Tormenta, as many of you know, was not my first publishing rodeo. The Fabulous Feathermaye and I co-authored a book that came out in 2004. When we got that little deal, we were utterly tickled to be going into print. It is also when we began to learn about the publishing process, both what it was, and what it has now become.
Our first little book got a few good reviews, but the editing was so horrible that it was embarrassing to have anybody read it. Common sense told us to let it die, and we did, regrouping and continuing on with new work while trying to claw our way back into a publisher’s door, one that isn’t an “Author-mill” that only wants new authors with a memoir to sell to their family and friends; those guys were churning them out like confetti and we simply had to wait out our contract’s seven year period (that ends next year) just to get the rights back away from those…people.
I’m not sure what’s tougher: learning to write a good story that stands up to scrutiny (especially if you’re a dyslexic who can’t spell), or figuring out how to bang our way into the market place. I started out nearly twenty years ago, long before email and electronic submissions were accepted. Back then, you had to write a book, have it printed out down at the local printer, then use good ole snail mail to send it in. Since no one knew who I was, I’m quite sure most of those went on top of the proverbial slush pile, some may still be gathering mold somewhere in New York. Who knows? Like darts on a map, I was just hoping for some luck. No dice…
As this new age of publishing came to life, the big houses began to pull back, most not even accepting cold submissions any more, no more editors sending back my work with handy corrective notes or suggestions (in red ink, of course), or worse, those rejection letters that generally say: ‘Thanks, but you don’t fit what we’re looking for these days…’ ad nauseam.
Another door slammed, another door knocked on, another no-answer. My friends, I have hundreds of those. Each one now represents the start of more attempts at the great American novel, and inside each of those flawed attempts, grew the strands of something better, something that I had been looking to develop over all these long years: Style.
Just before we sent our first book off to the Author mill, we did get a call from a huge talent agency. The main partner prides himself as ‘The Literary Lion’, and his agency’s body of work backs that up. Feathermaye and I were still living in the Virgin Islands when I answered the phone one day…
“Hello, is this S. Bond Herndon?”
Understand, I had decided to use that pen name long before this phone call, but I’d never had anyone actually talk to me, much less address me by that name.
“Um…yes, this is he.”
For three days and nights we thought we had won the goddamn lottery. This guy and his round-table of experts had us pegged as a hot property! I called a couple of buddies, just to sort of pinch myself about it all being real. Then, the following Monday, of course it was a Monday, we were told by his secretary that they had decided to ‘go another way’. Evidently, they had a big deal going with a book they had just sold at auction. The book was about angels and that sort of thing. I suppose they did not figure it best to back one book about angels and another about dark forces and New Age philosophy. It was tough; the breath was punched from our sails. But, when I decided to dedicate myself to this I told myself that I would not back away, no matter how tough it got. I know an old Blues man who would just say: “That’s payin’ yo’ dues, boy…”
Maybe he’s right.
My new publisher is not Random House, Simon/Schuster or Putnam. They're small, and they’ve been selective, for the most part; they certainly do not take on anybody with a few words written down on paper. But, they seem to be doing things right, so far. The Internet has opened up the world for writers and now we’re working together to simply spread the word without a few hundred thousand bucks to spend on an ad campaign.
Thanks to all of you who’ve pre-ordered from the site. I don’t mind signing several hundred copies at all… really…I don’t. The publisher’s expectations have been blown away so far and we’re beginning to mix in advertising—look for those facebook and google ads!—lots of other promos as well as the possibility of a book launch party…something I had not even thought about. My guess is it won’t be a black tie affair and we won’t even get a whiff of a New York style cocktail party, probably beer, in longnecks, at the local Ice House down the street. That’s just Texas style, and we don’t mind that one bit—yeehaa!
More to come…
S
