An Old Friend's New Project

I known Eddy Webb since my days at the old Hawthorne Academy, the school for gifted kids in Lorain, and we were good friend over the years. He's the one who got me into role-playing games (Pre-World of Warcraft, pre-computer, actually!), and we shared a great interest in technology.

Then, like most of my childhood friendships, after I went to college, we parted ways and lost touch with each other.

However, about a year ago, I came across some offerings by White Wolf on Lulu, and sure enough, the man behind their efforts? Eddy. So, I decided to drop him a line. And since it's been a while, I had to let him know I wasn't this crazy random person.

In any event, it seems that we both share another interest - writing, though I know Eddy definitely had a head-start on me. And it shows with his newest effort, and I think it's going to be a intriguing marriage of fiction writing and social media.

The Whitechapel Project, as it's been called, is a serialized horror novella slated to begin on August 5th. Not only will it feature regular updates to the fiction text, Eddy plans to also release each episode as a podcast. What's more, he'll get public opinion on how the story should proceed.

While serialized fiction is as old as the medium itself, The Whitechapel Project is probably the most ambitious and innovative idea I've seen in quite a long time. So, with that, I wish my old friend Eddy Webb luck and will definitely be one of those tuned in for each episode!

Taking a Step Back

Well, let's go ahead and chalk that up to a failed experiment.

It turns out that instead of spurring my creativity by setting a release date for Stories from the Forester: Volume 1, it apparently drove my writer's block to the point where I wasn't even adding blog posts on a regular basis...anywhere!

Well, hopefully, this wave has stopped. I have been adding blog posts for the TOG Solutions site. And with the recent release of the Welcome to Social Media ebook for Social Media Club Cleveland, I think I'm getting out of this non-writing funk.

But it's obvious that Volume 1 won't be coming out on July 25th. Let's just consider it an open-ended.

In the meantime, while I try to figure out how to get back on track with Unwritten, I'm taking a look at some of my other ongoing writing. As the saying goes, you always seem to find something when you stop looking for it.

The Book Tour - Plotting and Scheming

Now that I've finally gotten an ISBN for Flagrant Foul, I figured it would probably be the best thing to spend the six weeks that it will probably take for it to appear on online stores like Amazon (though you can buy it on flagrantfoul.com now!) drumming up some publicity...again.

I know what you're saying, fellow Questers. I already did all of this already. True, I was on Pete Klein's Adirondack Book House radio show in July and received a good review from Shannon Yarbrough, but really, was that enough?

Nope. Not even close. So, with the leaves turning and the time to promote more appropriate (Flagrant Foul, of course, takes place during basketball season), it's time to begin plotting anew, and maybe this time, someone will actually buy a copy (as opposed to the copies I've given away).

Where do I start this time around?

Good question.

First, there's the Quickest Blog Book Tour Guide Ever, a great site that details the 10 steps every Quester should take to plan and execute and effective blog book tour. So, where am I at on the list?

Let's see...

1. Start your own blog - Well, that's an obvious check.
2. RSS feed and bookmark link - Check (And while I have your attention, be sure to Digg this entry!)
   
3. Cyber-schmooze - Yep. As a matter of fact, if you're not already following me on Twitter, Facebook or MySpace, go ahead and do so!

So now, I'm at Step 4, choosing my tour hosts. Now, this has always been the stumbling block for your hero, so I'm going to have to get creative on this one.

Now, I've also posed the question, why not a Twitter Book Tour? Sure, people can throw questions at me and I can answer them. Create some publicity that way.

As you can see, I'm still thinking about that one...

The Twitterverse is Calling...

Finally, an instance where following people isn't considered stalking!

Microblogging, or micromedia (depending on you you ask) is spreading like wildfire. Forms of it have shown up on most of the social networking sites, such as MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn. In the last couple of years, though, it's taken on a life of it's own.

Welcome to the Twitterverse.

Like most Questers, I, too, have been drawn to the ability to unveil a random stream of consciousness on a regular basis. While like most social media, it's a good place to keep in touch with your friends, it's also a pretty good tool to get the word out about your book.

Plus, if you look in the right place, you'll find a few sites to help you with your Quest.

Lulu's on there - http://twitter.com/Luludotcom

And a new one I found, and an excellent source for Quester, Blog Book Tours - http://twitter.com/blogbooktours (Oddly enough, Blogger thinks they're a spam blog, to which I do not concur!)

I can be followed, too - http://twitter.com/bobmcdonald