Words, words, word.

What is Hamlet’s answer to Polonius’ question, “What do you read, my lord?” and also my answer to your question, “What do you write, Mr. Steele?” Words, words, words. More specifically in this instance a collection of short stories called A Sudden Dominance of Shadows. What prompted these words? Frustration. I am a big project kinda guy. I get ideas. I always said that if there’s a job that entails sitting around all day coming up with ideas for comic books and TV shows, that would be my job. Fortunately for me, being a big project kinda guy, I need the aid of other talented people to realize these ideas. Unfortunately for me, being a big project kinda guy, I need the aid of other talented people to realize these ideas. See what I did there? I wrote the same sentence twice, but the first word of each sentence was different. Huh. I love inviting talented people into my brain, but unfortunately talented people are also very busy people, so I’ve had a few projects fade away and other get put on hold because I have good taste in collaborators, but very little money to pay them (don’t worry, Mr. Amor—I’ve been saving!). So, while attending my last semester at Queens College I took a short story workshop class. The genre I feel most comfortable with is fantasy, so I took this course to force me out of my comfort zone—to write something in the here and now, nary a sword or dragon to be found. I loved it. I decided that after I graduated I would keep writing a short story a week for the remainder of the year, and although I didn’t make it to the end of the year, when all was said and done I had eleven stories written.

What do you do with a short story? Ah. You try and get someone to publish it. Well, that feels an awful lot like depending on someone else. Hmmmm. So I gave it a shot. The waiting was brutal, the rejections (well, one rejection and one cold shoulder) a big letdown, and I decided, “Hey, maybe the short story isn’t for me.”

Then, through an article on an awesome website called io9 (I think I have a Killcoyne to thank for a Facebook link… can’t remember…;), I discovered it costs an author zero out of pocket to publish on the Kindle. Reeeeeally. I threw my stories together and tossed them on Amazon. I was suddenly published and I did it all by myself! The power! What else could I do? I found CreateSpace where I could self-publish but this time in a hardcopy… an actual book—in my hand. I threw my stuff on CreateSpace and waited for my proof copy. I would rule the world of publishing!

I started looking through the stories and found usage error after usage error and felt the cold wind of responsibility on my face. I had acted maybe a tad too quickly. I got my proof copy and it looked beautiful… until I cracked the pages—it looked like I had formatted for the near blind. Yup… too quick. With the help of my awesome wife and brilliant friends I slowed down and started over from the beginning. What I have now I could not have done without their advanced awesomeness. (Thanks, gang!)

I hope you all pick up a copy or download a copy and give it a once over. I like it; I hope you do too!

Want to rule the world of self-publishing?

Kindle Direct Publishing: https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/signin

CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com