Frequently asked questions

You asked them, so here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about The Mystery of the Masked Marauder:

Q. What was the original title of the book?

The working titled was “Talking Animals Help Me Solve Crimes. Also I’m Not Very Good At Coming Up With Book Titles.” Believe it or not, that was deemed to be too long, so we shortened it (slightly).

Q. Where are you publishing?

The Mystery of the Masked Marauder will be published by CreateSpace, which is owned by Amazon.com.

Q. Where can I buy the book?

Once it’s published, The Mystery of the Masked Marauder will be available on Amazon.com, CreateSpace.com, on Kindle, and at select bookstores and libraries (we’re working on that last part as we speak).

Q. Why did you decide to independently publish?

There will be a blog post about this very subject soon, but the short answer is that traditional publishing is becoming more and more difficult for new writers. Most publishers won’t even consider books from unpublished authors, and most agents will tell you they accept less than 0.1% of those who are interested in becoming clients. Besides, in independent-publishing your profits are much higher, which is a plus.

Q. What is the book about?

What a coincidence! We actually have a full product description on our About page. If you don’t feel like making the long trek up to the top of your screen, here’s a short version: The book is about a boy and his (talking) dog, who solve neighborhood crimes together. They meet a lot of quirky animal characters along the way, including a compulsive-liar weasel and an acrobatic frog.

Q. Where are you in the publishing process?

We’re doing a final round of edits to make sure the book is perfect when you read it. We’re also working with an illustrator to design the front cover and some interior artwork.

Q. When will you go to print?

We hope to publish this fall.

Q. How can I help?

Share our blog and Facebook page with friends, family, and random acquaintances. When the book is published, buy a copy for yourself. Give it as a gift. Recommend it to friends, especially friends with school-aged children. We’ll be relying primarily on word of mouth to get the word out, so your help would mean a lot.