Steven Mather, A Journey to the Bestsellers List: I've got some good new, and I've got some bad news. Which do you want to hear first?

What, the good news? Nah, I think you want to hear the bad news first. I signed a contract for publication of Three of a Kind almost a year ago and the release date was August 28th, 2008, just a scant six weeks away. I canceled the contract.

What? Are you nuts, Steve? Maybe, maybe not. Look, I have always been an entrepreneurial person first and an artist second. At times, I'd like to be what I call the 'Martyr Artist.' You know, the one who just wants to paint, sculpt, or write and let someone else worry about the business side of things. Let me be free to create. Unfortunately, there's that entrepreneurial spirit and business background. While learning about marketing and distribution, I began to realize that my publisher fell short of an acceptable mark. It was an agonizing decision. I didn't put my heart into Three of a Kind and wait a year for it to be published with no investment of my soul also. After I made the announcement to my publisher and we agreed the contract was canceled, I melted down. I think the stress brought on a migraine that had me in a total state of pain, confusion, and puking for six hours. Not fun. I had to do what I thought was in my best interests as a writer and my future. It may have been a colossal mistake, but I don't think so or else I wouldn't have been able to go through with it. Yes, thank you for asking, I feel fine this morning.

So, what's the good news. Well, that remains to be seen. I now have the choice of self-publishing or starting the grind of acquiring an agent and/or publisher. The latter of the two almost guarantees that Three of a Kind would not be published for eighteen to twenty-four months, at a minimum. Can I wait that long with the entrepreneurial spirit burning inside of me? Probably not.

I'm currently writing an article on The Future of Publishing and will use the time to make a decision.

So, I must apologize to the few of you who pre-ordered my book or were awaiting its release. I guess the good news is that Three of a Kind will be published eventually and my chances of success will be exponentially higher. Ignore the fact that my finger's are crossed that means nothing, its an affliction, a nervous tick.