This is the cover for the first run of POOKOO by D.L. Shiloh.
D.L. Shiloh sits in his office working on what he expects to be his next novel. It's different in tone and content than his last novel POOKOO, but has the hallmarks of any Shiloh story: quirky story lines dipped in real landscapes, obsessive characters at odds and alone in the world, thrown in with a dash of current events, sports and sex. He turns the volume down on hisiTunes player, which has an array of new but mostly classic rock with a special theme, and stops to check the status of the E-Bay auction, which someone posted last week.
"It feels like watching an adoption," Shiloh says, seeing that the first bid is logged. "Or like a ship launching to parts unknown. Nine hours to go. Who'll get it?"
In the world of print-on-demand publishing, even rare books occur. This copy on E-Bay represents a 1-of-32 lot circulating through the world.
Of course Shiloh's goal is to have a large printing and large base of copies of his work throughout the world, and with a new special edition that is being prepared, that platform for launching the story, characters and ideas in POOKOO will be built. He's buoyed by the fact that the book is in PDF form for a free download from one of his web sites - a rare occurrence for any author - but he felt it was important to do.
"It's not giving it away," Shiloh said, describing the book that took him 17 years to write. "Giving it away stipulates something it is not. But I do want readers to find it, and if they like it, refer their friends to it. The free PDF is much more akin to test driving the book. You wouldn't just get into any 17 year-vehicle and drive it off the lot."
When asked who reads his work, the author said he hasn't tracked that but has an idea. "Someone who likes the book before seeing the movie, who see the world in different ways, who wants to be a part of things yet keep their individuality. Knowing a little sarcasm is good for the soul. Trying to get a handle on everything that's happening in the world. You can feel like the only person in a crowded room."
Currently, the auction for POOKOO on E-Bay can be found at the URL below. You can also search E-Bay with the keyword POOKOO.
To learn more about the special edition of POOKOO, with a map, diary entries, deleted scenes, visit http://www.dlshiloh.com, http://www.pookoo.net or visit Shiloh's blog at http://dlshiloh.blogspot.com. You can also sign up for his newsletter by e-mailing SIGN UP FOR SHILOH'S NEWSLETTER to dlshiloh@dlshiloh.com.
http://cgi.ebay.com/
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
