I began Textual Healing as a senior during my undergrad at Kean University. The novel started simply enough, a project for my senior thesis. I was studying with Susanna Rich, an unbelievably talented poet and a fantastic teacher, who encouraged me to continue working on the story.
The novel tells the story of Andrew Connor, a once famous author who owns a used bookshop in Hoboken, NJ. Over the course of a week, his relationships and supposed social status deteriorate. He discovers he isn’t the big deal he once thought he was, as his girlfriend leaves him, he catches his book on clearance for thirty seven cents… a wealth of haphazard occurrences break him down.
Until a strange woman enters his life, a backpacker with an affinity for the inappropriate, who inspires him to make a change. He joins Textual Healing, a support group for writers who aren’t writing anymore, and makes slow progress… but it’s the new love interest that eventually makes him create once again.
With a number of quirky characters, from a haiku speaking flower shop ninja to a punk rock tattoo-ridden womanizer who compares sex to Wendy’s fast food, it’s a funny book with a lot of heart.
Fast forward two years… I’m living in Philadelphia, working as a writer, attending graduate school at Arcadia University whilst toiling away on the manuscript. Here, I was fortunate enough to study with Robin Black, who encouraged my writing. I completed the novel shortly after graduating, and with the help of a wonderful literary agent, began the grueling editing and pitching process.
A year later, I found myself with a book that had no home. Several publishers were interested, and a major television producer even liked the story. Regardless of my highly popular blog, my fantastic education, and status as an established academic… no one was willing to take a risk on a writer that had yet to publish a thing.
So, I opted to go the indie route.
Using social media and quirky marketing techniques, I used Author House and created a podiobook to promote the release of the novel. I brought on a fantastic publicist and was fortunate enough to have friends help me with design, promotion, etc. We’ll see what happens.
Maybe the book will sell a bunch of copies. Maybe only my friends and family will buy a couple. But money, a best selling book, etc… none of that is important. Telling a fun story is what’s important.
And really, that’s all any real writer wants to do.
