Peter V. Brett Wrote Bestseller, The Warded Man, On The Subway

Peter V. Brett wrote The Warded Man, a novel which went on to sell 100,000 copies in 17 countries, on his commute to work.

[Peter V. Brett] wrote The Warded Man aka The Painted Man on the ‘F’ train riding from his home in Brooklyn to Time Square where he worked in medical publishing. Using his HP Ipaq 6515, a phone similar to a BlackBerry, he followed up with another book before quitting his day job to write full time.

Released as The Painted Man in Great Britain in 2008, Brett’s debut novel, The Warded Man, arrived from Del Rey Spectra in 20o9, and went on to sell 100,000 copies in 17 countries. The follow up, The Desert Spear, released in 2010 and is currently on bestseller lists. Four books are planned altogether in this Demon Cycle series, with the next chapter, The Daylight War, scheduled for a February 2013 release [...].

How did he do it? PVB says:

I write on Docs to Go on my iPad. It syncs wirelessly with my desktop, and I work in Word there. Shift back and forth constantly. Always, always music, though selections depend on my mood. I like to write on the subway. It is peaceful when the internet goes quiet. Takes getting used to, but now it is very natural. Anywhere I can put on headphones and not be bothered by anyone for thirty minutes or more works now.

. . . .

Now, the producers behind the Residential Evil Hollywood films franchise have taken an interest, calling a planned trilogy “the next Lord Of The Rings.” Brett has signed a lucrative deal and discussions and plans are underway to start filming later this year.

British producer Jeremy Bolt said the first film would have a budget of up to $100 million and be shot in 3D with director Paul W.S. Anderson attached. He couldn’t believe the book was typed on  a phone.

All information and quotations are from: One Novelist Composed His Best-Selling Novel on a Cellphone – While Commuting to Work on the Subway Every Day. Thanks to the Passive Voice Blog for the link.

* Sigh * I love reading success stories but they can be a tad demoralizing. In any case, The Warded Man seems like a great book--I wonder why I haven't read it all ready!--and I'll keep my eyes open for more news of the movie(s).

Other articles you might like:
- What To Write About: Fiction That Sells
- Indie Writers: 10 Things Not To Do
- 8 Tips For Blogging Success

Writer Beware: Outskirts Press

Writer Beware

Writer Lee Goldberg (Monk, The Dead Man series) spoke up a few days ago about a scam that Outskirts Press is running.

Here is a snippet from the press release put out by Outskirts Press:

These services solve a real problem for many authors who dream of making it big in Hollywood. In fact, just getting Hollywood's attention is nearly impossible, but with the Book Your Trip to Hollywood suite of services from Outskirts Press, authors receive turn-key, full-service assistance with the push of a button. And with each option, authors receive the feedback and/or participation of a real Hollywood producer and production company; the final results are added to a Hollywood database that is perused by industry professionals for new projects; and exclusive efforts to option the author's book are immediately set into motion. The author doesn't have to lift a finger.

As Lee writes, "Except to pull out his or her credit card."

If a writer falls for Outskirts Press' song and dance, how much could he get taken for? The following is from Writer Beware writer Victoria Strauss:

[T]he total bill for your Hollywood pipe dream comes to $15,239. Outskirts can even claim that this is a bargain: the very similar services offered by Author Solutions will set you back over $18,000. 

 At the end of his article Lee Goldberg advises, "Give your $15,000 to the first homeless person you see instead... not only would it be a better use of your money, you would also have exactly the same chance of making a movie sale as you would giving it to Outskirts". That seems like a fair assessment.

I encourage you to read Victoria Strauss' article: More Money-Wasting "Opportunities" For Writers

Lee Goldberg's equally valuable article is here: Outing Outskirts Press