Questions and Answers

I want to start this week's article by saying THANK YOU for the continued interest in my writing career and support for my debut novel, ANOM: Awakening.  I launched this website just over a month ago, and the positive responses I've received have been nothing short of overwhelming.  With each new week that passes, when I read your comments and questions, I become more and more excited to finally share my book with all of you!

Speaking of questions, I received a lot of good ones leading up to today's post.  So, if I don't respond to your question today, take heart -- in a couple of months we'll have a "Questions and Answers Part 2".  In the meantime . . . 

Q:  When will your book be available for purchase?

A:  When I started writing ANOM: Awakening over two years ago, I had no idea how much work (beyond the actual writing) would go into "creating" a novel.  I finished writing in November.  Since then, I've shared the book with a small and trusted cabal of "Beta" readers.  I used their feedback to edit and revise my original manuscript.  Then, on February 11th, I sent the book to professional editors at Invisible Ink Editing.  It should still be several weeks before they complete their read-through.  Then it's another round of re-writes.  In addition to all the writing, I still need to format the book for publication through Amazon.com, find a cover artist to design the cover, and send out advanced reader copies to solicit reviews and endorsements for the novel.  All of that takes time.  My best GUESS is that ANOM: Awakening will finally be available for purchase in late June 2016 . . . but that's just a guess.

Q:  How will I be able to purchase your novel, ANOM: Awakening?

A: My novel will be available for purchase through Amazon.com.  The electronic version for Kindles will be available exclusively through Amazon, offered through a program called KDP Select.  A paperback version of the book will also be available for purchase on Amazon.  Once the book is released, you will be able to search Amazon and find my book's title, ANOM: Awakening.  I will also provide (many) links through my website to take you directly to my book on Amazon.

Q:  Did you consider "traditional" publishing (as opposed to self-publishing on Amazon)?

A:  Not too long ago, traditional publishing -- signing with a literary agent and selling your book to one of the big publishing houses -- was viewed as the only legitimate way to bring your book to the market.  However, with the advent of Amazon and e-books, this is simply no longer the case (one report in October 2015 claims Amazon might enjoy up to 74% of the units sold in the e-book market).

From a more philosophical standpoint, I appreciate the freedom offered by self-publishing through Amazon.  When I started my novel two years ago, I was consciously writing for my own enjoyment.  Now that it's finished, I refuse to present it as a tribute to some literary "gatekeeper" who gets to decide if it's "good enough" to share with the public.  I love my book, and my sincere hope is that others will love it too.  For more information on Kindle Direct Publishing, you can check out this link.

Q:  What is your book, ANOM: Awakening​, about anyway?

​A:  This is a tough one to answer because I don't want to give anything away.  You can find the best description of the book here, but from a broader perspective, ANOM: Awakening is an action/adventure superhero novel.  I've often described it as a graphic novel without the pictures.

Q:  Can you give us insight into your main character?  Who is he and what makes him special?

A:  Like the previous question, this one is difficult for me to answer.  I think so much of my novel is devoted to "discovering" who these characters truly are.  I can tell you that my main character is a young man named Jeremy Cross.  Jeremy is an ANOM -- a genetic anomaly -- who possesses a tremendous amount of power.  This new-found power throws Jeremy into a world that's very different from the one he's known.  At the same time, Jeremy is not really special at all.  What he experiences in the novel -- his struggles and fears, and the choices he's forced to make regarding identity -- will all resonate with the reader.

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