I Wrote a Great Book and I'm Giving it Away

[tod]

I Wrote a Great Book and I'm Giving it Away

I spent more than a year working on a book intended to raise consciousness, and now I'm giving it away for free.

It's a novel called Solo Flight, and it's all about personal development (among other things). Usually PD books are nonfiction, and there are many good ones. I chose a different path. I decided that fiction would be a really interesting way to talk about some of these ideas, and potentially reach a larger and different audience than traditional PD works.

Another motivation to write a novel is that it's very value-dense. It would take several nonfiction books to explain the philosophies, psychologies, and reasons for the events in one good novel. Yet when you read the story, you absorb so much more in emotions, images, as well as ideas. And if it's any good, it'll stick around for years and continue to deliver value to people. It's being timeless, not timely.

And most importantly for a novel, I had a really awesome story to tell!

So what is Solo Flight about? The main storyline concerns a young man's choice between a life of growth and adventure, or a life of safety and security. The backdrop is two different settings: the world of aviation and the world of education. I have some interesting things to say about both.

Here's the back cover synopsis:

NOLAN COOPER HAS A BIG SECRET. He invented and built an airplane. And he’s going to test fly it himself... if he can cut fourth period!

Why is a smart kid like Nolan flunking his classes?
What kind of school would punish a student for telling the truth?
Why is the worst bully in Nolan’s school not another student, but the Principal?
Can his best friend be tempted to reveal his secret life?
And why do they say his airplane design is destined to kill him?
Will Nolan fly free of his troubles, or will he crash and burn?

Solo Flight delivers a powerful, multi-faceted message about personal growth. I believe that a book can change a mind like nothing else. I fully intend Solo Flight to encourage and motivate millions of people.

Best of all, you can now read it for free.

I wasn't sure at first if I should offer the book for free. I worried that if I gave it away, it might seem like the book has little or no value. Actually, sales in the two months it's been out have been very good. I'm getting comments and reactions from all kinds of people I've never met... when strangers buy your book, that's a good sign.

But my real goal is to reach lots of people. I calculated how long it might take to achieve that by word-of-mouth sales alone. It became clear to me that the fastest and most caring thing to do would be to offer it for free, or as close as possible. So I lowered the prices on the digital and physical versions and created a web site where anybody can read the whole book at no cost. You don't even have to give me your email address (although if you do, I'll be able to notify you of new projects).

So if you'd like to read an exciting novel, a story worth reading for its own sake, and one that will encourage people to reach their potential, browse on over to http://www.SoloFlightBook.com and enjoy!

[veloci]

I like part 1 of chapter 1. I should get a Kindle so I can get eBooks!

Would it be possible for you to release the book in PDF format? Then again I could buy the eBook. Actually I bookmarked your site. I am going to donate some money to you when I am able to!

Keep up the great work!

"In a quick, confident motion, he performed a maneuver that terrifies even experienced pilots. His own flight instructor refused to show it to him; he had to learn it from an old pilot who was more adventurous. He pressed the right rudder to the floor while twisting the controls to the left. At once, the plane violently flipped upside down and pointed toward the earth. The window, no longer filled with sky, was all green. He was headed straight for the ground."

I really like that paragraph! It filled me with a sense of risk but courage! That is what life is all about! Haha!

[tod]

I considered other ebook formats, but decided that releasing on one format would be best. That way, if sales are at all significant, the book will climb the only chart that matters (Amazon's) and attract more attention.

The Kindle version is DRM free and can be read on a computer (Linux, Windows, or Mac) as well as smartphones and Kindle devices.

What I didn't realize is that a lot of people equate Kindle books with Kindle devices, and don't know you can read those files with other programs. I guess I have to work harder to inform people.

And thanks for the comments, veloci! I'd love to hear what you think of it when you're finished.

[veloci]

Originally Posted by tod

I considered other ebook formats, but decided that releasing on one format would be best. That way, if sales are at all significant, the book will climb the only chart that matters (Amazon's) and attract more attention.

The Kindle version is DRM free and can be read on a computer (Linux, Windows, or Mac) as well as smartphones and Kindle devices.

What I didn't realize is that a lot of people equate Kindle books with Kindle devices, and don't know you can read those files with other programs. I guess I have to work harder to inform people.

And thanks for the comments, veloci! I'd love to hear what you think of it when you're finished.

Ah! I did not realize you could read Amazon ebooks on other hardwares. Thanks man!

[CoolBee]

I like what I've read so far!
I can see it might appeal to young Egyptian men.
If you could make it available in PDF format, then Egyptian author/broadcaster/blogger Marwa Rakha distributes free English language books on her site to an egyptian audience.
Free English Books - Marwa Rakha

[tod]

Egyptian? Really? Why?

I'll have to think about releasing it as a PDF, but anybody can go to the site and read it directly off the site. There's even a translation service built in. So it's actually accessible to the Egyptians now.

[CoolBee]

Well Egyptian because (a) they're really into PD stuff (b) because from what I read so far (and I have been offline for 2 days so not finished it yet) - the difficulty of going against what your father wants you to do, some of the issues with the teacher - I recognize all that from Egyptian friends of mine.
They would read it in English anyway - the automatic translations between English and Arabic are great for giving you more than a gist of content.

[Artelus]

Read it. It's good. I like it. But there are also some things i don't like about it.

First of all, Nolan is too flawless. He is still a child. He needs flaws. Character flaws, personality flaws, etc. These will allow readers to connect with the character and learn something from him.

Second of all, the characters are too transparent, too laid out for me. Its fine as a book that conveys a simple and powerful message, however, i think you shouls write something more deep and complex, to inspire those "above average" individuals that authorities find to be so threatening.

[alexb5784]

I love the fact that you put your book online and I can read it from your blog. I'll check out chapter one now.

[tod]

Thank you for reading and thanks for the feedback!

As far as making a novel deep and complex, I did consider this. Solo Flight was going to be three times as long. Rather than explore the childhood of Nolan's father, the political machinations of Leavitt and Minerva, and the desperate need of Dewey to find security, which would all have been interesting and deep and complex, I decided to focus on the handful of storylines where I could really say something different.

Nolan isn't supposed to have any flaws. Thanks for picking up on that. It would have taken the story in other directions I didn't want to go. Simple and deep, like Mr. Rogers said.

Glad you liked it, though, and you can't beat the price.

Originally Posted by Artelus

Read it. It's good. I like it. But there are also some things i don't like about it.

First of all, Nolan is too flawless. He is still a child. He needs flaws. Character flaws, personality flaws, etc. These will allow readers to connect with the character and learn something from him.

Second of all, the characters are too transparent, too laid out for me. Its fine as a book that conveys a simple and powerful message, however, i think you shouls write something more deep and complex, to inspire those "above average" individuals that authorities find to be so threatening.

[tod]

Originally Posted by alexb5784

I love the fact that you put your book online and I can read it from your blog. I'll check out chapter one now.

You're welcome! I'd love to hear your reaction to it when you're done.