The Hack is Off and Running
So the crowdfunding campaign to publish my next book, The Hack, is off and running. It’s raised nearly $650 so far. That’s a good start. But there’s a long way to go to hit the target of $3,035, the amount it will take to publish the book with a fighting chance instead of just a thundering meh. Expenses are itemized on the crowdfunding page.
Anyone wondering why I’m going through this rigamarole instead of just uploading a PDF to Amazon can know that it’s because I want to make a physical product that can go in stores and take it on a traditional book tour. I’ll put it out as an e-book, but that is a secondary interest for me with this project, not the principle goal.
I believe in print, and I think you do to. So get on board here
Especially because here are some good perks this time around too including audio stories, films and commissioned works. My favorite is the “Truth or Dare,” which I will respond to on YouTube. As the above picture should illustrate, I have no problem with dares.
The book is only $15. If you’re going to buy it anyway, then why not now? Let’s do this and show the corporate publishing world that doesn’t get to be the sole arbitor of what gets put into the world.
The video I made pimping the campaign is below. Check it out.
Crowdfunding Pre-Purchase for “The Hack,” is a Go
My next book, The Hack, should be coming out in late spring or early summer.
I’ll be posting more info as that time gets closer, but I’m sort of short right now, so all I have time to do is point people over to the fundraising campaign for that publication, which is now active. You can pre-purchase the book or get in on a bunch of other perks at http://www.indiegogo.com/TheHack. I highly recommend the “Truth or Dare,” perk.
Debut Album From The Ratings Battle Now Available for Free Download
The Ratings Battle
I spent 2011 drumming in a really fun band called The Ratings Battle. We did some gigs, a NW tour, recorded an album—one of the best of I’ve played on—and then our guitar player shipped out to basic training, so we had to stop playing for awhile.
But notice that what we didn’t do was ever put that album out.
Shit just got in the way and it sat on my computer for most of 2012, sounding awesome and not being heard by anyone but me. And it really does sound awesome. The studio—which has been around for decades—even uses it as one of their work samples. Not too shabby.
Guitar Matt was on leave for Christmas and we met up and decided to go ahead and make the album available for free download to anyone that wants it. We can always press hard copies later and release them if we want. We’ll have to see when he gets back from Army-stuff.
I decided to call the album Shelf Titled since it sat on the shelf for so long. Don’t like it? Blame me. Who will probably tell you to go fuck yourself because I’m hilarious.
Anyhow, here it is. The long-awaited and super-rocking debut from The Ratings Battle. Enjoy.
My Speech at Ignite Boise on the Value of Ideas for Idea’s Sake
A few weeks back, I gave a speech at the Ignite Boise forum. It’s basically a power point presentation about whatever it is the presenter feels like talking about.
It’s supposed to be a forum for big ideas that are interesting for their own merits, not any sort of commercial tie-in. However people occasionally usurp the platform to boost their business or project. As an audience member, that irked the bejeezus out of me.
So when I was asked to submit a proposal, I made my speech about exactly that: the value of ideas in the abstract and why Ignite is a unique forum for them, that should not be used in a commercial manner.
Check it out below.
More Reviews of My Book, “Secrets & Lies”
Especially in the wake of the Online Review-Gate “scandal,” I find myself in the odd position of being inherently distrustful of glowing reviews on Amazon, and yet jazzed to have them come in from all over the net.
My book has maintained a 5-star rating on Amazon since it was first made available for sale. Several of the writeups are from friends that contributed to the crowdfunding campaign that made it a reality, so high rating should be somewhat expected. But as time has gone in they are starting to come in from “Marlon Randos.”
Here are the two latest blurbs to be added to the Amazon page.
An eclectic collection of stories that take you for a short but exciting ride that sometimes catches you off guard when it throws you out on the street and left wanting… but really, when you think about it, you know the story had to end there… then instead you’re anxious to move on to the next adventure.
And…
Although Secrets and Lies languished on my bookcase for well over two years before being read (cut me some slack, I have a toddler!) I finally started reading it, and as other reviewers have said, I wish I’d picked it up a long time ago. I think the thing I like best about these stories is the narrative voice that ties them all together. Often I found myself mentally cheering that voice on. Read this book if you’re the type of person who views the world as sadly hilarious and the people in it as frustratingly flawed, but loveable anyway. Or just read it because the stories are short, witty, and good.
That second one is actually from someone I know from college—Monica Garcia, the author of a collection of semi-experimental short fiction called Hate Mail that I highly recommend picking up—but I’ll still take it.
Though I wouldn’t say I’m actively hoping for a less than stellar review, it would be interesting to see, just so long as its legitimate. The other half of Online Review Gate is people that pan things for the sake of panning things or because they just don’t like who is behind them and actually have no knowledge of the thing they are panning. And that’s weak sauce.
