Blog Archives
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.
New Review Says My Book is Too Dangerous for Traditional Publishers
Just saw a new reader review of my book posted on Amazon, and though Secrets and Lies has gotten nothing but 5-star rankings, I wanted to share because this may be the best review yet.
A lot of times something that is “independent” can be seen as garbage. An unsigned band, a low budget movie….after all, if this book was that great, why wouldn’t it have a major publisher behind it?
Josh Gross blows this line of thinking out of the water with “Secrets and Lies.” A culmination of short stories that bounce between hipster cliches and broken dreams; this collection runs from one emotional extremity to the next, with no regard for reader comfort. And it’s this dangerous style of writing that turns the “corporate book publishing machine” off…..this book at times is an uncomfortable and unstable read. And that’s what makes it amazing.
After all, this is not a set of stories that end with a happy ending. This is not a children’s book where the villains are served their just desserts. These are not fables where the hero gets the girl and we learn a lesson. These stories showcase the heartbreak of life and young adulthood – and are deeply personal snapshots of a generation struggling to define themselves.
Let’s all thank Josh for creating a stimulating and honest work; as we already have a culture drowning in mindless fluff and escapism.
All I can say is wow. Maybe it is not a very writerly response, but still, wow. I continue to be grateful for the kind things people have said about my work and for the opportunity to create work that can inspire that sort of reaction. And you know, wow.
What do you think of my book, Secrets & Lies?
By day, a large part of my job is to be professional critic. Not everyone approves of what I have to say, which they make abundantly clear in their web comments. I think that part of it is that they think it’s me dishing it out and never having to take it, which isn’t true. I love “taking it.” I am of the opinion that something is discussed because it’s worth discussing, so even when criticism is negative, it grants legitimacy.
That’s why now that my book is getting into the hands of readers, Read the rest of this entry
The “Final” Final Cover is Here
This just came through my email and I wanted to share. The first actual book should be in-hand by the end of the week. To quote Jimmy Tickles from Strangers With Candy: “I’m soooo jazzed.”
Guest Appearance on the Oedipus Text Podcast
A little while back, I was a guest for a podcast on Oedipus Text, a literary website with interviews, short fiction and podcasts based in Boise. We talked about crowdfunding, my upcoming book Secrets and Lies, and why being an independent creator may not be all it’s cracked up to be.
It was a lot of fun and I’m glad to see people taking up the cause and making shit happen rather than waiting around for it to happen to them.
You can check out the podcast and/or support all the good work being done by Oedipus Text here.
