Platforming

I suppose platforming could be seen as a variety of performing: creating a "platform" for your writing career and using it to reach out to an audience.

I mention this because Chuck Wending wrote a very good piece on his blog on the subject of whether or not it's worth it for a writer to have a "platform". His prognosis is it's nice, but it doesn't really make much difference, if any. I'd already come to that conclusion since I knew of a good number of writers, old and new, who were very successful despite, essentially, never blogging, face-booking or tweeting. On the other hand, someone like Nick Mamatas does quite a good job at promoting himself simply because he remains his typical acerbic yet entertaining self throughout. According to him, anyway, it gets results.

I only ever started this blog as a way to embarrass myself into getting a book finished. I figured if I started a blog about writing what came to be my first published novel and didn't finish that novel, I'd look like an idiot. So, essentially, writing the blog was a way of keeping me in line. This was long, long before anyone every talked about online activity as some kind of "platform".

Even so, I'm game for new tactics. I've redesigned the website and now I'm going to set up a mailing list through MailChimp. There: now I've said it, I'll look like an idiot if I don't do it. See how it works? God knows everyone else appears to have one, so I might as well get with the program.

But you need an enticement, apparently, something to make people willing to sign up. To that end, I'll most likely make Scienceville, the eight-thousand word story that appeared in Interzone last year, into a freebie giveaway. The intention is to get that all set up within the next month (he said) and in plenty of time for the release of Survival Game in August. More details soon.

New story in Shoreline of Infinity

I'm back! Well, I was never away, just indulging in my favourite pastime of not getting around to the blog.

As you'll see, the whole place has been reorganised a little and - hopefully - is both more logical and a tiny bit smarter-looking. Like that box with Survival Game inside it over there on the far right. That's my new book! Go click on the link and pre-order it, why won't you? Me? Don't worry about me. I'll be right here and waiting. Only a couple of months to go before it's in your sticky, sticky hands!

Glad to say I've sold another short story, called Senseless, to a newish UK science fiction (print and ebook) magazine called Shoreline of Infinity. Even better, it's a Scottish science fiction magazine, based out of Edinburgh. Senseless will be in their fourth issue, coming out in June. Go check out the link and buy a copy.

This last year has definitely been a relatively productive year for me, in terms of short fiction. Two other stories are doing the rounds of different markets, and a few more are lurking in the back of my head waiting to be written.