Tuesday, July 4, 2017
SMASHWORDS SUMMER WINTER SALE
Saturday, July 2, 2016
Free Books, Trips To The Parlour, And More Ego Tipping
Free Books, Trips To The Parlour, And More Ego Tipping
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Sick But Moving Forward

Sick But Moving Forward
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Tin Universe Monthly #3
Tin Universe Monthly #3
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Reformatted Tin Universe Monthly #1
Tin Universe Monthly #1
Reformatted Tin Universe Monthly #1
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Working
Working
Friday, January 8, 2016
Reformatted Tin Universe Middle Grade Series #2
Reformatted Tin Universe Middle Grade Series #2
Friday, October 16, 2015
Tin Universe Middle Grade Series #3
Tin Universe Middle Grade Series #3
Friday, April 10, 2015
Tin Universe Monthly #6 Hits 505 Total Downloads On Smashwords
I've learned to stop checking my stats too much at Smashwords and the other places people can get my stories; so I was surprised yesterday while I was out with Mar Geocaching and buying stuff to make deviled egss for Daredevil watching when I saw Tin Universe Monthly #6 had hit the 505 Download mark on Smashwords.
I thought that was cool.
Now for some binge watching.
brian c.williams
Tin Universe Monthly #6 Hits 505 Total Downloads On Smashwords
Saturday, February 28, 2015
2015 Read an Ebook Week
2015 Read an Ebook Week
Friday, December 20, 2013
Under The Training Book: Depression, Religion, and Smashwords Changes
I hate it when people say "But they were successful?" when a talented person commits suicide. Like success takes away depression like a cure all pill. And it really pisses me off when they say "They had so much" as if the feelings that drove them to suicide aren't valid if the person wasn't a down and out failure living in a gutter.
I could pull out The Book of the Law, The Book Of The Still, or The Crime Bible and then try to get society to follow it as the law of the land. But that would be silly wouldn't it. See, that's how I feel and a good deal of a lot of other people feel when others pull out Christian Bibles or other like text and try to dictate my life, excuse bigotry, and oppress others. Don't impose your fiction on me please and I'll try not to do the same.
Unto something completely different.
I'm going to get into some new updates at Smashwords; which is where you will find all of my published works. I need to start doing this on my blog. When I find out new information about what the service offers I need to pass that along to my readers and also possible readers or those who might be sitting on the fence about using Smashwords. The details in italics I'm about to talk about come from the Smashwords newsletter. My comments are after.
SMASHWORDS DISTRIBUTION TO SCRIBD
A new global distribution agreement with Scribd, an online reading community that boasts 10 million readers visiting their site each month. Smashwords will distribute books to their subscription ebook service, where readers pay $8.99 to read an unlimited number of books
I don't know much about SCRIBD but the idea of a Netflix like service for books I think is a good one and I'm glade my projects have the chance to be part of something like this.
NEW WEBSITE DESIGN AT SMASHWORDS
Smashwords unveiled first major web site redesign since founding nearly six years ago. Hundreds of updates, large and small, all designed to make books more discoverable and more desirable to customers. Best of all, we've laid the groundwork to add many new features in 2014.
* Responsive design – We adopted what’s called a “responsive design,” which among web designer circles refers to a design approach that optimizes the user’s experience across different browsers, devices and screen sizes. View the site on your desktop computer and then resize your browser to see how every page’s content resizes and reorients as you make the width narrower or wider.
* Dramatically enhanced mobile support – Our previous mobile version of the site was, to put it kindly, limited. The new mobile experience – whether you’re accessing the site from a smart phone or tablet – is darn near beautiful. Our improved mobile support is enabled by our responsive design. It preserves user access to nearly all the same features you’d expect from a large browser on a desktop computer, making it easy for mobile users to browse and discover books without pining for a larger screen.
* Redesigned book pages – The new book pages make it faster and easier for readers to discover, sample and purchase books. The download links have been moved to the top section of the page to minimize scrolling. New slider bars display book covers of other books in the same series, other books by the author, and other books by the publisher.
* Updated Dashboard – The Dashboard features that once occupied the vertical left navigation column have now been moved into grids at the top of the page, organized under categorizes of Sales Reporting, Metadata Management and Marketing & Distribution Tools.
One of the few things I didn't like about Smashwords was the sites website design. I think this is a good first step into making it more in line with other modern sites. While I think there are more they should do to improve it, I do also hope they always keep in mind making it a simple shopping and publishing experiences.
LEARN HOW TO ADD BACKMATTER AND ENHANCED NAVIGATION TO YOUR EBOOKS
Among the many great benefits of ebooks compared to print books is that ebooks can contain clickable intra-book navigation links and enhanced back matter. The intra-book navigation helps make your book's content more accessible to readers, and can help you direct the reader's attention to important sections. Your back matter, which you can evolve and update over time, helps you sell more books, engage deeper with the reader, and build your author platform.
Even if you write fiction, your book can and should take advantage of a linked Table of Contents that points to your enhanced back matter. Every book should have enhanced backmatter organized under separate section headings. At a minimum, recommended backmatter sections include "About the Author," "Other books by this Author," and "Connect with the author." If you want to go the extra mile, you can also add sections with sample chapters of other books or even develop and add a reading group guide.
I'm really looking forward to books in the future being more multi-media creative. Sure there will be over whistle and buzz crap but like with websites the creative ones will see moderation and skill is better.
Speaking of which. Now for some shameless self-promotion.
If you are interested in being part of the street team to get the word out go here and learn more.
Under The Training Book: Depression, Religion, and Smashwords Changes
Friday, December 6, 2013
Shamelessly Promoting After Taking A Few Days Off
I've gotten advice from both sides telling me this isn't the way to promote my book. Some saying I shouldn't be doing things this way on my blog, that its best just to release your book and let things fall how they are going to fall but my response is always what then, am I suppose to just hope people walk across it surfing the net? This is about using tools that are available and more important free, to get word out. It's also about learning as you go. The second one there is why I never get angry when people give me advice. If you have spoken to me about different ways of promoting then I'm always grateful for those words but if you only say YOUR DOING BLOGGER WRONG, YOUR DOING TWITTER WRONG, SELF-PUBLISHING ISN'T REAL PUBLISHING then ok, you do it your way, I'll do it mine. As the great poet said "Will Smith doesn't have to cuss in his rap to sell records. Well I do. So fuck him and fuck you too."
Then you have those who say that I should go further, that I should do spam emails, I should create fake reviews, I should blah blah blah. I'm doing things as they feel right to me and spamming doesn't feel right. Just not at all. It's badgering people. Like the homophobic assholes asking for money in front of Wal-Mart during this time of year and the jerkwoods shouting at you to buy their phones in the mall.
I wont even mention the whole fake reviews thing because that just boggles my mind. I know its been going on for a really long time, way way way before the internet, and pointing the finger at self-publishes for this when they are just following the big publishers paved way of doing things is bullshit, but...nope, sorry, not my thing. Also the way I am I'd probably give myself more bad reviews than good. That's just how my brain works.
With further honesty I will tell you if I had more people reading my blog I probably wouldn't do these blog posts but as I said, I'm just doing what feels right to me right now and what I can with the resources I have. In the end if I'm not doing the internet "right" I'm the one who has to go to jail for Holy Internet Law Violations.
Shamelessly Promoting After Taking A Few Days Off
Friday, December 14, 2012
Tin Universe #4: Dhaka 2.0 and Tin Universe #5: School For The Blind 2.0
Todays blog post has me re-releasing two projects from the past to my Smashwords store with new covers. The new covers they now have were always meant to with them but when first released LuLu rejected them. Hope you enjoy. These two stories were originally released as cut chapter promotional items for my second book The Past Forward; so if you enjoy them then check out the book, it's a good jumping on point for the Tin Universe if you don't wish to go back and read all the past releases. Plus with The Past Forward you get a whole book for only $1.00, I'd say that's a pretty good deal.
Also remember you can gift stuff to others when shopping at Smashwords.
Tin Universe #4: Dhaka 2.0 and Tin Universe #5: School For The Blind 2.0
Sunday, November 4, 2012
NaNoWriMo 11/4/2012
Only wrote 3,202 words today. Wanted to hit 5000 but still not feeling that good. My total NaNoWriMo sits at 15,099 words. I have a goal this year were I really want to hit 100,000 words. The most I've written in a month is 60+ and my longest published work is 49,430. Speaking of which, go to link and, buy things, then I can buy teeth. That's called begging. I ant too proud.
NaNoWriMo 11/4/2012
Saturday, October 6, 2012
That Old Time Stupid Silence
That Old Time Stupid Silence
Friday, July 27, 2012
Where I talk about Where to buy Chaos, Jesus Chicken, Shades of grey, and there be Rants.
Next months release will be a story that exists in The Collected Universe of stories. You might remember that from the weekly blog story series Clean Cue City I was doing for a while but got sidetracked off from when I started doing the Tin Universe and Chaos Read series. The Clean Cue City will be returning next year by the way but not weekly. I'll release news on that at the beginning of 2013. The story coming out in August will not require you to read any other past Collected stories because it's set so far in the future nothing hardly remains of the past.
That new story for August is called Quoit and will be my first full fledged attempt at a fantasy story. It will be released towards the end of the months under the You Pick The Price! purchasing model. I'll be releasing just about everything under, You Pick The Price, and most defiantly all stories that are introductory stories to future releases or standalone tales. The main things I will be setting a price on will be Tin Universe stories and collections.
Now that that's out of the way I wanted to talk about "bad" writing. Well, from my bad writing to what others call "bad" writing. I think I mentioned it before but I will do so again, as part of a project with a friend we are going to be reading books we think are over hyped bad and over hyped good and look at how that may skewer our views either way. The first book we are reading is Fifty Shades Of Grey by E L James. We are going to be commenting one chapter at a time as a short of book club so people can also read alone and leave their comments also. That project will go live next week.
But what I'm going to talk about instead is Jesus Chicken. I'll have enough time to talk about that project next week when it launches.
Oh, yes, I eat at Jesus Chicken. That's Chick-Fil-A for those who don't follow my ramblings on Twitter. It's what my friends and I have always called it. You know the place that has always been extremely Christian, the place that has always donated to anti-gay groups... but now people are blowing up about this.
Yes they are bastards for working with these anti-gay groups but you know like Target has done that also but then again I guess Target is all gay and out from the closet like a GOP homophob now.
Love that timing Target.
Spot on marketing.
But now people are all in the rage eyes for Chick-Fil-A? I want to state one thing right off. If you go to a Jesus Chicken and act like an ass to the employees there or try to shut down and hurt the business of a individual restaurant you the fucking ass now. You ant doing shit to the company as a whole. You're just fucking with people trying to make a living.
If you don't want to eat at a restaurant or shop at a store because of where the money goes from your purchases then that's your choice but this pick and choose and meme like activism is sort of bullshit.
And if my comments didn't piss you off enough I also love Wagner, shop at Wal-Mart, masturbate daily, think Christopher Nolan is over rated, and read Machiavelli .
Meme activism can be a part of activism but without anything else like field work, staying informed, and putting your money where you photoshoped shared photo is, it's just a game of pass the hot issue around until everyone gets tired of it.
COOL LINKS YOU MIGHT WISH TO CHECK OUT:
From what I've read about this reboot of The Munsters it sounds interesting. I'd rather see them do this with that show than try to recreate the feel of the original. They've tried that and failed.
This is pretty cool and has a cameo from one of my favorite online content creators: Higgs Boson Part III: How to Discover a Particle
RANTS AND SCREAMS:
Look here where I'm from made the Globe And Mail. If you find it interesting that a country like the United States has to do something like that to treat its sick, then think about that back home, where finding cell service is a give up prospect, there are more ways to find treatment than they are here in Florida. Florida you are more backwards than where I'm from.
My question is. Who are these stupid investors? Did you research what kind of business Facebook is? How it makes profit?....well, you know supposed profit. Breaking News @BreakingNews Facebook's stock hits a new low after 2nd-quarter results disappoint investors - @AP
You have to love a good white washing of history. The NCAA sure does. Then again so does our government, our history books, the WWE, and just about everyone. And people wonder why intelligence is seen as threatening in this country. We don't learn from anything. George Orwell and the N.C.A.A.
I have a feeling that a lot of people who are so up in their shorts and angry trying to deny anyone who is gay basic human rights, if they are of the age, are probably happy recalling the good old days of white only bathrooms and lynchings. And if you don't like what I said FUCK YOU because its the truth.
If you seriously believe that getting rid of government regulations when it comes to running a business, doing away with the EPA and OSHA for examples, is the way to strengthen business- Then you would be right. You would also be very stupid. The bottom line for a company would improve because the more any company can treat its employees like cows in a field and screws in a tool book, the more money they will make. So if that's what you want America, give in to your masters wishes. For another view on this subject check out this video by John Green where he talks about it while playing FIFA.
And to drop the mic Nom Nom Nom
Where I talk about Where to buy Chaos, Jesus Chicken, Shades of grey, and there be Rants.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Where I talk about Marvel Now, Smashwords, a Kickstarter project, and lots and lots of cool links and one rant.
Also my mind changed to me wishing to write about something that came up yesterday in a conversation with a reader of my stuffs. That person of conversation wasn't the first one to bring this subject up, I get a lot of emails from people when I release a free project to my Smashwords store saying they do't like that they have to create a account with Smashwords, which is free, to download said free projects.
Let me talk for a bit here and hopefully I can address this subject.
The whole having to create an account thing happens because I'm not releasing as free per say but as a You Set The Price! method of payment; which can be free or however much you wish to pay. You can always read the thing for free first and then if you liked and want to pay something by download again and this time pay. A lot of people choice to do it this way and many for the second download were they pay they choose to send that copy as a gift to a friend which you can do now on Smaswords.
The reason this whole thing is better for a writer to do is it gives the creator information on downloads/sales. I need this to know what people like and might like more of from me or others I work with. Raw numbers are still a very valuable tool because so many people don't comment or send emails or anything outside of the download/purchase.
This is especially important when doing ongoing series. Lets say I'm writing two series, which I've been doing, with one I get a lot of responses from readers and the other nothing. You would think the one I get responses for would be the most popular? Not always the case. Take for example Chaos Read and Tin Universe, my two ongoing story series. Tin Universe gets way more emails than Chaos Read which gets hardly any but Chaos Read is downloaded three times more. Now you also have to factor in that one is You Set The Price! and the other is $0.99usd but you get the point in that example which I admit isn't very adapt at all.
Moving on.
The point I'm trying to make is that I factor in all of these things when deciding if people would like to see more of one character or groups of characters or types of stories over another. The best thing to happen would be for every reader to email or leave a comment or post a review but that's not going to happen. Some people might hate it so much they don't even want to talk about it but there are also others who just don't do the whole comment or email thing. I view tons of web shows daily but have only commented twice but I make sure to Like, Tweet, Share, or Dislike things.... though to be honest I never dislike something. If I don't like it I just don't hit Like or anything after viewing.
I know signing up for yet another site sucks. I know if you're purchasing something that means giving another site your credit card information and that sucks, but all of these things help the artists. The process and information gathered through the process is something all independent artist need to learn and use.
With that said I also know this can drive away readers. I know this was a big issue when I left LuLu and I'm still trying to built back that readership.
Things like Smashwords, Kickstarter, LuLu and such are attempts to put more control and money in the hands of the artists who do the work. These systems are nowhere near perfect but they are building to something truly special if we all keep working hard to get it there.
I thought I should mention this since it's come up quite a bit lately. I know when I left LuLu I lost readers but that was a choice because Smashwords offered more to creators in many ways. It's my home right now and I'm working to build that catalog into something that is worth setting up a new account there for.
COOL LINKS TO CHECK OUT:
Found this the other day on the sidebar watching John Green videos. "I Just Need A Mate" a Ballad to Doctor Who The artist had other songs I liked also. Hope to see more from her in the future. I love the internet. Put your work out there. The internet is a reason why we should never forget to be awesome. DFTBA
Speaking of someone who never forgets to be awesome. Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra - Want It Back (Uncensored)
Ivy's Journal has been one of my favorite blogs to follow for years. Check it out.
Today is Nikola Tesla's 156th Birthday. Celebrate by sharing this song for him by 8in8 (Ben Folds, Neil Gaiman, Damian Kulash, and Amanda Palmer)
Probably the worst thing that could happen for one team and totally be awesome to the other. Google Autofill - Can I...?: The Miracle of Swindon Town #139
Who are you sir or madam? Chordates - CrashCourse Biology #24
RANTS AND SCREAMS:
Florida ignores reality and reasoning when it comes to most things. Reasoning, intelligence, and independent thought are sure to be illegal here soon. They are already hardly used in the state so people probably wont miss them much. Florida Ignores FBI Database When Granting Gun Carry Permits
Only one rant today but if you check out my Facebook there might be more but I need to get off the computer now. I hear the thunders outside.
Where I talk about Marvel Now, Smashwords, a Kickstarter project, and lots and lots of cool links and one rant.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Where I rerere-release a old poetry collection KILL MACHINE
Where I rerere-release a old poetry collection KILL MACHINE
Monday, June 25, 2012
Where I talk about redistricting, voting, and licking.
Sometimes I think laws in this country are enacted by three headed goats who only have the agenda of "I can do stupid" and also, "Look I can lick my own balls and it be his balls too."
One such salty ball tasting lick is the fact that redistricting is allowed in election years. Now redistricting is a needed thing. It helps set government action into motion in a way that best serves the community as a whole but it has also been used since day one of redistricting to suppress voting, mislead citizens, and control the political structure.
Redistricting has always been a little powerful tool to be used for racist and classist politics, and that's why !Holy Shit! why are they allowed to redistrict in a election year?
I had a friend who just registered to vote for the first time in Florida earlier this year. He got his card. It told him where he needed to vote. A few months later he gets another card with different information.
The confusion that can come from situations like that is on purpose. They know to the word what they are doing. They are hoping a lot of people end up not being able to vote on election day or are so frustrated that they don't vote.
I got a card like that also. Within a election year my voting location changed. You might not think that sort of thing is much but that's why most of America is walking around like the sheep we are. We are just thinking like complete dipshits.
In the past I voted a number of times absentee ballot because I was either in another state or country at the time of elections. I learned a lesson from that when it turned out a number of cases of absentee votes in Virginia didn't turn up until after the election. They were mainly from military citizens but who knows, mine could have been in there also. I learned this was something I needed as a citizen to watch out for. Something everyone should be doing but it seems just like myself it takes a personal attack on your voting rights for Americans to give a damn.
I live in a state that is the current model and the front lines of voter purges. Florida you are always so not unchanging in your ability to head desk so many people by your fuckwank actions.
I'll here end this with a little lesson on redistricting and voting suppression in general. Now I'm not a teacher or anything, I'm not even that bright, but I can do a Google search. I can read. I can use my eyes, ears, and brain to see what is going on and so unless you like the way voters are being suppressed and voting rights are being stripped then you should be educated to issues like how other states are taking Florida's lead, what gerrymandering is besides a strange word used on Fox News and MSNBC, here's a video about several voter issues, know your voter rights in your state, a report on voting rights in Indian Country, all of that "fraud" thats happening, and state felony voting laws. Those are just a few hairs on that ass of your of issues that you need to address. You son have a very hairy ass so there is a lot more we all need to take notice of and educate ourselves about.
How about this. How about us as a nation care about voting rights. How about us as a nation have a backbone, because if we don't, how about us as a nation stop pretending we are a nation. In time those who are being suppressed will get angry enough to change things in different ways.
Where I talk about redistricting, voting, and licking.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Where I Promote Myself and also talk about how politicians are pushing us towards a bloody revolution
Every so often I just want to say look at what I did and tell me how shitty it is. Today is such a day.If you want to read a full YA ebook for free check out my book The Past Forward. It's a great jumping on point for my Tin Universe stories and you don't have to read or have read any of the previous Tin Universe stories to dive into it.
Though if you do like The Past Forward check out the Tin Universe ongoing story series that goes forward with the characters first seen in The Past Forward and expanding the greater Tin Universe as it goes.
The first story of the series is free also and stories after that being only $0.99usd.
While I have you here, there are more places to find me online:
Check out these links:
I love that Amanda Palmer's kickstarter success is shinning a light on what the future of talent to fan needs to be. Also its great having someone so smart and talented to be there as lights are shinning on this type of project: WHERE ALL THE KICKSTARTER MONEY IS GOING BY AMANDA PALMER
Also read this blog entry by Amanda Palmer as she answers questions about her Kickstarter. One of the best things she talked about here was how crowd funding only works if you have a crowd. If you have built a following. I also liked her answer when talking about people saying shouldn't she spend her own money, like working for a record company or publisher is?: KICKSTARTER Q&A AND SMURF TITS
Some really beautiful photos by Ellen Rogers
I love lists. That might say something about my intelligence level but its true. The Body is one of the best episodes of television ever. Period. Just shook me to the core the first time I watched it. Daily 10: 10 TV Episodes that Changed Television - @io9
Rants:
Do you smell that? That deep in your nose smell of bullshit. That's Florida trying to fix another election.
ThinkProgress @thinkprogress "Number of stories about Florida's voter purge: USA Today (0), WashPost (0), WSJ (0), NYT (1) #blackout"
The Ultraverse had some really cool books. And the fact that they are never hitting the light of day again it seems has allowed a lot of other books to seem original while ripping off Ultraverse ideas. It's a shame that people now wont get the chance to read Prime or see the great artwork George Perez did on Ultraforce. I didn't know why Marvel wasn't publishing the books or using the characters so I found this bit of information interesting. The Ultraverse
The future could be awesome. Body Area Networking
Another way companies are using people's need for even the smallest amounts of money to push their agenda. Coal Industry Pays Fake Activists $50 To Wear Pro-Coal Shirts At Public Hearing
There are going to be places in the U.S. soon where people should and will stop paying any taxes or any attention to the law because why do so if the state, the government isn't supporting you.
Every time someone waves a flag whenever a time on the calendar tells them to do so or shouts SUPPORT THE TROOPS at protesters I think of stories like these. I support the troops by talking about getting them and their families fair treatment while in uniform and in retirement. A flag on your car does the troops nothing when people have to raise money to get them basic care packages, don't talk to me about defense spending when hardly any of that goes to the troops and their families. Respect is a real thing, not a catch phrase hot word for a ad agency to use. Meet Bill: The 91-Year-Old Decorated WWII Veteran Targeted By Florida Governor Rick Scott’s Voter Purge
From the poverty line shall come the revolution crying for blood from those who put them there. Report: US Has One Of The Highest Child Poverty Rates In The Developed World
The lack of rage at this story and stories like it across the country might be a sign that this country has lost its skills for reasoning, maybe America no longer has the spirit for freedom. I think for too long the politicians of this country have felt safe and protected by their rich money friends and propaganda machines. It's time to revolt. It's time to declare a media, creativity, and philosophical war. @thinkprogress: In Florida, Scott administration ignores systemic errors, vows to ACCELERATE voter purge
Where I Promote Myself and also talk about how politicians are pushing us towards a bloody revolution



























