Tuesday, May 31, 2011

My Book and the "Spread The Word" Contest

Hi everyone,

I'm excited and nervous to announce that I have officially published my first collection, The Wild Grass and Other Stories, available on Amazon.

My excitement comes from the fact that this book contains my favorite and most personal short stories from my last ten years of writing. My nervousness comes mostly from my fear of the unknown. I'm not sure if anybody will care about this book. I'm not sure if anyone will want to read it. But I feel ready to do this. The time has come.

Here's the cover:



Here's a list of some things in the book that I hope you will find cool:

1. a Buddhist exorcism
2. a ghost chase
3. phallocrypts
4. first, second, and third person POV
5. the line "The days passed, one by one, like the repeated washing of a shirt."
6. pink dolphins
7. a stomach stapling brochure
8. characters with names like Kalaya and Subscription
9. a Brazilian gold mine
10. my secrets

I hope you will give my book a chance by buying and reading it. I am very grateful for anyone who does.

Thank you!

___________________________________________

As a self-publisher, my biggest worry is that the people who might be interested in this book might not know it exists. With that in mind, I'm holding a contest to get you to help me spread the word. You don't need to buy anything to help me. All you have to do is tell people about the book.

Davin's "Spread The Word" Contest

To enter the contest, tell a friend about my book and ask them to e-mail me at dmalasarn (at) gmail (dot) com with the following message pasted in the body of the e-mail:

Dear Davin Malasarn,

I heard about your collection The Wild Grass and Other Stories from (have them write YOUR name here) on sale at Amazon ( http://amzn.to/kwfpap ). I understand that this collection includes your most emotional work and will take readers to exotic locations all around the world.

Signed,
(have them write THEIR name here)

~~~~~~~~~

Your friends should insert your name in the first slot above and their name in the second slot.

Simple enough?

I'm giving away three prizes:

Top Prize is a rigorous full manuscript critique (up to ~70,000 words) by me, including two additional critiques of your first ten pages by my epic and talented co-bloggers, Scott G.F. Bailey and Michelle Davidson Argyle. This prize will be given to the person who is responsible for getting the most people to send me entries, counted by the number of times your name appears in the first name slot. You can exchange this for a $100 gift card to any location of your choice if you prefer.

Second Prize is a 50-page manuscript critique by me or a $30 gift card to a bookstore of your choice. This winner will be selected at random from among all of the people whose names appear in the first name slot.

Third Prize is a $50 gift card to a bookstore of your choice. This winner will be selected at random from among the people who e-mail me (the second name slot in the message).

The contest will run until midnight on June 30, 2011. Both people who spread the word and people who e-mail me are eligible to win prizes. Thank you to everyone who has supported me in the past and who supports me now. I also want to thank Scott, Michelle, F.P. Adriani, Marie Shield, and Troy Nethercott in general for being there for me. It means so much to me.

49 comments:

  1. Thank you so much, Stephanie. My heart is pounding much more than it should be. I hope I'm having fun and not...an attack.

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  2. Davin!! I have not been around AT ALL lately, but I saw this on the reader and had to comment!

    The cover is gorgeous. I can picture your book at my fav indie bookstore in Brookline. And you know what? I would totally pick it up, even if I didn't know you.

    I'm off to order RIGHT NOW. Can't wait to read.

    Best of luck and congratulations!!

    Jennifer (of the Bride Wore Magenta Jennifers :) )

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  3. Jennifer, I've been wondering where you've been! I'm glad to see you are alive and kicking. I remember YEARS ago that you were interested in seeing what would happen if I self-published. Well, here you go! :P Feel free to e-mail me whenever you like--and this applies to everyone--to find out how happy or sad or angry I am about the process. And thanks so much for you nice compliment and for buying the book!

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  4. Yeah, what took you so long? ;)

    So I just bought the hard copy because I want to have the book on my shelf, but NOW I am going to find my old kindle that my eight year old has laid claim to and order it there so I can read sooner. (It's not available on the ipad is it?? :) )

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  5. Jennifer, you can check out this link to see if one of these formats is compatible with the iPad. http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/61206

    I haven't gone digital yet, but I'm trying to make my book available in different formats. :)

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  6. I have been waiting for this day for a long, long time!!! Congratulations! :)

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  7. Michelle, with all of the coaching that you've given me, you've probably been waiting longer than anyone else. Thank you again for all of your help! I am pretty sure I wouldn't have done this without you.

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  8. Major congratulations! I'll get a copy as soon as it's available for Kindle (it will be, right??).

    Best of luck to you...I'll start spreading the word. :-)

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  9. Congrats, Davin on publishing your collection. You know I am a big fan of your writing. It's exciting to see you share your work with many, many more people. Too bad you laid down the gauntlet about "honest" reviews in a recent post. That was very brave. ;)

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  10. Congratulations--you finally have a book out!! And you self-published it--I'm proud of you (excuse me while I get a little parental lol and when I don't have a parental bone in my anatomy, though maybe I have a parental axon). I have a feeling this will be very good for you. I know it's been a long road for you especially in many ways, but publishing's often worth it at the end in general; each publishing effort is like a final much-and-long needed catharsis of the insides.

    Now I hope you celebrate the event! And I'm off to buy a copy.

    --F. P. Adriani

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  11. Hi everyone,
    I'll respond to you all in a sec, but I wanted to say that there is a Kindle version available as of today, but I haven't had a chance to test it at all yet. I only saw that it looked okay in the preview, so I haven't mentioned it, but it is there.

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  12. Jamie, thanks! Yes, like I just mentioned, the book is available on Kindle as of today, but I haven't had any chance to check it out yet. You can also get the eBooks for cheaper at Smashwords in some other formats.

    TK, thank you very much!

    TJN, I'm trying my best to be brave. I'm calling on my literary ninja!

    F. P., thank you very much for stopping by and again for your guidance in general over a long period of time. It does feel cathartic. That's what I told myself to appreciate, even if I didn't get any readers. I think publishing this is helpful to me as a writer. Not to say that I don't want readers! I really hope you are doing well! :)

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  13. Phallocrypts? Hmmmm.

    The very best of luck with your book Davin. It has a great cover and sounds hugely interesting!

    And good luck with your launch competition. I think my launch competition is too complicated - very few takers for either the full manuscript critique or the substantial voucher. :( Will watch yours with interest as it has easy requirements!

    Judy, South Africa

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  14. Judy, I was hoping someone would appreciate the phallocrypts! I bought a copy of your eBook and am enjoying it, but I'll still look forward to your print book if you put one together. :)

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  15. Davin, just been on Amazon and couldn't find your book? Can you provide the link please?

    Still thinking about that print book!
    Judy, South Africa

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  16. Thanks for the link, Davin. I already purchased it on the kindle, although if I can figure it out, that doesn't necessarily mean I won't switch over to the ipad. Is there a prize for the most copies ordered by one person? ;)

    Seriously, the first story is incredibly lovely and terribly haunting. Not a word wasted in that opening and yet you have conveyed so much, so fast, from a pov character who can't fully comprehend what is happening. (This is perfectly done: "Things always seem more uncertain when his mother goes to work.")

    Completely looking forward to reading the rest.

    What the heck are you nervous about?? :)

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  17. Hi Judy,
    Here's the link to the print book: http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Grass-Other-Stories/dp/1461031737/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306948963&sr=8-1

    And the Kindle eBook:
    http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Grass-Other-Stories-ebook/dp/B0053IP1VW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1306948963&sr=8-2

    Or Smashwords:
    http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/61206
    (cheapest here)

    Links, links, links!

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  18. Jennifer, Thanks! That means a lot to me. The work feels very exposing, as I guess I always knew it was. I'm happy to hear you can connect with it. Wow, the speed of the eBook is exciting. I thought I'd have to wait weeks to get any sort of feedback.

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  19. Fantastic cover. The book sounds fantastic. Big step. I'm very close to taking it myself. Woo-hoo! Congrats!

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  20. That is awesome. Congratulations big time. I've forwarded it on to a few friends that I could remember off the top of my head, and I'll probably get it off to a few more later. The book looks awesome though. I will definitely be picking this up. Good luck everyone who is entering.

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  21. Anne, thank you! It does feel like a big step, and I'm glad I wasn't the first to take it. :)

    Eric, thanks, and thanks for letting other people know.

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  22. Congratulations Davin! I blogged about it!

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  23. This is very exciting! I'm off to buy copies now!

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  24. I'm back from Amazon. I'm also pleased to see that you're publishing under "Davin" and not "Domey." Anything to say about that, hmm?

    You know I absolutely am in love with your writing. I hope there are stories here that I haven't read yet!

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  25. Scott, I do like plurals! Thanks for buying the book and being cool and supportive. I should do a post on the name. It would be called something like "worlds colliding" and it has to do with my new job...all good stuff. Ever so briefly, today's sales put me above Jhumpa Lahiri in the short story collection section of Amazon. Ever so briefly.

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  26. Aimee, thank you so much! That means a lot to me that you would do that.

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  27. That's so exciting!
    I admire folks who self-publish SO much. Your drive is unparalleled.

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  28. Congratulations Davin. This is very exciting. I'm glad you made the move to self-publishing. Now we can all read your stories. Much continued success in this new venture.

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  29. McKenzie, Thank you very much! :)

    Anne, Thanks! I do hope you read my work and that it doesn't feel like a waste of your time.

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  30. Oh! That cover is gorgeous and from the snippets of your writing I've seen before I bet the stories are, too. Congratulations on believing in yourself and taking this big step.

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  31. A second person POV? That's always interesting.

    Congrats to you.

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  32. Tricia, "Congratulations on believing in yourself" is such an awesome thing to say. Thank you very much. It's an odd thing because I do strongly believe in the book in the sense that I personally like its contents. At the same time I'm worried in the sense that it's possible no one else will like the contents and then I'll have to face the idea that what I'm going to keep doing won't have an audience. So, huh. Then I'll be stuck, won't I?

    Should I be surprised that The English Teacher finds second person POV interesting? :P More often than not I hear people say they don't like second person POV, so I'm glad you're into it!

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  33. Thanks for the link Davin, it's now winging it's way to my Kindle! :)
    Judy, South Africa

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  34. Woooooohoooo! Well done mate! I was going to repost this on my facebook but I may cunningly make people email you instead...

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  35. Excellent. Got my copy, and I just happen to be between ebooks, so moving you to the top of my list. :-)

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  36. Don't worry too much, Big D (or else maybe I'll call you Big D for Big Dramaqueen :o)--though this is your book-baby's moment, so of course become a devoted dramaqueen tomorrow if you so desire!): I've looked on the TOC and a few of the stories have been read and liked by people here (including me) in other venues. Part of the book's already liked. Why should those people dislike the rest?

    And, as I've said to you many times FWIW, I see no evidence you'll wind up with no audience. You already have one--at this site.

    So keep your chin up and your toes down and your knees not-collapsing. I've heard that's the best way to walk the world.

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  37. Domey,

    Well done and congratulations, sir. Just got meself a copy, plan to devour it this weekend.

    Congrats again.

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  38. Perfect. I was yearning for something wonderful and strange to read tonight and nothing fit right. I realize now it was because I was waiting for your book. I've bought the paper copy, but of course, I can't wait for that to arrive, so I've bought the kindle version too and will start reading it presently.

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  39. Judy, thank you very much!

    Steven, thanks, and do feel free to enter the contest if you want some gift cards or some critiques! And, I like being called "mate".

    Jamie, lucky for me you have a break in the schedule. I'm honored. :)

    F.P., I'll try to walk the walk, although I've been told more than once that I'm a sloucher. ;)

    Mayowa, thank you very much!

    Tara Maya, thank you, thank you! I know our genres are different, so I'll be curious to see what you think. I still remember you describing reading Mary Yukari Water's book awhile back. Your description was very interesting.

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  40. Congratulations. I'm now off to Amazon.

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  41. Judith, Thank you very much! If you do have a chance to read it, I really hope you enjoy it. :)

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  42. What a beautiful cover! Congratulations on putting your work out there - I'll be happy to help spread the word, and look forward to reading it!

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  43. Carrie, thank you very much! I really hope you enjoy the book if you are able to get it. :)

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  44. Congratulations! Off to spread the word!

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  45. This is extremely enterprising and, I must say, quite endears you to readers.

    I'm hooked by the pink dolphins. And headed over to Amazon to check it out.

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