Digging Graves

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Bulldog 2: And Dead Mouths Open

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John-J Anderson

John-J is an author whose work slices deep into the human condition, blending horror, poetry, and raw lived experience. He is the five-star-reviewed mind behind Organ, a visceral journey into biological horror; Digging Graves, a haunting collection of poetry and short stories drawn from his real-life years working as a gravedigger; and Bulldog: Too Many Monsters, a dystopian military horror that blurs the line between the brutal and the surreal.

With over 42 countries stamped into his passport, John-J draws on a global palette of cultures, myths, and human encounters to inform his storytelling. A committed vegan and full-time animal rescuer, he spends his days rehabilitating and rehoming stray and abused dogs—compassion that stands in stark contrast to the darkness he explores in his fiction.

Whether excavating fear or unearthing truth, John-J writes with a voice forged from soil, blood, and hard-earned empathy.

The Unbearable Weight of Social Media

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 End of the week and I feel energised enough to get into a messy rant about social media. I write books, I don't like marketing these books (I also don't want to pay someone to market these books because I don't trust anyone online to DO the job but here we are). 

I accept that while I am never going to sell thousands of copies like my inspiration in the world of fiction, Mr Stephen King, but I would like to have the ability to show-case my work without selling my shrivelling soul to the social media sirens. Using only three has been more bearable, but having simply no outreach on Facebook (arguably a dying site) and really lacking the motivation to even learn the correct way to market on TikTok has driven me into a deflated state. 

BlueSky has been refreshing, talking to actual writers online instead of posting about my work and being drowned in spam bots, African promoters with overtly religious nonsense in their profiles or getting the old "Looks great, check out my book on Amazon!". Maybe I could utilise platforms I actually like instead, use YouTube more readily for videos. Shorts exists for that reason and instead of having countless views but absolutely no follow up, I could perhaps engage in simpler more truthful promos. 

"Here is my book, these are some lines from my book. If you like X and think you would like a book in that genre about X, then buy my book".

Sounds simple of the page. The only gripe is my enjoyment for showing off animals on social media that need rehoming from the rescue centre where I work part time (need a job to actually pay for this writing dream). I might be sticking around on BlueSky, it seems to be growing and the more I get engaged with that site the more my books have actually sold. Facebook is teetering on the edge. Could just keep it to post the occasional new release to my family/friends but avoid selling or marketing it on their. I don't know. Rambling thoughts. Rambling Friday. 

TikTok feels like it is over for me. Its a young person or narcissists game. I haven't got the legs or the desire to further myself into that swallowing bog. 

In fantastical news, I have now sold 46 books and can honestly consider myself a successful
author, on a personal level this was the dream. I have written and sold books that came from my brain, onto the page and into some strangers hands. I love writing, I want to keep writing. I just hate marketing. I miss newspaper ads. 


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