My own worst enemy!

This past week has been a little testing on many levels. Not only have there been some long (and sometimes challenging) hours at work but first day off was spent at the funeral of a close family friend. All that aside however I have managed to put some finishing touches to my attempts at screenplay adaptations of BOTH – Origins Of The Magdon: Vercovicium (Book 1) and also Blue Light Christmas. These have translated, I think but am biased of course, very well into the screenplay format and allowed me to add a little more to each story in a very positive way.

As this is all a new affair for me I am dipping my toe into this market with some trepidation. Instagram has offered some loose connections with some people within the infamous “industry” taking note of pictures I have shared. I have submitted one screenplay to the Amazon Studio program and one for public opinion/annihilation on other forums. I have also placed a Script Pitch on ShootingPeople and am sitting back and seeing what happens.

When it comes to my projects I feel I am best focussing my attention on proliferating the market with one strong idea. I have made this The Magdon which I feel has a place in the world – in written, audio and one day, hopefully, visual form. I have had a sit down with some cleverer people than me and realised it is no use flitting between ideas and stories, bouncing from one concept to another as it doesn’t allow me to give enough legs, and do enough justice, to the story being told.

To that end I am finding new ways for The Magdon story to be accessed and just running with an eBook/paperbook is not enough. The Audiobooks reflect a lot of time and effort from my narrator Paul Weber who does an absolutely fantastic job. For now though I am struggling to get things noticed, to extend beyond the crowd of helpful other authors who are trying to make waves and impressions.

I have put feelers out towards PR companies and individuals but so far emails have either gone unanswered or lack any real response to the questions I have posed other than a few lines of regurgitated text and a can you call us reply. The fact I fear the ultimate cost of employing such a company if my query can’t be answered, or else the questions I ask remain unanswered in a reply email then I can’t really have confidence in them to listen and not just do a regurgitative process.

Of course, through research amongst the “indies” and the “self-published” community it is quite a minefield with some saying don’t bother and others saying go for it. I think realistically I lack the knowledge and expertise to advertise myself well enough. I think I take the word-of-mouth option over anything else so as not to compromise time with family and work.

But then I sit at home with the boys watching Harry Potter and other series stories and think “you know what, The Magdon could sit there”……so what’s stopping that?

Me? Money? Fear? Laziness?

Probably a little of all these things. You see, I have been here before and always erred on the sid of caution. Perhaps it is a fear of failing, of some snooty (or well experienced executive or agent) scoffing at my attempts to give something to the world. So should fear really rule my decisions whether to push further or not? I’d love to say no but I’m a simple kind of guy and probably stay in my comfort zone a little more than I should.

So clearing my head from a long and trying week, with the Sunday weather surprisingly clear I took to the Derbyshire Hills with my two sons for a mind-clearing walk. My youngest has been badgering for a walk on a “mountain” so we went the three of us to Mam Tor and climbed it with ease.

And I reflect on that – there he is, 6 years old and facing a giant hill to walk. Did he shy for the what-ifs, the perhaps-this….no he didn’t. Instead of inspiring them, well I did that too with some comic moments, my own sons inspired me a little.

[image error]

I just need to find the right match to help me push beyond the boundaries I have set. An opportunity that I hope/dream is waiting for The Magdon and see my aspirations realised.

Any help would be great!

I’ll shut up now as I’m sure I am boring you!