42: Thank you for being part of my “Audience”.
I am sorry, but for the last week or so, I have not had a chance to buckle down and type out a new chapter in the manner I prefer to compose my chapters.
Substack consultants on LinkedIn explain to authors that to be successful, you must know your audience. You must write to/for your audience, and blah, blah, blah. When I receive these via DM, I will reply saying that if they truly want to help me, please share this link to my GoFundMe on their socials.
But guess what? I can almost always tell that the consultant never visited my substact. How? Because, unlike other writers on Substack, I am super niché in that I write about my life. That’s it.
Sure, some of my darker chapters might cause you to scratch your head, asking yourself, “What the hell was Mark thinking in publishing that?” I can assure you that what I write is who I am and how I got to where I am. The good times, the bad times, the mundane times, they all happened, and here we all are today.
Yes, I would love for my life’s story to be published as a book, complete with photos I have produced over the years. I truly believe, mostly because so many people who know my horrors have encouraged me to tell my story. It isn’t every day a man openly admits to the crap I have endured, and some how I am still here. As I opened up to old friends and a very select few new ones, before taking this substack live eighteen months ago, is how I am still here. I have my reasons and will share them at a later date. I have already started to compose several quite personal chapters, because at this point in my life, why not.
Am I the most interesting person, nope. Do I write in a manner that drives you mad? Probably. Does Grammarly have a meltdown every time I paste a new chapter for it to proofread? Yep. Do I make every change it suggests? Nope. Do I spend too much time on my photo selections, most likely, but I have a goal in the photos that I have just not finalized yet. My photos bring back some incredibly joyful times in my life. Me, my kids, their mom, and my beagle named Bailey. Photos from paid assignments during my photography career, and then random photos that were just “for me” because I liked what I saw.
I just want to say thank you for your belief in me, your curiosity about my life, and your support.
Very appreciatively,
Mark
PS, If you are wondering who the hell is RednoseLepow (the link goes to their FB page), well, he will be making an appearance in an upcoming chapter.