Discover the new and improved John Hopkins Author & Artist website.
TL;DR: Here’s a primer on my new and comprehensive website here on Squarespace showcasing all of my creative contributions in books and art—encompassing over a decade of hard work—on a single platform for the first time.
The merger: comics, novels, and art.
My long and winding road from graphic designer to comic strip creator to sci-fi novelist made sense. But only to me. I chalk up this utter lack of communication to the disjointed succession of websites and social media I committed to over the last decade that failed to enrich, enlighten, and entertain—in fact, having quite the opposite effect.
Well, dear reader, all of that is now in my rearview. And while undertaking a complete and total rebrand in parallel with juggling multiple creative projects is not for the faint of heart, there is a catharsis mixed with abject relief in reorganizing such an incoherent mess into something concise and easy to read, like cleaning out the garage and purging the clutter to organize and showcase only what’s valuable.
Introducing Author & Artist John Hopkins – the official website:
Flowchart illustrating all of my content on one consistent platform.
My mission statement: back to the basics.
A common affliction among creators is a psychological phenomenon known as Imposter Syndrome. In all honesty, I have suffered this over the years. To compensate, I hid behind my content, leaving me as something of an enigma. Acknowledging this truth rekindled a basic tenet: My content is not my brand. I am the brand.
With this clear-eyed reappraisal front and center, the mission here on johnhopkinsauthor.com is to allow more than just a peek behind the proverbial curtain. People are curious creatures, especially about other people. I plan to post 1 to 2 times per week on sci-fi, books, and art. In the process, people will discover how I blend my passions, motivations, influences, favorites, and tools of the trade into my storytelling and art. For instance, here’s a recent post on how music can influence writing.
Here’s my rebrand reboot primer.
Who: I am John Hopkins. I have enjoyed a long and successful career in the field of communication arts. My lifelong ambition to create a comic strip, which grew into Lost Cactus, led me down an unpredictable path to becoming a sci-fi novelist.
What: Something of a renaissance man (expressed with all humility), I stretch my creative muscles across multiple writing and artistic pursuits.
When: 1 to 2 new posts per week, providing new and engaging content to sustain and expand my audience.
Where: Anywhere and everywhere my imagination leads. 😀
Why: I love what I do. From visual creations to the written word expressed through a creative collection of art, comics, graphic novels, and a science fiction books.
How: Allow me to digress here with the funny and ironic last scene in the original 1963 Pink Panther movie.
The setup: Framed as the suave and sophisticated jewel thief title character, Peter Sellers’ Inspector Clouseau is in the backseat of a tiny French squad car flanked by two police officers peppering him with questions on how he did it—how he became the infamous Pink Panther. After considering the question and realizing the fame and notoriety that awaits him, Sellers’ deadpan reply is priceless: “Well, you know, it wasn’t easy.”
As a huge fan of the late English actor, I echo his deadpan reply in answer to the How.
Let’s take a spin around the website.
Home: introductions of myself and my craft.
Maintaining focus on The Brand, short descriptions on the books and art with links to take you where you want to go first.
Books: visuals, short descriptions, and links to sample chapters.
Eye-catching and informative description pages dedicated to each published work* with links to Sneak Peek Previews (here’s a sample) and Shop pages where you will find everything at discounted prices:
*New books will have their description pages added with links to ARCs and pre-orders to final published books.
Shop: virtual bookstore and art gallery.
☕️ If I could entice customers with complimentary carafes of coffee, I would, like in a former world, where one could avail themselves of such pleasures while perusing the shelves for their next read. (I’d spend hours in Borders Books back in the day.) Unfortunately, no future version of myself will wax nostalgic about shopping at an online store. But that’s just the nature of the beast. As for my Shop, it’s all here in easy-to-navigate sections, all discounted with free shipping, with new merch added—especially to the John Hopkins Art Gallery—on a rolling basis.
Blog: scifi, writing, art, and the PTB | Lost Cactus multiverse.
On a macro level my approach is clear communication to nurture and grow my audience by posting 1 to 2 times each week with an emphasis on content that people actually want to read. 😎
Please take a look around and feel free to share this with your circle of family and friends. Thanks!
