Sunday, August 22, 2010

Author interview video

The world turns...and I worked this week with a young graduate of the NYU Film School, who is doing an author interview video, I being the author. I'm paying to have this done through iUniverse, which has published my new book. They will send out the video to sll kinds of places with a press release, hoping it will generate reviews of the book. I can also use the video on my site, You Tube, and wherever.
The young filmmaker is Suraj, Indian background, and he came here Thursday with pounds of photographic equipment. We filmed for several hours in my living room and then, at my bedroom desk. He asked questions, I supplied answers. His voice will be deleted from the video
Suraj, who isn't yet 25, has already gotten an NEA grant to do a film and landed the job to do me, with a film company. He is strikingly determined, inexhaustible. Did lots of takes and re-takes. We managed to persuade my cat Sis to participate. The next day Suraj and I traveled up to the Columbia University neighborhood, which is featured prominently in my book, to do outdoor shots--many, many.
I spoke w/him today, and he is sounding pleased with what he has. I hope to see it, maybe in rough cut, before it's done and sent in. The whole thing needs to be boiled down to about 2 minutes, which is too bad because he certainly has TONS of material!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

New website, new book

This has been a crazy time. Together with a talented designer, Adrienne Weiss, I have finished a lot of work on a redone website, now online at www.stanleyely.com. It prominently features and has links to my new book, "Ten Ways to Your Cat's Happiness: A Novel," from iUniverse Publishers, designated an Editor's Choice book.
The book is also now out. It runs a little over 200 pages, which seems short considering the time for writing (about two years), editing, proofreading that went into it. I've received a sample of the paperback and hardcover versions, and save a little printing issue on the paperback, they look fine. The cover is wonderful, designed by Anita Merk of Flyleaf, and it contains five really cute line drawings (of cats) done by Aleks Gryczon. It's for sale at Amazon.
Marketing--the hard part--begins. I've written to dozens of people, enlarged my presence on Facebook, hired a designer to do a promotional post card, and committed to doing a book video/press release with iUniverse. That hasn't started yet, should soon--and I hope will generate enough notice to justify a significant expenditure.
The whole project, in fact, is proving expensive, but I think all worthwhile investments. It's the best book I've done--and for sure the last novel!!--so I want to give it its best shot. We'll see.........
 

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