Who rules the world?

Who rules the world? In the Hernandez series, it's Jorge Hernandez, bitch...

The former cartel king slowly eases his way into business, politics, and even the media.

When I started the series, I had no idea how close my fictional account was to the truth. I didn't realize at the time just how many things are run from behind the scenes. It would be naive to think that world leaders are making decisions without powerful people pulling the puppet strings. It would be equally naive to believe that the media isn't influenced, especially in light of the last few years. 

For many, writing fiction is about falling into a gentle fantasy world, but for me, it's instinctual, and sometimes....often, it turns out to be reality. 

Be your own media 📺🎙📻 (updated)

I wrote my first book in 2010, and at the time, the idea of getting media attention seemed essential. Having said that, when I finally did get an interview, I was a bumbling idiot when attempting to answer questions. I wanted to sound confident, but I wasn't. I wanted to say how great my book was, but I didn't want to sound arrogant. I quickly discovered that while I had a knack for throwing words together in writing, I wasn't so great at that whole talking thing.

What helped to improve my interviewing skills? My confidence grew after I started to record videos for my YouTube channel. When you record yourself speaking, you quickly catch some flaws upon playback, and this allows you to improve your weak areas while building confidence when speaking with a potential audience. I say potential audience because even though you record a video, it doesn't mean you're obligated to release it. The first few might be cringe-worthy, but that's ok because this is how you learn. How do you think all these well-spoken people in the media first learn how to talk on camera? No one is perfect the first time.

 Of course, the second problem is to get media attention at all. It's pretty easy when you're a best-seller with a big name and massive sales, but when you're new, unfamous, unrich, and untrendy, it's a whole other story. So, what do you do?

I'd recommend you take a stab at writing a press release. If you're not sure how to do so, find an example online and model yours off of it. Then send it to everyone; local, big and small newspapers, television and radio stations, free newspapers, and anyone else that might be interested. The key is to get as many sets of eyes on it as possible. You don't know who might be interested, and you never know who's paying attention.

Do press releases work? With some books I've published, they've resulted in radio and newspaper interviews and other times, one lone paper will contact me. It varies from book to book, the time of year, and other factors that sometimes you often can't predict. Newspapers are often downsizing, or have too many other things taking place at the time, competing for an editor's attention. Don't take it personally.

Whether or not the media contacts you, you have to take the bull by the horns. Write blogs, record videos for YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or whatever social media you use. Find creative ways to capture people's attention. When you think about it, the media is essentially the loudspeaker that lets the world know what's going on, but we live in a time where we have outlets to do this for ourselves. Social media is powerful, but at the end of the day, so are you.

Let's talk about the media guy, Tom Makerson 📰(Updated)

Tom Makerson may be a secondary character in the series, but he plays a valuable role in the organization. When it comes to public perception, Makerson makes Jorge Hernandez look like a hero while his enemies like the devil. Talk about spinning a story!

Makerson came along in And the Devil Will Laugh when Jorge Hernandez needs someone he can control in the media. After having some issues with the newspaper Toronto AM, Jorge decided to cut (literally) the editor out of the picture. He picks someone else to take over the paper and in turn, take care of his profile in the media. When we meet Makerson in the first chapter, it becomes clear that he is intimidated by Hernandez and will do whatever he wants. Which, of course, is exactly what Jorge Hernandez wants.

Throughout the series, Makerson grows more comfortable with Hernandez, and the two work quite well together. Not only does Makerson create a pristine image of the CEO of Our House of Pot, but he's also given some big news tips from Hernandez that end up being breaking stories and, in turn, enhancing his career. Of course, there are always fringe benefits if you do what Hernandez wants, like having your condo paid off, but that's not for a couple of books later.

Do power and money slant the media? Is there corruption behind closed doors? I think we both know the answer to these questions.