The Publication of First to Last

FIRST TO LAST - THE TALE OF A BIKER

The travails of publishing First to Last - The Tale of a Biker.

First to Last - The Tale of a Biker is a new motorcycle enthusiasts book that may be of interest to you, but the story behind its publication is just as interesting and, until recently, was still a work in progress. One way of advertising and promoting the book would be to use a "canned" ad or publications flyer, like the one shown in the sample that follows:

The Michigan Veterans Of Foreign Wars

Dear Michigan VFW Members, Take a look at website http://www.dennislid.com/. It’s about a book that answers the question - Where does your treasure lie? It’s about that quest . . . a military man . . . his motorcycle adventures — all weaved into a life’s sojourn of war and peace that culminates in the answer to his lifelong search, and, perhaps, yours as well. Book title: First to Last - The Tale of a Biker Publisher: Print version (Release date 12 Dec. 06) is (Name Deleted) Publishing; eBook version is Digital Pulp Publishing (already released). Author: Dennis W. Lid. Go to website: http://www.dennislid.com/ and click on the book cover for instructions to get the book. Where does your treasure lie?

Take care,

Dennis Lid, LidDennis.aol.com

    The above ad is one way of plugging a good book. Perhaps a better way to instill interest is to tell the story of the book's publication. So, here goes. All of the foregoing preceded word that my print book publisher had gone “belly-up” and was out of business. This news left the print publisher’s stable of authors in a bind. It meant that we had to seek release from our publishing contract, retrieve our materials such as manuscripts, book cover designs, photographs, maps and diagrams, captions and biographies from the defunct publisher, and search for a new and reputable, traditional print publisher. There were other problems that the defunct publisher had to handle such as payback for books purchased in advance of publication, copyright and ISBN corrections, cancellation of book listings, etc. The entire process can be very time consuming.

    I’ve been a bit busy since receiving the news that my print book publisher went out of business. I have revised my website, and the ads, flyers and news releases for advertising purposes. I've also retrieved the materials mentioned previously, especially the manuscript and photographs, which have been developed and collected through a lifetime. The next step is to search for a new print publisher for the print version of First to Last - The Tale of a Biker, then go through the whole publishing process all over again. Life is full of new beginnings. All is not lost, however. I am forever thankful that my eBook publisher, Digital Pulp Publishing (DPP) of Palm Springs, California and their ByteIt Press Imprint, has already published my book as an electronic book. It is available for download onto an eBook reader or your computer right now. Just go to my website at http://www.dennislid.com/ and click on the book cover or the logo on the links page.

    It is astounding to think that all of this motorcycle memoir book business started a couple of years ago when I wrote a magazine article. I took a careful look at the article after getting it published with one time rights, and decided to expand and elaborate on it to create a book. I proposed the idea to a publisher in Florida who was starting up a new motorcycle book division. He encouraged me to write the book and expressed an interest in considering it, when completed, for possible publication. So, I wrote the book, submitted it for his perusal a year later, and after several months received a rejection letter. It wasn’t the story or the way it was written, he noted. It was that his editors felt that the book would appeal to only a niche market rather than a broad market of buyers. Of course, as the author, I disagree with his editors. My story is a good one, well told, with a broad target audience of adventurers, romanticists, sportsmen, military and motorcycle enthusiasts, hobbyists, realists and dreamers alike. Good grief! What more could they want?

    I went to work finding a publisher to prove my point. I found Digital Pulp Publishing (DPP) first. They are an eBook publisher, but they do not publish printed books that you can see on the shelf of a book store or library and hold in your hand. The contract was signed and they published my eBooK. Meanwhile, I continued my search for a print publisher and found one. Unfortunately, after negotiations and modifications of the print publisher contract to exclude all electronic rights so as not to infringe on the DPP Contract, the printed book version contract was signed. A release date of 12 December 2006 was set, and the print book was being prepared for publication on that date. Then it happened. The print book publishing company went out of business four months later - one week prior to the book’s release date.

    As I said, a good story well written appeals to a very broad audience and market. It appeals to a niche market, too. Yet, this remains a mute point that is in the process of being proven. The publication of my book is one-half realized in the form of an eBook; the other half, publication as a print book, is still a work in progress. That’s the story of the publication of one good motorcycle book.

    I’d sure like to know what my readers think. The only way that will happen is if folks buy my book, read it and tell me what they think on my website at http://www.dennislid.com or by email at LidDennis.aol.com. Only time will tell. Meanwhile, I wish you all well.

Dennis Lid

ADDENDUM: On 23 April 2007, an agreement was signed with CCB Publishing of Vancouver, B.C., Canada to publish the print book during  July, 2007. The printed version of First to Last - The Tale of a Biker is now available  from Amazon.com,  barnes&noble.com, Powells.com and at a book store near you. The work in progress is now a fait accompli.

ADDENDUM 2: During September, 2008 my e-book publisher, DPP Publishing went out of business as well. As of October 2008, CCB Publishing has become my new e-book publisher.  CCB Publishing now publishes both the print and electronic versions of First to Last - The Tale of a Biker. All is well.

See Web Site: Lid's Lair
 
It's unique and may be of interest to you.

This is a query to determine your interest in reviewing a biker’s book that is now available to you and all aficionados of the two-wheeled conveyance known as the motorcycle.

If the description below appeals to you and peaks your curiosity, go to Internet website: http://www.dennislid.com for more information and acquisition instructions.

The book is available as an e-Book from CCB Publishing's distributors (MobiPocket.com, Powells and Amazon's Kindel Store). The print book version is also available from CCB Publishing, a book store near you or from internet distributors (Barnes & Noble.com, Powells and Amazon.com, etc.).

“You’re ‘gonna like this one.” Description follows.

First to Last - The Tale of a Biker
by
Dennis W. Lid

The book entitled First to Last -The Tale of a Biker is the true story of a soldier’s life through the motorcycles he has owned and the most prominent action events that have occurred on those bikes and during his lifetime. The manuscript has an international tone with a heavy accent on Asia, is action oriented during peace and war, and spans the generations in its common appeal to motorcyclists, hobbyists, adventurers and romanticists of all ages. It is a factual, first-hand account of the tale of a biker, a warrior and an incurable romantic. The book includes maps and photographs with captions that follow portions of the story line. Its theme combines historical nostalgia with adventure romance to yield an avant-garde, neo-classic novella of the two-wheeled conveyance -- the motorcycle. The weave of motorcycle, man and events is nothing less than a lifelong search for the Holy Grail that culminates in answering the question of where one’s treasure lies.