My new baseball card novel is out!!

HalleyGator · July 2, 2007 8:52AM

Most of you know me as an avid vintage card collector and owner, so you probably won't be surprised to learn that I just released a fictional suspense novel about a kid who gets his hands on a whole uncut sheet of Wagners in 1909 -- and the chase that ensues for the sheet over the next century!

It's a very funny read, written in casual conversation with movie quotes, song quips, sports trivia, etc.

And best of all...I set the price at ZERO profit so that it would be as cheap as possible for everyone to enjoy! ($14) I don't care about making any money, I just want to share the story that had been building in my head for years.

Here is the link to preview and hopefully purchase a copy (or thirty!):

Click here - the link is fixed now!

And YES, I discuss card grading for any reader who is unfamiliar with the concept, and speak very highly of it and how it has turned cards into a liquid commodity for those who want them to be... but also a protection against fraud for even someone who never plans to sell.

Hope you like it!!!

- Hal

handyman · July 2, 2007 8:55AM

.

HalleyGator · July 2, 2007 9:00AM

Simple.

I want VOLUME.

The more people that read it, the more people will enjoy it.

Presumably someone who bought 30 would be giving them out to friends as gifts... not hoarding them. That would do nobody any good.

Believe me, I'll end up losing money over this folly... but luckily that's not as issue. I just wanted to write the book, and now I want to know that it's spreading.

Sort of a proud papa type thing.

lostdart58 · July 2, 2007 9:06AM

Link is not working for me..........

jrinck · July 2, 2007 9:06AM

Intriguing idea for a story.

I think the link you provided is bad, though--has an extra http in it. Here's what works for me...

http://www.lulu.com/content/972440

And if you REALLY don't want to profit from this, which is admirable, why not just give it away in text/pdf form?

SoFLPhillyFan · July 2, 2007 9:08AM

The link doesn't work Hal. Here's a good one.

Good luck with the book.

The Marinolli Treasure

stown · July 2, 2007 9:18AM

<< And if you REALLY don't want to profit from this, which is admirable, why not just give it away in text/pdf form? >>

I believe if you do an e-book through lulu, there's no charge to the Seller or Buyer.

Edit:

Lulu is free to publish but costs $2.50 to the Buyer (you get $2.00 royalty / $0.50 to Lulu).

Just refund the Buyer $2

handyman · July 2, 2007 9:21AM

good luck

HalleyGator · July 2, 2007 9:33AM

Because I wanted to publish a BOOK that people can hold in their hands and pass on to others. THAT'S what my dream was. Have you ever tried to read 213 pages on a computer screen? Headache city.

I'm also protective of my work product, and it's pretty scary to just throw it out there where someone can take it for free and do who knows what with it. What would stop them from editing it slightly and submitting it in their name?

Or even just editing it to make it much different than my original... and then passing it on even with my name on something that I did not create. I could see someone adding a very inappropriate scene and then passing it around the net with my name on it. No thanks!

I want to have a real BOOK that I can give to people and kids and clients and family. THAT'S what publishing is about.

And No, I really don't care if anyone buys 30... but I do know you would enjoy 1 if you enjoy card collecting!

stitzen · July 2, 2007 9:53AM

Congrats on getting the book out, and I applaud your efforts to keep the price as low as possible to get it is in as many hands as possible.

Don't mind the naysayers here, though.

Griffins · July 2, 2007 10:00AM

Damn. Poor guy busts his hump writing a book, puts the royalty rate at zero, and you guys still grind him for not making it convenient enough.
Hal had the HOF registry set for a few years, until it was passed by a guy slabbing modern tribute cards. I can think of only a handful of fictional books about cards, and hopefully this one will help turn a few more people onto the hobby. it's certainly written by someone knowledgable about cards, unlike a recent book that focused on a different Wagner T206.

Hal, when you produce this on tape I vote for Tik to do the voice over.

HalleyGator · July 2, 2007 10:07AM

Terry would be a great old voice, wouldn't he?

I could probably get him to be the voice of Honus himself!!

Thanks.

1980scollector · July 2, 2007 10:42AM

one hell of an idea and for your efforts I will be happy to buy it and read it!

thanks man and really appreciate your efforts

WinPitcher · July 2, 2007 10:47AM

I agree, great job Hal and best of luck.

Steve

zep33 · July 2, 2007 10:48AM

Congrats on getting your book out

I'd love to read it

prscott933 · July 2, 2007 10:51AM

Congrats! Publishing a book is a great accomplishment.

stown · July 2, 2007 10:57AM

<< Because I wanted to publish a BOOK that people can hold in their hands and pass on to others. THAT'S what my dream was. Have you ever tried to read 213 pages on a computer screen? Headache city.

I'm also protective of my work product, and it's pretty scary to just throw it out there where someone can take it for free and do who knows what with it. What would stop them from editing it slightly and submitting it in their name?

Or even just editing it to make it much different than my original... and then passing it on even with my name on something that I did not create. I could see someone adding a very inappropriate scene and then passing it around the net with my name on it. No thanks!

I want to have a real BOOK that I can give to people and kids and clients and family. THAT'S what publishing is about.

And No, I really don't care if anyone buys 30... but I do know you would enjoy 1 if you enjoy card collecting! >>

Hey man, I'm just giving you inexpensive alternatives. I enjoy holding a book in my hands, so completely understand what you're saying.

FWIW - Don't concern yourself with copyright infringments on e-books. The purpose of .pdf files is for protection.. Wouldn't make any difference if someone scanned the book.

Best of luck on your venture.

jrinck · July 2, 2007 11:12AM

Yeah, I wasn't criticizing, either. Just offering another suggestion, that's all.

After all, if you really just want people to read it, the most number of people will read it if you make it the most convenient for them to get it.

HalleyGator · July 2, 2007 11:21AM

No, I wasn't suggesting you guys were criticizing, but I just feel like a book is real and a "download" is like getting an e-mail from someone. It just doesn't feel the same.

PasadenaMudSlide · July 2, 2007 11:26AM

Sincerest congratulations!

This is something we've all thought of doing at one time or another. The fact that your dream came to fruition is very admirable.

Best of luck!

jrinck · July 2, 2007 11:27AM

<< No, I wasn't suggesting you guys were criticizing, but I just feel like a book is real and a "download" is like getting an e-mail from someone. It just doesn't feel the same. >>

So it's fully bound and hardback? That would be different. I can see charging $14 if it is. If it's softback or manuscript form, then that would be a different story.

stevek · July 2, 2007 11:43AM

Hal - if interested, here is a good website which discusses Lulu and other POD publishers. Best wishes for success with the book.

http://booksandtales.com/

scooter729 · July 2, 2007 11:44AM

Congrats on publishing a book! I've long had that in the back of my mind as a goal someday; hopefully it will come to the forefront at some point. Best of luck with it!

bhl2359 · July 2, 2007 12:17PM

Hal is a rich lawyer. He doesn't need any stinking royalties.

HalleyGator · July 2, 2007 12:26PM

Royalties! We don't need no stinkin' royalties!

All I want are satisfied readers!

But he's right. I'm a lawyer, so I'm not quitting my day job anytime soon.

That money pays for baseball cards...and crazy adventures like this one!!

theBobs · July 2, 2007 12:33PM

Anthony you are the voice of reason...

bhl2359 · July 2, 2007 12:52PM

<< Anthony you are the voice of reason... >>

Which is something we have no need for here. Thanks for nothing, Anthony

HalleyGator · July 2, 2007 9:04PM

Here is the press release from this morning:

"The Marinolli Treasure" Press Release

HalleyGator · July 2, 2007 11:15PM

And FYI, we've only sold 52 copies thus far after all of my efforts...

so the only royalty we are talking about here is the "King of Crash"

stevek · July 2, 2007 11:42PM

<< And FYI, we've only sold 52 copies thus far after all of my efforts...

so the only royalty we are talking about here is the "King of Crash"

>>

Actually that's not all that bad for a POD book for starters. Very tough if not almost impossible to have a best selling POD book mainly because POD books are not usually found in bookstores for a variety of reasons. However a POD book, if it sells well, can be a good stepping stone to a possible contract with a major book publisher who will take some effort to market it. POD publishers as a rule do no marketing except if the author pays for it, and usually those marketing costs are a total waste of money.

You're doing it the right way. Promotion in baseball card forums and other venues of interest, and hopefully word will spread and sales will increase. Don't have any delusions about your book being a NY Times best seller even though it may be a very good book. It was pointed out to me one time that you can go to the library and find many thousands of good books, many of which may have not sold many copies.

One last word of advice - all things being equal, the difference between a poor selling book and a good selling book, is persistence.

Morgoth · July 3, 2007 2:42AM

Hal great job on the book. It says in your press release you have written two books, what was the first? I am buying two, one for me and one for my dad.

bhl2359 · July 3, 2007 5:57AM

Bump for the unknowing...

grote15 · July 3, 2007 12:25PM

Congrats Hal on the publication of your book! Publishing a book involves a great amount of labor and expense from beginning to end, and I wish you the best of luck!

HalleyGator · July 4, 2007 9:28AM

My first novel was 15 years ago...did not involve baseball...and was never published.

They didn't have on-line services back then.

Now all I have is the printed manuscript in the closet, but no way of finding the data on file, so I would have to re-type the whole thing. That was back in the MS-DOS days of WordStar. Yuck!

I think I'll just let that one sit in the closet and keep gathering dust while I work on another baseball-related one!

gemmintrarities · July 4, 2007 2:19PM

Is it me, or does anyone else think that BHL2359 and halleygator are both Hal Lewis. Too funny...

HalleyGator · July 5, 2007 4:06AM

Nah, I would just bump it myself if I was THAT worried about it!

I don't know who BHL is, but he is apparently just helping a fellow Gator out.

I had a fraternity brother who was a big baseball fan with the initials BL, but I doubt it is him.

bhl2359 · July 5, 2007 4:33AM

I am not halleygator. We are both Gator fansand attornies who live live in Florida. As he said, I was just trying to get the word out and help a fellow Gator.

Go Gators.

HalleyGator · July 10, 2007 8:12AM

Just one little bump for the halibut.

WinPitcher · July 10, 2007 8:57AM

Is it me, or does anyone else think that BHL2359 and halleygator are both Hal Lewis. Too funny...

What i thought funny was, who was you?

Steve

HalleyGator · July 10, 2007 12:10PM

Funny, Win!

I get your point.

Gemmint would really have been me (pretending not to be me) outing another guy as being me (pretending not to be me) so that I could talk back and forth to the real me.

Perfect logic!

gemmintrarities · July 10, 2007 1:28PM

<< Is it me, or does anyone else think that BHL2359 and halleygator are both Hal Lewis. Too funny...

What i thought funny was, who was you?

Steve >>

I am the boogeyman. Aww for Pete's sake, will you all just buy Hal's book, so he refrains from reminding us on message boards.

Just messing w/ you Hal. Congrats on completing and publishing your book.

CDsNuts · July 10, 2007 1:42PM

I believe that everyone who has posted in this thread is Hal, including WinPitcher....... Wait, I guess I'm Hal too now. Dammit, I don't wanna be Hal.

WinPitcher · July 10, 2007 2:12PM

You get my point? huh?

Steve

HalleyGator · July 10, 2007 10:35PM

If you are me too... then isn't it MY point?

HalleyGator · July 10, 2007 10:37PM

And actually...

Hal doesn't even exist.

I'm really Joe Orlando... and this whole message board is just me logging in under different names and carrying on conversations with myself.

stevek · July 11, 2007 2:24AM

Who cares about the book. When's the Spielberg movie coming out based on the book?

jerrywest45 · July 11, 2007 2:28AM

Is there any time machines or superheros in your book?

CDsNuts · July 11, 2007 2:37AM

Sounds like there might be with all of the zany plot twists.

jerrywest45 · July 11, 2007 2:44AM

I would write a book about finding dinosaur DNA in fossil containing amber. Then a scientist would clone the DNA and create dinosaurs and a theme park on an island displaying those dinosaurs.

Then, that zany velociraptor, would escape the island and look for a PSA 10 52 Mantle.

What do you guys think?

jerrywest45 · July 11, 2007 2:46AM

Oh, one more thing...the scientists name would be,

Harry Boxbanger

and this is what he would look like...

Stingray · July 11, 2007 2:56AM

My new baseball card novel is out!!

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