There are many steps on the path to publication, but one of the most exciting is the arrival of the ARCs: advance review copies (or advance reading copies - I’ve seen it both ways). This is a promotional version of the book usually printed months ahead of the finished copies that will be available for sale. ARCs are sent to booksellers, reviewers, publications, bloggers, podcasters, other authors…basically the people who need to read the book well in advance of its publication to decide if/how they’re going to sell it or promote it. The author of the book also gets a few, and the post office claims my Lowdown Road ARCs are out for delivery today. I’ll explain later how one of them can be yours!
An ARC is usually not the final FINAL version of the book, although I think all the edits to Lowdown Road were completed before the ARCs were printed. But one notable difference will be the cover: the ARC version was printed before we had any blurbs for the book. If you’ve not been through this process, you may be wondering where those cover blurbs from other, more famous authors come from. You might assume the publisher takes care of all that. Maybe that’s the case if you’re at a certain level. But for most authors, it’s up to us to collect them. And that process can be stressful, humbling, and maybe even downright humiliating.
I know I’ve been lucky publishing my two novels with Hard Case Crime, because Stephen King is also on the roster. There’s no way I could have gotten Charlesgate Confidential or Lowdown Road to his attention on my own, but since he has a working relationship with my editor, getting early copies to him was possible. Of course, there was no guarantee he would read them or like them (particularly Charlesgate, since it was my debut and he didn’t know me from a hole in the wall), but luckily he did.
With Lowdown Road, I relied on personal connections. A bookseller friend of mine read it and offered to send it to Ace Atkins, thinking it would be his cup of tea (or, in this case, moonshine). I know Shawn Cosby a bit from Bouchercon and various social media, and we did a swap where I read an early draft of his soon-to-be-blockbuster All the Sinners Bleed (can’t wait for the finished version, due in June) and I sent him Lowdown Road for his consideration.
It goes without saying that these are two very busy people, far higher up the ladder of writing success than myself, and reading a book is a time-consuming activity. Asking them to make that kind of commitment is no fun, and I’m very grateful they took the time. This is another one of those aspects of the writing life you don’t really think about it until it comes up - and to be sure, it’s a good problem to have. In the months ahead I’ll be ramping up my efforts at publicizing the book, another part of the gig that can be less than pleasant but is absolutely necessary, and I’ll be documenting the process here so you can see how the sausage is made.
All that being said, here’s how YOU can win a free signed ARC of Lowdown Road! It’s very simple. First, subscribe to this newsletter. (If you’re already subscribed, you have accomplished this step.) Second, shoot me an email at scottvond@gmail.com with “Lowdown Road giveaway” in the header. Make sure you use the same email address you subscribed with, because I will be checking to make sure the winners are eligible. I’ll be giving away two copies, and the deadline is Friday, February 17 at noon Central. You must have a U.S. mailing address to be eligible.
News and Notes:
I have no plans to charge for this newsletter, but if you’ve enjoyed it and feel like contributing in some way, might I suggest this fundraiser for my little pal Sully? He needs some pricey dental work, and every little bit helps!
If you’re in Austin, come on out to Vintage Books and Wine on Thursday, February 16 at 7 pm for Noir at the Bar! Scott Montgomery will be hosting, and I’ll be reading along with Mike McCrary, Mark Pryor, Puja Guha, and others. It’s sure to be a good time, and I’ll have copies of Charlesgate Confidential to sell and possibly a Lowdown Road ARC to give away.