After All That???

Now that it's the beginning of August, I must take personal stock in how the Quest is going.

Um, not so good...

Sales so far:

Flagrant Foul (from lulu.com): 0
Dilemma (from lulu.com): 0
Dilemma (from Mobipocket/Amazon): 0
Average daily hits on http://www.flagrantfoul.com/ (Main site, not the Quest): 1.17

So, I take this to mean one of three things. Either...

A. I'm not applying myself.
B. My books really are crap.
C. This is a tough, tough racket to break into.

For the time being, I'm going to choose Answer C, and press on. And instead of moping, I'm going to just turn it over to you guys. How has your Quest been going? What's your experience been like so far. I've got a couple of different Quest reports posted already. Come join in! I know I'm not the only one!

The Gaping Hole...On The Cover

As if watching the last month or so drift away weren't enough, revisiting the cover of Dilemma, the book I've chosen to used to take advantage of the Published by Lulu distribution package, has been a struggle?

The problem? Getting that center picture right. So far, two tries, and two strikes.

I think I may some professional help on this one.

Paging Dr. Yarbrough...

We Interrupt Your Regular Program...

About a year ago, a friend of mine, Dan Gilles, was involved in a rather horrific accident. Taking a break from the Quest, here's his story...

Part One

Part Two

I'm happy to say that Dan made a full recovery. Props to you, man!

BlogTalkRadio Widget

In case you don't want to scurry around BlogTalkRadio, here's my interview!

The Lost Week...

Well, after my interview with Pete Klein on BlogTalkRadio (which you can still listen to here!), the rest of my week has, to be honest, been completely shot.

...no promotion...

...no writing...

This is not a week any Quester should have! But here I am!

So, it's time to get back up and keep on moving! After all, I still have my proof copy of Dilemma to look over. Plenty of work to be done!

Plus, it looks like I've got to give Flagrant Foul yet another once over. You would think after five years it would be perfect! Sheesh!

Then Again... Maybe Not!

I finally received my proof copy of Dilemma in the mail. From a self-publishing standpoint, it's good, because you have final say on what becomes public...

Then I looked at it...

...and looked at it...

...and looked at it...

Then I begin to wonder...

Is this really worth $14.50?

Realistically, I like the story and all, but the retail mark-up for this short a book is killer!

Not that I blame Lulu, really. Pocket books, of course, aren't really that big a revenue generator for anyone!

And as I've already mentioned, Dilemma was to be just one of two stories in Volume 1 of the Stories of the Forester.

That's not to say that I'll be taking Dilemma off the shelves. Once I approve it, it'll be available everywhere!

All I'm saying is, erm, download the e-book, either through Lulu or as an Amazon Kindle book. It's way cheaper!

Putting the Q! in Quest (aka the Australia Experience)

Make a mental note - The Aussies are your friends.

During the brief time on this Quest, I have found a surprising section of folks Down Under who, like me, are fellow Questers and are willing to help out writers get the word out.

First, there's Metha Metharom. The Brisbane native and author of numerous books in his own right, has set up both an Author's Spotlight and a Book Review blog. I have been fortunate to be featured in both, though I blame myself for the 3-star review of Flagrant Foul. Rule No. 1, folks: ALWAYS give the reviewer a full copy of your book!

And from the Victoria province, there's Kevin Balshaw. Talk about someone who's been busy. For proof, just go to his Q!2write Web site. Not only are there a ton of resources for the up and coming writer, there's a showcase of books and writer bios! Plus, I've been promised that there will be more to come in the near future.

I expect plenty more from this part of the world as time progresses!

Get Back in Line!

As I'm patiently waiting for my proof copy of Dilemma to show up at my doorstep, I am often brought back to the original question of why this book got in front of the ISBN line instead of Flagrant Foul, which is the basis of the Quest. As I've posted previously, I thought it to be a test of what an ISBN could do to increase exposure (Paraphrasing, of course).

But now, maybe that's not the real reason...

While the Quest, along with every other bit of promotion (radio, reviews, etc.), is primarily dedicated to Flagrant Foul, Dilemma remains, in fact, the first story in the Forester rotation. And as such, there is ample justification as to why it is already available on Amazon as a Kindle Book, along with the aforementioned Published by Lulu venture.

Regardless, the Quest will continue, now for both books. The question that remains, of course, will be which one will come out of the gates of popularity first?

(BlogTalk) Radio Days

Long, long ago, I often wondered what it would be like to be able to put together a radio show on the Internet. Those dreams were dashed by the fact that at the time, the cost and time of putting it together, not to mention the level of technical expertise, became major deterrents.

Fast forward to 2008, and the landscape has changed considerably. And I plan on using it as part of the Quest.

BlogTalkRadio, for those of you who didn't know, allows anyone anywhere to have their own live, streaming broadcast, complete with audio archives and everything! All you need is a phone line (users call a number provided to broadcast) and you're all set!

How will this help the Quest? Do a BlogTalkRadio search for books or writers...

I've lost count on the number of shows solely dedicated to books and writing. And I fully anticipate requesting an audience with all of them. But baby steps, first.


The first appointment will be with Pete Klein on Saturday, July 12th at 6:30 pm. We'll be talking about Flagrant Foul, and, most likely, the rest of the Forester series. Be sure to listen and I'll even take some questions!

Sites to Swear By

Like any aspiring author, I know now that it takes a lot of work beyond writing to make the best decision on how to best make my writing available to as many people as possible. However, when the Quest started back when I originally finished Flagrant Foul, my haste proved to be my ultimate undoing.

Since then, I've come across some very valuable resources for my fellow Questers out there.

The Publishing Game - A friend of mine, noted poet and author Anthony "Da Boogieman" Rucker (whose current book, The Relationship Cookbook, is now on sale!), told me about this series by Fern Reiss. Not only are the books packed with infomation (I own Find and Agent and Publish a Book. Still working on getting Creating a Bestseller), the Web site, plus the Writing and Publishing group on Facebook are updated regularly with the latest news and updates.

LinkedIn - In a former life, this site saved my bacon on more than one occasion. But there's more to the premier business networking site than just connecting to as many people as you can. The Answers section is what's been most helpful to me during the Quest. Don't be afraid to ask!

Preditors and Editors - If you think that the publisher or the agent you're working with is shady? Here's at least one place to find out! Over the years, I've found it to be the most honest source of information about the book market.

The Bowker Stamp of Approval

Shortly after my previous post, I received a message from a representative from R.R. Bowker, which is, of course, the the agency that distributes ISBNs in the U.S. In short, he provided some very useful information, including a link (Click here) of all the Bowker-authorized companies. Lulu is definitely one of them.

This, of course, tells me a couple of things. First, and most importantly, regardless of the option (in this case being selecting the Published By Lulu service), I made the right choice by sticking with Lulu. Secondly, folks are actually reading this thing!

So, thanks to Bowker for the information, and I hope to hear even more in the future!