Out With The Old, In With The New

2011 was truly a banner year all around.  If someone told me this time last year that I’d launch three books in the span of 8 months while working on two more and holding down a full time job, I’d tell them they were nuts.
Mockery got better media exposure than my last three books combined and went on to sell more copies faster than any other book I’ve released.  In terms of sales it’s second only to If They Can’t Take A Joke.  It continues to sell steadily even though the inaugural push is over with.
Mark McElligott’s Random Thoughts From A Broken Mind was a resounding breakout success from a talented and previously unheard of writer.  Together we managed to find a larger audience for his idiosyncratic brand of humor in his hometown of Lockport as well as throughout Buffalo.  And while there was no real launch campaign for Poke The Scorpion With A Sharp Stick, it’s turned a tidy profit since its release in August that would make its previous poetry predecessors proud.  The collection was received as an entertaining step forward compared to both Breathing Rooms.
            Somehow this year I also managed to get banned from Time Warner Cable and earned a film credit for the music video ‘I Wanna Be Oprah’ (which is still available on YouTube).  I guess we can chalk both up to being in the right place at the right time.
            As far as Big Words Radio, Season 4 turned out to be the magic number.  Somehow despite the over-the-top comedy and subversive, offensive content the show turned out to be the Little Podcast That Could, finding an audience of over 3,000 listeners per month.  Season 5 promises to be just as crass and irreverent as it’s always been, so stay tuned!
The next two years should be light duty compared to this one.  I’m putting the finishing touches on Icarus On The Mend: Memoirs Of A Manic Depressive before working on the cover and interior design with cover artist Derek Patrick Evoy and graphic designer Brian Platter (Six Shot Studios) for a firm signed and numbered (50 copies only) hardcover release date of October 25th, 2012.  Exactly one year later the book will appear again in two trade paperback volumes for the general public.
It remains to be seen whether there will be a 2012 Doubt It Publishing Author Of The Year.  The book I devoted countless time into proofreading, editing and consultation on fell through due to contract negotiations and after Voices From The Herd I have zero interest in extending a call for submissions.  I am working with someone on something else but time will tell if the concept bears fruit or not.
Thanks for such a spectacular year, everybody.  I look forward to a productive and financially successful New Year!

Sincerely,
Tom Waters

Poke The Scorpion Book Giveaway!

This month I'll be giving away three random signed copies of Poke The Scorpion With A Sharp Stick.  What do you have to do to get it? 

1. 'Like' Poke The Scorpion on FB by following this link:

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/poke-the-scorpion-with-a-sharp-stick-selected-poems-2008-2011/16130225?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/1

2. Rate the book on lulu.com.

3. Post a link on your Twitter, FB, Google + or any other website you may have.

4. Leave  a comment on this post.

5. Drop me an email at bigwordsmailbag@yahoo.com with 'Contest' in the subject heading.

            Final deadline is August 1st, 2011.  Whether you live in Buffalo or beyond, I'll hold a random drawing at the end of July.  If you're local I'll hand you a copy at the first scheduled reading or signing for Poke The Scorpion in August.  If you live out of state or in another country, I'll send you a signed copy out of pocket.  I'd like to launch this book with a bang and I need your help to do it!

Game on,

Tom Waters 

Poke The Scorpion With A Sharp Stick: 30% Off Soft Launch Orders!

Here we go again…

            It's July 1st and (as promised), I'm proud to announce the heavily discounted soft launch of Poke The Scorpion With A Sharp Stick, my third collection of angry, funny and oversexed poetry.  While I wouldn't say that this go round is tamer than Breathing Room Volume I and II, it is softer somehow.  I wrote the bulk of the book right before and right after my wedding, so there's a soft sense of acceptance and inner peaceto the body of work that sets it apart from the other two books.  I'm very proud of the collection for the leap forward in originality as well as the design and the format.  For those of you willing to take a chance on something different, you won't be disappointed.  From now until August (when I plan on promoting the book in Buffalo), Scorpion will be 30% off if you buy direct on lulu.com.  Here's your quick link:

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/poke-the-scorpion-with-a-sharp-stick-selected-poems-2008-2011/16130225

            After four solid months of interviews, press releases, and appearances for Mockery, I'm ready for a break.  Mark McElligott, Dave 'The Real Deal' Waters and I have one more outing at Brennan's Bowery Bar next Sunday (The Brennan's Boxed Trifecta) on Sunday, July 10th at 6 p.m. and then I've got a month off before we kick back into high gear.  I've never felt that summer was a good time to promote because there are too many other events going on to compete with, so we'll be resting up and waiting out the season before we get right back into it this fall. 

            For those of you who helped to make Mockery my fastest-selling book, thank you.  It's on target to be my best-selling humor collection to date by year's end.  There's a momentum to all of this that seems to be catching up to me this year in a good way.  Hopefully most of you will make the leap of faith over to Scorpion and join me for the second half of this year.  Things are only going to get better from here on out.  There's a lot left to accomplish. 

Enjoy your 4th of July and buy my new damned book!

Tom Waters