Mea Culpa!Magazine Editor Commits a Literary Sin.

Barron's Washington Editor Jim McTague takes on the publishing establishment with his political satire/thriller "Invasion of the Onion Heads." Ten agents said that the concept would not sell. So McTague self-published for $299," which is what I spend a week on car parts." McTague was hooked by the economics of self-publishing. "If I sell 100 copies at $15.50 each, then I break even. Can Random House do that? If I sell 200 copies, then I can write "How to Double Your Money in Publishing."

(PRWEB) February 5, 2004 --Ten literary agents said a sci-fi story set in Washington, D.C. with a president from Texas named Lucky and a television-savvy alien from another dimension named Bob wasn't commercial enough for today's readers. Jim McTague knew that he had written a fantastic story that was both frightening and funny. He refused to lock his beloved manuscript in a drawer. He self-published, which the agents warned would be a self-destructive move. "The conventional wisdom is that book reviewers won't look at a self-published book and that the very act of self-publishing diminishes a writer in the eyes of the marketplace," says McTague. "I don't buy that. I'm an established magazine writer with a strong following. My plot is great, my satire is sharp, and my prose is wonderful. Who can resist?"

Onion Heads is narrated by President Lucky's number-five spokesman, who was demoted from the top spot for a verbal gaff. His celebrity wife is so upset with his downfall that she leaves him. Bob gives the hard-luck PR man a second chance as his spokesman and inadvertantly provides him with the opportunity to save his wife and the world.

"I loved writing the book, but marketing it has turned out to be lots of fun too. With a marketing budget of $000.00, its a real challenge to get the word out. Plus, I have to compete for consumer dollars with Mel Gibson's 'The Passion.' What a bummer."

Check out McTague's fun and exciting novel at 1stbooks.com. Type McTague into the "Author" box. Click on the book's title for a preview of the cover art. Yes, that's an Onion chasing a screaming woman up the steps of the US Capitol!

McTague can be reached at 202-862-6605.
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