Wordsplash!

Speling iz Realy Fun!

The new and improved, second edition of my book, Getting Lost: Mishaps of an Accidental Nomad, has just been released. The new edition got a makeover -- with tighter editing and a new cover model. (We were going to put her in a bikini, but the editors decided that would only encourage the degrading objectification of cows.)

The key difference between the first and second editions is the first edition was self-published and self-edited, whereas the new edition had a team of people working on it. Any serious writer knows when you edit your own work, you're going to miss a few things.

My publisher, Jeremy, e-mailed me yesterday, to tell me he loved the page on my website explaining the differences between the first and second editions. There was just one problem. Linda, my editor, spotted that I spelled "self-publishing" wrong.

Name the Book and Win Lots of Books!

I've been squabbling with my editors for the last couple of weeks about a title for my new book about travel journaling. The book is scheduled for publication in June, 2008.

For marketing reasons, I can't reveal the titles we have considered and shot down so far. I can reveal that I have a subtitle in mind, but I can't tell you what it is yet. But we have yet to come up with a title everyone agrees on. So I'm opening things up for suggestions.

We're looking for a relatively short title that is catchy and at least partially conveys the spirit of travel journaling. (I say partially because the subtitle will whack people over the head and explain exactly what the book's about.) It helps (but isn't absolutely critical) if there is an available .com domain name available, and if there are no competing titles, businesses, etc., with similar names.

Got an idea: e-mail it to me, and if we use it, you will win a cornucopia of Dave Fox publications:

• A copy of my travel humor book, Getting Lost: Mishaps of an Accidental Nomad
• A copy of my audiobook CD, The Fox that Quacked: Essays from Planet Earth
• And of course... a copy of the journaling book when it's out.
• Hey, I'm even going to throw in some chocolate!

The rules:

• You may submit as many entries as you like. (Ahem... within reason. If you get obsessive or obnoxious, I will feel compelled to block your e-mail.)
• The contest ends as soon as the publishers and I agree on a title... which could be tomorrow or could be months from now. Got a great idea? Don't procrastinate!
• If more than one person submits the same winning title, the first person to suggest it wins the prizes.
• If no submitted entries are used as the final title (in other words, if I come up with something all by my own brilliant self), these prizes might not be awarded. (But hey, they're not that expensive. You can always just buy them!)
• All the usual rules apply... void where prohibited, anyone under 18 must have a parent's permission to enter, anyone under 13 is not allowed to enter. Sorry. I don't make these rules. I just follow them so I don't get thrown in jail for attempting to lure minors into the sordid world of travel journaling.

Looking for inspiration? You'll find all of my basic travel journaling philosophies on my journaling website at www.traveljournaling.com.