Various THE CONTEST happenings

The Contest dropped last Tuesday. A number of cool things related to that event:

I did a book launch at The Wild Detectives, as hosted by Chris Panatier. He was an excellent host and made the entire conversation super smooth.

I wrote an article on “Five Flawed Child Prodigies” for Crimereads, given The Contest has a flawed prodigy of its own.

Dave White raked me over the coals. Or just nicely asked me questions. (Dave’s books here.)

Nick Kolakowski gave me the third degree. Or just nicely asked me questions. (Nick’s books here.)

There’s some nice reviews out there, on the various socials. One of the nicer ones right here, although feel free to search away for more. If there’s any not so nice, ignore those.

THE CONTEST drops

Today is the day THE CONTEST drops.

It’s my debut. Ish. Yes, I had a book release earlier (NINE TENTHS, you’re welcome to buy it online wherever you wish) but this is my first traditionally published book. All sorts of publishing things happened for this book that I’d never experienced before - assets were created, the book was promoted, review copies were sent, I got author copies, the book can (will?) be in bookstores!

I’m really proud of the book I wrote. It’s a mishmash of puzzling challenge and character angst. I’ve thought about comparisons and wind up with WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE factory if Sidney Lumet directed the film. (I’m no Lumet, but maybe you get what I’m aiming for.) I hope it’s fun, but I hope the characters drive it. I hope the book is what people want it to be. I hope it’s what I aimed for.

The book will be what it will be now. People will have reactions I can’t control. It will make a big splash or it won’t. I’m happy it exists but mentally split as I’ve been working on the next thing for quite some time. It’s weird to revisit a creation after so much time and distance. But fun, too.

Really what I’m saying is—if you haven’t bought THE CONTEST yet, what are you doing?

Buy my book, you fools.

T Minus...very soon? Less than a month until THE CONTEST?

“This better not be a box full of paper,” I said. And it was a box full of paper. Only that’s exactly what I wanted.

Author copies arrived!

Every additional step in the publishing chain makes this book thing feel more real. Which it is, but it’s also surreal. I don’t know that I actually thought I’d publish. Safer for the ego, maybe, to think the book would go no farther than friends, or an agent, or an editor. But here we are.

Pretty damn exciting.

Feb 11th this book hits 88 and we see some serious shit. (I’m not sure this quote works, but I’m standing by it.)

Cool authors giving blurbs

Blurbs are this weird thing in the publishing world, where authors with a book coming out are expected to ask other authors to not only read said book, but then say something nice about it, something nice the requesting author can then plaster across their book and social media presence. When you’ve built a circle of fellow authors largely out of shared interests and a spirit of friendship, the process feels…exploitive? But you do it anyway, because that’s how the business works, and every author imagines the reader who picks up a book, recognizes the blurbing author, and makes a purchase decision based on that one rave review.

But more importantly, LOOK AT ALL THESE COOL BLURBS.

“The Contest is a thrilling suspenseful mind bending adventure.”
– S.A. Cosby best selling author of All the Sinners and Razorblade Tears

“The Contest sports a fun story that does what my favorite crime novels do – transport me to an unfamiliar world and weave in a page-turning mystery. Jeff Macfee does not disappoint with this crackling debut.”
– Alex Segura, bestselling and acclaimed author of Secret Identity and Alter Ego

“A mystery wrapped inside a riddle inside an enigma, The Contest is a clever puzzle box of a book. An intrigue-filled, cerebral theme park provides the setting for an affecting tale about finding one’s worth after defeat, and Macfee’s storytelling instantly drew me in from the first page.”
– Victor Manibo, author of The Sleepless and Escape Velocity

“Jeff Macfee drops the reader into a hall of mirrors with no way out. A singular book.”
– Adam Oyebanji, author of A Quiet Teacher

“A brilliant page-turner about obsession, compromise, child prodigies, and second chances, all set in a world where Willy Wonka made escape rooms rather than chocolate bars, The Contest is my favorite thing I’ve read this year.”
– Peter Clines, NYT Bestselling author of The Broken Room and Paradox Bound

“Like Willy Wonka if it was written by Hitchcock… LOVE THE BOOK. Seriously, it is SO GOOD.”
– Stephen Blackmoore, author of Dead Things

“Here’s a riddle: what’s the best mystery puzzler since ‘Squid Game’? The answer is Jeff Macfee’s ‘The Contest.’”
– Nick Kolakowski, author of Where the Bones Lie