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Gregg Feistman is an Assistant Professor of Public Relations at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has had a long career in public relations and corporate communications for local, regional and national companies, is an independent PR consultant, a  nationally-recognized professional motorsports photographer, and a former playwright.

Thank you Gregg for taking the time to answer some questions for us!  To start, please tell us about the latest project you've worked on.

A new novel, "The War Merchants."  It’s a corporate thriller, available through Strategic Book Publishing.

How has your education, profession or background helped you in your writing career? Or conversely, how has you writing success helped you in your  profession?
 
Currently I teach public relations at Temple University in Philadelphia.  Prior to that, I was in corporate and business PR for more than 20 years.  Since my heroine is a corporate PR representative, my background in both PR and business helped a great deal in using the terminology and getting the right feel for her character and the story. 

I’ve also been a freelance journalist and a NY-produced playwright, so my writing experience is fairly in-depth.  But I’ve been a writer almost all of my life.
 
What will your next project be?
 
Perhaps a non-fiction book on leadership, and/or a new novel.
 
What type of work is the most rewarding or satisfying for you?
 
I love what I do, both as a profession and writing as a creative outlet.
 
What can you recommend for writers who are just getting started and are trying to make a name for themselves?
 
1. For unknown writers, write the book first. Publishers want to know you’ve written a complete manuscript first, not just that you have a great idea for one. Most writers with great ideas never get around to doing the actual writing.
2. For novels, figure somewhere in the range of 115,000-120,000 words for the draft, depending on the genre.
3. Stay persistent. You’ll get rejected a lot, but stay with it.
 
Have you ever had a mentor, or someone who sparked your passion for writing?
 
I had several teachers in high school and college who spotted an ability to write and encouraged me to keep doing it.
 
Finally, a most important question: what was the last song you sang out loud when you were by yourself?  :)
 
Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen
 
Thank you Gregg! We wish you great success with The War Merchants!