David S. Grant is the author of Corporate Porn, published by Silverthought Press in 2006. His first novel Bleach and sequel titled Blackout are now available through Offense Mechanisms, and imprint of Silverthought Press in 2008. Also, newly published in 2008 the novel The Last Breakfast and short story collection Emotionless Souls through Brown Paper Publishing. David lives and works in New York City.

You can visit his website at www.davidsgrant.com.

Welcome to Beyond the Books, David! Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?

This is my fourth published book. Corporate Porn was published in 2005 through Silverthought Press and earlier this year I had my novella The Last Breakfast and short story collection Emotionless Souls published through Brown Paper Publishing.

What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

Bleach is my first novel and was initially self-published. Blackout is the sequel written after Corporate Porn was published. To me it made sense to package Bleach and Blackout together as a double novel. The name Bleach has to do with having little emotion, feeling nothing. The characters (especially the main character Jeremy) go through life trying to fill the void created by this feeling of emptiness.

For your first published book, how many rejections did you go through before you either found a mainstream publisher, self-published it, or paid a vanity press to publish it?

I don’t remember how many, but there was a lot prior to my decision to self publish Bleach. I always hear how some authors’ wallpaper a room with rejection letters. That always seemed strange to me, but I can relate in that I could have made at least one wall look pretty cool.

How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

If nothing else it was motivating to keep moving forward with my writing regardless of whether or not any of my books would be in print. I realize my style and content is not for everyone.

I also took to promoting my book by writing short fiction, posting and submitting to online and print literary journals. If I had found a publisher right away I probably would not have realized the joy (and break from novels it gives me) of writing short fiction.

When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

Corporate Porn was published in 2005 through Silverthought Press. They were excited about my work. Prior to Corporate Porn, Silverthought had posted a few of my short stories so they were familiar with my style and what to expect.

How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

I don’t remember how I celebrated which usually means I had a great time.

If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

No, up to this point it feels like everything has happened for a reason. I’m really excited about the future.

Looking back since the early days when you were trying to get published, what do you think you could have done differently to speed things up? What kind of mistakes could you have avoided?

For a first time author promotion should begin before your submissions have been sent. Blogs, short stories, anything that puts your work out there.

What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

Being able to continue publishing books with outfits such as Silverthought Press and Brown Paper Publishing.

If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

Writing is my chosen profession which is part-time at the moment. Las Vegas Handicapper and Professional Bowler are somewhere in the top five.

Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

Keep writing, be persistent, and keep writing.

Thank you.

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BLEACH / BLACKOUT VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR ‘08 will officially begin on August 4, 2008 and continue all month. You can visit David’s tour stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com in August to find out more about him and his book!

As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author with a recent release or a $25 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors’ blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they come available. The winners will be announced on this blog on August 31!

David’s virtual book tour is being brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion and choreographed by Cheryl Malandrinos.

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