Caleb J. Ross, author of novels and surfer of internets

Novel Easter Eggs, part 1 – Metafiction eggs (Video Blog Ep 007)

April 28, 2012

Easter Eggs, you know, those hidden references in movies, books, websites, and more that aren't necessary but are damn fun in a treasure hunt sort of way. I planted a few (13 to be exact) in my newest novel, I Didn't Mean to be Kevin, not on the assumption that some reader would be thrilled by a find in one of my books, but because the concept actually worked well with the theme of the novel. The theme being that people need validation. Jackson, the narrator, validates himself as a person by telling crazy stories to strangers. I, as an author, validate myself by telling you about all the cool books I've read. Two down, eleven to go. After watching, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel to stay updated on new videos

Writer’s Block is Just an Excuse for Broken Storytelling

April 26, 2012

Just live, late, late last night, a new post over at Phil Jourdan's Slothrop blog. Writer’s block has nothing to do with motivation (if the story is working, you’ll have plenty of motivation). It has nothing to do with a weak plot (plenty of great books are weak on plot; The Great Gatsby is “guy moves into a house next to rich guy”…that’s about it). It has nothing to do with your own seemingly problematic writing environment (Chuck Palahniuk wrote Choke while bound up in a hospital bed; you aren’t allowed to complain). Most of the time writer’s block is simply your brain’s reaction to a weakness in your story. Head over to Slothrop to read the post. Leave a comment. Let Phil know how much you love the article. Maybe he will have me back. Also, as a bonus, this article can act as a glimpse of what I’ll be teaching for June’s Tallgrass…

Three books that break the rules yet still succeed (Video Blog Ep 006)

April 23, 2012

Rules are important, especially rules that govern how to write effective prose. But, in the hands of masters, those rules can be broken to great effect. I this, this newest episode of The World's First Author Video Blog, I examine how three well-known books--Brett Easton Ellis' American Psycho, Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves, and Jose Saramago's Blindness--break basic writing rules, but do so successfully. After watching, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel to stay updated on new videos

Micro-Syndication Magic: How to Annoy Many People At Once Using Social Network Syndication

April 18, 2012

The people in my head often ask me, “Caleb, how are you seemingly in so many places online at once?” The simple truth is: magic. But not everyone is born with this gift (or curse, depending on which side of the superhero spectrum I’m internally agonizing over at the time). Over the years I’ve built up a failsafe system, though, so should Cash-4-Kryptonite stores suddenly saturate my suburb, I’ve got measures in place. Here’s my method. 1. Establish a “content spring” I’m an organization nut. I need structure to survive. Online, when new social media networks materialize daily, organization can be tough. It is important to establish a “content spring,” a source from which most of your content will originate. The goal being to focus content creation efforts in a single place to avoid feeling overwhelmed by so many points of entry. In a perfect world, with perfect organization, you…

The Second Conducting: What is the Value of a Goodreads.com book giveaway? 84% had never heard of me. 34% plan on reading my books.

April 16, 2012

Does giving away your books lead to more readers, and in turn, more fans? A few weeks ago I conducted a pretty in-depth study regarding the effectiveness of a Goodreads.com book giveaway in which I found that 93% of entrants had never heard of me and 88% planned on reading my books. Couple that with 51% of entrants signing up for my email newsletter, and the giveaway was well worth the two books I sacrificed. Science must be repeatable, right? A couple of weeks ago I ended yet another giveaway. The Setup I listed a 2 copy giveaway for I Didn’t Mean to be Kevin to take place between 3/14/2012 and 3/31/2012. During this time the giveaway received a total of 378 entries. After the giveaway was closed for entries, I sent a 9 yes/no question questionnaire to 222 entrants. 156 entrants could not be sent the questionnaire, either because I know…

Writing a Book Doesn’t Make You an Author

April 14, 2012

The first of my hopefully long-running contributions to Phil Jourdan's Slothrop blog is now live. The title, Writing a Book Doesn't Make You an Author, isn't meant only to be an attention grabber, but is actually true. I know, truth, right. Here's a taste: The role of author has transformed almost as drastically as has media distribution support system. Authors can no longer be expected to simply produce content. Anyone with $10, a manuscript, and access to the internet can get a book listed on Amazon within minutes. Rather, the role of the author is to be an active, participating member of a book-loving community—by both consuming and creating content—and most importantly by legitimizing the importance of the literary community itself to those who may not be a part of it. Head over to Slothrop to read the post. Leave a comment. Let Phil know how much you love the…

The Misadventures of Stranger Willy

April 13, 2012

Laurance Kitts, creator of the brand new Slit Your Wrists Magazine, has opened up about his perversion, thanks to the courage I've displayed with my latest video blog post in which I force perverted imagery on book covers. Thank you Mr. Kitts. You are so brave. Here's Stranger Will through the eyes of Laurance Kitts. My favorite part is the penises with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles masks.