Monday, March 2, 2009

Book Update

Each day brings me a little closer to print. I have finalized the licensing requirements with The Really Useful Group's agent here in the United States for permission to reprint portions of Webber's lyrics from 16 songs. I've signed a contract with Xlibris and paid for publishing, chosen my cover art, and my interior illustrations are in the process of design.

Hopefully, by April 1st, I will have my submission draft to the publishers. Final print from that point takes two-three months, so I'm looking at June 1st release date.

Am I excited? You bet I am! It's a privilege to dissect the story and share with each of my readers my thoughts and receive positive feedback in emails and comments. We all have a common bond of loving the same timeless story. Thank you for continued support and daily visits from around the world.


The Phantom's Student

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can't wait for the book! Congradulations on your blog's success so far, I really love it. ^^

jackie said...

Congrats on your upcoming book! I've been a Phantom phan since I first discovered the movie in 2005, but I've only recently found this awesome blog. I want to go over every single post from the very beginning, and I hope you forgive me if I leave comments on year-old blog entries. ;)

Keep up the good work! And thanks for keeping the phlames burning! ;P

Anonymous said...

...so I just got home from seeing The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway /again/. I saw it with my school and I'd have to say that the highlight of the afternoon was after the show ended. Someone who is in my grade but who was in another group came up to me and said "I *FINALLY* understand why you've seen it so many times." It really is a great show and I think the fact that I saw it for the first time so early in my life (kindergarden, to be exact) makes it even closer to me. I know that I've already commented on this entry, but this site was the first I had in mind once I got home. Keep up the great posts- I've been silently following the blog for a while and I really do love it. ^-^

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad to have stumbled upon this page. Ironically, I was looking for "Phantom of the Opera jokes" (hey, gotta admit the play/book is terribly heartwrenching) and chanced this site of the most poignant points of the story.

Having just seen the play for the first time this past February, I was thrilled to find someone who understands the impression the story leaves upon you. Within a week after watching Webber's staged version, I devoured the original book. There are certainly enough differences, but the tragedy of having a "man who with an average face could have had the world and had to content himself with opera's cellars" struck a chord for me twice.

I'm currently in the midst of reading Susan Kay's "Phantom" and am enjoying it thoroughly. I look forward to reading your book with the same voracity.

Best of luck!

A recent (and most ecstatic) fan of PTO,

Angela -- kitsune(underscore)no(underscore)kaji(at)yahoo (dot) com.

PS. According to Leroux, "Phantom of the Opera" is based on the papers of several sources; do you believe it's fact, fiction, or -- like the legends of Robin Hood and King Arthur -- urban lore?

Anonymous said...

Oh My God!!
Truly, congratulations. I can't wait for it!

Vicki Hopkins said...

Regarding the question about the story being fact or fiction - you might want to read my post on Illusion. He starts the book as if what he is writing is truth - his sources and the results of his investigations. However, is it really or is the entire work fiction? Leroux lived in a time when "illusionists" abounded making you believe one thing when in reality it was something else. I think the story of Erik can be whatever our hearts wish it to be. It's the underlying message that is the truth of the entire story - to be loved for who we are. I have no opinions actually either way, and I respect those who believe he really existed.