Authorly Thoughts

-

💭

A few days ago, I decided to go a while without electronics. I'm still not entirely back yet, but I thought this would be a good time to let readers know what's been running around in my mind as I get some clarity and realign myself with my personal goals and wishes.

In short, I'm going to be doing a major overhaul of my website, blog, and social media presence. Here are some important decisions I've made:

  1. I'm shutting down my newsletter on May 1, 2021. You might notice that I've been completely removing all links to my newsletter in my blog posts and my website. I am no longer collecting newsletter subscribers. Moving forward, I don't think I will be using a newsletter. Any "subscriber-exclusives" will simply be shared right on my blog and/or website for all readers to enjoy.

    (This also means that the 50% discount is no longer available for my Spring Sale, as that was a subscriber-exclusive discount. Those who were subscribed to my newsletter prior to the decision to delete it have already received their discount code in their inboxes, and are more than welcome to use it! If you are subscribed and didn't receive it, please check your Spam/Junk.)

  2. I'm stepping back from social media in general. Social media doesn't reward those who spend too much time away from it, but that can't be helped. The draining work is simply not worth the reward, and I'm much happier blogging. Moving forward, my presence on social media will be pretty inconsistent and sporadic, but any major news and updates will probably be shared there.

  3. My short stories have been taken down from my website. Fear not, however, because they will be back. I've simply decided to edit and polish them before re-releasing them.

  4. My WIPs have also been removed from my website, except for my currently active novel in progress, which is The Pirates of Sissa. The other WIPs will be re-uploaded onto my website when I'm focusing on them primarily, though I may still blog about them occasionally before then.

That's all for now, though I'm sure many things will continue to change as I spend more time away from my electronics and the constant, overwhelming noise of social media and the Internet at large. I would like to try out this configuration and see how things pan out, and whether or not these decisions will stick.

What I can say for certain is that time away has truly made a significant positive impact on my health, and all of these decisions - the ones to do with my social media and newsletter in particular - are a direct and conscious result of that.

Comments

Post a Comment

Thoughts?

Popular posts from this blog

Scareuary 2024 - A January 2024 Horror Writing Challenge

-
Image
COMING SOON - Scareuary 2024 Writing Challenge January's coming up in just a handful of weeks, and I have a small writing event that I've wanted to run during the month of January for a couple of years now that I've never been able to find the time to kickstart. In fact, you might remember it from the inaugural issue of Scrittorio . Well, this time, it's happening. So, buckle up, my writer friends, because Scareuary 2024 is coming soon, and it's going to be a lot of fun! What is Scareuary? For the month of January , I'm hosting a writing event which provides writers with the opportunity to get their spooky writing skills up front and center.  For seasoned writers who want a challenge, this event - and especially the Coppe's Webbe challenge - will get them thinking outside the box with unusual prompts. For new writers who want to dip their toes in the world of writing horror fiction, Scareuary offers a range of different approaches with a month-long focus t...
Read more

The Fall of the Black Masks

-
Image
The Fall of the Black Masks is the first installment in my high fantasy series, The Qarran Tales . It's a story packed with action, intrigue, betrayal, friendship, secrets, family, and more. The story follows three main characters - Qays, Mila, and Ragnar - as they try to survive in an empire being terrorized by a criminal organization called the Black Masks, a deadly epidemic, and their own pasts. Ragnar has been on the run for almost two decades. When he finds himself on Death’s door, it is Qays and Mila who save him and treat his wounds. But Ragnar knows that those hunting him will stop at nothing to bring his severed head back to Vakkar and claim their prize, and the longer he stays with his gracious hosts, the more danger he fears they will be in. Qays , one of the most accomplished physicians in the empire, discovers an epidemic when his patients begin to show symptoms of an unfamiliar and deadly disease. Soon, he finds himself in a race against time to find a way of...
Read more

Scrittorio Magazine, Ramadan 1445 Issue

-
Image
Scrittorio Magazine , Ramadan 1445 Special Issue for Muslim Fiction Writers Salaam! Are you a Muslim fiction writer? Scroll down to learn how you can help me with this upcoming issue! As a Muslim fiction writer, I've wanted to put together some kind of Ramadan-themed writing pack for a long time now. This year, I finally decided to take the leap and do it - and I decided to do it through Scrittorio Magazine , my always-free digital magazine for fiction writers everywhere.  (If you haven't checked out the 2023 issue, please do , and subscribe ! Since I can't currently track how many people have downloaded Scrittorio issues - I'm working on it! - your subscription means everything .) So, here I am, officially announcing the Ramadan 1445 special issue for Scrittorio Magazine ! It will be released sometime between March 15th - March 20th, 2024, by which time Ramadan will have already begun. The final date of release will be confirmed soon.   What's in the Ramadan 1445 ...
Read more