A long time a-comin'

Did you do it? This is the day of the final tweet of "You Can't Count What Isn't There." Did you follow it? It took six months almost exactly. It is perhaps the worst method of reading a story ever devised. But, in the process, I probably tripled the number of followers I have, mostly from re-tweeting things with the hashtag #ian1. That stands for Independent Authors Network, which I'm not an official member of. Check them out. And stay tuned here for other appearances of stories from "A Time for Poncey," and publication announcements yet to come.

How patient are you?

Hello, it's me again. I'm serializing the first story from my new project, "A Time for Poncey," on Twitter, one tweet at a time. The story is called "You Can't Count What Isn't There," and it is Southern Gothic writing with humor and a spiritual twist. Follow me at http://twitter.com/#!/PonceyStories and search for #Poncey. Thanks, and good reading.

New Media and New Marketing Finis

Well, the “New Media Blitz” is over. It didn’t go particularly the way I’d hoped – I never did get any notice in the old media. Anyway, this project has dominated my attention for about five years, so it’s time to move on to something new. Thanks to everyone who has been a part of this; “The Job” and all my books will continue to be available at the usual websites, and at the discount price of 99¢, so if you’ve been waiting to pull the trigger, now’s the time. I will return to this space eventually (and it will have a somewhat different look), because I’m working on another project as we speak. Thanks again – good reading to all, and to all a good book.

The Craig Davis library of Master Works.


Here's an update as of May 2012: This library has been decimated. Because so many of my books are now part of the Kindle Prime program, they're no longer available at other outlets, so this Smashwords list is limited. The good news is, many books will eventually move back onto the list, but I don't know when.

New Marketing and Old Media I

Well, I've obviously not been around here much lately, and I doubt I will be in the future. I must not be doing this tagging thing right, because this blog does not come up very high on searches that I need it to. "Christian humor" may just be too ubiquitous on the web. Anyway, here's another review, someone who obviously didn't get it. Why do these reviews always end up on Amazon, but the insightful ones don't? One of the big hurdles I've encountered is that online reviewers say they're prepared for Christian fiction, but then don't read with that in mind. There's a real possibility that they can only handle the most obvious of Christian content. Just waiting for that next "Left Behind" story.

So, anyway, it's on to phase two. I determined long ago that blog reviewers have no influence at all, and that to get exposure to a large audience, the traditional media is still necessary. But my strategy was to collect enough minor reviews to throw myself to the traditional media wolves again, and so I have. At the beginning of this gambit, which started last Labor Day, I sent copies cold to a number of magazines and other outlets, and mostly got zero response. Today I sent out a dozen emails to some of these - Christianity Today, CCM Magazine, &c. - with links to the better online reviews. My hope is they'll do a little research and decide I'm legit. If I get anything to show from this, I'll let you know.

Study on Esther

Hi all, I'm back, but for no real reason. Just wanted to note here that I have a written version of a study of Esther that I did available now for e-reader. It will be on Amazon eventually for 99¢, but it's free on Smashwords.

 

Also, I'll record here that I got a terrific and insightful review of "The Job" from Christian Book Notes, one of the more respected online reviewers I've found. It's funny that the more professional the reviewer, the better the review for this book. Please give them a look if you haven't already.

New Media and New Marketing XX

Well, I've not been around here for awhile, and I've got to mention that I'm about to give up. I continue to get good reviews for "The Job," for instance this new one at Simul Iustus et Peccator, but these things don't seem to ever show up on Amazon, Goodreads, B&N, Smashwords, &c. &c. where they could actually do some good. As well, a quick googling of some of my key words to this blog shows that it's not showing up even on the first 10 search pages. So what's the point? (or "pint," as I nearly typed). This blog has three followers, and I'm one of them.

On top of that, I was shut out of the Independent Publisher Awards, the only contest I had a chance to be recognized in. I'd entered in the humor and religious fiction categories, and came away with nothing. Not really surprising, but the winner of silver in religious fiction was "The Sherlock Holmes Church Mysteries." This was an author who stole an iconic secular literary character, long after its creator was dead, and adapted it to her agenda. And she gets an award for it. So I'm pretty close to giving up any kind of marketing. It's not what I should be about, anyway. Success in the marketplace is not the raison d'etre of art and literature, and certainly not of the Church.

The King and the Kingdom

Well, the wedding's over, and presumably everyone survived. I suppose it's to be seen if Harry lives through the after-party.

I've never been much of one for the Royals -- I thoroughly avoided the Charles/Di debacle thirty years ago. It seems to me that the hype this time around was much less, possibly because Pr. William has not bandied about for fifteen years as an eligible bachelor like his father. I also have detected more cynicism about this wedding, which shouldn't be surprising from my seat here in the U.S., and I think it's political in nature.

Since the royal wedding thirty years ago, a lot has happened in the world besides the royal blowup, namely, democracy is rampant. The Eastern Bloc and even (for Pete's sake) the Soviet Union have fallen apart, majority rule came to South Africa, de facto representative governments stuck their heads above water in Afghanistan and Iraq, who-knows-what is trying to overthrow dictators in the Middle East and North Africa, and even China has granted economic freedoms. Monarchies and other authoritarians are becoming more and more of an anachronism.

Which poses a question for Western Christians -- how ready are you to bow to the King? Does it seem odd to think of being under absolute authority? Even decisions in most of our protestant churches are made by committees or direct election, not by elders as scripture directs (and the U.S. is definitely a protestant nation in nature.) The church in the West has no inkling of what it means to fall to your knees before one you call Lord. Something to think about.

Oh yeah. Buy my book.