Book about disabilities- Interview with Special Stories author Mike Kelly- PART 2
This two-part interview was conducted by Courtney Williams from Disability Life. Part Two is below.
PART TWO
CW— SPEAKING OF SALES, HOW ARE BOOK SALES GOING?
MK— I’m nowhere close to that hundred thousand copies, I’ll tell you that. (Laughs) The thing is, people have to know about the book. If nobody knows about it, it will never get a chance to sell.
CW— TRUE.
MK— I feel like I’ve climbed a mountain that’s taken me twelve thousand-plus hours to ascend. And now I’m standing at the top of that mountain. I scooped up a handful of snow and made a little snowball and rolled it down the hill, hoping it will gain traction and grow larger as it rolls. Of course, I need some people along the mountain to help keep the snowball rolling and not allow it to get stuck, or melt. If it reaches the bottom, that snowball has the potential to be enormous. If the disabilities community and parents of kids with challenges get support it, the book has the potential to sell lots of copies.
CW— THAT’D BE NICE IF YOU CAN GET THAT SUPPORT FROM THE DISABILITIES COMMUNITY.
MK— There’s no doubt about the potential huge audience for the book: parents and family members of the millions of kids diagnosed with disabilities just within the United States alone. Add to that the millions of people who work for disability organizations across the country. Then there’s the hundreds of thousands of federal and state and local government workers who work in the disabilities field. Add to that the hundreds of thousands of special education teachers and administrators and paraprofessionals working in the thousands of schools across the United Sates. Let’s not forget about the thousands of corporate diversity and inclusion professionals working in American corporations. Plus the folks across the country who enjoy a good read that features not just stories on kids with disabilities, but a lot of other topics including the educational establishment, famous professional athletes who donated their time to headline fundraisers—unlike the celebrities who wanted fifty thousand to appear, and so on.
CW— NO DOUBT, IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF POTENTIAL SUPPORTERS.
MK— The thing is, the book has no competition! There’s nothing else like it. It’s not like I’ve created a fast-food restaurant that sells hamburgers and fries and expect it to be a hit. People could easily say, hey, Mike, there are already restaurants like that called McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and more. That’s already been done. My book hasn’t been done before. So, it’s not like people within the disabilities community can say that they prefer the other books written about individuals with disabilities, over mine.
All that said, if the targeted demographic doesn’t buy it and or help spread the word about it, the book will be doomed. So, I’m doing everything in my power now to make as many people within that community know and care about the book.
CW— IS THERE ANY REASON WHY THE DISABILITIES COMMUNITY WOULD NOT STAND BEHIND THE BOOK?
MK— I can’t think of any reasons why they wouldn’t. The book is inspirational in nature and showcases the abilities kids with disabilities have. It tells their collective stories—the only book in the world that does. It promotes inclusivity and empowers kids to think outside the box and reach for the stars. It’s not like the book’s message is that individuals with disabilities are bad people and to not hire them. Then I can see the book not getting support.
I’ve been told many times by parents of children with disabilities over the years that they just want their sons and daughters to be accepted and included in our society. This book accepts and includes them.
CW— OKAY, SO … I GOTTA ASK SINCE YOU REFERENCED IT EARLIER. IN YOUR BOOK YOU HAVE STORIES ABOUT HOW YOU REACHED OUT TO CELEBRITIES WITHIN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY, ASKING THEM TO DONATE THEIR TIME TO APPEAR AT CHARITY EVENTS BENEFITING INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. AND THAT THEY ALL DEMANDED FORTY OR FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS TO APPEAR AND NONE WERE INTERESTED IN DONATING THEIR TIME. CARE TO DISH THE DIRT AND GIVE US ANY NAMES?
MK— (Smiles while shaking head) You know, it’s despicable that people with so much money—made wealthy by us everyday folk who buy their movies and watch their TV shows and buy magazines with their faces in them—are so incredibly greedy. They wanted thirty, forty, or fifty thousand dollars just to make a 90-minute appearance to help raise money for a nonprofit that serves individuals with disabilities. Not just one or two of them, but several dozens of them. Basically, everyone I reached out to.
Yeah, yeah, yeah—I’m sure there are a lot of celebrities who would donate their time. But I haven’t found one of them, let alone lots of them. And believe me, I looked. Everywhere! After discovering how that industry works and the process by which celebrities are gotten to appear at charity events, I couldn’t believe it. It was shocking. Like a child finding out that there’s no Santa Claus.
CW— ANY CLUES YOU CAN GIVE US AS TO WHO THESE CELEBRITIES ARE? INITIALS?
MK— Part of me would love to name names, but the bottom line is that it wouldn’t change a thing. They’d still be greedy. And their team of money-hungry agents and lawyers and publicists and managers would all still demand astronomically high fees to appear at events.
And, for the record, let me just say this. I know they’re busy people. I totally get that. But they never seem too busy to not appear at awards shows or other glamorous events where they are showered with gifts worth more than what most working Americans earn in a year. And these celebrities are supposed to be the ones who care more than the rest of us!
CW— WELL, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT YOU MANAGED TO GET SOME FAMOUS PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES TO APPEAR FOR FREE AT THESE CHARITY EVENTS WHICH HELPED RAISE A LOT OF MONEY. THAT’S IMPRESSIVE.
MK— Thank you. Yeah, I was very fortunate to get world-class athletes to agree to donate their time so I could build events around them. These athletes were just as famous and just as busy as the celebrities. They were just down to earth. And cared. That’s why they answered my call to help. As you know having read the book, there are plenty of stories about the athletes I secured and the ups and downs of the process in getting them. Great stories for any sports fan or for event organizers and fundraisers of nonprofits. Lots of tips in the book.
CW— LOOK AT THAT! WHO WOULD THINK THAT A BOOK ABOUT KIDS WITH DISABILITIES WOULD FEATURE STORIES ON FAMOUS PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES?
MK—Hence the subtitle of my book . . . and my adventures working in the disabilities field. These sports stories are part of those adventures. As I’ve said, the book not only tells the untold stories of so many kids with all different types of disabilities, but it also hits on other topics as well; the educational establishment, both the generosity and greed of people, society’s perception on kids with disabilities, and so on. It’s a smorgasbord of short stories; something for everyone.
CW— MOVING ON, DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE STUDENT OR TWO THAT YOU’VE WORKED WITH OVER THE YEARS?
MK— (Laughs) Hmm. I used to ask my mother if she had a favorite child of the four she had. She would always say the same thing: I love all my children the same . . . but there’s nothing like a daughter. I feel similarly with my students. I love them all the same but . . .
I’ve been blessed to work with some absolutely adorable and wonderful kids over the years, and I have to admit, I have my favorites—for different reasons. My wife knows who they are. And though I’ve never told those students that they were my favorites, some of them knew. I’m human, you know. Of course we all have favorites.
CW— LAST QUESTION: IF YOU WERE NOT WORKING WITH YOUTH, WHAT OTHER WORK WOULD YOU WANT TO BE DOING?
MK— Good question. Either writing books or working for some type of historical museum or national park.
CW— THANK YOU FOR YOU TIME AND GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BOOK.
MK— My pleasure and thank you.
To learn about the new book “Special Stories: Short Stories On Youth With Disabilities And My Adventures Working In The Disabilities Field” by Mike Kelly (2017, Vendue Books) visit www.specialstoriesbook.com.
