Table of Contents
Welcome Back (00:00)
Project Updates
The End From Parts Unknown in Prelaunch (01:56)
Main Story
My Place in the Pack (02:56)
A Very Busy Saturday (05:16)
King of the Introverts (07:19)
A Crisis of Direction (08:56)
Reflecting on All of It (10:59)
Updates and More
Coming Up on the Substack (13:02)
Upcoming Appearances (13:41)
Pesto Comics Release Calendar (14:24)
Instant Ink Comic Book Podcast (15:08)
Super Secret Epilogue (16:20)
Welcome Back
It's the beginning of convention season. Normally I would feel some FOMO as I'm watching all of the fun being had at the Calgary Comic Expo, but I was much to busy to notice all that with the Toronto Indie Author Conference, a concert and a couple footie games to watch, both on TV and in person.
My hands were full this weekend.
It truly does feel like everything's coalescing at once. I received the prints for both Naked Kaiju Woman and From Parts Unknown #2, the campaign for From Parts Unknown #3 ended on Friday with another funding success — and preparations for From Parts Unknown #4 are ongoing (more on that next section).
I also owe comic script pages to a couple of artists waiting to get started on projects I haven't announced yet - and I’m still working on locking down an editor for a couple more projects that I’ll be announcing in the coming weeks. Needless to say, I’ve been busy.
For that reason, I really enjoyed the weekend and some time to recharge from all of it - even if it was an active recharge. Every time I was sitting on public transit or walking to my next destination, I could hear the voice in the back of my head saying that this was time that I could have spent writing, brainstorming or packing comics. I had to quiet that down as I know I’ll get through it all soon enough.
As far as tabling goes, TCAF is on the horizon which is well over a month away. I have lots of time to make sure that I can get organized and caught up with everything that I have planned.
The weekend was wild and the days after gave me some time to reflect on some advice I was given. At one point, I was thrown into total crisis mode, rethinking everything I’ve been doing all along. I think I’ve made sense of it now, but I’ll tell you how I got there today.
But before we do that…
Project Updates
The End of From Parts Unknown - in Prelaunch!
The final issue of From Parts Unknown (Issue 4) will be launching on May 28.
With #2, and even more so with #3, I didn't push it as hard as I could have. If you read this newsletter regularly, it was here every week, but I held back on ads and general promo like guesting on podcasts.
With this being the final issue of the series, I'm making every effort to be as loud and annoying as possible. My hope is to send From Parts Unknown out with a roar.
A key metric in making sure that happens is getting the prelaunch follower account up.
If you haven't followed yet, please give it a follow so we can share this absolutely action-packed finale far and wide. Everything that we've been setting up in the first three issues gets paid off in this double-sized finale.
It's chock full of body slams, gore, vampires and pro wrestling. I hope you decide to check it out.
With that, let's talk about the wild weekend…
Main Story
My Place in the Pack
This is just the second year of the Toronto Indie Author Conference, and I thought things wouldn't have changed too much from what I experienced the first time around.
I knew the setting would be entirely different. It’s now in the much more appropriate Toronto Reference Library versus the YMCA just a couple blocks south of it. No longer having the scent of chlorine and sounds of splashes from the nearby pool was a welcome change.
Instead, walking through the large lobby and in between the stacks of books on the way to the Beaton Hall at the back of the library felt much more appropriate.
Rather than having a presentation style room with chairs facing front, there were a number of tables - each labeled with a different genre. The first task of the day was to find which genre you fit in and sit amongst your genre compatriots. It was a great way to force some networking that always seems to be a bit of a tricky balance at these conferences. This was a great way to make friends right off the bat without putting anyone on the spot.
My unique challenge was this was not a comic book conference. This was a conference of authors. There is no table designated for people like me who, at least so far, have only specialized in comics (with the exception of short stories in Big Smoke Pulp).
Based on that, I went to the closest possible genre table I could find, which was Sci-Fi & Fantasy. While there, I immediately recognized a couple of people I had seen the year before and things went off pretty swimmingly.
Whereas last year, I was still just getting started with Crazy Latte Thing Called Love releasing that month and only Unlimited Udo and Stay Cool before it, I felt much more confident saying that I was a comic book writer with a decent sized following. (Thanks for that, ya’ll!)
That said, when we're talking about fiction writing, I'm still relatively new to the game. I've written many short stories and even had a couple of them published here or there. I shared even more in the back of Big Smoke Pulp - yet I did not feel like I was part of the group quite yet.
My mission this year was the gather as much information as I could so that I can begin this second phase of my writing career while still keeping the comics going strong now that I’m comfortable in that world.
I had a lot to learn from the people there, not just from the speakers but my fellow indie writers. The seminars I attended weren’t always relevant to what I was aiming to do as it was a very romance and romantasy-heavy guest list. Even the genre tables at the start of the day were half romance, and romance sub-gernes, leaving the rest the tables to every other genre.
This was just the beginning of my day.
A Very Busy Saturday
Completely unintentionally, I overbooked my dance card for Saturday. I'm a TFC member, so I have tickets to every match at BMO Field.
Although back at the library it was abnormally warm, from both body heat and lack of ventilation, the outdoor stadium was terribly cold - even though it was twice as warm the day prior and after.
I suffered through it just to witness Toronto FC lose yet another game in disappointing fashion. This time succumbing to a penalty kick and losing 1-0 to NYCFC after being unable to make anything of consequence happen in the opponents end after 90 frigid minutes.
On a beautiful sunny day, where I have nothing else going on, this outcome would be tolerable. Instead, it felt like an extra gut-punch given that I was missing out on both the conference and staying indoors.
A great palate cleanser was watching the Copa del Rey at the nearby Brazen Head. We were somehow able to get a decent table as we watched Barcelona gain the lead - only to lose it within minutes - then to come back in exhilarating fashion.
It was bittersweet given that my team, Inter Milan, will be facing this very powerful looking side today (on Wednesday) in the Champions League. Something I was constantly reminded about by my friend, and hardcore Barca fan, who joined me for these midday games.
From there, I headed over to the Rogers Centre for the second night of a two-night concert with Metallica.
It was a great show as the band hasn’t lost a step, even if there's a lot more breaks than there was in the past. Understandably so. Compared to the 2-minute tracks you’ll find on Spotify from new artists, that are geared towards being the background to your favorite TikTok dances, these 10-minute anthems feel like being taken on a journey in the most enjoyable, high-adrenaline way.
The crowd around me showed its age as we remained in our seats for majority of the concert. The crowd around the stage was absolutely wild though. It was an interesting way to feel the atmosphere without actually having to participate in it. Given the long day I had, I was not entirely against it.
It was a great Saturday, but I knew that I was in for it as the morning was quickly approaching as I took the train home.
King of the Introverts
There's something cliché about feeling like you never really fit in. I feel like anyone who's creative, and actually pursues creative exercise, has a version of this story.
In most scenarios, the audacity to have something to share with the world, to feel like you're important enough that your voice should be heard above the crowd, is something that isn’t immediately accepted - if not revolted against entirely, especially before you've made a name for yourself.
Or that could all be in your head.
That's the feeling I've fought for a long time. When I was younger, I was very much a wallflower. At some point, something snapped. I'm not sure what happened. I can't pinpoint it. I just know that I stopped worrying about making a fool of myself if I dared to open my mouth, and now if you’ve ever been around me for some amount of time, you know I’m usually the one filling every possible silence.
This helped me in my career. Believe it or not, IT folks are very introverted - and so are writers. They're not the first ones to put their hand up or speak to a crowd in a lot of cases. That made it easy for me to stand out as I was always the first one to volunteer, the first one to jump into new tasks, the first one to put my face out there and meet new people.
Even though I was running on fumes Sunday, I found myself talking to anyone that was brave enough to sit next to me. Anytime a question was posed by a presenter, I was sure to raise my hand and provide my input. (Sidenote: I loathe people who feel the need to comment during a presentation unprompted. It’s not a good look and can derail a presenters train of thought. Don’t do this.)
The seminars were great, but the real value in the Toronto Indie Author Conference is the roundtables. It’s also what caused me to have a crisis between sessions.
A Crisis of Direction
In seminars, you get a lot of information and if you’re lucky - or a quick draw, like me - you might get to ask a question. The roundtables are a lot more intimate.
All of the speakers are assigned a table and a topic. You get 20 minutes with each speaker and a small handful of other writers to ask any questions that you didn't get to ask in front of the group at their seminar.
Being the loud, obnoxious one in the room, I took full advantage of this, asking as many questions as I possibly could. (To be clear, I didn’t steamroll each session. I made sure that everyone got a chance to speak, I was just usually the first one after a couple moments of silence to actually get things rolling.)
By some dumb luck, I was able to sit with Tao Wong, the uber successful indie author who spawned this conference, with just one other writer at the table who said she was more than happy to just take notes.
It became a private 20 minute conversation with Tao. Though he's very much accessible online, it was nice to get some face to face with him to ask about promotional strategies and how to make a fruitful career.
His advice immediately threw me into a crisis.
It started with a simple question: what genre do I write in? I told him I'm a bit of a genre hopper. For whatever reason, I didn’t add that I write comics.
The conversation quickly became about picking a lane. Building your name up as a specific type of writer to build your audience. Only after you’re firmly established should you even consider genre-hopping — if at all.
I always found myself to enjoy being able to write almost any genre. Hopping from sci-fi to mystery to noir to horror to comedy. That said, I've seen the ebb and flows of not sticking to a specific genre.
With this weighing on me, I walked over to the Author Branding table with Mark Leslie Lefebvre. He then proceeded to give me the exact opposite advice! It was to follow my heart. Work in whatever genres get me to the keyboard. Yes, it might not make me rich monetarily, but it would enrich my soul.
With conflicting information from two authors that I truly admire, I left the conference as motivated and confused as ever.
Reflecting on All of It
After having a couple days to reflect since Sunday, I think I have a new strategy that doesn’t upend all the work I’ve put in already. The answer is: follow both Tao Wong’s and Mark Leslie Lefebvre’s advice.
When it comes to comics, I’m taking Mark’s advice. I'm going to keep doing what I’ve been doing. I’ll genre-hop with abandon. I'll continue writing what I enjoy and finding talented artists to make it come to life.
I'll keep using Kickstarter to get these projects together. You’ll still find me at your local cons with all kinds of books that might catch your attention.
For comics, I have plenty of plans for the near future and I can tell you they're all over the place genre-wise - as per usual. If you like one or two of my stories, you'll probably like the rest. I'm pretty confident in my voice, especially when it comes to comics, and I think that it shines through regardless of the genre that I'm writing in.
When it comes to my new venture in writing novels and novellas, I can see the value in what Tao recommended. I’ll pick a lane.
I already announced something in the paid newsletter which was more sci-fi, but I don't think that project fits the new direction I’m taking. That doesn’t mean the story will go to waste, but it can use a lot more time in the oven anyway.
If you look at my bookshelf at home, it's very much a mix between sci-fi and mystery thrillers. Most of the ideas that I have for novels have fallen to in mystery side, so it makes sense to focus my energies there.
Once I've figured out the indie author game a bit, I’ll launch my sci-fi stories under a pen name. (It won’t be a secret, but more for promotional and algorithm purposes.)
All this to say, I’ll have more to announce about my novels and novellas very soon.
I’ll share right now is that I’m working on a time-travel romance novel for the Heartstrings and Hardbacks open call this July. It will be a total one-off (though I have sequel ideas) and falls entirely outside of this strategy.
Beyond this project, I’ll be putting all my non-comic or newsletter writing energy into the mystery-thriller space.
When I find myself at the Toronto Indie Author Conference next April (16th-17th, 2026), I'll know a table I'll be sitting at.
Until next time…
Upcoming and More
Coming Up on the Substack
Saturday May 3
Elsewhere in the Universe
Deconstructing the Anti-Hero
Are “bad guys” really “bad guys”?
Wednesday May 7
Pesto Comics (Free)
Post-Mortem: From Parts Unknown 2
An in-depth look at the seventh Pesto Comics campaign.
Saturday May 10
Pesto Comics (Paid)
Working the Socials
Where you can find me and strategies to avoid losing your head.
Wednesday May 14
Pesto Comics (Free)
Triple Fulfillment: Naked Kaiju Woman, From Parts Unknown #2 & Big Smoke Pulp Vol. 1
Fulfilling all of the projects, all at once.
Upcoming Appearances
Pesto Comics Release Calendar
Lots to come in 2025 and a lot in various states of fulfillment.
By clicking the calendar above or clicking here, you will find a spreadsheet keeping you up to date with all of our releases in one handy spot!
Instant Ink Comic Book Podcast
Share this post