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.

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!

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.

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!

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.)