Gregory G. Allen's Blog, page 44

Straights Can "Come Out" Too

Tuesday 10.11.11 is National Coming Out Day…but you do nothave to be gay to come out. My favorite 14 year old recently joined agay/straight alliance in her high school. I can't imagine ever having such athing when I was in high school in the 80s – but how amazing they have thosenow.
It is not an easy thing for someone to come out of thecloset. I completely understand that. That is part of the reason why I wroteWELL WITH MY SOUL that deals with 'the closet' in many ways: sharing the storyof two brothers from very different points of view on the subject.
The story deals with pride, religion, addiction - manythings that keep a person held away from the rest of the world; locked insideof their own private turmoil.
I hope you will read WELL WITH MY SOUL with an open mind inthe same way it was liberating for me to write opposing views from these verydifferent brothers.
If you are not in the NY/NJ/PA area and unable to make anupcoming book signing event – then I ask you to use National Coming Out Day asyour day to purchase the book online (print or eBook). Make a statement bybuying the book that day! (And you can also help this author make a statementby a surge of book sales on the 1st official day the book 'comes out'.)
Thank you…and wishing you all find that peace insideyourself that the characters of Jacob and Noah spend the 70s-90s searching forin my book.

Music: Singing & Writing

It's a great time to be a singer in America...at least if you can get on reality TV. American Idol. X Factor. The Voice. The Sing-off. America's Got Talent. Am I missing any? As an addict of reality TV, I can't help but notice when something 'works' they all jump on it (from food shows, to decorating, to you name it)! Except writing. They had one for writing songs, but authors of novels can forget it. Who among us could write a novel each week?

I'll admit I do enjoy the music shows, because I enjoy music so much. It has always been a part of my life and even a part of my writing. The title for Well With My Soul is based on the hymn "It Is Well With My Soul" which was one of my favorites growing up. In an earlier version of the manuscript, each chapter was a title of a song - but I realized that was probably more for me and less servicing the story - so I cut 'em. But I do still have a playlist that goes along with the book because of the time span it travels from the 70s-90s. Some of those songs are even mentioned at different times throughout.
Recently I read a company will start allowing music to be downloaded with eBooks. I'm not certain that everyone would want to listen to music while reading, so I'm torn about that very idea. But I still wanted to share some of the Well With My Soul playlist for those that enjoy music as much as I do.
Love to Love You Baby - Donna Summer
Loving You - Minnie Riperton
Come To Me - France Jolie
Do You Really Want to Hurt Me - Boy George
Urgent - Foreigner
Bette Davis Eyes -Kim Karnes
Heaven is a Place on Earth - Belinda Carlisle
Is This Love - Whitesnake
I Need Thee Every Hour - Hymn
Let's Give Them Something to Talk About - Bonnie Raitt
Faithfully - Journey
Man in the Mirror - Michael Jackson
Losing My Religion - REM
Closer I Am To Fine - Indigo Girls

Author Spotlight: Stephen Hise

This newblog series is about authors I've met through social media who have alreadytraveled this road I'm only starting on. Today I introduce Stephen Hise. (Sidenote: fan Stephen's Facebook page for a great game of 'caption this picture'that he puts up periodically.)

When didyou start writing….seriously knowing writing was what you wanted to do?When myfirst two choices of being either a superspy or millionaire playboy didn't workout, I decided I wanted to do something that would involve wearing a tweedjacket with elbow patches. I still don't know if I can say I want to be awriter. I consider myself an entertainer. I like to provoke thought,discussion, reflection, or laughter. Writing is one way to do that.
Whatgenre would you say you write in? I don't know that I can identify a genre for my writing. Idescribe my first novel Upgrade as a "bodice-ripper with atwilight zone twist." It has elements of mystery, romance, suspense andscience-fiction, but none of that features very prominently in the story. Atits heart, the story is simply about the concept of self-image.  Whatdifferent routes did you try as far as publishing?I don't have much patience. It did not take me long to discoverthat publishers don't like to work with first-time authors who don't haveprofessional representation and agents don't like to deal with authors whodon't already have a publishing deal. I found Smashwords and WordClay and neverlooked back.
Tell usabout your books.Upgrade came out in 2010. Itis available in print from WordClay and Amazon, and in e-book format fromSmashwords, Kobo, Diesel, Kindle, etc…Creepier by the Dozen is a short-storyanthology I wrote with one of my sons and my daughter. It is available on Smashwords.      Whathas your experience been like on the publishing side of things?Well, I've made literally tens of dollars from book sales. Part ofthe reason for that is (like all indies) I don't have an army of publicists andagents and so forth helping push my book into the forefront. That has beendisappointing. The nicest surprise has been the extraordinary support andcamaraderie I've experienced from the indie author community. I often say ifthe indie community were an actual place, I'd move there.
Icompletely agree with that! Tell us a little about your marketing & promotionprocess.I've largelyused traditional social networking media. I have a Facebook author page a twitter account and a website. I get bored talking about myself and my booksthough, so I also try to promote fellow authors whenever I can. (I'm alsoworking on a mind-control ray that should really boost sales. That's probablymonths away from reality though.)
I firstcame in contact with you because I noticed how well you were promoting otherauthors. You are really great at that. Looking back, is there something youwould have done different?I supposeI just would not have wasted the effort with the traditional publishinglabyrinth, but that really is something everyone should experience forthemselves. I will say there are plenty of scam-artists out there and if youare too anxious to see your own name in print, you may find yourself a victim.There are lots of 'agents" who also have a brother-in-law who happens to be atop-notch "editor" and who has a good friend who happens to be a "distributor"and anything else you may have the money for. This didn't happen to me, as I amsurrounded by a protective ring of poverty.
Anyparting words before you leave us?I'd liketo encourage everyone to buy my book. It has all the vowels and consonants ofmany so-called "classics" of literature. Also, if you are an aspiring writer,it will probably make you feel better about yourself.
Greatlast words there! And thanks for joining us today.

DFW 2 NYC 24 Years Ago

Twenty four years ago today, I left Dallas, Texas as a nervous teenager and moved to NYC. In some ways those years have flown by. I use this time each year to reflect on those initial intentions behind the move and where my life ended up. This year, I'm excited to be embarking on a new phase in my life. In two weeks, my debut novel will be officially out and it's been an amazing few months leading up to it.

The baptism by fire into the world of marketing and promotion can be overwhelming for many. (Luckily, I do much marketing in my day job too.) Still: when the 'product' you are selling is yourself; it is completely different. 


I'm going to use this month to not only talk about my own journey and report on how things are going, but put the spotlight on other indie authors who have already walked this walk and interview them in a series throughout the month. Some of those are authors I've read their work. Others are authors I follow on Facebook and twitter (I have not got around to reading all of them), but admire their 'social marketing skills" and wanted to hear from them in more characters than the 140 that twitter allows.


I hope you enjoy learning about what it takes to be an indie author in the always changing world of publishing. I know I'm looking forward to each of their interviews.

Social Media & Author Tips

When new authors jump into the world of social media & indie publishing - you tend to learn some useful things. The past four months have been an amazing crash course for me. 

My top ten list of social media / author tips:

1) Pricing books are important. Though you'll never get rich, e-readers love books under $5 and even better under $1.2) Vanity Presses price their books so high, they can price an author right out of people purchasing them (aren't you glad you cancelled that old contract, Greg?)3) Egos abound in every field. You may bruise some as you work with design teams, authors, etc - but try and remember everyone wants what is best for your baby...and their own. 
4) Indie Pricing = 'give books away' - (you'll make next to nothing from an indie publisher) but hey: you really want people to read your stuff, right?5) Get involved in social media conversations that have nothing to do with your product/book.6) Read. Read. Read. (and write reviews of other author's work! You want someone doing that for you too.)7) Don't 'cleverly' hide your own product inside posting about something else. (Everyone can tell and Amazon hates it when reviewers do it)8) Let your friends on FB/twitter share information about your book so it's not always coming from you.9) Share information about your friend's book so it's not always coming from them.10) Pay-it-forward: if you find something/learn something helpful: share it. We're all in this together!

Kids with Autism are Super-Heroes Too!

Readersof my blog know that I've talked about my godson Gabe who was diagnosed withautism when he was very young. For the past year, I've spent (almost) everyWednesday going to dinner with him, his sister and his mother. Most childrenwith autism need a set schedule where they know exactly what is going tohappen. And let's just say we don't veer off of that Wednesday night of eatingat Friday's where he can get his chicken fingers, French fries and red velvetcake.  So one night at dinner, his sister Natalie (who is growing up sofast as she's a freshman in high school) and I were busy watching him andstarted thinking of a super hero named chicken boy: and a children's picturebook idea was born. 
I have noticed that mostchildren's books on this subject are from the perspective of a sibling or afriend and never from the mind of that brilliant child who just happens to belocked inside of their own world. This book (while conceived by myself and Natalie)is told through his voice as a very basic attempt of a child with autism to tryand alleviate the concerns of other children around him because of what theyperceive as 'strange'. The story shows that children with autism are just likeother children, capable of imaginations full of wonderful pretend games.
This morning, I entered "ChickenBoy: The Amazing Adventures of a Super Hero with Autism" in a competition toget a children's book published. We are excited to see what comes of this andall of you will be able to be involved. From November 28-December 18, there isa manuscript voting round where everyone will be able to go and 'vote' on thestory they like. (And we're going to need EVERYONE to vote!) The finalist round(which we really hope to make it to that point) will be January 31-February 21,2012 and a winner will be announced by March 7. Now I know people are thinkingI'm completely crazy for getting myself in yet another writing project, but I'mat my most happiest and best when juggling several things. And I think thisdrives home the point that I never want to be considered a 'one-genre author'.
Plus: I want our littlechicken boy super hero's story to be read by many, many children. Autism isn'tanything for other children to fear…they just need to know a little more aboutit.

From IT to the Arts

I have completely enjoyed myself interviewing people this month on their career changes. Getting to know what makes people tick from all different parts of the country...meeting them online. It has been eye opening and hopefully - inspiring to others thinking of taking the plunge. (And I'm speaking to some specific people and you know who you are.)


I was amazed by the amount of people that switched from something in the corporate world to that of a creative venture. Completely different side of the brain, but a most gratifying one I can assure. 


I wanted to share this great spotlight that Back Of the Book Reviews has done on me, my writing, and the very change I made a few short years ago. They are a group formed in spring of 2011 by friends in the UK and the US and have really been awesome about getting the word out on new authors as well as reviews on many books. I follow them on twitter and facebook and learn some wonderful things about what is happening in the world of writing. Be sure and check them out.  

Get Your Voice Heard

Have you ever picked up a book by the <insert latest/greatest writer here>, finished the book and thought to yourself "Wow...it is awesome this person was discovered and got their voice heard"? We hear amazing stories all the time of certain writers that were down on the luck, standing in the unemployment line, tired of the endless rejections when that one person finally took notice of them. Or they got the call from Oprah. Or their manuscript was pulled from the slush pile and published. These are awesome stories to hear. But for every one of those, there are endless others out there you may never hear from. 
This is one of the reasons I'm so inspired by the change in the publishing industry. Yes, I've heard the reason why it is the end of the world as we know it: there are no gatekeepers to tell you what is good and what is bad; you have to weed through some 'not so good' stuff to find a gem. But there are plenty of traditionally published books I've read that I actually thought "who read this and said it was good?" The same goes with some big Hollywood movies I've seen and questioned how they ever got made. But for me, the point is publishing is catching up with Indie Filmmaking and Indie artist recording their own music. And I have to say: I'm reading some pretty amazing stuff coming out of those small presses and indie authors that I may never have gotten a chance to read.
We indie authors have a tough road ahead of us in getting the word out about our work, but authors are doing it. I'm watching it happen everyday and seeing amazing success stories. Back to my original thought about the latest/greatest writer...I feel that way reading certain indie authors: "Wow....it is awesome this person got their voice heard." The difference is they did not get to the masses through a national marketing campaign where you see their face on the side of a bus or a table full of their books when you walk into a large chain bookstore. 
But I'm lucky I found them: and just maybe others will find them too. 

You've Got To Be Taught

I don't want to take on an entire campaign (and I can admit a year ago I even blogged with my own story of how it got better), but I can't help but wonder if we are sending the correct message to the youth who are being bullied and feel so alone. Think back to when you were that age. Life was not about the future. It was the here and now. Everything felt intense - no matter the size of the issue. If parents told you things would be better later, did you want to hear that or did you want the problem fixed then? 

I think it is great to remind youth that it will eventually get better down the road, but I really believe we need to be helping them in the present. How do they deal with those feelings of being different? Who can they talk to? What tools are there to cope with it? I applaud the groups taking on the bullies head on. That must be addressed. I agree with the organizations and states attempting to make laws against bullying (a hate crime). But if only we could get to these kids while they are in the depth of their despair and somehow encourage them to know they are special and wanted and loved. 
But does all of society feel that way?
I'm going to say - no. They don't. They want to be able to tell someone "you are wrong for being gay" - but that opposition turns into verbal abuse and for a child, it is very hard to take. These bullies are being taught to BE bullies. They hear the loud voices of people that scream about sin and disgust and take it to the next level of slurs and violence. 
The musical South Pacific had an amazing song that was so true when it was written so many decades ago: and yet still true today.
You've got to be taught
To hate and fear,
You've got to be taught
From year to year,
It's got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught!
Tell the children it will get better - but educate yourselves and them to learn now. See what groups are planning events near you and take your own children to hear the message. Garden State Equality presents a Week of Respect Kick-Off event on Saturday, October 1 from 11-1:00 at John H. Walker Middle School in Nutley, NJ. Call 973-509-5428 for more information.

'Planning A Party' Career

I've watched my friend Angela (who I knew from doing theater) the past
few years really take off with a business she started and I have been so
incredibly impressed. This mother of twins saw an opportunity from something
she knew she did well, loved to do, and created an amazing service that can be
utilized by so many people (including yours truly who hired her for the Book
Release Party in NYC).*** Angela Shafer http://www.invitesandmorebyangela.com/      


So, what did you do previously and what is your business now?I was a med tech for a cardiologist office. I liked my job, but once the
girls were born it didn't make sense for me to work because we would pay more
in day care then I made. We still needed some source of income and the party
business just fell in my lap almost five years ago now...wow…FIVE years. 
I enjoy planning parties and events and had helped out with my friend's
wedding, planned my sister's baby shower, etc....and just loved it! Then people
started to ask me to do things for them for pay and it just steam rolled from
there. I started to acquire more and more tools and supplies little by little
and was able to do bigger and better things with every design!       How did you choose party planning?I don't know that I chose this business or if it chose me if that makes
any sense. It started out as a little extra money here and there and now
it has grown so much that I hire help when I need it. I love working with
people to come up with the perfect theme for their party and then watching it
bloom from invitation to favor! I pride myself on personalizing and tailoring
everything I make to fit my client's needs.      How has your life (mom/wife/person) changed? Life has changed a lot....I was used to going to work and then coming
home. Work was done...but now it is NEVER done! (I just need a good week with
nothing but my house and a bucket of cleaning products!) J The business takes
most of my time and the kids take up all that is left! My family is very, very
supportive! Everyone from my husband to my mother, father, and sister have
helped out in one way or another and I think it is funny that my kids know what
everything I make is called and the name of all the tools I use. Looks like I
am grooming them to take over the family business!       Do you have advice for someone who may be thinking of starting their own
business? Figure out what you are doing, take it slow, and have people who want to
help around...you are gonna need it!