It was just a hobby.
That's what I try to tell myself. The same way that Jerry Maguire self-effacingly talked about his mission statement.
In 2017, when I put pen to paper, and created The Encyclopedia of Guys I never thought that in 2021 I'd be here. Writing this to you hoping someone will listen.
The Encyclopedia started off as a joke amongst friends. You see a guy on a bike in the middle of the road with a small yellow bib on and say, “typical cycling guy. Thinks he’s a regular Lance Armstrong.”
The feeling of being able to document all of the guys we’ve ever seen, all of the guys we’ve ever come across, started to grow within me. Deep down, I knew I was the right guy to do it.
Who better than me? At the age of 34 I’ve lived multiple lives. Some by circumstance, and luckily, some by choice.
A guy who came from nothing, the first in my family to graduate college, get a masters degree, and move out of my hometown.
A guy with a multicultural background. Who’s spent time with uncles that wore Birkenstocks and went for hikes, and uncles who threw spades and played shoes.
Being placed in different environments at an early age forces you to adapt, absorb your surroundings, and observe the people you’re around. Because, if you don’t, at the risk of sounding dramatic, your life can be on the line.
To get out of your preordained circumstance you have to be determined, hard working, and be willing to face adversity, so you can then have the luxury to dictate your own circumstance.
….that was heavy, and no, there’s nothing wrong with the earth’s gravitational pull.
Doc Brown, big Fedora hat guy.
Since I had the aforementioned inherited transferable skills. I knew if I used my sense of humor, along with some hard and fast rules. The Encyclopedia was not only possible, but that I wouldn’t stop until it achieved its potential.
Rule 1. Write everything down.
Rule 2. No guy goes past one page.
Rule 3. Use footnotes to link each guy to other guys. Which also helped me write each guy.
Rule 4. I think that was it….Rule 1 is very important. Here’s a totally normal page of notes for letter N. Exactly how we were taught to take notes in an organized and concise manner in the New York State public school system.
Once I figured out the foundation of The Encyclopedia, like most guys who start writing on a whim, I just assumed there'd be a line of publishing companies and media outlets that would gladly hand over the bag for the book.....I was wrong. Starting February 2020, I spent around four months learning how to query literary agents, and create a book proposal. After sending out query letters for around two months, I received five requests for my proposal, and one offer which I accepted.
I was over the moon, like most things in my life, I figured it out. I got a literary agent all by myself, no one helped me. I didn't know a guy, I wasn't a product of nepotism. I just flat out earned it.
Again, I found myself thinking I was on easy street. Agent secured. Publishing deal coming in no time....I was wrong. My agent was a very nice person, but it was more of a part-time gig for her. She inherited the company from her Father. Her communication wasn't ideal, and I wasn't included on the proposals that were sent out to publishing companies. After about a year of spotty communication with where I stood with my proposals, and only being forwarded a few rejections I asked about an amicable split, which she agreed to.
Here's a classic, "not quite the right fit" response that was forwarded to me.
to me:
Thank you for thinking of me for THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GUYS, but it doesn’t quite fit my list at this time. Best of luck finding the ideal home for the work!
Now a free agent, I've opted to take things back into my own hands. After creating a website, instagram, and twitter in July of 2020, this past July I started to become more active on social media....I quickly found out that Twitter is the wild west of social platforms.
Overwhelming the response to The Encyclopedia has been positive, Face-Time guy even got over a hundred likes.
Of course, there are always gonna be haters....particularly Lax Guy. Thirty-Five Lax Guy's, plus me liked this one....thanks for the free promotion, Nick.
Twitter has been fun though, here are a couple memes that got a few laughs.
I'm currently at 153 followers, which isn't bad considering I had zero just a couple months ago. Here are a few rules to live by for an unknown author that's substantially gained a marginal social media following, while simultaneously seeking to grow their brand.
1. Reply to accounts that your readership follows with a lot of followers...get all up in those mentions.
2. Don't follow too many people, it looks tacky, try and keep your following number lower than your follower number...we all can't be Marshall Mathers, but you can try. (If you’re a Buffalo Bills Fan, I am obligated to follow you)….Yeah, I’ll probably just follow you if you follow me, this rule is dumb.
3. Don't be afraid to DM someone you think could help you network, shoot your shot. If you're polite and respectful it's fine. The worst thing you can do is have regrets.
4. Mix in some original thoughts, don't just reply to other accounts. Your followers want to know you're capable of a piping hot take once in a while.
5. If you play your cards right, maybe you'll catch a break.
I'm still stuck on number five, but I heard a guy say a couple years ago that the only difference between a published author, and an unpublished author, is that the published author never gave up.
The Encyclopedia of Guys is a collection of life experiences designed to be shared between guys. It's not easily slid into a category like narrative non-fiction, or humorous coffee table book. It doesn't suit a specific genre, it exists on it's own because it is that unique, and I'm just a guy trying to maximize its potential.
It's like the Kinko's Guy said, "That's how you become great man, you hang your balls out there."
-Thanks for reading, and hopefully sharing.
-You can find me and The Encyclopedia of Guys at the links below.
https://twitter.com/EncyclopediaAZ
TheEncyclopediaOfGuys Instagram