Bayside resident Steven Jay Griffel has embraced the world of technology with his first published novel, Forty Years Later, which was produced as an eBook.
Griffel has spent more than 35 years working in the publishing industry. He has written articles, essays, children’s books and young adult books.
“I always knew that I would be a writer,” Griffel said.
Although his first novel to be published, Forty Years Later is the fourth one Griffel has written. He said he is almost finished with a fifth novel and has plans for a sixth.
“The novel is an extraordinary art form,” Griffel said, adding that it can be made into different forms.
Griffel finished Forty Years Later in 2008, after losing his job. He said that the silver lining of the situation was that he was able to follow a life-long dream of being a full-time novelist. Although he sent it to publishers, it was not picked up at first.
Later on, Griffel submitted another book, Grossman’s Castle, to Stay Thirsty Media, a digital only publisher. He said he did some research into the company and found that they were “willing to publish the best work of the best authors on a digital platform.”
Although Stay Thirsty Media declined to publish Grossman’s Castle, they did read and accept Forty Years Later. Griffel said that the response he got from the publisher was that it was a “superb novel” and that they would be “honored” to publish it.
Forty Years Later tells the story of a writer, David Grossman, who is trying to get his own work published. Through fate, he reconnects with a woman he knew as a child when they were both at a Jewish bungalow in the Catskills during the time of Woodstock.
An event in Griffel’s own life spurred the initial idea for Forty Years Later, after he reconnected with someone from his past in real life. However, the actual characters were made up, as were the details of what happened.
Griffel described his novel as a story of regret. He said that, by addressing the regret, there is eventually redemption.
Griffel has been giving presentations about not just his book, but also the “digital revolution,” which he said he has become like a spokesperson for. Recently, he was invited to speak at the SoHo center of the New York Public Library.
“I was indescribably thrilled to be invited,” said Griffel, who has also spoken at local libraries.
Griffel said that there are several advantages to digital publishing, such as an increase in royalties. He said that it also increases the audience, since the book can automatically be accessed around the world. Griffel also noted that readers don’t need to own an electronic reader, since free programs can be downloaded onto their home computer.
“It’s [digital publishing] transforming what we read, who we read, and how we read them,” he said.
Forty Years Later is available through amazon.com. For more information on Griffel, find him on Facebook.com or visit www.staythirstymedia.com.
