How Did This Happen??

I’m not sure when it started.  There was what seemed to be a simple, innocent message on Facebook:  a “hi, I don’t know you, but I just read your blog and you seem very professional.  Would you like to write a guest post for my blog?”  I was flattered.  I didn’t know this Stephen Hise person, but obviously he had good taste.  He wanted to know about my experience as an Indie Author.  I certainly had a lot of that.  And my journey was probably one of the oddest I can recall.  I’m not in the habit of writing guest posts.  I’m lazy.  Lazy as hell in fact.  I’m a driven lunatic with one goal in mind:  write books.  I turned out 4 in 2011, and I’m shooting for 5 in 2012.  2013 is going to be a bye.  In any case, I obliged.  You can read my guest post here.

Then, the next email came.  “Want to do an interview?” he asked.  I may be a single-sighted lunatic, but I’m not stupid.  Any time I get an opportunity for free exposure, I take it.  Interviews are usually easy, and sometimes I learn things about myself.  And, to top it off, Steve’s interviews are then posted in feature article format.  As we’d say back in Boston “that’s the ballz.”  So I agreed.  (You can read that story here.)

Another email offer came.  Then another.  I started to wonder if this Hise dude was stalking me.  Little did I know – it was much worse than that.

“Come be a co-blogger on my site,” he finally said.  I was flattered, but intimidated at the same time.  Hise’s wit is sharp and side-splittingly wet-your-pants hilarious.  How would I match that?

“I don’t want you to match that,” he said. “I need a straight man.”

I sighed.  I was going to be used for my experience, knowledge of the industry, and writing ability.  How dull!  So, this is where having 8 published titles got me:  a job as the straight man in a comedy team.

At first I figured maybe this straight man role was negotiable.  Maybe we could switch from time to time.  “Are you kidding?” Steve asked me – like I was nuts, mind you.  “Did Abbott and Costello switch off?  Did Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis take turns?  No.”

Well, that’s the way it is then, eh?

Phew.  Because being the straight man is less work.  And I’m lazy.

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K.S. Brooks is an award-winning author and photographer, and Co-Administrator of Indies Unlimited. For more information, please see the IU Bio page and her web site: http://www.ksbrooks.com/

Author: K.S. Brooks

K.S. Brooks is an award-winning novelist, photographer, and photo-journalist, author of over 30 titles, and executive director and administrator of Indies Unlimited. Brooks is currently a photo-journalist and chief copy editor for two NE Washington newspapers.  She teaches self-publishing and writing topics for the Community Colleges of Spokane, and served on the Indie Author Day advisory board. For more about K.S. Brooks, visit her website and her Amazon author page.

25 thoughts on “How Did This Happen??”

  6. If I ever grow up enough to start a blog I hope it will be almost as entertaining as you guys! Looking forward to your insights on this wild ride of indie publishing. Isn't it fun?

    Down with legacy publishers!

    1. Well Boss Bean, thanks for stopping by. Once you get to know me, you'll realize I'm an extremely serious, clueless and gullible person which makes being the straight man very easy for me. 🙂

  11. Oh lordy, lordy. The Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis of the blogworld. Look out, boys and girls – if you didn't like i hot before, you certainly will now!

    Fandabidosi team both of you, a blog marriage made in heaven! Can't wait.

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