If I had a dollar for every time...

Less than a full month into this adventure, I can see the results of my efforts in the numbers. I am a little surprised about those numbers, though. I did not really have any expectations that I can quantify. On the other hand, the cookbook now has over 500 downloads and I am flabbergasted.

Of course, I expected that the free ebook would move a lot faster by virtue of the bargain (and the fact that it includes recipes, which makes it practical as well).

The point of the cookbook was to test the waters before putting the novel up for sale – going through the process to replicate it, in a matter of speaking. Additionally, I wanted to have one offering in my name before I offered a book for sale.

Right now, the novel has over a dozen downloads, and a couple of the people who won the promotion have “bought” the book. There have been a handful of sales, including a couple at Barnes and Noble. I have gotten a few encouraging words from friends and that is awesome. The question remains whether people who do not know me at all and have read it “cold” have good things to say about the reading experience. This may take longer though as we know that not all people who buy also review.

I admit the idea is slightly unnerving, but also necessary. It’s not like folks will just take your word that your work is fun or even worthwhile…

Whatever expectations or lack of them, it is still quite a thrilling sense to see royalties accumulate for this project. I wonder how far it will go? And, by extension, will I be able to build on it for the next project? (Oh yes, I am deep in research for the next one!)

Spike!

I explained to a friend that this book publishing thing is more of a marathon than a sprint. This requires a lot of patience and anyone gong into it expecting overnight success is likely to become extremely disappointed. Sometimes nothing happens for long periods of time. You simply cannot predict what, when or how people will be interested in that which you offer. You may have put hours and a lot of love into it, but ultimately it’s their choice to sample or buy it. And there is tons of competition!

I had about 100 downloads just a few days ago, and today there are over 300. I still await reviews, but I hope that someone will be sufficiently impressed to say something about it.

It certainly was incredibly exciting to see those numbers.

My work is still not done. The spike in downloads certainly can work in my favor. Let’s see how this develops…

Waiting... Waiting...

So it is done and now the waiting… Between the two books, there have been 100 downloads. I now patiently await reviews.

I sent out a few queries regarding reviews. The trick is that you have to wade through a ton of websites and figure out whether they review ebooks, and then whether they’ll consider self-pubs – not all do. I suppose that makes sense, they’d be overwhelmed by the amount of crap available out there.

A good review is always a welcome point on your side but for all that effort you really want to avoid the slush pile. And this reminds me of this hilarious website: SlushPile Hell. This comes from a literary agent with a great sense of humor. Trust, if you’ve ever worked with a publisher, you’ll recognize some of these letters. I remember that the editorial department at Discover Magazine once got a rambling letter from a guy who said he’d discovered the math equation that proved the existence of God. He wanted to give exclusive rights to the book and movie…

The adventure has begun!

I’ve put my baby out there for the world to see and play with it. I suppose I should be terrified, but I still find the process interesting and a lot of fun. But then, I have always been a little weird.

Of course, so far only 3 people have read the whole thing, so I expect that once people start reading, I will get reviews. In the meantime, there is promotion to be done. My research says that this is the most challenging part of the equation (which I find hilarious, because no matter how labor intensive it is, the experts’ opinion on this ignores that writing the book required some work and intelligence).

Anyway, I have collected a list of book reviewers and now I have to check out the ones that cover fiction, crime stories, satire and especially ebooks. Then there are queries to write and submissions to make, follow ups, etc…

Of course, this is only one step in a journey with a thousand pit stops. But now that the journey has begun, I feel the urge to visually myself wearing all my best Sunday hats for each step. If you can’t use your flights of fancy to amuse yourself, what’s the point of an imagination?

Special Promotion and Giveaway at Dark Valentine!

I just discovered a wonderful online magazine: Dark Valentine. Their tag line is “dangerous words: fiction on the bleeding edge of a black and beating heart.” These are my people!

A quarterly journal dedicated to nothing but dark fiction. How perfect is that?!

Please visit them Wednesday (yes, tomorrow) for a special promotion and a giveaway. And check out their website for fantastic content that will feed your dark, dark hearts.

http://darkvalentine.net/

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=137119479634673

It's happening!

The Smashwords edition is converting to digital formats right now. The Amazon and Barnes and Noble ebooks are pending approval. Publication date is still estimated at April 15. I also just started a Facebook page for the book, here http://www.facebook.com/pages/Justified/147400378661169

Now the real work begins, trying to market this baby and let it take flight.

Come back tomorrow for news about a special promotion!

Rejoice the Ides of April

Ceasar was warned to beware the Ides of March. He did not. He is history…

We all reach the age of majority and know the perils of the Ides of April. You bust your hump day in and day out for a whole year and then Uncle Sam bitch slaps you and takes all your money!

There is no reason April 15^th should be a depressing day that blows. It should give a little: hope, laughter, wit.

For this reason, beware the Ides of April: Justified is coming!

Justified drops April 15, 2011!

Justified offers a literary ménage à trois of crime story, noir and biting satire.

Justified is the story of an ordinary man caught in an extraordinary life. Edmond Styles awoke one Thursday morning and walked to work – to a job he detested. By the end of that day, he found himself held hostage at gunpoint by a disgruntled civil servant. Before the night fell, two people were dead and Edmond Styles began a journey that proverbially lasts 15 minutes. By that evening’s 11 o’clock news, the whole city had begun speculating about the survivor.

By turns funny, illuminating, heartbreaking and all too human, Justified is a universal story except for the extraordinary man at the center of it. The book follows the journey of one man through the tragic incident; the investigation; and the news cycle, as he finds himself both vilified and made a household name in the space of 72 hours. He then travels from Brooklyn to California to clear his name and hilarity ensues during his sentimental journey.

A simple crime story that quickly turns into a dark comedy with quite a few laugh out loud moments set firmly in popular culture.

Justified is coming soon to Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords! Stay tuned to this blog for news of the books release and a special offer for buyers.

Get the Free Excerpt by clicking on the book cover on the left navigation bar.