Song of Simon won an award.
More news on this as soon as they let me post it 😀
It is not Italian.
It’s a Major Award
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Category Archives: Writing
Last Day For 99 Cent Sale
Just a reminder: today is the LAST DAY to get The Watchmage of Old New York e-book for 99 cents. Yes! 99 cents! 99 pennies! A dollar minus one cent! 3 times 33 cents! All of these things!
Wiggle Cat and Wiggle Shaq like it. So will you. (See how happy they are?)
Watchmage is also shortlisted for a whole bunch of awards right now, but you’ll be hearing tons more about that in the near future. If you like Historical Fantasy, word play, mythological creatures, well-developed characters, interesting worlds, intrigue, and flying dogs, you’ll love The Watchmage of Old New York.
And, you know, 99 cents. You can’t even get cawfee for that little. You know how I feel about cawfee.
A Beautiful Day, A Hard Day
Today Mercy College’s English Department has its induction ceremony for the English Honors Society, also known as Sigma Tau Delta. Part of the ceremony is an award called The Valerie Z Lewis Award for Excellence in Creative Writing. I will be there to witness this, as I am and will every year.
Valerie was my girlfriend. She passed away very suddenly and tragically in January of 2013. Even after 3 years, the wound is fresh. I doubt that it will ever truly heal. Val was a fantastic writer, published in many literary journals, and a lecturer at Mercy. After her death, I compiled her published works into an anthology, where the proceeds go toward this award. Mercy is also considering setting up a lit magazine with some of the money. I know that Val would love that. She would be humbled, maybe even embarrassed, at the award, but she was always dedicated to her students. Giving them a chance to see their names in print, that’s something she would be proud of.
I have so much gratitude that they set up this award in her name. All people die, but something like this gives a slice of immortality. To be mortal, yet live forever. Can anyone hope for more?
I’ll be there, and I might cry. I’m always on the verge there. But I feel no shame. It hurts, it will always hurt.
Sometimes hurt is beautiful.
Paid Promotion Works…Sorta
This month, to coincide with the 99 cent sale for The Watchmage of Old New York, I signed up to advertise in several newsletters. It worked. My sales have shot through the roof! I’ve never had a sales rank so high. At what rank do I get to call myself “best selling?”
I don’t know if it’s cost effective yet, but I think that it’s a better plan that just using free sites. Use both. Use Twitter, use your blog, join a promo club like #RRBC. Try everything.
Try everything: that’s a pretty good motto in life. You only level up through experience.
Level up. Become epic. Oh, and buy “Watchmage” while it’s 99 cents. You’ll (probably) not be disappointed. The only mediocre review it’s received so far was “3 stars. Imaginative, but silly. Good for teens.” I can’t argue with that. There’s a lot of absurdest humor in it, but plenty of gritty stuff too. It’s a pretty good mirror of this website: sometimes I’m dark and gritty, sometimes I’m philosophical and political, most of the time I’m weird.
Viva la weird.
Writers in the Mountains Conference
On Sunday, I was privileged to be part of the Writers in the Mountains’s “Meet the Authors” conference. Set in a distillery (talk about reinforcing a stereotype) in Arkville, NY, it was one of the most supportive, interesting, and especially fun, writing events that I’ve attended. Thank you so very much to the good people at Writers in the Mountains.
First, let me plug the distillery, because they deserve it. Union Grove Distillery opened only three months ago, and their vodka is fantastic. It’s in an old building that may have been a warehouse, I’m not sure. The setting…hell, the whole area around Arkville, deep in the Catskills, is beautiful. The mixed drinks were pretty damn good too.
(Coffee and booze: it’s what writers crave)
I even sold a few books! Considering my last clusterF at Barnes & Noble, it was a great confidence builder. Since I’m selling the Kindle copy of The Watchmage of Old New York for 99 cents (until 5/31/16) I sold a few of those too.
(I don’t always sell books, but when I do, it’s because I’ma sexy beast)
Did I mention that Watchmage is 99 cents right now? I did? I’m doing it again.
I got to sit between two excellent (and very different) writers. The novelist and musician Robert Burke Warren, and the academic writer Linda Lowen. You can’t see them in the picture, but they’re there.
There were panels on the current state of publishing (both indie and traditionaul) and some beautiful poetry readings from luminaries like Danniel Schoonebeek and Sharon Israel. The keynote speaker was the always funny Rosie Schaap, author of the excellent memoir Drinking With Men, and the “Drink” columnist for The New York Times.
What else can I say. The conference was a very positive experience for me, and after being despondent about my work for the last month or so, I feel revitalized. Thank you to everyone, especially the president of Writers in the Mountains, Simona David.
If you’re an aspiring or established writer, always go to events. The internet is a fine way to network, but nothing beats face-to-face.
Hooray!
This website has gone over 1000 views a month every month since last August, with two months over 2000 and one over 3000. Thank you all for the support. I promise to continue with the geeky goodness, silly memes, and occasional serious topics.
Oh, and more of this guy:
Fly, Flappy, fly!
BTW: The Watchmage of Old New York is 99 cents on Amazon until May 31st (2016). *hypnotizing voice* buyyyyyy myyyy boooookkkkk…buyyyyy myyyy booookkkk. Or not, it’s cool.
Watchmage Now 99 Cents
Because sales are lagging, and because Amazon blocked or deleted a bunch of reviews from review sites, I’m having another 99 cent sale. If you like my writing and have an interest in history or fantasy (both would be optimal) you’ll probably dig this book. It has a 4.8 rating on Amazon right now, so people agree. You can buy it here.
Meanwhile, the sequel is with my beta-readers. So far I’m getting positive feedback for it. I don’t know when it’ll be out. My editor is only available during semester breaks (he’s a professor at NYU), and I want to do another draft based on the beta feedback before I give it to him. I wanted it to be out in November, but I’d rather have it out later than put out an inferior product.
On Sunday I will be at the Writers in the Mountains Book Festival. I’m nervous as hell because they’ll be agents there. I’m not very good with people, and usually embarrass myself. Combined with my anxiety and ocd disorders, this could be…awkward.
That’s all. Carry on.
Did I Make Amazon Mad?
I have no clue what I did, but over the past two weeks Amazon has removed several of the reviews for The Watchmage of Old New York, and blocked at least five (people have told me that their reviews were blocked). I’m now down to 18 reviews, and who knows how far it will fall.
I don’t understand what I did wrong. I’ve never broken the terms and conditions or tried anything shady. Hell, I don’t even let my family leave reviews for fear of breaking terms. I guess i’m just unlucky.
They also removed several reviews that I’ve left on products and books. I think that this is kinda funny, but funny sad. They send me emails asking for reviews on this and that product, but it’s those reviews that get removed.
Tutoring
I would like to start tutoring students again.
Right now I’m a floating teacher and TA for BOCES (the NY alternative program for special needs and learning challenges), but I feel like I don’t do enough there. I’m far more effective teaching one-on-one as opposed to a large class. If you know me, you’d know that I’m a very mellow guy and seem to have a way with kids, especially when they’re frustrated with something.
Further more, a lot of my assignments are for students with MR or severe Autism. It’s a completely different form of teaching, and while it is rewarding, I miss teaching in more mainstream programs.
On the side, I’ve been working as a writing coach and editor, but that’s for adults. I’m good at it, and I think that it, combined with my own published work, gives me a very unique skill set.
The plan is to slowly phase out teaching with tutoring. It’ll give me more time to write and edit as well, plus, it’s more rewarding. Every student needs a tutor, because there’s always room to level up.
I’m even considering offering tutoring through Google Hangouts to increase my range. Might as well embrace the new technology, right?
Now for the hard part: actually getting clients.
Mondays Suck
I’m about to plagiarize Garfield: I hate Mondays.
Here’s my hatred in gif form:
Mondays should come with margaritas.
BTW: The GREAT MAY 99 CENT SALE of The Watchmage of Old New York is still going on. Pick up your copy RIGHT MEOW!
Love you all. Hope your Monday doesn’t suck.
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