The Changing Time of November

 We have now entered into the month of NOVEMBER.  There are now officially only two months left in the year. The clocks have been moved back an hour, and election time has come.  It's time to gear up for the end of the year, and prepare for the coming new year.

To start with, I would like to celebrate the 11-year publishing anniversary of my second book "Raise Your Brown Black Fist 2: MORE Political Shouts of an Angry Afro Latino" (Outskirts Press, 2011).  A collection of political essays, and an extension of my second essay series 'Black Thoughts: A Political Ideological Perspective For Afro Latinos', I consider this book to be one of my treasures.  Available in both paperback & eBook formats, this is definitely a keeper for your bookshelf.

 

 

 

Also...November also marks the 6-month release of my latest novel, "Second Chance Points" (Kindle Direct Publishing, 2022).  Sales are still flat, as usual.  I'm doing my part to promote it. Whatever...

 

On a lighter note, I now have a new handle on YouTube.  You can now view my channel by going to the new link www.youtube.com/@kevinsabio, and view all of my videos there.  You will be able to watch all of the episodes of 'The Rough Draft", as well as my book trailers. Please watch the videos, and subscribe to my channel when you get the chance.

 

Apparently, November is also National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo.  I've never participated in NaNoWriMo, as I don't like trying to write a novel in one month.  Usually, I just end up finishing writing the first draft of whatever novel/manuscript that I'm writing in November.  Don't ask me why; it just seems to happen that way for me.  I don't have anything slated for this year, so I don't think that I'll be publishing any new novels for next year.  I guess my poor sales have me too bummed out to write anything new, or finish any of my other work(s)-in-progress.

 

November also marks the start of my initiative, the "Holiday Economic Support Initiative".  It usually lasts from November into the new year, as a means to support Black-owned & Latino-owned businesses & entrepreneurs during the holiday season(s). I don't think that I'll be doing it this year, as I never get the response I feel the initiative deserves.  So, you won't be seeing me push it this year, or using the hashtags of #HESI, or #HolidayEconomicSupportInitiative.  It feels like a waste of my time, and nobody seems to care any mf way.

 

That'll be all for now.  Looking forward to shooting and posting the next TRD episode, and posting it on YouTube.  I'll keep you guys updated on my progress.

 

Keep the fist raised.

 

#AlwaysOnMyLiteraryGrind

 

       
 

The Coming of All Hallow's Eve

 The birthday was a relaxing day.  It's still hitting me that I'm now 48 years old.  Latino Heritage Month has 'officially' come to an end, wrapping up on October 15th.  Of course, you should ALWAYS celebrate your heritage and culture everyday, 365 days a year, every year.  The month is now coming to an end, and we are now looking forward to the last TWO months of the year.

As the Halloween season approaches, I look forward to celebrating the birth of my oldest nephew.  I remember when he was born; now he's a grown man in his 20s.  I'm very proud of him, and the man that he's become.  **shedding a thug tear**  😁😁😁😁

Also for the Halloween season, I usually like to promote my superhero novel "The Chronicles of The Black Fist" (CreateSpace, 2015), and now, the sequel as well, "The Chronicles of The Black Fist: F.U.R.I. of the People" (Kindle Direct Publishing, 2019).  I would love to have an artist render their rendition of my character, and some of the other supporting characters in the series.  I would also love to have someone cosplay the characters, whether at a book signing event, or at a comic con.  I kinda wish that I knew something about 3D printing, because I would print out action figures  to sell at any public appearances that I'd do.  It would also be great as a marketing strategy for that project.

 

There's one week left in the month.  I'll soon be promoting my Holiday Economic Support Initiative, starting next month.  I don't know if I'll continue to do it, though; it doesn't seem to be very effective.  I've been doing the initiative for the last 6-7 years.  I love trying to help promote black-owned & Latino-owned businesses and entrepreneurs, but I don't feel as if my initiative has been helping. Even with my own retweets, and with me explaining what the initiative is about...it doesn't seem to be working, or helping any indie small businesses. 😟😟😟😞😞😞

 

Haven't done much writing.  Scratch that...I haven't done any writing lately.  I guess I've just been a bit bummed out by the poor sales for my recent book "Second Chance Points" (Kindle Direct Publishing, 2022); for all of my books, really.  It kinda sucks, but...what can I really do?  Oh...I've had a few ideas rolling around in my head, but I haven't really felt like turning on the laptop, and busting out some pages, or even finishing those w.i.p.'s that I'm trying to get done.  The most that I've done, is to sign up for Draft2Digital's P.O.D. print arm, D2D Print. Since everyone thinks that Amazon is the 'evil empire' of the book industry, I might need a different publisher for the paperback version of my future books.

That's all for now.  Looking forward to talking to you next month.

Keep the fist raised.

#AlwaysOnMyLiteraryGrind

Falling Into October 2022

 We are now in the month of OCTOBER!!!  The Autumnal Equinox has already passed, and the new month has just started.  There are only TWO more months left in this year.  Also...October marks my birthday month!!!  I will be turning 48 year old  (on the 8th 😁😁😁).

 

October marks FIVE MONTHS since the release of my latest novel, "Second Chance Points" (Kindle Direct Publishing, 2022).  Sales are flat & nonexistent. I'm doing what I can to promote it, but it's an uphill battle.  I need to hold an in-person event, or SOMETHING to generate some book sales.  This shit is for the birds...

We are now entering the second half of Latino Heritage Month.  Of course, I'm promoting my first two books of "Raise Your Brown Black Fist: The Political Shouts of an Angry Afro Latino" (Authorhouse, 2010), and "Raise Your Brown Black Fist 2: MORE Political Shouts of an Angry Afro Latino" (Outskirts Press, 2011).  Haven't noticed any sales for those two gems yet, but it's something I do annually.

 

Hoping to shoot Episode 52 of "The Rough Draft".  I'll be focusing on my Latino characters in my novels.  It's reminiscent of Episode 10, but I won't be focusing solely on my Afro Latino characters.  Hoping to shoot it, soon.  I haven't gotten many days off from the day job recently, not to mention that the weather hasn't been great (since I don't have my own lighting equipment).  I want to get it done before Latino Heritage Month ends...

 

No new writing project(s) to speak of.  Been too busy trying to promote 2CP.  I guess I'm also a little jaded, as well.  14 book projects deep, and I STILL can't earn a living off of them; especially not collectively.  I might get 'likes' on social media, but nobody ever buys anything.  Wtf am I writing this shit for, then?!?!?!  :-(

 

Decided to put my Black/Brown Bookstore Book Tour on hold for now.  Might have to shelve it until 2023.  Can't seem to get a good enough work schedule to organize it, nor do I have the transportation capability to get to the different bookstores I want to get to.  Even if I did drive (which I don't, which doesn't help the situation), it would still be a pain in the ass to get around.  None of the bookstores are in Raleigh, though one of the stores exists in Durham, and the other in Chapel Hill.  They are close, but at the same time, they're NOT close.  I swear, I need an assistant, or something...   

That's all for now.

Keep the fist raised

#AlwaysOnMyLiteraryGrind

Dancing in September 2022

 We have now entered into the month of SEPTEMBER!!!  We are about to enter into the fall season, and have entered into the last quarter of the year.  Time sure has flown by this year.  Feels like just yesterday, we were celebrating the new year...

 

September is the start for Latino Heritage Month.  The cultural holiday runs from September 15th to October 15th, spanning many Independence Day(s) across Latin America.  It is a time for cultural pride & celebration, highlighting our roots & heritage.  We celebrate our history, our people's accomplishments, both at home & abroad, and give flowers to those ancestors, and community & thought leaders.  As per usual, I will be highlighting my two books, "Raise Your Brown Black Fist" (Authorhouse, 2010), and "Raise Your Brown Black Fist 2" (Outskirts Press); representing for the AFRICAN roots of Latino people.  Recently discovered that both books are also available through Bookshop.org, so also look through there to get your copies.  

My vlog series "The Rough Draft" recently celebrated THREE YEARS and FIFTY episodes.  Yay, me.  Not many people supported it by watching the video on either YouTube, or Vimeo.  Fuck y'all.  That's a great accomplishment.  I'M proud of myself for reaching such an achievement.  Working on doing Episode 51 as I type this.  The rest of you can kick rocks...

 

Might be putting my Black/Brown Bookstore Book Tour on hold, for the time being.  That requires me to do a bit of traveling, and I don't currently have the means to do so.  Might postpone it until next year; hopefully in the spring.  I'm a little sad about that, but...what can you do?  It's a solitary grind; I ain't got no team working with me, behind the scenes.  I'm the one that does all of the planning, and the execution of it. 

Was hoping to be able to vend at some festivals or something, this month.  Unfortunately, the day job has me locked up, for the time being.  Granted, I have alternate weekends off, but, for right now...The weekends I happen to be working is when a lot of those events are scheduled.  Damn, man...  😔😔😔

"Second Chance Points" (Kindle Direct Publishing, 2022) turns four months old, this month.  Sales are still stagnant, but...what can you do?  I promote it as best I can; that's all I can do.  Niggas know that the shit it out there; just cop a copy of the book.  You can even download it in digital format, so there's no excuse as to why you can't support it by buying a copy.  And then cats be wondering why I made a video post & blog post about lack of support, smdh...

That all for now.  Keep you guys updated.  Enjoy September.  Support Black Reading Month!!!

Keep the fist raised.

#AlwaysOnMyLiteraryGrind 

The Struggles of Indie Authors/Creatives [***RANT SESSION***]

 For those of you that actually pay attention to my videos, this is the continuation of an episode of "The Rough Draft" that I shot; Episode #48, to be exact.  Felt the need to blow off some steam, and set the record straight, and apparently...I need to blow off a little more steam.  Been feeling really frustrated & disrespected lately, and I think that I need to go deeper in depth...

As an indie author, I'm carrying the same mentality that I had when I was still involved in the film & television world, being a screenwriter; I wanna work in the industry, not for it.  I choose to be independently published b/c I know the headache of trying to find a (decent) agent, or at least, a good small publisher to publish your book.  Also, you know your story best, so you know how & who to market your book to, no matter what genre that you write in.  I know plenty of authors that write speculative fiction that can attest to that.  Not to mention, the rash of consolidation within the publishing industry within the last two decades, or so...?  The publishing world is getting smaller & smaller by the day (if not, the waning minutes).

 

At the same time...I don't have an MFA.  I have no connections to any literary nonprofit organizations.  I've never held a fellowship.  Nor do I have a well paying day job that allows me the financial flexibility to pay for reviews, or a publicist.  My hashtag #AlwaysOnMyLiteraryGrind has meaning BECAUSE I'm actually ON my literary grind!!  Whatever accolades (which ain't many) that I receive, it's because of my hard work to promote my shit, & get the word out to the public.  NOBODY helps me to do shit, when it comes to my writing career.  My grind is really MY grind.  Nobody promotes my books for me, or does any type of outreach for my books.  I've even created a mf video series to help me promote my writing career in "The Rough Draft" (that apparently nobody watches).

 

It's a little infuriating to see people just brush you off, and dismiss any & everything that you do, as if it's big joke, and nothing to be taken seriously.  They don't watch the videos & comment, they don't buy & review your books, nor do they come out to any events that you organize and/or participate in.  Out of the fourteen books that I've published, I'd pre-promoted the last seven books ahead of their publication.  Hardly anybody joined the gd Facebook Events that I created for them; I didn't even crack TWENTY people to accept the invite. Whats' the fucking point?!?!?!  😡😡😡😡😡     

The sales afterward have been even more abysmal.  Htf is it that I know all of these different people, activist,  & organizations, but can't get none of you mf bastards to buy a copy of my books?!  And, even if you do actually buy it, do you even bother to read it, and leave a fucking review for it, or even recommend it to your circle of friends and associates...?  Hell...I'd be happy with a personal dialog with you, just to get your feedback on the book. At least then I'll know that you actually read the motherfucka!  Which character(s) did you like...?  What worked for you?  What didn't..?  What was your favorite chapter/scene...?  What character(s) didn't you like/hated..?  Did I intend for you to hate them, or did you just not like the way I wrote that/those character(s)...?  This is the type of feedback that I'm looking for & crave; they make me a better writer.  It also lets me know if I achieved my goal with that particular book, as far as your response is concerned.  Or...I know that you're not the right audience for that particular book, depending on your response/understanding of that particular book.

Would it kill you to actually watch the episodes of my vlog series, and leave a mf comment?!?!  Even if you don't have a YouTube account, can you nuccas say SOMETHING under the post?!?!  None of that 'good job' bullshit; that's so fucking generic.  Say something about the mf episode, whatever tf the discussion topic is!  Don't just press the 'like' button, and keep it mf moving!  I hate that shit!!!  It is so mf disrespectful!!  This isn't a mf joke to me; it's my calling, my mf career!!!  How would you like it , if I acted all dismissive about something that you were passionate about...that you felt was your purpose in life...?  Writing the books...producing the vlog series...and promoting the books is VERY time consuming!!

STOP acting as if my writing career is some huge joke!  It's not a fucking hobby that I don't take seriously, or don't really care about! I'm not some one-shot bucket lister, writing a book just to say that I wrote a mf book, and check it off my bucket list!  I've been writing for fucking YEARS!!!  Just because some of you out there don't have any passions, that doesn't mean that I don't!  I need more out of life, other that just getting liquored up, getting high, or randomly getting sexed up!

Feel however you want to feel about this post; I couldn't give a shit.  I'm tired of feeling disrespected, and not supported.  You dumb niggas know that my shit it out here, available in more that one format, I might add...but still won't support my career, or my books.  But...you niggas will jump on any bandwagon, and prop up some author with a name, because the mainstream media (white ppl) told you to do so.  Fuck y'all.

That's my rant session....

The Revolutionary Heat of Black August 2022

 We are now in the month of AUGUST.  The last month of the Summer.  A month known for revolution. A personal time of achievement and anniversaries for me.  This month is a very special one, so let's get into it.

"Second Chance Points" is entering it's 3rd month of publication.  Sales still have been pretty flat, despite my continued attempts to promote it.  I've even tried promoting it to two women's professional basketball leagues; the Women's American Basketball Association (WABA), and the Global Women's Basketball Association (GWBA).  I've continued to email both leagues, as well as tag them in posts on both FB and on Twitter, as well as sharing their information.  No response from either league, at this point.  Oh, well...all I can do is continue to promote the book.

August marks the seven-year publishing anniversary for my poetry eBook "Spittin' Lyrics N Waxin' Poetic" (Draft2Digital, 2015).  I don't really talk much about that project.  It's a collection of poetry that I've written, as well as rap verses and NLS songs that I wrote years ago.  Don't necessarily consider it my best work, but it's something that I published, nonetheless.  As you can tell, it's only available digitally.

August also marks the three-year anniversary of the production of "The Rough Draft"; officially on the date of August 23rd.  I'm closing in on 50 episodes of the show, and hope to be able to celebrate both simultaneously.  I've already come up with the concept for Episode 49, but haven't really come up for one for Episode 50.  You guys got any suggestions on what I should cover for that big 50th episode?  I'm open to any suggestions that you might have.  I tried asking on social media, but apparently nobody pays attention to what I post, smdh....

August also will mark the one-year anniversary that I've been living out here in Raleigh; officially on August 28th.  So far, it's been a good year.  I'm still working at my current day job, so that's putting money in my pocket, and keeping a roof over my head.  Haven't really made much progress as far as my writing career is concerned.  I was lucky enough to have done at least one radio interview since I moved out here, but I need to make more of  name and a presence for myself out here.  I definitely need to do more in-person events to make a name for myself.  I'm still looking into doing the Black/Brown Bookstore Book Tour, but that won't start until maaaaaaaaaybe next month.

That's all for now.  Hope to keep you guys updated on my progress.  See you guys next post.

Keep the fist raised.

#AlwaysOnMyLiteraryGrind 

Author Book Trailer for 2022!!!!

 So, I have finally been able to update my Author Book Trailer!!!  I have been able to add the covers of ALL FOURTEEN books to the video.  I've even updated some of the contact info, and the different outlets where you can get my books, via paperback & eBook formats.  So without further ado, here is my Author Book Trailer 2022!!!  :

Hope that you enjoy it!!!  Let me know what you think in the comments section!!  Don't forget to go out and buy the books!!  :-)

Keep the fist raised!!!

#AlwaysOnMyLiteraryGrind