Contrary to popular belief that steampunk is dead, and thinking that maybe you missed the recent announcement on The Shared Desk or the Ministry website, I wanted to bring the news and the official launch date for the next project from Imagine That! Studios…

10 April 2012

I will be kicking off the new season of steampunk fiction with “Sins of the Father” where, due to popular demand, we get a peek into  Wellington Books’ past. Then, every alternate Tuesday following Season 2′s premiere, original stories from the Ministry of Peculiar occurrences will premiere, featuring the writing stylings of …

• P.J. Schnyder
• J.R. Blackwell
•  J.R. Murdock
• Shaun Farrell
• Doc Coleman
• Alyson Grauer
• Thomas Wilford

…and many others. With the ideas and stories submitted, including two winners from SpecFicNZ’s writing contest, Pip and I are really excited about what we got coming in 2012. Return with us  to the Archives for untold podcast stories from the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences.

Enjoy the ride.

So, I’m all rested up and recovered from an amazing weekend at the Steampunk World’s Fair (review in the works). What’s next?

Why, another con appearance, of course…

Concluding The Ministry MAY-hem Tour (at least, this part of it) is an old favorite of mine — BALTICON. It was nearly ten years ago when I first arrived at this event with Morevi.  I looked something like this back then…

This was before the time of facial hair, before the days of podcasting, before the days of Facebook, Twitter, and Social Media. Right now, I’d love to go up to that guy and say “You have no idea what’s in store for you, bro.”

What a long strange trip it has been. And with the premiere of Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel, it may just get a wee-bit stranger at Balticon 45 as tea parties, time traveling dances, rock-and-roll courtesy of Ditched by Kate, and panels-panels-panels are all in store! Here’s my schedule for the next few days…

FRIDAY
New Independent Voices in New Media — 6:00pm, Chesapeake
(New Media GoH, Pip Ballantine will be taking my place on the “Alien Sex: What Could Go Wrong?” panel at 9:00pm)

SATURDAY
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Tea Party & Book Launch — 3:00 pm, Chesapeake

REMINDER: At the Ministry tea party we are giving away prizes, including a Catherinette steampunk ring AND a Dr. Grordbort signet ring. Constellation Books will be there to sell books, and we will provide tea and cookies!

Antigone’s Wrath LIVE — 4:00pm, Salon D
Low Budget Filmmaking — 9:00pm, Chesapeake

SUNDAY
Metamor City LIVE — 5:00pm, Chesapeake
The Time Traveler’s Ball (serving as DeeJay PirateBoy) — 10pm-1am, Garden Suite

MONDAY
Networking Vs. Platform — 10:00am, Salon C
The Shrinking Man Project LIVE — 1:00pm, Derby

The schedule is subject to change (in case of invites to join other panels), but now you know where to find both Pip Ballantine and myself. Don’t be a stranger — say hi, buy a book, and get your geek on at Balticon!

Hey, everyone!

You might have heard about this on Twitter last week when Pip and I premiered the first episode of our anthology podcast (more on that in a moment), there is a pretty strong showing of steampunk on Twitter, and one writer in particular started up a movement that have become a weekly event I always look forward to on Twitter.

Meet Nancy Overbury, the creator of #SteamTuesday on Twitter.

Nancy is a graphic designer and artist located in Montreal, Canada, and has nursed over the past few years a passion for steampunk. She promotes on Twitter a variety of  links — literature, film, art, fashion, music — you name it! If it’s steampunk and she hasn’t mentioned it on Twitter, you’ll find it on her blog.

So when Pip and I were trying to figure out when we wanted to drop episodes of Tales from the Archives, I immediately thought of Nancy’s special day on Twitter dedicated to steam, gears, and cog. Last week, the first episode “The Evil that Befell Samson” written by Pip Ballantine, went live:

It is revealed just how Miss Braun ended up being exiled from her native country, New Zealand, and working for the Ministry in its London Offices. It’s a tale of nefarious doings, stalwart ladies, and the sound of clockwork.

With original theme music composed and created by Alex White, Tales from the Archives will be featuring original steampunk short stories from these talented authors:

• O.M. Grey of Avalon Revisited
• P.C. Haring of Cybrosis
• Starla Huchton of The Dreamer’s Thread
• Helen H. Madden of Heat Flash
• Phil Rossi of Eden and Harvey
• Chooch Schubert of Chronicles of the Order:“The Destruction of Station One”
• Jack Mangan author of Spherical Tomi
• Nathan Lowell of Trader’s Tales: The Golden Age of the Solar Clipper
• Valerie Griswold-Ford of The Apocalypse Cycle
• Grant Stone, Sir Julius Vogel winner for numerous short stories

You can subscribe on iTunes (and leave us a review there) or with your podcatcher of choice at the Ministry website. If you hear a short story you particularly like, go on and feel free to syndicate it on your own blog or podcast.

And make sure when you are on Twitter, give Nancy a tweet and consider tracking the #SteamTuesday for some incredible finds out there in the aetherwebs!

I never like seeing friends stressed out. Whether it is intensely stressed out or just out of their groove, it just kills me. It is amplified more when I feel the bumpy ride of Life’s rougher patches. Last week, snapping back from what can only be described as an “emotionally charged night” between me and the World, I read up on a writer and friend I admire and hold dear. Turns out he was also hitting a rough patch of road.

Phil Rossi, the multitalented man with the flowing hair of awesome, began a series of posts called “Paralysis.” He’s working through a writer’s dry spell; and in “Part I: Stranded,” he went “All In” like the rock-and-roll badass that he is:

“Another truth–I’ve never been in this place before. I don’t recognize the countryside.  The air here is different—heavy and overwhelming. Talk about a wrong turn. In the past, I’ve been able to work through any creative block. This is different.”

It was in this passage from the second posting in this series entitled “Part II: Patience” where I felt like I clicked with Phil on the raw fear now gnawing away at him:

“The journey easily becomes a desolate stretch of road, the destination coming no closer, when faced with daily emails wondering about when the next piece of fiction will drop and having no good answer or while watching idly as peers put out new material every other day (or so some day it seems).

When did any of that start to matter? At some point, it didn’t even exist.”

The troubadour of the tight jeans and cowboy boots is right. When did any of this — the comparisons, the results, the numbers — matter? When did all that come into play?

For me, it came into play when this story Pip and I wrote together, sold. First here. Then overseas.

Getting published isn’t the hard part. It’s living up to the hype.

There’s a lot riding on Phoenix Rising. At least, that’s what I’m seeing. The book hasn’t sold a single copy, and yet we’ve made back our advance. How? International sales. Australia and New Zealand. Germany. Russia. Everyone—even our super-agent—is floored by this; and we are thrilled. While this momentum is building, Pip and I are still working the marketing angles. We have been building up our modest Twitter account for Agents Books and Braun, running #SteamTuesday tweets, the odd steampunk article or three, and dropping teasers for both Phoenix Rising and the sequel in the works, Of Cogs and Corsets. We also have the Tales from the Archives podcast that launched last week, and a green light from the publisher to shoot a book trailer. Then starting in April, Pip and I hit blogs and podcasts, ramping up the following month with Ministry May-hem. (See what we did there?) That’s when we hit the road.

As the clock on the Ministry website continues to count down, a news story concerning a new publishing sensation reached my ears, and I found it a little hard to believe. I thought it was nothing more than eBook hype and propaganda. Being the librarian with the Black Belt of research fu, though, Pip pulled up the video…

Amanda Hocking’s story is pretty astounding when you look at it objectively. For pennies compared to what I have invested into my own writing career, Hocking has sold a staggering number of digital books. 900,000 and climbing. She has become a juggernaut of literature in less than a year, and reached that point in her press where she is debunking a few myths of her amazing ride. I admire that.

But on seeing the clip, I went on a rant in front of Pip. A rant you will never hear and never read. Safe to say, I didn’t react well to it. At all.

The odd thing about this rant was is I couldn’t pin down what I was feeling. I wasn’t angry at Pip. (Obviously.) I wasn’t angry at Amanda Hocking. (Jealous? Yeah, okay, maybe. Just a bit.) I was angry at something, I knew that. (Check…although furniture kicking never occurred. At least, on this instance.)

After spewing out this private rant, I dropped back into my chair and attempted to return to my work-in-progress, drained of any motivation and inspiration to write. Completely. I snapped, “What’s the point? Why the hell do I even bother?”

That was when Pip said it: “You can’t give up. You’re not allowed.”

Then it hit. And it’s still hitting me. I figured out why I was so angry…I’m scared.

I’m scared that Ministry won’t go the way people are telling me it will go. I’m scared the book will hit the shelves and people will hate it. I’m scared that I’ve got all these great ideas, but I’ll suddenly find myself unable to get beyond the pitch. I’m scared of losing that ability to write. I’m also scared with the international sales already set, Ministry is going to fall short of everyone’s expectations.

But what Amanda Hocking triggered was a fear that I’ve always thought has loomed over my writing career: I’m scared that I’m doing something wrong.

At least, that’s what my head is telling me.

I understand what Pip meant though. I’m not allowed to give up. Neither is Phil. We still have stories to tell. We have audio to engineer. For guys like us (and anyone driven by passions of a creative nature), the rules no longer apply. No matter how bad it may seem, we’re not allowed to give up. Onward. Always.

This fear isn’t a bad thing. It’s good. It keeps me focused and driven. I know that when I’m the most terrified, I’m sharp. My heart pounds like a jack rabbit before a speaking event, before a panel discussion, and when introducing myself at the beginning of a workshop. I know that I’m alive, and every rapid pound in my chest reminds me that I have earned the right to be here and it’s time for my “A” game. If I didn’t want to take a chance, if I didn’t believe in what I create, if I doubted my skill and talent, then I could find contentment in writing stories and keeping them to myself. I have chosen a path that agents, editors, and publisher have all told me few undertake. The fear is my acknowledgement of a challenge before me, and I am ready to face it.

Speaking of facing those demons, I understand Phil’s writing again.

“I was rewarded with the start of what could be a very tasty short piece of fiction and the knowledge that, yes, I can do this.   We are defined largely by our own perception. If I think I can’t write, then I’m not going to be able to do it.  If I consider myself capabable of telling a good tale, then that’s just what’ll happen.  Belief is a powerful thing.

And in this case, I’d say it’s magic.”

I found out this weekend it was his idea for Tales from the Archives that has got his butt back in the chair. Inspiration. Kind of like how his earlier blogposts inspired this posting.

In a perfect world, I believe that how we should be to each other: inspiring. That really is, as Queen once put it, a kind of magic.

UPDATE: When this post went live, Lou Anders of Pyr Books pointed people in his Facebook feed to Amanda’s blog. In her March 3 blogpost “Some Things that Need to Be Said,” Amanda goes even deeper into her success and some of the misconceptions and bold assumptions people are making. She also offers her own observations of being a self-published author versus a traditional press published author, and she pulls no punches:

“Self-publishing and traditional publishing really aren’t that different. One is easier to get into but harder to maintain. But neither come with guarantees. Some books will sell, some won’t.”

Before you get on the “Who Needs Traditional Publishing?” bandwagon, you will want to read this heartfelt and brutally honest posting from one of digital publishing’s success stories.

And to you, Amanda, I say “Kia Kaha! Now get your butt back in that chair and write!”

At the end of 2009, I was invited by The Chef to return to the Erotica ala Carte kitchens for another round of saucy, spicy fun. My menu items on this go-round were:

• Female P.O.V.
• Time travel
• Artificial Intelligence
• Leather and Lace

The end result was “Dagger of the Mind” and my return to podcasting fiction. In light of so much talk and controversy concerning it and coupled with the way my year has been, I have been ready — so very ready — to do this.

But be warned…this story goes dark. WAY dark. Darker than I imagined I could ever go in my writing. This is not safe for work, kids, queasy dispositions, or those new to Pip’s podcast. I’d recommend working up to this one by listening to early episodes, and then having a listen to what the Chef describes as “the darkest we have ever gone…”

Something terrible is in Anna’s mind. Something alien that uses desire as a whip, but is it trying to drive her mad or is something even more nefarious going on?

This is my return to writing, and I can’t thank Pip enough for being my Muse (or Swift-Kick-in-the-Pants, whichever you prefer) in this setting. This story has been receiving a lot of traffic on Twitter, and I’ve been pretty humbled by the reactions. The inspiration behind this stems from one of my favorite movies of all time — Time After Time. (It’s on my AppleTV Wish List.) The film marked the directorial debut of Nicholas Meyer (who went on to direct Star Trek II and VI), and stars a young Malcolm McDowell as H.G. Wells and a young David Warner as Dr. John Leslie Stevenson whom we find out later is Jack the Ripper. I love time travel stories, but this one stands out as a favorite. I also wanted to try something different, something the EalC Kitchens had never seen before. I went into fetishes that haven remained unexplored, and then there was the Horror angle I dedicated in following. I was told in one harsh critique that “Horror and erotica simply do not mix…”

Someone didn’t tell Clive Barker that. Twisted as it is, Hellraiser is an incredibly sensual, erotic work. (And yes, terrifying.)

What has surprised me the most about this short story is that, for the first time as a writer, I’m discovering the possibilities. This world, these characters, and this situation are far from done. I’m thinking I may have my first erotic thriller in the works, and I am thrilled at where my ideas are leading me.

Oh my Muse, you are the dark, delicious, and saucy temptress…

And while people have been talking about it, I should point out that both my Erotica ala Carte dishes are eligible for the 2010 Parsec Awards. So if it hasn’t happened already please consider nominating:

• “Release Me” for Best Speculative Fiction (Short Form)
• “Dagger of the Mind” for Best Audio Drama (Short Form)
• Erotica ala Carte for Best Anthology Magazine

If you shared your thoughts (good or bad) concerning my “Erotica ala Dark” on Twitter, thank you! Feel free to leave comments here, or go to the Erotica ala Carte site and share your review with the Head Chef.

And feel free to share this twisted tale on your own blog….if you dare….

I’m not the biggest fan of April Fool’s Day. Never have been. The history behind April Fool’s Day is quite cool, but that’s about it. I don’t like pranks played upon me and playing pranks on others I’m not too crazy about. (I do remember one prank, though, where a college suitemate covered another suitemate’s doorway with newspaper. Guy opens the door and sees a wall of headlines staring back at them. I had a hand in that, and that was funny. Not to mention, harmless.) April 1st Is also crappy when you have to report news or stay on top of current events, and too many news outlets now think it’s “fun” to throw in gag stories. And now, on Twitter, tweetpranks are running amuck.

Yes, I hate April Fool’s Day.

I hate it all the more as one of my best friends, Joe Murphy, passed away on this day in 2007.

Every year, Jack and I ask that you remember our fallen friend, Joe Murphy. From the reaction on Facebook to my profile picture already (only posted an hour ago, and Robin Hudson, Marc Bailey, and Robert Goshko suggest Root Beers to be drank in his honor), the Community keeps Joe in their minds and hearts.

For those of you new to podcasting, you might have missed the audio wit and always-clever banter of my friend, Joe Murphy. He was (and still is) an amazing guy, his voice now part of the history of such podcasts, as Wingin’ It, Slice of SciFi, The Kick Ass Mystic Ninjas, and the award-winning The Case of the Singing Sword: A Billibub Baddings Mystery. He was taken from us too soon, and on April 1 we remember him.

I got to see Joe a month before he died, and it was hard. He was sick. You couldn’t deny that. On April 1, I remember my friend, Joe, in memories like the one I have posted above. I remember his banter against Michael, Evo, and the crew of the original Wingin’ It. I remember his loyalty. He pushed me to be a better writer, and he never pulled punches on how I carried myself, both as a writer and as a person. This is how I remember Joe. A smile that can turn around a bad day. An honest opinion that you could grow from. He was an amazing guy, and I miss him terribly.

Please syndicate this tribute show (originally produced in 2008 as part of the Give Us a Minute podcast.) through your feeds, blog about Joe Murphy, tell a friend today about Joe, show your support in an avatar change (be it a picture of Joe or a candle in remembrance), and let the Community know that you also remember Joe.

I’m starting to get my groove back (like Stella) in producing ideas, writing (seriously), podcasting, and playing with Sonic Boom. This road has been difficult (and no kidding, a blogpost is written, but I am not ready to drop it just yet. Bear with me…), but I’m taking everything one step at a time, one day at a time…

One of those positive steps is getting back into the interview circuit. Recently, Que Publishing contacted me concerning All a Twitter. The book is being featured again in Barnes & Noble Bookstores everywhere, and Que is hoping to get the first Twitter guide written from a user’s perspective (and when my byline says “written by Tee Morris” it means it!) into new readers’ hands. They asked me “Whatever you can do to get the word out…” and so I sent out a query to my Twitter networks.

Meet Michele Price. She queried me before I tweeted!

Michele is the host of Breakthrough Business, and on her BlogTalkRadio show we talk about Twitter, about my job at Intersections Inc, and about approaches that go against the grain of the marketing books. We talk about how “old school marketing” just doesn’t work with Social Media, and how businesses need to understand that Twitter (and Social Media, on a whole) is about people.

We had a blast on this interview, and there are more slated for the month. The geekier ones I’ll feature here, but if you want to hear more about the Social Media, take a trip to Imagine That! Studios for the full blogosphere-podosphere interview tour!

The day after the Great #Snowpocalypse of 2009, I felt the walls closing in a bit…and the twins inviting me to play with them really wasn’t helping. Fortunately, saving the day was Peter Cox all the way from Central London when he rearranged his schedule to sit down, open up the mics, and talk with me about podcast fiction. Seems that Litopia has opened a floodgate in talking about podcasting, Social Media, and the modern writer, and Peter wanted to sit down with the guy that started it all.

If you don’t know Litopia, you should. Lipopia is  run by writers for writers. It’s a podcast, it’s a blog, it’s a forum. It’s an inside look and a behind-the-scenes look at the publishing industry, and what was supposed to be a fifteen minute podcast…well, we went a little longer…

Enjoy this bit of time travel through the history of podcast fiction, and looking at the present day and possible tomorrows of Social Media in the publishing industry.

Listen. Comment (here and at Litopia). Share.

I admit that my blog (both of them) have been a bit quiet since taking on the Day Job and working through a busy October, but hopefully this sneak peek at what I’ve been up to will make my pockets of quiet worthwhile.

Recorded before a live audience at World Fantasy Convention, award-winning podcaster and award-nominated author Philippa Ballantine and I unveiled (with the blessings of our agent) our work-in-progress now working its way through submissions: Books & Braun, our Steampunk take on The Avengers. This is the first time that we have revealed to the public any selections from the work (apart from the odd quotes and teasers in our respective tweet streams), and we had a blast with this presentation. Our plan is to eventually podcast it in this fashion: Pip and I supplying the respective narration, a “few” (HA!) production elements, a musical score, and artwork featured by Carrie Seidman. We hope you enjoy this listen at what we have cooking in the creative kitchen.

BLOGGERS & PODCASTERS: We are releasing this reading under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Both Pip and I encourage you to syndicate this episode and point your subscribers to this endeavor of ours. We also would love to hear your feedback on this preview both here and at Pip’s website. Thank you for giving us a bit of space on your mp3 player of choice, and we will keep you posted on what happens with our daring duo from the clandestine organization that is The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences.

October is going to be one incredible month. There’s my appearance at Blogworld in Las Vegas. There’s an impromptu meeting (with my agent!) at the World Fantasy Convention. I’m aging like a fine single malt (as in, my 41st birthday is coming up)…

…and Gail Carriger’s Soulless is coming out, so I’d better pick up a corset lest my sides will split!

I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Gail Carriger (who made such a great first impression, she will be my first ever guest blogger here…) on my journey back from Aotearoa. She is of a sharp wit, extremely geek chic (whoofah!), and very straight-up in how she approaches you. Gail is also the next big thing in comedy Science Fiction. As Douglas Adams turned the genre on its ear with The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Gail will be doing the same thing with steampunk in Soulless. This is the inaugural adventure of Alexia Tarabotti, an independently-minded Victorian lady-of-manners born without a soul and a penchant for trouble. Part Buffy the Vampire Slayer and part The Importance of Being Earnest, Soulless promises to be a ripping good yarn! Gail and the creative people at Artistic Whispers have put together this preview. While it does not look like it will be podcast, this sample is being made available to one and all. Thanks, Gail!

And if you are at World Fantasy in October, join us for “High Tea with Alexia Tarabotti” which will serve as the official launch of Soulless.

I’m not sure how this idea came about, but I’m going to give credit to the Queen of Social Media Comedy Chrisitana Ellis. The two of us collaborated on this skit first podcast on the original release of The Rookie, my favorite of Sigler’s works. Scott is re-casting his football Science Fiction epic, and Christiana has dropped in her feed our tribute to his gritty, galactic grid iron world.

So what is featured in “The Takeover”? Along with The Rookie, Christiana and I manage to tip our petypalups to…

• Firefly/Serenity
• Battlestar Galactica
• Farscape

We also show that some things are timeless and universal, transcending light years and alien races. And listen to Sandra’s ringtone.

I’ve done a few fun sketches, both for Christiana, for other podcasts, and myself. This one is a favorite. Enjoy!

In this picture are two people that I hold very dear in my life. One of them is my daughter. I will let you try and figure which one of them is her…

The other “bloke” is Martyn Casserly, a journalist, an accomplished musician, and now he is an award-nominated podcaster with his one-minute Movie Mantras podcast. (Martyn is also a dad and a good mate to boot…although his opinions concerning the new Craig-Bond films and recent Doctor Who are completely wrong, but I digress…) With the many endeavors he had going, Martyn approached me this Spring to talk about an article he was penning on podcast authors. He was optimistic that Wired Magazine (UK) would pick up the column. So I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.

This morning, I checked my Twitter stream and found this waiting for me:

My article about Podcast Authors is up on Wired ! @scottsigler, @sethharwood, @jchutchins, @teemonster all appear. http://bit.ly/Pv53w

Now live on the site, Wired Magagine (UK) picked up  “Novels by Podcast” where Martyn discusses how we authors are giving away our hard work in audio format for free. He also goes into the genesis of the podcast novel and why we do what we do.

“Giving away your stories isn’t a risk… it’s a competitive advantage,” explains Scott Sigler. “If a reader who’s never heard of me has $25 to spend and they’re looking at my book next to a Stephen King book, who are they going to choose? They take King. He’s a proven storyteller. But if King is $25 and my story is free they may try me out first. Why not? It’s no risk to them. If they like me, they buy me. If they don’t they buy King. Whatever happens the customer gets what the customer wants.”

It is a tight article covering successes and milestones; and while many who follow us on Twitter, on blogs, and through podcasts, may consider what we do “old hat” after four years, podcasting — and more importantly, podcasting fiction — is still a brand-spanking new concept to the mainstream market. Articles like Martyn’s and venues like Wired are getting the word out about what we are doing. That’s what is important here: getting people to listen.

Show Martyn appreciation by blogging about this article (and yep, I got it covered from the business perspective over at Imagine That!), syndicating his link in your feeds, dropping him comments on the article’s page, and talking it up on your podcasts. Let Wired know we’re paying attention and appreciate their support, and let Martyn know both on Twitter and on Wired that his words ring true.

Thanks, Martyn. Well done!

Today, I got a job.

Today, I got a full time job in Social Media.

While this sounds like something simple, the point I want to make, if I teach the world anything, is not to give up. Don’t give up.

Remember that song? There’s a darkness in that song, sure. I mean, hey, it’s Peter Gabriel. But there’s that optimism (voiced by Kate Bush), that assurance, you can make it through the storm.

I frakkin’ love that song.

People on Twitter and at KrakenQuest’s Great Reveal all knew I was having a tough time at this job hunt, but let me give you the run down that only a few have heard…

October 2007

First, there was actually dusting off the resume. I realized straight away there was a problem: I hadn’t done this in nearly ten years. I had no real experience, apart from my skills in the classroom. It amazed me how many people thought that would make me a valuable asset because I had the mad skills. InDesign, Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, Soundtrack Pro, and so on and so on. This was going to be a piece of cake.

I knew better. Even with two books in podcasting under my belt, I knew I had a lot of knowledge, but not the experience that people would want. Still, I gave the resume an overhaul with the help and encouragement of Paul Fischer & Martha Halloway, and began the job hunt.

In this proud land we grew up strong
We were wanted all along
I was taught to fight, taught to win
I never thought I could fail

February 2008

I was thrilled to connect with a headhunter that found me a client wanting someone knowledgable in Social Media. I went in for the first interview and made such a good first impression that one of the interviewers chased me to the elevator to say “Goodbye.” The headhunter prepped me, said I was close. One more interview. It was supposed to be with the president of the association. Well, okay then. The president and an associate? No problem. We set the time for a late afternoon, after a class; and I cut my class off early so I could make the 4:30 p.m. interview. I walk into the office and meet the president and two associates. Two? Well, okay then. Two. I proceed with the interview, the two associates just watching me and the president wanting me to regale her with tales of my theatre days. (Another blog post about that to come….) After being there for over an hour, the president of the association cuts me off and says “This isn’t going well.”

You could have heard a pin drop.

Before I could ask what was wrong, she said to me, “When I hold an interview, I should be asking questions. Not listening to a speech about numbers. You can leave.” Well, huh — guess I’m done. So I start to pack up to leave, and as it was the Podcasting II class I’d taught, I had a bit of gear in tow. I’m trying to get out there fast, and then I hear this over my shoulder…

“Maybe next time,” she said to me. Twice. The second time, she was smiling at me.

I had to get out of there. Fast. Otherwise, I was going to pop. Yeah, the “F.U.” was on the tip of my tongue. I’d been there for an hour, and she tells me after that long it isn’t going well? That evening, I got an apology phone call from the associates that I’d first interviewed with. I found out from the headhunter that the president felt I talked too much.

No fight left or so it seems
I am a man whose dreams have all deserted
I’ve changed my face, I’ve changed my name
But no one wants you when you lose

March, 2008

On a longshot I applied for a six-figure job that happened to be looking for a podcaster. Imagine my surprise when I got the call. The bad news was the job was moving to Atlanta. Nope, I wasn’t going to make that jump. Then the interviewer, the woman who owned this small but awefully profitable company, was fascinated with my podcasting experience. She said “We were going to be hiring an editor from CBS News Radio to edit our podcasts. Would this be something you are up for?” I accepted the challenge and she said “Fine, send us a demo reel and we will be in touch.” So I burned a CD of my podcasting best, sent it off, and waited. A week later, I received an email from her saying “We went with someone else for the podcasting job, but he knows nothing about podcasting. We’d like for you to come in and train him. He’ll be in touch shortly.” That same day, the associate called. I said “So you have no experience in podcasting?” He replied, “None.” I came back with “Okay, here are my rates for training and I’ll need about three days.”

Silence.

“Ummm….I’ll get back with you,” was his reply. About an hour later, the woman who interviewed me called me back, and she was pissed. She wasn’t expecting me to have rates for training, and to ask for three days was outrageous. I asked “What were you expecting?” She replied, “We figured you’d come in here. Half-an-hour, two hours tops. Show us what you know, and that would be it.” When I tried to explain there was a bit more to podcasting than that, she huffed and said “Well, I was talking with my IT guys, and they told me we don’t need you coming in here. We could just download for free what we needed and do it ourselves.” I replied with “You could. In fact, I have a podcast that teaches you how. Your podcast will sound like it’s coming out of the basement of the Science building, but you can do that. You want your podcasts to sound like mine? It’s going to cost you.”

Silence.

“We’ll be in touch,” were her last words to me.

I’m still waiting to hear back from them…

Don’t give up
‘Cus you have friends
Don’t give up
You’re not beaten yet
Don’t give up
I know you can make it good

October 2008

I was fresh off a plane from a convention in St. Louis, and I was off to an interview with an environmental group, anxious to find someone who really understood Social Media. This time, I went for a different tactic and decided to drop them a copy of Podcasting for Dummies. This was, after all, my crowning accomplishment: a #1 book on the subject of podcasting. Come out of the corner swinging, right? The interview went great, and they even asked me to autograph the book. One of the women who interviewed me wound up following me on Twitter, and I started to feel positive about this experience. (Something else I loved about this place — the office. WOW! The group had apparently hired an interior designer to really pull out the stops creatively. It was also a Mac office. Bonus!) I did feel good about it…and then I was told via email that the position was being filled by someone else. Why?  I knew nothing about the environment.

Previous experience about environmental issues. Something that wasn’t in the job listing.

Though I saw it all around
Never thought I could be affected
Thought that wed be the last to go
It is so strange the way things turn

November 2008

I decide to start tracking my resumes. The applications were starting to become more and more frequent, and there was also the matter of applying to jobs repeatedly. This was a reoccurring problem as many of the jobs out there were all done through website interfaces that didn’t even send out confirmations. It was really frustrating because I wasn’t hearing anything in reply. Not. A. Thing. It also didn’t help that the economy was bottoming out. After months of being told by the President “The economy was strong…” the financial crap slapped hard into the fan’s spinning blades. I managed, though, to get two interviews in one week. One was with Ford’s Theatre, and I got a send off from my friends Thomas Gideon and Kevin Crosby. While talking about the job hunt, Thomas shook his head, saying “It’s ludicrous that you are struggling to find a job in Social Media.” I was humbled, and deeply touched, by his seniment. It was something I took with me to the interview where, once again, the interviewer was asking me — on hearing I was an actor — to perform for her.

It was no longer so flattering.

I wound up losing the job to someone else who was experienced in Social Media…and Drupal…and MySQL….and PHP….and had written his Master’s Thesis on Lincoln…and had read every book written about Lincoln.

But that sting was short lived as I was approached by another group — an Advertising/PR firm — looking for someone experienced in InDesign (check), Photoshop (check), Keynote (check), podcasting (check), blogging (check), and Final Cut (check). I was really optimistic about this one. So much, in fact, that I went on and gave a copy of Podcasting for Dummies to them, as I did with the environmental group. I followed up with them after several weeks and they told me “You have the skills, but no experience. We need both.”

This particular job posted three more times. On the third posting, I called and left voice mail. Nothing in reply.

Drove the night toward my home
The place that I was born, on the lakeside
As daylight broke, I saw the earth
The trees had burned down to the ground

December 2008

I then found a job that was an early Christmas present: a coalition of anti-drug initiatives, was in search of a Web Content Manager that also had a background in Social Media. What got me really revved up for this interview is that this coalition knew me. They had hired me to talk at their Regional and National conventions. On what, you ask? Social Media. This was a slam dunk. There was even a coalition rep there who told my interviewers about me, and raved about my knowledge and background. I spruced up the resume, created Social Media demo reels, and then…

The interview was scheduled for 9:00 a.m. I left my house in Manassas at 6:15 a.m. thinking two and a half hours would be plenty of time to get through the D.C. traffic to Alexandria.

What I didn’t count on was the rain.

I reached the interview at 9:45 a.m.

The good news? The interview went well over two hours.

I thought I had this one. The follow-up’s were replied to, and I was even given updates on when my resume was up for review and the progress of the decision process.

Then, nothing. Emails stopped. No updates. Never knew why. Never found out why. That was weird. Just plain weird.

Don’t give up
You still have us
Don’t give up
We don’t need much of anything
Don’t give up
‘Cause somewhere there’s a place
Where we belong

Rest your head
You worry too much
It’s going to be alright
When times get rough
You can fall back on us
Don’t give up
Please don’t give up

February 2009

The search has continued up to this point and in my tracking spreadsheet I’m on my 55th resume (but considering how long I have been hunting, it was probably closer to my 100th…#125, maybe?). I get a phone call from this place that is looking for a Director of Digital Strategy. As exciting as the job sounds, I am preoccupied on several fronts:

• I am writing All a Twitter
• I am watching Darth Bon Bon, working as a relief nanny for Paul & Martha
• I have a talk coming that week: ANTI-Social Media

When they don’t call me back, I focus on my seminar, a seminar that goes over like gang-busters. It’s a packed house, and I capture fantastic video, prime footage for promoting my abilities as a speaker. During the congratulations and accolades, I’m approached by a representative of the group that was supposed to call me about the Digital Director position. “We thought, since we read on your blog you were doing this, we’d come and see you.”

They’re reading my blogs? Woah.

So I call her the next day, leave a voice mail, and within an hour I’m back on the phone. She cannot stop raving about the talk. “I want you to come in here and see if you’re a good fit for the group,” she tells me. “I’ll have HR call you on Tuesday and we can set a time when you can come in.”

Friday becomes Tuesday, and I get the call from HR. “We decided to go with someone else,” they tell me straight away. I asked why. “They had more experience,” was the answer. I was resigned with that until they continued with “That being said, we were really impressed with your background. Would you care to come in and train our people in Social Media?”

That was when I snapped. It amazed me how even my voice was when I asked “So let me understand you — I don’t have enough experience to work for you, but you want me to come in and train your people who know nothing about Social Media. Do I understand you correctly?”

Silence, and then “So, are you interested?”

“You have my number,” I said flatly.

They haven’t used it.

Got to walk out of here
I can’t take anymore
Going to stand on that bridge
Keep my eyes down below
Whatever may come
And whatever may go
That river’s flowing
That river’s flowing

March 2009

This particular shock to my system came when I hear from someone on Twitter, a job recruiter, say that she is in desperate need of a Social Media expert. Much as I hate the word “expert” I immediately follow the Twitter and start DMing her my details. Within minutes I get an email with the description you see. (You might recognize it from a previous Stranger on a Train entry.) This job post read as a checklist for who I was and what my skillset was geared towards. This position called for someone that was:

• a blogger
• a podcaster
• a video editor
• a public speaker
• a trainer
• a writer
• a curriculum designer

I immediately got home from the job and sent in my resume.

Once again, I didn’t have enough experience.

This time, I took a step back. A change was needed.

Moved on to another town
Tried hard to settle down
For every job, so many men
So many men no-one needs

May 2009

The resume was given a hard reboot in the previous month. New job titles. New accomplishments. Items once downplayed were brought to the front. It was a far more aggressive showcasing of what I had accomplished as a podcaster and as a writer, and almost immediately I noticed a reaction from job hunters. One looked promising, but as it was a contractor (and his first impression on me was less than…hospitable) I knew it was just more of what I was getting as a contractor with EEI. It came as no shock to me when he did not win the contract for the job.

Along with the reboot of my resume came a reboot and redesign of my LinkedIn account as well, thank to Craig Fisher and Annette Holland. LinkedIn I was never wholly convinced was helping me in my job hunt, but I knew having a presence and connections there could not hurt. In fact, job hunting did help me appreciate what LinkedIn was all about.

However, I really appreciated the online resume site when a PR group reached out to me, wanting to have a meeting.

The position was for Vice President of Social Media Strategy and Training. Six figures. And they found me.

We met at a very fashionable restaurant in downtown Washington D.C. and the four of us had a terrific lunch. Not only did they ask me questions, but I asked them the tough questions as well. Questions like “Will you want me to come up with a Social Media initiative for you?” and “What are your expectations levels for me?” Perhaps I was feeling confident on account of the trip to New Zealand I would be setting off for in a few weeks, but I knew I was hitting the sweet spot with them as one interviewer immediately connected with me on LinkedIn and the president discussed with me the possibility of doing a webinar while I was overseas. What I knew about this particular job was this:

• They needed someone who knew Social Media
• They needed someone who had experience running workshops and seminars
• The VP currently holding the position was not on Facebook, Twitter, or any other Social Media initiative
• The VP was also running his own business on the side…an arrangement that wasn’t working out as originally planned by the PR firm

This job was mine. Seriously. The reassurances I received in the week were that I would hear from them soon.

I emailed them from NZ, asking if they still wanted a seminar. No answer. I emailed them after I got stateside. No answer. When I called the week after I got home, I was told “She’s got your email’s and will be in touch soon.”

Still waiting…

Don’t give up
‘Cause you have friends
Don’t give up
You’re not the only one
Don’t give up
No reason to be ashamed
Don’t give up
You still have us

August 2009

Yes, this blogpost is silly in size, but all this — all this — led to today, to my meeting with the woman who is to by my new boss at Intersections, Inc. in Sterling, Virginia. This was Resume #94, possibly closer to #200. And while there were those moments, I never stopped.

Social Media and job hunting have a lot in common with one another. It’s not about the shortcuts, but about the focus and the determination. There are going to be a lot of days when you don’t feel it, but you have friends that will be there for you. And with all the different things you succeed and fail in, there are lessons learned and faith restored.

There were moments I didn’t really have the heart to send in yet one more resume. I know I sent out well over 200 resumes over the past 22 months. Encouragement along the lines of “It’s such a crappy economy…” and “You just don’t have the experience…” might have kicked the wind out of me, but I never stopped. Some might call it stubborn. I call it relentless.

Today, I got a job.

Today, I got a full time job in Social Media.

No, it wasn’t easy, but it happened. It finally happened.

Persevere. If you take anything from my post here, please, let it be that. Persevere.

Don’t give up now
We’re proud of who you are
Don’t give up
You know it’s never been easy
Don’t give up
‘Cause I believe there’s  a place
There’s a place where we belong

Opening image courtesy of Kreg Steppe. “Don’t Give Up” written by Peter Gabriel

Back in December, you might recall a blogpost proclaiming my love for New Zealand smut. Well, Chef Ballantine appreciated my kind words so much concerning the podcast too hot for iTunes, Erotica ala Carte, that she invited me to cook in her kitchen. The ingredients this naughty Gordon Ramsey (with help from her listeners) threw at me were:

• Alternative History
• Government Bureau
• Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down

The end result is the short story (borderline novella) “Release Me” which dropped just before Balticon. As I mentioned, the story seemed to write itself and really took on some serious momentum, surprising (if not, disturbing) me. The end result, though, I am quite happy with:

In an alternative America a superhero learns a lesson in control.

Inspired by my favorite film of the year so far, Watchmen, I went with a government bureau of superheroes instead of something along the lines of The X-Files. (I think that is what folks were expecting.) There are also a few nods to the Twitter community and a homage to one of my Geek Chic heroines. This was a lot of fun, and a terrific exercise for me as a writer. So as it stands, J.C. Hutchins has challenged me with writing a thriller and Pip has tapped me for erotica. What’s next? Horror?

Scott Sigler? Phil Rossi? Any of you guys wanna throw the gauntlet?

Have a listen, and let me (and Pip) know what you think.

Imagine That! Studios presents…

A FIVE-PART
EPIC MINISERIES
VIDEO PODCASTING
EVENT!

*explosions — screams — kittens and puppies*

Yes, Tee Morris premieres his seminar, ANTI-Social Media: What NOT to Do with Web 2.0, today! Running exclusively at Imagine That! Studios, Tee brings his opinions and commentary on Social Media askew in this…

FIVE-PART
EPIC MINISERIES
VIDEO PODCASTING
EVENT!

*explosions — screams — kittens and puppies*

…and critics are raving!

@PodcastJunky says:

“It’s coming from the house of awesome so it is nothing less than fabulous.”

@akaMonty raves:

“Tee Morris once again proves that he’s more than just a beefcake”

Social Media trendsetter Chris Brogan…

…didn’t return my calls and I don’t know what the restraining order is all about.

@zard proclaims:

“Tee Morris is holding me at ransom unless I write this blurb. Send help!”

Podcasting’s Rich Sigfrit pushes you down, presses his foot against your trachea, and states:

“If you can’t be a good example, be a bad example: Tee Morris brings you Anti-Social Media.”

So you — yes, YOU — must stop whatever you’re doing, focus on the screen, and bask in the awesomeness that is this…

FIVE-PART
EPIC MINISERIES
VIDEO PODCASTING
EVENT!

*explosions — screams — kittens and puppies*

(And if you really dig what you’re seeing, the rest will be made available in installments at Imagine That! Studios. Thanks for playing along, everyone, and thank you, Jason, for the “Epic Miniseries” idea. Nice way to kick off a week!)

I had the pleasure of being Talli van Sunder’s first interview on a show that seems tailor-made for me: Being Healthy for Busy People. This is Talli’s platform to encourage healthy living and good eating habits for people on the go…and this is why it has taken me so long to post it. It’s been a go-go-go kind of weekend.

Still, the interview is worth the wait:

This week we are going to do something different with the show. A few weeks ago on Show #26, I talked about my journey to becoming healthier. That show got a really positive response, so I thought that it would be interesting to all of you if I interviewed a guest occasionally and discussed how they fit being healthy into their busy life.

In this show, I interviewed Tee Morris who is an author, podcaster and an extremely busy person. We discussed some of the challenges Tee faced on his journey to becoming healthier and how he met them.

When they asked me for a show graphic, I found this one and realized just how hard I had worked and how important it is for me to stay healthy. It’s all about determination and drive, and sticking to your plan. And no, it won’t be perfect. I have fallen out of my groove of late, but slowly getting back in there. So if you see me on Twitter and I mark a workout with the hashtag #onourfeet you will know that I’m inviting you all to join me.

Take care of yourselves, be good to your body…and punish it on a treadmill or a pool! :^)