Careful – Is that Contagious?

December 16, 2008 · Comments

I first met author and podcaster Scott Sigler at the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco. I’d known about Scott forever, because he was one of two podcasting success stories (the other being J.C. Hutchins), who were first successful by building huge communities around their projects, and then by transforming their serialized podcasts into mainstream book projects.

So, I’m really excited to be part of a group of people reaching out to promote Scott’s new book, Contagious

The official info:

“CONTAGIOUS is a hardcover horror/thriller novel from author Scott Sigler. The book hits stores on December 30, 2008, and Scott is also giving away the entire novel as both a serialized, unabridged podcast and as a serialized PDF. The episodes post every Sunday in both forms, and so far the first two episodes are available at scottsigler.com.

Scott has twelve posters in all, each on a different blog, and each foreshadowing a key plot element. If you get all twelve and put them together in the right pattern, you get a final clue for the book’s big finish. For a list of other blogs hosting a poster, go to www.scottsigler.com/posters.”

I picked the poster below (which is below the nifty video trailer I found on YouTube).

Watch the Trailer

(not suitable for some people – violence, horror)

Get the Poster

Scott Sigler Contagious

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  • pretty cool!
  • Thanks, Chris! If any of your readers are intrigued, I hope they enjoy the story and/or the poster hunt.
  • Hi Chris,

    First time I see a trailer for a book. It's an original way to promote and it certainly makes you wanna read it.
  • 13 years ago I started a similar project on FM radios. Next came podcasting and the world changed. Seems like new media (podcasting & blogging) makes for a great support to traditional litterature.

    Good luck with this book :)
  • I think it is a great idea for book authors to also give away an electronic edition of their book, it creates further curiosity. It will be interesting to know how will that lead to conversion later on - that other publishers and authors can learn from.
  • I may have dropped off the face of the social media world but I've been listening to Scott from the very beginning. It's cool that you're involved Chris :)

    Scott is not only a great author but also a fantastic example of how the web and social media tools can be used to turn a hobby in to a success. He is in your face and totally viral and really gets how to use what's available for his own ends.

    The fact that we also get some excellent stories out of it is a bonus ;)
  • Sabrina Ray
    While I admit Scott Sigler has done a great job with marketing and creating buzz...well, ok he has done a spectacular--his writing is not great. I've read over 500 horror novels and am a huge fan of the genre. Sigler reads like a rip off of a video game like Resident Evil. From a literary standpoint, his work is laughable. It's not scary and his gore is ineffectual. I know he has many followers, but so does Justin Timberlake. Sorry, but someone has to speak the truth.

    You should help people that actually have talent Chris, not just because they have tremendous buzz.
  • Sabrina,

    I'm impressed with the depth of your horror literature consumption. Which books of mine have you read? I would also ask, what are your top five favorite horror novels? Do they involve ghosts, goblins, demons and the supernatural? My work builds off of hard science, a fairly rare occurrence in the horror field. Building a plot out of real things, real technology, and pushing it just a snoodge beyond current abilities to create a thriller backdrop is rather challenging -- at times more so than, say, killing the devil with a magical can of peanut brittle, or backing down the undead with a cross. And unfortunately, people who love ghost stories usually just don't comprehend it.

    I'm so glad that the Final & Grand Arbiter of Talent is here to set Chris straight. Since you are such an expert in the field, where do your talents lie? I'd be curious to know if you've put that ability to the test in a book of your own.
  • Holy smokes- your blog now officially hits boths sides of my head! I loved "Infected" and was drooling waiting for Contagious. Now through your blog I find it is already out there. Better yet it reminded me to link up to Sigler's site.

    BTW- Sabrina to each their own. If you don't enjoy his work, then don't read or support it. Worse, you didn't help anyone either. Looking at your post I see no recommendations. To wit- I am always on the look out for new stuff! I found Scott through "The Levithan Chronicles" (http://www.leviathanchronicles.com/). There are also a couple of other authors mentioned by Levithan author Laputka that I need to find. Heck now I see Scott (thanks to Chris pointing it out again) has at least one other podiobook I want to hear.

    Oh and don't forget podiobooks.com has all sorts of other genres and authors. And they let you donate and say 75 percent goes to the authors.
  • Thanks for this information Chris, it's always great to see a success story.
    @Scott Sigler: I'm an aspiring horror / transgressional fiction writer myself who is writing his first novels: one novel, and a compilation of short stories. This is the first I've heard of you and seen your site. For someone like me, really a little lost in how the business works, the idea of getting published by a major publisher seems almost impossible. I believe in my ability to write and believe I have talent, but it is no small feat to become well known. You have definitely given me hope that it can be done! Not only that, there are new ways to make it, just as you have done. You have really inspired me to not quit and to get serious about my own work. I have a long way to go! You are one inspiring guy and I am glad to have come across you. Thanks so much :smile:
  • I'm glad Scooter involved you in this campaign, Chris. You both are of a similar mind. Though one of you is less abrasive in public than the other. I'll let you decide which.

    There is little doubt that Scott is quite the marketing machine when it comes to him and his work. But he comes by it honestly: When he's out there hustling -- something he does as soon as he take his morning leak -- he's doing it with all of his heart and soul. It's never EVER fake. Over the top? Sure. But genuine.

    That's where a lot of the follow-alongs to Scott fail, to tell the truth. They think all they have to do is a make a serialized audiobook and the fans will come. Not true. It takes work. It takes a near single-minded focused. Me? I'm too scattered and flighty to pull it off. Good thing I don't write.

    But all the hustle in the world won't make up for shoddy work. I have no idea if Scott is a "perfect" writer or not. I know that I enjoy his stores -- both in my ears and on the page. The question of "real talent" is un-quantifiable and moot. There isn't a litmus test you can give for talent. It's a two way street. But then again, I'm the guy who thinks that The Presidents of the United States of America, Cake and the Aquabats are among the best music out there. So who am I to judge?
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