Originally, the mission was to write a book that would teach others to do my job. It turned out to be way too long… until I proposed that it could be two books. Thankfully, the experts at Routledge/Taylor & Francis agreed, and the rest is history. This solution also spun me right back into action, duplicating my efforts in finalizing a second manuscript for publication on another tight deadline. Having another flight of heroes come through with The Communications Consultant’s Master Plan endorsements is another amazing honor I will never forget.
I am forever indebted to these wonderful people for their praise of this book, and/or this author: Chris Arsenault, Rebecca Bedrossian, Craig Duncan, Stuart Elliott, Gerald Giannone, Brett Knowles, Angela Natividad, Jacqueline Poole, Karen Raz, Scott Shaw, Anthony Vagnoni, Jason White. Their thoughtful comments appear in the books themselves, in the publisher’s and resellers’ listings, and here.
My deepest gratitude also extends to professional reviewers and anyone else who has given me feedback on this book. Below, I am very proud to share some of the highlights of others’ reviews and recommendations.
Kirkus Reviews: The Communications Consultant’s Master Plan
Thorough and highly applicable advice for communications consultants.
Literary Titan: The Communications Consultant’s Master Plan
This book ensures readers have every opportunity to comprehend and grow, step by step.
Here, I will share selected excerpts from messages I’ve received, and public reviews. In case you’re interested, my interview with Literary Titan discussing the book appears below.
Keep My Passion Alive: Interview with Roger Darnell by Literary Titan
The Communications Consultant’s Master Plan outlines the steps that people should follow to have a successful career in public relations. Why was this an important book for you to write?
To clarify just a bit, this book is definitely intended to help people have successful PR careers – but it is also more focused on independence, and building, operating, and even selling one’s own shop. Since finding my way onto this career path, I’ve felt very fortunate. What exactly did I learn that allowed me to become self-employed, land clients, build success, and enjoy the many rewards that make up what many people call a dream career? My goal was to put everything that seemed essential on the table, in the hope that it would work as a blueprint others could follow to blaze their own trails and build their own businesses.
I want to add – together with its companion volume, “The Communications Consultant’s Foundation,” these two books give readers everything I had in mind to share, and a lot more. Many of the brightest people I’ve ever known contributed content for the greater good. Importantly, thanks to my PR industry mentor and former boss Michael Terpin, book two also contains invaluable contract language that can be used to establish win-win relationships with readers’ own clients. It took me over a decade of exploratory diligence after college graduation to gain access to this particular key to the kingdom. Thanks to Michael’s generosity, everyone who reads “Master Plan” has direct access to it, and all the other information they need to know to land and manage accounts successfully.
What is one piece of advice someone gave you that changed your life?
In a letter I still hold onto, our dear family friend, Mrs. Gay Henderson, made a very big deal over something I wrote back in 1995. In that, she urged me to “keep my passion alive in my writing.” A little of that kind of encouragement can go a long way, and I am still able to warm myself at the virtual bonfire she made for me, to make me feel like my writing was important and worthy of a larger audience.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your book?
With book one, I wanted to illuminate a new way of working and provide the guidance and toolset to help anyone exploit it. With “Master Plan,” as mentioned, readers have everything they need to launch their careers as independent consultants, build a business according to their ambitions and passions, and plan out the rest of their career in extraordinarily fulfilling ways. My hopes are being achieved each time someone proceeds on this path, due to what I’ve written.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Yes. More extended writing projects are in the works, and I appreciate you asking about them. I hope your readers will visit my website, sign up for my mailing list, and keep in touch with me. There is a great deal shaping up, and I am seriously looking forward.
The Communications Consultant’s Master Plan is available now in Hardcover, Paperback, eBook and Kindle Editions at rkdarnell.com.