The Big Reveal: The Real Story of BRAVE MEN RUN on July 13, 2008

FROM MATTHEW WAYNE SELZNICK

Folks, for weeks now, I’ve been talking about “Brave Men Run — A Novel of the Sovereign Era” being released in a brand new paperback edition from Swarm Press on Sunday, July 13, 2008.

I’ve urged you — if you want to own a copy of the book, please wait to purchase it from Amazon.com on that day, so that together, everyone can push “Brave Men Run” as far up the Amazon bestseller charts as possible.

I’ve talked about how I’ll be live via streaming video all day long in a “web-a-thon” as a way to show solidarity for everyone who buys the book from Amazon.com on that day. I’ll give you updates on the progress of “Brave Men Run” as you help it climb the Amazon charts, and we’ll hang out together in the embedded chat room.

And… I’ve talked about the special content I’ll have for you on that Sovereign Summer Sunday… but I’ve never told you what that content will be.

Until now.

Another Podcasting First

Ladies and gentlemen, on Sunday, July 13, 2008, every hour on the hour for eight hours beginning at 10:00 AM Eastern / 7:00 AM Pacific time, I will present a brand new, original short story set in the first year of the Sovereign Era universe. These stories — official Sovereign Era canon — are from some of the most respected authors of podcast fiction:

• J.C. Hutchins (The “7th Son” trilogy)
• Mur Lafferty (”Playing For Keeps”)
• Nathan Lowell (The “Golden Age of the Solar Clipper” novels)
• Matt Wallace (”The Next Fix”)
• J.R. Blackwell (Voices of Tomorrow)
• P.G. Holyfield (”Murder at Avedon Hill”)
• Jared Axelrod (The Voice of Free Planet X)

I’ll be reading each story aloud, on camera, absolutely live, in random order — so be sure to check in every hour so you don’t miss your favorite author!

I can’t tell you how excited I am about this. I know each author worked very hard on their stories, and I’m honored and humbled by how willing and eager they were to play in the Sovereign Era sandbox. My universe is richer for it.

Spread the Word

If you’ve followed the history of this book for a while, you know my number one directive for the fans: tell everyone you know about “Brave Men Run.”. That’s never been more important than in these days leading up to Sunday, July 13, 2008. I need your help to get the word out about this one-of-a-kind event.

• If you have a blog, please write a post about it.
• If you have a podcast — audio or video — please mention it in your next episode.
• If you have a web site of any kind, please put up the “I Will Be There” badge.
• If you participate in any of the social bookmarking sites like Digg or Propeller, please share this story: ShareThisShareThis
• Paper the news all over the virtual walls of Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Second Life, FriendFeed, and anywhere else you hang your social media hat
• ???? Use your imagination, your connections, your online voice. I have faith in you.

Together, We Can Make New Media History

My goal on Sunday, July 13, 2008 is to reach the top of the Amazon.com charts. Sure, it’s been tried before, and folks got pretty high up there.

Together, I want us to hit number one.

I want us to wake up Eckhart Tolle. I want us to shake the hand of David Sedaris… as we pass him by. I want Brad Thor to shed a tear. I want Stephenie Meyer — whose book hasn’t even been released yet — to take a day off from sitting in that number one seat.

Why?

Not to get a big publishing deal. I’ve already got a deal, with the great indie Swarm Press. I want to raise attention. Attention for Swarm. Attention for “Brave Men Run.”

Most of all, attention for you: you are the ones who decide what sells, what gets heard, what gets seen. Near-exclusive control of media distribution is slipping out of the grasp of traditional publishers. Let’s make them tremble so fierce, they lose it once and for all.

You can do it.

I’ll see you here on Sunday, July 13, 2008, at 10:00 AM Eastern / 7:00 AM Pacific and on through the day. You will love the stories I have to tell… and together, we’ll write a new one.

Thank you.

BRAVE MEN RUN release party Sunday, July 13, 2008!

Release Party Sunday, July 13, 2008!

Matthew Wayne Selznick's modern superhero drama Brave Men Run will be released in paperback from Swarm Press on Sunday, July 13, 2008! We're asking everyone who wants a copy to purchase the book on that day--if everyone buys the book on Sunday, July 13 from Amazon.com, we can push it to the top of the charts and make an explosive impact for Brave Men Run, Swarm Press, and the power you, the user, has over new media!

All Day Web-a-thon

Join Matthew Wayne Selznick at BraveMenRun.com at the top of every hour on Sunday, July 13 via live streaming video! He’ll have updates on the book’s success on the Amazon charts, chat with viewers, and have very special Sovereign Era content to share with you.

PULSE News interviews author Van Allen Plexico

Comicon's PULSE News has posted a new interview with Sentinels author Van Allen Plexico here.

Bowie Ibarra's PIT FIGHTERS now available for pre-order!

Pit Fighters: Baptism by Fire by Bowie Ibarra

Pre-order Now With Free Shipping!

Five different nations. Five different styles. One goal.

A young Kung-Fu master following his spiritual path. A pugilist from Scotland trying to resurrect a failed boxing career. A Russian Sambo expert looking for a new lease on life in America. A Mexican luchador attempting to cross over into mixed martial arts. A street thug searching for a new lease on life off the streets.

Drifting from across the globe to the small south Texas town of San Uvalde, the fighters assemble under the banner of a risk-taking entrepreneur. Combining their diverse backgrounds and unique skills, the men become a team united in one goal: glory in the new sport of mixed martial arts.

But will their unity and skills be enough to overcome their individual shortcomings, demons, and doubts when they are locked in a cage and tested by some of the deadliest fighters in the world? There will be only one supreme champion, and it will take more than skill, guts, and determination to succeed among a reborn breed of warriors: Pit Fighters.

Pre-order now at just $14.95 and get free shipping!

"This is one of the most imaginative, yet true-to-the-sport accounts of the hard living that trained fighters must endure. Casual fight fans will be drawn in quickly as Ibarra paints the picture perfectly for them, while longtime fans will thrill with every vivid description of falls, punches, holds, and triumphs."
--Jeromy Sage, River City Wrestling Heavyweight Champion

BRAVE MEN RUN Featured On Comicon Pulse!

“Pulse”, the online magazine / forum for the official ComicCon website, is featuring an interview with Matthew Wayne Selznick all about his forthcoming Swarm Press novel Brave Men Run — A Novel of the Sovereign Era. Check it out right here!

The article is also part of the Pulse user forums — free registration is required to post, but we hope you’ll take the time to lend your thoughts and support about Brave Men Run and get some discussion going over there. We're excited to see what kind of attention the first real promotion in a very comics-centric outlet brings the book.

Introducing BRAVE MEN RUN wallpaper!

Matthew Wayne Selznick--author of the forthcoming Swarm Press modern day superhero novel Brave Men Run--has taken the beautiful cover art and whipped up some stylish wallpaper for your computer, laptop, or mobile device. Check out the Brave Men Run Wallpapers page! There are two designs for computers: one for regular monitors, and another for widescreens. Also, you can slap the cover on your mobile phone, thanks to a partnership with Myxer.com. It’s all right here, and it’s all free!

If you’d really like to go the extra mile, put the wallpaper on your computer at work, and when people ask about it… that’s right! Tell them all about Brave Men Run: A Novel of the Sovereign Era. Tell ‘em all about how they can buy it from Amazon.com on July 13, 2008. Tell ‘em how they can listen to it for free as a podcast.

Spread the word every way you can! Thanks!

Swarm Press Shirt Store Now Open!

The brand new Swarm Press T-Shirt Store is now open! Shirts in various designs and styles with custom color selection available.


Click Here To Shop!

Enter the code "GRANDOPENING5" at checkout and receive $5 off any order over $20!

The Dead Robots' Society interviews author Matthew Wayne Selznick

The Dead Robots' Society interviews author Matthew Wayne Selznick--author of the forthcoming book Brave Men Run from Swarm Press--on episode #37 of their show. Visit their site to listen to the interview.

Pre-order the first horror title from Swarm Press: THE DEAD PARADE

The first action-packed horror title from Swarm Press--The Dead Parade by James Roy Daley--is now available for pre-order!

On the morning his life goes to hell, James McGee is comfortable and clear minded, leaving for what he expects will be an uneventful workday. Within the hour James will witness the suicide of his closest friend, be responsible for countless murders, and become a fugitive from the police.

In the shadow of James’ mind, a demon lurks. Bloodlust is a virus--it’s infecting his logic. James has become a pawn in a game he does not understand, and only one thing is clear:

Survival is not an option.

Pre-order now at just $14.95 and get free shipping!

"James Roy Daley's literary style is achingly accessible and a grand pleasure to read."
--Weston Oche, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Scarecrow Gods

Brave Men Run Release Date Set

(from Matthew Wayne Selznick's blog)

All right, gang, it’s time to reveal the street date of the Swarm Press paperback edition of “Brave Men Run — A Novel of the Sovereign Era.”

July 13, 2008

Mark your calendars, my friends — that’s the day you’ll be able to purchase the book from Amazon.com! I hope you will help me concentrate all initial sales on that one day, so that we can make a big impact on the Amazon sales charts and show the world, once again, the incredible power you have in the world of publishing!

But Matt, I’ve Already Got The Original Edition

If you’ve already purchased the “Little Monster” edition of “Brave Men Run — A Novel of the Sovereign Era,” well… thank you, and congratulations! You’ve got a collector’s item, because that baby is officially out of print. I’d still like you to shell out your hard-earned cash for a copy of the Swarm Press edition. See, the day after “Brave Men Run” drops is my birthday, and all I want is for you to buy a copy of the new edition of the book… in fact, if you do, I’ll make it worth your while with a little something-something:

Simply send me a picture of yourself with both the original Lulu.com edition of the book and the new Swarm Press edition, and I’ll send you an autographed book plate. But wait! You’ll also be entered into a contest — everyone who sends me a picture of yourself with both books in hand, before September 1st, 2008, will be eligible to win…

• Grand Prize: A character in the next novel of the Sovereign Era, “Pilgrimage,” named after you, including a special note in the acknowledgements!
• Second and Third Prizes: Goodies from Swarm Press, to be announced.

There’ll be one winner for each prize… and *everyone* who enters gets the book plate.

Stay Tuned For More Big News About July 13!

I plan on making July 13, 2008 a fun day for everyone… be sure to check back here or subscribe to my newsletter for updates on what I have in mind!

Meanwhile… tell everyone you know about July 13, 2008!

Praise for Mur Lafferty's PLAYING FOR KEEPS from James Patrick Kelly

"If you think you know how a superhero novel is supposed to read, then you'll find PLAYING FOR KEEPS a revelation. Part satire, part thrill ride, this saga of a ragtag band of superheroes with a most unlikely assortment of abilities starts at a gallop and then accelerates. Now the world knows MurLafferty's superpower: she can astonish us!"

--James Patrick Kelly, Hugo- and Nebula-award winning author of Burn

PLAYING FOR KEEPS by Mur Lafferty (Coming August '08)

Swarm Press is proud to announce the acquisition of the superhero novel Playing For Keeps by well-known podcaster and writer Mur Lafferty. Swarm will release a trade paperback edition of Playing For Keeps in August '08, and the podcast edition of the entire book can currently be heard free of charge here.

About Playing For Keeps

The shining metropolis of Seventh City is the birthplace of super powers. The First Wave heroes are jerks, but they have the best gifts: flight, super strength, telepathy, genius, fire. The Third Wavers are stuck with the leftovers: the ability to instantly make someone sober, the power to smell the past, the grace to carry a tray and never drop its contents, the power to produce high-powered excrement blasts, absolute control… over elevators.

Bar owner Keepsie Branson is a Third Waver with a power that prevents anything in her possession from being stolen. Keepsie and her friends just aren’t powerful enough to make a difference… at least that’s what they’ve always been told. But when the villain Doodad slips Keepsie a mysterious metal sphere, the Third Wavers become caught in the middle of a battle between the egotistical heroes and the manipulative villains.

As Seventh City begins to melt down, it’s hard to tell the good guys from the bad, and even harder to tell who may become the true heroes.

“Playing For Keeps is hip, intelligent and loads of fun.”
--Ken McConnell, author of Starstrikers

About Mur Lafferty

Mur Lafferty is an American podcaster and writer based in Durham, North Carolina. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated with a degree in English. She was, until July, 2007, the host and co-editor of Pseudopod. She is also the host and creator of the podcasts Geek Fu Action Grip and I Should be Writing. Visit Mur online at her official site.

Coming August 2008 From Swarm Press

Sneak Peek: SENTINELS: WHEN STRIKES THE WARLORD by Van Allen Plexico

Click here to read the first 3 chapters of Sentinels: When Strikes the Warlord

The power-mad Warlord stands poised to conquer--or destroy!--the universe itself. Can anyone stand in his way?

Enter the Sentinels: College student Lyn Li... brilliant inventor and smart-alec Esro Brachis... beloved hero Ultraa... flamboyant showman Damon Sinclair... and mysterious alien powerhouse Vanadium.

When at last they all clash atop the Warlord's floating city, can the world itself survive?

Pre-Order Sentinels: When Strikes the Warlord now and get free shipping!

"Really stands out as top-notch among its genre."
--Adrian Watts, author of Golden Age Adventures

Keep up with SENTINELS author Van Plexico at his blog!

Van Allen Plexico--author of the SENTINELS superhero novel series (coming this summer from Swarm Press)--has revived his long dead blog. Keep up with Van's books and various other projects including art previews, links to stories, and interviews here:

http://plexico.blogspot.com/

Recent posts include a tiny teaser preview for one of Chris Kohler's awesome new illustrations for the Swarm Press edition of SENTINELS: A DISTANT STAR and details on the upcoming 4th book in the SENTINELS series.

Sovereign Summer - An Avatar For You!

Sovereign Summer is getting closer… that glorious season when “Brave Men Run — A Novel of the Sovereign Era” is published in paperback from Swarm Press!

I’ll be doing all kinds of things as the great day gets closer, and I’m hoping I can depend on you for help spreading the word. Here’s a little icon, suitable for use in Twitter, Facebook, as your Gravatar, in forums… anywhere you like! Spread it far and wide, and whenever possible, please include a link back to http://www.bravemenrun.com… with thanks!

If you use the icon, leave a note in the comments, with a link to where folks can see you it in action.

Thanks! Have a bitchin’ Sovereign Summer!



Many, many thanks to Rick Stringer for the awesome seal of the Donner Institute for Sovereign Studies!

(From Matthew Selznick's blog.)

SENTINELS superhero novel series now available for pre-order!

Pre-order the exciting small press reissue of Van Allen Plexico's highly praised superhero novel series SENTINELS (Vols. 1 - 3)!

Sentinels: When Strikes the Warlord Ultraa... Pulsar... Vanadium... Esro Brachis... Who are the Sentinels? From the moment Lyn Li foils an attempt to kidnap her from her own college campus, she is plunged into a new world, and a new life. Working--and battling--alongside a brilliant inventor, a famous super hero, and an enigmatic alien powerhouse, Lyn will confront the monstrous menace of the Warlord and his minions. When at last they clash atop his vast, floating city, can the world itself survive? Equal parts old-fashioned pulp adventure, comics-style super hero action, and science fiction wonderment, SENTINELS: WHEN STRIKES THE WARLORD has something for everyone who enjoys a brisk, fast-paced journey into excitement.
($14.95 - Available June 2008)

Sentinels: A Distant Star After helping to save the world, all Esro Brachis wanted was a little peace and quiet. Then the giant robot attacked. And the alien warships landed in his back yard. And then things got really crazy. At least he has a beautiful alien warrior woman at his side--if only she didn't want to kill him! SENTINELS: A DISTANT STAR continues the journey and the excitement in a bigger, bolder adventure, with all your favorite heroes and villains back for more... and with many new wonders to encounter!
($14.95 - Available July 2008)

Sentinels: Apocalypse Rising Menaced by no fewer than three alien invasion forces, the Earth cries out for its heroes. But the Sentinels have vanished! And now Pulsar stands alone, down but not defeated, and determined to rescue her teammates... and her world. APOCALYPSE RISING is a dynamic and gripping novel in its own right--and the climactic chapter in the Sentinels saga!
($14.95 - Available August 2008)

Pre-order all 3 novels with free shipping from Swarm Press now!

BRAVE MEN RUN by Matthew Wayne Selznick coming Summer 2008 from Swarm Press!

Swarm Press is proud to announce its first official acquisition: a modern tale of superheroes by Matthew Wayne Selznick titled Brave Men Run: A Novel of the Sovereign Era.

Brave Men Run is the story of Nate Charters. Born different, unsure of his origins, he’s an outcast at Abbeque Valley High School, a self-proclaimed “boy freak” with few friends and low self-esteem. When a flying man announces the existence of superpowered individuals and the Sovereign Era dramatically dawns, Nate finds himself in a quest to discover the truth: is he more than he seems, a misfit in a miraculous and powerful new minority… or something else entirely?

Brave Men Run was the first novel with an initial simultaneous publication in paperback, five formats of e-book free of digital rights management restrictions, and free podcast audiobook (podiobook) editions. Listen to the free podcast audiobook edition of Brave Men Run here!

Swarm Press will release an all-new quality trade paperback edition of Brave Men Run: A Novel of the Sovereign Era in the Summer of 2008. This will be the independent publishing event of the Summer!

To keep up with Swarm Press news sign up for our newsletter!

Permuted Press is working on a new imprint called Swarm Press. Permuted will remain focused on apocalyptic/zombie works while Swarm will cover a wider

Permuted Press is working on a new imprint called Swarm Press. Permuted will remain focused on apocalyptic/zombie works while Swarm will cover a wider array of genres: speculative fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, general horror, etc. The site is bare bones at the moment, but you can check out our logo and sign up for the mailing list:

http://www.swarmpress.com