Steve B. Howard's Blog, page 137

You are very welcome. Hope you enjoy it.

You are very welcome. Hope you enjoy it.

FREE EBOOK!!!! Satori in the Slipstream

Hey Free! Do you like free? I like free. A Free EBOOK by Me! Check it out here. If you enjoy it maybe think about buying some of my other books. It’s on Amazon as a paperback as well.

Satori in the Slipstream is a collection of dark stories that will take you to those places where the brutal clarity of truth is sometimes revealed. Follow the tales of a young woman in Japan trying to find herself in a Buddhist temple, a junkie street artist trying to draw away his demons with is art, a Japanese soldier confronting the horrific destruction and death in Hiroshima, a young hustler on the streets saying goodbye to his dead friend, and an office lady in Japan contemplating suicide from her 18 story apartment. All these stories and more.

https://www.books2read.com/u/mZP7ap

Paperback

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1731214944

It’s pretty ironic in a way.

It’s pretty ironic in a way. I don’t think my writing is that bad most of the time and I lock almost everything, but I’ve been earning less on Medium than ever. I still post the same amount of work every month and seem to get the same number of view, reads, and claps. No idea why this is the case.

That’s great. Very kind of you.

That’s great. Very kind of you.

The Benefits of Finding Followers and Sharing Info

Photo by Evan Kirby on Unsplash

I know, many of the “experts” will say gaining tons of followers on various sns is about as productive in the long run as being high school homecoming royalty. They will say that focusing on followers that are also “true fans” of your work is what really counts. And I suppose they are probably right. I have a little over a thousand followers on the sns that must not be named (rhymes with tedium) and around eight thousand more spread across ten to twelve different social media sites, but in truth, I only interact with a handful of these followers. And judging by the fairly dismal sales of my novel even fewer book buying followers.

But I have also noticed that when I write an article that is useful and post it across multiple sns’ that I almost always get a few kind comments from followers I hadn’t interacted with before. It’s not like I’m re-inventing the cyber-wheel or anything, just passing along info that I’ve discovered bumbling through cyberspace, and my ongoing Don Quixote attempts to become a more successful writer.

Photo by Victor B. on Unsplash

Having the opportunity to help other writers is always worth it. Over the years many more experienced authors than myself have passed on great tips that have helped me tremendously. I’m just happy to be able to do the same occasionally. Having a lot of followers doesn’t mean much (though I am a little proud of the fact I’ve never bought any of them), but it does mean there is a slightly better chance that more writers might see and be helped by the things I post and publish.

If you enjoyed this please check some of my other stories below.Ello: The Little SNS That Could (and can)The Ongoing Battle to Publish

The Benefits of Finding Followers and Sharing Info was originally published in Publishous on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Published?

Photo by Joyce McCown on Unsplash

When you thought what would be your
Black Sparrow Press turns out to be a
bloody turd dropping pigeon you once
again don your black armor, kindle the mad
flame in your heart, and prepare to joust the
indifferent cyber-icebergs that masticate your
words.

Published? was originally published in Other Doors on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Simplicity Sustains Me

Photo by Kyle Cottrell on Unsplash

These red clay streets that have claimed
so many before don’t yet
know my blood.

A heavy chaffing burden
across my shoulders,
yes.

But the exact simplicity,
“Sell what you carry or starve,”
keeps me precisely in tune
with the speed of this dance.

Simplicity Sustains Me was originally published in Resistance Poetry on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

There a lot of great literary journals on Medium that accept previously published work though.

There a lot of great literary journals on Medium that accept previously published work though. I’ve found they can really help to give an older story new life.

The Brother I’ll Never Know

Photo by Thijs Degenkamp on Unsplash

He never had a name. At least not one you knew of before you left Viet Nam. When the story of your son came up the only names that were mentioned were the derogatory ones she called you in English and Vietnamese when you told her you were being shipped home and she wasn’t coming with you.
“Da Nang got overrun in ’65 a year after I left. Probably didn’t survive anyway,” you always said. Sentiment for that year was stubbed out long ago the like burned cigarettes that overflowed your ashtray.

war is for action
consequences and regret
are for death beds

The Brother I’ll Never Know was originally published in P.S. I Love You on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Yeah, the only reason I don’t consider them a vanity press is because I didn’t have to pay them any…

Yeah, the only reason I don’t consider them a vanity press is because I didn’t have to pay them any money and the cover is pretty good. It’s disappointing since most of the people that have read my novella said they really enjoyed the story, but the typos, formatting errors, ect were distracting. The book might have done much better if they would have just spent some more time proofreading it and promoting it. I’ve pretty much written it off as a bad learning experience and moved on to other work.