Now Available!
Perfect Village is ready for purchase!
If I had to name one thing that I addressed regularly while writing this book, it was my ego. I can’t say its any smaller or bigger, but I am certainly more aware of it. Naturally, to write a memoir, it takes a healthy dose of ego to believe that lots of people want to hear about your life. To finish a book takes perseverance, but then you have to tap the ego again to sell it. For a while I wanted to beat the system, not give Jeff Bezos another dollar, and pave my own way in terms of distribution, but thankfully, I recognized this was totally my ego talking. I told myself to get over it, be realistic, and put the darn thing on Amazon.
So without further ado, I can proudly say that Perfect Village is finished and ready to be purchased at your local Amazon site! I’ve made some handy links below for everyone in the U.S., Germany, and U.K., and of course, if you’re beyond these borders, please visit your own country’s Amazon website. I must say, that it is quite remarkable how this little book is immediately available, in print, across much of the world. Hats off to all you coders out there.
Now I’ll admit that finishing this book took just a wee bit longer than expected, but what a journey it has been. So many of you have been with me since I sent out that first edition of this newsletter back on November 1, 2019. What was suppose to be a little memo about my first days in Germany, has morphed into this book and ultimately my discovery that the act of writing was key to settling down and fulfilling that innate desire to find ones purpose in life and work. There were several motivations that drove me in this project, but one of the most fundamental aspects was to create something from scratch that would have lasting value. It might not be a 1,000 foot skyscraper, but it’s a solid 100,000 word book. It required me to outline a base structure, draft all the content, fill in the holes, move pieces around, chisel away at sentences, and mold the story into one. A creative team was corralled to make it legitimate, enough money was scratched together to pay for it all, and finally, it is being released today in its final form. As a real estate guy who couldn’t ever quite get a development off the ground, building this book has done an incredible job of fulfilling those desires to accomplish something big.
A couple weeks ago I received a test print of the paperback, and it was surreal to see in a book form all the words, sentences, and paragraphs that I have toiled over for nearly three and a half years. For a moment it was hard to believe that I had actually written those words in front of me. One of my favorite sections is the “title verso page” near the front, which gives all the technical info about the book. Here it lists the ISBN and Library of Congress numbers, the copyright tag, some disclaimers, credits and publisher details. I had to be realistic on this last matter. Even though I had made some efforts to find an agent and publisher, I could tell it was going to be a long-long grind. It was decided about a year ago that I would self-publish because it was more important for me to get it finished and in your hands than any gratification a book deal would have created. Plus, a publisher most certainly would not have accepted many aspects of this book. They probably would have made me narrow my focus and “choose an audience.” To which, I have about half a dozen themes and I didn’t make such a distinction as to whom I was writing this book to. I just wrote the story as I saw fit and said the things I wanted to say. Luckily there were a handful of readers, a fantastic editor, and my own sensibilities that kept a lid on some things. (I’m not sure if this self-publishing thing is more of an ego play or not, but it is there!)
Now comes the selling part and making a few bucks on this project. I’ve been able to sell and lease some pretty doggone tough properties, so I think I’ve got the tools and network to make this book a success. There is a plan written down somewhere on how this all can happen, but first thing’s first, is to make this humble request of you to buy a copy and start spreading the word. It’s a long-shot that this becomes a bestseller, but you never know. Perfect Village won’t rest on the shelf next to history’s great intellectuals, but it may find its own place in the Western canon. What you will read is a different coming-of-age story, not the classic Holden Caulfield type, but one about a guy that has lived a couple more years. And let’s be honest, us men don’t really start growing up until we are well past our college years. Ok, now I am back to my old rambling ways.
All I can say now is a massive thank you for purchasing a copy and taking the time to read it. I hope you will find the story informative, entertaining, and inspiring. As always, don’t hesitate to message me back; I’d love to hear from you and chat about what all you have going on in your lives. Best wishes to all of you from here in Munich and until next time…