The Adventure Begins: My Book in the Real World

With the arrival of a box of promo copies of my book, this long journey is about to reach a climactic moment - not THE climactic moment, but the end of one stage and the beginning of the most exciting stage in the life of "My Life at the Bottom of the Food Chain."  I'm busily sending out copies to all of those promised, after which we'll selectively begin offering copies for review.  

The ebook is in full release, and the paperback is about to become available across the Amazon universe (actually, once I approved the final proof a week ago, it immediately appeared on Amazon sites in the UK and Europe, but the Amazonian powers-that-be are taking their time to make it live across the pond).  The discussion groups seem to indicate the book will show up in four to six working days - so I'm expecting a surprise any day now...

Comments and reviews are beginning to appear, and I'm - dare I say it? - overjoyed at the response (and no, they're not all from family!).  It's a promising beginning, but now the greatest challenge awaits: helping it find an audience.

For an indie author like myself, word of mouth - grass-roots support - is going to be critical - and I'm hoping that readers will be inspired enough to help spread the word.  Reviews on Amazon and elsewhere are incredibly important to someone without a publishing conglomerate behind him.  As I hope for reviews to begin appearing (three five star reviews are on Amazon as of this writing), I realize that I rarely - if ever - leave reviews on Amazon myself.  I don't think most people do.  One thing is certain - I have a stronger appreciation of their worth!  Check out some quotes on my author side, http://richsamuelsauthor.com

I'm also hoping that readers witll use social media to promote the book - not only retweeting my book news and giveaways - but perhaps writing reviews or creating YouTube videos reviews (Zac Ward created this one for his "Keeper of the Mountain" YouTube channel).

Finally, while this book, it seems, is turning out to have cross-over appeal to adults as well, I'm hoping that kids and teens who like that book will share with their friends and through social media (and tell me about it). 

My friend Lynette Privatsky told me that I should think of the process of building an audience as a "slow burn," as I and my readers slowly spread awareness.  Whatever happens, the most exciting part of this adventure just may lie straight ahead!

Ebook vs. Paperback: "Yeah, But It's Not A Real Book"

In creating a book aimed (or at least intended for) middle school aged readers, I've been curious as to whether my book will be read more in ebook or paperback.    While tablets are used more and more, they're still not as ubiquitous as they are....say....in my own life.  In face, as the paperback version of "My Life at the Bottom of the Food Chain" moves closer to publication, I've discovered anticipation and general interest has actually been greater than when I launched the ebook a couple of weeks ago.  When this all shakes out and I can see actual stats, I'll be very interested in seeing how readers are enjoying the book.

Coincidentally, OnlineUniversities.com recently shared with me this infogrpahic showing just how quickly technology is now being embraced in the classroom.  It combines data from a series of surveys and reports from a variety of news and media organizations to show that technology, finally is beginning to be embraced by teachers and (not unexpectedly) by students, after some uncertainty and suspicion just a few short years ago.

Though outside the scope of this graphic, I'd be interested in exploring if the "digital divide" between poor and wealthier schools has narrowed in recent years - or do these trends, as important as they are, still reflect schools that have the resources to embrace technology?

In relation to my book, I suspect that my target group, at least at this point in time, will largely read my book in paperback.  After all, when I told my eight year old nephew that I had an ebook, he was unimpressed, and said, "Well, yeah, but it's not a real book."

Attribution: OnlineUniversities.com

First YouTube Review of "Food Chain"

One of my strategies in getting my book out to the world at large is to encourage as many "grass-roots" reviews as possible - on YouTube, in blogs, podcasts - anywhere that spreads the word.  This video by YouTuber Zac Ward is what I hope is the first of many (if you have any suggestions on how I might get the word out, or know any of the above, please share your ideas!)

Ideally, I'd like to see reviewers of all ages - kids, parents - anyone who appreciates what they read in the pages of "Food Chain."  With it's somewhat unique title, most mentions of my book title, especially combined with my name, show up within the first two or three Google search pages.  It seems that an unusually long title is working to my advantage!

I'm also checking regularly to see if any reviews pop up on the Amazon, iBooks, or any of the other sites.  Nothing yet...but it's only been a week...

Enjoy Zac's "Redneck Book Review," also featuring a bit of autobiographical info about the author!

What It Took To Get Here: Why I Finally Wrote a Book

As of this writing, "My Life at the Bottom of the Food Chain" has officially been launched in ebook form across most of the major (and even some not so major) outlets.  The paperback is still in process, but should be available in about a month or so.  In many ways, this is the culmination of so many aspects of my life stretching back to when I was nine years old, and wrote my first short story.

It's been about a year since I starting writing the book - and about nine years since the original screenplay upon which it was inspired first began to take shape.

While the story reflects some of my own junior high experiences, it also incorporates friendships and experiences stretching back to my earliest memories to my college years.

I actually finished writing the book (or so I thought) at the end of 2012 - but then spent nearly two and a half months working on polishing the manuscript with my editor/proofreader.

Going back even further, my nephew and I started discussing the original screenplay in 2004.

The very beginning of the first handwritten draft
of "Food Chain," which I then called "Targets"

Before the screenplay, I had actually started creating (and never finished) a fairly basic graphic novel based on the general idea (I'm still looking for those original drawings - I'd like to share them eventually).

The graphic novel idea evolved from a single image of Alexander (the main character in "Food Chain") and his friends that I randomly doodled.  The idea (I'll be a little vague, since the situation featured in that drawing may be a part of a future volume in the series) struck me as funny, and started the story process.

Go back even further, and the evolution of the novel descends from three separate branches.

I've been writing short stories since I was nine years old.  That first story, an school assignment in which we were to find a picture and write a story to go along with it, was titled, "The Lost Puppy." I've written hundreds of stories, short and long - shared some of them, and wrote most of them simply because I enjoyed the process.

I've played around with cartooning since I was in grade school - not with any serious intent, but simply to amuse myself and my friends.  In college, it became somewhat of a "thing" I did for and with my friends, and was great fun for a couple of years.

It wasn't until my nephew came along and was growing up in the late nineties and discovered my old cartoons that I was inspired to create new ones, usually to entertain us on our yearly camping trips.

I've been writing screenplays since fifth or sixth grade, following the form I learned from the screenplays my father would bring home from his work at 20th Century-Fox.   At first, they were short Star Trek knock-offs, but eventually they evolved into more original work.  I produced a couple as short films, and wrote (or attempted to write) a few feature-length screenplays - sometimes on my own, and sometimes with collaborators.  Before "Food Chain," two of those screenplays won a few awards here and there, and began to build my confidence in my craft.

"My Life at the Bottom of the Food Chain," then, is the evolution of all of my creative "adventures."

Whether readers will like it or not, time will tell.  I had great fun getting here, though!

Recalibration

I've been taking a break from updating my various social media channels  - here, YouTube, Twitter and even (to a considerably lesser extent) Facebook.   My "time out" wasn't really anything planned or intentional.  I didn't wake up or come to a realization that I needed a break from social media.  My informal vacation had to do with several l things.

First, I've simply been too busy.  Work has picked up considerably this year.   As I write this, I'm juggling several productions for several different clients, each with individual deadlines, levels of client involvement, and particular challenges of their own.  I also have several other projects on the horizon that will be equally as time consuming (recalling the old worn adage, "when it rains it pours").  I actually find that having to work on multiple projects at once to be a fun challenge - meeting all the deadlines, creating a quality project that the clients like, and finding inspiration simply from making the overwhelming manageable.

Having said that, my personal creative projects have been very much on my mind.  My novel, "My Life at the Bottom of the Food Chain," is finally nearing publication, fulfilling what I'm finally admitting to myself has been my single greatest ambition.  Everything I do - producing, directing, editing - circles back to my first love - writing.  I've always thought of myself to be a writer above all else - but I've never written a novel.  Like screenplay writing, I've simply never had the patience to commit myself to a project that would then require a several-year attempt to win acceptance from a publisher or producer, who might be willing to try to bring the project into the sunlight and in front of an audience.

While I would love to have a formal publisher, the world has changed for emerging writers.  I can now bring my work - my writing - directly to my audience.  I can make both ebooks and paperbacks available and accessible by major online retailers.  I no longer have an excuse.  If I write it, it can be delivered.  If I write it well, and work with a qualified editor, that audience will respond and grow.

Response so far by my early readers has been positive, I'm focusing a lot of my energy and time on working to bring it out to a wide audience.  I've shared some of those efforts on the Facebook page for the novel,  but have been more selective on what I share across other media.

My creative horizons- and how I pursue them - are evolving, and with them, my social media personality.  Between this blog, my YouTube channel, Facebook and Twitter, I hope to share that evolution.

To support "My Life at the Bottom of the Food Chain," please check out the Facebook page: http://facebook.com/mylifeatthebottomofthefoodchain

My Announcement Vlog!

My somewhat anxious vlog...announcing my book!  It took me forever to sit down and do this - Somehow, it's now more real....I guess I better get it published!

The Social Media Guillotine

The problem with sticking your neck out is that you can never be sure your head won't get cut off.

Though I've been involved in aspects of social media for quite a number of years (I started my first blog in 2005), I really didn't seriously “launch” myself into the universe until 2010.  I ramped up a new blog to record my impressions, started a YouTube channel to experiment in that world, began using Twitter to pull it all together, and pondered what this new world of accessible media would mean to my future.

 

My current projects: one, an "evolution" of documentary filmmaking, and the other a genre novel offered in both e-book and tradtional editions (click on the image for the respective Facebook pages)

I've worked in aspects of visual media all of my life - I make my living as a creator of documentary, promotional and educational media. I sometimes work as an editor as well. I've won recognition, including three Emmy awards, and I sometimes have taught filmmaking workshops as well.

Creatively, though, I'm not where I want to be. 

Since I began to explore social media and watching the masters at work (people like Gary Vaynerchuk and even the icons of YouTube, I've developed several hunches about "what this all means"  to me:

1. Social Media technology is an entrepreneur's playground.  More importantly, it allows more people in more places around the world the chance to become entrepreneurs than ever before, and reach a worldwide audience
2. Creative entrepreneurs - content creators from YouTubers to writers of ebooks - have an opportunity to achieve their individual goals - as long as their individual goals aren't simply tied to just one social media platform.  

The key, I've come to believe, is to establish personal creative goals, and then perceive the entirety of social media as an opportunity to achieve those goals.

I also believe that many content creators don't appreciate that their talents are bigger than the platforms they use.  Many talented YouTubers see success on that site at their only option - instead of just part of a bigger picture. 

My beliefs, though, have been largely theories.  Beginning last year, I began my own “grand” experiment to put those theories to work.