Tracks Featured at Frostburg Indie Lit Fest

This weekend, Frostburg State University hosts the Sixth Annual Western Maryland Independent Lit Festival. The festival kicks off at 5:30 this Friday, October 12 with a reading and panel discussion on the author/publisher relationship.

I’ll be one of this year’s featured authors. The evening begins at Main Street Books at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, October 12. Other participants at the author/publisher relationship-themed reading include Gerry LaFemina, Richard Peabody, Jason Jack Miller, and Nathan Leslie.

The reading will be followed by a reception to welcome festival attendees at the Center for Creative Writing.

Then, at 7:30, a panel discussion portraying the editor/author relationship will be held at the Frostburg Public Library. The evening’s reading authors will participate, along with publishers Jamie Brown of Broadkill Publishing, Dan Cafaro of Atticus Books, Heidi Ruby Miller of Raw Dog Screaming Press, and Rick Campbell of Anhinga Press.

Three events rolled into one night, all free and open to the public!

Learn more about the kickoff evening at the Indie Lit Reading Facebook page.

www.facebook.com/events/309399842500826

Visit the Indie Lit Festival website for more about the weekend’s events.

www.frostburg.edu/cwcenter/indie-lit-festival

The Michael Phelps of Books

Here in Rodgers Forge, we’re celebrating one of the most gold-medal heavy communities in the world. Michael Phelps grew up here and is an old neighbor.

If there is an Michael Phelps of books, the closest thing to it would be Atticus Books.

That’s because Atticus swept up the gold at this year’s Independent Publisher Book Awards in New York City. Not only did my own Tracks: A Novel in Stories win the Gold Medal for Best Fiction in the Mid-Atlantic region, but three other Atticus authors took gold for three other regions.

See the press release issued by Atticus Books to learn more about the Olympics of indie publishing.

http://atticusbooksonline.com/atticus-books-wins-four-ippy-awards

Atticus Gold Winners Profiled in Independent Publisher

It’s not every day that a publisher has an author win a gold medal for fiction. So imagine how amazing it was when indie publisher Atticus Books learned it swept four regional gold medals this year!


That’s the subject of an article in the most recent issue of Independent Publisher. Jillian Bergsma interviewed Atticus Books CEO and founder Dan Cafaro and 2012 fiction gold medalists John Minichillo, JM Tohline, and Tommy Zurhellen … and yours truly.

“My goal with Atticus Books is to create a new publishing paradigm that elevates great literature far beyond the classroom and outside the pages of a static book,” Dan Cafaro said. “There's a thrill in knowing that the writers whose works we support are creating a legacy that will outlast all of us!”


JM Tohline: “The Great Lenore came to me the same way any other story ideas had come to me in the preceding years, and have come to me since: it just sort of showed up. First, it was the seed of an idea. Then, it began to grow. And soon, I held a whole story in my hands.”


Tommy Zurhellen: “The Badlands are a desolate but magical place, and after visiting them over and over it became clear to me that this book really couldn't be set anyplace else.”


John Minichillo: “Moby-Dick was a wealth of inspiration and the story I got out of it was a joy to write and a gift. So the idea to do a retelling of Moby-Dick came first, something I'd kicked around for years without a good ‘way in’ to the story.”


Eric D. Goodman: “A local on the literary scene made the case that all good fiction begins as regional fiction. I took his advice to heart and began setting my stories and books in concrete places—the real sights and restaurants and cafes in Baltimore and Chicago. I think that helped ground the stories.”


Dan Cafaro: “The authors we sign have a knack for writing visual, compelling narratives whose characters and story lines are quirky and timeless. I'm elated to have our books connected with the IPPY awards. Publishing needs the IPPYs as much as the film industry needs Sundance.”


Read the entire story and find out what these Atticus Authors are doing next at


http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1550&urltitle=Atticus%20Books%20Takes%20Home%20Four%20IPPY%20Gold%20Medals

Atticus Authors in The Ivy

Just what will two Atticus authors be doing in the ivy this Saturday afternoon? Reading from their novels, of course!

The Ivy Bookshop, voted the best bookstore in Baltimore, will host Alex Kudera and me for a reading and book signing Saturday at 1 p.m.

Alex will read from his debut novel, Fight For Your Long Day. I will read from Tracks: A Novel in Stories. Below is more information about the event.

March 24, 2012 - Baltimore, MD: Atticus Authors in the Ivy, 1 p.m., a reading with Atticus authors Alex Kudera and Eric D. Goodman at The Ivy Bookshop, 6080 Falls Rd., Baltimore, MD
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Ivy-Bookshop/156584747738128?sk=wall

The event is free and open to the public. Hope to see you there!

Harvest Some Atticus Author Activity

This harvest season, the authors of Atticus Books are getting around. The month October has been (and is still) full of readings, signings, festivals, reviews, discussions, publications, and other exciting literary activities.


Find out what John Minichillo, Steve Himmer, Alex Kudera, Matt Mullins, JM Tohline, Tommy Zurhellen, and yours truly are up to by browsing the latest blog post from Atticus publicity gury Libby O’Neill at the Atticus Books website.

http://atticusbooksonline.com/atticus-authors-on-the-move-october-2011

York Daily Record Sunday News Features Tracks

Last Sunday, the Portsmouth Daily Times wasn’t the only daily newspaper to run a feature about Tracks in the Sunday edition.



The York Daily Record / Sunday News ran the feature story “Train passengers’ stories become a novel.”



“When Goodman watches a movie or reads a book, he always wants to know more about the side characters. Writing a novel in intertwined stories seemed like the ideal way to learn more about different characters,” wrote Susan Jennings.



“Gathering an eclectic group of passengers -- which includes a salesman, a soldier, a former mobster and a Holocaust survivor -- also meant Goodman could have darker and lighter stories mixed together in one book.”



Susan not only interviewed me for the feature. She also interviewed my publisher, Dan Cafaro of Atticus Books, and Pennsylvania novelist Bathsheba Monk.



“It fills that space between commercial and literary fiction,” Cafaro said.



“The thing about "Tracks" is that, after I was finished, I found myself looking around at my fellow passengers on a plane and wondering at our interconnectedness," Monk said in an email. "So while the story itself was compelling, what it said lingered on in me. That's the sign of a good book.”



Missed the print edition? Read the feature online at the York Daily Record / Sunday News book blog.



http://www.yorkblog.com/books/2011/08/train-passengers-stories-becom.html

People Watching with Atticus Books

In conjunction with the publication of Tracks, a novel in stories, Atticus Books sat down for an interview with me about my fiction debut, people watching on trains, and plans for the film adaptation.

We talk about writing in general, inspiration for Tracks in particular, and the concept of a novel in stories with shifting perspectives of the same characters.

Read the full interview, pictures and all, at the Atticus Books website, “where distinguished voices become legend.” And if you have a question of your own, feel free to ask in the comments section.

http://atticusbooksonline.com/tracks-arrives-at-the-station-june-30-an-interview-with-the-author/

Tracks Available to Pre-Order Now with Free Shipping

Mondays aren’t all bad. Sure, Fridays get all the attention with their ends of the week and beginnings of the weekend. But sometimes starting an entirely new week has its perks.

Here’s a reason to celebrate this Monday: Tracks, a novel in stories, is now available for pre-order at the online bookstore of Atticus Books!

Not only that, but if you pre-order before the official release date of June 30, you can get free shipping anywhere in the United States!

As Atticus describes, “This novel-in-stories follows a diverse group of passengers on a train from Baltimore to Chicago, revealing the secrets of their past, their hopes for the future and just how intertwined their lives really are.”

What kind of person takes the train from Baltimore to Chicago (besides the author)?

“They are the strangers we meet every day: a soldier slowly losing his faith in the war, a businessman learning to balance his job and the family he loves, a computer geek-turned-criminal, a Holocaust survivor finding hope in facing her fears, couples in love, a woman dealing with the death of her parents, a poet hunting for inspiration, and a hit man with a job to finish before the train arrives at its destination. Watch as these and other characters' lives and stories seamlessly link and intersect, quietly shaping and changing one another.”

Read more — and pre-order your first printing copy of Tracks today — by visiting the Atticus Online Bookstore at the link below.

http://atticusbooksonline.com/online-bookstore/trade-paperbacks/tracks-a-novel-in-stories/

Tracks Novel Website Launched

The release date for Tracks, a novel in stories, is still months away — June 30 to be precise. But you don’t have to wait to climb aboard. You can visit the new website dedicated to Tracks: www.TracksNovel.com.

TracksNovel.com has a number of stations. You can:

· Listen to stories from Tracks, as featured on NPR;

· Read excerpts from Tracks;

· See the press release and other Tracks-related news;

· Find out what others are saying about Tracks;

· Get the schedule of Tracks readings, signings, and appearances;

· Visit the Lounge Car or Tracks Blog; even

· Watch a Tracks-related video.

What are you waiting for? Hop aboard the Tracks website now!

www.TracksNovel.com

Savvy Verse and Wit's Small Press Celebration

Savvy Verse and Wit is a blog dedicated to literary and poetic works, including critiques, reviews, editorial hints, and insights. Not to mention interviews.

With March, Savvy Verse and Wit kicks off its celebration of Indie and Small Press Month by publishing an interview with none other than Atticus Books, publisher of Tracks.

Atticus founding publisher Dan Cafaro talks about Atticus books, Independent Book Sellers That Rock Our World, Book Blogger Central, and about the books he has selected for publication, including Tracks, a novel in stories.

Take a look at the interview at the link. And celebrate indie and small presses!

http://savvyverseandwit.com/2011/03/an-interview-with-dan-cafaro-publisher-of-atticus-books-in-maryland.html

June 30 is Tracks Day

Readers, mark your calendars! June 30 has officially been set as the release date for Tracks, a novel in stories.

June 30, 2011, is the date Tracks will be available at your local bookstore—whether it’s and independent book shop or one of the larger chains. Tracks will also be available at online booksellers such as Amazon, IndieBound, Itasca, Barnes & Nobel, and other online book stores.

Pre-orders will be available soon. If you pre-order your book, you can expect to receive it on June 30 as well.

Stay tuned to learn more between now and the launch date of June 30.

Tracks Cover Revealed

Can we have a drum roll on the train, please?


The cover for Tracks, a novel in stories, has been revealed! Take a look at the picture below.


The warm, earth-toned cover was designed by London-based designer Jamie Keenan. In designing the cover for Tracks, Keenan said, “The basic idea was to find an image of tracks that mirrored the ideas in the book — beginnings, endings, uncertainty, transformation, possibilities ...”


The image here is the cover for the advance reading copy, or ARC. There are other designs and variations on this cover, so stay tuned to find out whether this will be the final cover when it comes time for the actual print run.


Keenan knows his book jackets; he’s even filled auditoriums with his “Twenty Immutable Theories of Cover Design.” And he’s certainly put them to work with covers for authors such as: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Stephen King, H.G. Wells, George Orwell, Junot Diaz, David Foster Wallace, Philip K Dick, Anthony Burgess, Tennessee Williams, Jean-Paul Sarte, Rudyard Kipling, Garrison Kellior, Nick Hornby, and A.M. Homes.


Learn more about Jamie Keenan and see some of his favorite cover designs at his website.
http://www.keenandesign.com/


Visit the Atticus Books website for more about Tracks.

http://atticusbooksonline.com/category/2011-book-titles/eric-d-goodman/

Jamie Keenan to Design Cover for Tracks

Exciting news along the Tracks: Atticus Books has hired Jamie Keenan to design the cover for Tracks, a novel in stories!

The London-based book jacket designer knows his trade: he’s even packed auditoriums with his “Twenty Immutable Theories of Cover Design” lesson.

If you look at book covers, it’s likely you’ve seen his work. Here are some of the authors he’s designed covers for:

F. Scott Fitzgerald
Stephen King
H.G. Wells
George Orwell
Junot Diaz
David Foster Wallace
Philip K Dick
Anthony Burgess
Tennessee Williams
Jean-Paul Sarte
Rudyard Kipling
Garrison Kellior
Nick Hornby
A.M. Homes

Learn more about Jamie Keenan and see some of his favorite cover designs at his www.keenandesign.com/website

Visit the blog of my fellow Atticus author, JM Tohline, for more of Jamie’s cover examples.
www.jmtohline.com/2010/10/you-meani-dont-get-to-design-my-own.html?showComment=1297183886409#c8921742992168202528


And here are some Jamie Keenan Google Images.
www.google.com/images?hl=en&q=jamie%20keenan&um=1&resnum=9&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi


So … maybe you can judge a book by it’s cover?

Have a Shot of Bourbon and Lit on Atticus

In conjunction with the AWP Conference, Atticus Books, a participating independent publisher, is hosting a spirited reading event Friday night at Bourbon in DC. The “Atticus Pinch” reading features lively readings from several Atticus authors, including Steve Zimmer, Tommy Zurhellen, John Minichillo, and Eric D. Goodman. Not to mention one of DC’s finest selections of bourbon, and other great drinks to boot.

Visit the link below to RSVP now and the first drink is on Atticus. Visit the Atticus table at the AWP Conference (K34 in the Exhibit Hall) for another chance for a free drink ticket.

Or, just show up! You’ll have to buy your own bourbon, but the lit is still free and certainly just as fine.

Visit Bourbon online here:
http://bourbondc.com/home/am/

Learn more about the Atticus event and RSVP here:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=119704264767762&index=1

Atticus "Elated" to Ride Rails with Debut Novel

Atticus Books issued a press release officially announcing the publication of TRACKS, a novel in stories. The headline:

‘Tracks’ Set to Arrive in the Summer of 2011

Atticus Elated to Ride the Rails with Goodman and His Debut Novel


Atticus writes, “Eric D. Goodman has spent years on the road, reading stories and winning praise from scores of listeners. He now has found a place to lay his Tracks, his first novel in stories.”

The release quotes Dan Cafaro, founding publisher of Atticus Books: “On one hand, Eric’s created a straight-forward collection of first-person narratives that works superbly on its own, as a group of standalone pieces. On the other [hand], his stories become even more powerful by his seamlessly linking and intersecting these lives on a passenger train. Through this authentic technique, he paints a rich tapestry of vignettes: a cross-cultural, boundary-breaking snapshot of everyday, yet colorful people on an imagery-filled, life-changing journey.”

The press release goes into more detail and includes links to published works and radio readings.

Even if you just stop by to take a look at the mug shot, visit the Atticus Books website for the press release.

http://atticusbooksonline.com/anticipated-arrival-of-tracks-set-for-summer-2011/

TRACKS Makes DSM's Frankfurt Hot List

This year, when the Doris S. Michaels Literary Agency took a handful of books with them to the Frankfurt Book Fair, prepared to accept offers for translation rights. One of the books on their “Hot List” was TRACKS.

The Frankfurt Book Fair is the most important marketplace for books, media, rights, and licenses worldwide. More than 7,300 exhibitors from 100 countries, 299,000 visitors and over 10,000 journalists.

Here is the announcement attendees at the fair read about the novel in stories:

Eric D. Goodman

TRACKS

Atticus Books (World English – Summer 2011)

A Tarantino-style LOVE ACTUALLY meets literary fiction — the reader journeys by train from Baltimore to Chicago via the perspectives of a diverse array of passengers.

As a result, the novel in stories might be translated into other languages in the near future! In the meantime, look for the English release of TRACKS in Summer 2011.

Put TRACKS on your “hot list” too. Visit www.Writeful.blogspot.com for more news on TRACKS as it becomes available.

Literary Agent Finds TRACKS a Publisher

Exciting news on the fiction front: TRACKS, a novel in stories, is being published by Atticus Books in Summer 2011.

Yes, TRACKS has a publisher!

Persistence pays. It’s been about six years since Eric wrote the first draft of TRACKS. Three years since it was a semi-finalist and the most-widely read entry in the First Chapters Writing Competition sponsored by Gather, Borders, and Simon & Schuster. About a year since TRACKS picked up an agent in New York City. Now, after riding the rails for years, TRACKS hits bookstores in Summer 2011.

Nearly half the stories have been published in journals and magazines, and thousands read excerpts during the contest—so many readers have had a taste of TRACKS. Next year, it will be available in its entirety.

Come back aboard for updates as they become available! And thanks to the many readers who have remained along sometimes treacherous lines of track.

Learn more at the Doris S. Michaels Literary Agency website.

http://dsmagency.com/news.html#FrankfurtHotList2010