Archive - March, 2008

FREE e-copy of Jack Wakes Up to promote PALMS SUNDAY!

March 7, 2008 in All Posts, Announcements with 1 Comment

Jack Wakes Up CoverI’m helping spread the JACK WAKES UP print release meme for friend and fellow podnovelist Seth Harwood. I recently interviewed Seth on my UltraCreatives interview series, and can’t wait to purchase a copy of his novel on March 16th — aka “Palms Sunday.” The book is a killer read, and well worth every nickel.

But don’t take my word for it: savvy Seth is giving away a free PDF edition of his novel! Download the file here, take a peek … and if you like what you read, be sure to purchase a copy of the novel at Amazon.com on Sunday, March 16th.

Another friend — Evo Terra, co-founder of Podiobooks.com — gave Jack Wakes Up this awesome write-up over at PB.com blog. I couldn’t have said it better myself:

“This is one more great chance for us … to come together and let Big Publishing know that we’re here and we’re making waves. Not only is this a great chance to support Seth and his work, but if the message gets out that this crazy model of giving away a free audiobook version to promote the print-version actually works, then it’ll mean more more authors will try this model (read: more books for you to enjoy) … and greater chances at cracking the publishing nut for all the writers you support.”

So be sure to check out Seth’s free PDF here, download it, and spread the word with family and friends. And be sure to join Seth’s mission to make Jack Wakes Up a smash hit on Amazon.com by purchasing a print copy on 10AM PST, 1PM EST and 6PM GMT on Palm(s) Sunday, March 16th on Amazon.com!

–J.C.

J.C. Hutchins at SXSW — Come meet me!

March 6, 2008 in All Posts, Announcements with 0 Comments

SXSW logoThanks to the generous folks at my new day job, I’ll be attending the uber-awesome South By Southwest festival in Austin this weekend, and part of next week. My primary role is to network with bloggers, podcasters, and other new/social media movers and shakers — and also represent Myxer at the company’s booth on the iF! Trade Show & Exhibition floor (Booth 219). I’m in the friend-makin’ business, and if you’re attending, I want to meet you!

While I won’t be presenting at the festival (maybe next year, heh), I will be attending panels, events and parties. I hope to see you there.

So how can we hook up at SXSW? Right now, my schedule’s a little touch-and-go, but you can look for me at the Myxer booth (Booth 219) in the exhibition area. If I’m not there, don’t worry: leave your business card and I’ll be sure to contact you ASAP. You can also drop me a line on my cell: 954-531-7692. Let’s meet, greet, and geek out!

–J.C.

Postscript: SXSW is just the first of several conferences I’ll be attending this year. Watch for updates regarding BarCampOrlando, Balitcon, Dragon*Con … and yes, the New Media Expo (or whatever the hell they’re calling it this year) in Vegas. If we don’t meet in Austin, by gum, we’ll connect sometime this year!

7th Son: OBSIDIAN is coming…

March 5, 2008 in All Posts, Announcements with 29 Comments

7th Son: OBSIDIAN logoWhat is 7th Son: OBSIDIAN?

7th Son: OBSIDIAN is another “first” in podcast fiction from J.C. Hutchins. 7th Son: OBSIDIAN enhances the 7th Son trilogy universe. 7th Son: OBSIDIAN brings together the best storytellers in podcasting for one project, with one mission — to tell tales that shock, move, and entertain you … and reveal moments in the 7th Son universe that were merely hinted at in the original trilogy.

7th Son: OBSIDIAN is an audio short story anthology that chronicles a crisis that took place in 7th Son, Book Three: Destruction. In that novel, the United States fell victim to a coordinated terrorist attack. Power stations across the country were destroyed, and the U.S. plummeted into a country-wide blackout. In the timeline of the trilogy, this blackout occurred in mid-November 2007.

While this blackout was described in the trilogy, the story never focused on its true victims: average Americans.

7th Son: OBSIDIAN does just that.

Author J.C. Hutchins has recruited the seven biggest names in podcast fiction to write seven short stories set during this national crisis. Podfic fans know these names:

  • Scott Sigler (author of Infected, Earthcore, Ancestor, The Rookie)
  • Michael A. Stackpole (New York Times bestselling author of Fortress Draconis)
  • Tee Morris (author of MOREVI: The Chronicles of Rafe and Askana, and Billibub Baddings and the Case of the Singing Sword)
  • Mur Lafferty (author of Playing For Keeps, and the acclaimed Heaven audionovella series)
  • Matt Wallace (award-winning author of The Failed Cities Monologues, and Variant Frequencies stories)
  • Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff (author of Shadow Falls, Number One With A Bullet, Diary of a Madman and Transistor Rodeo)
  • Christiana Ellis (author of Nina Kimberly the Merciless and Space Casey)

In addition, Hutchins has tapped other trailblazing podcast entertainers to contribute shorter stories that also take place during this “time of darkness”:

No podcast author has ever opened his universe in this way, for a true audiofiction anthology. And no author has ever assembled such an all-star cast.

Each storyteller will spin a unique tale that takes place during the blackout, featuring brand new characters far from the front lines seen in the 7th Son trilogy. These are stories of survival, action, betrayal and hope, all told from the perspective of average Americans whose lives were affected by the OBSIDIAN blackout.

The writers are brilliant. The concept is groundbreaking. The stories are unforgettable.

7th Son: OBSIDIAN is coming. May 2008.

I have a new job! Thanks, Twitter!

March 2, 2008 in All Posts, Announcements with 26 Comments

As many 7th Son fans know, I’m a Twitter evangelist. I use the soc.media tool in my everyday life, “tweeting” my moods, my wild ideas for new fiction … and especially, my wily experiments in new media marketing. From my forthcoming “Operation Grid Failure” viral video project to my feel-good pet Stweet Team concept, I try to bend the boundaries of Twitter as a means of self expression, and a way to build communities.

The Twitter karma gods have looked favorably on my constant use of their tool, and have granted me a boon.

In early December, I spotted an intruiging tweet from Twitter follower Jeffery Sass (@sass). It read: “I am hiring. Here’s my ‘social media’ recruitment video.” There was a link to the video below. That was it.

Curious, I watched the vid. You should, too.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJhYYGjLKaA

It’s an effective recruitment video, particularly when the rest of the country is in its December shivers. But for me, it resonated on another level. I recognized that pier. I recognized that beachfront skyline. Turns out Jeff’s company, Myxer, is based minutes away from my South Florida home. I immediately DM’ed Jeff (that’s “direct messaged” in tweetspeak), introduced myself, hinted about my involvement in podcasting and “zero budget” soc.media marketing, and left it at that. I suspected I’d have to later conduct the traditional “brainbreaking” exercise of educating him on podcasting and soc.media marketing.

No need, Jeff said in his reply. He was already a fan of my podcast fiction, and was well aware of my marketing and community-building techniques. That, friends, is a testament to social media, podcasting, and online marketing/networking.

And now, I’m proud to report that as of Tuesday, March 4, I will be working for Myxer as its Social Media Marketing Manager.

Myxer logoMyxer’s slogan is “Go with it,” a brilliant allusion to its service. A less-catchy alternative would be, “Never pay for a cellphone ringtone again.” Myxer is the world’s largest provider of user-generated ringtones and wallpapers … all of which are created by normal folks like you and me. It’s a savvy blend of MySpace-meets-content creation, where everyday people can create their own ringtones, download them to their phones, tell their friends, download others’ ringtones and wallpapers and more. The best part: the service is completely free, the ringtone-creation service is simple to use, and nearly all of the content on the site is free. (Creators can charge for their ringtones, if they wish.)

The site has more than 6 million users. They’ve downloaded nearly 60 million files of content. There are more than 330,000 ringtones and wallpapers in the Myxer catalog — 99 percent of which is free.

Free content, created by normal people. Longtime fans of my work know why this is a perfect philosophical match for me as an creator and Myxer employee. (The shorts-and-T-shirt dress policy doesn’t hurt, either.)

So what will I be doing as the Social Media Marketing Manager for Myxer? (Dig that job title acronym: SMMMM. Gotta love it.) I’ll be podcasting and blogging, and reaching out to content creators such as bands and podcasters — yes, podcasters — to create new, killer content for the Myxer site. I’ll also be creating marketing projects to attract brand new users to the site. In essence, I’ll be getting paid to do what I’ve been doing as a hobby for the past two years. I cannot begin to describe how excited I am to be part of the Myxer team.

Oh, and they’re sending me to South By Southwest next week. Wicked cool.

I owe much of this to Myxer peeps Jeff Sass and Steve Spiro, who saw a great opportunity for Myxer to benefit from my expertise. And I absolutely owe even more to the more than 36,000 worldwide fans of my podcast fiction (who have downloaded nearly 2 million episodes of my content).

But for now, I’ll give all the credit to Twitter … and to the wise Twitter gods, who permitted a wonderful moment of serendipity in which I was online, reading tweets, at the moment that Jeff broadcasted his recruitment video. If Jeff had tweeted five minutes later, I never would have seen his video — and wouldn’t be getting paid to play in the soc.media space.

Tuesday can’t come soon enough.

–J.C.

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