Out of the Paddocks

Last week I wrote about feeling the launch - the adrenaline and the surge of energy as the race began. Anyone who has experienced the beginning of a race or marathon knows that feeling when the gun goes off and everybody goes from static to motion. The moments prior to the beginning of the race seem eternal, while the first step so powerful.

So, Oilspill dotcom is out. The book was launched in two stages: On Friday, June 12th, my 45th birthday, many of my friends and colleagues bought copies on Amazon and we watched excitedly as the book climbed from 1.2 million to 4,500 on the Amazon rankings. Thank you everyone who made this possible.

Then last weekend, at the official launch. I was able to stand before a packed room and talk about why I write, what Transformational fiction is (another time), and about the amazing court case on which Oilspill dotcom is based.

Friends, and friends of friends, read out parts of the book in character. Alan Black, author of Kick the Balls, added his Scottish accent to provide an authentic rendition of Professor McGoughen (see earlier guest blogger). We talked about the book, about writing and drank wine together in what I hope was a great evening for all.

Now the dust of the launch begins to settle. What next? Even the title of this blog screams the question.

For a year I have collected ideas of how to market Oilspill dotcom. While I am sure that Oprah and Jon Stewart are madly juggling their other guests to find me a convenient spot on their shows, I’m not sure I should wait around for them.

This week I began sorting out those ideas. Over the summer I want to put together a few readings in independent bookstores, garner reviews and articles in local newspapers, and build a schedule that will allow me to market Oilspill dotcom, finish editing Barista, and begin writing another novel.

Oh yeah, and excel at a full-time challenging job, be an involved father and husband, keep fit and sane.

But then, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

"I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them, I shall use my time."
- Jack London 1876-1916

Looks Are Everything

Never judge a book by its cover.

We’ve all heard it before, possibly said it ourselves, but in the context of book promotion, people do judge a book by its cover. Usually it is a subconscious response, but we seem to make some pretty conclusive decisions in a matter of seconds.

Picture yourself perusing along the shelves at your favorite independent bookstore. A book catches your eye, probably from the title as it is revealed on the spine of the book. You pick up the book, glance at the cover and then, hopefully, turn it over to read the blurbs and synopsis on the back cover.

What happens in that glance at the front cover that either prompts the reader to turn to the back cover or return the book to the shelf? Is there a magic formula that we need to consider when designing our book cover?

I believe that the cursory glance needs to take in enough symbolism to understand the genre, the right color to set the mood, and then just maybe something that triggers a sense of inquiry, whether based on past experience or present interests.

This week I received the first designs for my book cover. While undoubtedly a complex work of art, I felt terribly alienated from what the artist was trying to convey. The colors were dark and sinister, with a daunting oil rig and other smart ideas such as seashells in bedrock. The idea was clearly taken from the title of the book, Oilspill dotcom, and the artist was trying to convey the malevolent nature of multinational corporations. Even the title, written in a thick black font had drops of oil falling from it.

But I want the book to convey inspiration and hope, the true message of my novel. I want a light color and clear images of a computer screen and either a gavel or scales of justice to show that this is a courtroom drama.

What really worries me is: what do I know? I am an author, with no expertise in art or marketing. The cover designer is no doubt a professional, but can s/he understand the message I, as the author, am trying to convey?

I believe in professionalism and earlier made up my mind that I would accept the changes suggested when my manuscript was being professionally edited. But there is something about the cover design that seems so personal, so fateful. In the end I need to be able to hold up the book – whether to a consumer, to a group I’m addressing, or on Oprah (let me dream) and say: This is my book.

Good Writing,

Alon