I) PUBLISHING UPDATE: SUBMISSION PROGRESS ON SECOND NOVEL “THE SQUID
AND THE SPACEMAN"
Backstory: The publisher of my first book "God Bless Cambodia" had first right of
refusal on my new book. However, they are going through a transition phase (publisher
passed away last year) and publishing four books instead of their customary 16
so I’m back on the street looking for a book deal.
1) Since October, I've queried 103 agents with my new book "The Squid and the Spaceman."
Results so far:
- 30 rejections
- 1 request for manuscript, later rejected
Whining and Kvetching : I submitted my first book to 106 agents and
received 7 requests for the manuscripts, which were eventually rejected.
Clearly,
the query letter for the new book isn’t working so I just revamped it, highlighting
topical elements, such as race, gender, #MeToo (a bit of a stretch considering
the characters in the book spend a lot of time poking wokes and insulting
uptight Boston millennials.)
The new query letter:
THE SQUID AND THE SPACEMAN is an 80,000-word comedic novel that
combines the romantic dysfunction of Jonathan Tropper, the dark humor of
Sam Lipsyte, and insight into the male psyche and the confusion men are
facing with today’s shifting rules of courtship love, and commitment.
It's 2015 and Boston is being
colonized by gender-trenders, biotech hipsters, and artisanal pickle
shops. Two tone-deaf fifty-somethings,
who are unhappy with city’s transformation, meet and fall in love.
Randall is chronically single. Jackie doesn't date men, she
marries them. He's Jewish and trying to reinvent
himself as an artist. She's Chinese-American
and drives a muscle car. Both are
struggling with their racial identities, the fear they've aged out of the local
dating pool and that this is probably their last chance for happiness.
Four months into the relationship, Randall develops insomnia and
Jackie develops an ulcer. Because Randall has never been married, they both
agree he's the problem. He locates a therapist, Dr. Byrnes, who has a plan for
turning him into marriage material.
As part of the treatment, Randall and Jackie attend a fetish
conference to resuscitate their middle-aged sex life. Can acceptance,
compromise, active listening, and a
sphincter harness save their relationship? More importantly, how much can –-
and should –- one man change for the one he loves?
2) Since February, I've queried 36 highly rated mid-sized and small independent
presses.
Results so far:
- 6 rejections
Sniveling and Moaning: Many independent presses let you pitch them
directly even if you don’t have or can’t get an agent. Response times are much
longer than I remember for first book – many of these publishers claim to take
up to nine months to respond.
In addition to tweaking my query letter, I’ve
rewritten the first three pages of the novel and created a marketing plan,
which some small presses want to see.
Latest version of my marketing plan
II) MARKETING UPDATE
Backstory: To promote my first book, I've developed lectures, authors talks , and two one-man shows based on the book. (For the one-man shows, I took some acting lessons and hired a director. I'm no star but I'm competent enough not to embarrass myself. My current one-man show on youtube.
VIDEO
The year in review
2021: 19 shows and author talks, almost all virtual on Zoom or
Youtube.
- 10 at local libraries, about half with The New England
Indie Authors Collective (three friends and I)
- 9 at theater festivals
Worth noting: I got some decent reviews from these virtual gigs but
didn’t sell a single book.
Reviews:
Salt Lake City
fringe theater festival
Tales of a
Reluctant World Traveler (Live
on Zoom)
"Absolutely hilarious" "animated
story-telling" "a theatrical experience"
--Utah Theatre Bloggers Association (2020 Great Salt
Lake Fringe Festival)
Kansas City fringe festival
“Entertaining” “Sardonic kvetching”
--Fringe Festival KC
User Reviews from the Minnesota fringe festival
Beantown (four
stars) "An entertaining
travelogue through the world which morphs into an entertaining travelogue
though the book-publishing world. Pleasantly neurotic in a gruff,
understated, and recognizably Bostonian way.
Bald Bostonian Tell
It Like It Really Is! (five stars) "Extraordinarily funny , honest, and horrible! And a journey
of a Wandering Jew at that, too!"
So Far in 2022: The library scene appears to have dried up due to
Covid – it’s still a thing in Boston. In addition, many people are burned out
on Zoom and attendance at virtual shows has plummeted. As a result, I am now
pitching arts festivals and open studios.
Current schedule below.
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