I’m excited to announce that my IndieGoGo campaign has launched!

GO HEREYou can now preorder my novel, Uprising indie rocker Garrett Sedgwick has been described as “an over-reflective, hyper-self-ware, ungrateful artist, garrulous about his own craft.” Known for his “mercurial flexibility” and “intrepid penchant for mimicry,” the reclusive wunderkind struggles to assert his own identity among a sectarian fan base who trades rumors about his promotional stunts like currency. In the wake of his latest release, Gravity Waltzes, Sedgwick has already reserved studio time for yet another recording, backed by a new label. Only this time, there will be no promotion. His fans are poised to roll their eyes and perk their ears. Cynical graphic designer Neil Oberlin has moved to Nashville as one of many over-educated millennials trying to craft authentic lives for themselves. When he gets hold of a ticket to see Sedgwick live, our supercilious narrator is reluctantly thrust into a quest to design the perfect album cover. However, Neil’s proximity to the brooding, fickle musician is compounding his own anxieties. Haunted by his stifling religious upbringing and the uncertainty of his future, our self-deprecating narrator begins to grow paranoid. Will he assemble the ideal blend of roommates? Is he being roped into playing Cupid at the heart of a love triangle? Will he ever come to terms with his own brand? Armed with an obsequious vocabulary, our narrator must plumb through an indefinite malaise. For Neil Oberlin, things are about to get awkward. An Authentic Derivative is an odyssey into the shifting, conflicting scenes of a generation caught rolling its eyes at any attempt to define itself.

Who’s the author? What’s he like?

• “Is this your first novel?” In 7th grade I wrote a 140-page spy novel. I may or may not have written others since. This will be my first published novel. Ask me if I’ve been published.
•  “Have you ever been published?” Yes. Essays, articles, short stories, and poems. This will be my first published novel. Most recently my personal essay, “Vultures,” was published by Connotation Press.
• “Then why haven’t I heard of you?” Because I’m that underground. Also, they are small presses. I’m a niche writer.
• “Do you have a blog?” I do. You can check me out at this blog, where I blog weekly on language, literature, and spirituality.
• “Who are you, anyway?” I’m a 20-something white male Christian millennial southern/suburban Virginian who went to a Christian university, married a mountain girl, is raising an outrageous toddler, and teaches English near the West Virginia border.
• “How do you have time to write a novel?” I don’t. Until summer. Teacher, remember?
• “Why don’t you find a publishing house?” Have you been to Barnes and Noble lately? Publishing has changed. My book is a niche book; I’m not pursuing mainstream publishers. I want to build my audience at the grassroots level, and I want them to matter. This is a work of art. It is also in the spirit of the narrator, who hates branding and conglomerates, for me to publish his narrative myself, the way he would have wanted.

How Does Your Funding Contribute?

• The basic funding covers the minimal costs of production. The novel is already written (and revised), but it will need cover art, as well as formatting to make it “book ready.” I also need to fund a professional proofreader.
• Your funding also wins you perks! Depending on how much you give, you’ll receive updates on production, teasers from the novel, behind-the-scenes videos, a promotional Garrett Sedgwick concert ticket, or even a personal interview with our author!
• If you wait to purchase the novel on Amazon, you’ll get to enjoy my book, but you’ll miss out on these limited-time perks!

The Impact of Funding the Novel

The publishing world is changing. Others have made the shift, not only to publishing fiction as e-books, but crowdfunding them.

• My novel represents itself as a created work, but it also represents what authors and reader communities can do together.
• By backing my novel, you are not only purchasing the novel, but investing in an indie art form. You’re supporting an author who not only wrote, but designed, packaged, and promoted his own novel. It’s like supporting a small business.
• Your commitment to the creative project determines its success. You can fund the minimum ($2 for eBook) and still experience the novel in its entirety. You can fund more and dive more “in-depth.”

Yes, it is a risk.

I’ll be plain and simple: I am asking you to invest at least 2 dollars toward a literary work. Remember three things:

• The funding is all-or-nothing, meaning that if I do not raise enough to meet my goal, everyone gets their money back.
• The novel is already written. Most people who try to write a novel quit before they are halfway through the first draft. I’ve not only written, but revised, edited, and tested my novel with a focus group.
• Your investment gains you an inside look into the writing and production of the novel. How many novelists grant readers such a privilege? (Here are examples of novels successfully done this way: Mytro by John Biggs, Janaina by Lorelei Williams, Missing Steps by Paul Cavanagh)

Other Ways You Can Help

• Get the word out! Do you have a blog? Facebook? Twitter? Use your social media to let others know of my book.
• Use the IndieGoGo share tools. They will direct attention back to this page, where others can invest.
• When the book is published, I encourage you to write a review on Amazon, or even on your own blog.
• Get the word about the indie artist Garrett Sedgwick. Make it seem like he’s a real musician nobody has heard of. This is an experiment in viral marketing.