Ho hum, yet another zombie story. Sounds like a retread of 28 days later. Hasn't the zombie bandwagon passed by now? Does nobody have any new ideas?
Kind of agree with you on the whole, DDD, but it's a tad harsh to post that in the fellow's thread, don't you think, before you've even read it?
Generally speaking I probably wouldn't buy this sort of thing for much the same reasons - the genre does feel a bit oversaturated - but how can I not give a novel by a fellow boarder a look? 'Arsom' cover, too.
OOPs, so sorry Hoo haa, didn't spot the "my" in your original post, or I would have been much more diplomatic, or even kept my thoughts to myself! I thought it was just a mention of something you'd seen. I'm sure it's a great book, but the zombie-overdose is just one of my current bugbears. I'll probably buy it out of shame and guilt now!
haha! It's fine, Dan! I took no offence, personally. In fact, like Jimbo, I would be hard pushed to argue with your logic! Let's face it, everyone and their ma are writing zombie books. And, with Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead and World War Z on the cards for the small/ big screen, I don't think the zombies will be leaving us any time soon...
So, the question is this; what does Flu offer that's different? Well, for one thing the story's set in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with a menagerie of characters who I feel are representative of my home city. Basically, I've tried to write a story that I would like to read, myself - a story that is driven by the characters, a ragtag bunch pretty well messed up before anyone so much as sneezes. Real people dealing with a very surreal event.
Of course there's plenty of action in there, with that. I've tried to make Flu as wham-bam with the zombies as possible and so the filthy wee bastids have a heavy presence from prologue to epilogue. I want to give readers what they want, and, from some of the reviews of my first outing (Drop Dead Gorgeous - Permuted Press), that's what some readers found lacking from me:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1934861057/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1865NGDG3YAS5PEDQ1NN&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846Hey, HOO-HAA did you have any say in the cover?
Not a lot, Commando. Snowbooks took full control of that. They did ask what I thought would work, and I - with no marketing or artistic flair at all - suggested the words 'Flu by Wayne Simmons' spray-painted on a brick, wrap-around cover would nice. Thankfully they knew better than me... they did make my name a bit spray-painty, though, which is sweet...
I'm excited on your behalf, Hoo Haa, as a budding author I can't imagine how good it must feel like to have your book actually published and on sale.
Thanks, man. The encouragement means a lot - seriously.
I'm still a budding writer, myself. I'm working on a cyberpunk book, at present, which I'll be wanting to find a home for come March/ April time. Flu is my maiden voyage into the bigger league (although I suppose DDG was for sale throughout Borders/ Waldenbooks stores in the States).
I have learned a lot since DDG was published by Permuted in 2008 - all of which I will gladly share with anyone on the boards who thinks what little experience I have may be of benefit to them. From contracts to publishers to publicity and marketing - without an agent, I've pretty much just been learning it all on the hop. If any of that's of any interest to your own writing, or genre projects, just shoot me a PM. I'll help if I can.
Thanks for taking the time to hear me out, guys. I hope some of you get a chance to read Flu, some time, and would really love to hear your thoughts, if you do.
