There are those folks who suggested that I should have attended the BookExpo America (BEA) convention in Los Angeles rather than spending three days at Wizard World Philly. I’m sure they meant well. From my perspective, however, it was too early to take the initial novel in my series - The Soulstealer War - to BEA, especially considering the travel hurdle and that I would have embarked upon such a journey without a single sample of the novel’s pending traditional print run (5,000 copies). As I write this entry, final printing is anticipated next week. Rest easy, there are no substantive changes… instead, a few typos have been erased from existence and there are featured book review quotes.
Yet, casting aside the practical mantle, Wizard World Philly was a blast! Even in this dismal economy, the fans arrived in throngs (many in full regalia with fan favorites Star Wars, Iron Man and assorted Cyberpunk meets Doom combos) toting funds no doubt stashed in some secret account awaiting this opportunity to be traded for a comic of rare antiquity, a prized rendering from an industry legend or other treasured collectible.
Sure, I did have my doubts when I learned that the Guitar Hero III stage was twenty-five feet from my booth and that my neighbors were a line-up of autograph wielding professional wrestlers – classic and current superstars. As it turns out, while making conversation tough for a few hours, Guitar Hero III was truly a crowd pleaser. The wrestlers included the likes of The Iron Sheik, Eugene, Virgil, Nikolai Volkoff and the big gun – Lou Ferrigno a/k/a The Incredible Hulk. Although the wrestlers stayed to themselves, and their fan base had less interest in my creation, it made for entertaining if not chaotic spectacle over the three-day extravaganza. I also commend Nikolai Volkoff, who epitomizes the stereotypical Russian bear, for his philosophical debate on Nietzsche, intriguing discussion on “governments gone bad,” and dedicated observations on the miracles of Ayurvedic Medicine. I am honored to have met him.
In fact, I am proud and grateful to have met with each and every one of you good people who lingered by my display to peruse the novel’s back cover synopsis, ogle the five-foot map of The Eastern Rim of Weir and take a chance on this relatively unknown but aspiring fantasy/sci-fi author. These conventions are a ton of work for me, but remain one of the best ways to dynamically interact with my audience, meet other people who dream of worlds beyond our shores and share my vision of a more evolved human condition.
Until next time…
W.L. Hoffman – breathe slowly, observe humbly, dream deeply and evolve.
http://SoulstealerWar.WordPress.com
P.S. The randomly drawn winner of the crystal globe giveaway is Karen Graham (please send me your mailing address). Congratulations!
Author Interview by Dr. Joseph Riggio, host of Intentional Performance on WebTalkRadio.net
May 8, 2008
Coming from a small publisher (effectively self-published), I am constantly battling and occasionally appeasing the gods of “Bookdom” in order to spread the word to mainstream media and to encourage readers to delve into my newly released fantasy/sci-fi novel - The First Mother’s Fire, Book One of The Soulstealer War series.
Today’s Blog entry is my twenty minute interview with Dr. Joseph Riggio host of the Intentional Performance show on WebTalkRadio.net. The Link below will take you to my interview, and on my computer, I had to click “yes” to enable an active X control to run so that the interview could play. I recommend the discussion for anyone who wants insight on how to achieve your dreams and on what trials and tribulations we authors endure… albeit willingly.
http://www.webtalkradio.net/content/view/496/33/
Enjoy with my blessing.
W.L. Hoffman
WLHoffman@SoulstealerWar.com
http://www.SoulstealerWar.com
A Fantasy Author in New York Comic-Con’s Court - Awesome
April 22, 2008
Okay, I’ve come up for air. No, I have not yet responded to all my e-mail traffic from the New York Comic-Con weekend. I promise you that I will, but this post takes priority.
My first major convention was loads of fun, serious work and an amazing learning experience. I took hours to set up my booth. It was to be the public stage for greeting fantasy/sci-fi fans of all ages and introducing The Soulstealer War in the non-virtual world. As good as a website can be, it takes a back seat to the face-to-face with folks and I wanted to put my best foot forward. There were tables, chairs, coverings, stickers, wooden chests, leather boxes, parchment signs, silk scrolls, books, lamps, candles, seven feet of armor and other accents to handle – all designed to create the right atmosphere.
There were impressive technical displays by the major industry players, and less spectacular, but equally satisfying, sights to be found in the convention’s nether recesses. I imagine it was impossible for the fans in one weekend to find their way to every nook and alternate realm. However, I met my share. I was tucked in the Small Press community, an abode of independent risk-taking artists and publishers who seemed to be phantoms - Aisle 2200 bore neither a ceiling sign nor a “Small Press” banner - perhaps some industry handicaps will always remain. Then again, it could be that lady Fate retains her sense of humor. Heck, even the “Podcast” area had a banner sign.
Despite these hurdles and the seemingly endless garden of visual delights, a lot of you found your way to my table. It was simultaneously humbling, thrilling and harrowing - adding lots of java to the three day mix only hyped the surreal factor. Whether I was just
- talking fantasy & sci-fi;
- offering my tidbits on the novel and characters;
- tracing the story-line on the five-foot map of the Eastern Rim of Weir;
- meeting industry professionals;
- chatting with the librarians;
- encouraging fellow writers to complete their manuscripts;
- scrutinizing sample materials from the supporting cast of marketing people;
- discovering fantasy & sci-fi reviewers and bloggers;
- waving to Stan Lee as he passed my table with a retinue at his heels
- casting an approving glance at the costumed attendees; and
- making a note that I need to find out where the Star Wars Stormtrooper armor and weaponry can be acquired…
… it was my great pleasure and sincere honor to be counted among those present.
THANK YOU ALL.
W.L. Hoffman
P.S. – Congratulations to Dawn Toledo, winner of my crystal globe drawing.
P.P.S. - This message was copied to my e-mail database so that the update can reach those of you who are not yet tracking my Blog sites: http://SoulstealerWar.Blogspot.com and http://SoulstealerWar.WordPress.com. As always, if you want to be permanently removed from this database, please just send a reply message making that request. I will be disappointed, but will certainly respect your wishes.
My First Book Signing - The Soulstealer War
March 29, 2008
Coming from a small publisher (effectively self-published), I am constantly battling and occasionally appeasing the gods of “Bookdom” in order to spread the word to media folks and encourage new readers to go on-line to purchase my fantasy/sci-fi Novel - The First Mother’s Fire, Book One of The Soulstealer War series. I am taking a quick break from my prior Blog entries, wherein I post professional (and reader) reviews that remain a finer testament than my urgings, to reflect upon my first Book Signing experience.
Overall, after the author presentations, I had about an hour and a half to sell (B&N handled this aspect) and sign books. I was honored to discuss, hug and sign away with the various people purchasing my debut novel. While the store record for sales at a signing was not broken, I made a darn good run with the highest sales total of the evening. More importantly, the community manager of Barnes & Noble became a fan and supporter. No, I am not on the shelves yet… it is still a virtual reality of sales via Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com, but I’m closer to this goal. I now have a track record of strong professional reviews, five-star fan reviews, tens of thousands of unique visitors to my website, the endorsement of a Barnes & Noble manager, and I’m hoping a decent record of sales for the two and a half months that the novel has been available to purchase (I’ll have the quarter end numbers soon). Word-of-mouth continues to spread on the Internet grapevine, and I will resubmit my novel to Barnes & Noble for shelf consideration.
The above might sound like too much focus on economics, but it seems to me that transcending foundations and shaking the very rafters of existence (as ascribed to me by Front Street Reviews - see my last post) only matters if I am able to reach my audience, to effect change in the way people view the human condition and our existence in this universe. Unfortunately, business still controls access, and I will not pay heed to the naysayers. Persistence and perseverance are two of the greatest qualities we possess. The book signing was part of a dream come true, and my feet have yet to touch the ground. The journey continues…
W.L. Hoffman
