Full disclosure: I’ve never seen The Wizard of Oz or The Wiz and am completely lost when it comes to your references.

But to your questions…

My community is very geographically diverse. By that, I mean they are actually all over the United States. That’s why I think partnership is crucial for my project’s success. My first thought was major publishers but now I’m thinking local and hyperlocal publishers might be the best route. Maybe I can send some press releases through the J-school to college publications. That would diversify my reach and hit the core of my community.

Thankfully, my street cred is the $150k loan hanging over my head but that credibility works for only one half of my audience. The other half of people I’m trying to have join the cause do not have student loans or have already paid them off. Many of them do not think there is something wrong with the status quo. That makes winning them over more difficult. That is when I can talk about family and my future with this debt. People can relate to economic burdens and seeing their futures put on hold for uncontrollable reason.