Conrad Zero

Dark Fiction Author

Free Sci-Fi and Horror Shows on Comet.tv

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398px-comet_tv_logo1From their press release:

COMET.TV has an incredible array of movies that you simply can’t get with a subscription to streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon, or Hulu. From wild adventures on Mars to critically acclaimed classics, COMET is the ultimate home of sci-fi and horror… and it’s all totally free, no subscriptions needed.

I checked it out, expecting there to be some kind of membership, or sign up, or other marketing BS. But the fact is, Comet is the real deal. Jump on and, as their tagline says, “Space out.” Good luck trying to understand how their business model works, but it’s nice to see a channel dedicated to science fiction, supernatural, horror, adventure and fantasy series and films. And with over 1500 hours of programming, there’s plenty here you’ve probably never heard of.

Oh, and they just aquired the rights to Mystery Science Theater 3000, so watch for that…

Comettv.com

Free Writing Tool – Zenpen.io Simplifies Writing

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It doesn’t get much easier than zenpen.io. If you figured out how to view this blog post, then you’re qualified to write text and save it using the wonderfully minimalist and completely free writing tool.

You type in the big open area. You hit Save when you’re done. If that’s too complicated for you, then you’d probably have trouble figuring out a ball-point pen without an instruction manual. In which case, you might wanna consider another medium, like maybe yell your stories out loud at the Mall of America courtyard. Good luck.

Zenpen’s features are accessed through four buttons (maximize screen, light/dark, target word count and save text) and there’s a question mark (about) at the bottom of the page.

Setting the target word count activates a thin meter on the right side of the page. It goes up the page as you type, turning green when it hits the top of the page and you hit your target word count.

Aptly named, beautifully minimalist, and completely free, zenpen is a great way to minimize distractions including those of the writing software which promises to make writing easier, but just clutters up your life. (You heard me, Scrivener.)

If you’re looking for something similar to zenpen, but with online storage and features like stats tracking, google docs sync, and export directly to ebook formats, check out novlr.org. (Monthly fee required)

Zenpen was created by Tim Holman @twholman There’s a whole list of his code antics on his website. (Check out The Finger for an LOL.) BTW, the code for zenpen is open source on github.

Official Website: Zenpen.io

Are Online Courses the New Non-Fiction Books?

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Online Courses Learning Tech Tips By Conrad ZeroConfessions of an Online Course Collector

Don’t know exactly how it started. I have a shelf overflowing with books about writing, publishing, marketing, philosophy and many other subjects, both savory and unsavory. But I noticed that recently my non-fiction book purchases have been fewer and further between. Was I slacking? Was I falling out of love with writing?  Had I learned all there is to know?

Not remotely.

I logged into my Udemy account and there was the answer: over twenty courses. Twelve on Lynda.com And Skillshare? Twenty five. Writing. Marketing. Publishing. Productivity. I haven’t even started half of the courses, but like really good books, I can’t put them down, and the more courses I watch, the more I want.

It’s official. I’m a “course collector.”

It seems that online courses are the new textbooks, and if you’re an author, you’re in luck. Online courses for authors are BIIIG right now. If you’re looking for a fast and easy way to improve your writing, self-publishing or marketing skillsets, or if you’re a more visual learner, you need to check out the big three. Udemy, Skillshare and Lynda.com.

I’ll give a more complete review of each one later. But for now, here’s some things to think about to help decide if online learning is for you. Or if you just want to jump in, click my affiliate link to get 25% off at udemy.com.

What Can Authors Learn In Online Courses?

Holy Hannah, you can learn a lot from online courses. Authors especially are going to love all the great classes available. I’ve highlighted a few udemy courses below. I have personally purchased all of these courses and either taken them or look forward to using them to advance my writing career. [Yes, these are affiliate links, which help to pay for this lovely website. Thanks for your support!]

Online Writing Courses

Online Publishing Courses

Online Marketing Courses

Online Courses – Shiny!

Goal-Oriented Online Courses

Online courses are generally made with a goal in mind, and often the websites will help arrange and track your progress toward your goals.

For example, Lynda.com has a series of pre-determined “Learning Paths” that will help you to achieve real-world goals of mastering specific skill sets like network security management, or recording engineering or a Java programming. Pick your learning path and the courses are laid out for you in the order you should take them.

Skillshare.com has “workshops” where you work in the same class on the same schedule as other students. When you finish, you have a tangible, completed project, whether it’s an awesome Instagram account with hundreds of active followers, or a screenplay you wrote in a month.

All online courses will tell you the duration of the content up front, so you’ll know the minimum time you’re committing before you enroll. Udemy and Skillshare have buttons that let you skip backward 15 seconds for those ‘huh, whassat?’ moments.  Udemy has a skip forward 15 seconds for those “yeah, get on with it!” moments. Best of all, Udemy and Skillshare both let you speed up or slow down the video playback, essential controls for those challenging/boring parts.

Tutorials

A picture is worth a thousand words, but a video is worth a thousand pictures. Especially for complex applications like photoshop or google analytics. To see it done live (or recorded live on video) can get the point across much better than flipping through step-by-step pix of a process.

Connection with the Instructor

Skillshare and Udemy allow you to ask questions in the course forum, which the instructor or helpful classmates can answer. The discussion can be a really nice addition to the content.

Online Courses – Beware!

Fluffed

Too many non-fiction books are actually a pamphlet of information that’s been puffed up and fluffed into a 180 page book. That can happen in online courses, too. There is no developmental editor (or line editor, or any kind of editor for that matter) for the instructors. Be wary of courses with an ungodly number of hours of content. “Over 45 Hours Of Lessons!” one touted. As you can imagine, it was a major snoozefest, even cranked up to 2x speed. Even when the teacher was on-topic (which was rare) he dragged and droned and repeated himself. The “bonus” content for the course was a series of out of date tutorials, which really should have been deleted.

I look for more realistic times measured in hours not days. If it’s more than 6 hours, the scope is probably too large. If it’s less than a half hour, it’s probably not large enough. When considering a course, consider how long it would take you to read a book on the subject and how much that book would cost.

Online Courses as a Gateway Drug

Be wary of instructors offering one on one consultation of the topics they teach. No doubt there’s a difference between teaching you how to make facebook ads, and actually managing a facebook campaign for you. But if you’re taking an online course to learn how to do it yourself, and the instructor wants to both teach you how to do it yourself, AND sell their services doing it… then it becomes a conflict of interest for them. If they teach you how to do it all yourself, then you will, and they lose a client.

I’m not saying all instructors are like this. And there’s nothing wrong with offering both training and consulting. I’m saying there definitely are people who consider online courses (especially FREE online courses) to be a way to load people into their sales funnel. They may choose to hold out the good tips for the upsell, or teach less intuitive methods to make you think the process is more difficult than it really needs to be, then pitch a personal consultation for your pain point.

If you do consider buying a consult with a online course teacher, make sure it’s because your time is better spent somewhere else. And do your research.

Online Courses With Dated Info

I saw a course that explained Facebook Ads in detail, but then Mark Suckerfish changed the interface, and now half the lessons are useless. Some teachers will go back and update their lessons with revised info, some will not.

Check the most recent reviews to see if they say anything about the info being out of date. And look thru the date(s) of the lessons, to make sure they are current.

Online Courses – Twitter Reviews

Visual Learner? Check out online courses! #AmLearning https://conradzero.com/online-courses-new-non-fiction-books/

Bored with Books? Check out Udemy, Skillshare and Lynda.com #AmLearning https://conradzero.com/online-courses-new-non-fiction-books/

Learn to increase your creativity and your word count with online courses! #WritingTools https://conradzero.com/online-courses-new-non-fiction-books/

Bonus Udemy Discount for Fans of conradzero.com

If you didn’t see any courses you liked from the above links, browse the catalog anyway! You’re sure to find something. And take advantage of my affiliate link here to get 25 percent off some great Udemy courses.

New Tips For Making The Best Password Ever

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Best_Password_EverOne of the most popular posts on this website about DARK FICTION is my method on  How To Make The Best Password Ever.  (Go figure.) But a  lot has changed since I posted that back in 2011, and I thought I would share how I’ve recently improved this method to both increase my online security and make it easier to manage.
[Read more…]

Arts of Darkness – The Shadow of Approval Award

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Arts of Darkness Shadow of Approval Award for Dark Arts and Artists from conradzero.com Since 2003 I’ve been writing blog-reviews here about dark and beautiful things. I’ve used the category Ubercool to reference arts, artists, events and things that I think are glorious. And I never once worried that anyone would read them.

But now, my site traffic and ranking have increased to astonishing levels. My inbox is filled with requests for reviews and offers for paid advertising. You read that right. Paid. Advertising.

“You should have an award. You know, like a seal of approval!”

Ten years ago, I felt like the weird kid sitting by himself and reading Lovecraft while listening to Marilyn Manson.  Now I feel like some kind of Dark Fiction Authority. The Goth Guru? The Hipster of Darkness? [Read more…]

Pinterest for Authors

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Logo for pinterest websiteSince I’m going to be helping to moderate a discussion of social media for authors for the Minnesota Speculative Fiction Writers Group this weekend, I decided to give pinterest a try. There’s been a lot of buzz surrounding pinterest recently, no doubt spurred on by the ‘country club’ waiting period while they go through some rapid growth. Some people have waited for a week just to get a login. I had mine the next day, but this waiting period should decrease as they tack on some more server power.

Setting up a new account on the latest social media buzz site made me feel this way:

  • 2006 – Hey! Check out MySpace! It’s Cool!
  • 2007 – Myspace sucks! You should check out Twitter!
  • 2008 -Twitter’s cool, but Facebook is better!
  • 2009 -Facebook sucks! Check out Google Buzz…   Nope. That aint it. Go back to Facebook.
  • 2010 -Facebook sucks! Check out Google Wave… Oh screw that! Sorry! Back to Facebook!
  • 2011 -Facebook sucks! You should check out Google Plus! Wait a minute… OK, Google Plus is good. No wait… ummmm, OK! Google Plus is good. For now. Just keep that Facebook account in case of emergency.
  • 2012 – Google Plus sucks! You need to check out Pinterest!

Le sigh.

Welcome to 2012 – No flying cars, but we have pinterest!

Gothic Pinterest Board

Pinterest: Twitter for People who Can’t Read.

For those who don’t know what Pinterest is all about, it’s really quite simple. Sign up at pinterest.com, add the “Pin It” button to your browser toolbar and when you see a picture you like… bam. Pin it to your online albums. Group your pix into categories, like my “Shiny Gothic” page group, shown at the right.

Seriously? That’s it? Now, why the hell would an author – someone who makes their living selling words – want to join the illiterate version of Twitter? Especially since many social media sites already handle pictures and do so much more?

Well, I’ll tell you.

The Secret Is Simple

After using pinterest for a couple weeks I can tell you that it’s like my ex in many ways. It’s easy. It’s fun. There’s not much to it, really.

I can understand why people who are interested in scrapbooking, stamping and the like would be interested in pinterest. The fact that it handles images (and videos too…) with ease and a clean, bulletproof interface… it really makes Facebook look messy and cluttered. Probably because Facebook IS messy and cluttered. There’s no damned games here on pinterest. No farmville. No angry birds. Well, there’s probably pictures of angry birds, but no stupid pokes (wtf is a ‘poke’?) no messaging, no events. Just pix, arranged in categories. Simple, clean and elegant.

So it’s simple. Big deal. Why would authors want to sign up for yet-another-time-sucking-social-networking site?

Character Dossiers

You’re probably expecting me to say something like “A picture is worth a thousand words” or some-such. But somebody smarter than me already did. So instead, I’ll tell you that I’m a very visual person, and a page full of pictures of what I think a character or place looks like gets the idea across faster than a page full of text.

Every now and then I will trip across a picture of a person who looks very much like one of the characters in my head, or a character I suddenly WISH was in my head. Or a location I’d love to use in a story. My current method is to copy those pix and save them into location and character dossiers in Evernote for future reference. But now I may be tempted to save them in pinterest as well, if for no other reason than pinterest is so flipping easy to use.

Psycho-Social (Networking)

Pinterest makes it really simple to share pictures and graphics with others. Because of the social component, pinterest can be used as yet-another-funnel to guide people toward your product/e-mail list/whathaveyou, and I have every faith in the American ability to twist this new platform into a money-grubbing, graphical, spam-fest. I also guarantee you that the only way to make money using pinterest is as follows:

How To Make Money Using Pinterest!

Easy – write a book called “How to make money using Pinterest!”

Your Author Image

Another way to use pinterest is in your “image” or visual expression of yourself as an author or your work as part of your overall brand. Pin up a bunch of sunny, rainbow, happy unicorn pix… and people who enjoy those things may also be interested in what you’re writing about. Pin up a pix of dead animals left over from the Nine Inch Nails Downward Spiral photo shoot….and people who enjoy those things may also be interested in what you’re writing about.

Just make sure to keep your image accurate. Give people a false impression and they may not be forgiving about it.

At the very least, you’ll want to have pix of your awesome book covers up.

Pinspiration

Pinterest is a guaranteed time-suck if there ever was one, but is there a social networking site that isn’t? Nuff said. But you have to admit trolling through pinterest for inspiration is faster and more efficient than reading random articles on Wikipedia. If you wanted to find some cool visual inspiration for characters, places, weapons, fashion or food (LOTS of food and fashion on pinterest) then pinterest is one place to do it.

Just thinking out loud here, but Google Image Search might be better for graphical inspiration only because it has a larger resource pool to draw from. But pinterest adds in the ability to view current and trending images, if that makes a difference to you. And I’m sure their database will grow larger at a preposterous rate, but there is already plenty there to look at.

Pinterest – More Than Just Twitter’s Illiterate Younger Brother

Expect big things from this site. Once you see how easy and intuitive it is, you’ll agree that Pinterest is not a fad. It’s not next year’s Google Wave, and it has much to offer. If you’re already on facebook or twitter, you can log into pinterest through those services, so you really should give it a try.

Happy Pinning! And friend me up on pinterest here: http://pinterest.com/conradzero

Battle of the Online Music Players

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Apple iCloud vs. Amazon Cloud Player vs. Google Music Beta

Online music storage is the future that replaces MP3 players, just like MP3 players replaced CD players, just like CD players replaced cassette players. The beauty of accessing your music where ever you go on whatever device you have available might just launch a renaissance of music appreciation. Or not. At the very least, it keeps your music backed up for you, and there’s some free options, so you should at least check them out.

PCMag.com has a great article describing the differences between Amazon, Apple and Google’s online music players.

I’m in on the Google Music Beta and I’ve been choking my internet connection with about 60GB of music that’s been uploading for the last two days. People complain about how long it takes for the initial upload, but seriously, 60GB is a preposterous amount of data. People are quick to dismiss data size because hard drive space is so cheap but seriously, it would take you MONTHS of listening for 24 hours a day just to play through all that music. And once its up on the cloud, it only needs to sync changes.

Too bad it took so long for online music storage to get popular – mp3tunes.com has been doing online music storage for YEARS. Sadly, their business model doesn’t work. 2GB is not enough space for all my music. And paying for more space is not reasonable. If I was going to pay for storage, I’d pay for generic online file storage like Dropbox or SugarSync that works for all my data files, docs and pictures, not just music.

Ah, music storage in the cloud. Ah, no DRM. Ah, no Apple or Itunes involved. Life is good. My nest step is to pick up a 4G phone so I have access to my entire music library almost anywhere. Can I get a Hell Yeah?

The WordCount Blogathon 2011

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WordCount Blogathon 2011 Participant BadgeI’ve decided to take part in WordCount’s Blogathon 2011:

The WordCount Blogathon is an annual event that brings together professional writers and anyone else with a blog for the purpose of improving what they do by posting to their respective blogs every day during the month of May.

http://michellerafter.com/the-2011-wordcount-blogathon/

My goals for the blogathon are meager. I was already considering trying to post here more often, and this is a timely opportunity to motivate myself. Plus, it has the added advantages of community-building and SEO. The real challenge is going to be coming up with useful and/or entertaining things to blog about each and every day for the next month.

Looking back over the last seven years of posts here at conradzero.com I noticed a shift away from short, entertaining posts to longer, more informative ones. (Actually, the short posts have been outsourced to twitter and facebook.) For this blogathon, I’m going to try releasing more moderate-sized posts, or perhaps break large posts into a series, while trying to keep the same proportion of entertainment/information. Infotainment? Regardless, I’ll do my best to remain a source of useful information and inspiration for other authors, especially those writing dark fiction.

Today is the last day to sign up, and you have until 11PM Pacific time. Best of luck to all the Blogathon participants!

Update: List of all WordCount Blogathon 2011 participants can be found here.

Great Website: circusofbrassandbone.com

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A great website for a great cause, http://www.circusofbrassandbone.com is an online serial-story by fellow MNSpec author, Abra Staffin Wiebe.

The Story

The Circus of Brass and Bone is a steampunk fiction story set primarily in 1800’s America. Although, since the main source of power in this alternate reality is aether and not steam, it’s more accurately labeled as aetherpunk.

From the website:

After the collapse of civilization, the show goes on….

The Cause

Abra’s mom is in some dire straits. She has an advanced cancer compounded by no job and no savings. You can read more about her situation here, but the upshot is that Abra is releasing The Circus of Brass and Bone on a “Pay What You Can” basis in order to raise funds to help offset her medical expenses.

What YOU can do to Help:

1-Read

Check out Episode One: Everyone Dies or listen to the podcast. You’ll find out just what a great writer Abra is.

2-Connect

Subscribe to the podcast, get on the e-mail list, friend up the facebook fan site. Check out the links below, so you don’t miss any of the upcoming episodes.

3-Donate

Seriously, Abra’s mom needs your help. Skip your daily Grande Mocha Frappuccino and toss a couple bucks towards a good cause.   Click here to Donate directly to Abra Staffin Wiebe through PayPal.

4-Share

Blog, Twit, Stumble, Digg, Friend, Comment and Like the hell out of this.

Links