Trying to promote good druggy book and beat the system.

[Hardtoswallow]

Please help me to beat the system:
In 1988 I went to a small and then unknown Island in Thailand to write a book - Well actually I didn't really think I was going to write one - it was just a good excuse to disappear from society for 8 months and at the same time party my head off in paradise 24 - 7.

I couldn't go home empty handed so I did actually write a book (on a portable typewriter on which half the keys didn't work)

I wrote about something I knew as this would need less effort. In 1986 I had smuggled cannabis resin (stuffed into 117 Indian Government issue condoms and swallowed) from India to the UK. It was quite an adventure and thought it would make good reading.

At first I was a bit shy about telling other travellers what I was up on the island but when I realised that writing a book was actually turning me into a 'babe magnet' I came out of the cupboard and I proudly sat in front of my hut bashing away with 2 fingers at my depleted keyboard.

I must admit that I spent more time partying than writing but in the end I went home with Malaria and a finished 1st draft.
I must point out that this was all prior to the release of the book The Beach.

To cut a long story short and to get to the point - I've spent the last 17 years trying to get the thing published. ( my next book will be about my adventure in Australia in 1989 when invited there to get the book published by an estranged woman obsessed with black magic, the paranormal and me) 56 rejections in total â??

I couldnâ??t let the system beat me and at the same time deprive the world of a damn good read (a cross between Midnight Express, The Beach and On The Road)

so finally, this year I decided that enough was enough and paid for the bloody thing to be published through a company in Florida.

It is now available to all and sundry through Amazon.com - All the marketing for the book is now up to me and Iâ??m going for it.
Unfortunately up to now - every time I've tried to get the book into stores, I've come up against brick walls - Plenty are very interested in stocking it however they have their hands tied by the system. 5 big global companies and their distributors run the show - If you are not with them, you are totally fukced. I've even offered my book free to stores but they can't take it.
Luckily small independant stores will take your stock on deposit but you have to offer them the same terms as the big boys offer - 40% discount and 'sale or return' - OK - you get your book into a store but you lose money on every book.
Sorry to bore you all with all this - I'm just letting off a bit of steam!
I'd really appreciate it if you guys could let me know good web sites to 'promote' my book and beat the system.
My only chance of selling the thing is through Amazon.com - ( do a search using my name Mitchell Levene.)

To read about my book (Hard to Swallow) click on attachment

Thanks for your attention

Hardtoswallow Reviewed by Hardtoswallow on 01-14-2006. Trying to promote good druggy book and beat the system. Please help me to beat the system: In 1988 I went to a small and then unknown Island in Thailand to write a book - Well actually I didn't really think I was going to write one - it was just a good excuse to disappear from society for 8 months and at the same time party my head off in paradise 24 - 7. I couldn't go home empty handed so I did actually write a book (on a portable typewriter on which half the keys didn't work) I wrote about something I knew as this would need less effort. Rating: 5

[beachguy in thongs]

Good luck with your ventures. :smokin:

[robert42]

you should promote it as a book / toilet paper / firestarter

3 for 1 like in tesco u cant go wrong

[Hardtoswallow]

Nice idea - I'm going to get in touch with Tescos right now

[robert42]

haha

good luck with ur book man. All the best