January 2023 Newsletter

Happy New Year everyone! This is Justin with our latest newsletter!

Current Events

Happy New Year everyone! We hope that the new year has started off on the right path for all of you. It's been busy around here, hence the lack of Instagram posts. Last month was a busy one with all the promotional events for Manju's Kerala Christmas. With almost 200 sales of the book since its release in April 2022, I'd say that's pretty good!

Writing Updates

I'm about two-thirds of the way through writing Shades of Resilience, but it's been tough to squeeze writing into the ever hectic schedule. You know the feeling. There's only so many hours in the day, right? We're expected to work, cook, clean, raise kids (if you have them), pick up all the toys for the billionth time (occupational hazard), all the while maintain that perfect figure with exercise, avoid sugars, McDonald's Big Macs, and whatever vice tickles your fancy.

And if that wasn't enough of a deterrent, then there's the realities of self-publishing. The biggest of which is that the author becomes responsible for every aspect of the publishing process, from editing to marketing to distribution. This can be a daunting and expensive task, especially for those who are new to the literary world. With the rise of e-books and print-on-demand technology, it's easier than ever for anyone to publish a book, making this a crowded and competitive market.

So why do it? On one hand, it provides authors with the freedom to bring their work directly to readers without having to go through the traditional publishing process. This can lead to greater control over the final product and a larger share of the profits.

Case in point is the story of Rupi Kaur, who struggled to find a publisher for her poetry collection. When she got rejected by every one, Rupi self-published the collection with her own illustrations, titled Milk and Honey. The book was such a success—due in part to her extensive and dedicated Instagram followers—that Andrew McMeel Publishing inked a deal with her. Since then, Rupi has released several collections. Andy Weir never intended on even charging for The Martian, but was essentially forced to since Amazon doesn't let you charge less than $0.99 for an eBook. He subsequently got a movie deal for the book. With Matt Damon playing the lead character. Matt Damon, folks.

Writing Inspiration

This month's source of inspiration for me has been Circles by the late-Mac Miller. It's an album that takes me back to the summer of 2020. Writing Shades has been therapeutic to say the least, unpacking all these emotions buried deep. I'll end this one with an excerpt from the book.

Chapter 16

            Ripples of water distorted the blue sky and clouds above. Sunlight shimmered in between the waves of aqua blue, and bubbles of air danced around the hand that fed them. As my head lay submerged in the kiddie pool I somehow scored on Amazon before they went out of stock, my strung-out and scorched brain struggled to usurp the body’s desire to stay put. I’ve always been drawn to the ocean, the salt in the air, that relaxing breeze, accompanied by scents of freshly prepared surf & turf. I envisioned my Kerala ancestors rowing out into the rough waters of the Arabian sea, trying their best to make a living. Their homes consisted of loosely constructed straw huts, bellies always growling for more nourishment that simply did not materialize. Yet here I was, hundreds of years later lying in a plastic kiddie pool, with all the luxuries, still wondering what it was all about. 

            I thought of all my heroes, people like Anthony Bourdain, Chris Cornell, Chester Bennington and so many, who succumbed to a death by their own hand. Then there were all the ones lost to disease or drugs, like David Bowie, Prince, Michael Jackson, and more recently, Mac Miller. My first experience with Mac was back in 2013 when he did the rap verse on Ariana Grande’s hit single, “The Way”. It wasn’t until after his overdose after consuming oxycodone laced with fentanyl that I began exploring his catalogue. 

            What a talented musician this man was and how tragic that he passed at just 26 years old, on September 7^th, 2018, the day before Elliot was born. His family/estate released Circles in the early part of 2020, which was the last album Mac recorded. It was actually intended as a continuation of Swimming, which was released a few weeks before Mac died. Circles formed the basis of where my head was in the summer of 2020. All of the people I’ve mentioned were celebrities. People that were famous and well-known throughout the world. I guarantee you can fly to a village in Indonesia and ask around if anyone knows who Michael Jackson was and you will find someone who does. But how about those we lost to COVID? My fellow healthcare workers who died on the frontlines? Beyond their families, how will society at large memorialize these heroes? These thoughts—paired with the occasional cigar and/or alcoholic beverage—all hit in the feels. 

             As the oxygen receptors in my lung sounded the final alarm, my head at last surfaced above the tepid waters. The grass was overgrown and in need of a cut, weeds had started growing through the patio pavers, and the tree which was barely hanging on from an invasive beetle infestation needed to be dealt with. A sigh and deep breath later, I turned to Elliot who was blissfully unaware. Another breeze on a hot summer day, another splash of water from a happily and thankfully oblivious toddler, and another reminder on my phone alerting me it was time to go back inside, prepare lunch, and get ready for work. Don’t trip.

Happy Writing!

Elli Twy Publishing