Alien Jones
Bookshelf Q. Battler here to talk about my intergalactic correspondent, the one, the only, the pantsless Alien Jones.
The Esteemed Brainy One has been on a roll lately.
He of the Amazing Gray Matter has had a question from a different self published author to answer every Sunday for the past four weeks, and there’s already one in the cue for this Sunday. That’ll make five weeks of AJ goodness.
On top of that, since his column began earlier this year, he has amassed quite an impressive list of author promos.
3.5 readers, I never asked to be the chosen one of an unnamed planet’s Supreme and Unquestioned Overlord. When Alien Jones showed up at the Bookshelf Battle compound and informed me the Mighty Potentate had sent him on a mission to help me get my writing career off the ground, I was truly humbled.
Alien Jones’ Mission?
To:
A) Answer questions from self-publishing authors in his “Ask the Alien Column.”
The Mighty Potentate, Supreme and Unquestionable Ruler of a Planet the Name of Which is None of Your Beeswax
This mission stems largely from the Mighty Potentate’s utter disgust with Earth’s reality television and a fear that these horrid shows will one day permeate the airwaves of every television in the universe (including the Potentate’s home planet) if more fiction and/or scripted media is not produced to stem the tide.
Thus, by enlisting Alien Jones to write for my blog, the Mighty Potentate hopes:
B) Earthlings will read his answers and become smarter. Increased intelligence=increased aversion to shows about models deciding which handbag to buy, or which billionaire to marry, or dudes running pawn shops, or catching fish, or pawning their fish.
Here’s a chicken vs. the egg scenario: Does reality tv make Earthlings dumber or do we produce and consume so much reality TV because we’re so dumb in the first place?
(We may think we’re smart but we’re comparatively dumb compared to the highly accomplished aliens of Alien Jones’ homeworld, the name of which the Mighty Potentate refuses to publicize out of a fear that Hollywood suits will invest in and unlock the secrets of interspace travel so as to deliver shows about Kim Kardashian throughout the cosmos.)
C) Alien Jones’ witty commentaries will bring more eyes on my work, thus attracting Hollywood suits to turn my ideas into movies and TV shows, thus reducing air time for reality TV.
D) AJ’s promos of other self-published authors will also help promote more fiction and veer the public’s attention away from reality TV.
REALITY TELEVISION SHOWS THAT MOST OFFEND THE MIGHTY POTENTATE
1) So You Want to Be an Emu Farmer?
2) Schmuck House (Twelve people of various backgrounds live together in a house for a year and compete to be the biggest schmuck)
3) Hot Women Go Shopping and Carry Purse Dogs and You Really Want to Marry Them Until They Start Talking
4) Body Odor Wars
5) Cactus Trimmers
6) Hoarders vs. Preppers
7) Hoarders vs. Preppers vs. Zombies
8) Hot Dog Stand Intervention (A world renowned hot dog cooking expert travels the world helping hot dog cart vendors upgrade and pimp out their hot dog carts)
9) Rabid Badger Island (10 idiots are dropped off on an island with a rabid badger. Who will survive? Who will be eaten by a rabid badger? Alliances will be made and loyalties tested.)
10) Mr. Outdoorsman – (This week, Mr. Outdoorsman survives in the wild for three weeks drinking his own fluids and consuming nothing but bugs and grass only to realize he’s not lost, he was in his own back yard the entire time and his house is five feet away).
Is there a point to this post?
Yes.
If you’re a self-published author, be a sport and ask Alien Jones a question. He’ll come up with a witty answer, promo your book, your author blog, page, etc.
In addition to being promo’d on bookshelfbattle.com, BQB always tweets a link to AJ’s column on Twitter, and posts a link on his Bookshelf Battle Google Plus page.
Do you have anything to lose? Not really. If you decide you despise Alien Jones’ promo of your work, no problem. Just bring it to BQB’s attention and AJ’s promo of your work will be vaporized.
That hasn’t been a problem yet though. Every author so far has been pretty pleased.
I’d love it if this could become a thing, like getting parodied on SNL, you know you’ve made it in the self publishing racquet if the little green guy answers your question.
What can your question be about? Anything. Some people get elaborate. Some make it simple. You can be funny and witty or serious, whatever. Several authors have picked subject matters that are discussed in their books but that’s up to you.
Think of it this way. One day when your book sells a million copies, Jimmy Fallon will demand you come on the Tonight Show and do an outrageous bit with him. Asking the Alien a question is like practice for your big day.
Needless to say, the Esteemed Brainy One always reserves the right to NOT answer your question or NOT promo you. It hasn’t happened yet but, you know, if your book’s called “Hooray for Hitler!” we’re going to take a pass.
As always, thanks for reading 3.5 readers.
Let’s keep this Alien Jones hot streak going.
Sincerely,
Bookshelf Q. Battler, World Renowned Poindexter, Reviewer of Books, Movies, and Assorted Cultural Happenings, Champion Yeti Fighter and Blogger-in-Chief for the Bookshelf Battle Blog
Green alien image courtesy of a shutterstock.com license.
Gray alien image courtesy of openclipart.org
Bookshelf Battle 