Category: Writing

The “Published” Author

There were some interesting questions at the last book signing. One person asked if being from Chicago—nobody knows where Naperville is—and having my novel set in Chicago,  meant that I intended for the book to speak to the rising tide of violence in the city and if so, how?

Wonderful question! I gave as good an answer as I could given the time constraints, but the short version is, “No, but…” and “Read the book” respectively.

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Upcoming Events

Hey everybody!

My next appearance will be at the Joliet Public Library Author Fair. This year the fair will be at the Black Road Branch, Saturday October 13 from 11 am to 3 pm. Check the link for details.

This will be your chance to meet a bunch of  Chicago-area authors eager to talk about their books with you. Of course, you’ll be able to buy books and have them signed too! So if you’re in the neighborhood, c’mon over! I’ll be at the Barnes & Noble table so stop and say hi.

And since some of you have asked, yes, I’ll be doing another online book signing in the near future. For those of you who couldn’t make the last one, it was quite an event! Stay tuned for more details…

It Takes Two

The Smoking Gun reported recently that The Penguin Group, a well-known publishing company, filed suit with the New York Supreme Court over breach of contract with several of their writers. The suit seeks to recoup advances paid to the named authors for failure to deliver the agreed manuscripts.

The report is rather vague so we don’t know the specifics of each case. Suffice to say, going to court over breach of contract is no fun, and in the end, nobody really wins. I speak from experience having owned and operated a business that required the use of complex contracts to deliver goods and services.

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Thank You!!

For all of you who attended my book signing yesterday, please accept my heartfelt thank you! I hope you had fun!

I gotta say, that was very interesting. Is this something I’ll do again? You bet! But let’s go to the film for our post-game analysis.

Oh noes! Bullet points…

The Good

  • Diverse panel of authors and subject matter.
  • Attendance not hampered by geographic limitations. We had folks from all over the country in the audience.
  • Overall format for the event was good.
  • Technology used was Go-to-Meeting by Citrix. Flexible, stable, and reliable provided you have the network bandwidth. Used in the business world everyday.

The Bad

  • Pacing of the on-screen presentation had some problems. Jumpy and much too fast at the end.
  • Moderator did well overall, but chattier authors tended to dominate the discussion.
  • One-hour time limit squelches a more free-flowing discussion between the panel and the audience.
  • As we had a husband and wife author team, that brought the total number of panel members to five. This is probably too many.

The Ugly

  • We lost one of our authors for a large chunk of the presentation due to technical problems, some of which may have been pilot error. Regardless, it threw the whole question and answer portion off kilter.
  • On-screen presentation was not quality-checked after our practice session a couple weeks ago. My mug was pictured next to one of the other author’s books. Stuff happens, but this was pointed out before and was not fixed.

Overall, I think this is a neat way to do book signings. It cannot replace the face-to-face variety, but is an excellent supplement to them. Being online, you can cast a much wider net for interested readers. And poviding a free ebook to all attendees is a nice touch too. For all you authors out there, give this some serious consideration.

Thanks again everybody!

 

Booksigning Today!

Hey Folks, just a reminder that my new-fangled (was there an old way to fangle?…) hi-techy, online book signing is TODAY!

Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday!

September 26th, at 5:00 PM US EDT.

In case you forgot, an online book signing is just like a regular book signing, but you hear me rather than see me—always a good choice! If you haven’t already done so, and have some free time to spend with your computer, all you need to do is register at https://student.gototraining.com/rt/2780481632803386880 to receive log-in information to attend the event.

You’ll meet me and three other authors—actually there are four others because one book was co-authored by a husband and wife team. I’ll be yapping about The Good Thief and taking you behind the story. You’ll also have the opportunity to ask questions during the show.

And, just for attending the event, you’ll get a FREE, signed, digital copy of The Good Thief! But wait, there’s more! If you act now, we’ll also throw in a signed, digital copy of each of the other books!

In stores, you’d expect to pay up to $40 for that many e-books, but right now with this limited-time offer you get four books for the price of NOTHING!

Don’t wait! Act now! </Ron Popiel voice>

See you there!

Next Question!

After some pretty pedestrian…no, amateurish…no, crummy football on Saturday afternoon, Michigan State’s head coach, Mark Dantonio was not pleased. His team won, but only in spite of themselves. For those of you who aren’t familiar with his personality, he is notoriously taciturn—at least in front of the press and public, but behind his serious, businesslike façade lays a very passionate man. During the postgame press conference, Coach Dantonio gave brusquely pointed answers to the admittedly dumb questions he was asked. This was in stark contrast to his usual “glass half-full” coach-speak laden spin.

At one point, clearly fed up with all and sundry, he rattled off about five one-word answers followed by “Next question!” This concluded the abbreviated press conference. Needless to say, there has been quite a bit of comment about his behavior because Coach Dantonio rarely betrays any sign of emotion on the football field or off. One thing is for sure: I’m very glad I wasn’t in that locker room after the game and even gladder still I won’t be at practice today.

Now, before I get to my point—which I assure you, will be hidden in the post somewhere…eventually—let me tell you a personal story:

Continue reading “Next Question!”

Glengary Glensocks – By Smokie Mamet

[Scene: Dingy office, rows of desks. Two cats run in from offstage wet from rain, hop up on two of the desks and begin to groom. Business Cat is sitting on a stool in front of a blackboard.]

Business Cat –

Let me have your attention for a moment! So you’re talking about what? You’re talking about…bitching about that sale you shot, some son of a bitch that doesn’t want to buy, some dog that doesn’t want what you’re selling, some mouse you’re trying to catch and so forth. Let’s talk about something important.

[Aside to Manager Cat] Are they all here?

Continue reading “Glengary Glensocks – By Smokie Mamet”

Online Book Signing Scheduled!

The Good Thief - A Tale of Mercy
The Good Thief – A Tale of Mercy

The date is set, so please come to my Online Book Signing!

Wednesday, September 26th, 2012, at 5:00 PM US EDT.

What is an Online Book Signing, you might ask? Well, it’s like a regular book signing—only no long lines!

All you need to do is register at https://student.gototraining.com/rt/2780481632803386880 to receive log-in information to attend the event.

This event is a great way to meet me and other authors from the comfort of your home, office or wherever the day finds you. I will be speaking about my new book and taking you behind the story. You’ll also have the opportunity to ask me questions, which I will answer during the show.

For attending the online event, you will get a free digital copy of each author’s book, including mine!

So sign up today and I’ll see you there!