Edit: At time of writing, I had stated that I would be teaching the senior theology class at St. Mary’s. Scheduling changes have now resulted in me teaching the sophomore theology class. I am still excited for the opportunity to do good work at the school I love so much. To maintain the original post, I will not change the language in its main body.
Welcome to the cKotch.Com blog. I’m Christopher Kotcher, and this is where I’ve been and where I aim to go.
My Biggest Project Yet
The past few months have held my two biggest steps so far as a writer. The creation of this blog and the self-publishing of my first book on Amazon.
Let’s start with the blog.
I launched cKotch.Com in December of 2018. For a long time, I had been considering making a blog to get my writing out into the world.
Before, much of my work only had an audience of one. Some stuff was shared with family and friends, but this hardly ever scratched the surface.
Of course, starting a blog does not automatically give a writer readers.
There are days my site’s analytics show zero visitors. Sometimes it feels I am still going almost completely unread.
So, for anyone who may read this post, I do truly thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I mean what I say across this site. I want to make something special out of my writing, and I believe this blog to be a key part in making that happen.
I want those who now read this blog to be able to proudly say, “I was one of Christopher Kotcher’s first readers.” And then have that statement mean something to whoever they are talking to.
Finally Getting Published
As stated earlier, this blog has not been my only step forward these past few months.
I self-published my first book on Amazon. Five Strange Stories collects five of my favorite short stories I have written over the years.
Now, I have technically been published before. My fifth-grade class had poems collected in a book of student poems. Later, a few of my poems made it into my college’s literary journal.
But these works were not wholly my own. They were school-based collections where my works appeared.
Five Strange Stories is my own collection of my own works available in a wider marketplace.
So far, the book has found a few readers among family and friends. Writers may always want more, but this is a good start. My first royalty payment was even a whopping $12.50!
Like with those who read this post, I sincerely thank any who have read my book. I hope you have enjoyed your time with it and may enjoy many future books of mine for years to come.
Finding Readers
My next main concern as a writer is clear.
I need to get more readers.
Content always has room to grow. Talent always has ways to develop. But these things seem best done in tandem with an audience.
With an audience, I would better know how to tailor my content to those who have proven to enjoy it.
Of course, I would keep writing the stories I want to tell. Still, readers may sometimes understand these stories more than I do.
Why not consider them when seeking to improve writing?
I will aim to attract readers in a few ways.
Simplest step will be expanding my social media presence. My blog already has a dedicated Facebook page. Now I will work to make a Twitter account.
I am also looking into running ads on Facebook and possibly Amazon. Much of this promotion will likely be focused on my book Five Strange Stories.
I am also working to release another book later this year. Here I will actively promote the book from the moment of release. This should help further energize my writing’s overall momentum.
If you would wish to help me, the best thing you can do is spread word of my writing. Talk about it here and there. Share posts with your friends. For those who have read my book, leaving an honest review on Amazon would be greatly appreciated.
Getting Personal
Alongside my writing, my teaching has also taken steps forward. I share these details here because I have shared them before and they may tie to future posts.
My first year working at my old high school St. Mary’s has ended in resounding success.
I became a full-time sub while continuing my work in the dorms.
The name of Kotch has become well-known there all over again.
And for next year?
I will have my first full-time teaching position, and in a way never before expected no less.
I will be teaching the senior religion class. One semester on World Religions, one semester on Catholic Social Teaching.
I will be preparing students to meet the wider world around them after graduation.
This is bound to be a real adventure.
And while there will be plenty on my plate, I still aim to keep up weekly posts on this blog. To ensure things go smoothly, future lessons and posts alike are already being prepared.
Remember, I have two dreams in writing and teaching. I will keep moving forward in both of them for as long as I possibly can.
One Final Word
That would be everything which needs to be said for now.
Big things are coming. In many ways, the next few months will hopefully mark the end of a long beginning.
From this point onward, everything takes the next step forward. I hope you stick around to enjoy the ride.
Here is to an even grander End of 2019 Review in a few more months.
Kotcher’s Call to Action
If you like my content and wish to see more, then you have a few options.
You could check out my book Five Strange Stories on Amazon. Five Strange Stories is enrolled in the Kindle Matchbook program, so anyone who buys the paperback can also get the eBook for free.
You can also check my Essential Posts page for links to some of my greatest posts to the cKotch.Com blog.
Finally, be sure to like my Facebook page and share it with your friends. I post a link there whenever a new blog post goes live each Friday at 5:00 PM EST.
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