Striking Viking bumming the world (On the road again)

[Lil' Steve]

Originally Posted by PHOTON PHIL

Linky to buy a tee shirt please.

http://motosapiens.org/moto/?q=en/node/1

[PHOTON PHIL]

Thanks! VFR870

[GAS GUY]

Originally Posted by strikingviking

Thanks amigo. The sequel is even better as I finish looping the planet from Siberia to Africa meeting some of the best people you could imagine. The big discovery---although governments might not get along, people do.

Hello Glen,
I just finished your second book and really enjoyed it, thanks!!
When is the 3rd coming ?

[strikingviking]

Originally Posted by vfr870

I'll get my chance to meet him next week when he comes to NYC for the IMS. I'll gladly support his cause by buying a couple of shirts. Maybe I'll get him a FYYFF shirt too!

You'll really like Doug's presentation. Unfortunately, the show bosses don't give him enough time as the audience I was in was rightfully demanding more.

[sstewart]

A friend gave me the book as a gift,very cool.

[PacificPT]

About 1/2 way through the book, excellent!

[strikingviking]

Thanks so much for the kind words amigos. For those who enjoyed One More Day Everywhere, please do me a huge favor and write a review here.

And for those who liked my first book, Two Wheels Through Terror (The one National Geographic Channel made into a documentary) please add a review here.

And even if you read the books and can't stand them, you can write that too. Baldy once told me that mixed reviews can be a good thing...I guess there is no such thing as bad publicity. Love it, hate it, or whatever, all royalties have and will always be donated to international aid organizations building schools in the developing world.

[PirateJohn]

Originally Posted by strikingviking

And even if you read the books and can't stand them, you can write that too. Baldy once told me that mixed reviews can be a good thing...I guess there is no such thing as bad publicity. Love it, hate it, or whatever, all royalties have and will always be donated to international aid organizations building schools in the developing world.

There is always going to be some clown that will criticize anything that you write, whether they have read it or not. There used to be some silly redneck from South Carolina that posted here that kept insisting that passages in the book that I wrote on motorcycling in Florida were wrong, and it was obvious that he had never even seen a copy.

Give 'em Hell!

[einnocent]

I'm going to be doing SF to TdF starting in May, and I've been reading all I can on the subject. I recently read "Two Wheels" through to your escape and promptly became dizzy at the daunting prospect of what I've committed to. I put it down to read Oisin's "That I May Die Roaming", which has 100% fewer kidnappings, and that has eased the trepidation a bit =)

But regardless, books like yours (which I'm back to finishing) are such an inspiration. Add your opus to the pantheon of adventure motorcycle works: Culberson's "Obsessions Die Hard", "Long Way Round", the dispatches in "Adventure Motorcycling Handbook", Scotto's "The Longest Ride", and the ride threads here in ADVRider. Thank you so much for sharing what moves you. I hope one day that I am able to contribute as you and others like you have.

[strikingviking]

Originally Posted by PirateJohn

There is always going to be some clown that will criticize anything that you write, whether they have read it or not. There used to be some silly redneck from South Carolina that posted here that kept insisting that passages in the book that I wrote on motorcycling in Florida were wrong, and it was obvious that he had never even seen a copy.

Give 'em Hell!

In my reviews on Amazon it's easy to spot a couple jealous colleagues, and even a few who SPAM their books using surrogates to gripe about mine. As a public figure, with or without reason, at least ten percent of the public will hate you--especially if you are successful. It's a shame to note that the first sign of success is when the yapping poodles come out humping on your leg--sometimes a sad reality here also. But if we stay on message with a positive attitude the sniveling is soon drowned out by those egging you on, and those who tried to kick the ladder out from underneath find someone else to annoy.

Anyways, at the moment, I hold the title as the best-selling American author ever, for international riding adventures, outselling the very successful financial adviser, Jim Rodgers.(Investment Biker) But that claim is so insignificant as our particular market is limited. In fact, we are the only American authors of international moto-adventure, who I know of (maybe one other), who have not had to self-publish our books. In the past, there was a lingering stigma on those who chose that route because book reviewers in magazines never recognized them as real authors. However, with all of the new online publishing services currently available, that may soon become a different story. In the next few years, we shall see how those numbers play out when compared to the more exclusive traditional steps to publication.

As the other posters here on advrider soon realized when deciding to write their books, the traditional publishing business is very difficult, and near impossible for international moto stuff here in the US. The European market is much more receptive, especially in Germany, where there is broader interest. Hence, the decision to write a book should be carefully considered.

On advrider, while traveling and posting, we are all encouraged by supportive commentary on our respective threads, and all of the promises to buy our books if we choose to write them. But when it gets down to it, and you count those potential buyers, it is only a few hundred at the very most who will buy our work. Selling our books to the general public is incredibly challenging, and unless we sincerely enjoy writing, and hope to get a specific message out, the process can be discouraging. Beyond readers here, who else is interested?

The first thing taught in writing classes is to consider your audience, the reason I don't write my books for the limited market of motorcyclists. As a motorcyclist, I will already read any book involving adventure moto travel, no matter who it is addressed to, so I imagine it is the same for the rest of you. How then, do we know what audience to speak to?

Early on, in doing my own demographic studies from the thousands of people who write to me (note my contact info here and in my books) we discovered that my audience was 35-55 years old, professional, semi-professional and surprisingly one third female, and half had never sat on a motorcycle. That was the interesting part, selling our common passion to non-believers, who some, after reading my books, go out and buy a motorcycle. Then there are those riders who write to me stating that after reading my books, especially the second, now are out, or about to embark on their own adventures.

The real home-run though is when I hear from folks who say that after reading One More Day Everywhere, that they now see the world differently, without so much fear and mistrust. The fact that those of you who bought my books can know that you helped builds schools for those who had none, is just frosting on the cake. For me and many others, this has been a very successful and rewarding experience. Thanks again to all of you for your support.

[strikingviking]

Originally Posted by einnocent

I'm going to be doing SF to TdF starting in May, and I've been reading all I can on the subject. I recently read "Two Wheels" through to your escape and promptly became dizzy at the daunting prospect of what I've committed to

In the giant scheme of things, that Colombian ordeal has become a minor bump in the road, and if anything, a springboard to the next level. I mark time with positives.

[ywr969]

thanks for the video, SV!
i have both of your books & highly recommend them to everyone.

[sion]

awesome video Glen. I'd venture to say that if you had NOT had your experience with the ELN rebels, you wouldn't be the same man you are today. Perhaps, you might not have gone on to write two books and donate all the profits to build schools, might not have travelled the world spreading goodwill and bringing back the truth that people are the same the world over.

to someone on the outside looking in, your kidnapping seems like a crucial and pivotal event...

[ziggystardust]

Originally Posted by strikingviking

I mark time with positives.

Glen, you continue to amaze. You are one of the most positive MoFos I have ever had the pleasure to meet.

[macgart]

Originally Posted by strikingviking

Thanks so much for the kind words amigos. For those who enjoyed One More Day Everywhere, please do me a huge favor and write a review here.

And for those who liked my first book, Two Wheels Through Terror (The one National Geographic Channel made into a documentary) please add a review here.

And even if you read the books and can't stand them, you can write that too. Baldy once told me that mixed reviews can be a good thing...I guess there is no such thing as bad publicity. Love it, hate it, or whatever, all royalties have and will always be donated to international aid organizations building schools in the developing world.

Done and done!


Glad to see you on the road again amigo.