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Friday, September 29, 2017

Unprofessional Comic Book Creators Are Hurting the Industry


The Customer is always right. Unless they’re talking about the comic book industry.

These days on social media Comic book creators have been going out of their way to disrepect comic fans. When confronted by fans who are critical of their work some creators have been attacking comic fans on twitter and Facebook. Some have threatened fans. Others have supported the doxing, or revealing personal information of fans they disagree with and a few are doing things like stalking and spying on comic fans who make posts they disagree with. 


With the Comic book industry in crisis, you would think that creators in the industry would be making efforts to improve relations between themselves and readers. After August 2017’s abysmal sales, Comics creators really need to start trying to facilitate better customer relations between themselves and their fans. With Word-of-mouth being the primary way books are sold, you’d think comics creators should be trying to build a bridge that allows a new generation of readers to get into comics.

Unfortunately, many comics creators think of social media as a personal platform and not a business one. So they’d rather go on rants about Donald Trump or argue with a fan about their criticism of a comic they wrote or pencilled than use a platform like Twitter or Facebook towards reaching new customers.


What most comics creators don’t understand is that social media is an open platform. And anything negative you can post on those platforms can and will be used against you by your customers.


Those rants about Donald Trump many comics creators like to go on aren’t helping the comic book industry. Nor are the angry responses to fans when they criticize them for their work.  All they’re doing is alienating many longtime fans and giving them a reason not to spend their money on comic books.


Worse, it’s turning away many possible customers who are on the sidelines. Many people want to get into comics. And many more want to get back into the hobby. However watching creators attack people on social media is one of the things turning them away from a hobby that has been hobbled by high prices, and confusing continuities.


Social media when used effectively can be a great tool toward reaching new readers. I built the SJS DIRECT brand using social media like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. I’ve reached thousands of new readers all over the world using those platforms and connected with readers all over the world. When I’m online I spend most of my time trying to reach new readers by posting links to older books in my catalog like Isis: Samurai Goddess, promoting new books like The Legendary Mad Matilda in commercials, audiobook samples, and making videos to talk to the audience so they can get to know me and the publications I have available at online booksellers.


Social media is about being connecting with people. Letting them get to know you. Getting to know the mission of your company. Giving them a reason to buy your product and a reason to care about it. Forming that relationship with the reader can allow a company to gain the trust of readers and have them anticipating the next book. As I see it, I’m not just selling a book. I’m selling myself. And my books are a reflection of who I am.


Unfortunately, too many comics creators aren’t thinking of using social media to sell their books. Because not that many know how to sell themselves.


Many comics publishers really needs to get a handle on the customer service issues their creators are creating with readers on social media.  There needs to be the implementation of some sort of business policy regarding social media. Because when comics creators are cursing out fans and going on rants about Donald Trump it’s not a good look for the company. When creators participate in that kind of unprofessional behavior doesn’t reflect well on a company, it’s characters or its products.

Yes, people have the right to free speech and freedom of expression. But when they represent a company they have to understand they represent that company they have to behave in a way that positively reflects the image of that company.

Part of building a relationship with a business is having a positive social media presence. And many comic creators need to cultivate the interpersonal skills that will allow them to give readers a positive image of them and their work. Because if you can’t sell yourself on social media, it becomes next to impossible to sell your comics at the shop.




 

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Straight Black Men are the White People of Black people-BULLSHIT!




According to an article on TheRoot.com Straight Black men like myself are the White people of Black people.


I guess I didn’t get the memo. And most of the other brothers I know didn’t get it either.


This article on TheRoot.com is nothing more than propaganda made up by White liberals, Black feminists and their Beta black male stooges.


There are lies and then there are DAMN LIES. And this is a DAMN LIE.


What most Black folks need to understand is that most mainstream Black media these days is owned by White owners. TheRoot.com is owned by Comcast, one of the big six media. And Big six media wants to push a narrative to degrade the image of Black men in American society. It’s no different than Alice Walker’s The Color Purple or Sapphire’s PUSH. Most of the buckdancing coons on there will write whatever their slave masters tell them and push it as the truth.


When you read a piece propaganda like this you have to ask yourself some critical questions:


If Straight Black men are the new White people in society then why are over 80% of Black men like myself unemployed?


If Straight Black men are the new White people then why are so many Black men in prison?


If Straight Black men are the new White people then why are so many Black men victims of Black-on-Black Crime?


If Straight Black men are the new White People why are so many Black men being shot and killed by police these days?


And if Black men are the new White people why can’t Black men get justice in the American Criminal Justice System Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile haven’t seen their killers get any prison time. And most brothers who go through the criminal justice system can’t get a fair trial.  


Yet according to this article Straight Black men are the new White people.


GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE WITH THAT BULLSHIT.


I first noticed the war on Heterosexual Black men when I entered the CUNY Hiring pool in 2007. When I went to that Civil Service interview I noticed that most of the White Supremacist HR people there preferred females of color and gay men over Heterosexual Black men. If you are a Heterosexual Black man you are considered a threat to the world.


Why? Because Heterosexual Black men represents Real Manhood to White Supremacy and its supporters. And Heterosexual Black men are the leadership and power in a community. They are going to become the fathers who will teach their sons the life skills to survive in the world and compete in the world. This is why they are a direct threat to White Supremacy. 


 It’s straight Black men who will be the protectors of a community and the providers in a community. It is Straight Black men who establish the structure for the Black community, the standards for how that community operates, and build the economy in the Black community that creates a real Black middle class.


This is why White Supremacy wants heterosexual Black men eliminated from society. And why White Supremacy will never let a heterosexual Black man have any of the economic or political privileges a White male enjoys living in America.  Because Heterosexual Black men are COMPETITION not only to White men, but to men all over the world.


There is nothing scarier to White Supremacy than an educated intelligent self-aware heterosexual Black man. What makes him terrifying to White Supremacists is that he understands the game and can see through all the bullshit and nonsense White Supremacists, White Feminists, Black feminists, Liberals, thugs, homosexuals and other minority groups will run on the rest of the world.  If there are large numbers of Heterosexual Black men in the Black community they represent a driving force that can completely undermine White Supremacy by leading their community and preparing the next generation on how to set a course to deal with the racism they participate in by creating a strong culture and economy for their Black children to enrich themselves with.

Heterosexual Black men are NOT the new White People. There is a WAR being waged on Heterosexual Black men and Black men need to understand that they are an enemy of the state and that they are on their own in this country called AmeriKKKA.


Monday, September 25, 2017

Black Imagination and the Covert Contract For White Approval




Over the last few years I’ve been on social media talking about Black comics, Black fantasy and Black Science fiction I’ve noticed that there’s been some sort of covert contract among some Black folks regarding the comics, science fiction and fantasy they read. What I find is that many are into Black comics, science fiction and fantasy not because they like the hobby, but because they want the attention and approval of White people.


That’s a contract no one should enter into.


Most people regardless of race are usually into comic books, sci-fi and fantasy so they can imagine a place with someone like himself or herself in it as the hero. It’s supposed to be a place where people feel empowered to be who and what they want to be. So why bring White Supremacy into your fantasies?


That’s giving your power away.


White people could care less about what a Black person reads. What you read is about what you like, not about getting brownie points and the approval of others. If you’re into comics, Sci-fi or fantasy to get points with imaginary White folks you’re gonna be disappointed.


Because real White people don’t care about what you like. And using your interest in those hobbies as an attachment won’t make you many friends.


Imagination is a limitless thing. It can be anything a person wants it to be. But what I see when it comes to many Black folks is they live in an imaginary world where they see themselves limited by the power they believe White people have over them.


That shows me how deeply ingrained institutional racism is in the mind of the Negro. When Black people will fight to defend the worlds of Black characters created by White than support the work of another Black creator it shows me how much power White Supremacy has over the mind of Black folks.


Black people shouldn’t live to exist in a White person’s world. We shouldn’t be the ancillary character in our own lives. If imagination is limitless, then we should imagine ourselves in our own worlds of our own creation and share our interests with like-minded people because we love the hobby.


Comic books, fantasy and science fiction are supposed empower people. They’re supposed to allow people to imagine themselves in a world where we approve of ourselves and see ourselves in roles we want to be in. It’s about us seeing the value in ourselves and seeing a past and a future where we control our destiny.


When I write fantasy like the Isis series, The E’steem series and The Temptation of John Haynes featuring Black heroes and Black heroines it’s because I want to see someone like myself as a lead character in a fantasy story. It’s because I want to tell a story and show that Black people can live in a world of our own creation, a place where Black people can take the lead, live life on their own terms, without seeking the validation and approval of some imaginary White Man. The way I see it, if I can imagine a world where Black people can live life on their terms, I’d like to think we could make that fantasy a reality.



No Black person should be using comics, sci-fi or fantasy to entering themselves into a covert contract to get brownie points with imaginary White people. That’s letting someone else dictate the terms of life to you. If comics, fantasy and sci-fi are about imagining yourself in a world without limits, it’s ridiculous for Black people to impose limits on themselves.


Wednesday, September 20, 2017

It’s the Great Black Panther Movie, Charlie Brown!



I find it quite troubling that so many Black folks are Spellbound by Marvel Studios Black Panther movie. Like Linus and the Great Pumpkin, they believe that Marvel Studios’ Black Panther movie is going to be such a revolution in filmmaking that it’s going to lead to a bunch of other Black Superhero movies being made.


I’m sorry that’s just not gonna happen. All one has to do is take an objective look at White Hollywood and most Black Cinematic Milestones to see where things are going to go regarding this film.  


In 1997, Blade starring Wesley Snipes revived the Superhero movie genre. Blade paved the way for studios to produce films like Bryan Singer’s X-Men, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.


Did Blade’s blockbuster performance at the box office lead to a flood of Black superhero movies at the box office? NO. But they made several billion dollars at the expense of Wesley Snipes’ efforts.


In 2001 Denzel Washington and Halle Berry won Oscars for Best Actor and Best Actress for Training Day and Monster’s Ball. Halle Berry said in her speech that her Oscar win would open doors for Black actresses.


Fast forward to 2017 and Halle Berry is now saying her Oscar has absolutely no value.


How many doors were opened for Halle? NONE. How many were opened for Black Actresses? NONE. After Berry starred in 2004’s box office flop Catwoman, she faded into obscurity.


And how many were opened for Denzel? NONE. Even though Denzel Washington is a $20 million a picture actor he can’t get a Black fantasy film greenlit or financed just on his name.


So if anyone takes an objective look at the History of Hollywood they’d understand that a Black Panther Movie isn’t going to do anything for Black people. Except give them another place to spend their Black dollars with White folks.


When it comes to White Hollywood Black folks like Charlie Brown keep falling for Lucy’s football hustle. They keep running to kick that football instead of realizing that the liberals in White Hollywood are just jerking them around.


Worse, they just keep jerking themselves around. Just because White Hollywood makes a movie with a Black superhero character they own in it doesn’t mean that Hollywood would be interested in making films featuring other Black characters in lead roles. That’s a covert contract that many Blacks are trying to make with White Hollywood as they hope, wish and pray not for more Black superhero movies, but for White attention and approval. Because that’s what most Black folks actually want, attention from Whites, not actual Black superhero or fantasy movies.


Black folks have been making their own superhero movies, fantasy, and science fiction media for YEARS. But many are just too afraid to go out and support their own. No, they’re too busy waiting for a White person to say it’s okay before they go out and start supporting Black comics, Black fantasy, and Black science fiction. It’s sad that so many Black folks believe they need the imaginary White Man’s seal of approval before they can think about using their imaginations. If that ain’t a slave I don’t know what is.


Just because Hollywood makes a Black Panther movie doesn’t mean that White folks love us. It just means they love Black dollars. Don’t get it twisted. This is all business for Marvel Studios.


How many Marvel Studios movies did they make before they made Black Panther? At least a dozen. That should show ever Black person out there how much of a priority Black folks were for Kevin Fiege and Marvel Studios.


Twenty years after Wesley Snipes single handedly revived the superhero genre after Warner Brothers Batman & Robin killed it, Black folks still don’t see the crumbs thrown at them by White liberal Hollywood.


Damn. Just Damn.


What’s really sad about many of these more delusional Negro nerds out here is the idea they have that the Black Panther movie will lead to some sort of rise in popularity for Black comic books, Black science fiction and Black fantasy in the mainstream media.


Seriously, why should it take a movie featuring a Black superhero made by White people for Black folks to go out and support Black comic books, Black fantasy and Black science fiction by Black creators? Why does it take White mainstream media paying attention to Black fantasy, Black science fiction and Black comics for Black people to see a value in the media we make for ourselves?


Shows me how backwards many in the Black community think.


It shouldn’t take a Black Panther movie being made for Black folks to go out and buy Black comics by Black creators or Black science fiction and Black fantasy books. We should have been doing that BEFORE a Black Panther Movie was a gleam in Kevin Fiege’s eye.


Yeah, it’s nice that a Black Panther movie is being made by Marvel Studios. But don’t treat it like it’s the second coming of The Cosby Show. The Black Panther is a creation of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and is the vision of what Africa is through the lens of two White men. It’s not a story told by Black people for Black people like Robert Townsend’s Hollywood Shuffle, Keenan Ivory Wayans I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing or Malcolm X.


For me Marvel Studios releasing a Black Panther Movie is not an event it’s not an accomplishment. It’s just business as usual for White folks, them telling us who we are and not us telling the world what we’re about. Even though there’s a Black director attached it’s still a White man’s vision of Black people at the end of the day.


The way I see it I can think of a dozen more things more important than getting excited for 2018’s Black Panther movie. No, for me what gets me excited is seeing the work of a fellow Black creator come to the marketplace. I’d rather spend money helping them build their business and their audience. That’s what’s really going to open doors for brothers and sistas in the community. That’s what’s going to take Black people to the next level.



Black folks stop hoping, wishing, and praying for the Black Panther to rise out of the movie theater and give you opportunities for Black Superhero, sci-fi and fantasy films, books and TV shows. Go out and make your own and build your own audience with your own people. Fuck Hollywood.

Monday, September 18, 2017

A World Without Marvel Or DC Comics


A world without Marvel or DC Comics. It’s something many of us can’t imagine. But it’s something that might possibly become a reality sooner rather than later.


In August the comic book industry posted the worst sales numbers in the history of the medium. Many books like X-men and Spider-Man which posted 500,000 sales in the late 1980s are now barely selling 50,000 units. Many iconic characters like Superman who sold five to six million comics in the 1950s are barely selling 40,000 comics.


Worse, comic shops aren’t ordering comics. Due to the poor sales of shoehorned SJW “diversity” characters and events like Secret Empire at Marvel, and the seven-year long debacle at DC’s rebooted New52, Convergence, and Rebirth, many comic shop owners aren’t ordering as many titles as they used to. And due to the fact that comics are non-returnable, comic shop owners are stuck with so many unsold back issues that some shops are being forced to close.


Are these the last days of Comic books at the Big Two? It’s looking like it.


While there are many comic fans out there, they don’t see a reason to buy comic books. Thanks to two decades of mismanagement at Marvel and DC’s editorial departments, both Marvel and DC have struggled to pull a profit since the 1990s collapse. After two decades of trying to bring readers back to the medium with numerous failed campaigns like revamps and reboots there comes a point where a business like Marvel and DC just can’t afford to keep producing a product that customers aren’t buying.


The parent companies of DC and Marvel, Warner Brothers and Disney may make billions of dollars off licensing and merchandising the catalog of popular superhero characters. However, the median age for a comic book reader is 40 years old. At that median age, corporations discontinue products. Why? Because there’s no place for the customer to go but the grave.


And looking at the sales of print comics in August 2017, the audience for print comics has one foot on a banana peel and the other in a casket. With the comic book industry unable to find a way to sell comics to younger readers, it’s looking more and more like we’re going to be living in a world without Marvel Comics or DC Comics sooner rather than later.


It’s hard to imagine a world without the superheroes generations grew up with. But we’re getting there.


I grew up with Marvel and DC comic books. They were how I learned to read when I was 4. And they got me through a lot of hard times in Junior High, High School, and College. I used to look forward to buying them on Fridays in High school from a newsstand in Times Square and Wednesdays on Fordham Road in The Bronx when I was in college. It saddens me to think of a world without Marvel and DC comic books. They were the place so many kids like myself who felt out of place with the rest of the world could find someone we could look up to. And someplace where we felt like we belonged.


Yeah, it was an imaginary place. But that escape from the harsh reality of broken homes, poverty, crime, and drugs helped many kids like myself get through a rough day and gave them friends who could help them get through the hard times. For some, they gave them something to aspire to when they grew up.



Yeah, there are a bunch of superhero movies out there today. But what happens when the Superhero movie craze is over? As publishers, Marvel and DC aren’t in a place to sustain comics anymore. Nor are any of the indies. The generation after this could be the first in a century to grow up without comic books. And their world will be a sadder place without them.

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Monday, September 11, 2017

How to Deal With Social Justice Warriors or SJWs




A Social Justice Warrior or SJW is one of the biggest cancers to ever grace American Society. The multicolored haired grandson and granddaughter of Liberals and hippies, these spoiled rotten children manipulate adults into believing they’re out to fight for various social and political causes. When in actuality they’re just out to hustle people for make work jobs, money, and free stuff. If a man isn’t on his guard, he can easily be taken advantage of by these social predators.


How do you deal with an SJW? Here are some basic tips:

Remain calm when an SJW goes into their Rhetoric. SJWs don’t talk to people, they talk at them. And instead of using facts and figures to present logical arguments they use rhetoric to play to people’s emotions. The hope is once a person is emotional enough they’ll either cave in and agree with them to stop them from shouting at them or they’ll continue arguing with them and they can make themselves out to be a victim of their abuse.

When dealing with an SJW remain calm. The reason why an SJW uses rhetoric is to catch people off guard and make them vulnerable. Once they’re vulnerable, they attack them with verbal abuse until they cave in. If you’re calm, you can listen to their illogical arguments and start applying a logical approach to dealing with shutting them down. 

Remain Silent when an SJW goes into their Rhetoric. With an SJW anything you say can and will be used against you. It’s hard, but once an SJW goes into their rhetoric, the best thing for a man to do is just remain silent. Let them keep talking. And eventually they’ll say something that puts their foot in their mouth.

Because an SJW is emotional they don’t think when they speak. And usually when they’re ranting they make numerous contradictions to their own arguments, and tell on themselves. In most cases if a guy is silent, the whole world will see the SJW as the bully they actually are, and not the advocate for the victim they present themselves as.


Understand that an SJW is FULL OF SHIT. Most SJWs talk about how they’re all about fighting for some social cause or some political cause. However, all you have to do is take a long hard look at this multi-colored haired brat holding an expensive Starbucks latte and an iPhone to understand how FULL OF SHIT they actually are. They talk all about helping poor underprivileged people and making things “equal” for them, but are living very comfortably as they benefit from exploiting causes to get things they didn’t earn.

Like the Pro-Black AFROSIMPTRICK or the White Feminist, there’s more shit coming out of an SJWs mouths than out of their asses. But all an SJW can do is TALK. When it’s time to take REAL action, you’ll never see an SJW around to take it. Because that’s work. And SJWS hate having to do actual work.


DO NOT GIVE YOUR PERSONAL POWER AWAY TO AN SJW.  The reason why SJWs Shout at people is to make them submit to them. The whole goal of an SJWs’ bully tactics is to make people submit to doing things on their terms.


The natural response for most men, when confronted by SJWs is to defend themselves and their position. However, that’s giving an SJW power. And SJWs use that power to control situations and people.


While you can’t control the SJW, you are in control of yourself and your actions. Understand it takes two people to argue and one to walk away. Walking away from an SJW allows you to keep your personal power. No matter how much shaming language they use when you walk away understand that you are in control of you, and the only way they have power in the situation is if you continue to listen to them.


Deal with an SJW on YOUR terms, not theirs. One of the big mistakes men make dealing with Social Justice Warriors is doing things their way. What most people don’t know is that Social Justice Warriors are extremely manipulative. And when they get their way they have a nasty habit of moving the goal posts and changing the terms of the agreement. So instead of you giving them what they want, they keep using their victim status to get more and more stuff out of you.


When a man deals with someone on their terms they are not compromising for anyone. In the face of an uncompromising person the SJW will usually leave in most cases. Yeah, they’ll talk a lot of shit about you when they leave, but don’t worry about what they say. What you do is the most important thing. If you maintain your resolve, the SJW will understand that you are a person whose boundaries they can’t break with their rhetoric and shaming language.


Establish HARD BOUNDARIES. SJWs will do whatever they can to grab power in a situation. One of the biggest mistakes people make with SJWs is trying to accommodate them when they whine about whatever injustice they say they’re fighting against. Unfortunately when you give an SJW an inch, they take miles. Over time they’ll be running your life and telling you what to do and how to live.


Establish a hard boundary with them from day one and let them know that you will not deal with them no matter how loud they shout or how long they protest. Since SJWs hate things like rules, structure and boundaries, they’ll usually leave and never come back.


Understand SJWs LIE. SJWs LIE. And they LIE all the time. For an SJW lying is a way of life. SJWs often twist information to manipulate people into doing things they want. When they combine their lies with their loud argumentative approaches, they can easily make a weak-willed person cave into doing things on their terms.


A man has to understand NOTHING coming out of an SJWs mouth is the truth. Everything they say has been twisted and distorted. And in most cases it’s been twisted to make them out to be the victim of someone. Whether it be the “Patriarchy”, they “Evil White man” or “The System” An SJWs enemy is always some Phantom Menace. And you become one of those Phantom menaces just for simply disagreeing with them.


Understand SJWs Double Down. Not only do SJWs Lie about everything, they double down on their positions. The hope is that if they double down on their position that the individual will eventually cave and do things their way.  Combined with their argumentative loud talking points and shaming language, most weaker willed people, especially Beta Males will just cave in.

The only way to deal with this kind of liar is to maintain your resolve. Understand no matter loud they shout, no matter what shaming language they use or threats they make in their protests, they do not have what they want. And the only way they can get what they want is for you to give it to them. Give them nothing and eventually they will go away.


DO NOT NEGOTIATE WITH AN SJW. Another big mistake men make dealing with SJWs is negotiating with them. When a man negotiates with an SJW he gives them leverage. And the SJW will use their leverage to control the situation.


Because SJWs are notorious LIARS, a man must NEVER negotiate with an SJW. Again, an SJW will just use their leverage to make themselves out to be a victim and use their victim position to move the goal posts to negotiate a deal where they get more stuff out of the person they’re targeting.


Do NOT argue with an SJW. One of the big mistake men make is trying to argue with an SJW. SJWs are emotional and will not listen to logic. Masters of Oral Combat, they use ad-hominem attacks and shaming language to control conversations and manipulate people. Many believe they can shout people down and make them submit to them just based on being loud, not having a better talking points.


Most shouting matches with SJWs turn into a circular argument. And in a circular argument things go around and around with no end. A man can NEVER win a circular argument because circular arguments aren’t based on logic. They’re based on emotion. And the goal of a circular argument is to use rhetoric to wear someone down until they get tired enough to walk away from the debate. And when you walk away, they launch into their shaming language and try to make themselves into a victim.


The best way to shut down an SJW is by taking action. When they start getting emotional and looking to argue, walk away. It takes two people to have an argument but if you leave, you’ll have your personal power and your intangibles of manhood intact. And that’s all that matters.


Understand that SJWs eat each other. SJWs aren’t loyal to anyone. While they’ll all come together to pretend to fight for a cause they’re actually all out for themselves and what they can get at someone else’s expense. If an individual SJW can negotiate a private deal with a target, they’ll abandon their cause and turn on their own Showing the world what hypocrites these people are.


Shutting down SJWs isn’t an easy thing. But it can be done. Once a man cuts through all the bullshit rhetoric an SJW shouts at him, he’ll just understand he’s dealing with a spoiled brat who talks about changing the world but what they really want is the status quo. Because without the status quo of the so-called Patriarchy being in charge they wouldn’t be able to continue to enjoy many of the privileges they enjoy in life like those iPhones they like to carry or those expensive Starbucks lattes they like to sip on after a hard afternoon of protesting for people they’ve never met or given half a shit about. 

Friday, September 8, 2017

Summer Progress Report




Working during the summer reading season was a struggle this year. Due to my long-term unemployment and shortage of funds I couldn’t afford to pay for any new covers for many the 2017 books I planned to publish. And most of the 2017 catalog wound up delayed. With no new titles to launch for the summer reading season I had to change the way I marketed books.  And by the Grace of God I actually managed to make some progress.


Isis: Samurai Goddess performed fairly well throughout the summer. After getting a four-star review from a reader on Smashwords, readers continued to pick up the action packed Martial arts Isis series adventure. I even pulled a paperback sale of the book!














E’steem Little Girl Lost was a surprise hit on Smashwords, performing far better than Isis: Samurai Goddess! Even with a generic cover, the tale where the Devilish Diva she helps a lost little girl find her way home went over HUGE with readers. Whenever I posted links the book on numerous Facebook groups people shared those links with other people, and the book got a strong word of mouth online.


I have to wonder: Was Little Girl Lost popular because it featured E’steem helping a child? Or was it the return to wardrobe malfunctions and jiggle humor? The villain Brimstone Jack? Or was it the Demon Strippers?


 The success of E’steem Little Girl Lost showed me that a basic comic book story where heroes take on bad guys still can find an audience with casual readers. I wish Marvel and DC would make this kind of story, because I believe it’s the kind of story that would bring readers back to comics.


My campaign to promote older titles was a complete bust. Most people weren’t interested in trying older titles I offered for free on Smashwords in spite of a heavy promotional campaign featuring videos on YouTube and a big push on social media like Twitter and Facebook. To cut the losses, I cut the campaign short in July and moved on.


However, to my surprise there was a run on Spinsterella in July. When I made the book a part of Smashwords July campaign the eBook got a LOT of downloads. And this was BEFORE I uploaded the new cover by rundoteexe.

 Spinsterella and Spellbound continue to sell well on other platforms like Kindle. And over the spring and summer, people have been asking me when the final book in the Spinsterella Trilogy, The Legendary Mad Matilda would be coming out. With people asking about the book, I’ve been working hard throughout the summer to get the book ready for print so readers could get the final part of the Spinsterella Trilogy this year.


Over the Summer I did a couple of articles for Oshay Duke Jacksons’ Negromanosphere.com. One was on Black Barbershops, another was about how Single mothers teach their sons a feminine work ethic. I had a couple more planned but he didn’t need anymore right now. So I’m holding onto those until he’s ready for em.


With the money I received from writing the articles for Negromanosphere.com and a donation I got from a YouTube viewer, I hired Mike Williams, artist of the Deak Sledge Webcomic to design the cover for The Legendary Mad Matilda. Mike did an AMAZING job on the Legendary Mad Matilda cover; with a single image he tells a very compelling story that’s definitely going to get readers’ attention when the book is released this Halloween. After seeing his work on The Legendary Mad Matilda Cover, I definitely want Mike to do the cover for Isis: Imitation of Life. His style definitely fits the time and tone of that story!


Thanks to God, Oshay Jackson and Mike Williams, The Legendary Mad Matilda got put back on the publishing schedule. And working with them this summer I got to participate in Black Group Economics. I took Black dollars I got from working on a Black Website and paid a Black artist to design the cover for my book. So Black dollars got flipped in the Black community three times. That’s something I’m proud of doing, working with Black men on something positive and keeping Black dollars in the Black community.


On the nonfiction side The Simp Trilogy eBooks also got a surge of sales on e-readers. Men continue to pick up all the Simp books on the regular, and the books continue to get an audience in the U.S. and abroad.


My YouTube Channel has grown quite a bit over the past few months. Right now I’m getting closer to 4,000 subscribers. As I’ve built my audience on YouTube, I’ve been told that people online have been talking about me on numerous other forums. And some say that I should have way more subscribers on my YouTube Channel than I have right now. While I haven’t ever been concerned about popularity, if people want to make my subscription numbers go up, subscribe my YouTube Channel so we can get to the 10,000 mark many say I should have or the 100,000 mark that’d get me a silver play button.


Still Struggling. But I managed to make a little progress. I’m still working towards getting the other four books Isis: Imitation of Life, Isis: House of Isis, E’steem Ascension, and Isis: Escape From Transylvania back on the publishing schedule. If I get another job or enough money in donations to PayPal and Patreon to pay for covers, more books will go back up on the schedule. I’m hoping to get more books up sooner rather than later!