Oh Yeah, That'll Promote the University!
One of the advantages of having a creative mind is that it's easy to envision just about anything. One of the disadvantages of having a creative mind is that it's easy to believe the vision.
Case in point: In around 2003, I decided to write a novel about my alma mater, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. My main intention was to publicize the school. I created a character who was based loosely on myself, made him a Radio and TV major, and placed him in the Spring quarter of 1971, taking classes on the Carbondale campus.
In 2011 the book was released and I made appearances on southern Illinois radio and TV, appeared at a couple of book signings, donated the novel to a couple of libraries, and was mentioned in the Southern Illinoisan and Daily Egyptian newspapers. I also autographed copies of the novel in the SIU Alumni Association tent during homecoming. Later, two local local bookstores carried the novel, and I sold a few hundred copies.
But all of this did not accomplish what I had set out to do: Promote Southern Illinois University.