The SoapBoxers

What’s Going On?

Apr 24

kosmoUncategorized Blog news 2 Comments

We’re deep into April already.  What’s going on in Kosmo’s world?

We’re a few weeks into baseball season. This is my first year with Direct TV’s MLB Extra Innings package. I’ve been able to watch a lot of baseball, in spite of the crazy blackout situation in the state of Iowa. I also like MLB Network (not carried by my former provider) which gives me Hazel Mae’s baseball coverage without the distraction of the other sports. The “baseball mix” channel is also nice – showing action from as many as eight different games. It’s also a great way to get around blackouts (albeit by watching a tiny image of the game).  I also got into a bit of a disagreement with writer Mitch Albom about fantasy baseball a few days ago.

The audio version of The Cell Window hasn’t sold many copies yet.  However, I have made it available to some of my co-workers as a beta test.  The reviews are more positive than I would have hoped for.  At least three people have asked if I plan to lengthen the story (one going so far as to suggest that I pitch it to Hollywood, which is probably an exaggeration of the quality).  I see this as a good thing.  If people would like to see more of your story, that means they like what they see.  If they’d prefer a shorter version, that’s a bad sign.

Will I lengthen it?  I don’t know.  I’ve have to make it somewhere in the neighborhood of 7-10 times as long to be novel length, and that’s a lot to add.  My short term answer is “no, but I’ll let the idea simmer on the back burner.”

I’m going to temporarily slash the price of the audio booklet by 30%.  Yes, for the next 72 hours, the price will be $2.79.  Even better, I’ll offer a 10 day money back guarantee.  You don’t like it, you don’t pay for it!  Just respond to the order confirmation email asking for a refund.  Take the plunge – you won’t regret it.

This product is a 48 minute audio version of one of my original short stories.  The Cell Window is the tale of a voyeur, and follows the disturbingly escalating nature of his activities.    If you have ever wondered what Kosmo’s voice sounds like, this is your golden opportunity!  You can buy the audio version of The Cell Window and other items from the Hyrax Publications Store.

The Soap Boxers will be getting an infusion of estrogen in the next couple of weeks, with more articles by female writers.  I’m always tried to achieve some semblance of male/female balance, but haven’t been very successful in reaching that goal.

After a couple of months of struggling along a bit, traffic on The Soap Boxers has picked up a bit.  March traffic was about double what we had seen previously.  This was due in large part to exposure gained through a series of guest articles on other sites.  April traffic has dipped a bit, but is still the second highest month on record.  We’re still looking to grow the brand, of course, so mention us to your friends (or even your enemies).

I have made it easier for you to tip your favorite writer.  Tip as in “give money in appreciation for a well-written article”, not tip as in “overturn”.  In the author blurb at the end of each article, there will be a link to that specific writer’s tip jar at the Hyrax Publications Store.  As always, tipping remains completely optional (we promise not to spit in your internet if you don’t leave a tip) – but if you do choose to tip, it’s a bit easier now.

We’re getting to the point where The Fiction of Kosmo, Volume 4 should be produced.  I’m kicking around three ideas for the longer story right now.  Three completely different ideas with absolutely nothing in common.  I really need to settle on one of them and get writing.  I’m going to try to finish up by mid-May.  Soon, I’ll also be selecting the stories that I will include in my entry for the 2010 Iowa Short Fiction contest.  I’m happy to have enough content to be able to pick and choose the stories that will make the cut.