From Laboratory to Bookshelf
John DiCocco’s 12‑Year Quest to Self‑Publish FU: A Novel of Foxton University
John DiCocco is not a nepotism baby; if he were, at least one of the 132 agents and publishers he pitched over the past three years would have accepted his manuscript. If this were also true, Will Ferrell would be perfecting his Professor Gnuder character for an upcoming film version of the book.
Many, including myself, view writer, actor, and funnyman John as the Iron Man of the publishing industry. Rather than give up, John has chosen to pursue self-publishing.
Here is what the author had to say:
“I’ve been working on this book for about a dozen years, occasionally setting it aside for months. I had the beginning and the ending planned out, but figuring out how to get from A to Z took the most time. This may sound unusual to some, but I created the characters first. Once I developed their profiles, I allowed them to guide me in telling the story, and they didn’t disappoint.”
As a professional word shepherd, John dedicated much of his career to developing marketing strategies for academic institutions, including colleges, universities, and independent schools. This experience sparked his creativity. “There are so many bright minds in this field, each with big personalities, unique quirks, conflicting goals, and plenty of laughter to share.”
John quickly realized that his chances of breaking into the publishing industry were slimmer than his chances of winning a thousand bucks on a one-dollar scratch ticket.
“For over three years, I sent queries to 132 agents and publishers and got rejected by all. Several took over a year to respond, but many never responded. You have to find the right agent at the right time who is open to the genre you’re working in. Once onboard, they must find the right publisher looking for a book in that category at the right time.”
“It is a low-percentage game, and it often appears completely random when you browse a bookstore or publisher’s list and wonder how THIS got chosen for publication.”
Here is a brief synopsis of FU:
It’s the world’s most potent aphrodisiac, and now everyone wants a piece.
Can dei is both the main crop and the religion of the isolated Amazonian Bahan Bahan people.
When a biology professor brings samples back to the Foxton University (FU) BioLab, Kizmi Enderby, his star PhD researcher, begins to experience unusual bouts of arousal.
Soon, all the researchers in the lab find themselves affected. Word leaks out, and multiple teams start scheming to corner the market on what could be an extraordinarily valuable resource.
Now it’s up to Enderby and her colleagues to outsmart a powerful business school dean, a multinational corporation, the Vatican, and the crazed dictator of the nation where can dei is grown, all while protecting the independence of the villagers and their sacred crop.
To break through the barriers to publication, Mr. DiCocco has launched a self-promotion program similar to the approach of the Kool-Aid Man and the brick wall. This initiative includes an eye-catching book cover (which he hired me to design), a standalone project website, social media posts, and a Kickstarter campaign that will be launched soon. If all goes as planned, readers will have printed books in hand by early fall 2025.
Stay tuned for updates as the project progresses. To contact John directly, please email him; he would love to hear from you.