Getting a signed copy of a book isn’t always easy. Though, sometimes, it’s incredibly easy. Behold, another unscripted account of how I managed to get a copy of a book signed by its author. In this episode, I discuss the long, arduous path to acquiring a signature by Caleb J. Ross.
Thanks to Gordon Highland for bringing this Charactered Pieces review to my attention. Generally my ego is a pretty good magnet for the rare praise floating around out there. And of course, super thanks to Dakota Taylor and Insomnia Press for the kind, kind words. "Charactered Pieces is on par with...early novels by Chuck Palahniuk. The difference is, Palahniuk sucker punches the reader with his prose and knocks your teeth out, leaving you bleeding and cheering. Caleb is a little more sneaky. Charactered Pieces spikes your drink and has you in someone's trunk before you even know it...One of the most moving and diverse pieces of work I've read in years." Read the full Charactered Pieces review here. And if you are so bold, find links to buy Charactered Pieces here.
I've been wanting to read "Click-Clack" to a live audience for a while. It's perhaps one of my more unsettling stories. So, I thought, where better to read it out loud than in a sweaty, un-air conditioned room above Prospero's Bookstore. The crowd seemed to dig the story, as much as one can considering the heat. The version linked here contains a few sound effects as well. A lot of my fiction deals with what I call domestic grotesque situations. None are perhaps more fitting to this term than "Click-Clack." If you like it, pick up more of my fiction, specifically my two story collections Charactered Pieces and Mumurs: Gathered Stories Vol. One.
The people in my head often ask me, “Caleb, how are you seemingly in so many places online at once?” The simple truth is: magic. But not everyone is born with this gift (or curse, depending on which side of the superhero spectrum I’m internally agonizing over at the time). Over the years I’ve built up a failsafe system, though, so should Cash-4-Kryptonite stores suddenly saturate my suburb, I’ve got measures in place. Here’s my method. 1. Establish a “content spring” I’m an organization nut. I need structure to survive. Online, when new social media networks materialize daily, organization can be tough. It is important to establish a “content spring,” a source from which most of your content will originate. The goal being to focus content creation efforts in a single place to avoid feeling overwhelmed by so many points of entry. In a perfect world, with perfect organization, you…
Does giving away your books lead to more readers, and in turn, more fans? A few weeks ago I conducted a pretty in-depth study regarding the effectiveness of a Goodreads.com book giveaway in which I found that 93% of entrants had never heard of me and 88% planned on reading my books. Couple that with 51% of entrants signing up for my email newsletter, and the giveaway was well worth the two books I sacrificed. Science must be repeatable, right? A couple of weeks ago I ended yet another giveaway. The Setup I listed a 2 copy giveaway for I Didn’t Mean to be Kevin to take place between 3/14/2012 and 3/31/2012. During this time the giveaway received a total of 378 entries. After the giveaway was closed for entries, I sent a 9 yes/no question questionnaire to 222 entrants. 156 entrants could not be sent the questionnaire, either because I know…
After more than a few (a few+2) questions regarding the paperback availability of my first story chapbook Charactered Pieces, I've decided to do something with the distribution rights I've been squatting on for a couple years now. Why the squat? Laziness, mostly. Re-available for your tactile reading pleasure, Charactered Pieces: stories is now back in print. Right now, it's only at Amazon, but the rest of the internet stores should catch up within the next couple of weeks. Spread the word. Tell your friends that the too-orange book with the weird hermaphroditic foot penis thing is now holdable in their very hands. Get the paperback version here: http://www.amazon.com/Charactered-Pieces-Caleb-J-Ross/dp/0615622135/
The always wonderful Kristin Fouquet offers some kind words about As a Machine and Parts over at La Salon Annex: Reminiscent of Metamorphosis and Flowers for Algernon, Caleb J. Ross takes us inside the mind of a man who is transforming. This man, Mitchell, experiences a slide from human to machine. This transformation coincides with the deterioration of his relationship with a much older lover, Marsha...Although I place As a Machine and Parts on the shelf alongside Charactered Pieces and Stranger Will, I will continue thinking about this book for some time. But perhaps my favorite line, just because I'm glad this particular referent story hit home with another writer: As writers, we must always wonder what is derivative and how many words we can truly call our own. Read the full review. Then, buy As a Machine and Parts. And while you are at it, round out that Amazon free shipping deal and grab Fouquet's incredible, Twenty…