FAQs

1. Who is J'han, and why is she always given the dedication?  
2. Who is Taylor Nelson, and why is he always given editing credit?
3. Why self-publish academic papers, pieces, and books through Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing and CreateSpace platforms?
4. For papers and pieces, why do you charge $2.99 for a Kindle copy and $6.99 for a printed one?
5. How long have you been self-publishing?
6. Would you sign with a traditional publisher or publish in an academic journal?
7. Can I have a signed copy?
8. Are you available for interviews?
9. How do you write?

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1.  Who is J'han, and why is she always given the dedication?
J'han is my amazing, beautiful, inspiring, and intelligent fiancee.  While I may have talents in the realms of philosophy, politics, and writing, she's truly my one and only muse - without her, writing professionally would be much more difficult, if not impossible, as would be my chosen career.  Beyond her immense positive influence on my academic and professional efforts, she is, of course, the light of my life, in its entirety.

2.  Who is Taylor Nelson, and why is he always given editing credit?
Taylor is my editor, a fantastic guy who's been with me since before I fully knew where my career was going.  He started editing my work when I was still attempting to write science fiction and fantasy, and then stayed around while I began my quick entry and rise in the world of political philosophy, political theory, and political science.  Without his assistance, my work would be more chaotic with many more run-on sentences, complex structures, and awkward word choices.

3.  Why self-publish academic papers, pieces, and books through Amazon's KDP and CreateSpace platforms?
When a piece is published through an academic journal, it creates two problems:  limited access and cost.

By publishing in the way I do, my work is accessible to any and all who are interested, without the need for exorbitant professional association / society membership fees, or a much higher price per piece.  Similarly, my work isn't simply published in a fully open format, such as on a blog or in a free PDF, because buying access to my work helps support my career and future efforts.  The self-publishing route, using these tools, also allows me to better understand how wide an influence my work is having, which is of great benefit to me.

4.  Why are the prices set as they are for your work?
Adding to my answer to Question 3, the prices are calculated in light of the cost of similar work published differently (such as in an academic journal or a book produced through a traditional contract), Amazon's basic publishing requirements, and royalty structures.  Essentially, I try to minimize the cost as much as possible, while conforming to what Amazon prefers and attempting to receive a somewhat less trivial, but still tiny, royalty for each copy of any given work sold.

My standard price structure is:

• pieces and papers:  $2.99 (digital / Kindle), $6.99 (paperback)
• extended essays:  $3.99 (digital / Kindle), $7.99 (paperback)
• treatises:  $5.99 (digital / Kindle), $9.99 (paperback)
• books:  $6.99 (digital / Kindle), $10.99 (paperback), $14.99 (hardback)
• collections:  $7.99 (digital / Kindle), $11.99 (paperback), $15.99 (hardback)

5.  How long have you been self-publishing?

I've been putting works of various focus, length, and quality online since at least 2005, but I began seriously self-publishing in January 2012.

6.  Would you sign with a traditional publisher or publish in an academic journal?

Perhaps, depending on the work in question, whether the work would be widely accessible, the details of the contract, and a few other major sticking points.

7.  Can I have a signed copy?

Sure.  Buy a copy, digital or printed, of whichever piece you like, then forward me the receipt with some information about yourself.  If you buy a digital copy, I'll send you a individualized, unique PDF in return.  If you buy a printed copy, be sure to include your physical address and I'll mail you a note, assuming you don't live in either Iran or North Korea (they aren't members of the Universal Postal Union).

8.  Are you available for interviews?

Of course - contact me with details.

9.  How do you write?
I use the software Scrivener, specifically the Windows version, to write essentially everything - it's fantastic at segmenting large projects, automatic formatting, tracking changes, archiving relevant research, and much more.  However, the actual process of writing, itself possibly arduous and complicated, comes after alot of solitary reading and thinking.