Last month, feeling far bolder than I perhaps should have, I reached out to a German editor and we talked about the possibility of Bone Girl being translated into German or perhaps made into a German audiobook. I was beside myself with excitement! I couldn’t believe it. My humble book would be available to readers in Germany. My mother, Louise OBERMEIER Drake, would have probably been just as excited as I was, God rest her soul.
So, I sent the manuscript to the would-be translator, and I waited. And waited.
Meanwhile, riding the excitement of this possible translation, I put together a Kickstarter campaign to reclaim the rights to my debut novel, Celebration House, and bring to fruition what many readers have been clamoring for: a print version of my debut novel. With the $2,500 I hoped to raise, I would pay off the Irish publisher, hire a professional proofreader and cover designer, and before the end of the year, Celebration House would be rebuilt.
But the writing journey is a long one, and this time, I encountered a few obstacles I could not go around.
My Kickstarter campaign ended last week, and I’m sorry to report that I did not meet my goal of $2,500. I didn’t even come close. I raised $135.
And today, I learned that to have Bone Girl translated into German would cost far more than I can afford. It’s not likely to happen soon.
Okay. So these are ideas that did not bear fruit. Got it.
But there’s always a silver lining, right? Always a lesson to be learned? I kind of think so.
Let’s start with the Kickstarter campaign. It’s the first time I put together a public project like this. I borrowed a video camera from my local library and turned a spare bedroom into a studio. Because my basset hound is my mascot, Eeyore was in the video with me. Note: hounds love hot dogs and rabbits. Both were used to entice him to focus on the camera. It was fun! Also, because we made a video, actually several, I put together a YouTube channel, where I posted a few of our out takes. Dare I say mistakes?
[embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ybr6Sqk5ewk[/embedyt]
Part of the project was to offer prizes for those who backed my project. I dreamt up the idea of a cell phone ringtone of my hound’s magnificent bay. In fact, I found a local studio which will record it and convert it into a downloadable file. That may yet happen.
I also put together what I am calling Baskethound Boutique. It’s an online store on my website where I sell my books and merchandise, like T-shirts and coffee mugs, for those who might choose to support my small business. Yesterday, a girlfriend in Alaska reached out to me and said she wanted to buy three copies of Bone Girl. Which distributor would pay me the most? I sent her to Baskethound Boutique.
As for my German translation, I’m not giving up. I’m convinced that when Bone Girl finds an advocate in Hollywood and takes to the big screen, the German translation will happen. That’s called hope. For now, it’s enough.
Hands and arms inside the cart: Next, remembering why I write.