Manzikert: Oct. 11th, 2003

Ravers get ready! Now, if you're like everyone else in the world besides me right now, you probably know of Manzikert only as a Byzantine city that the Turks overran hundreds of years ago. Or maybe you think it's a flying elephant. Well, if you think that it's a flying elephant, I hate to tell you this, but you're wrong. (and probably high) Anyways, this message is to all of you, flying elephants notwithstanding.
Manzikert is my first novel. Now, after wanting all my life to become a writer and get rich (or at least ONE), I have finally convinced some publisher that my writing is a piece worth making into a book, and not a rag destined to have "great job, you'll make lots of money, but not with us" laid out on the first page. Anyhow, moving along, my book is, at present, only available online, I would assume the retail bookstore rollout won't be 'till the date above (Oct. 11th).
At present, the book is only available online (look for Manzikert with author Cricket to find it), Amazon and Barnes and Noble I know have it, at, unfortunately, a rather high price that I unsuccessfully tried to talk the publisher down from of 17$. Then I went on their website and checked it there, finding out why: they offer it from their own site at 14 bucks a pop, with 3 bucks' shipping. Good marketing sense, in their defense, I guess, although 17 bucks is a lot for a 116-page book, trade paperback or no.
Anyways, since I'm an author with an unproven track record and no prior novel successes to my name, I sincerely doubt my novel will be given even a mention on Amazon.com's website or even PublishAmerica (my publisher), actually they'll prolly have a blurb on it the day it officially comes out, I hope. Anyways, I've decided to spread the word around with a lengthy, boring announcement that says, basically, that my book is coming out soon.
Manzikert is a drug book, if that's the sort of thing that turns you off I'll save you some money by warning you ahead of time. For everyone else willing to suspend their disbelief and sensibilities for a mere 116 pages, it's one helluva ride. As an Experimentalist (the "genre" that I would say comprises all that I have to offer the literary world) piece, it was a success, fusing together outlandish situations and violent imagery in a cohesive progression, and even though as a whole it's rather abrupt in its' transitions, I would argue that the nightmare ride will weather and satiate any who would complain of choppiness.
So, there you go. I'm not above a little shameless self-promotion, now and then, especially while I'm still a total unknown with no industry clout or big names to go to ask for publicity. I'm not even really asking you to buy it. If spending 17 bucks on a 116-page book seems like too much, then go ahead, don't get it. You're missing out in my opinion, but that's solely my take on it, yours might be different. But at the very least, I'd like you to tell others about it, y'know, get the name out. Maybe they'll pick it up, maybe they won't, but at least word-of-mouth will spread. I don't know if I can handle being famous, but I do know I can handle being rich, lemme tell ya, and rich is something I've been anything but.

Cheers and thanks for reading my long-winded spiel:

-Cricket