There is little doubt that Scott is quite the marketing machine when it comes to him and his work. But he comes by it honestly: When he’s out there hustling — something he does as soon as he take his morning leak — he’s doing it with all of his heart and soul. It’s never EVER fake. Over the top? Sure. But genuine.

That’s where a lot of the follow-alongs to Scott fail, to tell the truth. They think all they have to do is a make a serialized audiobook and the fans will come. Not true. It takes work. It takes a near single-minded focused. Me? I’m too scattered and flighty to pull it off. Good thing I don’t write.

But all the hustle in the world won’t make up for shoddy work. I have no idea if Scott is a “perfect” writer or not. I know that I enjoy his stores — both in my ears and on the page. The question of “real talent” is un-quantifiable and moot. There isn’t a litmus test you can give for talent. It’s a two way street. But then again, I’m the guy who thinks that The Presidents of the United States of America, Cake and the Aquabats are among the best music out there. So who am I to judge?

BTW- Sabrina to each their own. If you don’t enjoy his work, then don’t read or support it. Worse, you didn’t help anyone either. Looking at your post I see no recommendations. To wit- I am always on the look out for new stuff! I found Scott through “The Levithan Chronicles” (http://www.leviathanchronicles.com/). There are also a couple of other authors mentioned by Levithan author Laputka that I need to find. Heck now I see Scott (thanks to Chris pointing it out again) has at least one other podiobook I want to hear.

Oh and don’t forget podiobooks.com has all sorts of other genres and authors. And they let you donate and say 75 percent goes to the authors.

I’m impressed with the depth of your horror literature consumption. Which books of mine have you read? I would also ask, what are your top five favorite horror novels? Do they involve ghosts, goblins, demons and the supernatural? My work builds off of hard science, a fairly rare occurrence in the horror field. Building a plot out of real things, real technology, and pushing it just a snoodge beyond current abilities to create a thriller backdrop is rather challenging — at times more so than, say, killing the devil with a magical can of peanut brittle, or backing down the undead with a cross. And unfortunately, people who love ghost stories usually just don’t comprehend it.

I’m so glad that the Final & Grand Arbiter of Talent is here to set Chris straight. Since you are such an expert in the field, where do your talents lie? I’d be curious to know if you’ve put that ability to the test in a book of your own.

You should help people that actually have talent Chris, not just because they have tremendous buzz.

Scott is not only a great author but also a fantastic example of how the web and social media tools can be used to turn a hobby in to a success. He is in your face and totally viral and really gets how to use what’s available for his own ends.

The fact that we also get some excellent stories out of it is a bonus ;)

Good luck with this book :)

First time I see a trailer for a book. It’s an original way to promote and it certainly makes you wanna read it.