all arrangements made through the efforts of the competent publicist). Every necessary task related to the promotion and marketing of 110 Years Positively on My Own will be accomplished with enthusiasm.
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Our fundamental position is this: The biographical subject (Jones) is still very newsworthy and longevity issues are always enthralling for folks, because most human beings (whether they admit it or not) are certainly concerned with living as long as possible. This is hard-wired into survival instincts from their DNA. The bottom line? Tennyson is an experienced salesman and promoter. He knows how to promote from every angle.
After five straight years of hard toil, 110 Years Positively on My Own is finally completed, and it is a pristine work, very promotable, any way you slice it.
To quote the most famous promoter of all time, P.T. Barnum, “Without Promotion something terrible happens—Nothing!”
ABOUT
PROMOTION
This complex "book proposal" for 110 Years Positively on my Own has creatively blended an amazing array of elements to support a substantive case for its publication. Our goal is to enhance a publisher's ability to scrutinize and explore the multiple ways this book could become a valuable acquisition and hence, deserves serious consideration.
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The supporting materials included in the appendix are abundant, including a "back-story" essay, photo montages, news clippings, video excerpts (and more).
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To access appendix materials, contact our web-site: info@waltercaseyjones.com
ABOUT THE APPENDIX