I can’t believe the day is finally here. I’m scared, excited, and slept badly last night. When you pour so much of yourself into something, there’s really no way not to stick your neck out. So here we go:
Uncommon Stock: Power Play launches today!
The story survived the roller coaster of the rough draft, the red ink of editorial, the vagaries of design, and the pressures of production. The writing process is pretty solitary but many hands have already helped along the way: my editors, beta readers, the team at FG Press, and more.
When I said I plan to publish two books a year for the next ten years, people told me I was crazy. Well, here’s my second book in 2014. Power Play is the sequel to Uncommon Stock: Version 1.0 and I hope to close out the trilogy next summer. The stakes are rising higher and higher for Mozaik. Mara and James are hitting a serious startup growth curve and getting ever more tangled in the dark conspiracy that seems to shadow them everywhere. Jeremy Shure summed it up nicely in the first press review of Power Play yesterday:
“I read Uncommon Stock: Power Play in one sitting. Actually, three sittings because I needed bathroom breaks, diaper changes, and coffee. Shady venture capitalists? Desperate founders? World-changing technology? The entrepreneurial roller coaster threw flaws into sharp relief and left no character’s life untouched. I highly recommend it.”
–Huff Post Books
Authors may inhabit the ivory tower (or, in my case, the Craigslist-furnished home office) but books don’t launch alone. As a new author with an indie publishing house, I don’t get a stretch limo or a black AmEx. There won’t be any TV ads, international book tours, or magazine spreads. But that’s all okay with me. Why? Because I have you: my friends and readers.
I need your help. Books thrive on word of mouth. I read dozens of books a year and almost every single one I find because a friend recommended it, not because I saw an ad somewhere. Word of mouth is entirely grassroots. But how does that word of mouth engine get started? How does the proverbial grass find fertile ground to spread its roots?
That’s where you come in. So, how can you help?
1. Click here to grab a copy of Power Play on Amazon and start reading it today. Miss Cyber Monday? Gift it to a friend or stuff it in a stocking. Books that start with strong launch day sales get featured in “hot new release” lists that help introduce new people to the story. If you email me a copy of your launch day Amazon receipt, I’ll randomly select one winner to get a free limited edition signed copy of both Version 1.0 and Power Play, plus a coffee mug from the infamous Laughing Goat cafe in Boulder.
Haven’t read Version 1.0 yet? No problem, we’re running a limited giveaway on Amazon tomorrow and Friday to celebrate Power Play‘s launch. Click here to get your free digital copy tomorrow or Friday.
2. Share it with your friends. This could be over a seasonal latte, a craft cocktail, or after a yoga workout. Recommendations from friends and fans are how good books find new readers. It may sound silly but it really moves the needle. You can start simple by letting folks know on your favorite social network and directing them to this link: http://amzn.to/1vizliS
E.g. “Can’t wait to dive into the new tech startup thriller Uncommon Stock: Power Play! Late night binge reading ahead… http://amzn.to/1vizliS”
3. Once you’ve read the story, let me know what you think in a review on Amazon or wherever you discover books. Reviews make a huge difference. I always read them before choosing to purchase a book. Plus, I’m right at the beginning of my writing career and have a lot to learn in terms of craft. I read every single review and take your feedback extremely seriously.
Letting a new book into the wild is a crazy feeling for any author. Reading and writing are intimate acts. It’s pretty much the closest thing to mind melding we’ve got. I’m not going to lie, it’s scary. But it’s also exhilarating. I got an email two days ago from a stranger in Ireland who reached out just to let me know how much the story meant to him. Those are the special moments that get me so excited to get up in the morning and write.
I’m no literary master. The Uncommon Series is meant to be a fast-paced adventure chock full of entertainment value. You’ll get a taste of what it’s like for tech startup founders struggling to achieve success against all odds (and, in this case, against organized crime as well). Hopefully the books will make you think and the characters will make you feel.
At the end of the day, storytelling is a simple craft. I like to imagine myself telling a tale to my Inner Circle around a campfire. You are the people I’m writing for. You are the person I’m writing for.
Thank you for all your help, support, and inspiration along the way. Now, I have work to do. Book three won’t write itself after all…