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 A success story!

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Shelagh
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Shelagh


Number of posts : 12662
Registration date : 2008-01-11
Location : UK

A success story! Empty
PostSubject: A success story!   A success story! EmptyThu May 01, 2008 6:10 am

I know, I know ... you associate me with gloom and doom and I'm forever posting links to articles that suggest the road is long, the work is hard and the pay is low. Well, I'm about to change all that.

In the fall of 2004, I joined a teenage forum (one of many I joined) and asked the members to read the opening chapters of my novel, Mr. Planemaker's Flying Machine. I stayed on the forum for several months and, during that time, my novel was accepted for publication by PublishAmerica.

In February 2005, I spotted a thread by Jeff Rivera saying that his novel, Forever My Lady, was available for purchase online.

I clicked on the link to Jeff's website to check out the book. I read the reviews and sent the following email:

Quote :
Hi Jeff,

Wonderful reviews for your novel but they need proof reading! It's a bit off-putting to see so many mistakes.

I wish you every success with your novel. After this critique you will probably become a best-seller to prove me wrong -- but you wouldn't complain!

Sincerely,

Shelagh Watkins
Jeff's self-published novel was eventually published by Warner Books and 20,000 copies are now in circulation. So, I guess I was proved wrong!

I will be writing an article about how Jeff succeeded and how that success has enabled him to give up his day job. As of today, Jeff will be a full-time writer.

http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/29993

As soon as the article is finished, I'll let everyone know.
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zadaconnaway
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zadaconnaway


Number of posts : 4017
Registration date : 2008-01-16
Age : 76
Location : Washington, USA

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PostSubject: Re: A success story!   A success story! EmptyThu May 01, 2008 6:47 am

That is very encouraging, Shelagh. Thank you for the bright spot on the horizon.
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Shelagh
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Shelagh


Number of posts : 12662
Registration date : 2008-01-11
Location : UK

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PostSubject: Re: A success story!   A success story! EmptyThu May 01, 2008 7:12 am

A year after I sent that first email and after receiving a number of newsletters from Jeff, he sent a message about the book deal with Warner Books. In the message, he recommended a book that had helped him a lot:

Excuse me Your Life is Waiting

If you click on the above link you will see the book is available for just $6 (including shipping). It might be worth a read!


Last edited by Shelagh on Thu May 01, 2008 8:23 am; edited 1 time in total
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Pam
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Pam


Number of posts : 1790
Registration date : 2008-02-01
Age : 58
Location : Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

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PostSubject: Re: A success story!   A success story! EmptyThu May 01, 2008 7:44 am

I just had to laugh Shelagh that the link is to Amazon.com

Kind of neat to see that he also went from self published to Warner Bros.
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lin
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lin


Number of posts : 2753
Registration date : 2008-03-20
Location : Mexico

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PostSubject: Re: A success story!   A success story! EmptyThu May 01, 2008 7:54 am

You obviously made him the author he is today
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Shelagh
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Shelagh


Number of posts : 12662
Registration date : 2008-01-11
Location : UK

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PostSubject: Re: A success story!   A success story! EmptyThu May 01, 2008 8:19 am

Pam and lin,

Is a success story of less interest than all the failed stories? Do you know a self-published author who secured a book deal? Tell me about it.
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zadaconnaway
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zadaconnaway


Number of posts : 4017
Registration date : 2008-01-16
Age : 76
Location : Washington, USA

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PostSubject: Re: A success story!   A success story! EmptyThu May 01, 2008 8:44 am

Success stories are great. It reaffirms that the chance to succeed is out there!!
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Shelagh
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Shelagh


Number of posts : 12662
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PostSubject: Re: A success story!   A success story! EmptyThu May 01, 2008 9:05 am

It didn't happen overnight.
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zadaconnaway
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zadaconnaway


Number of posts : 4017
Registration date : 2008-01-16
Age : 76
Location : Washington, USA

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PostSubject: Re: A success story!   A success story! EmptyThu May 01, 2008 9:40 am

No, but happen, it did, and patience is a virtue. Right up there next to persistence!!
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lin
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lin


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PostSubject: Re: A success story!   A success story! EmptyThu May 01, 2008 11:38 am

Yeah, matter of fact. I know a couple. Bill Branon, who I shared an agent with for awhile before both of us left, wrote "Let Us Prey" a wild novel about an IRS revolt and self-pubbed it. It was huge, like 600 pages. Sold BIG "out of his car" and got picked up by a major house...I seem to recall Schuster, but could be wrong.

There've been ups and downs since, but he's somebody this did happen to.


I agree, sucess stories are good, and they're there.
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Shelagh
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Shelagh


Number of posts : 12662
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PostSubject: Re: A success story!   A success story! EmptyThu May 01, 2008 2:35 pm

Tell us more. How long was he with the agency before the book was picked up? Is he a full-time writer now? How many books has he written since that first self-published book?
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lin
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lin


Number of posts : 2753
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PostSubject: Re: A success story!   A success story! EmptyThu May 01, 2008 3:06 pm

No, he did everything himself. Went to agency after it got picked up, didn't find it helpful.

He's got more books, but they're in kind of weird limbo of oddball political presses.

More here
http://www.amazon.com/Let-Us-Prey-Bill-Branon/dp/0061092509
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lin
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lin


Number of posts : 2753
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PostSubject: Re: A success story!   A success story! EmptyThu May 01, 2008 3:09 pm

Poke around, there are other people like this who've made the jump.
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Pam
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Pam


Number of posts : 1790
Registration date : 2008-02-01
Age : 58
Location : Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

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PostSubject: Re: A success story!   A success story! EmptyThu May 01, 2008 5:40 pm

I know there are successes Shelagh-frighteningly rare they may be, it's probably a result of too many adverbs...oh yeah, that's just me.

I know no one personally who is a full time fiction writer. Most of the writers I know are also technical writers or teachers or journalists or coffee baristas or game developers who write fiction for fun. Yeah, I know. How much fun is that??
The thing is to keep at it, continue to produce excellent work and also allow yourself the time to see that work through the excruciatingly slow publishing process. Hang around in writerly places and with people who love writers and reading, like the writer's associations and federations.

Creating some kind of mystery or marketing tool around what you do (with a nod to Lin's branding) also helps make it all happen and having a ready audience for the publishers to sell to doesn't hurt either.
A success story! 986243
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Shelagh
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Shelagh


Number of posts : 12662
Registration date : 2008-01-11
Location : UK

A success story! Empty
PostSubject: Re: A success story!   A success story! EmptyFri May 02, 2008 12:23 am

I think you will be interested to learn how Jeff did it. I still have every newsletter he sent me (I missed the first one) so I have a blow by blow account of the minor successes and the eventual breakthrough.

This is the first newsletter I received from Jeff:


From: "Jeff Rivera "
Date: Sun, Mar 20, 2005, 7:30 am
To: "Shelagh Watkins "
Subject: JeffRivera.com Newsletter #2 -- BRAND NEW NEWS!

Complimentary Wristwatch TV Giveaway. Check it out!
a {color:#191E66; } a:visited {color:#191E66; }

NEWS!

January 31, 2005 Keeping you up-to-date every week!

Welcome!

Before I get started, just to let you know, a lot of people have asked me how they can write and publish their life story. So I created an e-book you can get, called, AUTOBIOGRAPHY: A Step by Step Guide to Writing and Publishing Your Life Story. Just go to:http://www.JeffRivera.com/AUTOBIOGRAPHY.htm to find out more.

________________________

OK enough of that shameless promotion. So I guess I ought to tell you all the good news that been happening in the Forever My Lady world.

Well first of all I'm happy to announce that thus far over 3000 people have downloaded the book so far and 500 more have downloaded the book since the beginning of this month. Pretty cool, huh?

The biggest news I'd say is that Forever My Lady was chosen as one of the exclusive gifts given to some of the top Daytime soap opera stars at a VIP event in West Hollywood, California called the Very POSH Tea. Over 30 soap opera stars and journalists received a copy of the book so I'll let you know when I hear back from them. I felt really honored to be chosen.

Also I got a great review from author Yasmin Davidd about the book, she called it "captivating" and bestselling author India Edghill loved it as well and called it, "edgy and provocative."

More news -- Nicholas Gonzalez from Resurrection Blvd. is reading the book and a friend of mine, producer Eric Erba sent Forever My Lady to Eva Longario (not sure how to spell her last name) from Desperate Housewives.

Out of all the wonderful things happening I have to say to top them off is whenever I receive letters from YOU. I love it when people tell me how much they enjoyed the book and who they shared the book with. And I was so flattered to hear many high school students have chosen Forever My Lady on their favorite book and have used it as their book reports. Some have even emailed me back to tell me they got an A or A on it. That's awesome! So keep those letters coming.

Now for those of you that want to know all the dirt about my personal life and what I do when I'm not writing (or procrastinating from writing) you can read my secret diary by going to: http://www.JeffRivera.com/COMMUNITY.htm

Yes, the sequel is coming along but um ... let's just say I need about a month long mental break. I'm such a typical "artist" sometimes. I've got to clear my schedule and finish up a couple of writing assignments including the fact I was just hired by producer Kathy Wilson to write the screenplay to the long anticipated film version of the bestselling book Song of the Stone.

Now, don't worry I'll get the sequel done! I promise! In fact, I have a launch date for you, AUGUST 2005.

If you're signed up for this newsletter you'll be one of the first to read it. If not, you better go and sign up: http://www.JeffRivera.com/SEQUEL.htm I will say this about the sequel ... it opens up with a suicide letter from Jennifer ...

So that's what's going on with my world and Forever My Lady. What's going on in your world? Keep those letters and emails coming!

Ask Jeff! Questions ...

Forever My Lady deals with a being in jail. How were you able to write about it?Have you ever been in jail before?

It's funny to me when people ask me that question. I don't mind. No, I've never been in jail before. However, I do know what it's like to feel completely trapped and feel like you have no freedom. I know what it's like to feel like you're in an emotionally repressive environment where you feel like all your freedom is gone. I guess that's why I was able to write about it. Also before I wrote about the boot camp, a friend of mine, Doug Brown, let me visit an actual boot camp and I saw how the entire thing was run. That was a trip. It really is a whole 'nother world.

How much of the book can you relate to?

A lot of it. Now I may not have had the same background as the characters. I mean I'm not Chicano. I didn't grow up in gangs, but there was gang activity where I grew up and I had quite a few friends that were in gangs or down with gangs. And I always saw them as people first who happened to be in gangs. But at the core of this story is the human experience and everyone can relate to wanting someone so bad and that person not wanting you. And a lot of little things I can relate to that the characters went through because when I was outlining the story I actually put in the outline different experiences I've been through that were like the characters. For example, do you remember the scene where Dio was telling Louise about being dragged up to an apartment and being hassled by cops? That happened to me! Not to that extreme but I know what it' s like to be accused of something and you didn't even do anything and yet you still get hassled by cops. It's not easy being a person of color in this country. I guess it's not easy being a person at all in general, we all have our challenges.

How's your love life?

I appreciate people's interest in my personal life. I mean I'm a very private person but just so you know yeah, I have a life outside of just writing books. I have an incredible family (who are scattered across the country and who I miss very much) and I have the absolute best friends in the world as well as incredible mentors.

Yes, I love my love life and I'm very blessed. I mean we have our challenges just like anybody else but it's the best thing that's ever happened to me and I can't imagine life without my baby. If you want to know more just check out my secret journal online at: http://www.JeffRivera.com/COMMUNITY.htm I'm a private person and I respect the privacy of those close to me so I won't disclose any more than I have already.

What you can do to help!

What can you do to help? Keep telling your friends and family to pick up a copy of Forever My Lady or send them the link to download the ENTIRE book for free (http://www.JeffRivera.com/BOOK.pdf).

Interesting Facts

Forever My Lady is now available to order at any Borders or Barnes Noble store

Jeff Rivera welcomes new readers:

Ariana Rivera (no relation)
Roxy Ortiz
Ismael Cardenas
Devin Cooper
Lourdes Landros
Nora Vasquez
Rocky Jalil
(and hundreds of others)

Things to Note

Write me and give me your comments!

http://www.JeffRivera.com

Free Newsletter Provided by Bravenet.com - Get one for Free รก Unsubscribe from this newsletter

NOTE: The links don't work -- Jeff's website has been update quite a lot since 2005!
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