It’s been a long strange year. And it’s been a long, strange 20 years since I started Butterfly.
Since then, we’ve invented gasoline, fire, Turkish delights, the mob, clip-on pants, and the NHL has still never figured out how to let their fans watch their games online when they really want to, legally.
Butterfly became the story about William Murphy’s Trip to the Quiet Room.
The book went through 3-4 big drafts and got progressively better over time.
I sent out well over a hundred query letters to agents, publishers, prizes to try and drag this book to light.
With the help of the gang, we made a trailer for it that I’m pretty sure nearly won an Oscar.
We moved to Ireland in a desperate bid to dupe an entire nation into buying my book but instead gained a greater appreciation for all those best-selling (in Ireland) Ross O’Carroll Kelly books.
Next Steps
After being ghosted by an agent who had requested the full manuscript*, I’ve decided to take a new tack.
I’ve posted the book on Inkshares, a platform that approaches publishing a little differently. Soon, I’ll start selling pre-orders of the book. If we hit our threshold (750 copies or so), Inkshares will edit, design a cover, and publish the thing and put it in your hands.
From my side, I’ve mailed them my left ring finger and third favorite toe, as per their contract agreement, and removed most of my teeth (this is more to tie in with the hockey-related marketing than anything, though).
So that’s where we’re at.
I would encourage every last one of you to go out and like the book, follow it, share it, read the first few chapters.
* No blame at all to the agent, these are very odd times to try and carry on as normal for so many people, so no hard feelings. Not even firm feelings.