X. Ho Yen's Author Newsletter (25 Nov 2024)
Please read my Ten Zombaikus on substack.
Yes, zombie haikus. :)
Ten of them. They go together.
They’re poetic, yet prosaic, yet poetic, but apropos. :)
Share and enjoy, preferably forty-two times.
Greetings Dear Subscribers,
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NOTE: Having finally and happily abandoned “social media”, I’ll be sending newsletters slightly more often. But I’ll try to keep them somewhat entertaining. :) My substack articles and youtube channel replace social media.
* Book news
* When is my “Meet the Author” event? Real soon!
* Reading Report: Stephanie A. Gillis’ “The Humane Society for Creatures and Cryptids”
* Video production notes on Space Autistic Author, Log 3
* Standard stuff — How to Help
=== Book news ===
=== Space Autistic Author’s Puzzling Innerverse ===
This week IngramSpark is waving their fee on sales through their discounted direct sales links (e.g. the ones on my Books page). If anyone wanted to pass the word about this great holiday gift for kids ~10-12+, this week would be a perfect time to do so. For me at least. :)
All seriousness aside [anyone old enough to get that reference?], I channeled my newly sentient, age 10 self when I wrote it, and my confidence in its value is growing.
RECOMMENDATION: Give them this book before cell phones and social media do their damage. It’ll help with that.
Last time I mentioned that I’ve entered it into the 2025 CAL Awards book contest, based on all the positive feedback and reactions. I’ve also entered it into the Colorado Book Awards, run by ColoradoHumanities.org. We’ll see (next year) how that goes. One of the things an author learns is that not winning or not making finalist does not mean your work isn’t good.
See those discounted direct purchase links for all my books on my Books page.
If you’re at all interested in the stuff an indie author has to do to promote a unique book, see my substack entry on that topic.
=== Attendants of the Future ===
Development continues on AotF. The state of the world makes it especially difficult to write near future fiction. Fortunately, AotF is set in 2100, so it’s not that near, and some creative license is available. But mostly I just want take my time and continue to do things the right way. I will sell no book before its time. [Anyone old enough to recognize that paraphrase?]
After SAA Log 3 is completed, AotF will be my main focus again for several months, and that’ll be a relief.
(cover with a digital capture of Emma A.’s post-it note)
=== “Meet the Author” stuff ===
I’m still scheduled (30 Nov, 2-4pm) to be at the Aurora Southlands Mall Barnes & Noble store for my first ever in-store “Meet a Local Author” gig. And I’m hoping the Puzzling Innerverse will be a hit with parents doing gift shopping for their kids. I have book inventory and signage. Here’s hoping I can make myself presentable.
If you’re in the Denver area during those two hours, please do stop by. Don’t leave me standing awkwardly alone in a store as people walk by!
=== Reading Report: Stephanie A. Gillis’ “The Humane Society for Creatures and Cryptids” ===
Once again, despite this being not my usually preferred reading material, I thoroughly enjoyed “The Humane Society for Creatures and Cryptids”. I think I’ve grown. :)
This novel is very well crafted and paced, acknowledges history, and is just plain fun. I was impressed.
And though it’s the first book in what will become the Teraglossa series, it has a well-defined ending.
This book straddles YA and Adult categories. I’m not sure I’d recommend giving it to kids younger than, say, age 11, but 11+ definitely. Don’t think it’s “just for girls”, either, in case the cover or anything else might lead you to think that. It’s just plain good, and stands in contrast to that NYT Bestseller I read last year that I absolutely hated. This book is yet another example of why indie writing should not be dismissed out of hand. Consider it!
=== Video production notes on Space Autistic Author,
Log 3 ===
The draft script and sample voice recording (for inflection/intonation help) have been sent to our voice stars for recording!
Guest stars on this episode will be artist Elisa Wikey, of Tiny Framed Things and other fame, and Levi Jacobs, award-winning author of The Tidecaller Chronicles!
The superficial story hooks are about “X’s Files”. I’ve completed the X-Files-esque opening sequence, and I think you’ll enjoy it for its own sake. As of now I’ve completed animation through Elisa’s sequence.
The two main characters are Muldrake and Leski. POP QUIZ: why these names and not Mulder and Scully? (no, it’s not a copyright issue, you can’t copyright names)
Here’s a 4-pic reminding you of one of the sequences in the X-Files opening, and a similar 4-pic from SAA Log 3’s opening. In addition to graphics from pixabay, I also sampled some commercial-use music from pixabay and tweaked and arranged the samples to make a bare-bones musical backdrop for the opening sequence that’s at least evocative of the X-Files theme music.
Many work days of production lie ahead! After animation come the music and word bubble production.
As always, I continue to seek creatives for easy “no vouching required” cross-promo on “Space Autistic Author”. Participation is easy, and the only other requirement is a permalink on your web site pointing back to your episode of SAA. This kind of cross-promo is how we spiral each other upward. Stephanie A. Gillis is interested in doing a future episode!
=== Standard Stuff === How to Help ===
Why help? Since I subvert pop genre expectations instead of pandering to them, and because of my autism and other isolating factors, it’s extremely difficult and expensive for me to reach out into the world to find my audience. I don’t have a team helping me. Just writing newsletters like this is an exercise in self-esteem suspension of disbelief (swirly thing alert!).
I truly rely on word of mouth and grassroots support. In case anyone assumes this is some kind of gravy train side hustle, I’m still thousands of dollars in debt on this, and every convention adds more red to my ledger. I’m in this for the long haul, but I must keep reaching out and pushing. This is not “write it and they will come”, that’s the erotic fantasy romance section (which sells itself).
How to help: Reading my books, writing reviews (if you liked them :), and passing the word would be great. If not that, then one could post my one-page ads (see below, or on each book’s page on the web site) on appropriate billboards and tell people about my web site, https://XHoYenAuthor.com .
But here’s something very nice that anyone can do to help — request that “Minimum Safe Distance” be carried by your local library!
It’s usually as simple as going to your library system’s web site and searching for “suggest a purchase” or “submit a suggestion”. Usually, there’s a special page for that, and often it’s at the front of your dashboard.
They will want information like this:
Title: Minimum Safe Distance
Author: X. Ho Yen [please get the capitalization and spaces right, one after the period, another after ‘Ho’]
Publication year: 2022
Format: Book/Paperback
# of pages: 396
ISBN: 978-0-9766158-1-1
Publisher: Grand Unification Monastery
Audience: Adult
Language: English
Notes:
Good professional editorial reviews, including Kirkus:
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/x-ho-yen/minimum-safe-distance/
“…Ho Yen’s descriptions of advanced technologies should please fans of hard SF, but what really makes the book work are the questions it raises about what it means to be a person and a member of a species.” Our verdict: Get It
Carried in Arapahoe County Library System:
https://arapahoelibraries.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S115C2180350
and the Colorado State Library Book Club Resource (https://csl.catalog.aspencat.info/Union/Search?view=list&lookfor=minimum+safe+distance&searchIndex=Title&searchSource=local),
and Biblioboard (https://library.biblioboard.com/content/a3f3fc17-626b-428b-b6a2-5b5a9a44a494).
Author web site: https://XHoYenAuthor.com
This process usually takes only a few moments once you find the book suggestion/recommendation page. Thanks! Put a reminder in your calendar right now!
I haven’t been emphasizing “Custodians of the Future” as much as MSD, but only because MSD has more kudos (which is because I spent a lot more money on MSD, which is unsustainable). I’m hoping that interest in MSD will lead to interest in my other stuff.
Space Autistic Author
If you haven’t watched “Space Autistic Author”, Logs 1 and 2, yet, do check them out. They’re only a few minutes long, but they’re fun! Log 2 demonstrates how SAA allows cross-promotion with other creatives without requiring anyone to vouch for anyone else’s work. Pass the word!
While you’re there, check out the other videos on my channel, especially the Galacticon ‘23 video (in 2 parts). That one’s longer, but it shows why my pen name is not cultural appropriation, and gives a fun overview of Mars exploration (since the late 1800s) with details of my participation in it, mostly on the Mars Global Surveyor mission.
https://XHoYenAuthor.com/media
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All purchase options can be found here: https://XHoYenAuthor.com/books. Both sites include links showing how several of the big vendors allow you to gift eBooks.
Thanks for sticking with me! I hope it’s at least mildly entertaining to watch this author second career thing come together.
Please do share my page with fellow realism-based sci fi fans, especially anyone who enjoys Corey’s The Expanse, Older’s Infomocracy, Card’s Speaker for the Dead, Mandel’s Station Eleven, Suarez’ Delta-V, or movies like “Arrival” and “Don’t Look Up”. I'm convinced my books would appeal to the same audience, because I wrote them for me and I'm in that audience.
Thanks for your support!
XHY
https://XHoYenAuthor.com