SHORT FINAL

SILENT AMERICA: Essays from a democracy at war is now at the printer. I should have a proof in my hands by Friday or Monday.

My buddy Buster O’ Connor, back in good old Hogtown, did the cover and I JUST LOVE IT. I love it.

The 6×9 paperback came to a mere 232 pages; each volume must be delivered by forklift. I plan to send this softcover out to a few well-known folks, and with luck, I’ll be able to get one of them to write an introduction, which I will then put in a commemorative hardcover, along with some biographical notes and other goodies. But right now I’m completely focused on getting out a paperback for the stocking stuffers.

Now, looks like PayPal purchases can start as soon as this weekend or very early next week. It should be available on Ingram and Barnes and Noble by December 6th, but won’t get to Amazon until the end of December. Paypal copies will ship within 2-4 days of the order being received, and there will be priority shipping if you so desire. The price is $29.95, and then whatever shipping options you choose. It will all be finalized in the next day or so.

Also, it’s been almost two years now, so I’ll introduce the book with some minor site upgrades: New banner and buttons; that kind of thing.

So within a few days, you can order via PayPal, and perhaps a week after that, through Barnes and Noble and Ingram online, once they get up to speed.

I am so overwhelmed and excited. I really can’t believe it. The worst part is not having a CLUE how many of these I will sell.

And when this is out of the way, we start with the book I’ve been wanting to do for a year now: a citizenship book, one that’s more timeless and universal, less about Republicans and Democrats and Liberals and Conservatives — and especially, less about Iraq — and more about the values and perspectives a good citizen needs for the 21st century if we are to hand this proud country on to the next generation in better shape than we found it.

So that’s coming as soon as I get this long-overdue baby out the door… which looks like days, if not hours from now.

What took me so damn long?

[UPDATE: I originally had planned to sell the book for $23.95. I just received the final printing costs and I am sorry to say I have had to raise the price to $29.95, which will include the handling fee (whereas the earlier price did not). There will be several shipping options available and I will have those prices on the shopping cart.

The price increase is mostly due to the book being a whole lot longer than I originally estimated…as I said above, 232 pages is almost a book and a half.

I now think that I will apply my astute business sense and raise the price again, this time to $49,995.50. I realize I will lose some volume, but then again, I don’t have to sell nearly as many. And I would point out, that comes to less than $50,000 per book. I’d even eat the shipping, but that’s because I am such a generous and noble fellow.

In any event, it will all remain online, for free — as will all the new stuff. Hope to start taking orders in a day or two, with books being printed by the end of next week.]