We had to go out in the storm to get from HAB to the MAV. But if the MAV took any more punishment, we'd all have gotten stranded down there. Nobody wanted to stop a month-long mission after only six days. UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (Reading) After an hour and a half of sustained wind, NASA gave the order to abort. And the journal entries he kept from the moment he was left behind in the storm translated perfectly into audiobook form. NEARY: As it turns out, people loved the story of the marooned astronaut who uses science and math to figure out how to survive. So I thought it was just - oh, you know, it's just a book, you know, by a dork for dorks. Remember, at this time, I didn't think that the book would have any mainstream appeal. And it didn't bother him at all that he was being approached by an audiobook publisher.ĪNDY WEIR: I was surprised that anyone was interested. Andy Weir says it had never occurred to him to pitch his book to a publishing company. NEARY: Tonn had to be persuaded to read the book. And that was the book that Greg was asking me to review. And I clicked it and my whole screen populated full of text. And I looked at it, and it was just a blue clickable link - it said 'The Martian' on a white background. JAMES TONN: Greg sent me a link to his website. Lawrence's partner, James Tonn, was less impressed. NEARY: Lawrence was convinced the story of an astronaut stranded on Mars would have broad appeal. And, you know, it's just one of those situations where I felt really engaged immediately, which is always a good sign. LAWRENCE: It's a story that just grabs you right away - I mean, literally, the first line.

He loved the characters, the writing, the humor. A fan of science-fiction, he came upon 'The Martian' online. NEARY: Greg Lawrence, a co-founder of Podium, was on the lookout for the company's first fiction title. GREG LAWRENCE: When we talked to Andy Weir, when I talked to him on the phone, he'd never spoken with a publisher before. LYNN NEARY, BYLINE: When Podium Publishing discovered 'The Martian,' it was a new and very small audiobook company. We'll find out tomorrow night how many it wins. Of course, it was eventually made into a movie and nominated for multiple Oscars. Instead, it got picked up by a small Canadian audiobook company. But after Andy Weir's self-published 'The Martian' online, its next stop was not print.

Self-published authors often dream of snagging a big contract with a major publishing house.

Book andy weir