The book EXISTS!

Here I am with the book cover designer, Joe Game with the very first printed copy of BASEMENT SONGS.

Yes, those are new specs on my face. I was hoping to have them in time for the cover photo, but we couldn't wait any longer.

Thanks to everyone who's bought a copy so far!

Almost there...

And so it is complete. The book cover is done and it looks fucking beautiful, if you pardon my French. Joe Game did one hell of a job with the cover. He even took a nice picture of my ugly mug.

I've submitted the book to Lulu. I've ordered a copy that hopefully will be here early next week.

The book has been uploaded to Amazon and now we just wait until it is ready for downloads.

Tuesday may be right around the corner, but I'm full of excitement.

In 2008 my movie, King's Highway, finally found a home on DVD. I was so proud and couldn't wait for the world to see it. However, no matter how much I call it "my" movie, I know that a team of people worked with me in front of and behind the camera to make it a sweet little picture.

A couple years ago I wrote a comic book that my writing partner and I released. We'd hoped that there would be an entire series. Unfortunately everything stalled when our artists got too busy. Again, I'm so proud of that comic book. Yet I didn't do it on my own. In fact, my co-writer, Jeff Marsick, paid for most of it.

BASEMENT SONGS is my blood, sweat and tears. It's success and failure rests on me. I am so excited for the world to read it. I'm excited for the friends and followers of the Popdose column to see the differences between the original posts and the narrative I've created for the book. I'm excited that new readers may discover it. And I'm excited that there's potential to raise money for the CF Foundation.

This calls for something fun.

The Book Cover

Behold the front cover of BASEMENT SONGS. This was the third of three ideas for the cover, and certainly the best. It was designed by a talented artist based in Los Angeles named Joe Game. I've know Joe a little over a year now; our friendship began based on a mutual appreciation for the Gaslight Anthem. If you don't know that band, check them out today!

When I was tossing around my ideas for the cover Joe offered to help out. My original plan was to place my beloved Emerson boombox (below) on the cover, a concept that Joe began working with while the family and I were in Florida for our Make-A-Wish trip to Disney World. However, when I returned he'd been inspired in a completely different direction. Joe's idea of making my mix tape of Basement Songs look like and actual mix tape blew me away. Not only did he capture the heart of the book, but he gave it a unique appearance.

The cassette featured on the cover is actually the very first mix tape I made for Julie, back in 1992. Among other songs, it contained a certain Springsteen tune that was played on our wedding night. That song was...

You didn't think I'd tell you did you? I want you to read the book!

Please look up Joe and tell him how awesome the cover looks. His web address is http://www.chogrin.com and his Facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/ChogrinArt

Once more with feeling

Tonight I completed my final pass at the book. I hope it's up to the standards that readers are used to. I've done my best, having read and re-read the book six times and had two people proofread the manuscript. If I don't stop now I could be revising the book forever. In fact, I rewrote the introduction of a chapter on  the train ride home tonight.

It's done. I have to move forward and trust that I've done my best and the people will appreciate all the hard work that has gone into self-publishing the book. Now I will spend the next two weeks finalizing the details, like completing the cover, building the master PDF that will become the book (a painstaking but necessary process) and figuring out how to upload and create the Kind version of the book. That last one seems easy, but I'm always suspicious when things appear too easy.

For all of you who are following the progress of the book, I'll be filling in more of the details about it in the coming weeks. For now, since it's after midnight and I have work in the morning, I'll just say goodnight.

Aloha

PS- Oh what the hell, here's They Might Be Giants!

Cover underway

The cover is underway. Pretty excited about it. Meanwhile, as I complete my final polish before I hand the book off for a final proofread, I'll share this video. Witness the insanity of the B-52's performing one of the songs featured in BASEMENT SONGS. It's "Rock Lobster."

PS- First three people to make it through the entire video get a free copy of "King's Highway." Good luck!