Hi, I’m M.K. Williams, an author. I love sharing my insights about all things books and publishing with you. Usually, this is where I ask you to subscribe and like. But today I have a much different call to action and it is the only one I want you to focus on.

If you are like me and have been doomscrolling since mid-January, I feel you. I have been doing my best to stay level-headed. I need to be present for my family and my daughter. And I know when I ruminate too much I get into a downward spiral.

To see all the sweeping actions taking place that are hurting people has left me feeling really inept. Like, where do I start to help? Am I the best person to help or should I be amplifying someone more knowledgeable on the topic (YES!) And I think I had a bit of an emotional dam built up. And then there was one headline that just was the final straw for me, fo rall the pain and suffering and then to see the national parks funding be decimated, to see people laid off and unemployed and some homeless in an instant.

I love the national parks. Our daughter’s nursery when she was born had a national parks board book and map in it. I set a story in a national park because I loved it there so much. To think they could fall into disrepair over this and then fewer people can go and the downward spiral. It breaks my heart.

But I don’t feel completely helpless this time,
Back in 2023, I posted a little experiment here on YouTube with my short story Interview with a #Vanlifer. The story is set over one evening in Yosemite National Park as a satire where two hippie trail-loving vampires are interviewed and advocate for their cause of saving the earth and managing the negative effects of a changing climate.

The experiment I launched was to see if the human author-narrated version would perform better than the AI-narrated one. I effectively gave away both versions of the audiobook for free on the platform and asked listeners to leave a review on Goodreads in return for listening and participating in my experiment. There wasn’t much data but the results were that people like humans better.

Well, YouTube has this cool feature where creators can host fundraisers. So that’s what I’m doing. If you go to either full-length audiobook video on YouTube right now, you’ll see the National Park Foundation fundraiser button. You can click and donate as much or as little as you want. The audiobook retails for $5.50 on Spotify so if you donate $5 you still come out ahead. That money goes directly to the National Park Foundation.

As a creator, any ad money generated will still come to me. YouTube doesn’t automatically route any money I make on the video to the National Parks Foundation, but I CAN! So any ad money I make from the videos in the fundraiser I will donate to the National Park Foundation or the specific park foundation that needs the most help at the moment.

This is how I can help. It is small, but it is something. And if you have been feeling like you don’t even know where to start to help. Or you only have so much time and energy to give and the doom scrolling leaves you feeling paralyzed. Stop. Chill. Listen to this free audiobook about vampires and know whether you give directly or I donate my earnings, you are helping a bit.

Now you can get back to writing your book.

Audiobooks to listen to and help fund the parks:

OK?
Happy listening!

Music from: Wondershare Filmora Sounds: “Something Cheer You Up”

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