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Sortmind Blog – Michael D. Smith

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Category Archives: Self-Publishing

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Trip to Mars in Paperback

Sortmind Blog - Michael D. Smith Posted on March 16, 2017 by Michael D. SmithApril 16, 2025

A few years ago I resurrected my first attempt at a novel, Trip to Mars, fifty-five penciled pages in a small yellow notebook with numerous crude illustrations. The 2,646-word story I produced as a sixth grader in the spring of … Continue reading →

Posted in Drawing, Early Writing, Jack Commer, Martian Marauders, Nonprofit Chronowar, Novels, Publishing, Science Fiction, Self-Publishing, Sortmind Press, Spaceships, Trip to Mars, Writing | 2 Replies

July Sale: The Soul Institute and The First Twenty Steps

Sortmind Blog - Michael D. Smith Posted on July 2, 2016 by Michael D. SmithJune 26, 2019

Sortmind Press is participating in the Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale which runs through July 31.  As Smashwords points out, it’s winter in the southern hemisphere and this is a global enterprise, thus Summer/Winter sale. You have proof of this in that … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Literary, Marketing, Novels, Publishing, Science Fiction, Self-Publishing, Sortmind Press, The First Twenty Steps, The Soul Institute, Writing | Leave a reply

Fannin and Felicia: Wasn’t Art Enough Passion?

Sortmind Blog - Michael D. Smith Posted on February 6, 2016 by Michael D. SmithAugust 20, 2019

Art Department Chair Fannin Richardson came out of my 1990’s desire to use my visual talents to move ahead with an art life. I’d just gone through the discouraging setback of mailing off scores of query letters for my novels … Continue reading →

Posted in Character Images, Drawing, Excerpts, Novels, Publishing, Self-Publishing, Sortmind Press, The Soul Institute, Writing | Leave a reply

Himal and Moolka

Sortmind Blog - Michael D. Smith Posted on February 4, 2016 by Michael D. SmithJune 26, 2019

Although Moolka Waxtor’s romance with Derrick Dexter is central to The Soul Institute, Himal Steina, the bombastic new writer in residence who’s inexplicably appointed to the secret ruling council of Overcrons, develops an obsession for this eighteen-dimensional goddess, eventually getting … Continue reading →

Posted in Character Images, Drawing, Excerpts, Literary, Novels, Publishing, Self-Publishing, Sortmind Press, The Soul Institute, Writing | Leave a reply

Mitar, Rhea and Inhalant Abuse – from The Soul Institute

Sortmind Blog - Michael D. Smith Posted on January 22, 2016 by Michael D. SmithJune 26, 2019

It hasn’t quite sunk in yet that I’ve published a literary, adult novel. This is not to denigrate my Jack Commer science fiction novels or CommWealth, which is also a literary novel but borders the science fiction and dystopian genres. … Continue reading →

Posted in Character Images, CommWealth, Drawing, Excerpts, Jack Commer, Literary, Novels, Publishing, Self-Publishing, Sortmind Press, The Soul Institute, Writing, Writing Process | Leave a reply

The Soul Institute is Published

Sortmind Blog - Michael D. Smith Posted on December 16, 2015 by Michael D. SmithMay 16, 2020

“Back away from the novel and slowly put your hands on top of the Internet. Keep your mind where I can see it.” Sooner or later you come to this point. The time has finally arrived to push the novel … Continue reading →

Posted in Character Images, Collapse and Delusion, CommWealth, Double Dragon Publishing, Dreams, Editing, Excerpts, Jack Commer, Literary, Novels, Publishing, Self-Publishing, Sortmind, Sortmind Press, The First Twenty Steps, The Soul Institute, The University of Mars, Trip to Mars, Writing, Writing Process | 1 Reply

At the North Texas Book Festival, April 11, 2015

Sortmind Blog - Michael D. Smith Posted on April 8, 2015 by Michael D. SmithJune 27, 2019

I will represent Double Dragon Publishing as well as my own fledgling invention, Sortmind Press, at the North Texas Book Festival in Denton, Texas, on Saturday, April 11. The festival takes place at the Patterson-Appleton Center for the Visual Arts, … Continue reading →

Posted in Double Dragon Publishing, Fairs and Festivals, Jack Commer, Martian Marauders, Nonprofit Chronowar, Novels, Publishing, Science Fiction, Self-Publishing, Sortmind, The First Twenty Steps, Trip to Mars, Writing | Leave a reply

Trip to Mars, the Picture Book, or, How the Ship Became a Fantastical Theater Stage

Sortmind Blog - Michael D. Smith Posted on March 28, 2014 by Michael D. SmithJuly 12, 2020

My first “novel,” Trip to Mars, was fifty-five penciled pages in a small yellow notebook, starring Jack Commer and outlining the horrors of a 2033 World War IV and the evacuation of Earth’s surviving population to Mars.  Was the sixth … Continue reading →

Posted in Art Process, Drawing, Early Writing, Jack Commer, Martian Marauders, Nonprofit Chronowar, Novels, Publishing, Science Fiction, Self-Publishing, Stories, Trip to Mars, Videos, Writing, Writing Process | 4 Replies

On Achieving a Slice of the Dream

Sortmind Blog - Michael D. Smith Posted on January 24, 2014 by Michael D. SmithJune 12, 2015

Novel publication by a royalty-paying publisher is a major milestone, and feels a hundred times better than self-publishing.  It means a lot that Double Dragon Publishing has acknowledged my potential.  I’ve also enjoyed learning much more about this entire process … Continue reading →

Posted in Double Dragon Publishing, Dreams, Jack Commer, Martian Marauders, Novels, Publishing, Reviews, Science Fiction, Self-Publishing, Writing, Writing Process | 2 Replies

Hopefully Fun Draft Book Covers

Sortmind Blog - Michael D. Smith Posted on June 25, 2013 by Michael D. SmithJuly 22, 2023

I’ve been making my own EPUB versions of various working novels (using the Calibre program, which has gotten good reviews and which I recommend highly) to see how a novel comes across in that format, and to do yet another … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Covers, Collapse and Delusion, Double Dragon Publishing, Drawing, Editing, Jack Commer, Marketing, Nonprofit Chronowar, Novels, Publishing, Science Fiction, Self-Publishing, The First Twenty Steps, The Wounded Frontier, Trip to Mars, Writing, Writing Process | 2 Replies

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Recent Posts

  • Introducing The Benign Incursion
  • Jack Commer, Supreme Commander – The Complete Series Omnibus
  • A Blog Post from February 13, 1976
  • A Writing Biography, Part VIII: The Exoskeleton, Archiving, Publishing, The Blog, and the Long Novels, 2011-2023
  • The Major 2024 Book Energies
  • A Writing Biography, Part VII: Organization, Lost Energies, New Novels, Publishing, 1994-2011
  • Zarreich – Publication at Last
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  • Dreams Used in Zarreich
  • Zarreich – The Draft Covers

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Recent Comments

  • Introducing The Benign Incursion – Sortmind Blog – Michael D. Smith on The Unknown Ending for The Martian Marauders
  • Jack Commer, Supreme Commander – The Complete Series Omnibus – Sortmind Blog – Michael D. Smith on Trip to Mars in Paperback
  • Jack Commer, Supreme Commander – The Complete Series Omnibus – Sortmind Blog – Michael D. Smith on The First Childhood Appearance of Jack Commer, September 19, 1962
  • Jack Commer, Supreme Commander – The Complete Series Omnibus – Sortmind Blog – Michael D. Smith on The Irregular Origin of The Martian Marauders
  • Jack Commer, Supreme Commander – The Complete Series Omnibus – Sortmind Blog – Michael D. Smith on The UR Jack Commer: A Look at the Childhood Beginnings of the Commer Saga

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Michael's books

Why Meditate: Working with Thoughts and Emotions
4 of 5 stars
Why Meditate: Working with Thoughts and Emotions
by Matthieu Ricard
WordPress Web Design for Dummies
4 of 5 stars
WordPress Web Design for Dummies
by Lisa Sabin-Wilson
Death from the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End...
5 of 5 stars
Death from the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End...
by Philip Plait
Using Joomla!
3 of 5 stars
Using Joomla!
by Ron Severdia
Serpent's Tooth
5 of 5 stars
Serpent's Tooth
by Toni V. Sweeney
On a cruise Melissa bonds with an older man, Travis, who turns out to be a famous celebrity in hiding from a once successful life. But by degrees we become aware that his enormous success came at the price of bonding with demonic forces...

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