Benjamin Sobieck's Blog, page 31

Adventure Publications Now Accepting Outdoors-Themed Mystery Subs

From the Adventure Publications website (a place I can personally vouch for):

 

***MYSTERY WRITERS: Please refer to the information at the bottom of this page.***

At Adventure Publications, our forte is nature, outdoors and regionally themed books. We are a traditional publisher and would be happy to consider your manuscript for publication. Please read the author FAQ below:

What should I send?

At the very least, introduce yourself in a cover letter and provide a sample chapter and an outline of what the entire book will cover. But feel free to send as much as you can—the entire manuscript if it’s completed.

We also ask that you explain who you think the target audience would be; share any concepts you might have about the book’s formatting and design (optional); and especially if your book is nonfiction, describe your credentials as they relate to the topic.

Finally, be sure to include your contact information.

Should I include my artwork?

You are welcome to send copies of any relevant artwork, but you are not required to do so. Please do NOT send originals.

Will I get my submission back?

Due to the volume of submissions we receive, we are unable to return them. So please do not send originals or one-and-only copies.

How much will I have to pay to get my book published?

Nothing. We are a traditional publisher, so our authors do not pay us. We pay them, in the form of royalties, as their books sell.

How long will it take for you to get back to me?

To provide a fair review for each submission, we take our time in considering them. Please be respectful of this process and allow up to six months for us to contact you. If you have not heard from us after six months, you are welcome to follow up with a phone call.

Where should I send my submission?

Email submissions to custservice@adventurepublications.net

(include the word “submission” in the subject)

Or mail your submission to

Submissions Editor


Adventure Publications


820 Cleveland St S


Cambridge, MN 55008

***

ATTENTION MYSTERY WRITERS:

Adventure Publications, an award-winning publisher of outdoor guides, is accepting fiction manuscripts for its new series of outdoor/wilderness mysteries. We are looking for mystery fiction that will appeal to both the mystery reader and the outdoors enthusiast. The books will be produced in print and ebook formats. Examples of authors we love are Nevada Barr, Victoria Houston, C.J. Box, William Kent Krueger and Beth Groundwater.

Currently, we are seeking novels set in the Midwest, Southwest, Northwest, Northeast and Rocky Mountains. Email your submission to fiction@adventurepublications.net. Email queries sent to any other address will not be read. We do not open email attachments, unless we request them. Your entire submission must appear in the body of the email and not as an attachment. The subject line should be “QUERY” along with the title of your manuscript. Please email the first chapter and a synopsis along with a cover letter. Also, in your email, please include the number of words in your completed manuscript, as well as a bio and pertinent writing and/or outdoor wilderness experience. If you prefer, you may snail-mail your query, along with your first chapter and bio, to

Fiction

Adventure Publications

820 Cleveland St S

Cambridge, MN 55008

 

 

Create the Book Trailer for the New Vincent Zandri Novel

Murder by Moonlight is, in the words of author Vincent Zandri, a story about good versus evil in “a sleepy suburb that just might in fact be a hell on earth.” It’s the latest novel in the Dick Moonlight detective series, and the subject of Amazon Studios’ latest book trailer contest.

Amazon Studios is giving filmmakers the opportunity to create the official book trailer for Murder by Moonlight, from Amazon Publishing imprint Thomas & Mercer. The winner will receive $3,000. One finalist will receive a $500 Amazon gift card and Amazon Kindle Fire HD, and five runners up will receive copies of the book signed by the author.

Zandri describes the tone of his work as dark and atmospheric, in the spirit of movies like Se7en, Miller’s Crossing and Basic Instinct. Check out Zandri’s detailed synopsis of the book, plus notes on characters and tone, and learn more about Zandri and the Moonlight series at Amazon.com.

Some additional details about the contest:

* The deadline for entry is Jan. 7, 2013.

* Trailers should be between 30 seconds and 90 seconds long.

* Entries can employ live action, animation, or even a text-driven approach.

* A successful book trailer will convey the hard-boiled and thrilling atmosphere and tone of the book, while also communicating key plot points and/or introducing key characters.

Find out more about Amazon Studios and the opportunities there for writers, filmmakers, and fans.

A Wholesome Christmas E-Book About Santa Claus

Maynard Soloman Proves Santa Claus is Real isn't just a short story of crime humor featuring the world's crustiest detective. It's the only e-book that uses nothing but logic, common sense and alcohol to prove the existence of Santa Claus beyond the shadow of doubt.

Yep. You can put this e-book on trial. It's that bulletproof.

Here's the official description of this ground-breaking, earth-shattering, eye-opening, bed-wetting book of revelations.

 

* Nominated for Best Short Story of 2011 by Preditors & Editors Readers Poll.

Fans of short, funny detective stories, meet Maynard Soloman. Some say he's crusty, profane and clueless. If you ask him, he solves the world's problems one case at a time.

In this short story, the Ol' Badger needs a Christmas miracle. Bill collectors want to repossess his beloved RV. To stay a step ahead, Maynard will have to prove Santa Claus is real. Or just drunk.

BONUS: Includes the holiday favorite, "Maynard's Guide to Milk and Cookies."

Get this fine work of literary e-book excellence at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Sony, iTunes, Smashwords and Diesel.

 

The Great Someecards Experiment

Here's a bit of humor to lighten the mood before diving into the dark times ahead: The holidays. These are courtesy of Someecards.com. It lets people like me throw stuff against the wall and see what sticks. Feel free to share if you find these amusing. Or leave a comment with a better caption.

The Mobile Office

Where plenty of thinking about writing takes place.

Free Kindle E-Book: Maynard Soloman & the Bull$hit Cancer Awareness Campaign

Free on Amazon for the Kindle Nov. 13-14: Maynard Soloman & the Bull$hit Cancer Awareness Campaign. Here's the description:

 

Has cancer awareness "jumped the shark?" Have some cancer charities lost sight of their purpose?

Maynard Soloman, the world's crustiest detective, gets to the bottom of things in this short crime humor story. The cantankerous hero is hired to track down money missing from a cancer charity. What he finds could "blow the wig" off the entire organization.

This is the perfect read for anyone who has questioned the motives behind pinkwashed products.

BONUS: Includes "Maynard's Guide to Charitable Giving."

Click here to get it now and save 100%.

If you need more coaxing, here's a hot review from noted notable Laura Roberts:

Maynard Soloman, world's most crotchety detective, is back -- and this time he's getting the nookie he so desperately needs, from a broad who's desperate enough to bang a senior citizen in a rattrap Winnebago.

If that's not enough to scare the pants off you, he's gone pink. Or should I say mauve?

Yep, you heard it here first: Maynard Soloman is on the case of the Bull$hit Cancer Awareness Campaign, and he's not gonna stand for any rose-colored glasses or mauve "consciousness-raising" malarkey.

Hot on the trail of a pinkwashing campaign to fight synophrys cancer (that's cancer of the facial hair follicles, or a fight against the ever-vanishing unibrow), Maynard's got to follow the money straight to the source of an embezzlement scheme deep within the Frida Foundation.

Unfortunately, things aren't quite what they seem, and Maynard is (as usual) in over his head.

The 'Bago's also seen better days, but I'll try not to spoil that surprise.

If you've ever questioned the need for a glut of pink products that don't actually promote charitable donations for breast cancer research, this is the book for you. Maynard'll set you straight, complete with his bonus Guide to Charitable Giving.

HINT: If it doesn't involve giving charitably, it ain't charitable giving.

Two thumbs up for calling bull$hit on purveyors of pink balderdash, plus a spice rating of PG-13 for the opening homage to Breathe-Right nasal strips. Now there's a fetish you don't see every day!

 

Click here to download Maynard Soloman & the Bull$hit Cancer Awareness Campaign from Amazon to your Kindle.

 

How a Fictional Detective Made a Real-World Impact

What started as a short crime humor e-book is now making a real-world impact.

[image error]Last month, I published Maynard Soloman & the Bull$hit Cancer Awareness Campaign, the seventh installment in a series of satirical crime capers. That led to a guest blog post, which morphed into an article for an online newspaper about "pinkwashing." The article wound up being distributed to a pile of other online newspapers in Minnesota.

The article was critical of Mike's Hard Pink Lemonade, and attracted the attention of the Mike's corporate office. Imagine my surprise when a public relations representative got in touch with me this week.

Here's the skinny. Mike's may be reworking its marketing of Hard Pink Lemonade because of the article and my correspondence with its representative. We won't know for sure until this seasonal product is released again next year. But the response from Mike's was encouraging.

Now for the long version.

The Mike's Hard Pink Lemonade packaging sports pink ribbons associated with breast cancer charities. The wording on the six-pack image above states that Mike's, "will be making a contribution to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation."

However, the packaging doesn't say if that means a portion of the purchase or a lump sum. The Web page Mike's set up for this product doesn't make it clear, either.

My beef with this is that consumers assume purchasing products with pink ribbons on them means a portion of the sale will be donated to charity. To me, the obscurity of donation information coupled with the marketing power of pink ribbons is suspicious. Could Mike's be exploited the charitable goodwill of consumers to drive sales?

The answer from Mike's is no. I won't copy/paste the rep's e-mail, since I don't play like that, but brought to my attention were these points:

* Mike's donates a lump sum of $250,000 annually to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, for a total of $750,000 to date.

* The initiative was started after an employee, Jacqueline S., died from breast cancer.

* If I'd like to try some Mike's Hard Pink Lemonade, I could have a free sample shipment sent to me.

Here is my response in full:

Thank you for reaching out to me and clarifying the way Mike's Hard Lemonade makes donations to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

However, I remain critical of how difficult this information is to obtain. Donation specifics are not listed on the packaging of Mike's Hard Pink Lemonade or at the front-facing Web page for the product at http://www.mikeshard.com/pinklemonade. Why should it take communication with the public relations arm of Mike's Hard Lemonade in order to find donation specifics?

These specifics matter, because consumers have a certain perception about purchasing products with pink ribbons on them. They assume a portion of their purchase benefits a breast cancer-related charity. This perception is explicit in the consumer feedback Mike's itself lists at http://www.mikeshard.com/pinklemonade.

Here are some examples:

"Just wanted to let you know that I love the Pink Lemonade that is here for a limited time and also that part of the proceeds from the sales are going to breast cancer cure research." - Irene

"I love your mikes Hard pink lemonade and the fact that it helps support breast cancer is a plus!!" - Anna

"My wife and I love the fact that we are supporting breast cancer researce while getting our Mike's on." - Jeffrey

On the contrary, your message to me indicates zero percent of purchases benefit the BCRF. Mike's donated a lump sum, then put a pink ribbon on its product.

To me, this isn't being transparent or ethical. It's my hope that Mike's will re-evaluate the way it markets this product. Either be upfront about where purchases go, or be content internally that the unfortunate passing of an employee is memorialized every year with a donation.

As I stated in my article, I don't have a problem with companies donating to charity. It's good for non-profit and for-profit businesses alike. But I do expect transparency so consumers can make educated purchases.

I appreciate your offer to sample Mike's Hard Pink Lemonade, but I will have to pass.

Respectfully,

Benjamin Sobieck

Here's where it gets good. The Mike's rep seemed to take these comments seriously. In so many words, the rep replied that Mike's may make changes in the future about how it promotes its donations.

I count this as a win. Mike's got the message, and I get the impression it's going to do something about it. The rep appeared genuine in thanking me for bringing these issues up. 

This is the furthest I could've taken it with this company. I wouldn't expect the rep to make a solid commitment to an average Joe like me. Nor would I expect an alcohol manufacturer to recognize the cognitive dissonance required for it to get behind a health cause and pull its product. But I've been working in journalism enough to read between the PR lines. This made an impact.

We'll have to wait a bit to see, though. Mike's Hard Pink Lemonade is a seasonal product. Will Mike's be more upfront about its cause marketing? Time will tell.

I replied to the rep with this final thought:

There's a growing skepticism among consumers about "pink" products. I've been contacted privately by many individuals who feel this way. The more your company can be upfront about donations, the better response from consumers you'll likely see in the future.

Best regards,

Benjamin

In other words, "Consumers are wisening up and you're going to catch hell soon if you don't change." I'm no slash-and-burn, shut-'em-down kind of guy, though. I believe in the power of dollars. I gave Mike's a financial incentive to be more transparent. If it doesn't, consumers will. That's how it works.

And that's the story of how a fictional detective made a real-world impact. Coming to a liquor store near you.

If you'd like to show your support for this haphazard activism, pick up a copy of Maynard Soloman & the Bull$hit Cancer Awareness Campaign for the Kindle.

Full disclosure: One hundred percent of the proceeds benefit me. But hey, at least I'm being upfront about it, right?

 

Video: Sideshow Bob Campaign Ad

The Simpsons gets political satire right on so many levels. A lot of people are referencing the eerie real-world similarities in a clip of Homer using a voting machine. But this is the one I think of every election day.

What are some of your favorite political comedy sketches?

A Toast to NaNoWriMo Masochists

National Novel Writing Month starts today. Participants try to crank out a 50,000-word novel in just a month. It's a hellishly arthritic month of pain, but some poor souls know no other way to derive pleasure from existence. For them, a toast:

"May the keyboard rise to meet you, may the TV be at your back, may your coffee cup be full and may you sneak in a few graphs before the kids even know you're there."

A Warning to Halloween Vandals

Here's an example of why it's not a good idea to paint the town red with a can of spray paint. The cops might use the paint against you.

Click here to read Orange Spray-Painted Testicles, a short, true crime story on Fingerprints.