Issue 19: I Miss the Scholastic Book Fair
News & Musings. Newsings?
Hello there!
Quick question… Do you ever get hurt on stupid things?
And I mean, like, really stupid, silly things that would embarrass you to talk about in a public setting?
I do. All the time. I’ve been hurt while pulling power plugs out of walls. I’ve been injured by refrigerator doors as they swung closed. More recently, I cut myself on the stall door in a public restroom (a terrible place to receive an injury, by the way) and I nearly had the fingernail torn from the index finger of my right hand when it got stuck (!) in the knob of a kitchen cabinet.
But the worst stupid injury I’ve ever had? Oh, this one’s a doozy…. A few years ago while I was tearing the plastic off of a pack of 75 paper plates, I inadvertently got 75 simultaneous paper cuts on the palm of my hand.
Do you get paper cuts a lot? Me? I get ‘em every time I open an envelope, or an Amazon package. I just cannot seem to walk away unscathed. Do you were know if some people are more susceptible to paper cuts than others? Is anyone here a doctor?
If you have a professional opinion on the matter, please let me know.
But enough about me and my weak skin. Let’s get into it, shall we?
What Happened Last Issue?
In the last issue of this newsletter, I discussed my travels throughout April and the experience of giving back to burgeoning writers. There are very few complaints in this one!
In This Issue:
Crowdfunding Updates!
A Storm of Words!
An Interview with Me!
Project Updates!
Crowdfunding Updates!
We’re switching it up in this issue! Because I have two comic books that are available for preorders via crowdfunding campaigns, I thought I’d give a quick overview of how those are going.
Unit 44
Issue #8 of my sci-fi/comedy series Unit 44 is currently available for preorder! As I mentioned in the Special Edition newsletter I sent out recently, Unit 44 is fighting for its life! In order to prevent the series cancellation at Alterna, we need to secure 300 preorders before the campaign closes in 19 days. The good news is, we’ve already received 124 preorders, meaning that we just need 176 more to keep the book going!
Overall, Alterna has secured 70% of the $10,000 needed to bring these books to print. If you’ve already preordered, THANK YOU!
It’s my hope that by being a subscriber to this newsletter, you’re a fan of my work. If you can grab a copy of the issue (for $2.25!) please consider it!
(And be sure to check out this awesome video trailer if you haven’t!)
The Obsoletes
The Obsoletes returns with issue #2! The issue is currently available for preorder from Silverline Comics via a Kickstarter campaign. I’m happy to report we’ve already met our $1,500 goal, but don’t hesitate to jump in if you’d like to grab a copy of #2 (or even a copy of #1 if you missed it)!
If you threw in on the campaign, THANK YOU MORE!
Silverline Comics loves their variant covers! And honestly? I do, too.
If you missed the Special Edition newsletter detailing the issue—and providing a sneak peek, hit the link below to check it out!
A Storm of Words!
The clock has really been ticking lately.
Knowing that the crowdfunding launches of both Unit 44 #8 and The Obsoletes #2 would keep me busy throughout June, I tried to make sure that May was as productive as possible.
In past newsletters I referenced a secret book project, codenamed “The Incoming Storm.” I later revealed that this was a nonfiction book about tornadoes.
I can now reveal two more small pieces of information.
First thing—I was contracted to write this book by Penguin Random House.
Yes, that’s right… the largest publishing house in the world. I guess I’ll go ahead and mark that one off the the bucket list.
Many authors dream of having their work published by an industry titan like Penguin, myself included. It was amazing and profound and humbling to be ASKED to write something for them. The fact that it was a nonfiction book for young readers was even more exciting.
Kids are cool. Kids actually read books. Do you remember when the Scholastic Book Fair would roll into your school cafeteria or library? I do. It was the best day all school year. It was an opportunity for me to get caught up on the latest and greatest from writers such as R.L. Stine and Bruce Coville.
Those book fairs played such a formative role in my becoming a lifelong reader (and later, a writer), so naturally I’m totally excited for my opportunity to give back and help other burgeoning readers foster their own love of words.
Second thing—I wrote the book! Well, the first draft, at least.
Prior to actually writing the book, I had to prepare and submit an outline for approval. That’s where all the hard work took place… the research, planning the flow of the narrative, fact checking, etc. Having a tight outline makes for a tight draft. Seriously. Upon completing the first draft, the word count for my manuscript landed EXACTLY where it needed to. That’s a beautiful thing.
After many revisions and much overthinking, I got the draft to place where I was happy with it and I fired it off to my editor two months EARLY. That’s how I roll. Now I await any edits, which should come back my way in July/August. I’ll be excited to revisit the project with fresh eyes and fresh fingers.
I’ll reveal more info in the coming months—the title, more backstory, the cover—but this book isn’t due to be published until 2025, so we have loads of time! LOADS.
An Interview with Me!
I recently visited the World At War Comics Podcast where I talked with host Tommy about my decade-long career in comics. We not only dove into my backlist, chatting about deep cuts like my crime-fiction graphic novel Chambers and my zany one-shot Hipsters Vs Rednecks, but we also discussed the past, present, and future of The Obsoletes and Unit 44! I hope you enjoy it.
Project Updates!
The Oddity
Artist Aleks Jovic is once more working through the first dozen or so pages of our YA graphic novel, codenamed “The Oddity,” which we hope to pitch to publishers this summer.
Aleks has sketched out through page 8, and over the next few weeks we’ll get these pages inked, colored, lettered, and packaged for submission.
Sure, I still haven’t finished writing the final two chapters of the script, but I will! Oh, I will.
Lookin’ good, am I right?
QUESTION!
What’s the weirdest/dumbest thing you’ve ever gotten hurt on? Tell me so that I can feel better about myself!
Do I know you from somewhere?
I’m Wes Locher. I’ve been writing professionally for more than a decade. I write comic books, video games, fiction, and nonfiction. I write whatever seems fun, cool, and inspiring. I also love helping other writers to demystify the process of making a living through words. This is my newsletter.
I miss book fairs too! :(
Wow! Congrats on being ASKED to write a book by Penguin House. You're really making a name for yourself!