What is this about & why subscribe?

Hello! If you’re here I assume you’re either an existing fan of my work or my publishing or maybe you’re just browsing. Either way, I’m old enough to remember when the Internet was “free” and blogs were fun. I’m also dumb enough to want to keep expressing my opinions on-line. Maybe one day I’ll learn my lesson.

That said, if you enjoy my writing/perspective/books/content, then this is where I’ll be writing from now on.

I’m a writer and an indie book publisher. I started an underground publishing company in the early 2000’s and astonishingly have not quit yet. In some circles that would make me a “professional.”

I started writing and publishing on my own because traditional publishers rejected my work. I have published my own work (and the work of others), by any means necessary ever since, and always on my own terms.

That part is important.

I’ve had my work featured on radio, web, print and even television, from coast to coast and my books have reached the shelves of both traditional and independent bookstores stores, as well as select public libraries, and as teaching material in universities and both public/private schools. My books have also been the basis for more than a few dissertations.

That’s not too shabby if I do say so myself. Even still, it’s a struggle and I am unknown and #brownlisted from achieving any mainstream notoriety. Woe is the life of a writer who goes against the grain.

My publishing company is still one of only a handful of 100% Chicano owned/operated small presses in the United States.

With the collapse of traditional bookstores and with Amazon and the like, taking control of industry, I am using Substack to publish my writing in an era where fewer and fewer people read traditional print books.

After struggling with the ethics of social media for many years, I am not going to silence myself. But I am going to choose how I publish on it carefully. Welcome to the next chapter.

The important stuff

Subscribing to my newsletter as a free subscriber gets you most everything that I post here. Most of my posts are free for a few days and then they get locked behind a paywall.

There is also exclusive content that is paid only and the entire archive is paid only.

→ Note: I’m an entirely crowdfunded writer. ←

So, if you want to help support my work here, and i would hope that you do, here are some ways you can do that.

Subscribe to my Substack as a paid member!

• Pros – It’s dirt cheap and you can cancel any time. People spend this much on a coffee…so consider it buying me a cup of coffee.

• Cons – We can’t set it to pay-as-you-feel pricing; there are only a few different price ranges to choose from.

Send a one-off donation:

Send to my PayPal here

• Pros – It’s an easy way to send a one-off payment.

• Cons – The fees. But if you do this opt to send to me as a friend to avoid fees. This is a work in progress and I will update as needed.

I’m happy to answer any questions you have. This business model is a direction some of us are going in order to survive the famine era we are in for writers. It’s new and uncharted waters and I’m open to suggestions.

Thanks for being a reader.

• S/C