We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.
“The time has come,” the walrus said, “to speak of many things: Of shoes—and ships—and sealing wax—of cabbages and kings. . . .” This rather nonsensical quote from Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass has always stuck with me for some reason.
In my case, the time has truly come to speak of many things: of redesigned websites and completed books and e-publishing. And AUTHOR STUPIDITY. I’ve been saying for three days now that Heaven Sent was on Amazon.com’s list for sale, and it keeps on not being there when I check on it. Now I’ve figured out—no, Jillian Dodd told me—it’s because I filled out the form with a wrong answer in one spot. *slaps forehead*
Monday’s post announced that my e-book is available on Amazon.com for Kindle downloads. Now, I think it actually is. Those of you who follow this blog have heard—or rather, read—my mention of this book on more than one occasion. I thought it would be on the market by the end of March. Guess again.
Okay, surely by the end of April. No?
How about the end of May? Getting warmer.
Last week it finally all came together. My formatter incorporated all the changes I needed to make and got the final product back to me.
My dear friend Jillian Dodd spent part of her day Saturday—a day, by the way, when her son was competing in a nearby race she wanted to see—working with me to make this website more attractive and to incorporate the book and the icons to buy it. We didn’t get the “Buy It” icon installed, but we will soon. Meanwhile, if you go to Amazon’s website and enter the title, it should get you there.
Another friend, Nigel Blackwell, has volunteered to work with me on putting together a trailer to by on the website. Those of us who don’t know what they’re doing need lots of help from friends.
As I mentioned Monday, I’ve sent the Kindle version to Amazon.com. I’ll be sending other versions to download onto Nooks and Ipads and whatever other devices support e-reading, but not for awhile yet. I decided to enter Amazon’s KDP Select program, which binds me to an exclusive with them for 90 days. After that, I’ll send it to other outlets.
Those of you who have “been there and done that” may recall your excitement when your own first book went on the market for the first time. Actually, I suspect that excitement is nearly the same for the tenth book, or the twentieth. To all of you who have yet to come to this point in your journeys, I wish you well and hope you can soon enjoy the same excitement I’m now enjoying. Oh, yeah—and fill out the #%@&*! form right so it’ll actually get published.
I hope devoting two consecutive posts to this new book isn’t overkill. Can you tell I’m just a little bit excited? Maybe I’ll settle back into the normal blog routine, but I don’t promise not to write about Heaven Sent (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008CRL82M) again in future posts.
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David N. Walker is a Christian father and grandfather, a grounded pilot and a near-scratch golfer who had to give up the game because of shoulder problems. A graduate of Duke University, he spent 42 years as a health insurance agent. Most of that career was spent in Texas, but for a few years he traveled many other states. He started writing about 20 years ago, and has six unpublished novels to use as primers on how NOT to write fiction. He has just e-pubbed his devotional, Heaven Sent: 67 Stories of Godly Thoughts and Inspiration (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008CRL82M). His new fiction work—a series of novellas set during the period from 1860 to 1880 is underway. The first one is in the editing process, and he’s currently writing the second one.
Contact me at davwalktx@yahoo.com or tweet me at @davidnwalkertx
David N Walker 
Congrats David! A great choice for the party!
I can’t even imagine the anxiety over getting a book published let alone set up on Amazon! It will bring out the nervous Nellie in me!
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Thanks, Susie. Hope you get to experience that nervousness someday soon, on your way to becoming a world-famous author.
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Awww!
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Congrats David! I actually squeaked a little when I read this post, so yes, your excitement is contagious! I feel like we have taken a few of our steps on this journey together as we shared our struggles, hopes and lessons learned through the LLC. I’m 6 months to a year behind you on the journey and happy to have your footsteps as a guide : )! I just got my copy on my Kindle and plan to settle in for a read very soon!
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Thanks, Pam. Glad to pave the way. Maybe I’ll have a couple of novellas on the market by then, too. I wish you the best.
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Congrats on the release, David! As exciting as all releases are, there’s always some form of head slapping going on for something or other. It must be part of the process.
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Thanks, Angela. You mean I’m not the first?
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Oh CONGRATS, David! How exciting to have your own book out! Woohoo! And I also love the new look to your site!
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Thanks, Marji. I appreciate it.
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Keep right on talking about your book, David. Shameless self-promotion is part of the writing gig. Love the new blog look and how you talk about the great friendships that are assisting you on this journey. Yay Jillian! Yay Nigel! That’s what it’s all about!
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I was ready to give up writing until Jill and I talked last fall. She’s wonderful, and so is Nigel.
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Gosh, if you keep slapping your forehead, you may leave bruises, Bro. Glad you have Nigel and Jillian for help you so much …. I can’t wait till I can buy mine for Nook.
Big congratulations again! It’s neat that you are so happy and excited!
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Thanks, Sis. I’m impressed you read this with all you’ve got going on today and tomorrow.
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David, many authors plan a month-long blog tour, so rest easy: two posts is not overkill. And, your excitement is contagious. WOOT!
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Thanks, Sherry. Were you volunteering as a blog host?
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Visit my blog, see it it’s a fit.
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Congrats, David!
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Thanks, Ellie. I wrote most of it from Slobbovia. (You had to read her post yesterday to get that one.)
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David, marketing your own work is tedious …. this “building your platform” thing that authors must do is the one part of being an author that I do not like. I want you to PROMISE that every time you mention your work, Heaven Sent, that you link the mention to your Amazon listing. This is a must! 😉
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Thanks for the reminder, Emma. I’ve edited the link into this post.
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Hahahaha! You are so cute! Nigel and Jillian are wonderful peeps. You are lucky to have them in your corner. I imagine that getting any book to market –whether traditionally or indie published — is a challenge! It will be worth it.
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Thanks, Renee. Meanwhile, may God bless you in your challenge – putting on the bar mitzvah.
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