Matthew Wayne Selznick's Blog, page 17
December 13, 2011
It's Time To Upgrade WordPress!
A few days ago, WordPress.org released WordPress version 3.3, code-named "Sonny." It's chock-full of usability enhancements and practical improvements, and like every upgrade WordPress has released, WordPress 3.3 includes bug fixes and performance and security upgrades as well. If you run a web-site that runs WordPress, you must upgrade as soon as possible — not just to take advantage of all the new bells and whistles, but also to be sure you have the latest protections for your site.
No-Stress Upgrades
In truth, upgrading WordPress is a pretty painless task these days. Still, if you're not comfortable handling the more technical, under-the-hood responsibilities that come with running your own WordPress site (or maybe you just can't be bothered) you might be putting off this and other necessary upgrades. That's a bad idea, though, and here's why: since the WordPress platform is insanely popular (15% of the most popular sites on the web use it!) it's a pretty big target for crackers and malware bots out to cause mischief. It's a kind of arms race between the bad guys and the developers of WordPress, and if you're not running the latest version, well, you're taking an unnecessary risk.
So do those upgrades! Or… let me do them for you!
Every month, I'll handle any updates and upgrades required by your WordPress site: plugins, themes, even the core WordPress files themselves. You won't have to worry it at all — you can concentrate on making the content of your site the best it can be, and leave the mechanics of upkeep to someone else. And if you're a client of my website hosting service, remember: whether you do it or you hire me to do it, keeping your WordPress installation up to date is your responsibility and a condition of hosting with me, so don't let it go!
My WordPress updating service is just $9.99 per month. Get set up right now!
WordPress Update ServiceDon't want to worry about handling the updates and upgrades for your WordPress installation? Let MWS Media take care of upgrading your WordPress website and plugins for just $9.99 per month.Price: $9.99Matthew Wayne Selznick - Telling stories with words, music, pictures and people. Seeing this somewhere other than mattselznick.com? Please click through to comment directly on the post!
December 9, 2011
Who Gives A Shit About the Genre Versus Literary Debate?
Over at SF Signal, a group blog / podcast focused on science fiction media, they've resurrected the "genre versus literary" discussion that's always good for gathering the herd and drawing traffic. In fact, I was all set to contribute to the discussion with my own lengthy blog post. This blog post, in fact.
Before long, though, I had to ask myself: who gives a shit? It's a non-issue.
To both genre fans and creators who are offended that the best of their works are not considered literature, and those who turn their backs on genre works while refusing to recognize the genre tropes in many literary works… I'd like to suggest that you both need to deal with larger issues of insecurity, or just admit that you're barking for the sake of making noise.
As always, your thoughts are welcome in the comments.
Matthew Wayne Selznick - Telling stories with words, music, pictures and people. Seeing this somewhere other than mattselznick.com? Please click through to comment directly on the post!
December 3, 2011
Found On the Web, November 2011
Some of the things I found interesting, worthwhile, or fun on the Internet in the month of November, 2011:
Life began with a planetary mega-organism
Accompl.sh
The Cognitive Benefits of Chewing Gum
The Cult of Done Manifesto
Brian Greene's The Fabric of the Cosmos
Seven Free Tools for Creating Your Own Fonts
First Results of Global Coworking Survey
10 reasons why pursuing your creative work is actually highly productive (+ not selfish or self-indulgent)
Time Tree — The Timescale of Life
William Gibson, The Art of Fiction No. 211
Matthew Wayne Selznick - Telling stories with words, music, pictures and people.
November 30, 2011
Social Networking: You're Doing It Wrong, Part The Nth
Now that I'm back in the freelance world as a creative services provider, I've re-joined a few user groups and forums dedicated to social networking, especially on professional sites like LinkedIn. I've been away for a couple of years, and I thought I'd see how the "space" was these days. I shouldn't have been surprised to see that nothing's really changed. People are still doing it wrong, calling themselves experts, and getting paid.
My irritation on this front has been growing for the last two months. Therefore, here comes a rant, conveniently delivered in easily-digestible, search-engine friendly blog post list format.
Ready? Here are…
Three Great Ways To Kill The Social In Social Networking
Automated Direct Messages To Twitter Followers
Spam and Ban Forum Posts
Facebook Like Exchanges
Automated Direct Messages To Twitter Followers
When I follow back someone who decided to follow me on Twitter, I personally post a little message to all my other followers welcoming the new person. It goes like this: "Welcome new twitterpal @your_name_here!" I do this because it lets my modest, audience of 1,700 or so see that someone new has joined the crowd, and it lets those followers potentially check out and maybe also follow the new person. In other words, when you come to the party, you get introduced around.
Unfortunately, more often than not, when someone acknowledges that I've followed them, I get a direct message — a note that only I can see — and it usually says something like this: "Thanks for following me! It's great to meet you. Be sure to check out http://buy.myproductquick.ly!"
The insincerity, and impersonal nature, of the salutation is only exceeded by the level of audacity in the sales pitch… never mind the insult delivered when they have a robot respond to my personal gesture of connection. What's worse is when they see my open, public acknowledgement of our new connection and finally get around to doing one of their own, making their initial automated direct message even more of a social misstep. You've been caught out, social media killer!
Spam and Run Forum Posts
Imagine you have a bunch of friends over for dinner and, somehow, a perfect stranger ends up at the table as well. In the spirit of community and open-mindedness, you welcome them and give them a platform to present their opinion and tell you about themselves.
Then, the first thing out of their mouth is an impassioned invitation to you to exchange your attention, time and / or money for the "high definition sunglasses" they're so desperate to unload.
How quickly would you show them the door? How much of your boot would be up their ass when you do?
That's what it's like when you post in an online forum specifically to pitch your website, product, or Clickbank three-page, fifty dollar "e-book" on how to sell three page e-books for fifty dollars. Not only will you and your post be shown the door with a decisive delete-and-ban, anyone who read your post will never, ever, ever trust anything you do or say online. Moreover, some folks are very efficient at spreading the word about this kind of bad behavior… and their social networks are much bigger than yours. You better believe it. Caught again, social media killer!
Facebook Like Exchanges
It's no secret that the number of Facebook "Likes" on your brand or product page can be converted in some mystical, poorly defined and barely quantifiable fashion into real money. Since "Likes" are money, at least in the hipster sense of the word, we should all do everything we can to get that number up up up, right? And a quick way to do that is to get together in a big group and "Like" each other's pages, right? Awesome!
Bullshit.
I've seen this tactic suggested numerous times, and worse, I've seen dozens and dozens of people buy into it. I'm sure they have thousands and thousands of "Likes" on their Facebook pages. Unfortunately, it's the social networking equivalent of photoshopping a giant crowd into images of that press conference you held in a rented conference room at the Holiday Inn — the one attended by your in-laws, co-workers and someone on the No One Cares Examiner beat.
Look: there is real value in "Likes." You can learn the demographics of your audience and take that information to target and improve your product or service. In your "Like" audience you have a group of people who are already pre-disposed to support your endeavor, be it monetarily or through evangelism.
Which is why "Like" exchanges between Facebook page runners who otherwise don't care about each other at all are monumentally stupid. What good is a bunch of "Likes" if they don't represent real people truly interested in what you have to offer? By participating in quid pro quo "Like" exchanges, all you're doing is muddying your data and diluting the value of your brand. This time, you're not just a social media killer… you're a social media suicide.
Super-Secret Number One Master Class Top Trick Of Social Media Masterminds REVEALED!
Anyone who spends eight hundred words moaning about the problem without presenting a solution is to be questioned. So here it is, the One Right Thing that will make you a master of social networking both on the Internet and in the Real World.
Be Human.
What does that mean?
If you don't know — if you don't really, truly know — then there's no hope for you. Keep doing what you've been doing, and best of luck.
The rest of you — hello, nice to meet you. I look forward to engaging with you and getting to know you. Let's start off the conversation… in the comments!
Matthew Wayne Selznick - Telling stories with words, music, pictures and people.
November 28, 2011
Give A Website This Holiday Season
You know that friend or loved one who's always saying, "I need to get a web site…" but they're not very technically savvy and maybe don't know where to begin? What if you, kind-hearted and generous soul that you are, gave them a website this holiday season, and you got a discount on this WordPress Hosting Package to boot?
A Cyber Monday WordPress Hosting Discount Offer From MWS Media
Today, Monday, November 28, 2011, and today only, order my WordPress Hosting Package for a loved one or a friend (or, let's face it, yourself!) and get a huge discount off the regular price.
Included in the WordPress Hosting Package:
Web Site Hosting For One Year: 10 gigabytes of storage and up to 25 gigabytes of traffic per month. Unlimited email addresses, lots of extras. Need a domain name? Registration for the first year is included!
WordPress Install: The most versatile, easy to use and popular content management system available — pre-installed for total control over your home on the web.
A Suite of Plugins and Helper Applications: The new WordPress site will be ready to hit the ground running with social sharing (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.) built in, anti-spam, malware protection and other security enhancements, best-in-class search engine marketing capabilities, super-charged search function, and website traffic analytics.
Update Monitoring For One Year: WordPress is constantly improving and upgrading to improve features, performance and security, but keeping up with updates can be a little intimidating and time-consuming. I'll handing regular updates so the website owner can focus on developing content and building a brand online.
One On One Introductory WordPress Training: Once we're up and running, I'll schedule up to two hours of basic WordPress training via phone, video, chat or desktop sharing (if applicable).
You can read all the details and conditions of the WordPress Hosting Package here.
What Does It Cost?
If I offered this bundle of services and products individually, it could run you almost $400.00. Sold together, the regular price of the bundle is $249.95.
TODAY (November 28, 2011) ONLY: Get 40% off! Pay just $149.99 for the WordPress Hosting Package.
How To Order The WordPress Hosting Package
Click the "Add To Cart" button below — then go to your shopping cart (see the sidebar) and add the coupon Code CYBERSELZNICK at checkout to get nearly $100.00 off!
WordPress Hosting PackageEverything you need to launch a basic website using WordPress and hosted by MWS Media. Includes two hours of basic WordPress training and a suite of essential add-ons and plugins, plus a year of updates.Price: $249.95This offer is only good until 11:59 PM on Monday, November 28, 2011. Jump on it!
Matthew Wayne Selznick - Telling stories with words, music, pictures and people.
November 23, 2011
Reading The Amazing Spider-Man: Issue Number Eight Part Two
It's time to share Reading The Amazing Spider-Man with all of you! In each installment, I explore how to build a storyworld franchise and execute great serial storytelling by examining one of the most enduring story franchises of the last fifty years: The Amazing Spider-Man, issue by issue, from the beginning until number five hundred.
This time around, we finish up issue number eight with the "surprise extra" story (not much of a surprise if you happened to, you know, read the cover the comicbook), "Spider-Man Tackles the Human Torch!" Since there's only five pages of story in this back-up feature, the splash page isn't the usual "movie poster" variety and things get going straight away. We will, too!
Synopsis
Spider-Man is literally hanging out, somewhat creepily concealed behind a wall, across the street from the suburban home of Doris Evans, the girlfriend of Johnny Storm (otherwise known as the pyromorphic super-hero, the Human Torch.) Spider-Man's intentions are… disturbing:
While I'm in the neighborhood, I'll pay her a visit and show her what she's missing by not dating Spider-Man!
So… how is it that Spider-Man knows where Doris Evans lives? Has he been stalking her..? Isn't he interested in Betty Brant? What the hell..?
Anyway, while Spider-Man is creeping around, Johnny Storm arrives in a fancy sports car. It seems there's going to be a little party. Once all the kids are inside, Spider-Man slinks outside the window like a peeping Tom. He sees Johnny inside, making groovy shapes in the air out of his flame, and Spider-Man can't stand it. His thoughts reveal that he thinks Johnny is "a flaming phony" for showing off.
Don't forget, a few issues ago, the amazing Spider-Man was so moved by an inspirational speech given by the Human Torch he went out of his way to find him and shake his hand in gratitude. What caused the extreme shift away from such a powerful respect?
Jealous and spiteful, Spider-Man makes an aerodynamically fit giant bat out of webbing and tosses it into the house, where the Human Torch is using his "infra-red glowing power" to light up the go-go dancing gals at the party. The kids freak out, but Johnny suspects something — and when he swats the bat with a pillow, it collapses, draping him in sticky webbing.
Enter Spider-Man to take the credit. Everything about him — his tone, his body language — reeks of arrogance. The kids are instantly, vocally against him… and Spider-Man's reaction is to take a bow and invite himself to the party.
Johnny Storm tells him very directly that he's not invited. Spider-Man compares him to Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson, which is apparently what serves as fighting words for Johnny. He flames on, and the two of them take to the skies, eventually settling on a nearby beach to duke it out.
Spider-Man starts off strong by throwing two big web-buckets full of sand into the Human Torch, but it isn't long before he's dangerously outclassed by his fiery rival. Dodging buzz-saws and nets made of flame, Spider-Man thinks:
Whew! I guess I'd better just call it a draw and cut out of here! I didn't expect that human matchstick to get so angry!!
Yeah, um, when you're getting your tights roasted by the other guy and you're thinking of running away… that's not something you can call "a draw."
Before Spider-Man can get to his feet, he looks up and sees… Mister Fantastic! The Invisible Girl! The rocky Thing! Hey hey, the entire Fantastic Four are here! What are they doing on this beach randomly chosen by the Human Torch and the amazing Spider-Man? Who cares? Don't ask silly questions, man!
Mister Fantastic graciously extends a hand to help Spider-Man up… and gets webbed up for his trouble. Paranoid ass that he is (at least in this story!) Spider-Man freaks out, thinking they're all there to laugh at him. He declares that he'll "clobber you all!" and proceeds to try, despite Mister Fantastic's exasperated plea:
No one's laughing at you, you fool! Stop!! Don't force us to get rough!
Right before the Thing lays what would undoubtedly be a crippling haymaker on Spider-Man, the Invisible Girl yanks him out of the way and pins him to the ground. She insists Spider-Man and the Human Torch bury the hatchet, but neither one will have anything to do with that. Spider-Man slinks off, but not before whining that Sue Storm, the Invisible Girl, is the only thing good about the Fantastic Four.
Thoughts On Issue Eight Part Two of The Amazing Spider-Man
Wow. Just… wow.
In the last installment, I called "The Terrible Threat of the Living Brain!" essentially a filler story. But this… this! This is pure filler, and even more poorly done.
The Spider-Man we're presented with here bears very little resemblance to the likable scamp we saw in issue number seven. This guy is a real whiny jerk — much more like the presentation of the character in the first few issues of the comicbook. He's narcissistic, arrogant, full of entitlement issues and prone to angry tantrums when he's offended or doesn't get his way. What happened?
Say it with me, gang: this story is filler… and worse, it's likely filler that had been sitting on the shelf for months, so it's way out of continuity. Let's just pretend it didn't happen. Call it an issue of What If…? "What if Spider-Man Used His Powers To Stalk Women and Pick Fights He Can't Possibly Win..?"
Granted, they probably didn't care so much about such things in 1963, but as creators interested in crafting internally consistent and durable storyworlds for our story franchises, we should take note. Sure, if you're creating any kind of serial narrative, circumstances might demand you throw a little filler / stop-gap content in the mix now and then. Even so, make sure you give that content — stuff that may have been created long ago, or by someone outside of the usual circle of creators — a once-over to make sure it slots neatly into the current story. Or, heck, if you can't do that, frame it with a dream sequence or something so no one takes it seriously or wonders why you don't care about your property any more.
I'm not so big on the current monthly comicbooks these days, but maybe you can tell me: does Marvel or DC get away with such carelessness anymore? Or is everything planned out so far in advance in this era of mega-arcs that there's no room for filler? Let me know in the comments!
The Amazing Spider-Man number eight part two
"Spider-Man Tackles the Human Torch!"
Cover Date: December, 1963
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Steve Ditko
Letters: S. Rosen
Join Me In Reading The Amazing Spider-Man
Click the cover to buy the first twenty issues of The Amazing Spider-Man in an inexpensive trade paperback from Barnes & Noble Booksellers:
Your purchase helps support this series and all my creative endeavors — thanks!
Matthew Wayne Selznick - Telling stories with words, music, pictures and people.
November 22, 2011
New Sovereign Era Short Story E-books From J. C. Hutchins and Nathan Lowell
Continuing the release of the short stories featured in "The Sovereign Era: Year One" anthology as stand-alone e-books, today I'm pleased to make available "Dear Mr. Donner" by J. C. Hutchins and "Mouse Mousey" by Nathan Lowell. Both e-books can be purchased on mattselznick.com in bundled zip file editions featuring Mobi and epub formats, as well as on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com for the various versions of the Kindle and Nook devices.
"Dear Mr. Donner" by J.C. Hutchins
J. C. Hutchins, the groundbreaking podcaster, author, screenwriter and transmedia creator, gives us an epistolary short story featuring a young girl on the edge of womanhood and the precipice of disaster in "Dear Mr. Donner."
The citizens of Pinnacle, Tennessee, called Mary Leigh Hudson "water witch," but they respected her abilities as a dowser… until Declaration Day, when William Karl Donner revealed the existence of metahumans and unknowingly dragged the bigotry of a small town to the surface. Now Mary's alone with her elemental, darkly loyal, and terrible dangerous only friend. Will Mary's letter be received at the Donner Institute for Sovereign Studios before the situation snowballs out of control?
Get "Dear Mr. Donner" for the Nook or Kindle, or buy the epub / Mobi bundle right here… and be sure to visit J. C. Hutchins' own site for more from him!
"Mouse Mousey" by Nathan Lowell
Nathan Lowell began his climb to the top of the indie author ladder with a refreshingly grounded story of merchant marines in space. For "Mouse Mousey," he's got both feet on the Earth of the Sovereign Era, and even though there are some overtones of humor in this tale of domestic tension, the seriousness of the tale is never buried too deep.
On a hot August afternoon, two boorish drunks become convinced they have special powers when the Donner Institute for Sovereign Studies comes to call. But is the most special person in the house the one who always seems beneath notice..?
Grab "Mouse Mousey" for your Nook or Kindle, or you can get the epub / Mobi bundle through this site. To keep up with Nathan Lowell's novels, short stories and audio work, click through to his own home on the web.
More From The Sovereign Era
My Sovereign Era storyworld is ripe for storytelling… and you're invited to possibly contribute to the canon and maybe make a little money to boot! Click to find out more about that and all the other content set in the Sovereign Era.
Coming soon: stand-alone e-book short stories from P. G. Holyfield and J. R. Blackwell!
Matthew Wayne Selznick - Telling stories with words, music, pictures and people.
November 15, 2011
Mur Lafferty Sovereign Era Short Story Now Available
Now available in a stand-alone e-book edition from MWS Media: "You Must Be My Lucky Star," a short story set in my Sovereign Era storyworld from author Mur Lafferty.
"You Must Be My Lucky Star" is one of the short stories featured in the anthology "The Sovereign Era: Year One." Now, it's the first of those stories offered on its own in epub and Mobi formats available for purchase here, as well as in the Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook stores.
If you're a Mur Lafferty completist but don't have / want / need "The Sovereign Era: Year One" anthology, your lucky day has arrived! Purchase "You Must Be My Lucky Star" for just $0.99.
About "You Must Be My Lucky Star"
"You Must Be My Lucky Star" introduces us to two young girls, best friends Alice and Meredith, on Declaration Day — the day individuals with remarkable powers made themselves known and forever changed the course of human destiny.
Alice has always been content to live in Meredith's shadow, but when a crisis threatens her friend, Alice discovers there's more to Meredith's brilliance than she ever dreamed.
More To Come
Other short stories from "The Sovereign Era: Year One" will be released as stand-alone e-books in the weeks to come, including works by J. C. Hutchins, Nathan Lowell, P. G. Holyfield, and J. R. Blackwell. Each tale adds to the mosaic alternative history that is the Sovereign Era storyworld.
Chronicle the Sovereign Era
Are you a creator? Find out how you might contribute to the Sovereign Era storyworld and maybe I'll be announcing the release of your work before long!
Matthew Wayne Selznick - Telling stories with words, music, pictures and people.
November 12, 2011
Did You Know What Happened To The Creator of Cloak and Dagger?
When I was a kid in the seventies and eighties, I loved comics. For a while there, I was buying three dozen books every two weeks. Many of them were Marvel comics, and of those, many of those Marvel comics were written by Bill Mantlo. It's not an exaggeration to say I've read hundreds of comicbooks Bill Mantlo wrote, including forever favorites like The Spectacular Spider-Man, ROM Spaceknight, and, head and shoulders above all else, Micronauts. In fact, Micronauts changed my life by introducing me to concepts like quantum physics and the physiological origins of consciousness.
Today I learned that Bill Mantlo has been physically and cognitively crippled with brain damage since being run over by a hit-and-run driver almost twenty years ago. He can barely talk, or use his hands. His short term memory is nearly non-existent.
In other words, the man whose stories inspired me and challenged me, and in no small way led me to tell my own… is silenced.
It breaks my heart. And it makes me angry. Read the article in LifeHealthPro and learn how CIGNA in particular and the state of health care in the United States in general has made Bill Mantlo's quality of life so much less than it should be.
I will always support every person's right to receive quality health and wellness care for as long as they need it, regardless of their ability to pay. It's one of the few issues I see in black and white. Stories like this are why.
It just breaks my heart. It makes me sick.
Visit Sleeping Giant Creations for ways you can directly help Bill Mantlo with his recovery and improve his quality of life. Please also visit and support The Hero Initiative to help provide for ailing and aging comicbook creators.
Matthew Wayne Selznick - Telling stories with words, music, pictures and people.
November 10, 2011
Will You Buy A Tablet E-Book Reader This Holiday Season?
The holiday season is shaping up to be huge for e-books and e-book readers… especially since two of the most popular e-book readers, the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes and Noble Nook, are available in several models, including versions that are full-fledged media tablets.
If you're thinking about purchasing an e-book reader / tablet either for yourself or as a holiday gift for someone else, please do so through the links on this page — I'll earn a small percentage from each sale, and that will help finance (read: make possible) my own holiday gift-giving. Here are some of your choices in the e-book reader / media tablet arena this year:
The Newest E-Reader Tablets
The Barnes and Noble Nook Tablet
The Amazon Kindle Fire
