”Stay tuned: Election results at 11.”

Voting is our democratic right. And one very frustrated and entrepreneurial writer has chosen to exercise that right by asking internetters everywhere to visit her website and vote on whether or not her novel should be published.

Why doesn't she just send it to a publisher?

Well, there are approximately 15,000 new novels written by first time authors every year. Only 150 of them will ever see a bookstore shelf. Even though writing books is an art, selling books is a business. A publisher spends about $75,000 to publish and promote a new author's book. To make that back, the book has to sell about 25,000 copies.

Every manuscript gets judged by whether or not it has the potential to generate those kinds of sales figures. Only a handful do.

So what is an author to do if she's talented, has had some positive reinforcement from professionals, has an agent, yet still can't break through?

Well if she's J.R. Lanford she builds a website and hopes that people come to vote. She especially hopes that they vote 'yes', because if Lanford gets enough 'yes' votes, she hopes to entice a publisher by proving there is enough interest to publish the book.

Lanford is a very enterprising lady. Before getting any 'no's' from the publishing establishment, she went anti-establishment. This 53-year old electrical engineer has erected a web site that offers four chapters of her novel and explains the voting procedure.

What has happened so far? In the first 11 days, 160 voters cast their ballots. The tally is roughly 60% yes, please publish this book. 15% do it if you really want to. And 25% who have voted 'no' don't give up your day job.

One voter cast a 'no' ballot because she liked the victim Lanford had created and was bummed to discover she died. Others have been more encouraging, writing notes along with their ballots praising the mystery/thriller and offering Lanford luck.

More than luck, Lanford needs visitors. A publisher who has been to the Lanford’s site thinks it is an interesting idea. "But", she says, "even if she gets10,000 votes, it's not the intention that would matter to us but actual sales. Now, if she sold 1000 copies of a self-published version, then we'd be interested."

What motivates the big guys, whether you are trying to sell them your company, your product or your expertise, is sales-not intentions. Not even the best of intentions.

Perhaps Landford will get enough votes to get a publisher to read her novel. Or perhaps she'll e-publish the book herself and prove the nay sayers wrong. Either way, she's come up with a novel way to get attention.

If you want to cast a ballot, log onto www.thecrowningcircle.com

Copyright © 1999 M.J. Rose

MJ Rose is the author of LIP SERVICE (www.readLipService.com), the first E-published novel that was chosen as a featured alternate by the Doubleday Book Club and Literary Guild. It was also the first novel to be discovered online and picked up by a major publisher-Pocket Books-and is now available in bookstores every where (online and in “bricks and mortar” stores). Rose is also an online columnist and free lance writer. She lives in Connecticut and is currently working on a new novel. Lip Service (www.readLipService.com) ISBN HC 0671041312 PocketBooks $18 or @ amazon.com