The Creation of a Book

Guest Blogger and author Russ Crossley shares his story of the journey from idea to publication of Attack of the Lushites, recently proudly published by Lucky Bat Books. This is his blog.

By Russ Crossley

My new release is Attack of the Lushites and I thought I’d talk a little about the creation of the book.

In 2005 I attended a workshop taught by long-time professional writers, Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Katherine Rusch. In the course of the workshop I created a proposal for Attack of the Lushites, a science fiction satire set in the distant future where the fast food companies run the space program.  Kris and Dean loved the idea, and the proposal, saying it was the most original idea they’d seen in some time.

After the workshop I sat down and started typing.  I finished the first draft in about 30 days. To date, this is the fastest complete manuscript I’ve ever written.

Now what do you do with a complete manuscript?  You market it of course!

I started mailing my standard submission packages (a cover letter, a synopsis, 3 chapters) to every science fiction imprint (and a few humor imprints) I could find on publishersmarketplace.com.  Since this was 2005, I also submitted to numerous agents.

I received reject after reject. Some had personal notes with positive feedback, but no offers.

Still, I sensed I had something special in this story.  Being a writer I never give up, so I kept mailing whenever I came across a new imprint or editor.  Still no offers.

The Paradigm Shifts in My Favor

Finally in 2010 the world of publishing changed.  The change has been dramatic with the end result being authors could self publish their own books.

I knew this was the opportunity this book had been waiting for, but what did I know about the technology, and where would I get cover art that truly represents the story?  And what about editing since I wanted the finished product to be as professional as possible?

I soon discovered a new company called Lucky Bat Books that provided ala carte services such as editing, cover art, and technical know-how to get the book on the various e-retail sites.

I also found a support team, comprised of Cindie Geddes and Judith Harlan, who believed in the project as much as I did.

Cindie sent the book to freelance artist Charles Nemitz to do a cover. (See him on Facebook, too.)

Charles did some sample art work to get some feedback from me.  One was the cover you see now.  Wow!  He understood exactly what I was shooting for!  To say I was blown away doesn’t do justice to how impressed I was with Charles art.  I am very proud of this book and pleased to be working with Lucky Bat Books.

Of all the short stories and books I’ve sold, this self-published book is the one I will always be proudest of because it is science fiction.  I have been a fan of science fiction all my life, and to have a science fiction novel with my name on the cover has always been a dream of mine.

Now the dream has been realized, and like the birth of my children, it’s something I will never forget.

Many thanks to Cindie, Judith, and Charles for helping me realize my dream.

[Editor’s Note: Connect with Russ on Facebook; and visit his Website.]