Buffalo knows how to write
We at Rise are teaming up with NFB Publishing, previous sponsors of our EXTRA by No Boundaries podcast, and also a supporter of No Boundaries Issue 3, due out in October. NFB has a team of local authors writing about murder, history, satire, boxing, art and more. All of their authors are either living in WNY or have ties to the region.
One such author is Michael Farrell. We sat down with Michael over coffee to discuss his work and novels last week. There will be two winners of Feature Friday this week – each will obtain one of Farrell’s novels! It pays to use #RiseBFLO on those instagrams!
Farrell is a writer for GUSTO, Buffalo Magazine, Buffalo Spree, WNY Craft Beer Magazine, and has written two novels to dateL Running with Buffalo and When the Lights Go Out.
Running with Buffalo
Written over ten years ago, it’s a story many of us are familiar with – leaving Buffalo. Whether it was your family member, friend, or yourself, we all remember the excuses people used to leave town for new opportunities. Before all this upward momentum and hype over a rennaissance, there were not many reasons to stay. So why do people find themselves longing to come back anyways? Why in New York, San Diego, Boston, Washington DC, so those who have left so often try to form small communities of Buffalonians in their new cities? Why do people leave, only to try to recreate what they had?
According to Farrell, “Because it flows through your veins, your min. It’s attached to you. It’s a love affair. It’s an anchor.” He was also once a Buffalo expat living in Boston, until, like many others, he finally decided, ‘I’m going home.’
When the lights go out
Musical artists and their shows are a great draw in Buffalo. There are so many clubs around town that talented cover artists can have a great draw and make a decent living touring the city and playing the hits. While reading this, you can probably name a few of your favorite cover bands who you will follow around town to their shows. This story follows a fictional character, influenced by many real Buffalo musicians, who owns the town. The women, the fans, the gigs. After a traumatic experience, he struggles with the desire to create his own music and finds that the fans don’t really care to hear it.
On Self-Publishing
Before partnering with NFB, Farrell was self-published. Knowing that there are so many aspiring writers in this town whose blogs, poetry, or short stories are gaining momentum, I asked him to provide some advice to those considering it.
“It is wholly dependent upon the writer – how much time do you want to put into it? Once the book is out there, it doesn’t mean anyone will read it. Once it has exposure, it doesnt mean it will get an audience. To self-publish is to be steeped in the punk rock ethos of DIY. Your trunk should always be loaded with books for sale. You need to push into book stores to do book signings, or set up shop in a bar full of people you know will be interested in the content. When you’re on your own, no one gives you money to market or advertise – you need to hit up your well-connected friends and give them a book or two to pass around and hope that buzz is created.
Teaming up with NFB has allowed Farrell to think more about writing, and less about marketing, PR, print production and shipping.
We encourage you to learn more about each novel by clicking the links above, and pay closer attention to the work coming out of our city from local authors. There is value in the long-form story-telling about the people in and from our city, and there’s much more to learn from these books then what you’d find in a link to the “Top 10 things only Buffalonians know.” shared all over Facebook.
On to the best Instagrams in the game, and congratulations to our winners, @_gmeadows and @buffalonoise for their photos!
Keep tagging #RiseBFLO for chances to win more from local businesses and artists in upcoming weeks!
