S.J. Reisner's Blog, page 23

Author Events and How to Manage #random

A friend of mine recently came to me asking for advice about attending an upcoming con. She wanted to know what authors (and other types of exhibitors) should do (and should not do) to make a con successful. She enjoyed my response so much she said I should post a blog that might help other authors. So, that said, here goes!

Things you should do:

Treat the event like work/job. Be professional. Yet you should also be yourself. Just cut the F Bombs for the duration of the event, if you can. St...

June #DoMagick – Enchantments

This month I’m going to do a repeat of an enchantment I actually did last June because I’m starting to feel the anxiety of convention/conference season. As many of you know, I suffer from extreme social anxiety.  I am terrified of public speaking and having to be around people, and yet – as a modern author – that’s part of the job whether you like it or not. So I fake it (rather well actually), but I find social interaction with large groups completely exhausting. Last year a fellow magician...

WOW! Reader Survey Goes Wild

When I sent out my reader survey yesterday I had no idea it would gather so much useful data in such a short amount of time. Usually when I do a survey I’m lucky if 20 people respond.  Really, I was trying to figure out where I was doing well, where I was failing, and where I needed improvement. I intend to keep the reader survey up for a month or so, just to get more responses and to make sure I’m on the right track. This morning I went to look at the survey and imagine my utter shock and su...

Blackrose Coven #thirteencovens

Releases May 20, 2018!

Blackrose Coven – Audrey Brice

Daemons, walking corpses, teenage sorcerers, and self-professed minions of Satan – it’s all in a days work for the Tri-county Sheriff’s Department out of Haileyville, New York. Keeping the supernatural off the official record and under the news radar isn’t an easy job, but Sheriff Steve and the other members of the Blackrose Coven are oath-bound to make sure the Thirteen Covens peacefully co-exist. Now, something dark is rising and things...

More Author Mistakes #authorsbehavingbadly #marketingmistakes #cockygate

Ouch! Just when I think I’ve seen all the crazy, bad marketing mistakes out there – along comes another one.  These are gold to me. I’m actually teaching a workshop at a writer’s conference in September about cultivating the online writer persona — and THIS will be one of those situations that serves as a bad example of what authors shouldn’t do when marketing themselves, their work, or their brand in the world of online.

So this week, a bunch of authors with a certain WORD in the title of th...

Days 27-30: In Conclusion #DoMagick

I spent a great deal of time in reflection the past few days. The daily cleansings are still happening – 30-45 minutes of shedding all negativity and care, and sending them barreling over my obstacles.

This month’s #DoMagick exercises done:

A 30-45 minute cleansing meditations each day (for 30 days straight). It relied on visualizing removing negativity from me, blocking myself against it, finding my internal light, and pushing it outward toward mountains that crumbled and dissolved as that...

Day Twenty-Six: Leviathan #DoMagick

I’m working with the Leviathan current through the end of the month. Incorporating it into my existing Sorath work, my demiurgic contemplation, and ascension. The cleansing meditations continue.  The alchemization of what I don’t want is manifesting as dissolution. Glorious dissolution.

Cards for the 26th:

Chariot – Momentum, Competence, self-discipline, determination Lily – Enjoy the small successes.Put ideas into practice. Realize your plan. No reason to worry. Murmur – Dissolution.

Day Twenty-Five: Roads #DoMagick

Today I did my cleansing meditation in the morning and this afternoon, I made a fascinating discovery. It’s a bit personal so I don’t know if I want to share it here, but I’m beginning to think the parochial diligence with which I’ve tackled certain things is going to stop. Just in saying that, I am feeling less stressed and more like I might enjoy working in the yard this weekend.

In other news, it was a beautiful afternoon. We went from snow to 66 degrees this afternoon (within a week) and...

Day Twenty-Four: The Sorath Tie-In #DoMagick

It’s important at this point to discuss the Sorath tie-in to this months #DoMagick. It seems the model, regardless its setting, brings a lot of attention to the magician using it. Not always good attention either. I’ve not changed the model specifically because I do feel that I need to learn to weather that spotlight and that these experiences are actually good for me and are helping to make me stronger. This particular configuration also seems to be bringing about slow and steady progress. S...

Day Twenty-Three: Other People’s Agendas #DoMagick

Have you ever gotten to that point where you are doing things quickly just to get them done and to get other people off your ass? That’s where I’m at today. Today is all about other people’s agendas and getting their agendas out of my life so I can focus on MY agenda.

Since it’s a day-job day, that means calling on accounts and telling them to pay their bills so I can get back to my damage and HR/payroll things. I’m also trying to get done with all my writing group crap by tomorrow morning so...