Vinnie Apicella

shared an update on Escape from Americaabout 4 years ago

about 4 years ago

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR... IT MAY COME TRUE. This paradoxical phrase may be applied to most anything in life, particularly when we “overreach” for something and become overzealous. In the case of newly minted authors such as myself, and perhaps many of you, it may apply to seeking reviews for our books. Reviews are an essential part of generating public awareness for unknown writers trying to gain traction. That’s what brought many of us here. For some, it’s difficult enough getting support from friends and family—life gets in the way, and sometimes the best we can expect is a congratulatory pat on the back. So we seek other ways of finding that all-important attention, convinced that if even just a few flip through our pages and see what we see, our work will be met with critical acclaim; suddenly five “stars” flash before our eyes and we become relevant in sales page rankings. Then if we’re more fortunate, momentum begins to build and more and more readers discover us. The author formerly known as “no one” becomes “someone.” Ah, but then reality strikes. Those few five star reviews that helped support our vision and boost our confidence are instantly scrubbed away by a one-star rating and two-star review. Without overwhelming numbers to cushion the blow, the fledgling writer loses momentum and drops like a lead weight on the credibility scale. And so it goes. We slave away for months or years on something we believe in, encouraged by others who share the belief, sacrifice a significant part of our lives, maybe even our salaries, to produce our masterpiece. We’re convinced it can make a difference for someone in some way until another someone comes along and says “Nope, this is a piece of shit.” Then they’re obliged to tell the world. This is what we signed up for? Yes, in fact it is. None of us go into the publishing world with blinders on; whether we’re dealing with books, blogs, magazines, records, or the like, we will never impress all of the people all of the time—and we’d be foolish to try. When I first wrote Escape from America, the first version, I was infatuated with it. “This is the book I’d always wanted to read,” I thought to myself. And then when others sampled it and shared favorable feedback, I was encouraged to push forward. Pushing forward meant continually adjusting: rewriting, editing, revising, replacing images, reducing file size… version 2, version 3, soliciting reading panels, and finally, settling on version 4, the “final” version. As my own worst critic, in spite of early accolades, I prepared myself. My book can benefit a great many readers… but it’s not for everyone. Yet even with the expectation of negative comments, it doesn’t make them easier to accept. We’re still “naked” out there, displaying our work for all to see knowing full well we can be torn to shreds in an instant and there’s nothing we can do about it. Except that, we can still carry on and remain committed to our purpose. Thanks for hanging with me, more to come!

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Thanks Becky, much appreciated!

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Escape from America

Vinnie Apicella

I’ve culled years of experience living and working in America and China to bring you the real truth ...

shared an update on Escape from Americaover 4 years ago

over 4 years ago

Hi Everyone. At long last, tomorrow is my Discovery book launch! I'd like to ask you to please upvote my book when it appears. The most upvoted books will be featured in the Reedsy newsletter. I'm excited for this big day, it's taken a while, but all good things... Thanks in advance for your support, much appreciated!

shared an update on Escape from Americaover 4 years ago

over 4 years ago

Greetings All: I'm running a $0.99 sale promotion for the rest of October. https://www.amazon.com/Escape-America-Introspective-Journey-China-ebook/dp/B082J4CQ8W/ Please take a closer look here on Reedsy and help spread the word if you can. Any support would be greatly appreciated. I truly believe in the value my book can bring readers and hope to boost my profile a bit. If you have questions or wish to receive a free review copy, I'll be more than happy. Please PM me. Cheers guys, thanks!

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asked a question on Escape from Americaover 4 years ago

over 4 years ago

Hi Folks, as a social guy who's practiced "antisocialism" for far too long, I'm glad to discover these great tools here on Reedsy and interact with everyone! So if you'll indulge me for a moment, I'd like to ask you, of these two book covers, which do you prefer?

Cover #1

0%0 votes

Cover #2

100%1 vote

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started following over 4 years ago

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started following over 4 years ago

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started following over 4 years ago

over 4 years ago

About me

I’ve been writing professionally for 30 years, including business, finance, tech, travel. Today, I manage Shanghai EDGE Consulting to help others realize their full academic and career potential. I hope my book will impact society and inspire readers to improve their lives and pursue their passions.

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https://reedsy.com/discovery/user/vinnieapicella

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Vinnie Apicella

Vinnie Apicella

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