Controversial Book on 911 Gives Other Side of the Story: Exclusive Interview with Aram Schefrin

The odds of getting a book published by a NY publisher are astronomical for a new author. Even for the seasoned author or one who already has NY contracts, it’s much the same. For the lucky ones who make it, they’ll tell you it’s a battle to keep their slots on these publishers’ wish lists, but for the new author, the hurdles are thrown at them at mind-boggling force. But, the dream is still with them and, instead of giving up, they aim for other resources to publish their book.

Aram Schefrin is no quitter, but because of the content of his book, he was turned down by NY – especially since his book dealt with a subject that was too close to home.

On September 11, 2001, Americans awoke to find out that their native turf had been violated. Suicidal bombers flew planes into the Twin Towers in New York and were aiming toward the Pentagon. War was declared and America mourned their losses.

Two years later, a writer from Wellington, Florida, found out that NY wasn’t ready to read a book written about a tragedy that affected thousands of citizens – whether they were the victims that were killed as a result or the families of those who perished. It wouldn’t sell, they told him. If they even gave him the time of day.

Aram had no other choice but to choose a publisher who used print-on-demand technology to publish their books – Author House.

The sad thing about this story is that I have read this book. Many, many books have come across my desk – whether they are my clients at Pump Up or from those requesting reviews – and never have I read a book that is so intense, so well-written and definitely NY material. But because of the nature of his book, no one in New York wanted to be reminded and especially, since it was written from the terrorists’ point of view.

In preparing for Aram’s virtual tour in February, I began to read his book and I really understood why this book needed to be written and needed to be in everyone’s hands.

Aram chose to write this book from their point of view because America, as well as the rest of the world, needs to understand why 911 happened. Sure, we’re still grieving. Nothing will take that away. But, we need to understand because understanding will prevent future events that happened on 911 from happening in the future, or at least give us the foresight to understand why it happened in the first place so that we can make changes before it occurs again. If we are so close-minded to think it won’t happen again; think again.

I interviewed Aram for Book Marketing Buzz because I want my readers to hear his side of the story because his story needs to be told.

Welcome to Book Marketing Buzz, Aram. Tell me, where were you the morning of September 11, 2001? What were you doing at the time you heard of the tragedy in New York?

In bed in Wellington.

Did you have anyone personally affected by 911 and how did it affect you personally?

No, thank God.

Is this the reason you wrote your book?

No. I had no personal issues with 9/11. I researched the book because I needed to understand why 9/11 had happened, and what kind of people had done it. I wrote the book because as a result of my research I felt the details and the plot flow of the story would make great fiction, and because I felt that, in order to do everything necessary to make sure that another 9/11 never came, we all needed to understand the reasons it did happen. There are far more of those than the rather simplified or simple-minded explanations we’ve gotten from politics and much of the press. I wouldn’t vote for Ron Paul, but he is right on this one: 9/11 has as much to do with what America and the West has done as it has with what jihadists have done and are doing. But I want it to be clear that I assign no blame to America, and I don’t try to excuse the hijackers. I just want America to be clear-headed about 9/11.

How long did it take to write your book? What research was involved?

About a year. Research started with books on the history of the Middle East, on Islam, on Afghanistan, on al Qaeda. After I had what I felt was a basic understanding of what happened, I fleshed out the details on the internet - mostly in press investigations after the fact. This was in 2002, well before the 9/11 Commission, so I didn’t have the benefit of their work, but the press - and particularly the Florida press, because so many of the story’s events happened in Florida, gave me much of the color and detail of the settings and the characters.

After it was written, who was the first publisher that you submitted it to? What was their response?

I don’t remember who it was, and I don’t particularly want to remember. Whoever it was was in New York. I have the rejection letter somewhere, but I don’t want to look at it.

Did you try other publishers (before you published it with Author House) or agents? What were their reactions?

I had an agent then - John Ware, whom I thank for his great help in editing this book. He picked the houses the book went to. The submissions were in 2003. New York was still grieving, and the publishers were outraged that I was trying to peddle a book about 9/11 - never mind that it was written (more or less) from the perspective of a hijacker. They said I was trying to profit from their misery. We tried to explain why the book was important - even necessary. They didn’t want to hear it.

How did you hear of Author House?

On the web. I was somehow aware of print-on-demand - that it was a new way to get a book out while keeping the costs down to the necessary. I was also aware that the web was becoming a great publicity tool, and that it had become an incredible source of research material. If it had not been for the internet and new technologies, I could not have written this book, or gotten it into print, or made anyone aware of it. Actually, putting the book out in print was the last step in my plan. I had heard about podcasting - which is putting audio up on the web for download to iPods and mp3 players. I used to be a musician, so I knew how to handle the recording process. And I loved the theater, so I loved to play with sound effects and background tracks, etc. I’ve always mourned the loss of radio theater, and podcasting fiction looked like a way to get that experience back. So I did that with Marwan, serialized chapter by chapter, and developed an audience. Since I had the audio, the next thing I did was put it on Amazon and Audible.com as an audiobook. Realizing that the audience for audiobooks is still limited - and the audience for podcasts is even smaller - I finally decided to get the book into print.

Has it been a struggle to get the word out about your book being as it is from Author House? Have they helped you in any way to publicize the book or are you basically on your own?

AuthorHouse has been great. They’ve kept to deadlines and done everything they promised to. They offer a myriad of ways to publicize and market a book. They can develop marketing tools like bookmarks, posters, etc. They will do press releases, and send them out. They will maximize your presence on Amazon. They’ll give you a personal publicist to work the book. Etc etc. I decided not to use any of that. They’re not cheap. I wrote my own press releases and emailed them, until I realized they accomplished nothing. Maybe AuthorHouse could have written a better press release, but I’m convinced that whether or not the press pays attention to your book has far more to do with who you know than what’s inside the book. I got a great review from a Florida newspaper because I had attended a book seminar the reviewer had run, and he remembered me. It wasn’t until I had that review that I felt I had something I could use for marketing. I learned how to maximize Amazon myself - you know, search inside, converting the book for Mobipocket and Kindle, tagging the book, etc.

Did you ever think about hiring a publicist to help you promote your book?

I did, and I do. I’m using Pump Up Your Book Promotion. Also, I was in Greece this past summer and met a Brit who was in PR in London, and he is exploring ways to get noticed in the UK market. Frankly, I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on promoting the book until I was convinced there was at least a reasonable hope of return on the investment. There’s a whole lot of product out there - and I think the initial New York reaction to the book scared me. But the more attention the book gets, the more interested I get in putting money behind it.

Why did you decide on a virtual book tour to help promote your book?

I had no interest in physically running around the country doing book signings and selling three or four books a shot. That sounds exhausting, expensive and generally unproductive, particularly for a self-published author. I talked to my local Barnes & Noble, which very kindly agreed to stock the book but told me not to bother with a book signing because nobody comes. But I am beginning to learn what the web can do, and what I can do on the web. The idea of a virtual tour intrigued me. I hope it works, and I hope I can take things further from there.

I remember when you queried me, I took a look at what your book was about and, I don’t know if you remember, but I wrote, “..it’s about the other side. No, we don’t want to hear about it because we’re pissed. Nothing they could do, say or feel will make up for what they did to us. But…if we can understand why they did what they did through reading about their feelings and their thoughts before the fact, I think the country as a whole could really benefit from something like that and I know that’s why you wrote this…”

Isn’t that the sole purpose of this book?

No, not at all. What I most wanted to do was to write a great read - a book you couldn’t put down.

Aram, I read where there were a lot of books that were put on the back burner because it’s still too fresh in everyone’s minds; yours isn’t the only one. People want to push this under the rug because of the hurt and the pain. I went to New York six months after the tragedy and I saw the spot where the Trade Centers went down. I smelled the smoke still lingering after all that time. I felt a presence there…a haunting presence as if the spirits of those who had perished were still with us. No one wants to talk about it, especially since it’s a book focusing on the ones who did it. But, we have to hear their side of the story. Of course, we can’t hear their side because they are among the dead, too. Even though you have fictionalized it, I really feel you have done exceedingly well in focusing on what kind of people they were and why they did what they did, even though it seems that no matter who they are or why they did it, we can never forgive them. Aram, my question to you is, since you have researched the faith, the country, the mannerisms, and the lifestyles of these people, how can America heal from this? What steps do Americans need to take in order for something like this to not happen again?

Healing is probably not possible - anymore than we have healed from Vietnam, or our Civil War. But Americans need to develop some perspective on this. 9/11 was a horrible tragedy, but its effects on America have been far more debilitating than they needed to be. Too many politicians and people with economic interests in keeping the fear of 9/11 alive have been using 9/11 for their own purposes. The odds of any of us actually being killed by terrorists are far lower than the odds of being hit by lightning. Israelis - who really are threatened daily - have learned to live with terrorism. The Brits learned to live with the Blitz, and the IRA. We have had to live with far less, and we are far more terrified. That’s our weakness. We do not have to be terrified. The best way to get away from that terror is to understand that jihadists are not some sort of supernatural religious devils who are determined to kill us personally - and have the power to do it. They are people. Their culture leads them to be more brutal than we - what we would call less civilized - but they are driven by the same motivations that push other people. We need to understand those human motivations - both to defend ourselves against them and to make some attempt to change the way they think and act - or (maybe more importantly, and more easily done) to change the way we think and act towards them. We need to realize that they simply do not have the power to do really extensive physical damage to us. At least, not yet. (They have done us a lot of psychological and economic damage, but that is mostly because of who we are, not who they are or what they did.) But if we don’t deal with them as people - with intelligence and maturity - and at least look honestly at the issues they raise, then we will continue to feed their anger and their hate, not to mention their numbers. And then we may face something we really do need to fear.

I thank you for answering my questions, Aram. Where can people pick up a copy of your book?

The book is available at all the usual online booksellers. I list them on my website, www.marwanthenovel.com.  (Readers will find it very helpful to keep that website available as they go through the book, because it provides a lot of information on what the book discusses and the facts on which the book is based. It’s like a series of footnotes.) But frankly I’d rather people went to their local bookstores and ordered the book from them - and, while they were at it, insisted the book got on their shelves.

Book Marketing Buzz Author Interview: Camille Marchetta

Camille Marchetta, author of the new literary novel, The River, By Moonlight, was kind enough to answer a few questions about book marketing, virtual book tours and other facets of book marketing in general.

Her credits include: Staff Writer for the television series Dallas, producer of Nurse and Dynasty, co-executive-producer of Falcon Crest, and story consultant on the television series, Central Park West.

Welcome, Camille. I am very impressed with your television credits. How did you land those fantastic writing positions?

Thank you. That’s nice of you to say. Honestly, I do feel very lucky to have been associated with so many of television’s landmark shows. Looking back, it can all seem easy enough, but the truth is that two years after I arrived in Los Angeles wanting to write, I had only one assignment to my credit, and a lot of projects getting nowhere fast. I was working temp jobs to earn money. But then a producer, who was hoping to make one of my spec scripts into a film, introduced me to an agent named Lynn Pleshette, an untiring powerhouse of a person, and still a good friend. At the time, she represented (and still does, I believe) a writer named David Jacobs to whom she sent a sample script of mine. David wasn’t able to get me a job on the show he was then story-editing, but he promised that as soon as he could, he would hire me. And he came through on that promise, big time. Soon after, he created the series, Dallas, and gave me a script assignment for the mini-series. Then, in the first full season, I joined the staff of the show as a story-editor. Dallas was such a huge hit. My career was launched. The other work just followed naturally in its wake.

I remember, as the rest of the world at that time, watching the final season of Dallas in which everyone was glued to their sets to find out Who Shot JR? Did you have people trying to get you to tell you who really shot JR before the rest of the world found out?

It’s hard to keep track, but that episode was actually the last in the second season (the show lasted 13). And all of us - the cast, the crew, the production staff – had people trying to pry the answer out of us. Friends were calling me from London, where the bookies were taking odds, begging me to tell them who’d done it. Our offices were broken into. Scripts were stolen. Bribes were offered. But we’d had the foresight to write (and film) different endings. Only a handful of us knew which was the real one. And none of us told. Not even those of us who could really have used a little extra money. I’ve always thought that was amazing, and a real tribute to the spirit of the show.

What was the most rewarding thing about writing for television? The least rewarding?

I suppose the most rewarding was watching first Dallas and then Dynasty climb to #1 in the ratings while I was working on them. Success is very thrilling. As for the least rewarding, well, failure really hurts. I wrote a couple of pilots for series that I thought had great potential, and when the networks didn’t agree, I was crushed. I still think they were wrong.

Why did you decide to start writing books? Did you still write for television while you were writing them?

Growing up, as well as an avid movie-goer and television-watcher, I was a voracious reader. So, writing books was something I always wanted to do, and by the time I finished a season on Dynasty, not only did I feel I was at last ready, but I had enough money put away to take a “sabbatical.” I went to London and wrote my first novel, Lovers and Friends. I wrote my second, The Wives of Frankie Ferraro, after Falcon Crest. For a long while, I alternated between books and television, but for now at least I’m focused entirely on my novels.

Do you feel that marketing books has changed since your first book was released? Who was your publisher and what kind of marketing did they provide for you?

Publishing has changed since my first novel, but I’m not sure that marketing has, though I suppose now even conventional publishers use the internet as well as older media to publicize their books. Arbor House, a division of William Morrow, was my first publisher, and their people did all the usual things of sending the book out for review, getting me some interviews, and paying for an ad in The New York Times. But, really, they spent pennies on me (and with St. Martin’s Press, my second publisher, it was even less). Most of their marketing and advertising budget for that list, if I remember correctly, was targeted to Ken Follett, whose book was released at the same time as mine. In financial terms, I suppose that made sense. A campaign to publicize a well-known author may cost a lot more, but the potential is there to sell enough books to make a huge profit, whereas, with a midlist author, the return – unless a miracle happens – will always be quite modest. For me, for any author, though, it’s very frustrating.

How are you marketing The River, By Moonlight, now?

The book is self-published, so the responsibility for its fate is entirely in my hands. And I’m trying anything and everything I can think of. The publishing package itself included a press release and distribution of the book to a number of critics. I’ve contacted others on my own. I’ve done emailings. I’ve written letters and sent press kits to bookstores and libraries. I’ve done one reading, and have two more scheduled, and hope those will lead to others. And of course there’s this virtual book tour. I have high hopes for it. I can’t think of a better, more efficient, or fun way of reaching out to readers, of letting them know what’s on my mind. And I hope, as a result, that they will not only buy my book, but let me know what’s on theirs, via my website or, when possible, through the sites where I’m scheduled to appear. I’d love to hear from people. And of course the wonderful thing about self-publishing is that there’s no time frame. The bookstores aren’t going to pull the novel from its shelves (it’s not there!). The publisher won’t give up, stop selling, and remainder copies. The River, By Moonlight is here today, tomorrow, for always. I find that thought very satisfying.

What are your views about the state of publishing today? Do you feel it’s harder to get a book published by a NY publisher and, if so, why do you think this is happening? Was it easier years ago before everyone decided they had a book in them?

It’s not the number of people writing now, though it’s always daunting to walk into a store and see the vast quantities of books available; and I sympathize, I really do, with the need to clear shelves to bring in the next lot. But, though I don’t know this for certain, I suspect that there have always been more books written than the publishing houses could accommodate. The history of self-publishing is a very long one. To me, the problem is not how many, but what kinds of books are published. Since the big houses – for the most part – are no longer independent, but are owned by conglomerates, decisions about what books to buy are not made these days (or at least not often) by editors who fall in love with one. Instead they are chosen by committee, for their earnings potential – not a love match, but an arranged marriage. I think this is bad for everyone. For the editors, the publishers, the writers, the readers. But I don’t see the point wasting much time or energy bemoaning this. It’s just a fact of life. I’m more concerned with trying to figure out ways to get good books, however they reach print, the readers they deserve.

What do you see happening in the future as far as the big houses are concerned? Do you feel the smaller houses are going to become as saturated with new books as the bigger houses?

I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the business of publishing, or worrying about its fate. It’s too depressing. I try to concentrate on writing, which is my job. So I don’t have what I’d consider an “informed” opinion. Still, I do have one. I think the publishing companies will continue to follow the path of the film companies, which are also owned by conglomerates. They’ll increasingly specialize in “blockbusters” – with varying degrees of success. Some will go bankrupt. Others will merge, get sold, resold. The smaller houses will concentrate on quality, grow, get bought by the bigger ones, and lose their way. Others will spring up. And on it will go, with some wonderful books continuing to be published amid a vast amount of junk. And now (an exciting development in my view) into the mix has come the self-published book, some from writers who couldn’t find (for any number of reasons) a conventional publisher; others from writers who simply want more control over their work, who don’t want to compromise, make cuts they don’t like, be saddled with covers they detest, be marketed in ways they find embarrassing. The problem is how to sort through this mountain of books, and especially in the case of the self-published works, to evaluate them fairly and give them a chance to succeed. I think some progress has been made doing this, with author websites where excerpts can be posted so potential readers can judge for themselves whether a book is worth buying, with PR companies like Pump Up Your Book Promotion, and especially sites like this one that give authors a chance to meet readers directly. But there’s still a long way to go.

Last question. I just have to ask, you authored a book with Ivana Trump. Did you ever meet The Donald?

Yes, I did, at least twice, but only briefly. And he certainly wouldn’t remember.

Thank you for stopping by, Camille. I wish you much success with your new book, The River, By Moonlight, and hope all of you readers out there will go out and pick up a copy. Better yet, save the steps and buy it at Amazon at http://tinyurl.com/26kf53!
You can visit Camille’s website at www.camillemarchetti.com.

Thank you so much. I enjoyed the questions and the challenge of answering them.

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THE RIVER, BY MOONLIGHT VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR ‘08 will officially begin on Feb. 1, 2008 and continue all month. If you would like to follow Camille’s tour, visit http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/.  Leave a comment on her blog stops and become eligible to win a free copy at the end of her tour! One lucky winner will be announced on this page on February 29!
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Camille’s virtual book tour is brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours at http://www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com/  and choreographed by Dorothy Thompson.

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Tags: Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours, online book promotion, author publicity, virtual book tour, book promotion, Camille Marchetta, The River, By Moonlight, literary fiction, Sean Connery, Robert Shaw, Dallas, Dallas mini-series, Dynasty, New York, Hudson River Valley

Book Marketing Buzz Guest Author Shobhan Bantwal: Marketing THE DOWRY BRIDE

I have come to that dreaded phase in going from unpublished to “published author.” Why do I dread it when it should be a time of excitement and celebration? Because most writers who write for the joy of writing are rarely good marketers. Public relations and marketing are usually associated with cold calling and getting the door slammed in one’s face. And I am not sure if I am cut out for that dog-eat-dog world of book marketing.

 

For five years I had dreamt of being published, preferably by a traditional New York publisher. As most dreams go, I thought this one would remain one till the end of my life. It was with astonishment and pleasure that I realized that it didn’t have to be a mere dream. It could become reality if I tried and tried—just a little harder. So after a number of rejections, I managed to sign on with a reputable New York agent.

 

On August 28, 2007, my publisher, Kensington Books, released my debut novel, THE DOWRY BRIDE. It is a known fact that publishers set aside a rather limited budget for first-time authors. By those standards, Kensington has been more than generous in promoting my book because I am their first Indian author and they are test-marketing a new genre. They have advertised THE DOWRY BRIDE in The Romantic Times and one some popular book-related websites. However, it is up to me, the author, to shoulder the bulk of the marketing effort.

 

Hiring a web designer to create a website for me was the first step in my marketing plan. I set it up more than a year prior to the book’s release. It has proved to be my most valuable resource to date. I handed out business cards and talked up my site, and created some pre-publication hype with my website printed on it.

 

Now that the book is released, I keep some bookmarks and business cards handy in my pocketbook. Any time anyone seems remotely interested in my writing, I hand them both. It has paid off time and again.

 

Despite knowing that book signings can be a trying experience for an unknown author, I have been doing them nonetheless. With friends, acquaintances and coworkers offering support by showing up at my signings, I have managed to sell a reasonable number of books by that method. But word of mouth is the best kind of marketing. Friends of friends have been buying my book because they hear about it from someone else.

 

Asking Dorothy Thompson and her Writer’s Life to plan a Virtual Tour for me is my next step. I needed someone with blogging experience and everything that goes with it because my computer skills are close to non-existent. I have no blog and have no idea about setting one up. I am looking forward to my Virtual Tour that will begin on October 1, 2007. It is both an exciting and frightening prospect, but with Dorothy at the helm, I am hoping to come out triumphant at the end of October. For a marketing neophyte, it is surely going to be an interesting roller-coaster ride.

 

Shobhan Bantwal is the author of THE DOWRY BRIDE.  You can visit her website at www.shobhanbantwal.com.  

Book Marketing Buzz Guest Author Nicola Beaumont: Book Marketing for the Introvert

OK, anyone who knows me will tell you I’m not shy–and if I happen to know you well, that’s true. I’m also not shy if I’m fighting for a cause. But, to promote myself is another story entirely. So, when my books were being released, and I knew that I would have to promote them somehow, I pretty much decided that sales would be dismal, because I just couldn’t do it. To boast of my own work just seemed…well, boastful! So, I tried to focus on what I know best, and how I could utilize that to help promote my books.

Design was the answer. Bookmarks, magnets, postcards, print ads. I personally designed all these things–something I could do without ever having to openly brag about my work to anyone–and then I made them available to the world though outlets such as Romantic Times magazine, Story for You, and my local public library. Of course, I also offer these freebies online through my website…all the while asking people for their contact information.

Now, I’m garnering a list of people who are truly interested in my work, and whom I can contact without fear (or too much boastful sales-pitching) regarding future upcoming releases, contests and drawing which I’ll hold, and other such things.

I also utilized visual book previews. This exciting advertising venue is nothing short of cool! It can make any book look like a multi-million dollar Hollywood production. My previews are hosted free at previewthebook.com. I had Subzero Media (a subsidiary of Preview the Book) create the preview for The Resurrection of Lady Somerset, but I did the one for Hyacinths in Winter myself (which means anybody can do this). A preview for The Lighthouse is still in the works, but this venue is terrific. I’ve gotten lots of positive feedback from readers who were tantalized to read by watching these trailers.

And I walked all of these wonderful avenues without me actually having to utter a word about how wonderful my work is…which it is, of course, so if you’re reading this, I urge you to pick up one of my books or short stories.

Nicola Beaumont is the author of THE RESURRECTION OF LADY SOMERSET (Wild Rose Press, Sept. ‘07).  You can visit her website at www.inicola.net or pick up a copy of her book at Amazon.

Nicola is on a virtual book tour and is giving away a copy of her book to one lucky person who leaves a comment on her blog stops.  If you’d like to follow Nicola on her virtual book tour, visit www.virtualbooktours.authorsabode.com.  Don’t forget to leave a comment so that you will have a chance to win one of her books!

Make That Interview Count!

As part of Pump Up Your Book Promotion, I send out authors on virtual book tours, touring blogs and websites, giving interviews, making guest posts and getting reviews.

It’s interesting the things you learn about the process, things even I have learned by reading these interviews and guest posts that my authors send out to these blog hosts.

One of my clients, Nick Oliva, author of ONLY MOMENTS, was interviewed on my newest blog, Beyond the Books, today.  You will have to go read this interview because it’s one of the best interviews I have read in my entire life.

When authors fill out these interview forms, they must remember that it’s not just an online interview; it’s something that’s going out into cyberspace with their name on it.  It’s going to tell the reader lots of things like how this particular author writes for example.  But, the main thing I think that makes more of an impact on people is if the author can convey some sort of message to the reader and bring that reader into their world.

Nick does this perfectly.

As I was reading the interview myself before posting to the blog, I was totally drawn into his words.  If his book is anything like his interview, I’m surprised a NY publisher didn’t pick it up.

When you are being interviewed, you have to let the words flow.  Loosen up and go for the gut.  Don’t be afraid to show the human side of you and forget trying to sell your book.

I have read a lot of interviews in my lifetime.  The one thing that irks me more is, here you have a chance to make a statement and all you end up with is one or two words. 

Balderdash. 

Boooring. 

The next time you are interviewed, think of that.  This is my opinion as well as your readers.  If the interviewer asks to tell something about yourself, don’t just put up a bio that’s appearing on every website or blog in the universe; make yours unique and go for the gut.

I applaud you, Mr. Oliva.  More authors could pick up a pointer or two from you.

You’re all writers.  Prove it through your interviews and one day, people are going to be sending all their friends to your interview because you went for the gut.  Don’t let your reader down.

Tag: book marketing buzz, author interview