How a personal challenge became a published novel or How "Levels" was born.

I initially decided to write a book just to see if I could and had no intention of seeking publication. I figured that it would be a constructive and interesting way to pass the time for three or four months.

The task proved far more complicated and time consuming than I had presumed.
I quickly learned that my first idea was seldom the best idea and that a few of my best ideas would come from others. It took me fourteen months to produce a completed, polished manuscript, a science fiction (post-apocalyptic) novel titled, "Levels".

I made a copy for each of my adult children. They read it and told me that it was pretty good. I'm their father; what else would they say? Two of my children pleaded with me for months to at least make an effort to have it published and succeeded in wearing me down. We made a deal. I would send query letters to five mainline publishers. If all five rejected my story idea, the matter would be dropped and never resurrected.

Within twenty-four hours after e-mailing the letters, I received polite rejection responses from three publishers. A few days later, the two remaining publishers requested a copy of my manuscript for evaluation. About six weeks after I sent them, I received a formal rejection notice from one of the publishers and was pretty sure I would soon receive another. The following day, I received a phone call from a gentleman representing Tate Publishing. He informed me that their acquisition team felt that my novel had commercial potential and Tate wished to offer me a contract.

I spent the next eleven months learning and participating in reformatting, copy editing, conceptual editing, layout, cover, spine, and back matter design, abridgment, printing, distribution, and marketing.

Throughout this exercise, my ego was severely tested as I began to realize that the completed, polished manuscript of which I had been so proud was neither complete nor polished.

By the time the process was finished, my original manuscript had been reduced from 126,000 words to 111,000 and I was required to create an abridgment of the print version of no more than 85,000 words so that the audio book would not exceed eight hours of listening time.

My book was officially released and made available nation-wide through eighteen commercial vendors on August 9, 2011 followed by the audio book on September 14. It is available in paperback, e-Book download (Kindle & Nook), audio book on compact disc, and audio book download - narrated by Stephen Rozzell.

And that is how I ended up being a published author.