If you've spent any amount of time here at all, you'll know that I'm a shameless, PT Barnum style person who has no qualms about promoting my forthcoming book. I'm more than happy to climb atop the nearest semblance of a mountain and let forth a mighty yop, and I'm frankly looking forward to contacting librarians, booksellers, bloggers and other folks. (Still just waiting for those cursed ARCs, which has become something of a lesson in patience for me. Can't really approach folks and tell them much about the book without, well, the book.)

For a while now, one of my first priorities in the morning, just after my feet hit the floor, has been to research potential media and review sources. As of this morning, I have a spreadsheet with roughly 180 media contacts (these are mostly regional and niche media, as my publisher will focus on "bigger" sources), 120 potential reviewers, 100+ blogs, and 46 authors receiving Review Copies. On top of that, I also have lists of 300+ independent bookstores specializing in mystery/fantasy/horror, at least 500 CBA bookstores, and more than 500 libraries. All told, that adds up to something in the neighborhood of 2000 contacts--and I do plan on contacting each of those sources at least once.

And yet, it's just a blip. A fraction of a blip, really. Current estimates say something like 200,000 books are published each year. And really, that's just the smallest number in this whole numbers game. Think of all the newspapers, magazines, radio shows, and television shows you know. Now multiply that number by a hundred to account for the 99% of mass media you've never even heard of. Add in web sites, podcasts, online communities and blogs. According to Technorati, there are more than 23 million blogs tracked (and remember, these are just blogs tracked by Technorati) with nearly 2 billion links. Yes, I said 2 billion.

How many messages are out there in the ether, in the newsprint, in the radio frequencies, begging for people to pay attention?

And here am I, a debut novelist in Montana, hoping to get some attention with a contact list that represents an atom in the entire, vast, media universe. Intimidating or overwhelming? Yes, and yes. And yet, also exciting.

After all, even if that mighty yop I let forth is but a brief hiccup in the grander media landscape, it's something unlike anything else out there in the universe: it's my yop.

Now, go work on yours.

Amazon today debuted a new feature at its web site, calling it Amazon Fishbowl with Bill Maher. Essentially, it looks to be a typical interview short with celebrities (Maher talks about forthcoming "episodes" related to music, literature, and what-not) and, interestingly enough, a live studio audience. Will we perhaps be seeing Amazon produce and deliver half-hour talk shows, a la Letterman, Conan O'Brien (and yes, Bill Maher) in the not-too-distant future?

Most interesting to me was the subject of the show's debut segment: Stephen King, a writer near and dear to my heart. The interview itself isn't particularly enlightening; if you've seen/heard other interviews with King before, you've heard about all the subjects discussed. But come on, it's Stephen King. (And, I would remind you, Bill Maher: if you don't find his particular brand of humor funny, this segment won't change your mind.)

In related news, today is the official release date for King's latest novel, Cell. Cell phones turn ordinary people into zombies? I gotta get me some of that.

Q: How many new novelists does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A: Enough about that. Let's talk about my book.

My wife thought this joke was pretty funny when I told it to her. In fact, I'd say she laughed a little bit harder than she really needed to.

Now, about my book...

If you wander through the virtual aisles of the iTunes Music Store, browsing the selections, you'll see more than a few folks who have (or currently are) distributing their books as podcasts. Hey, I'm all for whatever works, and I'm betting one or two of these folks might parlay their podcasts into other ventures. That's the fun of living on the edge.

Last week, I also pointed you toward a free audio download of Robert Liparulo's Comes A Horseman. I watched the book's Amazon rankings during the week, and the audio download seemed to help the book's rankings--it broke into the top 1000 for a good part of the week.

Meanwhile, MJ Rose, at her Buzz, Balls & Hype blog, recently posted a passionate rant about audiobooks. She makes several good points, and I'm with her. I spend a fair amount of time in my car, and "read" at least one book a month as an audiobook. (Always rented from my library or local Hastings bookstore, though--who wants to plunk down $50 for an audiobook? All of which is the main point MJ makes at the excellent post you've already read by now. What? Haven't read it? Here's another chance.)

This week, author Joe Nassise's The Heretic has become the first book from a mainstream publisher to be offered for free, unabridged, as a podcast.

The intersection of audiobooks and the iTunes/podcast revolution is frankly too big to be ignored. I think we'll be seeing some things happen on this front in the coming year.

Either that, or I'll look back at this post a year from now and say, "What the heck was I thinking?"

Previously, I mentioned I'll be heading to Book Expo America in Washington, D.C. this May. One of the primary reasons for going, of course, is to meet booksellers and other people who love and work with books each day.

D.C. won't be my only stop, though. I've been putting together a schedule of shows and events, and noticing that my eyes are bigger than my stomach, as it were. There are plenty of events I would love to go to, but I only have a finite amount of time to devote to such things. For instance, I'd love to head to the Mount Hermon Writer's Conference, and the World Horror Convention, and ACFW, and...well, let's just call this list tentative, shall we?

Here's what I'm looking at so far:
• Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Spring Trade Show (March 16-18) in Seattle
• Book Expo America (May 19-21) in Washington, D.C.
• Thrillerfest (June 29-July 2) in Phoenix
• International Christian Retail Trade Show (July 8-13) in Denver
• Mountains & Plains Booksellers Association Fall Trade Show (September 15-17) in Denver
• Bouchercon 2006 (September 28-October 1) in Madison, WI.

I'm planning live reports from at least two of those events at Infuze Magazine's live event portal, and right here on my very own cyber-corner. In addition, I'm planning a few road trips to visit bookstores and libraries in the greater intermountain/northwest region--which I'm looking forward to, because it means I get to do a lot of book browsing.

My reasoning for most of the events should be pretty apparent. The PNBA and MPBA trade shows are to meet the fine, fine independent ABA booksellers in my general region; the ICRTS covers CBA retailers (no regional shows, that I know of), and Thrillerfest & Bouchercon cover my general mystery/thriller genre.

If you have other thoughts or ideas, well, let's hear 'em. All travel plans are subject to change.

Looks like I'll be heading to Book Expo America in good ol' Washington, D.C. this year. That means...um, I'm not sure what that means, having never been to the thing before. I know it's the Big Show in the trade, and I believe my book will be featured in the New Title Showcase.

I'll be able to do a book signing, which brings us, I suppose, to one of the conundrums faced by many a debut novelist: how do you handle book signings as an unknown entity? Book signings for the Jonathan Kellermans and the Lee Childs and the John Grishams of the world, well, those are probably pretty easy to handle. (I've never been to the BEA before, but I picture a giant loudspeaker blaring "Ladies and Gentlemen, Dean Koontz will now be signing books at Booth 1532," followed by a massive stampede.) Even nonfiction signings by debut authors have a built-in audience: a guy writes a book about the history of plumbing fixtures, he can be sure most folks interested in plumbing fixtures will show up.

The debut novelist, however, faces a somewhat more difficult task. There's no inherent demand for your book, because there's no previous body of work or built-in audience (unless you happen to have a unique platform, or are a celebrity of some kind deciding you're now a novelist).

My strategy? Um, I'll let you know when I have one. But I have a couple of thoughts. First, I'm hoping International Thriller Writers or another writing organization I belong to will have some sort of presence at the show, and maybe give me an opportunity to piggyback a signing there. Second, my publisher has a booth, so I might be able to doa signing there. Third, I think the New Title Showcase might have a signing opportunity; not sure about this, so I'll have to do some more research and get back to you. Fourth, I think Sunday, the last day of the show, is specifically earmarked as "New Authors" and "Midlist Authors" day, so I'm guessing folks who show up on this day are probably looking for new discoveries. (I've been to more than a few trade shows in my time, however. The last day, especially when it falls on a Sunday, isn't usually..."high traffic," shall we say?)

So, have you ever been to BEA, or are you planning to go this year? Any wonderful advice for me? (Leave a comment, or email me.) And most importantly, if you are going:

Would you come to my booksigning? I'll buy you a refreshing beverage of your choice.

If you've read this blog recently, you know I loved Robert Liparulo's "Comes A Horseman." If you weren't swayed to buy it and read it by my eloquent words of praise, perhaps you'll be influenced by a free audio download of it.

Not just a sample, mind you, but the whole kit and kaboodle. (Okay, so it's an abridgement of the book; I'm not a big fan of abridgements, but come on: it's free.) Go to comesahorsemanbook.com to download it to your iPod now.

One of the raging debates on the web among authors is: do you link to your book at Amazon?

If you're self-pubbed, the answer is an unequivocal "yes," because Amazon will likely be your single biggest source of sales. However, for authors whose works are produced by traditional publishers, it's a thornier issue. On one side of the debate (let's call it the "Pro-Amazon" side) you can create your own Amazon affiliate ID, filter people to the site, make it easy for them to buy, and earn your standard royalty--with an affiliate kickback on top of it. What's not to like?

On the other hand, the "Anti-Amazon" folks point out, you run the risk of alienating independent booksellers. After all, independent booksellers are an author's true friends: they can recommend and hand-sell your work to their customers. Does Amazon do that? No, not really. Plus, isn't it nice to support bookstores offering a true "book experience"--places such as Denver's Tattered Cover, Portland's Powell's Bookstore, or Seattle's Elliott Bay Book Company. (On the more local level, I have fond memories of Books West in Kalispell, Montana, near where I grew up, and Fact and Fiction in Missoula, where I got myself college-edjicated.) Amazon just can't replicate the sights, sounds, smells and feel of a true, authentic bookstore. Meatspace booksellers are a line of defense against the impersonal intermediation that's invading every transaction we make.

Okay, I suppose I've tipped my hand a bit. I wouldn't call myself necessarily anti-Amazon, but I'm certainly pro-independent bookstore. I'd rather folks wander into a local bookstore, sit down and spend a few minutes reading my book, decide to purchase it, and maybe get a cup of coffee so they can hang around and read for a while. That's an experience I enjoy, and one I think many other readers enjoy.

However, there are other thornier issues to consider. Chief among them: the issue of rankings. Amazon is the most ubiquitous book source on the web, and let's face it: links to Amazon help your rankings. This includes search engine rankings, of course, but also rankings on blog indexes such as Technorati and Blogdex. In most cases, these services rank the "popularity" of books based solely on the number of links to Amazon. Perhaps at some point, these ranking metrics will change and improve; until then, we're stuck with knowing links to Amazon are an essential component of online marketing.

So, what's a fellow who loves indpendent local booksellers to do? My solution, unless someone offers something better: when I blog about a book (my own, or one I'm encouraging others to buy), I'll link to Amazon, as well as independent booksellers. Amazon is a must in these cases, I think.

In all other instances, however, I'll link to independent booksellers only, and encourge readers to buy there.

Your thoughts?

I have some redemption codes for free iTunes downloads, and I'd like to give you a couple. You have to do a little work to get them, but not much.

1) Have you joined my Other Side project for Volunteer Book Publicists? Well, why not? You can win all sorts of free schwag--including a role in my next novel--for participating. So, just head on over to the Other Side and pick a User Name now. When you've done that, click on the "email tl hines" link on the Other Side, and say, "Hey, I just signed up. Gimme a free download at iTunes." I'll send you the code via email, and you'll have until January 31, 2006 to redeem it. Easy-peasy.

2) If you've already signed up, you can get a free code by inviting a friend to join the Other Side project. (Yes, this is one of those evil marketing schemes. Watch me rub my hands together and laugh maniacally.) There's a form for inviting friends on the Other Side; all you have to do is put my email in the list of email addresses you're sending to (use signupsFUNNY-LOOKINGATSYMBOLtlhines.com), and I'll send you a free download code at iTunes. Same gig: you have until January 31, 2006 to redeem it.

3) If your friend joins the Other Side, he/she will get a free iTunes download, and you'll get another free download. That's a couple of free downloads for you, and one for your friend.

There really isn't a catch. I don't pimp your personal information (or your friends' personal information) out to other lists, and I don't bombard you with emails; you get an email newsletter once a month with inside information (for instance, my subscribers have had a few days head start on this iTunes download thing), and that's it.

Maybe you're suspicious, thinking there's some vast conspiracy or scam at work. Nope; I'm just building my subscriber list, and frankly, I like being able to give away free stuff. If you're a horribly suspicious and skeptical person, do nothing; other folks will be more than happy to take all the free downloads, I'm sure.

Now, the small type: I'm limiting this offer to two free downloads per user for now. If the end of the month gets close and I have a few downloads left over, I'll send them out to folks who did the most inviting and such. Also, these codes are only valid until the end of January, so this offer automatically expires then. (I suppose I could give you a code on February 1, but it wouldn't work.)

Enjoy, and please let me know what songs you've downloaded with your free codes. Unless you're downloading Barry Manilow.

The fine folks a Lulu.com have devised a Book Title Analyzer--a scientific test that estimates your book's chance of being a bestseller based on its title. They devised this tool after studying statistics of bestsellers over the past 50 years. According to Lulu.com, the title analyzer proved 40% better than "guessing" at predicting bestseller status; in tests on 700 novels, it had a 70% "correct" ratio.

Did I analyze WAKING LAZARUS as a title? You bet your bippy, and I was pleasantly surprised to be told it has a 79.6% chance of becoming a bestseller.

Of course you know what I did after that. I immediately input "The Da Vinci Code" as a title, which told me it only had a 35.9% chance of being a bestseller.

Therein lies the danger of statistics.

However, it's nice to know my novel title at least has a greater "statistical" chance of capturing the public interest than TDC. (Let me fantasize a moment, won't you? ... Okay, end of fantasy.)

I'm not sure of the exact inner workings of the title analyzer, but it does seem to prefer figurative titles over literal titles; shorter titles over longer titles; and titles including the name of a place or person. Check out your own titles, and let me know what you get for scores.

I like me some blogging, but I've been pretty spotty with my schedule. I look at other folks who do entries every day and feel so lazy.

Maybe because I am.

But I digress. So, for 2006, I'm going to commit to a regular schedule of posting to this blog: three times a week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I'm thinking, but don't hold me to that. I'd like to say I'll post something every day, but, you know, like I said: I'm lazy.

Also, I'm hoping to post my first-ever podcast in the next week or so, and will commit to doing a podcast once a month. Maybe more, but at least once a month. In my podcast, I'll most likely ramble about the Path to Publication--in fact, that's pretty much what I think I'll call it--but I might just ramble about nothing, as well. I'm kinda like that, sometimes.

I hope you'll join me, and if you see me slacking, send me an email and say, "Hey, Tony, what happened to that three times a week thing?"