Ghost Protocols
The saga continues
This is the first missive from my new and improved website and email newsletter. Please whitelist this sender address so future posts don't get discarded into the black hole of your spam box or "promotions" folder.
I want to keep this introduction brief, though I do need to provide some detailed instructions on how to use my new home base and what to look out for over the next few months.
Newsletter Content and Distribution
Content-wise, you can expect the same doom and gloom you've come to resent and revile. I will continue to riff on the news, recommend great media (e.g., books, movies, etc.), expose the dark arts of neoliberalism, and bludgeon you with my demented poetry.
But two major changes are on the docket.
First, the newsletter – now lovingly titled Unsound Methods – will publish on a more consistent basis. Expect to receive at least one bite-size post each week, typically on Fridays at 9:30 a.m. Chicago time.
Second, the newsletter will feature a more dynamic mix of material, i.e., purely creative pieces such as humor, satire, and fiction will once again grace your inboxes. In fact, I've already got a nightmarishly funny piece of flash fiction cued up.
When my content cup overfloweth, or I have a major Leverage-related update to share, I'll send a short one-off missive. You'll most likely receive overflow material on Tuesdays.
Sounds dope! But Bro, seriously, why can't you commit to a single goddamned content strategy?!
Because I'm an insatiable ballbuster.
Also, while I've really been enjoying my recent nonfiction writing, the rigid formula I imposed on myself quickly felt constraining. My posts were becoming too long and unruly as well. This recalibration should recapture some of my old spontaneity and keep our relationship spicy.
New Terminology: Members vs. Subscribers
If you received this message via email, you're an official "member" of my now independently operated website.
As of this moment, you're also a "subscriber" to my built-in email newsletter. If you'd like to stop receiving emails from me, you can "unsubscribe" from this newsletter anytime – though you'll continue to remain a member.
For everyone's sanity, I'll purge inactive members on a rolling basis. My payment fees to Ghost are determined by the number of members who sign up for my site, so over time dormant newsletter subscribers could end up costing me – or more accurately my wife – a decent chunk of change.
Membership Tiers
To confuse things just a little bit more, there are two different access levels to the content on my website:
- Public: Anyone on the internet can see the material.
- Subscribers/Members Only: Only subscribers/members can see the material after logging in.
You're all considered subscribers/members and can access all the material on my website free of charge. There's 175 unique pieces in my collection – many of which were previously paywalled – so make sure to explore!
To do so, click "Sign in" at the top righthand side of my landing page, enter the email address where you received this post, and log in using the magic link that gets sent to your inbox.
Pro tip: By using the search icon located at the top lefthand side of my landing page, you can peruse the full collection with site Tags such as "humor," "satire," "parenting," "recommendations," etc.
Leverage Update
Because this newsletter will remain free, I'm assigning everyone a simple yet critical task: Pre-order Leverage!
I received galleys this past weekend and they look phenomenal. On Wednesday I also participated in an enthusiastic kickoff meeting with the publicity and marketing team at Atria. Now that they've had a chance to see what a loud-mouthed, know-it-all dickhead I can be, they're surely thinking big about downstream promotion.
Publishing moves hella slow, but Leverage has reached an exciting inflection point and I can't wait to see this absolute beast of a novel in bookstores this August.
In case any of the above was too subtle, you can and should snag your very own copy from these retailers:
I appreciate everyone's continued interest and support. I'm beyond excited about Leverage and I'm irrationally optimistic about the future of my burgeoning media empire.
Stay tuned, and stay frosty.
Amran
