Posted on by Amanda Brooks

an independent press success story

A former client of mine has successfully published a book. He collaborated on the idea with another writer/researcher, they formed a company and produced the book. Their first print run of 2,500 copies was sold out before it was printed. Their second print run is scheduled for September and I bet they have to schedule a third before the end of the year.

Many other independent publishers (like those at the Baynet/Valleynet meetings), would hand over their first-born children to in order to sell 2,500 copies ever. So what did he do right?

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Posted on by Amanda Brooks

star struck

I’m not a girl who has lots of celebrity stories to tell. I’ve met numerous sport stars and movie-industry people (both porn and mainstream) while working in strip clubs. I waited on Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, both of whom were nice and gave autographs for a friend of mine that was a NASCAR fan (I had zero idea of who they were until years later). I saw Luke Wilson in Baby Dolls. I saw Dennis Rodman at Cabaret Royale a number of times. Once he was walking by my table and suddenly bent over and looked into my face from about two inches away (I think he was looking for one of his regular girls and all blonde strippers look alike, you know). That was a surprising moment, to say the least. And the biggest “celebrity” I met while escorting was a high-ranking executive for an Internet company (the company is a household name but he wasn’t). Still, it wasn’t like he had a problem paying his electric bill.

None of this has moved me a bit. In June, I went to see a reading given by Jacqueline Carey. And I was star-struck.

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