ALL THINGS BLACKNESS

There are a few things I'd like to confirm for you since we get an extra day of Black History Month in 2016.  They will also apply when we go back to a 28 day February.  Also, feel free to follow links to the supporting testimony that pictures and prose below will bring you to.

Yes, BLACK LIVES MATTER and THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES so sometimes it is necessary to take to the streets and remind the world.

Yes, BLACK GIRLS ARE MAGIC.

Yes, BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL.

Yes, I fully believe in and celebrate BLACK EXCELLENCE.

The cover of the #bhm @NewYorker is all kinds of #BlackExcellence!! pic.twitter.com/T42vdpCE8Y

— eatwords drinkstars (@akamami) February 15, 2016

Yes, NATURAL HAIR IS GOOD HAIR.

Yes, WE NEED DIVERSE BOOKS.  I repeat, WE NEED DIVERSE BOOKS.

Yes, BLACK VOTES ARE CRITICAL.

Yes, BLACK COOL NEVER GOES OUT OUT STYLE.

YES, I don't care if you think I'm hotep or conscious or a cornball brotha or whatever. And it's none of my concern if you only celebrate BLACK HISTORY MONTH in February. I embrace it, and black icons such as those depicted directly above for a drop in the bucket of praiseworthy examples, 365 days per year - every year.

Blackest. Black. History. Month. Ever. pic.twitter.com/a0ja8WUIwE

— Michelle LaVaughn (@meagnacarta) February 27, 2016

Peak Blackity Blackness courtesy of Marvel and Hollywoodland

But let us never forget that long before Wakanda there was Zamunda, courtesy of a movie directed by John Landis of all people.

ICYMI - We announced Coming to America Pop!s at Toy Fair New York! https://t.co/2F7g6hecak pic.twitter.com/MnrCaP1rw1

— Funko (@OriginalFunko) February 25, 2018

By Any Means Necessary?

BEWARE: Catfished By A Fake Penguin Employee - https://www.mhpbooks.com/fake-penguin-publicist-catfishes-bloggers-to-get-reviews-for-her-own-book/

Interesting story. My take on it isn't "how dare someone catfish a book blogger!". I'm actually somewhat impressed by the scam.

— Roy Pickering (@AuthorofPatches) January 5, 2016

The scam itself did not require evil genius abilities. But the idea behind it is in line with the way I feel about many book bloggers.

— Roy Pickering (@AuthorofPatches) January 5, 2016

Namely, even though a book blogger is in essence an indie book reviewer, a great deal of them refuse to read indie authored books for review

— Roy Pickering (@AuthorofPatches) January 5, 2016

They agree to review electronic & print ARCs IF/WHEN provided by major publishers, as if those are the only books that may be any good.

Submissions guidelines on their blogs tell you flat out, don't bother to query me for a review if you're an indie author. Okay, as you wish.

— Roy Pickering (@AuthorofPatches) January 5, 2016

I'm sure that author saw such comments one too many times & said F it. Stick Penguin logo on letterhead & suddenly book is review worthy.

It's not like author was trying to trick anyone into giving rave reviews. If his book sucked presumably honest book bloggers would say so.

— Roy Pickering (@AuthorofPatches) January 5, 2016

I wouldn't do anything like that but I get why someone would be tempted. I understand that there are too many books out there to review ALL OF THEM

— Roy Pickering (@AuthorofPatches) January 5, 2016

It makes sense for a book reviewer to say "there are certain kinds of book I feel best suited to read, others that are outside of my area."

— Roy Pickering (@AuthorofPatches) January 5, 2016

So maybe you say "no erotica" or "no Christian fiction" or "or no whatever genre doesn't happen to float your particular boat". That's fair.

— Roy Pickering (@AuthorofPatches) January 5, 2016

But Big 5 Published is not a genre and neither is Indie Published. All kinds of books come from both sources & a wide range of quality also.

— Roy Pickering (@AuthorofPatches) January 5, 2016

I'll grant that there's a higher % of garbage coming from self pubbed sources. No gate keeper means everything slips in. Fair argument.

— Roy Pickering (@AuthorofPatches) January 5, 2016

So maybe blogger says "if self pubbed I need to see 1st chapter before considering for review". Books w/ typos on page 1 need not apply.

— Roy Pickering (@AuthorofPatches) January 5, 2016

Instead, many book bloggers won't give indie authors the time of day. So an author got fed up & tricked his way into some honest reviews.

— Roy Pickering (@AuthorofPatches) January 5, 2016

I wouldn't do it but I'm not knocking author's hustle either. I don't see why indie author & indie reviewer communities don't work together.

— Roy Pickering (@AuthorofPatches) January 5, 2016

I'd think bloggers may be > honest in reviews of indie books. If too critical of too many titles from Harper Collins, HC may stop sending.

— Roy Pickering (@AuthorofPatches) January 5, 2016

But if you give indie author 2 stars out of 5, you're not concerned about damaging the relationship. There is no relationship.

— Roy Pickering (@AuthorofPatches) January 5, 2016

I'm going to be querying for reviews of ARCs of novel # 2 later this year so this is stuff I need to think about and deal with.

— Roy Pickering (@AuthorofPatches) January 5, 2016

I get why so many indies work together as a collective. Review each other, promote each other. I'm more of the lone wolf type.

— Roy Pickering (@AuthorofPatches) January 5, 2016

It often takes a village no matter which publication route one ends up taking. Except when it doesn't, when a book somehow defies all odds.

— Roy Pickering (@AuthorofPatches) January 5, 2016

I envy Instagram models. They don't need a corporate stamp to get hits. Just post pics & if they look good, or if they don't, feedback comes

It's A LOT harder to get people to look at your book than at your bikini pictures.

— Roy Pickering (@AuthorofPatches) January 5, 2016

Have you begun making book reading plans for 2016? https://t.co/U2p58EeUj9 #PatchesOfGrey https://t.co/wDLmK0qLzs

— Roy Pickering (@AuthorofPatches) January 1, 2016

A Line A Day: A reading from MATTERS OF CONVENIENCE - Audio Excerpt https://t.co/J1TBRIkHy7 Publication date is creeping closer. Stay tuned.

— Roy Pickering (@AuthorofPatches) January 4, 2016

Amazon’s New Review Rules

Best of luck in 2016 and beyond to all of the writers out there who are doing all they can to live that life.