2021: A conquistar libreros

Como autor, hay muchos sueños que tenemos por dentro. Entre ellos está el que los lectores miren un espacio libre en su librero y digan, necesito llenarlo…y que tu nombre y tus libros sean lo primero que se les ocurra para llenar ese vacío.

Llevo 7 años publicado y en ese tiempo, he podido traer del éter al mundo 6 colecciones de poesía, 3 novelas, 1 colección de cuentos cortos, 1 colección bilingüe de cuentos cortos, poesía y ensayos, 2 libros de no-ficción y 2 libros bajo un proyecto especial llamado Blanc Comics. Aparte de esto, he podido escribir cuentos cortos y poemas que se han incluido en otras colecciones compartiendo en página con autores de alrededor del mundo y lo he logrado en inglés y español. He participado en eventos en los EE. UU. y en Puerto Rico y siempre es un placer conectar con lectores de todas las edades. 

 

Ahora que entramos en un nuevo año, son muchos los proyectos y muchas las metas que tengo como autor, creador y ser humano (incluso, algunos dirían que también soy músico así que a ver qué inventamos en el año). Lo interesante es que hay una meta central y lo es conectar. Como escritor, uno de mis grandes placeres es saber que alguien lleva uno de mis libros a leer a algún sitio, que una colección de poesía conectó con alguien en el momento correcto y que algo que salió de mí conectó con algo que reside en cada lector. Es bien bonito y he tenido un mar de bendiciones y continúo teniéndolas a diario. Sí, hay días en donde hay un poco más de letargo y la motivación no aparece ni por los centros espiritistas…ahora hay días que me siento que puedo conquistar el mundo una palabra a la vez, sea a través de mis ensayos, relatos, poemas o cada vez que dedico un libro o conecto con lectores y escritores en línea. Esa conexión me llena, da propósito y valida lo que hago sea en las redes sociales, en mis libros o en otras cosas que hago, sea para apoyar causas benéficas o ayudar a un amigo. En fin, aunque cambie la manera, lo que importa es conectar. Como estamos haciendo en este escrito. 

 

Así que sea sólo por este blog o si soy parte de tu colección de libros físicos o digitales, gracias por dejarme conectar contigo. Si has reseñado mis libros y le has contado a otros de mis ocurrencias ya sea las aventuras del agente 00 Bananas o mis libros, gracias. Luego de un año en donde vivimos tanto y tuvimos que adaptarnos constantemente, tengo tantas cosas para dar gracias y pues, lo único que quiero es tener la manera de hacerlo un poco más…o bastante más, vamos que los sueños no son para disfrutar de a poco o a medias. La vida es para vivirla, los sueños para cosecharlos y los libreros…pues para conquistarlos.

Si quieres que mis libros sean parte de tu colección, visita la tienda de Tazas y Portadas o búscame en Amazon. Vienen más inventos, más proyectos y más maneras de conectar, así que pendiente. 

 

Un fuerte abrazo y feliz 2021. 

Mis libros están de vuelta en Puerto Rico

Aunque ser autor independiente no es fácil, me llena el alma y me hace sonreír. La variedad de retos que puedes enfrentar pueden ser muchos. Dejo esa descripción así, media ambigua y en el mundo de las posibilidades porque las circunstancias pueden cambiar de caso en caso y porque la suerte puede estar contigo cuando menos te lo esperes. En mi caso, llevo siete años desde que publiqué mi primer libro y he tenido altas, bajas, medianas, retos, sorpresas, victorias, confusiones, deseo, motivación y libros… bastaaaaannnntes libros. Y varios de ellos andan de vuelta en casa. 

Llevaba mucho tiempo en dónde mis libros no estaban en librerías en Puerto Rico. Eso cambió hace unas semanas ya que aunque el año ha traído retos que ni botando, también me ha regalado bendiciones de gente que he conocido a través de las redes sociales. Entre estas personas están las dueñas de Tazas y Portadas, una tienda de libros y café ubicada en Hormigueros en la región oeste del país. Cuando me preguntaron que si me interesaría tener mis libros en su tienda, dije que claro, aunque no por desesperado. La decisión la tomé con gusto y gana porque demuestran consistentemente que tienen una visión que va alineada a quien soy como autor, ser humano y puertorriqueño. Además, su apoyo a los autores independientes locales es algo bien inusual al menos para mí y algo que no solamente apoyo igualmente, sino que aplaudo. 

 

Desde invitarme a charlas virtuales y promociones bien bonitas, hasta enviarme de los mejores mensajes de cumpleaños que te puedas imaginar, la Familia de Tazas y Portadas continuamente me demuestra su calibre como humanos a la vez que ponen dedicación, esmero y disciplina como profesionales. Como autor independiente, uno sueña con tener su libro en una librería hasta que le toca ver como el libro de uno no es necesariamente una prioridad ya que es más difícil de vender que algo por Malala, Stephen King, o Tolkien. Cosas que pasan y que incluso entiendo. Llamémosle lecciones de la vida de un autor. Sin embargo, con Tazas y Portadas, veo el toque personal en todo lo que hacen y cómo promueven a todos genuinamente. Desde los envíos que hacen, hasta los cafés que venden en la tienda (y no hablemos de las French Toast que compartieron el otro día que me dieron antojos intensos y me dio mucho sentimiento que no pueda darme la vuelta a darme el gustazo ya que ando fuera de la Isla). Para mí eso vale oro, porque mientras mucha gente sigue el gran manual de lo que se supone que sean las cosas, Tazas y Portadas lo quiere hacer a su manera, conectar contigo y no limitarse a una relación transaccional. Tienen un sentido de comunidad y compromiso y por eso estoy feliz de tener mis libros en su tienda física y online.

 

Como autor puertorriqueño, mi misión es demostrar que la literatura puertorriqueña también puede existir en inglés y que un autor cuyo primer idioma es el español puede escribir novelas, cuentos cortos, ensayos y poesía en inglés que compitan con otros escritores de los géneros que ama y los que no necesariamente se venden, promueven, ni a menudo se dejan sentir como literatura puertorriqueña. Siempre abogaré porque la gente sueñe y se tire de cabeza a lograr sus sueños. Para mí, sueño con destacarme en inglés y español y tratar a cada género como un reto para buscar y explorar dentro de los diferentes manantiales de mi alma y creatividad. Es un proceso para complacerme y conocerme y lo comparto con la ilusión de que las palabras conecten de diferentes maneras. 

 

Al momento tengo cinco títulos en Tazas y Portadas aunque si me va bien, pues puedo enviar más. Como autor independiente, mi mayor reto es que me den la oportunidad de ser parte de su librero. Sea poesía, no-ficción, ficción urbana o ficción juvenil, siempre doy lo máximo por darle alas a mi imaginación y pintar con mis palabras. Por años he querido tener el chance de conectar más con gente del Oeste y de otras partes de Puerto Rico ya que los eventos que he ido y las tiendas en donde he tenido mis libros y hecho eventos son en el Área Metro. Está nice, pero Puerto Rico es mucho más que San Juan y el Área Metro. También es importante para mí apoyar lo local y conectar con personas en la Isla al igual que en la diáspora, porque el mero hecho de recibir la correspondencia en un código postal diferente, no significa que en el teléfono de nuestro corazón, siempre se comienza marcando 787. 

 

Aquí el enlace a mis libros en su tienda online. Sea en persona o por correo, si quieres leer uno de mis libros físicamente y apoyarme a mí y un negocio local, te invito a que te des la oportunidad de que sea a través de Tazas y Portadas. 

 

Un abrazo, 

 

JD

Ciao a los 30

Si algo aprendí de mi abuelo y de mi madre es de que la edad es un número y no hay razón por la cual seguir el libreto que te tienen listo para lo que se supone que hagas o no hagas. Mi abuelo era un tipazo y la gente siempre se sorprendía de su energía, picardía, sentido de humor y lo mucho que jo$%a. Con Mama, cada vez que ella decía su edad o que era sobreviviente de cáncer, la gente se quedaba bruta. Esos ejemplos los cargo conmigo a diario. Confieso plenamente que el cambio de un año puede ser intenso y mucho más el cambio de una década. Ahora, si algo me alegra de cómo he vivido hasta el momento es que mucha gente dice, “Es que eres el mismo” aún con barba, canas y entradas en progreso. 

Como seres humanos, evolucionamos y puedo darte una LARGA lista de cosas que he ajustado en mi vida en busca de vivir más plenamente y ser un mejor yo. Mejores hábitos de comer, cuidándome después de lesiones, las introspecciones luego de un cantazo de la vida, meditación, valorando el tiempo, etc. Me queda muchísimo por aprender, ahora si algo puedo decir es que siempre he sido tan yo como puedo ser. Soy un ente un poco raro, curioso, creativo, travieso, considerado, a veces medio mal hablado aunque siempre trato de ser caballeroso y considerado y aunque tengo mis lapsos como todo ser humano, siempre trato de tomar responsabilidad por mis acciones y decisiones y de seguir adelante como se pueda. También es bien importante dar de vuelta y ayudar a otros de las maneras que se me ocurran o inventarme nuevas. 

 

Sobre este año, pues qué se puede decir de la loquera que estamos viviendo excepto de que todos estamos haciendo lo mejor posible para seguir adelante. Uso mascarilla cada vez que salgo, me lavo las manos como 50 veces al día y cada vez que llego a la casa, peolo pa’bajo, dejo la ropa en la lavadora y me baño. Ahora, aparte de eso y el hecho de que cada vez voy acelerando la transformación FULL a Monchichi porque no me he recortado, he tenido muchas sorpresas bonitas este año, aún en plena pandemia. 

Real ACTUAL picture of me

 

Entre ellas está el conectar con varios autores de Puerto Rico de un grupo de escritores de horror que conectamos gracias a Libros Eikon y otro sinnúmero de autores que he conocido a través del grupo de Ediciones Enserio y el blog de reseñas We Read. Gente buena, cool, comprometida, con gran talento y mucho corazón. He podido seguir conectando con escritores de a través del mundo y he aparecido en paneles o entrevistas en línea incluyendo Las Mañanas con Joel Rivera y una charla con otro autor boricua, Carlos Daniel. Ahora voy a aparecer en no uno sino dos podcasts, uno dirigido por una empresaria boricua, Yadira Nadal Naranjo, quien corre la página, el blog y el podcast de Gente del Encanto y un podcast de un autor canadiense, Joshua Pantalleresco. Como siempre, sigo compartiendo con mis amigos de Go Indie Now, un canal dedicado al 100% a creadores independientes alrededor del mundo y dirigido por un hermano de vida, Joe Compton. Como si eso no fuese suficiente, hoy pude tener mis libros nuevamente en una librería en Puerto Rico y doy muchísimas gracias a Tazas y Portadas por dejarme tener un cantito de mí en la Isla. Y esto es sólo una pequeña porción de la gente que agradezco por su cariño y apoyo. 

 

Aunque se comienza una nueva década, se sigue viviendo la misma vida. Las divisiones de capítulos, seasons, niveles, o lo que quieras son imaginarias. El trayecto continúa y no es una línea recta. Da vueltas, toma salidas, hay desvíos, hay rutas alternas y alrededor de .0003% del tiempo, todo va según el plan. La vida puede ser un caos y nos puede dar duro, ahora es buena y a diario reconozco el mar de bendiciones que me brinda olas de calidad. 

 

A las personas que me han seguido por años, gracias totales. Se les quiere y su apoyo me ha ayudado a sacudirme el polvo cuando me caigo y a seguir adelante. A la gente que me acaba de conocer, pues mucho gusto y espero que disfrutes de las ocurrencias de un loquillo que no tiene planes de actuar como un cuarentón. A la familia y mis amigos, los quiero y trato de dejárselos saber plenamente porque lo bueno que se desea a alguien uno nunca se lo debe quedar. Y a la gente a través del trayecto de mi vida, gracias por hacer la historia de mi vida una llena, colorida, fascinante y estoy loco por ver qué más inventamos. 

 

Un fuerte abrazo,

 

JD

Más allá de Don Quijote

Todos los días un mar de personas se lamentan que la juventud no lee, que no le importa la literatura, que los jóvenes están perdidos y se preguntan, ¿qué podemos hacer?

 

Mi primera recomendación: olvídate del Quijote o a lo mínimo dale un descanso. 

 

Hay quien diga que cómo podemos hacer tal cosa o hasta preguntar sobre qué tengo en contra del Quijote. La respuesta es que no tengo nada en contra de la obra ni su personaje principal (aunque confieso que soy más fan de Sancho). Pero no nos distraigamos. Esto no es un ataque a Don Quijote de la Mancha… es simplemente una opinión sobre lo que es el susodicho patrimonio y lo insistente que es el adoctrinamiento Quijotesco. 

 

En el 2016 fui al Congreso Internacional de la Lengua Española (CILE, por sus siglas en inglés). Fue muy memorable por varias razones, algunas positivas, como ver la palabra puertorriqueñidad reconocida por la Real Academia y el tener la oportunidad de ver a autores de diferentes nacionalidades conversando y compartiendo perspectivas fascinantes. De la misma manera, hubo algunos aspectos un poco menos positivos, incluyendo la insistencia de incluir al Quijote en cuanta obra se pueda y la falta de diversidad o disponibilidad de literatura original en español (no traducida) bajo los géneros que más me gustan. Aunque he publicado desde el 2014, llevo leyendo MUCHO antes que eso y lo hago por gusto, no porque es lo correcto, no porque me hace mejor ser humano, no porque es parte de madurar… lo hago porque me gusta y leo lo que me gusta.

 

Durante el congreso, a un sinnúmero de personas le estuvo curioso que yo estuviese allí ya que no era ni estudiante, ni profesor, ni aparentemente cumplía con el "perfil típico" de alguien que iría a un congreso de literatura. Cuando le contaba a las personas que era autor independiente y quería disfrutar de este evento, por un lado se alegraban y por otro lado me preguntaban "¿cómo podemos presentarle a los jóvenes la obra del Quijote?" Me parecía un poco peculiar la insistencia pero traté de escuchar y analizar… y aunque creo que entiendo, me parece que el problema es que otros no comprenden (o no quieren ver) la otra cara de la moneda. 

 

El valor cultural y literario de Don Quijote de la Mancha es indiscutible. A la misma vez, sería difícil contabilizar la cantidad de personas de todas las edades que conozco que detestan el Quijote y me parece que es por lo mucho que se impone. La realidad es que el sistema de educación está más enfocado en lo que los jóvenes deben leer en vez de hacer todo lo posible por nutrir ese amor por la lectura y lo mismo con todo el mundo y lo que leen. Incluso, me pregunto cuánta gente deja de leer por no poder conectar con el Quijote en escuela superior o la universidad.

 

Ciertas encuestas han preguntado no sólo que cuántos libros las personas leen al año, sino que cuándo fue la última vez que leyeron un libro. Parecerá alarmante pero la realidad es que mucha gente no lee por X o Y razón y menos son los que leen en su idioma nativo. Sobre leer en español, pues esto conlleva varios retos. Por un lado, el español de Puerto Rico, México, Argentina, España, Colombia, Perú y cualquier país latino e hispanoparlante puede ser sumamente diferente a lo que estamos acostumbrados, con mucha más variación de lo que varía el inglés de región a región. Por otro lado, si te gusta el Quijote o un drama de Isabel Allende, tienes opciones de sobra, pero si buscas el equivalente a “Harry Potter” en español… pues conoces a fondo la carencia de literatura de este tipo. 

 

Pronto traerán a la pantalla Cien Años de Soledad y esto puede abrir la puerta a muchos proyectos… pero cuando se trata de fantasía, ciencia ficción y horror, habrán autores de renombre, pero de la lengua española, nadie que conecte a nivel mundial o al menos no que yo conozca, el cual puede ser pura ignorancia de mi parte. La diversidad es buena, en las razas, en las religiones, en los lenguajes y en los géneros que escribimos y leemos. No todo el mundo le gusta Shakespeare, pero todos lo conocen. Mi pregunta es por qué lo mismo no puede aplicar a Cervantes. Hay más géneros y otras maneras de enamorar a las personas con la palabra escrita. Puede que hayan cuentos que conecten mejor con jóvenes, que les provean el escape que tanto añoran o que les inviten a volar en su imaginación. 

 

Fui a CILE y desde que salí sabía que iba a escribir esta pieza aunque tardé años en capturar las palabras. Nunca tuve la duda de la importancia de hacer un llamado a poner a un lado al Quijote no porque no valga la pena, sino porque lo estamos haciendo imposible que le den la oportunidad, porque no todo el mundo quiere (ni tiene que) leer lo mismo. Que reine la diversidad y que ampliemos los horizontes para conquistar nuevas costas e inspirar las aventuras del mañana con nuevos cuentos de nuevos autores. 

 

Un abrazo,

 

JD

For the first time ever, My first novel for free

Recently, the ever wonderful Neil Gaiman struck a negotiation to have his novel American Gods available for free online. Turns out that unlike other people with false claims, Neil kind of broke the internet or at least the NetGalley page that had American Gods available. Since then he posted an apology for the technical difficulties, though he's committed to getting that back on.

This is one of several efforts from many people who want to contribute in some way to help everyone struggling during the COVID-19 crisis and weeks upon weeks of being locked up at home doing our part to flatten the curve and ensure the safety of everyone.

So seeing this, I wanted to also offer my first novel for free for this weekend. Although one kind reviewer did compare me to a Puerto Rican Neil,  I'm clear that I'm not even in the same galaxy as he is in terms of impact. Still, some people enjoy my book and another kind reviewer recently surprised me with the above quote. To know that my writing in some way helps someone means a lot because it gives meaning to the effort I put into my works and if it helps people pass the time, then why not?

So this weekend you have Only Human free and all my other eBooks at just 99 cents, because why not? It's a time to find as many silver linings as possible and if my books represents a small happiness to readers, then I did something good and worthwhile. There's a lot to tell about what I'm working on, what will happen in the coming months, and how we can stay in touch, but for now, let's leave this post short and sweet. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me via your preferred social media platform or drop a comment on here. Always happy to read from you and be in touch.

Peace, love, and maki rolls

JD

2019 Report Card

A lot of people start off a New Year by saying stuff like, “New Year, New Me.” This type of message comes from a good place or at least a good intention of wanting to be better, do better, and focus on the good. For the last several years, the first blog post I write in a year has been my report card for the previous year where I go over all my goals and how I did with them because I see the value of looking back, seeing what I achieved, and how I did overall. I like that tradition, so here’s to keeping it up.

Another reason of why I do the report card is because it also gives me a sense of accountability. Of course I want to do better than the last year, whatever that truly means since there’s a lot to take into account in regards to what was planned and what the year threw at me… and 2019 definitely did not hold back any punches. There will be new things to go for this year, count on that… but this is still me. Not the good ole me. Not the same me. Just me on my path, evolving the best I can, committing mistakes, having successes, surprising myself, overcoming failures and disappointments, finding plenty of smiles along the way, learning as much as I can, and focusing on the path ahead. 

If this is your first time to this blog, what I do is copy and paste the goals I’d written in January of last year and comment on each part and how I did. I also give an overall assessment and dig a little deeper where I think it’s worth to explore. I don’t sugarcoat things, I do my best to own up to my mistakes, and I also do my best to recognize the victories I had, because too often we focus on the bad and forget the good. 

Last year had a lot of things happen, most notably the passing of my Mother in June. It happened near the halfway mark of 2019 but definitely shaped a lot of what happened and what I did. I traveled to Puerto Rico to be with her and give my best to her and my family. It was a hard time, but one that beyond the grief of losing a loved one, brought good things. Communication, unity, selflessness, generosity, kindness, support. Those are one word blurbs of the amazing things I was able to see while going through some of the hardest experiences in my life. Mom shall always be a pivotal part of my life because so much of who I am comes from what I learned, what she nurtured, and how free she allowed me to be in defining who and how I am. She always criticized my report cards, saying I was too harsh on myself and that I should have given myself a higher grade. But to me, I always keep it honest. If I got a B, it was a reflection of the effort I put in combined with the results I obtained. Still, let’s go over last year’s goals before seeing what my grade was.

Publishing Goals

1.Book 3 of the Human Cycle. This has been an intense write and it’s taking longer because a lot of things have changed in the development of the plot. The Human Cycle hits home deeper and more personally than probably anything else I’ll write in my life and it is shaped by what I live… so naturally, there’s a lot going into this book and it took a long while for things to settle so I could see and feel the plot clearer. 

2. Collaboration with UK author Cate Evans. This project took a small break because of what I was going through but also what Cate is going through. She’s an amazing friend through and through, someone whom I hold in the highest esteem, and as she finishes her cancer treatment, we’re both plotting for the next steps in this project. First things first though. To health and then to plotting. 

3. Daydreams Vol 2. – Wasn’t able to finish this one either… but finally getting to a point where I can freely go back into the world of Draem. 

4. Blanc Comics in book form – I was able to publish Tricks and Ladders and Raining Dead in book form. Very little movement in regards to sales, but they’re in physical form. We’ll see what I can do to get this project to the next level. 

5. Philosophy coffee table book – I love the artist responsible for the other part of this book like he was a brother, because he is a life brother… and he has a deadline of April of this year. :) 

Writing Goals

1. Poetry. I did continue writing and working on several collections and the second half of this year will bring news… and books? We’ll have to wait and see. 

2. More consistent blog writing. I wrote in the blog but this took a backseat with everything that happened last year. 

3. Story arc for 3 series. I worked on these story arcs a bit, but decided against investing too much time in this, because concentrating was quite the challenge. 

4. Historical paranormal fantasy story. Didn’t work on this and will put this in the queue after I finish other projects. 

5. Concepts for Spanish fantasy middle grade books. Still working on those Spanish books, but they’ll get done eventually lol. This is the part of the list where I chuckle at my over ambition. 

6. Contemporary comedy set within the advertising industry. Ideas have continued and it’s interesting what’s developing. VERY different from what you’ve read from me so far. But hey, if you know me, you know I’m far from a one trick pony. 

7. A special project with mom. Life has other plans and I began another project. Will do more in tribute to Mom and will also be doing more things in life to channel her spirit. 

8. My Noir Novel. Did I mention something about over ambition?

9. Greek mythology project. Read above; rinse & repeat. Lol. 

10. More songs. Actually have worked on several but the real progress will come this year… stay tuned. 

11. Book Events. I was able to participate in 2 of the 3 events I wanted. Jordan Con was a no go for 2019 but maybe 2020 is the year? We’ll see. Did participate in the Atlanta Comic Con and Puerto Rico Comic Con, which I’ve written about. I also tried to get in contact with Barnes and Noble in at least 3 ways, got the runaround and the cold shoulder, oh well. Wasn’t in the mindset to contact the other bookstores but it’s a new year. 

Other Goals

- Get more reviews. I got some… but can always use more. A LOT more. 

- Website… I shall stop making promises in the hopes I make progress lol. 

- Be on the best of year list of at least 10 people. Didn’t get on this list. No idea how to get on any sort of list. Help will be happily accepted. 

- Get nominated for something lol. Any help will also be accepted for this one. :D 

- Estrada Crates. Sold a couple but didn’t make the 12. We’ll see how I do this year but feel free to contact me to find out more about Estrada Crates or order your very own. 

- Humans 4 Humans. I did organize my activities, but among all the efforts, one came from a very honest, very organic place and became one of the highlights of my years. #BooksForMiles feels to me like it was a great success. I didn’t tally the total miles for everyone, but Brad Womack did run/walk/jog over 100 miles to win his very own Estrada Crate and at least 8 people participated. Will organize the second Books For Miles later in the year when people need a boost for the resolutions they are so keen on attacking with fervor in January :)

- Release electronic music EP. Have the tracks but still think I can improve them, hence me not releasing them. Let’s see when I can have some news on this. 

- Record and release music. Didn’t release anything… but hey, it’s a new year ;)

- Social Media. I do feel I was more organized, consistent, and did take a couple of breaks during the year. Will be doing more of this. 

All in all, it was a very busy year, there were hits, there were misses, there were challenges… as in everywhere: in work, in health, in family, in book events and sales, etc. But we got past it. We made it through.

When I was a kid or just younger and I flunked a test, mom always asked me, could I have done better? Could I have done anything else? Could I have tried harder. It was her way of letting me know that there’s always more to give… though when it comes to last year, I sincerely believe I gave it my absolute all… for her, for my family, and for myself. So Mom, it took me a while, but I made the grade… and I’m just getting started. 

Peace, love, and maki rolls

Atlanta Comic Con 2019: Lessons Learned and Fun Had

Earlier in the year I had my best show ever at the 2019 Puerto Rico Comic Con. I sold out a couple of titles, I saw a lot of familiar faces, and I also met a lot of new ones. It was good to shake off the rust before my first event stateside since I hadn’t done an event since 2017, but even then I knew my experience in one event should never be used as a realistic gauge for another, especially since these were uncharted waters. I mainly wanted to prove I could do it, do it to the best of my ability, and enjoy myself… and for the most part I did… I just didn’t sell that many books.

When you try something new, by the very nature of the situation, odds are highly in favor of you learning a thing or three. In my case, all of that held true. After Puerto Rico, I was well aware that I had to manage and lower my expectations because it was my first show stateside and I knew better than to be lulled into a false sense of security since I’m not at all that known here in the ATL. So I made sure to keep expectations “realistic” but I quickly learned that the term “realistic expectations” changes from context to context… and so do buying habits.

Card readers are a must.
If you take anything from this blog post, please take that sentence and apply it to yourself. Life, work, and several other situations had meant I was doing last minute things before the Atlanta Comic Con, which should have included buying a card reader and setting it up… which takes all of 15 minutes, if that. I did not do this until Saturday evening where lost opportunities demanded that I go to my nearest Apple store to remedy the problem. Seriously, it’s super easy and it was an oversight that cost me a couple of sales, but you live, you learn, and you keep on keeping on. A lot of people do not want to carry cash and although this sounds like a no-brainer, it’s best to repeat out loud for the people in the back not paying attention. In short, have as many sensible and secure ways to receive payment. If not, you’ll bang your head against a wall and you’ll find plenty of other challenges that you’ll have to face.
 

One of many.
In most major cities, there are quite a few large events you can attend as a vendor. People also have the same variety of options so they are selective in regards to the events they go to and what they buy at each event. Being a large city, that also means there are a LOT of vendors. Both of these factors were not unknown to me, but after one weekend, it became clear that to be successful at an event you have to do way more than just show up and know your stuff. There are so many ways to set up your booth and in the end, you have to set up in a way where you’re visible, comfortable, and in control. You also have to know how to make a sale where there isn’t one to begin with. I definitely picked up a couple of tips and pointers in regards to what I should offer and how I should offer it and I also saw quite a few things not to do, at least in my opinion. And yes, a lot of what goes into your exhibitor includes you.

Smile for the camera.
You’d be surprised how many long faces I saw at this show. Trust me, I learned how it felt like to have a bust of a show, but even so, I was always friendly, always had a smile on my face, and quickly learned that the more I enjoyed myself, the better the learning experience would be. Some people could only talk about how slow sales were and how much of a bust it had been. It’s not to say I don’t understand where they’re coming from. After all, if you drove or flew, paid for a hotel, and invested in inventory for it to not sell, then I get why you’d be upset. But for me, if you look pissed off, it’s not exactly appealing to engage you… and in a show with so many exhibitors, it’s amazingly easy to not stop at a booth with funky vibes coming from it. And speaking of funky vibes…

Be kind to people’s sense of smell.
I’ve always been of the mind that you should be pleasant to the senses in any context and one of the most important ones is the sense of smell… I won’t name names, but during the show, one or two particular booths were borderline unapproachable and I swear I’m not exaggerating. I interacted with people who were setup nearby these booths and you could see in their faces that they were struggling and even so, they were chatty, friendly, and pleasant smelling. Seriously, I wish I were exaggerating, but if onions had arm pits, I smelled a couple after they had run a 5K through a field of steamed broccoli. Fortunate for me, both of my neighbors were pretty cool, pleasant smelling, and they were actually a big part of the weekend being as fun as it was, because when it comes to events, sales are nice, but…

Connections are priceless.
When I say connections, banish the word networking from your brain, if only for a moment. That’s not what we’re talking about and although that’s also extremely nice to have, there’s nothing quite like connecting with people for real. This happened on a couple of occasions and it just goes to show that during your journey, you end up finding your tribe. On the one hand, one of my neighbors and her husband were some of the nicest people I’ve ever been next to at an event. Katie Olivia White and her husband David were all sorts of lovely, as was the quirky and awesome Proton Factories, the uniquely artistic Triple7Sp, the talented and humble lover of Hollow Knight - Studio Penpen, the super kind guys and gals at Incubator Comics, the quirky and kind Daniel Kozuh, and the nonstop JH Glaze, who gave some great pointers and support and had a solid show, to mention but a few. There were also some nice people who swung by my booth Apart from nice people, there were also some really nice surprises.

Some people DO know me.
One of the highlights of the weekend was a kind reader coming along and saying, “Oh, there you are.” They had actually looked for my booth and had kept from buying the book beforehand to buy directly from me and I happened to be their first stop. They’d also had Only Human on their wish list for some time and I can’t even begin to say how happy that made me. Sure, it was only one person that was on the lookout beforehand, but that’s one more than I had before and I’ll gladly take it. Also, by the end of the show I was referring and having people refer people to my booth. That’s because if someone is looking for a genre I don’t write in, odds are someone does and when you meet that someone, sending them over costs you nothing. This is something I do at every show and a reason why I take the first day to check out exhibitor halls. You never know who you will see that you know or who you will meet.

Lessons learned and plans to adjust.
In terms of sales, it was a slow show so I do have leftover inventory. I could see this as a failure of sorts or an invitation to get creative and if I’ve learned anything in life, it’s that it’s up to you to choose the lens with which to see what you experience. I learned a LOT during the event, but here are the top 3 lessons from my first event stateside.

1. Get a card reader! Didn’t you read above????? Lol. Seriously, it’s quick, easy, and will be invaluable.

2. Finding the right event is not about size. I chose the Atlanta Comic Con because I thought it was the most prudent choice for an event stateside. Although fun and I met nice people, I don’t think I was the right fit for this event or at least this year. Being selective means taking more risks and trying different things, but large size does not a good show guarantee.

3. Have fun. Although I’m always about having fun, on this occasion I had to learn new ways of having fun and to take it all in stride.

So here’s to having fun, learning, and keep on keeping on. If you have anything else you’d like to ask about the Atlanta Comic Con, by all means, drop a comment or contact me via Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram and I’ll be happy to answer anything you have in mind.

Here are some more pics though feel free to check the entire gallery on Facebook :D

Mi última gira de los 30

Treinta y nueve es una edad comiquísima porque muchos preguntan sobre qué se siente tener casi cuarenta y a muchos se les olvida que me queda un añito de mis 30. Y es que se siente raro hablar de los 39. Es como cuando eras nene y te preguntaban tu edad y decías seis y medio o alguna bobada así. Sin embargo, es una excelente lección para no adelantarnos a los hechos. Casi tengo 40; pero si decimos casi chocamos, eso significa que no chocamos y lo mismo aplica a la edad. 

Ya mismito, pero todavía. 

En una secuencia de años curiosos e intensos, este último no ha sido la excepción con varios eventos de vida que ciertamente marcarán dónde estoy y a dónde iré. Cuando falleció Mama en junio, el cantazo dio duro por cuan esperado haya sido. Fue un alivio por un lado y desgarrador por otro y en estos dos meses luego de su partida me he dado cuenta cuánto tiempo pasaba conectado a la chica de alguna manera u otra. Fuese un mensaje de texto, un post que le gustó y compartió, palabras de consejo y aliento con esa paciencia eterna que la caracterizaba o nuestras llamadas de la mañana y la tarde, siempre estábamos pendientes el uno del otro. Por eso la veo en tantos detallitos. Por eso me canta a través de cosas tan microscópicas, que sólo sirve para demostrar que un corazón lo ve todo, lo escucha todo… y también lo siente todo. De la misma manera, me ha enseñado mucho de quién y cómo soy, de lo que importa en mi vida y que soy la única persona responsable por asignar jerarquía e importancia a lo que vivo… y aunque nunca me gusta generalizar, en este caso me parece que sí nos aplica a todos.

Siempre he tenido momentos de introspección tratando de calmar el carnaval que hay en mi cerebro para buscar cordura en la locura y hacer lo que tanto amo. Escribir siempre me ha venido bien y hoy por hoy es esencial a mi salud emocional, mental, física y espiritual. En el último año me ha ayudado a superar un sinnúmero de cosas y a enfrentar retos de vida, incluyendo a Mama. Durante el día que falleció, estuve escribiendo algo para ella y se lo leí a la noche. También le leí poemas que he escrito y otras cosas que he publicado. Como escritor, las palabras para mí cobran múltiples significados y roles y me parece que esa relación continuará evolucionando. Siempre doy lo máximo por ser un hombre de mi palabra y un hombre de palabra, o más bien, palabras. Llevo escribiendo por años y aunque he cumplido algunos logros, todavía tengo muchas metas por cumplir, cuentos por capturar y palabras por compartir. 

De las lecciones más valiosas que he aprendido en el último año es que no importa los retos, no importa lo triste que estés y lo mucho que duelan ciertos eventos, siempre podemos sonreír, siempre podemos dar lo mejor de nosotros y siempre podemos definir cómo manejamos lo que vivimos. En algunas cosas me queda muchísimo por aprender y crecer como ser humano. En otras, estoy feliz de cómo soy más que nada porque he puesto en práctica varias cosas que aprendí de mi madre y lo que quiero que me identifique como hombre, profesional y humano. 

Mi más sincero agradecimiento por todo el cariño y todo el apoyo que me expresan continuamente. Los mensajes de felicitaciones por el cumpleaños, por cosas de los libros y los mensajes de apoyo y cariño a la familia son regalos y bendiciones al igual que las sonrisas que inspiran. Gracias por un excelente año y a ver qué más inventamos antes de la nueva década. 

Un abrazo,

JD

Three times 13 and a step away from 40

I’ve done these birthday posts for years and I think this is the hardest one to write yet. It’s not just because of what I’ve lived in the last year, it’s that I’m not sure how I want to frame it or what I want to capture. The last couple of months haven’t been exactly easy though I have gotten to know more of who I am through written and meditational introspection than possibly at any other point in my life. I think more than anything that I am able to see what’s important in life or at least in my life. Let’s not get carried away and think my opinion and my feelings apply to everyone… even if there is a chance you can agree with me here and there. 

Age is a number and although it is tied to life, experiences lived, and things we’ve gone through, it’s also an attitude and I think it doesn’t have to be a constant. For certain things, I’m a wannabe sage and it’s a miracle I don’t grow a long beard to stroke as I share whatever experiences I’ve gone through if only with the hope that it helps other people to see what they’re going through in another light and maybe find something that’ll help them make sense of the madness that is life. Then I see a banana, get an idea, and act as if I'm 13. Some people might argue I need to grow up while others giggle along and join in on the madness as I take my inner child out for frequent strolls. 

I watch cartoons, I like candy and sugary cereals, but I know the value of balancing it out with good nutrition, exercise, and tough decisions. Life isn’t one thing and requires a varied skillset to be truly enjoyed… good times or bad. Having Mom pass away two months ago wasn’t a shock in the sense of it being a surprise. We knew it could happen and unfortunately complications were able to overcome her will, which is quite something since Mom shall always be synonymous with the word perseverant and quite often seemed indomitable, yet in the end, she was human... and remarkably human at that. It was a shock in the sense of how hard it’s hit me, which is anything but a surprise.

I think about her often and it’d be disingenuous not to talk about her as I write about my birthday, since she’s the reason I’m able to celebrate a birthday in the first place. I’ve had two months to come to terms with her passing and I know it’ll take many years as I continue to understand and share how much she means to me. Yet even missing her intensely, I’m able to talk to her spirit, smile at big things and small, joke around, laugh, and live. Part of her lives on through my brothers and myself and I’m amazed at how present she is in the smallest things. When she passed away, I felt equal parts helpless child and old man. It took the weight of worrying about her and replaced it with the weight of missing her and although we could speculate about how much each weighs, I’d rather focus on the fact that I will always be happy to carry her with me.

I’m 39 and I don’t know how long I have on this Earth… but I do know I have the beauty of choice in my life, as we all do. Life is about choice and it’s never been more apparent in my life. We can zoom in on the people who disappoint us, or we can invest our time in thanking and encouraging those who bring light into our lives. We can choose to focus on what hurts and what makes us sad or we can focus on what we can do to give our best while finding as many smiles as we can on the journey. We can be anchored to a moment, a memory, a pain, or a victory, or we can keep walking, occasionally skip, frequently dance, and possibly fly. 

So here’s to flying, my friends. Thank you for the love, the laughs, and the maki rolls. To much more of what makes us smile and to sharing our best, whether the weather is fair or we dance in the storm.

Puerto Rico Comic Con 2019: Books, Smiles, and Camaraderie

I’ve been going to the Puerto Rico Comic Con since 2014 and every year has been a wonderful adventure. The first year I had one book, one poetry collection, and my Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore were handmade by my family. Every year I meet more people and the genuine enthusiasm over what I do and how I do it is fuel to keep going and giving my best. 

This year I had 13 books and sold out of two of them. I also had the best year in terms of sales, with 118 books sold over the weekend. This happened with me being away from the booth most mornings while I was with Mom at the hospital and the Captain held down the fort at the con. Throughout the event, a LOT of people came by to offer support, see if she needed some help, and always asked me how Mom was doing and shared plenty of positive vibes I passed along to her. 

Over the weekend I saw a lot of new faces, but I also saw a lot of familiar faces and all of them made me smile so much. I truly do love writing and connecting with people and if this year has taught me anything, it’s that people who go to the Puerto Rico Comic Con want to connect with you. I talked to hundreds of people, offered advice to writers of all ages, and in true me form, I dedicated each book with my awful handwriting to capture the joy I experience at an event like this. 

Every year has a particular feel to it and this year, there was a LOT of joy and kindness. People who met me were genuinely thankful for me answering all the questions they had. Then there were the people I’ve been seeing since 2014. Among the nicest things someone said was that they had missed me last year and were happy to see me back at the PRCC. That meant a lot because it validated that at least to some people, seeing me and catching up is a highlight… which it already was for me, but to know the feeling is mutual… that’s quite wonderful to be honest. 

Another highlight for me was to see that Atlantic College from Puerto Rico held a contest to choose several artists to let them have a booth there. In front of me, 6 booths in a row had young, kind, and extremely talented artists showing off their art and as a creator, it was refreshing and lovely to see them have such a solid weekend. Some were a bit shy and learned to come out of their shell during the weekend, while other young artists glowed with enthusiasm. This is the type of effort I support 100% and if anyone from Atlantic reads this, I'd love to help out any way and who knows? Maybe we can collaborate one day, but I'll write more about this in an open letter soon. 

I also saw artists from the states who had taken a gamble on this show and time after time I heard how good of a show people were having and that they made their booth and covered their expenses before the halfway mark of Saturday. Some even sold out of inventory (see the pics below). I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, fans of the Puerto Rico Comic Con are some of the best because unlike other major US cities, San Juan and Puerto Rico in general for that matter aren’t spoiled with event after event after event. In addition, since autograph sessions are pre-sold, that means people have more to spend the day (or days) that they go. 

As per usual, cosplayers were showing off their skills and my highpoint was a magical unicorn (pictured below). I stood next to her and could not find one flaw in the craftsmanship of the suit and SO MANY of the cosplayers brought their A+ game. I wasn’t able to take as many pictures as I wanted, but definitely brought a smile to our faces and the Coraline and other Mother cosplay just had me grinning from ear to ear. 

As for the books, Only Human sold out early Sunday morning as did Black Tie Affair. I am always happy every time a book title sells well and I promised a ton of people that I’ll finish the Human Cycle for next year, so hold me to that. Given to Fly also sold pretty well as well and only left a handful of copies left over and everybody loved the concept of a boy who dreams about flying. I’ve already read some new reviews from readers and that’s also something that encourages more than people know. 

In terms of quirky stories, I got the visit from Eric AKA Average Joe on Instagram, a super nice guy who blogs and shares tips on how to save money and make more money. It took a couple of attempts, but we finally met and he was a super nice guy. Also kind enough to take a couple of books and I gifted him an extra one, not because he's always on the lookout for a deal, but because he passed by not once, or twice by the booth, but five times until we connected, so it was the least I could do. 

In addition, a fellow Puerto Rican with a comedy channel on YouTube called Alex Manuel also swung by. He was actually cosplaying as the ex-governor of Puerto Rico, Ricky Roselló and even took pics and recorded a get-well video for Mom. He passed by each day and asked how she was doing and like many other people, kept in touch after the con to see how things were going. If it wasn't clear by now, I think it's obvious that the fans of the Puerto Rico Comic Con are some of the nicest and most genuine in the world and although I always get a lot of love, this particular year was very special and people outdid themselves in offering love and support. 

So all in all, it was a lovely show and even with the challenges my family was facing, we had a great show, a lot of people sent love to Mom, and we even got some videos recorded by people in character. It was a weekend full of joy, happiness, kindness, quirkiness, geekness, support, and enthusiasm. Some people might say it was even a little bananas :) I’m thankful to each and every Geekrican that passed by my booth and all my fellow writers, artists, and creators. I’m proud to know you and call you friends y los quiero de todo corazón. 

Til next we get our Geek on. 

Peace, love, and maki rolls

Ps.: for more pictures from the comic con, check my facebook page.