Tommy’s Tik Tok Travails

I am such a Luddite.

I haven’t a clue what I’m doing most of the time I am on Social Media. I have learned how to post videos on FB and TT but it is through the message in a bottle method. I create them and upload them and then I’m not sure where they go other than my “Wisecelt” profile pages on both accounts.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091444194790

As you can see, I have only a handful of followers, and most of them are voluptuous Bots trying to steal my personal information. Beggars can’t be choosers and no one wants to play to an empty house.

I often feel like the child who puts on a play for its stuffed animals.

And I’m shameless. I’ll post whatever video I happen to shoot. Usually its something organic about my daily activities here at Casa Claire. Sometimes its about my feral grans, who are a force of nature – and thereby have earned their respective spots in The Claire Saga (and the next, as yet unwritten, series). Since I’ve gotten too old to be embarrassed by much, not too worried that my professional reputation as an entertainment litigator will take a hit because my work product is mostly anonymous and the results unassailable, there are very few things I won’t video and post. For example, my most organically successful post has been my spontaneous hand dance in Claire’s New Barn – https://www.tiktok.com/@wisecelt/video/7442702960972352811 –

to the amazing song, Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks:

Broke 600 views if you count the dupe that also ran simultaneously on TT because I accidently launched it twice.

And then I posted (with the help of Tik Tok marketing) a 1 day paid video for my Christmas Sale promo for The Claire Saga. https://www.tiktok.com/@wisecelt/video/7444569517096815918.

Worth every penny of the 60 bucks as it got 10.1K views in 24 hours. Please share that video to all of your friends anywhere in the world. It is my version of the My Pillow commercials.

I post these things because I want people to get to know me. To help them understand I am just an old BIC who got lucky publishing a series of books in his 60s that are conceptually variations of Goodfellas meets Wizard of Oz meets Mr. Ed meets My Favorite Martian meets The Bodyguard meets The Craft meets Guardians of the Galaxy. Not kidding, it’s a literary mashup of epic proportions. Just read the reviews (and if you only check them for one book, make it for Where The Ley Lines Meet – the fifth and final(?) book of TCS) where reviewers tend to review the whole series:

https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B0CPN6T2F8/ref=acr_dp_hist_5?ie=UTF8&filterByStar=five_star&reviewerType=all_reviews#reviews-filter-bar

But if you go back and check out The Wise Ass page you’ll get a sense of the numerical popularity of the series, given that most readers read the rest of TCS even if they don’t post reviews for the rest of the books.

https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B08V9GR7FZ/ref=acr_dp_hist_5?ie=UTF8&filterByStar=five_star&reviewerType=all_reviews#reviews-filter-bar

I figure that if people get a peak at who I am in the flesh on Social Media, see that little man behind the curtain, they’ll get a sense of my personality, my cleverness, as the omniscient narrator who tells Claire’s story in TCS. That’s really all I have to offer. More importantly they are exposed to my magical mule Claire and her kingdom of Casa Claire. The heart of her version of Middle Earth that is the core of The Claire Saga. If you never read TCS, the videos will at least expose you to the sense of mysticism and magic that permeates this section of NoCo. I’m confident that those few humans who have actually walked these grounds and met Claire will affirm its magic. The Spirits, Fae and ETs knew it long before I ever got here.

Now, I’m confident that people have had fun watching the FB/TT videos I post if they stay with it, but I’m not sure if it has translated into any uptick in sales. I just don’t have the information or ability to draw any conclusions. I can tell you that it hasn’t translated into income – it is all spent on marketing. The “fuck 9-5” financial rewards will come when Hollywood recognizes that the now complete series The Claire Saga has the potential to be the next Harry Potter, LOTR and GOT film franchise. And the motley crew provides lots of enjoyable opportunity for those human actors looking to rival The Odyssey level camaraderie of the superheroes of the Marvel Universe. And of course, our AI/CGI technology is ready and waiting to share the film version of Claire the Mule with the universe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o17MF9vnabg&t=18s

But until that happens I have to follow my gut. Remain the Carnival Barker. Do whatever gets people to stop scrolling long enough on Social Media to focus their technologically-shortened attention spans on any slice of an idea I’m presenting. A trigger to make them involuntarily click that mouse (or tap that iPhone screen) again and follow me down a rabbit hole. Come through the internet to Casa Claire and Meet Claire and her entourage in real time. Out there Where The Ley Lines Meet.

And should you find yourself checking out my social media accounts, especially on Tik Tok, can you do me one favor, my Christmas/Yule wish, even if you never buy one book. When you come across those videos where you see someone on hard times – either physically or financially – who ask you to spend not your coin but your time – 60 seconds at most – keeping them or their suffering love ones company long enough for them to extract coin from the TikTok powers that be – please do not scroll on but let that video run its course, earn its pennies. It’s such an easy way to pay it forward. There but for the power of the Creator go us all.

That same request holds true for all of the rescue organizations trying to save all of the strays of the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHrRxQVUFN4

What can I say, I’m a big Mary Poppins fan.

I judge people by how they respond to other creatures in need. And there is much need. Especially this Holiday Season.

Please don’t impose your jaded bias that its a scam – like the beggar on the corner who will spend what you give them on booze or drugs – that is beyond your control. Because if just one of them is legit, and some suffering is alleviated, it will be worth your time.

Most of my on-line time is spent attending those internet endeavors. Staying for the videos. Clicking as many times as they ask just to command the financial rewards from the internet oligarchs, here and abroad. I know, I could be a fool. It might all be bullshit. But I’ll happily own that title if it helps one creature in need.

And I pray not one of you fine, five readers ever needs to rely on the charity of strangers. So, count your blessings and remain part of the Good Samaritan collective of this world.

But another Hump Day is upon us.

Let’s get our skates on and attack the hill. Wave at Friday (the 13th) from its peak. Get all that work heavy lifting done – more lucky than Sisyphus – so that our civic responsibilities are met.

I’m going to go feed Mittens, having already cuddled Smokey, and then make my rounds.

And no matter what else we get up to, let us make today a great one.