Hello, friends.
This week was somewhat trying at the Day Job. Not entirely surprising if you’ve read these weekly updates but it still gets under the skin. I spent a few days with headaches from clenching my jaw and suspect there’ll be more of that in the coming week or so. On the bright side, this week’s a short week! Extra short because I need to take a family sick day for an appointment.
Welcome to the 166th installment of Gauthic Times, the newsletter about my writing, my life, and sharing word about the creatives in your life. If you’re a reader who subscribes via Substack, my website, or Patreon, your encouragement helps motivate me. I’m not breaking any records but I’m thankful to have any audience.
Thank you.
Supporting creators is so important right now. As such, I would love if you became a paid-Patron on my Patreon.
Paid-Patrons get exclusive daily check-ins about works-in-progress including the actual names of my works-in-progress and not just codenames. I also show art that I do.
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The Monster in the Closet is out now! Order it here!
You can also grab my novel Echoes on the Pond, my collection Catalysts, or my novellas Alice on the Shelf and Shadowed if you haven’t already. And if you’ve read them, please consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads, and wherever else books are sold and reviewed.
You could also read the first draft of Four Moons on Patreon. It’s a werewolf story and I think it’s fun. It is a first draft, though. If you’re interested, Patrons at the $5 tier and above have access but there is also a way to buy into the whole book for $13.99. You don’t have to be a long-term Patron for that second option.
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I worked on a short story this week that I’ll try to market this weekend (or this coming week). It’s a story I wrote a few years ago that’s loosely based on the Golden State Killer, inspired by Michelle McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark and its HBO docuseries. It’s a creepy story that< I hope, takes a different look into the mind of a bad person.
I’ll be doing more market research for and preparing Project: Amusement Park. I would like to be able to put together a submission package and begin submitting the novel during April vacation in a few weeks.
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Promoting oneself is difficult. At least it is for me. Part of it the everlasting Imposter Syndrome that seems to always remind me that any good things that have happened in my writing career (or in my life in general) has been a fluke. That anything nice anyone has said about my work is because they’re just being nice. Logically, I know that’s bullshit. Writers and reviewers aren’t going to stake their reputations on kind words because they’re just being nice. They may be willing to read something because of that, but not to add their name to it unless they believe in it. The same goes for appearances. I’m by no means a regular on the promotion circuit but I’ve done enough in the last few years to have heard that I do well with them. One of the easiest ways to promote my work is through social media so I try, at least once a week, to post across the various platforms about my work. Does it work? Probably not, especially since so few people actually seem to respond to our share posts.
I’m guilty of this, too. If I shared everything the various writers I follow posted every time they posted something, my various feeds would be literally nothing but sharing books and events. But I try to share things that seem important as often as possible.
When I share a post about another creative’s work, it’s my way of trying to get the word out and help them. I know my reach is small, but I feel good doing my part to help. If we’ve met and been friendly, I’ll try to share when a person posts about their work. I know I can’t do it all, but every little bit counts, right?
Working in the small(ish) presses like I do, my books don’t always get a wide range of views or even show up in places. Because the publisher uses print-on-demand (which, frankly, all publishers should do), bookstores often won’t carry the books because they can’t return them. And if things move slowly, that hurts, too. My recent novel The Monster in the Closet is out in trade paperback as well as digital. Right now you can get the digital version everywhere ebooks are sold but you can only get the print edition through Amazon. It will eventually be available through the biggest book distributor, Ingram, to other stores who wish to order it, but after a month since publication, it’s still not there.
This means I can’t do appearances at bookstores unless they either order directly through the publisher or I buy my own book and then sell it on consignment. Now, ordering through the publisher is ideal, right? Get it right from the source!
Most brick-and-mortar stores won’t do that, though. Despite the discount they get, despite it helping everyone while also getting product, it’s one more hoop they have to jump through and they still can’t return the book if it doesn’t sell. The idea of just walking into your local bookstore and buying a Bill Gauthier book probably won’t happen unless it’s a store where I’ve done an event and they ordered copies for the event. And if the book sells out at the event? That’s it. All done. They won’t reorder it.
Sharing my posts about my books (or posts I write) is the best way to get the work out to others. Writing reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and anywhere else you can also helps immensely. Most books I end up buying and reading is because they’re recommended by others. Friends, writers, whatever. I’m not alone here.
I’m not pleading and I’m not trying to make anyone feel guilty. I just want to point out that a share of a friend’s creative enterprise can be a meaningful thing. It not only promotes them, but it also lets them know they are seen and they’re endeavor is cared about.
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I’ll be participating in an Author Fair at the Somerset Public Library in Somerset, Massachusetts, on Saturday, April 11th from 10am to 2pm. I’ll be there with my books to sell and sign. I’ll also participate in a panel discussion at 11am called “Oh, The Horror!” No, it’s not a panel about current affairs but rather horror fiction. I will likely be the one sitting there looking uncomfortable and occasionally attempting humor. In all seriousness, it should be a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to it.
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That’s this week’s newsletter. Thank you so much for subscribing, reading, and for your support. Be safe out there, friends.
If you’d like to be a part of making my dream of creating full-time a reality, become a Patron on my Patreon, which has a lot more information about my works-in-progress and the books I’ll be querying, including titles and some simple, non-spoiler details.
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Gautham: Bill Gauthier.com 
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