The Memory Eater anthology is now available in paperback and e-book formats

Today, over at http://www.matthewhance.com/, I posted exactly where The Memory Eater can be purchased.  I hope you'll take a look!

New Website Up and Running

I’ve been working on a new site the past few weeks, and it’s currently up and running at www.matthewhance.com.  I’ll be moving most of the content from this blog over to there, and once the store is finished, you’ll be able to purchase The Memory Eater paperback, ebook and bookmark. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love Blogspot, and this blog has worked wonders for me over the past year and some, but it’s becoming a bit restricting as I expand my evil empire.

So feel free to drop by www.matthewhance.com and say hello in the forums, or simply check out the cool stuff that’s about to pop up!  Here's a teaser...

Success!

The Memory Eater's Kickstarter campaign officially ended yesterday with a huge W.  The project raised $4,478 (or 105%), which was $228 more than the original $4,250 goal.

I'd like to thank everyone who helped the project by either spreading the word or pledging.  I have many thoughts about the rollercoaster campaign and plan to share them when I get a chance.

As for the book, I'm going to be busting my hump the next few weeks getting everything finalized.  For those who missed the Kickstarter campaign, don't worry—I plan to have the paperback and ebook versions available for purchase in the near future on a new website.  It will also be released on Amazon and in local retail stores.

Also, be on the lookout another themed anthology call for submissions.  When?  Soon, my dears.

Oh, and let's not forget the little contest I held to spread the word about the book.  I'll be doing the drawing soon.  This is really important!  If you shared The Memory Eater on Facebook, please email me at anthologies2011@gmail.com with a link to where you shared it.  I thought I could track those entries, but I couldn't, so I apologize.  I don't want to exclude any entries, so please make sure you email me.

Again, thank you everyone for your support!

Future Anthologies, Posts and Direction

I know there's been a lot of Memory Eater Kickstarter updates the past month or so, but in a few days, the campaign will end, and it will be back to business as usual.

I've been working on a ton of projects.  Ideas.  The future.  Which brings me to a few important updates:

First, and probably the most important, in the next few months, I will be transitioning all traffic from this blog to a new website.  The website will allow me to better structure everything I plan to do in the future.  It's currently being worked on, and I hope to have it finished soon.

Second, I'm going to be opening submissions in the near future for a yet-to-be-determined anthology.  I loved working on The Memory Eater, everything from reading all of the great stories to writing my own.  This will be another themed anthology, and I have it boiled down to three ideas.  The first is obviously The Memory Eater 2.  The second is Bedtime Stories For Adults (working title), which will focus on children's stories twisted with mature themes, settings, plots.  Think:

And the third, untitled for now, revolves around a device (I love me some devices, huh?).  Here's a hint:

I’m being vague with this one in case I don’t use it next and need to place it back on the shelf. 

So those are the three ideas I'm toying around with—I'd love to hear which one you'd like to see me tackle next in the comments below!

Third, who am I?  Online, I'm known as Casper Pearl.  In reality, I'm Matthew Hance.  However you want to address me, that's fine.  I've been a writer for almost a decade now, and I've put a lot of hard work and passion into what I do.  Over the course of my writing career, I’ve made about $800 from short stories (winning contests and selling them to anthologies).  If you break that down, I make on average about $80 a year from a profession I pour countless hours into.  What I’m trying to say is, I write because I love writing.  I can’t not write.  Writing allows me to create worlds.  It allows me to share important messages with others.  And maybe one day, if I’m lucky, a story will catch fire and burn through millions of brains.  But if that doesn’t happen, it’s okay, because I’m proud of the work I do, because I always give it my all.

Step back a year.  I thought it would be fun to collaborate with other writers, so I put out the submissions call for The Memory Eater.  I’m really happy I did, because that decision led to traffic.  And that traffic inspired me to share with everyone my thoughts on the industry along with what’s helped me develop as a writer.  You see, it’s not all about the individual.  It’s about sharing, and maybe someone shares back with you, and you eventually meet new people who share your passion, and then you eventually grow.

Moving forward, while I work on my own individual projects, I will also be working on other anthologies/collaborations.  So what am I?  I'm a writer who occasionally teams up with others in my field to bring readers something I feel is new and refreshing.  I formed Hance LLC because of the anthologies I plan to work on, so I will be releasing all content under that name.  In the near future, when I transition to the new website, it will reflect everything I do as an individual and team member.  And each anthology will have its own dedicated area on the site.

Fourth, what about additional content?  I've been working on some fresh blog topics but won't be posting them until the Kickstarter campaign is over.  My focus now, as it has been the past month, is making sure The Memory Eater is successful.

And just an FYI, one of the most rewarding aspects of being a writer is seeing my work in print.  It's a great feeling, and I'm sure most writers will tell you the same exact thing.  That's why I turned to Kickstarter.  To hold the book.  To pass it around.  To be proud of something.  And why do I care so much about a physical book?  Well, in a dozen or more years, when my sons are allowed to read mature content, I'd like them to pick my books up and read my stories and be proud of what I've done.  I'd like to motivate them to shoot for their dreams, no matter how hard it is.  Not through telling them to do so, but by showing them how to do so.

The Memory Eater Contest

We’re holding a contest from now until the end of The Memory Eater’s Kickstarter campaign, which is May 12^th.  I held one last week, but it’s time to switch things up, because we need all the help we can get to help raise the last 30% of our goal.

For Twitter and Google+, all you have to do to enter the contest is send out a message promoting the book and include #thememoryeatercontest2 and a link to the Kickstarter page (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/875080901/the-memory-eater-anthology).

For Facebook, all you have to do to enter is tag The Memory Eater’s Kickstarter page in a post promoting the project.  To do so, start typing @the memory eater into your post and the Kickstarter page should come up.  IMPORTANT: After you do this, please email me at anthologies2011@gmail.com with a link to where you shared this.  Apparently I can't track the shares like I thought I could.

If the project doesn’t hit the goal on May 12^th, five randomly drawn people will receive the PDF of The Memory Eater book.  If it does hit the goal, these five prizes will be awarded to five randomly drawn contestants:

($25 value)  You get the first-run paperback version of The Memory Eater signed by me, the editor. You also get the ebook and a bookmark.

($50 value)  You get the first-run paperback version of The Memory Eater signed by me, along with a requested personalized inscription, the Special Edition ebook, a bookmark and a t-shirt.

($125 value)  You get the first-run paperback version of The Memory Eater.  I will also handwrite a unique, flash fiction story based on a topic of your choosing on the inside jacket of your book. The topic can be aliens invading a pack of wolves, pillows becoming zombies, fish cooking themselves, golf—literally anything you can think of regardless of how weird it sounds. You also get the Special Edition ebook and a bookmark.

Two other contestants will receive the first-run paperback version of The Memory Eater signed by me, the editor, along with a bookmark.

For a visual, here are the prizes:

 Paperback

 T-shirt

Bookmark

All you have to do is spread the word about the Kickstarter page, so what are you waiting for?  Remember, the contest ends on May 12^th!

Kickstarter Update and Future Anthologies

As of today, The Memory Eater has raised $2,837 (or 66%) of its $4,250 goal.  With 16 days left to pledge, there’s still a lot of hard work to do, but boy oh boy has the ride thus far been a nail biter.  At least for me anyway.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve checked my email, fingers crossed, hoping to see a new backer alert.

77 people have supported the project so far, and I can’t really put into words what that means to me.  I also can’t put into words how excited I am to bring a new and refreshing form of entertainment to the world.  Yes, the journey begins with The Memory Eater, but I hope to eventually develop Hance LLC into so much more.  With your desire and support, this dream can become a reality.

Which brings me to a few new updates to the Kickstarter campaign.  First, I recently added bulk orders.  You can now purchase 10 books for $120 (saving you $30) or 20 for $220 (saving you $80). 

I’ve also tried to spice up the poster deal by making an option to purchase a poster, paperback and bookmark for $60.  There’s also an $80 option where you get the poster, paperback, bookmark, t-shirt, special edition ebook and a personalized inscription from me.

The last announcement includes stretch goals, and here are the details:

STRETCH GOAL #1 — $7,250 — THE MEMORY EATER 2
If we go $3,000 over the initial goal and hit $7,250, everyone who pledges $8 and above will get The Memory Eater 2 ebook for free. I plan to commission 50 contributors, so with the $3,000, that will be enough to pay each person $50 instead of profit-sharing like the first book. The remaining $500 will cover Kickstarter fees and the cost of compiling the ebook.

STRETCH GOAL #2 — $10,250 — FAIRY TALES FOR ADULTS
If we go $3,000 over the first stretch goal of $7,250, everyone who pledges $8 and above will get Fairy Tales for Adults ebook for free in addition to The Memory Eater 2 ebook. The $3,000 will be divided the same way as in first stretch goal.

The stories in Fairy Tales for Adults will either combine original childlike plots with mature settings or mature plots with childlike settings. Think The Giving Tree, except the tree just won the lottery, prompting every ruthless person in existence to come out of the woodwork. Think The Very Hungry Caterpillar, except the caterpillar is a super morbidly obese guy who runs an orphanage and eats all of the orphans' food before eating them. While the end result will vary based on the submissions received, I'm aiming every sort of twist (humorous, dramatic, brutal, lovey-dovey) on stories we tell our children.

If you’d like to support the project, but can’t find room within your budget (damn you high gas prices/daycare/life in general), we could really use your help spreading the word through any media outlets possible.  You can like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Memory-Eater-Anthology/107422172673789), follow me on Twitter (@thememoryeater), or give us a shout out in real life! 

 Again, thank you to everyone who has taken a serious look at this project.  I can’t speak for everyone, but I write for pure entertainment purposes, meaning if I were on a deserted island, and I knew no one would ever read my work, I’d never do it.  I’d just sit there and be bored.  Maybe kick the sand really, really hard to show the sky my frustration.

So here’s to your eyes…or attention!

Best,

C. P.

The Memory Eater Story Trailers and Interview

In just 9 days, The Memory Eater Kickstarter campaign has raised $1,476 (34% of the goal).  With 31 days left, we’re doing very well but still need a lot of support.

To give you a better look at what kind of stories can be found in The Memory Eater, Justin Swapp (one of the contributors), was kind enough to create mini trailers for each of the 27 stories.  He will be updating the channel as he goes, but in the meantime, the 16 videos which are currently finished can be found right here.  Below is a trailer for the Memory Eater story Cigars for Sawyer.

You can also read my recent interview done by Lauren C. Teffeau (one of the talented story contributors) regarding The Memory Eater right here.

Also, if you haven’t checked it out yet, here are 4 story samples from The Memory Eater.

We hope you’ll check out the Kickstarter page at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/875080901/the-memory-eater-anthology which offers a paperback copy of the book for $15 along with many other rewards, because your continued support is what will ultimately bring this project to life!