Launching

Will the date and time are set for my first book launch, it will be August 24th, 6:30 pm to 10:30 in the Eye Candy Gallery in Southern Pines, North Carolina. If anyone lives in the area, consider yourself invited.

My friends Frank Pierce and Nancy are advertising it and I'm adding all my contacts in the area so it should be a fairly good turn out - although I have no clue of how many books I might need.

Anyone have a suggestion?

I suppose the quantity isn't critical since I'll be having other chances to unload them.

Yesterday I was contacted by the design group that will create my book trailer. They had several questions that I had to answer about what I envisioned for the trailer. In essence I said that I wanted it to be just like the NPR podcast that used an actor with a British accent to read one of the more compelling journal excerpts. Something that will grab a reader's attention and make them want to buy it in order to read more. 

Residual Benefits

What I've discovered from my project is that I'm receiving residuals from my research. Since I posted so many request for information and journal entries over the past four years some responses are still trickling in. As example, just the other day I received a post on a subject I originally back in July 2011, almost one year ago. The fellow wanted to thank me for posting excerpts from the journal. He was visiting a war memorial around Flanders to find his great uncle's grave, who served in the RFA , from 1916 until is death. He went on to say that they helped him to understand, at a deeper level, what it must have been like to be a soldier. 

This was for this reason I posted the excerpts.To have readers experience the war through the descriptive writing of one man.. 

Not too long ago I heard from a researcher who added information to my post  on Great War Forum. He listed information on soldier by the last name of Haywood. I had to search the journal to determine where Haywood's name was mentioned. As it turned out it was when my grandfather was visiting some old friends in another battery. They were talking about old times and that is when they told him about Haywood's death.

Bits and pieces of information comes in from various sources and each is a piece of the larger puzzle.

Book Launching

Now that I have an idea of when the book will be released, I'm going to schedule my first book launch party for the end of August. It is going to be held in the art gallery where some of my paintings are on display. The name of the gallery is "The Eye Candy Art Gallery" and is located in Southern Pines, NC.

Over the past six months I've been accumulating emails of those I would invite and will bulk send them all an invitation. Frank, the owner, will advertise the party in local media as well as an extensive list of clients. It should be an exciting night.

I'm uncertain of the number of books to order for this event but even if I over order it will not matter for I'm scheduling other launches and signings.

Perhaps the publicity will create an interest for the local bookstore to schedule a book signing, sort of a double dip for sales.

My marketing avenues will include Amazon US, UK, and Europe, Library of Congress, library book catalog, news media and several other book suppliers. I believe in the shotgun approach and then focus in on what moves.

I would love to send a book to Tom Hanks, or the other well known producers such as Clint and suggest they start filming so that it would be ready for release by 2014. I would be willing to sit in on the filming and help as the journal expert!

The Book Proof

I contacted Create Space to find out the time frame for wrapping up the book. They responded that they finished the book cover and will be mailing out the printed book proof for me to review and if I approve it, then it could be released for sale within five business days. If I want, I could give them a date for release so that I could plan for it.

How strange it all seems that after working on this project for so long that it is, or at lease the first portion of it is coming to conclusion. I have focused on the one goal of completing the book and getting it published. Now the time is near and the race is only half over. I have to create a new mindset from writing to marketing. If I don't make this transition then my dream of walking into a bookstore and finding my book on their shelf will die.

Perhaps it is because it is my first book, or that it was written out of love for my family, but whatever the reason my grandfather's journal stories will always lie just below the surface. An example of this happened last night while I was watching fireworks. The big ones that spiral towards the heavens and then explode with the sound of an artillery shell, lighting up the sky with all forms of color. My mind made the journey back to WWI and my grandfather's description of standing on a ridge, as the day faded into night, over looking the continuing battle around Mons, Belgium. He said that he stood there in awe, like a kid watching a fireworks display, looking at the shells exploding over the battlefield. Listening to the exploding fireworks I wondered if artillery shells were as loud or louder. Then I began to realize that the sound of bursting shells was only a minor element. I couldn't possibly comprehend the horror that one would experience when shells would strike the ground around you and lift up large sections of earth. This horrific experience would continue for hours until fear would consume one's very soul. I can only imagine.

To read the review of  The Great Promise click on this link:  Perpetual Chaos of a Wandering Mind: About the Liebster

Magazine Article

I'm working with the editor of, "The Western Front Association" (WFA) on including journal transcriptions, along with page images, in the WFA magazine. This will be a great opportunity to introduce their members to the content on my book thus creating interest in purchasing a copy.

The editor already agreed to review The Great Promise and add his review to the corresponding book review section of their magazine.

Next project - take on the big military magazines! Attack! Attack!

Perpetual Chaos of a Wandering Mind: About the Liebster

Perpetual Chaos of a Wandering Mind: About the Liebster

The WWI Expert

I Googled Ken Marsden, he is the man who is reviewing my manuscript. I found out that he is a renown researcher. He lives in the UK and can be hired to research family history, specializing in military history. If anyone is interested in finding out more go to: http://www.the-abbotts-of-canterbury.com and find his listing, which contains his email contact information.

He told me that prior commitments prevent him from focusing on my manuscript until the end of July. This is cutting it close if I want to release the book in August but we'll see how it plays out.