Christmas, Eastern European polling and Paradise Atop the Hudson aftermath on Monday Morning Diary (December 20)
December 20, 2021 by wondersinthedark
by Sam Juliano
The staff of Wonders in the Dark extend holiday greetings to all our friends and readers. We are hoping 2022 will bring us some good news after the downward spiral of the past weeks. These are difficult times, and we must hold on to any strand of positive energy sent our way. Merry Christmas, all!
I want to extend a special thanks to Tony D’Ambra for his fantastic navigation of the site to re-arrange the banner, and set up a sidebar, adding a link of the book to Amazon. Once again thank yous are really insufficient!
This past week, Jim Clark published another fabulous review in his ongoing Antonioni series, this time on the English language Blow-Up. Continuing thanks to my muse, Valerie (Clark), who continues to generate all kinds of positive energy. This could never be sufficiently acknowledged.
Dennis Polifroni penned a superlative piece on Stephen Spielberg, in honor of the master’s 75th birthday. So great to have Dennis back contributing!
The Eastern European/Former Soviet Bloc polling continues for the coming weeks, and the numbers so far have been good. Thanks to those who have registered their ballots here at the site or on my FB page.
Publishing “typo” errors; Book sales; and the “dialogue” in PARADISE ATOP THE HUDSON
Late Sunday night I re-published PARADISE ATOP THE HUDSON after an intensive online session with my friend and editor Bill Kamberger, who scoured the book vigilantly. The novel is now error-free, meaning no more typos, no errant words, no missing commas, and even a correction on a character mix up of Sarah and Carol in one sentence about two-thirds through the book. The word “kneel” now has the missing “n” and the Guinness Book of World Records has replaced the incorrect Guinness World Book of Records. The massive “acknowledgment” section is now ERROR-FREE as well, in every sense. There weren’t many errors overall, but ANY errors to me are troubling. The section on Fairview and Cliffside Park residents who died too young has also been made to read as well as can be with some slight alterations, and in Chapter 1 “Miss America” has been rightly replaced by “Little Miss America.” (thank you Angelo for that alert!) My former teacher and great friend Mrs. Ann Marie Kradenski was referred to in an earlier chapter as “Mrs. Contessa,” but now is properly down as “Miss Contessa.” She was presented in that same chapter as “recently married,” when in fact at that time she was actually “recently engaged.” In another chapter “His” was used instead of the proper “He.” All of that has been corrected now. Even some accidental “bold” lettering in the aforementioned acknowledgment section has been fixed, thanks to Bill’s sharp-eyed investigation.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? It means that as of early this morning on Monday, December 19, all copies of the book sold –either on PAPERBACK or on KINDLE– will NO LONGER have the errors I mentioned. All books sold from here on will be error-free and fully corrected. I have ordered 35 author copies at cost ($5.88 each) that I will use for my future library signings or gifts. I bet I will need even more. I apologize for the earlier errors, but this is the price to pay for RUSHING, a lamentable fact Bill and my wife Lucille have reminded me about. But the errors are few and far between, and the early reports from readers who are engaged and/or have completed the book have been glowing.
You learn from mistakes. My tentative plans are to publish “Irish Jesus in Fairview” in either April or May, but this time I will be sure from the very start to have the book properly tweaked and error-free BEFORE publication. I have NOT finished writing “Irish Jesus in Fairview,” but I am nearly three-quarters there, unless I decide to make it longer than originally planned.
As of noontime Monday (today), “Paradise Atop the Hudson” has sold 389 paperback copies and 37 kindle copies, meaning 426 copies TOTAL. This is widely considered to be a truly excellent figure by everyone I speak to including authors, (some books sell only 200 in their entire lifespan, and “Paradise” has only been out 8 days) but financially -like 95% of Amazon publishings- the author loses money as I have. This was known even before I published. I did NOT write this book to make money, and I am not writing the second book to make money. I continue to be thrilled by the response, and by the daily climbing of book sales, fueled overwhelming by past and present Fairview and Cliffside Park residents. I am eternally grateful to all for their support and enthusiasm, and to the seven people, who have left reviews under the product at Amazon. Every one has been a five-star rave.
Regarding the novel’s “dialogue,” which I worked hardest on (more than any other aspect of the book, and subsequently am most proud of) I need to explain a bit. One person on Amazon has called my use of dialogue “sensational,” while another person (who still gave the book his highest rating”) downgraded it as “weak”, because he felt there was a specific way that people in Fairview and/or Cliffside Park spoke, or should have spoke. He based his criticism on a belief that everyone spoke or should have spoken like people he knew during the years he lived in the area. Alas, this expectation is not realistic. Not remotely. Each person I knew projected a different style and manner, and even a specific local dialect and word preference, based on their intelligence, upbringing, and the impact their friends had on them. I based my dialogue on REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCE with people I grew up with. Some of these people are still alive, and have contacted me to commend me on the authenticity. I worked to weave real-life personalities into the way they spoke, though I could have easily stood behind the fact that the book is FICTION, and dialogue is FABRICATED to support the book’s themes and plot. I never announced that I was planning to use dialogue to mirror absolute authenticity, but while writing the book I found I was drawn to replicating the people I knew so well, whether they were close friends, cops, teachers, waitresses, store owners, town bullies, Scoutmasters, Little League coaches, politicians, and numerous local residents who I interacted with in the early years. I was there, as I am now. I have lived all 67 years of my life in Fairview, so I sure as heck know well how people spoke.
Should anyone else decide to leave a review of “Paradise Atop the Hudson” on Amazon (under the product) I would appreciate some mention of the book’s dialogue, which was so integral to the narrative and the book’s themes, but most importantly to presenting Fairview as it was their the communication of its residents. I don’t feel it is fair to be judged for presenting the truth.
Thanks to all again for the red carpet you have set down for the novel. Happy Holidays to all!
You’re not alone in the rushing department, Sammy. I’ve got my first edition copy and am thrilled! It’s on my kitchen counter so I can look at it every time I pass by, destined for me to-read stack — but not yet. I love looking at it every day (typos and all!)