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I am going to The Club(TM) on Saturday for the first time with a couple friends do you have any advice :(
if u like drinking definitely do that lol. for sure improves the experience. usually when I go w friends we end up sitting on the patio talking to whichever strangers sit down which is honestly my favorite part so I recommend it lmao. I can only handle the dancing to incredibly loud music part when I'm appropriately intoxicated so I spend most of the rest of the time talking to people outside. I've had some incredible conversations with strangers at the club
ALSO if you're not into loud noises you should get like concert earplugs! you can get ones that just block excess noise so you can still like hear if someone says something into your ear but the music won't be blasting you. it makes it all MUCH more bearable
#i assume u have a club picked out but i exclusively go to gay clubs. im not sure if straight clubs have less interesting people?#my favorite drinks: pineapple Malibu (straight up tastes like pineapple juice)‚ bahama mama (a classic)‚ long island ice tea#(will fuck you up. lots of alcohol). my favorite drink tho is a grateful dead but most bartenders dont know it#so i only get it at my favorite bar. but its like a long island just with raspberry instead of lemon and coke. and its PURPLE#i also always bring a dab pen because weed helps me with anxiety and sensory shit and pain#you can also kind of use like wireless earbuds for ear plugs but I don't like doing that bc of the risk of losing them#i got a 2 pack on amazon for $10 but u can probably find some at Walmart or whatever
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He Has 17,700 Bottles of Hand Sanitizer and Nowhere to Sell Them!
Amazon cracked down on Coronavirus price gouging. Now, while the rest of the World searches, some sellers are holding stockpiles of sanitizer and masks.
— By Jack Nicas | March 12, 2020 | The New York Times
On March 1, the day after the first coronavirus death in the United States was announced, brothers Matt and Noah Colvin set out in a silver S.U.V. to pick up some hand sanitizer. Driving around Chattanooga, Tenn., they hit a Dollar Tree, then a Walmart, a Staples and a Home Depot. At each store, they cleaned out the shelves.
Over the next three days, Noah Colvin took a 1,300-mile road trip across Tennessee and into Kentucky, filling a U-Haul truck with thousands of bottles of hand sanitizer and thousands of packs of antibacterial wipes, mostly from “little hole-in-the-wall dollar stores in the backwoods,” his brother said. “The major metro areas were cleaned out.”
Matt Colvin stayed home near Chattanooga, preparing for pallets of even more wipes and sanitizer he had ordered, and starting to list them on Amazon. Mr. Colvin said he had posted 300 bottles of hand sanitizer and immediately sold them all for between $8 and $70 each, multiples higher than what he had bought them for. To him, “it was crazy money.” To many others, it was profiteering from a pandemic.
The next day, Amazon pulled his items and thousands of other listings for sanitizer, wipes and face masks. The company suspended some of the sellers behind the listings and warned many others that if they kept running up prices, they’d lose their accounts. EBay soon followed with even stricter measures, prohibiting any U.S. sales of masks or sanitizer.
Now, while millions of people across the country search in vain for hand sanitizer to protect themselves from the spread of the coronavirus, Mr. Colvin is sitting on 17,700 bottles of the stuff with little idea where to sell them.
“It’s been a huge amount of whiplash,” he said. “From being in a situation where what I’ve got coming and going could potentially put my family in a really good place financially to ‘What the heck am I going to do with all of this?’”
Mr. Colvin is one of probably thousands of sellers who have amassed stockpiles of hand sanitizer and crucial respirator masks that many hospitals are now rationing, according to interviews with eight Amazon sellers and posts in private Facebook and Telegram groups from dozens more. Amazon said it had recently removed hundreds of thousands of listings and suspended thousands of sellers’ accounts for price gouging related to the coronavirus.
Amazon, eBay, Walmart and other online-commerce platforms are trying to stop their sellers from making excessive profits from a public health crisis. While the companies aimed to discourage people from hoarding such products and jacking up their prices, many sellers had already cleared out their local stores and started selling the goods online.
Now both the physical and digital shelves are nearly empty.
Mikeala Kozlowski, a nurse in Dudley, Mass., has been searching for hand sanitizer since before she gave birth to her first child, Nora, on March 5. When she searched stores, which were sold out, she skipped getting gas to avoid handling the pump. And when she checked Amazon, she couldn’t find it for less than $50.
“You’re being selfish, hoarding resources for your own personal gain,” she said of the sellers.
Sites like Amazon and eBay have given rise to a growing industry of independent sellers who snatch up discounted or hard-to-find items in stores to post online and sell around the world.
These sellers call it retail arbitrage, a 21st-century career that has adults buying up everything from limited-run cereals to Fingerling Monkeys, a once hot toy. The bargain hunters look for anything they can sell at a sharp markup. In recent weeks, they found perhaps their biggest opportunity: a pandemic.
As they watched the list of Amazon’s most popular searches crowd with terms like “Purell,” “N95 mask” and “Clorox wipes,” sellers said, they did what they had learned to do: Suck up supply and sell it for what the market would bear.
Initially, the strategy worked. For several weeks, prices soared for some of the top results to searches for sanitizer, masks and wipes on Amazon, according to a New York Times analysis of historical prices from Jungle Scout, which tracks data for Amazon sellers. The data shows that both Amazon and third-party sellers like Mr. Colvin increased their prices, which then mostly dropped when Amazon took action against price gouging this month.
At the high prices, people still bought the products en masse, and Amazon took a cut of roughly 15 percent and eBay roughly 10 percent, depending on the price and the seller.
Then the companies, pressured by growing criticism from regulators and customers, cracked down. After the measures last week, Amazon went further on Wednesday, restricting sales of any coronavirus-related products from certain sellers.
“Price gouging is a clear violation of our policies, unethical, and in some areas, illegal,” Amazon said in a statement. “In addition to terminating these third party accounts, we welcome the opportunity to work directly with states attorneys general to prosecute bad actors.”
Mr. Colvin, 36, a former Air Force technical sergeant, said he started selling on Amazon in 2015, developing it into a six-figure career by selling Nike shoes and pet toys, and by following trends.
In early February, as headlines announced the coronavirus’s spread in China, Mr. Colvin spotted a chance to capitalize. A nearby liquidation firm was selling 2,000 “pandemic packs,” leftovers from a defunct company. Each came with 50 face masks, four small bottles of hand sanitizer and a thermometer. The price was $5 a pack. Mr. Colvin haggled it to $3.50 and bought them all.
Hand sanitizer that Mr. Colvin is keeping in a storage locker. Credit: Doug Strickland for The New York Times
He quickly sold all 2,000 of the 50-packs of masks on eBay, pricing them from $40 to $50 each, and sometimes higher. He declined to disclose his profit on the record but said it was substantial.
The success stoked his appetite. When he saw the panicked public starting to pounce on sanitizer and wipes, he and his brother set out to stock up.
Elsewhere in the country, other Amazon sellers were doing the same.
Chris Anderson, an Amazon seller in central Pennsylvania, said he and a friend had driven around Ohio, buying about 10,000 masks from stores. He used coupons to buy packs of 10 for around $15 each and resold them for $40 to $50. After Amazon’s cut and other costs, he estimates, he made a $25,000 profit.
Mr. Anderson is now holding 500 packs of antibacterial wipes after Amazon blocked him from selling them for $19 each, up from $16 weeks earlier. He bought the packs for $3 each.
Eric, a truck driver from Ohio who spoke on the condition that his surname not be published because he feared Amazon would retaliate, said he had also collected about 10,000 masks at stores. He bought each 10-pack for about $20 and sold most for roughly $80 each, though some he priced at $125.
“Even at $125 a box, they were selling almost instantly,” he said. “It was mind-blowing as far as what you could charge.” He estimates he made $35,000 to $40,000 in profit.
Now he has 1,000 more masks on order, but he’s not sure what to do with them. He said Amazon had been vague about what constituted price gouging, scaring away sellers who don’t want to risk losing their ability to sell on its site.
To regulators and many others, the sellers are sitting on a stockpile of medical supplies during a pandemic. The attorney general’s offices in California, Washington and New York are all investigating price gouging related to the coronavirus. California’s price-gouging law bars sellers from increasing prices by more than 10 percent after officials declare an emergency. New York’s law prohibits sellers from charging an “unconscionably excessive price” during emergencies.
An official at the Washington attorney general’s office said the agency believed it could apply the state’s consumer-protection law to sue platforms or sellers, even if they aren’t in Washington, as long as they were trying to sell to Washington residents.
Noah Colvin, Mr. Colvin’s brother, moving boxes of hand sanitizer from his brother’s storage locker on Thursday. Credit: Doug Strickland for The New York Times
Mr. Colvin does not believe he was price gouging. While he charged $20 on Amazon for two bottles of Purell that retail for $1 each, he said people forget that his price includes his labor, Amazon’s fees and about $10 in shipping. (Alcohol-based sanitizer is pricey to ship because officials consider it a hazardous material.)
Current price-gouging laws “are not built for today’s day and age,” Mr. Colvin said. “They’re built for Billy Bob’s gas station doubling the amount he charges for gas during a hurricane.”
He added, “Just because it cost me $2 in the store doesn’t mean it’s not going to cost me $16 to get it to your door.”
But what about the morality of hoarding products that can prevent the spread of the virus, just to turn a profit?
Mr. Colvin said he was simply fixing “inefficiencies in the marketplace.” Some areas of the country need these products more than others, and he’s helping send the supply toward the demand.
“There’s a crushing overwhelming demand in certain cities right now,” he said. “The Dollar General in the middle of nowhere outside of Lexington, Ky., doesn’t have that.”
He thought about it more. “I honestly feel like it’s a public service,” he added. “I’m being paid for my public service.”
As for his stockpile, Mr. Colvin said he would now probably try to sell it locally. “If I can make a slight profit, that’s fine,” he said. “But I’m not looking to be in a situation where I make the front page of the news for being that guy who hoarded 20,000 bottles of sanitizer that I’m selling for 20 times what they cost me.”
After The Times published this article on Saturday morning, Mr. Colvin said he was exploring ways to donate all the supplies.
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ALRIGHT! TV TUTORIAL!
WHO WANTS TO KNOW HOW TO MAKE A DANG DIDDLY DARN TV?
Little disclaimer: When I made both TV heads I had a lot of materials available to me because I was in a school classroom with an entire closet full of supplies
but both TV’s are made of packing material like cardboard and masking tape so I didn’t use any fancy stuff :D
1: The first thing I did was make a rough estimate of the frame based off of the size of my head. My process is pretty heuristic so the TV is probably going to end up only fitting you (which is kinda neat)
2: This is a picture from the first time around of me making sure that my head is completely covered, no hair or chin peeking through. Its better to overestimate the front so you can fine tune it to what you want. After getting the right measurement, make a duplicate piece, you’re gonna need it for the screen and the door.
3: When I made the sides of the frame, I measured the length of the front and cut 1/4 of that measurement for all four sides.
4: Next, cut out the place for the screen. Leave 1/6th of the inside on both panels for the dials and door. I’m gonna label these fronts 1 and 2
5: This is where I forgot to take pictures so bear with me for a bit. Cut out another piece that looks like the front and crop out the middle so it looks like a U. Hot glue on strips that are roughly one inch or less in width onto the interior of the U. This is that part that connects RGB’s front to that squarish thing on the back. (if this part is confusing then message me and I’ll try to clarify)
6: Take front 1 and eyeball out the dials. One is going to be directly in the center and they should both be almost touching the sides. After finding the right size, bulk ‘em up a bit. Add like 2-3 layers to give the dial some mass.
7: To make the handles for the dials, just act like you’re making a 3rd dial and cut it in half. For my handles I sheered off the ends a bit so they weren’t protruding out so much.
8.1: Okay bear with me here
8.2: Get a plastic coat hanger or something similar and cut out a length the size of your index finger.
8.3: Shove ‘em in those dials
8.4: Shove ‘em in front 1. (make similar holes on the 2nd one too)
9.1: I cut out the door by eyeballing it (i also just realized I completely forgot about the button above the door soooo you’re gonna have to finagle my tutorial a bit). Save the flap you cut out.
9.2: (This is where working in school helped.) You’re gonna need something sturdy. I got some pretty stubborn wire and I shoved it through one side of the flap to make some holes so the next step is easier.
9.3: Push the wire through the front 1 and the flap so you get the door!
10: Grab some small dividers, you’re gonna attach front 1 and front 2 together but you need some space so that you can fit the screen inside.
11: Next is how I made the inside of RGB’s door functional so get out your notes
11.1: Take 3 small circles, 3 small wires and 3 squares.
11.2: Push the wires into the center of the circles, hot glue them together and cover them with something if you want (like tape or modeling paste or etc)
11.3: Make three cuts inside the small door on what was formally front 2 and push the mini dials inside.
11.4: Hot glue the squares onto the back so they can’t slip out! Yay! Now we got moving dials!
12: You can glue the front, sides and the U together finally. Now its looking like our good ol’ morally gray TV. Don’t glue the dials on just yet, you’re gonna have to color them.
13: Guesstimate the length of the back. I started off with the top and hot glued it at an angle. Then I took some pieces for the sides, lined them up with the angled top and drew a line where it was pressed against the piece on the side. I shaved off that extra stuff. If you mess up on guesstimating (that’s a-okay) now is a good time to shear off the end a bit before you do anything else.
14.1: Inside of the TV. Now this is where I made the frame to hold my head (so it can stay on without whipping from side to side) so pay attention peeps
14.2: Make two melon shapes that comfortably sit against your head. The third one to the side was a failed attempt since it was too curved. Go for comfort!
14.3: I re-purposed the third melon to attach the two pieces together. I had a (really awesome) friend measure the space between the gaps from the front and back, roughly 4 inches in front and 9 in back. These numbers are supposed to give you an estimate for how far apart the melons should be. What I did was after I hot glued the pieces together, I waited until it wasn’t extremely hot and I put the frame on my head. If it was too tight it was pushed to the actual size because the glue is still malleable and warm.
14.4: CARDBOARD CROWN!
14.5: I placed two stilts on the front and attached the frame to the back. Now it’s gonna fit on your head!
15.1: Kinda. It’s top heavy. We need some counter weights.
15.2: ROCKS! FRESHLY GROWN FROM YOUR BACK YARD! ( It doesn’t have to be rocks it can be anything)
15.3: After washing the rocks I made a small flap on the back of the TV and then hotglued the rocks to the back. I ended up using all 3 for the counterweight.
16: Optional step for comfort
16.1: Hot glue the rolls together
16.2: Fit it into the wooden crown
(it actually didn’t work for me on this one so I just had to improvise)
17: Mask tape EVERYTHING (well at least all the corners and edges. Do not tape the top of the front where you’re gonna put the screen, you need that open to, well, put the screen in.
18: Small platform for the antennae.
19: I used white Gesso to cover the outside to make a base for painting. This step is for those who want to get RGB’s color down.
20: Nitpicking the trouble spots like where the tape is too wrinkly/ coming off/ not smooth enough/ etc.
21: Add the screen (in this case I substituted scrap canvas) and tape over the top. For the Negative screen, I actually bought a 1 by 1 foot one way mirror on amazon. It was only 15 bucks!
22: Accessorize with the dials and antennae!
23: AAAAAY
I have ideas on how to make a functional RGB color bar mouth, but I have no idea how to execute them or if they’ll even work, so you guys will have to figure that out.
THANKS FOR READING IF YOU GOT THIS FAR!
#Cosplay#cosplay tutorial#TpoH#The Property of Hate#RGB#me#my art#hey its my face#two times!#long post#read more#honestly if you can't understand a step#pls#message me
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Omg help a bitch out what's you're routine??
alright yall!! okay just so yall know i have acne prone sensitive ass skin (also a lil oily) so i break out over everything and like this routine is just specific to my skin and even if ur skin is like mine this routine might not work for you its just my recs and what i use that really worked on my skin!!!
so in the morning its real simple i wear makeup almost everyday and before i started this routine i thought that that and living in NYC was why I was breaking out so much but its not??? lol Also I made a masterpost from websites I buy from for skincare!!
okay so in the mornign i was my face with AROMATICATEA TREE BALANCING FOAMING CLEANSER ($22)
its pricey af but it WORKS WONDERS I was so scared to use it bc i thought my skin would purge like it usually does when I switch cleanser but it didnt at all!!! Western cleansers have always failed me and left my skin in worse condition and this brand and everything on this website is Korean and has really improved my skin so quickly!! Also the bottle is pretty big and a little bit goes a long way, so you do get your moneys worth. Also you get $10 off if you use my link to buy it from this website. The product is described as:
A gentle foaming cleanser formulated with USDA organic aloe vera and tea tree oil to effectively remove dirt and makeup to leave skin feeling purified, fresh and toned without stripping away natural oils. Burdock and comfrey root extracts provide calm and hydrating effects. Geranium, bitter orange, bergamot essential oil scents add a stress-relieving factor. Ideal for oily skin types.
The aloe helped with the redness and inflammation a lot! like my face feels and looks so different omfg and I dont feel dry after using this like with other cleansers.
I use that cleanser on the MORIHATABINCHOTAN FACIAL PUFF ($15.50) and lightly exfoliate.
Again, pricey but worth it! In the past I used konjac sponges off amazon that worked pretty well but I feel liek this one works a lot better! I dont like using my hands to rub cleansers in and rotating brushes just tore my skin apart and this is perfect it leaves me feeling clean but not like completely stripped. Its amazing at removing make up too (which I will get into later). Also you get $10 off if you use my link to buy it from this website. The product is described as:
An all-natural facial puff made with Binchotan charcoal and Konjac root to very gently exfoliate and cleanse the face for brighter, healthier, radiant skin. Ideal for sensitive skin.
For toner I use BENTON Aloe BHA Skin Toner ($12)
I actually fucking bought this for $20 when its $12 online smh but what made me get this was how it mentioned protection/cleanliness from polluted air. Living in NYC, I’m exposed to that everyday and this really started showing results within days of using it. It’s aloe based which again helped with my redness and inflammation. My dermatologist told me to stay away from things were salclyic acid is the highlighted ingredient--this toner does use it but its not the main thing. Western toners from popular brands that used salicylic acid just left my skin feeling dry and stripped and I’d break out even more bc of them. This toner isnt drying at all!! Its gel like and feels a bit sticky on the skin but once it dries its super moisturizin. Also you get $10 off if you use my link to buy it from SokoGlam! The product is described as:
Packed with ultra beneficial ingredients such as aloe and salicylic acid, this toner hydrates and preps your skin to help with the absorption of skincare products in the next step in your routine.
Aloe: Soothes, moisturizers.Salicylic Acid: Exfoliates, reduces sebum, and is anti-inflammatory which is great for acneic skin.Snail Mucin: Supports natural cell regeneration and replenishes moisture to increase firmness
For all skin types.
Next, I moisturize. Because I have horrible hyperpigmentation and terrible scars my derm recommended I use sunscreen or moisturizer with sunscreen during the day. So I use Simple Facial Moisturizer, Replenishing Rich ($10) and mix it with Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 100 ($7)
Simple Replenishing Rich Facial Moisturizer instantly doubles your skin's hydration. Simple's moisturizer works for up to 24 hours, leaving your skin feeling silky and nourished all day. Skin-loving ingredients replenish, soothe, and hydrate without the greasy feeling. And the formula doesn't contain any dyes, artificial perfumes, or harsh chemicals that can lead to skin irritation or clogged pores.
• Broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection• Water resistant (80 minutes)• Non-comedogenic (won't clog pores)• Oil free• PABA free
I put these on under my makeup. I like the Simple moisturizer bc like I said I have sensitive skin and its made for ppl with skin like mine and it doesnt feel heavy and I find that products with more natural products work better for me. You can get both of these at Target.
After I moisturize , I spritz my face with the Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater ($12 on Amazon--Hautelook is having a sale on Mario Badescu right now tho!)
This Just makes my skin feel really awake and refreshed. I wait a few minutes to let it sink into my skin then I prime my face and do my makeup. Im a bit extra and use foundation with SPF in it for more protection lol. Product description:
A refreshing, hydrating mist to use anywhere anytime. Simply formulated with fragrant herbal extracts and rosewater for a pleasant, pick me up for dehydrated, tight and uncomfortable skin.
All of these products have been key to keeping my skin moisturized, prior to using these my skin had dry patches and just didnt feel nice now its way softer and smoother.
NIGHT
OKay nighttime is when it gets REAL
First, to remove my makeup I use Palmers Skin Therapy Cleansing Oil Face ($8 at Target)
OKAY, THIS CLANSIG OIL!!! OMFFFFFG!!!!! LIKE YALLL SHE TAKES EVERYTHING OFF!! AND YALL I WEAR FULL COVERAGE THICK ASS FOUNDATION, CONCEALER, HIGHLIGHT CONTOUR AND LIEK CRAZY COLORFUL EYESHADOW EVERYDAY AND THIS BITCH TAKE EVERYTHING OFF WITH EASE!!!! I’ve tried cleansing oils before but this is the BEST one I have ever tried. I just pump it into my hand and rub it into my face til everything melts off lol. I rinse my face and do like one more pump just in case and rinse again. Like yall....everything COMES OFF. I bet my whole blog. I will delete if yall come to me saying this didnt help take your makeup off. It’s made with Jojoba and Rosehip oil which do wonders for removing makeup. Product description:
Removes Make-Up and Impurities
No Mineral Oil or Parabens
Deep Cleans and Brightens
Rosehip Fragrance
Okay, so after I rinse the oil off I go in with my Makeup Remover Towel (I got mine at Marshalls for $4 but you can probably find one online--it may be more expensive tho)
Okay, tbh the cleansing oil I listed above pretty much removes like up to 95% of the makeup. This cloth is fairly easy to use and honestly a better investment than makeup wipes. Makeup wipes again would leave my skin dry and irritated and only contribute to my breakouts. Even tho it doesnt seem like it, this can remove a lot. Its easy to use, you just wet it, wring out the excess water and just wipe your face the same way you would with a regular makeup wipe. This removes any traces the cleansing oil didnt pick up (which is usually some mascara and left over eyeliner and some foundation around my neck). Once your done with that you just clean it with regualr soap and water! Like this is gentle on my skin and cleans up all the left overs.
After that, I go in with my AROMATICATEA TREE BALANCING FOAMING CLEANSER ($22), I use that cleanser on the MORIHATABINCHOTAN FACIAL PUFF ($15.50) and lightly exfoliate which gets rid of any excess traces of makeup, dirt and oil. Then I go in with the toner I listed as well. Sometimes I’ll do a facemask and I dont really have a preference--I’ll link the masterpost I made of the skincare places I shop at and I recommend any masks from them.
Once all thats done, I go in with my [Ost] Original Pure Vitamin C20 Serum ($16 on Amazon....I paid $20 in the store 🙃)
But yall this stuff really helps. I’m not seeing like results super fast but I’m feeling them and seeing them slowly over time and its only been two weeks so in a few months I’ll probably see more! But if you have dark spots, scars, and hyperpigmentation INCLUDE A VITAMIN C SERUM!!!! Also make sure you keep this one refrigerated or it will go back and stop working. If it is an orange color instead of clear it is bad and is not gonna work. I was originally recommended the Mario Badescu one which people RAVE about but its $45 however, if you wanna indulge Hautelook is having a sale on the brand. But yeah, the serum not only helps with dark spots but really helped with the texture of my skin. Its a lot softer and more elastic.
OKay, after the serum I add my Curology prescription ($20 for a 90 day supply--your first bottle is free you only have to pay for shipping)
How this website works is, you submit pictures and talk about your skin concerns and you are matched with a certified dermatologist that describes you a medication based on your skin needs! I apply this every night then follow it with my Simple moisturizer and then my Mario Badescu spray. Here is their about:
In their dermatology practices, Dr. David Lortscher and Dr. Nancy Satur saw first-hand just how much our skin can impact our lives. They also observed that while personalized treatments offer the best results, it's difficult for many people to access a dermatologist. So they created Curology. Curology's mission is to treat acne and promote healthy skin with customized skincare prescribed by licensed healthcare providers.
But yeah this is my routine. Its only been 2 weeks but im seeing so many big improvements!!! I hope yall can find a routine that suits you using this as reference!
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On March 1, the day after the first coronavirus death in the United States, brothers Matt and Noah Colvin set out in a silver SUV to pick up some hand sanitizer. Driving around Chattanooga, Tennessee, they hit a Dollar Tree, then a Walmart, a Staples and a Home Depot. At each store, they cleaned out the shelves.Over the next three days, Noah Colvin took a 1,300-mile road trip across Tennessee and into Kentucky, filling a U-Haul truck with thousands of bottles of hand sanitizer and thousands of packs of antibacterial wipes, mostly from "little hole-in-the-wall dollar stores in the backwoods," his brother said. "The major metro areas were cleaned out."Matt Colvin stayed home near Chattanooga, preparing for pallets of even more wipes and sanitizer he had ordered, and starting to list them on Amazon. Colvin said he had posted 300 bottles of hand sanitizer and immediately sold them all for between $8 and $70 each, multiples higher than what he had bought them for. To him, "it was crazy money." To many others, it was profiteering from a pandemic.The next day, Amazon pulled his items and thousands of other listings for sanitizer, wipes and face masks. The company suspended some of the sellers behind the listings and warned many others that if they kept running up prices, they'd lose their accounts. EBay soon followed with even stricter measures, prohibiting any U.S. sales of masks or sanitizer.Now, while millions of people search in vain for hand sanitizer to protect themselves from the spread of the coronavirus, Colvin is sitting on 17,700 bottles of the stuff with little idea where to sell them."It's been a huge amount of whiplash," he said. "From being in a situation where what I've got coming and going could potentially put my family in a really good place financially to 'What the heck am I going to do with all of this?'"Colvin is one of probably thousands of sellers who have amassed stockpiles of hand sanitizer and crucial respirator masks that many hospitals are now rationing, according to interviews with eight Amazon sellers and posts in private Facebook and Telegram groups from dozens more. Amazon said it had recently removed hundreds of thousands of listings and suspended thousands of sellers' accounts for price gouging related to the coronavirus.Amazon, eBay, Walmart and other online-commerce platforms are trying to stop their sellers from making excessive profits from a public health crisis. While the companies aimed to discourage people from hoarding such products and jacking up their prices, many sellers had already cleared out their local stores and started selling the goods online.Now both the physical and digital shelves are nearly empty.Mikeala Kozlowski, a nurse in Dudley, Massachusetts, has been searching for hand sanitizer since before she gave birth to her first child, Nora, on March 5. When she searched stores, which were sold out, she skipped getting gas to avoid handling the pump. And when she checked Amazon, she couldn't find it for less than $50."You're being selfish, hoarding resources for your own personal gain," she said of the sellers.Sites like Amazon and eBay have given rise to a growing industry of independent sellers who snatch up discounted or hard-to-find items in stores to post online and sell around the world.These sellers call it retail arbitrage, a 21st-century career that has adults buying up everything from limited-run cereals to Fingerling Monkeys, a once hot toy. The bargain hunters look for anything they can sell at a sharp markup. In recent weeks, they found perhaps their biggest opportunity: a pandemic.As they watched the list of Amazon's most popular searches crowd with terms like "Purell," "N95 mask" and "Clorox wipes," sellers said, they did what they had learned to do: Suck up supply and sell it for what the market would bear.Initially, the strategy worked. For several weeks, prices soared for some of the top results to searches for sanitizer, masks and wipes on Amazon, according to a New York Times analysis of historical prices from Jungle Scout, which tracks data for Amazon sellers. The data shows that both Amazon and third-party sellers like Colvin increased their prices, which then mostly dropped when Amazon took action against price gouging this month.At the high prices, people still bought the products en masse, and Amazon took a cut of roughly 15% and eBay roughly 10%, depending on the price and the seller.Then the companies, pressured by growing criticism from regulators and customers, cracked down. After the measures last week, Amazon went further Wednesday, restricting sales of any coronavirus-related products from certain sellers."Price gouging is a clear violation of our policies, unethical, and in some areas, illegal," Amazon said in a statement. "In addition to terminating these third party accounts, we welcome the opportunity to work directly with states attorneys general to prosecute bad actors."Colvin, 36, a former Air Force technical sergeant, said he started selling on Amazon in 2015, developing it into a six-figure career by selling Nike shoes and pet toys, and by following trends.In early February, as headlines announced the coronavirus' spread in China, Colvin spotted a chance to capitalize. A nearby liquidation firm was selling 2,000 "pandemic packs," leftovers from a defunct company. Each came with 50 face masks, four small bottles of hand sanitizer and a thermometer. The price was $5 a pack. Colvin haggled it to $3.50 and bought them all.He quickly sold all 2,000 of the 50-packs of masks on eBay, pricing them from $40 to $50 each, and sometimes higher. He declined to disclose his profit on the record but said it was substantial.The success stoked his appetite. When he saw the panicked public starting to pounce on sanitizer and wipes, he and his brother set out to stock up.Elsewhere, other Amazon sellers were doing the same.Chris Anderson, an Amazon seller in central Pennsylvania, said he and a friend had driven around Ohio, buying about 10,000 masks from stores. He used coupons to buy packs of 10 for around $15 each and resold them for $40 to $50. After Amazon's cut and other costs, he estimates, he made a $25,000 profit.Anderson is now holding 500 packs of antibacterial wipes after Amazon blocked him from selling them for $19 each, up from $16 weeks earlier. He bought the packs for $3 each.Eric, a truck driver from Ohio who spoke on condition that his surname not be published because he feared Amazon would retaliate, said he had also collected about 10,000 masks at stores. He bought each 10-pack for about $20 and sold most for roughly $80 each, although some he priced at $125."Even at $125 a box, they were selling almost instantly," he said. "It was mind-blowing as far as what you could charge."He estimates he made $35,000 to $40,000 in profit.Now he has 1,000 more masks on order, but he's not sure what to do with them. He said Amazon had been vague about what constituted price gouging, scaring away sellers who don't want to risk losing their ability to sell on its site.To regulators and many others, the sellers are sitting on a stockpile of medical supplies during a pandemic. The attorney general's offices in California, Washington and New York are all investigating price gouging related to the coronavirus. California's price-gouging law bars sellers from increasing prices by more than 10 percent after officials declare an emergency. New York's law prohibits sellers from charging an "unconscionably excessive price" during emergencies.An official at the Washington attorney general's office said the agency believed it could apply the state's consumer-protection law to sue platforms or sellers, even if they aren't in Washington, as long as they were trying to sell to Washington residents.Colvin does not believe he was price gouging. While he charged $20 on Amazon for two bottles of Purell that retail for $1 each, he said people forget that his price includes his labor, Amazon's fees and about $10 in shipping. (Alcohol-based sanitizer is pricey to ship because officials consider it a hazardous material.)Current price-gouging laws "are not built for today's day and age," Colvin said. "They're built for Billy Bob's gas station doubling the amount he charges for gas during a hurricane."He added, "Just because it cost me $2 in the store doesn't mean it's not going to cost me $16 to get it to your door."But what about the morality of hoarding products that can prevent the spread of the virus, just to turn a profit?Colvin said he was simply fixing "inefficiencies in the marketplace." Some areas of the country need these products more than others, and he's helping send the supply toward the demand."There's a crushing overwhelming demand in certain cities right now," he said. "The Dollar General in the middle of nowhere outside of Lexington, Kentucky, doesn't have that."He thought about it more."I honestly feel like it's a public service," he added. "I'm being paid for my public service."As for his stockpile, Colvin said he would now probably try to sell it locally."If I can make a slight profit, that's fine," he said. "But I'm not looking to be in a situation where I make the front page of the news for being that guy who hoarded 20,000 bottles of sanitizer that I'm selling for 20 times what they cost me."This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2020 The New York Times Company
from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2IQgoQk
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He Has 17,700 Bottles of Hand Sanitizer and Nowhere to Sell Them
During a pandemic, would you drive 1,300 miles over three days to fill a U-Haul truck with thousands of hand sanitizers and then sell them to the highest bidders on EBay and high prices on Amazon.com: (1) Yes, (2) No? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?
If after having done so, what would you do if after a few days Amazon and EBay banned you from doing so because you were profitting from a health crisis and you still have 17,700 bottles of hand sanitizers: (1) find other ways to sell them, (2) be content with your monopoly profits to date and donate them, (3) something else, if so what? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?
On March 1, the day after the first coronavirus death in the United States was announced, brothers Matt and Noah Colvin set out in a silver S.U.V. to pick up some hand sanitizer. Driving around Chattanooga, Tenn., they hit a Dollar Tree, then a Walmart, a Staples and a Home Depot. At each store, they cleaned out the shelves.
Over the next three days, Noah Colvin took a 1,300-mile road trip across Tennessee and into Kentucky, filling a U-Haul truck with thousands of bottles of hand sanitizer and thousands of packs of antibacterial wipes, mostly from “little hole-in-the-wall dollar stores in the backwoods,” his brother said. “The major metro areas were cleaned out.”
Matt Colvin stayed home near Chattanooga, preparing for pallets of even more wipes and sanitizer he had ordered, and starting to list them on Amazon. Mr. Colvin said he had posted 300 bottles of hand sanitizer and immediately sold them all for between $8 and $70 each, multiples higher than what he had bought them for. To him, “it was crazy money.” To many others, it was profiteering from a pandemic..
The next day, Amazon pulled his items and thousands of other listings for sanitizer, wipes and face masks. The company suspended some of the sellers behind the listings and warned many others that if they kept running up prices, they’d lose their accounts. EBay soon followed with even stricter measures, prohibiting any U.S. sales of masks or sanitizer.
Now, while millions of people across the country search in vain for hand sanitizer to protect themselves from the spread of the coronavirus, Mr. Colvin is sitting on 17,700 bottles of the stuff with little idea where to sell them.
“It’s been a huge amount of whiplash,” he said. “From being in a situation where what I’ve got coming and going could potentially put my family in a really good place financially to ‘What the heck am I going to do with all of this?’”
Mr. Colvin is one of probably thousands of sellers who have amassed stockpiles of hand sanitizer and crucial respirator masks that many hospitals are now rationing, according to interviews with eight Amazon sellers and posts in private Facebook and Telegram groups from dozens more. Amazon said it had recently removed hundreds of thousands of listings and suspended thousands of sellers’ accounts for price gouging related to the coronavirus.
Amazon, eBay, Walmart and other online-commerce platforms are trying to stop their sellers from making excessive profits from a public health crisis. While the companies aimed to discourage people from hoarding such products and jacking up their prices, many sellers had already cleared out their local stores and started selling the goods online.
Now both the physical and digital shelves are nearly empty.
Mikeala Kozlowski, a nurse in Dudley, Mass., has been searching for hand sanitizer since before she gave birth to her first child, Nora, on March 5. When she searched stores, which were sold out, she skipped getting gas to avoid handling the pump. And when she checked Amazon, she couldn’t find it for less than $50.
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“You’re being selfish, hoarding resources for your own personal gain,” she said of the sellers.
Sites like Amazon and eBay have given rise to a growing industry of independent sellers who snatch up discounted or hard-to-find items in stores to post online and sell around the world.
These sellers call it retail arbitrage, a 21st-century career that has adults buying up everything from limited-run cereals to Fingerling Monkeys, a once hot toy. The bargain hunters look for anything they can sell at a sharp markup. In recent weeks, they found perhaps their biggest opportunity: a pandemic.
As they watched the list of Amazon’s most popular searches crowd with terms like “Purell,” “N95 mask” and “Clorox wipes,” sellers said, they did what they had learned to do: Suck up supply and sell it for what the market would bear.
Initially, the strategy worked. For several weeks, prices soared for some of the top results to searches for sanitizer, masks and wipes on Amazon, according to a New York Times analysis of historical prices from Jungle Scout, which tracks data for Amazon sellers. The data shows that both Amazon and third-party sellers like Mr. Colvin increased their prices, which then mostly dropped when Amazon took action against price gouging this month.
At the high prices, people still bought the products en masse, and Amazon took a cut of roughly 15 percent and eBay roughly 10 percent, depending on the price and the seller.
Then the companies, pressured by growing criticism from regulators and customers, cracked down. After the measures last week, Amazon went further on Wednesday, restricting sales of any coronavirus-related products from certain sellers.
“Price gouging is a clear violation of our policies, unethical, and in some areas, illegal,” Amazon said in a statement. “In addition to terminating these third party accounts, we welcome the opportunity to work directly with states attorneys general to prosecute bad actors.”
Mr. Colvin, 36, a former Air Force technical sergeant, said he started selling on Amazon in 2015, developing it into a six-figure career by selling Nike shoes and pet toys, and by following trends.
In early February, as headlines announced the coronavirus’s spread in China, Mr. Colvin spotted a chance to capitalize. A nearby liquidation firm was selling 2,000 “pandemic packs,” leftovers from a defunct company. Each came with 50 face masks, four small bottles of hand sanitizer and a thermometer. The price was $5 a pack. Mr. Colvin haggled it to $3.50 and bought them all.
He quickly sold all 2,000 of the 50-packs of masks on eBay, pricing them from $40 to $50 each, and sometimes higher. He declined to disclose his profit on the record but said it was substantial.
The success stoked his appetite. When he saw the panicked public starting to pounce on sanitizer and wipes, he and his brother set out to stock up.
Elsewhere in the country, other Amazon sellers were doing the same.
Chris Anderson, an Amazon seller in central Pennsylvania, said he and a friend had driven around Ohio, buying about 10,000 masks from stores. He used coupons to buy packs of 10 for around $15 each and resold them for $40 to $50. After Amazon’s cut and other costs, he estimates, he made a $25,000 profit.
Mr. Anderson is now holding 500 packs of antibacterial wipes after Amazon blocked him from selling them for $19 each, up from $16 weeks earlier. He bought the packs for $3 each.
Eric, a truck driver from Ohio who spoke on the condition that his surname not be published because he feared Amazon would retaliate, said he had also collected about 10,000 masks at stores. He bought each 10-pack for about $20 and sold most for roughly $80 each, though some he priced at $125.
“Even at $125 a box, they were selling almost instantly,” he said. “It was mind-blowing as far as what you could charge.” He estimates he made $35,000 to $40,000 in profit.
Now he has 1,000 more masks on order, but he’s not sure what to do with them. He said Amazon had been vague about what constituted price gouging, scaring away sellers who don’t want to risk losing their ability to sell on its site.
To regulators and many others, the sellers are sitting on a stockpile of medical supplies during a pandemic. The attorney general’s offices in California, Washington and New York are all investigating price gouging related to the coronavirus. California’s price-gouging law bars sellers from increasing prices by more than 10 percent after officials declare an emergency. New York’s law prohibits sellers from charging an “unconscionably excessive price” during emergencies.
An official at the Washington attorney general’s office said the agency believed it could apply the state’s consumer-protection law to sue platforms or sellers, even if they aren’t in Washington, as long as they were trying to sell to Washington residents.
Tennessee, where Mr. Colvin lives, has a price-gouging law that bars people from charging “unreasonable prices for essential goods and services, including gasoline, in direct response to a disaster,” according to a state website. On Saturday, after the The Times published this article, the Tennessee attorney general’s office said it had sent investigators to Mr. Colvin’s home, given him a cease-and-desist letter and was now investigating his case.
Mr. Colvin does not believe he was price gouging. While he charged $20 on Amazon for two bottles of Purell that retail for $1 each, he said people forget that his price includes his labor, Amazon’s fees and about $10 in shipping. (Alcohol-based sanitizer is pricey to ship because officials consider it a hazardous material.)
Current price-gouging laws “are not built for today’s day and age,” Mr. Colvin said. “They’re built for Billy Bob’s gas station doubling the amount he charges for gas during a hurricane.”
He added, “Just because it cost me $2 in the store doesn’t mean it’s not going to cost me $16 to get it to your door.”
But what about the morality of hoarding products that can prevent the spread of the virus, just to turn a profit?
Mr. Colvin said he was simply fixing “inefficiencies in the marketplace.” Some areas of the country need these products more than others, and he’s helping send the supply toward the demand.
“There’s a crushing overwhelming demand in certain cities right now,” he said. “The Dollar General in the middle of nowhere outside of Lexington, Ky., doesn’t have that.”
He thought about it more. “I honestly feel like it’s a public service,” he added. “I’m being paid for my public service.”
As for his stockpile, Mr. Colvin said he would now probably try to sell it locally. “If I can make a slight profit, that’s fine,” he said. “But I’m not looking to be in a situation where I make the front page of the news for being that guy who hoarded 20,000 bottles of sanitizer that I’m selling for 20 times what they cost me.”
After The Times published this article on Saturday morning, Mr. Colvin said he was exploring ways to donate all the supplies.
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27 Reasons to Read Guide to Literary Agents 2018 (Plus a Giveaway!)
Today is the official pub date of the Guide to Literary Agents 2018, though you may have found that it’s been available earlier in bookstores and on Amazon. (And if you were at the Writer’s Digest Conference, you know we had early copies available of it for purchase!) Nonetheless, today is the official official launch date of the book.
The new edition is updated and packed with brand new info. While there are plenty of places you can turn to for information on agents, the Guide to Literary Agents has always prided itself as being the biggest print edition and the most thorough (guidelines, sales, agent by agent breakdowns, etc.). It’s the Yellow Pages of agents, with interviews, query examples, and profiles of new agents seeking clients right now. That’s why it’s in its 27th edition. In honor of this edition, here’s 27 reasons why you should pick up your copy of GLA—or enter the competition below to win a free one!
The biggest literary agent database anywhere is the Guide to Literary Agents. Pick up the most recent updated edition online at a discount.
A GIVEAWAY: Send me an email at [email protected], with the subject line “What I Love About GLA” and tell me the thing you enjoy the most about the Guide to Literary Agents blog and/or the print edition of Guide to Literary Agents. In three weeks (deadline October 4, 2017), I’ll pick 3 random winners to win a copy of the book! And if you optionally tweet news of this giveaway and the publication date of GLA, I’ll give you 2 entries into the contest instead of just the one. Just tweet the following, then email me with your Twitter handle: Giveaway: @WritersDigest is giving away 3 copies of the new 2018 Guide to Literary Agents – http://bit.ly/2h4pEGh via @crisfreese.
1. The Same Great Content. Hundreds of updated listings for literary agents, plus informative articles to help you grow as a writer. It’s the same Guide to Literary Agents that you’ve come to expect over the years, just with a new editor.
2. New Agent Spotlights. There are 25 New Agent Spotlights in the book, intermixed with the hundreds of literary agency listings. These listings feature new agents from the past year, with a brief bio, what they’re seeking, and how to submit a query. I’ve also included their Twitter handle so you can get a feel for some of these agents’ personalities, and if they might be a good fit for your query.
3. The Writer’s Toolbox. This is a brand new section I’ve added, where I’ve attempted to arm readers with the tools they need to get an agent. This year, that includes articles about writing a great first page, using hashtags to get an agent, critique groups, conferences, and more.
4. The Online Companion. The Guide to Literary Agents blog is a great resource, as you well know, if you’re reading this right now. But, with thousands of articles, it can be difficult to navigate and find what you really need. I’ll be trying to do the hard work for you by compiling the best-of-the-best into a landing page, which you’ll find a link for in the newest edition!
5. Authors Breaking Out in Your Genre. Looking for inspiration? This year’s edition features 19 writers who broke out and got an agent, making their way to traditional publication. This includes writers of picture books, women’s fiction, science fiction, memoir, literary fiction, mystery, romance, and more.
Missed any of the recent Agent Spotlights? Here are the four most recent updates!
Alexander Field, The Bindery Agency
Amaryah Orenstein, GO Literary
Meg LaTorre-Snyder, The Corvisiero Literary Agency
Julie Dinneen, D4EO Literary
6. More Debut Authors! Those authors that are featured in the debut authors feature? Sophie Chen Keller, Danya Kukafka, Jessica Strawser, Ellie Terry, Angie Thomas, Weike Wang, Lauren Fern Watt, and more. Oh, did I mention Angie Thomas? Like, New York Times best-selling author of The Hate U Give? She shares her story, and it’s awesome. She found her agent through Twitter, after all!
7. An Exclusive Webinar. We did something really cool this year for the free webinar that’s included with the purchase of the book—you get two agents talking getting an agent! That’s right, Danielle Burby and Joanna MacKenzie of Nelson Literary Agency worked together to create an awesome, exclusive presentation. And, when you’re done listening to them, you can find their Agent Spotlights in the book and query them!
8. Trackers for Your Querying. Writer’s Digest Managing Editor Tyler Moss put together some awesome query trackers: one for querying agents and one for tracking your agent’s submissions to publishers. Both are extremely helpful for anyone looking to break out, and needing to keep track of their work. There’s also a pair of freelancer trackers, too, for those who work on the side. They’re all downloadable for free with the book!
9. Sample Query Letters! I know, I know. No one likes writing a query letter. But, it’s a necessity if you’re going to get traditionally published. There’s five samples in this book, including Garth Stein’s query for The Art of Racing in the Rain. I’ll be adding more sample queries on the online landing page, too.
10. Attention, Genre Writers! Here’s another new feature of GLA, which I’ll switch up ever year: A breakout article that’s specific to a certain genre. This year’s featured genre is science fiction and fantasy, and it’s a roundtable discussion with four literary agents who specifically represent these genres. Want to know what Lucienne Diver, Russell Galen, Mark Gottlieb, and Eddie Schneider think about world-building and its importance? It’s all here, in the new edition.
11. The Voices of Agents. That’s not the only article where you’ll hear from agents. The articles, “The Anatomy of a First Page” and “Look Before You Leap,” were also written by literary reps—Paula Munier, and Andrea Hurst and Sean Fletcher, respectively. It’s imperative that writers hear from (and get to know!) literary agents as much as possible.
12. Steven Bohls, author of Jed and the Junkyard Dog (Disney-Hyperion): “For me, the path to getting published felt initially like navigating an ever-changing labyrinth shrouded in darkness. But when I first picked up a copy of the Guide to Literary Agents, I felt as though I had both the map and flashlight I’d been looking for. Anyone searching for direction should make the Guide to Literary Agents their first stop.”
13. Andria Williams, author of The Longest Night: A Novel (Random House): “ I was writing a novel on my own path with no literary-world connections. I went to the bookstore and got Guide to Literary Agents. I wrote a query letter and found my agent, and she got my book published for me. It felt like a fairy tale. I owe it in large part to GLA.”
14. Jeri Westerson, author of the Crispin Guest series (Severn House Publishers): “The whole writing industry is so confusing. Where to begin? I started with the Guide to Literary Agents, where I not only created my list of agents but received all sorts of excellent information in crafting my winning query letter. I recommend it to anyone starting out.”
15. Renée Andieh, author of The Wrath and the Dawn (Penguin/Putnam): “The first book I ever bought when I began my publishing journey was Guide to Literary Agents. And it’s one of the first things I recommend to any aspiring writer.”
16. Jessica Lidh, author of The Number 7 (Merit Press): “I found my literary agent in Guide to Literary Agents. The GLA was one of the best writing investments I ever made.”
17. Gennifer Albin, author of Crewel (Farrar, Straus and Giroux): “I got a lot of mileage out of Guide to Literary Agents when I was looking for an agent, and I frequently recommend it.”
18. Kate Maddison, author of The Incredible Charlotte Sycamore (Holiday House): “Guide to Literary Agents was the very first book I bought on the business of writing several years ago. I remember the bookstore, the time of day, and what the young cashier looked like who sold it to me, because she struck up a conversation, as she, too, hoped to get published one day. I read GLA from cover to cover!”
19. Carole Brody Fleet, author of Happily Even After (Viva Books): “I am not overstating it when I say that Guide to Literary Agents was absolutely instrumental in landing me an agent.”
20. Darien Gee, author of Friendship Bread: A Novel (Ballantine Books): “The Guide to Literary Agents was an indispensable tool for me when I was querying agents. I highly recommend it for any aspiring author—in addition to a comprehensive listing of literary agents, it contains valuable information about the query and submission process.”
21. Les Edgerton, author of Hooked (Writer’s Digest Books): “I just signed with literary agent Chip MacGregor, and I came upon him through the Guide to Literary Agents. If not for GLA, I’d probably still be looking.”
22. Richard Harvell, author of The Bells (Crown): “The Guide to Literary Agents contains a wealth of information and good advice, and was crucial to my successful search for an agent. I found a great agent and my book has sold in 11 territories and counting.”
23. Michael Wiley, author of The Bad Kitty Lounge and The Last Striptease (Minotaur Books): “The Guide to Literary Agents was very useful to me when I was getting started. I always recommend GLA to writers.”
24. Deborah Wolf, author of The Dragon’s Legacy (Titan Books): “I have been an avid reader of Writer’s Digest for as long as I can remember, and an aspiring author even longer than that. I found my agent (Mark Gottlieb of Trident Media) through a Guide to Literary Agents new agent spotlight.”
25. Anise Eden, author of All the Broken Places (Diversion Books): “The Guide to Literary Agents blog has been a wonderful resource for me over the years.”
26. Emily France, author of Signs of You (Soho Teen): “It was the Guide to Literary Agents that I studied like a textbook and that ultimately helped me land my agent.”
27. Lee Kelly, author of City of Savages (Saga Press): “ The Guide to Literary Agents has been on my nightstand for years and I swear by it. GLA is an invaluable guide to navigating the publishing world. I used it on my road to finding my agent, and would recommend it to any writer at the beginning of her own journey.”
If you’re an agent looking to update your information or an author interested in contributing to the GLA blog or the next edition of the book, contact Writer’s Digest Books Managing Editor Cris Freese at [email protected].
The post 27 Reasons to Read Guide to Literary Agents 2018 (Plus a Giveaway!) appeared first on WritersDigest.com.
from Writing Editor Blogs – WritersDigest.com http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/27-reasons-guide-to-literary-agents-2018
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MONDAY MOTIVATIONS
What's good, good people!?! Get ready for another jam-packed, introspective, insightful edition of CJKENDRICKS MUSIC NEWS!!
This week... It's crunch time for the Kickstarter campaign! I've got just under two weeks to go and I'm letting you in on my last ditch efforts for success. I'm heavy into promotion for the July performance at Vinyl in Atlanta! Discount tickets are available and the show rehearsals begin this week!! Listen to 89.3FM in Atlanta for singles from FAME vs INFAMY!!! And there's much much more....
CRUNCHTIME for KICKSTARTER!!!
With less than two weeks left to go in the campaign, I'm exhausting all communication efforts I've learned and accessed over the last few months. I'll be sending personal Facebook messages and emails, texting and tweeting friends and fans, and making use of services like GreenInbox, Ninja Outreach, ReverbNation's Fanreach and more to get the word out. I'm asking for any help you all can provide! Let's make this happen. I've crafted an audio sample that will be added to all outgoing messages and posted with the next Kickstarter update. Take a listen below....
https://soundcloud.com/cjkendricksmusic/kickstarter-campaign-audio-sampler
AND please support my Kickstarter campaign!!!
youtube
JULY SHOW - CJ performing LIVE in ATLANTA
I'm so hella stoked to be returning to the Vinyl stage soon, and I've got two treats for you guys to celebrate!!! First, all tickets purchased on or before June 30th receive a free download of FAME vs INFAMY.... PLUS ... all Kickstarter backers receive FREE TICKETS to the show (pending a successful campaign). Discount tickets are available online using promo code CJ971. Advanced ticket sales not only save you guys money, but it also helps me earn a little extra cash as well as other perks such as a longer performance time, the chance to choose my position in the show line-up and so much more. So COME ON, and "meet me on the dance floor". Hurry and get your tickets now!! Discount code expires June 30th and Kickstarter campaign ends July 7th.
3 Ways to get your tickets:
- $10 - Direct from the artist or artist's team
- $12 + fees - Online at www.aftonshows.com/cjkendricksmusic
- $15 - At the Door (DOES NOT HELP THE ARTIST!!! THESE TICKETS ONLY BENEFIT THE PROMOTOR & VENUE)
CJ on the Radio!!!
SHOW U OFF, COME ON and SUMMERTIME SWEETHEART will hit the indie airwaves soon. I visited WRFG 89.3 in Atlanta last week and had a great chat with the station manager!! I've submitted singles from FAME vs INFAMY for airplay, so tune in to 89.3's SOUL RHAPSODY weekday mornings from 10am til noon, ROCKERS INTERNATIONAL Saturday afternoons at 2pm, and BEATZ and LYRICS Saturday nights at 10pm!!! This is the station that helped get iconic Atlanta artists like OutKast and TLC their start, and I'm so honored and humbled to be working with them. Streaming worldwide at www.wrfg.org
MOTOWN MONDAY RETURNS TONIGHT on YouTube!!!
I took time off last week to rest my vocals, but today I'm back with a Marvin Gaye triple feature! This week's episode of Motown Monday starts off with an acapella rendition of Trouble Man. It will also feature the usual karaoke performance, but will close with a music video cover of Let's Get It On!!! It debuts today exclusively on YouTube, don't miss it!!! And be sure to check out my INSTAGRAM this week for all new rounds of "GUESS THAT SONG" for your chance to win free music downloads, concert tickets and exclusive merchandise!!
SELF DISCOVERY: Part 2 - Epiphany incites Transition
I took a little time off from this blog and my YouTube series to rest, rejuvenate, relax, and reminisce. There're so many things in the world that I have yet to speak on as an artist because I've been careful in crafting my brand, and mindful of the persona I'm creating and how it may be perceived in the court of public opinion. But today, I have to break my silence. I feel the need to let fans and supporters know the more real, human side of me, and how recent events in the world have affected my path, my view and my vision of the future.
I've been working on my music for years without any real direction. It's been one of the most frustrating, emotionally draining, mentally exhausting things to deal with. But I've finally figured out why I've been chasing my proverbial tail... I've been allowing my ego to dictate my actions. I've allowed ego to masquerade as intellect, forcing intelligence to become a type of overly analytical anxiety. In short, I forgot myself, I forgot my place in the universe, I forgot my purpose as a vessel for creation and knowledge to pass through. Now, I have a team behind me and supporters in the wings waiting to see when it all pops off. Now I have a direction, a goal, and a plan to reach it. But, I also have room to grow, and room to expand and adapt my plan as needed to the shifting environment that is America.
In recent meditations, I've discovered what my vices are and started to slowly mediate them. Procrastination is probably the worst of them all as it feeds into my OCD and fear of succeeding. I admittedly fear success because of the changes that come along with it. Not the obvious ones, but the subtle changes one fails to notice until they have already taken place. And perhaps there is even a fear of the way success will change my family dynamics as well. But now that I am aware of these things, and the ways in which I've distracted myself from dealing with them, I can effectively heal some old wounds that have been blocking my progression. I can face the very things that have been hindering my full potential as an artist, and more importantly as a person.
Recent events in our seemingly divided country have impacted my meditations and given me an understanding as to what my future as an artist may hold. I have a responsibility as a musician to connect with my audience. I also have a responsibility as a black man in America to breach the hearts and minds of others, not to end racism... but to fully educate those that are either (willingly or unwillingly) blind to it on the truths, dangers and impacts of the various types of racism that plagues the black American in today's society.
SHOW U OFF: the Remixes
JULY 22, 2017 Exclusively on ReverbNation - In conjunction with my live performance, the moment I hit the stage... 3 Remixes of SHOW U OFF will be available for download and streaming exclusively on my ReverbNation page before it is available on SoundCloud, iTunes, Amazon and Spotify!!
CJ joins MUSICAL.LY and FUNIMATE!!
I recently hit up these new apps to connect with more fans! I'm still getting the hang of them, but look for some posts very soon across my social media accounts!!
BLACK IN AMERICA: After the Verdict - the Philander Castile case -
I have intentionally avoided blogging about anything racial, religious or political, because I believe music is meant to heal. Music is meant to bring us together, not drive us further apart... and since I'm am a musician first and everything else second, and this is my blog primarily to chronicle my musical career and adventures... well its obvious to see why I've shied away from such topics. But being a black man in America just got a little harder and a whole lot more discouraging. If you've been sleeping under a rock or you're one of those people blind to the fact that racism still exists on multiple levels in this country, then you might have missed the significance of the officers acquittal in the Philando Castile manslaughter case. Outside of the obvious (a law-abiding citizen loses his life senselessly while complying with law enforcement), what makes this worse is the injustice of the officer being charged with manslaughter instead of first degree murder. I'm sure you have all seen the videos either in news footage or from the original Facebook Live post from his girlfriend present at the scene, so I'll spare you and myself the rehashing of the gory details. The videos show clearly what happened, yet a jury of Mr. Castille's "peers" did not see enough evidence to find the officer guilty of any wrongdoing. Someone lost their life, yet the officer was acquitted of all charges. There is something wrong with that statement. The system is clearly broken and I implore you all to find out just how broken it is, and how long it has been this way. Here is a lecture by John Bracey from a few years back that a friend recently shared with me through Facebook...
vimeo
Now, growing up poor in inner city America, I was taught (like any other black kid in my generation and the ones before with halfway decent parents...) that in order to succeed I have to be twice as smart, twice as good and work twice as hard. What my parents meant by that, what is implied to all black Americans is that we have to be at least twice as good as any white person to get the same things as that person in life. Black people are conveniently both persons and product within the framework of American society. And as we all know (or should know to some degree), product is expendable. So, does that mean my life is expendable at the hands of law enforcement?!? If so, where is my motivation to be a good person, to take pride in my country, to treat my fellow American as my brother? Take note of the fact that I have to think... every time I decide to get in my car and leave my house... is today the day that someone kills me? I've become numb to most subtle racisms because I'm from the South. But now, I don't wonder if I'll be called the N word or something else. I don't wonder if I'll be passed over for a job promotion, or skipped in line at the restaurant or bar. I don't even wonder anymore if I'm going to get a ticket at a traffic stop due to racial profiling. No... now I wonder if I'm going to die at the hands of a police officer today... because I live in the suburbs, look like a rapper (apparently), and listen to loud music. Now I wonder if my daughter will have to see her daddy shot down and laying lifeless in front of her while she's strapped tightly in her car seat.
Until next time...
- CJ -
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