Indie Publishing – Life in Public Relations Hell

I Still Work in Public Relations…

You might never know it from the lack of recent blog postings, but I still work in public relations.

I have to deal with ungrateful clients and cheap employers daily.

I have even completed the second volume of my “Life in Public Relations Hell” novel series, but I can’t publish it at this time.

This is partly due to my ongoing financial struggles and also to not wanting to embarrass those I currently work with in the PR industry.

I am proud of the first volume of my indie novel series, “Life in Public Relations Hell,” which I published in the summer of 2022. In early 2019, I had started this blog to document my ongoing frustration with my PR career.

Unfortunately, I can’t say that has changed.

In my novel, I was finally able to express what I always wanted to about the dark side of the PR industry and to explore the strange, heartbreaking tales of my PR career journey.

I haven’t received much acknowledgement or support from the PR industry for my novel, but I didn’t expect it.

It remains my goal to eventually bring out a planned six volumes of my PR hell series.

I just wanted to let you know, dear reader, that I am still here and I have a lot more to say about my life in PR hell.

You’ll just have to be patient, unlike many of my clients through the years.

2024: A Busy Year as an Indie Author Writing and Editing 6 new books, but No New Publications

It was a busy year for me as an indie author.

In 2024, I worked on six new indie books, but unfortunately, I couldn’t publish them due to my ongoing financial problems.

This is the second year I have not been able to launch a new book.

I am hoping that will change in 2025.

I currently have two poetry collections and the novel version of my short story “Jack” ready to go once I have the funding.

I am also editing the sequel to my indie novel, “Life in Public Relations Hell,” and novel versions of my short stories, “Car Dodging,” and “The Gardener.”

I am ten drafts into my PR hell sequel and happy with how it is coming out. I can say the same for my novel versions of “Car Dodging” and “The Gardener.” I have stuck to the core story of the original short stories while expanding upon them where appropriate.

I have also started two new books but am not ready to reveal the details yet.

I am also working on updated versions of my science fiction novel, “Jake’s War: July 4, 2076” and my poetry collection, “The Hollywood Homeless.”

I am unhappy with my current version of “Jake’s War: July 4, 2076.” I also despise the cover. It failed to capture my novel, which is based on the first novel I had hand-written at the young age of 15 while so enthralled with the film, “Star Wars.” I wanted a cover that resembled the science fiction paperback covers of the novels I read in the 1970s. I recently created some interesting AI images based on my book to consider for a new cover. See below. The story also needs a more compelling beginning and updated rewrite. I also want to bring the book out in hardcover.

As for my poetry collection, “The Hollywood Homeless,” I have plans to use these poems as lyrics in some interesting AI and music experiments in the next year or two. These poems were created as lyrics so I am intrigued by the possibilities. The poetry collection also needs an updated edit and I will bring it out in paperback and hardcover with a new cover at some point.

I will eventually bring out new versions of my indie books in all three formats including paperback and hardcover except for my novels, “Life in Public Relations Hell,” and “Robot Troubles, which are already available in these formats.

Although I support AI technology and embrace its possibilities, let me stress again that I will never use AI to write my indie books. The writing in my indie books should always come from me, my experiences, and my imagination.

I recently left Twitter or X for the platform, Bluesky, and I am impressed with the supportive community I have found there. It reminds me of a friendlier version of Twitter circa 2010-13.

The last time I received such an enthusiastic response toward my novels and poetry as I have found on Bluesky was in 2015-16 on Twitter.

It’s refreshing after watching Twitter die as a welcoming community for writers and free thinkers and being disappointed with my short time on Tiktok (Booktok). Booktok was nothing more than media hype for this indie author.

You can find me on Bluesky here: @gpwriter.bsky.social (https://bsky.app/profile/gpwriter.bsky.social).

You can find out more about my 16 indie books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B004FBKNHA

I am excited about the potential of Bluesky as I bring out more indie books.

I love indie publishing.

Happy New Year.

My apologies for neglecting my blog, an update on my “Life In Public Relations Hell” sequel, Booktok, etc.

My sincere apologies for having neglected this blog for so long

For the past two years, I have been spending a lot of time promoting my 16 indie books on TikTok and learning how to market my work via video for the Booktok audience, the platform’s community devoted to books. You can check out my account here if you are interested. I am proud of the 500-plus videos I have created for the site.

It has been a rewarding experience overall on Booktok, but it frankly hasn’t lived up to the media hype that drew me to the site in the first place. I am going to start spending more time back on Twitter (No, I will never call it X) to promote my indie books. You can find me there at @gpwriter I may eventually start a Bluesky account. I will keep you updated.

I have also completed and am editing five new indie books including the sequel to my novel, “Life In Public Relations Hell,” which picks up where volume 1 left off with the protagonist Jake Wilson out of work and questioning the future of his public relations career. Jake becomes desperate after a long job search and takes a position at a public relations agency specializing in crowdfunding public relations. More client and co-worker millennial hell ensues. I am seven drafts into the sequel and happy with how it is coming out. The sequel is funny and honest about my public relations career like my first book. I am looking to bring it out in late 2025.

You can check out my indie books on my Amazon author page.

Also in the past year, I have been learning about AI art and have worked with AI platforms OpenAI, ChatGPT-4, and Midjourney, among others, to create some fascinating developmental art images for my indie books. I have used the art mostly in my Booktok videos and for inspiration for a new book cover for my indie science fiction novel, “Robot Troubles.” I think AI art has brought a whole new dimension to the visual side of my work.

Below are some images I created for my Life in Public Relations Hell novel. They are the characters in my novel – Lulu Yilmaz, Miriam Letti, Jake Wilson, Lorne Whitney aka Cage Boy, Bob Hampton aka The Tommy Boy of PR, and Dane Flynn, the Big Agency Fool.

Miriam Letti, the Vice President of Panic, at the Yilmaz Agency

Jake Wilson, a beleaguered publicist, and my novel’s protagonist

Lorne Whitney aka Cage Boy, Lulu’s obnoxious husband

Bob Hampton, clueless manager at the Riley Hampton Agency aka the Tommy Boy of PR

Dane Flynn, a Big Public Relations Agency Fool

These are only some of the many AI images I have created for my novel and my other books. I am hoping to share more soon on this blog.

One series of images I call the Art of PR Hell was influenced by the Edvard Munch painting The Scream. I imagined that image in a modern office setting. See below for a couple of examples of my concept.

Although I support AI technology and embrace its possibilities, let me stress that I will never use AI to write my indie books. The writing in my indie books should always come from me and my experiences.

I promise not to abandon this blog again as I have many more stories and images to share about my ongoing public relations career, and life in public relations hell novel series.