"" Rob Parnell's Writing Academy Blog: Sherlock Holmes: Zombie Slayer

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Sherlock Holmes: Zombie Slayer

Midweek Update

Dear Fellow Writer,

You may remember my newsletter from Friday - but I know that was an age ago!

Amazon has finally approved my latest book for release:


It's an extended short story based on Conan-Doyle's immortal characters, including Dr. John Watson and Moriarty, even Stamford - the person allegedly responsible for introducing the good doctor to the 'greatest living detective'.

It's interesting because Amazon's main criticism to me was that they believed the language and diction I'd used to when writing the story was so authentic to the original tales, they were convinced I had unearthed an actual Conan-Doyle story that must be somewhere in the public domain.

I had to point out that as far as I knew, Holmes had never previously been known to battle the undead on Hampstead Heath. I even had to show them my original manuscript notes, dated 2014, in order to 'prove' to them that the story was, in fact, my own.

After much back and forth - which is unusual when dealing with Amazon, because they're normally so helpful - they relented on the condition I make it plain I am the author. That way it would be clear the work was original and not a public domain property, they said.

Amazon apparently has rules about publishing public domain works: you're not supposed to profit from books that are available free somewhere. I'm not sure how this works in practice because lots of public domain works are for sale on Amazon. Shakespeare's plays,The Elements of Style and The Complete Sherlock Holmes to name but three!

Anyway, Sherlock Holmes: Zombie Slayer is a labor of love for me and, I hope for you, a rollicking good read.

Currently 70 pages long, I plan to expand the story into a massive novel - but only if I can get enough people interested in the idea!

Go HERE to get your own copy - while it's still less than ONE dollar in the US and 99 pence in the UK.

Keep Writing!

Rob Parnell

MY CURRENT AMAZON KINDLE BESTSELLERS:
     

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