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So I've given up on the non-response from agents about my 1st novel. I woke up to the news a few weeks ago about Amazon buying Book Surge, a print-on-demand service company. Thought I'd check into it.

I will have full creative control and ownership rights (so I can go to a traditional publisher when I have a few sales under my belt if I choose) and the royalties are pretty good. Any order wll be printed and shipped within 48 hours and I will get an ISBN so that the book can be ordered through any bookstore. I get to use my own cover design, they have a copyediting service (not cheap, but not bad cosidering the importance of the service) as well as marketing, submission to a New York Times reviewer (with feedback).

I'm going with trade paper (the nicer-style paperbacks - not those cheesy mass markets they sell in grocery stores). Maybe I'll buy a bunch and personally sign them. Can't wait for copyediting feedback.

Good thing the guy with the Lotuses is helping me do the bodywork on the car for free as I'm going to need the cash to do this. It will put the car back a little longer still, but anything worthwhile requires risk and sacrifice.

Since a Subaru is a main 'character' I'll try to see about selling through Subie magazines, etc. Think Sopranos and Pulp Fiction meets Two Lane Black Top.

Only thing is I wish I could do the soundtrack idea, but that will probably be too complicated and risky to ever get done.

Steve

Sounds interesting, do we get first dibs on signed copies?

Let us know how this progresses, Steve. I can easily see Laurel and I wanting a copy for our place.

I want a signed one.

I want one.

I'll take one

Cool, Steve, this is exciting!

What exactly is the soundtrack idea?

Sign me up. Name your price.

I've read about half of this book, and I really think it's excellent. Very gripping story and great use of imagery in the writing.

Congrats Steve! I will do what I can to spread the word!

I'm ordering 50 copies for myself to sell/give to family and the rest will have to be print-on-demand orders through Amazon, ABEBooks, local bookseller, etc. Since I don't like 50 people locally, most of these can be signed for legacycentral people. I'm getting the smaller trade (5.25 x 8 ) as it's $3 cheaper. Retail will be about $15.99 according to what I've read so far.

The soundtrack idea is just that - a soundtrack to the novel. I think it would be a great gimmick, I mean, way of expanding literature into a multi-media experience for broader, non-traditional readers appeal. Getting rights to all the songs and figuring out royalties, affect on the cost of the book, and just the logistics of getting copies out there together are too much for me (and probably most publishing houses). The novel opens in Las Vegas with "We Must Awaken" by KMFDM playing over the radio of a BMW M5. Midnight in a Perfect World is also a song and would be the perfect background song for a movie preview I have in mind.

Steve

Put Laurel and me down for a signed copy, Steve.

Just let us know how much (incl. mailing to 98028), and we'll be more than happy to contribute to the "Steve's book" fund.

I'm going to try to get everything rolling this week. Copyediting takes about 4 weeks so I'd figure a couple months or so. I need to figure out how to get my cover design done. I may need to get some friends to model for the cover silhouettes. The cover (tentatively) will be very dark blue with right justified text for the title. Spilling off the left will be a round yellow Hella foglight (also resembling a glowing full moon) with the black silhuettes of the 3 main characters and the car illuminated in it.

Art & Vikash - you're copies are free for helping me out last year.

Steve

That soundtrack idea is kind of cool, but, yeah, it'd be hard to pull off. Maybe you could periodically put an artist name and song title somewhere in the text or something.

I'll take two of those 50 signed copies, if you're willing.

You posted while I was posting!

That's generous to offer a free copy. I'll buy one more though.

That cover idea sounds cool.

I agree with the cover idea, it sounds perfect.

im not much of a reader but this sounds like it has potential

Right on Steve! This is sooo cool. I will definitely take a signed copy!

It will be so cool to be like "Midnight in a Perfect World? Ya, my friend wrote that book. I actually have one of the first 50 books printed and it's signed. "

Just incase my first post wasn't clear, I want a signed copy too .

I'll buy a copy as well. It may be the first book I'll have read in its entirety, since... uh, um.. oh this is bad.. a long, long time.

Steve - I'd like a signed copy as well! Feed and speed?

I want one too.

legacy92ej22t wrote:It will be so cool to be like "Midnight in a Perfect World? Ya, my friend wrote that book. I actually have one of the first 50 books printed and it's signed. "

Hell yeah.

Feed & Speed?! I hope to get them by the Shootout. There's the psychological addition of debt I need to get over (not too big a deal), see if I can get a better rate from my CC company as my credit is awesome, hash out details with the book people, get photoshop, and find some people to model 2 silhouettes of the characters (I'll model Dante and Barbarella will be there, too, depending on which version I like better).

Everyone will get one that wants one. I hope I can make some cash back on it in a timely manner to finance the second in the series, which is also ready.

The songs are put in throughout the book and some chapter titles are song titles also (in some cases, they inspired the chapter). I suppose someone could DL them off the internet to make their own soundtrack.

Steve

I'd like a signed copy please... let us know when this is "fo sho"

yeah Steve I'd like a signed copy

and an unsigned copy to circulate amongst my friends/school library... you'll be famous!

Yea, that's a good idea Sam, I'll get a second copy to lease out to friends and family.

Hehe, if you need a strapping young male of 6'1" tall to model for the cover, I'll volunteer to do it