By Carl Sampson
I cannot get over the kindness and encouragement of strangers.
Three years ago, I let slip in a column that I was writing a novel. You know that old joke — a journalist is a novelist who can’t write.
To me, writing is just something I do. It’s like a duck quacking or a dog barking.
When I mentioned the novel, I was shocked, surprised and humbled by the responses I got. The encouraging notes made me feel as though I was not alone every time I sat down at the computer.
One in particular stayed with me, even years later:
“Hope this finds you at your computer, just taking a break from your novel to check your email, before getting back to what is going to be one damned good read — Carl Sampson’s ‘latest’ novel, due out when it’s ready to be published … best to you!”
With encouragement like that, how could I not continue work on my novel? How could I not want to write 50 novels?
Well, I have announcement to make: It’s done. I don’t think anyone would ever confuse it with Gone with the Wind or War and Peace — first of all, it’s way shorter — but it is done.
But, holy buckets, is dealing with the publishing industry a goat rope. Publishers won’t deal with writers unless they have an agent. Agents won’t deal with writers unless they’ve been published. I personally kept the U.S. Postal Service in business this year sending out hundreds of letters to agents. Most of them were returned unopened. Even for someone with skin as thick as mine, I had a hard time staying motivated when I couldn’t even get an agent interested enough to open my letters.
So I went to Plan B. I published it myself on Kindle.
I know what you’re thinking. “Anyone can do that. My Aunt Martha published her 478 best tuna recipes on Kindle. That’s no big deal.”
You’re right. Anyone can do it, and maybe that’s the point. Maybe if a guy can put his novel on the Internet readers will decide whether they like it instead of some jackwagon agent who won’t even take the time to open a letter.
So, if you’re interested, you can go to the Kindle website and look up my name. There are actually two “Carl Sampsons” there. One is a professional gambler. The other is me.
The book — it’s more like a really long short story — is called A Bushel and a Peck and it’s about a couple who live on a small farm in Minnesota.
A note about Kindle books: You don’t need a Kindle to read them. You can read them on almost any computer. The instructions are on the Internet at www.amazon.com/Kindle-eBooks.
Check it out, and let me know if you like it. If you don’t like it, talk to my agent.
Carl Sampson is a freelance writer and editor. His latest book, “A Bushel and a Peck,” is available for $2.99 at Amazon’s Kindle website.
