Friday, October 18, 2013
Tales from the Fringes New Cover
I also wanted to share with you the new cover to Tales from the Fringes, which I redesigned a while ago, but I wanted to wait until closer to the release to share it with you all. I think it looks pretty sexy myself.
Flexibility is also a Virtue
Hello all. I know it's been a while, but I have very busy with school and life and what not. No complaints, it's just that in prioritizing my life, unfortunately it's things like this blog or working on finishing proofreading my short story collection that I have to forgo into order to give myself the time that I need to find a new place to live, buy a car, plan for my family's future, do my school work, plan for my class I'm teaching, grade papers, and work on my thesis --- which unfortunately has been a bit neglected lately too, a problem which, I am addressing this weekend.
Anyways, the point of this is, since I am literally "self" publishing, I am delaying the re-release of Tales from the Fringes for two weeks, to November 1st. I have been proofreading it, and there is not a lot that I have to change, but I don't want to not finish proofreading and risk leaving any "stone unturned" --- to use a cliche. I don't see it as a setback, but as a necessity. Unfortunately, for the time being, until I actually have more time (i.e. I am out of school and I have a regular sort of job), my publishing schedule will have to be flexible.
That being said, since I am paid over winter break, I am not planning on working so that I can do some significant work to my thesis and also finish up Out in the Garage so it is ready on January 14th --- since that date has significance to me, personally. Anyways, I know it might be disappointing to some of you, but my goal is to put out a professional quality book, and not one with a significant number of typos. That just takes time and planning, and flexibility when my schedule doesn't work out how I want it.
I have been thinking a lot about my future, lately, and what direction I want to go after August 16th, and I am really have major doubts about going on and pursuing a PhD. --- at least not right away, and, maybe, never. I am also considering going for another year to either pursue another MA in education so I can teach high school English, or another year and getting my MFA as well, so that I can still potentially get a tenured teaching position, and I can more actively pursue what I truly love doing, writing fiction and poetry. It would also broaden my qualifications and open me up to more jobs --- since there are plenty of businesses, such as greeting card companies or advertising firms, that need creative writers. I just can't see being in school for another four years, making next to nothing, trying to scrape by, when I can an extra year in school and pursue the same type of career. I don't know.
I haven't made my decision yet. I am honestly leaning towards entering the workforce --- since one of my strengths as a writer is my adaptability --- and pursuing a career in something like technical writing (which I would need to research and grow comfortable with in the next 10 months). I have already started perusing the job listings for the Akron/Cleveland area and doing some preliminary research (for like the median salary for technical writers, etc.) and I am not intimidating by what I am finding. I am basically looking for the type of job that I can make a decent wage doing something in the writing field. The type of job that allows have a life outside of work so that I can have a family and can afford to pay off my debt and save money and can read and write like I enjoy doing.
I am glad that I am attaining the level of education that I am currently pursuing, and I feel more confident in my abilities than I ever have before. The question that I have to ask myself is, what is the dream? When I am truly honest with myself the dream isn't getting a PhD. in English, it's in getting a job that I enjoy that allows me time to be with my family and friends and to indulge in my creative pursuits. When I think of it in that way, it allows for more flexibility.
It's not like I will never read another book or challenge myself to understand a complex idea. Education is something we must all strive for, no matter where we go or what do we in life. School is a place that focuses on the pursuit of it, but --- at least in my experience --- there are a lot of people who take that for granted. There are also a lot of people who take for granted that we don't need an institution to gain knowledge, that true knowledge is something we all strive for all our lives, no matter what our situation. If more people continued to strive for knowledge instead of whatever else their priority might be, the world would be a better place. Ignorance is not bliss.
Anyways, the point of this is, since I am literally "self" publishing, I am delaying the re-release of Tales from the Fringes for two weeks, to November 1st. I have been proofreading it, and there is not a lot that I have to change, but I don't want to not finish proofreading and risk leaving any "stone unturned" --- to use a cliche. I don't see it as a setback, but as a necessity. Unfortunately, for the time being, until I actually have more time (i.e. I am out of school and I have a regular sort of job), my publishing schedule will have to be flexible.
That being said, since I am paid over winter break, I am not planning on working so that I can do some significant work to my thesis and also finish up Out in the Garage so it is ready on January 14th --- since that date has significance to me, personally. Anyways, I know it might be disappointing to some of you, but my goal is to put out a professional quality book, and not one with a significant number of typos. That just takes time and planning, and flexibility when my schedule doesn't work out how I want it.
I have been thinking a lot about my future, lately, and what direction I want to go after August 16th, and I am really have major doubts about going on and pursuing a PhD. --- at least not right away, and, maybe, never. I am also considering going for another year to either pursue another MA in education so I can teach high school English, or another year and getting my MFA as well, so that I can still potentially get a tenured teaching position, and I can more actively pursue what I truly love doing, writing fiction and poetry. It would also broaden my qualifications and open me up to more jobs --- since there are plenty of businesses, such as greeting card companies or advertising firms, that need creative writers. I just can't see being in school for another four years, making next to nothing, trying to scrape by, when I can an extra year in school and pursue the same type of career. I don't know.
I haven't made my decision yet. I am honestly leaning towards entering the workforce --- since one of my strengths as a writer is my adaptability --- and pursuing a career in something like technical writing (which I would need to research and grow comfortable with in the next 10 months). I have already started perusing the job listings for the Akron/Cleveland area and doing some preliminary research (for like the median salary for technical writers, etc.) and I am not intimidating by what I am finding. I am basically looking for the type of job that I can make a decent wage doing something in the writing field. The type of job that allows have a life outside of work so that I can have a family and can afford to pay off my debt and save money and can read and write like I enjoy doing.
I am glad that I am attaining the level of education that I am currently pursuing, and I feel more confident in my abilities than I ever have before. The question that I have to ask myself is, what is the dream? When I am truly honest with myself the dream isn't getting a PhD. in English, it's in getting a job that I enjoy that allows me time to be with my family and friends and to indulge in my creative pursuits. When I think of it in that way, it allows for more flexibility.
It's not like I will never read another book or challenge myself to understand a complex idea. Education is something we must all strive for, no matter where we go or what do we in life. School is a place that focuses on the pursuit of it, but --- at least in my experience --- there are a lot of people who take that for granted. There are also a lot of people who take for granted that we don't need an institution to gain knowledge, that true knowledge is something we all strive for all our lives, no matter what our situation. If more people continued to strive for knowledge instead of whatever else their priority might be, the world would be a better place. Ignorance is not bliss.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Official Release Date Change for Out in the Garage / Re-release Date Set for Tales from the Fringes
While I certainly don't want to disappoint anyone, I am going to push back the release of my novel, Out in the Garage, to over Christmas Break, which will give me the time I will need to focus on school and also finish the novel and proofread it thoroughly. This way I can network more and promote it more and use the re-release of my short story collection to build something of an audience.
It's important for me to do this right: my classwork, my class I'm teaching, and my thesis are all very important, and I need to build my C.V. and get some articles published and try to do another conference or two, if I can, if there are any that fit my area of growing expertise. I do feel like I am doing a good job, and things are going really well, and I am learning a lot. I really need to focus on doing everything I need to meet my next goals. Anyways, it's important to keep my priorities in order and to give myself plenty of time to accomplish all of my goals. '
Sometimes it's hard to be patient, but I am confident in the direction I am going, both with my career and my creative writing pursuits. I am not worried about changing my mind about the direction I am going with Out in the Garage, and I am actually almost done with the rewrite (only thirty more pages, which is about one-eighth left to do). Then I will spend plenty of time proofreading for typos and any little grammatical things I might need to tweak for clarity. If there is anything Tales from the Fringes has taught me, it is that I can never be too thorough.
The Official Release Date of Out in the Garage is set to be Tuesday, January 14 (which, I believe, would be my Grandpa's 75th birthday). Tales from the Fringes will be re-released on Friday, October 18.
It's important for me to do this right: my classwork, my class I'm teaching, and my thesis are all very important, and I need to build my C.V. and get some articles published and try to do another conference or two, if I can, if there are any that fit my area of growing expertise. I do feel like I am doing a good job, and things are going really well, and I am learning a lot. I really need to focus on doing everything I need to meet my next goals. Anyways, it's important to keep my priorities in order and to give myself plenty of time to accomplish all of my goals. '
Sometimes it's hard to be patient, but I am confident in the direction I am going, both with my career and my creative writing pursuits. I am not worried about changing my mind about the direction I am going with Out in the Garage, and I am actually almost done with the rewrite (only thirty more pages, which is about one-eighth left to do). Then I will spend plenty of time proofreading for typos and any little grammatical things I might need to tweak for clarity. If there is anything Tales from the Fringes has taught me, it is that I can never be too thorough.
The Official Release Date of Out in the Garage is set to be Tuesday, January 14 (which, I believe, would be my Grandpa's 75th birthday). Tales from the Fringes will be re-released on Friday, October 18.
Friday, September 13, 2013
UPDATE:
Since I am re-releasing it soon, I am, for a short period of time, taking Tales from the Fringes off-sale. It shouldn't take too long to put it back on-sale, and I will announce it as soon as it happens. This is so I can improve the files with my updates and expand my e-book distribution. I am considering postponing releasing my novel until December, because, the way things are going with school, I might need that extra time to get it thoroughly proofread.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Product Placement.
More often than not, if I am home, and I am more often than not, then more often than not I am in my office. If I am more often than not home and in my office then I am usually blasting music, whether it's from my own vast collection, or I am checking out new stuff on either Spotify or Soundcloud, or watching Youtube, or listening to my own recordings and measuring them up, or playing guitar to get better, to relieve stress, and compose more songs.
Currently, I am listening to Spotify, and I am finding some good stuff on here, but I am not completely sold on what I am currently listen to, Givers, "Noche Nada". It's on Avett Brothers radio, and, to be honest, I am not completely sold on it, either. I am just curmudgeonly like that, though. I do like plenty of other new music like No Age, and Cold War Kids just came on and I am liking it. Still, nothing beats revisiting the classics, which lately has consisted of a lot of the Replacements, more and more often.
Although, when I am reading, it is almost always techno or classical. And with that, I shall leave you, better, but only if you have clicked on that last link.
Currently, I am listening to Spotify, and I am finding some good stuff on here, but I am not completely sold on what I am currently listen to, Givers, "Noche Nada". It's on Avett Brothers radio, and, to be honest, I am not completely sold on it, either. I am just curmudgeonly like that, though. I do like plenty of other new music like No Age, and Cold War Kids just came on and I am liking it. Still, nothing beats revisiting the classics, which lately has consisted of a lot of the Replacements, more and more often.
Although, when I am reading, it is almost always techno or classical. And with that, I shall leave you, better, but only if you have clicked on that last link.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Breaking Free
Freshman papers are not fun to read. It is tedious and sometimes frustrating -- but also at times rewarding. No matter how bad it may be, it will ALWAYS be better than grilling food, making burritos, flipping burgers, working in a factory, working in warehouses... It's important to keep it in perspective.
At least I can sit here, in my home office, in the air conditioning, with any music that I want, surrounded by my favorite things, books, guitars, and CDs, challenging myself to be better and to try and help these students become better writers. If they don't take it seriously, it's not my problem, but I feel pretty lucky in that most of my class seems to take it seriously. They genuinely seem like a good group of people, and I think this is going to be a great semester.
We are all still getting to know one another, and I am still assessing their individual strengths and weaknesses, but I don't think I am going to have many problems -- if the first two weeks are any indication. I know I need to work on explaining concepts better, and getting them to force me to explain them better. I can already tell a difference from the first common writing assignment papers to the first drafts -- for the most part -- and that might just be because it is a more interesting topic, but I can tell they are at least thinking more about what they are writing.
The more that I think about it, the more that it dawns on me, that I am truly lucky to be doing what I enjoy doing for a living -- even if I am at the beginning stages of it. I think back to even just a month ago how miserable I was, and how much I hated my life, and my life now couldn't be more different. Sure, it's challenging and sometimes frustrating, and it takes up a lot of my time, but there is not much else I would rather be doing right now.
I am still working on getting better at time management, and sometimes I have a hard time forcing myself to do schoolwork, but, I am getting better, and, more often than not, doing what I need to be doing, and I have faith in myself that I will continue working on this and getting better at it -- I mean, I am still able to get plenty of sleep each night, so I must not be doing too badly.
I do wish I had more time spend with my wife, my friends, and my family, but they are all very supportive, so I am pretty lucky in that regard. While I work, I just have to keep in mind, that the more I work I put in now, the more time I will be able to spend with them later. It's hard, and frustrating, but I know it will be worth it, and that I will be able to find a good-paying job -- I just have to keep working hard and being smart about the decision that I make. It's amazing how much work it takes to get to the simple life.
At least I can sit here, in my home office, in the air conditioning, with any music that I want, surrounded by my favorite things, books, guitars, and CDs, challenging myself to be better and to try and help these students become better writers. If they don't take it seriously, it's not my problem, but I feel pretty lucky in that most of my class seems to take it seriously. They genuinely seem like a good group of people, and I think this is going to be a great semester.
We are all still getting to know one another, and I am still assessing their individual strengths and weaknesses, but I don't think I am going to have many problems -- if the first two weeks are any indication. I know I need to work on explaining concepts better, and getting them to force me to explain them better. I can already tell a difference from the first common writing assignment papers to the first drafts -- for the most part -- and that might just be because it is a more interesting topic, but I can tell they are at least thinking more about what they are writing.
The more that I think about it, the more that it dawns on me, that I am truly lucky to be doing what I enjoy doing for a living -- even if I am at the beginning stages of it. I think back to even just a month ago how miserable I was, and how much I hated my life, and my life now couldn't be more different. Sure, it's challenging and sometimes frustrating, and it takes up a lot of my time, but there is not much else I would rather be doing right now.
I am still working on getting better at time management, and sometimes I have a hard time forcing myself to do schoolwork, but, I am getting better, and, more often than not, doing what I need to be doing, and I have faith in myself that I will continue working on this and getting better at it -- I mean, I am still able to get plenty of sleep each night, so I must not be doing too badly.
I do wish I had more time spend with my wife, my friends, and my family, but they are all very supportive, so I am pretty lucky in that regard. While I work, I just have to keep in mind, that the more I work I put in now, the more time I will be able to spend with them later. It's hard, and frustrating, but I know it will be worth it, and that I will be able to find a good-paying job -- I just have to keep working hard and being smart about the decision that I make. It's amazing how much work it takes to get to the simple life.
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