Pump Up Your Book Chats with 'The Feet Say Run' Daniel A. Blum

Daniel A. Blum grew up in New York, attended Brandeis University and currently lives outside of Boston with his family. His first novel Lisa33 was published by Viking in 2003. He has been featured in Poets and Writers magazine, Publisher’s Weekly and most recently, interviewed in Psychology Today.

Daniel writes a humor blog, The Rotting Post, that has developed a loyal following.

His latest release is the literary novel, The Feet Say Run.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

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About the Book:

At the age of eighty-five, Hans Jaeger finds himself a castaway among a group of survivors on a deserted island.  What is my particular crime?  he asks.   Why have I been chosen  for this fate?  And so he begins his extraordinary chronicle. 

It would be an understatement to say he has lived a full life.  He has grown up in Nazi Germany and falls in love with Jewish girl.  He fights for the Germans on two continents, watches the Reich collapse spectacularly into occupation and starvation, and marries his former governess.  After the war he goes on wildflower expeditions in the Alps, finds solace among prostitutes while his wife lay in a coma, and marries a Brazilian chambermaid in order to receive a kidney from her. 

By turns sardonic and tragic and surreal, Hans’s story is the story of all of the insanity, irony and horror of the modern world itself.  

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Before you started writing your book, what kind of research did you do to prepare yourself?

Much of my book is set in Nazi Germany.  I read many memoirs of Germans who lived through the 1930s and the war era.  I needed to understand not just the political history, but more importantly, what ordinary people living in that time thought and felt. 

Did you pursue publishers or did you opt to self-pub?

I went first to major publishers, through an established agent, and wound up going with the small press.

If published by a publisher, what was your deciding factor in going with them?

Gabriel’s Horn was incredibly enthusiastic about the book and open to giving me complete editorial discretion. 

If published by a publisher, are you happy with the price they chose?

As it was a small press, price was a joint decision, so yes. 

Did you purposefully choose a distinct month to release your book?  Why?

We didn’t.  It just fit with when we completed our work. 

How did you choose your cover?

We found an artist who we liked and described what we wanted. 

Did you write your book, then revise or revise as you went?

I revised as I went, and then revised further after the completed draft.  It went through many revisions.

Did you come up with special swag for your book and how are you using it to help get the word out about your book? 

The publisher has had bookmarks made, but thus far, we have not distributed these.

What’s your opinion on giving your book away to sell other copies of your book?

I am somewhat disinclined to do this, but not closed to the idea depending on what it would work and what others think. 

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released?

I am not sure I can answer this.  My experience in self-promotion is extremely limited.  I’m sure I’m a better writer than a promoter. 

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do after their book is released?

Same answer as above. 

What kind of pre-promotion did you do before the book came out? 

I have been in Publisher’s Weekly and Psychology today.  I have sold via social media nad have a blog where I regularly mention it.  The publisher also uses social media.   There is no newsletter per se or ‘book blasts’. 

Do you have a long term plan with your book?

Not a plan. But of course I do hope it will gain traction.  It gets outstanding reads, is extremely well-liked, so I believe there is potential for this. 

What would you like to say to your readers and fans about your book?

A big thank you to those who read and enjoyed.  In the end the book is the most basic human forces – cruelty and compassion, hatred and love.  I hope the compassion comes through.