copyright 2013, Aaron P. Lazar
We writers have to start out somewhere. Our first books,
whether published or not, typically give us shivers when we go back years later
to re-read them. Some writers don’t like to look
at that early stuff, it just destroys their egos. I know how I felt when I
did that seven years after writing my first novel. Oh God, how could I have been that bad?
It’s a natural phenomenon and quite common, to tell the
truth.
So, what do you do?
Many writers are getting the rights back to their early
books, some which were back-listed or abandoned by traditional publishers, and
they’re rewriting and re-releasing them in various venues. Many are releasing
their word as eBooks when they were originally just in print format, and lots
of writers are jumping on the self publishing bandwagon which has almost
overnight become less of a dirty word and distinctly cooler and unquestionably
much more “acceptable” in the publishing industry today.
Are you in that boat?
I’m still writing new mysteries in my three series
(lazarbooks.com), but I had a chance recently to take two of my earlier books
back from the original publisher and have them re-released through my current
publisher (Twilight Times Books) as “author’s preferred editions.”
Original 2004 cover New 2012 Cover
by Ardy Scott
Original 2006 cover New 2013 Cover
by Ardy Scott
I had the freedom to rewrite these stories with refined writing
skills (compared to those awful first books) as well as to change some plot
lines or add new chapters. You can read about the “do-over” here.
Something really cool happened with the second book in the
LeGarde Mystery series, UPSTAGED. When my audio book narrator went through the
manuscript, he came back to me with a very important observation. He said,
“Aaron! There is SINGING in this book! What am I supposed to do with that?”
He referred to all the musical theater lyrics I wrote for my
characters to sing in the musical within the mystery entitled “Spirit Me Away,”
that Gus LeGarde wrote back in the sixties when he was a student at the Boston
Conservatory of Music. I’d forgotten about all those songs embedded in the
text.
I decided to ask my daughter Melanie Carbonneau, an
unemployed singer with seven years of voice training and two masters degrees,
to write some songs to go with the lyrics, record them, and issue them as a CD
to go with the book(s).
Isn’t that the coolest thing? So now the songs (you won’t
believe how gorgeous they are!) are embedded within the audio book narration,
will be offered as an accompanying CD, and are good enough that we are
considering making this fake musical into a REAL musical!
I know, I told you it was cool.
We do need to write the script based on the story within a
story in UPSTAGED, get a good composer friend to write an overture, etc. for
it, get the music transcribed, etc. and figure out how the hell you submit a
musical to Broadway bigwigs, but we plan to forge ahead.
And all of this is because I wanted a do-over. Neat, huh?
You can get a taste of Melanie’s singing and songwriting
here, and pre-order the CD if you like the sound of her voice.
Audio Book Cover Art
CD Cover Art
Please take a listen to some of Melanie's songs here and let us know what you think? Can't you picture a bunch of young singers dressed in sixties attire, singing their hearts out with this?
Feel free to add your comments about how YOU are taking advantage of new options with your older books. We'd love to hear from you.
Remember, take pleasure in the little things and write like the wind!
Aaron Lazar
www.lazarbooks.com
Twilight
Times Books by multi-award winning, Kindle bestselling author, Aaron Lazar:
UPSTAGED
(coming 2013 author’s preferred edition, print, eBook, and audio book)
FOR
THE BIRDS (print, eBook)
ESSENTIALLY
YOURS (print, eBook)
WRITING
ADVICE:
WRITE LIKE THE WIND,
volumes 1, 2, 3 (2012, audio books coming 2013)
Aaron Paul
Lazar writes to soothe his soul. An award-winning, bestselling Kindle
author of three addictive mystery series, Aaron enjoys the Genesee Valley
countryside in upstate New York, where his characters embrace life, play with
their dogs and grandkids, grow sumptuous gardens, and chase bad guys. Visit his
website at http://www.lazarbooks.com and watch for his upcoming Twilight Times
Books releases, DON’T LET THE WIND CATCH YOU (2013), author’s preferred edition
of UPSTAGED (2013), and SANCTUARY (2013).
FINALIST 2013 EPIC
Book Awards * WINNER 2011 EPIC Book Awards, BEST Paranormal * FINALIST 2011
FOREWORD BOOK AWARDS * WINNER 2011 Eric Hoffer BEST Book, COMMERCIAL FICTION *
2X FINALIST Global eBook Awards 2011 * Preditors & Editors Readers Choice
Award – 2nd place 2011* Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s Top 10 Books of
2012 * Winner of Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s 9th Annual Noble (Not
Nobel!) Prize for Literature 2011 * Finalist Allbooks Editor’s Choice Awards
2011 * Preditors&Editors Top 10 Finalist * Yolanda
Renée's
Top Ten Books 2008 * MYSHELF Top Ten Reads
2008 * Writer’s Digest Top 101 Website Award 2009-2012
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