Quick Question About Content On Your Website

Occasionally I'll get what is essentially spam from people asking to post content on my website. I imagine most people with blogs get the same kind of thing. And I imagine most people usually just mark those emails as spam. I usually do.

Until I decided, hey, why not respond to one and see what happens?

from: Ryan Atkin <ryan@pink-dog.eu> reply-to: Ryan Atkin <ryan@pink-dog.eu> to: robert@robertswartwood.com date: Tue, Dec 23, 2014 at 6:52 AM subject: Quick question about content on your website robertswartwood.com

Hey,

I hope you don't mind me contacting you today but I just have a few quick questions,

Would you be interested in sparking up a mutually beneficial relationship with me over some content submissions for your site?

We are basically looking to place a short and sweet 500 word article on your website, with a link pointing to a page on my clients website, followed by a payment for your effort.

Let me know if you are interested and we can get things moving.

Thanks!

Ryan Atkin

Digital Outreach Agent

My response:

from: Robert Swartwood <robert@robertswartwood.com> to: Ryan Atkin <ryan@pink-dog.eu> date: Tue, Dec 23, 2014 at 2:24 PM subject: Re: Quick question about content on your website robertswartwood.com

Hi Ryan,

I'm very interested. Do you pay in Bitcoins? I require Bitcoins.

Best,

Robert

After no response (and after I remembered I had even sent the email), I decided to try again:

from: Robert Swartwood <robert@robertswartwood.com> to: Ryan Atkin <ryan@pink-dog.eu> date: Tue, Jan 6, 2015 at 3:45 PM subject: Re: Quick question about content on your website robertswartwood.com

Hi Ryan,

I haven't heard from you since your first correspondence. I'm still very interested in having a short and sweet 500 word article on my website. Of course, I prefer payment in Bitcoins. Bitcoins or Pogs. Please let me know.

Best,

Robert

And, surprisingly, still new response.

But don't worry, people -- I will get that content.

And I will get those Bitcoins.

Or Pogs.

Or Bitpogs.

Hmm. Think I just came up with a new business idea.

Let me email Ryan about putting it on other people's websites.

Books I Enjoyed In 2014

I consumed over 50 books in 2014 (I say consumed because some I read, others I listened to, but honestly, it's all the same). While I enjoyed much of what I consumed, the following is what I really enjoyed and would recommend. In no particular order other than in which it was consumed (plus how it was consumed): Novels:

  • OUT OF THE BLACK by John Rector (ebook)
  • THE BREACH by Patrick Lee (ebook)
  • GHOST COUNTRY by Patrick Lee (ebook)
  • THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE by George V. Higgins (paperback)
  • DEEP SKY by Patrick Lee (ebook)
  • GALVESTON by Nic Pizzolatto (ebook)
  • RUNNER by Patrick Lee (ebook)
  • MISSING YOU by Harlan Coben (ARC paperback)
  • AN UNTAMED STATE by Roxane Gay (ebook)
  • SAN MIGUEL by T. C. Boyle (ebook)
  • THIRD RAIL by Rory Flynn (ebook)
  • THE MARSHAL OF THE BORGO by Joseph D’Agnese (ebook)
  • THE LAST TOWN by Blake Crouch (ebook)
  • LEXICON by Max Barry (ebook)
  • BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY by Jay McInerney (ebook)
  • NEVERLAND by Douglas Clegg (ebook)

Short Stories:

  • INTERPRETER OF MALADIES by Jhumpa Lahiri (ebook)
  • THE KHMER KILL: A DOX SHORT STORY by Barry Eisler (ebook)

Audiobooks:

Fiction:

  • THE BLACK ECHO by Michael Connelly, read by Dick Hill
  • LESS THAN ZERO by Bret Easton Ellis, read by Christian Rummel
  • MR. MERCEDES by Stephen King, read by Will Patton
  • RED DRAGON by Thomas Harris, read by Alan Sklar
  • ECHO BURNING by Lee Child, read by Dick Hill

Nonfiction:

  • FLASH BOYS by Michael Lewis, read by Dylan Baker
  • SPY THE LIE: THREE FORMER CIA OFFICERS REVEAL THEIR SECRETS TO UNCLOAKING DECEPTION by Philip Houston, Susan Carnicero, Don Tennant and Michael Floyd, read by Fred Berman
  • NO PLACE TO HIDE: EDWARD SNOWDEN, THE NSA, AND THE U.S. SURVEILLANCE STATE by Glenn Greenwald, read by L. J. Ganser
  • STEVE JOBS by Walter Isaacson, read by Dylan Baker
  • PAY ANY PRICE by James Risen, read by Christopher Lane

Graphic Novels:

  • LOCKE & KEY, VOLUME 2: HEAD GAMES by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodríguez

It should be noted that I didn't read nearly as many graphic novels this year as I would have liked. In fact, I just read the one Locke & Key. I hope to fix that mistake in the coming year. Standouts include Patrick Lee, whose books I devoured as quickly as possible and whose books I will now read as soon as they come out, as well as PAY ANY PRICE by James Risen, which should be required reading for everybody.

So those were some books I enjoyed. How about you?

New Free Ebook, Plus Holiday Sale

Long time, no blog. Sorry about that. Have just been really busy, you know? Also ... I've become bored with blogging, I hate to say. It's become too much like work, and I'd rather spend that time writing. Sooooooo ... To Save Her - Different Version

To Save Her is a brand new ebook that's only available to newsletter subscribers. If you're already a subscriber, you no doubt received the ebook Seeds when you signed up. Well, now that ebook is gone. Kaput. Disappeared, never to be seen again. Just like To Save Her will eventually no longer be available, once I decide to finally release a new ebook (the plan is a new ebook every year but, well, you know how things go).

Finally, for a limited time, all of my novels (except New Avalon) are currently $2.99 on Kindle and Nook. And the ebook bundles? They're 99 cents, because I've gone and lost my mind. Also 99 cents is my collection Real Illusions. Again, lost my mind! Go grab them while they're hot, and have a great holiday.

R.I.P. Jesus Gonzalez

My good friend Jesus Gonzalez passed away this morning. He had been in the hospital for the past several weeks. I even had a chance to see him last week, and he ... did not look good. But then I heard over the weekend he was showing signs of improvement. I thought, Great! Then this morning I received a voicemail from Brian Keene. Even before listening to the voicemail I had an awful feeling I knew what the call was about. It was great knowing you, Jesus. You were the best.

Not familiar with Jesus? Read this.

Road To New Avalon

I just uploaded the final version of New Avalon to Amazon last night, so I thought it would be a good time to remind everyone that, hey, I have a new book coming out! November 15th is the big day. I'm very excited about this book, and early buzz from readers who saw early copies is quite positive.

You can pre-order the ebook on Amazon, Kobo, iTunes, and Google Play. Sorry, Nook users, Barnes & Noble is behind the times when it comes to allowing authors such as myself to do pre-orders, but don't worry -- the book will be available on November 15th.

You can mark the book as to-read on Goodreads. Speaking of which, you can enter to win a paperback copy of New Avalon on Goodreads, too!

Speaking of the paperback, I'm also taking pre-orders for signed copies. If you're interested in one, shoot me an email for more details at robert (at) robertswartwood (dot) com.