The New Wei is a literary & arts movement dedicated to advancing provocative, significant writers and artists. The New Wei hosts a literary & artistic salon in NYC. Founder and President: Tejas Desai
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Agree with the article wholeheartedly but the small presses are still following the same basic model and so they canât by nature produce dynamic work either (if this is what we mean by âliteraryââI think this definition has to be tested as well, for I donât even think Balzac (reading Lost Illusionsâhe absolutely rips apart the literary world of his day) or Dostoyevsky would be considered literary under the current agent definition). For example I am publishing my latest book Bad Americans, a frame novel filled with 12 long stories set during the Covid Pandemic (think The Decameron meets The Bachelor meets Big Brother meets Upstairs Downstairs) through my own company by publishing each story as a kindle ebook a month apart and the massive book as two parts. Thatâs 18 publications (including pbk/hardcovers) a month each for a year and a half (all thoroughly beta read, copy edited/ proofread etc.).
Would any âpublisherâ have the courage or even put out the resources to do this? Bad Americans was dismissed over the last year by both major publishers and small publishers despite its quality being upheld by beta readersâbut itâs impossible to market in their eyes due to each story having a different subject and style, or so I assume because no one in this industry ever tells the truth. Not to mention its length and complexity, despite being easy to read.
Point is, if Iâm not a rich person and I have the ability to professionally release this massive work myself in such a way, why canât they? Iâm sure there are authors nurtured by the Big Five (I know them, of course) and small publishers but Iâm not one of them and likely never will be. Five books self-published, having won multiple awards and several more on the way. Is there even a point in submitting or sending queries anymore? Indie authors need to fend for ourselves and help each other out by former Author Collectives. There seems to be no other choice if we want to release our dynamic fiction without waiting for 20 years for publishers to come around!
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I say BAD AMERICANS is of the People, for the People and for the People because it features a diversity of voices and experiences: cultural, religious, political, professional etc. Both the frame story and internal stories are populated by a remarkably diverse selection of complex, realistic characters with a variety of experiences: and almost certainly, depending on where youâre coming from, youâll be challenged or offended in some way by some story, character or viewpoint.
When I started writing Bad Americans full force during the pandemic in 2020, I did not even think about AI, but now that I consider it, it is almost the perfect anti-AI book. For one thing, it is deliberately asymmetrical: some stories are long, some are short, some are in the middle. We have short stories, long stories, novelettes and novellas. We have spoken word, gangsta rap, first person confessionals, even a double story. Have some bot try to rewrite this and Iâm certain it would fail. BAD AMERICANS defies formula.
Youâll be introduced to the complex characters in the frame narrative, and the particular characters in the internal stories, as the book is released in parts starting March 2025. I hope you will consider buying some of the stories, trying them out, then buying the whole books if youâre intrigued. I guarantee you, you wonât regret it!
(First Story, âOn the Frontlinesâ is out March 15, 2025âIâll let you know when the pre-order is ready!)
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Happy New Year everyone! Enjoy the fireworks from Sydney, Australia! I feel 2025 will be a pivotal year for me. Iâm finally releasing my magnum opus Bad Americans, a book by the People, of the People, and for the People, in one of the most ambitious publishing campaigns in literary history, with 16 publications across the next year and a half. The New Wei will continue to grow. Weâve reached the Twilight of the Publishers and their inability to release dynamic fiction like The Human Tragedy will simply embolden the rise of literary movements and author collectives like this one, changing the literary landscape and culture forever. I will be doing author events during this period and other lectures throughout the country, including at NYLAâs Combatting Racism Series online and in Phoenix at ALA LibLearnX in late January. Nothing will stop the rise of Great Narrative! Happy New Year! #newyear2025 #literaryfiction #literature #greatness #sydneyaustralia #australia #thenewwei #thehumantragedy #author #authors #writer #writers #literarymovements #ambition #books #bookstagram #book #BookSeries #LiteraryCulture
#the new wei#books#author#authors#book#bookstagram#literature#travel#the human tragedy#traveler#new year
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Brief stopover in Kuwait City. Iâve been in many middle eastern airports so the sights are similarâthe sheikhs in long robes and the women in black coverage of various types depending on their religiosity but invariably wearing dirty sneakers, fancy makeup and perfectly manicured nails đ Of course the workers are immigrants of all backgrounds. Should have known security wouldâve confiscated my Axe Body Spray at slightly over the legal ounce limit even though US airports including JFK on the way here didnât care. Also had my iPad smashed by an obnoxious customersâ bag but it seems fine for now. Iâve been reading about Kuwaiti culture a bit and didnât realize how much the 1990 Iraqi invasion really affected the countryâs infrastructure and collective psyche. I was so sleepy (consistently woken up on the plane by my seat-mates), that I initially curled up on two seats but finally found a lounge area with bed-length couches. Downed a cappuccino and Turkey sandwich. Now onto Mumbai! #travelblogger #travelphotography #travel #authors #authorslife #authortravel #kuwaitcity #kuwaitlife #kuwaithistory #kuwaiti #KuwaitInternationalAirport #writersofinstagram #middleeast #arabic #authorsofinstagram
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Iâm about to head on my most ambitious trip to date: first to my second cousin Yasuâs wedding in Surat, India, where I havenât been since my research trip for The Brotherhood Chronicle 12 years ago. Then onto Singapore, Bali, Australia, New Zealand. It might be too ambitious even for me, but I wanted to take care of it before my year and a half long project to publish my most ambitious book to date, Bad Americans, The Great American Pandemic Novel and anthology sequel to Good Americans). My previous bid to visit Singapore and Bali were thwarted by illness before the Covid Pandemic (turns out that might be what it wasâthe symptoms matched), and I havenât been to Australia since 2013 so I want to explore some new places and revisit some old haunts. Iâll be posting as usual throughout my trip. Wish me Bon Voyage! #trip #asiatrip #australia #newzealand #COVID19 #covid #pandemic #adventure #adventuretravel #backpacking #india #surat #suratcity #BadAmericans #GoodAmericans #tejasdesai #authorlife #author #bookstagram #book #books #authortravel #writerslife #writer #writersofinstagram
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Selected members of the newly formulated The New Wei Author Collective! with Vegas K Jarrow Matthew Allison Ishy Christine Kacper Annette Brown. Missing William J. McGee, Chris Styles Moet and several others! #collective #literarycommunity #salon #author #authorscommunity #authors #books #book #bookstagram
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Good Americans is free today. Pick up your copy today, in anticipation of Bad Americans!
#ebooksale#freeebook#FreeEbookDownload#ebooks#ebookstore#ebooklovers#ebookshop#ebook#ebookstagram#ebooklaunch#freebooks#satire#literary#literaryfiction#UrbanFiction#urban#urbanart#literature#literaturelover#bookstagram#BookNow#bookrecommendations#bookrecs#bookrelease#booktok#bookworm#booklovers#bookloversunite#bookloverscommunity
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I don't recall if The Brotherhood ever went higher than #50 in the entire Kindle Store. It probably did but don't remember the exact number. Well its sequels are currently at #49 (The Run and Hide) and #51 (The Dance Towards Death) respectively (probably were even higher last night, but I didn't have time to check).
It was certainly nice to see all 3 thrillers on the Amazon best seller list for Asian American Lit and Hardboiled Mysteries. And I definitely bested a personal record with nearly 5,000 downloads in one day. And it's still free today, so if you don't have copies, you still have a shot!
#kindlebooks #KindleUnlimited #ebook #ebookbestseller #ebookdeals #ebooksale #ebooklaunch #books #bookstagram #booktok #booknow #bookrecommendations #booklovers #freebooks #freebies #freeebook #FreeEbookDownload #thriller #thrillerbooks #mystery #mysterybooks #ebookstore #noir #hardboiled #adventure #adventureTravel #action #author #authorsofinstagram #detective
#free ebooks#free books#books and reading#authors#books#literature#bookstagram#bookworm#currently reading#kindle books#ebook#ebookdeals
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We had an awesome Annual Southeast Queens Author Festival! I introduced the innovative rollout of Bad Americans and pumped its predecessor Good Americans. Then 16 diverse & dynamic authors, including William J. McGee, Chris Stylez (Styles Moet), Catherine Manett, Vegas K Jarrow, Jonathan Kravetz, Aida Zilelian-Silak, and many others graced the stage and delivered memorable readings. The place was packed, and everyone gave great reviews. See you next year! #literature #events #books #bookstagram #authorsofinstagram #authorscommunity #bookfestival #BookLovers #indieauthors #nyc #queens #queensny #southeastqueens #cambria #shortstory #storytelling #shortstorycollection #novel #thriller #booktok #authorlife #novels #novelas #BadAmericans #GoodAmericans #thehumantragedy #thenewwei
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Several people have asked about the timeline for the release of my pandemic novel BAD AMERICANS. As I've written in the past, BAD AMERICANS is a unique and dynamic book, a short story collection within a novel. Each story is told by a character in the novel. Each tale has a different style, structure and viewpoint.
While the stories often respond to another and play a role in the plot of the frame narrative, they also stand alone and can be enjoyed as single reads. Like its predecessor in THE HUMAN TRAGEDY, Good Americans (2013), each story confronts a different aspect of the American experience in an entertaining yet thought-provoking way. My hope is that the book as a whole reflects on mortality in our time, and what it means to be American (and human) today, whatever that might mean to you.
So of course, such a massive and ambitious literary project will have an unconventional publication.
Assuming it is released by the The New Wei, and everything goes according to plan:
Each story (short story, novelette or novella) will be released separately as a Kindle Ebook a month apart starting in March 2025.
Then the frame novel and first six short stories will be released in multiple formats, including hardcover, trade paperback and ebook (going to try for audio) in September 2025.
Followed by the next six short stories, and the second part in April 2026.
So here is the release schedule as it stands right now:
"On the Frontlines" (aka Andrea's Story, novelette)--March 15, 2025
"Immigrants Unite!" (aka Cathy's Story, spoken word poetic tale)--April 15, 2025
"Corona Chaos" (aka Taylor's Story, short story)--May 15, 2025
"Black Boy's Ballad" (aka Rashan's Story, novella)--June 15, 2025 (possibly pbk too)
"Mason Mayhem" (aka Ricard's Story, novelette)--July 15, 2025
"Love Liability" (aka Nalini's Story, novelette)--August 15, 2025
BAD AMERICANS PART I (novel with stories)--September 15, 2025
"Barcelona Blasphemy" (aka Lisa's Story, novelette)--October 15, 2025
"ISIS Crisis" (aka Khassan's Story, short story)--November 15, 2025
"A Model Citizen" (aka Hayley's Story, novelette)--December 15, 2025
"Cape Conundrum" (aka Pritesh's Story, novelette)--January 15, 2026
"The Manchurian Algerian" (aka Sylvania's Story, novelette)--February 15, 2026
"Dope Doppelganger Ditty" (aka Angela's Story, novella)--March 15, 2026 (possibly pbk too)
BAD AMERICANS PART II (novel with stories)--April 15, 2026
During this time, my plan is to do readings and speaking events throughout New York City and beyond to promote BAD AMERICANS.
And by the end, I'll need a vacation!
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Thanks for chilling tonight! Vegas K Jarrow Lynley W Lance Hunt Next time William J. McGee Chris Stylez Lancelot Schaubert Catherine Manett Ishy Christine Matthew Allison Kacper Jarecki Annette Brown etc etc #salon #salonlife #gathering #literature #literaturelover @ Moustache in the West Village
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Some birthday pics in Miami plus a message in a bottle⊠#miami #birthday #birthdayboy #travelblogger #travelphotography #author #art #traveller #travellers
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The New Wei Literary & Artistic Salon @ Sea Thai in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Beautiful decor and even livelier and thought-provoking conversation! If youâre a writer or artist, join us next month! with Matthew Allison, Vijay Rx Nathan, Vegas K Jarrow, Ishy Christine Degyansky #salonlife #salon #literature #literaturelover #literaryfiction #literarycommunity #bookstagram #booktok #book #books #booklover #artistlife #artistic
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My âstaff picksâ book display at Cambria Heights Library (we take turns every month) #bookstagram #books #bookrecommendations #booklover #booknow #classicbooks #classicbookstagram #author #authors #authorsofinstagram #library #librariesofinstagram #libraries #librarians #librarylife #librarylove #librariansofinstagram #literature #literaturelover #thoughts #thinking #provocateur
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Camping in Wading River, NY while braving heavy rains, cool meals with friendly waitresses, driving to the tip of LI at âThe Point at Orient Pointâ to see two bays meeting at the experimental Plum Island, eating cider donuts at Riverhead Ciderhouse on the way back! #camping #campinglife #longisland #suffolkcounty #wadingriver #wildwood #orientpoint #northshore
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Todayâs reading at Matthew Allisonâs (@mcallisontheone ) Peninsula Library was awesome! First time Iâve read there in about a decade and unfortunately without the late Richard Livsey, whoâs Waiting for the Bomb you should all read! Anyway, this was Jonathan Kravetzâs dayâhe blew us away with his new literary crime novel in stories, How We Were Before! Also reading were Jacob M. Appel, Jean Bell, Carmen Antreasian, Vijay Rx Nathan, a gentleman from the local pizzeria who just wrote a novella, among others! Thanks for Ishyâs support as always! #reading #readingcommunity #literature #stories #crimefiction #mystery #thriller #authors #author #writer #writing #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #bookstagram #book #books #literary #poetry #shortstories
#books#author#authors#book#literature#book reading#readings#reading#short stories#shortstory#crime fiction
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Incisive Interview about Indie Publishing
Here is an interesting interview between a writer (Catherine Manett), her editor (also a writerâWilliam McGee) and her hybrid publisher, Stephanie Larkin of Red Penguin Books. Well worth viewing!
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