Buy My Book on Amazon.com! Author stops at nothing to get his book noticed BY DANIELLE MEDINA Correspondent COURTESY OF JASON MITCHINER Brick resident Jason Mitchiner has gone to great lengths to get his self-published book noticed. He posed with a copy of "Full Moon Rising" at a recent book signing. Fledgling author Jason W. Mitchiner and his Speedo are turning up in some unlikely places lately. Over the past month, Mitchiner, 30, has donned his blue bathing suit in New York City's Times Square and at a book signing at a local bookstore. He even plans to wear his Speedo in the New York City Marathon in November. For Mitchiner, 30, the Speedo and his moniker "the Naked Author" are part of his tireless self-promotion for his first full-length novel, "Full Moon Rising: Based on a True Story." "I have to do something to brand myself, to make myself become unforgettable," said Mitchiner, who lives in Brick with his wife and their 22-month-old son, Donovan Jason. "I put everything mentally into writing my book, and I want to show everyone I'll put everything physically in promoting it." "Full Moon Rising" is published by PublishAmerica, a Maryland-based company that specializes in unknown authors and utilizes digital printing technology, which allows a single copy of a book to be printed. The promotion for the book, however, falls squarely on the author. "I'm competing against the big time," Mitchiner said. "I have less than a 0.1-percent chance of making it in the mainstream book world. It's a true David and Goliath story." But Mitchiner is up for the challenge because he's faced adversity before. Born in Fayetteville, N.C., his parents divorced when he was five. He spent the next 10 years moving around the United States and Germany, living in motor homes and motels. At 14, his mother abandoned him in Germany, and by 16 he was a ward of the state of New Jersey. He ended up in foster care. "Everything I've experienced my whole life, I pour back into my characters when I'm writing," Mitchiner said. "This allows me to make my characters more complex, have more depth and become more interesting. I should thank my parents for giving me my thoughts and ideas." It was Mitchiner's father who gave him the idea for "Full Moon Rising." He spoke to his son for the first time in 10 years, when Mitchiner was 26, about the family's genealogy. From there, Mitchiner spent the next two years writing the novel, a fictional account of Thomas William Mitchiner's life during the San Francisco Gold Rush and Civil War eras. He sent his manuscript to every literary agent and major publishing house he could think of, but met with no success. "It was returned unopened or they'd read one paragraph on the first page and send it back," Mitchiner said. So he knew he would have to find another way to get some attention. The Speedo and the "Naked Author" nickname were born. "I'm not naked because I walk around Times Square in a bathing suit," Mitchiner said. "I'm naked in the literary sense because I have no literary agent and without a large publisher to market my book and have it displayed in bookstores throughout the nation." Mitchiner is hard at work promoting his novel. He's lined up three more book signings in the next few months. He's also training for the New York City Marathon, which he plans to run with a copy of his book in his hand. He's also working on his second novel, "Red Sea Divided," which is the prequel to "Full Moon Rising." That novel will be based on the story of Thomas William Mitchiner's grandfather, who fought in the Revolutionary War. A third novel, which would be the first in the trilogy, is also in the works. "Finding the time to write is the most difficult," said Mitchiner, who now uses a tape recorder to develop his characters during his commute to his job at nj.com in Jersey City. But for Mitchiner, it's just another challenge to overcome and an important lesson for his son. "I want him to know that I put every ounce of my soul in what I believed in," Mitchiner said. "If you believe in something, be passionate about it and follow through with it." "Full Moon Rising" is currently available at Barnes & Noble, Brick. For more information on Jason W. Mitchiner, visit nakedauthor.com. "Naked Author" Jason W. Mitchiner dons Speedo to Promote his Book First we had the Naked Cowboy. Now the literary world has their own Naked Author. Nakedauthorsigning Novelist Jason W. Mitchiner is pounding the pavement in a Speedo to promote his book, Full Moon Rising: Based on a True Story. The story is historic fiction based on one of Mitchiner's ancestors and centers around the San Francisco Gold Rush- and Civil War-eras. Full Moon Rising is published by PublishAmerica, a Maryland-based company that specializes in unknown authors and utilizes digital printing technology, which allows a single copy of a book to be printed. The promotion for the book is entirely up to the author. Mitchiner, on his website, calls himself the "Naked Author" as he says: "...[not] because I walked around Times Square in a Speedo on New Year's Day. I am the Naked Author because I am naked and alone in the literary world, without a literary agent and without a large publisher to market my book and have it displayed in bookstores throughout the nation." He's sported his blue Speedo at book signings and even in Times Square while trying to get noticed by Good Morning America (video available on YouTube). In a recent news article, Mitchiner said, "I have to do something to brand myself, to make myself become unforgettable. I put everything mentally into writing my book, and I want to show everyone I'll put everything physically in promoting it." Full Moon Rising: Based on a True Story is available at Amazon.com Technorati Tags: Full Moon Rising, Jason Mitchiner, Naked Author, Naked Cowboy, Speedo Posted by kyunderwear on February 15, 2007 | Permalink	By KELLY MEISBERGER Staff Writer BARELY DISCOVERED You may have heard of New York City's Naked Cowboy, but have you heard of Brick Township's Naked Author? Jason W. Mitchiner is making sure you do. Mitchiner -- clad only in a Speedo -- is billing himself as the Naked Author to promote his first book, "Full Moon Rising.'' Because he was rejected by larger publishers and picked up by PublishAmerica, a firm which offers no marketing aid and produces single copies of books through its "print-on-demand'' technology, the burden of making himself known is completely on Mitchiner's shoulders. From his goal to skydive with his book in hand, to his plan to run the New York City Marathon in his Naked Author costume, Mitchiner is making his Naked Author theme take hold "by land, sea and air.'' "I realized I needed to pound the pavement, that I couldn't just sit at home at hope someone found my book,'' the author said. "I needed to make it happen.'' "Full Moon Rising,'' Mitchiner's first book published which will be the final chapter in his planned trilogy, is historical fiction about the San Francisco gold rush and the Civil War based on his own ancestors. "It's about these three poor boys in Georgia who set out to find fortune,'' Mitchiner said. Mitchiner's own life tells a similar story of a man with his roots in hardship and his move toward the American dream. As a child, Mitchiner was denied by his birth father, and constantly moved around the country with his birth mother until she, too, abandoned him. He later chose to enter foster care, after contemplating living on the streets and even suicide. Along with promoting his book, Mitchiner said his goal is to publicize the perils of children in foster care and the need for them to find loving homes. He now writes "DYFS'' on his arms at book signings, which goes with his Naked Author costume of a Speedo and red, white and blue accessories to depict the American dream. "I took the greatest parts of my life and the darkest moments of my life and turned them toward writing,'' Mitchiner said. "I want (children in foster care) to know that writing is a great, positive outlet for them. They may feel that the whole world is against them, that they have no control over their lives, and they might think that the rest of their lives is going to be like that, too. But I want them to see, I could have gone two different ways.'' He said he has been in contact with New Jersey Foster Care (1-877-NJFOSTER) and Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton (www.catholiccharitiestrenton.org) to tell his story and advocate for foster children. Mitchiner, who now has a wife, Maggie Mary and a son, Donovan, said he hopes his perseverance sets an example for his family. He also said that out of all the places he has lived, from Germany to California, the Garden State holds a special place in his heart. "New Jersey is a very important place to me,'' he said. "It's where I met my wife, where I bought my first house, where I had my first son and where I wrote my first book.'' Mitchiner said locations where he has had book signings have been mostly receptive of his unique getup, though larger bookstore chains have on occasion asked him to cover up. At a recent book signing at the Ocean County Mall, Waldenbooks asked him to wear swimming trunks over his Speedo, and he obliged. "I'm OK with meeting corporate halfway,'' he said. But, he added, he refuses to cover his ""Naked Author'' signage completely, which he can don fully-dressed through T-shirts and other clothing. He did so once … and only once, he says … at a recent signing in Eatontown, when a store refused to let him display anything that sported the "Naked Author'' name. "I'll never go back and cover up again,'' he said. "The brand recognition is so powerful. It's not just a book signing, it's a fun event. I want to entertain people with my writing, but I also want them to be entertained when they meet me. '' Today, Mitchiner will run his first half-marathon at Brookdale College to begin training for the New York City Marathon, where he will wear his Speedo and carry his book. March 9 he will sign books at the Freehold Barnes and Noble from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and March 24 he will sign books at the Brick Barnes and Noble from 1 to 4 p.m. On March 31, Mitchiner will travel to the Barnes and Noble on Fifth Avenue in New York City, where he will show off his costume outside at 11 a.m. It is the author's dream to sign books in that store … the largest bookstore in the world … and he hopes to stir up enough recognition that he one day can do so. For now, Mitchiner is working on his second book in the trilogy, "Red Sea Divided,'' the prequel to "Full Moon Rising.'' He said he's already 90,000 words in, and uses a tape recorded to work on characters as he drives to Jersey City each day to his job as a senior account executive for the Web site www.nj.com. Full Moon Rising'' is available at www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, www.borders.com and can be ordered through most bookstores. To learn more about Mitchiner and his book, visit www.nakedauthor.com.
Excited about a novel Area author's first book, "Full Moon Rising," will be in stores after the first of the year and is now available on amazon.com Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 12/22/06 BY TRISTAN J. SCHWEIGER TOMS RIVER BUREAU Post Comment BRICK — For Jason W. Mitchiner's sake, pray New York has warm weather on New Year's Day. Because Mitchiner, a 30-year-old author from Brick, is planning to walk around Times Square that day in nothing but a Speedo. It's a prospect he said he finds "terrifying," but such is the life of an author trying to spread the word about his book with no literary agent nor major publishing house marketing budget behind him. A lifelong writer whose day job is a senior account executive for the Web site www.nj.com, Mitchiner said he became serious about writing a full-length novel when he found out his wife was pregnant with his now 20-month-old son, Donovan. But after completing "Full Moon Rising," a historical fiction about the San Francisco Gold Rush- and Civil War-era based on the life of one of his ancestors, he learned how difficult it is for a newcomer to break into the literary world. "I sent it out to everybody, and I got rejected by everybody," Mitchiner said. Mitchiner eventually did find a publisher — the Maryland-based firm PublishAmerica, which caters to new authors and uses "print-on-demand" technology, allowing a single copy to be printed at a time. "Full Moon Rising" is now available on Web sites like www.amazon.com and will be carried in local bookstores after the first of the year. But the marketing is all up to him; hence the Times Square stunt. "When I finally found a publisher, it was like a piece of the puzzle," he said. Print-on-demand has been seen by many aspiring authors as a blessing, though one with certain caveats. For one thing, print-on-demand publishing usually doesn't allow the same kind of wide distribution that comes with a major company like Random House, according to Paul Aiken, executive director of the Authors Guild, which represents published writers. At the same time, however, it allows people to get their books — which may be very good ideas that just didn't strike a major publisher as marketable — into print. "I think it's fantastic," said Michael A. Santoro, a professor at Rutgers Business School-Newark and New Brunswick. "The publishing industry itself has changed significantly in that they publish a narrower range of books. They don't take as many chances on first-time authors." Mitchiner plans his book as the first in a trilogy, with his next being set around the Revolutionary War. He hopes he'll be able to get his subsequent novels picked up by a major publisher. He's certainly no stranger to challenges or hardship. Born in North Carolina, he's moved over 50 times in his life, being raised partly by foster parents, he said. He describes himself as a "drifter" before he met his wife, Maggie Mary Mitchiner. "I was told by many people that I'd never amount to anything," Jason Mitchiner said. "I didn't let misfortune in my early life keep me from succeeding." And regardless of commercial success, the process of writing "Full Moon Rising" seems to have been an interesting process for him and his family. "I just couldn't wrap my mind around that he had created all of these voices and characters," said Maggie Mitchiner of her first time reading the book. Tristan J. Schweiger: (732) 557-5734 or tschweiger@app.com Post a Comment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This article does not have any comments associated with it Text Size:|| E-mail Print Subscribe E-mail Alerts (STAFF PHOTO: MARY FRANK) Jason W. Mitchiner of Brick is shown with his 20-month-old son, Donovan, who is holding a copy of Mitchiner's first novel, "Full Moon Rising." "FULL MOON RISING" Mitchiner said he began his research for "Full Moon Rising" about four years ago after he was contacted by his father, whom he hadn't spoken to since he was a teenager. He said most of the biographical details of his family members in the book are factual, but their thoughts, motivations and conversations are his inventions. RELATED LINKS • Jason Mitchiner Related news from the Web Latest headlines by topic: • Weather • Publishing Powered by Topix "FULL MOON RISING' Brick author to sign copies of his book Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 02/15/07 TOMS RIVER: Area author Jason W. Mitchiner will be signing copies of his first novel at Waldenbooks in Ocean County Mall on Saturday, the store announced. Mitchiner, of Brick, recently published "Full Moon Rising," a historical fiction about the San Francisco gold rush and Civil War eras based on his own family. The signing will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Without a literary agent or large publisher behind him, Mitchiner has been billing himself as the "naked author," conducting various publicity events wearing only a Speedo. Tristan J. Schweiger
Reviews- Received 1/7/08 It made me cry when I read that the brother was killed playing cards. It also made me sick to my gut when you tell about killing the animals for fur. I'm almost done and hope to finish soon. Manuel Received 5/16/07 (This is from a professional editor that I hope to someday be able to afford her services for my future books and make them squeaky clean) Hey Jason, I haven't made it all the way through "Full Moon Rising" yet (I have A LOT of books stacked next to the bed!), but what I have read I have found engaging, and the characters so far are well imagined and nicely fleshed out. 3/31/07 Hey, Jason, it's Christi-Now, onto the important stuff--what did I think of your book! I have to say, honestly, that I really enjoyed it. The time period is not one that I have felt inclined to read much about, but you really have a way of drawing the reader into the lives of your characters. I found myself really caring what happened to the brothers, and not just because I know that this story is based on true events, but because you created such realistic details--the characters, the locations, the battles. I felt as though I was almost a part of the story, rather than an observer. And forget about the love story aspect...I really felt heartache over Tom's losses in love...I felt sympathetic for Raymond over his lack of love and his awkward pursuit of Annabelle...I'm really not trying to blow smoke up your ass, but there was just so much emotion in this book, and it all resonated within me...the love, the hatred, the pain of losing someone close to you, longing, anger, jealousy, greed, I think you got them all, and you did it well. Something else I noticed--you left enough details out to leave the reader wondering, but not so much that the story doesn't make sense. For example, in the first chapter, you indicate that Tom's father might have some ghosts in his past, but you don't elaborate. To do so would take away from the primary story, but it left me wondering about him, and how his history helped define him as a father. You gave just the right amount of backstory. Of course, my inquistive mind is dying to know which parts of the story were true, and what you created! So, there's my long-winded review...did I read too much into everything? Anyway, I thought you would be interested in hearing what I thought--especially since it was all positive! Talk to you soon! Christi I just got my first review on Amazon- I must say reviews like this highly motivate me in my fight... awesome!!!, March 18, 2007 Reviewer: sam "st" (howell, new jersey United States) - See all my reviews history so detailed it's hypnotic. a reminder of how brutal the NOT SO DISTANT past was. Received 3/16/07 For a first novel, "Full Moon Rising," by Jason Mitchiner is quite a commendable effort. The author has based his story on the adventures of the great-grandfather, of his early years in Georgia, his panning for gold in California and his confrontations with Indians during those turbulent times in the late eighteen-eighties. His depiction of the conditions in those days and the privations of the populace are quite realistic. All in all, the picture drawn by Mr. Mitchner of the America in those history-making days: the Civil War, the Gold Rush, the Frontier that was pushing ever westward -- even his grandfather's romantic escapades -- provided us with an enjoyable read. Dave & Mary Received 3/15/07 From a co-worker who is far more scholarly and well read then I will ever be, Jason Mitchiner makes a solid independent debut with his first novel. As anyone aspiring to do anything will tell you, it's the first step that matters most. Jason starts hard out of the blocks. The character development is good but sometimes the early story seems disjointed around the timeline, maybe even a bit rushed. However, as the book progresses you can really feel Jason developing as a writer with it. The novel reminds me a bit of a picturesque novel such as Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn because a number of the adventures of the three brothers could have happened in any order. That doesn't make them less fun, however. Knowing Jason I can often picture him writing the main character's story as he imagines he might have lived an adventurous mid-1800's life. David Received 3/4/07 Jay- I finally got a chance to read your book... I must say I enjoyed it immensely... It's a great story and you told it amazingly well... Way to go! Talk to you later. -Dave Thank you for choosing Shore Scuba Center Shore Scuba Center 367 Brick Blvd Brick NJ 08723 732-920-6005 www.shorescuba.com