Video Games are Real

Tag: YouTube

  • We Play Plathitudes: Cliche Sympathy for Strange Deaths [video]

    We Play Plathitudes: Cliche Sympathy for Strange Deaths [video]


    Named for poet Sylvia Plath, who famously killed herself by sticking her head in an oven, Plathitudes is a game that involves writing fake sympathy cards for the grieving family of people who died in strange ways.

    Think of it like The Darwin Awards meets Hallmark Cards.

    Get it? Platitudes/Plathitudes? No? I hate you.

    Learn more about The Darwin Awards here

    Learn more about Sylvia Plath here

    Learn more about ovens here

  • Stress and Checklists

    Stress and Checklists

    I need to stop doing things for the sake of some intangible goal. I want the goal itself to be the doing. I want writing and video making and reading to be fun again. This video is step one toward that goal (okay, I realize that by having a “step one” I’ve already discredited my attempt to make the act itself a goal…baby steps, alright! Dammit, I’m indicating steps again!)

  • You Choose Your Free Book – 1,000 Subscriber Milestone

    You Choose Your Free Book – 1,000 Subscriber Milestone


    I’ve reached 1,000 subscribers! This is a big deal for me. For many YouTube channels 1,000 subscribers is something that happens within weeks. For me it’s taken just over 2 years. I don’t make the most accessible videos, I know. I make videos about books (strike 1) that many people have never heard of (strike 2) that tend to be longer than 1 ½ minutes (strike 3). The fact that I reached 1,000 subscribers at all is a bit of a miracle.

    To celebrate this milestone I’m doing something special. I’m giving away books. If you are a YouTuber, all you have to do is make a video for your channel that promotes my channel. Let me know when the video is posted. Then, I send you any book you want (within monetary reason; I’m not rich).

    I want to thank every one of my 1,000+ subscribers for looking forward to my videos. And I want to thank my 77,000+ viewers for watching. You have no idea how happy you make me.

  • I’ve Failed. Come Fail with Me.

    I’ve Failed. Come Fail with Me.

  • If you haven’t checked out my YouTube channel, now is a good time

    If you haven’t checked out my YouTube channel, now is a good time

    YouTube recently unveiled changes to the channel layout (again). The most potentially impacting change (aside from the visuals) is the addition of a Channel Trailer, which is simply a video that auto-plays to people who have not yet subscribed to a channel. Once you subscribe, you’re no longer susceptible to the auto-play. This sounds like more an incentive to avoid being annoyed than it is to subscribe to a channel, but who am I? Not YouTube apparently.

    Anyway, the change did motivate me to make a Channel Trailer of my own, which is something I probably should have done long ago. Check it out. This trailer summarizes my channel nicely, in just around 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Admittedly, that amount of time is practically feature-length in the world of YouTube trailers, but I’ve never been one for brevity (as evidenced by this unnecessary parenthetical statement you are currently reading).

    Click the image below to watch the trailer. Then subscribe to my channel, dammit!

    Click the image above to watch the Channel Trailer
    Click the image above to watch the Channel Trailer

  • YouTube for Authors discussed at ePublish Unum. Books and beer are both involved.

    Yesterday I had the delightful pleasure of talking with Evo Terra and Jeff Moriary of ePublish Unum‘s Books and Beer series about my efforts as a “YouTube author” (quotes unnecessary; nobody actually used the term YouTube author during the entire chat).

    We talked about how I (and other authors should probably) use YouTube not as a vehicle for pushing my books onto unwilling buyers, but as a way to showcase my personality. You know, lube the audience into acceptance. I had a ton of fun talking with these guys. After watching my video (below) be sure to check the ePublish Unum site for a ton more great author videos.

  • Watch book-related videos, win something cool.

    Watch book-related videos, win something cool.

    As I get more and more into this YouTube channel thing, I’m starting to understand more about the YouTube community. One thing I’ve noticed is that when channels hit subscriber milestones (100 subscribers, 500 subscribers, etc.) they do something special as a way to say thank you. So, I’m going to do just that.

    I currently have 75 subscribers. Once I hit 100 subscribers I am going to give something away to one randomly chosen subscriber. What will that giveaway be? Not sure yet, but I promise it will be good and it will be made by my very own hands. I generally err on the side of handmade slipcases and a copy of one of my books, but who knows, maybe I’ll do more.

    Here’s how it will work:

    1. You MUST be a subscriber to my YouTube channel.
    2. Once I hit 100 subscribers I’ll make a video outlining the giveaway details.
    3. Win a prize (or lose).

    I anticipate item #2 above will go something like this: If you are a subscriber AND you comment on the giveaway video, I’ll assign a number to your comment and use a random number generator to do the ugly work for me. Then I’ll reach out to you with the good news.

    Considering I’ll have only about 100 subscribers during the contest, your chances are damn good that you will win. Many channels with 500+ subscribers do giveaways, too.

    Also, don’t think of this as charity for me. You’ll be subscribing to get amazing weekly(ish) videos containing book reviews, book skits, and other bookish buffoonery.

    Subscribe here: http://www.youtube.com/user/calebjross

    And PLEASE, share on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and all the rest if you feel so compelled.