One Last Time
I’ve pondered how to start this, but this is the best I can come up with. There is no great way to begin the end of a dream, and there is no gentle way to state that finality is upon you. That said, I regret to announce that, as of Monday, March 2nd, 2009, Wordsmiths Books will close its doors for good. I don’t do this willingly, and I would love to say that there were avenues of exploration yet to wander, possibilities that could avert this outcome, but that would be untruthful. I have explored every possibility open to me, but the sheer magnitude of the decline in sales alone (on the heels of our efforts to right the boat) from our current economic downturn has long since evaporated the fumes. Frankly put, there’s nothing left to make the engine go, and sitting on the side of the road with a thumb out doesn’t seem to earn you much grace as a business.
It had been my hope to leave more of a gap between the announcement and the closing, or to perhaps discuss it with everyone as the date approached, but that possibility just was not open to me. For all of the things I may regret or wish to offer an apology for, that would be the most prominent. So, to all of our loyal customers, to those who have followed our journey, to those who offered their support when it was needed the most, I apologize that I could not fulfill a more lasting obligation to you. I apologize for falling short in this endeavor. Unfortunately, we are in a period in which it is more difficult to produce the services you would like to offer without losing your shirt, and far more challenging to meet the demands on a daily basis. Not impossible, but difficult nonetheless.
For 2 years, Wordsmiths Books has been recognized for its events, for its atmosphere, and for its venture into a new media that stretches well beyond traditional marketing methods. From a purely idealistic point of view, we achieved what we had hoped to achieve. We left our mark. Hopefully, it will be one that is remembered fondly. I’m not going to revisit the authors or musicians we staged, nor am I going to tell you tales of my favorite moments, or list our accolades, because that would just be indulgence on my part, and I won’t presume to force that on you. If you wish to hear me ramble on, or if you wish to pass along your thoughts, you can still reach me via email. I’ll do my best to respond to you in a timely manner, and answer any questions that you might have.
Before signing off, I would like to wish my fellow independents well in their journey. To Little Shop of Stories, Eagle Eye, Bound to Be Read, The Blue Elephant, Outwrite Books, Charis, and Acapella, I wish you good luck on your journey. May your days be filled with profit and your businesses thrive for many years to come. To our customers, I say thank you for your support, and thank you for allowing me this opportunity to serve you.
Time to turn the page.
From the Big Chicken to the Big Apple
*insert heavy sigh here*
I’ve been sitting here, debating with myself for a couple of days now about how to begin this blog. “Self”, I’ve been saying to my, um, well, self, “there has to be a way you can get to the point of what you need/want to say without sounding like you’re verbally playing ‘hearts and flowers’”.
Then, suddenly, this morning, on the way to make coffee, it hit me:
this is Decatur. There’s nothing I can say that hasn’t already been news for quite some time now.
As such, on with it: as you, dear/gentle/angsty/pug-loving reader may or may not know, Friday, Feb 20th is my last day with Wordsmiths Books. And, at the end of March, I’m packing up as many books as can fit into a suitcase and am relocating north, to New York.
It’s funny, because despite having been born in Albany, NY, I’ve lived in Georgia for my entire life, save a brief diversion to Las Vegas (I know, culture shock, right?). This is a bit of a change for me, and…
…and what am I saying? A *bit* of a change? I’m freaking terrified. Excited. Terrified/excited.
There’s so much I want to say in way of thanks, thanks to the community, to the authors and the publicists and the folks I’ve worked with and most importantly the readers, the book-event-goers and people I’ve had correspondence with, that I think to even begin to attempt to make a list would be both daunting and impossible. I’d forget someone(s), and I’m trying to hammer this out on a deadline, which is not, I’m finding, the way to write a goodbye letter to the last few years of your life. I’m also tempted to tell anecdotes, like “hey, remember how awesome having Ani Difranco in the store was? The literal and figurative hoop-jumping for that one took about three months of planning, begging, begging, planning, persuading, hour-long phone calls and hundreds of megabytes of .pdfs shot back and forth, and the week of her appearance said hoop-jumping caused me to lose 10 pounds. In a week.”, but I’m either
a)going to save those for my book (which, yes, I will write…one day. Someday. Soon. Possibly)
b) see a
so I’ll skip those, also. Instead, I just want to say a big, giant, genuine and sincere “thank you” to everyone-all my co-workers, everyone I’ve worked with, everyone who has put up with me being supercaffeinated and hyperactive and tenacious like a terrier and determined to do things my way, you deserve a serious, giant round of standing applause.
And to you guys, the readers of this blog, the folks that made the whole “bookstore blog before a bookstore existed” thing work like a charm-thank *you*. Without you I wouldn’t have had a job to begin with. This has been a wild, crazy, sleepless-a-lot-of-the-time-and-oh-my-god-I-never-actually-got-to-meet-Fonzworth-Bentley-but-I-did-get-to-meet-Marisha-Pessl ride.
If, per chance, you’re interested in my future plans once I get to New York-well, um, see, those are still…in formation. I’ll be job hunting heavily for something steady and full-time in the worlds I come from, marketing and publicity (probably remaining in publishing, but I’m entertaining any/every opportunity that comes my way), and chronicling a lot of it, fairly candidly, on my personal blog. I’ll also be doing freelance marketing and pr work as RussCommunications, which includes continuing to work with Zach as the publicist for his novel Anointed and the massive multimedia promotional campaign that’s in the works *right now*. No, really, RIGHT NOW, as in if I were to be attending to my email instead of writing this, it’d be going on RIGHT NOW right now. I’ll also continue to write for the fantastic A Good Blog is Hard To Find, and, I’m really excited to say, my old pals at BabyGotBooks have handed me a spare set of keys, and I’ll be writing for them, also.
Regrets? I’ve had a few. But then again, too few to mention.
Actually, there was this one author who kept asking these inane, arbitrary and absurd questions and finally…oh, wait, saving that for the book.
And so, friends, that’s that. I feel like I’m missing something, skipping something, forgetting something, like I’ve lost the plot (it might be on the ground somewhere, let me check), but then again I always will and I always do. If you’re interested at all in reaching out to me for possible publicity/marketing work, job leads, awesome vegetarian spots in NY that an impoverished couch-crasher can afford, or if you just want to know when/where my leaving-Georgia (hey, isn’t that a Terry Kay book?) going-away-party will be, drop me an email at russcommunications@gmail.com.
Thanks for the fun, thanks for the memories, so long and thanks for all the fish.
Oh, and, yes, it is in my plans to see this
one last time before I leave.
Publishers Weekly review for Anointed
It is now only 18 days until the official book launch of Anointed. This past week, I was elated to see that Publishers Weekly offered its official review. As I am having an increasingly more frustrating time dealing with links today (dont get me started!), I’ll just copy it below and you can take a look for yourself:
Anointed: The Passion of Timmy Christ, CEO Zachary Steele. Mercury Retrograde (Ingram, dist.), $16.95 paper (340p) ISBN 978-0-9816654-2-9
Steele’s biting satire takes on megachurches and their murky brew of faith and business. Nagged by his wife into interviewing for the CEO spot of a 2,000-year-old religious corporation, Timothy Webb becomes Timmy Christ despite himself. He’s shocked to learn that his primary responsibilities are to profits and image rather than his followers’ genuine needs. After a slapstick start, a scheming Judas, a protective, repentant Satan and a murderous Anti-Christ show up to deepen the tale. Timmy soon discovers that battling supernatural evil is only slightly more difficult than challenging the legal labyrinths of the Christ Corporation Council. Those who endure the initial over-the-top chapters will enjoy the notion of a Christ CEO wanting to be Christ-like, presented in a mix of raucous fun and deep questions. (Mar.)
Needless to say, it’s a rather nice plug and a review worth waving about (or pehaps holding in your hand, while you stare fixedly at it and run into walls).
Given my lack of ability to add links today, I’ve got nothing else for you other than my rampant excitement for February 21st. I’ll get back this week and see if I can offer some notable entertainment and useful info that I can actually link to.
Did I mention the book launch is only 18 days away?
Oh.
Well, it is.
Medicine
Here it is online: the winning (and by FAR my favorite) story from this year’s Creative Loafing Fiction contest, “Medicine“, by Laurah Raines.
POP! Fiction Contest
This is just a subtle reminder that the 2009 Fiction Contest issue of Creative Loafing is on (admittedly probably damp, given the weather) news-stands or whatever those little display things that hold free publications are called RIGHT NOW. I was thrilled to be asked as one of the judges, and even more thrilled that my favorite story of all those I was asked to read, called “Medicine” and written by Laurah Raines, ended up placing first. You can read it in its entirety in Loafing today, and you can hear Laurah read from it aloud tomorrow night, Jan 8th, at the 2009 Fiction Contest Party at Eyedrum. The other two, actually famous and published, judges, Carmen Deedy and Philip Depoy, will be signing copies of their books. I’ll be signing baby pictures of myself.
Best of 08 is Never Too Late (hey, that rhymes!)
All right, all right, all right, it’s just a tad, a mite, a bit late. One could never accuse me of being timely?
I don’t even know why I’m asking that as though it’s a question.
Without further ado:
Wordsmiths Books (and friends) Best Books (and some favorite things) from 2008
Zach Steele, Owner/Operator/Debut Novelist
Favorite Book of 2008: Terry Pratchett, Nation
Mau is the only one left after a giant wave sweeps his island village away. But when much is taken, something is returned, and somewhere in the jungle, Daphne—a girl from the other side of the globe—is the sole survivor of a ship destroyed by the same wave. One part Lord of the Flies, one part Adam and Eve, Pratchett has woven a timeless story that is likely to be revered as one of his greatest works.
Russ Marshalek, Marketing Director who is writing about himself in third person and actually has put together a way longer list than anyone else:
Favorite Fiction of 2008:
James Collins, Beginners Greek
This is the sort of book that’s instantly a classic, both intellectually and emotionally, from the first word. Collins, a 49-year-old first novelist, writes the sort of inspiring, “love conquers all” story that parts the clouds on stormy days and reinvigorates the English language. This story, of executive-of-something (even he’s unsure what he does) Peter Russell as he fumbles through his life and loves, chasing the realization that the girl in his head and heart isn’t the girl he’s married to, unfolds with the most jaw-dropping, breath-stopping prose you’ve read in ages. Everyone in Beginner’s Greek is in love with someone else, and everyone’s someone else is, also. A massive, glorious literary update of the black-and-white film romance, Beginner’s Greek fills sloppy hearts with love of language, love of reading, love of celebration, love of love. Sheer brilliance.
Favorite Non-Fiction (or as close as anything comes to non-fiction these days) of 2008:
Dan Kennedy, Rock On
There are myriad books written on the music industry. This is one of them. This one, however, doesn’t stink — in fact, as the title explains, it does, indeed, rock. What causes the aforementioned and proclaimed “rocking,” you ask? Former major music label marketing exec Dan Kennedy’s hilarious, self-effacing, and ALWAYS tongue-in-cheek observations on the crumbling insanity that is a 9-5 in the music biz. “Biz,” see, that’s an industry-type term. You learn those from perusing these pages. You also learn, for instance, that Fat Joe doesn’t consider crudités “food” when filming a video, that The Darkness should never be called a “joke” (to their faces, at least), and that Phil Collins, while overblown, isn’t a bad guy. All of these observations, and more, can be assimilated by you, the reader, and thusly you, too, can Rock On.
Favorite Author I Just Discovered in 2008:
John Green, author of Paper Towns, An Abundance of Katherines and Looking For Alaska
I stumbled across John Green when he was doing an event at Little Shop Of Stories, our neighbor here on the Decatur square. I didn’t actually go, either because I was working or because I really don’t ever go to book events for fun these days anymore, probably the former more than the latter, but I did get a copy of Paper Towns and fell in love. I have an appreciation for honest young adult writers, and Green gets adolescence, particularly smart, emotional male adolescence, spot-on. I can’t recommend his work highly enough to any adult wanting an engaging read, or any teenager that’s looking for writing that speaks to their experience.
Favorite Graphic Novel of 2008:
Fables, by Bill Willingham and a bunch of artists who are mostly irrelevant other than cover painter James Jean, who is a master.
It took me ’til later ‘08 to begin devouring the genius that is Bill Willingham’s Fables series, and thus far, in a few month span, I’ve consumed Fables 1-10 and Snowfall. This violent, touching and all-together awesome reconfiguring of old fairy tale mythos takes a while to start up, but once it does it becomes incredibly addicting. We’ll see how the planned TV show works out this year
(Also, a side-note, if you’re interested in my favorite music of 2008, you can check that out here.)
Barbara Friend Ish, Publisher, Mercury Retrograde Press (and adopted member of the Wordsmiths family)
Favorite Book of 2008:
Neal Stephenson, Anathem
There are a lot of great 2008 books to choose from, but my favorite is Anathem by Neal Stephenson. Stephenson is a consistently amazing guide to his ultra-rich worlds; in Anathem, as in so many of his other works, he takes his reader along on a journey whose excitement arises not just from adventure and conflict but also huge, complex ideas. In Anathem, ideas drive the story just as surely as characters and events do. That’s what science fiction is supposed to be, and Stephenson makes it a wonderful ride.
More Questions…
Since announcing the upcoming release of my book, Anointed: The Passion of Timmy Christ, CEO (out next March!), I have been beseiged by questions from both customers in-store and via email. Needless to say, I am enjoying most of them, so by all means, please keep them coming. I have a handful more that I wanted to answer, and, as with the last blog, I’ll not post every name for every question since I don’t have all of the names of people who have asked questions in the store, and a few of them are repeated by multiple people. Please, throw nothing sharp my way for neglecting to add your name!
Let the Lolcat guide the way…
Who did your cover design?
This question was largely directed to the $100 bill on the cover, though I would be remiss if I didn’t say that the cover design was done by Wynnette Jones, of Mercury Retrograde Press, and a fabulous job it was!
The image of the bill on the cover is from Richy Ferrell, graphic artist extraordinaire. Thanks Richy!
Are you working on another book?
Yes, but not nearly at the pace I would like. It’s a trying time…the holidays, the economic slow down, maintaining some semblance of sanity with some type of recreation other than work. Once January comes around, I’ll be back to work on my next book, as well as increasing the writing load for The Christ Corporation website. The blog will be heavy, as will the various news stories, and secret treasures of additional material not included in the book (Don’t ask…you’ll have to find them, or they wouldn’t be secret, would they?). I plan on keeping my writing in the Anointed universe, so future stories will have some familiar faces in them, as well as new characters, and new topics that I may run amuck through.
Did owning a bookstore make it easier to get published?
No, not entirely. Helpful, but in the end, you still have to write a good and well-written story. Whether you’re in the industry or out, you still have to network to make yourself known. I have also gotten great help from various writers conferences over the years, and I’d say they are every bit as helpful as owning a bookstore. And with a few less headaches…
What advice would you give me about balancing writing with that of a job and a family?
Advice on this will vary from person to person, but essentially, you have to find a time that is yours and yours alone. If you have 15 minutes, then use it. Two hours would be better, but in a world of reality, you either sacrifice sleep or you take what you’ve got. And most importantly, keep reading. You won’t get better if you don’t read writers who are obviously better than you. It’s all one large challenge and it can’t be seen as a short-term project. It’s a long-term committment, and you have to sacrifice and be patient in order to get there. A targeted word count is useful, but perhaps a bit likley to force work that isn’t your best out of you. In any case, if you want to write, then just find a way and a time to do it.
Just as a reminder, since this is another question I have been asked a lot, the book doesn’t come out until March of next year, though they will be available at the official book launch on February 21st. You can pre-order Anointed now, and it will be ready for you on Feb 21st, and it will, additionally, make me giggle a lot. Thanks to all of you who have ordered a copy thus far. It means a great deal to me.
It looks like some publicity will be coming my way for Anointed, and I’ll be sure to direct you toward it as I have links. Also waiting on some blurbs from recognizable authors, and I’ll throw those out there as I get them as well.
Until next time…
I Don’t Know Why You Go To Extremes: On the book industry, money, and “Black Wednesday”
“If you got money
And you know it
Take it out ya pocket
And show it
And throw it…
If you’re getting mugged by everybody you see
Who hang over the wall of the VIP”
-Lil Wayne, “Got Money”
Ah, money. It’s a hot topic these days. As you may or may not have heard, depending upon how closely you follow the publishing-industry gossip-and-gabfest blogs (which, if you don’t write or work in books, is likely not at all, because the publishing industry has been not-good-at-all at best, insultingly condescending at worst, in making their communiqués relevant to the average-joe book-buyer), this past Wednesday has had the title of “Black Wednesday” perma-affixed to it with stickytape by all those inside of publishing from the top down. On the heels of it being officially announced that, yes, Virginia, there is a recession (happy R-day!), the hallowed halls of book publishers proceeded to, erm…begin to collapse in upon themselves. Massive, painful cuts happened nearly-simultaneously (or at least it appeared so in my RSS reader) at Simon and Schuster, Thomas Nelson, Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt, and Random House. The Random House cuts were the ones that shocked me the most of anything (despite the fact that, if you follow what’s going on, the Houghton-Mifflin shake up/down is producing the juiciest gossip) , because RH (that’s publishing abbreviation for ‘Random House”-see, that’s what I do, break it down for the common folk) has long been the large, lumbering book behemoth. To see them acknowledge their sprawl and take such drastic measures regarding all of it (I’ll get to that later) was both humbling and horrifying, a matter akin to your Grandfather suddenly saying “You know, I have come to realize that my not understanding this whole ‘twitter’ thing is extremely detrimental to my social progress and so I’m going to take matters necessary to rectify it”.
If Lil’ Wayne, quoted above, was to bemoan the publishing industry, I’m not sure what he’d say, but god knows the entire business could use a bailout that, methinks, he could afford. As Wayne himself says at the start of the aforementioned song, “I need a Winn-Dixie grocery bag full of money right now to the VIP section”. Hey, guys, care to pass some of that around to the book world? Got money? Books don’t. At least, not anymore.
From my vantage point, the book industry and its behind-the-scenes doings and dealings has always seemed to echo the ages-old adage about politics and sausage: if you like either, you should be privy to the process of neither. My time in books (NOT the name of my forthcoming Autobiography, mind you) has lead me to observe that, like laws and head cheese, the “back room” of publishing is made of awful, gross things found covered in sawdust on the butcher-shop floor. None of this is intended to dim the dazzle of that new-book smell, because, believe me, after having myself dropped and lifted up and dropped again on the spokes of the publishing world (all often within the course of one day, or one campaign, or even one phone call to New York), I still firmly believe that, at the end of the day, a good book cures all ills.
So, THAT SAID:
I’ve always found it strange the sheer amount of money book publishers spend. When explaining this to those blissfully outside the “industry’ (which should be a capital “I”, btw, and, also, there should be a Jeff Foxworthy-esque joke that goes something akin to “if you think you can say ‘hey bookstore person, I like such-and-such author get them to come’ and it’ll have ANY impact at ALL? You must not work in the Industry”), I like to point to the quarterly new-release catalogs sent by pretty much any publisher worth their weight in pulp as a prime example.
(One day, I promise, I’ll deliver my long-fabled treatise on the ridiculousness of the author tour “bidding” system. I don’t know why I put “bidding” in quotes, that’s essentially what it is.)
These catalogs, these mounds upon mounds, veritable daunting behemoths, basically serve as forthcoming release guides for all those in the outer reaches of the book industry. That makes sense. What I’ve never understood is how gilded these things are. Embossed, die-cut covers, special pull-out inserts, collectible trading cards (just kidding), special envelopes full of money included as bribes for paying attention to certain titles (not at all kidding)-publishing industry quarterly new-release catalogs are on par with special edition comic books for sheer tactile sparkle. Honestly, it would cost less to give each bookstore, reviewer, event planner and facilitator a finished copy of every new book in the catalog than it must cost to print the catalogs. And the producer of the most catalogs, the biggest box, the largest number of various special imprints and sub-houses, has always been Random House. Hence, their decision to slice their 20+ (I may be exaggerating, not checking my facts on this one) imprints down to a mere three (for those keeping score, or for those for whom this will mean something, it’s Random House, Knopf, and Crown) was a vast and eye-opening one…but not one that was unneeded.
I mean, seriously, I’ll say again: the publishing industry has long neglected the needs and the wants of those who, at the end of the day, actually turn its lights on: the average book-buying public. I’ve seen it operate on the level of where the people who actually pay money for books (not I, and not anyone who works in books, and don’t let anyone tell you differently at all because at the end of the day it’s a mere swapping of trade goods) are treated as the absolute lowest common denominator, the last ones considered in any publishing decision. And that’s not good. Why?
One word: Napster.
Anyone alive now remembers what happened when the power of music as a consumable good tipped into the hands of those who consume it, and who had long felt treated as irrelevant to the industry they supplied cash to. Brick by brick, piece by piece, the music business as it was known was dismantled, and it’s still rebuilding-this time, with a heavy focus on the consumer. It has caused independent record stores to align with one-another, the production companies to re-align focus on creating products that music buyers actually want, want to hold and touch and own rather than simply download, while also embracing the concept of music as a use-once-and-throw-away product. One of my favorite innovations through all of this has become the now-commonplace coupon for a digital album download included within a vinyl record.
I don’t know what it’s going to take to pull that pin in publishing. Do I think Amazon’s E-book reader Kindle, or any of the others like it, are the downfall of the tangible printed book? Pshaw. That’s such a dumb idea I won’t even refute it here….
Wait….HAHAHAHA! THE KINDLE KILLING BOOKS? HAHAHAok, ok, sorry. But yeah-not happening. Next.
Do I think there are too many books being published? Yes. Do I think the Publishing Industry as it stands is wasting money hand-over fist, literally pumping into things like unwatchable book trailers that only circulate amongst those who know to look for such things-basically, preaching to the choir? Yup. And I don’t know how to solve it. I can tell you this much, though-the current publishing trend of slashing marketing budgets is not the answer. In an economy where everyone’s fighting for the consumer dollar, crippling your method of consumer outreach, especially in an industry that’s never been especially good at it, is…well, silly, at best, frightening at worst. What should be happening right now is MORE consumer outreach, figuring out what it is that the people, for whom $25-and-change for a hardback book from an author they have maybe never read before is a luxury that, in this economy, they’re willing to extend themselves, want. Instead? And I say this with a heavy heart and sigh: we’re probably in for more of the same. I know an author at a major publisher, a well-renowned and respected author within his genre, who was told that his book’s entire marketing budget was spent on one, full-color ad in trade publication. Not only did the ad not reach consumers, the book didn’t, either, and what should have been a bestseller ended up stalling, as a result of the misguided and solely self-referential publishing mindset. That Grandfather who just figured out he needed to learn to use Twitter? Imagine him coming to you and saying he was now well versed in social networking, only to proceed to exhibit how he checks Facebook on a pocket calculator. That’s where we’re headed without some serious consumer-based refocusing. And by “consumer”, let me be very, very clear: the only people that matter in this are the people who support the book business by buying books.
I don’t mean to leave this on a dark, dire note, nor do I mean to create an argument that’s problem-based rather than solution-based. It’s just that when I attempt to craft a logical solution to the slowly toppling, hopefully-reconfiguring giant Slurm-slug of a creature that is book publishing today, I can do no better than the Kreepie Kats have already done.
Also, I don’t want to appear to want to throw out the baby, the baby’s board book AND the bathwater (and the bathtub, the sink, the tile floor) all at once. There are some genuinely fascinating, positive things happening in publishing right now, and it could be that these massive changeovers, while glaring and painful right now, are the best for sustaining the industry long-term and beginning change from the ground up. That said? I still can’t shake the image of Grandpa, Twittering with the TV remote.
Oh, and one last thing, in terms of giving the consumer what they want: I lied. I have actually paid for books recently. The “Fables” comic series. They’re infinitely more entertaining than any super-hot bestseller lit-fiction new release.
Fielding questions about Anointed
In the few days since announcing that my book, Anointed, would be published this coming March, I have been hit with a number of questions regarding the project, and so I thought it best that I should go ahead and answer some of them through the blog. A couple of the questions were repeated with minor variation, so rather than repeat them here, I just picked 5 that I liked and wrote them down. Because there were a few that were asked by multiple people, I have decided to leave off the names of those whose questions I chose. Sorry! Just trying to be diplomatic. I am enjoying (and thankful for!) your questions, so please keep them coming. Email me and I’ll gladly answer them as quickly as I can.
What is this book about, anyway?
In fairness, this was the one that I was asked the most. I didn’t have the time or space to go into great detail in the last post, and I wanted to give fair play to Christopher Moore, since he’s, well, hey he’s awesome. Right? So, I was unintentionally vague. Rather than drop in the back copy description here, I’ll do my best to just answer it. Anointed is, in essence, a satirical view of the business of religion. It is meant to entertain, as any book should, but in the end I like to think of it as somewhat philisophical and mostly silly. In Anointed, Timothy Webb is a man without a purpose. He’s lost, a bit thrown under the Train of Life, and mired in repitition. When he is anointed as the new Christ and CEO of The Christ Corporation (an interview he went to only to keep his wife from pestering him, and a job he only got because he didn’t want it), he is tossed into a world of corporate-driven dogma, pitted against a malevolent Anti-Christ who quite wants him dead, befriended by a misrepresented angel the world knows as Satan, and otherwise confused as to what to do with a resurgent altruism he had long since given up on. Needless to say, The Christ Corporation (around since the days of “The Founder”–Jesus to you and me) is not at all thrilled to have a Christ who actually wants to do something positive in the world, so it isn’t an easy path Timothy is left to walk. That’s the jist of it.
Don’t you worry that your book is going to upset some people?
Worry? Well, no, not really. I don’t worry about it at all, actually. Do I expect that it will upset people? Yeah, I do. And for all of those who rail against it, they do so because of the topic or the attempt at humor at religion’s expense. I would expect that most people who will complain will do so having never read the book. It’s easy to judge a book by it’s cover, more difficult to read it and openly and honestly analyze what it means to say. We see this all the time in this industry. So, given the storyline in Anointed, I would be foolish to think that it won’t upset people. To be honest with you, I welcome it. I love a good debate about religion and its place in our lives.
What’s up with the website? I’m not sure I get it.
For those of you who have not seen it, the website mentioned here is the site of The Christ Corporation. It is a website designed to further the universe in which Anointed takes place. You’ll find farcical news stories, a blog that a few of the characters participate in (and which will eventually merge with the happenings of Anointed), a Prayer Request line, a link to email Christ, a shop of products that you can buy, and a few other goodies that will hopefully be fully in place by January or February. There are also links to the Myspace and Facebook pages of The Christ Corporation. You can visit either and become friends or fans and have one more venue in which to follow (and even participate in) the antics of the characters.
Is Wordsmiths Books the only place I can buy a copy of Anointed?
I received a few out-of-state questions along these lines. At the moment, yes, Wordsmiths is the only place you can go to pre-order a copy of Anointed. Eventually though, as the publisher gets all of the information in place (closer to the release date), you will be able to find the book in any bookstore, or online via the typical sites of Amazon, B&N, etc. and so forth. I would, for obvious reasons, encourage you (if you want to buy it when it comes out rather than pre-order) to find your nearest independent bookstore and get it from them (or order it from them if they do not have it in stock). Don’t underestimate their importance in your community. For now though, you can pre-order it through Wordsmiths via either email or by calling the store at (404) 378-7166. You can also attend the book launch at Wordsmiths Books on February 21st, at 7 pm. That will be the first day that the book is actually available to the public. All pre-orders can be picked up then or after, or will be mailed out at that time.
When did you actually find time to write Anointed? Is it a recent project?
This was, in fact, two seperate questions, but they work well together. Actually I wrote Anointed seven years ago, though admittedly it has gone through a number of revisions since. As any writer can tell you, finding a home for a first novel is a trying and somewhat maddening experience. All the more so when you are pushing hot buttons like religion. I can’t say, since I opened Wordsmiths, that I write as much as I would like to these days, but I do so when I can and bit by bit you wind up with completed projects. As I was saying to Russ recently: if you write a word a day, and make sure that it is the perfect word, you can have a book in, what, like 100 years? Yeah, I know. Russ didn’t find it funny either. As for the second quesiton above, the “project” as I see it involves the new media campaign to publicize it. So, the website and fan sites, and all of that jazz has come about in the last year, more so in the months since Mercury Retrograde agreed to publish Anointed. And it continues to develop, with more tools arriving in the next few months to compliment what is already on the website. I have to say as well, that finding these outlets to further publicize your work is a vital component that every hopeful or published novelist should be investigating. As we move further into a technological age, having additional content available online, to complement the work in print, is crucial to success. Gone are the days when you can simply hand in your work, prop your feet up and wait. Print ad campaigns are useful, but do not reach people the way they used to, and frankly, are far too costly for the return. It’s taken me a couple of years (and the guidance of a very gifted marketing director) to fully appreciate this, but I can’t imagine it any other way now. As new tools are available, they have to be incorporated and utilized. You have to stay ahead of it and forgo the fear of how to use it (whatever it may be).
As I said before, I am enjoying the questions so keep them coming. And thanks to all of those who have pre-ordered copies of Anointed thus far!
Intern anyone?
Oh, god, tiredness: I has it.
Ok, in case you missed it in the newsletter, Wordsmiths Books is seeeeeking, looking so hard and intently that it requires 5 “e”s in “seek”, a digital media intern.
From the job description, cleverly and brilliantly penned by yours truly:
Wordsmiths Books seeks new media savvy, excitable and passionate book-lover for cutting-edge project for local author. Must be apt at graphic design and manipulation, skilled in web design and fluent in social networking. Digital video skills a major plus. This is by far the most fun internship you’ll ever have. Get on the ground floor of something exciting and challenging in the world of publishing and book publicity!
If you’re interested, shoot an email my way: Russ at wordsmiths books dot com