Transparent Strides
Art by Propech
This has been somewhat of a blah week due to the astrological churning of the universe, but we trudge forward. I’ve been thinking about diving deeper into my inner healing. I’ll be trying some new things out next month, but we’ll see what happens. I might share some experiences depending on how I feel. Some things are meant to stay private while other things are fun to share.
The Hum of the World & Other Stories is still humming along and has been staying in the top 50 books in the black horror fiction category on Amazon so that’s pretty cool. This is the first time this has happened to me so that’s a good sign we’re on the right path and certain strategies are paying off. Reviews have been mixed, but that’s life.
Talking to the broken river book crew has moved me into a bestseller mindset and part of this is following the law of assumption. I encourage my manifestation heads to look that law up, if you want to level up your manifestation game.
If I were a bestselling author, what moves would I make that I’m not making now? Last year I hired Twins & Talent to help promote and acquire honest reviews for God’s Leftovers and Black Gypsies. On top of this, I offered digital copies for reviewers on Book Sirens. This investment paid off. I have new fans, more reviews than my previous books, and much more momentum.
Don’t ever hesitate to invest in yourself. It’s easy to make excuses why you can’t get more people to read your books. Believe in yourself and make the moves you need to make.
I love transparency so here are the analytics from Book Sirens for God’s Leftovers.
And here are the analytics from Book Sirens for Black Gypsies.
As you can see by the numbers, God’s Leftovers blew Black Gypsies out the water. Why is this? What does the science say?
Takes a long pull from a joint…well God’s Leftovers has a pretty striking cover and horror seems to resonate with my readers/fans on a deeper level. Black Gypsies has a cool cover (shoutout to Matthew Revert), but I pitched it as Atlanta meets Love Jones. Both are very black pieces of cinema, and I’m not sure how many people have seen the movie let alone the TV show.
God’s Leftovers was pitched as The Hills Have Eyes meets El Topo on the website. A ton of people have seen the original horror flick or at the very least the remake. El Topo is more of a cult classic and I’m surprised people hopped on that comp. The pitches go a long way…
I posted The Hum of the World & Other Stories up there and I already have five readers for that. It beat Black Gypsies and it’s only been a week. The people want more horror from me. More horror is coming, especially in 2024, but cyberpunk is coming your way this June.
I’ve been taking a heavy look at Project Bullet Baby, polishing the book up, taking down notes for another horror project, and thinking about submitting some short stories into the ether.
I’ve been reading Hide by Kiersten White and I’m soaking up a lot of game. The prose sings, the characterization is on point, and it’s hard to put down. There’s a high chance this will make my favorite books for 2023 list when I’m done with it. I had to put this book down multiple times, shake my head, and say goddamn this girl can write. There’s 20 something characters and White juggles them effortlessly.
Currently Watching: Love, Death & Robots Season 3 & Lost Season 1 & Yellowjackets Season 2
Currently Reading: Blame! by Tsutomu Nihei & Gleipnir by Sun Takeda & The Train Derails in Boston by Jessica McHugh & The Tower by William Pauley III & Hide by Kiersten White
I finished reading The Tower by William Pauley III earlier this week, which is pt. 1 in the Bedlam Bible series. Very weird, creepy, and entertaining. I’m looking forward to what the follow up books have in store.
Currently Smoking: CBX Highuasaca
Listening: Black Tapes Podcast & The Danny Brown Podcast
“Gently swig the henny, then beat the shit out of every attendee in the concert/I’m Allah’s words translated in proverbs”
Bas Rutten is one of my favorite MMA fighters so I was excited when I saw this single pop up. Aggressive coke raps, pure lyricisim, and street visuals are the perfect recipe for a dope song. Shoutout Supreme Cerebral.
The vibes are sensational in “BACK.” Bktherula feel like a female Lil Uzi Vert with the sweeping production, dance dance revolution visuals, and a hint of nostalgia. Don’t sleep on my girl…
“This ain’t just a verse, it’s art…”
When you see Louis Vuittion ski goggle in a music video, there’s a high chance the song is a banger. “Art” barely runs over a minute, but Fat Trel makes the most of his time with a different flow and shows his versatilty. It’s good to see him flourishing since he got out of jail.
Kali Uchis’ heavenly melodies are always soothing and drenched in love. I understand the need to get high under the moonlight with your lover. Such sweet sentiments and a cool video that complements the song.
Until next time…
I hadn't heard of Book Sirens. Those numbers are super helpful and it looks like its working.
Thanks, Grant! Glad you enjoyed The Tower! 🙌