Download eBook version of The Drought now!

The Drought has been released as an eBook and can be downloaded at Amazon UK now for just 99p! Check it out here. It is also available at Amazon US for 99c - what a bargain!

Interview with the Sutton Guardian

Here is the link to my first press interview as I speak to James Pepper from the Sutton Guardian about the upcoming publication of The Drought.

You can also read the full story below...

 

Carshalton author aims to trash chick flick myths

by James Pepper

A new book is looking to dispel the chick flick myths about men. 

Carshalton author Steven Scaffardi is due to release his debut novel The Drought, next month. 

A tale of a group of young single men doing what they do, one of the group has recently broken up with his long-term girlfriend, only to find he has forgotten how to talk to the opposite sex. 

Inspired by Channel 4 hit sitcom The Inbetweeners, there are as many cringe-worthy moments as there are laugh out loud ones, the blurb reads. 

The author and stand-up comedian said he was also inspired by the misrepresentation of men in so-called rom coms and women’s magazines. 

He said: “I have to watch chick flicks because of my girlfriend, and sometimes I might read the women’s magazines that are lying around. 

“When I see the depiction of men in films, I just think to myself ‘a man wouldn’t say that’.”

In an attempt to bring back the real man, the author turned to his own experiences after a few false starts with other novels. 

He said: “I have tried to write about cool things of which I know nothing about and got to chapter four. Then I run out of material. “With this book, I tried to talk about things which I know about – young men being mischievous and trying to pull girls. 

“It’s about a relationship from a guy’s point of view.”

The Drought on MediaWeek.co.uk!

The Drought was given a friendly plug on MediaWeek today! Check it out here or read the article below...

A Book you'll want to read until the end!
by Arif Durrani

Media Week’s very own Steven Scaffardi has answered that perennial question no one is thinking about; what do media sales people do in their spare time? Answer, write a fantastic book about girls of course.

The international commercial man turned budding author is due to have his first novel, ‘The Drought’, on sale from Amazon and all good bookshops from 24 September. It follows a character called Dan Hilles, who following the break-up with his long-term girlfriend, finds himself single again and a little out of practice with the ladies.

Is this Scaffardi writing about what he knows? Probably, (sorry Steve) but it makes it no less funny. He says: “I’m a big fan of TV shows like The Inbetweeners and films such as American Pie and The Hangover. But I have never come across a book with that type of humour so I decided to give it a go.”

It’s a great, light-hearted romp, but Bitch is not sure if the quote from CBBC and One show presenter Angellica Bell really does it justice: “It‟s not often a book keeps my attention, but this one did. I could definitely relate to many experiences in the book. I‟m watching this space.”… Bless!

Paperback version of The Drought on sale from September 24!

The official publication date for the paperback version of The Drought is September 24! That is the date that it will be available to buy from Amazon and all good bookshops! It will be priced £8.99.

The eBook version for the Kindle will be available in the next few weeks - watch this space!

Advice for Indie Authors: Sell, sell, sell!

Ten days ago the first printed copies of my novel, The Drought, were finally delivered to my doorstep. It was a joyous occasion, despite the best efforts from the London looters to halt their arrival (the books should have been delivered two days earlier but the riots caused their delay - sort it out Cameron!).

I stared at the 65 copies of my book; filled with the words that I had written. Two years of hard work packed neatly into two cardboard boxes. Proudly holding a copy in my hand, one thought immediately popped into my head: How am I going to shift this lot?! After all, 65 copies of the same novel on my bookshelf would not only look a little silly, but perhaps a tad self-indulging too!

I did not want all this hard work to simply be viewed as vanity-publishing. For the first time I realised that if I wanted to do this properly, I would need a business plan. I wanted to evaluate everything that I had done so far, set myself an objective, and then work out what I needed to achieve to this.

Time to look at the facts:

- So far I had spent in excess of £2,000 on publishing and marketing (including the silver self-publishing package with Pen Press, the promo silver pack and Kindle eBook conversion with Author Essentials, and a website with Advanced Web Creations)
- The first 65 copies I sell would offer me 100% profit as these books come as part of the silver package
- I would make an average of £1 - £2 profit for every printed book sold through a retailer
- My profit would increase by nearly 200% on all sales off my own back (I am able to purchase additional copies of my book at any time from Pen Press at £3.25 per book - minimum 25 orders)

Clearly there is a greater benefit selling my book myself because of the larger profit margin. However, as a consumer, I am also aware that I would more than likely buy something from a reputable retailer than I would anywhere else. I also couldn’t use any of my promo marketing material yet, as it all references that you can buy the book and a Kindle version from Amazon, but it is going to take approximately six weeks for my book to be registered and start appearing on sites such as Amazon.

Rather than bogging you down with numbers and a maths lesson, I worked out that in order to break-even and start turning a profit, I would need to sell 665 copies of my book myself. Time to get to work!

I set-up a PayPal account and created a business account to allow people to buy copies of the book through my website. This also allows people to pay by credit card if they don’t have a PayPal account.

My plan for the first six weeks is to try and create a buzz through people that I know - friends, family, work colleagues, clients, friends of friends, acquaintances! Anyone I can possibly make direct or indirect contact with. I put together a list of 250 email addresses I have and sent an email blast out to announce the book has been published and that they can purchase a copy from my website. Furthermore, to incentivise people to buy through my website, I am offering signed copies and a free bookmark.

I have also targeted contacts and friends through social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I asked people post links on their status updates or re-tweet information to their followers.
After week one of sales I have shifted 50 copies of the book. Not bad for a first week, but plenty of sales to go!

But already I am starting to forward plan. For every sale I make, I make a note of their their email address because in six weeks when the book will be available via retail outlets online, I will email everyone who has bought a copy of the book to ask them to write a review on Amazon.

And reviews are the next stage of my business plan, but that is for a different blog.

This blog was originally posted on printweek.com

My debut as a comedy compere!

The Line-Up: Here is the running
order from tonight's gig

Diary of a stand-up comedian Entry #32
Tonight was an absolutely rip-snorting frickin' awesome evening! A few weeks back when I performed at the Laughter Lung, Stu Privett had asked if I fancied MC'ing down at The Bowery in August for him while he was at Edinburgh. I jumped at the chance and tonight was the big night.

I was nervous to begin with but I think I eased into it. It gave me the chance to interact with the audience a bit more, and try some things out that I might not notmally do. I didn't feel quite as much pressure to be funny as I normally do, I guess because that is down to the acts. I'm just there to introduce people!

But I had a really good time, and there was some very funny acts on. Hopefully I'll get the chance to do it again in the future!

Early praise for The Drought

Before the official publication date of The Drought, I managed to get some early book reviews from some well-known TV personalities and journalists. Here is what they had to say...

Early praise for The Drought
“The Drought is a good, entertaining read. It hits what could be a gap in the market. The story is well-paced and crucially it makes the reader sympathise with the main character, through his self-deprecating humour and the sense that he represents the aspirations and frustrations of many young men."
David Harrison | Senior Reporter at the Daily Telegraph
David Harrison has written articles published in MailOnline, The Daily Telegraph, BBC News, The Sunday Telegraph and News of the World.

"One of the most brutally honest and funny stories I've read in the last few years. A pleasantly darker alternative to the offerings of Mike Gayle. All hail the arrival of Steven Scaffardi."
Ortis Deley | Actor & Television Presenter
Ortis Deley has been in the entertainment business for over 15 years and is currently presenting on Five's The Gadget Show and on Choice FM on Sunday mornings



"The Drought is a great insight into man! It opens up the mind of the London twenty-something bloke, and lets you know exactly what they are really thinking. It is like an adult Inbetweeners that will have you laughing all the way through, but amongst the sexual humour and outright lad culture there is also the story of a nice guy on a journey of self-exploration. The Drought takes you on a journey of embarrassing moments that make you cringe and laugh your head off, yet still manages to give you a solid tale that gives you a warm feeling inside. Ever wondered what men really think? Then this is the book for you. Steven has opened up the brain of lad and laid it out in a book for you."
Luke Dolan | Television Producer for The X-Factor and Britain's Got Talent
Luke Dolan has worked in the television industry for 10 years


"Witty, well-written, and pulls no punches. It's not often a book keeps my attention, but this one did. I could definitely relate to many experiences in the book. Scaffardi has an imaginative mind that needs to be unleashed. I'm watching this space."
Angellica Bell | Television & Radio Presenter
Angellica Bell has been a presenter for over 10 years and is currently a Reporter on BBC1's The One Show and ITV's The Zone


“Just wanted to say what a huge fan I am of Steven Scaffardi's The Drought. It comes across as a superior version of chick lit for men - immediately engaging, written in a really modern vernacular and he's already mastered comic timing.”
Matt Whipp | Online Editor for printweek.com
Matt Whipp is the editor for printweek.com which is the global leading website serving the print community

"Comedy in The Drought is similar to The Inbetweeners" says TV Producer!

TV producer Luke Dolan has compared The Drought to hit comedy show The Inbetweeners

A television producer who has worked on some of the UK's biggest shows has compared the comedy in The Drought similar to that on hit E4 show The Inbetweeners.

Luke Dolan, who has worked on shows such as the X Factor and Britain's Got Talent, read a preview copy of The Drought and sung its praises calling it a "very funny book for men".

"The Drought is a great insight into man!" Luke said. "It opens up the mind of the London twenty-something bloke, and lets you know exactly what they are really thinking."

Luke saw similarities in the situations the four main characters in stand-up comedian Steven Scaffardi's debut lad-lit novel get into, and likened them to a grown-up versions of The Inbetweeners Jay, Will, Simon, and Neil characters.

Jack from The Drought

"The Drought is like an adult Inbetweeners that will have you laughing all the way through," Luke said. "Jack in The Drought is very similar to Jay, with a bit more confidence if that is possible!

"And Neil could find a kindred spirit in Ollie from The Drought. I'm not too sure which one has the least amount of common sense!"

The Drought is the laugh-out-loud tale of one man's quest to overcome the throes of a sexual drought. After the stormy break-up with his girlfriend of three years, Dan Hilles is faced with the daunting task of throwing himself back into the life of a single man. With the help of his three best pals, Dan is desperate and determined to get his leg-over with hilarious consequences.

But Luke believes there is more to the story than just stereotypical lad banter. He said: "Amongst the sexual humour and outright lad culture there is also the story of a nice guy on a journey of self-exploration. The Drought takes you on a journey of embarrassing moments that make you cringe and laugh your head off, yet still manages to give you a solid tale that gives you a warm feeling inside."

And Luke thinks Scaffardi may have hit the nail on the head for anyone who wants to get the inside track on what goes on in the male mind.

"If you have ever wondered what men really think then this is the book for you. Steven has opened up the brain of lad and laid it out in a book for you."

Get your copy of The Drought now at Amazon for £8.99 or download the eBook for just 99p. Also available for download in the US for 99c and at Smashwords. 

TV Presenters Ortis Deley and Angellica Bell give The Drought a big thumbs up!

Steven Scaffardi's upcoming debut novel The Drought has received backing from television presenters Angellica Bell and Ortis Deley.

Ortis, from Channel 5's The Gadget Show and presenter on radio station Choice FM, compared Scaffardi's  debut outing to best-selling author of My Legendary Girlfriend Mike Gayle. He said: "The Drought is one of the most brutally honest and funny stories I've read in the last few years.

"A pleasantly darker alternative to the offerings of Mike Gayle. All hail the arrival of Steven Scaffardi."
 
And Angellica, currently seen on BBC1 on The One Show, also said she was looking forward to reading more of Scaffardi's work in the future.

"The Drought is witty, well-written, and pulls no punches. It's not often a book keeps my attention, but this one did. I could definitely relate to many experiences in the book. Scaffardi has an imaginative mind that needs to be unleashed. I'm watching this space."

The Drought is available on eBook on August 29 and in paperback on September 24 on Amazon and in all good book shops.

The first printed copies of The Drought arrived today!

The first printed copies of my debut novel, The Drought, arrived today! To say I was excited is an understatement to say the least! I was a bit like a kid in a candy shop, or John Terry realising he is alone with a teammates wife or girlfriend...!

Anyway...! The book will go on sale across Amazon and all good bookshops as a print and Kindle eBook version by the end of September. Watch this space!

N.B. Obviously you don't have to watch this specific space, it's just a figure of speech. I'd hate for you guys just to be staring at the screen waiting for something to happen. By all means, go off, enjoy your lives, and do all the crazy things that you kids get up to. But then come back and check out my blog and see if the book has been published. And when it has - buy a copy!

Check me out - that's my face on that poster!

Diary of a stand-up comedian Entry #31

Another new venue last night, and this time it was The Toriano in Kentish Town. I have to admit that the favourite part of this gig for me was the poster - it is bloody brilliant! Check it out!