Tip of the Week: Be ready for an encounter with the media. I read this tip recently and decided to act on it. So I made up some disks that include:

• bio
• head shot jpg
• book cover jpgs
• one-sheet
• sample Q&A

To clarify: A one-sheet is a list of your books (short stories or scripts) and a brief synopsis or blurb of each. The idea is that it should fit on one page. A sample Q&A should include information that a media person might ask and information that you’d like to get out there.

• What inspired you to write this book?
• What kind of research did you do?
• What in your background prepared you to become novelist?

I had all these items anyway; it was just a matter of saving them to some disks. Now I keep one with me in my purse or car all the time. I’ve already given away one. As a working journalist, I may encounter media people more often than others, but it’s still a good idea for any writer. Whatever you can do to make the journalist’s job easier will work in your favor.

As a writer, what do you carry with you? What ideas can you share?