How NOT to Handle Trolls

Part of the fun of writing—and I hope, reading— Own the Scrawny and My Life at the Bottom of the Food Chain is delving deep into the mind of Alexander. His predicaments aren't so much a result of what happens to him, but his skewed perception of reality.

In Food Chain, he's convinced that he's prey in a sea of predators, living his life in constant fear until he decides to confront an innocent boy he imagines is the greatest bully of all.


In Own the Scrawny, Alexander's the unwilling star of an embarrassing viral video. Worse yet, he discovers that he's the target of online trolls, whose incessant ridicule in the video's comments section fills him with self-doubt. Instead of ignoring them, he decides that he needs to prove them wrong, and sets in motion a series of events that makes things much worse. He tries acting differently (fail); he tries dressing differently (fail); and even tries avoiding everyone and everything (fail again!).

Trolls insult, demean, destruct and degrade others through their comments, often hiding behind anonymous profiles. They don't often know their targets, and in fact may simply be reposting the same words over and over again. Instead of ignoring them (usually a good first step), Alexander cares about what they say.

The internet is filled with anti-troll strategies - I've collected some of them here on Pinterest. They generally suggest a few basic points:

1. The first line of defense is simply to ignore the troll. Don’t argue with them, or respond in any way.
2. If it’s in your power, delete their offending comment.
3. If you must respond, logic and friendliness in the face of viciousness is a great tactic.
4. Forget about them. Focus on those who support you; forget those who don’t.
5. Simply respond, “Haters gotta hate!”

Alexander takes a few detours before getting there, but eventually learns, as we all do, to keep the troll where he belongs, hidden and forgotten under the bridge.

High Anxiety: Closer to Publication

It's been a busy month...

As I write this, proofs of the paperback editions of both Own the Scrawny and the new edition of My Life at the Bottom of the Food Chain are on their way. I'll review, make any necessary changes, and approve for publication - probably in the next two weeks or so. I already have a few minor changes I'll need to make to Scrawny; Food Chain should be okay.

It's an anxious time. I actually sent PDF's to several people, essentially to begin the process of revealing the book to a few interested people. I've had a great reaction so far, though limited. A number of people haven't responded as yet. Naturally, my mind rushes to a negative conclusion (shades of Alexander...), but at least one person has begged off reading the PDF because it's simply not an easy way to read a book. It's awkward on an e-reader, and uncomfortable reading on a desktop, so I'll need to be patient a week or two until I can provide more traditional editions. Then, I can wait anxiously even longer for more people to finish reading the book.

I've started the process of recording the audio version of Scrawny; Food Chain is already available. I'm hoping that the Scrawny audiobook will be available on January 1st, the official release date of the book.

In a few days, I'll be starting a giveaway on Goodreads.com, getting the book into the hands of readers just before Christmas. Most other promotional efforts will wait until after the holiday.

I'm hoping to create promotional materials and a teacher's guide for Own the Scrawny, exploring the idea of online trolling. In Scrawny, Alexander takes the negative comments about him too seriously, until old and new friends lend him a better perspective For anyone—child or adult—creating online, it's important to keep that healthy perspective in face of all the negativity.

I'm also hoping to generate more of a presence for Own the Scrawny. More reviews on the retail sites and Goodreads are essential to making this effort work. If you read the book, I hope you're consider writing one (I don't require five stars!).  I also hope to encourage more YouTube review videos and interviews (and whatever else you can think of) - they would be especially helpful in getting the word out.

As usual, I'm open to your thoughts—if you do read the book, I'd be very interesting in hearing any ideas you might have to develop my marketing plan.

And yes, review copies will be available shortly...

Did you HEAR? Updates On My Publishing Empire!

Progress is being made - although it all feels like it's moving at a snail's pace, as far as I'm concerned.

In my last entry, I listed six tasks related to my upcoming and existing books. Most have already been accomplished, though I had a minor setback when the hard drive on my iMac died and some work was frozen. Luckily, once a new drive was installed and I restored the system, everything was there, just like I left it, and I was able to continue without backtracking.

The audiobook for "My Life at the Bottom of the Food Chain" is now available at Amazon.com, Audible.com, and iTunes. At around $6.00,  it's a fun, affordable way to pass a few hours on the way to grandma's for Thanksgiving!  I'll be starting work next week on the audiobook for "Own the Scrawny," which I'm hoping to have available at the same time as the book on January 1.

This week, I'll be submitting "Own the Scrawny" to begin the manufacturing process for both the paperback and ebook. Edits have been completed. We're all ready.

At the moment, I'm waiting anxiously for more of my "beta readers" to respond. So far, only one has. While I realize it takes time for people to find the time to sit down and read a book, my less logical side is driving me crazy - I'm nearly as neurotic as my main character!

One of my hopes this time around is that I can build some presence for "Own the Scrawny" even before the official publication.

If you're on Goodreads.com, I'd appreciate the favor of adding "Own the Scrawny" to your "Want to Read" list (press the green button). Between the beta readers and upcoming giveaways, I'm also hoping that there will be more than just a few reviews posted by January.

Once the manufacturing process is underway, I'm going to begin efforts to begin promoting the book, especially how it relates to the growing issue of online trolling. I'm hoping to conduct a series of interviews on the subject, so if you have a story to tell about your own experiences related to your creative work as a YouTuber, blogger or other online content creator, please let me know.

"Own the Scrawny!"

In "Own the Scrawny," my follow up novel to "My Life at the Bottom of the Food Chain," Alexander discovers that while the humiliation of being the unwilling star of a viral video is bad, the comments on the video from compete strangers are much worse. Criticized and ridiculed on everything from his behavior, to his size and his clothes, Alexander begins to wonder if he's as weird as they say, and begins a desperate, often misguided quest to prove everyone wrong.

"Own the Scrawny!" is about Alexander's struggle to believe more in himself, rather than what other people think of him. The paperback and ebook launch this fall.

Meanwhile, here's an interview I recently recorded with YouTuber OhCurt about the first book, the second book, and living in Los Angeles. We even visit my old junior high school, a primary inspiration as I wrote both books.

You can follow me on Twitter @rickflix
Please join the "My Life at the Bottom of the Food Chain" Facebook Page.
Visit my author page at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Rich-Samuels

Book Two Title Reveal (But You've Gotta Work at it!)

There are still a few months before the follow up to My Life at the Bottom of the Food Chain will have an official launch, but the time has come to reveal the title...and a few details!

First, the details: here's a short teaser:

It’s bad enough to embarrass yourself in front of your friends.

It’s worse to embarrass yourself in front of the entire school

It’s horrible if someone records your humiliation on video and posts it online.

It’s a disaster if that video goes viral...

But it’s the comments on the video that can really send you over the edge...

As for the title, I've created a word scramble (remember those?) to offer my readers an opportunity to take part in the reveal (thanks to Greg's Gourmet for the idea).

As we reveal more about the book (including the cover) in the coming months, there will be more opportunities to take part—and even win some cool book-related gear!

Complete the word scramble above (don't worry, there are instructions if you'd like to cheat!) 

 If you would like to work from a PDF, there's one here. 

For more news, follow me @rickflix

Who's the Puppet NOW?

Currently, I'm working on the follow-up to "My Life at the Bottom of the Food Chain" (which I'm calling Book Two at the moment).  The new volume will continue the story of Alexander and his friends from about where the first book left off. Like any thirteen year old, Alexander is a work in progress, and I've been interested in exploring just where his life and his quirky personality will lead him.

I wrote a fairly detailed outline of almost the entire book. I had an idea of how Alexander would react to the events in the first book, and aspects of his friendships and his relationship with his parents that I wanted to explore. I've also been reading and listening to readers, and I'm taking into account those characters and situations in which they've shown particular interest.

I had it all planned out...

Then came Alexander.

The moment i sat down and began to work on the first chapter, all of my initial plans dissolved.  In the original book I was creating a cast of characters.  In this book, they already were established.  They have likes, dislikes, good and bad habits and histories (some of which I haven't yet revealed).  I couldn't adjust character traits to suit the story; I had to discover the story through their established personalities.

Alexander is a tricky character. He's at once sympathetic and annoying. He can be both compassionate and selfish. At his heart, though, he's a good kid nearly overwhelmed with the challenges of growing up, and is struggling, like most kids, to figure out the world around him.

The great challenge in telling Alexander's story is to keep that precarious balance. He tends to over-react to events in his life, but with a motivation and intimate logic that makes perfect sense - to him. What seemed to work in the outline seemed completely implausible the moment I tried to translate outline into story.

It’s almost as if Alexander is peering over my shoulder, watching my every word and making darn sure I don’t disrespect him.

Don't let anyone tell you that characters in a story are the author's puppets.

It's the other way around.

(Currently I'm about almost a third of the way through the first draft; if Alexander doesn't interfere, Book Two might be ready by spring!)

Rich and the Niche: Marketing My Book

One of my ongoing beliefs about social media and internet commerce in general is that it should be possible, theoretically at least, to reach your perfect niche audience.  Whether you’re a musician, filmmaker, writer, or simple have the ideal invention, you have access to that special group that would like exactly what you have to offer.

My Appearance on "Connie Martinson Talks Books"

Of course, that doesn’t mean that the task of reaching that niche is a simple one.

“My Life at the Bottom of the Food Chain” has given me a tangible product - something that I can offer to the world at large. It’s not a proposed project, a partially completed project, or a concept.  It’s a book that available now through the tradtional channels.  Nearly anyone in the world can read my book in ebook or paperback formats, thanks to online retail sites.

The challenge, as a first time author, has been to generate awareness, and I’ve had some moderate success in that area since I released the book earlier this year.

As of this writing, I’ve enjoyed six reviews on Amazon, and five on Goodreads - along with a total of eleven ratings on Goodreads, as well.  I’d like to see more.  I also enjoyed a couple of good YouTube reviews, too.

I was interviewed on “Connie Martinson Talks Books,” a longtime book review and interview program that is available both on cable and on YouTube.  The opportunity to appear on a program that has also featured some of the most noted writers of the last thirty years is a great morale-booster.  

I’ve generated online press releases related to the book, which primarily has served to generate an increased web presence.  I haven’t actually detected many new stories that have evolved from these releases, however.

Sales have been steady, though nothing close to potential. 

What do I need to do?

I haven’t, by any means, exhausted all of the various tools and avenues that indie authors follow; as a first time author, I’m learning these skills as I forge ahead.  I’m only now exploring certain concepts, such as the “blog tour,” which allows authors to appear as “guests” on other blogs (either as writer or interviewee).  I’d like to explore the possibility of taking part in a reading of my book.

I’m looking for tie-in possibilities.   Though the book is a comedy, it’s offers a fresh take on the very current topic of bullying.  Alexander’s fear of bullying almost leads him to become a bully himself.  I’m looking for opportunities to build on that concept.  Some mental illness professionals and teachers have also indicated interest in the book’s message of tolerance.

Finally I need to keep writing. Establishing a presence as an author, and building interest in what I do, requires that I forge ahead.  Unbiased reaction to “Food Chain” has been good, and I’’m encouraged.  I’m already at work at the second book in this series, and have another, separate concept in the works after that.  This is a life-long ambition, and I remain excited to see how far I can carry it.

Your suggestions, as always, are appreciated.

Taking the Leap: Publishing My First Book

Please "Like" the Facebook Page 

A short time ago, I launched the Facebook page for "My Life at the Bottom of the Food Chain," a novel I've been working on since early last year.  It's the story of thirteen year-old Alexander and his outrageous fears of daily life in middle school.  His fears of what might happen spiral out of control, until he feels compelled to confront a boy he perceives to be his arch-enemy.  It's a fun little novel that's had an eight year evolution that began with a few casual comic drawings and an award-winning (but unproduced) screenplay.  It's also my first novel, and so fulfills a life-long ambition.  With the help of my editor / proofreader (in the guise of my niece, who does that sort of thing for a living), I'm almost ready to send Alexander out into the world.

Aside from the not-inconsequential task of actually writing the novel, it's become relatively easy to self-publish these days. Amazon, Barnes and Noble's Nook and Apple's iBook are becoming more and more widespread, and the pathway to preparing a book for publication is relatively straightforward - even more so when using one of several low-cost services that specialize in physically preparing works for those devices.  Createspace, Amazon.com service that currently offers my documentary Bollywood Steps both as a physical DVD and on-demand video, also provides a similar service for paperback books.  Amazon manufactures books on demand as consumers order them.  My costs, depending upon the services I chose, can range from nothing to several hundred dollars. For a minor expense, my work is available to the world.

In recent years, self-publishing is less seen as so-called "vanity publishing" as a legitimate pathway to a potential audience.  It still takes quality work, word of mouth, and a bit of creative marketing  - but it no longer requires the approval of  a "gatekeeper."

Don't get me wrong.  I wouldn't mind someday achieving the still valuable legitimacy of being distributed by a mainstream publisher.  At the same time, I'm not willing to shop around a manuscript for untold years when I can reach my intended audience directly.  

I don’t care how old or how young you are - life is too short not to take a leap of faith.  We’re living in the age of the entrepreneur - nothing is stopping us from at least giving it a try.

Naturally, I'm a bit anxious to see how this will all unfold - and if I can, in fact, reach the young audience I believe would most enjoy the book.  Will ten people read it?  One Hundred?  One Thousand?  Have I done my job as a writer? As a marketer?  It's a great, exciting challenge.

"Food Chain" is part of a broader effort I’ve undertaken to discover how I might better employ social media to achieve my personal and professional goals.  I'll assess how that effort is moving along in my next blog.