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⤝❖⤞The Monday Missive ⤝❖⤞
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December 8, 2025
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Hello friends! Last week, I reached a huge milestone - 1,000 units sold. As I've mentioned before, 90% of self-published authors never sell more than 100 copies, but I've surpassed that ten times over in a year and a half.
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If you haven't gotten your copies of my books, there's no better time than now! I'll explain that in a minute.
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For now, let's look at a fantastic poem about winter.
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"Winter Song"
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The browns, the olives, and the yellows died,
And were swept up to heaven; where they glowed
Each dawn and set of sun till Christmastide,
And when the land lay pale for them, pale-snowed,
Fell back, and down the snow-drifts flamed and flowed.
From off your face, into the winds of winter,
The sun-brown and the summer-gold are blowing;
But they shall gleam with spiritual glinter,
When paler beauty on your brows falls snowing,
And through those snows my looks shall be soft-going.
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About the Eirenic Verses
The Smashwords End of Year Sale starts today! I am, of course, participating, so here's what you can expect:
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If you already have your copy, why not tell a friend? This deal runs through January 1st, so you have plenty of time to spread the word.
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Weekly Writing Tip
While sometimes your readers will need a recap about something, it's crucial that you space these out rather than having characters repeat themselves in quick succession. It's annoying to readers if a character states something on one page, then mentions it again two pages later.
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You should also avoid having characters repeat themselves in internal monologue versus dialogue. For example, if a character privately thinks something and then says it out loud, you can remove the internal monologue. If they say something, we're going to guess they were thinking it beforehand.
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Book of the Week
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Beloved Vietnamese Buddhist leader Thich Nhat Hanh left us a treasure trove of wisdom before his passing, including You Are Here.
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This simple book reminds readers that the present moment is all that exists, and that worrying about the future or the past is only valuable if you can plan or learn from it.
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One of its primary lessons is that breathwork is a powerful way to practice non-attachment. After all, we can't judge our breath; it's a simple fact of our existence, with no "right" way to do it. Through breathwork, you can expand non-attachment in all aspects of life
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Last Week's Posts
Firstly, we have a republish of an older article I wrote on Medium that discusses the deleterious effects of mania on mental well-being and creativity. I've had many people tell me that they're jealous of "how much you can get done" while manic, but they don't consider how the quality of work significantly declines along with mental stability.
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Next, we have a discussion about the pitfalls men face when writing women. The thing is that writing women is nowhere near as hard as men seem to think - as long as you view women as fellow human beings. Oversexualized language, objectification, and using women as "window dressing" are all common issues men face, but they don't have to be. I share some simple tips for developing richer female characterization.
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What Makes Good Queer Representation in Fiction?
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Bring pride to the LGBTQ community through nuanced and thoughtful representation, including the unique aspects of queer community.
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Read My Authoriview Interview!
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Learn more about Cameron Sidhe, author of the LGBTQ literary fantasy series The Eirenic Verses. Explore her past, inspirations, and everyday life.
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Weekly Quote
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“All a poet can do today is warn.”
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Share the Monday Missive with your friends!
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I hope you're enjoying my newsletter. If you are, maybe your friends and colleagues would too! Please send them this "Manage Your Subscription" page where they can sign up! Your support is greatly appreciated.
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Thanks for celebrating 1,000 sales with me today! I'll catch you next week.
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