Happy Thor's Day, Dresden Files Fans!

We continue to make progress in our campaign to get The Dresden Files renewed!

Thanks to -Anita Karve- and -Steve Gahm-, for digging up a second batch of sites to send our press release to!

Thanks to -Kersti Markey- for posting flyers to alert fans about the campaign. She wrote in to tell us about her experience, and I wanted to share it, in case you find it helpful (or inspiring!).

Kersti says: "I got flyers out to 2 comic shops, 3 libraries, a Borders, and a Barnes and Noble.

"Barnes and Noble has a corporate policy about no postings in or on the store, but a helpful store employee told me it was OK to post on the pillars or trash receptacles outside (I used the pillars). Libraries do not post anything that is for profit. Once you explain that there is no money to be made they had no problems. Comic shops are really gearing up for Free Comic Book Day. One that I went to is having a local Radio personality in store on that day. I emailed him and another known Sci Fi fan DJ at the station to see if they might mention the campaign on the air.

"I had to explain a lot because not everyone knows that The Dresden Files come from Jim Butchers book series. People at book stores and libraries were like this is TV…what does it have to do with reading??? I don’t know what on the flyers could get that across, but if we thought of something it would sure save a lot of explaining.

"Overall reception for the flyers was very good and several people asked me to leave one copy behind another so there would be more pull off tabs."

Note: After reading Kersti's email, I added a line to the flyers explaining that the show is based on Jim Butcher's books, and re-uploaded them to the site.

Every day, I google, and I see a couple new sites that mention the campaign to save Harry. Keep up the good work, people!

EXPANDING THE CAMPAIGN:

1. Is there anyone who is a moderator/editor/experienced poster at www.tv.com? I tried, but was unable to figure out how to post or submit the press release there. Getting even a short blurb about the campaign up there on the Dresden Files page would be great publicity, so if you can help with this, please contact me at bonnielala@gmail.com.

2. Have you written Mr. Stern and Ms. Hammer snailmail? How about the Dresden Files producers? Every letter counts, so if you've been focusing on signing the petition or sending email, this is a perfect time to go to the next level and send in hardcopy. (Note: to make it as easy as possible -- if you've already sent in an email to SCIFI's feedback address, you can print out multiple copies of that email from your Sent Mail folder and stuff them into envelopes -- no need to craft a new missive in support of the show.)

Take care, and have a great weekend!

Bon Johnston

May 1, 2007

Happy May Day, Dresden Files Fans!

I just wanted to send out a quick update, as we accomplished a few more important tasks in the last 24 hours.

First, I've posted some simple flyers that you can print out, take to your local bookstore/library/comic & game store/laundromat/etc. and ask if the management will let you post them. These are -very- basic, so if someone out there has the layout skills in Word and wants to make them fancier for us... please jump right in!

Second, we now have a press release! It's been posted on the Save Harry Dresden website, and has been sent out this afternoon to a variety of entertainment news people and scifi/fantasy websites, including E!, TV Guide, Entertainment Weekly, SCIFI Wire, and a number of newspapers around the country.

Many thanks to ANITA KARVE, who wrote the bulk of the press release, formatted it, and offered suggestions on the final draft; and to STEVEN GAHM, who went above and beyond the call of duty, digging up a long list of appropriate contacts in the media where the release could be sent.

And third, we now have contact information for most of the producers of the Dresden Files available on the website. Once you've written snailmail to Mr. Stern and Ms. Hammer, if you've got some letter-writing energy left over, would you consider writing one or more of the show's producers and letting them know how much you appreciate their role in making the Dresden Files happen? And asking them to keep the show on the air for another season?

EXPANDING THE CAMPAIGN

Our current volunteer needs:

1. Other places to send the press release. If you're aware of any fan organizations that have newsletters, or websites that publish industry news, and you think that a story about the campaign to get the Dresden Files renewed would be appropriate for them, would you please let me know?

Timeliness is a big factor with press releases -- one of the reasons I made a big push to send it out to as many appropriate places as possible today -- so the sooner the better.

2. Is there anyone who is a moderator/editor at www.tv.com? I tried, but was unable to figure out how to post or submit the press release there. Getting even a short blurb about the campaign up there on the Dresden Files page would be great publicity, so if you can help with this, please contact me at bonnielala@gmail.com.

Thanks again for all your support and your efforts to keep The Dresden Files on the air for a second season!

Take care,
Bon Johnston

April 30, 2007

Happy Monday, Dresden Files fans!

We continue to gain momentum as more fans find our website and join in the campaign to save Harry! As of noon (CMT) today, we had 8983 hits and 164 signatures in our guestbook.

This morning, I sent off another batch of letters from our overseas fans, along with five more pages of positive comments about the show culled from the guestbook. Keep the comments flowing in! The more good things SCIFI hears about the show, the more obvious it will become to them that they have a growing fanbase eager for another season.

If you've emailed me and haven't heard back yet, please be patient; this campaign is a labor of love for me, and I was completely blown away by the volume of fans who want to participate. It may take me a few days, but I will write back as soon as I can manage.

THANKS TO OUR VOLUNTEERS

Thanks to everyone who's written in and offered to help with the campaign! I'm still trying to sort through all the suggestions I'm receiving regarding other things we can do to support the show, and as I have time to organize new activities, I'll be emailing all you lovely helpful people with an invitation to take part.

Special thanks to Ann-Marie Gearhart, who put together all of the advertiser information for the episode "The Other Dick!" I've created a web page containing this info to make it a snap for you to contact the show's advertisers and commend them on their excellent taste in sponsoring the Dresden Files.

Special thanks to Anita Karve, who took time out of her busy weekend to draft a press release about the campaign to save the show! I'll be working with her to polish this release and distribute it to as widely as possible.

EXPANDING THE CAMPAIGN

The next steps...

1. Publish the press release (hopefully, in the next couple of days.

How you can help: Do you know of a website, a magazine, a newsletter, or other publication where it would be appropriate to send a press release? Think scifi/fantasy related, or entertainment news related... please email your suggestions to me at bonnielala@gmail.com.

2. Continue to publicize the campaign.

How you can help: If you have a website, or a myspace page, could you put a short note up on your website about the campaign, along with a link to https://maenad.tripod.com/saveharrydresden/?

If you participate in mailing lists, discussion groups, scifi/fantasy loops, etc, could you tell the members of that list/group about the campaign?

COMING SOON!

In the next day or so, we'll have fliers available for download that you can take to your local bookstore, gaming store, and/or library and ask to post them.

Also, another kind fan has located a snailmail address for Nicolas Cage (via his film company); we'll be adding that information to the campaign website so that you can write him asking for his continue support of the show. (Nicolas Cage is a producer for The Dresden Files.)

A PLEA TO THOSE WHO HAVEN'T SNAILMAILED YET

Snailmail makes a much bigger impact on network execs and others involved in the decision to renew a TV show. If you haven't already, won't you please take a few minutes to send a short note or a postcard to Mr. Stern and Ms. Hammer, asking them to renew the show?

Mark Stern, Executive VP Original Programming
NBC Universal/Sci-Fi Channel
100 Universal City Plaza, Bld. 1440, 14th Fl.
Universal City, CA 91608

Bonnie Hammer, President
NBC Universal/Sci-Fi Channel
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112

It doesn't have to be long or eloquent -- just tell them you love the show and you want to see Season Two.

Have a great day!

Bon Johnston
Save Harry Dresden
https://maenad.tripod.com/saveharrydresden/

April 25, 2007

Hello, Dresden Files fans!

CAMPAIGN UPDATE:

Our campaign to save Harry is off to a good start! As of a few minutes ago (4/25/07, midnight CMT), our website has had more than 5300 hits, and our guestbook has 110 signatures.

Some of our fellow fans overseas have been submitting letters as well -- this morning, I collected, printed out, and mailed 21 letters from fans outside the U.S. who wanted to support the show but weren't sure that international mail would arrive in time to affect the network's decision. As more letters trickle in, I'll continue to forward them to Mr. Stern and Ms. Hammer. I also included more than 50 comments from our guestbook, just so Mr. Stern and Ms. Hammer can see some of the positive things that fans are saying about this show.

EXPANDING OUR CAMPAIGN:

Some of you have been sending in suggestions for other things we might do to show support for The Dresden Files. I've just posted a short list of your suggestions, along with a call for volunteers to help with some of these things. We don't need to do all of them, of course... but if you see something you'd like to help with, please email me at bonnielala@gmail.com. I'd be happy to coordinate with you, or to put you in touch with other fans who have expressed an interest in the same activity.

CALLING FOR VOLUNTEERS:

The biggest need that I can think of is for publicity that will allow us to reacher more fans of the show. Do we have a fan who has experience writing press releases, and who'd be willing to work with us on creating and distributing a release (something along the lines of "Harry's Fans Unite to Save the Dresden Files")?

I'd also like to ask for your help in promoting the campaign:

Do you know of a science fiction/fantasy-related website that might be willing to put up a link to the campaign website? If so, let us know, and we'll write them a short, polite note asking them to link to us.

Are you a member on any science fiction/fantasy-related forums, discussion groups, mailing lists, or loops where Dresden Files fans might hang out? If so, would you post a brief note about the campaign and let people know our URL?

And please continue to tell your friends about the campaign to save The Dresden Files. Every letter helps.

Take care,
Bon Johnston

April 20, 2007

Greetings to all you Dresden Files fans!

First, I want to thank you all for your support of the show. This letter-writing campaign is in its third day, and as of 11:35am this morning, our website has received more than 2700 hits. Even better, the guestbook indicates that people are finding our site in places that I haven't visited -- so you all have been doing a great job of spreading the word!

I'll keep the newsletters brief, to update you on any new developments, either about other activities to help save the show, or to let you know whatever we learn about the status of the show itself.

I'd like to encourage you to continue to tell your friends about the campaign to save The Dresden Files, and if you belong to any science fiction/fantasy groups that might be interested in participating in some way, please let them know as well (and feel free to put them in touch with me if they want to do something).

All ideas welcome!

Take care,
Bon Johnston