Marty Essen's Blog - Posts Tagged "cool-creatures"
Writing Cool Creatures, Hot Planet
Writing Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents was quite the experience! I devoted each chapter to a different continent, plus Central America.
My process for creating the book was to go on an adventure; write the chapter; and then head out again. In all, my travels spanned three-and-a-half years, and my writing and research time totaled more than twelve thousand hours!
Here’s where I went during my travels: Peru (the Amazon Rainforest), Argentina, Australia (Queensland), Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon Territory, and Northwest Territories), Antarctica, Europe (Spain, France, Switzerland, and Andorra), Malaysia (Borneo), and Africa (Zimbabwe).
Since I was essentially writing the book “live,” one of my trepidations was that a trip might turn out to be boring. If that happened, would I have to subject my readers to a snoozer of a chapter? Fortunately, something exciting and magical happened on every adventure!
Something else magical has happened: Cool Creatures, Hot Planet has become a book with a life of its own. After the print edition came out in 2007, it won six national awards. That led to a live, multi-media version of the book, called Around the World in 90 Minutes. I have been performing Around the World in 90 Minutes at colleges and other venues since late 2007. My show is still going strong. If I’m in your area, I hope you will check it out—you’ll have a blast. You can find my tour schedule on both my Goodreads page and on my website: www.CoolCreaturesHotPlanet.com
Finally, December 2012 marked the release of Cool Creatures, Hot Planet on Kindle. A Kindle release wasn’t part of the plan, but after purchasing a Kindle Paperwhite for myself, I fell in love with the format. I found that I could read much longer without eyestrain and loved that I could read late into the night, with the lights out. Encante Press did a great job of reformatting my book for Kindle, and it still includes all of the photos people ooh and aah about so often.
Whether you purchase the print or the Kindle version of Cool Creatures, Hot Planet, I thank you. And I hope to see you at one of my live shows soon!
P.S. If you bring your book to my show, I will be happy to sign it for you. If you have the Kindle version, I usually have bookmarks or other goodies with me that I can sign for you instead.
My process for creating the book was to go on an adventure; write the chapter; and then head out again. In all, my travels spanned three-and-a-half years, and my writing and research time totaled more than twelve thousand hours!
Here’s where I went during my travels: Peru (the Amazon Rainforest), Argentina, Australia (Queensland), Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon Territory, and Northwest Territories), Antarctica, Europe (Spain, France, Switzerland, and Andorra), Malaysia (Borneo), and Africa (Zimbabwe).
Since I was essentially writing the book “live,” one of my trepidations was that a trip might turn out to be boring. If that happened, would I have to subject my readers to a snoozer of a chapter? Fortunately, something exciting and magical happened on every adventure!
Something else magical has happened: Cool Creatures, Hot Planet has become a book with a life of its own. After the print edition came out in 2007, it won six national awards. That led to a live, multi-media version of the book, called Around the World in 90 Minutes. I have been performing Around the World in 90 Minutes at colleges and other venues since late 2007. My show is still going strong. If I’m in your area, I hope you will check it out—you’ll have a blast. You can find my tour schedule on both my Goodreads page and on my website: www.CoolCreaturesHotPlanet.com
Finally, December 2012 marked the release of Cool Creatures, Hot Planet on Kindle. A Kindle release wasn’t part of the plan, but after purchasing a Kindle Paperwhite for myself, I fell in love with the format. I found that I could read much longer without eyestrain and loved that I could read late into the night, with the lights out. Encante Press did a great job of reformatting my book for Kindle, and it still includes all of the photos people ooh and aah about so often.
Whether you purchase the print or the Kindle version of Cool Creatures, Hot Planet, I thank you. And I hope to see you at one of my live shows soon!
P.S. If you bring your book to my show, I will be happy to sign it for you. If you have the Kindle version, I usually have bookmarks or other goodies with me that I can sign for you instead.
Cool Creatures, Hot Planet gets a new cover!
I have had a love/hate relationship with the original cover of “Cool Creatures, Hot Planet.” That cover, with the tailless whip-scorpion on my face, generated a lot of publicity for both my book and my college show, “Around the World in 90 Minutes.” Nevertheless, that eye-catching cover had a negative side as well. Barnes and Noble once complained to my distributor that some customers would see the book’s cover and hightail-it to the opposite side of the store!
I’ve always considered the primary audience for my book to be people who were also into TV shows like Steve Irwin’s “The Crocodile Hunter” and “The Jeff Corwin Experience,” so I never anticipated such an arachnophobic reaction. In all, that original cover likely cost me thousands in sales.
But all is not lost! In January 2013, the first-edition print-version sold out, and Encante Press decided to release both a second edition paperback and a brand new Kindle edition. It was a perfect time to switch covers.
Encante Press contracted Tugboat Design to create the new cover, and they came up with several outstanding options. Even though I had an immediate favorite, we decided to post the covers on Facebook to get input from my readers. When they voted for the same cover I liked, the choice was easy!
The new paperback editions are now available on both Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. The Kindle edition is available exclusively on Amazon.com. This link will take you to the Amazon page: www.amazon.com/dp/B00AGLS1BI
BTW: If you really want one of the first-edition books, you can still order it on my website: www.CoolCreaturesHotPlanet.com. I have about a dozen copies left in my personal collection. Just send me an email (provided on my website) as soon as you order the book, so I know. I sign all books ordered off my website.
I’ve always considered the primary audience for my book to be people who were also into TV shows like Steve Irwin’s “The Crocodile Hunter” and “The Jeff Corwin Experience,” so I never anticipated such an arachnophobic reaction. In all, that original cover likely cost me thousands in sales.
But all is not lost! In January 2013, the first-edition print-version sold out, and Encante Press decided to release both a second edition paperback and a brand new Kindle edition. It was a perfect time to switch covers.
Encante Press contracted Tugboat Design to create the new cover, and they came up with several outstanding options. Even though I had an immediate favorite, we decided to post the covers on Facebook to get input from my readers. When they voted for the same cover I liked, the choice was easy!
The new paperback editions are now available on both Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. The Kindle edition is available exclusively on Amazon.com. This link will take you to the Amazon page: www.amazon.com/dp/B00AGLS1BI
BTW: If you really want one of the first-edition books, you can still order it on my website: www.CoolCreaturesHotPlanet.com. I have about a dozen copies left in my personal collection. Just send me an email (provided on my website) as soon as you order the book, so I know. I sign all books ordered off my website.
The Wild Ride and Who Shouldn't Buy My Book
When “Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents” was published, in 2007, I had no idea that my wild ride was just beginning. Not only did the book win six national awards, but I was also able to turn it into a live stage show, called “Around the World in 90 Minutes,” which I have been performing at colleges for eight years and counting.
That’s one of the reasons it’s taken me so long to write my second book, “Endangered Edens: Exploring the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica, the Everglades, and Puerto Rico” (which will be published on January 8, 2016). I’ve been too busy performing at colleges.
I write this today is because I have a hunch that when Endangered Edens comes out, many readers will also be discovering Cool Creatures, Hot Planet as a result. It will be so much fun to have an entire new crop of readers!
Over the years Cool Creatures, Hot Planet has received great reviews—both from readers and professional book critics. Of course, not everyone loved everything. I read all reviews, and two things some readers complained about were that the book didn’t have enough pictures, and that I spent too much time ripping President George W. Bush.
Regarding the pictures: The book does include 86 color photos. I wish I could have included more, but photo-intensive books are expensive to produce, and that was the maximum number of photos the publishing company could include and still keep the book competitively priced. Fortunately, you can see many more photos from the adventures on my website, www.MartyEssen.com. I also advise getting the latest Second Edition book, sold directly by Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other major booksellers. There was a brief time, between distributors, when the book was available only with black and white photos. If you buy used, you may end up with the black and white version.
Regarding George W. Bush: Please understand that one of the unique things about Cool Creatures, Hot Planet is that all seven continents of adventures take place just before or during the Iraq War. As a writer, I would have been irresponsible not to include comments from people I met around the world—many who were critical of George W. Bush. Even so, less than 5% of Cool Creatures, Hot Planet deals with President Bush and the war.
Some readers feel that including politics breaks the rules for this genre of book. Believe me, that wasn’t the only travel writing rule I broke. Personally, I think some rules are good to break once in a while. Who wants to read book after book that follows the same rigid format?
Nevertheless, if you are a George W. Bush fan, or are offended by liberal politics, I ask that you not buy this book. I’d much rather lose a sale than to have you purchase it and not enjoy it (or leave a one or a two star rating without comment).
For everyone else: I hope you’ll check out both Cool Creatures, Hot Planet and Endangered Edens. I’m a humorist writer at heart, so I promise plenty of laughs to go along with the memorable people and animal encounters on all seven continents. I also look forward to reading your reviews on Goodreads!
Marty Essen, author of Endangered Edens: Exploring the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica, the Everglades, and Puerto Rico
and
Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents
That’s one of the reasons it’s taken me so long to write my second book, “Endangered Edens: Exploring the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica, the Everglades, and Puerto Rico” (which will be published on January 8, 2016). I’ve been too busy performing at colleges.
I write this today is because I have a hunch that when Endangered Edens comes out, many readers will also be discovering Cool Creatures, Hot Planet as a result. It will be so much fun to have an entire new crop of readers!
Over the years Cool Creatures, Hot Planet has received great reviews—both from readers and professional book critics. Of course, not everyone loved everything. I read all reviews, and two things some readers complained about were that the book didn’t have enough pictures, and that I spent too much time ripping President George W. Bush.
Regarding the pictures: The book does include 86 color photos. I wish I could have included more, but photo-intensive books are expensive to produce, and that was the maximum number of photos the publishing company could include and still keep the book competitively priced. Fortunately, you can see many more photos from the adventures on my website, www.MartyEssen.com. I also advise getting the latest Second Edition book, sold directly by Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other major booksellers. There was a brief time, between distributors, when the book was available only with black and white photos. If you buy used, you may end up with the black and white version.
Regarding George W. Bush: Please understand that one of the unique things about Cool Creatures, Hot Planet is that all seven continents of adventures take place just before or during the Iraq War. As a writer, I would have been irresponsible not to include comments from people I met around the world—many who were critical of George W. Bush. Even so, less than 5% of Cool Creatures, Hot Planet deals with President Bush and the war.
Some readers feel that including politics breaks the rules for this genre of book. Believe me, that wasn’t the only travel writing rule I broke. Personally, I think some rules are good to break once in a while. Who wants to read book after book that follows the same rigid format?
Nevertheless, if you are a George W. Bush fan, or are offended by liberal politics, I ask that you not buy this book. I’d much rather lose a sale than to have you purchase it and not enjoy it (or leave a one or a two star rating without comment).
For everyone else: I hope you’ll check out both Cool Creatures, Hot Planet and Endangered Edens. I’m a humorist writer at heart, so I promise plenty of laughs to go along with the memorable people and animal encounters on all seven continents. I also look forward to reading your reviews on Goodreads!
Marty Essen, author of Endangered Edens: Exploring the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica, the Everglades, and Puerto Rico
and
Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents
