Short Stories, Brick and Mortar, and Book Tours

It was brought to my attention that I had not recently listed by own book project in the blog yet, and if you are reading this, you might also be curious about my novel. If so, you can find it in paperback and as an ebook on Amazon. Here is the link: The Turnpike by Thom Sibbitt.

You may have heard the novel is also available at my first brick and mortar locations, Jackson St. Books and Our Bookstore in the Old Market passageway. Hopefully they will be at The Bookworm soon:)

Still working on finding a location for my first out of town reading. Lincoln based artist, Nolan Tredway, was kind enough to make a few suggestions, so hopefully I will hear back soon! And next stop Kansas City! My community here in Omaha has been extremely supportive, but it is time to leave the nest and see if this book project has wings.

Here is the exciting news. I have got two solid ideas for short stories in the works. My plan is to release them as an ebook and list them for free for 6 months or so, in hopes of tapping into the larger number of free downloads. This is one of the ways several self-publishing blogs and authors recommend getting your work into the hands of new readers. The winter is a great time for writing, so I hope to have a few projects completed by Spring. Of course, saying this is like saying publicly that you are going to quick smoking and failing miserably. All your friends and family just nod their heads in your direction and you can't do anything accept scratch your name one more time in the fail book.

Did I just compare writing to the pain and misery of being uncontrollably addicted to smoking? Um. Yes. It aint easy. All the forces of the world conspire against you:)

Well, I haven't smoked a real cigarette in a week and a half. Don't hold your breath, but I can breathe for the first time in a long while.

Time to hunker.

Thanks for reading.

-Thom

Can I sleep on your couch?

I've sold one book since my last book reading and have received zero additional reviews. Don't worry, I am not going to start complaining about how hard it is to self promote a book. It's going to be tooth and nail. It's going to be mostly ineffectual. (Am I describing my sex life or my book?) What I am going to do is get to work.

Just sent a few inquisitive tendrils out to friends in Lincoln and KC, in hopes of finding a good venue to do a reading and hopefully find a place to crash. I have neither the time nor the money to subsidize an actual book tour, so I am going to try and schedule readings throughout the winter in communities that are close enough for me to drive to.

So I guess I am on the market for a groovy bookstore in Des Moines, if anyone has any suggestions. 

On the local front, I am bringing the paperback to 'Our Bookstore' in the old market passageway this week. This is my first brick and mortar location. I am my own distributor at this point. It costs about $3 to print a book, so I am ordering one small batch of copies at a time. After printing and postage, I take whatever $$$ I can get for the book. I have been selling the book for $10 thus far. It is 12.99 on Amazon. 

Free and cheap books are probably the best way to attract new readers and downloads on the internet, which is great. I would love to put out a collection of short stories this year and just give it away, to generate newsreaders. I am too deep in the hole with the current project to give it away for free, but maybe I am shooting myself in the foot. Maybe I am already legless, but have not yet realized it. I haven't been able to feel anything from the waist down for awhile.

Blogs are like road trips. Road weary and starting to get punchy, the likelihood of ending up in the literary ditch is imminent. What I need is a really lovely scenic overlook, to get some perspective, to recharge, to get inspired, to get back on the road. 

Any self publishing questions? What am I missing? -thom