Why I passed on the YA genre

A teen walks into the guidance counselor's office at school.  The kid is having a hard time finding his own way: his relationship with his parents has deteriorated and his grades have declined during the last couple years; he continues struggling to find acceptance at both home and school.  The counselor gives him that "I've got just what you need" look.  Ritalin?  Nope.  Prozac?  Nope.  She slides open her desk drawer and lifts out a paperback book.

"Read this," the counselor says.

The teen looks at the book.  "The Somebody Obsession?  You think I should become a professional wrestler?"

"Absolutely not," the counselor says, chuckling.  "But the book is about so much more than wrestling.  The guy who wrote it became a wrestler, but he has quite a journey along the way.  You should read it--I think you'll find that you have a lot in common with the author.  Just make sure I get it back when you're finished."

This was my vision.  My book, I daydreamed, would be the modern, nonfiction version of The Catcher in the Rye.  I'd be the real-life Holden Caulfield; teens would read  my story and think destiny brought them and my book together.  It would be quoted in locker-room speeches and commencement addresses, love letters and manifestos.

The new book debuts on Kindle bestseller list

Current Kindle bestseller list, wrestling category: The Professional Wrestler (#11) and The Somebody Obsession (#15). The Professional Wrestler peaked at #3 a couple months ago--I'm confident The Somebody Obsession will make it to #1. Go to Amazon.com to download the free Kindle reading app for PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android, and Blackberry.

You can order THE SOMEBODY OBSESSION for Kindle for just $2.99 by clicking here:
The Somebody Obsession: A Nobody's Desperate Journey to Stardom (Kindle version)

Sheldon Goldberg reviews THE SOMEBODY OBSESSION

THE SOMEBODY OBSESSION: A NOBODY'S DESPERATE JOURNEY TO STARDOM has just received its first review on Amazon.

Wrestling promoter/journalist/historian Sheldon Goldberg is the author of the review.  His voice is among the most respected in the wrestling industry and, though I never had the pleasure of working with Mr. Goldberg, I've always admired him.

Here is his review:

As someone who has read a good 60% of the pro wrestling bios out there, "The Somebody Obsession: A Nobody's Desperate Journey to Stardom" by Matt Murphy ranks with the very best of them right alongside Mick Foley's bestsellers and Brett Hart's autobiography. 

Matt's autobigraphical tale of his journey from troubled childhood to fondling, but not quite getting a grasp on the brass ring that is pro wrestling superstardom, is compelling, poignant, and often laugh out loud funny. As interesting as the lives of the big stars who have endeared themselves to us or entertained us in the squared circle throughout the years may be, this story of a man who tried and came close is in many ways more interesting than any of them. 

Even if you are not a fan of pro wrestling, Matt Murphy's story is a top notch page turner that anyone who ever had a dream will surely identify with. This is one of the best bios of any kind I've read in a while.

A Crash Course in Marketing

Self-publishing my autobiography has allowed me the freedom to do pretty much whatever the hell I want with all things relating to my book.  I can't say I'm intimidated; I was responsible for 99% of the marketing of the original version, which was released by a so-called "traditional" publisher.

I've learned a lot in the months leading up to the book release.  With the help of two excellent Kindle books, Are You Still Submitting Your Work to a Traditional Publisher? by Edward C. Patterson and Plug Your Book! Online Book Marketing for Authors, Book Publicity through Social Networking by Steve Weber, I created a low-cost marketing plan to help my book become a success. Its effectiveness is TBD.

Read THE SOMEBODY OBSESSION free!

If you'd like to read the new book in PDF, EPUB, or MOBI (Kindle) format, please send me a message including your email address and which format you prefer and I will email it you a digital copy.  My email is mjhmurphy at gmail dot com.

All I ask in return is that you take a couple minutes to share your thoughts about the book with the rest of the world by leaving a review on the book's Amazon product page after you read it.

This offer is limited to the first 50 readers.

THE SOMEBODY OBSESSION now available on Amazon

It's ten days ahead of schedule but THE SOMEBODY OBSESSION: A NOBODY'S DESPERATE JOURNEY TO STARDOM is now available.  Click here to view it on Amazon.

My title is weird

THE SOMEBODY OBSESSION--it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, does it?  A book title is important and I don't like the way mine sounds.  So why did I name it that?  Three reasons:

1. The book is about the life experiences I collected that contributed to my obsession with becoming what I believed was a somebody, my journey into professional wrestling, and what I learned from the experience.  The first quarter-century of my life was driven by this obsession, so I think the title is appropriate.
2. I wanted a short title.  THE STORY OF A NOBODY AND THE PURSUIT TO BECOME A SOMEBODY (12 words) and THE PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER IN THE WORLD OF SPORTS-ENTERTAINMENT (9 words) were too long.
3. I couldn't think of anything better.

THE SOMEBODY OBSESSION release date is three weeks from today

Just three weeks to go until the official release date of THE SOMEBODY OBSESSION: A NOBODY'S DESPERATE JOURNEY TO STARDOM, although it may actually show up for sale on Amazon a day or two before then.  While I don't expect to make a significant profit from the book, I'm confident that the Kindle version will quickly ascend to #1 on the Amazon bestsellers list in the Wrestling category and hope the print version can do the same.  Those will be nice accomplishments, but it would be nice to see my book crack the top 100 on the overall Kindle bestseller list as well.  The success of the book will be highly dependent on word-of-mouth and Amazon reviews, but I believe I have a solid marketing plan that will get my story in the hands of enough readers to make it successful.

Because I self-published, Amazon doesn't have my book available for pre-order.  So it makes little sense to do a whole lot of marketing until I have a place to send the traffic.  I created a Facebook page for THE SOMEBODY OBSESSION, but that hasn't turned out too hot with just 40 followers so far.  Turns out most of the 400-plus people who were sent the invite never received it and Facebook won't allow me to resend it to them.  You can follow it by clicking here.

Decisions, Decisions

When writing an autobiography, there are so many decisions to be made, some which can make or break a book:

Which stories should I tell, which people should I include, and which should I omit?

Who will I upset and who will I infuriate?

How do I balance exposition and editorializing?

How will readers respond?

How will my son feel about this book when he reads it one day?

By the time the final draft was finished, there was only one thing that mattered to me: writing the most honest, accurate account of my story that I could.

THE SOMEBODY OBSESSION is ahead of schedule.

After a two-day marathon, I've finished the interior and cover layouts for my autobiography, The Somebody Obsession: A Nobody's Desperate Journey to Stardom. I should have a proof copy in my hands within a week.

My first book, The Story of a Nobody and the Pursuit to Become a Somebody, was released in 2004. My upcoming book is a new and, I believe, much improved telling of my story.

Why release another version of the same story? Several reasons.