Just a little bit more about Apocalypse Weird this week and then we will return to regular blog post programming about writing craft and book marketing next week. I wanted to let you know about some of the amazing prizes that will be offered at the Apocalypse Weird Facebook Launch Party on February 23rd and talk a little bit about why Apocalypse Weird is a revolution in publishing.
Five new Apocalypse Weird novels will be launched on February 23, 2015. They include: Texocalypse Now by Michael Bunker and Nick Cole, The Dark Knight by Nick Cole, Reversal by Jennifer Ellis, The Serenity Strain by Chris Pourteau and Immunity by E.E. Giorgi. Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) of all five novels will be coming available leading up to the launch. ARC readers and reviewers will be eligible for some great prizes before and at the Facebook Launch Party on February 23 from 2:00 to 8:00 Pacific Time. Don't forget to pick up a copy of The Red King, the first of the Apocalypse Weird books. It is already available and it is still free!
Launch Party Prizes
Prizes for ARC readers and reviewers will include:
- Five signed paperback copies of Nick Cole’s Soda Pop Soldier for the review voted most helpful on Amazon by midnight on February 23. There will be one prize per launch book.
- Three paperback copies of Texocalypse Now signed by Nick Cole and Michael Bunker. To be eligible, ARC readers must post their favorite excerpt from one of the launch novels on Facebook and tag the author in the week leading up to the Launch Party.
- A signed copy of pirated print copy of Osage Two Diamonds, by Michael Bunker, which officially does not exist in print. This prize will go to the best review of one of the launch novels on Amazon as voted by the launch authors by 6:00 PT the day of the launch.
The grand prize is a tier two contract for the Apocalypse Weird world of novels. This prize will go to the best pitch as chosen by five launch authors at 4:00 PT on February 23. The winner will have to have purchased, read, and shared on social media at least one and preferably all launch books.
Readers will be notified of ARC availability via the Apocalypse Weird mailing list, and the mailing lists of the individual launch authors. Texocalypse Now ARCs have already been distributed and Reversal ARCs are almost all gone. Make sure you are signed up at Apocalypse Weird and don’t miss a single ARC.
A Revolution in Publishing
So why is Apocalypse Weird a revolution in publishing? Wonderment Media, Inc., the publisher of the Apocalypse Weird novels is attempting to create a world that crosses Marvel Comics with Lost. The initial launch books will be followed by the release of a new book every two weeks for the next several months. In Apocalypse Weird, writers and fans come together to share a world of cross-cutting story lines, triumphant heroes, and non-stop adventure. There will be secret Easter Eggs that interconnect the books and allow readers to delve deeper into the world. Readers will be able to influence which heroes go to the end game and eventually writers will be able to share ideas and characters.
More importantly though for the writers, Apocalypse Weird is the first-of-its-kind publishing initiative designed by best-selling indie authors for indie authors. Wonderment Media, Inc. has developed author-friendly contracts that not only provide authors with more control than they would have in a traditional publishing contract, but also pay authors a much higher royalty rate than writers often receive in traditional contracts. At the same time, Wonderment is still covering the production costs associated with the novels. The goal is to make writing and publishing more a more profitable and collaborative endeavor for authors, while still allowing the authors the opportunity to market their work as part of brand, enjoy the supports of a publishing house, and work with other authors to build their readership.
New writers will be added to the Apocalypse Weird brand as it develops, writing in the worlds created by the tier one writers. The Facebook Launch Party will feature a pitch contest for prospective Apocalypse Weird writers, and other pitch opportunities will be announced over the next few months. With writers from many different countries, including Canada, Apocalypse Weird reflects an international collaboration, and a potential revolution in publishing for the benefit of authors.
Don’t forget to join the Facebook Launch Party hosted by the launch authors and many of the other Apocalypse Weird authors. There will be some great giveaways and lots of apocalyptic fun to be had.