Cleared for Takeoff

Just heard from the publisher -- Mainly Murder Press -- and Dying to Dream is online now. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo, etc, e-book ($2.99) and paperback ($15.95) are available. ***Have to add ... right now Amazon is offering a preorder deal: $10.82, which remains at that price until June 1st. That's almost $5.00 off the original cost.

It's hard to believe that it all started last September when I signed my contract, more than eight months ago. I think the waiting periods got to me more than the busy ones. Fortunately, the experience remained void of "artistic" differences. The cover art is beautiful, like I never could have imagined -- especially since I'm not really talented at that kind of thing. All in all, I've grown to appreciate the whole process, going from creation to publication, after having ventured down the self-publishing road a time or two. Of course, the parts I enjoyed the most so far is seeing my cover and searching to find it on Amazon. But cliche as it sounds, I'm really looking forward to holding the paperback in my hands.

I have to thank a few people for giving me support and help along the way. LIke those who so kindly and generously agreed to read my story and write reviews ... Michael Murphy, Cherie Jung, and Sand Pilarski. And to my husband who showed patience (most of the time) while I'd spend hours churning out chapters. Can't forget the crew at MMP, especially Karen with her fantastic creative talent. I absolutely love the cover. All the elements, the symbolic representation, right down to the font used in part of the title, which I agree gives the word dream a truely dreamy feeling :-) And a future thanks to all those readers who may decide to read my work and maybe even write a review comment or two. I'm eternally grateful.

So, now what happens? Well, as they say, this is when the real work begins. Promotion. Book signings, virtual tours, peddling to book stores, more book signings, and on it goes until the next creative tidbit comes out! Bottom line, it's fun. I love writing. Otherwise, why would I put myself through such a challenging workout?

At least I've made that first marketing step ... a book signing at my local library in July. Hopefully, a lot more to follow :-) Until then ... enjoy reading!

Yikes! I've Been Brandwashed!

Yes. I said brandwashed. According to author Martin Lindstrom, we are brandwashed starting ... get this ... while we are still in the womb! Reading this review on Neuromarketing got me to thinking of how this relates to book buying. Of course, I'd think of that. It's where my mind is most of the time, anyway! So, one of his points about how smells, sights, sounds, all of those sensory bites tend to influence buying habits made sense to me. It reminded me of one of my favorite readings from French Lit ... Proust's Remembrance of Things Past and how your senses trigger memories. It's always worked that way for me. Then, why not influence my buying habits? It could happen. And probably does without me being one tiny bit aware of it. Think about it. "Don't judge a book by its cover." But we do. We look at the prettiest, most awesome cover and think, "Maybe I'll buy this one." Or at least we may pick it up, out of all the hundreds and thousands of other books, to read the blurb on the back, and that's one step closer to purchasing it. Right? Okay ... maybe not for all of you. But what about the brandwashing done with names? Author names that advertise the next bestseller ... Buy that one, the one from the guy who has sold millions of copies of all his other books. What about them? Come on! You have to admit, it's a publisher's wet dream to have that guy or gal in its stable. Don't need much of a publishing campaign to get that ball ... or book rolling!

Lindstrom does take us down the path to where brandwashing is a misleading, smoke-and-mirrors sort of tactic. Like the display props in the store looking like one thing, but really they are something else. Or the idea that spraying the produce is supposed to keep items fresh, yet really does nothing more than keep them wet! But it is advertising, after all. Wise shoppers know what to believe ... right?

So, tell me ... what do you think? What helps you to decide which books to buy? And be honest! Are you brandwashed? Weigh in ...

Whips, Cuffs, and Little Brown Boxes
Kathryn Long's Booknook