Night Racers is a middle grade, and young adult science fiction novella I wrote and illustrated. I originally began the first chapter at 11 years old, but our home computer crashed, unfortunately.
I discovered the recovery drive from the old PC over a decade later, and remembered the spark I felt, writing the story back at the younger age. I took this as an opportunity to relive some childhood memories, and begin a new marketing project connecting to a younger demographic at the same time.
The manuscript consists of the main character named William Scott, being recruited and trained to race in another world dimension. This dimension can only be traveled to, by accelerating to the speed of light.
He is assigned to represent earth, against an attacking civilization. The race was agreed on, to settle a dispute between the two sides. There are motorsports references, and mystery elements as well. The reader walks alongside William, while he unravels his tightly hidden family past throughout the story.
After self-publishing through Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), I created numerous marketing campaign strategies, content, and promotional materials. I released a 30 second book trailer to begin developing market hype.
Below, I have a concept for an electric slot car racing set, themed to match the story. When families with children interact with the point of purchase display showcasing the race track set, two model cars driven by the main characters, are displayed to attract younger viewers. At eye level with the kids, there are copies of the book itself also. A partner advertising series could work well, such as having a promo code in the Walmart, Target, or Costco customer catalog.
I later created a behind-the-scenes look at the project with my editor, to further connect with potential buyers. The book is still available on Amazon in both Paperback and Kindle ebook formats.