We have entered the last 2 weeks of the year. The Winter Solstice starts tonight/tomorrow, Xmas & Kwanzaa are this coming weekend, and News Years Day falls on the following Sunday. We will then be in the year 2022. So how did 2021 stack up for me, personally...?
I consider 2021 to be another off year b/c of the pandemic. I wasn't able to go out and physically promote my latest novel "Knuckle Up" (Kindle Direct Publishing, 2021), so I had to immensely rely on online promotions for it. Sales were what is usual for me; basically nonexistent. I had a sale or two here and there, but nothing major. It's quite infuriating, especially with all of this hoopla of ppl talking about supporting authors/artists of color; oh, wait....you mean supporting establishment artists/authors of color that get promoted to you by the mainstream, or some bullshit corporate nonprofit, riiiiight...? Either that, or some fucking clique that thinks that they're setting the standard, or trend.
2021 didn't start off well. I tore my patellar tendon in January, and didn't realize how severe the injury was. I had surgery for it in March, and have been working my way back, ever since. Thankfully, I'm in pretty good physical shape, so it didn't take me all that long to recover from my injury. I was finally hired back to my day job in May, after being laid off b/c of Covid. I ended up leaving that job, and the state of Delaware, by late August. Delaware just wasn't cutting it anymore (it didn't really cut it for me, in the first place), and I needed greener pastures to grow my writing career. Not to mention, my fucked up ass roommate situation, which was another main reason for me leaving the state. The ppl out there are mf wacky. 4 1/2 years was long enough; I couldn't take being out there any longer.
I've been in North Carolina for almost 4 months now. I'm liking it so far, as I have peace of mind out here. I feel like I can breathe, and I have room for my mental sanity. I was able to complete my latest manuscript, and it is now ready for publication in 2022. I know that there is still the Delta strain, and now the Omicron variant(s) of Covid that are out here affecting the populous, but I'm hoping to get back to doing in-person appearances in 2022. I could use the boost to my writing career, not to mention, I just like the interaction with readers & potential fans. I'm targeting a May release for my next novel "Second Chance Points" (KDP, 2022).
I haven't shot a new episode of The Rough Draft since moving out here. I need to get back on the ball with that. The show celebrated our two year anniversary this past August. Once my day job schedule regulates, I'm hoping to continue producing & expand it, by doing field productions, and hopefully some interviews. I might put this gd smartphone I now have to good use, lol, lol, lol, lol....
One sad note for this year for me was having to shut down the Universal Africana Literary Arts Movement. That really hurt me to do it, but I didn't really have a choice. I couldn't serve two different masters; my writing career, and the Literary Arts Movement. Something had to give. Covid was the reason for the shut down; maybe I can revive it down the line...? I miss the interaction with the ppl on the Mailing List, though I don't know how many of them really care that the Movement is no longer around. Running the Movement all by myself was a pain in the ass, and I don't know if I want to go through that all over again, by myself. Only time will tell...
Looking forward to bigger & better things in 2022. Hope to keep you all updated about my plans. There is still some time left for the Holiday Economic Support Initiative, so keep spreading the word about these different artists, authors, entrepreneurs, and businesses that you know. Keep posting the hashtag, and FINANCIALLY support these people!!!
Keep the fist raised!!!
#AlwaysOnMyLiteraryGrind
