Today is the 41st in a series of posts by San-Diego-based writer Thomas Shess, who has decided to keep a journal on his journey to find a publisher for his novel.

Heavy Lifting-There was a book signing at Borders Books Thursday night in downtown San Diego. True crime author Tom Basinski (above) spoke to the 50 or so in attendance and later signed copies of his first published book, No Good Deed (Berkley True Crime, a division of Putnam/Penguin). Aside from being a top professional cop/investigator, Tom is a solid writer and he doesn't take no for an answer. One of his most admirable qualities as a new writer is he's a quick learn. He figured out early that he'd have to take over the heavy lifting when it came to promoting his first book.

Clueless No More--Tom maybe be personally shy, a trait that took me a long time to realize, but you can toss out the shy crap when Tom is on the job. Shy cop my ass. That's classic Basinski speak. When he asked me for advice on how to start promoting his book. I was clueless as he was. To come up with a solid plan, I suggested that I would use my limited experience as a writer of press releases to help him create a web site and marketing package (aka media kit). While I fashioned the press kit, with his input, his job was to go talk to bookstores and figure out how booksignings are arranged.

Yes or No--Tom didn't wait for the press kit. He took a copy of the book cover that Penguin's marketing team had sent him and met with a book store manager. An hour later, he had his first signing lined up. How'd you do that? I asked. He shrugged, "I just walked in and asked to speak to the person who had the clout to say yes or no." That's called cutting through the fog in cliche land. By the end of the week, I finished his press kits for him and showed him how to make more. We also worked on a mailing list of book writers and editors in town. Also, we had postcards of his book cover made to send out to bookstores and the media announcing his new website.

Just Point Him--Tom didn't look back. He now had ammunition. The rest was all his doing. He used the press kit to parlay a full page story about him and his book in San Diego Magazine and a book signing listing in the book section of the San Diego Union-Tribune, plus he called in an item to a local gossip columnist about how he'd been turned down by one of the top bookstores in town. That publicity broke a few days before Berkley True Crime released No Good Deed nationally. More book signings were added to his schedule. His home town City Council is giving him a book award and he's speaking to half a dozen groups as well. Not bad for a shy cop. And, at his first signing, he sold all 60 books that Borders had ordered.

First Sight--Before the Borders book signing, I asked him how did it feel when he saw his book in a bookstore for the first time? The rest of this column is his answer:

"Unfortunately, I am not an optimist by nature. It took forever to find an agent. I have an inch-high stack of impersonal rejection notices from agents. I believed in my book, not with optimism, but with resolve and determination. When I finally found an agent he sold it to Berkley True Crime Books, a division of Penguin Putnam in a matter of weeks. Then, the waiting started. My editor was very good to me, but she was overworked. Nothing happened with the book for almost a year, and my pessimistic self thought they lost it, or changed their minds. When things got rolling and certain changes needed to be made, they had to be made almost in return mail.

Joy in Mudville--"I felt joy when the publisher sent me a copy of the cover. It was great. More time went by. When I walked into the bookstore today and saw the book in the store for sale, I didn't feel like jumping for joy. I felt that quiet, calm exhilaration that a winner of a marathon must feel, although I've never run a marathon. I know they must be happy and tired though, because I am. It was a long road. I'm scouting my next true crime book even as I attend signings for this book.

Meanwhile back at The Zoo, the author of this column is searching for a publisher or a literary agent for his recently fine tuned first novel, a thriller based in San Francisco loaded with plenty of suspense, a damn good story, and a plot that works-Drop Tom an e-mail (tomshess@aol.com) for a look at the first 20 pages...or better yet hire him as your publicist.

** Because it's a jungle out there.