Out Of The Blue

I usually don't blog on weekends anymore because it takes too much time away from writing my newest murder mystery, but I must make an exception today because I received an e-mail asking if I would recommend my publisher, Wheatmark, Inc.

The following is the e-mail string between me and a policeman named Dave in Texas:

----- Original Message -----
From: David
To: 'mittinc@commspeed.net'
Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2010 2:08 AM


Mitt,

I am considering using Wheatmark. Would you recommend them?

Thanks in advance,
Dave
----------------------------------------






From: Mitt [mailto:mittinc@commspeed.net]
Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2010 4:23 AM
To: David
Subject: Re:

Howdy, Dave,

I would recommend Wheatmark in a heartbeat. In this high-tech POD publishing world, where self-publishing is really the only option for unknown authors, it is critical that we be able to trust our Publish On Demand partner. Wheatmark, Inc. has treated me with respect, kept their word, and offered the best service in the industry. They are out front with every aspect of what they can provide for a reasonable fee and the responsibilities of the author.

Is the process easy? No. If it were, everybody on the planet would be bestselling authors!

Please mention my name to Grael Norton if you decide to use them. No, I do not get any kind of reward if you do. I just like them to know I am thankful for the wonderful service and free education they also provide for clients. I have recommended other new authors and one best selling author friend to Wheatmark, simply because they are the best in the industry.

Go for it!

Mittster
-------------------------------


----- Original Message -----
From: David
To: 'Mitt'
Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2010 3:29 AM
Subject: RE:

Okay, I'm a cop working the night shift. That's why I'm awake. You??? Thanks very much for responding. I have had my manuscript ready for several months and have sent numerous query letters to no avail. My patience wearing thin has brought me to consider self-publishing. My biggest concern is the effort Wheatmark puts into marketing. Am I going to be selling books out of the trunk of my car. I am in Texas so maybe I should say the bed of my truck.

Dave

--------------------------------------------


Pleased to meet you, Dave. I'm awake because I write murder mysteries full time and early morning is the very best time to do that. How did you find me all the way from Texas?

Now comes the hard part.... Unless your name is Stephen King, you are responsible for promoting your books. It's a fact of life worldwide, not just in America. The chances of getting a traditional publisher to fund that effort is nil. You would have a much better chance of winning the lotto! The thing about Wheatmark is that after you sell 2,000 copies, they will take over paying for the cost of promotions. No other POD in the industry offers that deal. Plus, they are ready and willing, through seminars and other means, to teach you what you need to know to promote your work. Keep in mind that promoting your books will be your job until you leave the planet.

No, you don't have to sell books off the tailgate of your truck, although I have done so with some success. The Internet is how Wheatmark approaches their educational process. I have a Blog, Websites, Twitter and Facebook working for me 24-7. The real effort is getting name recognition (Wheatmark calls it your Author Platform) and getting that recognition is a tough nut to crack.

I have one book published, Evil in the Mirror, the sequel Day Stalker is finished and ready to be published, and a new one in the writing process called, The Phoenix Code. I started my writing career February of 2009 when construction died here in Arizona. I have also written two e-Books during that time. I am still unknown, not making any money, and working hard to get known. The truth is that it takes up to five years to accomplish your author's platform! Wheatmark was always upfront about the hard road ahead and they were right on the mark!

I tell you this because it's the truth and you must be motivated to become a best selling author. You must also have great passion about your work. One thing about my slow rise up the ranks is that it has been thrilling and exciting. Book signings are fun, as are radio interviews. Promotion is the key, but time management is also important.

I could talk all night about this stuff, but I must get back to work. If there is anything else I can do to help you, please let me know. We authors must stick together so we can learn and prosper. I also want to thank you for protecting us from the bad guys.

Mittster
http://www.murdermysteryevilinthemirror.com/
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I am now waiting for his reply. What a small world we live in.

Write on,

Mittster

Well, I'll Be Dipped!

WallyMart has done it again! They have attracted the motliest crew I have ever seen in all my born days. The pictures say it all!

Write on,

Mittster

Veterans Day 2010

It doesn’t take a special day for me to remember our veterans, but on this Veterans Day, I would like to remember my father who lost his life during WWII. I vaguely remember his face; after all, I was very young when his B-17 went down at Davis-Montham A.F.B. in Tucson, Arizona. It was called the Army Air Corps at the time and he was carrying atomic bomb components destined for Japan when his plane’s tail section fell off. His name was Captain Walter Wigley and I remember the crash and explosion that followed. I also remember my mother and twin brother crying. At the time, I wasn’t sure why they were crying, only that it was expected…so I cried too.

My mother always made sure we were on hand when Dad was leaving on a mission. It wasn’t until many years later that I learned what the missions were and their significance in the surrender of Japan. To this day, his records are sealed.

It wasn’t long afterward that my mother married my dad’s best friend and we moved to California. My step dad was a Navy veteran and right up to his death of cancer in 1980, I could have not loved him more. He was the only dad I really knew and he treated us with love and respect.

Today is the first time I have officially remembered my veteran biological father on Veterans Day. I want him to know how much I appreciate his sacrifice for our country and freedom. I also want him to know how much I love him for being my father. I was truly blessed.

I’m just saying,

Milton Andrew Wigley Winstead

It Doesn't Take a Genius

Click on the title of this blog and you will see the definition of a genius. Done? OK, now you know what I am not, and guess what, you're not either. All of the Bachelors, Masters and PhD degrees on the planet will not help you when you sit down to compose that first sentence in your attempt to write a novel.

What you are attempting to do seems so difficult that most people won't even try. That first sentence is really just a matter of baring your soul to the whole planet, knowing they are going to ridicule you into obscurity. While contemplating my first sentence, I though about jumping off a cliff as an alternative. My thoughts were, What the hell am I thinking? I don't even know how to write! God, I hope no one reads this.

The sentence started with one word. That word was Detective. I looked at the screen and realized one word wasn't enough. Of course it wasn't enough, dumb ass, I was trying to write a novel, I thought to myself. So, I typed the second word which was Mull. OK, what about Mull, I reasoned. Then came the third word and then the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh. Holy cow, I was off to the races! Before I knew it, I had completed a chapter.

It was at this point that I realized that novels were just words strung together in a meaningful way so as to tell a story. Before the words came to me, I had a mental picture of the scene. Once I pictured the scene, the words came to me from that scene and flowed onto the page.

I was excited to continue and continue I did. Three months later I had the rough manuscript of Evil in the Mirror. No one was more surprised than I. How can it be this easy? I learned later that, in my case, the hard part was editing and proofing. What I couldn't believe was that I had written a novel, and during the process I would e-mail chapters to family and all of the feedback was more than just positive. Everyone wanted to know when the book was coming out so they could read it.

I have since finished the sequel and started the third book in the series. The moral of the story? Well, you don't have to be educated to be a writer. I barely graduated high school and spent many years in construction wishing I could write a book. I have learned that you can truly do anything you set your mind to. The trick is to write that first word. Look at it for a while and then write the second one and third....

Write on,

Mittster

Forty Five Ways

My step-son sent me the following 45 ways to live life. I researched and found the author, Regina Brett. If you click this blog title, you too can learn more about Ms. Brett.

Written by Regina Brett:

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written.

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16.. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."