Blue Scream of Jeff: 2025

Sunday, March 23, 2025

Writing a book was the easy part

You can get the e-book or paperback over at Amazon.com by
clicking this picture.

It’s been almost a month since I released “Tears of the Phoenix: Prophecies” and if I thought writing and finally finishing a book was hard, well it’s nothing compared to trying to market it myself.

I got my college degree in journalism because I liked to write, and only moved into IT because I was also fascinated by the things computers could do to help people be more creative. To me marketing is an arcane and dark art, best left to fast-talking used-car salesmen or Jon Hamm “Mad Men” types.

But being an “independent author” in a world where anyone with a word processor and access to Amazon can publish a book, means you have to be your own publicist. This is not a bad thing. There is a stunning amount of creativity out there and I shudder to think of what the world would be like if only a few big publishers controlled what books saw the light of day.

But without “big publishing” behind you, how do you go about finding your audience? They say no matter how small your niche is, there are a least a few thousand people out there who will enjoy it. The problem is finding them.

So in the month since “Tears of the Phoenix: Prophecies” was published, I’ve been trying all sorts of things to find them. I’ve started annoying people on social media, letting them know I’ve published a book. You can follow me on my author Facebook page here.

I’ve restarted this blog to draw attention to my writing.

I’ve contacted my alma mater, Syracuse University, asking to be included in their list of alumni authors. Afterall, the first half of the book does take place on and around campus, so it seems like a natural fit. And who knows, it might appeal to fellow Orangemen who graduated from there in the 1980s.

And just recently, I’ve begun reaching out to YouTube book reviewers who specialize in science fiction/fantasy. I’ve even contacted a big-name influencer, Adam Savage, of “Mythbusters” fame, since he seems to be as big a geek as I am, and talks a lot about his interests over on his Tested YouTube Channel. (Adam, if you’re reading this, I’d love to send you an autographed copy!)

But what I hope will really start the ball rolling (and the book reviews pouring in) is that I will be appearing at
Princeton’s Author Day at the Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon St., Princeton, NJ 08542 on Saturday, May 10, 2025. So if you’re in the area, please stop by and see me and check out the works of other local authors.

And if you have any other suggestions or marketing tips for this book, please leave them below.

I’d appreciate it!

Sunday, February 16, 2025

New Beginnings

My new book which will be published on
Amazon.com on Feb 28.

A few years ago, I stopped writing this blog to focus on finishing writing a story that I’ve been working on in some form or another for the past 40 years.

Well, I finally finished it at the end of 2023 and spent most, if not all of, last year editing it and getting it ready for publication.

Initially I was going to release it in January to coincide with the start of the New Year. But, as the saying goes, even “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”

You see, right around the time I was finishing my book, our dog, Merlin, passed away unexpectedly from a very aggressive form of canine cancer. Of course, Mrs. Blue Scream and I were devastated and I thought he’d be our last dog. Then in December, a new dog, Shadow, came into our life and while he’s a super chill Lab, he’s turned our lives upside-down and just about everything ground to a halt while we worked to get him adjusted to his new fur-ever home. (It’s still a work in progress).

Then just when things were beginning to settle down again, my mom got sick and a few weeks later, she passed away. My mom was my first and often toughest editor, and I know she would have been thrilled to see her baby-boy’s first novel get published. So despite still feeling sad, I vowed to continue my journey in her honor.

It’s been a long road to get here, but I’m glad I made the trip. And as we move further into 2025, I’m looking forward to a new and better beginning with my remaining family, my new dog and my publishing career….