-

well, thanks, little nephew of mine.

it’s been a helluva year, since my last birthday…

let’s see:

- Josie and I spent my 34th cruising on Absurdity in the South of England, if you learn to sail, you can have her [boat].

- after that, I went to go see Nico [he'll be a quasi-uncle to you] in Paris and had the time in Paris that everyone wants.

- but I got into a little bit of trouble with the U.K. government, and had 30 days to leave.

- so, naturally, I dragged Josie to Vietnam. to live.

- we stayed there for a few months, but ended up going our separate ways. she to Australia to work. me to Oregon to finish a book.

- a few months into my stay in Bend, I finally got to meet you. and that very day, I started writing another book.

- a month of so after that, I flew to Perth to see Josie for her birthday. we took a campervan around wine country. it was fun.

- a few months later, I left Bend for a month in Oklahoma and the promotional run of the book would be released. it sold out.

- a few weeks after that, I got the call that I never thought I’d get – I was about to take a job in New York fuckin City! I’ve now been here a little more than 4 months and it’s been amazing. I’ve been sending you little postcards and stuff, hopefully one day you’ll be able to check them out.

- my birthday was spent with a lot of friends. which, considering how short I’ve been here, should tell you how lucky I am.

… so there you go, nephew – it’s been a fun 34th year. you just started walking and by the time my 36th [ugh] rolls around, you might even be able to talk with me on the phone a little bit. a lot of your and my birthdays will be spent on the phone, but I’ll try and make that up to you.

so, thanks for the card and the cheeky little grin. I showed this to a lot of people here and they all thought you were amazing.

and I think so too.

love,

Uncle Aric

-

Heather Rogers, at UpStart in Australia, had the amusing task of calling me late one night [read post below to get an idea of the setting] and then transcribing all of my cultural and life wisdom into an interview about the book. she might now be rethinking journalism as a career. although I hope she doesn’t.

-

we all have those friends who – after years of not seeing each other – pick right up where things were left off. no need for a huge so-tell-me-all-about-what-you’ve-been-up-to? pow-wow. just a hug, a laugh and an adult beverage.

in the theme of complete transparency, when I released the book, I scrolled through my contact list and, have to admit to wondering if a handful of people – like the kind mentioned above: those I don’t keep in constant contact with, despite really liking – would take the time/effort/money to pick up a copy. it’s a sensitive thing, this… art [?]. ask anyone who creates anything – it’s a really personal experience. birth-giving, if you will. with more stretch marks.

well, not only did my friend Neenz pick up a copy, she took the time to write about it yesterday.

‘oh sure’ you say, ‘an image here, a few words there and presto!’, but it’s not that easy. it takes time. thought. research.

and Neenz is a busy lady. a very busy lady. 15,000+ followers on Twitter. on top of everything else she does, she’s even into politics these days [although, many would question why she, herself, isn't running for the Hawaiian Governor title?].

so yeah, this came from a lot of love. and I got to say, I got nothing but the same for this wonderful being.

and she is, most definitely, that. ask anyone who knows her.

this is, officially, my first piece of press. and for it to come from her made my entire week.

-

[it meant a lot to me, lady. thank you.]

so. the books are here. and the books will start to be shipped to you on wednesday. over the past weekend, we had a little book launch party and it was fun to start handing them out. once you get yours, I’m quite keen on all sorts of feedback, so if/when you get a chance, drop me a note to let me know what you thought of it.

it should be said that what got me in trouble in China, was the online/television show I was producing for Current TV. it started out as a small thing and quickly went viral. it was nothing more than a homemade movie where I checked in daily explaining everything that was really going on.

the shows are still up on Current, but they’ve got the annoying commercials in front of them, so what I’ve been doing for the past few weeks is uploading them all to a personal account [quite the feat when you realize I'm in the backwoods of Oklahoma].

starting tomorrow [was going to be today, but I'm sick. and I never get sick. ugh.], I’ll start posting one video a day; if for no other reason than to watch the slow decline of my mental stability until one day I just bought a ticket to Thailand, shaved my head and told everyone to ‘fuck off’.

so check in. they’re only about 2-3 minutes each. and it’ll definitely help the book make sense.

okay, I’m going to go back to being ill.

-

[this is the blurb, or, synopsis which is going on the back of the book. I. fucking. love. it.]

”At the prow of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, few so irreverently cut through the Chinese suppression as Aric S. Queen, the messy-haired controversial producer of “The Shanghai Diaries.” While on hiatus in Indonesia, one phone call changes everything. Aric discovers the Chinese police are hunting him down. Caught between nowhere to go and nowhere to go back to, this is the story of his exile.

From climbing Mount Rinjani in an orange sarong to riding a motorcycle through Nepal, smelling the burning dead in Varanasi and ditching patchouli and enlightenment at a Thai Monastery, to visiting secret Burmese schools and skirting through a labyrinth of sexual and pharmaceutical faux pas, this book accomplishes much more than the duct tape inside this vagabond’s backpack. The Shanghai [Exile] Diaries wields a conspicuous rip through the cloaked underbelly of China while pulling its reader through an intensely personal journey of love, validation, and utter originality.”

by Sunny Cherme Cooper

-

it should be noted that once, somewhere in my mid-twenties, I slapped a musician friend of mine for referring to himself in the third person. it should also be noted that there is a very large potential for me now to be even more up my own ass than before, having just sold a shit-ton of books before they are even out for public consumption. both of those being admitted, I couldn’t help but put that title in.

aren’t I clever? did I mention I wrote a book? what an interesting person I’m becoming!

I kid.

sadly only a little.

what you’re looking at is the first proof of the book. 3 years, 7 revisions and countless directions took with it and I’m still not happy with it. but I’m going to have to be happy with it, as the order goes out sometime next week. I was thinking about making a mad-dash with all of these monies in my pocket, but sadly, even after selling 200 early copies, I’m left with $183.

seriously. a little more than a buck-fifty.

should I go ahead and dispel that myth right now? I think I should…

writing a book ain’t gonna make you any money.

sorry.

I need to sell 300 more copies just to break even. and I’m not meaning ‘break even’ as in ‘well, I spent $2000 worth of wine over the past 3 years while working on this, so I need to recoup that’, no, I’m talking about paying my amazing staff, and paying for the printing.

500 copies! to make a profit!

long story short, this will end up costing me money. is it worth it? 1000 times over. I get to give my friends something I made… at a price, mind you, but it’s still kind of giving.

but this isn’t about how much money I’m not going to make.

it’s about that old saying:

‘if a movie didn’t have a deadline, it’d never get made.’

and boy-oh-boy, ain’t it the truth? I see, on every page, things I would change. this was started 3 years ago and I’ve grown [debatable] since then. especially as a writer. did you ever read my early stuff? they were chapters! painful! not to say this is anything mind-blowing, but seriously… I even had a poetry phase. twice. geeze.

but no. it’s about needing to put that red Sharpie down. in 5 days time, it’s going to have to be put down. and then, I step back away from the pool of personal validation and public acceptance. I need to throw it into the deep end and simply let go.

so, good luck, little book.

sorry about the months of neglect, or the constant mood changes. Frank was right when he said ‘man, the first thing you gotta do is learn the difference between ‘mood’ and ‘style’; and for that, I’m sorry for my bipolar approach to you. sorry about the scars, trust me that I did it out of love… for the most part.

thanks for carrying a lot of my weight.

it’s time for you to go to someone else’s home now.

a

you might be here to buy a book.

unfortunately, all 200 of the advance copies sold out in 4 days.

of course, you can still buy a regular copy.

and, if you’d like it signed, can pay a bit extra to have it shipped to Aric to do so.

[our 'order' page is undergoing a makeover now, that's all.]

but, should you not be able to wait, simply pay:

$25 for the book and either $5 for U.S. delivery, or $10 for anywhere else.

if you want it personally signed, throw in another $10 for that as well.

PayPal it to: book [at] theshanghaiexilediaries [dot] com

and you’ll be all set… sorry ’bout the mess!

-

uncle aric might need to edit that a bit for your little ears, nephew.

-

these past 4 days have been nuts. this book and I have had an on-again/off-again relationship for the past 3 years, so I guess that it just slowly became an all-consuming part of me. but starting last Thursday, it became something else. it took the first step into being in someone else’s hands. that’s both fun and scary.

by the end of today – again, just 4 days in an advance run – we’ll most likely be in back order country, which is amazing. it’s amazing because I sold 85% of these on Facebook, and the other 15% from here. no paid marketing, no Google Ads, nothing.

and this is all from a book people haven’t read - that’s what I keep reminding myself.

there’s also the argument now to whether or not we go ‘public’, IE: buying an ISBN number, getting on Amazon, etc… to be completely honest, I’m torn with this one. I walked away from two publishers when this first got started for the reason that I wanted complete control, as well as I couldn’t stand waiting around. there are more books in my head [after reading this first one, you might not care to purchase any more, but still...] and I’m already 3-years older than the kid in this book. and it’s time to evolve. I also like the fact that, through extreme luck and fortune, I was able to find a team to help me with this book who are also operating under the same ‘rogue’ description. so I’d really like to be able to sell a handful of these things without ever going to the monsters. everyone now knows how to search for a book, and, if we’ve done our jobs right, then that search will end up here. I’d like to think that everything was bypassed and this book still did decently.

did I mention being 5 books away from a back order? without this book ever seeing anyone’s hands but mine? 195 people. that’s a helluva lot for a first-timer with no advertising. and it has little to do with me.

it must also be said that I’m in talks with a PR team. maybe they want to be on these big sites and they’re much smarter than me. but I’ve spoken to a number of people who are also interested in self-publishing and I’d like to be able to use this first attempt as an example.

so there’s that.

and then, there’s the problem I’ve been running into since this whole thing started. the problem is that I come from two families: The McQueens, and The O’Conners – both Irish. meaning we’re no good with monies. I was taught this at a very young age. money is helpful, but it’s nowhere near the top of things important. so I had this amazing thought of being able to click ‘reject’ on the PayPal button for everyone I owed a great deal of gratitude to.

I started running down the list, doing the math in my head as I went.

and ended up with 7 people who I’d let pay.

seriously.

but, in the end, I got people to pay and a print order to settle up, so I went ahead and took it all.

rest assured though, if I didn’t have these bills, it would have been a pleasure.

a

-

Like any editor, I worry and fuss over my book projects like they are babies, hoping nothing falls through the cracks because they inevitably do, which explains the obsessive reading and the editorial insistence to “send it over to me one more time” while the baby is rushing headlong through multiple phases of publishing puberty.  Ask any editor, they will admit the same plague. At some point, I have to kiss it goodbye and wish it all the best.

But this book, perfection or not, deserves just the raw dish it served me.  Editor hat aside, I found myself in a rare place with this project … often reading ahead, shifting my gear into neutral so that I could take in the terrain of Aric S. Queen, vagabond traveler with a penchant for narrow escapes and artistic success of providential margins.  This book manages a conspicuous rip through the cloaked underbelly of China while pulling its reader through an intensely personal journey of a soul-baring backpacker.  If you don’t like the F word, don’t read this book. If you like spitting on ducks, don’t read this book.  If you love China, don’t read this book. If you are wondering what China was hiding during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, read this book.  If you have a nagging feeling China sent a clear message to the rest of the world with all those synchronized drummers, read this book. If you want some insider nuggets you won’t find anywhere else on traveling through Asia, read this book. But you will get more than you bargained for. (Ie. Brothels, Opium, The Himalayas, and a lot of beer and noodles.  But you didn’t hear that here … )

What you heard was this: You will not like everything you read in this book, you will pee in your pants laughing, you will be surprised at this man’s quest for love, and you will sleep better at night knowing a man as fearless as Aric S. Queen exists.

So, before Anderson Cooper and the rest of the world get their hands on Shanghai [Exile] Diaries, buy a signed copy and invite this man to dinner.

Sunny Cherme Cooper

The Proof Pen

[update: since time of post, we've pre-sold a total of 163 and have ordered another 100 books - sum total of 200. there are now 47 41 36 21 11 copies remaining of the advance version [signed, etc] so if you’re wanting on, I’d suggest putting some haste in your step. after this, it won’t be possible to autograph… which is a weird thing to say, but hey.]

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okay, first things first. the above is a photo I took solely for noting the size of the novel, as it looked tiny in some photos. this is the only reason it is standing next to my all-time favorite book. I just happen to always have High Fidelity on me and used it to scale. that being said; the shanghai [exile] diaries is a big book! 339 pages! and regular-sized font. I’m proud of it.

ok. right…

the advance copies / pre-sale / etc.

I was going to run about 100 for the early edition, but as of yesterday’s debut, we’ve already gotten orders for 56, which means we might need a few more. obviously, this is a good problem to have, but… but… if you are wanting a copy, I highly suggest you move quickly. I don’t want the Sooners [Oklahoma reference - means you jumped the gun] having to wait. no, they will not. in fact, they should not have to do anything, ’cause they were here first.

so…

if you want a signed copy, please get your orders in quickly!!

thanks!

a

p.s. also, until the end of day today –  Friday [April Fools - I know. this is why I released yesterday], if you order a hard copy, you’ll also be sent the electronic version [ebook; for iPad, Kindle, etc] for free. it won’t be out for a month or so, but it’s still a $15 bargain!

-

how ’bout that?

it actually happened.

I wrote a book.

ain’t that a kick in the pants?

be a peach and buy it, would’ya?

-

a handful of people have asked me about this, so I thought I’d give you a little tease on one of the many things we’ve been working on for the past few months.

yes, an ebook [kindle, iPad, etc] is being worked on, accompanying videos, photos…

and an audio book.

it’s going to take a while, but I thought I’d go ahead and give ya a little taste.

it’s a rough cut, untreated and will most likely be re-recorded, but whatever…

enjoy.

play ‘the shanghai [exile] diaries – intro’

and be sure and check back tomorrow. there’s a slight chance the book will officially be for sale.

a

dear Canadians.

while I’ve already mentioned that you might be slightly offended by a few things said in my new book, I feel the need to write you your own letter.

I started penning this book in January of ’09 and I completed the first draft about 8 months later. it’s a story about my life in China, some trouble I got into, and my life once I got out. it wasn’t always easy, these past few years, writing as a younger me, but I had to do it to the best of my ability.

what that means, though, is that I couldn’t write myself then, as I am now.

you following me so far? you sure? not to complicated? [insert dumb Canadian joke here]

okay.

now, up until a few months ago, I had a handful of Canadian friends who made as much fun of me and my country as I did them. said ‘Canucks’ and I were drinking buddies – all 9 of them – and they know that my jokings were mostly harmless. yes, they’re weird and yes, we’re fat. yes, they really haven’t given the world much and yes, we shoot each other a lot. humor – based on fact; but each one of them know it’s never done out of spite.

fast forward a few years later and – as irony would have it – I got myself a Canadian girlfriend. and she has lots of Canadian friends. friends who have, for some reason, been incredibly kind to me, especially with getting the word out about this book - which means I feel the need to elbow each of them in the ribs before this writing is thrown out to the masses [do 30 people saying they'll buy it count as a 'mass'? no? fuck.], so… look:

Canadians, you’re famous for your inability to deal with the insults American’s throw your way,  [can I suggest buying a gun? a fantastic anger outlet!] and yes, there are a few of these barbs thrown your way in the book. in all honesty, I’ve met many of you who deserve these descriptions; but I’ve also met some who don’t.

I guess what I’m saying is to please not take it personally - especially those of you who’ve been nothing but nice to me.

okay – we good?

cool.

see! you’re not all eh-holes.

[congratulations/condolences on your government collapsing, by the way. am guessing they're quite busy with the Royal Wedding plans and all...]

love,

aric

p.s. this might be construed as one of those ‘don’t bite the hand that feeds you’ situations, but I’m afraid I can’t attest to that, seeing how your food is shit.

-

right, okay – less than a week before I have the final proof of the book in my hand and, can I be hung-overly honest right now? I fucking hate self-marketing. I really do. last night over cups and cups of wine, I had to come clean about how much I hate it. this isn’t a book of photography or fiction, this is about me; what I went through, what I thought – me. it’s intimate. and I’m sensitive. so no, I’m not comfortable with clogging up the Facebook feed with posts and stuff… but I have to do it. I’d be silly not to do it. I’m a first-time author with a love of social media. fine. I accept that. but I still hate it. I want to write and someone else to push it. I say all of that to say this – thank you for your questions. it means a lot. it’s user generated content, which I love doing. answering questions is great. forcing information is not. so keep ‘em coming. please. I’m at the point where I’m referring to myself in the third person, and the only person who could get away with that was James Brown. and I ain’t no James Brown.

-

this is the question that prompted my little idea the other day. you get 25 people to ‘like’ the page, I send you a signed copy. easy as that. this book took me 3 years to write and I couldn’t have done it without the kindess, pity and generosity paid to me, so I got a special place in my heart for those who don’t have extra cash lying around.

-

+

if you read the book, you’ll soon see that I’m a big fan of complete transparency. so, in keeping with that, I’ll be honest about the book tour. I am currently in talks with [name removed] in New York City about what would potentially be a dream gig for me. that’s about all I can say right now, but if, by chance, it works out, then that will get priority and I would be moving there pretty quickly. if it doesn’t work out, then yes, I would definitely be up for a book tour. and can think of nothing more fun than lecturing and hanging out with Mormons. will know more in the coming weeks.

-

+

+

right. this has been one of the more popular questions as of late. yes. the book can be mailed anywhere, including China. I’ve spoken with a few people and they both simply suggested I don’t write the name of the book on the envelope. if, for some reason, there is a hold-up, then we have also designed ‘alternate’ covers with an ‘alternate’ title, which will make it through. in a 4-6 weeks, the ebook version will also be out as well, which will be easy enough to send electronically. as far as Facebook being banned in China, not a problem, as you’ll be ordering from here.

-

cool. again – thanks. this makes it fun. and easy. apologies for hogging your Facebook feed. I’d like to say ‘it’ll all calm down’, but…. no.

a