Passionate Music Fan Authors History of Van Halen
Abel Sanchez Achieves Book Publishing Success with AuthorHouse
Every writer has a story to tell, but today's hectic lifestyle can often make it difficult to find adequate time to craft a legendary tale to tell. Two years ago, Abel Sanchez and a friend were discussing the need for an authoritative biography of the popular rock band Van Halen when Abel realized he could author such a book. Once he committed to putting the pen to paper, Sanchez soon discovered that hard work and persistence can go a long way for both musicians and aspiring authors.
Sanchez is a diehard Van Halen fan— the kind of guy who knows every word on the "5150" album and can tell you the exact number of notes Eddie played on the guitar during "Eruption." With his book, he wanted to uncover every aspect of the Van Halen brothers, from their 1978 self-titled debut album through their 2004 reunion tour.
Sanchez knew his own passion for Van Halen would come through in his manuscript, titled Van Halen 101, but he also wanted to include other musician's insights about the band. Sanchez recalls, "I didn't have any real connections in the music industry, but I was willing to pick up the phone, write letters and take a chance."
His persistence in garnering contacts paid dividends when Brian May, legendary guitarist of the rock band Queen, responded to his inquiry with what would become the foreword of the book. With a solid endorsement in hand, Sanchez went on to interview more than 100 musicians for the project, including B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. With his story formally documented on paper and a solid vision for his book, he set out to find a publisher who could make his dream become reality.
Sanchez's main challenge was finding a publishing company that was as passionate about his project as he was. Though he was determined to see his love of the band reflected in a well-crafted and easy-to-read book, he soon became frustrated when the publishing company he originally selected failed to deliver the product he envisioned. Sanchez recalls, "I couldn't get a human being on the phone. I could hardly get a response from them at all. Having full control over the project was essential for me, and I wasn't getting any of that."
Eager to translate his vision into print, Sanchez finally found the publishing partner he truly desired in AuthorHouse. Throughout the AuthorHouse publishing process, he was able to communicate his vision of the book during a conference call with his design team and was soon in constant contact, advising the team on all aspects of the project. "My author advocate could answer any question I had about the process; he always made himself available and valued my input about the project," says Sanchez.
With AuthorHouse advocates dedicated to seeing the project to fruition, Sanchez was set to market his book. He identified three Web sites that attracted his reader demographics, and distributed a press release to each site promoting his newly-released book. All three sites picked up the story and featured VanHalen 101. "I knew the Internet was the key to a successful book launch," he says. "I wouldn't have been able to create a demand for the book without it."
Soon, Sanchez had radio stations calling about the book, which was eventually reviewed by Guitar One, Classic Rock and Guitar World magazines. With an Internet buzz surrounding his book launch and a quality product in hand, Sanchez was ready to make a splash. Van Halen 101 sold an astounding 500 copies during its first three days on the market.
Looking back, Sanchez is thankful he spent time getting his story on paper and finding a publisher who would help him achieve his goals without changing his original vision. "The book is out there and is selling—going well beyond my expectations. It's really unbelievable. Nobody is more shocked with my success than I am. I'm flattered by every sale," Sanchez says.
One of the most fulfilling aspects of Sanchez's success is hearing from his readers, who send letters and e-mails from around the globe. Sanchez recommends that all authors provide their contact information, as he did, somewhere within the book. "I've heard from some amazing people," he explained, "including a soldier stationed in Iraq, who said there are two things he looks forward to each day: getting back to base to take a shower and reading more of the book each night."
Without a doubt, Sanchez has achieved success with respect to publishing and marketing his book. AuthorHouse is pleased to have played a part in helping him get his voice in print.
