Stuck Outside of Phoenix and Ghost Notes going out of Print!!!

Happy fall, y'all.

I'm busy finishing Novel 4, which is called Nineteen Ways to Destroy Your Rock Band. The novel is in its final stages. I want to say it will be done in four months, but with a final read-through it's probably going to be more like six. It always takes longer than I want, but in the end if it's not top-notch, what's the point? Know that I'm working on it daily, and that it's coming.

Also, I've recently decided to take both my first novel Stuck Outside of Phoenix and my second novel Ghost Notes out of print.

Why?

The plan is to re-release the two novels as one book sometime in the future. I also have a short story called "The Move," featuring Hote as a 16-year-old, and I hope to include this story in the collection as well. That would be all the Hote I've ever written, and also everything I have to show for my first decade as a fiction writer. I think this would make a great collection, so I'm pulling everything from the market now to accrue some time between now and this projected re-release--which would fall sometime after the publication of Nineteen Ways. Again, don't hold your breath, but that's the plan.

Stuck and Ghost Notes have already started to disappear from places like Amazon, and by 2018 they should be gone everywhere. I do still have them both for sale at my website for now, and at the ridiculously low price of $5 each, while supplies last, but I'll take them down from there eventually as well. Should you want or need a copy, now's a good time.

For the record, none of this affects my third novel Badge, which is and will continue to be available everywhere.

I think that's it. Have a great holiday season, everyone, and as always, feel free to touch base.

Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Watch the Book Trailer for Badge.

Buy Badge.

What I'm Up To: Part I

As we patiently wait for Netflix and Satan (Amazon) to add Stuck Outside of Phoenix the Movie, I thought I'd string together a blog or three about what I'm writing these days.

First, I'm very close to finishing the screenplay version of Ghost Notes, which is now called Flake. I've been working on this off and on for years, and I finally feel like it's ready. I'll be putting the finishing touches on it in the next week, and sending it out to the folks who might be able to do something with it. If you're curious, the way forward is to read Ghost Notes, my second novel in the great chain of novels that will become ten.

Also, I'm taking a chapter a week of my novel-in-progress One Star into my writers' group The Whom. (We changed our name to The Whom on a whim, and no one bothered to protest. Incidentally, The Whom members Rebecca Kelley and Heather Arndt-Anderson both have had books come out in the last few weeks. This group gets it done, and it's all good.) One Star brings back Hote from Stuck Outside of Phoenix as he navigates the world of tribute bands in 2005. Don't expect this anytime soon, but know it's coming.

I have a five-book omnibus review on 2014 rock novels coming out soon at The Rumpus, and I also wrote a 6,000 word essay on my youth and R.E.M. that has got to find a home somewhere. I'll keep you posted.

Finally, I haven't mentioned my memoir Nineteen Ways to Destroy Your Rock Band: My Life in the Refreshments. Its plight is a bit of a longer story, so I'm going to write up that blog next week for you.

Yours in laying down the law,

Art


Watch the Book Trailer for Badge.




Buy Badge.

Book Blurbs

Right about now is when I should be getting blurbs for Badge. You know what blurbs are: those quotes from various writers on the backs of novels telling you how great the novel is. Getting blurbs involves going out into the world and asking writers to read and blurb your novel. I got a few for Ghost Notes. They're an industry standard. If you want to do everything you can to sell your novel, you get book blurbs.

But I'm not getting blurbs for Badge.

Why Not? Three reasons.

1) I don't want to waste favors with my writer friends on blurbs.

Writers never have enough time to do what they want to do--which is write--and I don't want to exhaust these folks with my requests. I'd rather ask them to help promote Badge in other ways, should they be inclined, by reviewing it, or by doing a reading with me when I'm in their town.

2) Many argue blurbs don't help sell novels.

Hey, if you know Stephen King and can get him to blurb your book, go for it. I know many writers more successful than me who could probably be cajoled into blurbing Badge, but I don't know if their seals of approval will generate enough sales to merit bugging them in the first place.

3) There's something about blurb culture that's tired.

Maybe it's me, but whenever I see a writer's blurb on a novel, all I can think of is this poor writer having to drum up enthusiasm for this work out of loyalty or guilt or because she doesn't know how to say no, and not because she's genuinely interested in the work. That might be my projection, but it also might contain some truth. I've never blurbed someone else's book--self-published writers typically aren't sought after for their opinions--but should I have to do it someday, I can't help but imagine it as a kind of task. I tend to read slowly, so maybe that's part of the reason why it seems cumbersome. The temptation to read just the first chapter and scare up a quick sentence or two must be pretty strong.

Anyway, deciding to forgo blurbs is another great argument for self-publishing. If Badge were being traditionally published, I don't think I'd have a choice.

Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Check out the Trailer for Stuck Outside of Phoenix the Movie, which premiered in Tempe in May 2013.

Or try Stuck Outside of Phoenix in print form for just $10.

Or try Stuck for your Kindle for just $2.99.

Where to Buy Stuck Outside of Phoenix, Ghost Notes, and Songs from Memory

I sometimes get asked where people can find my books and music. Here's the most complete list to date.

The best place to buy any of my book-books or my solo CD is my website, where you'll find the best prices, and all of the books are signed.

 Website

Both novels are also available at Powell's online.

Stuck at Powell's
Ghost Notes at Powell's

If you want an ebook of Stuck Outside of Phoenix, there are of course the big, corporate places.

Amazon
Barnes and Noble

The same goes for Ghost Notes.

Amazon
Barnes and Noble

But my favorite place to get either novel as an ebook is Smashwords.

Smashwords

Finally, should you be interested in digital versions of either my solo CD Songs from Memory or Ghost Notes the Audiobook, the best place to buy these is CDBaby.

CDBaby

Both of these digital downloads are also available at places like iTunes, Amazon and the like.

There are many other places to buy all of the above, but these should have you covered for both real-life and digital versions of everything.

Enjoy! 

Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Check out the Trailer for Stuck Outside of Phoenix the Movie, which will premiere in Tempe in early 2013.

Or try Stuck Outside of Phoenix in print form for just $5.

Or try Stuck for your Kindle for just $2.99.

A Note on Badge

As we await news on Stuck Outside of Phoenix the Movie, I thought I'd take this opportunity to address the situation of my third novel, Badge.

Last year I promised Badge would be released in 2013 at the latest. My thinking was, if nothing else, I'll self-publish it, which is what I did with both Ghost Notes and Stuck Outside of Phoenix. I've proudly self-pubbed for about a decade now, and I believe deeply in it as a means of communicating from writer to reader. If you don't believe that, look at the subheading of this blog.

Still, I've decided I will not self-publish Badge.

There are a number of reasons for this, which you'll no doubt be reading about in future essays, but let me outline the main one for you.

Whenever a book goes out into the world, there are three basic tasks:

1) Writing the book (Writer)

2) Publishing the book (Publisher)

3) Promoting the book (Publicist)

As a DIY publisher, I've worn all three of these hats for both of my published novels, and by and large I've loved it. I've loved the challenge of trying to be a good publisher, which involves editing and proofreading and formatting the book. I've also loved booking readings and getting reviews and working social media, things ideally done by a publicity person. I've had some success, found some readers, won an award, sold some books. I don't regret any of it. It was an amazing way to learn the publishing industry.

But after a decade, I've come to realize that, while I did a good job for someone who is basically an writer wearing publisher and promoter hats, I'm really a writer who wears those other hats out of necessity. These past few months, as I've gotten closer and closer to having to address some of the publisher/promoter tasks associated with Badge, it's become clear I don't have the energy to wear all those hats anymore. I know exactly what it takes to make a self-published book go, and I'm past the point of being able to do it. (And short the $ to have others do it for me.)

So, what does that mean for the publication of Badge?

It means I have to find others to help me with these tasks. Finding these special folks could happen tomorrow, or it could happen years from now. Either way, it's my only real option at this point; I'd do Badge--a novel I've worked on for six years--a disservice if I didn't feel I could give it my all in every facet of the game. This novel (and every novel I write) means too much to me, so I'm not going to start shortchanging them now.

Know that I'm constantly looking for others to help me publish and promote Badge, and that I will loudly update you--here and elsewhere--when I know more about its eventual publication. Until then, know I'm searching. 

Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Try Stuck Outside of Phoenix in print form for just $5.

Or try Stuck for your Kindle for just $2.99.

Stuck the Movie Timeline

It's hard to believe I'll be watching a movie version of Stuck Outside of Phoenix in less than two months. Very surreal. I first brought this project up to Nico Holthaus in May of 2010. That's about two and a half years from conception to (God willing) fruition. For me, that's major quick. I quit the Refreshments in 1998. Stuck the Novel came out in 2003. Ghost Notes and Songs from Memory came out in 2008...You can see how long it takes me to finish a major project. That something this big and complicated is getting done in half that time is a testament to Nico, and to everyone in the cast and crew for doing what it takes.

Thank you all.

Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Try Stuck Outside of Phoenix in print form for just $5.

Or try Stuck for your Kindle for just $2.99.

New Ghost Notes Readers

As part of the incentive package for contributing to Stuck the Movie's Kickstarter campaign, many of you got a copy of my second novel Ghost Notes, and I've been pleased a few times this past week as people have reached out to let me know they've read and dug the novel. This was totally unexpected, and totally welcome. It's nice to know people who wouldn't have otherwise read Ghost Notes got a chance to because of the movie. One more reason for me to be thankful.

Speaking of Stuck the Movie: Nico and co. are on track to have it edited and ready for a Tempe premiere in late October. See you there!

Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Try Stuck Outside of Phoenix in print form for just $5.

Or try Stuck for your Kindle for just $2.99.

Garbage

In case anyone was wondering where Betty (Pippy) came from.




Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Try Ghost Notes, the award-winning novel, in print form for just $5.




Try Ghost Notes the Audio Book as an unabridged digital download for just $4.99.



Or try Ghost Notes the 99 cent Ebook.

Get Ghost Notes as an ebook for 99 Cents!

I just published a piece at the Nervous Breakdown dealing with, among other things, my feelings about Amanda Hocking's success via ebook. (In short, yee haw!) Come join the fun.

And speaking of Amanda Hocking, Ghost Notes, my award-winning second novel, is now available for 99 cents as an ebook! You can read it on your ebook reading device, or as a .pdf on your computer. And for you Kindle-philes, I've reduced the Kindle version of Ghost Notes as low as it can go, which is $2.99, which makes it the same price as the Kindle version of Stuck Outside of Phoenix. If you've ever been the least bit curious about my work, now is the time to jump aboard. I can't promise these deals will last forever.

Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Try Ghost Notes, the award-winning novel, in print form for just $5.




Try Ghost Notes the Audio Book as an unabridged digital download for just $4.99.



Or try Ghost Notes the 99 cent Ebook.

The Audio Book Revolution

With all the ebook hype out there, I can't help but notice that few are writing about what I think of as the most exciting new medium for fiction. Yes, you guessed it. I'm talking about texting the contents of your novel from a rooftop while wearing a white suit.



No, not that (although I think there's potential there, too). I'm talking about audio books.

Few commercially-published novelists and non-fiction writers have audio book versions of their works. I feel very lucky to have stumbled into one myself.

I love that The Nervous Breakdown's new book publishing arm will give the audio book the dignity it deserves. That's forward-looking, in my opinion, which is what we've come to expect from The Nervous Breakdown.

If you've never tried an audio book, the beauty of them is as follows:

1) You don't actually have to "read" the book. You just sit there and it reads itself for you. The experience, for me, falls somewhere between reading a book and listening to a play of the book. Unbelievably cool if you've got a long journey ahead of you, especially a driving journey, when your eyes need to be occupied elsewhere.

2) Unlike ebooks, you have more latitude with where you can experience an audio book. Specifically, you don't have to be tied to a computer to listen to your book. If you follow this blog, you know how I feel about being tied to a computer (short answer: it's the biggest downside of ebooks). I usually listen audio books in my truck, but any CD player works, as do iPods.

3) Like ebooks, you can get an audio book right now. Yes, NOW. Many, if not most, audio books are available somewhere on the internet for download. There's no waiting for your CDs to arrive in the mail, no driving to the bookstore. My audio book is download-able at CDBaby for the excruciatingly low price of $4.99. Never tried an audio book before? This might be the cheapest one you'll find anywhere. Give it a shot, and make your next long car, train, or plane zip by.

Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Try Ghost Notes the Audio Book as an unabridged digital download.

How Much Would you Pay for a Self-Published Ebook?

There's been a lot chatter lately about how much an ebook should cost, as evinced by a recent spat between MacMillan and Amazon, which got so heated Amazon pulled all of Macmillan's titles off its site for a day. Yikes!

People in the industry are taking the pricing of ebooks seriously, and I think self-published authors should, too.

The funny thing is, it all seems like much ado about nothing to those, like me, who have never read an ebook.

I remember last year when I first released a digital version of Ghost Notes on Amazon for its Kindle device. I didn't, and still haven't, seen the final product. I had to shanghai my sister, who owns a Kindle, into buying a copy.

"Does it look right?" I asked.

"Fine," she said.

"Does it look like other digital books on the Kindle? Does it look like it's supposed to look?"

"Sure."

That was all I needed to know.

But as a self-publisher, I don't want to ignore this segment of the book-buying public. I have to put the same kind of effort into producing a quality ebook that I might into producing a quality book-book. I have to format it correctly, and I have to make sure it looks as good as--or better than--the other ebooks people are likely to read, and in each of the many formats they're likely to read them in.

Luckily, the book writing part is done.

But how much should you charge for a quality self-published ebook? And should you charge less because it's self-published?

Most of the wrangling between Amazon and MacMillan seems to be about prices that range from $9.99 to $14.99. That would be a nice take for a self-published novelist, but my approach to self-publishing is more modest. As I've said before, I think of myself as playing in the minor leagues of publishing, and I wouldn't expect people to pay for a game at Yankee Stadium when they're going to see the Toledo Mudhens.

They'll see some pretty good Mudhens baseball, but still.

Therefore, I've chosen the price point of $4.99 for the new edition of Ghost Notes the Ebook at Smashwords. It's available in any format you could want--even PDF if, like me, you don't own an ebook device--and you can download a sample of the novel for free! $4.99 seems like a reasonable price, and it might entice a few of those who balk at a $14.99 sticker price to buy my book instead.

What do you think? Would you pay top dollar for an ebook that's self-published? Would you pay anything?

poll by twiigs.com

Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Try Ghost Notes, the award-winning novel, in print form for just $5.




Try Ghost Notes the Audio Book as an unabridged digital download.



Or try Ghost Notes the Ebook.

Ghost Notes "Highly Recommended"!

Ghost Notes just received it fourth favorable review of 2010! This one was at The Self-Publishing Review. After well over a year of reviewing self-published work, Jane Smith gave Ghost Notes her first "Highly Recommended" rating. Here are a couple of snippets from her review:

"There is a poignancy to Art's writing which gives his book a rare authenticity."

"As writers go, [Art Edwards is] the real thing and this book is a lovely, memorable read."

These are the kinds of accolades that are hard to come by for the self-published writer, so I'm thrilled to get them. Thank you, Jane, for your generous read.

And all this on the heels of a slam dunk review at the Boogle, as well as Ghost Notes winning PODBRAM's contemporary fiction title of the year award for 2009.

I think reviewers of self-published works are worth their weight in gold, and I think more of them are needed. I'm cooking up an idea that will turn not only me, but you, into a reviewer of self-published work, at least for a short time. More on that later.

So, what led to this swell of interest in my work? And more importantly, what can we learn from it?

First of all, I understand this is modest success--success really comes from readers, not reviews--but the coincidence of having so many good reviews hit at once is worth exploring.

Also, everything I say below assumes you have a good self-pubbed product, and that you're doing the usual press release/blog/"getting your name out there" type stuff to corral attention for you and your work.

When Ghost Notes was first released at the beginning of 2008, I had a hard time getting reviews. It was even harder than getting reviews for my first self-pubbed effort, Stuck Outside of Phoenix, the first edition of which came out in 2003. When I released the audio book version of Ghost Notes, well over a year after the print version in June of 2009, and sent out a press release asking people to review that product, bloggers all-of-a-sudden took an interest in my book. Here's the irony: They all wanted to review the print version. I sent out a press release for an audio book, and everyone wanted the print edition to review.

Why was that? Was June 2009 a better time to send a press release than March 2008? Do bloggers like it when you have an audio book version of your novel? Did I start praying a lot?

None of the above.

It had more to do with who I sent those June 2009 releases to. Two of the three review sites that eventually reviewed Ghost Notes (The Boogle and The Self-Publishing Review) didn't exist when I originally released it in print form, and at the third, the reviewer (Celia Hayes) hadn't yet started reviewing at the blog I was submitting to (PODBRAM).

So, in other words, when I'd first started pushing Ghost Notes, none of the reviewers who eventually responded favorably to my work were reviewing self-pubbed work yet. They never got a shot at the original release. With the audio book press release, the blurb for Ghost Notes piqued their interest, and they requested the print book.

So, what's the moral of the story? Even though your self-pubbed book came out years ago, you have to continue to send out press releases and review requests. New blogs might be receptive to your work, or old blogs might change their tune. The self-pub review landscape changed from March 2008 to June 2009, and it's probably changed again since then. You just have to keep trying, keep looking for folks who might like our work, and if your work is good, it will eventually see a little light.

And, hey, you're self-published, so your marketing plan need never end.

Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Try Ghost Notes, the award-winning novel, for just $5.

Why Would the Yankees Disparage Little League?

Hey!

The digital download of my unabridged audiobook, Ghost Notes, just came out at Amazon! Take a gander. Read eloquently by voice actor James Lorenz, this is the audio version of my second novel, the same one that just won PODBRAM's Best Contemporary Fiction Award of 2009. You can sample the audio tracks here.

From my poll last week, it looks like most agree that there's nothing inherently vain about any of the paths chosen by our three writers--or they're all vain in the way all writers are vain. One can only imagine what the results might've been if the same poll had been conducted a decade ago, but I'm guessing Subsidy Sam--or "Vanity Vince," as he might have been dubbed--would've fared much worse.

For me, the word "vanity" is greatly overused to describe various kinds of writing and publishing in 2010. Yes, there are vanity presses that have earned that moniker, but I think the professional writer has to ignore the term and focus on the business of what she's doing. Publishing is a business, and if you want to be a pro, concentrate on making pro decisions (better product, fewer dollars, more audience). Do that, and whether you're vain or not will take care of itself.

I've pursued each of the avenues of Novelist Nick, Lit Mag Lucy and Subsidy Sam, and I'm thankful there are so many possibilities in the 21st Century for a writer to get a foothold. Frankly, we need all the avenues we can get.

I used to hope that print-on-demand technology and ebooks would make self-publishing a kind of minor leagues of writing: semi-pros working diligently in the field and hoping one day for the big "call-up." I think they're slowly becoming that. The problem for the professional writer is that these avenues to print are not only becoming the minor leagues of publishing but also the high school leagues, the beer leagues, the pony leagues, Little League, and the pick-up game at the local park. Self-publishing is available to anyone who can string enough words together and has a credit card in his pocket. And guess what? Each of those books gets an Amazon page, just like yours.

Still, the way to distinguish your work from others' isn't to disparage those who are giving publishing a try at some tier other than yours. Do the Yankees disparage the local Little League? Of course not. Why? Because the Yankees know that the local Little League is where people learn the rules--and the beauty--of baseball.

Not only that, but they'd be disparaging their market.

The more people who know and understand good publishing, the bigger the market for quality work, no matter how it's published.

See you at the ball game.

Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Try Ghost Notes, the award-winning novel, for just $5.

A Major Award for Ghost Notes!

Okay, stop the presses.

As you know if you've followed my blog lately, Ghost Notes has had an unusually fruitful stretch of good reviews to start 2010.

First, it received a slam-dunk review at the Boogle.

Then, Ghost Notes the Audio Book received a nice mention at Curled up with a good book.

And now, the coup de grace.

Ghost Notes has won the Contemporary Fiction category of the 2009 PODBRAM Awards.

For those of you who don't know, PODBRAM stands for Print-on Demand Book Reviews and More. They specialize in reviewing self-published books, and whatever else strikes their fancy. They've been at it for almost four years, longer than most of the other self-publishing review sites, and they have a rigorous process for deciding which books to review. Ghost Notes was reviewed favorably there last summer, and now this!

That's three weeks into the new year, and three positive accolades for Ghost Notes. I don't know what I did, but I hope I do it again soon.

And as I mentioned in my last two blogs, Ghost Notes will take on new forms in 2010! First, an ebook, which will come out sometime in the first quarter of this month. Then, sometime mid-year, the audio book will be released serially at podiobooks.

So, very soon you'll be able to buy the book, or the audio book, or the ebook, or listen to the audio book serially.

Mmm, serial.

And remember, folks. You can buy Ghost Notes at my website right now for a mere $5! You will not find a better deal for an award-winning (tee hee) novel anywhere.

Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Buy Ghost Notes, the award-winning novel, for only $5!



Buy Songs from Memory, the album


Buy Stuck Outside of Phoenix, the novel

Another Ghost Notes Review/Podiobooks

You can still buy Ghost Notes, Songs from Memory or Stuck Outside of Phoenix at my website for only $5.

Two weeks into the new year, two reviews of Ghost Notes!

This new one is specifically about Ghost Notes the Audio Book, and it's at Curled up with a Good Book. Here's a taste:

"Art Edwards builds his novel with entertaining chapters dedicated to each character's perspective on the situations unfolding. To build better depth to the characters, Edwards focuses short—but crucial—chapters to experiences in from the past, to understand them better and the characters whom they have greatly influenced. The author is also a musician, and his knowledge and passion for music infuses the story with realism."

You can go straight to the review here.

I really like the audio book format--and not just for my work. It's a great way to take in a book that you might not have the time to read, but nonetheless feel compelled to know about. Audio books work well on long commutes, or during exercise. I always have one in the truck, just in case. Right now, it's Five Skies by Ron Carlson.

I've read a lot of discussion lately about whether listening to an audio book constitutes "reading" that book. I don't think it does--it's closer to watching a play, one where the actors aren't visible--but that hardly means it's not valuable or enriching. The story still unfolds, and you get the flow of the language, just like you would if you read the book. I think of the audio book as its own genre, in the same way a play production is a different experience from reading a play. Related, of course, but hardly the same thing.

I envision doing an audio book for each of my novels, but they take a great deal of time and energy to finish. Stuck? Not this year, but who knows what the future brings.

Speaking of the future, I have one other big event planned for 2010, and it has to do with the audio book. I will release Ghost Notes the Audio Book as a podiobook. This is a company that releases audio books in free segments. You will be able to sample any and all segments of Ghost Notes, and over a period of weeks you will get to hear the whole thing.

Don't expect this soon--it'll probably happen sometime around mid-year--but it's happening. I'll keep you posted.

Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Buy Ghost Notes, the novel or brand new audio book.



Buy Songs from Memory, the album


Buy Stuck Outside of Phoenix, the novel

2010 Already Kicks Ass/Boogle Review

That's right. You've found yourself at the beginning of one humdinger of a year.

First of all, Ghost Notes has already been reviewed in 2010! Mark McGinty at The Boogle was kind enough to start the year with a slam-dunk review of Ghost Notes. Here's a snippet:

"Each word [of Ghost Notes] fits almost perfectly into place. And while we celebrate rock, we also look at ourselves. Where we’ve been. Why we’ve been. And what’s next? There is real feeling here, as if this book has some cosmic purpose."

See, I wasn't kidding. Check out the rest of the review here.

Because this review put me in such a great mood, I've decided to extend the Five Bucks Sale! That's right. You can still buy Ghost Notes, Songs from Memory or Stuck Outside of Phoenix at my website for only $5! Get them while it lasts. I might get ornery and change it back.

So, Kel and I are in our new house, and things have relaxed enough to get back to work. I will (you can feel a New Year's resolution coming, can't you?) finish my third novel, Good Night to the Rock 'n' Roll Era, by the end of the year. It will have been over four years since I started it, and it's time to get it out into the world. This will require a lot of my 2010 attention, but that's not all I have planned for the year.

I also want to release Ghost Notes and Stuck Outside of Phoenix as ebooks. Besides Amazon's Kindle, a device where both novels are already available, this release will allow you to read about Hote's adventures on your iPhone, iPod Touch, Sony Reader or IRex Iliad and (I think) your home computer. Look for these ebooks in the first quarter of 2010. I'll announce their arrivals here and elsewhere.

What else? You'll have to wait until next week to find out. Until then, could someone please tell to me why I can't stop watching this video?





Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Buy Ghost Notes, the novel or brand new audio book.



Buy Songs from Memory, the album


Buy Stuck Outside of Phoenix, the novel

See You Next Year!

That's it for me for 2009, folks. I will be packing and cleaning and moving and unpacking and...until the new year, so no bloggedy-blog next week. Let's recap what's happened in 2009, shall we?

First, you can buy Ghost Notes, Songs from Memory or Stuck Outside of Phoenix at my website for only $5 between now and the end of the year.

Second, you can download Ghost Notes the unabridged audio book here.

Finally, you can buy both Ghost Notes and Stuck Outside of Phoenix for your Kindle device.

Next year, I plan to finish my next novel, Good Night to the Rock 'n' Roll Era, plus I have a few other things planned (ebook, anyone?)

Thanks for keeping up with me in 2009, and we'll see see you again in 2010!

Happy new year.

Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Buy Ghost Notes, the novel or brand new audio book.



Buy Songs from Memory, the album


Buy Stuck Outside of Phoenix, the novel

Reading Good Night to the Rock 'n' Roll Era

Until the end of the year, you can buy Ghost Notes, Songs from Memory or Stuck Outside of Phoenix at my website for only $5!

A few of you have caught on that, because of the free shipping kicking in at $20, buying the three-pack and adding one more item gets that extra item for free. In other words, if you order a three-pack, choose one more item and give it away for Xmas!

So, I'm reading the manuscript of my novel-in-progress, which is called Good Night to the Rock 'n' Roll Era. At this stage, it's hard for me to see what's good about it--only what's missing--but after three years and maybe four drafts, I can safely say I'll have something that one day will trump Ghost Notes and Stuck Outside of Phoenix both.

It's the sequel to Ghost Notes, but it deviates greatly from my previous two books. There's really only one character who makes the jump from Ghost Notes to the new novel, Betty, and the new novel takes on a great deal of new terrain, from a band's inception to the making of a record to a country-spanning three-month tour.

One of the things I really want to do in the next revision is expand on some of the locales of the tour, making each city rich and authentic and itself. If you have a novel that takes place in a dozen or two...or three...cities, you'd better make sure each place is distinct. One little thing wrong in any one of them and don't worry, someone will let you know about it.

I also have a few interesting characters who in the current draft make just one appearance. Anytime a character has pull with an audience, as these characters do with my beta readers, it behooves me to include them as much as possible. Without it, the reader gets frustrated. Imagine The Big Lebowski with just one Jesus scene:



You'd want to strangle the Coen Brothers for not giving you more, wouldn't you?

I don't want to get strangled, so the bit players come back.

I promise to write more on this novel in the coming weeks and months.

Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Buy Ghost Notes, the novel or brand new audio book.



Buy Songs from Memory, the album


Buy Stuck Outside of Phoenix, the novel

Five Bucks Sale 2009!

Last year, just before I moved to Portland, I announced the Lighten my Load Sale. This sale allowed you to purchase Ghost Notes, or Songs from Memory, or Stuck Outside of Phoenix at my website for $10, and allowed you to buy all three in a bundle for $25 with free shipping.

This sale was popular, this sale was fun, this sale lightened my load.

I liked it so much I kept it going throughout the whole of 2009. Give me $10, and take your pick of anything, I said.

Well, this sale is no longer good enough. Amazon, Target, Walmart and Sears are in a huge book price war. If I want to stay relevant, I have to adapt, and quickly.

But where does one go after marking everything down to $10?

Why, $5, of course!

That's right. As of now, you can buy any of the products mentioned above at my website for $5!

You want a copy of Ghost Notes?

$5

You want a copy of Songs from Memory?

$5

You want a copy of Stuck Outside of Phoenix?

$50, err, $5!

If you're reading this, you've probably been paying attention to me for a while. Maybe you've bought a book or CD or two. Maybe you haven't. If you haven't, and are at all curious, now is the time to jump in.

$5

If you're reading this, you probably have people to buy Christmas presents for. Why not buy them Ghost, or Stuck, or Memory, or all three?

$5

If you're reading this, you can read. So why not read my novels?

$5

So, come to my website, find yourself a copy of something you're interested in, and get it now for the best deal you're going to find anywhere.

$5

While supplies last.

Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Buy Ghost Notes, the novel or brand new audio book.



Buy Songs from Memory, the album


Buy Stuck Outside of Phoenix, the novel

Ghost Notes Audio Now at iTunes/New Novel Draft Finished

You can now buy the digital download of Ghost Notes the Audio Book at iTunes! There doesn't seem to be a way to link to the iTunes page, so go to your iTunes browser and search "ghost notes art edwards," and it will pop up!

And please listen to "Incident," download it for free, and pass it on to friends and family.

Yesterday, I finished a draft of my current novel-in-progress, which is called Good Night to the Rock 'n' Roll Era. The ending of this draft is both a good thing and kind of a bummer thing.

It's a good thing because I've spent the better part of the last eleven months working hard to make this novel as good as it can be, harder than I've ever worked on any novel. The novel is longer than anything I've written--420 pages, 92, 000 words--and I stand by my earlier claim that it's leaps and bounds better than anything I've written.

The bummer part is that it's not done yet.

I'm not going to lie and tell you that I'm overjoyed about this. A few of you may remember me earlier in the year proclaiming that I would be done with it in 2009. Sometimes I think I say these things just to make sure they don't happen.

So, why is the draft done but the novel not? What happened between the beginning of the year and now to make me doubt its perfection?

Since June, I've been blessed/cursed with a handful of beta readers who are doing a wonderful job finding flaws in the novel. They've brought up so many questions about it that I can't justify letting it out the door without a serious rewrite, rounding out characters, correcting few things, clarifying some others, and generally making it stronger than it is at this point.

I've come to realize that this is part of my process. One draft I stretch and expand the novel, adding elements, which I'll call my put-'er-in-'er draft. Then in the next draft I hone the prose, take out unnecessary elements, make the language as clear and as vibrant as it can be. This is the take-'er-out-'er draft. The lines blur all the time between these two disciplines, but I always know which draft I'm on. Yesterday, I finished a take-'er-out-'er draft, which is also when I allow myself to think, "Is it done?" With what I've gathered from the people who have read it, the answer is definitely no.

So I can foresee two more drafts, one where I put things in and another where I take things out, before I can (God willing) call it complete.

So, when will it be complete?

I'll guess and say this time next year, Thanksgiving-ish 2010.

I know, I know. Take it for what it's worth.

Back to the ol' grindstone.

Yours in laying down the law,

Art

Buy Ghost Notes, the novel or brand new audio book.



Buy Songs from Memory, the album


Buy Stuck Outside of Phoenix, the novel