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  • Upcoming: Inktober 2019 Showcase

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs
    Inktober 2019 Scanned Pages
    Inktober 2019 Scanned Artwork

    This morning I scanned all my Inktober 2019 drawings into the computer and got them ready for a video and for three collages. These will be showcased on the blog once they are ready. The collages will also be showcased on social media. I just need to get some music together for the video.

    (If you recall, I mentioned I’d be doing this in this blog entry.)

    My current videos can be found on my YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss new uploads, which right now have been going up on a weekly basis.

    Thanks.


    📂This entry was posted in Drawing YouTube 📎and tagged

  • It’s ThankYouPatrons Day!

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs
    A.P. Fuchs Patreon Thank You

    Surprise! It’s ThankYouPatrons Day and you guys get center stage!

    Today across the globe, Patreon creators are thanking their patrons for their support and I’m proud to be one of them.

    Thank you, patrons, truly, from the bottom of my heart for your support on my Patreon journey, and though my journey is still fairly new, it’s been a fun ride and I have more fun planned for you in the coming months. It’s not easy to be the first to support someone or take a chance on something less familiar, yet that’s exactly what you have done: Stepped out and had been the first to support this writer/artist from the north on the platform.

    Again, thank you.

    Right now, my Patreon includes various tiers, all of them having an ongoing serial novel–Gigantigator Death Machine is playing right now, a homeage to late-night creature features–as a base, with essays, behind-the-scenes stuff, a book club, and more at other tiers. Please go here to join myself and my patrons as we travel the road of imagination.

    And so again, patrons, thank you for your support. I hope you’ve enjoyed what I’ve brought to the table so far and I hope you enjoy the things coming up around the bend.

    Best,

    A.P. Fuchs

    Note: This notice is posted in its own variation both on Patreon and on my blog because I want my patrons to be acknowledged and thanked publicly and know they are appreciated.


    📂This entry was posted in Open Letters Patreon 📎and tagged

  • What’s in a Name? Web Domain Issue Resolved

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    I have my own web domain name back.

    Forever ago, I used to own the APFuchs dot com domain name. I can’t remember what happened, but I forgot to renew it or something fell through or whatever and I lost it. When I went to re-register the domain, at the time, it took me to a lady’s site which was all in German. Sigh. So, in a pinch, I came up with the CanisterX dot com domain and used that ever since. (For the meaning of the Canister X name, please go here.) Unfortunately, to this day, the dot com that bears my namesake is still unavailable but, being the proud Canadian that I am, and after talking it over with author Melinda Marshall, it was decided I should get a dot ca domain, and so I did.

    APFuchs dot ca is now mine and the web domain redirects here.

    Why have two domains leading to the same site? The short answer is search engine rankings. The dot ca works to my advantage because I’m in Canada so it helps with Canadian searches. It also helps simply because it has my name in it. And, lastly, it’s just nice to have my name back. Regarding keeping the Canister X name, I’ve done so much marketing and linking with it that to make it disappear would be foolish.

    That said, for the interim, the APFuchs dot ca domain will link here to the blog. In the future, it might get its own site, one that will have a link to this blog but won’t be a blog itself. It’ll just be an on-line presence used more as a brochure than something with regularly-changing content. The Canister X blog is for that, so we’ll see what the future brings.

    As for today, before writing this blog post I posted a new essay to Patreon about how to write well every time. It’s worth checking out, especially if you’re a writer. For the rest of the day, the plan is to work on a freelance project or two then see where I’m at after that.

    Hope everyone has a pleasant Tuesday.


    📂This entry was posted in Canister X General Announcements Patreon Web Stuff 📎and tagged

  • Status Report – 110719

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs
    Project Media Notebook Page
    A peek at the first page of my winter project notebook.

    Status report for 110719:

    This week was largely spent on Project Media, which introduced the redesign of this blog, my social media pages, and my Patreon page. It took a lot of time behind the scenes here at the Central, which is fine, but by default it interfered with getting other work done.

    We’re also doing a big promo push for the Patreon page this week because winter is here and I need to keep warm so I can continue making stuff for you guys. If you’d like to support me on Patreon and get treated to a whole slew of entertainment, please do so here.

    Currently pondering: Roll-out plan for Project Jackass, overall plan for Axiom-man (with surprises), Deadline juggling.


    📂This entry was posted in Blogging Canister X Patreon Status Report Web Stuff 📎and tagged

  • New Patreon Page Design

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    Yesterday, I revealed my new Patreon page design on social media.

    As part of my redesign efforts for my webpages–this blog and social media–I also redesigned my Patreon page with a new banner and color scheme. My first design was a little distant whereas this new one invites you to immerse yourself in my Realm of Heroes and Monsters.

    This is a screenshot of the new page:

    Author and artist A.P. Fuchs's Patreon page

    Also, a new chapter of Gigantigator Death Machine went live yesterday so be sure to check it out for a just a buck.

    Patreon is one of the best ways you can support me outside of grabbing my books for your personal library. I have some cool stuff planned for Patreon for over the winter so now’s a good time to get in on the ground floor, catch up on what’s there, and get ready to be entertained as the temperature drops and we’re locked indoors together for a season.

    A quick reminder of what is currently offered:

    For $1, you get access to an ongoing serial novel (minimum of one chapter posted every two weeks). Current creature feature playing is Gigantigator Death Machine, an homage to classic B-grade monster horror following a group of friends on a cabin getaway only to meet something sinister at the docks. You also get regular Patreon-only blog posts.

    For $2, you get complete access to the serial novel as well as Patreon-only essay blog posts exploring the ins and outs of publishing and tricks on getting your work done so you can share your craft with the world. (Minimum of one essay per month.) Plus regular Patreon-only blog posts.

    For $5, you get access to the serial novel, Patreon-only essay blog posts, a look behind-the-scenes (whether text, photo, or video; advanced looks at works in progress), a nifty A.P. Fuchs/Canister X Official Membership Card mailed out to you with your name and membership number, and regular Patreon-only blog posts.

    For $30, you become a member of the A.P. Fuchs Book-of-the-month Club. Each month I will select a book or comic book of mine from my inventory and mail it out to you complete with signature for the duration of your Gold Standard patronage. You also have access to all other reward tiers, including your membership card.

    A public thank you to those who have already shown me support on Patreon and a public thank you in advance to those who join the journey as this post goes live.


    📂This entry was posted in General Announcements Patreon Web Stuff 📎and tagged

  • Welcome to the New Canister X Blog

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    Welcome to the new Canister X blog, your home for all things heroes and monsters.

    The blog redesign is complete, with mostly everything retooled. New banner, new overall design, even a new author headshot on the About page.

    There are a few changes still left to make as these things are always evolving, but the big redesign is done. I admit this was a tricky project in that not only did I need the blog to function a certain way, but I also wanted it to look good without coming off as a sterile creator site where the creator feels untouchable. Canister X is my online home and I want my home to feel as welcoming as possible.

    A chunk of Project Media is now complete.

    More winter project plans coming your way soon.

    Enjoy the new blog. Please stick around for a while to explore, and then when you’re done that, head on over to my Patreon page where this morning I posted a new chapter in my ongoing serial novel, Gigantigator Death Machine.


    📂This entry was posted in Blogging Canister X General Announcements Patreon Web Stuff 📎and tagged

  • Gimme Back my Weekends

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    This weekend was a lesson in learning I need my weekends. I spent a lot of time futzing with this blog revamp effort and, man, times have changed. The last time I redesigned the site was somewhere between 2011 and 2013 (I think). Tech has advanced so much that I was lost and spent a lot of time trying things and hitting walls.

    (See, this blog needs to be set up a certain way so it functions the way I need it to for my overall media machine; it’s not just setting up a basic site and calling it good.)

    I’ve never been tech savvy, meaning, I’m the kind of guy whose brain works for most things on the premise of show-me-a-time-or-two-then-I-can-do-it. I also learn through trial and error. But when it comes to tech and looking at it and already having a general idea of how things go? Nope. The last time I was like that was when I got my first computer back in grade six. (Yes, they had computers back then. They were called abacuses.)

    So here we are. This site was supposed to be done by today but isn’t, so please bear with me. Keep checking back as daily blogging will continue. It just won’t be pretty until the revamp is complete.

    Back to weekends: My workflow is much different now due to various reasons both personal and professional and my body and brain don’t work like they used to. Let’s blame age for that. And that I’m still recovering from being ill.

    I need my weekends to recharge after going at breakneck speed throughout the week. I’m not 30 anymore.

    Formal announcement for when the blog is complete is forthcoming.


    📂This entry was posted in Life Web Stuff 📎and tagged

  • Nearly Ready for the Winter Season

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    The winter season is nearly here, which means this week I’m putting the final touches on getting ready for Heavy Broadcast Mode, which starts November 1. Believe it or not, a lot of planning and organizing goes into making books and comics for public consumption. It’s not just me writing a story and sending it out all willy nilly. Every creator works their own way, but on my end, I need to have certain mechanisms in place so I can publish a story and get it into your hands properly. This ranges from the actual publishing machine itself to the promotion side of it to even making sure I have copies here at the Central for you. Then add on the need to make and have all those systems in place all the while keeping a roof over my head and, well, yeah. Busy times.

    This isn’t over-complicating it. It’s just planning things out so, once all is up and running, I have the greatest resource of all when it comes to creating stories and sharing them: Time.

    Everything takes time. Some things take a mere minute, other things take hours or days, and the only way to have that time is do all that I’ve been doing behind the scenes here at the Central. (Speaking of behind the scenes, a new behind-the-scenes entry is going up on my Patreon this Friday. Join the journey to check it out.)

    To find out more of what it takes to keep the creative machine running, please join my free weekly newsletter, The Canister X Transmission. It’s a letter from me to you week after week. It’s a chance for all subscribers to have a common meeting point each week to take a load off, escape the stress of the world, have a read (maybe even a laugh), and just breathe after busting butt all week. It’s also a chance to bring you up to speed on all that’s happened here at the Central, things not always covered on this blog. Pull up a chair. We always have room for one more.


    📂This entry was posted in Life Newsletter Patreon Publishing Self-publishing Stuff 📎and tagged

  • Station Ident – Oct252019

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    My name is A.P. Fuchs and I’m a novelist, cartoonist, and freelancer in all things publishing. You are tuned into my blog, Canister X, my official web presence. I’ve been writing for publication since my first short story sale in 2000, and have been publishing books since 2003.

    My longstanding presence on social media includes:

    Ello
    MeWe
    Twitter
    Facebook
    Instagram
    Pinterest
    Tumblr
    LinkedIn

    My Patreon page can be found here, where I post serial novels, essays on the creative and publishing industries, what goes on behind the scenes here at Axiom-man Central, and more.

    Join me.


    📂This entry was posted in Blogging Canister X Web Stuff 📎and tagged

  • Creator Breakfast with G.M.B. Chomichuk and Jonathan Ball (Networking)

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs
    A.P. Fuchs writing by G.M.B. Chomichuk
    Sketch of A.P. Fuchs at the keyboard by G.M.B. Chomichuk

    This morning I had a wonderful breakfast at Clementine Cafe here in Winnipeg with writer/illustrator G.M.B. Chomichuk and writer/editor Jonathan Ball. And while networking wasn’t the reason I chose to see them, it was something that inevitably happened given that all three of us work in the business.

    I usually see these dudes at book signings or on the convention circuit, but since I’ve been away from events for a season, it was a pleasure to have a sit-down with them and talk shop and catch up after so long. It was also an opportunity to share work habits and pick each other’s brains over how we do things and what works and what doesn’t, tell stories, and learn a thing or two.

    Today I came away with two wins, and in order of occurrence they were: A dynamite breakfast. Had the Turkish eggs and it was brilliant. The second was a writing gig. I’ll reveal more details about that here on the blog when I’m allowed to.

    Most creators would rather be holed up in their studio or office and just work. And while that has its charm and is important in order to get things done, it’s also critical time is spent with those in the business. First and foremost, it’s a chance to simply be friends with like-minded people and realize you’re not alone in the universe regarding your creative quirks. Secondly, it might lead to opportunities to use your craft you might not otherwise have had.

    In summary, go have breakfast with other creatives when you can. It yields positive friendships and, sometimes, a job.

    Networking, man. Networking.


    📂This entry was posted in Life Self-publishing Writing 📎and tagged