“When did I become an adult with adult problems?”

What Do You Say to the DJ? is the new novelization by Andrew Marx and Dara Shifrer that asks the important questions of life.

* “Do you mind that we talk over the TV?”
* “What have I been doing the last eight years?”
* “Is this what old age is like?”
* “That is the theme of your life, right?”
* “Have you turned the faucet off all the way?”

What Do You Say to the DJ? is the new book by Andrew Marx and Dara Shifrer that details their personal journeys to adulthood in their own words. Full of snarky one-liners, hysterical anecdotes and some genuine, occasionally heartfelt, advice, the authors take turns telling their stories (and, um, a few others’) offering a frank and indelicate analysis of the situation. The authors report on the good and bad of the different relationships that make up their so-called adult lives; a sister doing a grand thing for love, a good romance that doesn’t take work, a friend stuck in the perception that it’s 1999, and one ex after another ex after another ex.

Both authors bring a fresh perspective to love and friendship searching for whatever truth they can hold on to as their lives keep moving forward with or without their permission. In e-mail exchanges that unfold their lives over the course of three years, the authors explore so many issues faced by all twenty-somethings, from love and broken hearts to the crazy of friendship and family, the challenge of choosing the right career and the struggle to find your path through life. Andrew never has a relationship that isn’t over before it begins (“There hasn’t been a lot of ‘dating,’ just a lot of dates.”) Dara has an on-again, off-again relationship with one guy (“It was so immediately apparent that we fit well – we regularly marveled at it mid-date.”) Throughout it all, live music, humor and friendship are constant sources of strength, keeping them on the right track towards becoming bonafide, no-two-ways-about-it adults.

In that moment when adulthood is still just around the corner, or down the street, or across state lines or launched into space and orbiting your life, how do you deal with the stress of dating and relationships, the struggle to pay bills and hold down a job and all of the little things in life that pile on top? What Do You Say to the DJ? offers a point of view that will resonate with you long after you put the book down.

Order Your Copy Today!

The What Do You Say to the DJ? presale will end on January 25. Presale orders will begin shipping around February 9.

On January 25, you will be able to order What Do You Say To The DJ?: A Slightly Phonographic Tale through amazon.com.

Author Andrew Marx was interviewed for a comic strip about the upcoming publication of What Do You Say to the DJ?

Author Andrew Marx was interviewed for a comic strip about the upcoming publication of What Do You Say to the DJ?

Amanda Scobie is a fearless adventurer with a skilled pen and a sharp tongue. She spends much of her time between the shores of Boston and New Haven, Connecticut.

Amanda is the cover artist of What Do You Say to the DJ? on sale January 20, 2009.

Tabitha Worthington is an artist, singer, and music literacy teacher. With varied interests in the arts, Tabitha has her finger in virtually every creative pie imaginable. While music is her primary focus, she enjoys creating through art and fabric crafts like sewing and knitting. She lives in Houston, Texas with her husband, two children, and an ever-changing menagerie of pets, dividing her time between her work as a Kindermusik(R) and voice teacher, the chaos of parenthood, and all her other creative pursuits.

Tabitha is the illustrator of What Do You Say to the DJ? on sale January 20, 2009.

by Dara Shifrer

Andrew Marx’s day job as a data manager for a university is only a foil for his other unpaid full-time jobs as a writer, website designer, business manager, and marketer on his two website projects smartremarx.com and concert-central.com. He grew up with his family in California, met me during college in Las Vegas, and made the great escape to Boston in 2002, where he now resides in relative satisfaction. I am his friend because he prioritizes honesty and biting sarcasm over keeping people happy with him, and because, contrary to his general demeanor, he is the optimistic and passionate force behind all of the far-fetched writing projects we have pursued together over the years.

Andrew is the co-author of What Do You Say to the DJ? on sale January 20, 2009.

by Andrew Marx

Dara Shifrer escaped from her role at the front of the classroom in order to pursue her 5-year long dream of grad school. Even after two years of talking about it, I still don’t know what she’s studying. But no matter, the pursuits are wholly gratifying by all accounts. Her origins hearken back to California, and we met in Las Vegas during our freshman year of college. Together, we founded a little slice of irrational literary heaven called Suedomsa the Magazine.

She made the great escape to Austin, TX in 2002 and there has found herself home. Her unique take on life and music has made her a lively and irreplaceable contributor to our website concert-central.com. I have always admired her dedication to unsigned, local and indie bands, and I believe that she will continue to support the independents even when she can afford to patronize the mainstream.

Dara is the co-author of What Do You Say to the DJ? on sale January 20, 2009.

Dara Shifrer and Andrew Marx, the writers and founders of concert-central.com, co-authored a mostly-autobiographical tale called What Do You Say to the DJ? about surviving that time between college and the rest of their lives. For both of them, music was a huge salvation in the sometimes complicated path to adulthood. So it is their story, written as part survival guide and part memoir.

Here’s your exclusive look at What Do You Say to the DJ? cover copy:

College is over and real life is a work-in-progress, but when do you become an adult? The answer is here in What Do You Say to the DJ?, co-authors Andrew Marx and Dara Shifrer’s poignant and often hilarious guide to surviving the time between the end of college and the I’ve-made-it moment…that never seems to arrive. In an exchange of e-mails, they unravel familiar themes around love, friendship, family and careers. Live music is a constant in their relationship and in their writing. Telling their own stories (and, um, a few others’), they offer a frank and indelicate analysis of the situation. The goals and dreams of these two ordinary young adults reveal an intimate peek into how twenty-somethings feel, think, and survive. Whether you are looking for an answer or haven’t taken the time to figure out the question, the book delivers an honest dialogue about the challenges and fears of going out into the world and finding your way to becoming an adult.