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  • The Canister X Transmission: Year Seven Newsletter Begins Saturday!

    CANISTER X TRANSMISSION year seven newsletter

    Yes, you heard that correctly, THE CANISTER X TRANSMISSION: YEAR SEVEN starts this Saturday! This past weekend I sent out the final issue of THE CANISTER X TRANSMISSION: THE VERY LONG YEAR SIX. It’s completed. It’s done. It’s also enother Eventual Book finished so look for the paperback and eBook editions later this year. And what’s special about the collected editions? They each contain an exclusive issue only available in the collected edition. Not shared anywhere. Just something between you and me.

    YEAR SEVEN is going to be a lot of fun. As per our usual newsletter year-switch routine, we’re changing up the format for the upcoming newsletter year again and the theme/concept is fluidity. What does that mean? The best way to find out the answer is to subscribe to my free weekly newsletter and get a free thriller e-novelette as a thank you for joining.

    Let us begin.


  • The Canister X Transmission: TinyLetter Archive About to be Gone

    The Canister X Transmission: TinyLetter Archive About to be Gone

    canister x transmission collections

    As you know, we had to change newsletter services about a month or so back since MailChimp decided to pull the plug on TinyLetter. This is the original blog post.

    MailChimp sent out a reminder email the other day to everyone using the TinyLetter service that the archive and accessibility to one’s account is going up in flames at the end of February 2024 so a person had best get going on exporting their reader list otherwise you’d have to build from the ground-up again. Fortunately, we already took care of our newsletter problem and if you’d like to join us, you can do so here.

    As for THE CANISTER X TRANSMISSION TinyLetter archive, this will only be avilable until the end of next month so if you’d like to read as many issues as you want (except for the past five or six newsletters as they were sent via MailerLite), you need to do so before then and can go here to read them. Enjoy.

    Onward.

    – APF


  • 2024 Broad-and-Loose Publishing Plans

    2024 Broad-and-Loose Publishing Plans

    2024 broad and loose publishing plans

    If you’ve read my newsletter, it was revealed that in terms of publishing focus regarding 2024, my current plan is to first see 2023 through to the end in terms of content releases and year-end fiscal wrap-up. In short, do some fun stuff and conduct some actions on the business side of things so come midnight, December 31st, 2023 will be done business-wise. So that’s where my headspace is at: 2023 see-through then, in my mind’s eye, a division line then on the other side of that line, 2024.

    2024 is currently planned publication-wise in broad blocks.

    Here’s where the headspace and planning is at as of this writing:

    Fiction:

    Late January/early February – AXIOM-MAN/CRIMSON CLOAK: SCARLET SYNERGY teamup novella release.

    Approx. June/July – AXIOM-MAN: BATTLE OF POWER TRILOGY, the final arc within the series that wraps up the first act of the overall AXIOM-MAN SAGA. These books are created back-to-back with a planned three-part cover image so when you put the books in a row, you get a full, cool image that compliments the story. At the same time, each cover of the three-part image will stand on its own.

    Non-fiction:

    March – CAUGHT IN BLACK HEADLIGHTS

    Late April or May – THE CANISTER X TRANSMISSION: THE VERY LONG YEAR SIX

    The following titles are either done or nearing completion so their specific release windows aren’t known until I analyze where each project is at and then can time it from there.

    CANADIAN SCRIBBLER: COLLECTED LETTERS OF AN UNDERGROUND WRITER Vol. 2

    GETTING DOWN AND DIGITAL: HOW TO SELF-PUBLISH YOUR BOOK 2nd Edition (updated and revised since the 1st edition’s info has become stale-dated over the years)

    Comics:

    Fall 2024 – FREDRIKUS Nos. 1 and 2 in print and eComic

    Regarding the above non-fiction, and since my focus will be 90% on fiction, the above non-fiction titles are presently “floater titles” in my head therefore to be released/peppered throughout the year. If it turns out my blocked-out timing is off or life happens in a way that legitimately alters the above plans, then all of the above non-fiction releases are subject to change release-wise, with perhaps a title or two saved for 2025.

    In short, fiction first, non-fiction second, the fiction releases being the priority.

    Since I’m such a planner-aheader, and can only think in so much detail about said ahead plans, as of right now, the loose release block schedule above is the best I can offer at this time. Timing and more concrete info will be announced once things begin to lock down.

    Lastly, the fiction focus for 2024 is superhero stuff. My last couple releases (ZOMTROPOLIS: A RECORD OF LIFE IN A DEAD CITY and GIGANTI-GATOR DEATH MACHINE: TRIPLE FEATURE) have been monsters so we’re getting back into the heroes side of this whole REALM OF HEROES AND MONSTERS thing.

    There may or may night be a couple of surprises. I have something quick planned but it involves another person and in this game, when it comes to working with others, certain allowances need to be made because sometimes things happen beyond your control and you just have to wait it out so no official announcement or projection regarding this possible project(s) until things are more solidified.

    2024 should be a good year.


  • Goodbye TinyLetter; Hello MailerLite

    Goodbye TinyLetter; Hello MailerLite

    canister x transmission collections

    Well, MailChimp pulled the plug on TinyLetter, the newsletter engine I’ve using to send THE CANISTER X TRANSMISSION for about eight years. It was a great platform because it had a simple and direct, user-friendly interface and was perfect for a text-based newsletter like mine. But, alas, all good things must come to an end, I suppose, so thanks to fellow author Bobby Nash, he turned me on to MailerLite and from there I’ll be able to continue to send out new issues of the newsletter week after week. This change, of course, will involve some link adjusting and some web design stuff since all my sites have the TinyLetter subscribe box.

    Either way, we now have a new provider and there should be no interupption in service.

    You’ll also receive a free thriller novelette upon subscribing. Goes out Saturdays.

    Goodbye, Tinyletter. Thank you for your service.

    If you’d like to be a part of THE CANISTER X TRANSMISSION while I finish getting things all set up, please email me and I’ll add you to the subscriber list. You can also use the form above. The email-me option is there in case of glitches.

    Thanks.

    – APF


  • Status Report – 110723

    status-report-110723

    Status Report – 110723:

    Patreon. That is this week’s focus. The trailer is done and is premiering at 7PM CST November 12, 2023 (this Sunday evening) on YouTube.

    There are so many cool things about this new page and as a creator I get to play around with every single one of them.

    I plan to send out THE CANISTER X TRANSMISSION as usual this Saturday then a special Patreon Announcement edition on November 13, 2023. Might want to subscribe to make sure you get it.

    As well, promotion continues for ZOMTROPOLIS: A RECORD OF LIFE IN A DEAD CITY. I placed an order with the printer over the weekend so in the next couple weeks or so there will be an unboxing video revealing it as well as the two new collected editions of THE CANISTER X TRANSMISSION and a couple other titles I need some stock for.

    Watch this space, as they say.

    But it’d be better if you subscribed. For a creator, a subscription to something they do is important. It helps in so many ways on so many levels and, best of all, it’s free. Costs you nothing other than a click.

    I should probably put out a list of free things readers and fans can do for their favorite creators for free. I know money’s tight for everybody these days and I know there are a lot of readers and supporters out there who would like to try a creator’s work but can’t for whatever reason. That’s understandable and totally valid.

    So, yeah, if you can do something for a creator that doesn’t cost you a cent, take the second or two and go ahead and do it. The support is still there, and in the arts, as cliche as it sounds, it’s not always about the money. Art is meant to be shared. Creators just ask money for it so they can buy the time they need to make it for you.

    All right, enough rambling. Time to get back to work.

    This has been your Status Report for 110723.


  • The Canister X Transmission: Good to be Back

    The Canister X Transmission thumbnail

    It’s been two issues since THE CANISTER X TRANSMISSION went on a temporary hiatus . . . for a long time. It was needed. Not so much a break from the newsletter itself, but a break from the writing world in general. But now I’m back and am feeding you words every day. Videos, too, but those are fun.

    THE CANISTER X TRANSMISSION: YEAR FOUR and THE CANISTER X TRANSMISSION: THE LONG YEAR FIVE are at the printer’s and distribution is already underway. Since it’s not fully underway, I haven’t officially launched the books, but I will. Soon.

    People might wonder, “Why should I buy these collections, even a cheap eBook, when I get them in my inbox every Saturday?” Good question and a fair one. My answer is two: 1) You get a bonus issue in each collection, one not available anywhere else so if you enjoy the newsletter, it’s something extra for you. 2) It’s a way to show support for free content. Three bucks for the eBook where all issues are in one place and you don’t need an internet connection to read them. Sort of a way of putting a few bucks in a busker’s guitar case, if you want to look at it that way.

    Anyway, more issues to come. More content to come. More [hopefully] amusing items to read.

    Besides, you get my killer clown novelette free as a thank you for subscribing. Funnily enough, the same question about the collected editions of the newsletter can be asked for THE DANCE OF MERVO AND FATHER CLOWN. But my answer is the same: Supporting free content and supporting the creator who made it for you.

    But enough about sales. It feels good to be writing THE CANISTER X TRANSMISSION again. It’s sort of a way to air out my head plus also introduce you to stuff that you might’ve missed during the week. You can read over two hundred back issues for free here.

    Speaking of which, I don’t post every video I make to my blog. Lots of shorts and reels go out during the week so to ensure you get them, head on over to YouTube or TikTok and follow along. This way you won’t miss anything video-related.

    Crap. I did it again, didn’t I? Just pitched you on something. Bad habit.

    ZOMTROPOLIS: A RECORD OF LIFE IN A DEAD CITY is about to enter the editing stage so I can make my end-of-October deadline for release. I’ve been through the book a few times already, just not the new stuff I wrote to complete it. It will be an easy edit for both myself and my editor. Then it goes into production and the cover is made and ta da! Book.

    Hope you check it out once it’s released. I’ll be making a big stink about it so you’ll probably hear about it somehow.

    Anyway, time to get back to work.

    Enjoy your day.

    One step at a time.


  • The Canister X Transmission is Returning

    The Canister X Transmission Years One and Two
    The Collected Editions of The Canister X Transmission Years One and Two

    It’s been since October 2022 since the last issue went out. That’s a long time and a lot has happened in the interim. A big part of things are some lifestyle changes I’ve been making that’s been sucking up most of my time. Now I’ve learned to manage that time better thus enabling me to get back into newsletter writing.

    If you’re a previous subscriber to THE CANISTER X TRANSMISSION, thank you, please stay on board as your regular Saturday newsletter from me is coming back to your inbox.

    If you haven’t yet subscribed, please do so. It’s free, it’s content, it’s entertaining and informative, plus you also get a free creepy novelette as a thank you for subscribing.

    Don’t delay. Get your email ready.

    Subcribe here and I’ll see you soon.

    Thanks.

    APF


  • Newsletter Invite

    If you’re already a subscriber to my weekly newsletter, THE CANISTER X TRANSMISSION, thank you. If you keep reading them, I’ll keep writing them.

    If you’re not a subscriber, why not head over to TinyLetter via the subscribe link to the right (on PC) or to this link right here on mobile and get a free weekly newsletter in your inbox each Saturday? You’ll also get a free thriller e-novelette called THE DANCE OF MERVO AND FATHER CLOWN as a thank you for subscribing.

    See you this Saturday.


  • Status Report – 091322

    status report 091322

    Status Report – 091322:

    The body and brain aren’t cooperating today. I’ve got stuff to do and things to think about and I feel like my body and mind are filled with cement.

    Thus is the life of a writer: be at the keyboard anyway.

    We’re putting the final touches on GIGANTI-GATOR DEATH MACHINE and getting it ready for press. I also have the newsletter to start and a freelance gig to do.

    We’re at the stage in book production where I’m now going to focus on releasing them one at a time instead of working on all three (GATORS, YEAR FOUR, THE LONG YEAR FIVE) at once behind the scenes. Basically what’s left to do is double check the formatting and cover checking.

    All this takes time because I’m working with a team so can’t go whole hog and do it all in a single day like the old days. Was mentioning to Melinda last night how I once heard publishing is a young man’s game. The older I get, the more I feel that. But don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.

    Off to work.

    This has been your Status Report for 091322.


  • Blogging Has Lost Its Way

    blogging has lost its way

    I discovered this link through Warren Ellis’s blog. As a paraphrase of what it’s about–though I encourage you to read it–it basically says that blogs have now been geared toward getting traffic via catchy headlines and, simply, have become a complete defeat of what blogging was meant to be, which is merely a place for someone to log their thoughts and personal items and create content of interest without getting all gimmicky about it.

    The argument put forth over at Ribbon Farm is a compelling one, especially to someone like me who hates the pursuit of money and fame and popularity. (If those things are an honest byproduct of what you do, that’s different. I’m talking about making those things one’s goal(s) as the error).

    The idea of writing a blog where, even if it had just an audience of one (me), is tantalizing. I’m very anti-establishment by nature and tend to see the strings in what people are doing (especially in the creative industry). It all comes off as so flimsy and childish. I’m not knocking my fellow creators but am talking straight to whomever this entry here at Canister X and over at Ribbon Farm speaks to. Should a person not be of interest through genuine organic efforts instead of a blatant attempt to sell a product? Shouldn’t who they are be more important than what they make? When did an inorganic object of extremely limited value replace a person whose value is limitless? Something’s not right here.

    I’ve always been partial to the random, the underground, the unique. Maybe because those are my roots and are a constant theme in my work (taking an idea and trying something new with it, consequences be damned). There has always been a soft spot in my heart for that guy or girl with an obscure blog from some other part of the world, the kind of blog you read where you don’t know if you’re the only audience member or not.

    Capitalist culture would call blogging for no one a wasted effort because it doesn’t–or is unlikely to–yield a financial result.

    This is foolish.

    Running a blog isn’t about money despite what the marketers tell you (who want you to visit their blog for information so they can sell you something).

    Blogging is about showcasing a life in thought, word, and deed. Blogging is about honesty. It’s about talking to the world about anything that interests you or is on your mind and heart.

    I might not have always succeeded, but since I’ve been back after being ill, I’ve made every effort to showcase myself and what I do and talk to you honestly through my blog entries and newsletter. Sometimes you might have enjoyed what you read, other times not. And that’s okay. I’ve been doing this long enough to know I won’t hit a chord with everyone. The magic is in the honesty. The magic lies within you, dear reader, when you commit the simple act of reading regardless of how you feel about what you’re reading. It’s the fact that you did take the time to read the words of a person you only know through a screen. And maybe that’s the secret right there? Taking the time to read the words of a person–a very real person with a physical body and mind and heart and spirit–whom you never met. Like I always say, time is the most valuable thing a person has and its wealth surpasses anything we can compare it to. The fact that a person takes that precious commodity and spends it on you is magic.

    Here at Canister X, the Realm of Heroes and Monsters, there is a certain blogging style, a way of communicating that’s in a constant state of adjustment and fine-tuning but one that has a core that has been in place long enough that you know what to expect from me. If I segue into experimental blogging styles, I hope you come along for the ride. Or I might start a new blog where I can fiddle with blogging conventions until I find a method I like and is an honest expression of myself. Time will tell.

    In the end, it does indeed dismay me that blogs are often started as business ventures versus public journals. I get the reasoning behind it, but it doesn’t sit right and that’s probably because it replaces a person with a commodity and, in the end, it’s our replacement of people for commodities that caused the world to be in the state it is currently in.