Hello to my lovely readers,
It’s finally time to party!! The book is done, the champagne needs popping, and a few books need signing. You’re invited! Click the invitation to RSVP.
you’re invited to my book launch!
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Category Archives: Writing
All in a Day!
What a day!
I scheduled my first newsletter announcing the arrival of my paperback to go out this morning. By 8AM, 200 people had opened the email, and by the end of the day, my open rate was 15.6% higher than the industry average (31.9% open rate), with a total of 522 people reading it! The amount of support that came flooding in after I sent that email was overwhelming – you just never know where the support will come from.
Email marketing is not to be overlooked – I’ve sold more books today than I have in the past month and a half. Thank you to everyone out there who has helped so far – more to come soon.
When I got home, two large boxes were sitting on my kitchen counter – the 50 books I ordered for my launch party have arrived, and my oh my – it all feels so official. Wow – three years later, and what started as an idea, a few letters, and a little laptop is now a real life book.
Now that the books are here, I’m able to offer signed copies for sale (unfortunately for now, it’s only in the United States)! If you are interested in receiving a signed copy, please click below:
Also, the arrival of the books mean I can officially set a date, and celebrate! Let me know if you’re interested in attending the launch party – if you happen to be (or want to be) in the Chicago area, and I’ll add you to the list.
If you just want to receive updates on the book tour, promotions, and news, you can sign up here:
Thank you all again – I promise more real (and less promotional) blog posts soon! I have a juicy one coming up on why I decided to stay in Chicago, rather than pursue acting again in Hollywood…
In the meantime, I present to you the BOOKS….
Three Questions: A Kickstarter project
I’m about to delve into the world of funding for my novel. I came across the website Kickstarter.com when I was writing for midVentures last year, and interviewed the founder of Chicago-based MINIMAL about his creation of an incredible watch that is made from the iPod Nano. He was the closest ever to almost reach $1million in funding.
The website makes it possible for artists in any category (from design to writing to photography and dance) to make their artistic visions come to life through the help of donors. The success of the Kickstarter campaigns, I believe, come from the rewards that are given to the donors. You can create any type of reward.
For example:
$3 – $9 – Contributors will receive recognition as a Sponsor on the Sponsor page on my website
OR, if you’re more generous, you would receive the following:
$99 – $199 - Contributors will receive recognition as a Sponsor on the Sponsor page on my website with their photo & links to their blog and a signed copy of “Three Questions” in paperback with a handwritten thank you card by moi.
There is also one for slightly higher where I will wear a t-shirt of your face for one week straight, and post it on my blog.
And so on.
Contributors feel like they are a part of the creation of something, and are truly able to get a project off its feet. The Los Angeles Times reported on “recently wed alternative power couple Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer” who are both “figuring out how to survive as creatives in industries rocked by digital change. That’s why they turned to Kickstarter.” In a recent article by Wall Street Journal’s All Things Digital, they said “In the Elizabethan era, artists were supported by wealthy patrons; we’re headed back toward that world.” Not that you have to be a wealthy patron to support this kind of thing…but it is fascinating to think that I might have the possibility to truly take my project where I want to take it.
So, if I already published the novel, why do I need more money? Essentially, I was motivated by the phrase “If you write it, they will come” everyday of the two years that I sat down to write my novel. That’s a great phrase to get you up and writing, however, it doesn’t exactly help to sell more books.
I intend to use the money to create a trailer for the novel, to set up a book launch, for marketing materials, a small book tour, and perhaps, for a new cover design. Not only is my goal to sell more books, but I also started a screenplay based on the novel that I would love to finish.
I’m still working out the kinks of it all, and how I’ll do it.
But, I thought I’d ask you guys first, what kind of rewards would you like to see in there? Think big, think small, think in circles – I don’t mind! I want you guys to be a part of this as well!
Inspiration.
Inspiration isn’t something to be taken lightly, and I wish I constantly had inspiring moments/words up my sleeve. I find Facebook’s new design lends itself to encourage people to post more inspiring photos, to rally the troupes (as in the most recent homophobia and pro-gay marriage photos going around):
But I have to admit, I’m loving Pinterest as my new favorite site – for a number of reasons, but mostly because it gives me unending inspiration in the form of images.
Here are a few of my favorite pins this week:
This one is for Jock:
For life:
When I forget:
And finally, the image I was searching for:
What quotes inspire you?
“The Airplane”
A scene where a guy and a girl discuss what to call “cancer” so that it hurts a bit less every time it’s brought up.
“Cancer,” he finishes the sentence for me. “It’s OK. It’s hard for me to say sometimes too, but I like to think that the more I say it, the less it controls me, and the less important I make it.”
“Like the more you see the images of the planes flying into the twin towers, the more it seems like a scene out of some movie, and the less it seemed like it ever happened?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you really believe that works?”
“No.”
“For me, every time the news played that video of the second airplane hitting, I cried harder, I think.”
“Yeah,” he says as his shoulders fall.
“So, maybe let’s call it something else, yeah?”
“Like what? Call the cancer something else?” He asks.
“Yeah, what if we called it ‘The Airplane’.”
“Wow. OK. Um, sure. Why not?” He fidgets around on his rock, carefully keeping hold of me.
“You don’t seem so sure.”
“It’s an intense thing to call it ‘The Airplane,’ isn’t it? Meaning, that at any moment it can strike, and my tower could collapse.”
“True,” I shudder. His body isn’t keeping me warm anymore. “I just want it to sound nicer.”
“It can’t. I wish it could sound nicer. But, on the other hand, the truth is, the airplane hasn’t come yet.”
“Yeah, and at least we know it’s coming this time. We can prepare.” We sit there in silence, listening to the faint sounds of life on the campground, holding each other and breathing the other in, watching the fictitious airplanes disappear in the sky.
