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J.C. Hutchins and Scott Sigler featured on the cover of Blogger & Podcaster magazine /  by J.C. Hutchins

I am honored to report that podcast novelist Scott Sigler and I are the subjects of the February/March cover story for Podcaster & Blogger magazine. The article, titled "Fiction 2.0," was written by Dan Klass of "The Bitterest Pill" fame. Podcast novelist Mur Lafferty was also featured in the story. You can read it at the magazine's website.

I have never read a journalistic article that so brilliantly and eloquently captures the "vision" that podcast novelists share, why we do what we do, and the passion we have for our work, the podcasting medium, and our audiences. Klass' reporting is world-class, and his writing matches -- and in many cases, trumps -- any magazine cover feature you'd find on newsstands today. I am flattered by the coverage, and am honored to be recognized as a vanguard in this blossoming genre of podcasting.

If you've read the article and are visiting JCH.net for the first time, thank you for your interest in my work. Feel free to explore the site, and experience the 100+ images, desktop wallpapers, photographs, music, and more ... all inspired by 7th Son, all created by fans. Please visit my Podcasting Primer page to easily subscribe to the 7th Son audiobook trilogy.

For existing fans of 7S, you'll be delighted to know that the Blogger & Podcaster article reveals the details of my next podfiction project -- titled 7th Son: Obisidan -- which will debut in May. I'll give more details on Obsidian in a future blog post.

My thanks go out to writer Dan Klass, editor Shelly Brisbin and the Blogger & Podcaster team for covering podcast fiction, and for so superbly capturing my love for my craft, and my listeners.

Tantalizing hints of new 7S project in SciFiDimensions podcast /  by J.C. Hutchins

Last week, I chatted with John C. Snider, editor of SF online magazine SciFiDimensions.com, for his site's new podcast. I had a great time -- John is an excellent interviewer -- and in addition to doing my best to attract new listeners to 7th Son by promoting the trilogy, I also dropped a few delicious details about the new 7S project to be released in May. I even hinted at dangerous things to come in my secret CODE PHANTOM novel project. You can't miss this interview, folks!

Find the interview here.

If you're a fan of sci-fi, subscribe to John's podcast ... and be sure to check out his online magazine, too! Excellent stuff!

--J.C.

7th Son web widget goes LIVE! /  by J.C. Hutchins

Beloved 7th Son listeners: Do you have a blog, MySpace or Facebook page? Howzabout a Blogger, LiveJournal, Friendster or Freewebs site? If you do -- and I know you do -- feast your peepers on that lovely web widget on the right. While you're at it, click the audio "play" button. Heee! Instant 7th Son gratification! We all know that the trilogy has concluded, but that doesn't mean I'm not questing for new listeners ... especially since a new 7th Son fiction project will debut this May. That's right, folks. More 7S goodness is coming, and I need you to help prepare the uninitiated masses by getting them listening to the trilogy now.

Will you help? It's easy-peasy to lend a hand. Simply click the "share" button on the pretty little widget, pick your social media site of choice, and post! Alternately, you can paste the magic URL code into a blog entry or sidebar widget of your blogging platform (like I did). Heck, you can even e-mail it to a buddy! The fillout forms are teeny tiny right now, so if you're having a problem typing in your deets, let me know. I'll make the widget wider.

In the meantime, help me spread the 7th Son word far and wide -- and prepare yourself for May 2008, when I debut the new series titled, 7TH SON, BOOK...

Heh. Cliffhangered again.

Evangelize, my beautiful listeners! Evangelize!

RIP New 7th Son Logo (Feb 15, 6:44 PM -- Feb 15, 7:45 PM) /  by J.C. Hutchins

7th Son listeners know that I love to experiment with my storytelling, marketing and darned-near everything else I do for my podcast and website. I'm wired to surprise my audience with things that are familiar ... but off-plumb enough to be delightful. I often concoct these experiments on the fly, unilaterally release them into the wild, and see what sticks. In the interest of connecting with the community (and knowing that many creative minds are usually better than one), I've pulled back the "curtain" a bit in recent weeks, and invited 7th Son fans to chime in on some creative decisions. I did that last night, and received some intriguing results.

Months ago, I crafted a new logo for the 7th Son experience. I wanted something different and dynamic -- something that implied danger, action and excitement (things the 7th Son trilogy is well-known for). I spent several days crafting it, and last night, finally posted it on the homepage here at JCH.net. I asked my Twitter followers if it was "hot or not."

About 75 percent of respondents liked it. The rest, vociferously, did not. I found myself in a fascinating conundrum.

7th Son is my novel. I wanted a new logo. My informal poll suggested that most folks dug the new design. But the minority was large (and vocal) enough for me to take pause and listen. An hour later, I pulled the plug. We're back to the status quo.

What have I learned from this? Three things. First: Community rocks. It's flattering and humbling to know that so many 7th Son listeners care enough to chime in on these ideas, offer their creative perspective, and make suggestions.

Second: If you open the floor for discussion, expect it, listen to it -- and prepare to make tough choices, should the community split on the issue, or vote against your personal point of view.

And third: Consider strongly what you open up for debate. If you're convinced in your heart that a certain creative course should be taken, take it. Run with your gut, and be willing to live with the consequences.

I'll never know if the resistance I encountered with the new logo was legitimate disdain, or the natural reluctance to embrace something new -- after all, living things crave stability, and change disrupts that. I'm not dedicating brain cycles to it; I asked for opinions, the people spoke, and it's done and done.

And so, I present to you the very short-lived "2.0" logo for the 7th Son trilogy. It was either a bad design, or ahead of its time. But it certainly taught me a great bit about community, the power of crowds, and the unabashed love 7th Son fans have for the podcast. As always, I'm amazed and humbled by that.

--J.C.

UltraCreatives Interview #4: Mur Lafferty /  by J.C. Hutchins

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In this installment of UltraCreatives, J.C. chats with novelist and podcaster Mur Lafferty. A brilliant storyteller and essayist, Mur has released her writing into the podosphere since 2004. Thanks to her "veteran" status in the community, she has a has a unique perspective on podcasting's roots, the state of podcasting today, and where it's going.

J.C. and Mur talk about that, her first memories as a writer, what allured her to podcasting, and more. Of particular interest are her thoughts on her Heaven series of audio novellas, and the conclusion of her hit podiobook, Playing for Keeps. The interview is about 90 minutes long, but Mur's conversation and anecdotes are stellar, and well worth the listen.

Find Mur's work here:

If all goes according to plan, next week's guest will be entrepreneur and Mahalo.com founder Jason Calacanis.

The J.C.VidStream (The Y! Live Video Streaming Experiment) /  by J.C. Hutchins

Yahoo! recently launched Y! Live, a free broadcast service that makes it easy for webcam-empowered folks to create streaming video programming. Knowing full well that I have a face for radio, I've done the "early adopter" thing anyway and created a streaming video channel at Y! Live. The way this works: When I click a button on my laptop, I'll stream video/audio to my channel page. If you want to join the shenanigans live as I broadcast, you'll engage me on my Y! Live channel page. Stupid-simple to use.

Of course, my involvement hinges on your interest. Would you dig seeing me dabble in streaming video, and interact with 7th Son fans (including you) in real-time? Tell me in the comments here. If I snag enough interest, I'll roll out a pilot broadcast and see where it goes. Speak up and let me know!

--J.C.

Subscribing just got easier! Introducing "C2G" /  by J.C. Hutchins

The greatest barrier between podcasting and the average computer user is ignorance. Most folks don't understand how podcasting works, so they believe they can't participate. I want to change that. Subscribing to the 7th Son trilogy is simple using Apple's iTunes software, so I've whipped up a video (and snazzy tagline) to tell that story. The method is called C2G: click, click, get. With two clicks of a mouse button, uninitiated users will be on the podcasting fast track.

The C2G video is on permanent display at my Podcasting Primer page, but I've included it below so you can see what it's all about. If you're a podcaster (or use RSS to distribute your content), feel free to use the C2G logo or tagline on your own website. The more we inform, the more we benefit.

So do you have a tech-leery pal who insists he (or she) "just isn't ready" for podcasting? Send them the link to my Podcasting Primer page and encourage them to watch the video ... or use the C2G logo/tagline on your own site. Remember the new mantra to educate the masses -- C2G: click, click, get!

What I'm reading. (And what are YOU reading?) /  by J.C. Hutchins

I'm never one to turn down a good writing challenge, particularly if it hails from one of my favorite bloggers. Lorelle's blog is inspiring because she offers practical advice about blogging and the online life. She also issues weekly blog challenges. This week's challenge is a must-participate for me: "Blog about what you are reading, what you like to read, and why."

I'm up to my eyeballs in good books these days. I'm coming down from a months-long fiction binge (more on this in a moment), so I'm currently enjoying some excellent non-fiction.

Reading serves two purposes for me: entertainment and creative inspiration. My mind rarely seeks out new ideas for my own novels/short stories when I read fiction; I'm there to escape. But when I'm questing for concepts to explore creatively -- either in my fiction or my in "zero budget" marketing adventures -- I dive into non-fic.

So. That recent fiction binge. What did it entail?

  • Rainbow's End by Vernor Vinge: Vinge is my favorite SF author; his far-future A Deepness In the Sky is so damned good, I wish I could read it for the first time all over again. Rainbow's End is a near-future story, and its world is meticulously realized. Sadly, I wasn't invested in the characters (and there wasn't enough conflict for my tastes), and I dropped it halfway through.
  • NEXT by Michael Crichton: A book that had a lot of potential, but felt more like a "101" on the genetics industry than a true narrative. Again, the characters and conflict weren't compelling enough for me to recommend it. Sloppy.
  • Planetary and The Authority by Warren Ellis: Killer epic SF thrillers by the wickedly subversive Warren Ellis. Yeah, they're comic books ... and they've got better pacing and character depth than most traditional novels these days. Highly recommended.
  • Garden of Beasts by Jeffrey Deaver: I'm an unapologetic Deaver geek; no one can bonk you on the head harder with an unexpected plot twist than this guy. Garden of Beasts is a fascinating look at Nazi Germany, just before World War II. Deaver deftly educates readers on the history and political climate of the era, and throws in an excellent assassination plot, to boot. Recommended, as are his Lincoln Rhyme thriller series.

But my belly's full of fiction for the moment (aside from some podcast novels, which are serialized and feel more like "shows" than "novels" to me), so I'm currently immersed in non-fic. It's all tickling my creative side something fierce.

  • Merchant of Death by Douglas Farah and Stephen Braun: Just finished this remarkable true story about Victor Bout, an infamous and reviled Russian black-market arms dealer. In addition to directly arming many of the conflicts in Africa for the past 18 years, he's also put guns (and rockets, and helicopters and frickin' jets) in the hands of Columbian drug lords, the Taliban and other slimebags. The most terrifying part: He's still doing it. Excellent read.
  • Join the Conversation by Joseph Jaffe: Terrific read for mainstream noobs (or know-it-alls) who don't know it all about social media, the speed of communication, and the connectedness of the online world. Jaffe's prose is punchy and mischievously irreverent, and the perspective he provides is an excellent resource for folks interested in diving into the soc.media space.
  • Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin: Another excellent marketing-related read for folks curious about the social media explosion. Godin speaks volumes with few words (a rare writing trait indeed), and offers intriguing insights for marketing folk who aren't grokking the conversations -- and opportunities -- found in the soc.media space. Currently reading.
  • Letting Go of the Words by Janice (Ginny) Redish: This isn't just a great resource for bloggers, podcasters and anyone who wants to effectively communicate on the Web -- it's a fun, spunky read. Redish provides great writing advice (and context for that advice) in a style that keeps my peepers moving. The very execution of the book proves that she practices what she preaches. Currently reading.

So those are the things on my plate these days. What about you? What are you reading? Talk to me in the comments! Share your recommendations with fellow JCH.net readers!

--J.C.

Sigler & Hutchins live video chat Feb. 19, to benefit disabled veterans /  by J.C. Hutchins

(Shamelessly lifted from Scott's blog and rewritten for a Hutch-centric audience. You can find his orginal post here.) On February 19, from 9:00 pm to 10:30 pm Eastern, Scott Sigler and I will be doing a fun video conference to discuss podcasting fiction (or whatever the heck else you want to talk about).

This event is sponsored by www.MyooVooDay.com to promote a new video chat tool called ooVoo. That's nice -- and Scott and I wish them well -- but the real point here is that ooVoo is donating $1,500 to the Disabled American Veterans.

This is Scott's preferred charity organization, and I'm all for it. As Scott said in his post: "The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced high numbers of wounded soldiers that need assistance. I don't give a rat's ass about politics here, all I care about is that some of our men and women deserve help."

Amen, brother.

So, how can you help (and share some face time with me and Sigler)? Go to the link below, download the ooVoo software, book one of the 15-minute chat slots, and we'll see you there. We'll be happy to chat about whatever you like, but the primary focus will be on podcasting your fiction. So head over to www.MyooVooDay.com and sign up.

Will you be there? Tell us by posting a comment!

--J.C.

Polls added to JCH.net /  by J.C. Hutchins

Since polling is all the rage these days, I've added a polls widget here at JCH.net. Our debut poll asks a question that's been on my mind lately, and I'd appreciate your feedback. Your votes are invaluable as I ponder the fate of older 7th Son content in the months ahead. You'll find the poll on the right.

This is the first of several polls I'll roll out in 2008, and I hope you'll participate. It's a quick-n-dirty way to sound off, and improve the 7th Son and JCH.net experiences. Thanks a bunch. Now head to the polls!

--J.C.

Support the GRIFFIN/HALE ticket! /  by J.C. Hutchins

After some irreverent pondering (and some mischievous encouragement from some Twitter friends), I decided to whip up a bumper sticker in support of your favorite 7th Son presidential candidates, Hank "Gator" Griffin and Vincent Hale. (In honor of 7th Son's prologue, there's a hearty spattering of, ahem, red in the design.)

The GRIFFIN/HALE 2008 sticker is only three bucks, and I don't take a cut of the cash. Naturally, you're doing the 7th Son trilogy a favor by slapping one of these blood-soaked stickers on your ride: The Griffin/Hale website address will redirect to this site. :) The sticker is available for purchase here.

This November, re-elect character and faith! Re-elect Griffin and Hale!

--J.C.

UltraCreatives Interview #3: Jeff Pulver /  by J.C. Hutchins

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The third episode of J.C.'s UltraCreatives Interview series brings Jeff Pulver -- co-founder of Vonage -- to the program. Jeff has been called a "serial entrepreneur," is a trailblazer in the VOIP industry, and is a social media evangelist. Most recently, Jeff created PULVER.TV, a new 24/7 television network on the internet.

During the chat J.C. and Jeff talk about PULVER.TV, the ultracreative drive of entrepreneurs, his passion for amateur radio, and a whole lot more. The conversation is both insightful and inspiring, and anyone with a creative streak will enjoy it.

Check out the great content at Pulver.TV here, and be sure to subscribe to his blog at JeffPulver.com.

Hutchins and Sigler profiled in DEATH RAY magazine /  by J.C. Hutchins

Set your ray gun to "face-melting coolness," kids: fellow podcast novelist Scott Sigler and I were recently profiled in one of the coolest sci-fi magazines around, DEATH RAY. This slick U.K.-based publication showcased us and how our podiobooks -- and you amazing listeners -- are shaking up the publishing industry.

Click here to view a PDF of the article (masterfully written by Martyn Casserly) ... but more important, show Death Ray your support by heading to a bookstore and snagging a print copy, or subscribing to the magazine!

--J.C.

LOL7thSon winners announced! (kthxbai) /  by J.C. Hutchins

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Greetings, loyal Agents of the Ministry! Natasha, our fearless Voice of the MOP, has returned from a long Moscow vacation to announce the five winners of the most recent Ministry mission, Operation LOL7thSon! While all of the participants created brilliant 7S-inspired LOL images, these five Agents crafted pictures so witty, even the humorless Natasha gave a chuckle.

Behold the five winners ... and their artwork! (Winners will receive emails from Natasha very soon!)

  • Isaac for "Jon Come Hom Plz..."
  • The Doctor for "Dere Iz No Clonz"
  • JR Merlin for "Im In Your Ministry Propagandering..."
  • MartynDarkly for "Kittyroy 2.0, Meh Is Everwhere"
  • Fried Geek for "This Town Is Teh Suck"

Also included in the gallery above are the cool prizes these Agents have won! GeekLabel T-shirts, MOP mugs and license plate borders ... even John Alpha's "How To Take Over the World" journal!

A big SPASIBA to all who entered the contest! And keep your ears peeled, Agents: a new MOP mission ... with the coolest capitalist swag yet ... is coming soon!

--J.C.

Killer Content: "Morning Call Time" podcast /  by J.C. Hutchins

(Full disclosure: J.C. and the creators of the "Morning Call Time" podcast are cross-promoting each other's work; this post is one way J.C. is helping spread the word.)

The thing I miss most about being a journalist is knowing "the news" before anyone else. Working at a news outlet is like riding shotgun in the DeLorean from Back to the Future -- in a way, you can see a few days into the future, and know what's happening in the world before anyone else.

That's one of the main reasons why I dig the "Morning Call Time" entertainment news podcast. This show, hosted by industry vet Chad Gervich, is all about delivering entertainment news from leading trade publications (read: Daily Variety and others) before the mainstream press does.

Chad and his team cull the trades for the best stories, post them on mediabistro's "Fishbowl LA" blog, and create the Morning Call Time 'cast for people who work in the industry — producers, execs, agents, writers, etc. The goal: to deliver each day's headlines in a portable audio format before they get to the office. These pros have a huge leg up on the day ahead, since they've already "read" their industry's headlines.

What does this mean to folks who aren't in the biz? You're getting the news that's most important to the actual insiders of Hollywood ... and that's as cool as having your own time machine, I think. So if you love being ahead of the curve when it comes to entertainment news, Morning Call Time is killer content for your ears.

Check out the Fishbowl LA blog here, or subscribe to the Morning Call Time podcast here. Great stuff.

--J.C.

Continuing The Conversation /  by J.C. Hutchins

If you've ever:

  • visited a blog and left a comment ...
  • listened to a podcast and emailed its host ...
  • wrote on someone's Facebook wall, "friended" someone on MySpace, or posted an update on Twitter or Pownce ...
  • sent an email, SMS, or instant message to your friends about darned-near anything ...

... then you've participating in what social media leaders call "the conversation." "The conversation" is this, this here, the wild frontier where community transcends geography, and ideas are exchanged at the speed of a mouse-click. Life-changing stuff.

I'll be writing about my experiences in this world in the 2008 edition of The Age of Conversation, a book whose creative philosophy can be likened to the Open Media movement. It's a brilliant concept. There is no one author. Dozens and dozens of bloggers will participate in its creation.

The best part? You can participate, too. Visit editor Drew McLellan's site to vote on this year's The Age of Conversation book topic ... and if you like, sign up as a contributing author, like I did. It doesn't get more democratic -- or conversational -- than that.

--J.C.

Purples and Tigers and Fire, Oh My! /  by J.C. Hutchins

Something not many folks know about me is that I'm an amateur graphic designer. I used to do it for cash ... but these days, I do it for fun, and for friends. For instance: Nearly all of the typographical elements you see in the 7th Son covers and here at JCH.net were designed by me. I'm no pro; it's just another way to flex my creative muscles.

When time permits, I lend my meager pixel-pushing talents to worthy causes -- namely, my friends' projects. One such pal is Mur Lafferty, author of the Playing for Keeps podiobook. Each week, I collaborate with brilliant writer and artist Jared Axelrod (and more recently, Natalie Metzger) to create the "comic book" covers seen in the free Playing for Keeps PDFs. But when Mur informed me that she had an idea to reward her faithful evangelistic Street Team members, I was stoked, and wanted to help.

Behold the fruits of that collaboration: Personalized online avatars and images for Street Team members. Folks who spread the word about Mur's novel will receive a cool "Third Waver" picture and avatar, complete with spiffy name. (Since I'm one of the many regular contributors to Mur's project, I'm a "First Waver.") You can use the avatar on Twitter, LiveJournal, etc. ... and you can post the larger image on your site, or blog. Mur has created yet another "first" in podiobook promotion! Very cool.

Visit the Playing For Keeps site, sign up for the Street Team and get evangelizing. Those who do will receive a custom-made hero and name (created by Mur Lafferty herself), and these whiz-bang cool rewards!

--J.C.

UltraCreatives Interview #2: Matt Wallace /  by J.C. Hutchins

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Welcome to the second episode of the UltraCreatives Interview series! This week, J.C. chats with Matt Wallace, award-winning author of The Failed Cities Monologues, showcase writer for the Variant Frequencies podcast, screenwriter, ex-professional wrestler -- the list goes on and on.

Matt discusses his forthcoming short story collection The Next Fix (available from Apex Publishing in late March), his creative philosophy, current and future work ... and gobs more.

You can check out Matt's work at these fine online establishments:

In the intro, J.C. talks up the new Fan Community section, plans for future podcasts, the new LOL7thSon photo gallery and more. Hella good times in this episode. Brace yourself for a "Real Genius" reference.

Promos: