Join me on Reddit (and Free Books, Still!)
Which is a long and unwieldy title, sorry.
Hello
It is Sunday. A glorious Sunday, where all I want to do is go and play outside, but instead I’m stuck inside doing homework. Namely writing this, building a couple of web pages, and some social media promotion. Do you remember those days, when glorious Sundays were always bittersweet, especially if you, like me, had not finished your school homework and spent much of Sunday cursing past-you for not doing it on Friday evening or Saturday morning, when it was raining and cold?
Bookcave Promotion
In my last note, I talked about being a part of a group promotion on Bookcave, promoting my free novella (and added free short story), Only One Death. This promotion runs for the whole of May, so do please have a look, there are over fifty free books to choose from. Thirty of you are new here, directly as a result of being a part of this promotion, so it certainly works. Hi, new friends, welcome!*
I also mentioned that I am Reddit’s Fantasy Writer of the Day. This is tomorrow, Monday the 18th of May. I’ll be posting an introduction to me and my work and answering any questions that may come my way. If you are part of Reddit, or even if you aren’t and fancy joining, do pop in and say hello. As a classic introvert who also understands the importance of promotion and marketing, I’m not quite sure what will be worse — lots of people asking things, or nobody showing up at all.
According to the FAQ, it is best for my initial post to go up at 1500 (3pm) my time (Western European Time), so join me around then!
Reddit is a place I love — I’ve lurked there for a long time, but have never truly been involved in the writing/reading community. I had an old account some years ago, where I was more active in the bushcraft and wilderness skills subreddit but, honestly, I have far too an addictive nature and, as such, I need to regulate my internet and social media time.
Finally
I shall keep this message short (for me) and leave it here. I’ll be sending out at least one other newsletter this month (the ‘normal’ one), so I don’t want you to get Not A Travel Writer fatigue. Besides, I need to transplant some baby lettuce and a rosemary, and it’s far too beautiful a day to be stuck indoors. In true teenage-Alex fashion, I can always do my homework on the morning it is due…†
Footnotes
(I really should avoid these, as I have a habit of writing far too many.)
*You’ll find all manner of things in these messages, talk of my work, true, but also nature notes, discussion of travels, places, and cultures, observations on film, TV, music, literature and more, and pretty photos I’ve taken. The only tangible link is me — this newsletter essentially serves as a writer’s notebook, showing the reader all those tiny details that are recorded, filed, ruminated-over, polished and repurposed into my fiction and other written work. There is just so much wonder in this world,‡ it only seems fair to share it.
† This is not a good example to set. Sorry. And, for those of you who don’t already know, I am living in Portugal, where our lockdown is no longer as fierce as it once was and we’re encouraged to get out into nature. The photos accompanying this piece are all from local areas. I especially love the gateway and graffiti, recently discussing and sharing it on my Instagram.
‡ Yes, I am, of course, aware of the bad side of life, of suffering and pain, but I think there are already plenty of others who share these things, sometimes forgetting kindness and the marvel that is life.